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
I regretted there was not time to visit Moresby's Flat-topped Range, as
we might have got a glimpse of the good land reported by Captain Grey in
the neighbourhood. The sides of the high lands look fertile over the
sandhills of the bay; but through a spy-glass I found that they had a
brown arid appearance and were destitute of timber.
I was forcibly struck with the resemblance between Moresby's Range, Sea
Range on the Victoria, Cape Flattery on the north-east coast, and I may
add, from Flinders' description, the cliffs forming the coast range at
the head of the Australian Bight. The great similarity in the elevation,
all being between 500 and 700 feet, is still more remarkable. To bring
this great resemblance between opposite portions of the Australian
continent before the reader, I have inserted sketches of those parts
which were seen in the Beagle.
The beach in the south corner of Champion Bay, having the appearance of
being seldom visited by a surf, it is possible that a small vessel may be
sheltered by the reef in north-west gales, which the anchorage is exposed
to, and which, therefore, can only be considered safe in the summer
season. Five miles to the southward of Point Moore there is another bay,
which appeared much exposed to the prevailing winds. The shore between is
rocky with outlying reefs.
LEAVE CHAMPION BAY.
April 10.
We left Champion Bay at daylight, with a moderatE south wind and fine
weather, and passed over some uneven ground south-west of the north
point, soundings varying from five to seven fathoms, sand and rock, which
though at a quiet time, almost formed breakers.
APPEARANCE OF THE COAST.
As we ran along to the northward, the coast was lined with sandhills very
partially dotted with vegetation. Behind these was a margin of brown
arid-looking downs, receding to the foot of the uplands. Twenty miles of
the coastline from Champion Bay trended North 29 degrees West.
At noon we were in latitude 28 degrees 26 minutes South; the Menai Hills,
a group lying just off the north end of Moresby's Flat-topped Range,
bearing South 73 degrees East ten miles. A valley or ravine, through
which probably a rivulet* runs in the wet season, bore North 83 degrees
East two miles, and a singular large patch of sand, 270 feet above the
sea, North 22 degrees East two miles and a half. North of this patch the
land changes its appearance; the bare sandhills cease, and a steep-sided
down, 300 feet high, faces the coastline. Our track was from two to three
miles from the shore, in 19 and 22 fathoms, fine white sand; a heavy surf
washing the beach. South-east of the Menai Hills the country appeared
much broken, with high table ranges of from 4 to 700 feet.
(*Footnote. This (in latitude 28 degrees 25 minutes South) may have been
one of the rivers discovered by Captain Grey, but which it was impossible
for us to determine, as no account of them had been left with the
Surveyor-general, Mr. Roe.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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