A Voyage to Terra Australis Volume II Part 23

From Mount Alexander to Cape Arnhem there is nine leagues of waving sandy coast; it affords only one small opening, which is on the south side of a cliffy point, with two islets lying off the entrance, and may probably afford shelter for boats.

At eight in the morning we pa.s.sed Cape Arnhem, a smooth gra.s.sy projection which rises gently from the water's edge into the country, but is no where of much elevation; a broad rock lies near the south-eastern extremity, and its position was ascertained to be 12 19' south, and 137 1' east. Strong ripplings of a tide or current extended some distance off the cape, and in pa.s.sing through them we had irregular soundings between 27 and 18 fathoms; beyond Cape Arnhem the sh.o.r.e trended N. W. by N., in rocky points and shallow bights, but the wind being from that direction, we could not follow it closely. The furthest land visible at noon was a flat-topped hill which I call _Mount Saunders_, and nearer to us was a higher and more woody hill, also flat-topped and steep at its north end, to which is given the name of _Mount Dundas_; their bearings, and our position at this time were as under:

Lat.i.tude observed, 12 12'

Longitude from survey and time keeper, 137 2 Mount Dundas, bluff north end, dist. 8 miles, S. 85 W.

Mount Saunders, north end, N. 84 W.

Cape Arnhem, a rising within the extremity, S. 21 W.

We tacked to the westward in the afternoon, and an island came in sight, lying to the north of the two mounts, with several rocks and islets scattered on its north-east side. At sunset the wind died away, and a stream anchor was dropped in 16 fathoms sandy ground; our situation being five miles from the sh.o.r.e under Mount Dundas, and three from the nearest rocky islets to the north-west. The flood tide set gently to the westward, and induced me to suppose there might be a pa.s.sage within the island and rocks, and in the morning [SAt.u.r.dAY 12 FEBRUARY 1803] our endeavours were used to reach it; but the winds being light and mostly contrary, the evening came before we got through. An anchor was then dropped in 4 fathoms, coa.r.s.e sand, one mile and a half from the sandy sh.o.r.e under Mount Saunders, and three miles from the south-west end of the island. The pa.s.sage is more than two miles wide, and our soundings in working through it were between 4 and 6 fathoms on a gravelly bottom; but afterwards we had little more in some places than 3 fathoms.

[NORTH COAST. MELVILLE BAY.]

Two natives, with a canoe, had been seen upon the island; and as our boat stood that way, sounding ahead of the ship, they waved and called to the people. The island is about five miles long, and between one and two in breadth; it is low, mostly dest.i.tute of wood, and the sh.o.r.es in general are sandy; and not being laid down in the Dutch chart, I distinguish it, with the islets and rocks to the north and north-east, by the name of _Melville Isles_: the south end which forms the pa.s.sage, lies in 12 8'

south, and 136 52' east. In the opposite sh.o.r.e, between Mount Saunders and Dundas, is a sandy bight where ships would be sheltered from all winds except those at north-east, if the water be deep enough for them.

The trees upon the hills showed a dark-green foliage; but the low land, especially under Mount Saunders, was sandy and barren, and so continued for seven miles westward, to a low point near a woody islet. Further on, the coast took a northern direction, and was seen from the mast head as far as N. N. W.; but no other part could be set from the deck than the highest of several eminences on the back land, named _Mount Bonner_, which proved to be an useful mark in the survey. The bearings taken at this anchorage were princ.i.p.ally these:

Mount Dundas, bluff north end, S. 54 E.

Woody islet, near a western sandy point, S. 62 W.

Mount Bonner, N. 82 W.

Melville Isles, the northernmost, N. 13 E.

Melville Isles, the largest, N. 83 E. to East.

SUNDAY 13 FEBRUARY 1803

In the morning we steered westward, with a light air of wind at south and a flood tide in our favour; and having pa.s.sed over some ripplings near the anchorage, our soundings became regular, increasing from 7 to 12 fathoms. On a breeze setting in at north-west, the course was directed towards a bight behind the woody islet; and a little before noon its appearance became so promising, that I steered into it before the wind.

