TERRA AUSTRALIS. 
181 
Gulph of Carpentaria .] 
wind, hoping to find a passage within them. The depth varied be- 
tween 3 and 4 fathoms, till past five o’clock, when it diminished to 
e~, the main coast being distant five or six miles, and the sands out 
of sight astern ; we then tacked, and stretched E. S. E. into 4 fathoms, 
and anchored at dusk on a bottom of gravel . An observation of the 
moon gave the latitude here 14 0 19'; and the variation from an am- 
plitude, with the head E. by S., was o° 43' east, or corrected to the 
meridian upon the principle often before mentioned, 2 0 44' east for 
the true variation. 
There is no doubt that the dry banks seen at noon, were meant 
to be represented in the Dutch chart by the great shoal to the north- 
east of Cape Maria ; but their direction from the cape is there too 
far eastward; neither do they join to the main land, nor lie out from 
it more than one-quarter of the distance marked: several turtle 
were seen in the vicinity of the banks. The main coast in the north- 
ern part of Limmen’s Bight is not altogether so low as at the head; 
but the shoal water extends equally far out, and even the southern 
head of the gulph is not more inaccessible to ships. 
We had strong squalls of wind in the night, with rain, thunder, 
and lightning, and were obliged to drop a second anchor; the wind, 
however, remained in the north-east, and at daylight we stood for 
the edge of the shoal. At seven, tacked ship in 3 fathoms ; and a 
breeze coming off the land soon afterward, we steered along the 
shore until noon, with a godd depth of water. Several pieces of dis- 
tant land, which seemed to be islands of greater elevation than usual, 
were then seen, from N. by E. to E. S. E. ; the main coast was about 
five miles off, and the furthest part bore north from the mast head. 
Our latitude at this time was 14 0 5', and longitude 136° 6' east. 
In the afternoon, the soundings became irregular between 4 
and 7 fathoms, and the whale boat was sent a~head ; but a fresh 
wind setting in at N. E., the boat was called back, and in being 
veered astern, got filled with water, broke adrift, and the two men 
were thrown out. Another boat was lowered down to save them, 
1803. 
January. 
Sunday 2. 
Monday 3. 
