6G INDICATIONS OF A SQUALL. 



from South, and S. by E. ; a heavy swell was its con- 

 stant companion, and the barometer fell to 29.75. 

 On the morning of the 9th, being in the parallel of 

 North-west Cape, our course was altered to N. E. 

 by E. ; it blew hard during the night, and we had 

 a disagreeable sea ; but, as usual, it moderated 

 again towards the morning. 



We had shaped a course to make a reef in lat. 

 20° 17', and named after its discoverer. Lieutenant 

 Ritchie, R.N. ; but owing to its being situated, as 

 we afterwards found, half a degree to the eastward 

 of its assigned position in the charts, we did not 

 see it. 



At 4, A. M,. and with 195 fathoms, we reached 

 a bottom of sand, broken shells, and coral, being 

 then about 80 miles N.N.E. from Tremouille 

 Island, the nearest land. Steering E. by N. J N. 

 for 31 miles, brought us to our noon position in 

 lat. 19° 20' S., long. 116° 16' E., and into a depth 

 of 120 fathoms, with the same kind of bottoms. 

 8.S.W., 17 miles from our morning position. Cap- 

 tain King had 83 and 85 fathoms; fi'om this we 

 may suppose the edge of the bank of soundings, ex- 

 tending off this part of the coast, to be very steep. 

 These soundings, together with those of Captain 

 King, as above, may give some idea of the nature 

 and extent of this bank, which seems to be a conti- 

 nuation of the flat extending N.N.E. 40 miles, con- 

 necting Barrow and Tremouille Islands wnth the 

 main : its outer edge being kept heaped up thus 



