Volume II Part 15 (2/2)

(Footnote See the accoraphic impression of the copies s on Depuch Island)

During our stay we did not see any of the natives on the island; but on the h they would not allow us to coet near them in the boats On one occasion, when Mr Fitz a part of the coast to the eastward of Depuch Island, he entered a creek, which soon, however, became too confined by the mud-banks for them to use the oars

HOSTILITY OP THE NATIVES

While in this position a shout attracted his attention, and he perceived a party of natives, ar the boat, with evident hostile designs They of course naturally looked upon us as intruders; and as the point was not worth contesting, the creek being of no iht it better to withdraw, rather than run the risk of a collision that could have led to no beneficial results

TOM'S TERROR OF THEM

The native youth we had brought with us from Swan River did not at all approve of these excursions He was generally taken, with a view of giving confidence to any of his wild countryreatest possible repugnance to this service His terror for the northern o, from whom doubtless he had received the un that he could be at all induced to go He evidently felt himself more secure with European arms than with his own rude ones; and appeared to have learnt their superiority by experience, for he was a very fair shot When I first asked him why he did not prefer his spear, his si that the northern , whereas if a spear were hurled at them they could avoid it His bravery was of o; and he threatened n punish He had a strong iantic stature; and in theinterest hich he listened to Mr Fitz fella often escaped from his lips; and he appeared quite satisfied when assured that his opinion was correct

The agility this native exhibited in spearing fish was astonishi+ng In shalloater he would actually course the fish till he got theh his prey darted past, he struck it with theprecision The quiet, splashless ular When his spear required new pointing, the sole of his foot was turned up and the spear's head pared down upon it with a knife When the latter was not to be procured the teeth were made use of; and I esthe projecting jaw It seems almost evident to common sense that the constant e a change in the facial angle

ANCHORAGE AT DEPUCH ISLAND

We found the anchorage at Depuch Island to for protected froroup, distant about three miles, fro the mouth of the harbour exposed only between North-West by North and West-North-West Our observations placed the centre of the sandy beach on the north-east side of the island in latitude 20 degrees 37 rees 0 rees westerly; and the tie, at half past ten, when the tide rose 15 feet, but only 5 during neaps

NEW BIRD AND KANGAROO

Although Depuch Island had been visited before, there still reent search that was made after objects of natural history: naaroo, a land bird, and a shell, a species of Helix The bird was shot by Mr Bynoe; it was a finch, and beautifully round hite spots; the throat, and a patch round the stump of the tail, were crimson It is remarkable that all the beauty and brilliancy of colour in this bird is underneath, the back being of a common earthy brown

(Footnote Named by Mr Gould froaroo I had ood fortune to knock over on the su many an excursion made over that dreary heap of desolation, thea of our approach to their quick ears The colours of this specie angular patch of white down the side, extending from the top of the shoulders nearly to the hips Down the centre of the back, ran a streak of black, which was also the colour of the extrehtly bushy tail The face and belly were likewise darker than other parts of the body, and the feet were black and well cushi+oned, giving it a firility, through it never ran very far, always popping into the cavities caused by the loose ether

(Footnote Mr Gould has figured an aniale lateralis, or the Stripe-Sided Rock Wallaby, froot froaroo of Depuch Island)

The specimen of the species of Helix I have above , one of our most successful collectors in that departured soe

Leaving Depuch Island, we examined the coast to the eastward as far as the Turtle Isles, a distance of eighty-five rees East, and the rehtly inwards As the French had obtained a distant view of this coast, it did not possess to us the interest of being a new portion of the continent

EFFECTS OF MIRAGE

Still the effect of the treacherous e, which has often deluded the orn thirsty traveller with the false appearance of water, raised many parts of the interior that had not before met the eye of an European These presented a very level outline The interior was, for a great distance, a vast plain, so low that we could scarcely see it from the shi+p's ht of 40 feet Six or seven miles from the Turtle Isles this extensive level was interrupted by the presence of a group of hills, from 200 to 300 feet in elevation, apparently of the sahts behind Depuch Island As seen through the e, they often had a ain to lofty islands, danced in the tremulous air I should remark that when the land was subject to this distortion, it was always during the forenoon, and on those days the winds were invariably light

APPEARANCE OF THE COAST

The shore, for nearly fifteen roves, and intersected by creeks, which at high-water, when the tide rises sonitude, and inundate e portions of it whitened by a salt incrustation Beyond, as far as the Turtle Isles, the coast is fronted with a ridge of sandhills, scantily covered with vegetation (the highest, as I have already said, rarely exceeding an elevation of 40 feet) for a barrier between the sea and the low lands behind, which, from the masthead, appeared to be thickly covered with shtly raised from three to seven miles from the coast Several of the natives showed themselves at a distance, and from the numerous fires, it appeared to be a well inhabited part of the continent Stillno appearance of a streah there were several creeks, the only opening of any consequence was forty-threewith oysters we named it Oyster Inlet Across the mouth of it lies an islet, just within the north-eastern end of which there was a sufficient depth for the Beagle The formation of the island was a reddish porous sandstone At a native fire-place I found a piece of quartz and a large pearl oyster-shell The tide rose here 15 feet near full ers on this extent of coast were the Geographe Shoals, two rocky patches some distance from each other The outer one was thirteen rees East twenty-three miles from Depuch Island

TURTLE ISLANDS

The shore fronting the north Turtle Island projects, leaving a space of only ten miles between, of which, on account of the shoals, only a sable Nearly opposite the latter is another opening, of soh-water; but fro it, we nae body of water over the very low land it intersects

The South Turtle Isle is a mere bank of sand and white coral; the northern is about half a mile across, of the same formation precisely as the low isles of Forestier Group It is fronted on all sides with a coral reef extending off from aan abrupt wall of froe, with pools between it and the island, in which several luckless turtles, who had deferred leaving until too late, were found Though we only took as required for our own consumption, the number that could have been here obtained was enormous