TERRA AUSTRALIS. 
91 
Barrier Reefs.~\ 
come up with a palm broken off ; and having only one bower left, isos, 
he applied to me for another. Our anchor had swiveled in the stock ; MondV n. 
and the work required to it, with getting the last stream anchor out 
of the hold, and sending Mr. Murray two grapnels, which were all 
that our own losses could allow of being spared, occupied us till the 
evening. At low water, two reefs were seen, bearing N. iB° to 41 0 E., 
a third S. 72°E., and a fourth S. 74, 0 W.; their distances being from 
two to four or five miles. 
The loss of anchors we had this day sustained, deterred me 
from any more attempting the small passages through the Barrier 
Reef; in these, the tide runs with extraordinary violence, and the 
bottom is coral rock ; and whether with, or without wind, no situa- 
tion can be more dangerous. My anxious desire to get out to sea, 
and reach the North Coast before the unfavourable monsoon should 
set in, had led me to persevere amongst these intricate passages 
beyond what prudence could approve ; for had the wind come to 
blow strong, no anchors, in such deep water and upon loose sand, 
could have held the ship ; a rocky bottom cut the cables ; and to 
have been under sail in the night was certain destruction. I there- 
fore formed the determination, in our future search for a passage out, 
to avoid all narrow channels, and run along, within side the larger 
reefs, until a good and safe opening should present itself. This plan, 
which was dictated by a common regard to safety, might carry us 
far to the north-west, and delay our arrival in the Gulph of Car- 
pentaria ; yet I hoped not ; for captain Cook had found the flood 
tide to come from south-east after passing the Cumberland Islands, 
whereas before, it ran from the northward; a circumstance which 
seemed to indicate a termination of the reefs, or a great opening in 
them, to the north or north-west of those islands. 
In the morning, we got under way and steered N. N. W.; but Tuesday 12. 
anchored again on finding the flood tide too strong to be stemmed 
with a light breeze. Our latitude at this tenth anchorage amongst 
