From Port Western we carried a line of soundings across the Strait to Circular Head,* the greatest depth midway between being 40 fathoms. Here, according to arrangement, we met the Vansittart. Bad weather had prevented Mr. Forsyth from completing the work allotted the cutter. We found the management of the Van Diemen's Land Agricultural Company in the hands of Mr. Gibson, from whom we received great attention. The new system of letting lands, recently adopted by this Company, was working well; and it certainly appeared to be a very fair mode of getting their lands occupied.
DIRECTIONS FOR THE WESTERN ENTRANCE OF BASS STRAIT.
(*Footnote. My intention of getting some more soundings in the western entrance of Bass Strait was frustrated; but as I have entered into detail respecting the eastern entrance, I am induced to devote some space to a few directions, which may aid in averting a repetition of such terrible catastrophes as the late wreck of the Cataraqui on the western side of King Island. The western entrance, formed by the islands off the north-west point of Tasmania and the projection on the Australian continent called Cape Otway, is 108 miles wide. King Island, lying nearly midway, occupies 35 miles of this space, and leaves to the north of it a passage of 47 miles in width, and to the south one of 37 miles. The latter, however, is impeded by Reid's Rocks, the Conway and Bell sunken rocks, with Albatross Island and the Black Pyramid; the tide also sets across it at the rate of from one to three knots, as I have already mentioned in the first volume; consequently, the entrance between King Island and Cape Otway is much safer, the chief danger being the Harbinger Rocks, two granite boulders, with deep water between, one lying North 74 degrees West three miles and a half, and the other North 88 degrees West, nearly four miles and a half from the north point of King Island, Cape Wickham, which may be recognized by a round hill, 595 feet high, over it. The southern Harbinger is a few feet only out of the water, and the other scarcely awash. These, with the Navarin Rock, lying North 25 degrees West, one mile and a half from the same cape, and the reef lying half a mile off Cape Otway, constitute the sole dangers in this entrance.
Masters of vessels should endeavour, if possible, to make the land in the neighbourhood of Cape Otway; but if the weather be thick they may know they are in the fairway of the Strait when they get into sixty fathoms, fine grey sand; in the same depth, with a rocky bottom, ships will be to the southward, and off the west side of King Island, which, as I have before described, is a rocky dangerous coast. There is a doubtful position of a sunken rock, ten miles West 1/2 North of the south point, which is low and rocky, and in latitude 40 degrees 10 minutes South, longitude 143 degrees 58 minutes East; whilst Cape Wickham is in latitude 39 degrees 35 minutes South, longitude 143 degrees 59 1/2 minutes, East; and Cape Otway in latitude 38 degrees 51 minutes South, longitude 143 degrees 35 1/2 minutes East of Greenwich, considering Sydney, to which these longitudes refer, to be in 151 degrees 16 minutes East.
Various opinions have been expressed as to the best position for a lighthouse at this entrance of the Strait, some recommending Cape Wickham; others, Cape Otway. I, however, hold to the latter, for this simple reason, that it will avoid bringing ships in the neighbourhood of the Harbinger Rocks and the western side of King Island. If a light were erected on Cape Wickham, and a vessel running for it should be to the southward of her position, she would risk sharing the fate of the Cataraqui,* unless more caution were used than is generally the case, I regret to say, in merchant vessels. Whereas, if the light were on Cape Otway, a ship to the southward of her position would have the Strait open to run through, and to the northward, would discover her error, by falling in with the land. The lead, also, would inform the master that his ship was near it, there being 30 fathoms ten miles from the land thirty-five miles to the westward of Cape Otway; the trend of the coast besides is too westerly to make it a lee shore.
(*Footnote. In consequence of a letter of mine that appeared in the Times, the owners of the Cataraqui have communicated with me, stating that they have reason to believe the Beagle's chart of Bass Strait was among those with which the ship was furnished, and that with regard to leads and lines she was well supplied.)
From the middle of the entrance between Cape Wickham and Cape Otway, in 57 fathoms, fine grey sand, and in latitude 39 degrees 13 minutes South, longitude 143 degrees 48 minutes East, the course to the entrance of Port Phillip, is North-East 1/2 North seventy miles; the soundings will be found, at first, to decrease rapidly, and in the parallel of Cape Otway the depth will be 47 fathoms, fine sand and shells. Further particulars respecting the quality of the bottom off this part of the coast will be found in the first volume.
A South-East 1/2 East course 176 miles, from the same position, will take a ship to Port Dalrymple. In the first twenty-nine miles of this distance, the soundings will have decreased to nearly 30 fathoms, and the ship's place should be then abreast of the North-East end of King Island, distant ten miles. The sight of this and, further on, of the Hunter Group, which should be passed at a distance of 20 miles to the South-West, will show if the right allowance has been made for the set of the tides. In the courses given in this note, the tidal influence has not been noticed; but I have above noticed the direction of the streams, and the allowance to be made will of course depend on what stream the ship enters or leaves the Strait with.
Again, from the same position, an east course, 136 miles, will place a ship four miles to the south of the Curtis Isles. The soundings will be found to decrease to 40 fathoms thirty miles to the eastward of King Island, and will continue within a fathom or two of that depth for the remainder of the distance.
Two hundred and four miles from the above position, on a North-East 1/4 East course, will take a ship to abreast of Cape Howe, distant twenty miles; passing midway between Hogan and Kent Groups, distant nearly nine miles from each, at which time twenty-eight miles will have been run on the above course. In passing the latter group, attention should be paid to the set of the tides; as with the flood-stream and a northerly wind vessels may be obliged to pass on the south side of it. Cape Howe bears from Kent Group, North 36 degrees East, 170 miles. When a ship gets into 30 fathoms she will be within 8 miles of the North-East side of these islands; and on the opposite she will have that depth half the distance off.