hor to
await high water.
Latitude of its entrance 31 degrees 25 minutes 32 seconds South.
Longitude 152 degrees 57 minutes 25 seconds East.
Variation of the compass 10 degrees 11 minutes 0 seconds East.
High water at full and change 8 hours 56 minutes.
Tide rises four to five feet.
The south-east trend of SMOKY CAPE is in latitude 30 degrees 55 minutes
40 seconds, longitude 153 degrees 4 minutes 30 seconds.
TRIAL BAY, so named by Lieutenant Oxley, who anchored in it on a second
expedition to examine Port Macquarie previous to its being settled, is a
convenient roadstead during southerly winds: it is situated on the north
side of Smoky Cape, and affords an anchorage in three fathoms, protected
from the sea as far as North-East by East. Fresh water may be procured
from a stream that runs over the beach. Four miles to the north of Smoky
Cape is an inlet having a bar harbour, on which there is but eight feet
water.
SHOAL BAY is the next harbour to the northward: the following description
of it is from Captain Flinders (Flinders' Terra Australis, Introduction,
cxcv.)
"On the south side of the entrance, which is the deepest, there is ten
feet at low water; and within side the depth is from two to four fathoms,
in a channel near the south shore: the rest of the bar is mostly occupied
by shoals, over which boats can scarcely pass when the tide is out. High
water appeared to take place about seven hours after the moon's passage;
at which time a ship not drawing more than fourteen feet might venture
in, if severely pressed. Shoal Bay is difficult to be found except by its
latitude, which is 29 degrees 26 1/2 minutes, but there is on the low
land about four leagues to the southward, a small hill somewhat peaked,
which may serve as a mark to vessels coming from that direction."
CAPE BYRON, in latitude 28 degrees 38 minutes 10 seconds, longitude 153
degrees 37 minutes 20 seconds. MOUNT WARNING is in latitude 28 degrees 24
minutes, longitude 153 degrees 12 minutes.
THE TWEED is a river communicating with the sea by a bar, on which there
is twelve feet water, it is situated about a mile and a half to the north
of a small island off Point Danger, which lies in latitude 28 degrees 8
minutes.
In latitude 28 degrees there is a communication with the inlet at the
south side of Moreton Bay, insulating the land whose north extremity is
Point Lookout. The entrance of this inlet is shoal and only passable for
boats.
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