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
Mr. Brodie, Commander of the brig Alert, in October, 1817, saw A REEF
extending for a considerable distance in a North-East and South-West
direction. The Alert ran along the reef for twenty-five miles: about the
centre Mr. Brodie saw two sand islets in latitude 17 degrees 2 minutes,
and longitude 151 degrees 49 minutes.
LIHOU'S SHOAL, probably a part of the above reefs seen by Lieutenant Vine
and from the Alert, lies in latitude 17 degrees 25 minutes, and longitude
151 degrees 45 minutes: it is forty-six miles in length, and lies
North-North-East and South-South-West.
A very extensive RANGE OF SHOALS and ISLETS was seen by M. Tregrosse, of
the French brig Les Trois Freres, in company with the brig Jessie, in
1821, according to the subjoined account.
On the 19th June, the two brigs in company fell in with a range of reefs,
terminated to the eastward by two sandy islets, the easternmost of which
is in 151 degrees 47 minutes (149 degrees 27 minutes East of Paris); the
vessels hauled to the wind immediately, but finding they could not pass
to windward, bore up, and ran along the shoal from eight a.m. to four
p.m., at the distance of a league and a half. Altogether they counted
seven islets, three of which were covered with shrubs, and the whole
connected by a reef, on the edge of which the sea broke heavily: they
were called GOVERNOR FARQUHAR'S GROUP: the westernmost islet is in 17
degrees 39 minutes, and 151 degrees 27 minutes (149 degrees 7 minutes
East of Paris) and appeared to terminate the group. As it was near
sunset, the vessels hauled to the wind for the night, and at daylight
bore up on a north course: soon afterwards they saw an islet
West-North-West; they, however, continued to steer North until eight
o'clock, and then, having run nine miles, saw another island
North-North-East. On attempting to steer between the isles, they were
found to be connected, and having sounded in eleven fathoms, the vessels
bore up, and steered between the westernmost islet and two extensive
reefs, through a passage five or six miles wide, that appeared to be
clear.
The westernmost islet is in 17 degrees 42 minutes South, and 150 degrees
43 minutes East (148 degrees 23 minutes East of Paris) and the
westernmost reef, in 17 degrees 44 minutes South, and 150 degrees 32
minutes East (148 degrees 12 minutes East of Paris). A space of ten or
twelve leagues between Governor Farquhar's Group and that seen the
preceding day was passed in the night, and probably may contain other
reefs. The last group was named TREGROSSE'S ISLETS.
NORTH COAST.
The ALERT struck on a shoal to the westward of Torres Strait in 1817; it
seemed to be about two hundred fathoms in length, and about fifty yards
broad: it is in latitude 9 degrees 52 minutes, and longitude 140 degrees
50 minutes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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