Page:A Voyage to Terra Australis Volume 2.djvu/191

Gulph of Carpentaria.]

wind, hoping to find a passage within them. The depth varied between 3 and 4 fathoms, till past five o'clock, when it diminished to 2½, the main coast being distant five or six miles, and the sands out of sight astern; we then tacked, and stretched E.S.E. into 4 fathoms, and anchored at dusk on a bottom of gravel. An observation of the moon gave the latitude here 14° 19′; and the variation from an amplitude, with the head E. by S., was 0° 43′ east, or corrected to the meridian upon the principle often before mentioned, 2° 44′ east for the true variation.

There is no doubt that the dry banks seen at noon, were meant to be represented in the Dutch chart by the great shoal to the north-east of Cape Maria; but their direction from the cape is there too far eastward; neither do they join to the main land, nor lie out front it more than one-quarter of the distance marked: several turtle were seen in the vicinity of the banks. The main coast in the northern part of Limmen's Bight is not altogether so low as at the head; but the shoal water extends equally far out, and even the southern head of the gulph is not more inaccessible to ships.

We had strong squalls of wind in the night, with rain, thunder, and lightning, and were obliged to drop a second anchor; the wind, however, remained in the north-east, and at daylight we stood for the edge of the shoal. At seven, tacked ship in 3 fathoms; and a breeze coming off the land soon afterward, we steered along the shore until noon, with a good depth of water. Several pieces of distant land, which seemed to be islands of greater elevation than usual, were then seen, from N. by E. to E.S.E.; the main coast was about five miles off, and the furthest part bore north from the mast head. Our latitude at this time was 14° 5′, and longitude 136° 6′ east.

In the afternoon, the soundings became irregular between 4 and 7 fathoms, and the whale boat was sent a-head; but a fresh wind setting in at N.E., the boat was called back, and in being veered astern, got filled with water, broke adrift, and the two men were thrown out. Another boat was lowered down to save them,