A Voyage to Terra Australis Volume I Part 6

In the night of Aug. 1, 1699, he struck soundings upon the northern part of the Abrolhos shoal, in lat.i.tude about 27 40' south. Next morning he saw the main coast, and ran northward along it; discovering, in 26. 10', an opening two leagues wide, but full of rocks and foul ground. Aug. 6, he anch.o.r.ed (in _Dirk Hartog's Road_) at the entrance of a sound, which he named SHARK's BAY, in lat.i.tude 25 5' south. He remained there eight days, examining the sound, cutting wood upon the islands, fishing, etc.; and gives a description of what was seen in his usually circ.u.mstantial manner.*

[* For the full account of Dampier's proceedings and observations, with views of the land, see his _Voyages_, Vol. III. page 81, _et seq_.]

An animal found upon one of the islands is described as "a sort of racc.o.o.n, different from that of the West Indies, chiefly as to the legs; for these have very short fore legs; but go jumping upon them" (not upon the short fore, but the long hind, legs, it is to be presumed), "as the others do; and like them are very good meat." This appears to have been the small kangaroo, since found upon the islands which form the road; and if so, this description is probably the first ever made of that singular animal.

Leaving Shark's Bay on Aug. 14, captain Dampier steered northward, along the coast; but at too great a distance to make much observation upon it, until he got round the North-west Cape. On the 22nd, he saw an extensive cl.u.s.ter of islands; and anch.o.r.ed, in lat.i.tude 20 21', under one of the largest, which he called _Rosemary Island_. This was near the southern part of De Witt's Land; but, besides an error in lat.i.tude of 40', he complains that, in _Tasman's chart_, "the sh.o.r.e is laid down as all along joining in one body, or continent, with some openings like rivers; and not like islands, as really they are."--"By what we saw of them, they must have been a range of islands, of about twenty leagues in length, stretching from E. N. E. to W. S. W.; and for ought I know, as far as to those of Shark's Bay; and to a considerable breadth also, for we could see nine or ten leagues in amongst them, towards the continent or main land of New Holland, _if there be any such thing hereabouts_: And by the great tides I met with awhile afterwards, more to the north-east, I had a strong suspicion that here might be a kind of archipelago of islands; and a pa.s.sage, possibly, to the to the south of New Holland and New Guinea, into the great South Sea, eastward."

Not finding fresh water upon such of the islands as were visited that day, captain Dampier quitted his anchorage next morning, and "steered away E. N. E., coasting along as the land lies." He seems to have kept the land in sight, in the day time, at the distance of four to six leagues; but the sh.o.r.e being low, this was too far for him to be certain whether all was main land which he saw; and what might have been pa.s.sed in the night was still more doubtful.

Aug. 30, being in lat.i.tude 18 21', and the weather fair, captain Dampier steered in for the sh.o.r.e; and anch.o.r.ed in 8 fathoms, about three-and-half leagues off. The tide ran "very swift here; so that our nun-buoy would not bear above the water to be seen. It flows here, as on that part of New Holland I described formerly, about five fathoms."

He had hitherto seen no inhabitants; but now met with several. The place at which he had touched in the former voyage "was not above forty or fifty leagues to the north-east of this. And these were much the same blinking creatures (here being also abundance of the same kind of flesh flies teizing them), and with the same black skins, and hair frizzled, tall and thin, etc., as those were. But we had not the opportunity to see whether these, as the former, wanted two of their fore teeth." One of them, who was supposed to be a chief, "was painted with a circle of white paste or pigment about his eyes, and a white streak down his nose, from his forehead to the tip of it. And his breast, and some part of his arms, were also made white with the same paint."

Neither bows nor arrows were observed amongst these people: they used wooden lances, such as Dampier had before seen. He saw no houses at either place, and believed they had none; but "there were several things like hayc.o.c.ks, standing in the savannah; which, at a distance, we thought were houses, looking just like the Hottentots' houses at the Cape of Good Hope; but we found them to be so many rocks." *

[* Dampier could not have examined these rocks closely; for there can be little doubt that they were the ant hills described by Pelsert as being "so large., that they might have been taken for the houses of Indians."]

