Volume I Part 15 (1/2)

After dinner we proceeded, steering North-North-East, and crossed two deep bays, the first 3 and the second 4 1/2 e, but utterly useless fro across their es of hills we passed, trended East-South-East To the second and deepest we gave the naular hill of that form on its eastern shore

The eastern entrance of a sht, having ood 17 miles in a North-North-East direction from the shi+p The observations were ave a result of 16 degrees 24 1/2 minutes South It was nearly dark e anchored, and therefore our intended attehts, was necessarily postponed till this

March 24

When the first rays of the sun saw us struggling over the huge masses of rock of which they are composed The view itself differed but little from that obtained yesterday, except that the islands are yet more numerous, thefro in the sa and narrow islands which these bays contained generally subsided to the South-South-West I was fully occupied in sketching the surrounding objects from this station, till the tide had risen sufficient for us to pass the channel After a late breakfast we again bore away to the North-East under a double-reefed sail, as the sky wore a threatening appearance After clearing the channel we crossed a bay about two miles wide and four deep, thickly studded with s near the north point of it, I landed in order to secure a latitude, and at the saainst us, we had only ht's bivouac

NATIVE FIRES

Here for the first ti the Fitzroynative fires

One of theht or nine miles from the main, bethich, however, a chain of sns of inhabitants gave us hopes of finding some improvement fro these scattered islands We had as yet seen no traces of either canoes or rafts, and therefore were not a little curious to see what ain moved onwards in a north by east direction, across another large bay, which, sireat reluctance we pursued this northerly course, as I hoped ere this to have found an opening leading to the coast near Collier Bay; but the result of this day's progress fully satisfied

REMARKABLE HEADLAND

The north point of this bay for abruptly from the water to an elevation of 400 feet Its cliffy face presented a grey and aged appearance, which together with the strange coluave it the appearance of an ancient turreted fortress Here I first noticed a change in the strata; hitherto it had been invariably west-north-west, while from this point, as far as our subsequent experience enabled us to decide, it est I ression that all the rocks hitherto seen on this part of the coast precisely rese the western side of Sunday Strait; the inclination and direction of the strata are identical; while an exao will satisfy the geologist that they belong to the sae of the world The history of these coral reefs and islands, which have already attained so like a majority (if I may use the expression) may be read, at least it is apparently clearly written in the rising banks around, which are just struggling with the tide before they lift therove, the pioneer of such fertility as the sea deposits, hastens to reen, and thus bestowing on these barren reefs the presence of vegetable life

WHIRLPOOL CHANNEL

Our course now lay along the western foot of the curious headland just described, a rapid tide soon hurried us past its frowning shadows into a very winding channel scarcely half a mile wide, and more than 20 fathoms deep; in this we experienced violent whirlpools, the first of which, frohly, suddenly wrenching the oars out of therapidity; after several round turns of this kind we shot out of the channel (which from the above circumstance we called Whirlpool Channel) into a bay about threecoves, the shores of which were clothed with long rich grass and clu the hopes we had entertained of finding a ns of inhabitants

We would fain have occupied one of these beautiful coves for the night, but as there was still two hours' daylight, we pushed on across the bay for a group of islands three miles further in a north-north-east direction We obtained snug quarters for the night in a little sandy cove, between the largest of this small cluster of isles which we found to differ totally in shape and character froes, and were of a grey slate formation, their eastern sides formed steep precipices, while the western subsided to the water in rich grassy slopes, leaving quite a serrated ridge on their sued to reach theits ridge on our hands and knees Fronized the islands to the North-West to be those for the eastern shore of Sunday Strait, and fro North-East about eighthad laid down off that part of the coast, where it trends away to the eastward into Collier Bay; the largest of these I in consequence nalad to find the islands beco our way to the eastward We just finished our observations, as the sun's bright orb touched the distant horizon, and ere we reached the boat, the last vestige of day had taken its silent flight Our present position in this network of islands, will be better described by giving it in latitude and longitude, which we found to be 16 degrees 12 rees 32 ht East-South-East breeze, which had succeeded a strong one froht found us running before a fresh breeze fro the ht us to the North-West extreme of the mainland, the shores of which we followed for two miles in a East-North-East and one in an East half South direction, e came to a s ravine for water; this we had the good fortune to find al, Mr Tarrant and les

APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY

The country again presented a barren appearance, large masses of coarse sandstone lay scattered over the face of it; a wiry grass, with a few stunted guetation this point boasted of, and fromof the interior, it appeared scarcelyThe sterility however which apparently prevailed over this part of Australia, could not obliterate those feelings of deep interest, which must pervade everyone, as the eye wanders for the first time over a country hitherto unknown

VISITED BY A NATIVE

We had just co operations, when two of the boat's crew ca others were at hand, hastened up to strengthen our party; they said their sable visitor ca, no offers of red or blue handkerchiefs, or soe--and without the slightest indication of fear We hurried down to see thisup the hill; he met us with all the confidence of an old acquaintance His first act of civility, was to show Mr Tarrant and et as he preceded us, or rather walked by our side, yielding the path, with natural politeness, to those he seeility he displayed in passing over the rocks; so down the face of one almost precipitous, without the least apparent effort When I pointed to the fresh water, he said slowly and distinctly, ”Yaht he was about 5 feet 8 inches, his hair bore no sy tied up behind (a custom ays before noticed) his teeth were also perfect, and though his brow had the distinctive peculiarity of the people of this continent, his forehead was reentle and slow, both in articulation and by signs (not flinging his arms about in the windmill-like fashi+on customary with those we had before seen) hiscontrast to that of the natives hitherto seen, and altogether I was exceedingly prepossessed in his favour We very retted that ere not better provided with presents for him: particularly as it seldom happened that I ithout a supply, for such occasions; in this case, however, all I could give him consisted of a few beads, and soht the perfect confidence thishiers, to be passed over unnoticed: it commanded respect from us all His conduct too was in the sah then I admit it almost as much disappointed as astonished me: when the boat left the shore, he turned to ascend the beach, and without once looking back, walked as unconcernedly and listlessly away, as though such things were to hihts

NATIVE HABITS

This want of curiosity is a very singular and I believe an almost distinctive feature in the character of the native Australian A who for o, a perpetual and never satisfied curiosity see habit of their minds: here, however, wonder is rarely expressed, curiosity seldom apparent--yet their indifference is not stupidity, or their si

BATHURST ISLAND

We had now been sufficiently long in Australia to know the value of a stream of water, and therefore always felt the necessity of particularizing the locality of any we had the good fortune to find; from this one the extremes of Bathurst Island bore North-West and North-East

We now pulled for the opening on the east side of Bathurst Island, but finding the flood-tide setting so strong through it from the northward, I found it would be a waste of time to contend with it, and therefore proceeded to a hill on the east end of Bathurst Island A large flock of white cockatoos screa, and it was not till their nu et any peace We reached the su up a ravine, which formed the only break in the cliffs that faced the South-East side of the island There was a thick growth of red gums and the papyrus, on its sides, and near the su iron; a vein of the same vitrified matter I have described as seen at Swan Point, separated it fro rock of the island, which was coe appearance, being heaped together in the forround beneath appeared quite hollow Our vieas very co, and fully repaid us for the scra East-South-East were some small islands, which I afterwards found to be situated near the depth of Collier Bay The Macleay Isles of Captain King bore North-North-East about six roup farther west, there was a clear wide channel, which appeared to lead between the island ere on and the next to the ard As this was the first part of the coast, since leaving Port Usborne, that a sailing vessel could approach without great risk, we proceeded to examine that channel more minutely, and were sorry to find the extensive coral reefs which fronted the islands, left a space of only half a h-water, e of the western reef, where it is covered by the tide; keeping this close on the starboard hand, will conduct a shi+p into good anchorage in 13 and 15 fathoms The rise and fall of the tide at this place, we found to be 22 feet

NATIVE HABITATIONS