Chapter XX: Appendix: A. Section 8

DIRECTIONS FOR THE PASSAGE WITHIN THE REEFS THROUGH TORRES STRAIT.

INNER ROUTE.

The passage recommended by Captain Flinders for passing through Torres Strait us by entering the reefs at Murray's Island; by which route a two-days' passage will carry a ship past all danger: but, as the space between Wreck Reef and Murray's Island is strewed with dangers, many of which have been discovered since the publication of his charts, and of which the greater number have only been recently seen, it cannot be called a safe navigation. The dangers consist of low coral islands, surrounded by extensive reefs, upon which in long and dark nights a vessel is in momentary danger of striking; the result of which must be the certain destruction of the vessel, and the probable loss of the crew. The Inner Route was first pursued by Mr. Cripps in the brig Cyclops, bound from Port Jackson to Bengal, in 1812. It was subsequently followed by Lieutenant C. Jeffreys, R.N., in the command of the hired armed vessel Kangaroo, on her passage from Port Jackson to Ceylon, in 1815.* This officer drew a chart, with a track of his voyage up the coast; which, considering the shortness of his time, and other circumstances that prevented his obtaining the necessary data to lay down with accuracy so intricate and dangerous a passage, does him very great credit; he filled up the space between Endeavour River and Cape Direction, which Captain Cook did not see; the only part that had previously been left a blank upon the chart of New South Wales; his outline was found to be tolerably correct, and my alterations have only been caused by better opportunities, and by the greater detail of my operations. The general feature of the coast has scarcely required correction; the principal corrections have been in the number, size, and relative bearings of the coral reefs and islands that front it.

(*Footnote. Horsburgh's Indian Directory volume 2 page 514.)

In describing this route, the whole of the bearings are magnetic; and the courses are freed from the effect of tide or current, since they are only temporary, and often of trifling importance.*

(*Footnote. In following these directions, reference should be made to the description of the coast contained in this Appendix.)

DIRECTIONS.

Having hauled round Breaksea Spit (see Flinders' chart sheet 3) in the evening, it would perhaps be dangerous to steer on through the night; after running, therefore, to the West-North-West for five or six leagues, bring to until daylight: but, if the day is before you, the course from the extremity of the spit is West-North-West 1/4 West for about a hundred miles. You will then be about twenty miles from Cape Capricorn: on your way to which you should pass about three miles within Lady Elliot's Island, and also within the southernmost islet of Bunker's Group, by which you will see how the current has affected your course, and you can act accordingly: if it has set you to the northward, you may pass on either side of or through the islands without danger. After making Cape Capricorn, you may leave it at a convenient distance, and, directing your course about North West by North, pass either within or without the Peaked and Flat Islands off Port Bowen; then, steering for the Percy Group, pass between the 2nd and 3rd Northumberland Islands.

After passing the latter, avoid a low dangerous rock, that bears from it North 8 degrees East five miles and three-quarters, and from 1st Peak South 85 degrees West. To avoid this in the night, pass close round Number 3, when, its situation being known, you can easily avoid it.

The channel is safe on either side of the Percy Isles, but that to the westward of them, being better known, is therefore recommended as the safest. Then steer either over the Mermaid's or Bathurst's tracks, which will carry a ship round the projections of the coast as far as Cape Grafton, as far as which, if the weather is fine, there can be no danger of proceeding through the night; but it must be recollected, that at Cape Grafton the coral reefs approach the coast, and, consequently, great care must be used.

On reaching Fitzroy Island, round it at a mile off shore, and, when its north end bears West, steer North-West 1/2 North for thirty-five miles; you will then be a league to the South-East of a group of low isles; if it should be night when you pass them, come no nearer to them than fourteen fathoms. In steering this course, great care should be taken, not to go too much to the eastward to avoid the reef which the Tamar saw. (See above.)

