A VOYAGE TO 
138 
[North Coast. 
December. to eleven at night, the tide ran half a mile an hour to the S. W., and 
Saturday 4. N. E. during the remainder of the twenty-four hours ; the first, 
which seemed to be the flood, was only three hours after the moon, 
above six hours earlier than in the Investigator’s Road ; but the 
time of high water by the shore might be very different : no greater 
rise than five feet was perceivable by the lead line. 
Sunday 5. In the morning of the 5 th, we quitted Bountiful Island to re- 
sume our examination at Cape Van Diemen; and the weather being 
rainy, with thunder and lightning, and the wind fresh at N. N. E., 
we passed round the smaller island, two miles to the south-west, 
before hauling to the northward. A ten o’clock, Cape Van Diemen 
was distant three miles, and we tacked to the east ; and from that time 
till evening, continued to work up between the cape and a shoal lying 
two leagues from it to the E. S. E. This shoal is a narrow ridge of 
sand, over which we had passed in going to Bountiful Island ; but 
there w r ere now breakers upon a more southern part. It seems to be 
formed by different sets of tide amongst the islands, and to be steep 
to; for in passing over, the soundings had been 13, 4, 5, 7, tl 
fathoms, almost as quick as the lead could be heaved. At dusk the 
wind had gone down, and the anchor was dropped in 6 fathoms, 
sand and shells, in the following situation. 
C. Van Diemen, the S. E. extreme, dist. 3 miles, - S. 75° W. 
The island close to it, - - N. 57° to 21 W 
Isle Pisonia, distant 3 miles, - N. 55 to 61 F 
Bountiful I., station on the green hillock, - s. g 
That part of Cape Van Diemen above set, is in latitude 16*32' south, 
and longitude 139° 49^' eas t. 
The tide here set N. N. E. and S. S. W., between the island 
Monday c. close to the cape and Isle Pisonia ; and at daylight we steered for 
the middle of the opening. On seeing breakers a-head, the master 
was sent in the whale boat to sound, and we kept more westward, 
after him. There were natives upon the island nearest to the land’ 
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