St. Paul’s.

The well ascertained fact, that water is found in abundance at St. Paul’s, leads to a very fair inference, that in this humid atmosphere, and with a much greater elevation, the same essential commodity may be met with at Amsterdam; but certainly at St. Paul’s, and most probably at Amsterdam, the rugged nature of the travelling over these volcanic islands, would render useless any attempt to water a ship.

The following table, though it may not possess much interest for the general reader, will not be without its value in the eyes of my nautical brethren:  it shows the increase of variation since 1747: 

Column 1:  Source. 
Column 2:  Date A.D. 
Column 3:  Westerly variation.

From Horsburg’s Directory :  1747 :  17 1/2. 
From Horsburg’s Directory :  1764 :  18 3/4. 
From Horsburg’s Directory :  1793:  20. 
H.M.S.  Beagle :  1837 :  21.

As these islands lie in the same meridian, the longitude given above of Amsterdam, will equally apply to St. Paul’s:  they are admirably situated for connecting the meridians of Africa and Australia.  We lost sight of Amsterdam towards evening, and flattered ourselves that we were also leaving the bad weather behind.  The sky more settled; the sea less high; and the barometer rising:  such indications, however, cannot be implicitly trusted in this boisterous climate; and shortly after dark, having shipped a very heavy sea, we rounded too for the night.  The constant set of the huge following seas, carried our little vessel much faster to the eastward than could be easily credited, till proved by actual observation.  During the last three or four days, we had run upwards of 195 miles daily by the observations, being from twenty to thirty more each day than appeared from the reckoning.

Rottnest island.

We made Rottnest Island on the morning of Wednesday, November 15th; and in the afternoon of the same day, anchored in Gage’s Road, Swan River.  Our position at midnight, the night before, made us about 30 miles from the mainland, when we had the wind from the eastward, getting round again towards noon to south and by west.  This may be some guide to the limit of the land wind, and as such I record the fact.  During the three days previous to our making the land, we experienced a northerly current of one knot per hour.  We tried during the same period for soundings, with nearly 200 fathoms, but in vain.

We passed along the north shore of Rottnest at the distance of a mile and a half, closing with it as we got to the eastward, where it is not so rocky.  The north shore should not be approached within a mile.  As we were opening out the bay on the north-east end of the island, we passed over a rocky patch, with, from appearance, not more than three fathoms on it, it is small, and we had 14 fathoms close to it.  This patch is about one mile North by West from the north-west point of the bay.  Off this point is a low rocky islet; and when on the shoal, we could just make out the white sandy beach in the bay open between it and the point.  The western points of the island are all shut in by the north point; therefore, keeping them open, will always enable the navigator to give this dangerous rock* a wide berth.