A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 13 by Robert Kerr

R >> Robert Kerr >> A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 13

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As soon as we had got within the reef, we anchored in nineteen fathom,
over a bottom of coral and shells. And now, such is the vicissitude of
life, we thought ourselves happy in having regained a situation, which
but two days before it was the utmost object of our hope to quit. Rocks
and shoals are always dangerous to the mariner, even where their
situation has been ascertained; they are more dangerous in seas which
have never before been navigated, and in this part of the globe they are
more dangerous than in any other; for here there are reefs of coral
rock, rising like a wall almost perpendicularly out of the unfathomable
deep, always overflowed at high-water, and at low-water dry in many
places; and here the enormous waves of the vast Southern Ocean, meeting
with so abrupt a resistance, break with inconceivable violence, in a
surf which no rocks or storms in the northern hemisphere can produce.
The danger of navigating unknown parts of this ocean was now greatly
increased by our having a crazy ship, and being short of provisions and
every other necessary; yet the distinction of a first discoverer made us
cheerfully encounter every danger, and submit to every inconvenience;
and we chose rather to incur the censure of imprudence and temerity,
which the idle and voluptuous so liberally bestow upon unsuccessful
fortitude and perseverance, than leave a country which we had discovered
unexplored, and give colour to a charge of timidity and irresolution.

Having now congratulated ourselves upon getting within the reef,
notwithstanding we had so lately congratulated ourselves upon getting
without it, I resolved to keep the main-land on board in my future route
to the northward, whatever the consequence might be; for if we had now
gone without the reef again, it might have carried us so far from the
coast as to prevent my being able to determine, whether this country
did, or did not, join to New Guinea; a question which I was determined
to resolve from my first coming within sight of land. However, as I had
experienced the disadvantage of having a boat under repair, at a time
when it was possible I might want to use her, I determined to remain
fast at anchor, till the pinnace was perfectly refitted. As I had no
employment for the other boats, I sent them out in the morning to the
reef, to see what refreshments could be procured, and Mr Banks, in his
little boat, accompanied by Dr Solander, went with them. In this
situation I found the variation by amplitude and azimuth to be 4 deg. 9' E.;
and at noon, our latitude by observation was 12 deg. 38' S., and our
longitude 216 deg. 45' W. The main land extended from N. 66 W. to S.W. by
S., and the nearest part of it was distant about nine leagues. The
opening through which we had passed I called _Providential Channel_; and
this bore E.N.E. distant ten or twelve miles: On the main land within us
was a lofty promontory which I called _Cape Weymouth_; on the north side
of which is a bay, which I called _Weymouth Bay_: They lie in latitude
12 deg. 42' S., longitude 217 deg. 15' W. At four o'clock in the afternoon the
boats returned with two hundred and forty pounds of the meat of
shell-fish, chiefly of cockles, some of which were as much as two men
could move, and contained twenty pounds of good meat. Mr Banks also
brought back many curious shells, and _Mollusca_; besides many
species of coral, among which was that called the _Tubipora musica_.

At six o'clock in the morning, we got under sail and stood away to the
N.W., having two boats ahead to direct us; our soundings were very
irregular, varying five or six fathom every cast, between ten and
twenty-seven. A little before noon, we passed a low sandy island, which
we left on our starboard-side, at the distance of two miles. At noon,
our latitude was 12 deg. 28', and our distance from the main about four
leagues: It extended from S. by W. to N. 71 W., and some small islands
from N. 40 W. to 54 W. Between us and the main were several shoals, and
some without us, besides the main or outermost reef, which we could see
from the mast-head, stretching away to the N.E. At two in the afternoon,
as we were steering N.W. by N. we saw a large shoal right ahead,
extending three or four points upon each bow; upon this we hauled up
N.N.E. and N.E. by N. to get round the north point of it, which we
reached by four, and then edged away to the westward, and ran between
the north end of this shoal and another, which lies two miles to the
northward of it, having a boat all the way ahead sounding; our depth of
water was still very irregular, from twenty-two to eight fathom. At half
an hour after six, we anchored in thirteen fathom: The northermost of
the small islands seen at noon bore W. 1/2 S., distant three miles:
These islands, which I distinguished by the name of _Forbes's Islands_,
lie about five leagues from the main, which here forms a high point that
we called _Bolt Head_, from which the land trends more westerly, and is
in that direction all low and sandy; to the southward it is high and
hilly even near the sea.

