[Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia by Phillip Parker King]@TWC D-Link bookNarrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia CHAPTER 9 12/27
A lofty peak on the main, distinctly visible from all parts, particularly from Repulse Bay, was named after the late Jonas Dryander, Esquire; it was ascertained to be 4566 feet high. The Cumberland Islands are all high and rocky and are covered on their windward or south-east sides with stunted timber and pine-trees; but the leeward sides, being sheltered from the wind, are generally well clothed with grass and timber.
The pine-trees on these islands do not appear to be of large dimensions but several vessels have cut spars upon the islands near the south end of Whitsunday Passage, large enough for topmasts and bowsprits for vessels of 400 tons burthen.
It is not probable that larger spars can be obtained: they are very tough, but full of knots; and, when carried away by the wind, break short without splintering. July 25. We passed Capes Gloucester and Upstart during the night and early part of the next morning.
Between the latter cape and the low projection of Cape Bowling-green, we experienced an in-draught of three-quarters of a knot per hour.
This also occurred last year; and it should be guarded against by ships passing by: for the land about the latter cape is so low that it cannot be seen at night. From the period of our entering among the Northumberland Islands, the weather, although fine, had been more than usually hazy; the wind during the day blew moderately from South by East and South, and veered towards night to South-East by East and East-South-East; but when we passed Cape Cleveland it blew a fresh breeze, and was so very hazy that we could not take advantage of our vicinity to the coast by verifying or improving any part of our former survey, except the outer or seaward side of the Palm Island Group, near which we passed in the evening. July 26. The next morning we were off the southernmost Barnard's Island, and as the coast between Double Point and Fitzroy Island had not been satisfactorily laid down on the previous examination of this part, we steered near the shore in order to improve it; but the land was much overcast and the summits of Bellenden Ker's Range were so enveloped in clouds that very little improvement was effected. A breeze, however, in the evening from South-East dispersed the vapours that had collected during the day on the sea horizon.
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