RESULT OF SOUNDINGS.

Seventeen miles in a North-West by North direction from Thevenard Island we had 65 fathoms, fine white sand, having deepened gradually from six fathoms three miles north of it.  In June of this year, working to the North-East we had 68 fathoms three miles West by South of that position, and 111 fathoms six miles North-West of it; beyond this no bottom was found with 120 and 150 fathoms.*

(Footnote.  The following table is the result of other outer soundings obtained in the Beagle, showing how far the bank of soundings extends off the Western coast of Australia.

COLUMN 1:  LATITUDE SOUTH (DEGREES, MINUTES). 
COLUMN 2:  DEPTH IN FATHOMS.
COLUMN 3:  QUALITY OF BOTTOM. 
COLUMN 4:  DISTANCE FROM NEAREST LAND.

32 02 :  70 :  Fine white sand and rock :  Rottnest or Garden Island 20 miles. 30 55 :  86 :  Fine grey sand :  Main abreast 34 miles. 29 38 :  127 :  Fine grey sand :  Main abreast 39 miles. 26 42 :  187 :  Fine grey sand :  South point of Shark’s Bay 37 miles. 21 14 :  111 :  Fine white sand :  Thevenard Island 25 miles. 20 00 :  150 :  Fine white sand :  Tremouille Island 35 miles.

It would thus appear that a ship in less than 110 fathoms off the west shore of the continent would be within forty miles of the land; and nearly the same distance from the islands fronting it, when in about 200 fathoms between the latitudes of 19 degrees 50 minutes South and 20 degrees 10 minutes South.  The bank of soundings extends further off the North-west coast, as eighty-five miles north of Depuch Island we had only 75 fathoms, fine white sand.  In a south direction from that position the water shoaled rapidly to 40 fathoms in fifteen miles; but very gradually afterwards to 15 fathoms in fifty miles.  This slope of the bank was determined by several boards in working to the westward.)

RETURN TO SWAN RIVER.

The glimpse we got of the string of islands lying between Barrow’s Island and the North-west Cape, was quite unexpected, as the next land we had intended seeing was Swan River.  After rounding the North-west Cape, we had the usual southerly winds, but a strong breeze from the north-west overtook us in latitude 30 degrees 40 minutes South and longitude 112 degrees 25 minutes East, and shortened the passage, bringing us on the 27th to an anchorage under the east end of Rottnest Island, where we found a current sweeping round to the southward, at the rate of nearly a knot an hour.  There had not been any previously felt; but in latitude 30 degrees South and longitude 110 degrees East, two days before the north-wester, it set two knots to the northward; another instance of how entirely the currents are governed by the winds off this coast.

NATIVE TALENT.