NARRATIVE OF A SURVEY
OF THE
INTERTROPICAL AND WESTERN
COASTS OF AUSTRALIA.
PERFORMED BETWEEN
THE YEARS 1818 AND 1822.
BY
CAPTAIN PHILLIP P. KING, R.N., F.R.S., F.L.S.,
AND MEMBER OF THE ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY OF LONDON.
WITH
AN APPENDIX,
CONTAINING
VARIOUS SUBJECTS RELATING TO HYDROGRAPHY AND NATURAL HISTORY.
IN TWO VOLUMES,
ILLUSTRATED BY PLATES, CHARTS, AND WOOD-CUTS.
VOLUME 1.
PREFACE.
THE rapidly-increasing importance to which the English Colonies in
Australia have now arrived, rendering every subject connected with that
extensive continent of the greatest interest, whether in respect to its
geography, or the extraordinary assemblage of its animal and vegetable
productions, has induced me to publish such parts of my Journal as may be
useful to accompany the Atlas of the Charts of the Coast recently
published by the Board of Admiralty.
One of the results of this voyage has been the occupation of Port
Cockburn, between Melville and Bathurst Islands on the North Coast, and
the formation of an establishment there which cannot fail to be
productive of the greatest benefit to our mercantile communications with
the Eastern Archipelago, as well as to increase the influence and power
of the mother country in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans; and in
contemplating this new extension of her possessions*, I cannot avoid
recalling to mind a curious and prophetic remark of Burton, who, in
alluding to the discoveries of the Spanish navigator Ferdinando de Quiros
(Anno 1612), says: "I would know whether that hungry Spaniard's discovery
of Terra Australis Incognita, or Magellanica, be as true as that of
Mercurius Britannicus, or his of Utopia, or his of Lucinia. And yet, in
likelihood, it may be so; for without all question, it being extended
from the tropick of Capricorn to the circle Antarctick, and lying as it
doth in the temperate zone, cannot chuse but yeeld in time some
flourishing kingdoms to succeeding ages, as America did unto the
Spaniards."** Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy, Part 2 Section 2 Number 3.
(*Footnote. The distance between Melville Island and Hobart Town in Van
Diemen's Land, the former being the most northern, and the latter the
most southern, establishment under the government of New South Wales, is
more than 2700 miles, and comprises an extent of coast nearly equal to
that of the British possessions in India!)
(**Footnote. Since the land that Quiros discovered and called Terra del
Espiritu Santo was, at the time Burton wrote, considered to be the
Eastern Coast of New Holland, I am justified in the use I have made of
the above curious passage.)
Since the return of the Expedition, my time has been occupied in
arranging the narrative, and divesting it of such parts as were neither
calculated to amuse the general reader, nor to give information to the
navigator; but this has been so much impeded by the more important
employment of constructing the Charts of the Survey, as to defer until
the present season the publication of the events of a voyage that was
completed nearly three years ago.
In addition to the Hydrographical Notices in the Appendix, I have
ventured to insert descriptive catalogues of the few subjects of Natural
History that were collected during the voyage; these were supplied by
some friends, to whom I have in another part of the work endeavoured,
inadequately no doubt, to express my sense of the obligation: but since
that part has been printed, my friend Mr. Brown has submitted some
specimens of the rocks of the western side of the Gulf of Carpentaria,
that were collected by him on the Investigator's voyage, to the
inspection of Doctor Fitton, by which means that gentleman's valuable
communication in the Appendix has been most materially improved. I have,
therefore, taken the present opportunity of acknowledging the readiness
with which this additional information has been supplied, and of offering
Mr. Brown my best thanks.
It now only remains for me to add, that the views with which these
volumes are illustrated were engraved by Mr. Finden from my own sketches
on the spot: the charts, which are reductions of those in the Admiralty
Atlas, were engraved by Mr. Walker; and the three plates of Natural
History by Mr. Curtis, from drawings made from the specimens by himself,
by Henry C. Field, Esquire, and by Miss M. Field; to each of whom I take
this opportunity of returning my best thanks, and also of bearing
testimony to the correctness with which the respective subjects have been
represented.
London, March 20th, 1826.
TO
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
THE EARL BATHURST, K.G.,
HIS MAJESTY'S PRINCIPAL SECRETARY OF STATE
FOR THE COLONIES,
AND
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
THE LORD VISCOUNT MELVILLE, K.T.,
FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY,
THE FOLLOWING
NARRATIVE OF THE SURVEY OF THE INTERTROPICAL
COASTS OF AUSTRALIA,
PERFORMED UNDER THEIR LORDSHIPS' JOINT DIRECTIONS AND
FLATTERING COUNTENANCE,
IS, BY PERMISSION, INSCRIBED
WITH THE GREATEST RESPECT,
BY THEIR MOST GRATEFUL SERVANT,
PHILLIP PARKER KING.
CONTENTS.
VOLUME 1.
INTRODUCTION.
CHAPTER 1.
Intended mode of proceeding, and departure from Port Jackson.
Visit Twofold Bay.
Natives seen.
Passage through Bass Strait and along the South Coast to King George the
Third's Sound.
Transactions there.
Voyage to the North-West Cape, and Survey of the Coast between the
North-West Cape and Depuch Island, including the examinations of Exmouth
Gulf, Curlew River, and Dampier's Archipelago.
Loss of Anchors, and Interview with the Natives.
Remarks upon Dampier's account of Rosemary Island, and of the Island upon
which he landed.
CHAPTER 2.
Examination of Rowley's Shoals, and Passage to the North Coast.
Survey of Goulburn Islands, Mountnorris and Raffles Bays.
Meet a Malay Fleet, and communicate with one of the Proas.
Explore Port Essington.
Attacked by Natives in Knocker's Bay.
Anchor in Popham Bay.
Visit from the Malays.
Examination of Van Diemen's Gulf, including Sir George Hope's Islands and
Alligator Rivers.
Survey of the Northern Shore of Melville Island, and Apsley Strait.
Interview with the Natives of Luxmore Head.
Procure wood at Port Hurd.
Natives.
Clarence Strait.
Leave the Coast, and arrival at Timor.
CHAPTER 3.
Transactions at Coepang.
Procure Water and Refreshments.
Description of the Town and Productions of the Island.
Account of the Trepang Fishery on the coast of New Holland.
Departure from Timor, and return to the North-west Coast.
Montebello Islands, and Barrow Island.
Leave the Coast.
Ship's company attacked with Dysentery.
Death of one of the crew.
Bass Strait, and arrival at Port Jackson.
Review of the Proceedings of the Voyage.
CHAPTER 4.
Visit to Van Diemen's Land, and examination of the entrance of Macquarie
Harbour.
Anchor in Pine Cove and cut wood.
Description of the Trees growing there.
Return to the entrance, and water at Outer Bay.
Interview with the Natives, and Vocabulary of their language.
Arrive at Hobart Town, and return to Port Jackson.
CHAPTER 5.
Departure from Port Jackson, and commence a running survey of the East
Coast.
Examinations of Port Macquarie and the River Hastings in company with the
Lady Nelson, colonial brig, and assisted by Lieutenant Oxley, R.N., the
Surveyor-general of the Colony.
Leave Port Macquarie.
The Lady Nelson returns with the Surveyor-general to Port Jackson.
Enter the Barrier-reefs at Break-sea Spit.
Discover Rodd's Bay.
Visit the Percy Islands.
Pass through Whitsunday Passage, and anchor in Cleveland Bay.
Wood and water there.
Continue the examination of the East Coast towards Endeavour River;
anchoring progressively at Rockingham Bay, Fitzroy Island, Snapper
Island, and Weary Bay.
Interview with the Natives at Rockingham Bay, and loss of a boat off Cape
Tribulation.
Arrival off Endeavour River.
CHAPTER 6.
Transactions at Endeavour River, and intercourse with the Natives.
Examine the River.
Geognostical Remarks.
Leave Endeavour River, and resume the examination of the coast.
Anchor among Howick's Group, and under Flinders' Group.
Explore Princess Charlotte's Bay, and the Islands and Reefs as far as
Cape York, anchoring in the way on various parts of the coast.
The cutter nearly wrecked at Escape River.
Loss of anchor under Turtle Island.
Pass round Cape York and through Torres Strait, by the Investigator's
route.
CHAPTER 7.
Cross the Gulf of Carpentaria, and resume the survey of the North Coast
at Wessel's Islands.
Castlereagh Bay.
Crocodile Islands.
Discovery and examination of Liverpool River.
Natives.
Arrive at Goulburn Island.
Complete wood and water.
Attacked by the natives from the cliffs.
Leave Goulburn Island, and pass round Cape Van Diemen.
Resume the survey of the coast at Vernon's Islands in Clarence Strait.
Paterson Bay.
Peron Island.
Anson Bay.
Mr. Roe examines Port Keats.
Prevented from examining a deep opening round Point Pearce.
Discovery of Cambridge Gulf.
Lacrosse Island.
Natives.
Examination of the Gulf.
Death of one of the crew.
Leave Cambridge Gulf.
Trace the coast to Cape Londonderry.
CHAPTER 8.
Examination of the coast between Cape Londonderry and Cape Voltaire,
containing the surveys of Sir Graham Moore's Islands, Eclipse Islands,
Vansittart Bay, Admiralty Gulf, and Port Warrender.
Encounter with the natives of Vansittart Bay.
Leave the coast at Cassini Island for Coepang.
Obliged to bear up for Savu.
Anchor at Zeeba Bay, and interview with the rajah.
Some account of the inhabitants.
Disappointed in not finding water.
Leave Zeeba Bay, and beat back against the monsoon to Coepang.
Complete wood and water, and procure refreshments.
Return to Port Jackson.
Pass the latitude assigned to the Tryal Rocks.
Arrival in Sydney Cove.
CHAPTER 9.
Equipment for the third voyage.
Leave Port Jackson.
Loss of bowsprit, and return.
Observations upon the present state of the colony, as regarding the
effect of floods upon the River Hawkesbury.
Re-equipment and final departure.
Visit Port Bowen.
Cutter thrown upon a sandbank.
Interview with the natives, and description of the country about Cape
Clinton.
Leave Port Bowen.
Pass through the Northumberland, and round the Cumberland Islands.
Anchor at Endeavour River.
Summary of observations taken there.
Visit from the natives.
Vocabulary of their language.
Observations thereon in comparing it with Captain Cook's account.
Mr. Cunningham visits Mount Cook.
Leave Endeavour River, and visit Lizard Island.
Cape Flinders and Pelican Island.
Entangled in the reefs.
Haggerston's Island, Sunday Island, and Cairncross Island.
Cutter springs a leak.
Pass round Cape York.
Endeavour Strait.
Anchor under Booby Island.
Remarks upon the Inner and Outer routes through Torres Strait.
CHAPTER 10.
Cross the Gulf of Carpentaria, and anchor at Goulburn's South Island.
Affair with the natives.
Resume the survey of the coast at Cassini Island.
Survey of Montagu Sound, York Sound, and Prince Frederic's Harbour.
Hunter's and Roe's Rivers, Port Nelson, Coronation Islands.
Transactions at Careening Bay.
Repair the cutter's bottom.
General geognostical and botanical observations.
Natives' huts.
Brunswick Bay.
Prince Regent's River.
Leave the coast in a leaky state.
Tryal Rocks, Cloates Island.
Pass round the west and south coasts.
Bass Strait.
Escape from shipwreck.
Botany Bay.
Arrival at Port Jackson.
LIST OF PLATES.
VOLUME 1.
VIEW IN RAFFLES BAY, WITH CROKER'S ISLAND IN THE DISTANCE.
From a sketch by P.P. King. Published in May 1825 by John Murray, London.
