iddle of Rottnest Island,
having from twenty to twenty-two fathoms over it. Near the position
assigned we certainly shoaled our water from twenty-eight to twenty-four
fathoms, but no other indication of a bank was to be found.

Satisfied that we had now no further reason for delay, we kept away
North-West with a fresh southerly wind, and the glad omen of a brilliant
sunset.

January 5.

We were rather surprised to find by our observation at noon, no
indication of a northerly current, though yesterday when becalmed between
Rottnest and the main we were drifted to the northward at the rate of
nearly two knots per hour. We sounded regularly every four hours, but
found no bottom at 200 fathoms: the wind during the morning was light
from South-South-West but during the night we had it fresh from
South-East.

January 6.

We passed, at midnight, within 60 miles of the position assigned in the
chart to the low coral group known as Houtman's Abrolhos,* and again
sounded unsuccessfully with 200 fathoms.

(*Footnote. Subsequent observations placed these islands 30 miles more to
the eastward than the position there assigned them. Our track, therefore,
was really 90 miles from them.)

We continued steering a northerly course up to the 9th, keeping within
from 60 to 80 miles distance of the coast, and repeating our deep-sea
soundings every six hours without success.

INDICATIONS OF A SQUALL.

The wind during each day was moderate from the South-South-West and South
by West, freshening during the night from South, and South by East; a
heavy swell was its constant companion, and the barometer fell to 29.75.
On the morning of the 9th, being in the parallel of North-west Cape, our
course was altered to North-East by East; it blew hard during the night,
and we had a disagreeable sea; but, as usual, it moderated again towards
the morning.

We had shaped a course to make a reef in latitude 20 degrees 17 minutes,
and named after its discoverer, Lieutenant Ritchie, R.N.; but owing to
its being situated, as we afterwards found, half a degree to the eastward
of its assigned position in the charts, we did not see it.

At 4 A.M., and with 195 fathoms, we reached a bottom of sand, broken
shells, and coral, being then about 80 miles North-North-East from
Tremouille Island, the nearest land. Steering East by North 1/2 North for
31 miles, brought us to our noon position in latitude 19 degrees 20
minutes South, longitude 116 degrees 16