In Goffs passage the flood tide comes from the northward, and changes its direction 1h. 40m. subsequent to the time of high water, which is 9h. 40m. on full and change days.

The examination of this sound has since been completed by H.M.S. Conway and Algerine; an extensive plain, (probably communicating with Ningpo,) terminates its direction north-westerly. The mud drying a considerable distance from the shore, renders it difficult to be approached, except at high water.

PROCEEDINGS OF H.M.S. BEAGLE.-Com. Wickham.

THE following reports of the proceedings of her Majesty's sloop Beagle, surveying the coast of Australia, will be read with considerable interest, more especially as it was currently reported lately, that she was wrecked on the north-west coast of that continent. The account which they contain of that interesting portion of the coast of Australia, near Houtmans Abrolhos, as well as the description of these islands, is of great importance, and likely to affect in some degree the future interests of Australind. The commencement of the first letter will be found in page 197, of our March number.

Houtmans Abrolhos, Champion bay, Ritchies reef, Depuch island, Turtle islands, Bedout island, Scotts reef to Timor.

THE Turtle Dove shoal does not appear to exist. The coast has been examined opposite to the Abrolhos, for the purpose of connecting those islands with the main land, and a convenient bay was found in which the Beagle anchored. It is in latitude 28° 57' nearly, and affords shelter from all prevailing winds, but is open to the northward. It was entered by the colonial schooner Champion, from Swan River, a short time before us, and has been named Champion bay in consequence.

From the Abrolhos the Beagle proceeded to the northward, and on our way round the north-west cape, we endeavoured to get sight of Ritchies reef, but it does not appear to exist in either of the assigned positions, as on January 10th, 1838, the observed latitude at noon was 19° 57' south, and longitude by chronometer 114° 40' east, being only one mile N.N.W. of its position in Horsburgh's Directory. No appearance of a shoal was seen from the masthead, and there was no bottom with 195 fathoms of line.

On June 5th, 1840, the latitude at noon was 20° 17′ south, and longitude by chronometer 114° 31' east, from which position the ship stood to the eastward, until 3h. 30m. P.M., when the latitude was 20° 18, and longitude by P.M. sights 114° 42', being then a little more than three miles from what Lieut. Ritchie considered, the best position for the reef; but although the weather was clear, nothing was seen of it, and we found no bottom with 230 fathoms of line; we then stood to the north-east, sounding frequently and keeping a good look out, but without seeing anything to indicate shoal water. May not Ritchies reef be the north-west extreme of the reef off Trimouille island, the limits of which are not yet known. The latitude of its southern position favors

such a conjecture, and an error in longitude of thirty miles sometimes does occur.

As the north-west coast had been sufficiently examined by Captain King, as far to the eastward as Depuch island, it was resolved to commence our work at that point: the Beagle was therefore anchored off the sandy beach on the north-east side of the island, described by Capt. Freycinet, and which we found to be an excellent port protected from the north-east by one of the Forrestier isles, three miles and a half distant, from which a reef extends to the W.N.W., leaving only three points open between N.W.b.N. and W.N.W.

As our stock of water was now very much reduced, search was made for the streams mentioned by M. Freycinet, but every place was perfectly dry. Eight wells were dry in different parts of the island varying from eight to twenty-one feet in depth, but only in one did we succeed in reaching water, and that was perfectly salt. Fortunately a reservoir was discovered in one of the valleys nearly a mile from the beach, from which we got about seven tons of tolerable water.

Depuch island is a singular mass of basaltic stone, piled up in every variety of form, and presenting so rugged a surface, that it was with difficulty we could get from one part to another; the summit of the island is 514 feet above the sea, from whence we had a good view of the main land, which appeared a vast plain, with several rocky hills rising from it, varying in height from 200 to 500 feet, and from their dark reddish brown appearance, are most probably of the same formation as Depuch island.

The coast is a low shore, thickly lined with mangroves and intersected by creeks at high water, which probably overflow a great part of the low land, as from the many bare white patches which we saw. A great part of the flat land for some miles from the coast appeared to be covered with a salt incrustation, and had a most arid and parched appearance.

This description of coast continues nearly fifteen miles to the eastward of Depuch island, when the sand hills commence, and form a barrier between the sea and the low flat land that seems to extend for many miles into the interior, and is not visible from a ship's deck, although the sand hills rarely exceed forty feet in height, and are generally very much below that.

