January 23.

Our route this morning was along the estuary of the Leschenault. About

five miles from this place we fell in with a party of natives, who

informed us that a few days before Mr. Elliott and those with him had

arrived there in perfect safety, and my anxiety on this point was

therefore set at rest. We passed the mouth of the river Collie at the

bar, which was almost dry, and halted for breakfast on the banks of the

Preston, about one mile from the house where I expected to find Mr.

Elliott.

MEET WITH MR. ELLIOTT. MR. ELLIOTT'S ADVENTURES.

No sooner was breakfast despatched than I set off to see Mr. Elliott in

order to hear the history of his adventures, which were not a little

surprising. He had, as I before related, started on the 17th of December

from the Williams, with only three days' provisions and, owing to some

mistake, had taken a south-south-west course and gone off in the

direction where we first saw his tracks, and had pursued this route for

three days, when, seeing nothing of the coast, he suspected he must be

wrong, and endeavoured to make a due west course; but from the impassable

nature of the mountain range at this point was unable to do so. About

this period also, owing to his powder-horn having been placed too near

the fire, it was accidentally blown away, and he was thus left totally

without protection in the event of any attack being made on them by the

natives. His own courage and resolution however never failed, and he

still made the best of his way to the southward, seizing every

opportunity of making westing. For twelve days he pursued this course,

subsisting on native roots and boiled tops of grass trees. About the

sixth day he fell in with some natives; but they ran away, being

frightened at the appearance of white men, and he thus could obtain no

assistance from them. At this period the filly strayed away from the mare

and was lost. His men behaved admirably; and on the fourteenth day the

party succeeded in reaching Augusta, having previously made the coast at

the remarkable white-sand patch about fifty miles to the eastward of it.

Notwithstanding the hardships and sufferings they had undergone this

party were but very little reduced in strength and, after recruiting for

a few days at Augusta, returned along the coast to Leschenault, where I

had the pleasure of seeing them all in good health and spirits.

THE VASSE DISTRICT.

January 21.

Whilst the party reposed themselves this day at Leschenault I hired a

horse and rode along the shores of Geographe Bay for the purpose of

seeing the Vasse district. The country between Leschenault and the Vasse

differs from those other parts of Western Australia that I have yet seen

in the circumstance that in several parts, between the sea and the recent

limestone formation, basaltic rocks are developed. A long chain of marshy

lakes lie between the usual coast sandhills and the ordinary sand

formations, about which there is some good land and good feed. About the

river Capel also there is a great deal of good land. The mouths of two

estuaries that occur between the inlet of Leschenault and the bottom of

Geographe Bay are both fordable. The district near the bottom of

Geographe Bay contains much good land, consisting of level plains thickly

covered with wattle trees; there are also at this season of the year

extensive plains of dry sand, which bear exactly the appearance of a

desert.

I passed the night at the house of Mr. Bussel, a settler who has the best

and most comfortable establishment I have seen in the colony, and

returned the next day to Leschenault with the intention of starting the

following one for Perth.

RETURN TO PERTH. RIVER ABSORBED IN SANDY PLAINS.

January 26.

Mr. Elliott this day joined us on our route to Perth, which was attended

with no circumstance worthy of notice until our arrival at Pinjarra. We

travelled over extensive plains which in the rainy season of the year

must be completely flooded, but in vain looked for the Harvey River and

the other stream which flowed from the hills to the sea. I could find no

watercourse in which they might probably flow, yet we had left them both

running strongly at not more than ten miles from the point where we then

stood. The truth was that they were absorbed in these marshy plains

before they came within several miles of the sea; and what threw a still

further light upon the subject was that, although these marshes were

perfectly dried up and had a hard-baked appearance at the surface, yet if

a hole about two or three feet deep was scraped in them water directly

came pouring into it.

On the morning of the 29th we reached Pinjarra; on the 30th Mr. Elliott

and myself rode as far as the Canning; and early on the 31st we had the

pleasure of entering Perth together.

CHAPTER 14. FROM SWAN RIVER TO THE SHORES OF SHARK BAY.

PLAN OF EXPEDITION.

At length, in the middle of February, after a mortifying delay of nearly

five months, an opportunity occurred which held out every prospect of

enabling me to complete the examination of the most interesting portion

of the north coast, together with the country lying behind it.

Three whale-boats having been procured, an engagement was made with

Captain Long of the American whaler Russel, of New Bedford, to convey my

party and the boats to some point to the northward of Shark Bay, and

there land us, together with a supply of provisions sufficient for five

months. My intention was to form a provision depot in some island, and

from that point to commence operations by the examination of the

undiscovered portions of the bay; and, should circumstances occasionally

render it desirable, I proposed to explore more minutely parts of the

country as we coasted along, or to make excursions to such a distance

inland as we might be able to penetrate.

Having completed the examination of the bay as far as we could with the

provisions we carried from the depot, I intended to return to it and,

after recruiting our stock, to make my way along the coast in the

direction of North-West Cape; making excursions inland as before at such

points as might seem to merit attention, and thus to continue to go

northward until our provisions were so far exhausted as to compel us to

return again to the depot; whence I finally proposed to continue my

examination to the portion of the coast left unvisited to the southward

of the depot, as far as Gantheaume Bay.

Several of the individuals who were to compose my party being now much

experienced in the difficulties that attend explorations both on the

coast and in the interior of the country, I felt that our enterprise was

not so hazardous as at first it might appear to be, especially as Mr.

Hutt had arranged with me as to a spot, to which, in the event of our not

returning to Swan River within a certain period the Colonial schooner

would be sent to look for us; and moreover the captain of another

American whaler had promised to visit North-West Cape at the end of July,

as it was his intention to remain in Exmouth Gulf during the season of

the bay fishing. We had thus two chances of being discovered in case of

any accident preventing us from effecting our previous return to the Swan

River.

The unfortunate occurrence which frustrated my expectations of completing

this design, and which threatened the eventual destruction of the whole

party, will be narrated in its place.

FROM SWAN RIVER FOR SHARK BAY.

I had taken three whale-boats in order to have a spare one should any

accident reduce the number; and everything being arranged I sailed in the

Russel from Fremantle on Sunday February the 17th 1839 at 3 P.M. with the

following party:

Mr. Walker, the Surgeon of the former expedition.

Mr. Frederick Smith, the young gentleman who had accompanied me on a

former tour.

Corporal Auger and Corporal Coles, Sappers and Miners.

Thomas Ruston, Sailor.

The last three, together with Mr. Walker, had been with me on the first

expedition, and to these were added:

H. Wood and C. Wood, Seamen.

Clotworthy, Stiles, and Hackney, taken as volunteers at Swan River.

And lastly, Kaiber, an intelligent native of the Swan.

Making in all twelve persons.

Our time during the voyage was occupied principally in getting the three

whale-boats in order and making other similar preparations. Poor Kaiber

the native was dreadfully sick from the first.

Sunday February 24 1839.

This evening we Sighted the centre of Dorre Island, and stood in to

within about two miles of the shore, which we found steep and rocky with

a heavy surf breaking on it; we then tacked and stood off for the night.

LAND AT BERNIER ISLAND.

February 25.

Soon after daybreak we made the north-western part of Bernier Island and,

doubling the point at Kok's Island, stood in to Shark Bay. Kok's Island

is very remarkable: it is nearly a tableland, about a quarter of a mile

in length, terminating in low cliffs at each extremity; and on the summit

of this tableland are several large rocks which look like the remains of

pillars. The land is low. By noon we were all disembarked on Bernier

Island. The point I had selected for landing on was a sandy beach in a

little bay, the southern extremity of which was sheltered from the

south-east by a reef running off the point. Captain Long of the Russel

made the shore rather to the northward of the point I had chosen and,

owing to his boat getting broadside on whilst they were landing the

goods, he was knocked down under it and nearly drowned.

He had scarcely left us (though the Russel was then more than six miles

off) when we found that our keg of tobacco had been left on board; the

vessel was soon out of sight, and this article, so necessary in hardships

where men are deprived of every other luxury, was lost to us. Everything

else was however found correct. Whilst the men under Mr. Walker's

direction were arranging the stores Mr. Smith, Kaiber, and myself started

to search for water but were unsuccessful. Whilst on our return we saw

three large turtles among some seaweeds in shoal water; and, after a good

deal of floundering about and some tumbles amongst the breakers, we

succeeded in turning them, and then brought a party armed with axes, etc.

and cut them up. One part we immediately converted into soup, and the

remainder was immersed in a cask of pickle as a store against unforeseen

misfortunes. When these portions of the turtle were put into the brine

long after the death of the animals, they quivered for several minutes,

as if still endowed with the sense of feeling.

DESCRIPTION OF IT.

Bernier Island consists of recent limestone of a reddish tinge,

containing many recent fossil shells, and having a coating of sand and

sandy dunes which are arranged in right lines, lying south-east and

north-west, the direction of the prevailing winds. The island does not

afford a tree or a blade of grass, but only wretched scrubby bushes.

Between the dunes regular beds of shells are forming which, when dried

and light, are drifted up by the wind. The only animals we saw were

kangaroo-rats, one pigeon, one small land- and many seabirds, a few

lizards, mosquitoes, ants, crabs, oysters and turtle.

BURY THE STORES. INEFFECTUAL SEARCH FOR WATER.

February 26.

Early this morning we had finished burying our stores. The wind had

freshened considerably about daylight, and throughout the day it blew

nearly a gale from the south-east; it now looked so foul that I feared a

long period of bad weather was about to commence. My own party, as well

as the crews of the boats which came off from the whaler, had during the

hurry and confusion incident on landing made very free with our supply of

water, and as, from the appearance of the island, I felt very doubtful

whether we should find any more, I put all hands on an allowance of two

pints and a half a day, and then employed the men thus: one party under

the direction of Mr. Walker worked at constructing a still, by means of

which we might obtain fresh water from salt; another made various

attempts to sink a well; whilst the native, another man, and myself

traversed the island in search of a supply from the surface.

At night the result of our efforts were recounted, when it appeared that

Mr. Walker had, by an ingenious contrivance, managed to have such a still

constructed that we might hope, by means of it, if kept constantly

working, to obtain just water enough to keep us alive. The party who had

tried to sink a well had invariably been stopped by hard limestone rock

in every place they had tried, and all their attempts to penetrate it by

means of a cold chisel and pickaxe had proved abortive. The party which

had been out with me searching for water had not seen the slightest sign

which indicated its presence on the island: we had taken a spade with us,

but wherever we dug had come down upon the solid rock. Under these

circumstances I reduced the allowance to two pints a day.

February 27.

This morning it still blew nearly a gale of wind from the south-east. The

men were occupied in the same manner as yesterday; but towards noon the

wind moderated a little, and as we could find no water I resolved to make

an effort to creep along shore to the southward.

LOSS OF A BOAT IN REEMBARKING.

My boat was soon launched in safety, but the Paul Pry, Mr. Walker's boat,

was not so fortunate; the water in the bay deepened rapidly from the

steepness of the bank, and the steersman, who was keeping her bow on

whilst the crew were launching, got frightened from the depth of water

and the violence of the surf, and let go his hold; when the next surf

threw the boat broadside on to the sea and, there being nearly half a ton

weight of stores in her, and the wind at this juncture unfortunately

freshening, she was in the course of two or three minutes knocked

completely to pieces. By this mischance all the stores in the boat were

lost, and nothing but a few planks and some articles of clothing were

recovered. I placed my own boat at anchor in a little cove for the night

and, leaving two men in her as keepers, the rest of us swam ashore

through the surf to render what assistance we could.

The loss of this boat was a very heavy misfortune to commence with; but

as I had taken the precaution in case of such an accident to provide a

spare one it was by no means irremediable; the other boat was all ready

for launching within half an hour, for by not allowing the men to remain

in a state of inactivity, and by treating the matter lightly, I hoped to

prevent their being dispirited by this unlucky circumstance.

The wind however continued freshening rapidly, and during the evening and

night we had heavy squalls accompanied by rain from all quarters, and

much thunder and lightning. During the night we collected a few quarts of

water in the sails.

February 28.

About ten A.M. the wind moderated so much that we ventured to launch our

remaining boat, now become the second, and in a few minutes both were

riding alongside one another in the little cove. We then commenced

pulling along the shore of the island, making about a south by east

course. Having the wind very nearly right ahead, and a heavy head-sea,

and about half a ton of stores in each of the boats, it was no very

enviable position that we were in; but anything appeared preferable to

dying of thirst on Bernier Island; my dislike to which was much increased

from the fact of Mr. Smith and myself, who slept side by side, having

been nearly tormented to death in the night by myriads of minute ants

crawling over us, by mosquitoes stinging us, and by an odious land-crab

every now and then running over us and feeling with his nippers for a

delicate morsel.

