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
(*Footnote. The result of these observations makes the time of high-water
at the full and change of the moon 9 hours 36 minutes when the rise of
the tide is six feet and three at neaps. The flood-stream comes from the
eastward; and both it and the ebb is of 6 hours 15 minutes duration at
springs; but during neaps the flood runs 7 hours 0 minutes and the ebb 5
hours 30 minutes. The interval of slack-water never exceeded a quarter of
an hour, and the western stream begins 0 hours 30 minutes after low-water
at springs, and 0 hours 50 minutes after it at neaps; whilst the eastern
begins 0 hours 40 minutes after high-water at springs, and 0 hours 10
minutes before it at neaps. The velocity of the stream was from one to
three knots, the strongest being the ebb, which at springs and with a
strong westerly breeze attains a strength in the middle of the strait of
nearly four knots, and causes, when opposed to the wind, a high-topping
sea, dangerous for small craft.
Whilst in other respects the tides are the same, the time of high-water
at Preservation Island, though only at the northern side of the strait,
is 1 hour 15 minutes later than at Swan Island. This great difference is
caused by the influence of the flood-stream out of Franklin Channel and
from the northward along the west side of Flinders Island. The
flood-streams setting to the westward through Banks Strait, and to the
south-westward past the north-west end of Flinders, meet about ten miles
to the westward of the Chappell Isles, when their united stream curves
round by south to west, becoming gradually weaker, and soon after passing
the mouth of the Tamar ceasing to be felt at all, leaving in the middle
of Bass Strait a large space free from tidal influence as far as the
production of progressive motion is concerned, that given to it from the
entrances being neutralized by their mutual opposition. There is,
however, an easterly current of nearly a knot an hour, in strong westerly
winds. The meeting of the tides on the west side of Flinders also leaves
a space, close to the shore near the centre, free from any stream. At the
eastern entrance of Franklin Channel there is also a meeting of the
flood-streams, one coming from North-North-East and the other from
South-East.)
Whilst at this anchorage two boats belonging to the whaling station on
Wilson's Promontory passed on their way to Hobart, which they reached in
safety. They made the passage, hazardous for boats, across the strait by
touching at Hogan and Kent Groups and so over to Flinders Island.
CAPE PORTLAND.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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