In pa.s.sing the islet and sandy point we had from 10 to 7 fathoms, in an opening of four miles wide; and a bay of considerable extent then lay before us. In the middle of the bay were three rocks, and to the north-east of them a headland, beyond which the water extended eastward; we steered to pa.s.s between these till the depth diminished to 4 fathoms, when we tacked and let go the anchor in the north-eastern part of the bay, in 5 fathoms, muddy bottom; the sandy point at the entrance bore W.

by N., one mile and a quarter, and the largest of some granitic rocks in front of the beach, N. by W. half a mile.

A boat was sent to haul the seine on the beach, and I went there with the botanical gentlemen. The depth was 5 fathoms close to the sh.o.r.e, even within the rocks; and the ship might have been placed there in perfect security, though the room was scarcely sufficient to allow of swinging at single anchor. I called the largest of the rocks which form the south-east side of this snug little place, _Harbour Rock_; and the sandy point at the entrance of the bay is named _Point Dundas_. After the seine had been hauled with good success, I walked to the extremity of the point; and from a hillock of sand a little way back, took a set of bearings to commence the survey, in which was included the bluff north end of Mount Saunders at N. 74 55' E. Many foot-marks of men, dogs, and small kangaroos were observed on the beach., but neither natives nor quadrupeds were seen.

MONDAY 14 FEBRUARY 1803

Early next morning a party of men was sent to cut wood, and the botanical gentlemen landed on Point Dundas upon their pursuits; I went to examine the north-eastern part of the bay, where the water extended two miles above the ship; but the depth in it presently diminished to 2 fathoms, and to 1 near the end. Beyond a low isthmus there, a piece of water was seen communicating with the south-eastern part of the bay, and making a peninsula of the high rocky land named _Drimmie Head_; at high water, indeed, it is an island, for the tide then flows over some parts of the isthmus. After taking two sets of bearings, I rowed southward along the sh.o.r.e of Drimmie Head; and from a hill near the south-west extremity obtained a good view of the bay, and saw the western coast as far northward as a cliffy cape which was named after _William Wilberforce_, Esq., the worthy representative of Yorkshire. The princ.i.p.al bearings from hence were,

Car. e Wilberforce, highest part, N. 25 40' W.

Mount Bonner, N. 51 55 W.

Point Dundas, distant 2 miles, N. 52 30 W.

Leaving Drimmie Head, I steered over to the middlemost of the three rocks in the bay, with a depth of water from 3 to 6 fathoms, on muddy ground.

These rocks lie nearly due south from Point Dundas, and I proposed to observe the lat.i.tude on both sides from thence, whilst lieutenant Flinders did the same at the point, that a base line for the survey might be obtained from the difference; but the difficulty of finding a convenient position disappointed me, and no satisfactory base was obtained here; so that the extent of this bay in the chart is rather uncertain.

My course from the three rocks was directed S. S. E., for the south side of the bay; the distance was three miles, and the depth for half the way from 5 to 3 fathoms, but afterwards shoal. Upon some low cliffs there, partly composed of pipe clay, a few bearings were taken; and after walking a little way inland, to examine the country, I rowed back to a small island near the south extremity of Drimmie Head, with soundings mostly between 3 and 6 fathoms; but there is no ship pa.s.sage between it and the head. Having taken some additional bearings and looked over the islet, I returned on board in the evening; pa.s.sing in the way near a rock, dry at half tide, but round which, at a ship's length, there is 2 to 3 fathoms.

