VISIT TO THE MAIN, 139 



from the ofSng, bearing west, led clear to the north- 

 ward of the two fathom patch. We steered across 

 E. by S. ^ S. for the main, losing sight of the island 

 from the Beagle's poop, (height 15 feet) at the dis- 

 tance of five miles and a half. Three miles further 

 brought us in sight of the land, forming a high-level 

 range, with a knob or lump on its south extreme. 

 Some five or six miles to the south-east were seen 

 isolated peaks, which we rightly supposed to be 

 the Wizard Hills of Captain King, whilst the lump 

 above spoken of proved to be Mount Fairfax, the 

 level range being Moresby's Flat-topped Range. 

 As we neared them the Menai Hills began to shew 

 themselves. 



Our soundings, after leaving the island, deepened 

 quickly to 30 and 35 fathoms. Six miles from it 

 the depth decreased to 23 fathoms. We stood off 

 and on during the night, the current setting N. N. W. 

 a mile an hour. The space between the Abrolhos 

 and the main bears the name of Gelvink Channel, 

 after Vlaming's ship, the first that ever passed 

 through (a. d. 16S0). 



The chief object of the Beagle's visit to the main 

 was to ascertain the position of a good anchorage, 

 before spoken of as reported at Swan River to be 

 under the south-west end of Moresby's Flat-topped 

 Range, The favourable account which Captain 

 Grey had given of the country behind the range 

 made the knowledge of a good anchorage in its 

 neighbourhood of vast importance. Captain King 