WOODCUT 1: NATIVE OF DAMPIER'S ARCHIPELAGO ON HIS LOG.
CHART OF THE INTERTROPICAL AND WEST COASTS OF AUSTRALIA.
As surveyed in the years 1818 to 1822 by Phillip P. King, R.N.
VIEW OF SOUTH-WEST BAY. GOULBURN ISLAND.
Watering party attacked by natives.
From a sketch by P.P. King. Published in May 1825 by John Murray, London.
VIEW OF INNER HARBOUR, PORT ESSINGTON.
From Spear Point.
From a sketch by P.P. King. Published in May 1825 by John Murray, London.
INTERVIEW WITH THE NATIVES OF ST. ASAPH'S BAY, MELVILLE ISLAND.
From a sketch by P.P. King. Published in May 1825 by John Murray, London.
VIEW OF THE ENTRANCE OF PORT MACQUARIE.
From a sketch by P.P. King. Published in May 1825 by John Murray, London.
VIEW UP THE RIVER HASTINGS.
At its junction with King's River.
From a sketch by P.P. King. Published in May 1825 by John Murray, London.
WOODCUT 2: NATIVES OF ROCKINGHAM BAY IN THEIR CANOE.
WOODCUT 3: NATIVES OF ENDEAVOUR RIVER IN A CANOE, FISHING.
WOODCUT 4: MANNER IN WHICH THE NATIVES OF THE EAST COAST STRIKE TURTLE.
VIEW OF MOUNT COCKBURN AT THE BOTTOM OF CAMBRIDGE GULF.
Taken from the Gut.
From a sketch by P.P. King. Published in May 1825 by John Murray, London.
VIEW OF THE ENCAMPMENT IN CAREENING BAY.
Where the Mermaid was repaired.
From a sketch by P.P. King. Published in May 1825 by John Murray, London.
WOODCUT 5: HUTS OF THE NATIVES AT CAREENING BAY.
INTRODUCTION.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS UPON THE DISCOVERY OF THE TERRA AUSTRALIS INCOGNITA.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE EXECUTION OF THE VOYAGE.
PASSAGE TO NEW SOUTH WALES.
PURCHASE AND EQUIPMENT OF THE MERMAID.
Nearly three centuries* have now elapsed since our first knowledge of the
Great South Land, the Terra Australis Incognita of ancient geographers;
and, until within the last century, comparatively little had been done
towards making a minute exploration of its coasts: during the seventeenth
century several voyages were made by different Dutch navigators, from
whom we have the first-recorded description of its shores; but from the
jealous disposition of their East India Company, under whose orders these
voyages were performed, the accounts of them were so concealed, and
consequently lost or destroyed, that few particulars of a detailed nature
have been handed down.**
(*Footnote. The late Rear-Admiral Burney, in his History of Discoveries
in the South Sea, volume 1 page 380, describes a chart, dated 1542, drawn
by Rotz, in which a coast is continued to the 28th degree of south
latitude; and immediately below the 30th degree, there is the name of
Coste des Herbaiges, answering by an extraordinary coincidence both in
climate and in name to Botany Bay.).
(**Footnote. In the voyages of Gautier Schouten, published at Amsterdam
in 1708, duodecimo volume 1 page 41 et seq., there is the following
curious account of the wreck of a ship on the coast of New Holland:
"Il me semble que je ne dois pas omettre ici une histoire, de la
certitude de laquelle on n'eut pas lieu de douter. Des-que la nouvelle
fut venue a Batavia [Anno 1659], que le vaisseau le Dragon, qui venoit de
Hollande aux Indes, avoit fait naufrage sur les cotes d'une Terre
Australe inconnue, on y envoia la flute la Bouee a la Veille, pour
ramener ceux des gens de l'equipage qui auroient pu se sauver, et les
efets qui auroient ete conservez.
"La flute etant conduite par ceux qui etoient echapez du naufrage dans la
chaloupe, et venus a Batavia en aporter la nouvelle, se rendit au parage
ou le Dragon avoit peri, et alla mouiller l'ancre dans l'endroit qui
parut le plus propre pour son dessein. Aussi tot la chaloupe fut armee
pour aller chercher ceux qui s'etoient sauvez le long du rivage. Elle
s'aprocha d'abord du bris, pardessus lequel les vagues passoient; puis
elle nagea vers le lieu ou l'on avoit dresse des tentes, quand la
chaloupe du vaisseau peri partit, pour ceux qu'elle n'avoit pu recevoir,
et qui devoient attendre la qu'on vint les y prendre.
"L'equipage etant descendu a terre, trouva les tentes brisees en pieces,
et l'on ne decouvrit pas un seul homme dans tout le pais. La surprise ne
fut pas mediocre. On regarda partout si l'on ne verroit point de traces
qui marquassent qu'on eut construit quelque petit batiment: mais il n'y
avoit ni tarriere, ni hache, ni couteaux, ni cloux, etc. Il n'y avoit ni
ecrit ni indication par ou l'on put conjecturer ce qu'etoient devenus les
gens qu'on avoit la laissez.
"La chaloupe etant retournee a bord, et aiant annonce cette nouvelle, il
fut resolu que l'on iroit chercher plus avant dans les terres, et le long
du rivage. Pour cet efet on se divisa en plusieurs troupes, et l'on ne
reussit pas mieux que la premiere fois. On eut beau crier, apeller, tirer
des coups de mousquet, tout fut inutile, et je n'ai pas seu qu'on ait
jamais apris ce qu'etoient devenus ces gens-la.
"On retourna donc au bris, dont on ne put rien tirer, les lames aiant
emporte les bordages, les ecoutilles, et fracasse tout le vaisseau, tant
la mer brise fort en ces parages. Ainsi l'on jugea que le plus expedient
etoit de s'en retourner, puis-qu'on n'avoit rien a pretendre, et qu'on
avoit a craindre les vents forcez et les tempetes, qui selon les
aparences auroient aussi fait perir la flute. Dans ce dessein on alla
faire de l'eau. Ceux qui furent a une petite riviere qu'on avoit vue,
au-lieu de se hater, se promenerent, et coururent en divers endroits.
"Cependant il s'eleva une si terrible tempete, que la flute fut
contrainte de se mettre au large, ou elle atendit encore quelque tems.
Mais comme la chaloupe ne revenoit point, on jugea qu'elle avoit peri;
si-bien qu'on reprit la route de Batavia, ou l'on fit le raport de ce qui
s'etoit passe.
"Quand l'orage eut cesse, l'equipage de la chaloupe se rembarqua pour
retourner a bord. 'Mais il ne trouva plus la flute, ni sur la cote, ni au
large. La tristesse ne fut pas moindre que l'etonnement, et l'on ne seut
quel parti prendre. Enfin il fallut retourner a terre, pour n'etre pas
englouti par les flots. Mais on n'avoit point de vivres, et l'on ne
voioit rien dans tout le pais qui put servir de nouriture. Les montagnes
n'etoient que des rochers; les valees etoient de vrais deserts; les
plaines n'etoient que des sables. Le rivage etoit aussi borde de roches,
contre lesquelles la mer brisoit avec d'efroiables mugissemens.
"Ceux qui etoient la demeurez se trouvoient au nombre de treize hommes,
qui furent bientot fatiguez, afoiblis et attenuez. La faim les pressoit,
le froid et l'humidite les faisoient soufrir, et ils se regardoient comme
condamnez a la mort. Il n'y avoit rien a esperer du bris; les vagues
avoient tout fait rouler ca et la dans la mer. Enfin a force de courir et
de chercher quelque chose qu'ils pussent manger, ils apercurent entre les
rochers qui etoient le long du rivage, de gros limacons, et de plus
petits, qui y venoient de la mer, et dont le gout, qui etoit passable,
parut excellent a des gens affamez. Mais n'aiant point de feu pour les
faire cuire, l'usage continuel qu'ils en firent, commenca de les
incommoder, et ils sentirent bien que ce foible remede ne les empecheroit
pas de mourir dans peu de tems.
"Enfin ne voiant de toutes parts qu'une mort certaine, ils prirent la
resolution de s'exposer a la merci des flots, dans l'esperance que s'il
ne se presentoit rien de plus favorable pour eux sur la mer que sur la
terre, au moins la mort qu'ils y trouveroient, seroit plus promte, et les
delivreroit plutot de leurs miseres. Cependant ils se flatoient encore de
l'esperance de pouvoir aborder en quelque autre pais, ou il y auroit des
choses propres pour la nourriture des hommes.
"Ainsi chacun travailla selon ses forces a calfater la chaloupe, a faire
provision de limacons, a remplir des futailles d'eau. Apres cela l'on mit
le batiment a la mer, et l'on quitta ce lieu, ou l'on n'avoit vu que des
deserts arides et des feux folets, et ou il n'y avoit ni betes ni gens.
On perdit bientot de vue ce pais sterile, le second Pilote de la flute
etant parmi cette troupe desolee, et la guidant par le cours du Soleil,
de la Lune et des Etoiles.
"Cependant ils avoient trois a quatre cents lieues de chemin a faire,
pour terrir a la cote septentrionale de la grande Java. On peut assez
s'imaginer a quelles soufrances ils furent exposez dans un tel batiment,
pendent une telle route, et avec si-peu de vivres, et si-mauvais. Par le
beau tems ils voguoient encore passablement; mais quand la mer etoit
grosse, les lames les couvroient et passoient par-dessus leurs tetes, et
la chaloupe etoit toujours sur le point de se voir submergee.
"Mais la plus cruelle avanture fut que les limacons se corrompirent, et
il n'y eut plus moien d'en manger, si-bien que pour tout aliment il ne
resta que de l'eau. La nuit il faisoit un froid insuportable, et le jour
on etoit brule des ardeurs du Soleil. Toute esperance de salut sembloit
etre retranchee, et les fatigues, aussi-bien que le manque de nourriture,
avoient entierement epuise les forces de ces infortunes, lors-qu'un matin
ils decouvrirent les montagnes meridionales de la grande Java."
This ship was probably wrecked in the neighbourhood of Dampier's
Archipelago, near which there is also an account of the loss of a ship
called the Vianen.)
The first circumstantial account that we have is that of Dampier; who, in
his celebrated Buccaneering Voyage in the year 1688, visited that part of
the North-West Coast, to which the name of Cygnet Bay has been attached:
of this place he gives a faithful and correct account, particularly with
respect to its productions, and the savage and degraded state of its
inhabitants: the same navigator afterwards (in 1699) visited the West and
North-west Coasts in His Majesty's ship Roebuck, in the description of
which he has not only been very minute and particular, but, as far as we
could judge, exceedingly correct.
Within the last fifty years the labours of Cook, Vancouver, Bligh,
D'Entrecasteaux, Flinders, and Baudin have gradually thrown a
considerable light upon this extraordinary continent, for such it may be
called. Of these and other voyages that were made during the 17th and
18th centuries to various parts of its coasts, an account is given by the
late Captain Flinders, in his introduction to the Investigator's voyage;
in which, and in that able and valuable work of the late Rear-Admiral
Burney, A Chronological Account of Discoveries in the South Sea and
Pacific Ocean, the history of its progressive discovery is amply
detailed.
It was intended that the whole line of the Australian Coast should have
been examined and surveyed by Captain Flinders; but the disgraceful and
unwarrantable detention of this officer at the Mauritius by the French
Governor, General Decaen, prevented the completion of this project.
