ring
South 42 1/2 degrees East. Soon after noon the sea-breeze sprung up from
the northward and, veering to North-West, carried us to the southward
along the coast which is low and sandy. At three o'clock we were abreast
of a point which was conjectured to be the land laid down by the French
as Emeriau Island; the name has therefore been retained, with the
alteration only of Point for Island. To the eastward of Cape Borda the
coast falls back and forms a bay, the bottom of which was visible from
our masthead and appeared to be composed of sand-downs. From Point
Emeriau the coast trends to the south-west, and preserves the same sandy
character. At five o'clock Lacepede Islands, which were seen by Captain
Baudin, were in sight to the westward; and at sunset we anchored in eight
fathoms, at about three leagues within them. These islands are three in
number, and appear to be solely inhabited by boobies and other sea-fowl:
they are low and sandy and all slightly crowned with a few shrubby
bushes; the reef that encompasses them seemed to be of great extent.

August 23.

The next day we were steering along the shore, and passed a sandy
projection which was named Cape Baskerville, after one of the midshipman
of the Bathurst. To the southward of Cape Baskerville the coast trends
in, and forms Carnot Bay; it then takes a southerly direction. It is here
that Tasman landed, according to the following extract from Dalrymple's
Papua: "In Hollandia Nova, in 17 degrees 12 minutes South (Longitude 121
degrees, or 122 degrees East) Tasman found a naked, black people, with
curly hair, malicious and cruel; using for arms, bows and arrows,
hazeygaeys and kalawaeys. They once came to the number of fifty, double
armed, dividing themselves into two parties, intending to have surprised
the Dutch, who had landed twenty-five men; but the firing of guns
frightened them so, that they fled. Their proas are made of the bark of
trees; their coast is dangerous; there are few vegetables; the people use
no houses."

At noon our latitude was 17 degrees 13 minutes 29 seconds. At four
o'clock we were abreast of Captain Baudin's Point Coulomb, which M. De
Freycinet describes to be the projection at which the Red Cliffs
commence. The interior is here higher than to the northward, and
gradually rises, at the distance of eight miles from the shore, to wooded
hills, and bears a more pleasing and verdant appearance than we have seen
for some time past; but the