A Voyage to Terra Australis. Matthew Flinders
island; and the passage seemed perfectly free from danger, and is five or six miles wide. Mount Dromedary, from which the island lies E by N ½ N., is the highest land upon this part of the coast; its elevation being, I think, not less than 3000 feet. The top is about three miles long, and the south end is somewhat the most elevated part; it is covered with wood, even there, but still more so down the sides; the shore under it is mostly a white, sandy beach.
(Atlas, Pl. VI.)
At noon the centre of the mountain bore N.N.W. four leagues; but the haziness of the weather prevented an observation being taken for the latitude, as it had before done when passing in the Francis*. We then hauled further off the coast, with the Nautilus in company, and being near the latitude of Cape Howe, at ten o'clock, lay to until daylight, for the purpose of obtaining a good departure; but on the 9th, the wind had veered to south-west, and the weather having a bad appearance, we bore up for Two-fold Bay. The course after passing Green Cape, was N. 16° W. seven miles to Haycock Point, and N. 44° W. three or four miles from thence to the south point of entrance to the bay; the shore being all along bold, and for the most part rocky. From the south point, which may be known by its reddish appearance and having a steep rock lying off it, we steered for Snug Cove, on the north-west side of the bay; and there anchored in 3½ fathoms, sandy bottom, at something more than a cable's length from the small beach, and the same distance from the two points which bound the cove. In this situation, the outer red point was hidden by Snug-cove Head; and further out, in 5 fathoms, where the Nautilus anchored, the head and point were in a line.
[* The highest part of Mount Dromedary appears to lie in 36° 19' south, and long
itude 150° 11' east; or about 2' south and 11' east of its position in captain Cook's chart.]
In order to make some profit of this foul wind, Mr Bass landed early next morning to examine the country, whilst I went with Mr Simpson to commence a survey of Two-fold Bay. In the way from Snug Cove, through the wood, to the long northern beach, where I proposed to measure a base line, our attention was suddenly called by the screams of three women, who took up their children and ran off in great consternation. Soon afterward a man made his appearance. He was of a middle age, unarmed, except with a whaddie, or wooden scimitar, and came up to us seemingly with careless confidence. We made much of him, and gave him some biscuit; and he in return presented us with a piece of gristly fat, probably of whale. This I tasted; but watching an opportunity to spit it out when he should not be looking, I perceived him doing precisely the same thing with our biscuit, whose taste was probably no more agreeable to him, than his whale was to me. Walking onward with us to the long beach, our new acquaintance picked up from the grass a long wooden spear, pointed with bone; but this he hid a little further on, making signs that he should take it on his return. The commencement of our trigonometrical operations was seen by him with indifference, if not contempt; and he quitted us, apparently satisfied that, from people who could thus occupy themselves seriously, there was nothing to be apprehended.
We measured 116 chains along the north beach, and having taken the necessary angles, returned to Snug Cove for the purpose of observing the latitude; but the thick squalls, which were continually passing over from the south-west, prevented a sight of the sun. The survey was continued in the afternoon; and on the following morning, 11 October, the wind being still unfavourable, the west side of the bay was nearly completed.
I was preparing the artificial horizon for observing the latitude, when a party of seven or eight natives broke out in exclamation upon the bank above us, holding up their open hands to show they were unarmed. We were three in number, and, besides a pocket pistol, had two muskets. These they made no objection to our bringing, and we sat down in the midst of the party. It consisted entirely of young men, who were better made, and cleaner in their persons than the natives of Port Jackson usually are; and their countenances bespoke both good will and curiosity, though mixed with some degree of apprehension. Their curiosity was mostly directed to our persons and dress, and constantly drew off their attention from our little presents, which seemed to give but a momentary pleasure. The approach of the sun to the meridian calling me down to the beach, our visitors returned into the woods, seemingly well satisfied with what they had seen. We could perceive no arms of any kind amongst them; but I knew these people too well not to be assured that their spears were lying ready, and that it was prudent to keep a good lookout upon the woods, to prevent surprise whilst taking the observation.
Oct. 12. We sailed in the afternoon, with a breeze from the eastward; but a return of the wind to south-west, with threatening weather, induced me to bear up again in the evening; and we anchored on the south side of the bay. This part is not so well sheltered as Snug Cove, for the Nautilus was not quite land-locked in 3 fathoms water. The weather became very bad in the night; and, being no better on the 13th, the two vessels were completed with wood, and the country further explored; a few more bearings were also added to our materials for laying down a plan of the bay, and thus terminated our examination.
The latitude of Snug Cove on the north-west side of Two-fold Bay, and by much the best anchorage in it, is 37° 4' south. The longitude, from two sets of distances of the sun west of the moon, deducting 16½' for the errors of the tables, was 150° 3' east of Greenwich. The variation of the azimuth compass observed on the beach, was 9° 29' and of the surveying theodolite 11° 8½' east. My haste to complete the survey did not allow of much attention being paid to the tides; but it was high water about nipte??? hours after the moon passed over the meridian, and the general rise from six to eight feet.
Two-fold Bay is not, of itself, worthy of particular interest; but as nothing larger than boats can find shelter in any other part of this coast, from Jervis Bay, in latitude 35° 6', round to Corner Inlet, or to Furneaux's Isles in 40½°, it thereby becomes of importance to whalers, and to other ships passing along the coast.
Besides its latitude, Two-fold Bay may be known by Mount Dromedary, which will be seen, in moderately fine weather, at the distance of fifteen or sixteen leagues to the northward; and also by the land behind the bay lying more in hummocks than elsewhere. One of these hummocks is round, and much higher than the rest; and when it bears S. 60° W. (S. W. ½ W. nearly, by compass,) a course for it will bring a ship to the middle of the bay. On approaching near, she should look for two rocks, rather pointed, of which one lies off the outer north, and the other off the outer south point. Snug Cove is difficult to be distinguished by a stranger; but on coming near the rocky head, at the south-west end of the long northern beach, it will be seen on the south side of that head; and the anchor must be then ready to be let go. If the wind be from the southward, it should be dropped a little before the head shuts on with the south point of the bay, in 5 or 6 fathoms water; and in veering away, the lead should be kept out astern of the vessel. There is room for two or three small ships in Snug Cove, but not for more.
Wood, in abundance, can be procured on every side of the bay; but there are only two places where fresh water was found, and that not very good. One of these was a swampy pond upon the low neck behind Snug Cove, where casks might be filled without much difficulty; the other is near the inferior anchorage on the south side of the bay; and both are indicated in the particular plan.
The ponds and lagoons, which are to be found at the back of most of the beaches, are frequented by ducks, teal, herons, red-bills, and some small flights of the curlew and plover. The bay seemed to be well stocked with fish; and our success with hook and line made us regret having no seine, for the hauling of which many of the beaches are particularly well adapted. It is not improbable that Two-fold Bay, like some of the open bays on the east coast of Africa, may be frequented by whales at certain seasons: of this I have no decisive proof; but the reef of rocks, called Whale Spit, received its name from the remains of one found there. The natives had taken their share; and the dogs, crows, and gulls were carrying away the rest.
Oct. 14. In the morning, we left Two-fold Bay with a breeze at north-east; and at sun-set, having run eleven leagues from the south point, our departure was taken from Cape Howe. I then steered S. W. by S., judging it to be the course best calculated to bring us within sight of the land supposed, by captain Furneaux, to lie in 39° south. On the 15th, at noon, our latitude was 38° 34'; the weather was fine., but no land visible to the southward. In the opposite direction there was a range of hills whose centre bore N. by W. ½ W.; at sunset