_THE EAST COAST OF AUSTRALIA._
We remained at Sydney, refitting ship and enjoying the unaccustomed
pleasures of civilized society, from the 23rd of January, 1881, until
the 16th of April, 1881, but as little of general interest occurred
during this period, and as Sydney with its surroundings is a place
about which so much has been written by better pens than mine, I think
I shall be exercising a judicious discretion by passing over this
period in silence, and resuming the narrative from the time when we
started on our next surveying cruise.
On leaving Sydney we received a welcome addition to our numbers in
the person of Mr. W. A. Haswell, a professional zoologist, residing
at Sydney, who expressed a wish to accompany us as far as Torres
Straits, in order that he might have opportunities of studying the
crustacean fauna of the east coast of Australia. He was consequently
enrolled as an honorary member of our mess, and Captain Maclear kindly
accommodated him with a sleeping place in his cabin. I am indebted to
Mr. Haswell for much valuable information concerning the marine zoology
of Australia.
Steaming northwards, along the east coast of Australia, the first place
at which we anchored was Port Curtis, in Queensland, where we took up
a berth in the outer roads close to the Gatcombe Head lighthouse. The
place bore a rather desolate appearance. There was no building in
sight except the lighthouse. The beach was lined with a dense fringe
of mangrove bushes, behind which rose a straggling forest of gums and
grass trees (_Xanthorrhœa_), and for a long time we saw no living
thing excepting several large fish-eagles (_Haliæetus leucogaster_),
and an odd gull that hovered about our stern, picking up the garbage
that drifted away from the ship.
On the following morning two of us landed and set to work to explore
the mudflats, which, stretching out for a long distance from the
beach, were laid bare by the ebb tide. As we ranged along in search of
marine curiosities, we encountered a solitary individual attired in
the light and airy costume of a pajama sleeping suit, and carrying a
Westly-Richards rifle on his shoulder. We soon made his acquaintance,
and found that he was in quest of wild goats, the descendants of
some domestic animals originally let loose by the keeper of the
lighthouse. He was an Englishman named Eastlake, and held the position
of "government immigration agent" on board a ninety-ton schooner, the
_Isabella_, which at the time was anchored just outside the lighthouse
point, awaiting a favourable wind to enable her to put to sea. She
was engaged in the "labour traffic" and was just then about to return
to the Solomon Islands with some "time-expired" native labourers. The
Queensland government compels every vessel engaged in the "labour
traffic" to carry an immigration agent, who is accredited to and
salaried by the government. His duty is to see that the natives who
are shipped from the islands for transit to Queensland come of their
own free will, and under a proper contract, and that during the voyage
they are treated well and are furnished with proper accommodation, and
are dieted according to a scale laid down by the government. In the
afternoon I accompanied Mr. Eastlake on board. The _Isabella_, a vessel
of ninety tons, was allowed to carry eighty-five natives besides her
crew of some half-a-dozen hands. She had now on board about a dozen
natives of New Hebrides, who had completed their time as contract
labourers in Queensland, and were about to be returned to their island
home. The skipper of the vessel was an old Welshman, who, in the true
spirit of hospitality, did the honours of the ship, and pressed me to
partake of such luxuries as the stores in his cuddy afforded.
Among the articles which the New Hebrides men had purchased in
Queensland with the proceeds of their labours were a number of old
muskets, which they seemed to set great store by. These weapons are
probably destined to be brought into action against some future "labour
vessel," or "slaver," as they are commonly called by the Australians,
which may violate the provision of the "Kidnapping Act" by forcible
abduction of natives.
We worked the dredge from the ship as she swung round her anchor in
seven fathoms of water, and also dragged it from a boat in shallower
water inshore. Conspicuous by their abundance amongst the contents of
the dredge, and by their curious habit of making a loud snapping noise
with the large pincer-claw, were the shrimps of the genus _Alpheus_.
