Volume I Part 11 (2/2)
Soon after dark ere visited by a squall froer in duration, and heavier than any we had before experienced Fro for 30 ood deal of sea: the wind reht
February 24
The ; but, as the day advanced, it gradually assuht and brilliant character; and at seven AM we started, Mr Help the whaleboat, while Mr
Tarrant accompanied me in the yawl We crossed Disaster Bay in four and five fatho in the direction of Valentine Island, and inside a long sandy spit, partly dry at loater, and extending two-thirds of the way across
FRESHWATER LAKE
While waiting for the tide to rise, in order to cross this natural breakwater, we landed, and struggled for a good h a mixture of deep mud and sand, drifted, at the coastline, into hills of froether by a long coarse grass; immediately beyond which we carowth of tropical vegetation was starting into life, and presenting an almost miraculous contrast to the barren sterility, that staeless desolation upon the rest of this inhospitable shore Indeed, so far as our experience extended, upon the coasts, and within the interior of this in many respects extraordinary continent, the want of water appears to be the chief drawback to the fertility otherwise to be anticipated froraphical position: at the same time, it is quite impossible to blind oneself to the fact, that further researches on the one hand, and the application of the great discoveries in hydraulics, of which recent years have been so fruitful, on the other, may, and probably will, spread the vernal blooed and arbitrary periods of drought
This spot, which long arrestedof delight inspired by the thought that thereon never before had rested the curious eye of any restless and indefatigable wanderer from the west, is distant about 500 yards North-North-West, from a solitary patch of low red cliffs, the first of this formation that present themselves south of Foul Point
VALENTINE ISLAND
Extensive flats fronting the coast to the southward, almost connect it at loater with Valentine Island, which we reached at two PM, just on the top of high-water, and shortly afterwards grounded the boats in a sreatest extent of Valentine Island is three-quarters of a mile in an East by South direction: either extre
NATIVE FIRE AND FOOD
On landing we found a fire still burning, near the beach, and beside it a bundle of the bark of the papyrus tree, in which were carefully packed a quantity of ground nuts, they were each about three-quarters of an inch long, and in shape not unlike a kidney potato; it see from the native value of the commodities thus rashly abandoned, that our arrival had rather taken by surprise these untutored children of the wilderness:nothing of them till we had reembarked, when (four or five only in number) they returned to the beach; and we could perceive that our foot tracks, upon which they appeared to hold an anihtily puzzled thehest point of the island in the afternoon, and from thence looked over severalno appearance of land to the eastward of South-South-East We gazed with indescribable delight upon the wide expanse of open water which lay before us in that direction, and already anticipated the discovery of sonificent river, upon the exploration of which our ied; nor for the ht, or rather the recollection of the fact, that Captain King had seen land (by refraction) in that quarter, serve to daly insisted upon engaging a certain share of my attention, its presence only added an additional motive to my previous determination to set the question at rest by personal examination, and in the interim, to look immediately before sunrise (when the atht I should have beenthe afternoon I shot over the island, and enjoyed some very fair sport; especially with the pheasant-cuckoo, and quail, large and small, which were numerous: several birds not unlike the so-called crow of the Swan River colonists were seen We found no fresh water, but in addition to the abundance of game, the presence of the natives, proves the island to be not wholly destitute of this first requisite of life The therrees in the shade, while the unnatural calave the experienced sea of some disturbance at hand
(Footnote This esculent appeared to resemble the warran, or yam, used for food by the native inhabitants north of Swan River)
(Footnote Centropus phasianellus Gould)
A HEAVY SQUALL
Just before sunset these anxious anticipations proved correct: a ed white clouds rose rapidly in the east, and spread over the till then unbroken blue of the vast vault above; ahtning quivered and flashed fearfully and fitfully, gleaht of expiring day! Anon, darker and more o see arch, that ca tempest It was some time ere its approach either attracted the attention or disturbed the boisterous mirth of the boats' creith the enviable philosophy of their class, were gaily laughing over the incidents of the day I had just secured a good latitude by Canopus, when the squall burst upon us from East-South-East, it blew very hard indeed for about an hour, veering round to, and terain; partaking of the general characteristics of previous visitations of the same kind, to which we have been subject since our arrival upon this coast, it lasted for a e duration had been about three hours It brought the therht, and undisturbed by the past we finished the night in peace Daybreak found us at the eastern end of the island, fro east about 16 's authority, against Mr Earle's contradiction This confirree reconciled reat sheet of water were visibly beginning to contract
(Footnote Vide Earle's Eastern Seas page 451)
WILD OAT
During our e noticed the wild oat in great abundance This valuable species of corn is then indigenous to this part of the world Ere long, perhaps, the tience it springs and dies, it arment of cultivation--testify the existence--and promote the comfort of social life The same seed was found near Hanover Bay, by Lieutenants Grey and Lushi+ngton, and throve exceedingly well in the soft and luxurious cli sohtful possessors of the island, whose temporary shelter we had obtained, we hastened back to the boats, and stood away to the eastward for the low land seen froes, nearly dry at loater, and generally trending North and South, showing the direction of the stream by which they were formed, and at distances of 5, 7, 9, and 12 miles, in an East by South direction froed fro breeze from the south helped us halfway across to the point, from whence I hoped and believed we should hereafter date the first great event of the voyage; and then dying away, compelled us to take to the oars, with the therrees in the shade
INDICATIONS OF A RIVER
As we proceeded, several circuth really approaching the e trees drifted past us with the ebbing tide, while each cast of the lead proved that ere gradually, though nearing the land, deepening the water
POINT TORMENT
Fortune too seemed now resolved to favour us, the deep channelthe eastern shore, which we reached soon after noon, and landed on the only beach of sand hereabouts left uncovered at high-water Here, for better security against the squalls we had experienced for the last two nights, we hauled up the boats A name was soon found for our new territory, upon which ith rueful unanimity conferred that of Point Torment, from the incessant and vindictive attacks of swarive the newcoreater part of Point Torment is deeply intersected with deep narrow creeks, and is alh-water: it extends low and swaradually, the slope being ooded with the white Eucalypti Here also I reured by Captain Grey, and described by Captain King, as of the Nat Ord
Capparides, and thought to be a Capparis; it also bears a reseo This was but a s brief descriptionreseourd-like outside, of a brown and yellow colour Its length was five inches, and dialy thin, and when opened it was found to be full of seeds, irateful taste
This place, latitude 17 degrees 5 rowth in that direction, and the Victoria River, of which I shall have occasion to speak hereafter, in latitude 14 degrees 55 enous empire
We saw no traces of inhabitants, not even the thin rising sreeted our eyes near the coast we had recently surveyed I clihest tree we could find, and from the elevation it afforded looked southwards over a wide prospect of nothing butfroaze of the curious European had never yet been bent!
THE MOSQUITOES