VIEWS OF MORESBY'S RANGE, SEA RANGE, AND CAPE BEDFORD.
The beach in the south corner of Champion Bay, having the appearance of being seldom visited by a surf, it is possible that a small vessel may be sheltered by the reef in north-west gales, which the anchorage is exposed to, and which, therefore, can only be considered safe in the summer season. Five miles to the southward of Point Moore there is another bay, which appeared much exposed to the prevailing winds. The shore between is rocky with outlying reefs.
LEAVE CHAMPION BAY.
April 10.
We left Champion Bay at daylight, with a moderatE south wind and fine weather, and passed over some uneven ground south-west of the north point, soundings varying from five to seven fathoms, sand and rock, which though at a quiet time, almost formed breakers.
APPEARANCE OF THE COAST.
As we ran along to the northward, the coast was lined with sandhills very partially dotted with vegetation. Behind these was a margin of brown arid-looking downs, receding to the foot of the uplands. Twenty miles of the coastline from Champion Bay trended North 29 degrees West.
At noon we were in latitude 28 degrees 26 minutes South; the Menai Hills, a group lying just off the north end of Moresby's Flat-topped Range, bearing South 73 degrees East ten miles. A valley or ravine, through which probably a rivulet* runs in the wet season, bore North 83 degrees East two miles, and a singular large patch of sand, 270 feet above the sea, North 22 degrees East two miles and a half. North of this patch the land changes its appearance; the bare sandhills cease, and a steep-sided down, 300 feet high, faces the coastline. Our track was from two to three miles from the shore, in 19 and 22 fathoms, fine white sand; a heavy surf washing the beach. South-east of the Menai Hills the country appeared much broken, with high table ranges of from 4 to 700 feet.
(*Footnote. This (in latitude 28 degrees 25 minutes South) may have been one of the rivers discovered by Captain Grey, but which it was impossible for us to determine, as no account of them had been left with the Surveyor-general, Mr. Roe.)
It was now necessary to resume our examination of the Abrolhos, and thirty-one miles on a West 1/4 South course, brought us between two groups of them, where we anchored for the night in 23 fathoms. The soundings in standing across Geelvink Channel, were 22 and 26 fathoms, fine white sand; the current ran North-North-West, a mile an hour.