Volume I Part 10 (1/2)

In passing out, we na north of Point Swan, and hitherto unhonoured with any particular denomination, the Twins It should be noted, that the tide did not begin tofull half an hour after loater by the shore We passed through several tide races; not, however, feeling their full force, owing to our encountering thes indicated great irregularity of bottoned these iation

SUNDAY STRAIT

We found a te, on the east side of the large group for the eastern side of Sunday Strait; so na, as drifted in and out of it on that day, August 19th, 1821, a render the first navigation of this dangerous Archipelago a memorable event in the annals of nautical hardihood

ROE'S GROUP

This group we called after Lieutenant Roe, RN, Surveyor-General of Western Australia, who had accoe, and whose valuable inforers to which our predecessors had been exposed

Nothing could exceed the desolate appearance of the land near which ere now lying: rocks, of a priether in all the variety of an irregularity, that rather rerandeur, rose, drear and desolate, above the surrounding waters; no trees shaded their riven sides, but the water-loving rove clothed the base of this sterile island, and a coarse, wiry grass was thinly spread over its sides

MIAGO AND HIS FRIENDS

Soon after we had anchored, so us from the shore; and shortly afterwards a party landed, to atteet the necessary observations for the survey In the first object they failed altogether; for these blackfellows, as that gallant hero called the every movement, refused to trust themselves within our reach The smallness of their nue of Miago, who loudly vaunted his intention of in, in order to astonish his friends upon our return to the south: stealing away the ladies being, as I have before re and most honourable achievees, is capable I ought not to o here, that the natives seen to-day were acco; the only instance in which, before or since, we observed the existence of a dog of that colour in this vast country Captain Kinghis visit in 1821

DAY OF REST

The following day was Sunday, and, there being no absolute necessity to shi+ft our berth, we re the character of this sacred festival, by giving it up to the crew, for healthful rest and har prayers had been performed--as much as the needful discipline, upon a proper observance of which the efficiency of a shi+p's company entirely depends, would allow This practice, constantly observed throughout our long voyage, was always attended with the best results

Soeons, of a dark brown colour, s, were seen, and soht, like the partridge, and appeared to haunt the rocks; a habit which all subsequent observation confirmed

(Footnote Petrophila albipennis Gould)

February 12

Soon after daylight we left this anchorage, whose exact position I er in these seas The eastern of the three islands north of Roe's group was just open of the north point of the bight in which we lay, and a small rocky islet close to the shore bore South-South-West one ht, and twelve i a stretch to the southward for about five ain closed with the shore, and anchored in five fathoroup, three e A party landed in the afternoon to procure the requisite observations: the country was not quite so sterile, nor its face of so rugged a character

NATIVE RAFT

We found nothing worth particular attention, except a native raft, the first we had yet seen It was forether, and reatest diaest pole was three inches All the poles were of the palht, that one reatest ease By it there was a very rude double-bladed paddle

Froerous and rapid current, which divides two rocky islands, and the perils of which are fearfully increased by the presence of an insulated rock in its centre, past which (its fury only heightened by the opposition) the torrent hurries with accelerated force

CAPTAIN KING AND THE BATHURST

It was by this fearful passage that Captain King entered this part of the Sound, drifting towards apparently instant destruction, without a breath of wind to afford hi between the various perils that environed his devoted shi+p As the Bathurst swept past the neighbouring shores--covered with the strange fores who seemed to anticipate her destruction, and absolutely within the range of their spears--drifting with literally giddy rapidity towards the fatal rocks, what varied thoughts e within an hour, upon the mind of her commander? It seemed that all evidence of what his own perseverance, the devotion of his officers, and the gallantry of his crew, had accomplished for the honour of their common country, would in a few brief moments be the prey of the rapid, the spoil of the deep; and yet, while many a heart sent up its voiceless prayer to HIM, whose ar that prayer to be their last--not a cheek blanched--not an eye quailed!

But the loving-kindness of omnipotent mercy rested even upon that solitary shi+p, and within a few yards of the fatal rock, one momentary breath of wind, proved HIS providential care, for those from who has recorded, rose up in palpable distinctness to my view, and afterwards, in memory of that day, called the channel Escape--to the sound itself we gave the na's, in the full confidence that all for whoe have a char that the career of such aand appropriate ale the whole of this day fro on quite unexpectedly, for neither the state nor appearance of the atave us the least indication of its approach Exposed on a lee-shore, it ined that ere by no means displeased to see it as rapidly and inexplicably depart, as it had suddenly and mysteriously appeared

POINT CUNNINGHAM

February 14

Leaving this anchorage we found another in a bay on the mainland, 12 miles South from Point Swan, and 11 North-West frohauished botanist, whose zealous exertions have added so much to the Flora of Australia I well re to sail from Sydney, in May 1839, the scientific veteran seemed to enter with the ut adventure And even, though the natural force of that fraed in the ennobling pursuits to which his honourable career had been devoted, was too palpably failing theobeyed; the fire of the spirit that had burned throughout so brightly, see flarave! alas! within the brief period of two months, the world had closed upon him for ever!

SUCCESSFUL SEARCH FOR WATER

A point, fronting a small islet, al spot for the co operations, which we hoped to bring to a more successful ter to a depth of eight feet our anticipations were fully justified, the water flowing in through the sides in great abundance It was quite fresh, and in every way ed as it ith the red colour of the surrounding soil, we could at once perceive that it was only surface water As atched it filling our neatly excavated well, we found no great difficulty in understanding why, in this continent, a native speaks of any very favoured district, as ”Very fine country-- in the certain supply of that one necessary of life, the chief, nay almost the sole condition essential to a happy land

SKELETON POINT

We na here the remains of a native, placed in a seum tree, enveloped, or more properly, shrouded, in the bark of the papyrus