TERRA AUSTRALIS. 
187 
Groote Eylandt .] 
ship’s head N. E. by N., crave variation 2° 57', or 4 0 4' east, corrected 180S - 
January. 
to the meridian. 
We had the wind at N. W. in the morning, and steered close Tuesday 11. 
to it on the larbord tack, until noon ; when the hill on the outer 
north-east island, bore S. 8<)i # W., nine or ten miles. The latitude 
of the hill is 13 0 38^', and from six sets of distances of stars east and 
west of the moon, its longitude would be 136° 36'; but from the 
survey and more numerous observations, it is 137 0 o^' east.* After a 
calm the sea breeze came in, and our course was directed for the 
north-east point of Groote Eylandt; at sunset we approached a rocky 
islet three or four miles from the point, and anchored under it in 61- 
fathoms, sandy ground, with the point bearing S. 5 0 E., and the fur- 
thest visible part, very low and sandy, S. 63° W. five or six miles. 
On the other side, the north-east islands extended from N. 32 0 E. 
to 39 0 W., with many small rocks scattered along them ; the nearest 
of which, a split rock, was distant a short mile. 
In the morning we steered close to a N. N. W. wind, for the Wednes. 1 %. 
low sandy point, where the shore was found to trend southward ; and 
five or six miles to the west there was other land, moderately high and 
in some places cliffy, which took nearly a parallel direction ; and the 
bight between them ran so far up towards the north-east bluff of 
the woody hills, that a junction with the small opening seen on the 
outside appeared to be probable. A shelving spit extended out from 
the low point, and on opening the bight our soundings decreased 
from 6 to 2- fathoms, which made it necessary to tack ; and the 
wind being adverse to passing within the north-east islands, if indeed 
there be water enough for a ship, which seemed doubtful, we steered 
out by the way we had come in. 
Having little wind, the isles were not passed till late in the 
* The apparent error of 24-f in the first longitude, is greater than should exist in the 
mean result of six sets of distances. There is an interval of tlu'ee days in the observations 
of the moon at Greenwich with which these distances were compared ; and it seems pro. 
bable that a great part of the error might arise from that cause. 
