Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia Volume I Part 16

These islets are furnished with a very poor and shallow soil. On the sides of the hills we noticed a species of xanthorrhoea, remarkable for its stunted growth and for the curly habit of its leaves. Pumice-stone was found at the foot of the hills, washed up, perhaps, by the tide; and on the beach was a European ashen oar. Under the projecting rocks several firing and sleeping places were observed which had been recently occupied by the natives.

June 9.

The following morning we sailed and steered for Whitsunday Pa.s.sage; a little before noon, I landed with Mr. Roe and Mr. Cunningham in a small bight round the north side of Cape Conway, for a meridional observation and bearings.

This Cape is formed by steep rocky hills, rising to the height of nearly 800 feet above the sea; the sides of which were so steep and so impenetrably covered by a thick underwood that we could not accomplish its ascent; we were therefore obliged to confine our observations to the beach. Tracks of natives were observed, and either a wrecked or a worn-out canoe, made of bark, was lying near the ruins of two or three bark huts.

Excellent water, supplied by a stream from the hills, was found just within the beach, which is very steep and affords easy landing. In moderate weather a ship may water here with great facility.

When we returned on board, the cutter was becalmed nearly abreast of Pentecost Island, and was rapidly drifting in a direction towards the west sh.o.r.e, on which course we soon shoaled the water from twenty-eight to ten fathoms. The vessel being quite ungovernable, the boat was sent ahead to tow her round, which we had scarcely time to do, before she was carried by the tide over a bank of hard sand on which the least water was three fathoms; fortunately for us it was nearly high water, or we should have been left dry: its western edge was so steep that we were very quickly in deep water again. We anch.o.r.ed at sunset in the centre of a tide eddy under Pine Head, in sixteen fathoms sand and sh.e.l.ls: the night was pa.s.sed without accident.

June 10.

The next morning we landed on the Island of which Pine Head is the south-easternmost extremity and from its summit obtained an extensive set of bearings.

The island possesses the same rocky character with the rest of this group; but the soil, although shallow, nourished some luxuriant gra.s.s which reached up to our middle and concealed the rocks that are plentifully strewed over the ground. The trees are low and stunted, but the steep slope of the head is covered with pines and forms one of the most remarkable features of Whitsunday Pa.s.sage.

Whilst we were on sh.o.r.e Mr. Bedwell shortened in the cable preparatory to weighing; but on doing it the anchor tripped, and it was with difficulty that the cutter was kept clear of the rocks, close to which she was drifted by the eddies. On arriving on board, we steered to the northward through Whitsunday Pa.s.sage and afterwards stood towards Captain Cook's Cape Gloucester, the extremity of which turned out to be an island (Gloucester Island) of five miles long: it is separated from the real Cape by a Strait, a mile and a half wide.

June 11.

On pa.s.sing round Gloucester Island we saw Holborne Island which Captain Cook discovered and named. We then hauled into Edgec.u.mbe Bay, but as the night was advancing had not time to explore its sh.o.r.es. We therefore pa.s.sed round Middle Island, which had escaped Captain Cook's observation, and steered to the North-West, parallel with the sh.o.r.e of the main, which appeared to be very low.

June 12.

The next morning we were steering towards Mount Upstart, and at noon pa.s.sed within two miles of its extremity. Behind the Mount, which rises with remarkable abruptness from the low land in its rear, are two prominent hills; the highest of which, Mount Abbott, has a peaked summit; the irregular and mountainous appearance of the range upon which this Mount stands, and a very evident break in the hills on its western side, would lead one to suspect the existence of a river, of which the bay on the western side of the Mount may be the mouth. There is also a bay on the eastern side of Mount Upstart, which also has a river-like appearance. In fact, it is not at all certain whether Mount Upstart may not be an island, and the bay behind it the mouth of a considerable stream.

The variation observed by Captain Cook off Mount Upstart was 9 degrees East; but by an Azimuth observed by me close to the Cape, it was found not more than 6 degrees 16 minutes East. The result of Captain Cook's observation must therefore be attributed to some other cause than, as he supposed, to a magnetical power in the hills of this promontory.

June 13.

At daylight of the 13th we pa.s.sed within four miles of the extremity of Cape Bowling-green, which, although it is very low and sandy, is not dest.i.tute of wood or verdure; between Cape Bowling-green and the back mountainous ranges, a distance of nearly thirty miles, the country appears to rise gradually, and gave us reason to regret that the nature of my instructions did not warrant our making a more particular examination of this part of the coast, for it appears to offer a much greater degree of interest and importance than any part of the southward without the tropic. Indeed, this bay appeared to be equally promising in its appearance with those near Mount Upstart; and the peculiar feature of Cape Bowling-green, jutting out into the sea between them, considerably increases the probability of there being more than one or two rivers of importance hereabouts. The barren range, which has almost uninterruptedly continued from the back of Cape Palmerston, a distance of 150 miles, here ceases or retires, and leaves a gap of ten or twelve miles wide of low land; to the North-West of which, Mount Eliot, a hill of considerable height, rises rather abruptly; and, as the sh.o.r.es of the bay were not distinctly traced, there is fair reason for presuming that there is a river at its bottom.

