TUESDAY 25 OCTOBER 1803

At daybreak next morning, having a fresh trade wind, we steered W. by S. by compass, the soundings increasing gradually from 7 fathoms to 13 at noon, when our latitude was 10 deg. 38’ and longitude 141 deg. 17’.  No reefs or other dangers had been seen to the west of Booby Isle; nor were any met with in steering across the Gulph of Carpentaria towards Cape Wilberforce (Atlas, Plate XIV), though many birds, principally boobies, were seen every day.  We ran in the night, with the precaution of heaving to every four hours, to sound; the depth was from 30 to 36 fathoms on a muddy bottom, nearly all across the Gulph.

FRIDAY 28 OCTOBER 1803

(Atlas, Plate XV.)

On 28th at two in the morning, Cape Wilberforce being seen directly ahead, we hove to in 18 fathoms till daylight; the south-east extreme of the cape then bore S. 54 deg.  W, and the largest of Bromby’s Isles was two miles distant to the northward.  After making some short tacks, we passed through between the two outer isles, with soundings from 6 to 11 fathoms; and at ten o’clock, when clear of the passage, the bearings of the nearest lands were as under: 

Bromby’s I., the largest, cliffy S. E. end, S. 34 deg.  W. Bromby’s I., outermost, highest part, dist. 11/4 m., S. 50 E. Truant Isle, centre, N. 37 E. Two islets, dist. 5 miles, centres, N. 24 deg. and 32 W. Wigram’s Island, extremes, N. 55 to S. 87 W.

The longitude of our situation according to the positions laid down in the Investigator, would be 136 deg. 41’ 10”, and the time keeper now gave 136 deg. 42’ 12”.  It was principally for the sake of comparing the two longitudes, that I made the land near Cape Wilberforce.

[NORTH COAST. WESSEL’S ISLANDS.]

We steered northward for the two islets, and at noon, when the latitude from an observation to the south was 11 deg. 43’, but from bearings 11 deg. 42’, they were distant three quarters of a mile to the W. by S.; these islets had been set from the south-east head of Cotton’s Island at N. 42 deg. 35’ to 45 deg. 5’ E., and that head was now seen bearing S. 451/4 deg.  W. At one o’clock the Wessel’s Islands came in sight, and I hauled more up, wishing to ascertain their extent to the northward; but the wind being at E. N. E, we could not pass to windward before dark, and therefore steered for an opening between the two outer islands.  There were strong ripplings and whirlpools of tide at the entrance of the opening, with very variable soundings between 5 and 16 fathoms; and finding we could not get through in time, the sun being then near the horizon, an anchor was dropped near a small beach on the north side, in 4 fathoms, out of the set of the tides.

SATURDAY 29 OCTOBER 1803