Discoveries in Australia Volume I Part 17

Our hopes were considerably raised on reaching the top of this islet, by finding that we looked in vain for land towards the head of Collier Bay; the high land to the southward proved to be the south point of a large bay, having on its northern side similar high ranges.

LIZARDS.

This island was overrun with a great variety of lizards, in consequence of which we named it Lizard Island. During our stay here, two birds,*

rare on this part of the coast, were shot; they were of a smaller kind than any I had before seen, and differed from them in plumage, being without the white collar round the neck. Leaving Lizard Island, we continued our southerly route, and ere long saw more land ahead, lying like a blue cloud on the horizon. Ten miles brought us abreast of the high land we had first seen, and six more to the southern point of a bay, lying on its south-western side, where the duties of the survey again obliged us to land. We considered ourselves now entering once more on the new lands of Australia, as Captain King could scarcely have had even a distant glimpse of this part; his extreme southern position being abreast of Freshwater Cove, from whence he describes the view of the coast as follows. "The land to the southward trended deeply in, and appeared to me much broken in its character." We therefore naturally looked on everything here with a greater degree of interest, and with the view of affording time to examine the country, and determine the position of this point by observation, I arranged to pa.s.s the night in its vicinity.

(*Footnote. Haematopus picatus, described in the Appendix to Captain King's work on Australia.)

HEAD OF COLLIER BAY.

The view from this station, blighted our hopes of finding an opening leading into the interior from Collier Bay, for we could trace the land all round the head of it, forming high ranges without a single break.

This malapropos discovery, materially diminished the pleasure we had before experienced, on first seeing a new part of the continent. About twenty miles west from where we stood, were a group of islands, which I was able to identify as those seen from Bathurst Island, near the eastern entrance point of King's Sound; they appeared to extend about ten miles in a northerly direction, from the western point of Collier Bay.

AN EAGLE SHOT.

Whilst using the theodolite, we came within the searching glance of a hungry eagle, which soaring over our heads for some time, at length swooped within range of our guns, when he paid for his curiosity with the loss of his life. This was the only rapacious bird we saw in Collier Bay, and appears to be of the species Falco leucogaster Latham.* On examination, the stomach contained fish and part of a small snake, and from what I have since observed this bird frequents the sea coast. Their nests are very large, built on bare spots in the shape of a pyramid; some of them measuring three feet in diameter, and six high. To convey a better idea of the size and exposed situation of the nests of these birds, I may state that on low parts of the coast, they were often used as surveying marks. This projection, which we called Eagle Point, is of a siliceous sandstone formation, intersected by nearly vertical veins of quartz, and forms a spur thrown off from a high range four miles to the south-eastward. We did not find any water in the few miles of country traversed in the course of the afternoon, yet everything wore a rich green appearance, and the scenery in some of the dells we crossed, was very picturesque, and quite alive with birds and insects; flights of many-coloured parakeets swept by with a rapidity that resembled the rushing sound of a pa.s.sing gust of wind. Among the trees, I noticed for the first time the Banksia, common in Western Australia; Mr. Cunningham, the botanist who accompanied Captain King, did not consider its indigenous empire extended to the North-West coast. Of the other kinds, and which complete all the variety we observed on this part of the continent, were the mimosa, acacia, papyrus, and two sorts of Eucalyptus; there were also several plants of the order Leguminosae.

(*Footnote. Figured in Mr. Gould's work on the Birds of Australia as Ichthyiaetus leucogaster.)

THE SEABREEZE.

We had a breeze throughout the entire day, from North-East till 1 o'clock, then West-North-West till near midnight; this westerly or seabreeze, reached us within ten minutes of the time it did yesterday, a regularity we found to prevail the few days we spent on this part of the coast. The tide (being near the spring) fell in the night 36 feet, leaving the greater part of the bay dry at low-water. Our observations for lat.i.tude placed Eagle Point in 16 degrees 10 1/4 minutes south.

April 11.

We left with the first streak of dawn, and pursued our course to the southward, pa.s.sing inside a small reef lying half a mile west from Eagle Point. The eastern sh.o.r.e now took a South by West direction, forming shallow bights, flanked by hills of moderate elevation; our next station was an islet at the head of Collier Bay, bearing South-South-West 1/2 West 15 miles from Eagle Point: it was in the mouth of a shoal bay about three miles deep in a West-South-West direction, the sh.o.r.es of which were lined with mangroves and overlooked by a high rocky ridge. The width of Collier Bay, at its entrance 20 miles, was here only six.