Captain Flinders had, however, previously succeeded in making a most
minute and elaborate survey of the whole extent of the South coast,
between Cape Leeuwin and Bass Strait; of the East Coast, from Cape Howe
to the Northumberland Islands; of the passage through Torres Strait; and
of the shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The French expedition, under Commodore Baudin, had in the mean time
visited some few parts of the West Coast, and skirted the islands which
front the North-west Coast, without landing upon, and indeed scarcely
seeing, any part of the mainland. The whole of the north, the north-west,
and the western shores remained, therefore, to be explored; and in the
year 1817, among the numerous voyages of survey and discovery upon which
a part of the navy of Great Britain was so honourably and so usefully
employed, these Coasts of Australia were not forgotten. An expedition for
the purpose of completing the survey of its North and North-west Coast
was planned, under the joint direction of the Lords Commissioners of the
Admiralty, and the Secretary of State for the Colonies, to the command of
which I had the honour of being appointed.
The arrangements for providing me with a vessel and crew were made by the
latter department; and the Governor of New South Wales was instructed to
give up to my use any vessel in the colonial marine establishment that
should be deemed capable of performing the service; or, in the event of
there being none fit for the purpose, to purchase any suitable one that
might be offered for sale.
For my guidance I received the following instructions from the Admiralty
and the Colonial Department:--
Admiralty Office, 4th February, 1817.
SIR,
My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty being informed of the
arrangements of Earl Bathurst, His Majesty's principal Secretary of State
for the Colonial Department, for employing you in a survey of the
unexplored parts of the Coast of New South Wales, have commanded me to
express their concurrence therein, and to convey to you the following
instructions, to which you are to conform yourself, in addition to those
which you may receive from the Secretary of State.
The arrangements for providing you with a proper vessel and crew, and
other necessaries for the prosecution of the service having been made by
the Colonial Department, my Lords have no directions to give you on these
subjects, but to recommend you in the conduct and discipline of the
vessel which may be intrusted to your care, to conform, as far as may be
practicable, to the established usages of the navy, and to the
regulations for preserving health, cleanliness, and good order, which
have been established in His Majesty's ships when employed in Voyages of
Discovery.
In order to assist you in the care and use of the timekeepers and
instruments with which their Lordships have directed the Hydrographer of
this department to furnish you, and to follow your orders in all other
particulars relating to the service, my Lords have directed Messrs.
Frederick Bedwell and John Septimus Roe, two young gentlemen, who have
been recommended to them as peculiarly fitted to be of use to you, and
for whose appointment you have expressed your wishes, to accompany you
and to be under your command.
The principal object of your mission is to examine the hitherto
unexplored Coasts of New South Wales, from Arnhem Bay, near the western
entrance of the Gulf of Carpentaria, westward and southward as far as the
North-west Cape; including the opening, or deep bay called Van Diemen's
Bay, and the cluster of islands called Rosemary Islands, and the inlets
behind them, which should be most minutely examined; and, indeed, all
gulfs and openings should be the objects of particular attention; as the
chief motive for your survey is to discover whether there be any river on
that part of the coast likely to lead to an interior navigation into this
great continent.
It is for several reasons most desirable that you should arrive on this
coast, and commence your survey as early as possible, and you will
therefore, when the vessel shall be ready, lose no time in proceeding to
the unexplored coasts; but you are at liberty to commence your survey at
whichever side you may judge proper, giving a preference to that which
you think you may be able soonest to reach; but in case you think that
indifferent, my Lords would wish you to commence by the neighbourhood of
the Rosemary Islands.
Either on your way out, or on returning, you should examine the coast
between Cape Leeuwin and the Cape Gosselin, in M. De Freycinet's chart;
and generally you will observe, that it is very desirable that you should
visit those ranges of coast which the French navigators have either not
seen at all, or at too great a distance to ascertain and lay down
accurately.
You will provide yourself at Port Jackson with the seeds of such
vegetables as it may be considered most useful to propagate on the coasts
you may visit, and you will take measures for sowing or planting them in
the fittest situations, with a view not only to their preservation, but
to their being within the observation and reach of succeeding navigators.
You will take care to make duplicate copies of all your notes, surveys,
and drawings; and you are to take every possible opportunity of
transmitting one copy to Earl Bathurst, and the other to me for their
Lordship's information; but you need not send duplicates by the same
conveyance. And you will feel the necessity of writing by every
opportunity to acquaint both departments of your progress.
You will remain on this service till you shall have examined all parts of
the coast which have not been laid down by Captain Flinders, M. De
Freycinet, or preceding navigators, or until you shall receive further
orders.
I am, Sir,
Your very humble servant,
(Signed) J.W. CROKER.
To Lieutenant P.P. King.
...
Downing-street, 8th of February, 1817.
SIR,
As His Majesty's Government has selected you for the command of an
expedition which is to be fitted out in New South Wales, for the purpose
of exploring the yet undiscovered Coast of New Holland, and for
completing, if possible, the circumnavigation of that continent; you will
proceed with all practicable expedition to Port Jackson, and you will, on
your arrival, deliver to Governor Macquarie the accompanying despatches,
which state the object which you have in view, and the means by which it
is to be accomplished. The Governor will place at your disposal any
colonial vessel which you may consider best calculated for the voyage,
and you will concert with him as to the equipment of such vessel, and
avail yourself of his knowledge of the several persons in the colony, in
order to select a crew on whom reliance can be placed for steadiness and
subordination. Besides the persons necessary for the navigation of the
vessel, you will receive on board Mr. A. Cunningham, a botanist, now in
New South Wales, who has received the orders of Sir Joseph Banks to
attend you; and you will engage any other person, if there be such in the
colony, who possesses a competent knowledge of Mineralogy or Natural
History.
It is on every account most desirable that the Expedition should proceed
from Port Jackson as early as possible; you will therefore make every
exertion in your power to accelerate your departure from thence, and your
arrival at the point specified in your Admiralty instructions.
The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty having given you detailed
instructions relative to the naval objects of the Expedition, I have only
to direct your observation to the several points referred to in the
enclosed memorandum, as those upon which it is desirable to procure
information. You will exercise your own discretion as to landing on the
several parts of the coast which you may explore; but on all occasions of
landing, you will give every facility to the botanist, and the other
scientific persons on board to pursue their inquiries; and you will
afford them such assistance in the pursuit as they may require. If the
place selected for landing be in any way remarkable in itself, or
important from being at the mouth of a river, or a harbour, you will take
care to leave some evidence which cannot be mistaken of your having
landed, either by erecting a flagstaff, or sowing some seeds, or by
resorting to any other means which may at the time present themselves.
You will not fail regularly to keep a journal of your proceedings, and to
note down your observations, as they from time to time occur,
transmitting home by every opportunity intelligence of the progress which
you have made, and of the leading events which may have befallen you.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient, humble servant,
(Signed) BATHURST.
To Lieutenant P.P. King, R.N.
MEMORANDUM.
The following will be among the most important subjects, on which it will
be more immediately your province, assisted by your officers, to
endeavour to obtain information on any occasion which may offer.
The general nature of the climate, as to heat, cold, moisture, winds,
rains, periodical seasons; the temperature regularly registered from
Fahrenheit's thermometer, as observed at two or three periods of the day.
The direction of the mountains, their names, general appearance as to
shape; whether detached or continuous in ranges.
The animals, whether birds, beasts, or fishes; insects, reptiles, etc.,
distinguishing those that are wild from those which are domesticated.
The vegetables, and particularly those that are applicable to any useful
purposes, whether in medicine, dyeing, carpentry, etc.; any scented or
ornamental woods, adapted for cabinet work and household furniture, and
more particularly such woods as may appear to be useful in ship-building;
hard woods for tree-nails, block-sheaves, etc., of all which it would be
desirable to procure small specimens labelled and numbered, so that an
easy reference may be made to them in the journal, to ascertain the
quantities in which they are found; the facility or otherwise of floating
them down to a convenient place for shipment, etc.
Minerals, any of the precious metals, or stones; how used, or valued by
the natives.
The description and characteristic difference of the several tribes or
people on the coast.
The occupation and means of subsistence, whether chiefly, or to what
extent by fishing, hunting, feeding sheep or other animals, by
agriculture or by commerce.
The principal objects of their several pursuits, as mentioned in the
preceding paragraphs.
A circumstantial account of such articles growing on the sea-coast, if
any, as might be advantageously imported into Great Britain, and those
that would be required by the natives in exchange for them.
The state of the arts, or manufactures, and their comparative perfection
in different tribes.
A vocabulary of the language spoken by every tribe with which you may
meet, using in the compilation of each the same English words.
...
On the day that my appointment was dated, I received an order for a
passage in the ship Dick, a transport, hired to convey the 48th regiment
to New South Wales; and on the 17th of February, twelve days after my
appointment, left Gravesend; but from a tedious detention in the Downs,
and a succession of foul winds, did not finally leave Cork, where the
troops embarked, until the 3rd of April.
On the 26th of May, the Dick anchored in the harbour of Rio de Janeiro,
and remained for a fortnight, to procure refreshments for the troops, and
complete her water.
Hence to New South Wales the voyage was performed, without the occurrence
of any incident worth recording. The heads of Port Jackson were seen at
daylight on the 1st of September; but being to leeward of the port, the
ship did not anchor in Sydney Cove until the 3rd, after a passage from
Cork of twenty-two weeks, including the fortnight that was passed at Rio.
The same evening I waited upon his Excellency Governor Macquarie at
Parramatta, and delivered to him his letters and the despatches which
acquainted him with the particulars of my mission; upon which His
Excellency, after expressing himself anxious to give every assistance in
his power in forwarding the service I had to perform, informed me that
there were only two vessels belonging to the colony that could suit my
purpose: one of one hundred tons that had been lately launched, and the
other a brig of seventy tons, the Lady Nelson, that was built at Deptford
in the year 1799, and sent out to the colony, expressly for the purpose
of surveying the coast; she had, however, for the last ten years, been
used as a coal-vessel, and was then hauled upon the slips, undergoing a
repair. Upon examining the two vessels, I found that the former, although
of convenient burden, not only drew too much water, but was in every
other way unsuitable for my purpose; and the latter required much repair
before she could be sent to sea, but as there was no other vessel at Port
Jackson, either for sale or hire, no choice was left but to prepare the
Lady Nelson as quickly as possible; and, as it was found absolutely
necessary to give her a new keel, stern-post, and cut-water, besides new
decks, with many new beams, there was no probability of completing her
for at least four months.
Fortunately, however, this arrangement was shortly afterwards rendered
unnecessary by the arrival from India, of the Mermaid, a cutter of 84
tons burden, built of teak, and not quite twelve months old: her length
was 56 feet; breadth of beam 18 feet 6 inches; and did not, when
deep-laden, draw more than 9 feet; her bottom was rather sharper than was
convenient for the purpose of taking the ground; but, as I could not
expect to find every advantage combined in one vessel that was necessary
for the purpose of surveying, the latter objection was of necessity
overruled; and being in every other respect superior to the Lady Nelson,
and requiring no repairs, she was eventually purchased for the sum of
2000 pounds sterling, and immediately appropriated to my use.
A schooner would have been much more convenient; but, as there was no
opportunity of making such an alteration, it could not be effected. My
statement of the arrangements that were requisite for our accommodation
was approved of by the Governor, who gave the necessary orders to the
Engineer, a captain of the forty-sixth regiment; and the Deputy
Commissary General was instructed to attend to all my demands, and to
supply the requisite quantities of provisions and stores; but,
notwithstanding every wish on the part of His Excellency to forward our
outfit and complete the vessel for sea without delay, it was not until
the 21st of December that the alterations were finished. Had we met with
as much opposition and inattention from the commissariat department as
from the engineer, the vessel would not have been ready for sea for six
months; it is, however, a duty I owe to Deputy Commissary General Allan,
to acknowledge the readiness with which that officer's department
attended to my wants.
