This Place Lies More Northerly By 40 Minutes Than Is Laid
Down In Mr. Tasman's Draught, And Besides Its Being
Made a firm
continued land, only with some openings like the mouths of rivers, I
found the soundings also different
From what the pricked line of his
course shows them, and generally shallower than he makes them, which
inclines me to think that he came not so near the shore as his line
shows, and so had deeper soundings, and could not so well
distinguish the islands. His meridian or difference of longitude
from Shark's Bay agrees well enough with my account, which is two
hundred and thirty-two leagues, though we differ in latitude; and to
confirm my conjecture that the line of his course is made too near
the shore, at least not far to the east of this place, the water is
there so shallow that he could not come there so nigh.
But to proceed. In the night we had a small land breeze, and in the
morning I weighed anchor, designing to run in among the islands, for
they had large channels between them of a league wide at least, and
some two or three leagues wide. I sent in my boat before to sound,
and if they found shoal water to return again, but if they found
water enough to go ashore on one of the islands and stay till the
ship came in, where they might in the meantime search for water. So
we followed after with the ship, sounding as we went in, and had
twenty fathom till within two leagues of the Bluff head, and then we
had shoal water and very uncertain soundings; yet we ran in still
with an easy sail, sounding and looking out well, for this was
dangerous work. When we came abreast of the Bluff head, and about
two miles from it, we had but seven fathom, then we edged away from
it, but had no more water, and running in a little farther we had
but four fathoms, so we anchored immediately; and yet when we had
veered out a third of a cable, we had seven fathom water again, so
uncertain was the water. My boat came immediately on board, and
told me that the island was very rocky and dry, and they had little
hopes of finding water there. I sent them to sound, and bade them,
if they found a channel of eight or ten fathom water, to keep on,
and we would follow with the ship. We were now about four leagues
within the outer small rocky islands, but still could see nothing
but islands within us, some five or six leagues long, others not
above a mile round. The large islands were pretty high, but all
appeared dry, and mostly rocky and barren. The rocks looked of a
rusty yellow colour, and therefore I despaired of getting water on
any of them, but was in some hopes of finding a channel to run in
beyond all these islands, could I have spent time here, and either
got to the main of New Holland or find out some other islands that
might afford us water and other refreshments; besides that among so
many islands we might have found some sort of rich mineral, or
ambergris, it being a good latitude for both these.
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