Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia Volume I Part 22

At noon the next day our lat.i.tude was 13 degrees 33 minutes 41 seconds South. At five o'clock we pa.s.sed a point (Cape Dombey) off which there is a reef of rocks of circular shape, and of small extent: to the southward of it the coast forms a bay, lined with mangroves, in which there is a small opening; but the breeze was then too fresh to allow of our venturing into it to examine it more closely. At eight o'clock we anch.o.r.ed off a projecting point which appeared to form the eastern head of a deep opening: this projection, on account of a remarkable tree standing above the bushes near to its extremity, was called Tree Point.

At this anchorage the tide rose eighteen feet and ran nearly at the rate of two miles per hour.

September 5.

The next morning at daybreak, when the land became visible, Captain Baudin's Cape Dombey was recognised, bearing South 83 degrees East.

Between Capes Ford and Dombey the coast is higher than usual and thickly wooded to the verge of the cliffs, which preserve the same deep red colour with those more to the northward; under them a sandy beach uninterruptedly lines the coast. The bottom, at from three to five miles distance, is rather irregular, and varies in its depth between seven and a half and ten fathoms. An opening in the land is laid down near Cape Dombey in the French charts, before which are placed the Barthelemy Islands, which certainly do not exist, and it was not until after the haze of the day cleared up that two detached quadrilateral shaped hills were seen over the low land; and as these at a distance would a.s.sume exactly the figure and appearance of islands they must have been the cause of the mistake; I have therefore called them (by altering the nomenclature as little as possible) the Barthelemy Hills.

At nine o'clock, having weighed at daylight, we reached within three miles of Tree Point; when the ebb tide commenced and obliged our anchoring to wait the turn of tide, in order to examine an opening that trended deeply in to the southward. Accordingly when the flood made we got under weigh, and entered the opening without encountering any difficulties or being impeded by shoals. The deepest channel is about two-thirds over on the eastern side, in which we sounded on a muddy bottom in between nine and five fathoms; after having pa.s.sed the narrowest part we hauled over to the western sh.o.r.e, in the hope of finding anchorage out of the strength of the tide, but it was with great difficulty, and not until darkness compelled us, that we let go the anchor, upon what appeared to be a hard stony bottom, in five fathoms.

The tide then turned to the ebb and commenced running out so rapidly that we were under apprehensions of the vessel being left dry.

September 6 to 7.

But at low water which took place at 1 hour 20 minutes a.m., although the tide had fallen twenty-two feet, it left nine feet, which depth was just sufficient to float the vessel. Upon stirring up the bottom with an oar, it was found to be of stiff clay, plentifully sprinkled with small iron-stone gravel; it proved however to be of much better quality than had been suspected, and the anchorage was retained during our stay.

As the bottom of this port had a river-like appearance, Mr. Roe prepared to examine it, and set out at daylight accompanied by Mr. Cunningham: they did not return until the following day.

From his report it appears that the sh.o.r.es are overrun with mangroves (rhizoph.o.r.eae) and that the whole of the back lands are inundated at high water, which accounts for the very strong tides we experienced. The bottom of the port, which at Mr. Roe's desire was named in compliment to Vice Admiral Sir Richard G. Keats, G.C.B., is divided into two salt.w.a.ter arms, extending towards the foot of a range of thickly-wooded hills, which were seen from the anchorage over the low mangrove sh.o.r.e, and which, from their description, are probably connected with the Barthelemy Hills. Their summit was named Mount Goodwin.

Our party put ash.o.r.e at the only accessible landing place they found and walked a mile inland. The country was extremely low and sterile, and the soil composed of a tenacious clay in which small iron-stone gravel is thickly mixed; it appeared to be of the same nature as the bottom on which we were anch.o.r.ed; and to have been lately covered with gra.s.s, recently burnt; and here and there, among other plants, Mr. Cunningham found a stunted eucalyptus (eudesmia?) about six feet high.

The usual traces of natives were noticed; especially in one part where the mark of a foot had been impressed since the last high water. Large fires were burning three or four miles off but no human beings were seen.

As our gentlemen proceeded up the river a large flight of bats flew over the boat. Very few birds were observed but a cry like that of the Ardea antigone was heard; Mr. Roe killed a small snake about two feet long.

Upon this excursion no fresh water was found except a few small drainings; but in this we were not disappointed for the character of the country did not favour the idea or inspire us with any hopes of finding a stream of sufficient consequence to be rendered useful for our purpose.