The following is a list of the officers and men who formed the crew of
the Mermaid:--
Commander:
Lieutenant Phillip Parker King.
Master's mates, 2:
Mr. Frederick Bedwell.
Mr. John Septimus Roe.
Botanical collector:
Mr. Allan Cunningham.
Seamen, 12.
Boys, 2.
Total, 18.
In addition to this establishment, I accepted the proffered services of
Boongaree, a Port Jackson native, who had formerly accompanied Captain
Flinders in the Investigator, and also on a previous occasion in the
Norfolk schooner. This man is well known in the colony as the chief of
the Broken Bay tribe; he was about forty-five years of age, of a sharp,
intelligent, and unassuming disposition, and promised to be of much
service to us in our intercourse with the natives: this addition made our
number amount to nineteen, for which we carried provisions for nine
months, and twelve weeks' water.
...
VOYAGES FOR THE SURVEY
OF THE
INTERTROPICAL COASTS
OF
AUSTRALIA.
CHAPTER 1.
Intended mode of proceeding, and departure from Port Jackson.
Visit Twofold Bay.
Natives seen.
Passage through Bass Strait and along the South Coast to King George the
Third's Sound.
Transactions there.
Voyage to the North-West Cape, and Survey of the Coast between the
North-West Cape and Depuch Island, including the examinations of Exmouth
Gulf, Curlew River, and Dampier's Archipelago.
Loss of Anchors, and Interview with the Natives.
Remarks upon Dampier's account of Rosemary Island, and of the Island upon
which he landed.
1817. December 21.
At the time that the Mermaid was ready to commence her voyage, it was the
season when the westerly monsoon blows over that part of the sea which
separates the islands of Timor and New Guinea from Australia; it was
therefore necessary, in order to benefit by the direction of the wind, to
commence the survey of the coast at its western extremity, the North-West
Cape: but, to do this, the passage was to be made, by taking the western
route, as it is called; that is, by passing either through Bass Strait,
or round Van Diemen's Land, and steering up the West Coast. In doing
this, the vessel would, doubtless, have to encounter much bad weather;
and, on her arrival might, probably, be more fit to return than to
commence the survey of a dangerous and an unknown coast. The passage to
the northward, through Torres Strait, would have been, on all accounts,
the most advisable route, had the season been more advanced; and, indeed,
it would have been even better to wait until March for that purpose; but
this would be a loss of time in which much might be effected, were we
only fortunate enough to make the western passage without accident: under
all these circumstances, I was induced to prefer the route of Bass
Strait, rather than remain idle, after the vessel was completed.
Before we left Port Jackson, His Excellency the Governor was made
acquainted with my intended mode of proceeding; that, having passed Bass
Strait to King George the Third's Sound, I should there complete my water
and fuel: then, by steering up the West Coast, to commence my survey at
the North-West Cape, and examine the coast easterly until the westerly
monsoon should begin to decline; upon which I proposed to leave the land,
and proceed as far to the eastward as the remainder of the monsoon would
allow; when I might examine the coast back with the easterly monsoon as
long as my stock of water lasted; and lastly, if I could not get a supply
upon the coast, to go to Timor, by which time my provisions would,
probably, be so reduced as to oblige my returning to Port Jackson to
prepare for a second voyage.
December 22.
Having made our final arrangements, we left Port Jackson on the 22nd of
December, with a fresh northerly breeze, which continued until the
evening of the 24th, when we were abreast of Cape Howe. After this a
heavy gale of wind from South-West obliged us to run into Twofold Bay for
shelter, and to repair some trifling damage which we had already
sustained.
Twofold Bay was discovered by Mr. Bass in 1797; and, although it is for
the most part too open and exposed to easterly winds for large ships, yet
it has a cove on its northern side, in which small vessels find secure
anchorage and a convenient place for stopping at, if bound to the
southward; and hence its name of Snug Cove. It is completely land-locked,
and it also conveniently affords both wood and water, and is neither
difficult to enter nor to leave.
December 26.
When passing Red Point, which is on the south side of the bay, several
natives were seen upon it; one of them came to the verge of the rocks
that overhang the extremity of the point, and made violent gestures, but,
whether they were those of friendship or hostility, could not be
ascertained. Boongaree answered him in the Port Jackson language, but
they were equally unintelligible to each other. The native had a spear in
one hand, and either a throwing stick, or a club, in the other; both of
which, with his legs widely extended, he flourished most furiously over
his head. This man was quite naked, but a woman near him wore a
kangaroo's skin over her shoulders. Several small parties of natives were
seen in the other parts of the bay, but they appeared more anxious to
avoid than to court a communication with us.
On anchoring in Snug Cove, I went on shore with Mr. Roe and Mr.
Cunningham: Boongaree also accompanied us, clothed in a new dress, which
was provided for him, of which he was not a little proud, and for some
time kept it very clean.
Wood was abundant and near at hand, and the water, which is in a morass
at the back of the beach, although shallow, and covered with a species of
azolla, was both good and plentiful.
The soil of the hills, contiguous to Snug Cove, is very good, and covered
with luxuriant grass. The country appeared to be thickly wooded, but near
the water the trees, which were principally species of the eucalyptus and
the casuarina, were small and stunted.
In our strolls during the day along the beach, and over the surrounding
hills, we did not encounter any inhabitants, although recent signs of
them were visible at every step; several beaten paths were observed
leading to the morass from different directions, on the banks of which
were many shells (Haliotis gigantea, Linn.) used by the natives for
drinking-vessels.
In the evening, after hauling the seine on the beach without success, we
were upon the point of embarking, when we discovered, at about seventy or
eighty yards up the hill, the heads of three or four natives peeping
above the long grass, evidently watching our movements, and probably
awaiting our departure to allow them to go to the morass for water.
Wishing very much to communicate with these people, we walked towards
them, but they suddenly rose and scampered up the hill among the trees,
which were so thick as soon to conceal them from our view. Boongaree
called to them in vain; and it was not until they had reached some
distance that they answered his call in loud shrill voices. After some
time spent in a parley, in which Boongaree was spokesman on our part,
sometimes in his own language, and at others in broken English, which he
always resorted to when his own failed in being understood, they withdrew
altogether, and we neither heard nor saw anything more of them.
December 27.
The next morning, the wind being easterly, we left the bay. On passing
Red Point, twenty or thirty natives came to the extreme point of the
cliff, shouting and hallooing and making violent gestures; a large group
of women and children appeared in the background, timidly concealing
themselves behind the trees and bushes; another party was quietly seated
round small fires on the rocks near the sea-beach, apparently engaged in
cooking their fish; and at a little distance from the last group, two
canoes were hauled upon the rocks.
The breeze being fresh from the North-North-East, we made rapid progress;
and at three o'clock p.m., rounded Cape Howe, with every prospect of
passing through Bass Strait before the wind should again veer to the
westward. In passing Cape Howe, we observed large fires burning on the
hills, made by the natives for the double purpose of burning off the dry
grass and of hunting the kangaroos, which are thus forced to fly from the
woods, and thereby fall an easy prey to their pursuers.
December 28.
The next day at noon, Kent's Group, in the eastern entrance of Bass
Strait, was seen; but, at one o'clock, the wind shifted suddenly and blew
a gale from South-West, with heavy rain: after beating against it until
the following day, we bore up and ran under the lee of Great Island,
intending to pass round Van Diemen's Land: at five o'clock, we passed
close to the Babel Islands, on which were heaped incredible numbers of
sea-birds of various descriptions, each species huddled together in
flocks separate from the other. On another part of the island many seals
were seen, by the growl of which, and the discordant screams of the
birds, a strange confused noise was made, not ill adapted to the name the
island bears.
December 29.
By the following day, we had made some progress along the eastern side of
Van Diemen's Land, but in the evening, the wind shifted to South-East,
and induced us to try the Strait once more. In passing the low
north-easternmost point of the land, called by the French, Cape
Naturaliste, we had nearly run ashore from the darkness of the night, and
the little elevation of the land. Our sounding in seven fathoms was the
first indication of danger; and, on listening attentively, the noise of
the surf upon the beach was distinctly heard.
December 30.
The next morning we passed through Banks Strait, and entered Bass Strait.
1818. January 2.
But the wind was so light and baffling, that we made no progress until
the 2nd of January; when, with a freshening breeze from the eastward, we
moved rapidly on our way, and flattered ourselves with the hope of
clearing the strait before night. In this hope we were not deceived; but
before it was effected, we had very nearly suffered from the careless
look-out of the man at the masthead. At four o'clock we were near Three
Hummock Island, and steered so as to pass close to its northern point, in
order that we might obtain a correct latitude for sights for the
chronometers. Being within half a mile of it, rocks were suddenly seen
outside and so close to us, that it was then too late either to haul up
or bear away; the rocks to windward and the land to leeward preventing
us: nothing was therefore left to us but to proceed and take the chance
of finding sufficient depth of water between the point and the rocks;
providentially there proved to be a passage of one-eighth of a mile wide,
and the cutter passed safely through. These islands were examined by
Commodore Baudin, and an elaborate survey made of them by his officers;
but this danger is not noticed on their plan of the group. The rocks bear
North 30 degrees West (by compass) from the northernmost point of the
island, and North 8 degrees East (by compass) from the northernmost
hummock. I do not think they extend far from the shore.
At sunset, we were in the meridian of Albatross Island, and by midnight
cleared the Strait, when we steered a course for King George the Third's
Sound.
Upon examining our bread, we found that a considerable quantity was
spoiled from damp and leaks, which necessarily obliged us to go at once
upon a reduced allowance of that article.
January 16.
From a succession of westerly winds, the vessel was driven so near to the
Archipelago of the Recherche, that we were induced to bear up for the
anchorage in Goose Island Bay; but as we steered round Douglas's Isles,
the wind veered back to the South-East, and we might have proceeded: we
were, however, so near the anchorage, that I determined upon occupying it
for the night; and steering in between Middle Island and Goose Island,
the anchor was dropped off the first sandy beach to the eastward of the
highest hill, at the north-west end of the former.
In the evening I landed with the botanist and Mr. Roe, but we found
little that was worthy of our attention. The basis of the island is
granitic, and covered with a shallow soil, formed of decayed vegetable
matter, mixed with sand, which nourishes the stunted vegetation that
thickly clothes the surface, particularly on the north-eastern, which is
its most sheltered side.
No animals were observed, excepting some small quadrupeds, which were
momentarily seen by Mr. Roe, and, from his description, were
kangaroo-rats. On Goose Island, the bird from which it takes its name
appeared to be abundant; but there was too much surf to permit our
landing upon it, and we were not so much in want of fresh provisions as
to induce our risking any damage to the boats: we found the bones of a
whale which had been thrown up on the beach where we landed.
January 17.
The wind in the night veered to North-East by East, to which quarter the
anchorage is much exposed; towards morning it blew fresh, but the anchor
held well. At dawn of day, (17th) we got underweigh and steered through
the islands; at noon, we were abreast of Termination Island, the latitude
of which we found to be 34 degrees 32 minutes. Our friendly wind died
away at midnight, and was succeeded by a short gale from the westward.
January 20.
On the 20th, at daylight, we were close to Bald Island, and in the
afternoon took up an anchorage in King George the Third's Sound, between
Seal Island and the first sandy beach, at the distance of half a mile to
the eastward of a flat rock in seven fathoms, sand and weeds.
In the evening we landed on Seal Island, which we had much difficulty in
effecting on account of the surf. Several seals were upon it, one of
which we killed; and some penguins were also taken. On the summit of the
island or rock, for it scarcely deserves the former appellation, the
skeleton of a goat's head was found, and near it were the remains of a
glass case bottle; both of which, we afterwards learnt, were left on the
island by Lieutenant Forster, R.N., who put into this harbour in 1815, on
his passage from Port Jackson to Europe, in the Emu, hired transport. We
searched in vain for the bottle which Captain Flinders left there,
containing an account of the Investigator's visit; my intention, in
looking for this document, was not of course to remove it, but to
ascertain its existence, and to add a few lines to the memorandum it
contained.
