Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/344

 sto. as quickly shoaled again to fifteen, and then sud- sept. t. denly to seven fathoms, hard sand. The cutter was then put about, and we steered ofiN.W, for six miles, and passed through se- veral ripplings, occasioned by the tide flowing with rapidity over a rocky and irregular bottom. After running the above distance we again hauled to the wind, but had hardly trimmed sails, before we again suddenly shoaled from sixteen'to seven fathoms. This was too dangerous to persist in, and I gave up the attempt of venturing forward during the night. le. The next .morning the land was visible about Point Pearce, bearing N.N.E. The colour of the water here is of a dirty yellow; it was imagined at first to be caused hy the tide stirring up the mud; but, on ex- andnation, we found that it arose entirely from the reflection of the bottom, which is a brown and yellow speckled .sand. Although this change of the bottom was favourable to the importance of the opening before us, yet it rendered our difficulties greater, and increased the dangers, from its offering less secure anchorage, and be- ing so much more studded with shoals, than the even muddy bottom that we had just left. At daylight the breeze was strong from E.S.E.: at seven o'clock, having fetched in with

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