Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia Volume II Part 4

An alligator was seen on our return, swimming within two yards of the boat, and a musket, charged with a ball and buck-shot, was uselessly fired at it. The appearance of these animals in the water is very deceptious; they lie quite motionless, and resemble a branch of a tree floating with the tide; the snout, the eye, and some of the ridges of the back and tail being the only parts that are seen. The animal that we fired at was noticed for some time, but considered to be only a dead branch, although we were looking out for alligators, and approached within six yards of it before we found out our mistake: the length of this animal was from twelve to fifteen feet; I do not think that we have ever seen one more than twenty feet long.

We reached the cascade by four o'clock and remained there until our boats arrived for a second cargo of water, which was at midnight; as soon as the casks were filled, we set off on our return, but did not reach the brig until eight o'clock in the morning.

July 29.

The fatigue and exposure which attended our watering at this place were so great that I was obliged to give up the idea of completing it now. We had obtained, by the two trips, enough to last until the end of October, which, with the chance of finding more upon other parts of the coast, was sufficient for our intended mode of proceeding. The boats were therefore hoisted in, and preparations made to leave the anchorage.

The river appears to abound with fish, particularly with mullet; and porpoises were observed as high as the first falls, a distance of fifty miles from the sea. A curious species of mud-fish (chironectes sp.

Cuvier) was noticed, of amphibious nature, and something similar to what we have frequently before seen; these were, however, much larger, being about nine inches long. At low water the mud-banks near the cascade that were exposed by the falling tide were covered with these fish, sporting about, and running at each other with open mouths; but as we approached, they so instantaneously buried themselves in the soft mud that their disappearance seemed the effect of magic: upon our retiring and attentively watching the spot, these curious animals would re-appear as suddenly as they had before vanished. We fired at several, but so sudden were their motions that they generally escaped; two or three only were procured, which appeared from their lying on the mud in an inactive state to have been asleep; they are furnished with very strong pectoral and ventral fins with which and with the a.n.a.l fin, when required, they make a hole, into which they drop. When sporting on the mud, the pectoral fins are used like legs, upon which they move very quickly; but nothing can exceed the instantaneous movement by which they disappear. Those that were shot were taken on board, but on account of the extreme heat of the weather they had become so putrefied as to be totally unfit for preservation.

July 30.

The next day, the 30th, was spent in examining some bights in the narrow part of the channel near Gap Island, so named from a remarkable division in its centre, through which the high-tide flows, and gives it the appearance of being two islands. It was on this occasion that we explored Halfway Bay, where we were fortunate in finding good anchorage, and in which we also discovered a strait, that on a subsequent examination was found to communicate with Munster Water, and to insulate the land that forms the north-west sh.o.r.e of the bay: this island was called after the late Right Honourable Charles Greville, whose name has also been given to a family of plants (grevillea) that bears a prominent rank in the botany of this country. The strait, in which the tide was running at the rate of six or seven knots, was not more than one hundred and fifty yards wide; but in one part it was contracted to a much narrower compa.s.s, by a bed of rocks that nearly extended across the strait, and which must originally have communicated with the opposite sh.o.r.e.

We landed under the flat-topped hill, at the south end of Greville Island, among the mangroves which skirt the sh.o.r.e, and walked a few hundred yards round the point, to examine the course of the strait; but the way was so rugged, and we had so little time to spare, that we soon re-embarked and returned into Halfway Bay. The geological character of the island is a red-coloured, coa.r.s.e-granular, siliceous sandstone, disposed in horizontal strata, and intersected by veins of crystallised quartz. The surface is covered by a shallow, reddish-coloured soil, producing a variety of shrubs and plants.

After this we crossed the river, and examined the two bays opposite to Gap Island, but found them so shoal and overrun with mangroves that no landing could be effected in any part. In both bays there is anchorage between the heads; but all the inner part is very shoal, and perhaps at low water there is not more than nine feet water within the heads. In the mid-stream of the river the bottom is deep, and is formed entirely of sh.e.l.ls over which, on account of its being very narrow, the tide runs with great strength; and from the irregularity of the bottom forms numerous eddies and whirlpools, in which a boat is quite unmanageable.

