Page:A Voyage to Terra Australis Volume 2.djvu/133

Gulph of Carpentaria.]

be inhabited. There was no set of tide past the ship in the night, but the depth of water diminished from 7½ to 6¼ fathoms.

When we got under way in the morning to proceed along shore, the wind was light, off the land, and soon after nine it fell calm; a drain of tide setting to the north-east, induced me to drop a stream anchor, four or five miles from a part of the beach where some natives were collected round a fire. At eleven the sea breeze came in from W. by N., with dark cloudy weather, and we steered onward, passing a small opening at one o'clock, four or five miles south of the natives. A much larger opening came in sight at two, into which I hoped to get the ship; but the water was so shallow at five or six miles off, that we were obliged to tack; and after making a second ineffectual attempt, it became dusk, and we anchored in 6½ fathoms, fine dark sand, the centre of the opening bearing S. 37° E. three leagues.

The coast was low, as before, but the trees upon it were taller. The largest opening is about two miles wide, leading in south-east; but turning afterwards more east, and apparently contracting its width. Near the south-west point of the entrance, which projects a little from the general line of the shore, was a clump of trees, higher than usual, presenting the first mark I had yet found for bearings. The latitude of this opening is 11° 55′, and agrees nearly with that of Batavia River in the old Dutch chart; but the shoal which runs six miles out, seemed to render it inaccessible to a ship.

In the morning we had a breeze off the land; and the fear of the north-west monsoon preventing me from taking time to beat up, we passed Batavia River at the distance of six miles, with soundings from 5 to 8 fathoms. Several flocks of ducks were seen coming from the westward, where they had probably been to pass the night upon some island not inhabited. Our latitude at noon, from double altitudes, was 11° 56′, and longitude by time keeper 141° 50′; the clump of trees near the entrance of Batavia River bore E. 1° S., the furthest extreme of the land, S. 11° W., and the nearest part was distant four miles.

The land wind continued to blow all day, but permitted us to