During the absence of the boat several necessary things were done on board the ship which it was not possible to effect under weigh. On opening some of the dry casks their contents were found to have suffered much from weevil and rats: the latter had also made great havoc on our spare sails; and, what was of greater importance and made me very anxious for the consequences, they had gnawed holes in almost every water-cask that remained full; so that we were not certain for a moment of our stock of that article, of which we had no chance of procuring a supply on this dreary coast.

September 8.

The following morning we weighed and stood out of Port Keats. On attempting to steer close round Cape Hay we were obliged to desist and to pa.s.s round a reef that extended from it in a North 1/2 West direction to the distance of four leagues.

At sunset no land was in sight.

September 9.

But at eight o'clock the next morning (9th) the north end of the above reef bore East-South-East and the land about Cape Hay South-South-East.

The Barthelemy Hills were also seen from the masthead, and reported as islands; this mistake of ours therefore tends still more to excuse the error of the French charts.

During the day we had light winds and the coast was but indistinctly seen. The sea was covered with a brown sc.u.m which Captain Cook's sailors called sea saw-dust, from its resemblance to that substance.* Very few fish were noticed, but they were generally more numerous nearer to the sh.o.r.e.

(*Footnote. Hawkesworth volume 3 page 248. Peron Voyage de Decouvertes aux Terres Australes volume 2 chapter 31.)

September 10.

At midnight the land was seen from North-East to South-East and at daylight it was visible between Point Pearce, bearing South-South-East, and a point five or six miles south of Cape Hay which bore North-East by East. The coast is sandy; behind it there appeared a good deal of small stunted timber, and beyond this the range of Mount Goodwin was visible.

Round Point Pearce the land trends in a South 59 1/2 degrees East direction and forms a very deep indenture: on approaching this point we observed an extensive dry reef and breakers projecting from it to a considerable distance. No land was seen to the southward of south-east, but the hazy state of the weather prevented our seeing far, especially land which is so low as to be scarcely distinguishable beyond the distance of three or four leagues. As we approached Point Pearce the soundings were very irregular and generally upon a rocky bottom. We pa.s.sed many ripplings occasioned by the tide setting round the point and meeting the other tide from the southward. As these eddies were driving us towards the sh.o.r.e we steered off south-west. At six o'clock p.m. Point Pearce bore North 65 degrees East eleven miles, and in a line with the hills about Mount Goodwin. Between this time and noon the soundings were between nine and thirty-two fathoms, upon a rocky bottom.

At sunset we were in fourteen fathoms, and during the night continued sounding on a rocky bottom between ten and fourteen fathoms.

September 11.

At daylight of the 11th no land was in sight, we therefore stood to the southward to make it but were obliged to tack off without seeing any, as we shoaled rather suddenly to five fathoms. We then stood to the north-east, close to a fresh land wind from the East-South-East, which brought with it a very unpleasant warmth. As we approached Point Pearce, the land of which, at nine o'clock, came in sight, the water deepened to fifteen and eighteen fathoms. At half-past ten o'clock we were within three miles of the point; when the wind died away, and from the ebbing tide we very soon lost what we had gained during the morning; for there was no anchoring ground fit to trust our only remaining anchor upon. At noon we were about ten miles south-west from Point Pearce. The wind then springing up from the south, sail was set, but the tide being adverse, very little better than a north-east course was made good. Soon after sunset, being three or four miles to the South-South-West of Point Pearce, we tacked to the southward with the intention of steering on to make what progress we could during the night.

The attempt was hazardous, as we were strangers to the part; but if some little risk was not run we had no chance of penetrating. From fifteen fathoms we deepened to twenty-one, but as quickly shoaled again to fifteen, and then suddenly to seven fathoms, hard sand.

The cutter was then put about and we steered off North-West for six miles and pa.s.sed through several ripplings, occasioned by the tide flowing with rapidity over a rocky and irregular bottom. After running the above distance we again hauled to the wind, but had hardly trimmed sails before we again suddenly shoaled from sixteen to seven fathoms. This was too dangerous to persist in, and I gave up the attempt of venturing forward during the night.

September 12.

The next morning the land was visible about Point Pearce, bearing North-North-East.

The colour of the water here is of a dirty yellow; it was imagined at first to be caused by the tide stirring up the mud; but on examination we found that it arose entirely from the reflection of the bottom, which is a brown and yellow speckled sand. Although this change of the bottom was favourable to the importance of the opening before us, yet it rendered our difficulties greater, and increased the dangers, from its offering less secure anchorage, and being so much more studded with shoals, than the even muddy bottom that we had just left.

