Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia Volume II Part 1

Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia.

by Phillip Parker King.

VOLUME 2.

CHAPTER 1.

Survey upon the mermaid.

Purchase another vessel.

New establishment.

Departure on the fourth voyage, accompanied by a merchant-ship bound through Torres Strait.

Discovery of an addition to the crew.

Pa.s.s round Breaksea Spit, and steer up the East Coast.

Transactions at Percy Island.

Enormous sting-rays.

Pine-trees serviceable for masts.

Joined by a merchant brig.

Anchor under Cape Grafton, Hope Islands, and Lizard Island.

Natives at Lizard Island.

Cape Flinders.

Visit the Frederick's wreck.

Surprised by natives.

Mr. Cunningham's description of the drawings of the natives in a cavern on Clack's Island.

Anchor in Margaret Bay, and under Cairncross Island.

Accident, and loss of anchors.

Pa.s.s through Torres Strait, and visit Goulburn Island.

Affair with the natives.

The d.i.c.k parts company.

1820. December 6.

As soon as the opportunity offered after our arrival, the cutter was laid on sh.o.r.e upon the beach of Sydney Cove, and surveyed by the master and the carpenter of H.M. Store-Ship Dromedary, which ship was preparing for her return to England with a cargo of New Zealand spars. Upon stripping the copper off the bottom, the tide flowed into her, and proved that to the copper sheathing alone we were indebted for our safe return. The iron spikes that fastened her were entirely decayed, and a considerable repair was recommended by the surveying officers. Upon my communicating the result of their report to His Excellency, Governor Macquarie, he agreed with me in thinking that, as her repairs would take up so much time, it would be better to purchase another vessel, and as a brig was then in the harbour, that appeared to be every way suited for my purpose, she was examined by my order by Mr. Mart, the Dromedary's carpenter, who reported so favourably of her, that, by the governor's permission, she was purchased and fitted for the voyage. She was built of teak, of one hundred and seventy tons burden, and had lately received a very considerable repair at Calcutta; so that, excepting a few trifling defects and alterations, she was quite fit for sea. Her name was altered at the suggestion of Governor Macquarie to that of the Bathurst.

By this change we gained a great addition to our comforts; and, besides increasing the number of our crew, were much better off in regard to boats; for we now possessed a long-boat, large enough to carry out and weigh an anchor, or save the crew if any accident should happen to the vessel; a resource which we did not possess in the Mermaid.

A further addition was made to our party by the appointment of Mr.

Perceval Baskerville, one of the Dromedary's midshipman; but Mr. Hunter the surgeon, who had volunteered his services in the Mermaid during the last voyage, was superseded by Mr. A. Montgomery, who had lately arrived in charge of a convict ship.

Our establishment now consisted of the following officers and men:

Lieutenant and Commander: Phillip Parker King.

Surgeon: Andrew Montgomery.

Master's Mates (a.s.sistant Surveyors): Frederick Bedwell.

John S. Roe.

Midshipman: Perceval Baskerville.

Botanical Collector: Allan Cunningham.

Steward.

Boatswain's Mate.

Carpenter's Mate.

Sail Maker.

Cook.

Seamen: 16.

Boys: 5.

Total: 32.

1821. May 26.

After experiencing many tedious and unexpected delays in equipping the Bathurst, notwithstanding our wants were few, and the greater part of our repairs were effected by our own people, we were not completed for sea until the 26th of May, when we sailed from Port Jackson upon our fourth and last voyage to the north coast, accompanied by the merchant-ship d.i.c.k (the same vessel in which we had originally embarked from England): she was bound to Batavia, and being ready for sailing at the time of our departure, requested permission to accompany us through Torres Strait, which, since it would rather prove an a.s.sistance to us than cause any delay in our proceedings, was acceded to on my part with much satisfaction. In the mean time the Mermaid, our late vessel, had been thoroughly repaired, fresh fastened with copper spikes, and fitted out; and, before we sailed, had been sent to sea to carry the first establishment to Port Macquarie, on which service she had been wrecked.

She was, however, afterwards got off the rocks and repaired, and is now a very serviceable vessel in the colony.

Boongaree, the native who had formerly accompanied us, volunteered his services whilst the vessel was preparing for the voyage, which I gladly accepted; but when the day of departure drew nigh, he kept aloof; and the morning that we sailed, his place was filled by another volunteer, Bundell; who proved not only to be a more active seaman, but was of much greater service to us, than his countryman Boongaree had been. This addition made our number thirty-three.

May 30.

Three days after we left the port, a discovery was made of another addition to the number of the crew. Upon opening the hold, which had been locked ever since the day before we sailed, a young girl, not more than fourteen years of age, was found concealed among the casks, where she had secreted herself in order to accompany the boatswain to sea: upon being brought on deck, she was in a most pitiable plight, for her dress and appearance were so filthy, from four days' close confinement in a dark hold, and from having been dreadfully seasick the whole time, that her acquaintances, of which she had many on board, could scarcely recognise her. Upon being interrogated, she declared she had, unknown to all on board, concealed herself in the hold the day before the vessel sailed; and that her swain knew nothing of the step she had taken. As it was now inconvenient to return to put her on sh.o.r.e, and as the man consented to share his ration with her, she was allowed to remain; but in a very short time heartily repented of her imprudence, and would gladly have been re-landed, had it been possible.

1821. June 4.

Between the 30th and the 4th of June we had a series of gales of wind, which enabled us to prove the capabilities of our new ship; and it was very satisfactory to find that she was weatherly, tight, and dry, three very essential qualities for a surveying vessel.

June 5.

On the afternoon of the 5th we pa.s.sed round the north end of Breaksea Spit, and crossed Hervey's Bay; in the night, when the brig ought to have been many miles from the sh.o.r.e, we found ourselves unexpectedly close to some land; but it was not until the day broke that we knew the full extent of the danger we had encountered: the land we had seen proved to be the round head of Bustard Bay, which, as the wind was blowing directly upon it, we were fortunate in having room to clear. The d.i.c.k was apprized by us of the danger in time, and succeeded in clearing the land by tacking to the southward.

June 6.

At noon we were pa.s.sing the small woody isle that was seen by Captain Flinders, and farther on we discovered two other isles of a similar character: they were seen from the masthead to the north-east; and a fourth was seen by the d.i.c.k. After this we had a few days of fine weather, which, as dysentery had already made its appearance amongst us, was most welcome, and tended materially to check the progress of so alarming a complaint.

June 8.

On the 8th we entered among the Northumberland Islands.

June 10.

But, from light northerly winds, did not reach an anchorage under Percy Island, Number 2, until the morning of the 10th. Our situation was between the Pine Islets and the basin, in ten fathoms, near a run of water, which fell from the rocks into the sea at about a quarter of a mile to the northward of the sandy beach: from this stream we filled our casks. Water was also found in many other parts, but all the runs appeared to be of temporary duration.