PULL FOR DORRE ISLAND.

It was nearly three P.M. when we reached the north-eastern extremity of

Dorre Island and found a most convenient little boat harbour, sheltered

by a reef from all winds. We therefore stepped out from the boats upon

the reef and left them lying comfortably at anchor: a search for water

was instantly commenced; Mr. Walker's party brought some in and we were

not a little glad to get it, although we heard that it had been collected

by suction from small holes in the rock and then spitting it into the

keg. I laid up in store this precious draught, and those who had been

otherwise employed now accompanied me, in order that each might suck from

the holes in the rock his own supply of water. The point on which we had

landed was a flat piece of land covered with sandy dunes which appeared

to have been recently gained from the sea, and on all the landward sides

of the flat rose steep rocky cliffs, which is the character of the shores

of this island. After climbing these cliffs you arrive at a flat

tableland which forms the general level of the surface. It was evident

that at no very distant time the sea had washed the foot of these cliffs.

DORRE ISLAND. ITS CHARACTER.

This island is exactly of the same nature as Bernier Island, the only

difference being that the land here was rather higher than on the former.

From the top of the cliffs the prospect was not at all inviting; to the

westward lay the level and almost desert land of Dorre Island, which we

were on; we had the same prospect to the southward; to the northward we

looked over a narrow channel which separated us from the barren isle of

Bernier and was blocked up by fearful-looking reefs, on which broke a

nasty surf; to the north-eastward lofty bare sandhills were indistinctly

visible on the main; whilst to the eastward we could see nothing but the

waters of the bay, which were tossed wildly to and fro as if by a coming

storm; yet the wind had fallen perceptibly, and the only alarming sign

was the peculiar look of the sky. After having made these observations,

and sucked up as much bitter dirty water as I could contrive to do, I

returned with the others to the boats.

WANT OF WATER.

The holes we found the water in were so small that we could only dip a

spoon into a few of them; the men however got plenty to drink and then

commenced hunting a small species of kangaroo-rat which is found on these

islands, and searching for turtle's eggs, in both of which pursuits they

were very successful. We then made blazing fires from driftwood which we

found about, and retired early to rest.

A HURRICANE.

About eleven o'clock I heard a cry of one in great distress, "Mr. Grey,

Mr. Grey!" I instantly sprung up and answered the call, when Ruston, the

boatkeeper in my boat, said, "I must heave all overboard, Sir, or the

boat will be swamped." "Hold on for a minute or two," was my answer,

whilst I stripped my clothes off. I found that it was blowing a terrific

gale of wind which increased every moment in a most extraordinary manner;

the wind was from the south-east, and the breakers came pouring over the

reef as if the bay was going to empty bodily all its waters into the

little cove in which the boats were anchored. I now called Mr. Walker and

Mr. Smith and desired them to follow me off to the boats with two or

three hands, and then swam out to my own, which I found nearly full of

water, and it was all that the boat-keeper could do to keep her head on

to the sea. In a minute or two Mr. Walker and Mr. Smith, who were ever

foremost in difficulties and dangers, swam off to assist me, but they

could not induce any of the men to face the sea and storm, which was now

so terrible that they were all quite bewildered. Mr. Walker swam to his

own boat; Mr. Smith came to mine. We made fast a line to all the stores,

etc. and Mr. Smith boldly plunged in again amongst the breakers and

returned ashore with it, a service of no ordinary danger, for the shore

was fronted with a sharp coral reef, against which he was certain to be

dashed by the waves, and, after having got on it, the breakers would keep

knocking him down and thus cutting his legs to pieces against the rocks.

Mr. Smith however reached the shore with the line, receiving sundry

severe cuts and bruises; and, to my great surprise, in a few minutes more

he was again by my side in the boat, baling away: it was still however

all we could do to keep the boat afloat.

BOATS DRIVEN ASHORE.

Mr. Walker now called out to me that his boat was drifting, and in a

moment more she went ashore. For one second we saw her dancing wildly in

over the breakers, and then she disappeared from us, and we were left in

uncertainty as to her fate; for, although we were close to the beach, it

was impossible, amidst the din of elements, to hear what was taking place

there. An occasional vivid flash of lightning showed us dark figures

hauling about some huge object, and then again all was wrapped in roar

and darkness. Mr. Smith and myself in the meanwhile were baling away, and

Ruston was striving with the steer oar to keep her head to sea, for the

instant she got the least broadside on the waves broke over her and she

filled again.

SERIOUS DANGER OF LOSING THE BOATS.

Mr. Walker, nothing daunted by the conduct of the men, having had his own

boat hauled up, again swam off to us, and for the next hour or two we

kept the other one not more than half full; but the gale, which had been

gradually increasing, now became a perfect hurricane, and it was evident

that this boat must also go ashore. We imagined that Mr. Walker's must be

stove in several places; and, as to have been left without a boat would

have been certain destruction to us, I swam ashore to have the party

ready to try and save mine by hauling her over the reef the instant she

grounded.

I arrived there with a few cuts and bruises, and found the men on shore

in a most miserable state; many of them were perfectly appalled by the

hurricane, never having seen anything of the kind before, and were lying

under the lee of the bow of Mr. Walker's boat, which, although he had

drawn it up high and dry upon the sandhills, far above the usual

high-water mark, was again more than half full of water and seaweed from

the waves every now and then breaking over her stern. It was with great

difficulty I roused the men and got them to clear out the seaweed, which

lightened her somewhat; we then hauled her up a little at a favourable

opportunity, and advanced her so far that we rather gained upon the water

by baling, and thus, by degrees, got her quite on land. But as the storm

continued the waves still continued to encroach upon the shore, and we

were obliged to repeat this operation of hauling up three successive

times in the night, which was one of the most fearful I have ever passed.

I lay drenched through, my wet shirt sticking close to me and my blanket

soaked with water, for I could not find my clothes again after I came

ashore. Whenever a flash of lightning broke I looked if the boat was

drifting in, and there I saw it still dancing about upon the waves,

whilst the elements were so mighty in their power that I felt shrunk up

to nothing, and tremulous in my own insignificance.

The grey dawn stole on and the boat gradually became visible; she had

drifted somewhat nearer shore, but there still were the three figures

discernible in her, Ruston working away at the steer-oar, and Mr. Smith

and Mr. Walker alternately baling. The storm now appeared to lull a

little and in a few minutes (about half-past five A.M.) it suddenly

dropped. The men now looked out again and I could hear Ruston saying, "I

believe we are now safe, Sir;" and I immediately ordered that two men

should go off and relieve Mr. Smith and Mr. Walker. They evidently feared

to make the attempt and said they could not swim, which was true as far

as some of them were concerned. I then ordered successively three men who

I knew could swim to take advantage of the lull and gain the boat: they

all attempted it, but before they got clear of the reef their hearts

failed them, and they declared they could not contend with the waves.

RENEWAL OF THE STORM.

Just as the last man had failed, the wind, which had hitherto been from

the south-east, shifted instantaneously to the north-west. We all quailed

or fell before it, for it came with sudden and indescribable violence;

the boat appeared to hesitate for one moment, in the next she came

dancing wildly in on the shore. The men reached her as well as they could

and we dragged her up. The storm now became so violent that even Mr.

Walker, who was a heavy man, was blown about by it like a child; there

was not a tree on the island, but the bushes were stripped from the

ground, and I found it impossible to keep my legs.

The sea all this time kept rising, being heaped up by the wind against

the shore, but whenever a momentary lull came we took advantage of it to

drag the boat a little further up; indeed the sea gained on us so much

that I had made up my mind it would sweep away the intervening sandhills

and once more wash the face of the cliffs. In this case we should to a

certainty have all perished.

DISTRESS FOR WATER.

At two P.M. the storm lulled considerably, and I immediately despatched

men in all directions to collect water from holes in the rocks, and made

the native and an old bushman try to light a fire; for those of us who

had been all the night and morning in the pelting rain, with nothing but

our shirts on, were benumbed and miserable from cold.

March 1.

The men who had gone out for water soon returned and reported that they

had been able to find very little which was not brackish from the spray

having dashed over the island; I therefore again reduced the allowance to

one pint a day and proceeded to inspect damages. Yesterday we had started

in good boats, with strong men, plenty of provisions, everything in the

best order; today I found myself in a very different position, all the

stores we had with us, with the exception of the salt provisions, were

spoilt; our ammunition damaged; the chronometers down; and both boats so

stoved and strained as to be quite beyond our powers of repairing them

effectually. Moreover from want of water we were compelled to make for

the main before we could return back to Bernier Island to recruit from

our ample stores there.

REPAIR OF THE BOATS.

Nothing however could be done but to have the boats rendered as seaworthy

as possible and, having given this order, the want the men experienced

for water was the best guarantee that they would execute this task with

the utmost diligence. As soon as I saw them at their work I started with

a party in search of water whilst another party under Mr. Smith dug for

it; and Mr. Walker superintended the rearrangement of the stores and the

digging up the seaweed for the purpose of recovering lost articles. I

returned just before nightfall from a vain search; Mr. Smith had been

equally unsuccessful in his digging operations, and we thus had to lie

down upon the sand parched with thirst, our only chance of forgetting our

misfortunes being a few minutes sleep.

THE BOATS NEARLY READY.

March 2.

The men continued working hard at the boats, and it appeared that their

task would be concluded this day. I once more started to look for water

and to examine the island; but our search was again unsuccessful. On

measuring the distance that the sea had risen I found that it had spread

up in the direction of our boats fifty-three yards above high water mark;

but what will give a better idea of the hurricane is the circumstance of

my catching a cormorant on the beach, about seven o'clock on the morning

of the 1st, and during the height of the storm, the bird not even

attempting to fly, being in appearance completely appalled at the

violence of the wind. It was reported to me at night that another hour's

work in the morning would render the boats fit for sea.

Sunday March 3.

The men had slept but little during the night for they were oppressed

with thirst; and when I rose in the morning I saw evident symptoms of the

coming of another roasting day. They were busy at the boats as soon as

they could see to work, whilst Mr. Smith and myself ascended the cliffs

to get a view towards the main. When I looked down upon the calm and

glassy sea I could scarcely believe it was the same element which within

so short a period had worked us such serious damage. To the north-east we

could see the lofty white sandhills in Lyell's Range; to the eastward

nothing was visible; yet this was the point to which I had determined to

steer, for several reasons. In the first place, the land in that

direction had never been visited; and secondly, I had found the shores of

Dorre Island covered with great forest trees, which must have been washed

across the bay, and which from their size could only have been brought

out from the continent by some large and rapid stream, which we at this

moment would gladly have seen as there was only about a pint and half of

water per man left.

SAIL FOR THE MAIN.

When we returned to breakfast I found the boats nearly ready for sea, and

about eleven o'clock they

had been all hauled down, the stores stowed away, and everything made

ready for launching, and off we went, not a little rejoiced at the

prospect of soon having an abundant supply of that liquid on which our

lives depended. There was scarcely any wind but that little was right aft

so that between sailing and pulling we made about five knots an hour. The

boats were however so heavily laden that the men found it very laborious

work, for they were exposed to the rays of a burning sun and had nothing

to drink but half a pint of water, which was all I could allow them.

We however persevered from soon after eleven A.M. until five P.M., when

the men began to get disheartened from seeing no signs whatever of land,

and I ordered my boat's crew to knock off pulling for a little, and in

Mr. Walker's boat, which was about a mile astern, they did the same. In

twenty minutes time I made my crew again take to their oars, but the

other boat did not in this instance follow our example, so that we kept

dropping her rapidly astern. This was very annoying; but as I was anxious

at all events to get a glimpse of the land before sundown we still pulled

away, trusting that the other boat would soon follow in our wake.

GROUND ON A SANDBANK.

About half an hour before sunset we sighted the land: several low rounded

hills were the first things seen; then what I conceived to be very lofty

trees rose in sight, and almost at the same moment the boat grounded on a

sandbank.

EXTENSIVE SHALLOWS.

I had observed this shoal several miles before we came to it and it

appeared to extend as far as I could see both north and south, but, as I

had no doubt that we should find sufficient water on it to enable us to

cross, I had given it no attention. I now however on looking more

carefully could perceive no limit to its extent in those directions and,

as I thought I saw deep water immediately to the eastward of us, I

ordered the men to jump out and track the boat over. This they did; but

on coming to what appeared to be deep water we found it was only a

continuation of the same sandbank, covered with seaweed, which gave the

water a darker appearance. The men now alternately tracked or pulled the

boat for about five miles over a continuation of the sandbank; a work

very fatiguing to those who were already exhausted by several days'

continuous exertion on a very short allowance of water in a tropical

climate. It had now been for some time night, and we had taken a star for

our guide which just before sunset I had seen rising over the main. I

thought we had at last gained the shore, at least the boat was close to a

dark line rising above the water which appeared like a wooded bank; two

of the men now waded onwards to find out the best place for landing and

to light a fire that the crew of the other boat might know where we were.