During our absence, Mr. Bedwell examined our former watering-place, at the back of St. Andrew's Island, and on his return landed upon the sandy beach of a bay on the south-west side of the basin, but was unsuccessful in his search for water at both places.

The sea breeze freshened towards sunset, and fanned up the fires that had been burning for the last three days in several places upon the low land, and on the sides of the hills to the westward of Mount Trafalgar; before night they had all joined, and, spreading over the tops of the hills for a s.p.a.ce of three miles, produced a singularly grand and magnificent effect.

1821. August 1.

At half past five o'clock the next morning we were under sail but, the breeze being light, had only time to reach the anchorage under Greville Island in Halfway Bay, before the tide turned against us. It was purposed to remain only during the flood; but, on examination, the place was found to be so well adapted for the purpose of procuring some lunar distances with the sun, to correspond with those taken last year at Careening Bay, that we determined upon seizing the opportunity; and as wood was abundant on the island and growing close to the sh.o.r.es, a party was formed to complete our holds with fuel, whilst Mr. Roe a.s.sisted me in taking observations upon a convenient station on the north point of the bay within Lammas Island, a small rocky islet covered with shrubs, and separated from the easternmost point of Greville Island by a very shoal and rocky channel.

During these occupations we examined Munster Water: on our way to it we landed on the reef off the east end of the Midway Isles, which was found to be more extensive than had been suspected, and to embrace the group of small rocks, which at high-water only just show their summits above the water; at high-tide there is at least fifteen feet water over it, but being low-water when we landed, the reef was dry. Upon it we found several varieties of coral, particularly Explanaria mesenterina, Lam.; Caryophylla fastigata, Lam.; and Porites subdigitata, Lam.: the only sh.e.l.l that we observed upon the reef was a Delphinula laciniata, Lam.

(Turbo delphinus, Linn.). After obtaining bearings from its extremity, as also from the summit of the outer dry rock, we landed upon a small verdant-looking gra.s.sy mound, the northernmost islet of the group; but we found the verdure of its appearance was caused only by the abundance of the spinifex, through which we had, as usual, much difficulty in travelling. After procuring some bearings from its summit we re-embarked and pulled up Munster Water, supposing that it was connected with the strait at the back of Greville Island; but as the tide then flowing was running in a contrary direction to what was expected from the hypothesis we had formed, we began to suspect some other communication with the sea, and in this we were not deceived; for a narrow but a very deep strait opened suddenly to our view, at the bottom of the Water, through which some of the islands in the offing were recognised. In pulling through we had kept close to the south sh.o.r.e, that we might not miss the communication with Hanover Bay, but notwithstanding all our care we pa.s.sed by without noticing it, on account of the deceptious appearance of the land; indeed the strait which we discovered leading to sea was not seen until we were within two hundred yards of it, and would also have escaped our observation had not the channel been so direct that the sea horizon was exposed to our view. At the bottom of this arm are two deep bays which were partially but sufficiently examined. In most parts of Munster Water there is good anchorage amongst several small rocky islands, on one of which we landed, and climbed its summit, but saw nothing to repay us for the trouble or the danger of the ascent: the surface was composed entirely of loose blocks of sandstone, which, when trod upon, would crumble away or roll down the nearly perpendicular face of the rock; and it was only by grasping the branches of the acacias and other trees that were firmly rooted in the interstices of the less-decomposed rocks that we were saved from being precipitated with them. On our return we pa.s.sed through the channel on the west side of the Midway Isles which we found to be very deep and the stream very strong.

August 4.

The next day we pulled through the strait that insulates Greville Island, and found that it communicated with Munster Water at a part where we had yesterday concluded it likely to exist, and had in consequence steered towards it; but as we proceeded the probability became less and less, and we gave up the search when we were within three hundred yards of being actually in it.

We then pulled up Munster Water and afterwards through the strait to sea; and, landing on some dry rocks on a reef which projects off the west head of the strait, found that we were at the entrance of the bight, which was last year named Hanover Bay: after taking a set of bearings, we re-embarked and proceeded to the bottom of the bay which terminated in a shoal basin.