Iguanas, geese, penguins, gulls, and seals of the hairy species, were the
sole inhabitants of this rock. After leaving Seal Island, we landed on
the sandy beach abreast of the anchorage; in doing this the boat filled,
and the instruments were so wetted, that they were left on the beach to
dry during our absence. Our ascent, from the hill being steep, and
composed of a very loose drift sand, was difficult and fatiguing; but the
beautiful flowers and plants, with which the surface of the hill was
strewed, repaid us for our toil. These being all new to Mr. Cunningham
fully occupied his attention, whilst I remained upon the summit, from
whence a good view was obtained of the Eclipse Isles, and Vancouver's
breakers, both of which are well laid down by Captain Flinders, whose
correctness I had already many occasions to admire. An abundance of
shells of the helix tribe (Helix bulimus) was found on the top and sides
of the hill; and a calcareous substance was observed protruding from the
ground in every part, as noticed both by Vancouver and Flinders;* the
former also found it on the bare sandy summit of Bald Head, and supposed
it to be coral, a circumstance from which he inferred that the level of
the ocean must have sunk. Similar substances have since been discovered
by Dr. Clarke Abel, near Simon's Town, at the Cape of Good Hope, and are
described by him to be vegetables impregnated with carbonate of lime; but
from the specimens we obtained, it would appear that it is neither coral,
nor a petrified vegetable substance, but merely sand agglutinated by
calcareous matter**.
(*Footnote. Vancouver volume 1 page 49. Flinders volume 1 page 63.)
(**Footnote. Vide Appendix, C.)
January 21.
The next morning we got under weigh, and stood over to the entrance of
Oyster Harbour, off which we anchored to examine the bar; after
satisfying myself on this head, and choosing a spot within the entrance
to anchor at, we got under-sail, and in crossing the bar had not less
than thirteen feet and a half, being nearly about the time of high water;
but between the heads of the harbour it deepened to five, seven, and
eight fathoms. Our anchorage was about twenty-five yards from the eastern
shore, and not more than fifty yards within the narrowest part of the
entrance; it was convenient for our purposes, as the wood was abundantly
procured close to our water-holes, which were dug at the edge of the
sand, within thirty yards of the vessel; so that the people employed in
these occupations could be protected against the natives by the proximity
of the cutter, without preventing the necessary repairs to the rigging
being carried on at the same time by the remainder of the crew on board.
January 21 to 31.
During our stay in Oyster Harbour many parts of the neighbourhood were
visited by us; and on one occasion, Mr. Roe walked round its shores; in
doing which he got into great danger. Upon leaving the vessel, his
intention was only to go to a projecting head on the western side, for
the purpose of taking a sketch; but being tempted to extend his walk, he
had half traversed the shore of the harbour before he thought of
returning. He had already waded over the river that falls into the
North-West corner of the port, which was not more than four feet deep;
and to avoid crossing it again, he preferred returning to the tent, by
making the circuit of the harbour: but after proceeding some distance
further, he unexpectedly met with another river, deeper and wider than
that which he had previously passed; this proved to be the Riviere de
Francois of Captain Baudin; it falls into Oyster Harbour at its
North-East corner, about two miles to the eastward of the Western River.
In attempting to ford this, finding the water deeper than he expected, he
was obliged to swim about two hundred yards; and, from being burdened
with his clothes, narrowly escaped with his life. Fortunately he met with
no further impediment to his return, and reached the tent much fatigued.
We afterwards made an excursion up this river, but from the greater part
of the day being spent in searching for the entrance, which is both shoal
and intricate, we did not succeed in reaching farther than four miles
from its mouth. At the part where we left off our examination, it was
about sixty yards wide, and from ten to twelve feet deep; bounded on
either side by gently rising and well wooded hills; but the soil was
neither rich nor deep. The shoals of the river, which at the entrance
were very extensive, were covered with large flights of water-fowl; among
which curlews and teals were abundant.
Oyster Harbour is plentifully stocked with fish, but we were not
successful with the hook, on account of the immense number of sharks that
were constantly playing about the vessel. A few fish were taken with the
seine, which we hauled on the eastern side of the small central island.
At this place Captain Vancouver planted and stocked a garden with
vegetables, no vestige of which now remained. Boongaree speared a great
many fish with his fiz-gig; one that he struck with the boat-hook on the
shoals at the entrance of the Eastern River weighed twenty-two pounds and
a half, and was three feet and a half long. The mouths of all the creeks
and inlets were planted with weirs, which the natives had constructed for
the purpose of catching fish. Mr. Roe, on his excursion round the
harbour, counted eleven of these weirs on the flats and shoals between
the two rivers, one of which was a hundred yards long, and projected
forty yards, in a crescent-shape, towards the sea; they were formed by
stones placed so close to each other as to prevent the escape, as the
tide ebbed, of such fish as had passed over at high water. This expedient
is adopted in many parts of the continent; it was observed by Lieutenant
Oxley, R.N., the surveyor-general of New South Wales, in his journey on
the banks of the Lachlan River: the same was also seen by me on several
parts of the North-West Coast; and, from its being used on the
South-East, South-West, and North-West Coasts, it may be concluded to be
the practice throughout the country.
While waiting for an opportunity of leaving this harbour, Mr. Roe
assisted me in making a survey of the entrance, in the hope of finding it
more available for large ships; but in vain; for ships drawing more than
twelve feet water cannot pass the bar. The rise and fall of the tide is
not only very inconsiderable, but also very irregular; under some
circumstances we found that it rose three feet, but this was very
unusual.
Our gentlemen made several excursions into the country in various
directions, in the hope of meeting with natives, but not the least
vestige of their immediate presence was found; they were not however far
from us, for the smokes of their fires were seen every evening; probably
the fear of punishment kept them away, as they had formerly made rather a
mischievous attack upon some of the Emu's crew.
No marks were left of the ship Elligood's garden, which Captain Flinders
found at the entrance of Oyster Harbour;* but a lapse of sixteen years
will in this country create a complete revolution in vegetation; which is
here so luxuriant and rapid that whole woods may have been burnt down by
the natives, and grown again within that space of time; and it may be
thus that the Elligood's garden is now possessed by the less useful but
more beautiful plants and shrubs of the country.
(*Footnote. Flinders Terra Australis volume 1 page 55.)
Excepting the sea-fowl, which consisted of geese, wild ducks, teals,
curlews, divers, sea-pies, gulls, and terns, very few birds were seen,
and those chiefly of the parrot and cockatoo tribe; a species of the
latter was noticed of a rich black plumage, and very like the black
cockatoo of New South Wales. Kangaroos from their traces must be
numerous, but only a very few were noticed; the only reptile that was
found was a black snake, which Mr. Cunningham saw for a moment as it
glided past him. This gentleman made a large collection of seeds and
dried specimens from the vast variety of beautiful plants and flowers
with which nature has so lavishly clothed the hills and plains of this
interesting country.
A small spot of ground near the tent was dug up and enclosed with a
fence, in which Mr. Cunningham sowed many culinary seeds and
peach-stones; and on the stump of a tree, which had been felled by our
wooding party, the name of the vessel with the date of our visit was
inscribed; but when we visited Oyster Harbour three years and a half
afterwards, no signs remained of the garden, and the inscription was
scarcely perceptible, from the stump of the tree having been nearly
destroyed by fire.
A little without the east entrance of the harbour, we saw one of those
prodigious large nests which Captain Flinders observed near Point
Possession; it was built on the summit of an almost inaccessible rock,
exposed to the South-West winds; it measured four feet in diameter at the
top, and nearly seven feet at the base: it appeared to have been deserted
for some time, as the branches and sea-weed, with which it was made, were
strewed about the rock. Captain Flinders thought it probable that the
inhabitant was an eagle; but on our subsequent visit to King George's
Sound in 1821, we saw the same nest occupied by a hawk of a moderate
size.
On the 31st January we were ready to leave the port; but the weather was
so unfavourable that we remained until the following day. In the evening
a boat was sent to Seal Island to deposit a bottle, in which was enclosed
a memorandum informing future navigators of our visit, and intentions
with respect to our further proceedings. When the boat returned she
brought two seals, which had been killed on the island for the sake of
their skins, to be used for the purpose of refitting the rigging.
1819. February 1.
The next day (February 1st) the cutter was warped out of Oyster Harbour;
and, as the wind was from the eastward, we profited by it: after beating
out of the Sound we steered along the coast, and at eight o'clock were
abreast of West Cape Howe.
On rounding Cape Leeuwin, our crew were attacked with a bowel complaint,
and symptoms of dysentery; the want of a surgeon to our establishment was
most anxiously felt, from the fear that, by an unskilful or improper use
of medicines, I might increase, instead of lessen the progress of
complaints, which from the fatigues of such a service, in so warm a
climate and in the unhealthy season, threatened to be frequent and
severe. One or two of the people had complained of this disorder before
we left Oyster Harbour, but it was not until we had sailed, that it
assumed any serious appearance. After two days it happily began to
subside, or I should of necessity have been obliged to resort to some
place for relief, for we had, at one time, only four seamen to keep
watch.
February 10.
This sickness prevented our examining any part of the West Coast, as we
passed it; our course was therefore held at a distance from the shore,
and on the 10th the land to the southward of the North-West Cape was
descried at daylight. Its outline was so level as to appear like a thick
fog on the horizon; but, as the sun rose, we were undeceived. At seven
miles from the shore we found no soundings with 80 fathoms; but at eight
o'clock, being three miles nearer, we had 35 fathoms, sand, coral, and
shells. The bottom then gradually shoaled to 22 fathoms; upon which we
steered along the outer edge of a line of breakers that fronted the
shore, and after rounding a projection of the reef, steered to the
East-North-East, towards the extreme of the land.
The coast is here tolerably elevated, and may be seen at the distance of
six or seven leagues; it is composed of a red-coloured, sandy-looking
rock, which is very scantily sprinkled with small shrubs, and appears to
be extremely arid and sterile. The shore is fronted with rocks that
extend for three or four miles into the sea; on the extremity of which
the surf breaks with a continued foam. To the north the land suddenly
terminates with rather a steep slope, but a low sandy plain extends to
the East-North-East for three miles further, the extremity of which is
the North-West Cape. The fall of the high-land was called Vlaming Head,
after the navigator who first discovered this part.
After obtaining the meridional observation, we rounded the Cape, and
steered between it and a patch of breakers which lie at the distance of a
mile and a half from the shore: we were no sooner under the lee of the
land, than the air, before of a pleasant and a moderate temperature,
became so heated as to produce a scorching sensation; and to raise the
mercury in the thermometer from 79 to 89 degrees. We were also assailed
by an incredible number of flies and other insects, among which was a
beautiful species of libellula. The sea swarmed with turtles, sea-snakes,
and fish of various sorts; and the dolphin was eminently conspicuous for
its speed, and the varied beauty of its colours.
From the Cape, the low sandy land trended to the South-South-East for a
mile and a half, and then with the same character to South-South-West 1/2
West, in which direction it was lost in distance; and in the north east,
was a low rocky island.
The wind fell after passing round the Cape, and was so light during the
afternoon that we made no progress, and were obliged to anchor at about
three or four miles to the eastward of the Cape. At nine o'clock the wind
freshened with the flood-tide, which raised a heavy swell in which the
cutter rode very uneasily.
February 11.
