248 
A VOYAGE TO 
[North Coast. 
isos. harbours and better soil, and its greater proximity to our Indian 
Sunday 6. possessions having made it become dady more interesting ; and also, 
after struggling three months against foul winds, from their now 
being fair as could be wished for prosecuting the further examina- 
tion. The accomplishment of the survey was, in fact, an object so 
near to my heart, that could I have foreseen the train of ills that 
were to follow the decay of the Investigator and prevent the survey 
being resumed, — and had my existence depended upon the expres- 
sion of a wish, I do not know that it would have received utterance; 
but Infinite Wisdom has, in infinite mercy, reserved the knowledge 
of futurity to itself. 
, On quitting WesseTs Islands, we steered a north-west course 
(Atlas, 1 & ill 
Plate].) a n night, under easy sail ; having a warrant officer placed fit the 
look-out, and the lead hove every quarter of an hour. The sound- 
Monday 7 . ings increased very gradually till daylight, when we had go fathoms , 
and no land being distinguishable, the course whs then altered to 
W. by S. Our latitude at noon was io s 56' 40", longitude by time- 
keeper 135 0 10'; and I judged that part of the coast seen by lieu- 
tenant M c Cluer, in 1791, to lie about fifty miles to the southward. 
This was the first land seen by him in his course from New Guinea; 
and according to the comparison afterwards made ol his longitude, 
it should not lie more than twelve leagues from the western part of 
Point Dale. 
Mr. M c Cluer saw some islands near the coast, and amongst 
others an outer one called New Year’s Isle, in latitude io° 52' south 
and 133 0 12' east, which I purposed to visit in the hope of procuring 
turtle. But our friendly trade wind gradually died away, and was 
succeeded by light airs from the N. W. and S. W., by calms, and 
afterwards by light winds from the north-eastward ; so that it was 
Saturday is. not until daylight of the 12th, that the island was seen. At eleven 
o’clock, lieutenant Fowler went on shore to examine the beach for 
traces of turtle ; but finding none recent, he returned before two, 
and we again made sail to the westward. 
