ge is of pleasing and verdant appearance; two or three
small openings in the sandy beach, with an evident separation in the
hills behind, particularly one in latitude 28 degrees 36 minutes, bore
indications of rivulets; and the smokes of natives' fires, and the more
wooded character of the coast, showed that the country was evidently more
fertile and productive than any other part between Cape Leeuwin and the
North-west Cape. The bottom at from ten to twelve miles off, is from
twenty to twenty-five fathoms deep, and composed of a fine sand, of a
dark gray colour.

CAPE BURNEY is in latitude 28 degrees 56 minutes: four miles to the
southward is a reef, apparently detached from the shore.

HOUTMAN'S ABROLHOS. The old Dutch charts give a very considerable extent
to this reef; Van Keulen makes it cover a space of sea, forty-seven miles
long, and twenty-five broad. We only saw the islands at the south end,
with three detached reefs between them and the shore; one of which (the
southernmost) may probably be the TURTLE DOVE. The islands lie West 4
degrees North true, forty-one miles from Cape Burney, but the channel
(GEELVINK CHANNEL) between the shore and the reefs, is not more than
twenty-six miles wide. The south-easternmost reef that we saw is about
three miles long, and lies nearly ten miles South 55 degrees East from
the islands; it appeared to be covered, but the sea was breaking high
over it. In passing this part of the coast, Captain Hamelin, who
commanded the Naturaliste under Commodore Baudin's orders, must have
steered within the reefs, as the Geelvink (Vlaming's ship) did. The reef
that is laid down upon the chart, in latitude 29 degrees 10 minutes is
from Van Keulen. We did not see it. (See Horsburgh volume 1 page 98.)

From Cape Burney the coast is rather low and sandy; in 29 degrees 16
minutes is a reef; and seven miles more to the south is another; they lie
from five to seven miles from the shore.

In latitude 29 degrees 6 minutes 30 seconds, there is a small peaked
hillock; and in 29 degrees 17 minutes 50 seconds, a small sandy patch
upon the land.

Between latitudes 29 degrees 25 minutes and 29 degrees 55 minutes, we did
not see the coast, having passed it in the night. It is laid down from
Van Keulen's chart. Hence to Island Point, which is low and rocky, the
shore is lined with reefs, extending off shore for two to four miles. At
the back of this, and at about eight miles from the coast, is a rocky
ra