Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia Volume II Part 2

The day after we arrived here, a boat from the San Antonio conveyed Mr.

Montgomery and Mr. Cunningham to Clack's Island. The reef abounded with sh.e.l.ls, of which they brought back a large collection, but not in any great variety; an indifferent cypraea was the most common; but there were also some volutae and other sh.e.l.ls, besides trepang and asteriae, in abundance. Mr. Cunningham observed a singularly curious cavern upon the rock, of which he gave me a description in the following account of the island:

"The south and south-eastern extremes of Clack's Island presented a steep, rocky bluff, thinly covered with small trees. I ascended the steep head, which rose to an elevation of a hundred and eighty feet above the sea. I found simply the plants of the main, namely, Mimusops parvifolia, Br.; Hoya nivea, Cunningham ma.n.u.script; Acacia plectocarpa, Cunningham ma.n.u.script; Chionanthus axillaris, Br.; Notelaea punctata, Br.; some alyxiae, and the small orange-fruited ficus, which grew in the thickets, and, by insinuating its roots in the interstices of the rocks, clothed a great portion of the inaccessible front of the island.

"The remarkable structure of the geological feature of this islet led me to examine the south-east part, which was the most exposed to the weather, and where the disposition of the strata was of course more plainly developed. The base is a coa.r.s.e, granular, siliceous sandstone, in which large pebbles of quartz and jasper are embedded: this stratum continues for sixteen to twenty feet above the water: for the next ten feet there is a horizontal stratum of black schistose rock, which was of so soft a consistence, that the weather had excavated several tiers of galleries; upon the roof and sides of which some curious drawings were observed, which deserve to be particularly described: they were executed upon a ground of red ochre (rubbed on the black schistus) and were delineated by dots of a white argillaceous earth, which had been worked up into a paste. They represented tolerable figures of sharks, porpoises, turtles, lizards (of which I saw several small ones among the rocks) trepang, star-fish, clubs, canoes, water-gourds, and some quadrupeds, which were probably intended to represent kangaroos and dogs. The figures, besides being outlined by the dots, were decorated all over with the same pigment in dotted transverse belts. Tracing a gallery round to windward, it brought me to a commodious cave, or recess, overhung by a portion of the schistus, sufficiently large to shelter twenty natives, whose recent fireplaces appeared on the projecting area of the cave.

"Many turtles' heads were placed on the shelfs or niches of the excavation, amply demonstrative of the luxurious and profuse mode of life these outcasts of society had, at a period rather recently, followed. The roof and sides of this snug retreat were also entirely covered with the uncouth figures I have already described.

"As this is the first specimen of Australian taste in the fine arts that we have detected in these voyages, it became me to make a particular observation thereon: Captain Flinders had discovered figures on Chasm Island, in the Gulf of Carpentaria, formed with a burnt stick; but this performance, exceeding a hundred and fifty figures, which must have occupied much time, appears at least to be one step nearer refinement than those simply executed with a piece of charred wood. Immediately above this schistose stratum is a superinc.u.mbent ma.s.s of sandstone, which appeared to form the upper stratum of the island." (Cunningham ma.n.u.script.)*

(*Footnote. Similar representations were found by Mr. White, carved on stone in the neighbourhood of Port Jackson. White's Journal quarto page 141.)

June 25.

Having procured all the spars and planks from the wreck that could be useful to us, we made preparations to sail, and at daylight, the 25th, got underweigh with my two companions, and resumed our course to the northward, over that of last year, excepting that we steered inside of Pelican Island, and to leeward of Island 4. We pa.s.sed several large sting-rays asleep on the surface of the sea, which our people ineffectually endeavoured to harpoon. On the former island large flights of pelicans were seen, and upon the sandbank, to the southward of it, there was a flock of two or three hundred young birds.

The breeze not being sufficient to carry us to Night Island before dark, the anchor was dropped in eleven fathoms muddy bottom, two miles to the eastward of Island 8. The d.i.c.k and San Antonio anch.o.r.ed close to us.