At daylight the breeze was strong from East-South-East: at seven o'clock, having fetched in with the land on the north side, we tacked and stood across to the opposite sh.o.r.e. The land in the bight was visible in patches as far as south-east, and the loom of it as far as south-west: three smokes, one bearing south, another South-South-West, and another south-west, proved the contiguity of the main; which is so low that when we were very near it was scarcely distinguishable on account of the haze and smoke with which it was enveloped. At 10 hours 40 minutes we were about a mile and a half from a reef which was dry for more than a mile in extent, and nearer to us was a patch of breakers: in standing towards these shoals our soundings had been regular between nine and ten fathoms; but at this time they unexpectedly shoaled at one cast, from eight to three fathoms: the course was altered in time to prevent the cutter's striking. We were now obliged to steer off, and after running six miles to the North-West by West we steered west to observe the lat.i.tude which was found to be 14 degrees 39 minutes 34 seconds South. The land was now visible as far as South-West by West; five minutes after noon the soundings decreased from ten to four and three-quarters fathoms; and within fifty yards of us the water was rippling upon the edge of a shoal which extends to the north-west and is probably dry at low water; we were then obliged to steer to the north-west along the edge of this bank. At about four miles further on we were again upon the bank in four fathoms, and once more fortunately escaped getting on sh.o.r.e; an accident which must have been fatal. To avoid this we hauled up north-east and soon got into clear water; but fearing to encounter more of these overfalls we steered north-east for three miles, five miles North-North-West, and one and a quarter north-west, upon which courses our soundings were between twelve and fifteen fathoms; the bottom being generally hard sand mixed with coral and stones and often with rocks. We then steered west for four miles, and supposing we had cleared the shoal, hauled in South-South-West until dark; by which time we had run seven miles.

Although the evening was clear the horizon over the land was so covered with the smoke of the natives' fires that it could not be discovered, nor any anchorage found: we therefore hauled off for the night and from our vicinity to this dangerous shoal pa.s.sed it very anxiously, but happily without any unpleasant occurrence.

I now gave up all idea of examining the opening round Point Pearce which appeared of so interesting a character. The danger of remaining under weigh (for our only anchor could not be trusted with safety on so bad a bottom) was too great to run any longer risk, and we left the place with a much stronger impression of its value and importance than we entertained after the examination of an opening that was discovered by us a few days afterwards.

September 13.

At daylight the land about Point Pearce (a sugarloaf hill on the Goodwin Range) bore nearly due east. At eight a.m., having stood to the South-South-West for thirteen miles, the water changed colour; the depth however still continued to be regular in twelve fathoms and we steered on; soon afterwards it shoaled to seven and five fathoms, upon which the helm was put up; but before the vessel's head was got round we were in three fathoms with the swell of the sea breaking so heavily around us that our escape for the fourth time on this shoal was quite providential.

After getting into clear water we ran along the edge of the coloured water, sounding in fourteen fathoms hard sand, mixed with sh.e.l.ls and stones; at noon we hauled round its north-west extremity and steered for the land, which was soon afterwards visible from south to south-west, the latter bearing being that of a remarkable hill, of quadrilateral shape, answering in position to Captain Baudin's Lacrosse Island. At two o'clock our soundings, for the first time since leaving Port Keats, were on a muddy bottom; at sunset we were within six miles of a small rocky island of half a mile in extent, surrounded by an extensive reef, which was partially dry; the land between South-East and West by South appeared to be a very low sandy coast, and the back lands to the south-east are wooded and level. Nearer to Lacrosse Island the coast is not only more irregular in its outline but of a more mountainous character: on each side of the nearest part of the coast, which was eight miles off and bore South, the sh.o.r.es fall back and form two bays; the land was however so enveloped by the smoke of the natives' fires that the greater part was very indistinctly seen and therefore very imperfectly described. After dark a light breeze sprang up from the South-West, and we stood off sh.o.r.e; but not being able to find an anchorage we continued under weigh during the night.

September 14.

The next morning the land was not in sight: as we stood towards the sh.o.r.e it was soon afterwards discerned, and at noon we were very near to our last night's position but were prevented from steering towards Lacrosse Island by a considerable shoal which extended to the North-West and crossed our course: we anch.o.r.ed near it at sunset in ten fathoms.

The land this day was more visible towards the South-East and observed to join the low land at the back of the reefs that we pa.s.sed on the 12th.

A remarkable echo was heard in the evening: whilst the cook was chopping his wood every blow was echoed round the bight, although we were eight miles from the sh.o.r.e. After leaving Port Keats we met with large quant.i.ties of a very beautiful species of medusa, it appeared to be the Medusa panopyra, figured in Peron's Atlas, (Plate 31 figure 2). It is from this animal that the French have named their Banc des Meduses. No turtle or snakes had for some time been seen and very few sharks; but other fish were numerous.