I saw them to my surprise not ascend a wooded bank but disappear amongst

the trees; and still through the silence of the night I heard the splash

of men walking through water, and in a minute or two afterwards the cries

and screams of innumerable startled waterfowl and curlews, who came

flying in flocks from amongst the mangrove trees.

FAIL IN MAKING THE LAND.

The men returned and reported that there was no land or any sign of land

hereabouts; that the mangroves were a belt of trees upon a sandbank and

that the water deepened inside; that the tide evidently rose very high,

from the tufts of seaweeds in the bushes; that it was then rapidly coming

in (which was evident enough, for the boat was afloat) and that the other

side of the mangrove bushes was an open sea.

This was unpleasant intelligence. That it was untrue I felt assured; but

one man, who certainly could not have seen more than a hundred yards

ahead of him on so dark a night, spoke as confidently as if he had seen

fifty miles, and this discouraged the others: so by way of keeping their

minds occupied I got under weigh again and stood off a little to the

southward in the hopes of falling in with the other boat. We cheered at

intervals of a few minutes, and fired a gun, whereupon ensued a great

screaming, whistling, and flapping of wings amongst the waterfowl, but no

human voices were heard in reply.

ANCHOR OFF MANGROVE CREEK FOR THE NIGHT.

When we had gone as far to the southward as I thought prudent I stood out

from the shore for about a mile so as to have a good peep in amongst the

mangrove bushes in the morning for the other boat, and having dropped our

anchor we laid down as we best could for the night; and, speculating upon

what explanation the native wise men would give to their fellows of the

unknown and novel sounds they had this night heard upon the coast, I soon

fell asleep.

CHAPTER 15. THE GASCOYNE RIVER.

REACH AND ENTER A MANGROVE CREEK.

March 4.

Early in the morning I had a good lookout kept for the other boat, which

I was very anxious to see in order that I might have a sufficiently

numerous party for the purpose of landing and looking for water; as I

always held it to be better, upon first appearing amongst natives who had

never before seen Europeans, to show such strength as might impress them

with a certainty that we were well able to resist any attack which they

might naturally feel inclined to make on such strange and

incomprehensible intruders as white men must necessarily appear to them.

Soon after the sun rose we descried the other boat about three miles to

the southward of us; and I despatched two men to wade along the flats and

communicate with Mr. Walker: they were to direct him to get under weigh

and to make the best of his course, either by tracking, pulling, or

sailing, until he reached the point where I might land.

The men whom I sent quickly made his boat, which I perceived moving

slowly up the flats; and as soon as the men rejoined me we started. The

wind was fair, being from the southward, and I wished to reach some

gently elevated hills which I saw about eight miles to the north by east

of our present position.

SEARCH FOR AND COMPLETE OUR WATER.

We soon came to a very promising opening which proved to be a creek, with

a mouth of about two hundred yards wide, running up in a north-east

direction, and having five fathoms of water inside, but with a bar

entrance. When we had proceeded up it about two miles it became so narrow

that there was not sufficient space left for the men to use their oars;

therefore, making fast the two boats, I landed with a party to look for

water.

I stepped very gingerly and cautiously on the mud, for shore there was

none; and I had the satisfaction of descending at once, mid-leg deep in

the odious slime; but this being endured the worst was over, and, at the

head of my sticking and floundering party, I waded on, putting to flight

whole armies of crabs who had taken up their abode in these umbrageous

groves, for such they certainly were. The life of a crab in these

undisturbed solitudes must be sweet in the extreme; they have plenty of

water, mud, and shade; their abodes are scarcely approachable by the feet

of men, and they can have but little to disturb their monotonous

existence save the turmoils of love and domestic war.

After about two miles of wading of this description, which we

considerably increased by turning and winding about to avoid soft places,

we at length fairly stepped on terra firma and found ourselves at the

base of some almost imperceptibly-sloping ground which gradually rose

into low, red, sandy, loamy hills, thinly covered with grass, bushes, and

stunted trees. Across these we bent our steps in a south-east direction,

no change whatever taking place in the character of the country as far as

we went or as far as we could see. But our travels in this line only

extended for about three miles, when we suddenly came upon a lagoon of

fresh water lying between two of the hills. All bent the knee at once, at

this discovery, to plunge their faces deep in the pool, and, presently

raising them up again, a black watery line, extending round the

countenance, showed plainly how deeply each one had dipped.

Mr. Smith and myself laughed heartily at our dirty-faced companions, who

knelt on their hands and knees round the pool; and whilst they were

filling the beakers with water we rested under the shade of the bush for

a few minutes, and then walked off towards the interior; but from the

undulating low nature of the ground our view was very limited, and as far

as we could see there was no sign whatever of any change in the character

of the country. On returning again to the party we found the beakers and

men equally full of water and ready for a start to the boats.

WADING THROUGH THE MUD.

When we reached again the mangrove flats a most amusing scene commenced;

wading through the mud was bad enough before, but now that each man had a

heavy keg of water upon his shoulders the movements became truly

ludicrous, more especially as both landsmen and sailors were equally out

of their element. Each desperate plunge elicited from the sufferers oaths

and expressions which only those who have seen sailors completely at a

nonplus on shore can conceive. They were half humorous, half pathetic,

and never did I see men more thoroughly woebegone and bedaubed with mud

than the party when we made the boats again.

Those whom I had left behind now greedily drank the water of which they

were so much in want, and, as it was necessary to complete our stock of

it here, after we had dined I despatched all hands but Mr. Smith and one

man back to the lagoon. Mr. Smith was too unwell to go again and I

remained with him. This party took their rations with them as they were

to remain by the lagoon all night in order, as they termed it, "to have a

good bouse out of water, and a good wash," and were to return to the

boats as soon after daylight as possible.

We had remarked tracks of natives on shore but, as I saw by their fires

that they were now at least eight or ten miles from us, I was under no

apprehension of an attack from them. The mosquitoes however threatened to

be very troublesome, and when I say that just about sunset we were

completely blackened from the numbers that covered us I do not in the

least exaggerate; we could not make a fire to keep them away, and I

therefore quietly resigned myself to my fate. Poor Smith, who was already

very feverish, passed a night of perfect torment, and awoke in the

morning seriously ill. We soon heard the voices of the party returning

and, having helped them and their loads of water out of the mud, we

returned down the creek.

COAST THE LAND TO THE NORTHWARD.

March 5.

On standing out there was a fresh breeze blowing from the south-east, and

when we were about half a mile from the shore the water to the northward

deepened a great deal, for although it was now nearly low tide we had

here two and a half fathoms with sandy bottom. All along the shoals we

had met with abundance of shell and other fish, and the pearl oyster was

very abundant; indeed the shellfish along these banks were more numerous

and varied than I had ever before found them. I saw but few shells which

I recognised as belonging to the southern portions of Australia, whilst

many were identical with those which occur to the north-west.

EXAMINE ANOTHER MANGROVE CREEK. CHARACTER OF THEIR SCENERY.

There was no high land whatever in sight; but one low hill, which just

appeared above the mangrove tops, bore north by east. After running

north-east for about two miles with the same depth of water we came to

another opening in the mangroves of a more promising character than

several small ones which we had previously passed, and as, from the

greater depth of the water, the extraordinary low character of the coast,

and the circumstance of the driftwood upon Dorre Island, I expected to

find a large river hereabouts, I determined to examine even the smallest

openings most narrowly; we therefore ran straight for this one, and found

that it had a shoal mouth with only four feet water at the entrance. The

opening ran east 1/2 north, and after we had followed it up for about

half a mile it became very narrow and shoaled to two feet, so we turned

about and again pulled away to sea. This opening, as well as the first we

had entered, appeared rather like a canal running through a woody grove

than an arm of the sea; the mangrove trees afforded an agreeable shade,

and were of the most brilliant green, whilst the blue placid water not

only washed their roots but meandered through the sinuosities of the

forest like a quiet lake till sight of it was lost in the distance.

We now stood north-north-west parallel to the shore, which was fronted by

mangroves; and here we again had only two and a half feet of water. A

very low chain of hills extended parallel to the shore and about two

miles behind the mangroves. We thus continued running along the coast

until we made a large opening which was about three-quarters of a mile

across at the mouth. On either side of the entrance was a sandy point,

covered with pelicans and wild-fowl who seemed to view our approach with

no slight degree of surprise. As yet we did not know the proper entrance

to the river (for such it was) so that where we ran into it we had only

two feet of water. Three low hills were immediately in front of us, and I

afterwards ascertained that the proper course for entering was to steer

so as to keep the centre of the opening and the middle hill in the same

line.

DISCOVER ONE MOUTH OF THE GASCOYNE RIVER, AND EXPLORE THE COUNTRY IN ITS

VICINITY.

The opening now widened into a very fine reach, out of which the water

was running rapidly, and when we had ascended about a mile I saw large

trees, or snags (as they are called by the Americans) sticking up in the

bed of the river; as these trees were of a very large size, and evidently

had come from a different country to the one we saw upon the river banks,

I felt assured that we had now discovered a stream of magnitude, and, the

eager expectations which these thoughts awoke in our breasts rendering us

all impatient, we hauled down our sail and took to the oars. The bed of

the river however became choked with shallows and sandbanks, and when we

had ascended it about three miles, the water having shoaled to about six

inches, I selected a suitable place for our encampment and prepared to

start and explore the country on foot.

SURVEY OF MOUTHS OF THIS RIVER AND BABBAGE ISLAND.

As soon as all had been made snug I moved up the river with three men.

Its banks were here about five feet high; the bed of white sand, and

about half a mile across; the centre of the channel was full of salt

water, and in breadth about a quarter of a mile. We had not proceeded

more than a few hundred yards when we unexpectedly came upon another

mouth of the river as large as that upon which we stood, and which ran

off nearly west. The river itself appeared to come from the north-east,

and we saw salt water still further up than where we were.

NATIVES AND A SHARK.

Just on the eastern bank of the stream was a clump of small trees and

reeds which I walked up to examine with a desire to recognise any trees

belonging to known species, but to my horror, on looking into the reeds,

I saw what appeared to be a huge alligator fast asleep. The men now

peeped at it and all agreed that it was an alligator. I therefore

retreated to a respectful and suitable distance and let fly at it with a

rifle; it gave, as we thought, a kind of shake, and then took no further

notice of us. I therefore took a double-barrelled gun from one of the men

and drove two balls through the beast, and now feeling sure it must be

dead (for it never moved) I walked up to it, when, upon examination, it

turned out to be a huge shark, of a totally new species, which had been

left in some hole by the tide where the natives had found and killed it,

and, being disturbed by our approach, had run away, first hiding it in

this clump of reeds. There were two natives and they had made off right

up the bed of the river, taking the precaution to step in one another's

tracks so as to conceal if possible their number.

CHARACTER OF THE RIVER.

To those who have never seen a river similar to the one we were now upon

it is difficult to convey a true idea of its character. It consisted of

several channels or beds divided from each other by long strips of land,

which, in times of flood, become islands; the main channel had an average

breadth of about two hundred and seventy yards; the average height of the

bank at the edge of it was about fifteen feet, and the bed of the river

was composed of porous red sand apparently incapable of containing water

unless when previously saturated with it. After passing the highest point

reached by the sea this huge river bed was perfectly dry, and looked the

most mournful, deserted spot imaginable. Occasionally we found in this

bare sandy channel waterholes of eighteen or twenty feet in depth,

surrounded with tea trees and vegetation, and the driftwood, washed high

up into these trees, sufficiently attested what rapid currents sometimes

swept along the now dry channel. Even the waterholes were nearly all

dried up, and in the bottom of these the natives had scooped their little

wells.

The river channel ran up in a due north-east direction for about four

miles without in the least altering its character. It was in vain that we

walked over the intervening slips of land into the side channels; these

in all respects except in being narrower exactly resembled the main one;

and, after ranging across from bank to bank in this way, the only general

conclusion I could arrive at was that the country upon the northern bank

of the river appeared scrubby and covered with samphire swamps, whilst

that upon its southern bank seemed rich and promising.

EXPLORE THE COUNTRY INLAND TO THE NORTH OF THE RIVER.

The river now made a sudden turn to the east by north, and we followed it

in this direction for three miles and a half without finding the

slightest change in its character or appearance. No high land whatever

was in sight, and from a low rounded hill, which was the highest point we

could see, the rise of the country towards the interior was scarcely

perceptible; indeed it presented the appearance of being a vast delta;

and such I then and subsequently conjectured it to be.