And, in the morning, when we attempted to weigh the anchor, the cable
parted, having been cut by rocks. Owing to the bad construction of the
buoy, it did not watch; and, as the tide quickly swept us from the place,
we had no chance left of recovering the anchor. As the sun rose the wind
gradually fell; and, at noon, we were no farther advanced than a mile and
a half to the southward of the north east trend of the Cape. Here the
coast is low and sandy, and is of shoal approach. A small clump of
mangrove-trees on the beach was the first sign of vegetation that we had
seen; and, from the absence of verdure hereabout, is a conspicuous
object. The thermometer stood at 89 degrees. The ebb tide then commenced
and drifted us out near our last night's anchoring ground, and the
evening was spent, without success, in searching for our lost anchor. At
sunset a fresh breeze set in from the South-West, and fearing a
repetition of our loss, we continued under sail during the night, which
was past with great anxiety; and not without reason.
February 12.
For when the day broke, we found ourselves within one mile of the reef
off the South-West end of the island in the north east (which proved to
be Captain Baudin's Muiron Island), and drifting towards it so rapidly,
that in less than half an hour the vessel would have been thrown upon the
rocks. Standing to the eastward we discovered the three sandy islets--h,
i, and k; and at noon, we were near two other sandy islets, y, and z,
which appeared to be the north-westernmost of a group of low, sandy, or
rocky islets, extending to the South-East, beyond the limits of our
masthead view. The islets, y and z, are of circular shape, and not more
than a quarter of a mile in diameter; they are so low as not to be
visible from our deck at a greater distance than seven miles. Their
summits are crowned with a slight shrubby vegetation, the bright verdure
of which, separated from the dark blue colour of the sea by their
glittering sandy beaches, formed a pleasing contrast to the dull,
monotonous appearance of the mainland. These islets are in fact only the
dry parts of a shoal, on which the sand has accumulated, and formed a
soil to receive and nourish the seeds of plants, which have either been
drifted on shore by the tide, or been brought by birds from the
continent.
At sunset we anchored under the land, but soon afterwards the wind blew
so fresh, that the fluke of our anchor broke, and we were obliged to drop
another; which was the last we possessed, besides a small stream anchor
that was too light to use, excepting in a calm.
February 13.
The next morning being fine, and favourable for another search after our
lost anchor (the recovery of which from our last night's misfortune had
become of very great consequence) we bore up along the shore, and soon
arrived at the spot; but after some time spent in the search, without
success, we were at last obliged to relinquish the attempt, and gave up
all hope of ever finding it.
February 14.
We then returned into the gulf to prosecute its examination, but as
usual, the wind fell, and the only progress we made was by the assistance
of the flood-tide, which ran until sunset; a fresh breeze then sprung up,
and the night was passed under sail. At daylight the following morning
the cutter was about four miles from the western shore, but the day was
so calm that very little progress was made. The thermometer indicated a
temperature of 97 degrees, which, from the absence of the sea-breeze, and
from our not having an awning to protect us from the sun's rays, was
almost insufferable; and although our crew were happily in good health,
yet my fears were momentarily alive lest any should be taken ill. A
land-wind at night enabled us to make some progress, and before dark we
had reached twenty-five miles into the opening without seeing anything
like its termination; the western side still trended in a southerly
direction, losing itself in distance, and bore the appearance of being an
island.
February 15.
By the next day we descried some hills of peaked shape to the southward,
which was the only indication we had of the termination of the gulf: to
the eastward the islands were very numerous and low; but to the
South-East the land was so continuous as to impress us with the idea of
its being the continent. We steered towards it to satisfy our doubts but
the water shoaled and prevented our approaching it near enough to
ascertain the fact. The gulf was here so much narrower, and the bottom so
uneven and rocky, that an anchorage was now of material importance, but
our poverty in anchors made me fearful of risking our last upon a bottom
of the least questionable nature. Before dark however we were fortunate
in finding a bay on the western shore, in which the anchor was dropped in
three fathoms muddy bottom, at one mile from the shore.
The discovery of this anchorage proved so welcome to our fatigued crew,
that the place was not unaptly named the Bay of Rest. We remained here
three days, in which time I was enabled to lay down my plan of the gulf,
and give some little respite to the people who had been up both night and
day, and most laboriously occupied, since we rounded the North-West Cape.
As soon as the vessel was secured Mr. Bedwell landed on the eastern shore
of the bay, and found it to be of bold approach, but lined with coral
rocks, and covered with dead shells, among which a buccinum of immense
size was noticed. The soil, if such it can be called, is composed of a
red quartzose sand; but on the hills it contained also a small portion of
earth, which gave it a strong resemblance to brick-dust. The country is
slightly sprinkled with a stunted vegetation, and bore a most desert-like
appearance; and on the shore we noticed a few mangrove bushes.
The sea was abundantly stocked with fish and turtle, though it did not
appear to be the season for the latter to lay their eggs. An immense
shark was hooked, but it broke the hook and escaped: its length was about
twelve feet, of an ashy-gray colour, spotted all over with darker marks;
the belly was white, and the nose short; it was altogether different from
any we had before seen. The impression of what appeared to have been an
emu's foot was noticed upon the sand, there is reason, however, to think
we may have been deceived; we never afterwards saw one of those birds on
the north coast.
The country was covered with immense ant-hills; one that Mr. Cunningham
measured was eight feet high, and nearly twenty-six in circumference; but
on breaking it up, he found it to be deserted by its constructors: an
iguana, which was hunted by that gentleman, took refuge in one of these
hills, which proved a safe asylum, for, although he broke a great part
down, it escaped.
February 16.
During the following day, Mr. Bedwell examined the bottom of the bay,
where he found a narrow opening, communicating with an inner basin of
small extent, containing from two to five feet water, well stocked with
fish: during the afternoon Mr. Roe walked over the sand-ridges behind the
beach, and provided me with an outline, and the particular features of a
part of the coast.
The country at the back of the bay was in flames during our stay, which
proved, if a proof were required, that this arid and barren extremity of
Australia is not destitute of inhabitants; and although we saw none, it
is probable that they were not ignorant of our presence, but from
timidity intentionally avoided us. The heat was very great; on board, the
thermometer did not stand higher than 90 degrees, whilst on shore it rose
to 105 degrees, and when exposed to the sun to 119 degrees.
February 18.
On the morning of the 18th we resumed the examination of the inlet, but
having proceeded only six miles farther, there was every appearance
either of its termination, or of its communicating with the sea. The
channel had become narrow and shoal, and as I was not prepared for so
critical a navigation, the further examination was given up, and we bore
up to coast along the eastern shore; but, from the shoalness of the
water, we were obliged to sail at so great a distance that its continuity
was by no means distinctly traced. The inlet was named Exmouth Gulf, in
compliment to the noble and gallant Viscount.
February 19.
Having by night reached a clear space, the cutter was kept under sail;
and the next morning Vlaming Head and Muiron Island were seen, as well as
the islets y and z, and the others to the South-East. The course was then
directed to the eastward, and having reached within four miles of the
coast, the depth of water was only two and a half fathoms. At noon, we
passed between two other islets; and, during the afternoon, steered along
the coast parallel to it, and within a range of low sandy islets, of
similar character with y and z, and the other islets in their vicinity. A
low, sandy projection of the coast was named after Edward Hawke Locker,
Esquire.
Twelve miles to the eastward of Cape Locker the shore is lined with
mangroves, among which a small opening, like a rivulet, was observed. On
attempting to approach it, we were prevented by a reef of rocks that
stretched across its entrance; but we succeeded in finding an anchorage
about three miles to the eastward of the inlet, in two and a half fathoms
at about a quarter of a mile from the shore.
February 20.
The following morning, we ascended it in a boat for four miles. On our
way to the entrance, which was between the reef and the shore, we had
some difficulty, even with the boat, in finding a channel; but when we
were within the heads, we found a regular depth of from ten to twelve
feet, the banks on either side were, for two miles, impenetrably lined
with mangrove bushes, which bore the marks of having been torn down by
freshes or inundations. Beyond this the banks were low and sandy, but the
channel of the river was of mud. At high water we landed to examine the
country, and ascended a sand-hillock, the only elevation we could find,
to procure a view around; it was so low that our prospect was very
limited, yet still it was sufficient to satisfy us of the aridity and
poverty of the soil: the country bore the appearance of having been under
water, which seemed to be occasioned by high tides, for there were large
patches of salt incrustations, which could only have been caused by an
inundation of sea-water. Two or three stunted bushes of a species of
eucalyptus were the only trees seen, excepting the mangroves. The soil is
composed of a mixture of red quartzose sand, mud, and clay, in which the
first bore the greatest proportion.
On no part of the coast did we find the heat so intense and oppressive as
in this river; the thermometer stood at 94 degrees, and the ground was so
heated that we were obliged to beat a bush down to stand upon, whilst we
were taking the bearings of some of the islets in the offing.
Some natives and a dog had very recently been crossing the little creeks
that fell into the river, for the impressions of their feet were observed
below the high-water mark; the mouths of the creeks were planted with
weirs, similar to those in the river at Oyster Harbour.
The river appeared to abound in fish, but the only sort that was caught
was what the sailors called cat-fish; they were of a nauseous taste.
Pelicans and curlews were very numerous, particularly the latter, in
consequence of which the inlet was called Curlew River; but the most
numerous and annoying of the inhabitants of this part were the flies,
from their constantly creeping into the eyes, nostrils, and mouth,
particularly during our meals; and it required some little trouble to
partake of our repast without also conveying with it several of these
troublesome insects.
On our return to the cutter, our party very imprudently bathed, which
occasioned, to some of them, two or three days' indisposition, and it was
fortunate that they did not suffer from a coup de soleil. This
indiscretion was, however, never afterwards permitted.
During the absence of the boat, Mr. Bedwell landed abreast the anchorage,
and walked a mile inland to one of the salt marshes. On his way, he
passed several ant-hills of the same description as those seen by us at
the Bay of Rest. The coast is here protected from inroads of the sea by a
barrier of sand dunes, from ten to twenty feet high, on which were
growing a variety of plants, particularly a species of convolvulus,
which, from the great size and length of its stem, being an inch in
diameter and extending along the beach for more than thirty yards, is
very conspicuous. Behind these dunes the country is flat, and in most
parts below the level of the sea; so that when the tides rise high enough
to pass over the breaks in the dunes, the country is inundated, when, by
the intense heat of the sun, the water is very speedily evaporated, and a
salt incrustation, to a great extent, is formed upon the plains. At the
distance of four or five miles from the beach, a small range of rocky
hills, apparently destitute of vegetation, formed a boundary to the view.
The shore is lined by a barrier of sharp rocks, covered with species of
ostrea and nerita, but although these were the only living testaceous
animals that were found, the beach was covered with a multitude of dead
and imperfect shells of various species.
In the evening, after our return from the river, the weather clouded, but
afterwards cleared up with a change of wind from the South-East, which,
from its heat, and from the listless sensations it caused, resembled the
hot land-wind of Port Jackson: this seems to afford additional ground for
the hypothesis that the interior of this immense island is occupied by
vast sandy deserts.
February 22.
On leaving this anchorage it was low water, when the depth was only six
inches more than the vessel's draught; but the bottom being of mud, it
deepened inch by inch, until we reached four, five, and six fathoms; and
upon this depth we sailed the whole day, passing through a cluster, or
rather range of sandy islets. In the evening we anchored under one of
larger size than usual, about four miles from the mainland, the shores of
which had been traced during the day, without losing sight of any part of
it; it was still low, and bounded either by dunes of sand, or an
impervious forest of mangroves, beyond which no part of the interior
could be seen.
February 23.