At six in the morning we got again under sail, and steered for an island
which lay at a small distance from the main, and at this time bore from
us N. 40 W., distant about five leagues: Our course was soon interrupted
by shoals; however, by the help of the boats, and a good look-out from
the top of the mast, we got into a fair channel that led us down to the
island, between a very large shoal on our starboard side and several
small ones towards the main: In this channel we had from twenty to
thirty fathom water. Between eleven and twelve o'clock we hauled round
the north-east side of the island, leaving it between us and the main,
from which it is distant about seven or eight miles. This island is
about a league in circuit, and we saw upon it five of the natives, two
of whom had lances in their hands; they came down upon a point, and
having looked a little while at the ship, retired. To the N.W. of it are
several low islands and quays, which lie not far from the main; and to
the northward and eastward are several other islands and shoals; so that
we were now encompassed on every side: But having lately been exposed to
much greater danger, and rocks and shoals being grown familiar, we
looked at them comparatively with little concern. The main land appeared
to be low and barren, interspersed with large patches of the very fine
white sand, which we had found upon Lizard Island and different parts of
the main. The boats had seen many turtle upon the shoals which they
passed, but it blew too hard for them to take any. At noon, our latitude
by observation was 12 deg., and our longitude 217 deg. 25': Our depth of water
was fourteen fathom; and our course and distance, reduced to a straight
line, was, between this time and the preceding noon, N. 29 W.
thirty-two miles.

The main land within the islands that have been just mentioned forms a
point, which I called _Cape Grenville_: It lies in latitude 11 deg. 58',
longitude 217 deg. 38'; and between it and Bolt Head is a bay, which I
called _Temple Bay_. At the distance of nine leagues from Cape
Grenville, in the direction of E. 1/2 N. lie some high islands, which I
called _Sir Charles Hardy's Isles_; and those which lie off the Cape I
called _Cockburn's Isles_. Having lain by for the boats, which had got
out of their station, till about one o'clock, we then took the yawl in
tow; and the pinnace having got ahead, we filled, and stood N. by W. for
some small islands which lay in that direction; such at least they were
in appearance, but upon approaching them we perceived that they were
joined together by a large reef: Upon this we edged away N.W. and left
them on our starboard hand; we steered between them and the islands that
lay off the main, having a clear passage, and from fifteen to
twenty-three fathom water. At four o'clock, we discovered some low
islands and rocks, bearing W.N.W., and stood directly for them: At half
an hour after six, we anchored on the north-east side of the northermost
of them, at one mile distance, and in sixteen fathom. These islands lie
N.W. four leagues from Cape Grenville, and from the number of birds that
I saw upon them, I called them _Bird Isles_. A little before sun-set, we
were in sight of the main-land, which appeared all very low and sandy,
extending as far to the northward as N.W. by N., some shoals, quays, and
low sandy isles stretching away to the N.E.

At six o'clock in the morning, we got again under sail, with a fresh
breeze at E., and stood away N.N.W. for some low islands in that
direction, but were soon obliged to haul close upon a wind to weather a
shoal which we discovered upon our larboard bow, having at the same time
others to the eastward: By the time we had weathered this shoal to
leeward, we had brought the islands well upon our lee-bow, but seeing
some shoals run off from them, and some rocks on our starboard-bow,
which we did not discover till we were very near them, I was afraid to
go to windward of the islands, and therefore brought-to, and having made
the signal for the pinnace, which was ahead, to come on board, I sent
her to leeward of the islands, with orders to keep along the edge of
the shoal, which ran off from the south side of the southermost island,
sending the yawl at the same time, to run over the shoal in search of
turtle. As soon as the pinnace had got to a proper distance, we wore,
and stood after her: As we ran to leeward of this land, we took the yawl
in tow, she having seen only one small turtle, and therefore made but
little stay upon the shoal. The island we found to be a small spot of
sand with some trees upon it, and we could discern many huts, or
habitations of the natives whom we supposed occasionally to visit these
islands from the main, they being only five leagues distant, to catch
turtle, when they come ashore to lay their eggs. We continued to stand
after the pinnace N.N.E. and N. by E. for two other low islands, having
two shoals without us, and one between us and the main. At noon, we were
about four leagues from the main, which we saw extending to the
northward, as far as N.W. by N. all flat and sandy. Our latitude, by
observation, was 11 deg. 23' S. and our longitude 217 deg. 46' W. our soundings
were from fourteen to twenty-three fathom. By one o'clock, we had run
nearly the length of the southermost of the two islands in sight, and
finding that the going to windward of them would carry us too far from
the main, we bore up and ran to leeward, where finding a fair open
passage, we steered N. by W. in a direction parallel to the main,
leaving a small island which lay between it and the ship, and some low
sandy isles and shoals without us, of all which we lost sight by four
o'clock, and saw no more before the sun went down: At this time the
farthest part of the land in sight bore N.N.W. 1/2 W., and soon after we
anchored in thirteen fathom, upon soft ground, at the distance of about
five leagues from the land, where we lay till day-light.

