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
For the next thirty miles the coast is very much indented, and has some
deep bays on either side of Point Barclay, as also one to the eastward of
Point Turner, at the bottom of which an opening, a mile in width, is
probably a river. Here also the feature of the coast is altered, being
low and level to the eastward as far as Point Dale, without a hill or
rising ground in the interior to relieve its monotonous appearance. At
this place, however, a range of rocky hills, WELLINGTON RANGE, commences,
of about twenty miles in extent: five miles behind it is the Tor
(latitude 11 degrees 54 minutes, and longitude 133 degrees 10 minutes 20
seconds) a solitary pyramidal rock; and seven miles and a quarter West by
South, from the latter is a peak-topped hill.
The two latter are apparently unconnected with the range, on which there
are four remarkable ridges, of which the two westernmost are the most
remarkable.
GOULBURN ISLANDS consist of two islands, each being about twenty miles in
circumference; they are separated from each other by a rocky strait three
miles wide, which in most parts is deep enough for a ship of any size to
pass through; the latitude of the centre of this strait is 11 degrees 32
minutes. Macquarie Strait separates the southernmost from the main, and
is nearly two miles across: the depth in mid-channel being eighteen
fathoms: the latitude of Retaliation Point, which is on the northern side
of the strait, is in 11 degrees 39 minutes.
SOUTH WEST BAY affords good anchorage in five and six fathoms at a mile
from the shore, and vessels may anchor at a quarter of a mile off the
beach in three fathoms muddy bottom.
At the north end of the bay are the Bottle Rocks separated from the point
by a channel two and a quarter fathoms deep. The Bottle Rock was one of
our fixed points, and is placed in latitude 11 degrees 37 minutes 24
seconds, and longitude 133 degrees 19 minutes 40 seconds. The bay affords
a convenient place for wooding and watering; the latter may be had during
the early months of the dry season (as late as August) from a drain at
the base of the Pipe Clay Cliffs at the north end of the bay. There are
also some holes on Sims Island that contain water for a much later
period. The holes have been made by the Malays for the purpose of
collecting it.
MULLET BAY is on the west side of the north island, affording good
anchorage in the easterly monsoon in six and seven fathoms mud, at a mile
from the shore. The flood-tide here sets to the eastward, and it is high
water at full and change in the strait at six o'clock; the rise of the
tide is not more than five or six feet. The north-east point of North
Goulburn Island is in latitude 11 degrees 26 minutes, longitude 133
degrees 26 minutes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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