Volume I Part 6 (1/2)

On the 23rd we pa.s.sed the meridian of Cape Van Diemen, in lat.i.tude 10 degrees 48 minutes. The same evening some land was indistinctly seen bearing South.

March 24.

The ensuing daylight discovered to us several islands in the South-South-East, having previously shoaled our soundings from 31 to 10 fathoms; and during the morning we steered through them.

The group contains several low coral-formed islands; the north-easternmost of which proved to be the New Year's Island of Lieutenant McCluer of the Bombay Marine; they are covered with a shrubby vegetation, and are severally surrounded by a coral reef: the princ.i.p.al of them were named Oxley's, McCluer's, and Lawson's Islands, and a larger and higher island in the South-South-West was named in compliment to my friend Captain Charles Grant, C.B., of the Royal Navy, under whose auspices I entered the naval service.

We steered on to the East-South-East through the first part of the night, with every prospect of reaching Cape Arnhem, where our examination of the coast westwardly was to commence.

March 26.

But at midnight the wind changed to the eastward, and at daylight (26th), the land was visible from south to South-West. At ten o'clock we fetched in close to a low sandy point, and then bore up to the westward along the coast, which appeared, as it afterwards proved to be, a part of the main.

The low point which commenced our survey was called Point Braithwaite, and one mile North-West from it is Point Hall: the sh.o.r.e then trends five miles to the westward to Point Cuthbert, from which a shoal communication extends towards a rock on which the sea broke: we pa.s.sed within the rock, carrying two and a quarter fathoms; and then hauled in for a point of land, called after my friend Captain G.H. Guion, R.N.; but not succeeding in finding anchorage under it, we bore away along the sh.o.r.e, and at night anch.o.r.ed off Point Turner. Between Points Guion and Turner is a deep but rocky bay, at the bottom of which is an appearance of an opening lined with mangroves: to the westward of Point Turner is another bay, which circ.u.mstances did not then allow of our examining. From our anchorage the land was traced as far as North-West, and appeared to be an island separated from the main by a strait.

March 27.

The next day we pa.s.sed through it, and anch.o.r.ed in a bay on the South-West side of the island, at about half a mile from the beach. The Strait was named Macquarie Strait, after the late Major-General Lachlan Macquarie, who administered the government of New South Wales for a period of nearly twelve years.

As the sh.o.r.es of the bay, in which we had anch.o.r.ed, appeared likely to afford both wood and water, of which articles we were much in want, I was induced to take advantage of the opportunity, and immediately made preparation to commence these occupations. In the evening a pit was dug for water, which oozed so fast into it, that we did not antic.i.p.ate any difficulty on that head, and the wood was both plentiful and convenient to the beach.

It was now about the termination of the rainy season, and everything bore the most luxuriant appearance; the gra.s.s, which covered the face of the island, was more than six feet high, and completely concealed us from each other as we walked to the summit of the hill, the sides of which were very thickly wooded. Upon the edge of the beach, the panda.n.u.s, the hibiscus, and a variety of other tropical trees and shrubs were growing, and the sand was variegated with the long-stemmed convolvulus in full flower.

The trees upon the hills were princ.i.p.ally a small-sized eucalyptus, which we cut for firewood, but the stem was generally found to be unsound, and totally useless for any purpose excepting for fuel. Among the flowers that were strewed about the island was a superb shrubby grevillea, with scarlet flowers. The casuarina grew also near the sandy beach but it seemed to prefer the exposed parts near the extremities of the sandy projections of the land where no other tree would grow. The wood of this tree appeared to be of a closer grain, and of a darker colour than the species that is usually found upon the north coast.

The only edible fruit that we found was a small black grape: it bore a very inferior resemblance to the common sweet-water grape, but the leaf and habit are altogether different.

The centre of the bay is formed by a sandy beach; it is terminated by cliffs of about forty feet in height, the upper stratum of which appeared to be an indurated clay of a very red colour, occasioned by the ferruginous nature of the rocks and soil; the lower part is a stratum of the whitest pipe-clay, the upper limit of which, from the surface having been washed clean by the late rains, was so defined and produced so striking a contrast in point of colour as to give the whole a most remarkable appearance.