Early in the morning, we made sail again, and steered N.N.W. by compass,
for the northermost land in sight; and at this time, we observed the
variation of the needle to be 3 deg. 6' E. At eight o'clock, we discovered
shoals ahead, on our larboard bow, and saw that the northermost land,
which we had taken for the main, was detached from it, and that we might
pass between them, by running to leeward of the shoals on our
larboard-bow, which were now near us: We therefore wore and brought-to,
sending away the pinnace and yawl to direct us, and then steered N.W.
along the S.W. or inside of the shoals, keeping a good look-out from the
mast-head, and having another shoal on our larboard-side: We found
however a good channel of a mile broad between them, in which we had
from ten to fourteen fathom. At eleven o'clock, we were nearly the
length of the land detached from the main, and there appeared to be no
obstruction in the passage between them, yet having the long-boat
astern, and rigged, we sent her away to keep in shore upon our larboard
bow, and at the same time dispatched the pinnace a starboard;
precautions which I thought necessary, as we had a strong flood that
carried us an end very fast, and it was near high water: As soon as the
boats were ahead, we stood after them, and by noon got through the
passage. Our latitude, by observation, was then 10 deg. 36', and the nearest
part of the main, which we soon after found to be the northermost, bore
W. 2 S., distant between three or four miles: We found the land which
was detached from the main, to be a single island, extending from N. to
N. 75 E., distant between two and three miles; at the same time we saw
other islands at a considerable distance, extending from N. by W. to
W.N.W., and behind them another chain of high land, which we judged also
to be islands; there were still other islands, extending as far as N. 71
W., which at this time we took for the main.

The point of the main which forms the side of the channel through which
we passed, opposite to the island, is the northern promontory of the
country, and I called it _York Cape_. Its longitude is 218 deg. 24' W., the
latitude of the north point is 10 deg. 37', and of the east point 10 deg. 42' S.
The land over the east point, and to the southward of it, is rather low,
and as far as the eye can reach, very flat, and of a barren appearance.
To the southward of the Cape the shore forms a large open bay, which I
called _Newcastle Bay_, and in which are some small low islands and
shoals; the land adjacent is also very low, flat, and sandy. The land of
the northern part of the Cape is more hilly, the vallies seem to be well
clothed with wood, and the shore forms some small bays, in which there
appeared to be good anchorage. Close to the eastern point of the Cape
are three small islands, from one of which a small ledge of rocks runs
out into the sea: There is also an island close to the northern point.
The island that forms the streight or channel through which we had
passed, lies about four miles without these, which, except two, are very
small: The southermost is the largest, and much higher than any part of
the main land. On the north-west side of this island there appeared to
be good anchorage, and on shore, vallies that promised both wood and
water. These islands are distinguished in the chart by the name of _York
Isles_. To the southward, and south-east, and even to the eastward and
northward of them, there are several other low islands, rocks, and
shoals: Our depth of water in sailing between them and the main, was
twelve, thirteen, and fourteen fathom.

