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
There is also good reason to suspect that the land between Cape Leveque
and Point Gantheaume is an island; and if so, the mouth of this opening
is eight miles wide; besides, who is to say that the land even of Cape
Villaret may not also be an island? The French expedition only saw small
portions of the coast to the southward; but it does not appear probable
that the opening extends to the southward of Cape Villaret. (See above.)
Thirty-three miles in a North 14 degrees West direction from the summit
of Caffarelli Island is ADELE ISLAND. It is low, and merely covered with
a few shrubs, and is about three miles from east to west, and from one to
one and a half broad; its west end is in 15 degrees 30 minutes South, and
123 degrees 9 minutes 15 seconds East. At about a league North-West from
its western end are two bare sandy islets, which were uncovered as we
passed, but which as there was not the slightest appearance of vegetation
upon it, may be covered at high water. On the western side of Adele
Island, is an extensive patch of light-coloured water, in some parts of
which the sea broke upon the rocks, which were only just below the
surface. The light-coloured water extends for fourteen miles North West
by West 1/2 West from Adele Island, but there is reason to think that the
water is deep over the greater part of it; for we crossed over its tail,
and sounded in forty-five fathoms without finding bottom, whilst in the
darker-coloured water on either side of it, we had forty-two and
forty-four fathoms.
POINT SWAN is the north-easternmost point of the land of Cape Leveque; it
has an island close off its extremity, round which the tide rushes with
great force, and forms a line of ripplings for ten miles to the
West-North-West, through which, even in the Bathurst, we found it
dangerous to pass. Five miles to the north-eastward of the point are two
small rocky islets, two miles apart from each other.
CAPE LEVEQUE is low and rocky, with a small islet close to its extremity:
its extreme is in latitude 16 degrees 21 minutes 50 seconds, and
longitude 122 degrees 56 minutes 35 seconds. Between the cape and Point
Swan, there is a sandy bay, fronted by a bed of rocks. It was in this bay
that the Buccaneers anchored, which Dampier has so well described.
The coast between CAPES LEVEQUE and BORDA extending South 40 degrees West
nineteen miles, is low and rocky, and the country sandy and unproductive.
Between Cape Borda and Point Emeriau is a bay ten miles deep, backed by
very low sandy land; and five miles further is another bay, that appeared
to be very shoal: thence the coast extends to the South-West for
twenty-three miles to CAPE BASKERVILLE; it is low and sandy, like that to
the northward, but the interior is higher, and with some appearance of
vegetation.
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