Volume I Part 6 (1/2)
December 21st.
Since we left Port Molle, the winds have been variable from the northward and eastward, with calms, and the weather quite unsettled with occasional rain. While nearly becalmed, several opportunities were afforded for dredging from the s.h.i.+p, and many new and curious marine animals were procured.
KEPPEL'S ISLE.
Today we had the wind from East-South-East, gradually freshening to a moderate gale with the sea getting up, and in the evening it was judged expedient to bear up and run for an anchorage under the largest Keppel's Isle, where we brought up in five and a half fathoms, sand. A line of breaking water a quarter of a mile to leeward, was afterwards found to be caused by a dangerous reef not indicated upon the chart, where, instead, an anchorage was marked, a circ.u.mstance which might have led to serious results, had we run in during the night.
Keppel's Isle is from ten to twelve miles in circ.u.mference--it is distant from the mainland six miles. That portion of it seen from our anchorage presented rather a pleasant appearance; some fine verdant gra.s.sy-looking places were, however, found on closer inspection to be poor stony or sandy ground, thinly covered with tufts of coa.r.s.e gra.s.s. Behind a long sandy beach abreast of the s.h.i.+p, an extensive hollow apparently running back for two or three miles, flanked by low wooded hills, was found to be a mangrove swamp traversed by several branches of a salt.w.a.ter creek, by which the flood-tide gains admittance. Here I found numbers of a singular fish of the genus Chironectes leaping with great activity over the mud among the arched roots of the mangroves, among which small crabs (Ocypoda and Macrophthalmus) were making for their burrows in all directions.
Fresh water appeared scarce--I came upon one small well, and beside it a large sh.e.l.l for the purpose of drinking from. I followed the recent tracks of two natives, but they concealed themselves among the mangroves, with their usual caution, although armed with spears, as I could see by the marks left during their hurried flight, and they knew that I was alone. A small group of women and children were afterwards met with by a shooting party from the s.h.i.+p, but they ran off affrighted, leaving behind their baskets, which were filled with a small blue gregarious crab, common upon the sandy beaches.
After leaving our anchorage under Keppel's Island, we continued working to the southward against a strong South-East wind. On the 24th while standing in for the land, about 11 P.M., the s.h.i.+p was suddenly found to be within a cable's length of the rocks off the North-East end of Facing Island, on which we were fortunate in not having to spend our Christmas.
Next day a water-snake (Hypotrophis jukesii) four feet two inches long was caught when we were several miles off the land; it had accidentally been hooked by the tail by someone fis.h.i.+ng for albacore, several of which fine fish were taken hereabouts. We rounded Breaksea Spit on December 29th, and two days afterwards arrived at Moreton Bay, were we found the Bramble.
During our stay at Yule's Roads, we had much gloomy blowing weather, with drizzly rain, and a heavy gale from North-East to North-North-East.
ARRIVE AT SYDNEY.
After replenis.h.i.+ng our nearly exhausted stock of water, we sailed for Sydney, which we reached on January 14th, 1848. During this pa.s.sage we were much aided by the strong current, and had usually the wind between South-East and East-South-East, with occasional calms.
RECENT OCCURRENCES IN SYDNEY.
February 2nd, 1848.
During our absence from Sydney, and since our arrival, some events of great importance to the colony had occurred. Public attention had been strongly directed towards the question of Steam Communication with India and England, the facilitating of which was one of the princ.i.p.al objects of the Voyage of the Rattlesnake.* Meetings to discuss the practicability of forming railroads** had also been held. Dr. Leichhardt, the well-known, indefatigable traveller, had started with a party to attempt to traverse the Continent of Australia, and reach Swan River--and Mr.
Kennedy had returned from tracing the Victoria River of Sir Thomas Mitch.e.l.l, which he found to become lost in the stony desert of Sturt, instead of disemboguing into the head of the Gulf of Carpentaria, as some had conjectured.
(*Footnote. This project, I regret to add, has not yet been carried into effect, nor does there appear to be any reasonable prospect of its speedy accomplishment.)
(**Footnote. I have lately heard that the first Australian railroad has actually been commenced at Sydney.)
FOUNDATION OF THE COLONY.
During our stay the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the colony was celebrated, and a large proportion of the 50,000 inhabitants of Sydney and the neighbourhood joined in the festivities and amus.e.m.e.nts commemorating so glorious a day in the annals of their adopted country.
When witnessing the gaieties of the regatta, I could not help reflecting on the simple narrative of the first founder of what may hereafter become a great empire, a mighty monument of the genius of the Anglo-Saxon race.
”The spot chosen for our encampment,” says Colonel Collins, ”was at the head of the cove near the run of fresh water which stole silently along through a very thick wood, the stillness of which had then, for the first time since the creation, been interrupted by the rude sound of the labourer's axe, and the downfall of its ancient inhabitants; a stillness and tranquillity which from that day were to give place to the voice of labour, the confusion of camps, and the busy hum of its new possessors.”*
(Footnote. Collins' New South Wales 2nd edition page 10.)
Finding that there was yet some time to spare before the arrival of the usual period for leaving Sydney to pa.s.s through Torres Strait, Captain Stanley resolved upon acting in accordance with the expressed wishes of the Colonial Government, that he should make an inspection of the various lighthouses in Ba.s.s Strait, and for that purpose sailed from Sydney on February 2nd, with the Rattlesnake and Bramble. The Asp and one of the galleys accompanied us as far as Botany Bay, which they were to be employed in surveying during our absence, under the orders of Lieutenant Simpson.
Ba.s.s STRAIT.
On February 8th, we pa.s.sed between Kent's and Hogan's groups (in Ba.s.s Strait); the lighthouse on the former of these, perched upon a hill 829 feet high, is admirably situated, and although the night was rather hazy, the light (revolving) shone out with great brilliance, and was afterwards seen from the Bramble's deck, when thirty-seven miles distant. We caught, in the narrows of the Strait, numbers of baracoudas, a very bold and ravenous fish, and withal a good-eating one, measuring from two to three feet in length; they bite eagerly at a hook towing astern, baited with a piece of red or white rag, and are taken in greatest numbers when several miles distant from the land, and the vessel is going from four to eight knots through the water.
Two days afterwards, the weather being extremely favourable for the purpose, I got several hauls with the dredge in forty-five fathoms, sandy bottom, and, in addition to many curious crustacea and sh.e.l.lfish, a number of very fine zoophytes, almost all of them new to science, were in such abundance as quickly to fill the net.
February 11th.