RESULT OF SOUNDINGS. 



215 



loDff. 114° 54' E. From the number of islands I 

 saw to the south of Thevenard, I think the reef con- 

 tinues to Maison Island, near the North-west Cape. 

 The outer one, seen from the Beagle, is in lat. 

 21" 31' S. and long. 114° 42' East. I myself believe 

 the whole extent from Maison to Barrow's Island is 

 occupied by islets and reefs, probably all connected. 

 We know, in fact, from Captain King, that a reef 

 extends sixteen miles off the south end of Barrow's 

 Island. 



Seventeen miles in a N. W. by N. direction from 

 Thevenard Island we had 65 fathoms, fine white 

 sand, having deepened gradually from six fathoms 

 three miles north of it. In June of this year, 

 working to the N. E. we had 68 fathoms three miles 

 W. by S. of that position, and 111 fathoms six miles 

 N. W. of it ; beyond this no bottom was found with 

 1^20 and 150 fathoms.* 



* The following table is the result of other outer soundings 

 obtained in the Beagle, shewing how far the bank of soundings 

 extends off the Western coast of Australia. 



It would thus appear that a ship in less than 110 fathoms off 

 the west shore of the continent would be within forty miles of the 

 land ; and nearly the same distance from the islands fronting it, 



