Volume I Part 18 (1/2)

BRECKNOCK HARBOUR

Part of this rich land extended to within five miles of the south-eastern part of Brecknock Harbour” The proxireat ireat addition to our discoveries in north-western Australia Under this i brief description of it may not be without its value in the eyes of some of radually from a width of one and three quarter miles at the entrance to five at the head, and has a depth of water varying from five to seven fathoms, with a soft muddy bottom The few observations on the tides our short visit afforded, e day, about half an hour before noon, when the rise is nearly thirty feet, and the strength of stream in the entrance nearly two knots

LIEUTENANT GREY

April 16

Although very anxious to learn if they had in the shi+p heard anything of Lieutenant Grey's party, still I did not like to break throughofour appearance on board, we therefore did not er Strait, we heard the cry of a native, as seen with the aid of a spy-glass, perched on a distant cliff, watching our movements I scarcely believed it possible to have heard his shrill voice so far We reached the shi+p, lying in Port George the Fourth, early in the afternoon, and found on board a most welcome addition to our little party, in the person of Lieutenant Grey I reatest satisfaction; for though none were, perhaps, fully aware of it, a feeling of despondency as to the fate of himself and his companions, had more than once occurred to reeable rencounter at once effectually reaunt misery had worn him to the bone; and I believe, that in any other part of the world, not myself alone, but Lieutenant Grey's most intimate friends, would have stared at hinition Badly wounded, and half starved, he did, indeed, present a orous and determined enthusiast we had parted froer seemed to have a charm, distinct from success

No sooner had we ascertained the safety of the rest of the party, than, asand animated conversation upon the success of the expedition They had discovered a river, called by the, and a tract of fine country, which, fronised as being the same Mr Helpman had seen from Brecknock Harbour

A spot, sixty miles in a South-South-East direction from Hanover Bay, indicates their furthest distance towards the interior The rugged nature of the country in the neighbourhood of this coast, and its vast distance from the interior, from whence it is further removed than any other part of the continent, justify the expression of an opinion that this was an ill-chosen spot for the debarkation of an expedition for inland research; though unquestionably its proximity to our East Indian possessions, would make it, if suitable in other respects, a ret that Lieutenant Grey and his co fro yet further the unknown course of the Victoria, by which I am now convinced, a ht be al sacrifices of health and energy e of a part of the continent, hitherto utterly unknoe et to do justice to the perseverance which opposing obstacles could defeat, but not daunt; and in what it did accomplish, furnished additional estions by which more fortunate followers h denied, to the first adventurers

The worn and haggard aspect of Lieutenant Grey and all his companions, spoke of itself how severe had been the hardshi+ps they were called on to endure: I need not say that their wants were relieved with the uterness of frank hospitality, and that their tales of hair-breadth escapes andaccidents awoke all ears, and stirred in every heart

To enerally an agreeable incident: the tones of one's native language, or the reminiscences of one's earlier and happier years, which such arecalls, are sure to bestow upon it a pleasure of its own What was it then to er, and a friend? Toof his safety? and to meet him fresh from a perilous and partially successful attempt to penetrate into the same unknown and mysterious country, a further and more perfect acquaintance hich was a prime object of my own personal aed in our present adventure? Those who have known the communion of sentiment and interest, which it is the tendency of one co all by whom that purpose is shared, can most readily and most perfectly understand hat deep and mutual interest Lieutenant Grey and myself heard and recounted all that each had done since our parting at the Cape

Several anecdotes of his adventures confirht to the opinions I have before expressed From his description of the tribes his party had encountered, hea people more advanced in civilization than any we had hitherto seen upon this coast He found several curious figures, ienerally in colours, upon the sides of caves in the sandstone rock, which, notwithstanding their rude style, yet evince a greater degree of advanceence than we have been able to find any traces of: at the same time it must be remembered that no certain date absolutely connects these works with the present generation: the dryness of the natural walls upon which they are executed, and the absence of any atmospheric moisture may have, and may yet preserve theht, may testify not the present condition of the Australian School of Design, but the perfection which it had formerly attained

(Footnote Illustrated in Lieutenant Grey's first Volume)