During our walk up the bed of the river we had seen many cockatoos, some

wildfowl, and numerous tracks of natives; these all appeared to me to be

indications of a well watered and fertile tract of country.

I now turned off west by south, quitting the bed of the river, which I

named the Gascoyne in compliment to my friend, Captain Gascoyne, and

found that we were in a very fertile district, being one of those

splendid exceptions to the general sterility of Australia which are only

occasionally met with: it apparently was one immense delta of alluvial

soil covered with gently sloping grassy rises, for they could scarcely be

called hills; and in the valleys between these lay many freshwater

lagoons which rested upon a red clay soil that tinged the water of its

own colour and gave it an earthy taste.

The country here was but very lightly timbered and well adapted for

either agricultural or pastoral purposes, but especially for the growth

of cotton and sugar, should the climate be sufficiently warm; and of this

I think there can be no doubt whatever. I was so won by the discovery of

this rich district that I wandered on unconscious of the fatigue of the

party, roaming from rising ground to rising ground, and hoping from each

eminence to gain a view of high land to the eastward, but on all sides I

could see nothing but the same low fertile country. I however felt

conscious that within a few years of the moment at which I stood there a

British population, rich in civilization and the means of transforming an

unoccupied country to one teeming with inhabitants and produce, would

have followed my steps and be eagerly and anxiously examining my charts;

and this reflection imparted a high degree of interest and importance to

our present position and operations.

RETURN TO THE RIVER.

The darkness of night was now closing round us and Kaiber the native,

with his long thin legs, put himself at the head of the party and, taking

a star for his guide, led us with rapid and lengthy paces across the

plains to the encampment, where we found the party anxiously waiting to

hear what success we had met with. Poor Mr. Smith was very unwell tonight

with a feverish attack. Mr. Walker had prescribed for him and ordered him

to be kept quiet. I got a meridian altitude of Procyon which put us in 24

degrees 56 minutes 57 seconds south latitude.

March 6.

Mr. Smith was if anything worse this morning, and I learned from some of

the men that he had been wandering about all night, and had bathed

several times in the river. I remonstrated with him about having done so,

but he excused himself, and I determined to remain stationary at this

point for a day or two to give him plenty of rest before we again started

on our cruise along the coast.

PLAN OF FUTURE PROCEEDINGS.

After the discovery of the Gascoyne the plan I made up my mind to follow

was to examine rapidly the coast as far as Cape Cuvier, to return from

that point to Bernier Island and refit; then once more to visit the

Gascoyne properly equipped, and thoroughly explore the adjacent district

to the distance of fifty or sixty miles inland; and lastly to examine the

unknown portion of Shark Bay which lay to the southward of us.

At 6 A.M. the thermometer stood at 76 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade,

and this and the temperature during our stay in Shark Bay proves that the

climate there is very warm. Before breakfast I had wells sunk in several

places at some little distance inland in order to ascertain the nature of

the subsoil, for we were abundantly supplied with water from the lagoons.

In every instance, after digging down to the depth of from six to seven

feet through a rich loam, we reached a regular sandy sea beach and salt

water (it must however be recollected that we dug in the deepest hollows)

so that it appeared as if the whole of this flat country was a formation

left upon the shoals with which the coast is bounded; and it almost

seemed as if the sea still flowed in upon its old bed and under this

recent freshwater deposit.

Directly after breakfast I got ferried across the river to the island

lying between its two mouths, which I called Babbage Island after C.

Babbage, Esquire. This island is low and sandy in all parts except where

it fronts the sea; but on that side a row of high sandy dunes have been

thrown up. There is no very good land on it, it being almost covered with

samphire swamps and intersected by deep channels into which the sea runs;

these are nearly concealed in some places by the vegetation, which

rendered it impossible to avoid sundry falls and wettings in crossing it.

It bears a few mangroves but I saw no other trees.

The men throughout the day were occupied in watering and in making canvas

cloths for my boats to prevent the water from pouring in over the

gunwales, which were very low; and my own time was sufficiently occupied

in surveying. On my return in the evening I found Mr. Smith so much wore

cheerful and so much better that I determined to start about noon the

next day for the northward.

EXCURSION TO THE NORTH OF THE RIVER.

March 7.

I went off with a party before dawn to explore the country to the

northward of the Gascoyne. We crossed the river just above the point

where it separates into two mouths, and then struck off in a north by

east direction. Travelling about a mile after we had crossed the river we

came to seven native huts, built of large-sized logs, much higher and

altogether of a very superior description to those made by the natives on

the south-western coast. Kaiber examined them very carefully and then

proposed that we should go no farther, as he thought that the natives

must be very large men from their having such large huts. We however

pushed forward and, as I had none but good walkers with me, we made about

nine miles in two hours and a half: throughout the whole of this distance

we saw nothing that could be called a hill, the whole country being

evidently at times flooded up to the foot of a gently-rising land which

we distinguished to the eastward. We did not notice a single tree but

plenty of low prickly bushes, samphire, and a small plant somewhat

resembling the English heath. The weather was very hot, and at the end of

the nine miles we reached a saltwater inlet so broad and deep that we

could not cross it. We here halted and rested a little and then made our

way back to the boats.

APPROACH OF NATIVES.

I found Mr. Smith much better and, there being now nothing to delay us,

we started. When we had got about half a mile down the river we saw two

natives following us along the shore, jumping about in the most

extraordinary way, and, from their gesticulations and manner, evidently

ordering us to quit the coast. From the mountebank actions of these

fellows I guessed that they were two of the native sorcerers, who were

charming us away but, as I was not disposed to be so easily got rid of,

we pulled near the shore and lay upon our oars to give them an

opportunity of coming up to us.

ATTEMPT AT A CONFERENCE. INTERVIEW WITH NATIVES.

Upon this they mounted a little eminence, blew most furiously at us, and

performed other equally efficacious ceremonies. I however felt just as

well after we had been subjected to this dire sorcery as I did before;

and we continued to pull gently along the shore, still trying to induce

them to approach, which they at last did, having nothing but a

fishing-spear in their hands. To entice them towards us I had made Kaiber

strip himself and stand up in the boat; and now that they were near

enough to us I told him to call out to them and say that we were friends.

He hereupon shouted out, "Come in, come in; Mr. Grey sulky yu-a-da;" by

which he intended to say, "Come here, come here; Mr. Grey is not angry

with you." The two sorcerers, utterly confused by this mode of address,

committed more overt acts of witchcraft towards us than they had even

hitherto done; and Kaiber, turning round to me, said, "Weak ears have

they and wooden foreheads; they do not understand the southern language."

But as I was dissatisfied with his proof of their knowledge of the

southern language I desired him to wade ashore and speak to them.

KAIBER'S DREAD OF THEM.

This order of mine was a perfect thunderbolt to Kaiber. He, in common

with all the aboriginal inhabitants of Australia, had an utter aversion

to all strange natives; and to this he joined a sort of religious horror

of witches, buck-witches, warlocks, and uncanny persons generally. King

James the First could never have found a more zealous and participating

partner of his fears than Kaiber; he gave me a blank look of horror and

assured me that these were actual sorcerers, "northern sorcerers;" and as

he repeated these last words there was a mysterious, deep meaning in his

tone, as if he expected to see me thrill with terror.

From his earliest infancy he had been accustomed to dread these men;

every storm that occurred he had been taught to consider as arising from

their incantations: if one of his friends or relatives died a natural

death he had attributed that death to the spells and unholy practices of

these very people with whom he was now directed to go and hold converse.

I thought of all this and pitied him; for even for a native he was

excessively superstitious. But I was extremely anxious to establish

friendly relations with them; therefore I was positive and repeated to

him my former directions that he should wade ashore, coax them up, and

speak to them.

In as far as a native can turn white from fear Kaiber did turn white, and

then stepping into the water he waded ashore and the two natives

cautiously approached him. As soon as they were close to him I joined the

party with a large piece of damper in one hand and a piece of pork in the

other. The natives were dreadfully frightened; they stood in the presence

of unknown and mysterious beings. No persuasions could induce them to

take my hand or to touch me; and they trembled from head to foot.

FRIENDLY COMMUNICATION ESTABLISHED.

For a time they were nearly unintelligible to Kaiber and myself, but as

they gained confidence I found that they spoke a dialect very closely

resembling that of the natives to the north of the Swan River. They

addressed many questions to us, such as, Whence we had come? where we

were going to? was the boat a dead tree? but they evaded giving any

direct answers to our questions. Being anxious to start I now left them

to bear to their companions the strange food I had bestowed, and to

recount to eager listeners the mysterious tale of their interview with

beings from another world, and who were of an unknown form and colour.

SAIL FROM THE GASCOYNE.

Whilst they hurried off with some such thoughts passing through their

minds we pulled down the Gascoyne in search of new lands and new

adventures.

AFFINITY OF DIALECTS.

The result of this conference affords an example of the grounds upon

which any similarity of the language in different portions of the

continent of Australia has been denied. In this instance, had I at first

taken the word of Kaiber for it, I should have left the Gascoyne with a

firm conviction that the natives of that part of Australia spoke a

radically different language from the natives near the Swan River; and

this would have been proved by the fact of a native from the south not

understanding them: whereas there is a great affinity between the two

dialects, to discover which requires however an acquaintance with the

general principles of language, some knowledge of the one in question,

and due patience. I can only say that wherever I have been in the

southern portions of the continent I could soon understand the natives.

CHAPTER 16. TO KOLAINA AND BACK TO THE GASCOYNE.

EXAMINE THE COAST TO THE NORTH OF THE GASCOYNE.

March 7.

When we got outside the mouth of the Gascoyne a fresh breeze was blowing

from the south-east. We ran along the shore west by north, keeping about

a quarter of a mile from it; and after having made about three miles and

a half we reached the southern extremity of the other mouth of the river.

The mean depth in our course along Babbage Island had been from two and a

half fathoms to three fathoms; and this opening had a bar which we then

conceived to run right across the mouth of the river. The northern

extremity of Babbage Island is a very remarkable low point of land which

I called Mangrove Point. It cannot fail to be recognised for it is the

first point from the northward along the eastern shores of Shark Bay

where mangroves are found, and from that point they extend almost

uninterruptedly down the eastern coast of this bay to the south, as far

as I have seen it.

CONTINUE THE COURSE TO THE NORTHWARD.

The coast now trended north by west and we continued to run along it.

After passing Mangrove Point the sandy dunes along the shore ceased, and

the land appeared to be scarcely elevated above the level of the sea: not

a hill or tree could be perceived, and a low black line almost level with

the water's edge was the only indication that we had of being near land.

LYELL'S RANGE.

This kind of shore continues for about nine miles, when low sandhills

begin to rise parallel to the coast, and these gradually increase in

altitude until they form that remarkable range of dunes which I have

called Lyell's Range. When it wanted about an hour to sunset we had made

about twenty-five miles, and then ran in closer along the coast to look

either for a boat harbour or some spot at which we could beach them. But

nothing suited to our purpose could we see: the coast was straight,

sandy, exposed and lashed by a tremendous surf; the wind now freshened

considerably and the sky looked very threatening; we had therefore no

resource left but either to run to the northward before the breeze or to

beach the boats. I chose the first alternative; and we coasted within

about a quarter of a mile of the shore, just outside the surf, looking

out for any spot which gave us the least hope of beaching in safety.

BEACH THE BOATS.

As the sun sank so freshened the breeze, until it blew a good half gale

of wind, and everything gave indications of approaching foul weather.

This was no coast to be on during a stormy night in heavily laden

whale-boats; and as it now began to grow dark I determined at all hazards

to beach rather than be driven out to sea in a gale of wind. I

accordingly ran my boat in through the surf, leaving the other one

outside to see what success we had before they made the attempt.

BOAT SWAMPED IN BEACHING.

The surf was very heavy but the men behaved steadily and well; and

through it we went, dancing along like a cork in a mill-pond; at last one

huge roller caught us, all hands gave way, and we were hurried along on

the top of the swelling billow, which then suddenly fell under us and

broke; in a moment after we had grounded, and although still upwards of

two hundred yards from the shore, we all jumped out to haul the boat up,

but ere we could move our heavily laden whaler beyond a few yards breaker

after breaker came tumbling in and completely swamped it. We continued to

haul away and presently found ourselves swimming. In fact the whole coast

hereabouts was fronted by a kind of bar of sand, distant about two

hundred yards from the shore, with not more than two feet water on it.

Between this and the shore the water was tolerably smooth and two fathoms

deep. It was upon this outer bar that we had struck, and the other boat

experienced the same fate as ourselves. We of course passed a miserable

night in our drenched and wretched state; but it was at all events some

comfort, when we heard during the night the boisterous wind blowing

outside, to feel that we were safe ashore.

