Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/448

 386 off Booby Island, after a voyage of twenty-two days.

A good opportunity was here offered, by comparing our voyage with that of the Sea-Flower, of proving the superiority of the in-shore route: the Mermaid left Port Jackson on the 12th July, and passed Booby Island on the 16th August, which is an interval of thirty-five days; from this fifteen must be deducted for the delays occasioned by the survey; viz., at Port Bowen two day, at Endeavour River nine days, at Lizard Island, Cape Flinders, Haggerston's Island, and the Possession Islands, one day each; this leaves twenty days for our passage, being two days shorter than the Sea-Flowers'. This comparison, therefore, is in favour of the in-shore route. But it is not only superior to the passage without the reefs, from its being shorter, there are also other advantages: the principal of which are, that the weather is more generally fine; the sea is always perfectly smooth; and wood or water may be procured upon various parts of the coast: with only common attention there is no risk; and, however laboriously the day may be spent, the night is spent without disturbing the crew; for safe and good anchorage may be taken up every night under the lee of an islet or a reef,