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
The anchorage off Vansittart Bay at 9 hours 15 minutes.
In Montagu Sound at 12 hours 00 minutes.
In Careening Bay at 12 hours 00 minutes.
In Prince Regent's River at 12 hours 20 minutes.
The rise of the tide, to the westward of Cape Van Diemen, and
particularly to the westward of Cape Bougainville, appeared gradually to
increase: the greatest that we experienced was in the vicinity of
Buccaneer's Archipelago; and at the anchorage in Camden Bay the tide rose
thirty-seven feet; occasioned probably by the intersected nature of the
coast.
The variation in this interval is almost too trifling to be noticed for
the purposes of common navigation. Between Capes Londonderry and Van
Diemen it varies between 1/4 and 1 degree East. Between the former and
Careening Bay it was between 1 and 1 1/2 degrees East; at Careening Bay
the mean of the observations gave 3/4 of a degree West; but to the
westward of that, as far as Cape Villaret, the results of the
observations varied between 1 degree East and 1 degree West. Near the
North-west Cape, and to the eastward of it as far as Depuch Island, it is
about two degrees Westerly.
On the south-side of Clarence Strait the land is low, like the coast to
the eastward. PATERSON BAY appeared to be the mouth of a river, but it
was not examined. The opening to the eastward of the projecting point
that forms the eastern side of Paterson Bay, seemed to be a good port;
and to have an inlet at its bottom trending to the South-East.
CAPE GROSE, in latitude 12 degrees 32 minutes 40 seconds, and longitude
131 degrees 26 minutes, is the western head of Paterson Bay: it is
fronted by reefs that extend for a considerable distance into the sea;
their extremity is nearly nine miles north from the cape.
Hence the coast extends low and sandy to POINT BLAZE, to the northward of
which there is a bay: to the south the shore is wooded, and trends for
eighteen miles to the north entrance of Anson Bay, which is formed by
PERON ISLANDS; these are low and sandy; at the extremity of the northern
island, there is a sandy peak in latitude 13 degrees 6 minutes 30
seconds, and longitude 131 degrees 1 minute 20 seconds: the south end is
overrun with mangroves, and it appeared very doubtful whether a channel
existed between it and the smaller island, which is entirely surrounded
by mangroves. This entrance to the bay is very intricate, and useless,
since that to the south of the islands is so much better. Anson's Bay
affords good anchorage, and probably has a small rivulet at the bottom.
CAPE FORD, in latitude 13 degrees 24 minutes 35 seconds, longitude 130
degrees 52 minutes 20 seconds, has a reef projecting for three miles from
it: hence the coast trends round to the southward for thirty miles to a
bay, which also has a small opening at the bottom; five miles inland
there is a range of hills, on which two, of flat-topped summits, are
conspicuous; and, at a distance, assume the appearance of islands. They
are the Barthelemy Hills.
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