136 NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



[3] MYALL CREEK, now known as the MISSION RIVER. 



[4] The EMBLEY RIVER, which is navigable for boats for a good 

 many miles, and on which the WEIPA MISSION STATION now stands. 



Having " reached out of the bight " at 8 p.m., a southward 

 course was kept till 10.30, when the anchor was dropped, approxi- 

 mately in 12 45' S. lat. 



" Next morning " (gth November), says Flinders, 1 " I set the west extreme of 

 Duyfken Point at N. 9 E. and the furthest land in the opposite direction at S. 9 E. 

 [SEE MAP D.] This land forms the south side of the large bight, and besides 

 projecting beyond the coast-line and being a little higher than usual, is remarkable 

 for having some reddish cliffs in it and deep water near the shore. It is not noticed 

 in the Dutch chart [referring to Thevenot's chart. R. L. J.], but I called it PERA 

 HEAD, to preserve the name of the second vessel which, in 1623, sailed along this 

 coast." 



Modern maps give the name PERA HEAD to the northmost 

 point of this blunt promontory, while its southern portion, where 

 the " reddish cliffs " are marked on Flinders' chart, is distinguished 

 as FALSE PERA HEAD ; on the other hand, Flinders, in his 

 chart, applies the name of False Pera Head to a blunt projection 

 about 14 miles south of Pera Head proper. It is to be noted 

 that Flinders' FALSE PERA HEAD is in 13 8' S., practically where 

 Gonzal, in the " Rtjder" had placed RIJDER'S HOEK in 1756. 



It is fortunate that Flinders did not add a third name to the 

 two which had already been given to the " bight " so carefully 

 charted by him. TASMAN had named it VLIEGE BAIJ in 1644, and 

 as such it was recognised by ASSCHENS, in the " Buijs" on 26th April, 

 1756. On 3 1st May, 1756, GONZAL, in the "Rijder" had named it 

 MOSSEL BAAIJ. Tasman's name of Vliege Bay has undoubtedly 

 the right of priority, but usage has irrevocably fixed the name of 

 ALBATROSS BAY, bestowed upon it about 1881, after the small 

 government steamer used for patrol purposes during the residency 

 of the Hon. John Douglas. 



The narrative of Flinders is resumed, after his sailing out of 

 Albatross Bay on 9th November, 1802 : 



" PERA HEAD was passed at a distance of one mile and a half at noon, with 9 fathoms 

 water ; and the most projecting part of the cliff found to be in 12 58 J- 7 S. and 

 141 40' E. The sea breeze had then set in, and we steered southward till past 

 10 o'clock, when a decrease in the soundings to 3 fathoms obliged us to tack at a league 

 from the land ; and the wind being at south-west, we worked along the shore till 

 10 in the evening, and then anchored in 6 fathoms, oozy bottom. At daylight 

 (loth 'November), the land was seen to be 5 miles distant, equally low and sandy 

 as before ; and a SMALL OPENING in it, perhaps not accessible to boats, bore S. 79 E. 

 [mouth of ARCHER RIVER. R. L. J.]." 



Between Pera Head and the anchorage of 9th November, 

 Flinders had unwittingly passed the inlet in 13 7' S. where 



1 Terra Australis, II, p. 129. 



