Volume I Part 31 (2/2)

boobY ISLAND

I saw at the time from the masthead, a blue streak of water to the southward, still affording hopes of there being a deep outlet to Endeavour Strait; but as the day was far advanced, with a fresh breeze froet the shi+p entangled in shoal water; therefore, after crossing the ridge extending off Cape Corne steered North-West 1/2 West for booby Island, in regular soundings of six and seven fathoms, and late in the afternoon anchored nearly a rees East This we found on landing had been erected in 1835 by Captain Hobson, of HMS Rattlesnake, who at the sae box, made for the purpose, a book with printed for filled up, with the addition of such ree letters were painted the words Post Office, a name by which booby Island ated these seas; shi+ps being here in the habit of leaving letters for trans in the required directions I noticed a sios Islands in the Pacific We are indebted for the book to the public spiritedness of an Indian army officer The beneficial results of the plan were experienced by ourselves, as here we first heard of the Port Essington expedition, having passed eight ton, that left Sydney in advance of the expedition for that place, having succeeded in deter D'Oyly, one of the passengers of the ill-fated Charles Eaton This result of the enterprising merchant-man's researches, fully bears out the fact , on the authority of the Darnley islanders, that he shared the fate of his parents, being devoured by their savage captors All the shi+ps which have recorded their passage in the book, appeared to have entered the Barrier between the latitude of 11 degrees 30 rees 50Sir Charles Hardy's Island the sa northerly current outside the reef, in some instances of nearly three knots The tie from Sydney by the outer route, varied fro certainly shorter than the inner, though attended with ainst the latter is the necessity of anchoring every evening, somewhat laborious work to the crews of ht be obviated in soht anchor, which could be done with perfect safety in the still waters within the reefs We found two barques at anchor, which had arrived on the preceding day In accordance with a practice very generally observed, they were giving themselves a short period of repose and relaxation after the anxieties and danger of the outer passage; which, short as it is, has doubtless sprinkled grey hairs over many a seaman's head

(Footnote Afterwards Governor of New Zealand)

ITS DESCRIPTION

Although booby Island is a mere rock, fro one half of the year the constant resort of Europeans, it becomes at once a place of interest, and imperatively demands some notice at our hands It is a quarter of a h, the su bare porphyry rock A valley intersects the north-west side of the island, in which a few creepers, some brushwood, and two or three trees of tolerable size, with a peculiar broad green leaf, bearing a great resemblance to that of the wild aleons and quails, in which latter the island abounds, even ives its name to the locality Still, however, from the white colour of the top of the island, produced by the boobies, it is clearly one of their temporary haunts; and indeed, subsequently, in the month of September, their season of incubation, Mr Bynoe saw thereat abundance The contrary was the case with the quail, which, by that time, had completely deserted the island Turtle were once found on this isle, but they are now never taken A few of the stonesare still to be seen on the summit

REMARKS ON THE CORAL REEFS OF AUSTRALIA

This being a point at which shi+ps correct or test the going of their chronoitude The spot chosen for the purpose was the landing-place near the South-West corner of the islet, and which we found to be 9 degrees 45 ton

Our opportunities of exae of the Great Barrier, and its contiguous islands and reefs, ter at booby Island; it may not be deemed irrelevant to hazard a few remarks in recapitulation In the first place there was a very perceptible increase in the elevation of the reefs and of those islands resting on similar constructions, as we advanced to the northward Cairncross Island, in latitude 11 1/4 degrees South, coments, attains an elevation of 17 feet; but its trees rise to a height of 75 feet, whilst to the southward, in latitude 13 1/2 degrees South the islands were partially flooded by a tide, rising only about six feet The reefs are all either circular or oval-shaped, with a ri the isle we visited for Boydan will illustrate their general character Their northern ends are the highest, and are almost invariably marked by a heap of dead coral and shells, which as we have mentioned, in one or two instances, from its white appearance has often been taken for sand

