Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia — Vol. 1: Performed between the years 1818 and 1822King, Philip Parker
History
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia — Vol. 1: Performed between the years 1818 and 1822
King, Philip Parker
Australia -- Description and travel; Natural history -- Australia
At daylight the next morning we steered round the land, and passing under
the base of Mount Roe, we entered a strait that separates it from
Greenhill Island; which is remarkable for having its north-west end
terminated by a conspicuous bluff. The coast now took an easterly
direction as far as the eye could reach, with a channel of from three to
eight miles broad between it and a range of islands (which were named in
compliment to the late Vice-Admiral Sir George Hope, K.C.B., then holding
a seat in the Board of Admiralty). At noon the tide began to ebb, when we
anchored near the land at about six miles east of Mount Roe.
The thermometer now ranged between 80 and 90 degrees, but the heat was by
no means oppressive.
April 29.
By the next day at noon we had penetrated four leagues within Sir George
Hope's Islands, when the water became so shoal that we could not approach
an opening that was seen in the land to the south-eastward; after trying
in several directions, the cutter was anchored, and Mr. Roe was sent to
sound in a south direction in search of a passage out; but, as it
appeared to be shoal and some parts were already dry, it was decided that
we should return by the way we came; since our object was not so much to
lay down the extent of the banks and directions of the channels, as to
find rivers, and trace the coastline. The opening to the South-East of
our anchorage certainly appeared to be sufficiently interesting to
examine, but we had formed very sanguine expectations of discovering
something of much greater importance at the bottom of the bay, and we
were naturally anxious to reach it as soon as possible.
On constructing the chart of this part of the coast, it appeared that the
land to the eastward of this anchorage is an isthmus four or five miles
in breadth, separating the body of water from the bottom of Mountnorris
Bay. The peninsula thus formed was honoured by the appellation of
Cobourg, after His Royal Highness Prince Leopold.
During the day large smokes were observed on the south horizon, without
any appearance of land near them.
1818. May 1.
On our way out we anchored under one of Sir George Hope's Islands, which,
on the occasion of our landing upon it the next morning (1st May), was
called May-day Island: it is about two miles long, and nearly the same
distance across; its formation appears to have been originally of sand
that has accumulated upon a rocky basis, and has gradually grown into an
island; it is thickly covered with a forest of dwarf trees and
impenetrable brushwood. Some recent impressions of a human foot on the
sand below high-water mark were seen, and several old fireplaces, and one
or two of more recent date were observed, around which were strewed the
remains of shell-fish repasts; the natives, however, did not make their
appearance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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