Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2Grey, George
History
Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2
Grey, George
Natural history -- Australia -- Western Australia; Western Australia -- Discovery and exploration
This range of hills extends north-north-west six miles from Mount
Fairfax, which, although a detached hill, may be considered its southern
extreme. Mount Fairfax is a table-topped hill, the summit of which is an
elevated part at its southern edge, and is 590 feet high. It is in
latitude 28 degrees 45 1/4 minutes, and longitude 1 degree 3 3/4 minutes
west of Swan River, and 4 miles from the coast. To the south-east of
Moresby's Flat-topped Range are the Wizard Hills, the highest of which,
Wizard Peak, is 640 feet. It is in latitude 28 degrees 49 minutes 37
seconds south and longitude 0 degrees 58 1/2 minutes west of Swan River.
For 10 1/2 miles to the northward of Moresby's Flat-topped Range are some
remarkable detached ranges of tableland, from 500 to 600 feet high, at
the northern extreme of which are the Menai Hills. Some of them show as
peaks, but appear only to be the gable ends, as it were, of table-topped
ridges.
In latitude 28 degrees 47 minutes south there is a narrow neck of low
land projecting about 1 3/4 miles from the coastline, to the northward of
which there is good anchorage in Champion Bay.
Point Moore, which is the extreme of this low projection, bears west 13
degrees south (magnetic) from Mount Fairfax, and west 17 degrees north
(magnetic) from Wizard Peak. The anchorage is protected from the westward
by a reef that extends upwards of a mile to the northward from Point
Moore: but half a mile to the northward of the reef is a detached shoal
patch which breaks occasionally, between which and the reef there is a
passage through which the Beagle passed, and had not less than six
fathoms. But perhaps it would be advisable in standing into the bay to
pass to the northward of this danger, which may be done by not bringing
Mount Fairfax to bear to the southward of east 1/4 south (magnetic) until
Point Moore bears south.
This bay is open to the northward, but, as the winds from that quarter
are not frequent, and then only in the winter season, it may be
considered as affording shelter from the prevailing winds on the coast.
The water is shoal in the head of the bay, but a good anchorage may be
taken three-quarters of a mile off shore in four fathoms sandy bottom,
with Point Moore bearing south 50 degrees west and a remarkable bare
brown sandhill in the south-east part of the bay, bearing south 31
degrees east. Mount Fairfax will then bear north 87 minutes east, and the
north extreme of the reef from Point Moore north 50 minutes west. Wizard
Peak is not seen from this anchorage.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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