Volume II Part 24 (1/2)

The vessels for, and soon disappeared in the western horizon, leaving the Beagle, that seemed destined to be a solitary roamer, once more alone at anchor under booby Island

On the sa her lonely way towards the Gulf of Carpentaria, the eastern shore of whichon theof the 1st of July In the afternoon we anchored in 3 1/4 fathoms; the north end of a very low sandy piece of coast, which we found to be in latitude 16 degrees 13 1/2 ton, bearing South 70 degrees East, six miles and a half Frorees West, and was fringed with rew near the sandy parts, a feature which we constantly afterwards found to recur; their tall broom-like shapes form a remarkable element in the coast scenery of the Gulf

SINGULAR TIDAL PHENOMENON

A fruitless attempt was made to visit the shore, which was fronted for the distance of a ain no infor the interior; but from the numerous fires, it appeared to be thickly inhabited It was here that we first observed the singular pheno twelve hours

GULF OF CARPENTARIA

Next day the coast was exaeneral character has already been given, which renders it unnecessary to dilate further here North-east winds now forced us away fro of the 3rd; when, finding as much as four fathoms within two miles and a half of a projection, we narees 0 rees 48 ton, and is rendered conspicuous by two clurees West two , and after anchoring the shi+p as near the entrance as possible, I left with the whaleboats, accompanied by Messrs Forsyth, Fitzmaurice, and Tarrant, to examine it, early in the afternoon The view annexed, taken by Lieutenant Gore, just after the boats had shoved off, will give the reader an excellent idea of the appearance of the south-eastern shore of the Gulf of Carpentaria, fro on the back of a sleeping turtle, will attract the attention of the reader

Proceeding, we crossed the bar, extending three quarters of a mile off the mouth of the inlet, on which we found only two feet at loater The coast on each side was sandy, with clumps of trees, and to the northas fronted by an extensive flat of sand The first reaches of the inlet pro a depth of from 1 1/2 to 3 fathoms, and a width of from two to three hundred yards; but it ultimately beca its windings for twenty-seven rees East direction fro south, and the other east; and each being only fifteen yards wide and two feet deep, the water quite salt, and the , rendered it impossible to proceed further Our hopes had been buoyed up as we advanced, an i that we had discovered a river, fro that at low tide the water was si that there was an ih the banks

The highest part of the country as on the south side of one of the reaches, six miles from the mouth; but even there the utrowth of tolerable-sized eucalypti Elsewhere the banks were scarcely three feet above high-water level, and generally fringed with roves, behind which inoccasionally the sides of the inlet towards the upper parts, and forhts of the bronze-winged pigeon

In many of the reaches we met with flocks of wild ducks, of the white and brown, and also of the whistling kind The birds we had not before seen were a large dark brown species of rail, so wary that I could never get within shot of it, and a rather se species of crane, called the Native Companion, were also seen The only kind of fish taken was the coators were very numerous for the first fifteen miles as we ascended; anda party of natives, but did not communicate with thes as ourselves reat It could never before have fallen to their lot to behold any of the white race; and until our presence undeceived thenorance that they were not the only specimens of humanity upon the face of the earth

There was little to interest us in our examination of this inlet, especially as the Dutch had probably visited it so the principal charm it would have possessed, na an opening laid down in this neighbourhood by them as Van Die river to inlet; though, probably, at times, it may deserve the appellation of a river, as after heavy falls of rain itthe water only brackish near the head favours this supposition

The habitations of the natives were of a more substantial kind than we should have expected tooval-shaped huts, thatched with coarse grass The extreine, as also how h-water our eyes could wander over miles Occasionally on the plains, rendered war the powerful bea clouds of dust, towering upwards until their centrifugal force became exhausted The te than we had noticed it since leaving Sydney, being only 65 degrees, when easterly or land winds prevailed; those in the afternoon were generally froht rise, even of ten feet, in the water beyond the tidal change, must overflow a vast portion of such very low country;taken place were observed

(Footnote At the entrance of Van Diee of the moon at a quarter to seven; but in the upper part the tides are three hours and a quarter later The length of both flood and ebb is twelve hours, and the direction of the for the eastern shore of the Gulf)

NATIVE WELL

The formation of this part of the continent is of very recent date, as we did not observe any rock; and the soil is chiefly alluvial The only fresh water found was at a native well, half a mile South-East from the eastern entrance point of the inlet

In theour absence a few natives hadsoras and turtles

In the evening the Beagle was standing across the Gulf towards Bountiful Islands I found that with the winds we had experienced the last few days it would be theour survey of the Gulf to proceed at once to the head of it, as we should then have a fair wind, to examine the coast back to Van Diemen's Inlet

I also resolved to ascertain if the supply of water that Flinders found on Sweers Island was still to be obtained; and on our way thither deter Bountiful Islands, where we arrived accordingly on thethe Gulf was 15 fatho a fine dark sandy roup called Wellesley Islands, and were so nareat supply of turtle he found there As, however, it othe shores, we only caught twelve, for the most part females

Near the islands was noticed the same shrubby thick compact kind of seaweed, that had previously been seen on the parts of the North-west coast frequented by the turtle Flinders speaks of finding here in one turtle as s; and such is their fecundity that were it not for the destruction of the young by sharks and birds of prey, these temperate seas would absolutely sith thee was in 7 fathohest hill, which I called Mount Flinders; it stands close to the beach, near the east end of the island, and is in latitude 16 degrees 40 rees 45 ton

BOUNTIFUL ISLANDS

Bountiful Islands, two in number, are distant a mile and a half in a North-East direction froest is two , and three-quarters of a mile wide; whilst the other is rather more than half a mile each way, and has at the northern end a mound with a remarkable casuarina tree on its summit Both are fronted with coral reefs, particularly at the North-East extree island of sand and ironstone for; and over the low north-western parts a ferruginous kind of gravel was scattered The crests of the hills or hillocks were of a reddish sort of sandstone, and so honeycombed or pointed at the top that it was difficult to walk over the-place, at the foot of Mount Flinders, were a few isolated gum-trees, and small clusters of the casuarina, which were the only trees on the northern island Some drift timber was on the south-east and north-west sides On the latter was a tree of considerable size, doubtless brought from the shore of the Gulf by the North-Westbrown kind of grass, interwoven with creepers There were great quantities of a cinnae plovers, but not any of the bustards mentioned by Flinders We saw no traces of land animals of any kind; neither did we of the natives A flock of screa white cockatoos had taken up their abode on the south island, where also soustifolia were found A few sside the shi+p