The land near the sea-coast is described as equally sandy with the parts before visited, and producing, amongst its scanty vegetation, nothing for food. No stream of fresh water was seen, nor could any, fit to drink, be procured by digging.

Quitting this inhospitable sh.o.r.e, captain Dampier weighed his anchor on September 5, with the intention of seeking water and refreshments further on to the north-eastward. The shoals obliged him to keep at a considerable distance from the land; and finally, when arrived at the lat.i.tude 16 9', to give up his project, and direct his course for Timor.

CONCLUSIVE REMARKS.

With the voyage of Dampier terminates the information gained of the Western Coasts, previously to the year 1801. Monsieur de _St. Alouarn_ had, indeed, seen some points or islands, in the year 1772, when he commanded the French _flte Le Gros Ventre_; but the particulars are not generally known, being, in all probability, of little importance.

The summary of the knowledge possessed by the public, and the objects to which investigation might be usefully directed in these parts of Terra Australis, were as follow. The outline of the north-west coast was known upon the authority, as generally believed, of _Tasman_; with some points corrected by _Dampier_. The accuracy of Tasman's chart was, however, very much called in doubt: instead of being a continued sh.o.r.e, as the Dutch chart represented it, Dampier found the southern parts of De Witt's Land to consist of a range of islands. And he gives it as his opinion, that the northern part of New Holland was separated from the lands to the southward, by a strait; "unless", says he, "the high tides and indraught thereabout should be occasioned by the mouth of some large river; which hath often low lands on each side of the outlet, and many islands and shoals lying at its entrance: but I rather thought it a channel, or strait, than a river." This opinion he supports by a fair induction from facts; and the opening of _twelve miles wide_, seen near the same place by Vlaming's two vessels, and in which they could find no anchorage, strongly corroborated Dampier's supposition.

Later information had demonstrated, that the supposed strait could not lead out into the Great Ocean, eastward, as the English navigator had conjectured; but it was thought possible, that it might communicate with the Gulph of Carpentaria, and even probable that a pa.s.sage existed from thence to the unknown part of the South Coast, beyond the Isles of St.

Francis and St. Peter.

But whether this opening were the entrance to a strait, separating Terra Australis into two or more islands, or led into a mediterranean sea, as some thought; or whether it were the entrance of a large river, there was, in either case, a great geographical question to be settled, relative to the parts behind Rosemary Island.

If Tasman's chart were defective at De Witt's Land, it was likely to be so in other parts of the same coast; where there was no account, or belief, that it had been examined by any other person further north than the lat.i.tude 16. An investigation of the whole North-west Coast, with its numerous islands and shoals, was, therefore, required, before it could enter into the present improved systems of geography and navigation.

The chart of the West Coast, as far south as Rottenest, was founded upon much better authority; but for its formation from thence to Cape Leeuwin there were no good doc.u.ments. In this part, there was room even for discovery; and the whole coast required to be laid down with more accuracy than had been attainable by the Dutch navigators.

As to the soil and vegetable productions upon several points near the sea, from Rottenest, northward to 16, there was tolerably good general information; the inhabitants, also, had been seen; and, at one place, communication with them had been obtained. The accounts did, certainly, not give any flattering prospect, that much interesting knowledge was likely to be acquired under these heads, unless a strait, or inland sea, were found; but the accounts were not only confined as to place, but, with the exception of Dampier's, were very imperfect; and the great extent of the coasts, in the richest climates of the world, excited hopes that a close investigation would not only be of advantage to natural history, but would bring to light something useful in the mineral or vegetable kingdoms.

In the case of penetrating the interior of Terra Australis, whether by a great river, or a strait leading to an inland sea, a superior country, and perhaps a different people, might be found, the knowledge of which could not fail to be very interesting, and might prove advantageous to the nation making the discovery.

PRIOR DISCOVERIES IN TERRA AUSTRALIS.

SECTION III.

SOUTH COAST.

Discovery of Nuyts.

Examination of Vancouver: of D'Entrecasteaux.

Conclusive Remarks.

NUYTS. 1627. (Atl. Pl. I.)

