ood
off and on during the night, the current setting North-North-West a mile
an hour. The space between the Abrolhos and the main bears the name of
Geelvink Channel, after Vlaming's ship, the first that ever passed
through (A.D. 1680).

The chief object of the Beagle's visit to the main was to ascertain the
position of a good anchorage, before spoken of as reported at Swan River
to be under the south-west end of Moresby's Flat-topped Range. The
favourable account which Captain Grey had given of the country behind the
range made the knowledge of a good anchorage in its neighbourhood of vast
importance. Captain King missed this portion of the coast by crossing
over to the Abrolhos, which he places some five miles too much to the
westward, the lowness of the island deceiving him, as indeed it at first
did us. The reef off the south-west end, however, he has rightly fixed.

April 9.

At daylight the ship was in 24 fathoms, fifteen miles from Wizard Hills,
bearing South 70 degrees East. As we neared the shore, steering
North-East by North we saw a low point, running out west from the south
end of Moresby's Range, fronted by heavy breakers, particularly to the
north-west. Behind, the water was quite smooth, and promised a snug
anchorage. We passed round the reef in 13 1/2 fathoms, at the distance of
a half, and three-quarters of a mile; but we did not haul into the bay
until some suspicious spots had been sounded over by a boat. Finding not
less than four and a half fathoms, we stood in, Mount Fairfax bearing
east. The small table hill forming the north-west extreme of the Menai
Hills, bearing North 11 degrees East, leads clear to the westward of the
reef. Between this and the north point of the bay the water occasionally
lifts suspiciously. Inside the depth is regular, five and six fathoms,
fine white sand.

CHAMPION BAY.

To this anchorage was given the name of Champion Bay; whilst the
projection sheltering it from the south-west was called Point Moore,
after the Attorney-general at Swan River, who visited it in the Colonial
schooner. We anchored early in the forenoon in four fathoms, Mount
Fairfax bearing North 81 degrees East five miles and three-quarters;
Point Moore South 49 degrees West one mile, the end of the reef North 60
degrees West also one mile, and a bare-topped brown sandhill, South 33
degrees East, three-quarters of a mile. Immediately under the
last-mentioned the observations were made, placing that sp