DAMAGE TO OUR PROVISIONS.

March 8.

As soon as we had sufficient light for the purpose I proceeded to examine

the stores. The flour was not very good at starting; it had been packed

in small bags, that being the most convenient form to have it in both for

stowing and transporting it on men's shoulders; and in the hurricane

which we had experienced on Dorre Island this flour had got thoroughly

soaked: from that period to the present time it had been constantly wet

with salt water; last night's adventures completed its disasters and it

was now quite spoilt and an unwholesome article of food; but having

nothing else to eat we were forced to satisfy ourselves with it, and I

directed it to be dried in the sun and then carefully repacked. The wind

was from the south-south-west, about half a gale, and there was such a

tremendous surf on the shore that to launch the boats was impossible. I

therefore started to look for water and to explore the country.

SEARCH FOR WATER.

The point we had landed at was immediately at the base of some bare

sandhills, about four hundred feet high. These are the hills which are

visible from the high land of Dorre Island on the opposite side of the

bay: it struck me that from their great height and their porous nature

there was a probability of our finding water by digging, even in this

apparently sandy desert; I therefore selected a spot at the foot of the

highest hill, in the bare sand, and ordered a well to be opened. Our

efforts were crowned with success; the well had not been sunk more than

four or five feet when we came to a coarse gravelly sand, saturated with

water, which was perfectly sweet and good; and when the well was sunk

about two or three feet deeper the water poured in so fast that there

would have been no difficulty in watering a ship at this point.

APPEARANCE OF A LAKE. EXAMINATION OF IT.

Whilst the men were engaged in filling the water kegs I ascended the

highest sandhill, the summit of which was not distant more than a mile

from the well. When I gained this a most splendid sight burst upon my

view: to the westward stretched the boundless sea, lashed by the wind

into white and curling waves; whilst to the east of me lay a clear calm

unruffled lake, studded with little islands. To the north or north-east I

could, even with a good telescope, see no limits to this lake, and, with

the exception of the numerous beautiful islands with which it was

studded, I could, even from the commanding position which I occupied,

distinguish nothing like rising land anywhere between north by east and

south-east. The lake had a glassy and fairy-like appearance, and I sat

down alone on the lofty eminence to contemplate this great water which

the eye of European now for the first time rested on. I looked seaward,

and it appeared as if nature had heaped up the narrow and lofty sandy

barrier on which I stood to shut out from the eyes of man the lovely and

fairy-like land which lay beyond it.

At length I rose and returned to the party. The news of my discovery

filled all with hope; and, our miserable breakfast having been hurriedly

despatched, I selected three men to accompany me in my first examination

of the shores of this inland sea. When we had gained the top of the

sandhills the surprise of these men was as great as my own, and they

begged me to allow them to return and endeavour by the united efforts of

the party to carry one of the whale-boats over the intervening range, and

at once to launch it on this body of water.

I however deemed it more prudent in the first instance to select the best

route along which to move the whale-boat, as well as to choose a spot

which afforded facilities for launching it. In pursuance of this

determination we descended the eastern side of the sandhills which

abruptly fell in that direction with a slope certainly not much exceeding

an angle of 45 degrees. I now found that the water did not approach so

near the foot of the hills as I had imagined, but that immediately at

their base lay extensive plains of mud and sand, at times evidently

flooded by the sea; for on them lay dead shells of many kinds and sizes,

as well as large travelled blocks of coral. The water here appeared to be

about a mile distant; it was also apparently boundless in an east and

north-east direction: and was studded with islands.

REMARKABLE PLAINS. DELUSION FROM MIRAGE.

We still all felt convinced that it was water we saw, for the shadows of

the low hills near it, as well as those of the trees upon them, could be

distinctly traced on the unruffled surface. As we continued to advance,

the water however constantly retreated before us and at last surrounded

us. I now found that we had been deceived by mirage; the apparent islands

being really such only when these plains are covered by the sea. In many

places the sandy mud was so moist that we sank deeply into it, and after

travelling for fifteen miles on a north-east course I could still see no

limit to these plains in that direction, nor could I either then or on

any subsequent occasion find the channel which connected them with the

sea. The only mode of accounting for their being flooded is to suppose

that the sea at times pours in over the low land which lies to the north

of the Gascoyne, and flows northward through channels which will be seen

in the chart of this part of the country; but I then believed, and still

consider, that there is hereabouts a communication with some large

internal water.

We saw no tracks of natives and only a few of emus and native dogs. The

few portions of rising ground which lay near the edge of these extensive

plains were sandy, scrubby, and unpromising; but what we saw was so

little that no opinion of the country could fairly be deduced from it. We

dug in several places on the flats and in their vicinity but all the

water we could find was salt; whereas in the narrow range of sandhills

separating them from the sea we had discovered abundance of fresh water

only four or five feet below the surface of the valleys lying between

these hills. As this range of more than thirty miles in length offered

many geological phenomena I called it Lyell's Range in compliment to the

distinguished geologist of that name; the plains themselves I named the

Plains of Kolaina (Deceit).

INDISPOSITION OF SEVERAL OF THE PARTY. SICKNESS FROM DELAY AND

DISAPPOINTMENT.

On my return to the boats I found that Mr. Smith was still unwell;

several other men were also complaining; I myself was wearied from

exertion and disappointment that my great discovery had dwindled away:

the place where we were was infested by land-crabs who kept running over

us continually, and the sand which drifted before the wind got into the

pores of the skin, and kept most of us in a constant state of painful

irritation. The night was therefore not a pleasant one.

March 9.

Throughout the night the winds had howled loudly and the surf broke

hoarsely upon the shore. The grey dawn of morning brought no comfort with

it: far out to seaward nothing but broken water could be seen, and half a

gale of wind blew from the south by east. The bad and insufficient food I

had been compelled to eat had brought on violent sickness and other evil

effects, and I found myself very ill. As the daylight advanced report

after report came to me that some one of the party had been attacked by

the same diseases experienced by Mr. Smith and myself.

EXAMINATION OF THE SHORE TO THE NORTHWARD, AND OF THE COUNTRY TO THE

SOUTH-EAST.

I was only well enough to write and survey a little, but I sent off a

party to a point which lay about six miles to the north of us, and they

on their return reported that there was a continuation of a similar shore

for the next fourteen or fifteen miles, bordered in like manner by sandy

muddy plains similar to those behind the hills where we were.

This party found one of the yellow and black water-snakes asleep upon a

piece of dry seaweed on the beach and killed it. The fact of this animal

being found on shore proves its amphibious character. I saw them in one

instance, in December 1837, so far out at sea as to be distant 150 miles

from land.

Sunday March 10.

I spent a wretched night from illness and foul weather; the roaring of

the surf on the shore was so loud and incessant that to one feverish and

in want of quiet and rest it was a positive distress, and both Mr. Smith,

myself, and half the men were at this time seriously indisposed. We had

strong gales of wind all day from south by east, but in the afternoon I

walked out for five miles in an east-south-east direction with such of

the men as were able to move; nothing however could be seen but a

continuation of the same barren, treeless country; we observed no signs

of natives except tracks in the mud of a single man who had passed some

months ago.

It annoyed me now to find that the silvering of the glasses of my large

sextant was so much injured from the constant wettings it had experienced

that this day it was almost useless. I had hoped in the course of our

walk to have fallen in with some game, but we did not see a single bird

with the exception of some small ones, about the size of tomtits, which

flew from bush to bush along the sandhills.

SUFFERINGS FROM HEAT AND PRIVATION.

We had a small quantity of portable soup with us, nearly all of which we

used, and it in some degree restored us, but another miserable night was

passed by us all and in the morning I was grieved to see how ill many of

the men looked. Their situation was really deplorable and I had with me

neither medicines nor proper food to give them. Abundance of these lay at

our depot not more than forty miles from us, yet to reach it was

impossible; and dawn this morning had only revealed to us a heavier surf

and stronger gale from the southward than we had yet experienced. None of

the men were well enough to undergo the fatigue of another day's walking,

so I busied myself with making observations and taking bearings, and thus

the forenoon wore away. The point of the coast on which we were lay in 24

degrees 30 minutes south latitude, and the mean temperature up to this

period had been:

6 A.M. 76.

12 M. 83.

3 P.M. 87.

6 P.M. 78 degrees.

At noon a portion of some disgusting damper and a small piece of pork was

served out to each of us and, having soon disposed of this, the men lay

down under the side of the boats, seeking some shelter from the burning

rays of a tropical sun which, being reflected back from the white sand,

were very oppressive.

AFFRAY WITH THE NATIVES.

I was occupied in sketching in a portion of the coastline, and whilst

thus engaged I thought I saw the figures of two natives moving upon a

hill a few hundred yards to the north of us; they appeared to me to be

behind some low bushes which were close to the summit of this hill. I

watched the bushes narrowly and felt nearly confident I saw them; but

however to be sure beyond a doubt I got up and took my eyes from the spot

for a few seconds whilst I walked to get my telescope. I then carefully

examined the hill with the glass and could see nothing but the low bushes

on it. "A pretty bushman I am," I thought to myself, "to be thus deceived

with two old shrubs; I should have known a native better;" and with a

feeling almost of annoyance at my mistake I resumed my seat on an

inverted water-keg and went on with my drawing. Within a minute's time an

alarm of natives was given, and starting up I saw from twenty to thirty

on some sandhills to the north of us, distant about two hundred yards;

their spears were fixed in their throwing-sticks and they evidently were

prepared for a fray. I therefore ran to the boat for my gun, which Ruston

tried to get out for me; and at this moment, on casting my eyes upwards,

I saw a native start up on the sandbank not more than fifteen yards from

Ruston and myself; he poised his spear for one second, and it then came

whistling at us. I dodged and the spear flew past without my seeing what

became of it. I instantly gave the order to watch the bank and to fire at

anything that showed itself above it; and Mr. Walker now had got hold of

his gun and very gallantly ran up the bank and occupied it: in the

meantime the native who had thrown the spear caught up a bag in each hand

and ran off. Several shots which were fired at the distant natives

scraped up the sand so near them that they found it prudent to decamp as

speedily as they could.

CHASE AFTER STOLEN GOODS.

I found that Ruston was wounded slightly in the knee by the spear which

the native had thrown, and we had also sustained a severe loss in the

bags which they had carried off as one of them contained fourteen

fishing-lines and several other articles of great value to us in our

present position. I therefore determined upon a pursuit in the hopes of

recovering these, and taking four or five men I gave chase. The

long-legged natives had however considerably the advantage of us both in

bottom, wind, and cunning; and whenever they found we gained at all upon

them they strewed a few articles out of the bags upon the ground, and

these it took us some time to collect; and in this manner, alternately

running and stopping to pick things up, I continued the pursuit until

near sunset. At this time three of us had completely outrun the rest of

our party, who were far behind; the natives had also latterly made great

headway, so that they were rapidly dropping us astern; we also had

recovered everything but the fishing-lines (which however we could but

ill spare). I therefore determined to collect my forces and return to the

boats. In the ardour of pursuit I found we had come five or six miles,

and it had been for some time dark when we again reached the encampment.

The natives in this attack were far too few in number to render it a very

formidable affair for from five-and-twenty to thirty savages, armed alone

with spears, could have availed very little against eleven resolute

Europeans with fire-arms in their hands. The native who had stolen so

near us was however most decidedly a noble and daring fellow: their

object evidently was to possess themselves of our property; and we had

had one man wounded in the fray, and had lost some fishing-lines, without

gaining any reparation. I therefore felt well assured that they would pay

us another visit; and thus, to the misfortunes we were already suffering

under, we had the new one added of being on hostile terms with the

surrounding aborigines. It moreover set in to rain hard and to blow

fresher than ever just as we reached the boats. I saw that all that could

be done for Ruston had been attended to, and then, lying down, tried to

forget my troubles in sleep.

CONTINUED DETENTION FROM FOUL WEATHER. DESOLATE AND GLOOMY SITUATION.

From this period up to Friday the 15th of March the wind blew strong from

the southward, accompanied with such a heavy sea and tremendous surf that

to move was impossible. Our position was very trying; inactivity, under

the circumstances in which we were situated, was most difficult to

support; for the mind, ever prone to prey upon itself, does so far more

when you are compelled to sit down and patiently submit to misfortunes

against which there are no means of resistance. Such was the state to

which we were now reduced, on a barren and unknown coast which the foot

of civilized man had never before trodden: many of my party were

suffering acute bodily pain from the badness of the provisions on which

they were compelled to subsist; the weakness of most of them, and myself

amongst the number, precluded the possibility of any distant explorations

being made, and we were kept in a constant state of watchfulness in order

to prevent the natives from again surprising us; for they repeatedly

showed themselves in our vicinity, hovering about with no friendly

intentions. All that was left therefore for us was to sit upon the lonely

beach, watching the winds and the waters until some favourable moment

might enable us to get off and once more engage in that task of which so

small a portion was as yet accomplished.

