The Part Borne by the Dutch in the Discovery of Australia 1606-1765Heeres, J. E. (Jan Ernst)
History
The Part Borne by the Dutch in the Discovery of Australia 1606-1765
Heeres, J. E. (Jan Ernst)
Australia -- Discovery and exploration; Dutch -- Australia
On Thursday the 12th do. The wind E.S.E. as before...At noon we were in
Lat. 10° 2', so that I find we are farther to southward as would accord
with our estimation and our courses kept, on which account I believe the
current must have driven us a good deal to S.S.E.. In the afternoon the
sky was overcast, the wind E.S.E. and S.E. by E. with a light breeze; we
sailed to S. by W. with our mainsails set. Towards the evening the water
became all of a sudden very smooth and of a pale colour; after sunset we
cast the lead in 40 fathom good anchoring ground, fine sand, but could
see no land: we took in our foresail and sailed in the night with the
mainsail only to avoid press of sail. We estimated ourselves to have
sailed about 12 miles on a general S.W. by S. course during the last 24
hours. In the night the wind was E. by S., E.S.E. and S.E. by E. with
fine, lovely, clear weather and a top-gallant gale; throughout the night
our average course was S., we cast the lead now and then in 42, 39, 38,
36 and 25 fathom good anchoring-ground.
On Friday the 13th do., the wind was nearly S.E., with a top-gallant gale
and smooth water; course S.S.W. and S. by W.; the water was very pale in
colour, but we could see no land; the weather was lovely and clear; at
noon we found ourselves to be in 10° 50' S.L.
Shortly after noon we cast the lead in 32 fathom good anchoring-ground;
at four glasses in the afternoon we saw the land S.E. by S. of us, at
about 6 miles' distance from us it was a low-lying coast with small
hills; about 6 miles farther to westward we also saw land, not connected
with the first land, but upwards of three miles distant from the same.
Towards the evening it fell a calm; at sunset there was a faint breeze
from the S.S.E.; we made out the extremity of the land to be at about 3
miles' distance S.E. by S. of us; we were still in 32 fathom good
anchoring-ground; we accordingly went over to eastward, but when shortly
before the setting of the watch, the wind went down still more and began
to turn to the N.W., we dropped anchor in 29 fathom good
anchoring-ground.
{Page 69}
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