Discoveries in Australia Volume I Part 32

ORONTES REEF.

The least depth on the Orontes reef is about a fathom, but the generally discoloured state of the water, renders it impossible to determine its exact position, and thus greatly increases the injury done by its presence to the mouth of the harbour. The same difficulty prevents the end of the reef fronting Point Smith from being made out. After rounding the latter, we hauled to the wind, South-West by South up Port Essington.

CHAPTER 1.11.

Port Essington.

Bearings from shoals in the Harbour.

Appearance of the Settlement.

Meet Captain Stanley.

Church.

Point Record.

Prospects of the Settlement.

Buffaloes escape.

Fence across neck of Peninsula.

Lieutenant P.B. Stewart explores the Country.

Natives.

Uses of Sand.

Tumuli-building Birds.

Beautiful Opossum.

Wild Bees.

Escape from an Alligator.

Result of Astronomical Observations.

Geological Formation.

Raffles Bay.

Leave Port Essington.

Popham Bay.

Detect error in position of Port Essington.

Melville Island.

Discover a Reef in Clarence Strait.

Cape Hotham.

Native Huts and Clothing.

Geological Formation.

Discover the Adelaide River.

Interview with Natives.

Attempt to come on board.

Messrs. Fitzmaurice and Keys nearly speared.

Exploration of the Adelaide.

Its capabilities.

Wood-ducks.

Vampires.

Another party ascends the Adelaide.

Meet Natives.

Canoes.

Alligator.

Visit Melville Island.

Green Ants.

Thoughts of taking ship up Adelaide abandoned.

Tides in Dundas Strait.

Return to Port Essington.

Theatricals.

H.M.S. Pelorus arrives with Provisions.

Further remarks on the Colony.

PORT ESSINGTON.

The expanse of water presented to our view in standing up Port Essington, quite delighted us. It is in truth a magnificent harbour, and well worthy of having on its sh.o.r.es the capital of Northern Australia, destined, doubtless, from its proximity to India, and our other fast-increasing eastern possessions, to become not only a great commercial resort, but a valuable naval post in time of war. Many circ.u.mstances combine to render it a desirable station. Its great size, having an extent sufficient to hold the largest fleet, is in itself of vast importance, while, as a shelter for distressed vessels, or the surviving crews of wrecks, it cannot be too highly rated: the more so that excellent wood for repairing ships grows in the neighbourhood, especially teak and oak, specimens of which with others, Captain Laws forwarded, in 1828, to one of the dockyards in England.

As we advanced the sh.o.r.es of the harbour contracted, and at the distance of thirteen miles from the entrance are only one mile apart; scarcely half, however, of this s.p.a.ce is navigable, from a bank extending off the west side, which is a rocky head called Spear Point, from the circ.u.mstance of Captain King having been there nearly speared by the natives. The bearings for clearing the extremes of this reef are as follows. For the south-eastern, Adam Head South 20 degrees West, for the eastern, Middle Head South 18 degrees West, and for the north-eastern, Oyster Head North 47 degrees West. This great decrease in the breadth of the pa.s.sage, necessarily gives the tide at this spot great rapidity, by which a channel, thirteen fathoms deep, has been formed close to the eastern sh.o.r.e, a low sandy tongue of land called Point Record. This name was given to it on the occasion of Port Essington and the contiguous country, being taken possession of by Sir Gordon Bremer when on his way to settle Melville Island, in 1824. A bottle containing an account of their proceedings was buried, and hence the name. The same cause which influences the tides, has rendered the sides of the narrow channel very steep, and a vessel standing towards the bank fronting Spear Point, should, accordingly, tack when the water shoals to nine fathoms, as the soundings in approaching that part fronting Port Record are 12, 9, 7, and 2 fathoms.

Beyond these points, the harbour again widens and forms a large basin nearly five miles in extent; but from a broad point projecting two miles from the south-east side, the inner harbour is proportionably decreased in size. From the extreme of this cliffy point, called by Captain King, from its position, Middle Head, a narrow bank extends some distance in the direction of Point Record, forming the only danger in this part of the harbour.

BEARINGS FOR THE HARBOUR.

From its outer edge, Point Record bears north, and the North-East part of Middle Head, South 76 degrees East. These and other bearings recently given, will perhaps be considered of little value by the general reader, but as they were required to take the Beagle into Port Essington, they will be found useful to others for the same purpose.

APPEARANCE OF THE SETTLEMENT.

The narrow entrance to the inner harbour, may by some be considered a drawback, but on the other hand, it must be borne in mind, that what is an impediment to navigation, is also a safeguard against attack.

Moreover, from this want of breadth in the harbour, a fort on Point Record, which is commanded by no height, would perfectly protect it.

It was from this confined portion that our anxious desire to catch a glimpse of the new settlement was at length gratified; and we were somewhat surprised, considering the recent date of its formation, to discover the presence of so many buildings as were scattered over the top of a cliffy point on the south-west part of the harbour, called Adam Head, at the base of which was a long jetty.

Clearing the bank off Spear Point, we ran up and anch.o.r.ed near H.M.S.

