WITH THE "INVESTIGATOR" 133 



was forced to the west until the mainland was lost sight of. It was 

 late in the day when the southerly course could be resumed, and at 

 dusk the anchor was dropped in 11 5' S. and 141 51' E. 



From early morning till 3 p.m. next day (^th November), the wind 

 was unfavourable for an approach to the land, and the ship still 

 headed to the south, the midday latitude being 11 24^-' S. and 

 longitude 141 46^' E. (SEE MAP B.) A change of wind at 3 p.m. 

 enabled the course to be laid ESE. : the low-lying mainland soon 

 afterwards came into view, and the anchor was dropped near the 

 shore. 



On $tb November, the ship had gone but a little way south 

 when the wind failed. At this point, NATIVES could be seen grouped 

 around a fire. 



" At II, the sea breeze came in from W. by N., with dark, cloudy weather, and 

 we steered forward, passing a SMALL OPENING at one o'clock [where the ' Duyfkerfs ' 

 men landed in 1606, one of them being killed by the natives ; where Carstenszoon 

 landed in 1623 from the ' Per a? naming the inlet the CARPENTARIA REVIER ; the 

 mouth of what is now known as the SKARDON RIVER, the name having been given by 

 Jardine in 1865 to what may possibly have been one of its heads. R. L. J.]. " This 

 opening was 4 or 5 miles south of where the natives had been seen. " A much 

 LARGER OPENING came in sight at 2, into which I hoped to get the ship ; but the 

 water was so shallow at 5 or 6 miles off that we were obliged to tack, and after 

 making a second ineffectual attempt it became'dark, and we anchored in 6 fathoms, 

 fine dark mud, the centre of the opening bearing S. 37 E., 3 leagues. 



" The coast was low, as before, but the trees upon it were taller. The largest 

 opening [PORT MUSGRAVE. R. L. J.] is about two miles wide, leading in SE., but 

 turning afterwards more east and apparently contracting its width [the mouth of 

 the DALHUNTY RIVER, de facto, of modern maps, where it enters the Port Musgrave 

 estuary. R. L. J.]. Near the south-west point of the entrance [CULLEN POINT. 

 R. L. J.], which projects a little from the general line of the shore, was a clump of 

 trees higher than usual, presenting the first mark I had yet found for bearings. The 

 latitude of this opening is 11 55', and agrees nearly with that of the BATAVIA RIVER 

 in the old Dutch chart [*.<?., in Thevenot's chart. R. L. J.] ; but the shoal which 

 runs 6 miles out seemed to render it inaccessible to a ship." * [What is now known as 

 the BATAVIA RIVER falls into the south-western corner of the Port Musgrave Estuary. 

 Tasman anchored in 1644 off the mouth of Port Musgrave, and named it STAATEN 

 REVIER, which is curious, as there was already a Staten Revier on the map, more than 

 5 degrees further south. R. L. J.] 



In the morning of 6th November, adverse weather conditions 

 and the fear of the north-west monsoons forbade any further 

 investigation of this important opening, at the mouth of which 

 (on Cullen Point) now stands the headquarters and village of the 

 MAPOON ABORIGINAL MISSION. The " Investigator " therefore 

 coasted to SSW., and anchored at sunset, about 12 12' S. 



" 'jth November. At daylight a we again steered southward, but in two hours 

 the wind died off and an anchor was dropped in 9 fathoms. There was a SMALL OPENING 

 at E 5' S., about 3 miles ; and the botanical gentlemen being desirous of seeing the 

 productions of this part of the country, the whale-boat was lowered down and we went 



1 Terra Australis, II, p. 125. 2 Ibid., II, p. 126. 



