COASTS OF AUSTRALIA. 
279 
had gnawed holes in almost every water-cask isiq. 
that remained full; so that we were not certain Sept, 
for a moment of our stock of that article, of which 
we had no chance of procuring a supply on this 
dreary coast. 
The following morning we weighed, and stood s 
out of Port Keats. On attempting to steer close 
round Cape Hay, we were obliged to desist, and 
to pass round a reef that extended from it in a 
N.|W. direction, to the distance of four leagues. 
At sunset no land was in sight, but at eight 
o’clock the next morning (9th) the north end of 9 
the above reef bore E.S.E., and the land about 
Cape Hay 3.S.E. The Barthelemy Hills were 
also seen from the mast-head, and reported as 
“ islands;” this mistake of ours, therefore, tends 
still more to excuse the error of the French charts. 
During the day we had light winds, and the 
coast was but indistinctly seen. The sea was 
covered with a brown scum, which Captain 
Cook’s sailors called “ sea saw-dust,” from its 
resemblance to that substance*. Very few fish 
were noticed, but they were generally more nu- 
merous nearer to the shore. At midnight the 
land was seen, from N.E. to S.E., and at day- 10 . 
light it was visible between Point Pearce, bear- 
* Hawkesworth, vol. iii. p. 248. Peron, V oy. de Decou- 
vertes au& Terres Australes, yol, ii, chap. SI. 
