Volume II Part 32 (1/2)

(Footnote The following remarks from Mr Bynoe, on the climate of Northern Australia, corroborate the views put forward in the text:

I find on a reference to the Medical Journals, as well as to a Meteorological table kept bya period of six years, on the coasts of Australia, and under every variety of climate, that we had no diseases peculiar to that continent, and I am led to believe it a remarkably healthy country On the North and North-west coasts, where you find every bight and indentation of land fringed with es forh teendered

Our shi+p's company were constantly exposed, in boats, to all the vicissitudes frorove creeks forthe hours of repose, yet they still remained very healthy; and the only instance where the climate was at all prejudicial (if such a term can be applied) was in the Victoria River, on the north coast, where the heat was, at one period, very great, and the unavoidable exposure caused two of the crew to be attacked with Coup de Soleil

Our casualties consisted of two deaths during our stay on the Australian coast, one froe; and the other, a case of dysentery, contracted at Coepang

Itto state, that froton was settled in 1838, up to the period of our last visit to that military post, and for some time after, no endemial form of disease had manifested itself, and the only co from were diseases such as were usually to be met with in a more temperate clime, and those were few But we must take into consideration their isolated position, the constant saes, mostly with earthen floors; their inferior diet, and also the absence or scantiness of vegetables

Most of thefor ho, terminates in despondency, and leaves them open to the attacks of disease sobtic sy principally from the poor form of diet; similar cases occurred in a former settlement on that part of the coast, froton has been of late visited by sickness, I do not consider it by any ton as a harbour of refuge for the crews of shi+ps wrecked in Torres Strait, it is certainly far re upon it in this light only, a military station at Cape York would probably be attended with greater benefit and less expense, though, as it ht be expected to meet with annoyance from the natives of the islands in Torres Strait, who are badly disposed and wander over a great space in search of plunder, the party should not be very small There is, moreover, no real harbour; but, at the same time, as the post would be on a low narrow projection, with a seabreeze sweeping over it in either ton

I may observe that the only instance that came under e on the north coast, was that of a vessel wrecked too far to the ard to reach Cape York, the crehich arrived at Port Essington in their boats

It was in soeon, in order to alleviate Mr Fitzs by a little rest, that our stay was lengthened to Septe

(Footnote While steering North by East 1/2 East for Point Record, we discovered a bank of 4 1/2 fathoms, with 7 and 8 on each side When just off it, to the northward, in 7 fathoms, the west extreme of Point Record bore North 19 1/4 East, and its east extreme North 35 1/4 East, and the north-east end of Spear Point North 59 degrees West)

SAHUL SHOAL

By noon we had cleared the heads of Port Essington, and a course was then shaped for the supposed Sahul Shoal, the northern and central parts of which we passed over without finding any res

(Footnote This clearly proved that our knowledge of the extent of the Sahul Bank was very irees 0 itudes 125 degrees 20 rees 50 minutes East, there are no less than six patches of coral known, of 12 and 16 fathoms

It is my belief that the whole of this shoal, if it rees 15 itudes of 123 degrees 35 rees 15 minutes East)

ARRIVE AT TIMOR

The winds were singularly light from the eastward, until we approached Ti of the 15th,

when, after passing through Sa; the flagstaff of Fort Concordia bearing South-South-East a quarter of athe north-east end of Rottee a good lookout was kept for a 5-fatho four , however, could be discovered of it; and close to the place we had 50 fathoms In Flinders' Atlas we find 50 fathoms marked on this spot; and it is probable that theleft out, and the space dotted round, to draw attention to the supposed shoal-water)

(Footnote The tides in Saht hours to the northward, and four in the opposite direction The tie is half-past eleven, when the rise is twelve feet On the north side of Timor, between it and Ombaye, the current sets to the ard at the rate of from two to four knots an hour, in the south-east monsoon; but close to the Tie to the eastward during its prevalence by keeping close to the north sides of the Lomblen, Pantar, and Ombaye Islands, where they find a favourable current, and winds fro the islands There is no anchorage between Pantar and Ombaye; but on the south side of Timor, at the mouth of the Naminie River, and twenty-five miles further eastward, and also at the east point, inside the ses in from 10 to 15 fathoms The southern coast of Tie the shi+p, by having the barecas filled and carried to the boats by persons fro our crew from exposure in this, I believe at all times, unhealthy climate When our stock was coton, we had sufficient for eighty days

We found the Resident, Mr Gronovius, as usual, very communicative; he was ave hiton

TIMOREES

Iso the Ti an ene it; and, during meals, place food in the mouth of their bodiless foe On the death of a Rajah, a favourite slave or two is killed and buried with hirave, in order that the deceasedin the next world; this clearly shows that they have an idea of a future state

The mode in which trade is carried on with the wild natives of Tioods intended for barter are left in parcels on the shore; the natives coenerally, bees'

wax, and a kind of cotton cloth, to the amount which they conceive to be the value, when they also retire The trader returns, and if satisfied, takes the native's goods, leaving his own; if not, he goes aithout touching either The natives again coh the relative value of the heaps of ain or take away their own property Neither party ever coht of the other; and the strictest honour is preserved in the transaction Most ofis attributed to one of the nations of antiquity

A tribe of Sua people, have a custo They are the only tribe on that island not Mahomedans, and worshi+p the evil spirit, to appease who, with rice, at a well near a tree, a species of wild o; the priest, of course, reaps the benefit of this pious offering A sionia

(Footnote I reat eruption took place on this island, the report of it was heard at Macassar, nearly three hundred miles distant, and the motion was felt by the shi+ps at anchor there)