During the night we had a fresh breeze from South-East by East, and, not having any island or reef to shelter us from the swell, we were obliged to drop a second anchor to retain our position. The San Antonio drove for some distance, but the d.i.c.k rode through the night without driving, although she had but forty fathoms of cable out.

June 26.

On weighing the next morning, we made sail to the North by West, but, from the compa.s.s-box not being quite straight in the binnacle, we made a North by West 1/2 West course, which was not discovered until we had nearly paid dear for our neglect; for we pa.s.sed close to a rock which I intended to have gone at least a mile to windward of. It was seen just in time to put the helm a-lee, or we should have run upon it.

The weather was now so thick that we could not see a mile around us; we were therefore obliged to follow our former courses, to avoid the risk of running over a strange track in such unfavourable weather. At sunset we anch.o.r.ed under the lee of Piper's Islets.

June 27.

The next day we anch.o.r.ed under Sunday Island in Margaret Bay, at about half a mile from the sandy beach, on its north-west side.

Here we were detained by bad weather until the 30th.

June 30.

When, with some slight appearance of improvement, and tired of losing so much time, we weighed and proceeded on our course. After pa.s.sing the Bird Isles, thick weather again set in, with constant rain, and a strong breeze from South-East. Upon reaching Cairncross Island, under which it was my intention to anchor, the sails were reduced; and, as we were in the act of letting go the anchor, Mr. Roe, who was at the masthead holding thoughtlessly by the fore-topmast staysail-halyards, whilst the sail was being hauled down, was precipitated from a height of fifty feet, and fell senseless on the deck. We were now close to the reef; and, in the hurry and confusion attending the accident, and the d.i.c.k at the same time luffing up under our stern, the anchor was dropped, without my ascertaining the quality of the bottom, which was afterwards found to be of a very questionable nature.

The d.i.c.k, having dropped her anchor within forty yards of us, was lying so close as to prevent our veering more cable than sixty fathoms, but as we appeared to ride tolerably easy with a sheer to starboard, while the d.i.c.k rode on the opposite sheer, we remained as we were: to prevent accident, the yards were braced so that we should cast clear of the d.i.c.k if we parted, a precaution which was most happily taken.

As soon as the distressing accident that had occurred was known on board the d.i.c.k, Dr. Armstrong, a surgeon of the navy and a pa.s.senger in that ship, hastened on board to a.s.sist Mr. Montgomery in dressing Mr. Roe's hurt, which I found, to my inexpressible satisfaction, was not so grievous as might have been expected: his fall was, most providentially, broken twice; first by the spritsail brace, and secondly by some planks from the Frederick's wreck, which had fortunately been placed across the forecastle bulwark over the cat-heads: his head struck the edge of the plank and broke his fall, but it cut a very deep wound over the right temple. This unfortunate event threatened to deprive me of his very valuable a.s.sistance for some time, a loss I could but very ill spare, particularly when upon the point of returning to the examination of so intricate a coast as that part where we last left off.

At six o'clock in the evening the flood-tide began to set to leeward, and as night approached the appearance of the weather became very threatening, accompanied by a descent of the mercury; this gave me a very unfavourable idea of our situation: the wind was blowing clear of the reef, and raised a heavy sea; and the d.i.c.k was so close to us that we dared not veer cable, for fear of getting on board of her, which must have happened if either ship should break her sheer.

At half-past ten o'clock, during a very heavy squall, the cable parted, but from the precaution above-mentioned, the brig happily drifted with her head to starboard, and pa.s.sed clear both of the d.i.c.k and San Antonio; the chain-cabled anchor was then dropped, and veered to ninety fathoms, which brought her up in fifteen fathoms, mud; in which birth she appeared to ride much easier than before. I was now very anxious about the lost anchor; and, having expressed a wish to inform Mr. Harrison of our situation, and to request him to recover our anchor in the morning if the weather would permit, Mr. Bedwell volunteered to go on board her; which, although a service of danger, was, if possible to be effected, absolutely necessary. The boat was lowered, and they shoved off, but as the crew were unable to pull it ahead, I called her on board again, which was most fortunate; for shortly afterwards the chain-cable parted also, and the brig drove with her head towards the sh.o.r.e.

