Volume I Part 42 (1/2)

[SOUTH COAST Bass' STRAIT]

MONDAY 3 MAY 1802

On the 3rd of May at daylight the anchor eighed to go out of Port Phillip with the last half of the ebb; and the wind being from the ard, we backed, filled and tacked occasionally, dropping out with the tide When the entrance was cleared, and five miles distant, Mr

Westall took a view of it (Atlas Plate XVII, View 13), which will be an useful assistance in finding this extensive but obscure port; and at eleven o'clock, e bore away eastward to pass Cape Schanck, he sketched that cape and the ridge of hills ter at Arthur's Seat (View 14) Cape Schanck is a cliffy head, with three rocks lying off, the outermost of which appears at a distance like a shi+p under sail: the latitude is 38 29' or 30' south, and longitude 144 53' east It will always be desirable for vessels to get sight of this cape before they run far into the great bight for Port Phillip; and if the wind blow strong fro seen it

Cape Schanck is also an excellent o into Western Port, of which it forms the west side of the principal entrance; but as there are many breakers and shoals on that side, which extend alive the cape a wide berth by keeping over to Phillip Island on the starboard hand

At noon, Cape Schanck bore N 36 W five or six miles; the breeze was fresh from the ard, with cloudy weather, and we steered for Point Grant, at the east side of the entrance into Western Port There is a square-topped rock surrounded with a reef lying off the point; but the Lady Nelson has passed between the within a mile of this reef, at one o'clock, I set

C Schanck, distant 9 or 10 miles, at N 85 W

A cliffy head up the entrance, distant 5 miles, N 16 W

Square-topped rock, N 85 E

Cape Wolla the south side of Phillip Island, and passed a needle-like rock lying under the shore Cape Wollamai is the east end of the island, and forms one side of the small, eastern entrance to the port; and at three o'clock when it bore, N 14 E, five or six itude was ascertained by means of the time-keepers to be 145 25' east: the latitude deduced fros is 38 33' south

_Wollamai_ is the native name for a fish at Port Jackson, called soht-horse so a likeness to the head of the fish, induced Mr Bass to give it the na the shore, at the rate of six or seven knots, until sunset; when a steep head, supposed to be the Cape Liptrap of captain Grant, was seen through the haze, and our bearings of the land were,

Cape Wollaues, N 49 W

A low projection, distant seven miles, N 21 E

Cape Liptrap, S 50 E

We soon afterwards hauled to the wind off shore, under treble-reefed top-sails; and the gale increasing, with much swell froht, tacked to the northward, and stood off and on till daybreak [TUESDAY 4 MAY 1802]; the wind being strong at west, and weather squally with rain We then bore away for the land, which was seen to leeward; and at seven, the bearings of the principal parts were as under:

Land indistinct, apparently C Liptrap, N 5 W

Wilson's Promontory, south extreme, S 85 E

A peaked I (Rodondo of captain Grant), S 71 E

Besides Rodondo, which lies about six uished five or six less conspicuous isles, lying along the south and west sides of this remarkable headland; these are called Glennie's Isles To the N 88 E froues, was a small island which appears to have been one of Moncur's Isles; and in steering south-easte got sight of the Devil's Tower, and of the high island and rocks naiven by captain Grant in 1800; but he was not the discoverer of the places to which they are applied They are all laid down upon my chart of 1799, on the authority of Mr Bass; and when it is considered that this enterprising man saw them from an open boat, in very bad weather, their relative positions to Wilson's Proly near the truth Unfortunately the situation of the pro to some injury done to his quadrant, is considerably in error, being twelve or fourteenin latitude

A reef isto the southward between Rodondo and Moncur's Isles; and a rock, level with the water, was seen in the same situation by the shi+ps Gato and Castle of Good Hope, from which last it received the appropriate name of _Crocodile Rock_ This also was seen by Mr Bass, and laid down in its relative situation; but in the Investigator I was not sufficiently near to get sight of this ier

We continued to steer south-eastward, round all these islands, having a fresh gale at west-south-ith squally weather; and at noon our situation was in

Latitude observed, 39 35'

Longitude by time keepers, 146 30 Rodondo bore N 15 W

Sir R Curtis' Island, the peak, dist 7nearly on with the north side) Two pointed rocks, N 57 and 62 E

Wilson's Pros I had been able to obtain in such bloeather, its south-eastern extreitude 146 24' east

Not seeing any more islands to the southward from the masthead, we bore away east soon after noon to make Kent's Groups; and before three o'clock they both caht, as did an island to the northward, which seems to have been one of the san's Group The longitude by ti bearings were taken:

Sir R Curtis' Island, the peak, N 71 W