The following day was spent in examining a bight, but we were prevented
from penetrating to the bottom by the shoalness of the water. We were,
however, near enough to see large sheets of water over the mangrove belt
that lined the shore, in which many openings were observed that
communicated with it. Beyond the lakes was a range of rocky hills, that
bounded our masthead view. The bight is fronted by a crowded range of
sandy islets, from which we did not extricate ourselves until the next
day.
Having passed out between two sandy islets, our course was held to the
northward, outside of a range of islets, and parallel to the mainland;
which was soon afterwards lost to view by trending to the eastward. At
one o'clock we passed round a larger and a more elevated island, as well
as of a more rocky character than those to the southward; and then
steered to the eastward, towards the next projecting point of the main,
named after my friend Richard Preston, Esquire, on our way to which we
left a small island about one mile to the northward of our track. In the
evening, we steered close round Cape Preston, but were disappointed in an
attempt to find anchorage near it, from the rocky state of the bottom, so
that the night was passed under sail, which, considering the number of
low islets scattered about, was running a dangerous risk, and this was
increased by encountering a severe squall of wind from the South-East,
which blew so insufferably hot that the thermometer stood at 89 degrees,
having been at 91 degrees all the previous day.
February 24.
The next morning it was calm and sultry; at ten o'clock we anchored near
a small sandy isle in the centre of the bay, until the sea-breeze set in,
which was taken immediate advantage of; and after weighing the course was
directed towards a steep rocky head, forming the South-West point of an
island, subsequently called Enderby Island, after a very old and valued
friend. On our way we had to pass round a sandy islet and a rocky reef of
considerable extent; after which we anchored off a sandy beach to the
eastward of Rocky Head.
Soon after anchoring the sky became black and clouded over the land to
the South-East, and assumed a very threatening appearance; heavy, dense
clouds, in which streams of vivid forked lightning momentarily appeared,
were rolling rapidly towards us, and made us fear a repetition of last
night's storm; the stream-anchor, the only resource we had, was therefore
dropped; and, with the topmast struck, we awaited the bursting of the
storm with much anxiety, and just cause of alarm for the safety of the
vessel: the clouds continued to roll towards us, but just as the storm
was on the point of bursting, the clouds suddenly dispersed and in half
an hour the night turned out as fine as it had threatened to be the
reverse.
February 25.
The next morning I landed with Mr. Roe, and climbed the summit of Rocky
Head before the sun rose; in the ascent we crossed several deep ravines
which, together with the hills, were thickly covered with a wiry grass
(spinifex) growing over and amongst heaps of rocks that were piled up in
all directions as if it had been done purposely; the greater part of the
surface of the island being covered with these stones, we had a
considerable difficulty in advancing, and it was not without some labour
that we arrived at the summit of the hill. Here the view was very
extensive; the coast to the eastward of Cape Preston trends inward and
forms a bay, the shores of which are very low. The land on which we were
appeared to be the south-westernmost island of a considerable
archipelago; and the land to the eastward was observed to be rocky and
high, in comparison to the low sandy country we had been lately passing.
From Dampier's description of Rosemary Island I was, at first, induced to
think that we had landed upon the identical island he visited; but this
error was soon discovered. An island to the northward, on which are three
hummocks, was soon recognised as Captain Baudin's Ile Romarin, it
therefore bears the name of Rosemary Island in my chart, and I have no
doubt of its being that under which Captain Dampier anchored, but not the
one upon which he landed. To the eastward of Enderby Island, a strait of
nearly two miles wide separates it from Lewis Island; and between Enderby
and Rosemary Islands is Goodwyn Island. The shores of the bay were
plentiful in shell-fish, particularly oysters; and beche de mer* were
also abundant in the crevices of the rocks; but there were no traces of
this part of the coast having been visited by the Malays, who annually
visit it to the eastward, for the purpose of taking that animal. The
tracks of natives and their fireplaces were everywhere visible and around
the latter the bones of kangaroos and fishes were strewed.
(*Footnote. Trepang, a species of Holothuria (Priapulus sp., Lam. iii.
76), an animal collected by the Malays for the Chinese market. Vide
Flinders Terra Australis volume 2 pages 231 and 257.)
On the north side of Rocky Head, in a ravine, under the shade of a ficus,
eight or ten gallons of water were found and brought on board; and near
it on a spot of tolerable soil Mr. Cunningham sowed some peach-stones.
February 26.
At daylight we left this anchorage, and proceeded to penetrate to the
eastward towards a deep bight or strait; the wind was, however, so light,
that we were compelled to anchor until the sea-breeze set in, when the
vessel was again under sail, and proceeded onwards. As we advanced, three
natives were seen in the water, apparently wading from an island in the
centre of the strait towards Lewis Island: the course was immediately
altered to intercept them, but as we approached, it was discovered that
each native was seated on a log of wood, which he propelled through the
water by paddling with his hands. Having hove to close by them, they
became much alarmed, and cried out in loud tones which were increased
when our boat was lowered and despatched after them; but it was not
without the greatest difficulty that Mr. Bedwell succeeded in bringing
one on board. On the boat's coming up with the nearest Indian, he left
his log and, diving under the boat's bottom, swam astern; this he did
whenever the boat approached him, and it was four or five minutes before
he was caught, which was at last effected by seizing him by the hair, in
the act of diving, and dragging him into the boat, against which he
resisted stoutly, and, even when taken, it required two men to hold him
to prevent his escape. During the interval of heaving to and bringing him
on board, the cutter was anchored near the central island, where a tribe
of natives were collected, consisting of about forty persons, of whom the
greater number were women and children; the whole party appeared to be
overcome with grief, particularly the women, who most loudly and
vehemently expressed their sorrow by cries, and rolling on the ground,
and covering their bodies with the sand. When our captive arrived
alongside the vessel and saw Boongaree, he became somewhat pacified, and
suffered himself to be lifted on board; he was then ornamented with beads
and a red cap; and upon our applauding his appearance, a smile
momentarily played on his countenance, but it was soon replaced by a
vacant stare. He took very little notice of anything until he saw the
fire, and this appeared to occupy his attention very much. Biscuit was
given to him, which, as soon as he tasted, he spat out, but some sugared
water being offered to him, he drank the whole; and upon sugar being
placed before him, in a saucer, he was at a loss how to use it, until one
of the boys fed him with his fingers, and when the saucer was emptied, he
showed his taste for this food by licking it with his tongue. He was then
taken to the side of the vessel from which his companions were visible,
when he immediately exclaimed, with much earnestness, and in a loud
voice, "coma negra," and repeated the words several times. After he had
been on board for half an hour, during which time he had been greatly
caressed, in order to induce him to give a favourable account of us to
his companions, he was taken half way towards the shore in our boat, and
then launched upon his log, to which was lashed an axe, and around his
neck a bag was suspended containing biscuits, and a little of everything
that he appeared to fancy or be amused with during his short captivity.
As soon as he perceived himself clear of the boat he paddled away, and in
a short time reached the shore and joined his terrified companions; who,
upon his approaching them, ordered him to stand at a distance until he
had thrown away his red cap, the bag, and the axe, and had answered
several questions which they were apparently putting to him. All this
time they had their spears poised and pointed towards him, and stood
huddled together in the greatest alarm; the women were kept away, but
their curiosity was so much excited that, although they were more
terrified than the men, they were seen peeping over the bushes and rocks
which concealed them, and attentively watching what was going on. Our
friend stood in the position of, and as motionless as, a soldier at
drill, and answered all their interrogatories and inquiries without
making the least movement. He was soon allowed to approach nearer, and
then the whole party cautiously advanced, with their spears still poised,
and surrounded him. His body was then carefully examined; and upon the
women and children being allowed to approach, they seated themselves in a
ring and placed him in the middle, when he told his story, which occupied
about half an hour. Upon its being finished, they all got up, and, after
shouting and hallooing to us, they went to the opposite side of the
island, leaving our presents upon the beach, after having carefully
examined them.
Before sunset Mr. Roe and Mr. Cunningham pulled towards the island in the
jolly-boat: on its approach the natives came down and appeared anxious
for the crew to land; but the shore was too rocky to admit of doing so
with security, and after making the natives a few presents, to obtain
which they waded up to their arms in the water, the party returned. The
natives were much amused with Boongaree's appearance, and frequently
addressed him, but his answering them in a strange language surprised
them very much; on his taking off his shirt they shouted loudly, and were
delighted; but on the return of the boat on board without our party's
landing, they were evidently much disappointed.
Our late captive was noticed in the background, but did not approach the
boat: he was, for an Australian, a well made man, and was at least six
feet in height. His hair was long and curly, and in it was stuck a short
sharp-pointed stick; he wore his beard long, no teeth were wanting in his
jaws, and there was no appearance of the septum narium having been
pierced: at every three inches between the upper part of the chest and
navel his body was scarified in horizontal stripes, the cicatrice of
which was at least an inch in diameter, and protruded half an inch from
the body. He could not have been more than twenty-two or three years of
age; and as for the other characteristics of spare limbs, long arms and
large head, he was a perfect facsimile of the inhabitants of the eastern
coast.
During the night their fires were seen on the island, and some were also
noticed on the mainland to the southward.
February 27.
Early the next morning the natives came down to the beach, and called out
loudly to us; but the glare of the sun, rising immediately over them,
prevented our distinguishing their movements. After this they
disappeared, and when we visited the island in the afternoon, we found
that they had left it: their shouting to us in the morning was therefore
to inform us of their departure, and was probably intended to convey to
us their farewell.
Upon landing at the island, we directed our steps to their huts, which
were of most miserable construction, being nothing more than a bush stuck
in the ground, and forming only a very indifferent shade. Here we found
the presents, which had been given to our late captive, deposited
carefully on the ground; but the bag, instead of having been opened at
the mouth, was torn asunder near the seam at the bottom; a fishing line
that had been given to him was also left behind, which surprised us the
more because the native had one of his own making attached to his log,
and therefore must have known its use.
It appears that the only vehicle by which these savages transport their
families and chattels across the water is a log of wood; that which we
had brought alongside with our captive friend was made of the stem of a
mangrove tree; but as it was not long enough for the purpose, two or
three short logs were neatly and even curiously joined together end to
end, and so formed one piece that was sufficient to carry and buoyant
enough to support the weight of two people. The end is rudely ornamented,
and is attached to the extremity by the same contrivance as the joints of
the main stem, only that the two are not brought close together. The
joint is contrived by driving three pegs into the end of the log, and by
bending them, they are made to enter opposite holes in the part that is
to be joined on; and as the pegs cross and bend against each other, they
form a sort of elastic connexion, which strongly retains the two
together. When it is used, they sit astride and move it along by paddling
with their hands, keeping their feet upon the end of the log, by which
they probably guide its course. Such are the shifts to which the absence
of larger timber has reduced these simple savages: they show that man is
naturally a navigating animal; and this floating log, which may be called
a marine-velocipede, is, I should suppose, the extreme case of the
poverty of savage boat-building all round the world.
The island is composed of a rocky basis, covered by a thin layer of sandy
soil. On the summit of the bluff east end of the island was observed one
of those immense nests that were seen at King George the Third's Sound,
the base of which measured seven feet in diameter. Whilst examining the
nest, some natives were descried on an adjoining island, and as our
principal object was to communicate with these people, we immediately
re-embarked and sailed towards it. On approaching the island, we overtook
two natives on their logs, who, on perceiving that we were pulling
towards them, became frightened, and made violent gestures as if
imploring us to go away. Four or five unarmed natives were standing on
the shore of the island, and watched our proceedings; and, upon our
sheering off and pulling away from the natives upon the logs towards a
sandy beach, the party on the shore walked a few steps towards it also,
and invited us by signs to go ashore. Upon the boat's touching the beach,
I landed, and taking Boongaree with me divested of his clothes, walked
towards the natives, who were standing together, a little in the rear of
one, who was probably their chief. The whole party were trembling with
fear, and appeared quite palsied as we approached and took the chief by
the hand. A little coaxing, and the investiture of a red cap upon the
chief's head, gradually repossessed them of their senses, and we were
soon gabbling each in our own language, and therefore mutually
unintelligible.