NARROW INLET.

The western sh.o.r.e ran in a North-West by West direction, a straight rocky coast, over which rose abruptly a range of barren heights. The tide stream gradually weakened as we approached the head of the bay, where it scarcely exceeded half a knot, and the soundings decreased to seven fathoms, with a kind of muddy sand bottom; but the clearness of the water, and the equal duration of the flood and ebb streams, afforded the most conclusive evidence of the small opening we now discovered in the South-East corner of the bay being nothing more than an inlet. It bore from this islet East-South-East four miles, yet as a drowning man catches at a straw, so did we at this inlet, and were soon in the entrance, which we found to be half a mile wide, with a very strong tide rushing out.

After some difficulty we landed on a high rocky island in the mouth of it, the summit of which afforded us a good view of the inlet, which within the entrance widened out and was about two miles deep. A point prevented our seeing the eastern extreme, which Mr. Helpman was sent to examine; he found it extended two miles in an East-North-East direction, and like the other parts of it, to be lined with a scanty growth of mangroves, and flanked by high rocky land. The shape of this inlet resembles that of a bottle with a broad base, and being subject to a tidal change of level of 36 feet, it is easy to imagine with what violence such a body of water must rush through the narrow entrance to keep on a level with the slow-moving waters of the bay outside. The cause of this great rise of tide in the head of Collier Bay, may be attributed to there being no escape for the vast body of water flowing into it. The land over the depth of this inlet which I have before spoken of, as being barren rocky heights, bounded our view to the southward; it bore South-South-East three miles, and lies in lat.i.tude 16 degrees 25 minutes South and longitude 124 degrees 25 minutes East being the farthest point we determined towards the centre of the continent. The extreme position reached in that direction by Lieutenant Lushington of Lieutenant Grey's expedition, bears from this point, North 64 degrees East fifty miles.

Thus terminated our explorations in Collier Bay, and although we had not the good fortune to find it the outlet of some large opening leading into the interior, still we succeeded in setting at rest the speculation, such a deep indentation of the coastline had hitherto afforded, and increased our geographical knowledge of this part of the continent 35 miles.

RETURN OF THE BOATS.

In the afternoon we commenced our return to Port George the Fourth, from which we were then distant about 80 miles; after delaying to examine two islands lying North by East four miles from the inlet, of slate formation, we reached a narrow point six miles further down the bay, in time to save a true bearing from the sun's amplitude. We were surprised to find this point also composed of the same kind of grey slate. The islands we examined differed from those of the same formation in King's Sound, having steep precipitous sides to the North-West instead of to the South-East. As it was by this time nightfall we did not proceed farther.

April 12.

Towards the morning there was a South-East breeze which brought the thermometer down to 76 degrees; it generally ranged between 80 and 96 degrees.

RAFT POINT.

The large bay discovered on our way to the southward now became the point of interest, and as daylight closed in the boats were secured in a small sandy cove, just within its southern point, where there were several native rafts, constructed precisely in the same manner as those seen in King's Sound, from which circ.u.mstance we called the place Raft Point.

Immediately over it was the high land first seen in coming down the bay; huge ma.s.ses were rent from its lofty frowning crags, on which the rays of the setting sun produced the most grotesque figures. A beautiful stream of water fell into the sea, in leaping cascades, half a mile inside the cove. Several rock kangaroos were seen on the heights; and after securing observations with some early stars, for lat.i.tude, which placed Raft Point in 16 degrees 4 minutes South, we tried an experiment to get a shot at the kangaroos, by setting fire to the gra.s.s and small wood growing at the base, and in the interstices of the rocks.

A CONFLAGRATION.

