scott's reef. 121 



in the afternoon, with a light north-west wind, 

 we passed about six miles from the north end of 

 Scott's Reef,* which we placed a few miles to the 

 westward of its position in the chart, and of which 

 we shall take another opportunity of speaking. 



Through God's mercy I was now so far recovered 

 as to be able to crawl on the poop to see this 

 reet^ but soon found that I had overrated my 

 strength : my back became affected ; all power 

 appeared to have deserted my limbs ; and I suf- 

 fered dreadfully. Even to this day I feel the weak- 

 ness in my back, particularly in cold weather, or 

 when I attempt to lift any great weight suddenly. 



Westerly winds, that increased as we got to the 

 southward, brought us in sight of Depuch Island, a 

 level lump of land, on the evening of New Year's 

 Day, and at 7j p-m. we tacked in 15 fathoms, about 

 twelve miles N. W. ^ N. from it. We spent a couple 

 of days beating to westward in the neighbourhood 

 of the coast, from which the bank appeared to ex- 

 tend sixty miles, with an equal number of fathoms 

 on its edge. 



January 14, 1840. — At noon, the same prevailing 

 westerly winds brought us within fifty miles of the 

 north point of Sharks Bay, bearing S. E. by S. 

 On the same evening we saw a herd of sperm 

 whales. From that day we had a southerly wind, 

 which drawing round to the east as we got to the 



* One of the discoveries of Captain Peter Hey wood, R.N. 