June 14.

The next morning we steered round Cape Cleveland and pa.s.sed close to some straggling rocks on a reef that extends for four miles to the eastward of it.

Cape Cleveland is the extremity of a mountainous projection, and like Mount Upstart rises abruptly from low land, by which it is separated from the lofty range of Mount Eliot. The wooded and uneven character of the land on its west side indicated so great a likelihood of our finding fresh water that I was induced to despatch Mr. Bedwell to the sh.o.r.e to ascertain whether a delay might be made profitable by completing our hold with wood and water. His return bringing a favourable report, the cutter was anch.o.r.ed in three fathoms, at about one mile from the extremity of the Cape, bearing North 60 1/2 degrees East.

June 14 to 15.

Wooding and watering parties immediately commenced operations, which occupied them that and the following day.

June 15.

On the afternoon of the second day, I landed with Mr. Cunningham and Mr.

Roe to ascend one of the hills that overlooks the bay. After two hours'

climbing over huge rounded ma.s.ses of granite, and penetrating through thick bushes of underwood, we arrived only at a summit considerably beneath the one we wished to reach; but as it was too late in the day to proceed further we halted; and I took a set of angles and made some memorandums for the sketch of the bay. A remarkable observation was here made upon the magnetic influence of this land; the variation was observed to be 10 degrees 32 minutes West, but on removing the compa.s.s eight yards off, it only gave 2 degrees 50 minutes East. This in some degree corresponds with Captain Cook's record of the irregularity of his compa.s.s when he pa.s.sed near this part of the coast, in consequence of which he called the peaked island to the westward of the cape, Magnetical Island: this irregularity, however, was not noticed by me in my observations near the same spot; and the difference observed by him may very probably have been occasioned by the ship's local attraction, which in those days was unknown. The view obtained from this station was neither so useful nor so extensive as I had expected: the coast for six miles back is low and occupied by a large body of water; beyond which is a range of flat-topped and precipitous rocky hills that appear to be inaccessible, and to form almost an impenetrable barrier between the sea-coast and the interior.

From the hazy state of the atmosphere the Palm Islands were not visible: sunset being near at hand we were obliged to hasten our descent, which, by following the course of a torrent-worn gully, proved to be much shorter and easier than, from our rugged and difficult ascent, we were led to apprehend.

At the bottom of the hill the small stream that was trickling down the gully, by which we descended, joined another of larger size running over the beach into the sea, at about a quarter of a mile to the southward of that from which we watered. At the junction of these streams we discovered a native path winding among the high gra.s.s, which speedily brought us to our boat.

June 16.

We remained at the anchorage the following day in order to obtain some lunar distances; and in the evening Mr. Bedwell sounded across the bay towards the south end of Magnetical Island, and also the channel between that island and the main. The soundings therefore laid down are from his report, from which it appears that there is a good and clear pa.s.sage through, and excellent anchorage upon a muddy bottom all over the bay.

No natives were seen during our visit, but the remains of nine huts were counted in different parts of the bay, near the edge of the beach. The inhabitants were not however far off, for the tracks of human feet as well as those of a dog were noticed very recently imprinted on the gravelly bed of the fresh-water stream; and we were probably watched by them in all our proceedings. Near the extremity of the Cape some bamboo was picked up, and also a fresh green coconut that appeared to have been lately tapped for the milk. Heaps of pumice-stone were also noticed upon the beach; not any of this production, however, had been met with floating.

Hitherto, no coconut trees have been found on this continent; although so great a portion of it is within the tropic and its north-east coast so near to islands on which this fruit is abundant. Captain Cook imagined that the husk of one, which his second Lieutenant, Mr. Gore, picked up at Endeavour River, and which was covered with barnacles, came from the Terra del Espiritu Santo of Quiros;* but, from the prevailing winds, it would appear more likely to have been drifted from New Caledonia, which island at that time was unknown to him; the fresh appearance of the coconut seen by us renders, however, even this conclusion doubtful; Captain Flinders also found one as far to the south as Shoal-water Bay.**

(*Footnote. Hawkesworth volume 3 page 164.)

(**Footnote. Flinders volume 2 page 49.)

Several kangaroos were started by our wooding party but none were taken.

In the gullies Mr. Cunningham reaped an excellent harvest, both of seeds and plants.

Here as well as at every other place that we had landed upon within the tropic, the air is crowded with a species of b.u.t.terfly, a great many of which were taken. It is doubtless the same species as that which Captain Cook remarks as so plentiful in Thirsty Sound; he says, "we found also an incredible number of b.u.t.terflies, so that for the s.p.a.ce of three or four acres, the air was so crowded with them, that millions were to be seen in every direction, at the same time, that every branch and twig were covered with others that were not upon the wing."* The numbers seen by us were indeed incredible; the stem of every gra.s.s-tree (xanthorrhoea) which plant grows abundantly upon the hills, was covered with them, and on their taking wing the air appeared, as it were, in perfect motion.

