Volume I Part 16 (1/2)

RETURN OF THE BOATS

March 29

We reached the shi+p thisPort Usborne by a narrow rocky channel, on its North-West shore; on the precipitous sides in this passage we noticed several of the Rock Kangaroo

We found that Mr Usborne had returned three days before us: from his account of the islands he had visited, they appear to have the same sterile character as most of those we had seen; in other respects, his trip was void of interest, beyond that of surveying During the absence of the boats, tidal and netic observations had been made, some specimens in Natural History had been collected, and all that could in any way add to the interest of the expedition, had been as well attended to as the means placed at our disposal would allow

We closed at Port Usborne our explorations in King's Sound, the result of which enabled us to fill up the gap long existing in the charts of the North-west coast of Australia, and which had for years been the theraphical speculation The result of our labours, if it had been less brilliant than eager anticipation at the onset led us to hope for, had nevertheless been on the whole satisfactory The river Fitzroy, although not of the nitude that we hoped to find, was still an undoubtedly valuable acquisition to our stock of geographical knowledge, and offered a way of access into the interior, of which we had availed ourselves to the extent of 90 ht yet further improve: while in many minor yet important matters, much had been done, and much seen, to more than compensate for the disappointments and annoyances inseparable from the pursuits of the adventurer

LEAVING PORT USBORNE

March 30

Thewas unusually storh land, while others no less portentous hurried past us on the wings of the tempest Soon after breakfast, we bade adieu to the wild scenery of Port Usborne, and stood across the Sound, for our old anchorage on the north side of Point Cunningham, distant one and twenty miles In thefive fathoms on it We did not, however, reach our destination till nearly 6 PM, having been taken sos in crossing varied froround It rained almost all the day, and we had several sudden shi+fts of wind, from South-East to North-West Our first view of the western shore of the Sound was singular; Point Cunningha islands We anchored soon after high-water, which appeared to be about a quarter of an hour earlier than at Port Usborne We re which time several unsuccessful hauls were made with the seine, but some additions were made to the collection of Natural History, particularly in the ornithological branch It is not a little remarkable, that fish should be so scarce on this part of the coast, a fact also noticed by Captain King

INTERVIEW WITH NATIVES

April 1

Thisfive natives made their appearance on the beach Captain Wickham and myself went on shore, in order if possible to induce thenised theave the eldest of the party, a handkerchief upon which he seemed to have set his affections; however when he understood our wish for the company of himself and friends on board, he ith difficulty induced to retain it None but those who have made the experiment, are aware of what has to be overcons; or how often, areatest ht, re this interview, that while ereto eat, each ested the probability of a certain convocation, not where he eats, but where he is eaten, and induced hiularthe face turned upwards, in order to escape the plague of flies, fully confirmed the truth of old Dampier's account of the manners of these people when he first discovered this part of the world The eldest was the spokesnsman of the party, and this is always the custo The word they(which they did quite in an Eastern style) appeared to be irru irru: their breasts were scarred with deep horizontal cuts, such as we had previously noticed on the natives in Roebuck Bay I was so much struck with the resemblance between these people and the natives of Tierra del Fuego, that I have been tempted to believe that the stream of population flowed thitherward froht to mention that when Captain Wickha the natives to return with us, Miago, hearing of the expected visit, immediately went below, and dressed hie No sooner did the boat co with the utnity, ”where blackfellas?” and was evidently and deeplythe natives

There has been a e in the weather, since the sun crossed the equator: we have had no repetitions of the easterly squalls, before so prevalent, and the winds have been al order

Froht breeze fro alters to South-East where it re, and at the sa to North-East and North The therrees; a teo intolerable, was now quite agreeable

We looked forith the ute the Fourth, as there, or at least in that neighbourhood, we hoped to hear soton, e separated from them at the Cape, intended to land in Hanover Bay, establish a depot for stores, and from thence penetrate if possible into the interior

THEIR PEACEABLE DISPOSITION

I had no fear on the subject of any hostility from the natives, for in our own experience, we had as yet always found them inoffensive and peaceable; while should they prove otherwise, I was satisfied that a very slight acquaintance with the effects of gunpoould be quite sufficient to quell their warlike propensities, but I did fear that they had chosen a very unfavourable point for debarkation, and that ress into the interior How unhappily my anticipations were verified, will be seen hereafter

Early on the hah Sunday Strait, where we encountered its usual heavy tide-races At four o'clock in the afternoon, Caffarelli Island bore East-South-East, 9 h the day had been light and variable quite deserted us, when to avoid drifting back into the strait we anchored in 29 fatho South-South-East 5 miles The tide here appeared to be one hour earlier than in Sunday Strait: the flood set in a south-easterly, and the ebb in an opposite direction, at the rate of froain underweigh, by the light of the stars, but the wind being variable and against us, we did not get beyond Adele Island, where we anchored in 14 fathorees East 3 miles

ADELE ISLAND

Brue Reef was seen in the course of the day, and appeared to be correctly laid down by Captain King: there appeared, however, some discrepancy in the position of Adele Island, the southern extrerees 32 minutes 30 seconds South, which is one ned to it in his chart The sea was breaking heavily on the reef, which fronts the island for a distance of two miles The island itself is low, desolate and barren We noticed there was scarcely any set of tide at this anchorage During the day's progress we found several coral ledges, in fro North-East by East, and with from 25 to 35 fathoms between theht up by the lead, were of the most delicate kind, nor on any occasion did the lead present any appearance to indicate that it had fallen ament was obtained in Sunday Strait in 30 fatho coral is rarely found

BEAGLE BANK

April 5

Daylight on the 5th found us standing to the eastward--East-North-East--with a light northerly wind, in soundings ranging from 14 to 40 fathoms, and over a bottom of white and brown sand in the deep, and coral rock in the shoal water In the afternoon we had the good fortune to discover one of the reefs, which render the navigation of this part of the coast rather hazardous The position of this danger, is however well marked by a bank of very white sand and dead coral, from which the reef extends two miles and a half, in a North-North-West and oneso water, became a conspicuous object froave our discovery the nale Bank, as another memorial of the useful services in which our little vessel had been so frequently engaged, and our observations enabled us to fix the centre of it in latitude 15 degrees 20 rees 36 minutes East