Barrier Reefs.\ 
TERRA AUSTRALIS. 
101 
if we must of necessity be again driven amongst them, to come in 
where we knew of an opening, rather than where their formation 
was totally unknown. 
At four, tacked ship to the northward, and sounded with 100 
fathoms, no bottom. At daylight, no reefs could be seen from the 
mast head, the wind had moderated its strength, and we made all 
possible sail to the N. by E. ; keeping two points free, to make the 
ship go through the water. We now considered ourselves entirely 
clear of the reefs ; but at noon high breakers were seen extending 
from West to N. N. W., at the distance of six or seven miles, and 
we hauled up a point more to the eastward. Our latitude was 17* 
54/ > longitude 148° 37', and at the depth of 100 fathoms there was 
no ground; the variation observed in the morning, with three azi- 
muth compasses, was 6 ° 8 ' east, corrected to the meridian. Another 
reef was discovered at two o’clock, lying nearly three leagues 
to the northward of the former ; but although there were many 
boobies, and tropic and man-of-war birds about, no more dangers 
had been descried at dusk ; nor did we see any more until approach- 
ing Torres’ Strait. 
I shall conclude this chapter with some general remarks on the 
reefs, which form so extraordinary a barrier to this part of New South 
Wales ; and amongst which we sought fourteen days, and sailed 
more than five hundred miles, before a passage could be found 
through them, out to sea. 
The easternmost parts of the barrier seen in the Investigator, 
lie nearly in 21° south and 151 0 1 o' east; but there can be no doubt that 
they are connected with the reefs lying to the southward, discovered 
in 1797 by captain Campbell of the brig Deptford; and probably 
also with those further distant, which captain Swain of the Eliza fell 
in with in the following year. If so, the Barrier Reefs will commence 
as far south-eastward as the latitude 22 0 50' and longitude about 
152 0 40', and possibly still further; Break-sea Spit is a coral reef, 
and a connexion under water, betwen it and the barrier, seems 
1802. 
October. 
Thurs. 21. 