The coast as far as the Amphinome shoals, is of this description, but the low land in the interior is thickly wooded, and from the numbers of natives whom we saw, as well as the fires that were burning in different directions, it appeared to be thickly inhabited. But we saw nothing to lead us to suppose there was a stream of fresh water on any part of the coast. A landing place was effected on several places, and observations obtained on a small islet in latitude 20° 19' south, and longitude 118° 27' east, which places all this part of the coast considerably to the southward. Generally speaking the shore is rocky, and there are several creeks that may run some distance inland, but they are dry at low water, and fronted by extensive flats, the range of tide during springs being sixteen feet, and we found it fourteen feet and a half at Depuch island; the flood comes from the north-west.

With the exception of a few isolated rocky hills, in longitude 118° 50′ and seven or eight miles from the coast, the country is uniformly low.

These hills have a singular appearance, they rise from the plain to an elevation of 200 feet, some of conical shape, and others table-topped, and from their colour and general appearance, are probably of the same description as Depuch island, and the hills in that neighbourhood.

Having only ten days water in the ship, and seeing no prospect of getting a supply on the coast, we were unable to extend our examination to the eastward of the Amphinome shoals. The Turtle islands are merely banks of sand, upon a bed of rocks; the northern island was visited by us. It is in latitude 19° 53' south, and longitude 118° 534′ east, and is surrounded by a reef that dries at low water, from a mile to a mile and a half off on all sides. The water is deep immediately outside this reef, and there is a good anchorage half a mile from it, with the centre of the island bearing north.

We found turtle very abundant and easily procured. The tide runs past the island, nearly two knots an hour during springs, the flood to the south-east and ebb north-west, range eighteen feet measured by the lead line.

Bedout island was also seen, and we remained at anchor off it one night, in the hope of being able to land and get observations to fix its position; but the heavy sea occasioned by the tide, and a strong breeze from south-east, rendered it impracticable, and as we could not afford time to wait a more favourable opportunity, observations were taken on board, that place it in latitude 19° 36′ south, and longitude 119° 041⁄2' east, being very different from the position assigned to it, in the French charts. It is similar to the North Turtle island, being surrounded by a reef which extends nearly five miles to the westward and north

west.

From Bedout island we made the best of our way to this place, passing to the eastward of the Rowley shoals, and in sight of Scotts reef, which has given us an opportunity of verifying its position, with regard to that given to it in December last year, when the Beagle passed within four miles of its north-west extreme, which is in latitude 13° 55' south, and longitude 121° 47' east, and the south-west part in latitude 14° 12' south, and longitude 121° 44' east. The southern limit, as far as we could see, is in latitude 14° 15′ south, which makes it occupy a space of twenty miles north and south. This reef seems to be of circular shape, and from the smooth appearance of the water over the breakers, probably forms a lagoon of great extent. There is a break in the west side of the reef, where there may be an entrance, and a dry bank of sand or coral of some extent, and fifteen or twenty feet high, a little within the reef;-this bank is in latitude 14° 04'. The west side of the reef is very steep, and we stood along it at three or four miles distance, without being able to gain soundings.

Owing to light variable winds, between north-east and south-east, the passage from Bedout island to this place occupied ten days, and then we did not fetch sufficiently far to windward to enter the strait of Samao, but had to pass to the westward of Douw island.

We are now busily employed in getting on board wood and water, and shall sail again for the north-west coast as soon as possible.

I have the honour, &c.,

J. W. C. WICKHAM, Commander.

To Capt. Beaufort, R.N., &c.

Lewis or Isabella Shoal, Montebello islands, Barrow island, Ritchies reef, Swan river, New island in Investigator strait,-to Sydney.

H.M.S. Beagle, Sydney, New South Wales, 6th January, 1841.

SIR.-I have the honour to inform you, of the arrival of her Majesty's surveying vessel, under my command, at this place on the 23rd of last month, after an absence of nineteen months. On the 1st of August last I addressed a letter to you, from Timor, reporting our proceedings up to that time, which was forwarded by a vessel bound to Batavia. After sailing from Timor on the 6th of August, we proceeded on our return to the north-west coast of New Holland, steering a course that would carry us near the position of a shoal reported by Mr. Lewis, of the Isabella, to be in latitude 14° 43' south, and longitude 119° 20' east, where he saw high breakers.