1821. July 1.

We had now the prospect of being obliged to keep under sail during the remainder of the night. An attempt was made to veer, in order that, by laying to with her head off sh.o.r.e, we might have time to recover the cable, without endangering the security of the vessel; but, from the weight of the chain at the bow, this manoeuvre could not be effected; fearing, therefore, to drift any more to the westward, in which direction we were making rapid way, I was under the necessity of slipping the chain, by which we lost one hundred fathoms of cable, which we could but badly spare: being now freed from the impediment, the brig's head was placed off sh.o.r.e; and after making sail, we fired several muskets and showed lights, as signals to the d.i.c.k, who, it afterwards appeared, kept a light up for our guidance; but the weather was so squally and thick, with almost constant rain, that it was not seen by us. It was half-past twelve o'clock when we made sail to the North-East by East, deepening from fourteen to sixteen fathoms, and when the hillocky summit of Cairncross Island bore South by West, beyond which bearing we did not know how far we could proceed with safety; we tacked to the South-South-West, and proceeded in that direction until the island bore South, when we were in fourteen fathoms. Having thus ascertained the depth of this s.p.a.ce, which was about three miles in extent, it was occupied during the remainder of the night; which, being very dark and squally, was pa.s.sed by us in the greatest anxiety. At day-dawn we were joined by our companions, and, as it was not possible from the state of the weather to regain the anchors we had lost, made sail towards Turtle Island, on our way to which we pa.s.sed Escape River: both of these places reminded us of former perils, but the recollection of our providential preservation on those occasions, as well as on many others during our former voyages, increased the grateful feelings which we now felt for our safety and protection during the last night, the anxieties and circ.u.mstances of which can never be obliterated from our minds.

Our course was directed entirely by the chart I had previously formed; for the weather was so thick that for the greater part of the way no land could be seen to guide us: by noon we had pa.s.sed between Cape York and Mount Adolphus, and in a short time rounded the north end of Wednesday Island, and were steering between it and the North-West Reef.

After pa.s.sing the rock off Hammond's Island, we steered West by South 1/2 South, but were obliged to haul up South-West by West to pa.s.s to the southward of a small shoal, some part of which was uncovered (the time of tide being nearly low water, spring tide): this shoal lies in a North 50 degrees West direction, from the low rocky ledge off the north end of Good's Island, and is distant from it about a mile and a half. The d.i.c.k being a little to leeward of our track, had four fathoms; but the least we had was five and three-quarters. This reef is not noticed in Captain Flinders' chart: at high water, or even at half ebb, it is very dangerous, from its lying in the direct track; but, by hauling over to the south sh.o.r.e, may be easily avoided.

At four o'clock we pa.s.sed b.o.o.by Island, and steered West by South across the Gulf of Carpentaria.

July 3.

Between b.o.o.by Island and Cape Wessel, which we pa.s.sed in sight of on the 3rd, we had thick gloomy weather, with the wind between South and East-South-East; and, after rounding the Cape had some heavy rain, in which the mercury, having previously fallen to 29.91, rose to 29.95 inches. Lightning from the east and west accompanied the rain, but the wind was steady, and did not freshen or lull during the showers.

July 5.

On the 5th, at daylight, Goulburn Islands were seen, and at nine o'clock we pa.s.sed through the strait that divides them; our track being half a mile more to the northward than that of last year, we had more regular soundings.

As soon as we anch.o.r.ed in South-West Bay, I sent on sh.o.r.e to examine our former watering-place, but found that the stream had failed. The parched up appearance of the island showed that the last had been an unusually dry season; every place that, even in the month of August, six weeks later, had before yielded large quant.i.ties, as well as the lagoon behind the beach, which, from the nature of the plants growing in it, was conjectured to be a never-failing supply, was now dried up.