This part of the country being very dry, a fire was soon kindled, and in a few minutes the cliffs resounded with the noise of the flames, as they darted fiercely upwards, revealing their riven sides, and occasionally bursting out behind large ma.s.ses of strange figured rocks to the no slight risk of our sportsmen, who were perched upon them. Seabirds, frightened from their resting places, screamed fearfully, and the dismal howl of the wild dog, equally alarmed, sometimes fell on the ear amidst the roaring of the dangerous element, which in the intense darkness of the night we could not but admire. Whilst gazing on this wild scene, I could not help speculating on the probable cause the natives would a.s.sign for this great conflagration; the bright glare of which must have extended over several miles of country, perhaps alarming and doubtless causing deep consultation amongst the wise men of their tribes. It may also have taxed their power of invention, as they never use large fires in the night, except in wild stormy weather, when the creaking trees, and moaning wind, give them a dread of a visit from the Evil Spirit.

April 13.

Being anxious to examine the range over the cove, I desired Mr. Helpman to explore the North-East corner of this large bay, and the main lying behind the islands, fronting the coast to the northward of it. We accordingly moved off on our several occupations at an early hour. After much difficulty Mr. Fitzmaurice and myself found ourselves on a tableland of sandstone formation, elevated by measurement 900 feet above the sea level, and by far the highest land yet noticed on this part of the continent; the prospect here was very cheerless; similar but lower ranges met the eye in every direction towards the interior, those overlooking the eastern sh.o.r.e of the bay, were from 6 to 700 feet high. There appeared to be a large island in its North-East corner, which fell back about 10 miles, and like many other parts of it was lined with a growth of mangroves. A string of smaller islands extended three miles from the north point, leaving an entrance only two miles wide. A sandstone ridge similar to that on which we stood, rose abruptly from the north point, but of less elevation. I was not a little surprised to find that Lieutenant Grey had seen land from 2 to 3000 feet high, only about 30 miles from the height on which we stood, but as he had not the means of measuring these great elevations, and as Captain King, who was within 20 miles of the high land alluded to, does not notice it, yet mentions some hills from 3 to 400 feet high, 15 miles further to the North-East, I am induced to believe that Lieutenant Grey may have over-estimated the height of the land he saw.*

(*Footnote. Mounts Trafalgar and Waterloo, which are not nine hundred feet high, are the first points of the continent that meet the eye from seaward.)

DOUBTFUL BAY.

From subsequent information, I called this Doubtful Bay; the tide ran into it at the rate of from 1 to 3 knots, but the clear appearance of the water, and entire absence of driftwood, afforded strong grounds for supposing that it did not receive the waters of any river. Leaving Raft Point, we crossed over to the islands on the opposite side, for a few angles on their southern extreme, and afterwards made the best of our way to Freshwater Cove. The day had, however, closed in long before arriving there, and in the extreme darkness of the night the Cove was difficult to find. Indeed my companions could not believe we were there until one of the men returned with a keg of water from the stream in the head of it.

MR. HELPMAN'S REPORT.

Mr. Helpman joined us at sunset, and gave the following report of his proceedings: "On leaving the cove at Raft Point, we pa.s.sed along the south sh.o.r.e for two miles, and landed on a point that afforded a most commanding view of the bay, and the openings in its North-East corner, which appeared to be formed by a large island lying near the sh.o.r.e. This supposition afterwards proved to be correct, on landing at a point fronting its western extreme, from whence I was enabled to trace the sh.o.r.e round the North-East corner of the bay, till I identified it as the same we had seen on the eastern side of the island from the station just left. From the still and discoloured state of the water, I felt satisfied there was no opening in the North-East corner of this bay. I am, however, willing to admit it may have been more satisfactory to others if there had been sufficient time at my disposal to have actually gone round the island. We now hastened off to examine the mainland, lying behind a chain of islands to the northward, where we also failed to discover an opening."

MOUTH OF THE GLENELG.

As this account of Mr. Helpman's coincided with the opinion I had formed of the other parts of the coast, I was induced at that time to come to the conclusion that the river Glenelg which I found Lieutenants Grey and Lushington had discovered, on my return to the ship, did not communicate with the sea in this neighbourhood, as Lieutenant Grey had supposed, but took a South-West direction, flanking Collier Bay, and terminating in the mangrove openings on the eastern sh.o.r.e of Stokes' Bay in King's Sound. My opinion was strengthened by Lieutenant Lushington having seen from his furthest position (which has already been given) a very high bluff point to the southward, distant 6 or 7 miles, and a line of cliffs under which he conceived that an opening of the sea or a river may run. Further experience has convinced me of the great difficulty attending the discovery of the mouths of rivers in Australia, and as Mr. Helpman did not actually visit the North-East corner of Doubtful Bay (named in consequence) I am inclined to believe there is a possibility of the mouth of the Glenelg still being found there.

