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Pelsart remained another week at the Abrolhos, endeavouring to recover some of the Batavia's treasure, and succeeded in finding all but one chest. The mutineers were tried by the officers of the Sardam, and all but two were executed before the ship left the scene of their awful crime.
Like the other ports in the Abrolhos, it is full of coral patches; the south point of north Pigeon Island, in one with a bare sandhill on the South-East point of West Wallaby Island, bearing South 50 degrees West, leads into the harbour clear of the spit on the north-west side and some coral patches on the east.
In the Southern Pacific there are only a few reefs beyond the line of the tropics, but Houtmans Abrolhos, on the western shores of Australia in latitude 29 deg S., are of coral formation. The proximity of volcanic land, owing to the lime generally evolved from it, has been thought to be favourable to the increase of coral-reefs.
It contains much animal matter, and its origin, no doubt, is due to the action of the rain or spray on the birds' dung. Below some small masses of guano at Ascension, and on the Abrolhos Islets, I found certain stalactitic branching bodies, formed apparently in the same manner as the thin white coating on these rocks.
On the 9th of July they were in sight of the Isles of Turtel-Duyf and the Abrolhos, on which Pelsart was wrecked in the year 1629. Their first care on anchoring in the "Bay of Sea-dogs" or Shark's Bay so called by Dampier was to find if the GEOGRAPHE was there, or had been there, this being the second rendezvous appointed.
It was now necessary to resume our examination of the Abrolhos, and thirty-one miles on a West 1/4 South course, brought us between two groups of them, where we anchored for the night in 23 fathoms. The soundings in standing across Geelvink Channel, were 22 and 26 fathoms, fine white sand; the current ran North-North-West, a mile an hour. April 11.
It contains much animal matter, and its origin, no doubt, is due to the action of the rain or spray on the birds' dung. Below some small masses of guano at Ascension, and on the Abrolhos Islets, I found certain stalactitic branching bodies, formed apparently in the same manner as the thin white coating on these rocks.
The average depth surrounding the islands was 20 and 23 fathoms, being the same level as that of the great flat or plain on which they rest, and which extends out from the mainland, shelving off at the outer edge of the southern part of the Abrolhos almost precipitously to no bottom with 250 fathoms.
As it may be satisfactory to know more particularly the progress of these gales, and the effect they have upon the barometer and sympiesometer, I give the details of two that were experienced in H.M.S. Beagle, one at Swan River, in the beginning of June 1838, the other at Houtman's Abrolhos, in the beginning of May 1840; they may be taken as fair criterions of the strength and duration of these gales, the latter having been experienced, probably, within 5 degrees of their northern limit, and the former near the southern extreme of the west coast.
His Excellency having directed the Champion schooner to proceed to explore the coast with a view to ascertain whether there was any practicable entrance to the river, and whether there was any harbour, shelter, or anchorage in that neighbourhood, also what sort of anchorage there was about the Houtman's Abrolhos, it appeared very desirable that such an opportunity should be taken advantage of to obtain, at the same time, as much information as circumstances would permit as to the nature and quality of the soil and its general capabilities with reference to its eligibility as a district to be occupied by settlers.
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