No historical fact seems to be less disputed, than that the South Coast of New Holland was first discovered in January 1627: whether it were the 26th, according to _De Hondt_, or the 16th, as is expressed on _Thevenot's_ chart, is of very little import. It is generally said, that the ship was commanded by PIETER NUYTS; but as Nuyts, on his arrival at Batavia, was sent amba.s.sador to j.a.pan, and afterwards made governor of Formosa, it seems more probable that he was a civilian, perhaps Company's first merchant on board, rather than captain of the ship: the land discovered has, however, always borne his name.

The Dutch recital says--"In the year 1627, the South Coast of the _Great_ SOUTH LAND was accidentally discovered by the ship the _Gulde Zeepaard_, outward-bound from Fatherland, for the s.p.a.ce of a thousand miles."

This discovery has always been considered as of importance. A memoir was published at Amsterdam in 1718, "to prove, that NUYTS' LAND, being in the fifth climate, between 34 and 36 of lat.i.tude; it ought to be, like all other countries so situated, one of the most habitable, most rich, and most fertile parts of the world." * The journal of this discovery seems to have been lost; or possibly was either suppressed or destroyed, according to what is thought to have been the Dutch policy of that time. It was, therefore, from the chart, and the above pa.s.sage in the recital, alone, that any particulars could be drawn. If the extent of a _thousand miles_ were taken to be in a straight line, and to commence at Cape Leeuwin, the end of Nuyts' Land would reach nearly to the longitude of 135 east of Greenwich; but if, as was probable, the windings of the sh.o.r.e were included, and a deduction made of one-sixth to one-seventh in the distance, then the Isles of St. Francis and St. Peter might be expected to be found between the 132nd and 133rd degrees of east longitude.

[* _Hist. des Nav. aux Terres Australes_. Tome I. page 429.]

VANCOUVER. 1791.

With the exception of Mons. de St. Alouarn, who is said to have anch.o.r.ed near Cape Leeuwin in 1772, the south coast of Terra Australis, though occupying much attention from geographers, seems to have been left unvisited from 1627 to 1791. In this year, captain GEORGE VANCOUVER, being on his way to North-west America, made the South Coast on Sept. 26, at _Cape Chatham_, in lat.i.tude 35 3' south, and longitude 116 35' east, not many leagues beyond where Nuyts appears to have commenced his discovery. He sailed eastward, from thence, along the sh.o.r.e, till the 28th; when he anch.o.r.ed in a sound, to which was given the name of KING GEORGE THE III.

The country in the neighbourhood of the Sound, and of its two harbours, was found to be agreeably variegated in form; to be clothed with gra.s.s and wood; and, though generally more barren than fertile, yet affording many spots capable of cultivation. No considerable river was discovered; but fresh water was every where abundant for domestic purposes; and the climate was judged to be as healthy as the temperature was found to be agreeable. Kangaroos did not appear to be scarce; nor were the woods ill tenanted by the feathered tribes; and reptiles and other noxious animals were not numerous. Amongst the aquatic birds, black swans and wild ducks held a distinguished place; but, like the land animals, were very shy: sea and sh.e.l.l fish were in tolerable abundance.

None of the inhabitants were seen; but from the appearance of their deserted huts, they were judged to be the same miserable race as those of the North-west and East Coasts. No marks of canoes, nor the remains of fish, even sh.e.l.l fish, were found near their habitations; and this circ.u.mstance, with the shyness of the birds and quadrupeds, induced a belief that the natives depended princ.i.p.ally upon the woods for their subsistence.

Captain Vancouver quitted King George's Sound on Oct. 11, and proceeded eastward in the examination of the coast; but unfavourable winds prevented him from doing this so completely as he wished, and some parts were pa.s.sed unseen; and the impediments to his progress at length caused the examination to be quitted, in favour of prosecuting the main design of his voyage. The last land seen was _Termination Island_, in lat.i.tude 34 32' and longitude 122 8'. The coast to the north of this island appeared much broken; but, although in Nuyts' chart a considerable group of islands were laid down in about that situation, captain Vancouver rather supposed it to be a continued main land.*

[* For captain Vancouver's account of his proceedings and observations on the South Coast, see his _Voyage round the World_, Vol. I. page 28-57.]

