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
Having hauled round Breaksea Spit (see Flinders' chart sheet 3) in the
evening, it would perhaps be dangerous to steer on through the night;
after running, therefore, to the West-North-West for five or six leagues,
bring to until daylight: but, if the day is before you, the course from
the extremity of the spit is West-North-West 1/4 West for about a hundred
miles. You will then be about twenty miles from Cape Capricorn: on your
way to which you should pass about three miles within Lady Elliot's
Island, and also within the southernmost islet of Bunker's Group, by
which you will see how the current has affected your course, and you can
act accordingly: if it has set you to the northward, you may pass on
either side of or through the islands without danger. After making Cape
Capricorn, you may leave it at a convenient distance, and, directing your
course about North West by North, pass either within or without the
Peaked and Flat Islands off Port Bowen; then, steering for the Percy
Group, pass between the 2nd and 3rd Northumberland Islands.
After passing the latter, avoid a low dangerous rock, that bears from it
North 8 degrees East five miles and three-quarters, and from 1st Peak
South 85 degrees West. To avoid this in the night, pass close round
Number 3, when, its situation being known, you can easily avoid it.
The channel is safe on either side of the Percy Isles, but that to the
westward of them, being better known, is therefore recommended as the
safest. Then steer either over the Mermaid's or Bathurst's tracks, which
will carry a ship round the projections of the coast as far as Cape
Grafton, as far as which, if the weather is fine, there can be no danger
of proceeding through the night; but it must be recollected, that at Cape
Grafton the coral reefs approach the coast, and, consequently, great care
must be used.
On reaching Fitzroy Island, round it at a mile off shore, and, when its
north end bears West, steer North-West 1/2 North for thirty-five miles;
you will then be a league to the South-East of a group of low isles; if
it should be night when you pass them, come no nearer to them than
fourteen fathoms. In steering this course, great care should be taken,
not to go too much to the eastward to avoid the reef which the Tamar saw.
(See above.)
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