Page:A Voyage to Terra Australis Volume 1.djvu/333

Nuyts' Archipelago.]

Point Bell, and has a ledge of rocks and islets extending from it a league to the north-eastward, and a separate islet one or two miles to the east: these obtained the name of Purdie's Isles. After we had tacked in 9 fathoms, a wave was perceived to break upon a sunken rock, within less than half a mile of the ship; and I think it would be dangerous to pass between Point Bell and Purdie's Isles.

At noon of the 2nd, no land was in sight. The weather was still hazy, and the wind at south-east; but in the afternoon it favoured us two points, and we got sight of a higher and larger island than any before seen on this part of the coast. At half past four, being then near a smaller isle and several rocks, we tacked towards the large island which was six or seven miles to the southward; and soon after eight in the evening, got to an anchor in a little sandy bay on its north side. The depth was 6 fathoms in passing the north-west point of the bay, but 10 within side, on a fine sandy bottom, where the anchor was dropped. At daylight, we found ourselves half a mile from the shore, and the extremes bearing from N. 32° W., round by the west and south, to S. 77° E.; and at the distance of two miles, we were sheltered by four small islands, extending from N. 41° to 88° E. The master was sent to sound in the bay; but the bottom was every where good, and nothing found to injure the cables. The scientific gentlemen landed upon their respective pursuits; and I followed them to take angles for my survey, and see what could be procured for the ship's company.

The island is nearly three miles long, north-west and south-east, and is moderately high and cliffy at the ends; the middle part is a sandy isthmus, not more than half a mile broad, but the breadth of the higher ends is from one-and-half to two miles. This island is the central one of a group; for besides the four small isles to the north-east, there are two close to the west end, and two others, something larger, lying off to the southward. I call these the ; in the persuasion that the central one is that named St. Francis by Nuyts. Independently of