Volume I Part 29 (2/2)

About seven e alteration in the appearance of the country, changing froes about 500, or 600 feet in height, trending about South-West and by West

LIZARD ISLAND

Having still a little ht, and during the first watch came to in 13 fathoms, in a bay on the west side of Lizard Island, the extre the day we experienced a northerly current, varying from three quarters to half an knot an hour

July 3

We re, for the purpose of deter the peak, which we found to be nearly twelve hundred feet high I ascended by a slope rising from the shore of the small bay where our observations were taken, and whichthe second from the north point of the island Their result was to place it in latitude 14 degrees 40 3/4 rees 17 3/4 ton Variation by thehalf a degree netic observations were alsoof those for the dip and intensity

In a valley to the left of the slope by which we ascended the peak, were noticed several very ree, and leaves large, ovate, and obtuse The branches, frolossy, of an ash colour; at their extre a bell-shaped flower, of a rich cri with the surrounding dark green verdure, presented a very beautiful and striking appearance The diaest tree was 20 inches, and the height 25 feet

Lieutenant Emery painted a most faithful representation of one of theton, that neither the professional nor ae of it To them and to ourselves it was alike perfectly new

CAPTAIN COOK

On the preceding evening I had refreshedCook's account of his visit to the same spot, and was thus able ator There is an inexpressible charhty dead, andthe summit of the peak, where the foot of the white man, had perhaps but once before rested, will easily be understood

Below to the eastward stretched a vast expanse of water, broken at the distance of about eightnarrow line of detached reefs, on which there ran a white crest of foae of the Great Barrier, a name which few seamen could hear with indifference when in its vicinity If I felt eer so justly dreaded, how s of Captain Cook, when froap in the line of broken water, there was a chance of his onceconfined to the eastern shores of the Australian continent, for a distance of 750 ers of this inner channel had proved so nearly fatal to his shi+p, the truth of the ho for the best, was here fully borne out, as the very fact of his position enabled Captain Cook tothe coast--just as by the mishap on Endeavour Reef, the presence of a river was ines obtained, as well as nuetable productions of the locality

PROVIDENCE CHANNEL

Little did he think at that ti on the summit of the peak, that he was about as it were to thread the eye of a needle, by passing through another break, in a ap in the great reef is non as Providence Channel, a name whichas by a thread, is ever watchful, and spares us in the exercise of his inscrutable will

Carried back to ti in thought upon the adventurous career of the great navigator, when suddenly, as if by ic, the whole scene below and around was obscured, and we found ourselves wrapped in a dense cloud of vapour, which ca us to the skin, with a rapidity which spoke volu Cold and shi+vering we hailed the teht, and our clothes were dried almost as speedily as they had been wetted Our satisfaction was however but of short duration, as the sa, occurred several ti our stay on the Peak

BARRIER REEF

The opening through which Captain Cook passed out to sea, bore about North by East 9fro the trend of the land When this singular wall of coral, the most extensive perhaps in the world, is surveyed, it will I think be found to follow the direction of the coast it fronts with such exactness, as to leave little doubt that the vast base on which rests the work of the reef-building Polypifers, was, contrary to the opinion which I ahbouring coast of the Australian continent, which it follows for a space of upwards of a hundred miles

CORAL REEFS

From the elevation on which I stood, I had an excellent view of some reefs within the Barrier; whether they encircled an islet, or holly beneath the water, their forh froht, they appeared oval-shaped

This detection of my own previously erroneous impressions, seeated-shaped reefs, others having doubtless fallen into the same error It is very remarkable that on the South-East or ard side of these coral reefs, the circle is of a compact and perfect form, as if to resist the action of the waves, while on the opposite side they were jagged and broken

(Footnote In the Pacific the islets are generally on the weather side of the lagoon reefs)

The South-West side of the peak rises perpendicularly frorassy flat, which stretches across that part of the island, separating two bays, the beaches of which with the rest on the island are cole A streareen, while a fe gurow in small detached clumps; a shi+pthis to be the case, and as it was a convenient stopping place, weit with those in the ieous as an anchorage, in that it can be reached during the night, whereas this could not be done in the inner channel near Turtle Islands, it lying somore intricate Indeed it is not prudent to approach these isles even in the afternoon, fro theh to add to his collection of birds; those he observed being only doves and parrots, besides a flycatcher common to parts of the coast, and often before er and darker species were also seen, and numerous land shells (Helix) similar to those on Cape Upstart; found near the roots of trees, buried in the decayed vegetation Two old coconuts and large quantities of pumicestone were picked up on the south-east side of the island The prevailing character of the rocks was granitic, out of which some beautiful specied with a narrow strip of coral, but I noticed none of it above high-water mark

HOWICK GROUP

July 4

We took our departure at an early hour, and after running round to sketch the north-east side of the island, stood to the ard for Howick Group The weather being thick we did not discover the somewhat reress was accelerated by a current running half a knot an hour, and finding the passage between Number 1 and 2 of Howick Group, much impeded by rocks, we hauled up between 2 and 3 isles, and on keeping away again West-North-West for Point Barrow, found ourselves close to a reef, al nearly a mile further off the North-East side of Coles Island, than is laid down in the chart; thus contracting the channel between it and Number 4 island, to a space of not more than two miles