Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/367

 COAffr$ Or AUffIIIALIA. 05 fellow had been for nearly three months on our sicic llst; he was a native of Norfolk Ishnd, pt and, when in health, had been one of my most sefut and attentive men. He was interred the next morning oa shore; in mmorial whereof, s. the north-west point of the island was. named afar him. Soon after noon the ebb tide made, and we worked out against a strong northerly breeze, which gave us a good opportunity of as. certaining the soundings and breadth of the chan- nel. The tide, however, did not serve to carry us out of the gulf, and at low water we dropped the anchor near a bank on the western side in six fathoms, sandy bottom, out of the influence of the tide; which in the mid-channel wa ob-. served to run with great strength. After sunset the clouds began to collect in the S.E., and threatened the approach of bad wea- ther; but in our situation; the anchor, although we had but one, was our best security. At two o'clock in the morning heavy clouds rose in the FS.E., and the wind freshened frown that direc- tion; it, however, soon after veered back to S.E. and enabled us to weigh. The weather was cloudy and dark, but as' the plan of the gulf had been already roughly formed, and our soundings laid down, I was sufficiently aware of the course we had to steer. The.only event to be dreaded x