July 6 to 8.

The next morning the brig's boat went over to Sims Island with Mr.

Cunningham, and there found a small quant.i.ty of water, sufficient, according to Mr. Hemmans' report, for all our wants. The next morning (7th) he moved the San Antonio over to the island, and anchoring her off the sandy beach, landed his people to dig holes. In the afternoon he sent me a specimen of what had been collected; but it was so brackish that I gave up all idea of shipping any: he had improvidently dug large holes, into which all the water good and bad had drained, and thereby the good was spoiled. The following morning he sent another specimen, which, notwithstanding it was considerably better, was still too bad to tempt me to embark any. During the San Antonio's stay at Sims Island, our gentleman paid it a visit: its vegetation appeared to have suffered as much from want of rain as Goulburn Island. "The venerable tournefortia (Tournefortia argentea. Lin.) however, appeared as an exception: this tree, which grows on the centre of the beach, where it is remarkably conspicuous, appeared to have resisted the dry state of the season; it was in full leaf, and covered with a profusion of flowers, which attracted a variety of insects, particularly of the genera apis, vespa, and sphex; and among them a beautiful green-coloured chrysis."

(Cunningham ma.n.u.scripts.)

During the two last days, our people were employed cutting wood; no natives had made their appearance, although recent tracks on the sand showed they were not far off; but on the evening of the 7th, the surgeon, accompanied by Dr. Armstrong of the d.i.c.k, landed in that vessel's gig, and, whilst amusing themselves among the trees, and the boat's crew incautiously wandering away from the boat, the natives came down, and would have carried off all the boat's furniture, and everything in her, had they not been disturbed by the return of one of the sailors with a musket. They succeeded however, in making a prize of a new boat-cloak, and the boat-hook, and one of them had nearly succeeded in carrying off an oar, but upon being fired at, dropped his booty and scampered off.

This trifling loss was deservedly sustained by our gentlemen, for they were well aware how suddenly the natives have always appeared, and how mischievously they had on those occasions conducted themselves: they were also cautioned, when they went on sh.o.r.e to be upon their guard, and it was fortunate for them that nothing more serious occurred.

July 8.

At daylight, the 8th, the San Antonio rejoined us from Sims Island, and at eleven o'clock we left the bay, and pa.s.sed to the eastward of New Year's Island: the d.i.c.k and ourselves then steered to the westward along the coast, while the San Antonio steered a north-west course, and parted company.

July 9.

The following day, being in sight of the land of Cape Van Diemen, and having sent our letters on board the d.i.c.k for conveyance to England, we parted company by an interchange of three cheers; and it was not without a considerable degree of regret that we took this leave of our friends; for it is but due to Mr. Harrison to say that we received very great a.s.sistance from him on several occasions: he offered us his stream anchor to replace in some degree our loss, although he had himself only one left; it was, however, much too small for our purpose.

By this opportunity I wrote to the Secretary of the Admiralty, and the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, and communicating to them a brief account of our voyage up the east coast, acquainted them of my intention of employing the fine-weather months of July and August upon the north-west coast, and then of going to Mauritius, to replace our anchors and cable, previous to our examination of the west coast.

CHAPTER 2.

Pa.s.sage from Cape Van Diemen to Careening Bay.

Not finding water, visit Prince Regent's River, and procure it from the Cascade.

Farther examination of the river.

Amphibious mud-fish.

Anchor in Halfway Bay, and explore Munster Water and Hanover Bay in a boat.

Visit Hanover Bay, and procure water and fish.

Interview with natives.

The surgeon speared.

Retaliate upon them, and capture their rafts and weapons.

Description of their implements.

Port George the Fourth.

Islands to the westward.

Red Island of Captain Heywood.

Strong tides.

Camden Bay.