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Wilson, in his Voyage round the World, mentions that he crossed several parts of the Sahul Shoal on his passage from Timor to Raffles Bay, and never found less than 14 fathoms. On the 20th, at noon, we had no bottom with 131 fathoms, latitude 11 degrees 34 minutes and longitude 124 degrees 52 minutes East. Our progress now appeared to improve.
By noon we had cleared the heads of Port Essington, and a course was then shaped for the supposed Sahul Shoal, the northern and central parts of which we passed over without finding any remarkable decrease in the soundings.* This clearly proved that our knowledge of the extent of the Sahul Bank was very imperfect.
On the 17th at 8 P.M., whilst standing on the north-west, near the centre of the eastern part of the supposed Sahul Shoal, the water shoaled suddenly to 16 fathoms, from 68, a mile to the south-east. The helm was put down, and when in stays there were only 14 1/2. The position of this patch is in latitude 11 degrees 8 1/2 minutes South, longitude 126 degrees 33 minutes East.
On the 14th and 15th we were beating to the westward with a light and variable wind. Our progress was slow, the monsoon being light; we therefore stood to the northward, to find a more steady breeze, and in order, whilst making our westing, to get some soundings over a large dotted space in the chart, bearing the name of the Great Sahul Shoal.
This bank appears to be separated from the collection of coral patches, forming the Sahul Shoal by a deep gap or gut, in which the depth generally was above 70 fathoms, with a rocky bottom; though in part of it, in latitude 11 degrees 36 minutes South and longitude 124 degrees 53 minutes East, there was no bottom with 207 fathoms. Dr.
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