(*Footnote. Hawkesworth volume 3 page 125.)

It is a new species, and is described by my friend Mr. W.S. Macleay, in the Appendix, under the name of Euploea hamata.

June 17.

On the 17th we left the bay and pa.s.sed round the north end of Magnetical Island. Several natives were seen on a sandy beach at the north end, where deep gullies indicated the presence of fresh water. Our course was then directed across Halifax Bay towards the Palm Islands, pa.s.sing inside a small rocky islet marked i, on the chart, and another of larger size, k. In a South by East direction from these islands is an opening in the land round which the sea was observed to trend; it was supposed to communicate with the water seen from the heights of Cape Cleveland over the land at the bottom of the bay; and it is probable, from the mist which this morning occupied a considerable s.p.a.ce of the low land fronting the hills, that a large body of water exists there. Calms and light airs detained us until two o'clock, when a fresh breeze sprung up from the eastward, to which we made sail, but the glare of the sun, shining in the direction of our course, obliged our hauling up to avoid the risk of running thus dark with excess of bright upon any rocks or shoals that might be in our way; and as the low coastline of this part of the bar was distinctly traced, we steered towards the island marked 2, near which the cutter was anch.o.r.ed, at eight o'clock, in eleven fathoms' mud.

June 18.

At eight o'clock the following morning we got under sail, but delayed by light winds we were, at noon, within half a league of the island, 2. As there was no immediate appearance of a breeze I landed on a steep beach, at the North-West end of the island, whence the lat.i.tude was observed to be 18 degrees 50 minutes 15 seconds, and from which I obtained a useful set of bearings. Near our landing-place were some natives' huts and two canoes; the former appeared to have been recently occupied, and were very snug habitations. They were of a circular shape, and very ingeniously constructed by twigs stuck in the ground and arched over, the ends being artfully entwined so as to give support to each other; the whole was covered with a thatch of dried gra.s.s and reeds; they were not larger than two people could conveniently occupy. In one of the huts, which was of a more elliptical shape and of larger dimensions than the other, was a bunch of hair that had been recently clipped from either the head or beard. This proves that these operations are not done solely by fire, as Captain Cook supposed,* but by means of a sharp-edged sh.e.l.l, which must be both tedious and painful to endure; and we have often witnessed the delight shown by the natives at the speedy effect a pair of scissors has produced upon the beard or hair. The canoes were not longer than eight feet and would not safely carry more than two people; the ends were st.i.tched together by strips of the stem of the Flagellaria indica.

(*Footnote. Hawkesworth volume 3 page 229.)

Few palm-trees were seen, but at the large islands, according to Captain Cook's account,* they are probably abundant. A considerable quant.i.ty of pumice-stone was found, as is usual in every place that we have landed at within the tropic, heaped up above the highwater mark. During the afternoon we had little wind; in the evening we pa.s.sed a mile and a half to the eastward of a low and dangerous reef which escaped Captain Cook's observation; the only part of it that was visible above the water were two low rocks, but as the tide ebbed the craggy heads of several smaller ones gradually uncovered, and at low water it is probably quite dry; we pa.s.sed it in ten fathoms. It is not probable that its extent is greater than what is exposed at low water, but from its steepness it is very dangerous.

(*Footnote. Hawkesworth volume 3 page 136.)

At sunset we anch.o.r.ed about four miles to the eastward of the position a.s.signed to a reef, on which the ship Lady Elliot struck, in 1815; but saw nothing of it.

June 19.

At daybreak we resumed our voyage and steered for Cape Sandwich after pa.s.sing inside the Palm Island Group. We were now approaching Point Hillock, which is a point of land projecting for two miles into the sea, with a small hillock at its extremity; from which Captain Cook named it; the land rises precipitously behind it to the height of about two thousand feet and forms a ma.s.s of bare rocky hills of a singularly grand and imposing appearance. It rises nearly perpendicularly from the lower wooded hills at its base and is as abrupt on its land side as on that which faces the sea. The summit extends from north to south for seven miles and forms a narrow craggy ridge on which are several remarkable peaks. It was called Mount Hinchinbrook and is visible from the deck for eighteen leagues.

An opening was observed to trend round the rear of the Mount, and probably separates it from the mainland. We pa.s.sed half a mile outside the low rock off Cape Sandwich, within a group of low rocky isles (Brooke's Islands) and then steered towards a peaked hill, which was soon afterwards found to be on the island laid down by Captain Cook in Rockingham Bay, it now received the name of Goold Island. We then entered Rockingham Bay and anch.o.r.ed at two miles off Goold Island.

On pa.s.sing Cape Sandwich in the afternoon we observed several natives walking on the sh.o.r.e; and, upon our anchoring, a party was also seen collected round their huts, on the sandy beach at the west end of Goold Island; and near them were seven canoes hauled up above the tide mark; they had kindled a fire to attract our attention, but the day was too far advanced to allow communicating with them that evening.

June 20.