Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/201

 COASTS or &uS*rRLL. 141 ralty. We were prevented from steering round ista it by a very extensive shoal, that stretches off Ju o. its south end towards a low sandy islet, which proved to be one that .had been seen by us. last February. Several at, tempts were made to find a channelthrough thereef, but without success; and, at sunset, we anchored to the north-west of the islet, from which several islands were recognised by us, particularly a large one to the westward of Cape Preston. As this part of the coast had been previously seen by us, we did not delay any longer, but the following morning steered to the northward; the next daywe passed round Trimouille Island, and left the coast. Off the N.W. end.of Trimouille Island. is a considerable reef. Hermite Island was not seen, but a small lump on the horizon, to the south of the former, was p?bably Lowendal Island. As we did not seethe western side of Barrow's Island, t.h__ coast is laid down from M. De Freycinet's chart; the land, although .low, is cOnsiderably higher than the usual elevation of the neighbour- ing islands, but it appeared to be equally arid and steril. Trimouille Is!_a_nd appears scarcely better than a cluster 'of dry rocks. Off these islands we had much calm weather, during which we were surrounded by myriads of

