The Sun.
London, England, 1824-08-07 00:00:00

Fields, (an extensive line of reefs at the eastern entrance of the
Straits) on the 11 of Oct. at 6. P.m., being then in lat. 10 deg.
07 m. S. and long. 143 deg. 41 m. East, measured by chrono-
meters from Cato 's Bank and lunars agreeing two days back.—
Oct. 6, anchored at Murray's Island, where we lost two an-
chors ; several of the natives came on board, and bartered their
implements of war, viz. bows, arrows, and spears, for knives,
razors, and all descriptions of iron; they also brought off
to barter, cocoanuts, semis, sweet potatoes, arrow root,
and plantains ; the yams and sweet potatoes were very
fine and large ; the whole of the men were stout and well
made, few less than six feet, each canoe contained from 20 to
30 men ; anti at one time 10 canoes off. On the 12th cleared
the straits, and steered to make New Year's Island, but owing
to Calms, light winds mostly from N.W. and strong currents,
were driven down on the Coast of New Holland, to the south.
ward of New Year's Island and group, which extend from the
coast to the latter • on the 23d of October, stood to the west-
ward, to the southward of the Islands laid down by Flinders
as three in number, between the Coast of New Holland and
New Year's Island, the group consists ofXive Islands, instead
of three, as laid down by the former navigator, and we passed
between the south westernmost Island, and the Coast of New
Holland in a fine clear channel between 12 and 13 miles wide
in regular soundings, tacking from the Coast in 7 and 12 fathoms
mud, and from the Island in 20 fathoms. The south westmost
Island oldie range, which I called New Year's Range, bears
nearly north from a steep bluf Headland, a few miles to the
S.W. of which is a deep bight, forming like the entrance of a
river or deep inlet; a few miles to the W.S.W. of which is a
very deep bay, with six small islands fronting the entrance of
the bay, anti apparently sate passages between them ; nll this
part of the coast appeared to be well inhabited from the num-
ber of natives we saw, as also the great number of tires seen
during the night : the whole of this part of New Holland, as
filth the Islands appeared to be well clothed with timber, with
the appearance of a great many places of shelter. The Wes-
termost of New Year's Range or Bowman's isle, I made in
latitude 11 deg. 8 in. South, and longitude 133 degrees East,
corrected from Booby's Island. This part of the coast of New i
Holland does not appear to have been visited by any navigator,
if I may judge from the incorrectness of the charts. From
West or Bowman's Island, steered along the Coast inside all
New Year's flange to a steep Bluff' point which bears from the
former about N.W. by \V. 14 miles; from this the coast takes
a N.N.W. direction for about 10 miles, to a low sloping point
with a ridge of rocks dry at low water, extending from one half
to three-quarters of a mile out, and a small islet of rock, mak-
ing like a boat laying from 1 to 14 mile off the point, which 1
called Cape Hastings, in honour of the Noble Marquis, late
Governor-General of India ; all along this part of the coast the
soundings are regular from 16 to 20 fathoms, mostly mud and
sand. New Year's Island of Flinders bears from Cape Hast-
ings E. b' S. per compass 4 to 5 leagues, and from the above
Cape, which I made in latitude 10d. Mm. 15s. South, longitude
East of Greenwich 1325. 46in. 385., the coast turns abort round
to the W.S.W. From Cape Hastings we steered off the coast
to the N.W. by N., carrying irregular soundings from 13 to
10 fathoms in very thick muddy water, such as is generall,
met with off' the mouths, of great rivers, for about 13 miles off'
Cape Hastings.
I made New Year's Island of Flinders in 10d. 57m. South,
and 133 d. Sin. 38s. E.
Flinders
trat'krotm.orClaynne
etn bcourse
er,
at
to
ngooent into
onr
latitude
was 9 deg. 64 m. 28 a. S. by observation and longitude, by
°lA.:nitric 2 sat toefredNoav
means of Lunar and Chronometers 129 deg. 25 m. 3.1 a. E. the
latter corrected by an exellerated rate back from Timor agree-
able to the plan of our great Navigator M. Flinders—as this
placed us near the position of the 7 fathoms bank of the above
Navigator, steered a course for it, and at b. 30. saw the rocks
under the brig's bottom, sounded and bad 10 fathoms, lowered
the jolly boat and sent her ahead, steering west after the boat,
bad 9 fathoms least water, gradually increasing to 17 fathoms
and quickly to 40, 48, and 50 fathoms fine sand, and then 60
to 115 fathoms coarse sand and shells ; this shoal lays directly
its the track of vessels from Torres Straitht_to Timor, and ap-
peared, to be from 24 to 3 miles across, east and west, and
bringing up the reckoning from noon will place it in 9 deg.
m. 30 s. S. and longitude 129 deg. 20 in. E. corrected in a
run of 11 days to Copang on the Island of Timor—Steering be-
tween N. W. by W. and West, with very light winds, carried
Soundings of GO or 7U fathoms during the night, and on Nov.
Ud St 9 a. at. saw the rocks under ouritottout.aounded and had
8 nutonna. salting at the rate ofd knots per hour, steered
W. N. W. and lowered the boat to go ahead, and carrying 7i
and 8 fathoms, with one cast S fathoms, deepened gradually to
18 and 26 fathoms no ground—at 10, having run two miles on a
W.N.W. course—at 10. 30. had 35 fathoms—at I I had 35 fa.
thorns, and immediately saw the rocks again under our bour:el.,.
having run W.N.W. 3 miles from the last shoal, steering
W.N.W. 3 miles more, had from 13 to 10 fathoms gradually
deepening to 16 fathoms—at noon, when the observed latitude
was 9 deg. 40w. and longitude by chronometers corrected as
above 129 deg. 00m. 495. East—steering on the same course,
hash from 16 to 10 and 25 fathoms until 12 30 tem., running at
the rate of 3 knots per hour, then had one cast of 14 fathoms,
next cast 23 fathoms, then irregular to 19, 13, and 25 fathoms
no ground, to 10i, rocks visible under the bottom, carrying 111,
12, 111. and 25 fathoms no ground, having stn from .I,ition
W.N.W. 5 miles, and West 4 miles, which will place these
extensive shoals between the parallels of 9 deg. 54m. S. and
B deg. 38m. S. and between the meridians of 129 deg. 20m. and
128 deg. 50m. East, (allowing Fort Concordia at Copang to be
in 123 deg. 35m. 465. East of Greenwich, at which place we
anchored on the 13th, ten days after falling in with the shoals),
in which latitude and longitude we lost the shoals. It would
appear Captain 31. Flinders, after sounding on the Eastern-
most of these extensive shoals, had passed to the Southward in
his first, and to the Northward in his second voyage.
During the whole of my passage from Torres Strait; where
we last the S. E. trade, had very light airs, mostly from the
westward, the sun being then within a few degrees on either
side our Zenith, during this part of our voyage to Copang in
Timor.
I am afraid you will find this a very long extract, and that it
will take up too great a space in your valuable paper, my only
reason for making it public is to guard the Navigators oa those
Seas against the numerous dangers immediately in the track of
ships tram New South Wales to the Indian Seas, and if pos-
sible, prevent a loss of lives and valuable property 1",
I am, Sir, your moat obedient Servant,
J. J. R. BOWMAN,
Commander of the brig John Shore.
Brig John Shore, Madras Roads,
February 15, 1824."