166 PROCEED TO THE COAST. 



distance from land, the depth is more than 100 

 fathoms. The general nature of the bottom, in the 

 quiet places between the reefs, is a fine grey sandy- 

 mud or marl, but in more exposed situations this 

 is not so compact, whilst broken shells are more 

 abundant. This bottom bears a striking resemblance 

 to that within the Great Barrier Reefs. 



After leaving the Abrolhos, as I have narrated, 

 our progress to the northward w^as unusually slow, 

 and between the parallels of 26° 50' S. and 25° 

 40' S. we again got into soundings varying from 

 187 to 81 fathoms, fine grey sand. At the greatest 

 depth the ship was forty miles from the land, and 

 twenty miles at the least, which was off Dirk Hartog's 

 Island, at the south point of Sharks Bay. In 

 passing round the north-west extremity of the con- 

 tinent we delayed, again endeavouring to get sight 

 of Ritchie's Reef; but, on this occasion, as on 

 our passage from the Victoria to Swan River, it was 

 not seen, and as no bottom was obtained with 200 

 and 240 fathoms in its assigned position on the 

 chart, it must either have a very diflferent one or 

 does not exist. • 



The part of the North-west coast that had not been 

 seen by Captain King, commencing a short distance 

 to the east of Depuch Island, it was resolved that 

 our survey of that part should begin there, and on the 

 9th of June the Beagle reached an anchorage off a 

 sandy bay on the north-east side of that island. As we 

 drew near our progress was impeded by a fierce south- 



