January 18.
The next morning at daylight the land was out of sight but at five o'clock was distinguished, forming a range of flat-topped land, probably about one thousand feet high. At the northern end of the range were four or five hills standing apart from each other, of which, in the view we then had of them, the northernmost was flat-topped, and the others peaked; at the south end of the range were three other distinct hills, the centre being peaked and the other two flat-topped. Near the centre of the main range was another summit that was remarkable for its form.
This range was seen by Captain Hamelin of the Naturaliste, and is thus noticed by M. De Freycinet in his account of the voyage. "Entre les paralleles de 29 degres et 28 degres 20 minutes, la terre est tres haute; on y remarque deux montagnes bien reconnoisables par leur forme qui approche de celle de la Grange, sur la cote de Saint-Domingue, ou de la Montagne de la Table au Cap de Bonne-Esperance; une autre ressemble un peu au Pouce, de l'Ile-de-France. La terre est aride, bordee de falaises rougeatres; on y voit peu de sable comparativement aux terres plus au sud."*
(*Footnote. De Freycinet page 181.)
We sought in vain for the resemblance to the Pouce, but as all the hills were flat-topped of course they were similar to the Table Land of the Cape of Good Hope, but probably inferior to it in point of height.
This range I called after Captain Moresby, R.N. C.B., in grateful recognition of the prompt assistance rendered by him to the wants and repairs of our vessel, during her late visit to Mauritius. The summit in the centre was called Mount Fairfax; the group of hills at the north end were named Menai Hills, and the three at the south end of the range were distinguished by the name of Wizard Hills; Mount Fairfax is in latitude 28 degrees 45 minutes 20 seconds, longitude 114 degrees 38 minutes 45 seconds. The shore in front of these hills is sandy and there was an appearance of two openings in the beach that were probably the outlets of mountain-streams. The country also appeared much better wooded than in other parts, and as large smokes were seen in the valleys the place most likely at the time of our passing frequented by natives.
Hence the coast trends to the North-West by North towards a patch of bare sand, which is remarkable because the coast is not so sandy as it is more to the south. At ten o'clock a very thick haze spread over the land and so enveloped it that nothing could be distinguished. At noon, the brig being in 28 degrees 25 minutes 42 seconds South, and 114 degrees 7 minutes 0 seconds East, the haze partially cleared away and showed that the coast had changed its character, being now steep, and in some parts cliffy, but still occasionally studded with spots of bare sand. In the interior a rocky, flat-topped hill was seen; it is probably the Mount Naturaliste of the French. The coast trends here in a North by West direction.
The passage or channel between the Abrolhos Bank and the coast has been distinguished by the name of Vlaming's ship, The Geelvink, since she was the first vessel that passed them (Anno 1697). Captain Hamelin in the Naturaliste also passed within them, imagining that he perceived them to the eastward, but what he saw must have been the summit of Moresby's Flat-topped Range.*
(*Footnote. So M. De Freycinet also thinks, for he says: "quelques personnes n'osent assurer que nous ayons vu les Abrolhos; d'autres, et je suis de ce nombre, peusent que ce que nous avons pris pour ce groupe d'iles est une portion du Continent." Freycinet page 180.)
The soundings of the coast upon our track between Rottnest Island and the Abrolhos have been gradually of a gravelly nature, mixed sometimes with shelly sand, and were generally coarser as we approached the shore. In some parts, particularly near Cape Naturaliste and Rottnest Island, the bottom appeared to be a bed of small water-worn quartzose pebbles not larger than a pin's head. Off Moresby's Flat-topped Range the bottom is of a soft dark-gray-coloured sand of a very fine quality that would afford good anchorage was it not for the constant swell that pervades this stormy coast; the water was however much smoother than in other parts, which might have been occasioned either by the Abrolhos bank's breaking the sea, or from the temporary cessation of the wind, for it was comparatively light to what it had been since our leaving Rottnest Island.