Recherche** Archipelago.-] TERRA AUSTRALIS. 79 
admiral had mostly skirted round the archipelago, a sufficient 1802. 
reason for me to attempt passing through the middle, if the wea- j^dayl*. 
ther did not make the experiment too dangerous. It was fine at 
this time, and the breeze moderate at south-south- west ; and I 
therefore took measures to be in with the western group as early 
on the following morning as possible, to have the whole day for 
getting through. 
At a quarter past five, we bore away for the south end of the Saturday 9. 
westernmost island, passed it within a mile and a half at seven, and 
steered eastward for the clusters rising a-head and on both bows. 
At noon, the number of rocks above water, the patches of breakers, 
and the islands with which we were surrounded, made it necessary 
to heave to, in order to take the angles of so many objects with 
some degree of accuracy. The situation of the ship, and the three 
most material bearings were these : 0 , „ 
Latitude, observed to the north and south, - 35 o 25 
Longitude, reduced up from eight o'clock, - 121 49 45 
Observatory I. (of D'Entrecasteaux) dist. 6 miles, N. 37 W. 
High peak on Cape Le Grand, - - N. 84^- E. 
Small, high, peaked island, distant 7 or 8 miles, S. 57 E. 
This last peak had been visible from daybreak, and appears to be 
the top of the imperfectly formed lie de Remarque of D'Entrecas- 
teaux's chart ; and from it, I measured with a sextant the angles of 
most of the other objects. The long reef of rocks, called La 
Chaussee (The Causeway), was four or five miles distant to the 
southward ; and a sunken rock, upon which the sea broke at times, 
was three miles off to the north-east. The islands were more par- 
ticularly numerous to the east-south-east, where our course lay; but 
as they were generally high, with bold rocky shores, and we had 
hitherto found deep water, I bore away for them so soon as all the 
bearings were obtained. 
The chart alone can give any adequate idea of this labyrinth 
of islands and rocks, or of our track amongst them until half past 