Britomart, lying off the settlement, early in the afternoon. The sight of another vessel is ever cheering to the hearts of those who have been, as it were, for a time, cut off from the world;* nor was our arrival, bringing, as we did, news and letters, any less welcome; though after a long interval the receipt of a letter, perhaps bearing an ill omen in the very colour of its wax, is very far from generating unmixed emotions of pleasure. So much may occur in the brief s.p.a.ce of a few months, that a seal must ever be broken with feelings of great anxiety.

(*Footnote. I well remember the sensations I experienced on first seeing a sail after an interval of nine months, and that wholly spent on the storm-beaten sh.o.r.es of South-western Tierra Del Fuego. J.L.S.)

PORT ESSINGTON.

We too had our share of news to be made acquainted with. Captain Stanley had been on a most interesting cruise to the Arru Islands, the deeply interesting narrative of which expedition the reader will peruse, we are sure, with unqualified satisfaction, in a later section of the present work. This meeting gave me real pleasure, though with regret I saw that he had been much hara.s.sed. Lieutenant P.B. Stewart,* of the Alligator, had also made a journey over the Peninsula, to which I shall presently further allude.

(*Footnote. Since promoted for services in China; he also served in the Beagle during her last expedition.)

We were of course extremely anxious to visit the settlement. Landing at the jetty, which we found a very creditable piece of workmanship erected under the direction of Lieutenant P.B. Stewart, we ascended the cliff, and on gaining the summit, found ourselves on a small piece of tableland partially cleared. Seen through the trees, the dwellings of the settlers had an air of neatness, pleasing to the eye. Among the other buildings in progress was the church, which, planted as it was on the northern sh.o.r.es of the Australian continent, was expected to form a nucleus from which offshoots might by degrees draw within its influence the islands in the Arafura Sea, and thus widely spread the pure blessings of Christianity.

It is highly characteristic of our countrymen, that where with other nations, the tavern, the theatre, the dancing-house, are among the earliest buildings in a new settlement, with us everywhere the church is first thought of. In few corners of the world, where English influence has extended itself, is this otherwise than true, and it is a highly enviable distinction. It seems, indeed, that wherever the flag of Britain floats, there is made known the Word of G.o.d in its purity; and as an empire has been vouchsafed us on which the sun never sets, the extent of our influence for good in this respect is incalculable. We may venture to express our sincere hope, that our country will ever continue to enjoy this n.o.ble supremacy.

At the south-east extremity of the settlement, raised on piles, was the Government-house, fronted on the harbour side by a small battery. Behind the table-plain, the land, producing very coa.r.s.e gra.s.s, falls away to the south-west, and some clear patches which from lying in a low situation, are flooded during the rains, form tolerable soil. Generally speaking, however, there is a great deficiency of land fit for cultivation. On some of the best spots lying to the southward and westward, gardens have been commenced with some success.

Before proceeding further with our journal of events at Port Essington, it may be proper to introduce some brief account of the state and prospects of the settlement at that place. The reader will remember an allusion in a previous chapter to the departure from Sydney of the expedition despatched for the purpose of forming it, as well as some remarks on the policy of giving it a purely military character. That expedition reached its destination on October 27, 1838, having taken formal possession on the way, of Cape York and the adjacent territory.

Sir Gordon Bremer's first care was to select a site for the proposed township; and after due deliberation, a spot was fixed on which was thought to combine all desirable advantages: as good soil, the neighbourhood of fresh water, and easy approach from the ships in port.

In the selection of the spot to be occupied by a settlement, the capabilities of the soil must ever be the first consideration; still, however, there will always exist an objection on the ground of its great distance of 16 miles from the mouth of the harbour. A similar disadvantage in the Falkland Islands, proved of great detriment to the settlement in Berkeley Sound.

The site of Victoria, for such was the name bestowed, in honour of her Majesty, on the new settlement, is raised in the loftiest part about fifty feet above high-water level. Upon it the plans of a number of cottages and gardens were rapidly marked out; and it was not long before this. .h.i.therto desolate spot presented the appearance of a large straggling village. A pier was speedily run out into the sea; and a good road cut to it. The church, also, which I have before mentioned, was soon to be distinguished, rising above the Government cottage and officers'

quarters; while in order to ensure an ample supply of water, deep wells were sunk on the tableland within the settlement, which fully answered expectation, the water proving good and abundant.

Not long after the arrival of the expedition, M. Dumont D'Urville, with the Astrolabe and Zelie, arrived in Raffles Bay, and it was popularly believed that they had entertained some intentions of forestalling our settlement. At any rate, the question whether foreign powers were ent.i.tled to take possession of points on the coast of Australia was much debated at the time. However this may be, and with whatever feelings the respective Governments of France and England may have regarded each other at the time, the officers of the two nations seemed to vie in courtesy. A boat was despatched from Victoria to invite them to enter the harbour, and the greatest harmony prevailed during their stay.

On the 28th of March, six Malay proas came in and were soon followed by others, their owners soliciting permission to erect their establishments for curing trepang under the protection of the British flag. This being granted, they made choice of a spot on the beach, and a little subsidiary settlement soon sprung up. Being now for the first time secure from the attacks of the natives, whose hostility had until then forced every other man of them to keep under arms whilst the rest worked, they expected to pursue their occupation with far greater advantage to themselves.