When placed in water in a glass jar, the sound produced exactly
resembles the snap which is heard when a tumbler is cracked from
unequal expansion by hot water. We also obtained a good many whitish
fleshy _Gorgoniæ_, and among Polyzoa the genera _Crisia_ and _Eschara_
afforded a good many specimens. A moderate-sized brownish _Astrophyton_
was generally found entangled in the swabs, but in most cases some
of its brittle limbs had parted company with the disc, so that we
got scarcely a single perfect specimen. A good many crabs were found
on the foreshore; among others were species of the genera _Ozius_,
_Gelasimus_, and _Thalassina_; the latter a lobster-like crustacean
which burrows deeply in the mud about the mangrove bushes, and throws
up around the aperture of its burrow a conical pile of mud.
On April 23rd we got under way, and steamed for five miles further
up the bay, anchoring immediately off the settlement of "Gladstone."
Nothing could exceed the hospitality shown to us by the inhabitants of
this quiet little Utopia. Our stay of five days was occupied by an
almost continuous round of festivities, during which we were driven
about the country, had a cricket-match, shooting expeditions, two
balls in the Town Hall, and sundry other amusements. The settlement
contains a population of only 300, and seems to have been of late years
rather receding than advancing in numbers, as many of the settlers had
moved on to other more promising centres of industry. There was the
old story of a projected railway which was to open up the country,
develop its hidden resources, connect it with the neighbouring town of
Rockhampton--distant about eighty miles--and give a fresh impetus to
trade; but the hopes of its construction were visionary.
We made several shooting excursions in quest of bird specimens, and
found the pied grallina (_G. picata_), the butcher bird (a species
of _Grauculus_), the garrulous honeyeater (_Myzantha garrula_), the
laughing jackass (_Dacelo gigas_), and many doves and flycatchers
abundant in the immediate vicinity of the settlement. Walking one day
through the forest about two miles inland, we came upon a grove of
tall eucalyptus trees, on the upper branches of which were myriads
of paroquets, making an almost deafening noise as they flew hither
and thither, feeding on the fragrant blossoms. Among them were three
species of Trichoglossus, viz., _T. novæhollandiæ_, _T. rubritorquis_,
and _T. chrysocolla_. We also shot specimens of the friar bird
(_Tropidorhynchus corniculatus_), and several honeyeaters, flycatchers,
and shrikes; so that as a place for bird collecting it was exceedingly
rich, both in numbers and species.
We got under way on the 30th of April, in the morning, and on the
following day anchored off the largest and most northern of the Percy
Islands. I landed with Haswell in the afternoon, and after exploring
the beach in search of marine specimens, we directed our steps towards
the interior of the island. We followed a narrow winding foot track,
which led us to a rudely-built hut, in which dwelt an old Australian
colonist named Captain Allen, to whom the island virtually belongs.
He had a small kitchen garden in the bed of a valley, through which
ran a tiny stream; and his live stock consisted of a herd of goats
and a number of poultry. We understood that he intended eventually to
undertake regular farming operations, but that he at present merely
_occupied_ the land in order to retain the "pre-emptive" right until
the Queensland government should be in a position to sell or let it. It
appeared that as yet it was not certain whether the colonial government
had a clear title to the group of islands, or whether--being on the
Great Barrier Reef, and detached from the mainland by a considerable
distance--it was still under the control and jurisdiction of the
imperial government.
We noticed very few birds: among these were a _Ptilotis_, a flycatcher,
a crow, and a heron; but we were told that in the less frequented parts
of the island there were brush turkeys, native pheasants, and black
cockatoos.
Among the rocks bordering the shore, a large white-tailed rat--probably
of the genus _Hydromys_--was said to be abundant. The only other mammal
recorded was a large fox-bat, a skeleton of which was found hanging on
a mangrove bush.
We left our anchorage at the Percy Islands on the morning of the 2nd of
May, and on the forenoon of the 3rd steamed into the sheltered waters
of Port Molle, _i.e._, into the strait which separates Long Island from
the main shore of Queensland; and we finally came to an anchor in a
shallow bay on the west side of Long Island, where we lay at a distance
of about half-a-mile from the shore.
