Page:A voyage to New Holland - Dampier.djvu/54

16 on this Island of a considerable heighth; one pretty bluff, the other peeked at top. The rest of the Island is pretty level, and of a good heighth from the Sea. The Shore clear round hath sandy Bays, between the Rocky Points I spake of; and the whole Island is a very dry sort of Soil.

On the West-side of the Isle where the Road for Ships is there is a large Sandy Bay, and a Sand-bank, of about 40 Paces wide within it, which runs along the Shore 2 or 3 Miles; within which there is a large Salina or Salt-pond, contained between the Sand-bank and the Hills beyond it. The whole Salina is about 2 Miles in length, and half a Mile wide; but above one half of it is commonly dry. The North end only of the Pond never wants Water, producing Salt from November till May, which is here the dry Season of the Year. The Water which yields this Salt works in from out of the Sea through a hole in the Sand-bank before mentioned, like a Sluce, and that only in Spring-tides; when it fills the Pond more or less, according to the heighth of the Tides. If there is any Salt in the Ponds when the Flush of Water comes in, it presently dissolves: But then in two or three Days after it begins to Kern; and so continues Kerning till either all, or the greatest part of the Salt-water is congeal'd or kern'd; or till a fresh Supply of it comes in again from the Sea. This Water is known to come in only at that one Passage on the N. part