At daybreak Caffarelli Island bore South-South-East; and shortly afterwards we had the satisfaction of seeing Brue Reef; it appeared to be partly dry but of small extent.
We passed within half a mile of the dry rock that lies a mile and a half from the west end of Caffarelli Island and afterwards endeavoured to steer between the range of islands, of which Caffarelli is the northernmost, and a group of rocky isles, marked 33; but finding we could not succeed from the scanty direction of the wind, then blowing a fresh breeze from South-East, we bore up round the west side of the latter and then steered by the wind towards a group of which the island 40 is the principal. On approaching 40 there appeared to be a channel round its south-end; but afterwards observing the sea breaking in the direction of our course, we tacked off to pass round the west extremity of the group, towards two small low islands, 50 and 51, that were seen in the distance bearing about South 84 degrees West. The tide, having been before in our favour, was now against us, and, setting with great strength, drove us near the rocks that front the islands to the northward of Island 40; the wind was however sufficiently strong to enable us to clear the dangerous situation we found ourselves in, but soon afterwards it fell to a light air and we were carried by the tide rapidly towards the low rocky extremity of the islets, which we were nearly thrown upon, when a breeze suddenly sprung up again from the South-East and enabled us to clear this impending danger. We were now drifting to the South by East through a wide channel, sounding in between fifty and sixty fathoms, rocky bottom. Had the evening been less advanced and the wind favourable, we could have run through, and taken our chance of finding either anchorage or an open sea; and although this would certainly have been hazarding a great risk, yet it was of very little consequence in what part of the archipelago we spent the night, as the spots which we might consider to be the most dangerous might possibly be the least so. We had however no choice; we were perfectly at the mercy of the tide, and had only to await patiently its ebbing to drift us out as it carried us in.
By our calculations high-water should have taken place at a quarter past four o'clock; every minute therefore after that time was passed by us most anxiously. Every now and then we were in the midst of the most violent ripplings and whirlpools, which sometimes whirled the vessel round and round, to the danger of our masts. Five o'clock at last arrived and the tide-eddies ceased, but the stream continued to run until a quarter of an hour afterwards, when at last the brig began to drift out slowly. To add now to the dilemma and the danger we were in a breeze sprung up against us: had it continued calm we should have been drifted back through the deepest part of the channel, over the same ground that the flood had carried us in: we however made sail and beat out, and before dark had made considerable progress; we then lost sight of the land until eleven o'clock when some was seen to the eastward: at half-past eleven we had a dead calm; and, to increase our anxiety, the tide had begun to flow and to drift us towards the land, which was then ascertained to be the group 33, on whose shores the sea was distinctly heard to break. As midnight approached the noise became still more and more plain; but the moon at that time rose and showed that our position was very much more favourable than we had conjectured; for, by bearings of Caffarelli Island and the body of 33 group, I found we were at least two or three miles from the shore of the latter.
August 20.
A few minutes after midnight we were relieved from our fears by the sudden springing up of a fresh breeze from South-West, and in a moment found ourselves comparatively out of danger.
At daylight we were eight miles to the north-east of Caffarelli Island; whence we steered to the South-West by West and South-South-West. Brue Reef was seen as we passed by it. At noon our latitude was 16 degrees 14 minutes 1 second, Cape Leveque bearing South.
From noon until one o'clock we were steering South-South-West, but made no progress, on account of an adverse tide which occasionally formed such strong eddies and ripplings that we were several times obliged to steer off to get without their influence. The land of Cape Leveque is low, and presents a sandy beach lined by a rocky reef, extending off the shore for a mile, on many parts of which the sea was breaking heavily: the land was clothed with a small brush wood, but altogether the coast presented a very unproductive appearance, and reminded us of the triste and arid character of the North-West Cape.
On laying down upon the chart the plan of this part, I found Cape Leveque to be the point which Dampier anchored under when on his buccaneering voyage in the Cygnet in 1688. He says: "We fell in with the land of New Holland in 16 degrees 50 minutes, we ran in close by it, and finding no convenient anchoring, because it lies open to the North-West, we ran along shore to the eastward, steering North-East by East, for so the land lies. We steered thus about two leagues, and then came to a point of land, from whence the land trends east and southerly for ten or twelve leagues; but how, afterwards, I know not. About three leagues to the eastward of this point there is a pretty deep bay with abundance of islands in it, and a very good place to anchor in or to hale ashore. About a league to the eastward of that point we anchored in twenty-nine fathom, good hard sand and clean ground." He then proceeds to say: "This part of it (the coast) that we saw is all low, even land, with sandy banks against the sea, only the points are rocky, and so are some of the islands in the bay."*
(*Footnote. Dampier volume 1 page 462.)
From this description I have little hesitation in settling Cape Leveque to be the point he passed round. In commemoration, therefore, of his visit, the name of Buccaneer's Archipelago was given to the cluster of isles that fronts Cygnet Bay, which was so-called after the name of the ship in which he sailed. The point within Cape Leveque was named Point Swan after the Captain of the ship; and to a remarkable lump in the centre of the Archipelago the name of Dampier's Monument was assigned. During the last four days we have laid down upwards of eighty islands upon the chart, and from the appearance of the land it is not improbable but that there may be as many more behind them.