On our return we entered an opening in the rocky cliff which bore the appearance of being the outlet of a torrent stream; being low-water, there was not in many parts sufficient depth to float the boat; but after pulling up for half a mile, a muddy channel was found, which, at the end of another half mile, was terminated by a bed of rocks over which the tide flows at high-water. The ravine is formed by steep precipitous rocks which are at least two hundred and fifty feet high; it appeared to extend to a considerable distance, and as the farther progress of the boat was prevented by the stones and want of water, Bundell and two of the boat's crew were despatched to examine a place farther on, where, from the green appearance of the trees, it was thought not unlikely that there might be a fresh stream. In this they were not disappointed, for after much delay and trouble, from the difficulty of pa.s.sing over the rocks, they returned with two baricas full of fresh water, which they found in holes of considerable size.

In pulling up the river, an alligator was seen crawling slowly over the mud banks, but took to the water before we came near it and did not afterwards reappear. Many kangaroo-rats and small kangaroos were seen skipping about the rocks, but they were very shy, and fled the moment they saw us.

Hanover Bay thus proving to afford good anchorage and an opportunity of increasing our stock of water, as well as presenting a sandy beach on which we could haul the seine, it was determined that we should visit it as soon as the brig could be moved out of Prince Regent's River.

On our return, which was over the same ground as we had pa.s.sed in the morning, we landed near two or three gullies on the inner side of the island, which forms the eastern boundary of Munster Water, but were unsuccessful in all our searches after fresh water.

August 6.

At daylight on the 6th we got underweigh to a light air of wind from the southward, to leave Prince Regent's River; but notwithstanding the vessel was under all sail she was very nearly thrown upon Lammas Island by the tide, which was setting with great strength through the shoal pa.s.sage between it and Sight Point: as we pa.s.sed without it we were not more than five yards from the rocks. The wind then fell to a dead calm and the brig was perfectly immovable in the water; but, drifted by the tide and whirled round by the eddies, we were fast approaching the body of the largest Midway Island, with a very great uncertainty on which side of it the tide would drift us: when we were about three hundred yards from the island the direction of the stream changed and carried us round its south-east side, at about two hundred yards from the sh.o.r.e, but close to the low rocks off its east end, on which we landed two days since. We were under great anxiety for fear of being driven over the reef, on which there could not have been sufficient water to have floated us; but our fears of that danger were soon over for the tide swept us rapidly round it. At this moment a light air sprang up which lasted only five minutes, but it was sufficient to carry us past the junction of the Rothsay and Munster Waters with the main stream. The vessel was at times unmanageable from the violent whirlpools through which we pa.s.sed, and was more than once whirled completely round upon her keel; but our former experience of a similar event prepared us to expect it, and the yards were as quickly braced round.

Having pa.s.sed all the dangers, the ebb-tide very soon carried us out of the river into Hanover Bay. In pa.s.sing the easternmost of the outer isles, the shrill voices of natives were heard calling to us, and Bundell returned their shout, but it was some time before we could discern them on account of the very rugged nature of the island: at last three Indians were observed standing upon the rocks near the summit of the island but, as the tide was running out with great strength, we were soon out of hearing.

Soon after one o'clock the brig was anch.o.r.ed at about half a mile off the sandy beach in Hanover Bay, in eight fathoms (half flood) muddy bottom.

The boats were immediately hoisted out and sent up the river, but the tide was ebbing and the difficulty of filling the casks so great that, after great labour, we only procured a puncheon of water. The launch was moored without the rocky bed of the river, while the jolly-boat conveyed the baricas to her as they were filled, but even the latter could not get within three hundred yards of the water, so that the people had to carry the baricas over the rugged bed of the river for that distance, which made the work laborious and slow; still however it was much less distressing than the fatigue of watering from the cascade in Prince Regent's River. At night a successful haul of the seine supplied our people with abundance of fish, among which were mullets weighing from three to five pounds; cavallos, whitings, silver fish, breams, and two species of guard-fish.

