[* Voyage de D'Entrecasteaux, par M. de Rossel, Tome I. page 220. The 32 fathoms are, I believe, of five French feet each, making very nearly 30 fathoms English measure.]
After steering east-north-east, east, and east-south-east, and having seen the beach all round the head of the Great Bight, we hauled up parallel to the new direction of the coast, at the distance of six miles; and at five o'clock were abreast of the furthest part seen by the French admiral when he quitted the examination. The coast is a sandy beach in front; but the land rises gradually from thence, and at three or four miles back is of moderate elevation, but still sandy and barren. According to the chart of Nuyts, an extensive reef lay a little beyond this part. (Atlas, Plate IV.) It was not seen by D'Entrecasteaux, but we were anxiously looking out for it when, at six o'clock, breakers were seen from the mast head bearing S. 43° E. some distance open from the land. We kept on our course for them, with the wind at south-south-west, until eight o'clock, and then tacked to the westward in 27 fathoms; and the ship's way being stopped by a head swell, we did not veer towards the land until three in the morning, at which time it fell calm.
THURSDAY 28 JANUARY 1802
On a light breeze springing up from the northward we steered in for the coast; and at noon were in the following situation:
Latitude, observed to the north, 32° 2½'
Longitude reduced up from eight o'clock, 131 51
Breakers, distant two or three miles, N. 22 to 42 E.
A sandy projection of the coast, south part, N. 37 E.
Extremes of the land from the deck, N. 15 W. to 89 E.
The breakers lie five or six miles from the land, and did not appear to have any connection with it, nor with two other sets of small reefs which came in sight to the east and east-south-east, soon afterward. At two o'clock our situation was betwixt these last reefs. The southernmost patches are two or three miles in length, and there are large rocks upon them, standing above water; the northern patches extend eight miles along the coast, from which they are distant three miles, and on the eastern parts there are also some rocks above water, but there were none upon the western reef first seen. It may be doubted whether the western reef were known to Nuyts, but there can be no doubt concerning these last; and I call the whole NUYTS' REEFS.
The aspect of the shore to the northward was nearly the same as that seen the preceding afternoon, but behind the second reefs it began to assume a more rocky appearance. A high cliffy cape is formed a little further eastward; it has a pyramidal rock near it, and the coast there takes a direction somewhat on the north side of east. This remarkable projection, being within a few leagues of the furthest part of the main coast discovered by the Dutch, I have called CAPE NUYTS: its latitude is 32° 2' south, and longitude 132° 18' east.
After clearing Nuyts' Reefs we steered east-north-east, past the cape, to look for anchorage in two bights, but there were rocks in both, and they were open to the southward. Beyond them was a low, cliffy point, lying E. 3° N. seven or eight miles from Cape Nuyts; and seeing a bay behind it which promised shelter from south-west and south winds, we hauled round the point at half-past five. The water shoaled gradually from 11 to 3 fathoms, on which I hove the sails aback and sent the master ahead to sound; and as he did not make the signal for deeper water, as we were already in tolerable shelter, the anchor was dropped in 3¼ fathoms, sandy bottom. We had then the following bearings:
Low cliffy point, distant 2 or 3 miles S. 35° E.
Head of the bay, distant 1 ½ miles, S. 58 W.
Cliffs, appearing like an island, dist. 4 leagues, N. 77 E.
Furthest land visible from the masthead E. S. E.
Between the first and the last of these bearings we were exposed to the sea, but sheltered at all other points of the compass.