The two white rocks bore N. 20° E.
Furthest extrem of the land, like a steep head, N. 71° E.
TUESDAY 8 DECEMBER 1801
The wind was then at south-west, and we stretched onward until one in the morning, before tacking to the north-west for the land. At daylight the ship was found to have been carried to the eastward, and neither Point D'Entrecasteaux nor the two white rocks were in sight; but in the N. 19° E., about eight miles, was a head not far from the extreme set in the evening. It afterwards proved to be a smooth, steep rock, lying one mile from the main; and is the land first made upon this coast by captain Vancouver, who called it Cape Chatham. Its latitude is very nearly 35° 3' south, longitude 116° 29' east, and it was sketched by Mr. Westall. (Atlas Plate XVII. View 2.)
Whilst stretching in for the shore, with the ship's head north-west-by-north (magnetic) I took azimuths with two compasses on the binnacle; after which they were immediately placed on a stand near the taffrel and other azimuths taken. The variation resulting from the observations on the binacle was 5° 59' west, and from those near the taffrel 8° 24' west; affording another instance of the effect produced by changing the place of the compass. In 1803, and at twenty leagues to the west of Cape Leeuwin, we had 10° 4' variation on the binnacle, with the head south-east; from which, and the above 5° 59', the true variation off the cape, or such as would be obtained with the ship's head at north or south, should be 7° 48' west.*
[* The mode by which these, and other observations made with the compass on the binnacle, are reduced to what is conceived to be the true variation, is explained in the Appendix No. II, to the second volume.]
At seven o'clock we got sight of the two white rocks, which enabled me to take up the survey of the preceding evening; and we then bore away along the coast at the distance of four or five miles, with a pleasant breeze and fine weather.
Some parts of the shore between Point D'Entrecasteaux and Cape Chatham were not distinctly seen. That which is nearest to the cape lies in the line of N. 38° W. from its outer part, and presents an intermixture of steep cliffs and small sandy beaches, with a back land moderately high, and better covered with wood than that before described. On the east side of Cape Chatham the shore falls back to the northward, and makes a bight in which is a small reef of rocks. It then projects in a cliffy head, which lies S. 75° E. seven miles from the cape, and is called Point Nuyts in the French chart; upon the supposition, probably, that this was the first land seen by Nuyts in 1627. Beyond this point the coast trends very nearly east; but forms several projections, some of which are steep and others low; and between them are sandy bights where small vessels might obtain shelter from all northern winds. The hills lying at the back of the shore seemed to be barren, though trees grew thickly on their eastern sides; they are not high, but it was rare to perceive any thing of the interior country above them.
At noon the nearest parts of the coast were a steep and a more eastern low point, both distant about four miles; and from the bight between them was rising the first smoke seen upon this coast. Our situation at this time, and the principal bearings taken, were as under;
Latitude, observed to the north and south, 85° 7' 5".
Longitude by time keepers, 116 50.
Point Nuyts, with Cape Chatham behind, N. 75 W.
Steep point, near the smoke, N. 15 W.
Furthest visible extreme ahead, N. 84 E.
Soon after two o'clock we passed at the distance of five miles from a steep point which has a broad rock lying near it. This point, being unnamed and somewhat remarkable, I call Point Hillier; it lies in 35° 4' south and 117° 9' east. The coast extends from thence nearly east-by-south, without any considerable projection except at the furthest extreme then visible; and on coming up with it, at half-past five, it proved to be the Cape Howe of Vancouver. There is another Cape Howe upon this same coast, named by Captain Cook, which makes it necessary to distinguish this by a descriptive adjunct, and I shall therefore call it West Cape Howe. The situation of this projecting cliffy cape is in 35° 8½' south and 117° 40' east. Beyond it the land trends north-by-east, four miles, into a sandy bight, in which there is a small islet; and further along the shore, which then stretches eastward and again becomes cliffy, there are two others. When the cape bore N. 10° W. four miles, the highest of the Eclipse Isles was in sight, bearing E. 4° N.; but "the small detached islet," which Captain Vancouver says (Vol. I p. 32) "lies from Cape Howe S. 68° E., three leagues," could not be seen; though it should have lain nearly in our track.*