On Turtle Island was found a broken jar, probably left by some of the Macassar people, who are occasionally blown in upon this part of the coast.

July 14.

The unusual fogs that had prevailed for three days dispersing, allowed us to leave our anchorage under the south-east side of North Turtle Isle, and soon after dark we occupied another near Bedout Island, having crossed some rocky ledges of seven fathoms on the way.  When the Beagle was midway between these islands, they were both visible from the masthead.  In the night, and during the early part of next day, it blew strong from south-east, causing a high-topping sea.  Time being precious, we could not wait for a quiet day to land on Bedout; its position was therefore determined by observations with the sea horizon, and differs very materially from that given by the French.

We weighed early in the afternoon of the 15th, and passed round the north-west end of Bedout, where there is much uneven ground with ripplings.  We carried soundings until abreast of the north end of Rowley Shoals and twenty-five miles from their inner side, in from 45 to 154 fathoms.  These shoals, like the Abrolhos, appear to stand on the outer edge of a bank projecting off this portion of the coast, as we did not get bottom after leaving their parallel.

On the 20th, in the afternoon, we passed, having no soundings with 200 fathoms, along the western side of Scott’s Reef, at the distance of three miles, and determined its position.  It forms a large lagoon, with an opening, not appearing to be a ship passage, midway on its western side; marked by a dry bank just within it, in latitude 14 degrees 3 minutes 30 seconds South and longitude 6 degrees 4 minutes 45 seconds East of Swan River.  The eastern extreme of the reef was not seen; the southern limit is in latitude 14 degrees 15 minutes South; and the north-west extreme being in 13 degrees 55 minutes South, and longitude 6 degrees 2 minutes East of Swan River, gives it an extent of twenty miles in a north and south direction.

SCOTT’S REEF.

Captain Owen Stanley, in March, 1840, discovered a shoal about sixteen miles to the North-North-East of Scott’s Reef; he considered its extent from east to west to be about five miles; but from the masthead the south end of it could not be seen.  It did not appear to have more than two or three feet water on it.  The north point, Captain Stanley places in latitude 13 degrees 39 minutes South, longitude 121 degrees 56 minutes East; or 6 degrees 11 minutes East of Swan River.*

(Footnote.  This reef was seen by the Seringapatam merchant ship in 1842.)

We now began to feel a westerly current, which increased to a knot and a half as we got near Rottee; the winds being moderate, between East and East-South-East.

PULO DOUW.

July 23.