In a short time I obtained permission, which was asked for and granted by
signs, for the rest of our party to approach. The chief who had been
attired as above-mentioned was thought by Mr. Cunningham to be one of
those who waded into the water to receive the presents from him the
preceding evening: he was very inquisitive about our clothes, and
expressed the greatest astonishment at everything he noticed about us. He
ridiculed our repugnance to partake of a piece of the raw gut of a turtle
which he offered to us, and to expose our folly, ate a piece, which he
appeared to think a dainty, although it was quite fetid from
putrefaction. Our attempts to collect a vocabulary of their language were
quite unsuccessful. An axe, some chisels, and other tools were given to
them, but they expressed no pleasure in receiving the presents, or
astonishment at their effect. On our making signs for water, they all
simultaneously pointed to an island bearing North-East from the one on
which we were.
We now prepared to embark, and walked towards the boat accompanied by
these friendly savages, hand in hand; but as they drew nigh, a
water-spaniel belonging to me leapt out of the boat and began to bark,
which alarmed them so much that some of them ran off, and kept aloof
until we began to play with and caress the dog; and when they recovered
their fright, they were highly amused with his swimming after some pieces
of wood that were thrown into the water.
Boongaree was of course the object of their greatest attention: the
fashion in which his body was scarred was the subject of particular
remark; and when he pointed at the sea, to show them whence he came, they
set up a shout of admiration and surprise.
We now took leave of these friendly Indians, and went through the
ceremony of shaking each other by the hand, a mode of taking leave they
appeared perfectly to understand. No women made their appearance, but
there was every reason to believe that they were close at hand, for
several natives were seen from the cutter concealed close to us, armed
with spears ready to repel any attack we might have made, and to defend
the women and children of their tribe.
The boat was then steered towards the island to which the natives had
directed us; but as we pulled along its shore in search of a
landing-place, a party of twenty or thirty Indians were observed
descending the rocky hills towards the beach, with an evident intention
of preventing our going ashore; and upon our pulling into a small bight,
where there was some appearance of a stream of water, they threatened us
with spears and stones; at the same time loudly vociferating and pointing
to us to retire. Much unintelligible parley now ensued, during which we
endeavoured to convince them that we only wanted fresh water, and had no
intention of molesting them; but although they appeared perfectly to
understand our meaning, they were determined upon resisting our attempt
to land. A stone thrown at us by one of the foremost, who stood half up
to his middle in the water, was an earnest of their hostile intentions if
we persisted, and they were on the point of assaulting us with a shower
of spears, when we pulled out and returned on board, leaving the Indians
masters of the field. There was no mischievous feeling in their conduct
towards us, for we were in their power, and had they been inclined, they
might have speared the whole of our party before a musket could have been
fired by us. Their object seemed to be merely to get rid of us, and in
this they completely and very fairly succeeded, for our party was not
numerous enough to force a landing without resorting to means which would
have entirely destroyed the friendly intercourse we had just held with
the last tribe, and for which we were perhaps solely indebted to the
opportune capture that we made upon our arrival.
In consequence of the communication that we had with these natives, the
group between Lewis Island and the main was called The Intercourse
Islands.
February 28.
Early the next morning, we left the anchorage, and took up a fresh
station off the North-East end of the island from which we were repulsed.
On our passing the north side of it, we saw no marks of fresh water; if
there be any, it must be from rain-water collected and preserved in the
holes of the rock. As we passed the east point, two natives were observed
crossing over to the main upon their logs, and this was the last we saw
of them.
Hence the strait takes a northerly direction, and was named Mermaid's
Strait, after our little vessel which had thus first sailed through it.
Mr. Roe, in the afternoon, examined an opening in the land to the
eastward of our anchorage; but found it to be overrun with mangroves, and
entirely destitute of fresh water.
1818. March 1.
The next day we steered through the strait. Three openings were observed
on the eastern side, which appeared to be straits separating as many
islands; the northernmost was called Gidley Island. To the north of Lewis
Island is Malus Island, the north east end of which is formed by a high
bluff point, named Courtenay Head; whose summit, from its elevation and
position, appeared to offer so good an opportunity of obtaining a
bird's-eye view of a great part of the Archipelago, that the cutter was
anchored in a bay under its west side; and as soon as the vessel was
secured, we landed and climbed the Head, and were repaid for the trouble
by a very extensive view, and a useful set of bearings of the islands and
rocks in its vicinity.
Malus Island is of the same formation as Enderby Island, and is clothed
with the same kinds of plants. The ravines are deep, and the sides of the
hills are covered with the same stone, of which a pile was erected on the
summit of the head to mark the spot where the circumferentor was placed.
Some turtle tracks were seen upon the beach; and when we returned to the
vessel Mr. Bedwell landed to watch for their coming on shore, but none
appeared, and since we found no eggs, it is probable that the young had
already taken to the water.
March 2.
The next morning we sailed, and attempted to steer round the western side
of Malus Island; but were prevented from passing between it and Rosemary
Island by the shoalness of the water. There is, however, every reason to
believe that in mid-channel the water is deep enough for any purpose; but
as our persisting would have answered no end, we steered across Mermaid's
Strait, and by sunset were abreast of Cape Bruguieres, so named by
Captain Baudin, round which the land trended to East by South, forming
the south side of a shoal strait, separating Gidley Island from Captain
Baudin's Legendre Island: the latter is a narrow, long, rocky island,
lying East-South-East and West-North-West, and is of a lower character
than the islands to the southward of it. We anchored under the North-West
end of this island.
March 3.
But the ground was so uneven and rocky that we considered ourselves
fortunate in recovering the anchor the next morning without breaking it;
for during the night the anchor dragged and hooked a rock; on weighing
it, however, the rock proved to be rotten and broke away. The strait
between Legendre and Gidley Islands is full of shoals, which at daylight
being dry, were covered with immense flights of pelicans and other
water-fowl.
During the day and following night we were becalmed off the north side of
Legendre Island.
March 4.
The next day we passed round its South-East end, and, at sunset, anchored
in a deep bay. Off the South-East end of Legendre Island the sea is very
full of reefs and dry rocks, but between Hauy and Delambre Islands there
is a safe channel of nine and ten fathoms deep.
The bay in which we had anchored was called, at Mr. Roe's request,
Nickol's Bay; it is open only to the North-East, and affords safe
shelter, with good holding-ground. At the bottom of the bay, on both
sides of a projecting point of land, on which three round-backed hills
were conspicuous, the coast falls back, and forms two bights, the western
of which is backed by very low land, lined with mangroves; and may
probably contain a small rivulet: the other is smaller, but the land
behind it is higher than in the western bay, which of the two appears to
be of the most importance; but as the tide did not flow at a greater rate
than a quarter of a knot, very little was attached to any opening that
may exist there.
At this anchorage we experienced another squall, similar to that off Cape
Preston, but not so severe; the sand was blown over us from the shore,
although we were at least two miles distant from it.
March 5.
The next morning we steered to the eastward, along the land, and soon
after noon passed round Captain Baudin's Bezout Island; a projecting
point within it was named in compliment to my friend Aylmer Bourke
Lambert, Esquire; behind which a range of hills extends to the
South-South-East for five or six leagues, and then trends to the
eastward, toward a group of islands named by the French Forestier's
Archipelago, the principal of which is Depuch Island. Near this we
anchored in five fathoms sandy ground. Our course from Cape Lambert was
parallel with the beach, and although we were not more than from three to
five miles from it, yet it was so low that it could not be seen from the
deck; and even from the masthead it was but very indistinctly traced; nor
indeed is it quite certain that what we did see was really the shore of
the mainland.
March 6.
The vessel rode out the night rather uneasily on account of the wind
blowing a fresh breeze from the South-East, which freshened up when the
sun rose with such strength from the same direction that we were
prevented from landing upon Depuch Island. We passed the group at one
mile off; it consists of six islands, all of which, with the exception of
Depuch Island, are small and of a low sandy character. Hence the coast
trended to the North-East by East, but it was soon lost to view, for the
wind would not permit our making better than a North-East course. Before
noon we passed within a quarter of a mile of a part of the Geographe's
Bank, which was nearly dry; it lies twenty-two miles North-East from
Depuch Island.
Upon comparing my chart with Captain Dampier's description of the
Rosemary Islands, there appears to be little doubt but that M. De
Freycinet is justified in his conjectures, that the islands, called by
them Romarin and Malus, are those seen by that navigator. My conclusion
results from his description of the place he landed at, for he says:
"We were now on the inner side of the island, on whose outside is the
bluff point: we rode a league from the land, and I presently went on
shore, and carried shovels to dig for water, but found none. There grew
here two or three sorts of shrubs, one just like rosemary, and,
therefore, I call this Rosemary Island. It grew here in great plenty, but
had no smell...In the sea, we saw some green turtle, a pretty many
sharks, and abundance of water-snakes, of several sorts and sizes. The
stones were all of a rusty colour and ponderous."*
(*Footnote. Dampier Octavo 1729 volume 3 page 90.)
The rosemary plants were found by us on Enderby Island, and bore a strong
resemblance to the figure of one given by Dampier, which he thus
describes: Conyza Novae Hollandiae angustis rorismarini foliis: this
plant, found at Enderby Island, may naturally be supposed to grow upon
the other islands, since they are all similar in character. Enderby
Island he certainly did not visit, but I take Malus Island to be that on
which he landed, and the bluff, which he describes as the east end of the
island, is no other than our Courtenay Head, for it is the only land of
that character hereabouts, and is visible from the deck of a large ship,
at the distance of seven leagues. In the bearing that Dampier saw it,
namely, South-East, our Rosemary Island would appear to be joined to
Malus Island, and hence his opinion that it was "an island five or six
leagues in length, and one in breadth."
In one of his draughts (Number 9), he gives a view of the head, bearing
East-South-East, six leagues; and this bearing and distance, applied to
our Courtenay Head, will cross the latitude of 20 degrees 21 minutes,
which is that noted in the draught; and in the next draught (Number 10),
when the head bears South-East by South, two black rocks are inserted,
bearing South-East by East, and a point of land East: the black rocks
readily answer to the two flat rocks of my chart, and the land about
Gidley Island will bear East. No light can be thrown upon the subject
from his drawings of the headlands, since they are too minute to be
compared with nature.
That the Montebello Islands are not the Rosemary Islands is evident, from
their being low, having no bluff head, and from their not being visible
so far as Dampier saw those he described. No other land can answer as to
latitude but Rosemary, Malus, Legendre, or Gidley Islands; but, on the
two latter, there is no decided bluff, and when bearing South-East by
South, no land could be seen bearing East. The rocks of Malus Island, on
which we landed, are "of a rusty colour, and ponderous,"* and the bluff,
as I have before remarked, very conspicuously forms the east end of the
island.
(*Footnote. Vide Appendix C.)
Dampier remarks that Rosemary Island is two hundred and thirty-two miles
east of the meridian of Shark's Bay; this, applied to the longitude of
that place, will make it in 117 degrees 12 minutes, which is only 35
minutes east of my Courtenay Head.
This group was named by the French Dampier's Archipelago, and as there is
ample proof of its being the place which that navigator visited, the name
has been admitted by us; but we have also extended it to the islands
forming the east side of Mermaid's strait, which are laid down by the
French as a part of the mainland.