We stood along the shore to the westward, with a gentle breeze at S.E.
by S., and when we had advanced between three and four miles, we
discovered the land ahead, which, when we first saw it, we took for the
main, to be islands detached from it by several channels: Upon this we
sent away the boats, with proper instructions, to lead us through that
channel which was next the main; but soon after discovering rocks and
shoals in this channel, I made a signal for the boats to go through the
next channel to the northward, which lay between these islands, leaving
some of them between us and the main: The ship followed, and had never
less than five fathom water in the narrowest part of the channel, where
the distance from island to island was about one mile and a half.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, we anchored, being about a mile and a
half, or two miles, within the entrance, in six fathom and a half, with
clear ground: The channel here had begun to widen, and the islands on
each side of us were distant about a mile: The main-land stretched away
to the S.W., the farthest point in view bore S. 48 W., and the
southermost point of the islands, on the north-west side of the passage,
bore S. 76 W. Between these two points we could see no land, so that we
conceived hopes of having, at last, found a passage into the Indian sea;
however, that I might be able to determine with more certainty, I
resolved to land upon the island which lies at the south-east point of
the passage. Upon this island we had seen many of the inhabitants when
we first came to an anchor, and when I went into the boat, with a party
of men, accompanied by Mr Banks and Dr Solander, in order to go ashore,
we saw ten of them upon a hill: Nine of them were armed with such lances
as we had been used to see, and the tenth had a bow, and a bundle of
arrows, which we had never seen in the possession of the natives of
this country before: We also observed, that two of them had large
ornaments of mother-of-pearl hanging round their necks. Three of these,
one of whom was the bowman, placed themselves upon the beach abreast of
us, and we expected that they would have opposed our landing, but when
we came within about a musket's shot of the beach, they walked leisurely
away. We immediately climbed the highest hill, which was not more than
three times as high as the mast-head, and the most barren of any we had
seen. From this hill, no land could be seen between the S.W. and W.S.W.,
so that I had no doubt of finding a channel through. The land to the
north-west of it consisted of a great number of islands of various
extent, and different heights, ranged one behind another, as far to the
northward and westward as I could see, which could not be less than
thirteen leagues. As I was now about to quit the eastern coast of New
Holland, which I had coasted from latitude 38 to this place, and which I
am confident no European had ever seen before, I once more hoisted
English colours, and though I had already taken possession of several
particular parts, I now took possession of the whole eastern coast, from
latitude 38 deg. to this place, latitude 10 1/2 S. in right of his Majesty
King George the Third, by the name of _New South Wales_, with all the
bays, harbours, rivers, and islands situated upon it: We then fired
three vollies of small arms, which were answered by the same number from
the ship. Having performed this ceremony upon the island, which we
called _Possession Island_, we re-embarked in our boat, but a rapid
ebb-tide setting N.E. made our return to the vessel very difficult and
tedious. From the time of our last coming among the shoals, we
constantly found a moderate tide, the flood setting to the N.W. and the
ebb to the S.E. At this place, it is high water at the full and change
of the moon, about one or two o'clock, and the water rises and falls
perpendicularly about twelve feet. We saw smoke rising in many places
from the adjacent lands and islands, as we had done upon every part of
the coast, after our last return to it through the reef.

We continued at anchor all night, and between seven and eight o'clock in
the morning, we saw three or four of the natives upon the beach
gathering shell-fish; we discovered, by the help of our glasses, that
they were women, and, like all the other inhabitants of this country,
stark naked. At low water, which happened about ten o'clock, we got
under sail, and stood to the S.W. with a light breeze at E. which
afterwards veered to N. by E.: Our depth of water was from six to ten
fathom, except in one place, where we had but five. At noon, Possession
Island bore N. 53 E., distant four leagues, the western extremity of the
main-land in sight bore S. 43 W., distant between four and five leagues,
and appeared to be extremely low, the south-west point of the largest
island on the north-west side of the passage bore N. 71 W., distant
eight miles, and this point I called _Cape Cornwall_. It lies in
latitude 10 deg. 43'S., longitude 219 deg. W.; and some lowlands that lie about
the middle of the passage, which I called _Wallis's Isles_, bore W. by
S. 1/2 S., distant about two leagues: Our latitude, by observation, was
10 deg. 46' S. We continued to advance with the tide of flood W.N.W. having
little wind, and from eight to five fathom water. At half an hour after
one, the pinnace, which was a-head, made the signal for shoal-water,
upon which we tacked, and sent away the yawl to sound also: We then
tacked again, and stood after them: In about two hours, they both made
the signal for shoal-water, and the tide being nearly at its greatest
height, I was afraid to stand on, as running aground at that time might
be fatal; I therefore came to an anchor in somewhat less than seven
fathom, sandy ground. Wallis's Islands bore S. by W. 1/2 W., distant
five or six miles, the islands to the northward extended from S. 73 E.
to N. 10 E., and a small island, which was just in sight, bore N.W. 1/2
W. Here we found the flood-tide set to the westward, and the ebb to the
eastward.