TUESDAY 15 FEBRUARY 1803

Some further bearings and observations were taken on the 15th, and my intention to sail on the following morning being frustrated by a fresh wind at north-west, with unsettled weather, Messieurs Brown and Bauer accompanied me [WEDNESDAY 16 FEBRUARY 1803] in a boat excursion to the eastern part of the bay. We first landed at the islet near Drimmie Head, that Mr. Brown might examine its mineralogy; and then steered three miles eastward for a low projection covered with mangroves, growing on rocks of strongly impregnated iron stone. Coasting along the mangrove sh.o.r.e from thence northward, and after landing at one other place, we came to the isthmus which connects Drimmie Head to the land of Point Dundas; and it being near high water, the boat was got over the isthmus by a small pa.s.sage through the mangroves, and we reached the ship at one o'clock, where every thing was prepared for weighing the anchor.

This bay is unnoticed in the Dutch chart, and I name it MELVILLE BAY, in compliment to the Right Hon. Robert Saunders Dundas, viscount Melville, who, as first lord of the Admiralty, has continued that patronage to the voyage which it had experienced under some of his predecessors. It is the best harbour we found in the Gulph of Carpentaria; the entrance is from the N. N. W., four miles wide, and free from danger; and within side, the sole dangers not conspicuous, are a sandy spit running half a mile to the S. S. E. from Point Dundas, and the _Half-tide Rock_. This lies half a mile from the north-west part of Drimmie Head, and bears (true as usual),

From the sandy hillock within Point Dundas, S. 48 35' E.

From Harbour Rock, S. 10 39 E.

Melville Bay every where affords good holding ground, the bottom being either mud or sand; and there is depth for a ship to run between the three rocks in the middle of the bay and Drimmie Head, and steer eastward until the head is brought to bear N. N. W., at the distance of one or two miles; but the most convenient anchorage is just within the entrance, between Point Dundas and Harbour Rock, where a ship may lie close to the sandy beach in from 3 to 5 fathoms. Even within the rock there is depth enough; and were moorings laid down, four or five sail might swing there in perfect security. We obtained here fire wood, and a tolerable supply of fish; and had water been wanted, it might have been obtained by digging at the foot of the small hills to the north-east of Harbour Rock, since a hole made there by the natives was found to contain good water.

The stone on the north side of Melville Bay is a granitic composition of quartz, mica, and coa.r.s.e garnets; the garnets are large, and give the stone a plum-pudding-like appearance, and when polished, it would be beautiful: over the granite is a crust of calcareous rock in many places.

On the south side of the bay the stone is argillaceous, but frequently mixed with ferruginous grains; and on the south-east side the rocks are of iron ore, of which a small piece drew the needle of my theodolite 8 from the meridian. The bearings taken here were found to have been 50 wrong; but too late to ascertain whether the error arose from the attraction of the sh.o.r.e, or from the needle having been placed at 310 by mistake, instead of 360.

There did not appear to be any rich soil on the borders of the bay; but on the south and eastern sides the country was covered with an agreeable intermixture of gra.s.s and trees, and better adapted for cattle than any I have seen in so low a lat.i.tude. The soil, though not deep, would produce most things suited to the climate; for the heat and moisture do so much for vegetation, that very little earth seems necessary to its support. On the south side the trees are mostly different species of _eucalyptus_, growing tall and straight, though not large; whereas on the sandy parts of Point Dundas, a _casuarina_, of the same species as seen at Coen River and other parts of the gulph, was most abundant, and served us for fuel.

A _santalum_, more nearly allied to the true sandel wood than any before seen in this country, was found on the borders of the bay.

No inhabitants were perceived, nor any fresh traces of them; but as dogs were seen twice, it is probable the natives were watching us at no great distance; they had visited all the places where I landed, and should therefore seem to possess canoes. Traces of the same strangers, of whom mention has been so often made, were found here; and amongst others were part.i.tions of frame work and part of a large earthen jar. Kangaroos appeared to be rather numerous in the woods, brown doves and large white pigeons were tolerably plentiful, and a bird nearly black, of the size and appearance of a hen, was shot; there were also c.o.c.katoos, both black and white, and a beautiful species of paroquet not known at Port Jackson.

The aquatic birds were blue and white cranes, sea-pies, and sand-larks.

