Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/155

This page needs to be proofread.

co?rs oF AUS?L?A. 97 having. its north-west end terminated by a con- ?picuous blut?. The coast now took an easterly ?,prU direction as far as the eye could reach, with a channel of from three to eight miles broad be- tween it and a range of islands, (which were named in compliment to the late Vice-Admiral Sir George Hope, K.C.B., then holding a seat in the Board of Admiralty.) At noon the tide began to ebb, when we anchored near the land at about six miles east of Mount Roe. The thermometer now ranged between 80 �nd 90 �t the heat was by no means op- pressive. By the next day at noon ,we had penetrated four leagues within Sir George Hope's Islands, when the water became so shoal that we could not approach an opening that was seen in the land to the south.eastward; after trying in se- veral directions, the cutter was anchored, and Mr. Roe was sent to sound in a south directi �in search of a passage out; but, as it appeared to be shoal, and some parts were already dry, it was decided that we should return by the way we came.; since our object was not so much to lay down the extent of the banks and directions of the channels, as to find rivers, and trace the coast line. The opening to the S.E. of our anchorage certainly appeared to be suffidently Vos.. I. H