Volume II Part 25 (1/2)
The soil is chiefly a etable matter; but it cannot boast of fertility The wood on the island, which consisted for the ums, wattles, a few acacias, pal casuarina or two, bespoke this by its stunted appearance; but as cotton groell at Port Essington, there can be little doubt that it will thrive here Several of the bustards spoken of by Flinders, were noticed; but too wary to be killed They were as large as those seen in the neighbourhood of Port Phillip, but much browner The other birds, iven in a future page We saw no aniator Road is sheltered to the northward by shoal water stretching across between Sweers and Bentinck islands The latter is slightly elevated, and thickly wooded; it is large in co about ten miles in extent either way Its south side is much indented, and the projections as well as the extreroves; they are fronted with coral ledges
Near the south-east point, I noticed large patches of the ferruginous sort of gravel, before alluded to in King's Sound
On one occasion a party thought they heard a cooey--or cry peculiar to the natives of Port Jackson--uttered by soines in the distance It would have been exceedingly interesting to ascertain if this actually was the case; as the sound generally emitted by the natives of the northern coasts when they wish to communicate with each other afar off, is the monotonous ”oh! oh!”
MR FORSYTH'S REPORT
On the 13th the boats returned, having completed the work that had been allotted the the north point of Bentinck Island, off which a reef extends nearly three ton Island, bearing North 60 degrees West twenty-three7 and 8 fathoms The south shore of this island was found to be low and sandy, much indented, and fronted with reefs From the south extreme, the nearest part of the rees West elevenoccupied by four low isles, which I named after Mr Forsyth With the exception of 5 fathoton Island, the space between it and the able for boats; and ard of Forsyth Islands, shoals, partly dry, extend off four miles from the main
POINT PARKER
From Point Bayley, where we found a native well, the coast trended on one hand North 73 degrees West, in which direction, at the distance of two and four rove shore; whilst, on the other, it trended South 53 degrees East with inlets two, three, and six miles distant, and a point ten miles and a half froe of one of the boats, Point Parker A hillock elevated about thirty feet, which was great for this part of the continent, rendered it conspicuous Like Point Bayley, it is fronted with a rocky ledge, and has a sandy beach on the south side From Point Parker the coast trended south ten miles, which was the furthest the boats reached; beyond, it appeared to take a more easterly direction
(Footnote In latitude 16 degrees 35 rees 55 ton )
The hillock on Point Parker, afforded Mr Forsyth a slight view of the interior: it was a vast plain with cluuroves that lined the coast to the southward, and in other places constituted the only vegetable production of the country that could be seen Although there was little that could be called actually interesting in the vast level that stretched away to an indefinite distance from Point Parker, yet still, when the reflection presented itself that never before had the eye of a European wandered over it, the feelings of the exploring party were necessarily of a pleasing character
This projection in the coast brought it within thirteen miles of the east end of Bentinck Island Allen's Isle lay between at the distance of three miles and a half; on some ironstone cliffs at the south-east end of it, Mr Forsyth, after leaving, saw soclothed with rich grass, and with sreen appearance
APPEARANCE OF THE NATIVES
It was on a little island, two miles to the eastward of it, that Flinders succeeded in obtaining an intervieith a party of natives; two of whoht of six feet three inches, but with features similar to those on the south and east coasts They were deficient in two front teeth of the upper jaw; their hair was short but not curly; and with the exception of a fillet of netorn round the head of one of the Two of the older one the rite of circumcision; they had rafts of precisely the same construction as those in use on the North-west coast
On the 17th, very unusual gloomy weather was experienced, quite e should have expected froht fro broke, however, with a moderate South-South-East breeze, accoht, was 61 degrees
(Footnote Our observations place Point Inscription in latitude 17 degrees 6 rees 28 rees 35 e, was 8 AM, when the tide rose 9 feet; the streah-water At other tie takes place about one hour before
The direction of the flood is South by West and that of the ebb North; the strength of the former is from half a knot to one knot an hour, and of the latter, three quarters of a knot to one and a half Near the full and change days there is no slack water; the northerly strea the neaps they areof twelve hours duration)
Our operations were co winds from the South-South-East we did not leave before the 21st; when, beating out against a fresh breeze, we stood over towards the main to the south-west of Bentinck Island, but found the water so shallow that we could not approach within eight miles
(Footnote The west point of Sweers Island, bearing North 10 degrees East and the east point of Bentinck Island, North 8 degrees East mark the limits of each board The north-west part of Sweers Island just shut in with Point Inscription leads in, and the dry part of the reef off the south-east end of Sweers Island, bearing South 85 degrees East, clears the reef off the south end of Sweers and Fowler Islands A white patch of cliff to the northward of Point Inscription, in one with it, leads over the extreme of the shoal off the south-east end of Fowler Island)
PROCEED TO SURVEY THE MAIN
The boats were again sent, with Messrs Fitzmaurice and Pasco, to continue the examination of the shore of the Gulf, towards the head of it, where they were to meet the shi+p We s to the South-West of Sweers Island and carrying a line eastwards froulf, where we found a very even dark sandy mud botto south and south-east winds, which reduced the teenerally prevailed, excepting for a few hours in the afternoon; quite re us of the winds we experienced at Depuch Island on the North-west coast, and preventing us fro of the 24th, e anchored two miles and a quarter frorees West This was na no other on the shore of the Gulf To the eastward there appeared an opening with a reroves at the entrance It being neap tide, ere enabled to take the shi+p thus close to the shore, and as it was the nearest approach we could make to the head of the Gulf, another boat expedition was set on foot to explore it, consisting of the yawl and gig, in which Lieutenant Gore and myself left the shi+p the same afternoon The first spot visited was The Sandhill, which we found to be forty feet high, in latitude 17 degrees 38 rees 48 ton From its suht respecting the opening close to the eastward The shore was sandy to the ard, a re that nearly everywhere else all was rove Whateverof the interior, appeared to be low patches of bare mud, which bespoke frequent inundations We could also trace a lowthe head of the Gulf, without any appearance of a large opening, which was a bitter disappointment; in some measure, however, co expressed himself doubtful how far back the shore lay
DISASTER INLET
The point on which The Sandhill is situated I called after Lieutenant Gore, and the inlet, which we entered just before dark, Disaster Inlet, froical nature which happened in it Like all the other inlets, as we afterwards found, it had a bar scarcely passable at loater for boats; but within there was a depth of two and three fathos groove out a channel in the great flat fronting the shores for from one to three miles; but as the distance froth of the stream diminished in proportion, and, as we afterwards found, at this season was never strong enough to force a channel the entire way through the flat or bank at the entrance, which was thrown out in consequence further froreat flat indicated the iht a , which was cool and bracing enough for a latitude twenty degrees further south, we followed its upward course, which was more westerly than suited our impatience to proceed direct into the interior Four h ten by the distance the boats had gone, we ca south This improvement in the course was equally felt by all, as was shown by the bending of the oars to the eager desire of the crew to push on; but scarcely had the boats glided h the hitherto untraversed piece of water, when the tragical event occurred, which the nah it is too deeply engraven on the otten
cockATOOS
The ed the banks, whilst all besides was one flat grassy plain, were literally whitened with flocks of noisy cockatoos, giving the trees an appearance as if they were absolutely laden with huge flakes of snow--a somewhat remarkable aspect for a scene in such a cliid hand of winter had for once been permitted to visit with its icy touch this tropical land; but the verdure of all around, the serenity of the heavens, ith the fervid bea waters of the reach, dispelled the illusion And soon the huge an to float from tree to tree across the reach, whilst their screae to the sportsly resolved to secure a few of theun for the purpose
NARROW ESCAPE