discovered a shoabwithin less than a. cabie&deogth - of - us, and
the : sand I turning ' as it .does--pry.the
Goodwin Sands at the time of flood. I t being gloomy and wet
when I entered th« -harbour, I did not s,ee.: these shoals; but-ran
b f cthe leads ns I could depend on the vessel,paying. Th^se
shoals extend .along the pest side from nearjy.opposite the Seal
Islands, till coming abreast of Elizabeth’s CoW, where they fall
in, with the ‘western shore,
«,... -In hazy thick weather, .or, -in the night, after- havingjpassed
the Seal Islands, which are an e^cehent mark,; I would- recommend
-going into no -greater depth, in standing pyht from the
eastern; shore to .its opposite, than. 10 or -12 ..fathoms water, as
14 will be found very near to the flats. On the-east side nothing
of; the hind is jjo be .apprehended, it. will be only necossafy^o
a berth that appear rocky, as-sOme.ofr th^m
run out from th e shore , two, or three-cables’ length, between
these^pO»ts>rthe beach>w|lligenerally; he found sandy,, and a
vessel may stand in five fathoms water without danger. -
4 ) I need not enlarge upon the. explanation here given, as tlj^ e
iS|»o doubt but the Chart of this place, wluchis in the hands ,of
Government,. will appear iiiudue time; L shall. therefore: only
mbserv#,that;Westem Port is capabloof containinglsdveral
dred sail of .ships with perfect security from, storms, and wijl
admit iof being fortified. I t is a convenient harbour for going
in and coming out„ at alhtimes, Is situated in a country which
may easily fre «Improved fry; cultivation, and in an excellent climate,
$Thi|‘ harbour will be found useful to -.vessels «coming
through the Straits, a passage which* no d,oubt, will in time, be
generally pursued fpref^ably td rounding• Tassman’s Head,) by
ships in..theiiypassage from England, or from th(^Gape of Good
Hope;to Port Jacjkson. ,Anfl I do not see but this is an eligible
.passage, at bectain seasons of tlie year, for .vessels bound
.from
“from €$dnéj6ta*India; and perhapsr’at all time# moré so,/thah
passing through the labyrinth' bftunknown Islands; in making
thé northern passage ffroni .^©ftdaekson to India. In respect
frwmaking the pasage to 'the::€Japè of Good Hope, direct froni
Sydney-,, without going - round* Gape. Horn, a .course always
taken, I consider it so far practicable that "it only wants the trial
tofrrdjyfe it sb*. It'was oncegatfcempted», by some, vessel to get
round/byéTassman’skHead^frutn'o-wing to.the strong southerly
winds - it could not be- done, and^hey bore up round- Capé
Hor-nï That point of Dieman’s Land was then judged., to be
the:«©uthernmost point .of New Holland; and from its dying jn
SO? hjghja* latitudë, jtheysouth an dy/egt-winds were found’ com*
mohly'fo blew very Strong, which prevented ^vessels fromwea*
thering. itJ,i andr-detérfed 'others from thé» attempt. But-’it being
how ascertained, that the soutfiernmogt, point'of New Holland
barely, exceeds the 09tfe de:giée of Si-' latitu demands, that it has
béefr'rbünded' from; the eastward at- different - timès^fr follows,
that there;i‘s,isp »great-h scope between thé western side:.of tliM1
Straits, sand|ï^«ytslando or-King George the Third’s Harbour;
that- if vessels-couldday a W-. b y 1 N :■? pr even a^Wr-N,. W. c^njse
.they-tjQuld nèarljLfclear its- -In my passage offt;» after having got
into-thé parallefe»hipBS»andi0§l:’S. I had muefrvwind from the N:
andsome from thé E. therefore shohld^#^e|^sfgetjintö'the-paral-
lelfrf S^'^tósirnöst likely they will findfwariafele winds, thougH
generally, prevailing from thejS,, - ,*
.'This-idea of weathering, the .land; or- westfer^ShOUlder-of New
•Holland, appearedto -me td be-sO*>easy,-jjthat-1 made an offer of
my^servied in conducting th&Norfolk brig through-those-Strait
to the Cape of Good Hope,- in preference to carrying her roiinfi
Gap# Horn. T h iso ffeb l made to Goverrior. King'-beforè m y
departure for England, oh hearing of his ^intention to sènd thi#
SS vessel