August 7.

While our people were employed the next morning in washing the decks, they heard at a distance the voices of natives; at eight o'clock they were again heard and at ten o'clock they were close by; shortly afterwards three, of whom one was a woman, were seen standing on the rocks waving their arms. Being curious to communicate with the inhabitants of this part of the coast, since we had not seen any between this and Vansittart Bay, a party consisting of the surgeon, Mr. Bedwell, Mr. Baskerville, and myself, went on sh.o.r.e to the place where the natives were seated waiting for us. Bundell, who generally accompanied us on these occasions divested of his clothes, stood up in the bow of the boat, and, as we approached the sh.o.r.e, made signs of friendship, which the natives returned, and appeared quite unconcerned at our approach. On landing we climbed the rocks on which the two men were standing, when we found that the woman had walked away: upon our approach they retired a few paces and evidently eyed us in a distrustful manner; but, as they had dropped their spears, and repeated the sign of peace that we had made to them, we did not hesitate to walk towards them unarmed, desiring the boat's crew to be prepared with the muskets, if called. When we joined them they had their spears poised ready to throw, but on our presenting them with some of the fish that we had caught the preceding evening they dropped their spears and immediately returned us something in exchange; one gave a belt, made of opossum fur, to Bundell; and the other, the tallest of the two, gave me a club that he carried in his hand, a short stick about eighteen inches long, pointed at both ends. This exchange of presents appeared to establish a mutual confidence between us, and, to strengthen it, I presented my friend with a clasped knife, after showing him its use, the possession of which appeared to give him great pleasure.

By this time Mr. Montgomery and Mr. Bedwell joined us; the latter gentleman was unarmed, but the former had a pistol concealed under his coat and carried a fish which he held out for them to take; but, as they would not approach us nearer than two or three yards, he threw it towards them, when the shortest native picked it up. Upon this accession to our numbers they began to talk to each other, and at the same time picked up their spears; but as the latter appeared only to be a cautionary movement we did not antic.i.p.ate their mischievous intentions. I then, with a view to amuse them, made signs to my friend for the knife, which he put into my hands without showing the least reluctance, upon which he was again instructed how to open and shut it; but as this, instead of pacifying, only served to increase their anger, the knife was thrown at his feet, which he instantly picked up, and then both retired a few paces in a very suspicious manner.

We were at this time about three or four yards from the natives, who were talking to each other in a most animated way, and evidently intent upon some object; and, as it appeared probable that, if we remained any longer, a rupture would ensue, it was proposed that our party should retire to the boat, under the idea that they would follow us down; no sooner, however, had we waved to them our farewell, and turned our backs to descend the rocks, than they unexpectedly, and in the most treacherous manner, threw their spears; one of which, striking a rock, broke and fell harmless to the ground, but the other, which was thrown by the tallest man, wounded Mr. Montgomery in the back; the natives then, without waiting to throw their second spears, made off, closely pursued by Bundell, who had armed himself with the broken spear; but they were out of sight in a moment, and, by the time that the muskets were brought to our a.s.sistance, were doubtless out of gun-shot. A pursuit was, however, commenced, but our progress was so much impeded by the rugged and rocky nature of the ground and by the abundance and intricate growth of the shrubs and trees that we very soon desisted, and returned to the boat, to which Mr. Montgomery had been in the meantime carried, complaining of great weakness from loss of blood.

Upon examining Mr. Montgomery's wound, which unfortunately was in such a part of his body that he could not himself inspect it, it appeared that the spear had penetrated about three inches; and, from the quant.i.ty of extravasated blood, great fears were entertained that he had received a very serious internal injury. The wound, from which he was suffering very great pain, was dressed according to his instructions, but it was several days before he considered himself out of danger.

August 8.

