Discoveries in Australia, Volume 2: Discoveries in Australia; with an Account of the Coasts and Rivers; Explored and Surveyed During the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, in The; Years 1837-38-39-40-41-42-43. By Command of the Lords Commissioners; Of the Admiralty. Also a Narrative of Captain Owen Stanley's Visits; To the Islands in the Arafura SeaStokes, John Lort
History
Discoveries in Australia, Volume 2: Discoveries in Australia; with an Account of the Coasts and Rivers; Explored and Surveyed During the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, in The; Years 1837-38-39-40-41-42-43. By Command of the Lords Commissioners; Of the Admiralty. Also a Narrative of Captain Owen Stanley's Visits; To the Islands in the Arafura Sea
Stokes, John Lort
Australia -- Description and travel; Australia -- Discovery and exploration; Natural history -- Australia
The opening to the westward, visited by Captain Wickham, requiring
further examination, we left Port Darwin for that purpose, beating out on
the morning of the 26th. Before taking leave, however, of this place, it
will not be deemed irrelevant if we give some slight description of it.
The entrance points, I have already said, are white cliffy projections,
and distant from each other three miles. Just outside them lies a long
four fathom bank, which, together with a very extensive flat of one, and
two fathoms, nearly joining it from the eastern side, and another
fronting the north side of the west entrance point, comprise all the
dangers on entering this port; which, although of considerable size, is
much occupied by shoal water, particularly on the western side,
commencing from abreast of Talc Head. The best anchorage is near Point
Emery. The extreme of the latter, and a clump of peaked bushes on the
south point of the eastern arm of the harbour, when in one, make a good
mark for leading out; passing on the west side of the four fathom bank,
where the channel is a mile wide and 10 fathoms deep.
IRREGULARITY OF THE TIDES.
The tide is very irregular in Port Darwin, rising at springs 24 feet, and
at neaps sometimes only two; its rate being from one and a half to three
knots. The time of high-water at the full and change of moon, was
half-past five, which being half an hour earlier than at Clarence Strait,
fully bears out the opinion I have before expressed, that the flood-tide
comes from the westward.
Having to beat out against the seabreeze, the flood-tide made before we
could get round the point on the coast lying midway between Ports Darwin
and Patterson, and we were compelled to pass the night in the
neighbourhood, a circumstance rendered disagreeable by the recurrence of
another midnight squall from East-North-East, so severe as to require the
use of a second anchor. The rain was so bitterly cold and sudden, as well
as violent, acting also on our frames with more severity from the
lightness of our clothing, that it had all the effect of a shower-bath,
momentarily taking away the power of speech. It caused a rapid fall in
the thermometer of ten degrees, bringing it as low as 60 degrees. At Port
Darwin it had been regularly 87 and 89 degrees in the day, and 80 degrees
at night.
MIDNIGHT SQUALL.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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