The island presented the appearance of undulating hills, covered for
the most part with a thick growth of tropical forms of vegetation, but
exhibiting a few patches of land devoid of trees, and bearing a rich
crop of long tangled grasses. On landing, we found that there was no
soil, properly so-called, but that the forest trees, scrub, and grass
sprung from a surface layer of shingle, which on close inspection
contrasted strangely with the rich and verdant flora which it
nourished. Small flocks of great white cockatoos flew around and above
the summits of the tallest trees, and by the incessant screaming which
they maintained, gave one the idea that the avifauna was more abundant
than we eventually found it to be. On the beach we collected shells of
the genera _Nerita_, _Terebra_, _Siliquaria_, and _Ostræa_, and among
the dry hot stones above high-water mark we found in great numbers an
_Isopod Crustacean_, and as the females were bearing ova, Haswell took
the opportunity to make some researches into the mode of development of
the embryo.
I spent another day accompanying Navigating-Lieutenant Petley, who
was then cruising from point to point in one of our whale-boats,
determining on the positions for main triangulation. In the course of
the day we visited the lighthouse on Dean Island, and on arriving there
found a large concourse of blacks on the hill above, looking on our
intrusion with great consternation. The lighthouse people told us that
the natives, from their different camps on the island, had observed our
approach while we were yet a long distance off, and hastily concluding
that we were a party of black police coming to disperse (_i.e._, shoot)
them, had fled with precipitation from all parts of the island, to
seek the protection of the white inhabitants of the lighthouse. It
appeared that some few years previously the natives of Port Molle had
treacherously attacked and murdered the shipwrecked crew of a schooner,
and in requital for this the Queensland Government had made an example
of them by letting loose a party of "black police," who, with their
rifles, had made fearful havoc among the comparatively unarmed natives.
The "black police," or "black troopers," as they are more commonly
called, are a gang of half-reclaimed aborigines, enrolled and armed
as policemen, who are distributed over various parts of the colony,
and are under the immediate direction of the white police inspectors.
Their skill as bush "trackers" is too well known to need description,
and the peculiar ferocity with which they behave towards their own
countrymen is due to the fact that they are drawn from a part of the
continent remote from the scene of their future labours, and from
tribes hostile to those against which they are intended to act. Through
their instrumentality the aborigines of Queensland are being gradually
exterminated. In the official reports of their proceedings, when
sent to operate against a troublesome party of natives, the verb "to
disperse" is playfully substituted for the harsher term "to shoot."
But to return to our friends at Dean Island. Our peaceful aspect, and a
satisfactory explanation on the part of the white people in charge of
the lighthouse, soon set matters right, and the wretched blacks were
now so delighted at finding their fears to be groundless, that they
crowded about us--male and female--to the number of forty or fifty,
brought us some boomerangs for barter, and finally shared our lunch of
preserved meat and coffee, of which we partook on the rocks near where
the boat was moored. I was surprised at noticing a large proportion of
children, a circumstance which does not support one of the views put
forward to account for the rapid decrease in numbers of the race.
Most of the men had a certain amount of clothing, scanty and ragged
though it was, but the children were all stark naked, and some of the
women were so scantily attired that the requirements of decency were
not at all provided for. They seemed to be fairly well nourished, and
from their cheerful disposition I should imagine that they were not
undergoing any privations which to them would be irksome.
On re-embarking, we sailed along the western shore of the island,
and again landed in a small bay about a mile to the northward of the
lighthouse. We then proceeded to ascend a hill, on which Petley wished
to erect a mark for surveying purposes. The natives, although quick
enough about following us along the seashore, showed no inclination to
follow us up the hillside, and before we had gone a few hundred yards
they had all dropped off. Possibly the fear of snakes was the deterring
influence.
