Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia — Vol. 2 / Performed between the years 1818 and 1822

by Philip Parker King

The next morning, after taking angles from the sun's rising amplitude, we got underweigh and stood towards the strait to make another attempt to pass through it. The view that was obtained yesterday evening from the masthead before we put about to look for anchorage, induced us to suppose that many reefs existed in the neighbourhood of its south entrance, for one of very extensive size was observed dry, lying off the south-west end of the island that bounds the west side of the strait. The north end of that island also appeared to be fronted by many shoals, which either embrace Red Island and extend to the northward, or else the channels are narrow and deep. The flowing tide, now in our favour, carried us quickly forward: as we passed on we heard the voices of natives and soon afterwards perceived two standing on a hill; our course was, however, so rapid that we were soon out of sight of them; their fires were seen yesterday but then they did not make their appearance.

The flood-tide, running to the South-West through the strait, meeting the ebb flowing North-East into the deep bay to the South-East, formed many strong ripplings, which to a stranger would have been a frightful vortex to have entered, and although we had lately been accustomed to such appearances, yet we did not encounter them without some fear. After clearing them we sounded on a muddy bottom; upon which, as the weather was so thick and hazy as to conceal the land from our view, we anchored in seventeen fathoms muddy sand, at six miles from the strait.

In the afternoon the weather cleared a little, but it was still too thick for us to be underweigh, so that we remained all the evening, which was profitably spent in bringing up the chart; a little before sunset the weather cleared and afforded a good view of the land, which to the South-East is composed principally of islands, but so numerous that the mainland could not be distinguished beyond them; a point, afterwards called Point Hall, round which the land trended to the southward, bore from the anchorage South 19 degrees East.

The direction of the tides, the flood setting South-South-East, and the ebb North-North-West and North-West, induced me to suppose that the opening to the eastward of the bay we were at anchor in, which was called Camden, in compliment to the noble Marquess, was not only connected with Rogers Strait, but was also the outlet of another considerable river or bay.

At the anchorage the flood did not run at a greater rate than a mile and a half an hour, but it ebbed two miles, and fell thirty-seven feet, which is the greatest rise and fall we had yet found; it is probable, from the intricate nature of the coast, that these high tides are common to all this neighbourhood.

August 16.

At five o'clock on the morning of the 16th after a fine night the wind sprung up from the East-South-East and blew fresh; but misty weather immediately after sunrise enveloped us, and clouded our view. The breeze was too fresh for us to continue at anchor, we therefore got underweigh, and made sail by the wind; but upon standing across the channel and finding that the flood-tide set to the South-West, we bore away, and, passing round Point Hall, steered to the southward towards some low islands that were just visible through the haze, and which, being disposed in a group, were named after Mr. Andrew Montgomery, the surgeon of the Bathurst.

At noon our latitude observed to the South was 15 degrees 44 minutes 16 seconds. The land was visible from the deck as far as South 30 degrees West, but from the masthead at one o'clock it was seen as far as South 50 degrees West, and a long low island, the westernmost of Montgomery Isles, bore from South-West by West to South-West by South. The group besides this contained six other isles, which are all low and rocky and crowned with bushes: as we approached them the water shoaled to ten fathoms rocky ground; which on being reduced to the depth of low water, would not be more than five and perhaps only four fathoms. Between Point Hall and these islands the ground was also rocky, and, as the group appeared to be connected by reefs, we steered off to pass round them; the wind, however, changing to the westward, detained us all the evening near them.

The land to the southward trended deeply in and appeared to be much broken in its character and very uninviting to us who had only one anchor to depend upon. This bight was named, at Mr. Montgomery's request, in compliment to the late Captain Sir George Collier, Bart., K.C.B., R.N. During the greater part of the night the wind was light, and by the bearings of a fire on the land we were making but little drift.

August 17.