So far as this examination extended, the general form of the coast was found to correspond with that of the old chart; nor was any material error found in Nuyts' lat.i.tude. A further, and more extended confirmation of the Dutch navigator's discovery, and of its having been well laid down, considering the period at which it was done, was obtained in the following year.

D'ENTRECASTEAUX. 1792.

The French rear-admiral BRUNY D'ENTRECASTEAUX, having been sent out with the ships _La Recherche_ and _L'Esperance_ in search of the unfortunate La Perouse made the south coast of New Holland on Dec. 5, 1792, about twenty-eight leagues to the north-west of Cape Chatham.* The coast, from the South-west Cape to the longitude of Termination Island, was explored by the admiral, with all the minuteness that the state of the weather could permit; and he was, generally, able to keep the sh.o.r.e closer abord than captain Vancouver had done, and to supply the deficiencies in his chart. The broken land to the north of Termination Island was found to be conformable to what Nuyts had laid down: it made part of a very extensive group of islands, one of which afforded timely shelter to the French ships on Dec. 9, from a gale which had arisen at south-west.

[*When the Investigator sailed, the journal of _M. Labillardiere_, naturalist in D'Entrecasteaux's expedition, was the sole account of the voyage made public: but M. DE ROSSEI one of the princ.i.p.al officers, has since published the voyage from the journals of the rear-admiral and it is from this last that what follows is extracted.]

They remained a week at this anchorage, whilst the naturalists explored the surrounding country, and the surveyors examined such of the islands as were visible from the ships. Seals, penguins, and some kangaroos were seen; but no fresh water, accessible to shipping, could any where be found; the country within their reach being sandy and sterile. From Dec.

17 to 24, the ships were occupied in coasting eastward, along the outskirt of the group of islands, and then found it to terminate at 2 of longitude from its commencement. The main land at the back of the islands had been generally visible, but at too great a distance for the precise form of the coast to be ascertained, or to allow of fixing the positions of, or even seeing, many of the inner islands and reefs.

This group is the first of the two marked upon the chart of Nuyts; and admiral D'Entrecasteaux praises the general accuracy of the Dutch navigator, in that "the lat.i.tude of Point Leeuwin, and of the coast of Nuyts' Land, were laid down with an exactness, surprising for the remote period in which they had been discovered." This liberal acknowledgment renders it the more extraordinary, that in the appellation which it was judged proper to give to this extensive group, the French admiral had not rather thought of doing honour to the original discoverer, or to the _Gulde Zeepaard_, than to his own ship; more especially, as his examination was far from being complete. This would have been more conformable to his general practice; but ARCHIPEL DE LA RECHERCHE was the name adopted.

Beyond the archipelago, the South Coast was found to trend east-north-eastward; without any island lying off it, or presenting any place of shelter. The sh.o.r.e was either a steep calcareous cliff, of an equal height, or low and sandy, with a few naked hillocks behind; and above these, no hill., nor any thing of the interior country, could be discerned. "It is not surprising," says D'Entrecasteaux., "that Nuyts has given no details of this barren coast; for its aspect is so uniform, that the most fruitful imagination could find nothing to say of it."

1793.

Frustrated in his expectation of procuring fresh water, and having no more than sufficient, at a short allowance, to reach Van Diemen's Land, the admiral abandoned the investigation of the South Coast, on Jan. 3; being then in lat.i.tude 31 49' south, and longitude 131 38' east of Greenwich.

In the otherwise excellent charts constructed by M. BEAUTEMPS-BEAUPRe, geographical engineer on board La Recherche, there is an extraordinary omission, arising either from the geographer, or the conductor of the voyage. In the first 12 of longitude no soundings are marked along the coast; whilst, in the last 50, they are marked with tolerable regularity: the cause of this difference is not explained.

In comparing the French chart with that of Nuyts, it appeared that the rear-admiral had not proceeded so far along this coast as the Dutch navigator had done; for he did not see the islands of St. Francis and St.

Peter, nor the reef marked about thirty leagues to the west of them. The point, however, where D'Entrecasteaux's examination terminated, was, in all probability, within a few leagues of that reef; and the end of Nuyts'

discovery would be between 133 and 134 to the east of Greenwich.

CONCLUSIVE REMARKS.