Fourteen miles North 68 degrees West from the summit of Caffarelli Island is BRUE REEF, a circular patch of rocks of about a mile in diameter; three miles to the north-east of which we had irregular soundings, between thirty-eight and forty-five fathoms on a rocky bottom. The reef is in 15 degrees 57 minutes South, and 123 degrees 4 minutes 45 seconds East.
Six miles south of Caffarelli Island, is a rocky island, surrounded by a reef; and eight miles farther are several small rocky islands, forming the north extremity of a range, which, extending to the South by East for ten miles, form the eastern side of Sunday Strait, which is the best, and in fact the only safe communication with the deep opening between Point Cunningham and the islands to the eastward. Between this strait and Point Swan, a distance of eleven miles, the space is occupied by a multitude of islands and islets, separated from each other by narrow and, probably, by deep channels, through which the tide rushes with frightful rapidity. Sunday Strait is more than four miles wide, and appears to be free from danger. The tide sets through it at the rate of four or five miles an hour, and forms strong ripplings, which would be, perhaps, dangerous for a boat to encounter. The vessel was whirled round several times in passing through it; but a boat, by being able to pull, might in a great measure avoid passing through them.
CYGNET BAY is formed between the islands and Point Cunningham; it is fronted by a bank, over which the least water that we found was two fathoms; within this bank there is good anchorage, and near the inlets at the bottom of the bay, there is a muddy bottom, with eight and nine fathoms mud.
POINT CUNNINGHAM projects slightly to the eastward; its easternmost extremity is in latitude 16 degrees 39 minutes 20 seconds and longitude 123 degrees 10 minutes; from the northward it has the appearance of being an island, as the land to the westward is rather lower: two miles and a half south of it is Carlisle Head, the north extremity of GOODENOUGH BAY.
The shore thence extends in a South-South-East direction for seventeen miles, in which space there is a shoal bay, beyond which we did not penetrate. Off the point is an islet, in latitude about 16 degrees 58 minutes, and to the south of it the land was seen trending to the South by East for four or five miles, when it was lost in distance. From this anchorage no land was distinctly seen to the eastward; between the bearings of East-North-East and South-South-East, a slight glimmering of land was raised above the horizon, by the effect of refraction; but this, as in a case that occurred before in a neighbouring part off Point Gantheaume, might be at least fifty miles off.
From all that is at present known of this remarkable opening, there is enough to excite the greatest interest; since, from the extent of the opening, the rapidity of the stream, and the great rise and fall of the tides, there must be a very extensive gulf or opening, totally different from everything that has been before seen.
There is also good reason to suspect that the land between Cape Leveque and Point Gantheaume is an island; and if so, the mouth of this opening is eight miles wide; besides, who is to say that the land even of Cape Villaret may not also be an island? The French expedition only saw small portions of the coast to the southward; but it does not appear probable that the opening extends to the southward of Cape Villaret. (See above.)
Thirty-three miles in a North 14 degrees West direction from the summit of Caffarelli Island is ADELE ISLAND. It is low, and merely covered with a few shrubs, and is about three miles from east to west, and from one to one and a half broad; its west end is in 15 degrees 30 minutes South, and 123 degrees 9 minutes 15 seconds East. At about a league North-West from its western end are two bare sandy islets, which were uncovered as we passed, but which as there was not the slightest appearance of vegetation upon it, may be covered at high water. On the western side of Adele Island, is an extensive patch of light-coloured water, in some parts of which the sea broke upon the rocks, which were only just below the surface. The light-coloured water extends for fourteen miles North West by West 1/2 West from Adele Island, but there is reason to think that the water is deep over the greater part of it; for we crossed over its tail, and sounded in forty-five fathoms without finding bottom, whilst in the darker-coloured water on either side of it, we had forty-two and forty-four fathoms.
POINT SWAN is the north-easternmost point of the land of Cape Leveque; it has an island close off its extremity, round which the tide rushes with great force, and forms a line of ripplings for ten miles to the West-North-West, through which, even in the Bathurst, we found it dangerous to pass. Five miles to the north-eastward of the point are two small rocky islets, two miles apart from each other.
CAPE LEVEQUE is low and rocky, with a small islet close to its extremity: its extreme is in latitude 16 degrees 21 minutes 50 seconds, and longitude 122 degrees 56 minutes 35 seconds. Between the cape and Point Swan, there is a sandy bay, fronted by a bed of rocks. It was in this bay that the Buccaneers anchored, which Dampier has so well described.