[SOUTH COAST. TOWARDS CAPE NORTHUMBERLAND.]

From Encounter Bay to this slight projection the coast is little else than a bank of sand, with a few hummocks on the top, partially covered with small vegetation; nor could anything in the interior country be distinguished above the bank.  The shore runs waving between east-south-east and south-south-east; but to form what is called Cape Bernouilli it trends south, and then curves back south-eastward into a bight.  The land then becomes better clothed with bushes and small trees; and it also differs from the more northern part in that some little risings of back land were visible.

Our soundings were more shallow along this part of the coast than before.  The depth in passing Cape Bernouilli was from 8 to 12 fathoms; and on tacking out of the southern bight, at half past five in the evening, it was no more than 6, at three miles from the shore.  We then saw land extending as far out as S. 29 deg.  W., which was the south head of the bight, and appears to be the Cape Jaffa of the French; but I do not find that they have given any name to the bight or bay, although much more deserving than some other sinuosities in the coast on which that honour is conferred.

This evening the variation from azimuths was 1 deg. 25’ east, taken when the ship’s head was S. S. E. 1/2 E.; which being corrected upon the same principle as before, is 3 deg. 0’ east, and showed the variation to be now increasing, according to the regular order.

During the night, we worked up successfully against a south-south-east wind, for at six in the morning [TUESDAY 13 APRIL 1802] the low, outer extreme of Cape Jaffa bore N. 15 deg.  E., six or seven miles.  The shore is sandy, but rises from the beach to a moderate elevation, and is then well clothed with small wood.  About three leagues to the south of the cape is a cluster of low rocks, apparently the same of which captain Baudin had given me information; they do not, however, lie exactly in the situation expressed in his memorandum, and are not more than two miles from the land.  We called them Baudin’s Rocks; and since no name is applied to them in M. Peron’s account of their voyage, the appelation is continued.

Four miles beyond the rocks is a point of moderate elevation; sandy, but mostly overspread with bushes.  This is their Cape Lannes; and on its north side is a small bay, called the Baye de Rivoli, with a sandy shore and open to west winds.  The bearings of these places, and our situation at noon, half an hour after tacking from Baudin’s Rocks, were as under;

Latitude, observed to the north 37 deg. 71/4’
Longitude by time keepers, 139 41
Cape Jaffa, extreme, N. 2 E.
Baudin’s Rocks, distant 3 miles, N. 70 E.
Rivoli Bay, about the middle, S. 72 E.
Cape Lannes, distant 4 or 5 miles, S. 46 E.
Furthest extreme of the coast, S. 38 E.