1803.
March.
Sunday 6.
harbours and better soil, and its greater proximity to our Indian possessions having made it become daily more interesting; and also, after struggling three months against foul winds, from their now being fair as could be wished for prosecuting the further examination. The accomplishment of the survey was, in fact, an object so near to my heart, that could I have foreseen the train of ills that were to follow the decay of the Investigator and prevent the survey being resumed,—and had my existence depended upon the expression of a wish, I do not know that it would have received utterance; but Infinite Wisdom has, in infinite mercy, reserved the knowledge of futurity to itself.
(Atlas,
Plate 1.)In quitting Wessel's Islands, we steered a north-west course all night, under easy sail; having a warrant officer placed, at the look-out, and the lead hove every quarter of an hour. The soundings increased very gradually till Monday 7.daylight, when we had 30 fathoms; and no land being distinguishable, the course was then altered to W. by S. Our latitude at noon was 10° 56′ 40″, longitude by timekeeper 135° 10′; and I judged that part of the coast seen by lieutenant MᶜCluer, in 1791, to lie about fifty miles to the southward. This was the first land seen by him in his course from New Guinea; and according to the comparison afterwards made of his longitude, it should not lie more than twelve leagues from the western part of Point Dale.
Mr. MᶜCluer saw some islands near the coast, and amongst others an outer one called New Year's Isle, in latitude 10° 52′ south and 133° 12′ east, which I purposed to visit in the hope of procuring turtle. But our friendly trade wind gradually died away, and was succeeded by light airs from the N.W. and S.W., by calms, and afterwards by light winds from the north-eastward; so that it was not until Saturday 12.daylight of the 12th, that the island was seen. At eleven o'clock, lieutenant Fowler went on shore to examine the beach for traces of turtle; but finding none recent, he returned before two, and we again made sail to the westward.