The next morning at eleven o'clock a native was seen on a float, or catamaran, paddling round the west point of the strait, and another man, a woman, and a child, were observed on the rocks, who, in less than a quarter of an hour, came down to the spot where we met them yesterday, and began to wave and call to us. An opportunity now offered of punishing these wretches for their treacherous conduct, and of disappointing them in their present plans, for they were evidently intent upon some mischief. Mr. Bedwell was therefore despatched to secure their catamaran, which was hauled up on a sandy beach near the outer point, whilst another boat was sent towards the natives: when the latter arrived near the sh.o.r.e, they were sitting on the rock and inviting us to land; but it was necessary to convince them that we were not so defenceless as they imagined, and, as soon as we were sufficiently near, several muskets were fired over their heads: one of them fell down behind a rock, but the other made off. The native who had fallen was wounded in the shoulder, and was recognised to be the man that speared Mr. Montgomery; he made several attempts to get away, but every time his head appeared above the rock which concealed him from us, a pistol or a musket was fired to prevent his escape; at last, however, he sprang up, and, leaping upon the rock with a violent effort, was instantaneously out of sight.

As soon as he was gone we pulled round to the sandy bay where the natives had landed and overtook Mr. Bedwell, who was pa.s.sing by the place. Upon the beach we found two catamarans, or floats, on each of which a large bundle of spears was tied with ligatures of bark; and on searching about the gra.s.s we soon found and secured all their riches, consisting of water-baskets, tomahawks, spears, throwing-sticks, fire-sticks, fishing-lines, and thirty-six spears; some of the latter were of large size, and very roughly made, and one was headed with a piece of stone curiously pointed and worked. This last spear is propelled by a throwing-stick, which was also found lying by it. After launching the catamarans and securing everything found upon them, they were towed round by the boats to where we had fired upon the natives, whilst a party walked over land to examine the place. On the way several spears were discovered placed ready for use on their retreat to the beach, where, from the quant.i.ty collected, they evidently intended to make a stand; supposing no doubt from our appearance yesterday that we were defenceless, and would therefore fall an easy prey. On reaching the rock, behind which the native fell, it was found covered with blood; and Bundell, who probably did the deed, said the wound was on his shoulder.

We traced their retreat by the blood for half a mile to the border of a mangrove inlet, which they had evidently crossed, for the marks of their feet were perceived imprinted in the mud. We then gave up the pursuit, and went on board.

Upon examining the baskets, among other things a piece of iron hoop was found fixed in a wooden handle, which it seemed they had used for the purpose of digging up roots. This hoop must have been left by us last year at Careening Bay. But what chiefly attracted our attention was a small bundle of bark, tied up with more than usual care; upon opening it we found it contained several spear-heads, most ingeniously and curiously made of stone; they were about six inches in length, and were terminated by a very sharp point; both edges were serrated in a most surprising way; the serratures were evidently made by a sharp stroke with some instrument, but it was effected without leaving the least mark of the blow: the stone was covered with red pigment, and appeared to be a flinty slate. These spear-heads were ready for fixing, and the careful manner in which they were preserved plainly showed their value, for each was separated by strips of bark, and the sharp edges protected by a covering of fur. A wound with such a spear must be mortal; and it was very fortunate for Mr. Montgomery that his was not inflicted with one of these truly formidable weapons. Their hatchets were also made of the same stone, the edges of which are ground so sharp that a few blows serve to chop off the branch of a tree.

The catamarans consisted of five mangrove stems lashed together to a frame of smaller wood, as in Woodcut 2: they are bouyant enough to carry two natives, besides their spears and baskets. A representation of this mode of conveyance is also given in Woodcut 1.

These natives were more robust-looking men than any we had before seen; the tallest must have been at least six feet two inches high; their bodies were scarred all over; their teeth perfect, and they were quite naked. The shorter native had his hair collected into a k.n.o.b at the top of his head, which gave him a ferocious appearance. The punishment they so justly received will make them respect in future the formidable nature of our arms.

At night we hauled the seine, and procured about four dozen fish, princ.i.p.ally mullet. An armed party was stationed above the beach to prevent any attack from the natives, but they did not show themselves.

August 9.

