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
PRINCE REGENT'S RIVER is, without exception, the most remarkable feature
of the North-West Coast. In general the inlets of this coast form
extensive ports at their entrance; and, when they begin to assume the
character of a river, their course becomes tortuous, and very irregular;
of which there cannot be a better instance than the neighbouring river,
Roe's River. Prince Regent's River trends into the interior in a
South-East by East direction for fifty-four miles. With scarcely a point
to intercept the view, after being thirteen miles within it. The entrance
is formed by Cape Wellington on the east, and High Bluff on the west, a
width of eight miles, but is so much contracted by islands, that, in
hauling round Cape Wellington, the width is suddenly reduced to little
more than a mile: at the branching off of Rothsay Water, it is little
more than half a mile, and also the same width at the entrance of St.
George's Basin. In this space, however, it is in some parts a little
wider, but in no part between projecting points is it more than one mile
and a quarter. For the first nine miles the stream is narrowed by
islands; beyond this, its boundaries are formed by the natural banks of
the river. On the eastern side, within Cape Wellington, is a deep bay,
but of shoal and rocky appearance. At six miles farther on are two
inlets, ROTHSAY and MUNSTER WATERS, near which the tide forms rapid
eddies and whirlpools, that render its approach dangerous. In mid-channel
is a group of isles; and, off the easternmost, a reef projects to the
eastward for more than half a mile, round which a vessel must pass; here
the channel is not more than half a mile wide. Munster Water, on the
western side, communicates with Hanover Bay by a narrow strait, with very
good anchorage in it in four and five fathoms mud; it is, however, an
inconvenient place to go to, if a vessel is bound any farther up the
river. Rothsay Water is a very considerable arm; and was conjectured to
communicate with Prince Frederic's Harbour, and, if so, would insulate
the land between Capes Torrens and Wellington. We did not enter Rothsay
Water; and the tides and whirlpools were too rapid and dangerous to trust
our small boats without running a very great risk. At the entrance of
this arm, on the south shore, there appeared to be a shoal-bank. Halfway
Bay offers very good anchorage out of the strength of the tides, with
abundance of room to get underweigh from. The northernmost point of the
bay, SIGHT POINT, has a small islet off it (LAMMAS ISLET) where the
observations were taken to fix the longitude of Careening Bay. (See
above.) The two bays on the opposite, or north-east shore, are shoal, and
not fit for any vessel drawing more than six or seven feet; and the
shores are so lined with mangroves, as in most parts to defy all attempts
at landing. After passing them, the shores approach each other within
three-quarters of a mile, but the south-west shore is fronted by a rocky
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