1 MSI )>
pressed deep la the sand, very found; and without any mark o f
the claw.*
On the 17 th we got under weigh, and a t night brought up in
twelve fathom water, with rather a foul bottom. In the morning
we discovered arsand shoal, whereon the Wates wdre breaking
very ;heavily close to us. This ought to be earefully avoided
by keeping the south and east shores on board, as it lays along
distance from the north and west side, and! has at alt times a
snrf on it. Wo availed ourselves wf this bottom, and in half an
hour caught abundance of large snappers. We shifted our berth,
and brought up in a small nook or bay, which I named Elizabeth
Cove, in honour of Miss Elizabeth King, daughter of
Governor King, then at Sydney.
Great part of the survey of this extensive harbour being completed
on the Sad ?of April, notwithstanding the delay bcea-
sioned by wet and unfavourable weather; and there being yet
more to do, I was anxious to be goneu We were, howfever, detained,
by the badness of the weather until the 2gstb, when at
break o f day I weighed and stood out o f Western Ifort; passing
to the westward of-tte Seal Islands, and found a large .passage,
capable of any vessel beatingdnfo i t ; care, however, should be
taken to, give the westernmost head: a wide berth to avoid somer
* Dutch hoors had pomted 6u> to me* whilst Ljstmd a t the Cage the dratfogmsBing
W k|* tg discqver the .different traces e f the tyger* agd. yyojf o;: dog. I n ,• their
hintfingexcnreiehsthey are often forcedto follow their'game m to th i c k ^ e c tpd'find ltne-
cessary-te examine- the varimia traces-of animals, srtteitering then^dres tW : thus they
^ »hejr hare not. the mask of the daw which thoB®afi th.es d»g*
W 1* h aw ,' * « 6 , last animals leave
ThoseV.e ^w 'h e r^w e re p ^ a ^ / r o u n d / a p d without the mark o fth e
cw*i <Menf& Mon^-ftithb1 dbg o f tie country, hs liiorer'ofidhe heel or hack o#
t&p toot mm shews* thau ficouid discover by? tsaefes made b y tygeto, However; it must be
wh^hpr .th^to 'h^ any qthes animal iu this .ivnyiiry than
^ ^ f h e m E were numerous, and the foot-manis of yafious sizes, but the largest’
filthiidt exceed the bigheSs’of those of a large Newfoundland dog.
heavy
heavy breakers, which appear a mile from it,-even in good weather,
and as ! apprehended «extended still further. The following
Remarks made on the very-spot will be found useful to future
navigators ; for though in the day-time a seaman’s eye will
guide and direct, yet ' too many particulars cannot be known
respecting -any harbour, however well he may be acquainted
with'/itoy-
On,entering this harbour, the easternmost shore, orright hand
side, giving (t^e- Seal I slands a berth of three quarters of a mile»
unlë^a-a» pr©fereneeis--given to going between Seal and Snappef
Islands»,? which was thé «pus sage„ by Which the Lady Nelson entered.
. 'TKe ^örnief-passage! is the-principal entrance into the
harbour, and With thé before-mentioned offing from the islands,
and; a Kh-'E. half E/eóursè Wy cOtopass, will carry aWOs§® iip
to ElizabetfeVGbyê^pr Bay, when a berth may- be chosen, as-iÉiS-
cunaStancefe-baay mdke i t convènient. Our coursé mit wfeaS /W »
half W.-by-«d©rnpassi whi&a^oalTied us ciéat/CÏbfèïy'Aing, with
a, strong •flood-tide running ! again^>! us. • Attention should be
paid, a t all times,-to the tid ^ which flows thirty-five, ^minutes
past: twelve •• on thé full and chânge,.accorilirig to thé best calculation
weGould make in the mid dié stream, and alongsiich
shores - as did, not wind,- for where th e y d o there willbe found a
variation, which nothing b u t Mefe experience can ascertain. I
have already observed, that the eastern éhore is the clearest and
ought always to be kept On board, Us- onfthe western side them
are long sand flats, on which the- sea -breaks in general with
much force to <a - great distance*up the harbour. This caution
oug-ht to be 'particularly attendëd. to in foggyweather, as from
14! to fathoms watqr will be foundWérynear them».] {JWhen I
left Margaret’s ïslând, I lefrgomy anchor in I ’S fathoms water,
and it being -dark saw no shoal ; but, from tbe'.mötibm of the
vessel, I suspected something of the kind, and in the morning
discovered