Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia — Vol. 2: Performed between the years 1818 and 1822King, Philip Parker
History
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia — Vol. 2: Performed between the years 1818 and 1822
King, Philip Parker
Australia -- Description and travel; Natural history -- Australia
CASTLEREAGH BAY is forty miles wide, by about eighteen deep; it is
fronted by a group of straggling islands of low coral formation, crowned
with small trees and bushes: the centre of the northernmost islet is in
latitude 11 degrees 41 minutes 50 seconds, longitude 134 degrees 10
minutes 5 seconds. To the eastward of Cape Stewart, the western head of
the bay, the coast is very much indented, and probably contains several
openings or rivulets, particularly two at the bottom of the bay. The
beach is generally sandy, with rocky points, and the shore is wooded to
the beach; the interior was in no part visible over the coast hills,
which are very low and level.
From the extremity of CAPE STEWART, which is in latitude 11 degrees 56
minutes, and longitude 133 degrees 48 minutes, a reef extends to the West
by North 1/2 North for eight miles and a half; having, at a mile within
the extremity, a low sandy key, with a small dry rock half a mile to the
eastward. Every other part of the reef is covered.
To the westward of Cape Stewart is a sandy bay nearly eleven leagues in
extent, but not more than seven deep; near its western end there is a
small break in the beach, but it did not appear to be of any consequence.
The extreme point of this bight is the eastern head of LIVERPOOL RIVER,
whose entrance is to the westward of Haul-round Islet; which, as well as
Entrance Island, is connected to the above point by a shoal. Haul-round
Islet is in latitude 11 degrees 54 minutes, and longitude 134 degrees 14
minutes; Entrance Island is in latitude 11 degrees 57 minutes, and
longitude 134 degrees 14 minutes 50 seconds.
The entrance is from one and a quarter to two miles wide. The reef
extends for half a mile from Haul-round Islet, close without which the
water is deep, the least depth in the entrance is five and three-quarter
fathoms; and, in some parts there are thirteen and fourteen fathoms: at
seven miles within Haul-round Islet, the depth decreases to four fathoms,
and then gradually shoals to three; after which it varies in the channel
of the river to between nine and twelve feet at low water. A bar crosses
the river at the low mangrove island, over which there is not more than
three feet at low water; but, as the tide rises more than eight feet at
the springs, vessels drawing ten or eleven feet may proceed up the river.
The stream runs in a very tortuous course for upwards of forty miles, but
as our examination was unassisted by bearings or observations, it is laid
down from an eye sketch.
POINT BRAITHWAITE, in latitude 11 degrees 45 minutes 50 seconds, and
longitude 133 degrees 55 minutes 20 seconds, is twenty miles to the
westward of Haul-round Islet; to the southward of it is Junction Bay,
which was not examined.
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