Port Molle proved to be an excellent place for obtaining examples of
the marine fauna of this part of the coast. A great extent of reefs was
exposed at low spring tides, exhibiting Corals of the groups _Astræa_,
_Meandrina_, _Porites_, _Tubipora_, _Orbicella_, and _Caryophyllia_,
besides a profusion of soft Alcyonarian Polyps. Holothurians were
abundant, as were also some large Tubicolous Annelids, with very
long gelatinous thread-like tentacles. We also got a few _Polynæ_,
and several other annelids of the family _Amphinomidæ_. A _Squilla_,
with variegated greenish markings on the test, made itself remarkable
by the vigour with which it resented one's attempts, for the most
part unintentional, to invade the privacy of its retreat. An active
black _Goniograpsus_ was a common object on the reefs, and the widely
distributed _Grapsus variegatus_ was also met with. Haswell obtained
from the interior of the large _Pinna_ shells examples of a curious
small lobster-like crustacean, which is of parasitic--or perhaps rather
commensal--habit, like _Pinnotheres_. Not uncommon in the rock pools
was a bivalve shell of the genus _Lima_, which on being disturbed
swims about in a most lively manner by flapping its elongated valves,
exhibiting at the same time a scarlet mantle fringed with a row of long
prehensile tentacles. Shells of the genera _Arca_, _Tridacna_, and
_Hippopus_ were common, and three or four species of _Cypræa_ were seen.
We dredged several times with one of the steam-cutters in depths
varying from twelve to twenty fathoms, obtaining several species of
Comatulas, two or three Astrophytons, Starfishes, Ophiurids, Echini
of the genera _Salmacis_ and _Goniocidaris_, small Holothurians,
many species of Annelids, two or three Sponges, a great variety of
handsome Gorgoniæ, Hydroids of the group _Sertularia_ and _Plumularia_,
Polyzoa of the genera _Eschara_, _Retepora_, _Myriozoum_, _Cellepora_,
_Biflustra_, _Salicornaria_, _Crisia_, _Scrupocellaria_, _Amathia_,
etc., and Crustaceans of the genera _Myra_, _Hiastemis_, _Lambrus_,
_Alpheus_, _Huenia_, and many others. Among the Annelids was one with
long glassy opalescent bristles surrounding the oral aperture, and
projecting forwards to a distance of one and a half inches from the
prostomium. Another Annelid (species unknown) was peculiar in having
two long barb-like tentacles projecting backwards from the under part
of the head. On examining the proboscis of the latter, while it was
resting in sea-water in a glass trough, Haswell noticed a number of
singular bodies being extruded from the mouth, which he eventually
ascertained, to his great astonishment, were the partially developed
young of the worm.
One of the large Astrophytons which came up with the dredge was seen to
exhibit nodular swellings on several parts of the arms, but principally
at the points of bifurcation. Each of these swellings was provided with
one or more small apertures, and had the general appearance of being a
morbid growth. On incising the dense cyst-wall a cavity was exposed,
containing a tiny red gastropodous mollusc (of the genus _Stilifer_),
enveloped in a mass of cheesy matter, which contained moreover one
or two spherical white pellets of (probably) fæcal matter. Haswell
obtained about a dozen specimens of the shell from a single astrophyton.
Port Denison is only forty miles to the northward of Port Molle, so
that we accomplished the passage in about six hours, and before dusk
took up a berth in the shallow bay about a mile and a half from the
shore, and three-quarters from the end of a long wooden pier, which
was built some years ago in the vain hope of developing the shipping
trade of the port. The township of "Bowen" is built on a larger scale
than "Gladstone"--of which we had such pleasant reminiscences--but
did not appear to be in a more flourishing condition, a "gold-rush"
further to the northward having drawn off part of the population, and
some of the trade which had previously gone through the port. On the
outskirts of the town were some large encampments of the blacks, who
lived in a primitive condition, and afforded an interesting study
for an ethnologist. Like most of the Australian aborigines, their
huts were little better than shelter screens to protect them from the
wind and sun. In some instances the twigs on the lee side of a bush,
rudely interlaced with a few leafy boughs torn from the neighbouring
trees, afforded all the shelter that was required. Both men and women,
especially the latter, seemed to be in a filthy, degraded state. They
had just received their yearly gifts of blankets from the Queensland
Government--I believe the only return which they receive for the
appropriation of their land. It appears, however, that they do not
much appreciate the donation, for soon after the general issue many of
the blankets are bartered with the whites for tobacco and grog. Some
of the young men are really fine-looking fellows, and seemed to feel
all the pride of life and liberty as they strutted about encumbered
with a variety of their native weapons, among which I saw the _nulla_,
_waddy_, shield, huge wooden sword, spear without throwing-stick, and
different patterns of boomerangs. They are very expert in the use
of the latter. It was the first time that I had seen the boomerang
thrown, and I can safely say that its performances, when manipulated
by a skilful hand, fully realized my expectations. I noticed that
whatever gyrations it was intended to execute, it was always delivered
from the hand of the thrower with its concave side foremost--a
circumstance I was not previously aware of. Some of the children were
amusing themselves in practising the art, using instead of the regular
boomerang short pieces of rounded stick bent to about the usual angle
of the finished weapon; and I was surprised at noticing that even
these rude substitutes could be made to dart forward, wheel in the
air, and return to near the feet of the thrower. I had always imagined
up to this time that the flat surface was an essential feature in the
boomerang.
