CURRENTS AND SOUNDINGS. 65 



from the middle of Rottenest Island, having from 

 twenty to twenty-two fathoms over it. Near the 

 position assigned we certainly shoaled our water 

 from twenty-eight to twenty-four fathoms, but no 

 other indication of a bank was to be found. 



Satisfied that we had now no further reason for 

 delay, we kept away N.W. with a fresh southerly 

 wind, and the glad omen of a brilliant sunset. 



January 5. — We were rather surprised to find 

 by our observation at noon, no indication of a 

 northerly current, though yesterday when becalmed 

 between Rottenest and the main we were drifted to 

 the northward at the rate of nearly two knots per 

 hour. We sounded regularly every four hours, but 

 found no bottom at 200 fathoms : the wind during 

 the morning was light from S. S. W. but during the 

 nio^ht we had it fresh from S.E. 



January 6. — We passed, at midnight, within 60 

 miles of the position assigned in the chart to the 

 low coral group known as Houtman's Abrolhos,* 

 and again sounded unsuccessfully with 200 fathoms. 



We continued steering a northerly course up 

 to the 9th, keeping within from 60 to 80 miles 

 distance of the coast, and repeating our deep-sea 

 soundings everv six hours without success. The 

 wind during each day was moderate from the 

 S.S.W. and S. by W,, freshening during the night 



* Subsequent observations pk.ced these islands 30 miles more 

 to the eastward than the position there assigned them. Our 

 track, therefore, was really 90 miles from them. 



VOL. I. F 