At the distance of ten miles behind the beach of the mainland, which is very low, there is a continued ridge of rocky hills which was named Wellington Range, and behind them is the Tor, a remarkable rock that stands alone. The range is about twenty-five miles in extent, and its summit has a very irregular outline; it is visible for eight or nine leagues.

March 28.

The morning after our arrival a baseline was measured upon the beach for the survey of the bay, and whilst we were thus employed our people found and brought to me several traces of Malays, who, as we are informed by Captain Flinders, make annual visits to this part of the coast in large fleets, to fish for beche de mer.

Among the relics were old broken joints of bamboo, which the Malays use to carry their water in, some worn out cordage and a coconut, which had perhaps been left behind by accident. The traces appeared to be of so recent a date, that we conjectured the fleet was but a short distance to the eastward of the islands, and as the easterly monsoon had commenced, we were naturally in daily expectation of being overtaken by them. Our operations, therefore, were hurried, since we could not tell what might be the result of encountering them, as we were totally incapable of defending ourselves, should they be mischievously inclined. A look-out was therefore kept for their approach, and our people were held as much as possible within sight, so that we might be prepared to weigh and leave the place as soon as they should make their appearance.

The hole which had been dug for water was half full, but it was so brackish as to be quite unfit for use.

Upon further search a small pond was found by Mr. Cunningham in a hollow, at the back of the beach; but in the course of the day a run of water was discovered by Boongaree, at the north end of the beach, oozing out from the base of the pipe-clay cliffs, which proved upon examination to yield better water than the former, besides being very much more convenient to obtain.

Our wooding-party commenced operations the day after we arrived, and, on their returning on board at night, imprudently left their tools on sh.o.r.e.

March 29.

The next day, whilst the people were at dinner, Boongaree, whose eyes were constantly directed to the sh.o.r.e, espied five natives among the gra.s.s, which was so high as nearly to conceal them, walking towards our wooding-place; and, as they proceeded, it was perceived that they had stolen one of our station-flags, four of which had been erected on the beach to mark the baseline. On reaching the place where our people had been employed, three of the natives began to throw down a pile of wood that had been heaped up ready to embark, whilst the fourth crept on his hands and knees towards the other station-flags, and succeeded in carrying off two more before he was observed; but as he was on the point of taking the fourth he was detected, and two muskets were fired at him, upon which he fled into the woods, followed by his companions, carrying with them all our wooding tools.

During the morning a canoe, containing six or seven natives, had been seen on the opposite sh.o.r.e under Point Ross; but it had disappeared, and had probably brought the party over who had just robbed us. Mr. Bedwell suggested the idea of their having landed round the south point of the bay, where, if so, their canoe would be found. He was accordingly despatched to bring it away as a reprisal for our stolen flags and tools, and upon his pulling round the point he saw several natives standing by the canoe, which was hauled up on the beach. On the boat pulling in, one of the natives poised a spear, but he retreated with his companions into the wood the moment that our party landed, without throwing it. The canoe was then launched and brought on board. It appeared to have originally belonged to the Malays, for it was made from a log of teak; it was seventeen feet long and two feet broad, and had probably been either captured or stolen by these natives. During Mr. Bedwell's absence I landed, to observe some distances between the sun and moon, and this task was completed without interruption; the thieves were seen all the afternoon standing among the trees, watching our movements; and upon our making an excursion in the evening towards the north end of the bay, they were observed to follow us armed with spears, but they did not show themselves, since they probably perceived we were prepared to receive them.

Before dark the canoe was hoisted up to the stern, and our other boats were secured under it; notwithstanding which the natives swam off, and, when everything was quiet, cut the whale boat's moorings, without being detected, and swam away with her in tow; it was, however, discovered in time, and the boat recovered before the tide had drifted her out of sight.

March 30.