The navigation along the tropical part of the East Coast, within the Barrier Reefs, is not likely to be soon followed, any more than that round the shores of the Gulph of Carpentaria; nor does much remain to be said upon them, beyond what will be found in this Book II, and in the charts; and in speaking of the outer navigation, my remarks will be more perspicuous and useful if I accompany a ship from Port Jackson, through Torres’ Strait; pointing out the courses to be steered, and the precautions to be taken for avoiding the dangers.  It is supposed that the ship has a time keeper, whose rate of going and error from mean Greenwich time have been found at Sydney Cove, taking its longitude at 151 deg. 11’ 49” east; and that the commander is not one who feels alarm at the mere sight of breakers:  without a time keeper I scarcely dare recommend a ship to go through Torres’ Strait; and from timidity in the commander, perhaps more danger is to be anticipated than from rashness.  The best season for sailing is June or July; and it must not be earlier than March, nor later than the end of September.

[NORTH COAST. SAILING DIRECTIONS.]

On quitting Port Jackson, the course to be steered is N. E. by E. by compass, to longitude about 1551/2 deg., when the land will be fifty leagues off; then North, also by compass, as far as latitude 24 deg..  Thus far no danger lies in the way; but there is then the Cato’s Bank, a dry sand frequented by birds and surrounded with a reef (Atlas, Plate X), and further northward is Wreck Reef, both discovered in the future part of this voyage.  Wreck Reef consists of six distinct patches of coral, extending twenty miles east and west; upon four of them there are dry banks, also frequented by birds, and the easternmost bank is covered with wiry grass and some shrubs, and is called Bird Islet.  Their situations are these: 

Cato’s Bank 23 deg. 6’ south, 155 deg. 23’ east Bird Islet 22 111/2 155 27

The bearing and distance of these dangers must be successively worked, and a course steered so as to leave them half a degree to the westward; but for fear of an error in the time keeper the latitude 23 deg. 20’ should not be passed in the night.  It is better to make short tacks till daylight, than to heave to; and allowance should be made for a probable current of one mile an hour to the north-west.  A good lookout must be constantly kept; and a confidential officer should now go to the masthead every two hours in the day and to the fore yard at night, to listen as well as look; for in dark nights the breakers may often be heard before they can be seen.  It will not be amiss, if the time of the day be favourable, to make Bird Islet, which is well settled, in order to see how the longitude by time keeper agrees; and should it err, the difference, or more, must be added to, or subtracted from its future longitudes; for it is most probable that the error will continue to augment the same way, more especially if the time keeper be a good one.