The foreshore at low-water afforded us examples of a great many
flat Echinoderms of the genus _Peronella_, Starfishes of the genus
_Asteracanthus_, and Crustaceans of the genera _Macrophthalmus_,
_Matuta_, _Mycteris_, etc. We made several hauls of the dredge in four
to five fathoms of water, obtaining a quantity of large Starfishes and
Gorgonias, and Crustaceans of the family _Porcellanidæ_.
We left Port Denison on the 24th of May, and continued our coasting
voyage northward, anchoring successive nights off Cape Bowling Green,
Hinchinbrock Island, Fitzroy Island, Cooktown, and Lizard Island. We
landed at the island last mentioned for a few hours. On the shore
of the bay in which we anchored was a "Beche-de-mer" establishment,
belonging to a Cooktown firm, and worked by a party of two white men,
three Chinese, and six Kanakas. The buildings consisted of two or
three rudely-built dwelling huts, and a couple of sheds for curing and
storing the trepangs. We learned from the "Boss" that his men had been
working the district for the previous twelve months, and having now
cleared off the trepangs from all the neighbouring reefs, he expected
soon to move on to some other location further north.
The Beche-de-mer industry seems simple enough to conduct. The sluggish
animals are picked off the reefs at low tide, and at the close of each
day the produce as soon as landed is transferred to a huge iron tank,
propped up on stones, in which it is boiled. The trepangs are then
slit open, cleaned, and spread out on gratings in a smoke-house until
dry, when they are ready for shipping to the Chinese market. The best
trepangs are the short stiff black ones with prominent tubercles.
Since the above notes were written, a horrible catastrophe occurred at
Lizard Island. The bulk of the party had gone on a cruise among the
islands to the northward, leaving the station in charge of a white
woman--wife of one of the proprietors--and two Chinamen. A party of
Queensland blacks came over from the mainland, massacred these three
wretched people, and destroyed all the property on the station.
On the evening of the 29th of May we anchored off Flinders Island, in
latitude 14° 8′ S., and before darkness came on we spent a few hours
in exploring. The shore on which we landed was covered with large
blocks of quartzite stained with oxide of iron, and disseminated among
them were many large irregularly-shaped masses of hæmatite. Immediately
above the beach, and among the familiar screw-pines, we saw a few fan
palms, the first met with on our northern voyage.
Groping among the rocks of the foreshore, I encountered a multitude
of crabs of the genera _Porcellana_ and _Grapsus_, and caught after
much trouble a large and uncommonly fierce specimen of the _Parampelia
saxicola_. On anchoring, the dredge had been lowered from the ship,
and when hauled up after the ship had swung somewhat with the tide, a
curious species of _Spatangus_, a _Leucosia_, and a somewhat mutilated
_Phlyxia_, were obtained.
Early on the following morning I accompanied Captain Maclear and Mr.
Haswell on a boat trip to Clack Island (five miles from our anchorage).
We were anxious to see and examine some drawings by the Australian
aborigines, which were discovered in the year 1821 by Mr. Cunningham,
of the _Beagle_, (see "King's Australia," vol. ii., p. 25), and since
probably unvisited. After about an hour's sailing we reached the
island--a bold mass of dark rock resembling in shape a gunner's quoin;
but we now found it no easy matter to find a landing-place. On the
south-east extremity was a precipitous rocky bluff about eighty feet
in height, against whose base the sea broke heavily, while the rest of
the island--low and fringed with mangroves--was fenced in by a broad
zone of shallow water, strewn with boulders and coral knolls, over
which the sea rose and fell in a manner dangerous to the integrity of
the boat. After many trials and much risk to the boat, we at length
succeeded in jumping ashore near the south-east or weather extremity
of the island. Here we found abundant traces of its having been
frequently visited by natives, but it did not appear as if they had
been there during at least half-a-dozen years prior to the time of
our visit. We saw the drawings, as described by Cunningham, covering
the sides and roofs of galleries and grottoes, which seemed to have
been excavated by atmospheric influences in a black fissile shale.
