SAIL FROM SWAN RIVER. 135 



Houtnian's Abrolhos, a coral group that had very 

 rarely been visited, since the Dutch ships were 

 lost on them, one 120 and the other 220 years ago, 

 and of which next to nothing was known. 



Not being able to persuade Miago to accompany 

 us, he being too much engaged with his new wife, 

 we enlisted the services of a native youth who gene- 

 rally went by the name of Tom, and left Gage Roads 

 on the afternoon of April 4th. 



Off the west end of Rottenest a sail was seen, which 

 we afterwards found, to our mortification, was H.M.S. 

 Britomart, from Port Essington. We had another 

 fruitless search for the bank reported to the north- 

 ward of Rottenest. Steering N.N.W. from the west 

 end of it, the soundings increased gradually to 35 

 fathoms, till passing Cape Leschenault at the dis- 

 tance of twenty-two miles; but afterwards, no bottom 

 with 50 fathoms, till reaching the lat. of 31° 7' S., 

 where the coast projecting, brought us again within 

 twenty miles of it, and into a depth of 45 fathoms. 

 We continued in soundings till in lat. 30° 36' S., 

 varying from 26 to 98 fathoms, seventeen miles from 

 the land with the former, and twenty-live with the 

 latter depth, which shews the extent and steepness 

 of the bank of soundings fronting the coast, between 

 the parallels I have mentioned. 



April 6. — There was unusual weather last night, 

 overcast with a squally, westerly wind. Just laying 

 our course N. N. W., at noon we were in lat. 29" 11' 

 S., on the position assigned to a reef called the 

 Turtle Dove. From the mast head I could see 



