Page:A Voyage to Terra Australis Volume 2.djvu/91

Barrier Reefs.]

in upon the North Coast, before we should get into the Gulph of Carpentaria.

At this anchorage, the tide came from between S.W. by S. and W. by S., till midnight; and at two in the morning the ship rode north, and afterwards N.E. by E., to the flood; which seemed to imply two openings in the reefs, and one of them near the high breakers. The depth of water changed from 35 to 32 fathoms, in the night; but a part of the difference might arise from irregularities in the bottom.

We got under way at daybreak, and stretched south-east to gain the wind; at nine, a reef was passed on each beam; and at noon, when we tacked to the northward in 20° 58′ south and 150° 48′ east, there were five others, distant from two to five miles, bearing from S. 20° W., round by the east and north to N. 25° W.; but apparently with passages between most of them. Upon these reefs were more of the dry, black lumps, called negro heads, than had been seen before; but they were so much alike as to be of no use in distinguishing one reef from another; and at high water, nearly the whole were covered.

In the afternoon, a very light wind at north-east left no prospect of weathering the reef before dark, upon which the high breakers had been seen; we therefore tacked to the E.S.E., and anchored at sunset in 34 fathoms, fine white sand, not far from our noon's situation; a reef, partly dry, was then distant one mile and a half, and bore E. ½ S. to S.E. The flood tide here ran something more than one mile an hour, and came from between north and northwest, the ship tending to it at one in the morning.

At seven, when the flood had done running, the two vessels were lying up E.N.E., with a light breeze from the northward; but a rippling which extended a mile from the reef, caused us to tack until a boat was sent to sound upon it; for the Lady Nelson was so leewardly, that much time was lost in waiting for her. At ten we passed through the rippling, in from 14 to 34 fathoms; and at noon