LIGHT-COLOURED NATIVES

Lieutenant Grey too, like ourselves, had seen certain individuals in cohter in colour, and widely differing in figure and physiognoes by whom they were surrounded; and was inclined to believe that they are descended fro shi+pwreck upon the coast, have intermarried with its native inhabitants: but as no authentic records can be produced to prove that this portion of the coast was ever visited by Dutch navigators at all, I ahter coloured people are Malays, captured fro with the Australian, as we know that the Australian not unfrequently abandons his country, and his o with the any further the train of speculation in whichto thiswith Lieutenant Grey, it may be as well to advert to the circumstances under which he and his party were found by Captain Wickhae the Fourth, the shi+p's guns were fired in order to apprize the wanderers, if within hearing, that friends and aid were at hand These signals were heard on board the Lynher, and were at once rightly understood to denote the presence of the Beagle At that time, however, the master of the Lynher--the schooner which Lieutenant Grey had chartered at the Cape, was himself in no small perplexity as to the fate of those he had transported to this lonely coast; and was noing exceedingly anxious at their non-appearance

The next , the 9th, Captain Wickham started in the yawl for Hanover Bay, in order to prosecute the search at the point where he knew Lieutenant Grey's depot was to be established, and on rounding the headland the first welcome object that met his eye was the schooner at anchor Captain Wickham learnt from Mr Browse the master, that the period for which the schooner was chartered having expired, he was only waiting the return of the expedition from motives of humanity The further care of Lieutenant Grey and his comrades was at once undertaken by Captain Wickha to the shortness of provisions on board the Beagle, to proceed to Ti able to revictual there, leaving some conspicuous record of his recent visit, with hidden letters declaratory of his proceedings, and pro his speedy return A party was immediately despatched on shore, and upon the face of the sandstone cliff they painted in characters of gigantic proportion, Beagle Observatory

Letters South-East 52 paces Of necessity compelled to wait for the boats, Captain Wickhale

CAPTAIN WICKHAM'S MEETING WITH LIEUTENANT GREY

On theof the 15th, Lieutenant Grey, accompanied by two of his party, made his appearance upon the shores of Hanover Bay, after a twelve weeks wander in the interior; during which, great hardshi+ps, fatigue, and peril had been undergone, andof the proxile, he lost not a moment, but hastened to assure Captain Wickha of the 15th--that previous to s, and heartily welcos had been exchanged between us, Lieutenant Grey professed the ut our late excursion in the boats, we had discovered the , the river first seen by him on the 2nd of March I was of course compelled to inforh the coast froe the Fourth to the bottom of Collier Bay, an extent of nearly one hundred miles, had been examined, and with the exception I have already noticed, too closely to admit of mistake

AN EVENING WITH LIEUTENANT GREY

The next afternoon I followed Lieutenant Grey round to Hanover Bay, distant twelve e I noticed that the re, had been omitted in the charts, and a low rocky point marked in its place It was after sunset e reached the schooner in Hanover Bay; the greater part of the night was devoted to an examination of Lieutenant Grey's plans of his expedition, and the drawings hich various events in it had been illustrated All these were executed with a finished carefulness one could not have expected to find in works carried on in the bush, and under such varied circumstances of distraction and anxiety as had followed Lieutenant Grey's footsteps: though terribly worn and ill, our opportune arrival, and the feeling that he was a those who could appreciate his exertions, seemed already to operate in his recovery Upon an old and tattered chart, that had indeed done the state some service, we atte, the knotty question held us for soraph, I have rendered my more deliberate opinions, I need not here recount the varied topics discussed during that ined with hoift a flight one hour followed another, while I listened with eager impatience to Lieutenant Grey's account of a country and people till now unknown even to English enterprise He appears to have seen the sa's Sound

(Footnote Grey's Australia Volue 211)

THE ENCAMPMENT

I took the boat in the afternoon at high-water to proceed to the encampment, which ere then able to approach within a quarter of a mile It was situated in the depth of a creek, into which a clear and sparkling stream of fresh water poured its abundance: the shore was forranite boulders, which rendered it hardly accessible except at high-water; and the red sandstone platform which is here the nature of the coast, was abruptly intersected by one of those singular valleys which give so eology The separated cliffs approach to within about a quarter of atheir precipitous form--recede some three , e from Walker's Valley to the interior a barely practicable feat