Bay then bore N. 77° E., ten miles; and the observed latitude being 27° 27¼', confirmed the observation taken without side on the 14th. Next day, we beat up against a southern wind to a sixth island; but the shoals then became more numerous, and the channels between them so narrow, that it was very difficult to proceed further.
The latitude observed upon the sixth island was 27° 35', being thirty-four miles south of Cape Moreton at the entrance of the bay. Above this island, the east and west shores, from being nine or ten miles apart, approach each other within two miles, and the space between them takes the form of a river; but the entrance was too full of shoals to leave a hope of penetrating by it far into the interior, or that it could be of importance to navigation. Under this discouragement and that of a foul wind, all further research at the head of Glass-house Bay was given up; and I returned on board to seek in Pumice-stone River for a place to stop the leak, and the means of visiting the Glass Houses. On the 22nd, we got into the river after many difficulties, arising principally from shoals in the entrance, which could only be passed at high water. The place chosen for laying the sloop on shore was on the east side, five miles above Point Skirmish, at a small beach, close to which the depth was 7 fathoms.
July 25. The leaky plank being secured, and the sloop restowed and completed with water, we proceeded two miles further up the river, amongst mangrove islets and muddy flats. Next morning I landed on the west side, as far above the sloop as the boat could advance; and with my friend Bongaree and two sailors, steered north-westward for the Glasshouse peaks. After nine miles of laborious walking, mostly through swamps or over a rocky country, we reached the top of a stony mount, from whence the highest peak was four miles distant to the north-west. Three or four leagues beyond it was a ridge of mountain, from which various small streams descend into Pumice-stone River; the principal place of their junction seeming to be at a considerable extent of water which bore N. 80° E., and was about six miles above the sloop. Early on the 27th, we reached the foot of the nearest Glass House, a flat-topped peak, one mile and a half north of the stony mount. It was impossible to ascend this almost perpendicular rock; and finding no marks of volcanic eruption, we returned to the boat, and to the sloop the same evening.
July 28, we proceeded down the river; but owing to strong winds and squalls from the south-east, did not clear it before the 31st. Some communications with the natives had been obtained whilst the sloop was lying on shore; and this detention afforded opportunities of repeating them. I am happy to say they were all friendly, which is attributable to their opinion of us having undergone a salutary change from the effect of our fire arms at Point Skirmish.
These people were evidently of the same race as those at Port Jackson, though speaking a language which Bongaree could not understand. They fish almost wholly with cast and setting nets, live more in society than the natives to the southward, and are much better lodged. Their spears are of solid wood, and used without the throwing stick. Two or three bark canoes were seen; but from the number of black swans in the river, of which eighteen were caught in our little boat, it should seem that these people are not dextrous in the management either of the canoe or spear.
The entrance of Glass-house Bay, from Point Skirmish to the inner part of Cape Moreton, is eight miles wide; but it contains so many shoals that a ship would have much difficulty in finding a passage. These shoals are of sand, and in the channels between them are various depths from 5 to 13 fathoms upon similar ground; but towards the head of the bay, both on the shoals and in the deeper parts, the bottom is almost universally of mud. The land on the borders of Pumice-stone River is low; and is either sandy or rocky, with a slight superficies of vegetable soil; yet not ill clothed with grass and wood. On the west side of Glass-house Bay, the appearance of the land was much similar, but with a diminution of sand in the upper part. The long slip on the east side, which I have called Moreton Island, as supposing it would have received that name from captain Cook, had he known of its insularity, is little else than a ridge of rocky hills, with a sandy surface; but the peninsula further south had some appearance of fertility. I judged favourably of the country on the borders of what seemed to be a river falling into the head of the bay, both from its thick covering of wood, and from the good soil of the sixth island, which lies at the entrance. The other islands in the bay are very low, and so surrounded with forests of large mangrove, that it must be difficult to land upon them. It was high water in Pumice-stone River, nine hours and a half after the moon's passage over the meridian; and the rise of tide was from three to six feet, the night tide being much the highest.
July 31, we sailed out of Pumice-stone River; and by keeping near the shore of Point Skirmish had generally 6 fathoms; but two narrow shoals were passed upon which the depth was only twelve feet. At noon, when the east extreme of the point bore S. 40° W. one mile and a half, the observed latitude was 27° 4', and depth 10 fathoms; but before one o'clock, it suddenly diminished to 3; and during five miles run to the N. N. E., varied from that to 6 fathoms. It then deepened to 9, and the outer edge of the shoals, a well-defined line of discoloured water, was seen stretching S. 60° E. for Cape Moreton. At five o'clock, the top of the highest Glass House, appearing like a small peak upon the mountainous ridge behind, bore S. 62° W., and Cape Moreton S. 11° E. twenty-two miles. The cape was then disappearing from the deck; whence its elevation should be between three and four hundred feet above the sea.
(Atlas, Plate X.)
August 2 at noon, the eastern extremity of Sandy Cape bore N. 51° W., six miles, and its latitude was found to be 24° 42', being three minutes north of its situation by captain Cook. In running northward, within two or three miles of the edge of Break-sea Spit, we had 12 fathoms; and at five o'clock, passed over the end of the spit in 3½; Sandy Cape then bearing S. 9° E. six leagues. The water deepened almost immediately to more than 17 fathoms; and in keeping close to a south-east wind, up Hervey's Bay, the depth was from 20 to 14, during the night.
On the 3rd, the wind veered to S. S. W; and at noon the anchor was dropped in 17 fathoms, with the extreme of Sandy Cape bearing N. 66° E. seven or eight miles. The observed latitude was 24° 45 1/3', and a tide of one mile per hour came from the southward. A fair wind sprung up in the afternoon, and we ran five leagues by log in a S. by W. direction, anchoring at dusk in 11 fathoms, sandy bottom.
Aug. 4 was employed in beating up along the eastern shore, against a south-west wind. At three leagues above the anchorage, our progress was stopped by a mass of shoals which seemed to preclude all further access towards the head of the bay on that side. In the night, we stretched north-westward, to get round them; and in the evening of the 5th, anchored in 5 fathoms, three or four miles from the western shore.
Aug. 6. The wind being off the land, we followed the line of the coast upwards, as close as the shoals would allow; and before noon entered an opening formed by the western shore on one side, and an island of moderate height, three or four miles long, on the other. The opening was not more than two miles wide, and was still further contracted by a low islet in the middle, surrounded with shallow banks. There was a large expanse of water above; but we had not advanced two miles before shoal water obliged us to tack; and after having tried for a channel in every direction, without success, I anchored in 3 fathoms, half a mile north-west from the low islet, and landed.
This rocky, sandy spot lies in latitude 25° 17'. It is much frequented by aquatic birds, particularly by that species whence it obtained the name of Curlew Islet; and since a small shield and three wooden spears were found there, it must also be visited occasionally by men. The larger island, lying to the east, is richly covered with grass and wood. Its position is nearly in the middle of the entrance to what may be called the upper bay; and as no deep channel past the island could be found on the west, I determined to try on the east side; having much difficulty in believing, that a piece of water six or seven miles in extent every way, should not have a channel into it sufficiently deep for the Norfolk.
The anchor was weighed soon after four o'clock, and several attempts made to get round the larger island; but being constantly repulsed by shoals, I was at length forced to relinquish the hope of penetrating further up Hervey's Bay. We then steered
