334
A VOYAGE TO
[East Coast.
CHAPTER III.
Passage in the Cumberland to Torres' Strait. Eastern Fields and Pandora's Entrance. New channels amongst the reefs. Anchorage at Half-way Island, and under the York Isles. Prince of Wales' Islands further examined. Booby Isle. Passage across the Gulph of Carpentaria. Anchorage at Vessel's Islands. Passage to Coepang Bay, in Timor; and to Mauritius, where the leakiness of the Cumberland makes it necessary to stop. Anchorage at the Baye du Cap, and departure for Port Louis.
1803October.
Tuesday 11.
(Atlas,
Plate I.)On parting from the Rolla, at noon Oct. 11, off Bird Islet, our course was steered N.N.W. by compass for Torres' Strait. At eight in the evening we had run thirteen leagues from Wreck Reef, without seeing any danger; but I thought it advisable to lie to in the night, until the distance was further increased. We made sail again at five in the morning,Wednes. 12. and at noon were in 20° 46′ south and 155° 2′ east. During the two following days and nights, our course by compass was N.W. by N., and afterwards N.W.; and on the 15thSaturday 15. at noon we had reached the latitude 15° 29′ and longitude 151° 24′, the current having set, upon the average of four days, ¾ of a mile an hour to the W.N.W. This situation was a little to the north, and about one degree to the east of Bougainville's Bank of Diana, and the tropic birds, petrels, and boobies seen every day were this evening more numerous, especially the boobies; they most probably belonged to Diana's Bank, but lest some other might lie in our way, we hauled to the wind at eight o'clock. The little Cumberland was still very leaky at such times as the wind came more on the side and caused her to lie over; and the pumps were so bad that a fourth