This shale, which gave a banded appearance to the cliff, was disposed
in strata of about five feet in thickness, and was interbedded with
strata of pebbly conglomerate--the common rock of the islet. In
these excavations, almost every available surface of smooth shale was
covered with drawings, even including the roofs of low crevices where
the artist must have worked lying prone on his back, and with his nose
almost touching his work. Most of the drawings were executed in red
ochre, and had their outlines accentuated by rows of white dots, which
seemed to be composed of a sort of pipe-clay. Some, however, were
executed in pale yellow on a brick-red ground, and in many instances
the objects depicted were banded with rows of white dots crossing
each other irregularly, and perhaps intended in a rudimentary way to
convey the idea of light and shade. The objects delineated (of which
I made such sketches as I was able) were sharks, dolphins, dugong,
turtle, boomerangs, waddies, shields, woomerahs, pigs, dogs, birds,
jelly-fish, etc. There was one well-defined sketch of a medusa, showing
the position of the radiating canals and eight marginal tentacles.
_Trochus_ shells in great profusion were strewn about the old camping
places, as well as bones of the dugong and turtle, the pursuit of the
latter having been probably the main inducement to visit the island.
A careful hunting of the holes and crevices in the face of the cliff
resulted in the acquisition of some portable specimens of native art
in the shape of drawings on old pieces of driftwood, on _Melo_ shells,
turtle skulls, and tortoise shell. These luckily afforded us good
examples of the style of art, and were accordingly, and without many
conscientious scruples as to the sacred rights of ownership, carried
off in triumph and deposited on board.
After leaving Flinders Island, we continued our voyage northward,
anchoring each of the three following nights successively at Clairmont
Island No. 6, Clairmont Island No. 10, and Bird Island. On each
occasion we dredged to a small extent, and collected specimens from the
reefs and beaches. On the evening of the 2nd of June we entered the
narrow strait which separates Albany Island from the mainland of
north-east Australia, having the small settlement of Somerset on our
port hand, and on our starboard side a pearl-shell station known as
Port Albany. The anchorage at Somerset being of bad repute on account
of the strong currents which sweep through it, we steamed on to the
northern extremity of Albany Island, where at about 4 o'clock in the
evening we dropped our anchor in six fathoms. A party of officers
landed at once on the shore of the mainland, and while some wandered
through the woods in search of birds, the boat was employed in dredging
over the bottom of mud and sand in depths varying from three to five
fathoms. Among the contents of several hauls were a large number of
Comatulas, a few Ophiurids, several examples of a _Pentaceros_, a
_Goniocidaris_, a spider-crab of the genus "_Egeria_," an _Alpheus_,
a _Galathea_ clinging to the feathered arms of a purple _Comatula_,
and many specimens of an Isopod adhering to the oral surfaces of the
comatula discs. There were also a few shrimps, two species of _Murex_,
and a volute. Some small fishes were also brought up--apparently a
species of _Platycephalus_.
[Illustration: FACSIMILE OF DRAWINGS BY AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES.
1. Medusæ. 2. Lizard. 3. Steamship. 4. (?). 5. (?). 6. Gourd. 7.
Turtle. 8. Bird on branch of tree. _To face p. 192._]
On the following morning some of the boats were employed in searching
for an uncharted rock which was reported by the pearl fishermen as
existing somewhere near our anchorage, while Haswell and I had the use
of a whaleboat for a couple of hours' dredging. We worked across the
channel towards the mainland in eight fathoms over a bottom of mud
and sand, obtaining a quantity of Comatulas and Gorgonias, a large
grotesque _Murex_, several small _Synapta_, and a large flat sponge.