376 
APPENDIX. 
A. point, fronted by a shoal, and the channel is on the eastern 
Se^V. river, with thirteen feet water. Here the river 
W. Coast, widens and forms a basin, two miles and a half wide ; a 
little above this the river is blocked up by shoals and islets 
(Heirisson Isles,) between which the depth is not more 
than two or three feet, but afterwards deepens gradually 
from five to fifteen feet : the banks of the river are then 
not more than one-third of a mile wide, and then continue 
in a serpentine course, with a channel from seven to ten feet 
deep, and free from shoals, as far as the French boats ex- 
amined it. The stream of the river ran very slowly, and 
winds through a valley, one side of which is abrupt and 
precipitous, and when it ceases to be so on one side, the 
heights immediately appear on the other.’^ 
In front of this river is a group of islands, of which two 
only are of large size, viz,, Rottnest and Buache. We an- 
chored on the north side of the former, but broke the fluke, 
from the rocky nature of the bottom. On the N.E. side 
of the island, the anchorage is better, since it is more 
sheltered. Rottnest Island is five miles long : it was dis- 
covered by Vlaming in 1696. Its shores are very rocky 
and difficult to land upon, particularly those of its northern 
side, which is fronted by rocks. Off its north point there 
are some rocky islets, and on the north-east side a con- 
venient landing place in a sandy bay, where boats may put 
ashore with great facility. The island is covered with a 
pine-like tree, which is very good for fire-wood, but no 
fresh water was found in any part; the French were equally 
unsuccessful in their search. The north-east point of Rott- 
nest Island is in 31° 59' 30" S., and 115° 31' 12" E. ; and 
the variation 4° 50' W. 