The rereat extent of coral reefs, known as the Barrier of Australia, being in direction varying fro North-West, leads e coral building was foreneral north-westerly direction, in which a large portion of the eastern world apparently elance at the then this hypothesis, placing as it does this singular fact at once before the reader's hts of the Hiroups of the Polynesian islands, New Caledonia, and others, this remarkable similarity in the trend of these portions of the earth is plainly distinguishable It would appear, therefore, froeneral north-westerly tendency of these upheavals, that the cavernous hollows beneath the crust of the earth, within whose boso inclination in one direction, a circureat and curious interest With this general statement of facts, which we note for the benefit of scientific es which are taking place on the surface of the globe, we return to our narrative, froth

As the duration of our cruise on the north-west and reat measure on the supply of provisions to be obtained at Port Essington, ere naturally anxious to satisfy ourselves upon the point, and accordingly spent but a few hours at booby Island, taking our departure at 8 PM on the day of our arrival

PROCEED TO PORT ESSINGTON

Proceeding towards Port Essington, we experienced a constant current setting between North-West and West, from half to three quarters of a knot an hour, except when crossing the ht its direction was changed to West-South-West The winds were as Captain King has described the, to East in the evening, and blowing fresh towards theoccurred worthy of reht we found ourselves steering rather within a large patch of discoloured water, extending off Cape Croker, the North-East extreht hummock on it; on the north side of this peninsula is situated Port Essington, thirty miles to the ard of the Cape

CAPE CROKER REEF

The light-coloured water off the latter, we knew indicated the reef discovered by the brig Tigris, belonging to the Indian navy, which in company with the New South Wales colonial schooner, Isabella, was returning fro the survivors of the Charles Eaton, from the natives of Murray Island When half a mile from the North-East side, in 22 fathorees East sixat the saht water in twenty and twenty-one fathoht miles from the Cape, which bore when over what appeared the shoalest part, South 42 degrees East

This conclusion I afterwards found, onled over the part of the reef he struck on in HMS Brito on the inner part he was distant only three e of the reef I believe to be sevenup to the southward, round the North-West extres were as follows, 17, 12, and 19 fathoms, with rocky bottorees East nine ood itude of Cape Croker, by observation of a twilight star when in the meridian, and others with the sun soon afterwards These both agreeing, place the Cape 27 1/4 ton, instead of 20, as it is laid down in the chart This discovery is of vital iton; ere therefore glad of so good an opportunity for rectifying the error

PORT ESSINGTON

Expectation was on tip-toe as ere fast approaching Port Essington, feeling naturally anxious to see what progress had been made at the new settlement, and to learn the fate of the expedition There was, however, nothing striking in the first appearance of the land, a looody shore; thea sandy islet, with a tree in its centre, about a ton: Vashon Head forside belonging to HMS Britoator had just sailed for Sydney, leaving the for the settle out Dr Wilson's account of Raffles Bay; and had found the natives exceedingly well disposed For this advantage we are indebted to the excellent judgment displayed by the unfortunate Captain Barker, late Co his stay in that place, treated them with kindness, to which they were fairly entitled froe and power, and ere moreover intruders upon their soil Had this noble conduct of Captain Barker been more universally accepted as an example, the results would, we doubt not, have been equally satisfactory elsewhere

(Footnote This expression may to some of our readers require explanation, and we therefore quote a brief extract froe 284 ”In obedience to orders fro the coast in the vicinity of Encounter Bay, principally with the view of ascertaining whether any available communication existed between the river Murray (lately discovered by Captain Sturt) and the Sea While in the execution of this duty, he was barbarously murdered by the natives, and his body thrown into the sea” In Sturt's two Expeditions voluiven)

WRECK OF THE ORONTES

We also heard with ret, of the wreck of the Orontes, which accompanied the expedition from Sydney She left the settle to so the harbour struck on a reef, knocking a hole in her bows She filled so rapidly that they had barely time to reach the shore under Vashon Head, ere she sank The reef, which now bears her na to Mr Tyers' plan, received from Mr Pascoe, a mile in extent east and west, and half a mile north and south; while the nearest part of it is distant from Vashon Head and Point Smith very nearly five s; frorees West, Point Srees East: and frorees West and South 48 degrees East

(Footnote The loss of a shi+p is always looked upon as aformed, and is ever forcibly imprinted upon the memory of all shi+p-masters This was felt to a most serious extent at Swan River; and ton, have at once expressed their fear of proceeding thither, deterred by the loss of the Orontes)