161 
Gulph of Carpentaria.'] TERRA AUSTRALIS. 
This opening may be half a mile in width, but a dry sand runs across 
from the west side, and left no prospect of its being accessible to the 
ship; the shoal water, indeed, extended further out than usual, being 
caused, probably, by a deposit of sand from the inlet. The range 
of low hills, before mentioned as running behind the coast, was still 
perceived; but in front, the country was low as before, and somewhat 
less covered with wood. 
The direction of the coast, which had been from north to north- 
west the day before, was now again W. N. W. ; and after making a 
tack at noon, in 3 fathoms, and stretching off for an hour, we lay 
along it till near eight o'clock. At that time the depth diminished 
from 3-, suddenly to 2~ fathoms ; and before the helm was put down 
the ship touched upon a rock, and hung abaft. By keeping the sails 
full she went off into 3 fathoms, but in five minutes hung upon 
another rock ; and the water being more shallow further on, the 
head sails were now laid aback. On swinging off, I filled to stretch 
out by the way we had come ; and after another slight touch of the 
keel we got into deep water, and anchored in 4 fathoms, on a bottom 
of blue mud. The bad state of the ship would have made our situa- 
tion amongst these rocks very alarming, had we not cleared them 
so quickly ; but the water was very smooth at this time, and it could 
not be perceived that any injury had been sustained. 
Our distance here from the shore was three miles. It is very 
low and broken, with many dry rocks and banks lying near it ; and in 
the space of seven pr eight miles we had counted five small open- 
ings, and behind them some lagoons were perceived from the mast 
head. The Abel Tasman s River of the old chart is marked in about 
this situation ; and however little these shallow openings and salt 
lagoons resemble a river, there is no other place to which the name 
could have been applied. 
I was preparing to take altitudes of the star Rigcl, to ascertain 
our longitude at this anchorage, when it was found that the time 
keepers had stopped, my assistant having forgotten to wind them up 
vol. n. Y 
1802. 
December, 
Saturday 11. 