April 14.

We were on our way to Point Hall before the eastern hills had received their golden hue from the rays of the rising sun, and landed to ascend the summit of that headland from the bay, on its South-East side, which proved to be a safe anchorage, except with South-West winds, having a small islet in its centre. We ascended the height on the lee side, and as the sun was now approaching the zenith the heat became very oppressive; but the air was quite perfumed with the rich fragrance of different gums.

This warm aromatic odour we always experienced in a slighter degree on first landing in North-western Australia.

REMARKABLE TREE.

I noticed a tree quite new to me, it was of stunted growth, bearing a fruit resembling a small russet apple, which hung in cl.u.s.ters at the extremity of small branches; the skin was rough, covering a pulp that had an acid flavour, inside of which was a large stone, and I observed a white fluid exuded from the branches when broken. Although this was almost a solitary tree, I have since learnt it grows in the southern parts of the continent. As the woodcut and description given in page 82, Volume 1 of Sir Thomas Mitch.e.l.l's work on Australia, is almost identical with this fruit, it must be indigenous to a great extent of country, since Sir Thomas Mitch.e.l.l found it in lat.i.tude 29 degrees 50 minutes South whilst by us it was discovered in 15 degrees 40 minutes South. We did not observe any other change in the vegetation on this point; of birds we saw but few, chiefly parrots, some of which we shot. A coast range of brown gra.s.sy hills prevented our seeing anything of the interior. To seaward there was neither islet nor reef to interrupt the blue surface of water that bounded our view in the far north-west.

Descending we embarked from a cove on the North-East side, where the boats had been ordered to meet us; between this and one on the opposite side there was only a narrow neck of low land. It is singular that we should not have seen any natives, or even traces of them anywhere excepting at Raft Point, during the whole of this cruise.

THE SLATE ISLES.

Pursuing our northerly course, we reached a small group of islands, named from their formation, Slate Isles. Finding that all the material required here for the chart could not be collected this evening, I desired Mr.

Helpman to go on to Brecknock harbour, to sound and examine its southern sh.o.r.e the next morning, whilst Mr. Fitzmaurice and myself remained to complete the survey hereabouts.

April 15.

We were on the top of the northern Slate Island early; a small islet with a reef off its northern extreme, bore north a mile and a half, and a low sandy isle, West 1/4 North about 15 miles; this was a most unwelcome discovery, as it lay in the track of vessels approaching Brecknock Harbour, and which Captain King must have pa.s.sed very close to in the night without being aware of it. We were fortunate in being able to intersect our lines to the extremes of all the islands forming the north side of Camden Sound from this station, which rendered it one of great importance. Of the interior we saw even less than from Point Hall, and the prospect if possible was more cheerless.

Our again meeting rocks of transition origin, led us to infer that the soil in the neighbourhood was of a better quality, as the decomposition of rocks of this cla.s.s furnishes a much more fertile soil than sandstone of recent formation.

Leaving the Slate Islands, we reached Entrance Isle, in Brecknock Harbour, in time to secure observations for the rates of the chronometers, which we found had been performing admirably; they placed the sandy bay on the east side of Entrance Isle, in longitude 124 degrees 30 minutes East; the lat.i.tude as before given, 15 degrees 27 1/4 minutes South.

FERTILE COUNTRY.

At this place Mr. Helpman rejoined us, having completed the examination of the south sh.o.r.e of the harbour; from a high hill over it he discovered some fine country, bearing East-South-East about eight miles. In speaking of it, he says, "I was invited to the top of this hill by the certainty of a good view of the interior over the low land forming the south-eastern sh.o.r.e of the harbour, and most amply was I repaid for the toil of ascending it, by feasting my eyes on a most luxuriant well-watered country, lying at the eastern foot of a remarkable peak, visible from Port George the Fourth. To the North-East there lay a range of hills,* apparently of no great elevation.

(*Footnote. Macdonald Range of Lieutenant Grey, considered by him 1400 feet high.)