Having reached near to this position, on the night of the 9th the ship was hove to until daylight, when a good look-out was kept, without anything being seen to lead us to suppose we were in the vicinity of a reef; the deep-sea lead was kept going at stated intervals, without our being able to gain soundings, although with at times more than 200 fathoms of line.

We continued our fruitless search until noon of the 14th, when we were in latitude 14° 44' south, and longitude by chronometer 119° 04′ east, having that forenoon passed about four miles and a half to the northward of the assigned position of the reef. I was induced to persevere in the search for this shoal, as it is reported to lie in the direct route of vessels sailing between Timor and the west coast of New Holland. It appears more than probable that no such shoal exists, as during the whole time of our search, the weather was most favourable to our purpose, being perfectly clear, and there was a considerable swell from the south-west that would have caused heavy breakers, which we could not fail to have seen eight or ten miles from the mast-head.

Owing to light easterly and south-easterly winds, we did not make the coast of New Holland to the eastward of Depuch island, and as we had failed in getting a supply of provisions at Timor, I was obliged to relinquish the plan of continuing the examination of that part of the coast, between the Amphinome shoals and Cape Villaret.

The Beagle was consequently anchored under Bezout island, and boats were sent in different directions, for the purpose of obtaining soundings, and examining the coast to the eastward towards Depuch island. From Bezout island the ship was moved to Delambre island, when the boats were again employed in ascertaining the extent of the shoals off it. There is no shoal water to the northward of this island, but a strong tide rippling, which at times has very much the appearance of a reef, and no doubt gave rise to the line of rocks marked in the charts.

From Delambre island we next proceeded to the Montebello islands, with the view of ascertaining their extent, and the limit of the reef off their north-western point. This group was found to consist of a multitude of small islands and rocks, extending quite to Barrows island, ENLARGED SERIES.-NO. 7.-VOL. FOR 1841.

3 L

with no safe passage for a ship amongst them. As these islands bore a very different appearance to that given to them in the charts, and being the most projecting part of the coast, I conceived it advisable to have their extent correctly ascertained. Mr. Fitzmaurice, (accompanied by Mr. Keys,) was therefore sent upon that service in a whale boat with a week's provisions, while the Beagle proceeded to Barrow island, in search of a supply of firewood, having only sufficient for four or five days remaining.

After some difficulty, owing to the shoalness of the water, an anchorage was found for the ship off the east side of Barrow island, and four miles off the shore. This side of the island is very barren, being almost a mass of bare sand-stone, studded with red coloured ants' nests. There is little or no soil upon the higher part of the island, and in the valleys there is a scanty sprinkling of a very sandy description, and of a red colour; all parts are covered with a wiry reed-like grass. A few stunted shrubs and bushes afford us a tolerable supply of firewood, but there was no appearance of fresh water. During the time required for wooding, and getting on board a stock of turtle, (which we found very numerous,) a boat was sent round the north end of the island for the purpose of fixing of its north-west point, and getting bearings to the different islets and reefs in the offing.

There is a considerable reef with several dry rocks in its bearing north 60° west, and distant eight miles and a half from the northern point of the Montebello islands; this is no doubt Ritchies reef, as it corresponds in latitude with the position assigned to that shoal, but is about half a degree to the eastward. It appears to have been seen by the French, and is laid down by them as a continuous reef from the north-west end of Hermite island.

The Beagle passed between it and the islands, and had not less than seventeen fathoms, upon a rocky ridge that appears to connect it with them, the depth on either side of this ridge being twenty and twentytwo fathoms sandy bottom.

From these islands we made the best of our way to Swan River, where we arrived on the 27th of September, but were detained there until October the 25th, owing to the very debilitated state of some of the crew, who had been suffering from dysentry contracted at Timor. But this time was not lost, as many valuable soundings were got in the passage to the southward of Rottenest, and two good beacons* were fixed as marks for avoiding the dangers that extend a considerable distance from the eastern side of that island.

Between Swan River and this place we touched at King Georges Sound, and Adelaide, for the purpose of shortening the interval between rating the chronometers, owing to the great changes of temperature, after reaching to the southward of Swan River.

In approaching Investigators strait, on the passage from King Georges Sound to Adelaide, we discovered a small low island that is not laid down in the charts of that part of the coast. It is in latitude 34° 49′ south, and longitude 134° 48′ east, and bearing south 8°

We published an account of these (see page 400,) in our last number, from the Surveyor-general at Swan River.