If the moon is up the islets will be readily distinguished, but otherwise it would be more prudent to wait for daylight. This course will carry a ship over two of my tracks, and the soundings will be in seventeen, eighteen, and nineteen fathoms. From the low isles direct your course for the Hope Islands, which bear from the former North 18 degrees West thirty-eight miles, but the course had better be within that line, to avoid some reefs in latitude 15 degrees 51 minutes: pass, therefore, within five miles of Cape Tribulation, when a direct course may be steered either to the eastward or westward of the Hope Isles. The better route will be within the western Hope, and along its reef at the distance of three-quarters of a mile, by which you will avoid reef a. When you are abreast of its north end, steer North by West westerly for twenty-eight miles; this will carry you to Cape Bedford which you may round at from one to three or four miles. You will see in your way, at three miles and a half from the north end of the Hope Reef, reef b; and at fifteen miles from it you will be abreast of e; and five miles farther on you will pass Captain Cook's Turtle Reef, which has a dry sand at its north end. These three reefs will be to the eastward of your course.

The current sets to the North-West, so that your course must be directed accordingly. In coasting along the shore, you will discern the summits which are marked on the chart. The high conical hill, on the south side of the entrance of Endeavour River, is Mount Cook, bearings of which, crossed with the summit of Cape Bedford, or any of the particularized summits or points will give the vessel's place, by which the effects of the current, which is generally very slight, will be perceived: on one occasion we found a current in the space between the Endeavour Reef and Turtle Reef of two miles an hour to the North-West.

Being off Cape Bedford, and steering to the North 1/2 West, you will see the Three Isles ahead: steer between them and the low wooded island; and direct your course round Cape Flattery and Point Lookout, to anchor under the Turtle Group, unless you have time before dark to reach the islands 4, 5, or 6, of Howick's Group. Under which anchorage may be found. In rounding Point Lookout, do not come within two miles and a half of it, to avoid a reef that is on Captain Cook's chart, but which we did not see; it lies a mile and a half north from the peaked hill at the extremity of the point. You may pass without the Turtle Group, or you will find anchorage under Lizard Island, but this is not recommended, both because the wind is generally fresher as you increase your distance from the shore, and because it lengthens the distance.

From the Turtle Group steer North West by West 1/2 West until you see the hillock at the south-east end of Number 1 of Howick's Group: then pass inside and within a mile of 2 and 3, and between islet 4 and Cole's Islands, and inshore of 6 and the dry sands s, t, and u. The Mermaid's track will direct the course to Cape Melville. If the day is late when abreast of 6, of Howick's Group, anchorage had better be secured under it, as there is none to be recommended between it and Cape Flinders.

Upon rounding Cape Melville, the Islands of Flinders' Group will be seen; and as soon as you have passed round the stony reef that projects off the Cape (the extremity of which bears from it by compass North West by North, and from Pipon's Island South-West by West 1/4 West nearly) in doing which steer within the reef that surrounds Pipon Island, direct the course for the extremity of the islands, which is Cape Flinders; the course and distance being West 3/4 South nearly thirteen miles: on this a low woody island will be left on the starboard hand.

His Majesty's sloop Satellite, in 1822, grounded upon a small reef, bearing North by East (easterly) from the extremity of the cape, distant about two miles; but, as a ship may pass within a stone's throw of the cape, this danger may be easily avoided. The best anchorage here is under the flat-topped hill, at a third of a mile from the shore, in ten fathoms, muddy bottom. In hauling round the cape, avoid a shoal which extends for a short distance from the shore on its western side.

If the day is not far advanced, and you have time to run fifteen miles further, the ship may proceed to the reef d; but, indeed, anchorage may be obtained under any of the reefs or islets between this part and Cape Grenville, for the bottom is universally of mud; and by anchoring with the body of a reef, bearing South-East, the vessel is sufficiently sheltered from the sea, which is generally smooth.

On leaving Cape Flinders, steer West 3/4 North for about twenty-three miles, leaving the reefs c and g to seaward, and d, e, and f to the southward, of the course; then haul up about North-West 3/4 North, and steer within the reef l and Pelican Island, and to seaward of the Claremont Islands 1 and 2, which are low and woody.

