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Nuyts' Archipelago.]

the shore, as well as sea weed floating about, some hopes of finding a river were entertained. At half past two, however, low, sandy land was seen from the mast head, nearly all round, the depth had diminished from 19 to 7 fathoms, and the water was much discoloured in streaks, at less than a mile from the ship. Smokes were rising in three different places; but as the wind was unfavourable, and there was no prospect of any opening sufficiently large to admit the Investigator, I gave up the further examination of this place, and called it.

There remained nearly forty miles of space, between Point Bell and Point Brown, in which the main coast had not been seen. This it was necessary to explore; but the wind being then at north-north-east, I steered to the southward, to gain some further knowledge of the coast in that direction, before dark.

West of Cape Bauer, and distant four miles, there is a low island, extensively surrounded with rocks and breakers, which I called Olive's Island. We passed between it and the cape, and observed the cliffs of the latter to be stratified, and apparently calcareous. Another cliffy, and somewhat higher projection opened from it at S. 1° W., distant seven miles, the intermediate low land forming a bight four or five miles deep, which is mostly skirted by a sandy beach. This projection I named Point Westall, in compliment to the landscape painter; and at six in the evening, when it bore north-east-by-east two or three miles, we veered round to the northward. Beyond Point Westall the coast takes a more eastern direction, the first land which opened out from it being at S. 43° E.: this way a third cliffy projection, terminating another sandy bight in the coast. No hill, nor any thing behind the shore could be perceived, but it does not certainly follow that there are no hills in the back country, for the haze was too thick to admit of the sight extending beyond four or five leagues.

The wind having veered to east-north-east, we kept to the northward all night, under easy sail; and at daylight, the lands around us were in the following bearings: