A Voyage to Terra Australis Volume I Part 38

The entrance of the piece of water at the head of Nepean Bay is less than half a mile in width, and mostly shallow; but there is a channel sufficiently deep for all boats near the western sh.o.r.e. After turning two low islets near the east point the water opens out, becomes deeper, and divides into two branches, each of two or three miles long. Boats can go to the head of the southern branch only at high water; the east branch appeared to be accessible at all times, but as a lead and line were neglected to be put into the boat, I had no opportunity of sounding.

There are four small islands in the eastern branch; one of them is moderately high and woody, the others are gra.s.sy and lower; and upon two of these we found many young pelicans, unable to fly. Flocks of the old birds were sitting upon the beaches of the lagoon, and it appeared that the islands were their breeding-places; not only so, but from the number of skeletons and bones there scattered, it should seem that they had for ages been selected for the closing scene of their existence. Certainly none more likely to be free from disturbance of every kind could have been chosen than these islets in a hidden lagoon of an uninhabited island, situate upon an unknown coast near the antipodes of Europe; nor can anything be more consonant to the feelings, if pelicans have any, than quietly to resign their breath whilst surrounded by their progeny, and in the same spot where they first drew it. Alas for the pelicans!

Their golden age is past; but it has much exceeded in duration that of man.

I named this piece of water _Pelican Lagoon_. It is also frequented by flocks of the pied s.h.a.g, and by some ducks and gulls; and the shoals supplied us with a few oysters. The surrounding country is almost everywhere thickly covered with brushwood; and the soil appeared to be generally of a good quality, though not deep. Prospect Hill and the parts around it are more sandy; and there seemed to be swamps at the head of both branches of the lagoon. The isthmus which separates the southern branch from the sea is low, but rises gradually up the cliffs of the coast.

Not being able to return on board the same night, we slept near the entrance of the lagoon. It was high water by the sh.o.r.e, on the morning of the 5th [MONDAY 5 APRIL 1802], at six o'clock; but on comparing this with the swinging of the ship, it appeared that the tide had then been running more than an hour from the westward. The rise in the lagoon seemed to be from four to eight feet.

A few kangaroos had been obtained during my absence, as also some seal skins; but one of the sailors having attacked a large seal incautiously, received a very severe bite in the leg and was laid up. After all the researches now made in the island, it appeared that the kangaroos were much more numerous at our first landing-place, near Kangaroo Head, than elsewhere in the neighbourhood. That part of the island was clearer of wood than most others; and there were some small gra.s.s plats which seemed to be particularly attractive and were kept very bare. Not less than thirty emus or ca.s.sowaries were seen at different times; but it so happened that they were fired at only once, and that ineffectually. They were most commonly found near the longest of the small beaches to the eastward of Kangaroo Head, where some little drainings of water oozed from the rocks. It is possible that with much time and labour employed in digging, water might be procured there to supply a ship; and I am sorry to say that it was the sole place found by us where the hope of procuring fresh water could be entertained.

Having received on board a good stock of wood, the launch was hoisted in and every thing prepared for going to sea. Next morning [TUESDAY 6 APRIL 1802], so soon as the sun was sufficiently elevated to be observed in the artificial horizon, I landed to take the last set of observations for the time-keepers; after which the anchor was weighed, and we steered out of Nepean Bay with a light breeze from the south-west. Towards noon it fell calm, and finding by the land that the ship was set westward, an anchor was dropped nearly in our first place off Kangaroo Head; and Mr. Westall took the sketch given in the Atlas. (Atlas Plate XVII. View 11.)

The rates of the time keepers were obtained, for the sake of expedition, from single alt.i.tudes of the sun's upper and lower limbs, taken from a quicksilver horizon with a s.e.xtant fixed on a stand; the time being noted from Arnold's watch, compared with Earnshaw's time keepers before going on sh.o.r.e and immediately after returning. From the alt.i.tudes of the 3rd, 4th, and 6th, in the morning, the rates of the two time keepers and their errors from mean Greenwich time, reduced to noon there on the last day, were as under.

Earnshaw's No. 543, fast 0h 0' 18.03" and losing 8.46" per day.

No. 520, slow 0 45 29.66 and losing 18.07" per day.

In deducing these errors, the longitude given by the time keepers on our first arrival from Spencer's Gulph, which I consider to be equally good with that of Port Lincoln, was used, with a correction of -1' 20" for the change of place. The medium of the Port Lincoln rates was something greater than that now found; which corresponded with the time keepers having given the longitude of Kangaroo Head less on the second than on the first arrival. This was some proof that the letting down had not affected the rates, and tended to give me confidence in their accuracy.

The _variation_ observed on sh.o.r.e, with the theodolite, was 5 48' east. Do. with azimuth compa.s.s, No. 1 with the theodolite, was 2 58' east.

For this difference between the instruments, I find it difficult to account satisfactorily; but it is the same way, and nearly similar in quant.i.ty to what was observed in Lucky Bay. The true variation on board the ship, deduced from azimuths taken at anchor two miles to the north-east, and using the compa.s.ses No. 1 and 2, was as before mentioned, 4 13', nearly the mean of the above; but the bearings taken with the theodolite at Kangaroo Head and Prospect Hill showed only 2 east, as compared with the bearings on board the ship. There can be little doubt of the existence of magnetic substances in the lands about here, more particularly, as I think, in Yorke's Peninsula; and there will presently be occasion to notice more instances of their effect.

The approach of the winter season, and an apprehension that the discovery of the remaining unknown part of the South Coast might not be completed before a want of provisions would make it necessary to run for Port Jackson, prevented me from stopping a day longer at Kangaroo Island than was necessary to obtaining rates for the time-keepers, and consequently from examining the south and west parts of that island. The direction of the main coast and the inlets it might form were the most important points to be now ascertained; and the details of particular parts, which it would interfere too much with those objects to examine, were best referred to the second visit, directed by my instructions to be made to this coast. When, therefore, the rising of a breeze made it advisable to get under way from Kangaroo Head, which was not until two in the afternoon, we proceeded for the eastern outlet of the Investigator's Strait, in order to prosecute the discovery beyond Cape Jervis.

The wind was at south-east; and the tide being against us, but little progress was made until the evening, when it became favourable. Our soundings were irregular, and some rocky islets being seen without side of the opening, I stood in at nine o'clock, to look for anchorage at the east end of Kangaroo Island; and finding no shelter there, we ran a little to leeward into a small bay which I had observed before dark, and anch.o.r.ed at half past ten, in 4 fathoms, on a bottom of hard sand. At daylight [WEDNESDAY 7 APRIL 1802], the following bearings were taken.

East point of the little bay, dist. 1 mile, East.

West point, distant three miles, N. 38 W.

Cape Jervis, inner low point, N. 3 W.

Eastern extreme of the coast, N. 65 E.

The bay is perfectly sheltered from all southern winds; and as there were several spots clear of wood near the beach, it is probable that the kangaroos, and perhaps ca.s.sowaries, might be numerous. We did not stop to land, but got under way so soon as the bearings were taken, to beat out of the strait against the south-east wind; so little was gained, however, after working all the day, that at eight in the evening the ship was still off the east end of Kangaroo Island.

This part of the Investigator's Strait is not more, in the narrowest part, than seven miles across. It forms a private entrance, as it were, to the two gulphs; and I named it _Back-stairs Pa.s.sage_. The small bay where we had anch.o.r.ed is called the _Ante-chamber_; and the cape which forms the eastern head of the bay and of Kangaroo Island, and lies in 35 48' south and 138 13' east, received the appellation of _Cape Willoughby_. Without side of the pa.s.sage, and almost equidistant from both sh.o.r.es, there are three small, rocky islets near together, called the _Pages_, whose situation is in lat.i.tude 35 46' and longitude 138 21' east; these are the sole dangers in Back-stairs Pa.s.sage, and two of them are conspicuous. Our soundings in beating through were from 8 to 23 fathoms; and in a strong rippling of tide like breakers there was from 10 to 12, upon a bottom of stones and sh.e.l.ls.

At eight in the evening we tacked from Cape Willoughby; and having pa.s.sed to windward of the Pages, stretched on east and north-eastward until four in the morning [THURSDAY 8 APRIL 1802]. Land was then seen under the lee, and a tack made off sh.o.r.e till daylight, when we stood in with the wind at east-south-east. At nine the land was distant five miles, and of a very different aspect to that of Cape Jervis. As far as six leagues from the cliffy southern extremity of the Cape the land is high, rocky and much cut by gullies or ravines; a short, scrubby brush-wood covers the seaward side, and the stone appeared to be slaty, like the opposite cliffs of Kangaroo Island. But here the hills fall back from the sea, and the sh.o.r.e becomes very low with some hummocks of sand upon it; and the same description of coast prevailed as far as could be seen to the eastward.

Our situation at nine o'clock, when we tacked to the south, was as follows;

Longitude by time keepers, 138 47'

Cape Jervis, two southern parts, bore S. 84 W.

A round hummock, N. 85 W.

A rocky islet, under the land, N. 62 W.

Furthest visible part of the sandy coast, S. 87 E.

Before two in the afternoon we stretched eastward again, and at four a white rock was reported from aloft to be seen ahead. On approaching nearer it proved to be a ship standing towards us, and we cleared for action, in case of being attacked. The stranger was a heavy-looking ship, without any top-gallant masts up; and our colours being hoisted, she showed a French ensign, and afterwards an English jack forward, as we did a white flag. At half-past five, the land being then five miles distant to the north-eastward, I hove to, and learned, as the stranger pa.s.sed to leeward with a free wind, that it was the French national ship _Le Geographe_, under the command of captain NICOLAS BAUDIN. We veered round as Le Geographe was pa.s.sing, so as to keep our broadside to her, lest the flag of truce should be a deception; and having come to the wind on the other tack, a boat was hoisted out, and I went on board the French ship, which had also hove to.

As I did not understand French, Mr. Brown, the naturalist, went with me in the boat. We were received by an officer who pointed out the commander, and by him were conducted into the cabin. I requested captain Baudin to show me his pa.s.sport from the Admiralty; and when it was found and I had perused it, offered mine from the French marine minister, but he put it back without inspection. He then informed me that he had spent some time in examining the south and east parts of Van Diemen's Land, where his geographical engineer, with the largest boat and a boat's crew, had been left, and probably lost. In Ba.s.s Strait captain Baudin had encountered a heavy gale, the same we had experienced in a less degree on March 21 in the Investigator's Strait. He was then separated from his consort, _Le Naturaliste_; but having since had fair winds and fine weather, he had explored the South Coast from Western Port to the place of our meeting without finding any river, inlet or other shelter which afforded anchorage. I inquired concerning a large island said to lie in the western entrance of Ba.s.s Strait; but he had not seen it, and seemed to doubt much of its existence.

Captain Baudin was communicative of his discoveries about Van Diemen's land; as also of his criticisms upon an English chart of Ba.s.s Strait published in 1800. He found great fault with the north side of the strait, but commended the form given to the south side and to the islands near it. On my pointing out a note upon the chart, explaining that the north side of the strait was seen only in an open boat by Mr. Ba.s.s, who had no good means of fixing either lat.i.tude or longitude, he appeared surprised, not having before paid attention to it. I told him that some other and more particular charts of the Strait and its neighbourhood had been since published; and that if he would keep company until next morning, I would bring him a copy, with a small memoir belonging to them.

This was agreed to, and I returned with Mr. Brown to the Investigator.

It somewhat surprised me that captain Baudin made no enquiries concerning my business upon this unknown coast, but as he seemed more desirous of communicating information, I was happy to receive it; next morning [FRIDAY 9 APRIL 1802], however, he had become inquisitive, some of his officers having learned from my boat's crew that our object was also discovery. I then told him, generally, what our operations had been, particularly in the two gulphs, and the lat.i.tude to which I had ascended in the largest; explained the situation of Port Lincoln, where fresh water might be procured; showed him Cape Jervis, which was still in sight; and as a proof of the refreshments to be obtained at the large island opposite to it, pointed out the kangaroo-skin caps worn by my boat's crew, and told him the name I had affixed to the island in consequence. At parting the captain requested me to take care of his boat and people in case of meeting with them; and to say to Le Naturaliste that he should go to Port Jackson so soon as the bad weather set in. On my asking the name of the captain of Le Naturaliste, he bethought himself to ask mine; and finding it to be the same as the author of the chart which he had been criticising, expressed not a little surprise, but had the politeness to congratulate himself on meeting me.

The situation of the Investigator, when I hove to for the purpose of speaking captain Baudin, was 35 40' south and 138 58' east. No person was present at our conversations except Mr Brown; and they were mostly carried on in English, which the captain spoke so as to be understood. He gave me, besides what is related above, some information of his losses in men, separations from his consort, and of the improper season at which he was directed to explore this coast; as also a memorandum of some rocks he had met with, lying two leagues from the sh.o.r.e, in lat.i.tude 37 1', and he spoke of them as being very dangerous.

I have been the more particular in detailing all that pa.s.sed at this interview from a circ.u.mstance which it seems proper to explain and discuss in this place.

At the above situation of 35 40' south and 138 58' east, the _discoveries_ made by captain Baudin upon the South Coast have their termination to the west; as mine in the Investigator have to the eastward. Yet Mons. Peron, naturalist in the French expedition, has laid a claim for his nation to the discovery of all the parts between _Western Port_ in Ba.s.s Strait, and _Nuyts' Archipelago_; and this part of New South Wales is called _Terre Napoleon_. My Kangaroo Island, a name which they openly adopted in the expedition, has been converted at Paris into _L'Isle Decres_; Spencer's Gulph is named _Golfe Bonaparte_; the Gulph of St. Vincent, _Golfe Josephine_; and so on along the whole coast to Cape Nuyts, not even the smallest island being left without some similar stamp of French discovery.*

[* The most remarkable pa.s.sages on the subject are the following, under the t.i.tle of _Terre Napoleon_.

"De ce grand es.p.a.ce (the south coast of Terra Australis), la partie seule qui du Cap Leuwen s'etend aux iles St. Pierre et St. Francois, ecoit connue lors de notre depart d'Europe. Decouverte par les Hollandois en 1627, elle avoit ete, dans ces derniers temps, visitee par VANCOUVER et surtout par DENTRECASTEAUX; mais ce dernier navigateur n'ayant pu lui-meme s'avancer au-dela des iles St. Pierre et St. Francois, qui forment la limite orientale de la terre de Nuyts, et les Anglois n'ayant pas porte vers le Sud leurs recherches plus loin que le port Western, il en resultoit que toute la portion comprise entre ce dernier point et la terre de Nuyts etoit encore inconnue au moment ou nous arrivions sur ces rivages." p. 316. That is on March 30, 1802. M. Peron should have said, not that the south coast from Western Port to Nuyts' Land was then unknown; but that it was unknown _to them_; for captain Grant of the Lady Nelson had discovered the eastern part, from Western Port to the longitude 140, in the year 1800, before the French ships sailed from Europe; and on the west I had explored the coast and islands from Nuyts'

land to Cape Jervis in 138 10', and was, on the day specified, at the head of the Gulph of St. Vincent.

"Dans ce moment, le capitaine Anglois nous hela, en nous dernandant si nous n'etions pas l'un des deux vaisseaux partis de France pour faire des decouvertes dans l'hemisphere Austral. Sur notre reponse affirmative, il fit aussitot mettre une embarcation a la mer, et peu d'instans apres nous le recmes a bord. Nous apprimes que c'etoit le capitaine FLINDERS, celui-la meme qui avoit deja fait la circonnavigation de la terre de Diemen; que son navire se nommoit _the Investigator_; que, parti d'Europe depuis huit mois dans le dessein de completer la reconnoissance de la Nouvelle Hollande et des archipels du grand Ocean equatorial, il se trouvoit, depuis environs trois mois, a la terre de Nuyts; que, contrarie par les vents, il n'avoit pu penetrer, comme il en avoit eu le projet, derriere les iles St. Pierre et St. Francois; que, lors de son depart d'Angleterre," etc. p. 324, 325.

"En nous fournissant tous ces details. M. FLINDERS se montra d'une grande reserve sur ses operations particulieres. Nous apprimes toutefois par quelques-uns de ses matelots, qu'il avoit eu beaucoup a souffrir de ces memes vents de la partie du Sud qui nous avoient ete si favorables, et ce fut alors sur-tout que nous pmes apprecier davantage toute la sagesse de nos propres instructions. Apres avoir converse plus d'une heure avec _nous_," (no person except Mr. Brown was present at my conversation with captain Baudin, as I have already said), "le capitaine FLINDERS repart.i.t pour son bord, promettant de revenir le lendemain matin nous apporter une carte particuliere de la riviere _Dalrymple_, qu'il venait de publier en Angleterre. Il revint en effet, le 9 avril, nous la remettre, et bientot apres nous le quittames pour reprendre la suite de nos tra vaux geographiques." p. 325.

"L'ile princ.i.p.ale de ce dernier groupe" (their _Archipel Berthier_) "se dessine sous la forme d'un immense hamacon." (Thistle's Island seems to he here meant.) "Independamment de toutes ces iles, il en existe encore plus de vingt autres disseminees aux environs de la pointe occidentale du golfe et en dehors de son entee: chacune d'elles fut designee par un de ces noms honorables dont notre patrie s'enorgueillit a juste t.i.tre." p.

327.

_Voyage de Decouverte aux Terres Australes_, redige par M. F. Peron, Naturaliste de l'expedition, etc. Paris, 1807.]

It is said by M. Peron, and upon my authority too, that the Investigator had not been able to penetrate behind the Isles of St. Peter and St.

Francis; and though he doth not say directly that no part of the before unknown coast was discovered by me, yet the whole tenor of his Chap. XV induces the reader to believe that I had done nothing which could interfere with the prior claim of the French.

Yet M. Peron was present afterwards at Port Jackson when I showed one of my charts of this coast to captain Baudin, and pointed out the limits of his discovery; and so far from any prior t.i.tle being set up at that time to Kangaroo Island and the parts westward, the officers of the Geographe always spoke of them as belonging to the Investigator. The first lieutenant, Mons. Freycinet, even made use of the following odd expression, addressing himself to me in the house of governor King, and in the presence of one of his companions, I think Mons. Bonnefoy: "Captain, if we had not been kept so long picking up sh.e.l.ls and catching b.u.t.terflies at Van Diemen's Land, you would not have discovered the South Coast before us."

The English officers and respectable inhabitants then at Port Jackson can say if the prior discovery of these parts were not generally acknowledged; nay, I appeal to the French officers themselves, generally and individually, if such were not the case. How then came M. Peron to advance what was so contrary to truth? Was he a man dest.i.tute of all principle? My answer is, that I believe his candour to have been equal to his acknowledged abilities; and that what he wrote was from over-ruling authority, and smote him to the heart; he did not live to finish the second volume.

The motive for this aggression I do not pretend to explain. It may have originated in the desire to rival the British nation in the honour of completing the discovery of the globe; or be intended as the forerunner of a claim to the possession of the countries so said to have been first discovered by French navigators. Whatever may have been the object in view, the question, so far as I am concerned, must be left to the judgment of the world; and if succeeding French writers can see and admit the claims of other navigators as clearly and readily as a late most able man of that nation* has pointed out their own in some other instances, I shall not fear to leave it even to their decision.

[* M. DE FLEURIEU.]

CHAPTER IX.

Examination of the coast resumed.

Encounter Bay.

The capes Bernouilli and Jaffa.

Baudin's Rocks.

Differences in the bearings on tacking.

Cape Buffon, the eastern limit of the French discovery.

The capes Northumberland and Bridgewater of captain Grant.

Danger from a south-west gale.

King's Island, in Ba.s.s' Strait: Anchorage there.

Some account of the island.

Nautical observations.

New Year's Isles.