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
1820. September 28 and 29. By twenty sets of lunar distances with the
sun, containing one hundred sights with the sextant, the sun being to the
east of the moon, the longitude is 125 degrees 11 minutes 24.3 seconds.
1821. August 2nd and 3rd. By seventeen sets of lunar distances with the
sun, containing eighty-five sights with the sextant, the sun being to the
west of the moon, the longitude of Sight Point, in Prince Regent's River,
was found to be 124 degrees 41 minutes 15.3 seconds, or of Careening Bay
124 degrees 50 minutes 8.1 seconds.
The mean is the longitude of the observatory 125 degrees 0 minutes 46
seconds East.)
The CORONATION ISLANDS separate York Sound from Brunswick Bay, and are
situated in front of Port Nelson. The group consists of seventeen or
eighteen islands, besides numerous rocky islets. On the largest island
are two remarkable peaks; the easternmost is in 14 degrees 59 minutes,
and longitude 124 degrees 56 minutes 5 seconds. The island is eight miles
long, and from four to two wide; the others are from three to one mile in
length; they are covered with vegetation, and the larger islands are well
clothed with trees. The great rise of the tide would render this part of
the coast of importance, was it not for the wretched state of the
country, and the unproductiveness of its soil, which are great drawbacks
upon the advantage of the tide's unusual rise. It is high water at full
and change in Port Nelson at twelve o'clock, as it is also in Montagu
Sound.
Beyond the Coronation Islands there is a string of small, rocky islands
extending for sixteen miles: the westernmost is Freycinet's Group; the
principal island of which Captain De Freycinet has described as
resembling an inverted bowl; and, from this description, we had no
difficulty in finding it out; it is in latitude 15 degrees 0 minutes 30
seconds, and longitude 124 degrees 32 minutes 40 seconds. Among the other
islands we distinguished the islets Colbert, Keraudren, and Buffon. On
the last there is a small, grassy, peaked hillock, in latitude 14 degrees
55 minutes 25 seconds, and longitude 124 degrees 43 minutes 20 seconds.
We passed out to sea between Freycinet's Group and Keraudren; and within
one mile and a half of the latter had eighteen fathoms: it appeared, from
the colour of the water, to have a reef projecting to the westward.
BRUNSWICK BAY is at the back of these islands, and extends from CAPE
BREWSTER, in latitude 15 degrees 6 minutes 10 seconds, and longitude 124
degrees 55 minutes 5 seconds, which terminates Port Nelson, to Point
Adieu. It is an extensive bay or sound, and is about twenty miles in
extent, with good anchorage all over it. The coast is here very much
indented by rivers and bays; among which may be particularized Prince
Regent's River, Hanover Bay, and Port George the Fourth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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