Page:The new British province of South Australia.djvu/52

Rh although much dried up in consequence of the season being advanced. He spent Christmas-day (1827) at Boston Bay. In the August following, he returned thither, and found water at the spring which had before supplied him. The water was hard, but very palatable. The anchorage was good, being in five fathoms, close in shore. While at anchor in Boston Bay a typhoon arose which lasted four hours—it blew from the southward and westward; but the ship was not injured in the least. Typhoons are common about the time of the south and west monsoons; they are peculiar to the southern seas.

Captain Goold's experience of Australia has been very considerable; he has been all round the island; but with Swan River, King George's Sound, Port Jackson, and Hunter's River, he is more particularly acquainted. Comparing Boston Bay with the places just named, he says that the land of none of them can be compared with Boston Bay, excepting Hunter's River. It is far superior to all the rest, and about equal to the last.

Nothing which he is aware of can render the establishment of a colony at Port Lincoln undesirable:—on the contrary, Captain Goold declares that the harbour, soil, climate, position for commerce, and vicinity to excellent fishing grounds, render the formation of a colony there, in his opinion, highly desirable.

Mr. Westall remarks that he does not recollect that any of Captain Flinders' party landed at Boston Bay.

A lagoon about half way up the gulf was visible from the mast-head of the Investigator over the beach, and