After we had come to an anchor, I sent away the master in the long-boat
to sound, who, upon his return in the evening, reported that there was a
bank stretching north, and south, upon which there were but three
fathom, and that beyond it there were seven. About this time it fell
calm, and continued so till nine the next morning, when we weighed with
a light breeze at S.S.E.; and steered N.W. by W. for the small island
which was just in sight, having first sent the boats a-head to sound:
The depth of water was eight, seven, six, five, and four fathom, and
three fathom upon the bank, it being now the last quarter ebb. At this
time, the northermost island in sight bore N. 9 E., Cape Cornwall E.,
distant three leagues, and Wallis's Isles S. 3 E., distant three
leagues. This bank, at least so much as we have sounded, extends nearly
N. and S., but to what distance I do not know: Its breadth is not more
than half a mile at the utmost. When we had got over the bank, we
deepened our water to six fathom three quarters, and had the same depth
all the way to the small island a-head, which we reached by noon, when
it bore S., distant about half a mile. Our depth of water was now five
fathom, and the northermost land in sight, which is part of the same
chain of islands that we had seen to the northward from the time of our
first entering the streight, bore N. 71 E. Our latitude by observation
was 10 deg. 33' S., and our longitude 219 deg. 22' W.: In this situation no part
of the main was in sight. As we were now near the island, and had but
little wind, Mr Banks and I landed upon it, and found it, except a few
patches of wood, to be a barren rock, the haunt of birds, which had
frequented it in such numbers as to make the surface almost uniformly
white with their dung: Of these birds the greater part seemed to be
boobies, and I therefore called the place _Booby Island_. After a short
stay, we returned to the ship, and in the mean time the wind had got to
the S.W.; it was but a gentle breeze, yet it was accompanied by a swell
from the same quarter, which, with other circumstances, confirmed my
opinion that we were got to the westward of Carpentaria, or the northern
extremity of New Holland, and had now an open sea to the westward, which
gave me great satisfaction, not only because the dangers and fatigues of
the voyage were drawing to an end, but because it would no longer be a
doubt whether New Holland and New Guinea were two separate islands, or
different parts of the same.[86]

[Footnote 86: Here it may be proper to introduce a paragraph from M.
Peron's Historical Relation of a Voyage of Discovery to the Southern
Islands, as presented to the Imperial Institute in June 1806. It will
show his conception of the difficulties attendant on navigating these
parts: "In fact, it is not in voyages on the high seas, however long
they may be, that adverse circumstances or shipwrecks are so much to be
dreaded; those, on the contrary, along unknown shores and barbarous
coasts, at every instant present new difficulties to encounter, with
perpetual dangers. Those difficulties and dangers, the woeful appendage
of all expeditions begun for the purposes of geographic detail, were of
more imminent character from the nature of the coasts we had to explore;
for no country has hitherto been discovered more difficult to
reconnoitre than New Holland, and all the voyages of any extent made for
the purpose in this point, have been marked either by reverses or
infructuous attempts. For example, Paliser on the western coast was one
of the first victims of these shores; Vlaming speaks of wrecks by which
Rottnest island was covered when he landed there in 1697; and we
ourselves observed others of much more recent date. Captain Dampier,
notwithstanding his intrepidity and experience, could not preserve his
vessel from grounding when on the northwest coast of this continent, a
coast already famous for the shipwreck of Vianin; on the east,
Bougainville, menaced with destruction, was constrained to precipitate
flight; Cook escaped by a kind of miracle, the rock which pierced his
ship remaining in the breach it made, and alone preventing it from
sinking; on the south-west, Vancouver and D'Entrecasteaux were not more
fortunate in their several plans of completing its geography, and the
French admiral nearly lost both his ships. Towards the south, but a few
years have elapsed since the discovery of Bass's Straits, and already
the major part of the islands of this strait is strewed with the wrecks
of ships; very recently, and almost before our face, I may say, the
French ship Enterprize was dashed to pieces against the dangerous
islands which close its eastern opening. The relation of our voyage, and
the dangers incurred, will still farther demonstrate the perils of this
navigation; and the loss of the two vessels of Captain Flinders, sent by
the English government to compete with us, will but too clearly furnish
a new and lamentable evidence. The circumstance of Cook's escape, we
see, is allowed its due impression on the mind of this gentleman. It is
very probable that had Dr Hawkesworth himself ever been in such critical
perils, and experienced any thing like such a remarkable deliverance,
the placidity of his principles would have given way to more lively
emotions. The deductions of reason, it is certain, are not unusually at
variance with the instantaneous, but perhaps more real and genuine
productions of our feelings, which it is the cant of modern days to
denominate the lower parts of our constitution.--E.]