Besides fish, our seine usually brought on sh.o.r.e many of the grey slugs or sea cuc.u.mbers, but not so abundantly as in Caledon Bay.

We were not here pestered so much with the black flies as before; but the musketoes and sand flies were numerous and fierce. Most of the bushes contained nests made by a small green ant; and if the bush were disturbed, these resentful little animals came out in squadrons, and never ceased to pursue till the disturber was out of sight. In forcing our way amongst the underwood, we sometimes got our hair and clothes filled with them; and as their bite is very sharp, and their vengeance never satisfied, there was no other resource than stripping as expeditiously as possible.

The sun was at this time very near the zenith, which not only prevented the lat.i.tude from being observed in the artificial horizon, but rendered the observations from the sea horizon, to the north and south at the same noon, liable to inaccuracies; and in consequence, our positions in this neighbourhood may not be very correct.

The _lat.i.tude_ of Point Dundas, from one double observation, was 12 13'

50"; but from the bearing of Mount Saunders, it is taken to be 12 13' 0"

S.

_Longitude_ by survey from Caledon Bay, being 1' greater than by time keepers,136 41' 40" E.

_Variation_ of the theodolite on Harbour Rock,1 13' east.

And except in the doubtful instance of the iron-stone sh.o.r.e on the south-east side of the bay, the bearings in other parts did not differ more than 20' from it.

The greatest rise of _tide_ here, according to the marks on sh.o.r.e, did not seem to have exceeded eight feet. High water took place nearly five hours before, and _seven hours after_ the moon's pa.s.sage over the meridian; which is nearly two hours and a half earlier than in Caledon Bay, as that is earlier than in Blue-mud Bay, further south in the gulph.

[NORTH COAST. GULPH OF CARPENTARIA.]

WEDNESDAY 16 FEBRUARY 1803

At two in the afternoon of the 16th, the wind being moderate at N. N. W., we worked out of Melville Bay; and anch.o.r.ed at dusk, five miles from the entrance in 13 fathoms, sand and mud. Next morning [THURSDAY 17 FEBRUARY 1803], in following the line of the western sh.o.r.e with a breeze off the land, we pa.s.sed three rocks lying out from a point under Mount Bonner; and further on, six or seven miles short of Cape Wilberforce, there was a small shallow opening. From the north part of this cliffy cape, a chain of islands and rocks extends out three or four leagues to the E. N. E., which I call _Bromby's Isles_, after my worthy friend the Rev. John Bromby of Hull. One of these is cliffy, and two miles long; the rest are smaller, and the whole seemed to be connected by rocks under water; but between Cape Wilberforce and the nearest islet was a s.p.a.ce three-quarters of a mile wide, towards which we worked up against a fresh wind at W. N.

W. At noon, the two cliffy parts of the cape bore S. E. and W. N., from one to two miles; and the latter, which is the north extremity, was ascertained to lie in 11 52' south, and 136 33' east.

At this time the weather became squally with much rain; but after numberless tacks, made under double-reefed top sails and courses in the narrow pa.s.sage, with soundings from 10 to 18 fathoms, we cleared it at two o'clock, and stretched southwestward as the main coast was found to trend; and thus was the examination of the Gulph of Carpentaria finished, after employing one hundred and five days in coasting along its sh.o.r.es and exploring its bays and islands. The extent of the Gulph in longitude, from Endeavour's Strait to Cape Wilberforce, is 5 and in lat.i.tude 7; and the circuit, excluding the numerous islands and the openings, is little less than four hundred leagues. It will be remarked that the form of it, given in the old charts, is not very erroneous, which proves it to have been the result of a real examination; but as no particulars were known of the discovery of the south and western parts, not even the name of the author, though opinion ascribed it with reason to Tasman, so the chart was considered as little better than a representation of fairy land, and did not obtain the credit which it was now proved to have merited. Henceforward, the Gulph of Carpentaria will take its station amongst the conspicuous parts of the globe in a decided character.

[NORTH COAST. ENGLISH COMPANY'S ISLANDS.]