On the following day we again heard them shouting and hallooing but it was some time before we could observe their situation; at last five were discovered by the aid of a telescope, seated on the summit of a hill behind the beach, occupied in making spears; at a little distance were two others, one of whom was distinguished to be the native that had escaped unwounded; the other, a stranger, was chopping a branch off a tree, which he was seen to trim and sc.r.a.pe into a rough spear. During the time they were thus employed, they frequently hallooed to us; no notice was however taken of their cries, although the temptation was very great of firing a shot over their heads to show them that they were still within our reach. As soon as they had finished their work and had made about a dozen spears, they all got up and walked away.

After they disappeared behind the hill it was thought not unlikely that they would attack our people at the watering-place; the party were therefore sent away in the afternoon well armed, but the natives did not make their appearance, and the boats returned at sunset without having been disturbed. The tide was so trifling and the difficulty of loading the boat so great that only ninety gallons of water were procured; and as we were not likely to make quicker progress unless we waited for the spring-tides, we gave up all idea of completing our water, and made preparations to leave the bay.

August 10.

On the following day (10th) as there was no wind all the morning, I sent for another turn of water but only obtained enough for one day's issue; for the tide did not rise more than four feet. In the meantime I visited the extreme point on the west side of the bay, and examined in my way some openings in the land that, from their appearance, promised to afford water: as it was low tide I could not enter them, for they were blocked up by banks of sand and rocks; but on my return the tide was higher, and I pulled about one mile up the northernmost inlet, where I was again stopped by the shoalness of the water. All these places must afford abundance of fresh water during the rainy season, and perhaps are seldom without; and, as this was a year of unusual drought, it is not improbable that the river in which we watered generally afforded a very considerable stream; if so, from its proximity to the anchorage, the bay is of great importance, and is an excellent place for refreshment: turtle might be procured at the islands in its vicinity, and abundance of very fine fish at the sandy beach: the anchorage is safe in all parts, being protected from the sea by the islands in the offing, which front the bay. There is also abundance of wood that may be cut close to the waterside.

Ships detained during the westerly monsoon, as far to leeward as the meridian of 125 degrees, would find an advantage in putting into Hanover Bay, and remaining there until the wind should veer round: by which they would avoid the necessity of beating to windward, over such dangerous ground as extends between this part to Timor; and, by being to the southward, out of the strength of the westerly winds, at the latter end of February and beginning of March, when southerly and south-east winds prevail on the coast, they might much earlier effect their pa.s.sage to the westward.

The beach of Hanover Bay is situated in lat.i.tude 15 degrees 18 minutes 21 seconds, and 13 minutes 40 seconds West of our observatory at Careening Bay, which makes its longitude 124 degrees 47 minutes 5 seconds East of Greenwich.

August 11.

The next morning (11th) we left Hanover Bay and steered out at the distance of a mile and a half from the western sh.o.r.e. After pa.s.sing round the western head, we entered a deep opening, and, running into it for some distance between a rocky sh.o.r.e on either side, came into an extensive basin, in the centre of which was a high island which we saw at a distance last year, and then called the Lump, from its shape. As a set of bearings from this island was desirable, the vessel was anch.o.r.ed abreast of it at about a mile and a half from the sh.o.r.e; having landed upon it in time to observe the sun's meridional alt.i.tude in the artificial horizon, we ascended its summit and obtained the desired bearings; we also discovered Freycinet's Island on the horizon, bearing North 13 degrees 42 minutes West; this island was distinguished easily by its form, which is that of an inverted basin. A large island lies in the centre of the entrance of the port, by which two channels are formed; the westernmost has several patches of rocks in it, but the eastern one, which we used, appeared to be clear and free from danger, excepting a rocky shelf projecting from the eastern sh.o.r.e for not more than three quarters of a mile. In the afternoon we examined the former, and from a summit at the south-west end of the island in the entrance obtained another set of bearings. Afterwards we sounded its channel, and found a deep pa.s.sage, but too narrow and intricate to be preferred to the eastern channel.

Whilst one boat was thus employed, Mr. Baskerville went to examine an opening at the bottom of the port, which he reported to be a strait, trending round to the South-West for six miles, beyond which his view was intercepted by the next projecting point. The strait, which he called after Captain R.H. Rogers, R.N., is sprinkled with many islands and dry reefs of great extent.

August 12.