Volume I Part 37 (1/2)

The wind was much lighter this morning and the surf not so heavy; we made a successful attempt to launch the boats just before sunrise. The wind still blew from the southward, and we found a heavy sea running outside.

The men however exerted all their energies and just before sunset we reached the northern mouth of the Gascoyne, and found a very good pa.s.sage into it with twelve feet water at low ebb-tide; but the other boat, not following our track, stuck fast on a sandbank, where she was soon left high and dry, and the tide fell so fast that we had a great deal of trouble in getting her afloat again.

BABBAGE ISLAND.

The bar once pa.s.sed there are three and three and a half fathoms in this land-locked creek even at low water; the portion of Babbage Island which is between it and the sea appears to be nothing but a s.h.i.+fting bed of sand, and the mainland a delta, covered with mangrove swamps and brackish lagoons, at least for about a mile back.* We lay down upon the sand close to the boats, which were left at anchor with a boat-keeper in each, and found great difficulty in collecting driftwood enough to make our fires.

(*Footnote. In the year 1667 the Dutch Commodore Vlaming appears to have visited these coasts and to have ascended a river which might have been the Gascoyne. The account of his exploration is thus briefly given by Flinders (Terra Australis volume 1 Introduction page 61) After relating the arrival of his two s.h.i.+ps off Cape Inscription at the north end of Dirk Hartog's Island he proceeds:

No mention is made by Valentyn of the s.h.i.+ps entering the road, nor of their departure from it; but it should seem that they anch.o.r.ed on February 4th. On the 5th Commodore Vlaming and the commander of the Nyptang went with three boats to the sh.o.r.e, which proved to be an island.

They found also a river, and went up it four or five leagues, amongst rocks and shoals, when they saw much water inland, as if the country were drowned, but no men, nor anything for food, and wherever they dug the ground was salt. They afterwards came to another river, which they ascended about a league, and found it to terminate in a round basin, and to be entirely salt water. No men were seen, nor any animals, except divers, which were very shy; and the country was dest.i.tute of gra.s.s and trees. Returning downward on the 10th, they saw footsteps of men and children of the common size, and observed the point of entrance into the river to be a very red sand.)

March 19.

The wind still blew pretty fresh from the southward; we however had no surf to impede us and therefore got under weigh soon after dawn. The men pulled away cheerfully and, although this was very hard work on account of the headwind and sea, we experienced no great difficulty until we had rounded Point Whitmore, at the north of Babbage Island, where we all at once found ourselves in broken water, so very shoal that between each breaker the boat was b.u.mped with great violence against the bottom, and must have been very soon stove in had we not speedily got into deeper soundings.

ANCHOR IN SOUTHERN ENTRANCE OF THE RIVER.

About 2 P.M. we neared the southern mouth of the Gascoyne, pulled two miles up it, and anch.o.r.ed about a mile and a half to the south of our former position. The men, although it was very warm and they had been pulling hard all day, had as yet only had about a wine-gla.s.s full of water each, I therefore lost no time in sending off a watering party; and the remainder of us collected samphire which grew abundantly hereabouts and forms a fair article of food for hungry men.

The remainder of the evening was occupied in completing our water and in endeavouring to get a shot at some pelicans, but although numerous they were too wary, and my feet were covered with such dreadful sores from bad diet and being constantly in the salt water that I could not walk to any great distance in search of game.

COMPLETE OUR WATER.

The completion of our supply of water was a very great matter and, as we had now got so far to the southward as to make our fetching the northern extremity of Bernier Island almost a matter of certainty, however strongly it might blow, I determined to effect the pa.s.sage the next day.

Indeed I could not have delayed it for our provisions, bad as they were, were almost exhausted, and the men were already much reduced from the scarcity and bad quality of their food.

CHAPTER 17. FROM THE GASCOYNE TO GANTHEAUME BAY.

SAIL FROM THE GASCOYNE.

March 20.

When we pulled out of the Gascoyne this morning the first streak of dawn had not lit up the eastern horizon, we however managed by creeping along the southern sh.o.r.e to get out to sea, and there anch.o.r.ed until it was light enough to see the compa.s.s. I found a very heavy sea running outside and a strong breeze blowing from the southward; at this time however there was nothing which in my opinion rendered it too hazardous to risk the pa.s.sage, more especially being pressed as we were by the want of food. The distance across to Bernier Island from the point of the main where we were was about ten miles further than it is from Dover to Calais. Our boats were in very bad repair, and the landing on the other side was by no means good. I therefore certainly would not have ventured to make the pa.s.sage in a gale of wind; but the weather did not seem threatening and it had been for many successive days blowing as hard as it was when we started.

CAUGHT IN A GALE OF WIND.

We might have gone nine or ten miles when the wind suddenly increased, and ere we had made five more it had become a perfect gale and we were obliged to keep the boats close hauled, for had we run ever so little before the wind we should not have fetched Bernier Island, and consequently should have been blown right out to sea. We had nothing therefore now to do but to struggle for it, and to use every energy to save ourselves. Sea after sea broke into the boat but the water was as rapidly baled out: none could have behaved better than the crews of both boats did, and the whole scene was one of such constant, cheerful, and successful exertion that, great as our danger was, I do not recollect ever having a keener perception of the pleasure of excited feelings, or a more thorough revelry of joyous emotions, than I had during this perilous pa.s.sage.

REACH BERNIER ISLAND.

Bernier Island at last rose in sight and amidst the giant waves we occasionally caught a peep of its rocky sh.o.r.es; but we were so tossed to and fro that it was only now and then that from the summit of some lofty sea we could sight a high sh.o.r.e which was not more than four or five miles from us. We had made the island about five miles from its northern extremity, and I ran along the sh.o.r.e until I found a convenient landing-place about a mile and a half to the south of our old one.

CHANGE IN THE LAND.

It was perfectly sheltered by reefs and an island, but it surprised me that I had not remarked this cove on my previous visit to the island, and I was still further astonished to see now three new small rocky islands, of which I had no recollection whatever. Indeed the men all for a long time stoutly denied that this was Bernier Island and, had we not now sighted Kok's Island, I should have doubted my skill in navigation and made up my mind that I had fallen into some strange error; but as it was forebodings shot across my wind as to what pranks the hurricane might have been playing upon the island, which consisted of nothing but loose sand heaped upon a bed of limestone rock of very unequal elevation.

I ran in my own boat upon a convenient point of the beach and the other boat followed in safety, for I did not like, in such foul weather, to leave them at anchor on a lee sh.o.r.e, which had previously proved so unsafe a position. A most awkward question now presented itself to my consideration: from the altered appearance of the coast I felt very considerable doubts as to the state in which the depot might be found; supposing anything had occurred to it I felt that it would be unadvisable that such a discovery should be made in the presence of many persons; as future discipline would in a great measure depend upon the first impression that was given. Who, then, had I better select for the purpose of visiting the depot in the first instance? After some deliberation I made choice of Mr. Smith and Corporal Coles, in the courage, disinterestedness, and self-possession of both of whom I placed great confidence. I directed Mr. Walker to see certain little alterations made in the boats before the men were allowed to straggle; these I knew would occupy them for some time and leave me therefore during this interval free to think and act according to circ.u.mstances. I now called Mr. Smith and Corporal Coles to accompany me, and told Coles to bring a spade with him.

DESTRUCTION OF THE DEPOT OF PROVISIONS. SYMPTOMS OF CALAMITY.