Day after day did we sit and wait for this favourable moment until the

noise of the hoarse breaking surf had become a familiar sound to our

ears; but the longer the men watched the more dispirited did they become;

each returning day found them more weak and wan, more gloomy and

petulant, than the preceding one; and when the eighth day of constant and

fruitless expectation slowly closed upon us I felt a gloomy foreboding

creeping over me.

By making observations, drawing, writing up my journal, etc. I had

managed hitherto to keep my mind employed. I had also tasked my ability

to the utmost to constantly invent some occupation for the men, but my

resources of this nature were now all exhausted; and on Friday night I

stretched myself on the sand, not to sleep, but to brood, throughout the

weary night, on our present position.

CONSOLATIONS OF RELIGION.

It may be asked if, during such a trying period, I did not seek from

religion that consolation which it is sure to afford? My answer is, Yes;

and I farther feel assured that, but for the support I derived from

prayer and frequent perusal and meditation of the Scriptures, I should

never have been able to have borne myself in such a manner as to have

maintained discipline and confidence amongst the rest of the party: nor

in all my sufferings did I ever lose the consolation derived from a firm

reliance upon the goodness of Providence. It is only those who go forth

into perils and dangers, amidst which human foresight and strength can

but little avail, and who find themselves, day after day, protected by an

unseen influence, and ever and again snatched from the very jaws of

destruction by a power which is not of this world, who can at all

estimate the knowledge of one's own weakness and littleness, and the firm

reliance and trust upon the goodness of the Creator which the human

breast is capable of feeling. Like all other lessons which are of great

and lasting benefit to man this one must be learnt amid much sorrowing

and woe; but, having learnt it, it is but the sweeter from the pain and

toil which are undergone in the acquisition.

PUT TO SEA.

March 16.

A great portion of Friday night was passed by me in walking up and down

the beach, anxiously looking out seaward; and it appeared to me about

three o'clock that the wind had much abated; from this period until dawn

it continued gradually to subside: and as daylight stole in I saw that

the surf had somewhat fallen. I resolved at all events to lose no single

chance that offered itself in our favour, so I turned all hands out, and

in a few minutes the boats rode triumphantly beyond the surf, which was

indeed much heavier than I expected to have found it, and my boat was

nearly filled in passing the outer bar: but now the surf was behind us,

and it is the nature of man to laugh at perils that are past. Our

thoughts too were soon called to present difficulties, for a tremendous

sea was running outside, the wind directly in our teeth, and every moment

freshening again. Throughout the whole of Saturday the men toiled

incessantly at their oars, and when it wanted about an hour to sunset we

had only made about seven miles and a half of southing.

COMPELLED AGAIN TO BEACH THE BOATS.

The wind had again increased to such a degree as to endanger our safety,

and it appeared to freshen as the night came on. I therefore had no

resource left but again to beach the boats on this dangerous coast. Once

more, then, was the scene repeated of dancing in a boat with maddening

speed upon furious rollers, until these break and it is borne in,

followed by a mass of foam far higher than the stern, which appears

eagerly to pursue for the purpose of engulfing it.

BEACHING BOATS.

There is no scene in nature more exciting or which in a greater degree

calls forth one's energy than the beaching of a boat in a dangerous surf.

Never did I on such occasions take the steer-oar for the purpose of

running the boat in but many contending feelings rushed through my mind,

and after a few moments settled down into the calm which springs from the

conviction that the general safety in coming dangers depends altogether

upon the coolness and resolution with which they are met, and never more

so than in beaching a boat when once you are among the foaming waters; in

you must go; to retreat is impossible, and nothing is left but that each

one silently and steadily do his duty, regardless of the strife and din

of raging waves around. The only plan to adopt is for all to give way

strongly and steadily, let what will take place, whilst the boat-steerer

keeps her head straight for the beach. A huge roller breaks right into

the boat and almost swamps it, a man is knocked over and loses his oar,

heed not these things; let each man mind his own oar and nought else, and

give way give way strongly, until the boat grounds, then in a moment each

quits his oar and springs into the water, and ere the wave has retired

the boat is partially run up; another wave succeeds, and the operation of

running up is repeated until she is high and dry. Had our boats been

swamped in the surf, even if we had escaped with our lives, our position

would have been fearful; left without food or resources in an unknown and

savage country so far beyond the reach of man's assistance. When

therefore I again saw the boats safely beached, and my little party

drying themselves over a fire, my breast filled with thankfulness to that

Providence who had again watched over our safety.

ADJACENT COUNTRY EXPLORED.

Sunday March 17.

It blew half a gale of wind from the southward all night, and next

morning such a surf was breaking upon the beach that to have attempted to

move would have been madness. Here we were therefore once more kept

prisoners upon this dreary coast; the country was exactly similar to that

lying immediately to the north of it, with these two exceptions, that the

range of sandhills was less elevated, and that we could not here find

fresh water. The morning was passed in searching for it; in the middle of

the day I read a few appropriate chapters in the Bible to the men, and in

the afternoon I explored the country but discovered nothing whatever of

an interesting nature.

LAUNCH THE BOATS, AND ENTER NORTHERN MOUTH OF THE GASCOYNE. CHARACTER OF

THE COUNTRY.

March 18.

The wind was much lighter this morning and the surf not so heavy; we made

a successful attempt to launch the boats just before sunrise. The wind

still blew from the southward, and we found a heavy sea running outside.

The men however exerted all their energies and just before sunset we

reached the northern mouth of the Gascoyne, and found a very good passage

into it with twelve feet water at low ebb-tide; but the other boat, not

following our track, stuck fast on a sandbank, where she was soon left

high and dry, and the tide fell so fast that we had a great deal of

trouble in getting her afloat again.

BABBAGE ISLAND.

The bar once passed there are three and three and a half fathoms in this

land-locked creek even at low water; the portion of Babbage Island which

is between it and the sea appears to be nothing but a shifting bed of

sand, and the mainland a delta, covered with mangrove swamps and brackish

lagoons, at least for about a mile back.* We lay down upon the sand close

to the boats, which were left at anchor with a boat-keeper in each, and

found great difficulty in collecting driftwood enough to make our fires.

(*Footnote. In the year 1667 the Dutch Commodore Vlaming appears to have

visited these coasts and to have ascended a river which might have been

the Gascoyne. The account of his exploration is thus briefly given by

Flinders (Terra Australis volume 1 Introduction page 61) After relating

the arrival of his two ships off Cape Inscription at the north end of

Dirk Hartog's Island he proceeds:

No mention is made by Valentyn of the ships entering the road, nor of

their departure from it; but it should seem that they anchored on

February 4th. On the 5th Commodore Vlaming and the commander of the

Nyptang went with three boats to the shore, which proved to be an island.

They found also a river, and went up it four or five leagues, amongst

rocks and shoals, when they saw much water inland, as if the country were

drowned, but no men, nor anything for food, and wherever they dug the

ground was salt. They afterwards came to another river, which they

ascended about a league, and found it to terminate in a round basin, and

to be entirely salt water. No men were seen, nor any animals, except

divers, which were very shy; and the country was destitute of grass and

trees. Returning downward on the 10th, they saw footsteps of men and

children of the common size, and observed the point of entrance into the

river to be a very red sand.)

March 19.

The wind still blew pretty fresh from the southward; we however had no

surf to impede us and therefore got under weigh soon after dawn. The men

pulled away cheerfully and, although this was very hard work on account

of the headwind and sea, we experienced no great difficulty until we had

rounded Point Whitmore, at the north of Babbage Island, where we all at

once found ourselves in broken water, so very shoal that between each

breaker the boat was bumped with great violence against the bottom, and

must have been very soon stove in had we not speedily got into deeper

soundings.

ANCHOR IN SOUTHERN ENTRANCE OF THE RIVER.

About 2 P.M. we neared the southern mouth of the Gascoyne, pulled two

miles up it, and anchored about a mile and a half to the south of our

former position. The men, although it was very warm and they had been

pulling hard all day, had as yet only had about a wine-glass full of

water each, I therefore lost no time in sending off a watering party; and

the remainder of us collected samphire which grew abundantly hereabouts

and forms a fair article of food for hungry men.

The remainder of the evening was occupied in completing our water and in

endeavouring to get a shot at some pelicans, but although numerous they

were too wary, and my feet were covered with such dreadful sores from bad

diet and being constantly in the salt water that I could not walk to any

great distance in search of game.

COMPLETE OUR WATER.

The completion of our supply of water was a very great matter and, as we

had now got so far to the southward as to make our fetching the northern

extremity of Bernier Island almost a matter of certainty, however

strongly it might blow, I determined to effect the passage the next day.

Indeed I could not have delayed it for our provisions, bad as they were,

were almost exhausted, and the men were already much reduced from the

scarcity and bad quality of their food.

CHAPTER 17. FROM THE GASCOYNE TO GANTHEAUME BAY.

SAIL FROM THE GASCOYNE.

March 20.

When we pulled out of the Gascoyne this morning the first streak of dawn

had not lit up the eastern horizon, we however managed by creeping along

the southern shore to get out to sea, and there anchored until it was

light enough to see the compass. I found a very heavy sea running outside

and a strong breeze blowing from the southward; at this time however

there was nothing which in my opinion rendered it too hazardous to risk

the passage, more especially being pressed as we were by the want of

food. The distance across to Bernier Island from the point of the main

where we were was about ten miles further than it is from Dover to

Calais. Our boats were in very bad repair, and the landing on the other

side was by no means good. I therefore certainly would not have ventured

to make the passage in a gale of wind; but the weather did not seem

threatening and it had been for many successive days blowing as hard as

it was when we started.

CAUGHT IN A GALE OF WIND.

We might have gone nine or ten miles when the wind suddenly increased,

and ere we had made five more it had become a perfect gale and we were

obliged to keep the boats close hauled, for had we run ever so little

before the wind we should not have fetched Bernier Island, and

consequently should have been blown right out to sea. We had nothing

therefore now to do but to struggle for it, and to use every energy to

save ourselves. Sea after sea broke into the boat but the water was as

rapidly baled out: none could have behaved better than the crews of both

boats did, and the whole scene was one of such constant, cheerful, and

successful exertion that, great as our danger was, I do not recollect

ever having a keener perception of the pleasure of excited feelings, or a

more thorough revelry of joyous emotions, than I had during this perilous

passage.

REACH BERNIER ISLAND.

Bernier Island at last rose in sight and amidst the giant waves we

occasionally caught a peep of its rocky shores; but we were so tossed to

and fro that it was only now and then that from the summit of some

lofty sea we could sight a high shore which was not more than four or

five miles from us. We had made the island about five miles from its

northern extremity, and I ran along the shore until I found a convenient

landing-place about a mile and a half to the south of our old one.

CHANGE IN THE LAND.

It was perfectly sheltered by reefs and an island, but it surprised me

that I had not remarked this cove on my previous visit to the island, and

I was still further astonished to see now three new small rocky islands,

of which I had no recollection whatever. Indeed the men all for a long

time stoutly denied that this was Bernier Island and, had we not now

sighted Kok's Island, I should have doubted my skill in navigation and

made up my mind that I had fallen into some strange error; but as it was

forebodings shot across my wind as to what pranks the hurricane might

have been playing upon the island, which consisted of nothing but loose

sand heaped upon a bed of limestone rock of very unequal elevation.

I ran in my own boat upon a convenient point of the beach and the other

boat followed in safety, for I did not like, in such foul weather, to

leave them at anchor on a lee shore, which had previously proved so

unsafe a position. A most awkward question now presented itself to my

consideration: from the altered appearance of the coast I felt very

considerable doubts as to the state in which the depot might be found;

supposing anything had occurred to it I felt that it would be unadvisable

that such a discovery should be made in the presence of many persons; as

future discipline would in a great measure depend upon the first

impression that was given. Who, then, had I better select for the purpose

of visiting the depot in the first instance? After some deliberation I

made choice of Mr. Smith and Corporal Coles, in the courage,

disinterestedness, and self-possession of both of whom I placed great

confidence. I directed Mr. Walker to see certain little alterations made

in the boats before the men were allowed to straggle; these I knew would

occupy them for some time and leave me therefore during this interval

free to think and act according to circumstances. I now called Mr. Smith

and Corporal Coles to accompany me, and told Coles to bring a spade with

him.

DESTRUCTION OF THE DEPOT OF PROVISIONS. SYMPTOMS OF CALAMITY.