September 15.

Very little progress was made the next day; several attempts were made to stand toward Lacrosse Island; but we were obliged to give it up as the bank still crossed our course. In the evening we again anch.o.r.ed near the edge of the bank and during the night the breeze blew fresh but the anchor held well.

September 16.

At daylight another ineffectual attempt was made to cross the bank. At two o'clock we pa.s.sed several detached banks on which were seven and eight fathoms; and soon afterwards rounded the north-west end of the large bank, at a quarter of a mile distance in four fathoms; after which the water deepened to twelve and thirteen fathoms but still the bottom was of hard sand. From the colour of the sea it appeared that we were in a deep channel, extending towards Lacrosse Island: from light winds our progress was so slow that sunset overtook us before we had formed any plan for anchoring; our soundings were between twenty-two and eighteen fathoms hard sandy bottom: the tide was ebbing. The idea of standing out for anchorage after having toiled for the last three days against foul winds and other obstacles was particularly revolting; and increasing darkness found me quite at a loss what course to pursue; for Lacrosse Island appeared so rocky that I despaired of finding anchorage near it: having however two days before seen a white beach off its south-east end (which subsequently proved to be composed of stones whitened by the effect of the weather) we stood towards it as a last resource; and on our way thither we pa.s.sed over a muddy bottom upon which the anchor was dropped in eight fathoms, at about two miles from the north-west end of the island. This day as usual many medusae were seen; and also a snake, three feet long; its back was black, the belly yellow, and the tail striped black and white.

September 17.

In the morning we landed upon the island at a place which had the appearance of containing fresh water; and after examining several torrent-worn gullies for it without success we ascended a hill to look round for some more probable place; but as the same arid appearance seemed to pervade every part within our view we re-embarked, and shortly landed upon a bluff point at the north-west end of the island; from which a considerable reef of rocks projects into the sea.

Whilst I was employed in taking a set of bearings from this station the boat's crew amused themselves in wandering about the rocks in search of sh.e.l.ls; and upon our again embarking they informed me that they had seen some natives on the beach of a sandy bay round the point; but that they had retired without having been noticed. The information proved correct; for on pulling round the point we espied four natives seated on the sand, watching the progress of a fire they had just kindled; which was rapidly spreading through and consuming the dry and parched up gra.s.s that grew scantily upon the face of the island. As soon as we were observed three of them got up and stood for some moments motionless with alarm; but upon my calling to them and waving my hat the whole party, seizing their spears, ran off, and in a few seconds disappeared in the hollow behind the beach. On the sand were marks of turtles, which gave me hopes of obtaining some for the ship's company who had not enjoyed a fresh meal, excepting the flesh of three porpoises, since leaving Port Jackson. As our object was to pull round the island we did not stop here; but at a few minutes before noon, being near a projecting point a little further on, we landed and observed the sun's supplementary alt.i.tude which made the lat.i.tude 14 degrees 45 minutes 56 seconds South. We afterwards landed further on in a small sandy bay where we found more turtle-tracks and the remains of a nest that had been plundered by the natives; who, from the recent impressions of their feet on the sand, had in the morning crossed the beach. The sand was so heated that it was painful to stand upon without constantly relieving our feet; and that the natives we had just seen should sit and bask upon it in this state would have appeared incredible to us had we not witnessed the fact. Upon leaving the bay, the natives, whose number had increased to nine, were observed upon the hills that overhang the beach, watching our proceedings; and as we pulled away they slowly moved toward the place we had just left.

As soon as we arrived on board we got underweigh and steered round the bluff point on the west side of the island; and at half past five o'clock anch.o.r.ed at about half a mile from the sh.o.r.e of the bay on which we had lately landed. From this station we had an opportunity of observing the features of the coast: Lacrosse Island is situated in the entrance of a deep opening trending to the South-South-West towards some steep rugged hills. The character of the country is here entirely changed: irregular ranges of detached rocky hills of sandstone formation, very slightly clothed with small shrubs and rising abruptly from extensive plains of low level land seem to have superseded the low wooded coast that almost uninterruptedly prevails between this and Cape Wessel; a distance of more than six hundred miles. The present change, although more dreary and less inviting, was hailed by us with pleasure; for the broken appearance of the hills inspired us with the hope of finding some fresh stream from which we might complete our water, and thereby prevent our premeditated visit to Timor, whither it would soon be time to resort.