When abreast of 2, the south-west end of the reef m will be seen, which should be passed at from one to two miles, and the course North by West 1/4 West will carry you to 4 and 5, which you may pass on either side of, the channel between them being quite safe. If you take the latter course, steer north, within the reef o, and then close within 6, to avoid the low rock that covers with the tide. Having passed this rock, steer for 7, and pass within one mile of it, to avoid the shoals that extend off Cape Sidmouth. Hence the course is North-North-West towards Night Island; and, when abreast of it, steer North 1/2 West until near the covered shoal v, when the course may be directed within Sherrard's Islets and reef 10 (on which there is a sandy islet covered with some bushes) and then steer round Cape Direction.

Hence the course North-North-West 1/4 West will carry you within the reefs y, z, a, b, and c, and without the rocky islet that lies off Restoration Island: continuing this course you will, at about five miles beyond the cape, see the long reef e; steer North-West parallel with its edge, which extends until you are abreast of Fair Cape, where it terminates with a very narrow point. Then steer North-West 1/2 North, and pass between the two easternmost Piper's Islands and the reefs h, i, and k; then pass on either side of l and m, inshore of Haggerston's Island, and round the outermost of Sir Everard Home's Group.

The anchorages between Cape Flinders and this are so numerous as not to require particular mention: the north-west end of every reef will afford shelter; but the anchor should not be dropped too near, because the tide sweeps round the edge with greater strength than it does at half a mile off, within which distance the bottom is generally deeper. If the day is advanced and the breeze fresh, Night Island should not be passed: because the anchorages between it and Piper's Islands are rather exposed; and a vessel getting underweigh from Night Island at daylight will easily reach Piper's Islands, or Margaret Bay, before dark.

The latter bay is round Cape Grenville; it is fronted by Sunday Island, which affords good shelter from the wind: it is a safe place to stop at.

In passing round Sir Everard Home's Islands, steer wide from them, to avoid the tide drifting you towards the group, for it sets to the North-West across the course. The course is then about North-West 1/4 West to the Bird Isles, and thence, to the reef v, about North West by North; the better and more direct plan is to pass within v and w (there is, however, a safe channel between them) and when abreast of the west end of the latter, the course to Cairncross Island is North by West 1/2 West, and the distance about eighteen miles.

There not being any very good anchorage between this and Cape York, it would be perhaps better to anchor under it for the night, in about fourteen or fifteen fathoms, mud, the island bearing South-East, but not nearer than half a mile, because, within that distance, the bottom is rocky.

Leaving Cairncross Island, steer North-North-West 1/4 West until Escape River is abreast of you, when look out for reef x: steer within it about North West by North, which will take you inside the covered reef z. Your course then must be round the Albany Islands, and hence North West by North for a, which is a rocky islet that may be seen from abreast the Albany Isles.

The passage through the Possession Isles and Endeavour Strait is not to be recommended for a large ship, on account of the shoal water that extends from Wallis' Isles towards Shoal Cape; but the route round the north end of Wednesday and Hammond's Islands is preferable. Upon passing reef a, Wednesday Island will be seen: in steering towards it, avoid standing too close to the rocky islet that is abreast of the strait between it and Horned Hill, as some sunken rocks stretch off it for about a quarter of a mile: steer round the north point of Wednesday Island at half a mile, and then West by South 1/4 South which will carry you to the northward of the rock off Hammond's Island. Having passed this rock, steer South-West by West; and when abreast of the south-west end of Hammond's Island, haul towards a reef, to the southward of the course, on which you will see some dry rocks, which you may pass within half a mile of: you will then avoid reef d, which is generally, if not always, covered: the fairway of this channel is seven and eight fathoms deep.

When the summit of Good's Island bears South-West by West, steer West by South southerly for Booby Island, by which you will avoid Larpent's bank, and when you have passed it, you are clear of the strait. Hence you may steer West 3/4 South through the night, on which course you will very gradually deepen your water.

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