Before we had gone very far alarming symptoms met my eyes in the form of

staves of flour casks scattered about amongst the rocks, and even high up

on the sandhills. Coles however persisted that these wore so far inland

that they could only have come from the flour casks which we had emptied

before starting. I knew they were far too numerous for such to be the

case, but I suppressed my opinion and made no remarks. We next came to a

cask of salt provisions, washed high and dry at least twenty feet above

the usual high-water mark: the sea had evidently not been near this for a

long period as it was half covered with drift sand which must have taken

some time to accumulate. This Coles easily accounted for, it was merely

the cask which had been lost from the wreck of the Paul Pry. I still

thought otherwise but said nothing.

At length we reached the spot where the depot had been made: so changed

was it that both Mr. Smith and Coles persisted it was not the place; but

on going to the shore there were some very remarkable rocks, on the top

of which lay a flour cask more than half empty, with the head knocked

out, but not otherwise injured; this also was washed up at least twenty

feet of perpendicular elevation beyond high water mark. The dreadful

certainty now flashed upon the minds of Mr. Smith and Coles, and I waited

to see what effect it would have upon them. Coles did not bear the

surprise so well as I had expected; he dashed the spade upon the ground

with almost ferocious violence, and looking up to me he said, "All lost,

Sir! we are all lost, Sir!" Mr. Smith stood utterly calm and unmoved; I

had not calculated wrongly upon his courage and firmness. His answer to

Coles was, "Nonsense, Coles, we shall do very well yet; why, there is a

cask of salt provisions and half a cask of flour still left."

I now rallied Coles upon his conduct; compared it with that of Mr. Smith,

and told him that when I had taken him on to the depot in preference to

the other men it had been in the expectation that, if any disaster had

happened, he would, by his coolness and courage, have given such an

example as would have exercised a salutary influence upon the others.

This had the desired effect upon him; he became perfectly cool and

collected and promised to make light of the misfortune to the rest, and

to observe the strictest discipline. I then requested Mr. Smith to see

the little flour that was left in the barrel and on the rocks carefully

collected by Coles, and, leaving them thus engaged, I turned back along

the sea shore towards the party; glad of the opportunity of being alone

as I could now commune freely with my own thoughts.

ALARMING POSITION AND PROSPECTS. REPAIR DAMAGES, AND RETURN TO THE MAIN.

The safety of the whole party now depended upon my forming a prompt and

efficient plan of operations, and seeing it carried out with energy and

perseverance. As soon as I was out of sight of Mr. Smith and Coles I sat

down upon a rock on the shore to reflect upon our present position. The

view seawards was discouraging; the gale blew fiercely in my face and the

spray of the breakers was dashed over me; nothing could be more gloomy

and drear. I turned inland and could see only a bed of rock, covered with

drifting sand, on which grew a stunted vegetation, and former experience

had taught me that we could not hope to find water in this island; our

position here was therefore untenable, and but three plans presented

themselves to me: first, to leave a notice of my intentions on the

island, then to make for some known point on the main and there endeavour

to subsist ourselves until we should be found and taken off by the

Colonial schooner; secondly, to start for Timor or Port Essington;

thirdly, to try to make Swan River in the boats.

CONSOLATIONS OF RELIGION.

I determined not to decide hastily between these plans and, in order more

fully to compose my mind, I sat down and read a few chapters in the

Bible.

By the influence these imparted I became perfectly contented and resigned

to our apparently wretched condition and, again rising up, pursued my way

along the beach to the party. It may be here remarked by some that these

statements of my attending to religious duties are irrelevant to the

subject, but in such an opinion I cannot at all coincide. In detailing

the sufferings we underwent it is necessary to relate the means by which

those sufferings were alleviated; and after having, in the midst of

perils and misfortunes, received the greatest consolation from religion,

I should be ungrateful to my Maker not to acknowledge this, and should

ill perform my duty to my fellow men did I not bear testimony to the fact

that, under all the weightier sorrows and sufferings that our frail

nature is liable to, a perfect reliance upon the goodness of God and the

merits of our Redeemer will be found a sure refuge and a certain source

of consolation.

In pursuing my route along the beach I carefully examined every heap of

seaweed which the waves had thrown up, and was fortunate enough to find a

bag of flour which had been washed up by the tide and held there by some

rocks; though from daily soaking in salt water for several weeks it was

quite spoilt and fermented, and smelt like beer; yet this, under present

circumstances, was more valuable than its weight in gold. Just after I

had found this bag, I met Ruston and another man coming from the boats to

the depot; I at once told them exactly how matters stood; they bore the

announcement better than I could have hoped for, and when I showed them

that their safety altogether depended on their good conduct they promised

the most implicit obedience and a ready cheerful demeanour. I must do

Ruston the justice to say that under every trial he most scrupulously

adhered to the promise he then made, and never infringed upon it in the

slightest degree.

CONDUCT OF THE MEN.

When I reached the party and told the tale of the total disappearance of

all we had left at the depot blank and dismayed faces met me on all

sides. Mr. Walker and Corporal Auger set an excellent example to the

others; but two men, of the names of Harry and Charley Woods, seized the

first convenient opportunity of walking off to the place where our

miserable remnant of damper was deposited with the intention of

appropriating it to themselves. I only waited till they actually laid

their hands upon it, when I stopped them, placed a sentry over what

provisions were left, ordered a survey of all stores to be held, and a

report to be made to me; and then went off with a party to search the

shore in the hope of finding any other things which might have been

washed up: our search however proved quite unsuccessful.

CHOICE OF PLANS.

I had warned the men that at sunset I would inform them what my

intentions were with regard to our future movements; and in the meantime

all hands were employed in searching for provisions or in preparing the

boats for sea. A very gloomy prospect was before us: the men were already

much reduced from illness, from using damaged provisions, and from hard

work and exposure combined: our boats were in a very leaky unsound state,

whilst all means of efficiently repairing them had been swept away in the

hurricane. Add to this that the only provisions we had left really fit to

eat were about nine days' salt meat, at the rate of a pound a man per

diem, and about sixty pounds of tolerably good flour.

It would be useless to detail the different reasons which induced me to

adopt the plan of endeavouring to make Swan River in the whale boats;

this was however the course I resolved to pursue. Its principal

advantages were that we should be constantly approaching home; and that

if any accident should happen to the boats we might always hope to reach

Perth by walking: the principal objection to it was the prevalence of

strong south-east winds. At sunset the party assembled. I detailed to

them at considerable length the three most feasible plans which had

offered themselves to me, the reasons which had made me reject two of

them, as well as those which led me to adopt the third; and as I knew

that there were two or three insubordinate characters amongst the men,

whom I had picked up at Fremantle, I further told them that, if a

sufficient number to man one of the boats objected to follow me, they

could go their own way; as the success of my scheme would altogether

depend upon the courage and subordination with which it was carried out.

No dissentient voice was however raised, but they all promised to follow

me wherever I might lead. We now made arrangements for searching for

turtle during the night, and then stretched ourselves on the sand to try

and sleep.

March 21.

We were unfortunate in not catching a turtle during the night; the season

for them had however now passed away, so that we could only hope to cut

off a stray one which might have lingered behind its fellows. The next

day was occupied in sticking up a steer-oar with a tin canister attached

to it, containing a letter in which was detailed the plan I intended to

follow, so that in the event of any accident occurring, and our remaining

on the coast, we might still have the chance of a vessel being sent to

search for us. The men were occupied in looking for shellfish, drying the

flour, and preparing the boats. It blew nearly a gale of wind from the

south throughout the day.

RETURN TO THE MAIN.

March 22.

This day at two P.M., all our preparations having been completed and the

wind somewhat moderated, we stood across the bay, and soon after

nightfall made the main about twelve miles to the north of the northern

mouth of the Gascoyne. The wind freshened a great deal during the night;

but as it was impossible to beach boats on so dangerous a coast in the

dark we were obliged to trust to the goodness of our anchors, and they

did not disappoint us.

March 23.

Before dawn this morning we were under weigh and pulling dead to windward

against a strong breeze and heavy sea; the men rowed almost without

intermission until noon when, finding them completely exhausted, I made

sail and stood in towards the shore. When we had approached the land

about four miles to the north of the Gascoyne a party of natives came

down, without their spears, in the most friendly manner, making signs to

us to land. We had however but little time to spare, and could not afford

to give them any provisions: knowing also the small dependence that can

be placed upon them in a first interview, I thought it most prudent to

decline their invitation.

COMPLETE OUR WATER.

We accordingly continued our route and in the course of the evening made

the river, where we completed our water, and halted for the night. We saw

nothing more of the natives here, but I feel convinced that in the event

of a settlement being formed at this point no difficulty would be found

in establishing and maintaining the most friendly relations with them.

ANCHOR TO THE NORTH OF THE GASCOYNE.

March 24.

The morning did not promise very well, but soon after sunrise the wind

shifted so much to the westward that we were able to run along shore, and

in the course of the day we made altogether about forty-five miles,

tracing the greater part of the remaining unknown portion of the shores

of Shark Bay. On leaving the Gascoyne, a low point bore due south of us,

distant about twelve miles, which I named Point Greenough after George

Bellas Greenough, Esquire, the president of the Royal Geographical

Society; and between this point and the river lay a deep bay, the shores

of which were low and thickly studded with mangroves, through which many

saltwater creeks ran up into the country. Two of these creeks I had

examined on a previous occasion, and therefore now paid no attention to

them.

EXAMINE THE COAST TO THE SOUTHWARD. ITS CHARACTER.

After passing Point Greenough the shore trended south by east and for the

next eight miles preserved its low character, being still thickly wooded

with mangroves; but at this point a remarkable change takes place as the

mangroves suddenly cease, and the low range of hills which extends

southward along the coast parallel to the shore increases a little in

height. In about another mile the mangroves again commence, the coast now

trending south-east; and about five miles further it runs south-east by

east, forming a bay about four miles deep, the bottom of which is

tolerably clear of mangroves.

CONTINUE OUR COURSE TO THE SOUTHWARD.

Having crossed this bay we ran south-east by south parallel to the shore;

the mangroves now became less continuous and numerous, at least they

appeared to us to be so, and the range of hills seemed also to approach

much nearer to the sea. We continued on this course until sunset, when I

selected a snug little bay in the mangroves, where we anchored at the

distance of a few yards from the shore and made ourselves as comfortable

as we could for the night.

CHARACTER OF THE COAST AND SEA.

There was great beauty in the scenery which we saw during the day's sail;

the waters and the sky had that peculiar brilliancy about them which is

only seen in fine weather and in a tropical climate. To the west of us

lay an apparently boundless expanse of sea, whilst to the eastward we had

a low shore fringed with trees, not only down to the water's edge but

forming little green knolls of foliage in the ocean itself; behind these

trees lay low wooded hills, and in front of them stalked and swam about

pelicans and waterfowl in countless numbers. We had only about three feet

depth of clear transparent water, through which we saw that the flats

beneath us were covered with vivid coloured shells of many genera, some

of which were of a very large size; strange-looking fish of a variety of

kinds were also sporting about; more particularly sharks of a new species

(of that kind which I shot at in mistake for an alligator) and stingrays.

Whenever a lull occurred the men, unable to resist the chance of getting

a meal, would jump out of the boat, and give chase to one of these

sting-rays, boat-hook in hand, and then loud peals of laughter rose from

the others as the pursuer, too anxious to attain his object, missed his

stroke or, stumbling, rolled headlong in the water. The fineness of the

day, the novelty of the scenery, and the rapid way we were making made

the poor fellows forget past dangers, as well as those they had yet to

undergo. My own meditations were of a more melancholy character, for I

feared that the days of some of the light-hearted group were already

numbered and would soon be brought to a close. Amidst such scenes and

thoughts we were swept along, whilst this unknown coast, which so many

had anxiously yet vainly wished to see, passed before our eyes like a

panorama or a dream, and, ere many years have hurried by it is probable

that the recollection of this day will be as such to me.

BOAT LEFT AGROUND BY THE TIDE.

March 25.

This morning I was up early in order that we might lose no time in

getting under weigh; I was much surprised however to find both boats

aground, and when the day had dawned sufficiently to enable me to

distinguish surrounding objects I could not make out the sea, but found

that we were lodged in a regular mangrove bush. I walked a few yards to

get a clear view to the westward and found that we were at least a mile

inland, so far does the tide run in over this low level shore. My eyes

were so sore that I could scarcely see and I therefore did not attempt to

make an excursion into the country, but sent a party for this purpose,

who ascended the first low range of hills and reported that the country

as far as they could see to the eastward was a succession of low mud

flats subject to the overflowings of the sea. There was a

promising-looking creek immediately to the south of us.

The tide came very slowly in until ten o'clock, which was about the time

of high-water: but here it had only half risen and remained stationary

for some time, when it began to ebb again, but soon meeting the second

flood, now came pouring rapidly in, and just before sunset there was

water enough for us to get off. We pulled to a low point, distant about

two miles, and which bore south by east from us; and having anchored off

this waited for the morning dawn to pursue our voyage.

CONTINUE A SOUTHERLY COURSE.

March 26.

In the morning I found that the point we were anchored off ran south-east

and north-west: it was about two miles long and formed a low spit of land

whence the coast trended due south. I debated for a few minutes whether I

should explore the creek which lay to the south of us, but decided in the

negative. Had I followed my own wishes I should have done so, but the

lives of others now depended on my incurring no unjustifiable delay, and

it did not therefore appear to be of importance; besides, as we had now

traced the unknown portions of this great bay, and had moreover

discovered in it a country in every way fitted for immediate occupation,

and which indeed appeared from its soil and position to be one of the

most valuable portions of the western side of the Continent, I thought

that everything worthy of any great risk or danger had been accomplished,

and resolved to hurry homewards.

STEER FROM THE MAIN.

After following the coast for a few miles further to the south I

considered we were now far enough to windward to fetch somewhere near the

centre of Perron's Peninsula; I therefore made sail and steered for that

point.

ANOTHER GALE OF WIND.

Our passage across was a long and tedious one, and when at last towards

evening we sighted Perron's Peninsula it was very evident that my boat

would not do more than fetch the very northern point, but the other boat,

which was a much better sailer, was nearly a mile to windward of us. The

weather had been for the last hour or two very threatening, and we had

reached to within two miles of the shore when the wind suddenly shifted

to the south-west and began to blow a terrific gale. We had just time to

down sail and take to the oars, and as every one of the crew saw that his

life depended on it they gave way strenuously. We were under the lee of

the Peninsula and had it not been for this circumstance must undoubtedly

have been lost. That gale of wind was a terrible and magnificent sight. I

stood at the steer oar; the waves lifted the boat each time nearly

broadside on, and it was all I could do to bring her head round in time

to meet the next sea, but the men pulled steadily. "Now men, give way for

your lives," I called out if they flagged, and renewed energy was

instantly infused into all of them. At times we could not hold our own

against the wind and waves, and at the most favourable moments seemed

merely to stand still. I looked at the shore until my eyes ached; but no

nearer did it appear to be than at first, and gradually grew less

distinct as the daylight faded. We could only see the other boat now and

then; but although she was evidently in imminent peril they were much

nearer in shore than we were. The danger we underwent on this occasion

was great; but the excitement of so wild and grand a scene was highly

pleasurable, and when success at last crowned our exertions, and we went

dancing wildly in through the surf and spray upon a rocky unknown shore,

and found the other crew on the beach ready to help us in hauling up, I

felt that there is a charm attached to scenes like these which can only

be fully estimated by those who have experienced it. Having in our turn

assisted to haul up the other boat we lighted our fires and laid down for

the night.

PERRON'S PENINSULA.

March 27.

This morning I found that all our hands were so fatigued by the exertions

of the previous day that a few hours of comparative rest was absolutely

necessary. I therefore directed them to stroll about the beach for an

hour or two and to collect oysters or shellfish. The part of Perron's

Peninsula which we were on consists of abrupt cliffs of the height of

about two hundred feet; at the base of these and between them and the sea

there is a narrow strip of sandy land and dunes, and at their summit is a

barren sandy tableland, gently sloping away to the southward and

appearing to extend throughout the whole length of the peninsula.

As soon as I thought the men were sufficiently rested we launched the

boats, but on rounding the northern extremity of the peninsula met a

heavy sea running from the southward and were obliged to take to the

oars. We had not got more than two miles to the southward of Cape Leseuer

when I saw so many indications of an approaching gale that I ran in again

and beached the boats; and this operation was hardly accomplished ere it

blew with terrific violence from the south-south-west. Both here and at

our last night's encampment we saw numerous signs of natives, and now

found several native wells in the sandhills, but had no occasion to use

them as we had regular tropical rain for the rest of the day. The men

here brought me the bones of a very large marine animal which they had

found at the natives' fire, but I could not recognise them as belonging

to any that I was acquainted with. At this period, from bad food and

being constantly wet with salt water, we were all afflicted with sores of

the most painful and annoying character, and these much increased the

unpleasantness of our situation.

ANOTHER GALE.

March 28.

This morning the weather looked tolerably fine; I therefore ordered the

boats to be launched and, after pulling a few miles to windward along

Perron's Peninsula, we struck across for Dirk Hartog's Island; our former

ill-luck however still attended us, for just as we were making the land

another fearful gale from the south-south-west came on, and had we not

had the good luck to have got under the lee of the Coin de Mire of the

French we must infallibly have been wrecked; as it was we pulled along

under this promontory and beached the boats in a little bay at its

north-west extremity. Nothing but absolute necessity could however have

induced me to take such a step, for the place was rocky and difficult of

access, with a heavy surf breaking on the beach. The rain fell in

torrents during the greater part of the evening, and the men spent the

time in searching for oysters and shellfish with which to appease their

hunger. The rain which had fallen during the last two days had a very

injurious effect upon some of us, for, our clothes having been lost with

the other things which were swept away from the depot during the

hurricane of the first of March, we were very insufficiently clad.

DIRK HARTOG'S ISLAND.

March 29.

The weather this morning being very foul I occupied myself in making a

survey of a portion of Dirk Hartog's Island, which is of a very barren

nature, though rather better than either Bernier or Dorre Islands, but

for many years to come it must be utterly useless. It looks exactly like

a Scottish heath; and I have no doubt whatever that water would be found

by digging on it; but as we could have obtained plenty from large holes

in the rocks we did not make the attempt. Whilst I was occupied in this

examination of the island the wind shifted suddenly to the north-west and

I hurried back to the party in order not to lose so favourable an

opportunity.

On arriving at the boats I found that the water had not been completed,

nor had three days' provisions (such as they were) been cooked, although

I had left orders when I went away that these necessary preparations for

our moving should immediately be made; this gave me another reason to

suspect that, during my temporary absence from the party, discipline was

now altogether neglected, and indeed treated as an unnecessary restraint

under existing circumstances. Mr. Smith had warned me that such was the

case, and I therefore never separated myself from any portion of the

party without great anxiety; for I well knew that the safety of all

depended upon preserving the strictest subordination.

In this instance however I merely ordered the boats to be instantly

launched; for I knew that to lose a fair wind in our present situation

would be rashness; and we were soon bounding before the breeze. The wind

now continued fair and at nightfall we landed on the main in such a

position as to look out to the open sea, through the passage between

Steep Point and Dirk Hartog's Island.

PERILOUS COASTING.

March 30.

This morning we pulled up the opening and found a perfect bubble of a sea

running into it and breaking on the various reefs which lie in its mouth.

We then made an attempt to pull round Steep Point and succeeded in

getting out to sea; but there was a formidable swell setting dead on the

shore and drifting us rapidly in towards it, whilst in the event of being

stranded nothing could have saved our lives for the surf was so

tremendous that the boat must instantly have gone to pieces, and the

lofty limestone cliffs were perfectly inaccessible, being hollowed out

into deep caverns by the action of the waves. The attempt to get along

this coast appeared indeed to be so hazardous that even the old sailors

who were with me begged me not to risk it, but rather to allow them to

endeavour to walk overland to Perth. I was well aware that had I

attempted to do this at least half the party would have been lost; for

but few men can support the fatigue of making long and continuous marches

in a very warm climate in which a great scarcity of water prevails.

SHELTER UNDER A REEF.

I however humoured them so far as to put back for the mouth of the

opening, where, under the shelter of a reef, we could lie at anchor for a

few hours in the hope that the sea would lull a little; we however only

just cleared Steep Point, and whilst doing so I felt certain for two or

three minutes that we must have gone ashore, for each breaker lifted the

boat bodily towards the cliffs; as it was however it pleased Providence

to bring us safe to our anchorage.

We were now about to enter on the most perilous part of our journey

homewards. For the next one hundred and twenty miles along the coast I

could not hope to find a place whereon to beach the boats, in the event

of our meeting with those unfavourable winds which we had hitherto found

so prevalent. It would, in the present weak state of the party, take us

many successive days to make this passage; and, should the weather be

really foul, accompanied by strong gales from the south-west, our fate

would soon have been decided. Nevertheless our hope of ultimate safety

rested altogether upon the accomplishment of the difficult task we were

about to commence.

INSUBORDINATION CHECKED.

I soon found that remaining in a state of inactivity would but increase

our difficulties; for as the men talked over them to one another, they

grew wore and more gloomy, and when at length I gave a particular order

to a man of the name of Woods he quietly refused to obey it, saying that

he now considered that his life was altogether lost, and that he would

therefore knock off work. I was rather puzzled for a minute or two as to

how I ought to act under these circumstances, for such an example as he

had set necessarily exercised a bad influence over the others; yet there

was no use in threatening to punish where I had not the means to do so; I

therefore merely turned round to the man who had the charge of sharing

out our scanty allowance of provisions and desired him to divide Woods'

portion of water and provisions amongst the rest of us today, as I

intended for the future that he should have none, at all events not until

he did his fair share of work. This had the desired effect; he soon came

to his senses and told me that I might as well throw him overboard at

once as starve him, to which I replied that unless he overcame his

cowardice and bore his proportion of the toil we all had to go through I

should in no way whatever interfere with his starving, being thrown

overboard, or anything else; but that I would take very good care that he

had neither a morsel to eat or a drop of water to drink; whereupon he

again resumed his duty and from that time forward proved to be one of the

best men I had with me; indeed I never again had occasion to find fault

with him.

Seeing however what a pernicious effect this delay was likely to produce

I determined at once to cope with those difficulties, which we must

either overcome or perish; and accordingly round Steep Point we again

went, and for the rest of this evening and night contended with the heavy

sea as well as we could, keeping about a mile from the shore, sometimes

pulling and sometimes getting a favourable slant of wind.

March 31.

This day we continued our course, tracing out the shore. A small piece of

raw pork was served out to each man; and I found this to be a very nice

and palatable morsel; it however increased our thirst, which, as we were

upon very short allowance of water, was rather a disadvantage; but it was

absolutely necessary that we should take some nourishment.

CHARACTER OF THE SHORE.

The country hereabouts is very uninviting, consisting of a high range of

barren limestone hills, ascending gradually from steep cliffs which form

the coastline. These hills are of such equal elevation that they have a

monotonous as well as barren appearance, and are rent in places by deep

rocky gullies which run down into the sea. No change whatever took place

in the character of the coast throughout our day's ruin, nor did I see a

spot where a boat could land. I did not close my eyes during Sunday

night, for we were still in a most perilous position, and I felt that

whilst we were on so dangerous a coast with a foul wind it was my duty to

keep upon the alert as long as wearied nature would admit of my so doing.

As soon as there was sufficient light for me to distinguish the coastline

I found that it was somewhat losing its monotonous character by breaking

into more detached hills; and about ten A.M., we reached the northern

extremity of Gantheaume Bay.

TO GANTHEAUME BAY.

The men being now completely worn out by want of rest, incessant

exertion, and the mental anxiety they had undergone in the last fifty-six

hours, during the whole of which time they had been in actual danger, I

determined to attempt a landing in Gantheaume Bay, and therefore pulled

along shore with the intention of finding a spot where we could easily

land and yet be near a place likely to afford us water; for

notwithstanding the economy we had practised none now was left. I soon

came to an opening in the bay which I thought would suit our purpose, but

Ruston, on whose opinion in such matters I placed great reliance,

reported it to be utterly impracticable; we still therefore pulled along

the shore, and found it lashed throughout its whole extent by a fearful

surf. The south end of the bay, although protected by a reef, had just as

heavy a surf breaking on it as any other part of the shore and was also

very rocky, we therefore turned back to a sandy beach which we had passed

in pulling round the bay and, having carefully examined this, it appeared

in every way suited to our purpose, so we committed ourselves to the

mercy of the breakers and in we went. As I stood at the steer-oar I saw

that this was a heavier surf than we had ever yet been in. We were swept

along at a terrific rate, and yet it appeared as if each following wave

must engulf us, so lofty were they, and so rapidly did they pour on.

WRECK OF ONE OF THE BOATS.

At length we reached the point where the waves broke; the breaker that we

were on curled up in the air, lifting the boat with it, and when we had

gained the summit I looked down from a great height, not upon water, but

upon a bare, sharp, black rock. For one second the boat hung upon the top

of the wave; in the next I felt the sensation of falling rapidly, then a

tremendous shock and crash which jerked me away amongst rocks and

breakers, and for the few following seconds I heard nothing but the din

of waves whilst I was rolling about amongst men, and a torn boat, oars,

and water-kegs, in such a manner that I could not collect my senses.

END OF VOLUME 1.