Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia Volume I Part 8

The ebb now commenced setting out, and although we were going three knots through the water, we made no progress over the ground. Seven miles West by South from Cape Don we sounded in fifty fathoms on a bottom of branch-coral, and four miles more to the westward we had but nineteen fathoms. When the flood commenced, it was too dark to profit by it.

April 27.

And no progress was made until the next morning, when, having a fresh breeze, we reached an anchorage in a bay on the north side, and close under the base of Mount Bedwell. On our way we steered through strong tide-ripplings in which, at times, notwithstanding the strength of the breeze, the cutter was quite ungovernable. Off the bay is a low mangrove island which I had the pleasure to name after the Reverend James W.

Burford, of Stratford, Ess.e.x, and the bay in which we had anch.o.r.ed was called after W. Aiton, Esquire, of the Royal Gardens at Kew.

The bottom of Aiton Bay is shoal and apparently terminates in an inlet or creek; at low water the tide left a considerable s.p.a.ce dry that appeared to extend from sh.o.r.e to sh.o.r.e.

Our distance from the beach was so short that the howlings of dogs were distinctly heard, and other noises were distinguished which some of us thought were made by natives, but they were more probably the screams of birds.

April 28.

At daylight the next morning we steered round the land, and pa.s.sing under the base of Mount Roe, we entered a strait that separates it from Greenhill Island; which is remarkable for having its north-west end terminated by a conspicuous bluff. The coast now took an easterly direction as far as the eye could reach, with a channel of from three to eight miles broad between it and a range of islands (which were named in compliment to the late Vice-Admiral Sir George Hope, K.C.B., then holding a seat in the Board of Admiralty). At noon the tide began to ebb, when we anch.o.r.ed near the land at about six miles east of Mount Roe.

The thermometer now ranged between 80 and 90 degrees, but the heat was by no means oppressive.

April 29.

By the next day at noon we had penetrated four leagues within Sir George Hope's Islands, when the water became so shoal that we could not approach an opening that was seen in the land to the south-eastward; after trying in several directions, the cutter was anch.o.r.ed, and Mr. Roe was sent to sound in a south direction in search of a pa.s.sage out; but, as it appeared to be shoal and some parts were already dry, it was decided that we should return by the way we came; since our object was not so much to lay down the extent of the banks and directions of the channels, as to find rivers, and trace the coastline. The opening to the South-East of our anchorage certainly appeared to be sufficiently interesting to examine, but we had formed very sanguine expectations of discovering something of much greater importance at the bottom of the bay, and we were naturally anxious to reach it as soon as possible.

On constructing the chart of this part of the coast, it appeared that the land to the eastward of this anchorage is an isthmus four or five miles in breadth, separating the body of water from the bottom of Mountnorris Bay. The peninsula thus formed was honoured by the appellation of Cobourg, after His Royal Highness Prince Leopold.

During the day large smokes were observed on the south horizon, without any appearance of land near them.

1818. May 1.

On our way out we anch.o.r.ed under one of Sir George Hope's Islands, which, on the occasion of our landing upon it the next morning (1st May), was called May-day Island: it is about two miles long, and nearly the same distance across; its formation appears to have been originally of sand that has acc.u.mulated upon a rocky basis, and has gradually grown into an island; it is thickly covered with a forest of dwarf trees and impenetrable brushwood. Some recent impressions of a human foot on the sand below high-water mark were seen, and several old fireplaces, and one or two of more recent date were observed, around which were strewed the remains of sh.e.l.l-fish repasts; the natives, however, did not make their appearance.

When returning on board we endeavoured to pa.s.s out between May-day and Greenhill Islands, but a bar of sand that appeared to stretch across obstructed our progress: the weather being fine and the sea very smooth, we endeavoured to force her over, but as we did not succeed, we anch.o.r.ed for the night near our former position, to the eastward of Mount Roe.

May 2.

The next day we pa.s.sed out between the Mount and Greenhill Island, and at night anch.o.r.ed on the south side of May-day Island, at eight miles distance from it.

May 3.

The following day we made some progress to the South-East, and by the afternoon obtained a glimpse of some land bearing between South 3 degrees West and South 18 degrees East.

May 4.

And at sunset the next evening the lowland was traced as far to the southward as South-South-East, upon which several detached hills were seen which probably may have some connexion with Wellington Range.

May 5.

The next day the cutter was anch.o.r.ed within a mile and a half of the south point of a considerable opening, which the boats were prepared to examine.

May 6.

And at daybreak we commenced its exploration, but the greater part of the tide was expended before we reached the entrance, which is fronted by a bank of mud on which there was not more than twelve feet water; the depth, however, increased after we entered the river to four and five fathoms; and as we proceeded up we found the channel to be seven and eight fathoms deep. The banks on either side were very low; they were composed of a soft mud, and so thickly lined with mangroves as to prevent our landing until we had pulled up for seven or eight miles. At ten o'clock the flood ceased and the ebb, setting with considerable strength, prevented our proceeding higher up: here we landed, and after spending some time in taking bearings and examining the country, we returned to the cutter, which we reached early in the afternoon.

The banks where we landed were about two hundred yards apart, but were so low and without a hillock to ascend or a tree to climb to enable us to obtain a view of the country, that we could form but a very slight opinion of the place. A sugar-loaf-shaped hill, which was also visible from the anchorage, bore South 80 degrees East; at the distance of a league was a rocky hill that bore North 88 1/4 degrees East; and, five or six leagues off, was a range of hills extending from East by South to South 27 degrees East. In all other directions the eye wandered over a dreary, low, and uninterruptedly flat country; which in most parts is covered with an arundinaceous gra.s.s.

The mangrove bushes on the banks of the river, which was quite salt, were crowded with the nests of an egret, in which the young birds were nearly fledged. Hawks, wild ducks, pelicans, and pigeons, were also abundant, and an immense flight of white c.o.c.katoos hovered over the mangroves, and quite disturbed the air with their hideous screamings. A small black water-bird, about the size of a pigeon, with a white neck and a black ring round it, was observed, but not near enough to enable us to ascertain its species. On our course up and down the river we encountered several very large alligators, and some were noticed sleeping on the mud.

This was the first time we had seen these animals, excepting that at Goulburn Island, and, as they appeared to be very numerous and large, it was not thought safe to stop all night up the river, which we must have done had we remained for the next flood-tide.

No inhabitants were seen, but the fires that were burning in all directions proved that they could not be far off.

May 7.

The next morning we were underweigh and steering along the coast to the westward towards a low but extensive island; and, as we approached, we found that it fronted a very considerable opening in the land, extending into the interior under the eastern base of Mount Hooper. The channel between the island and the main appearing clear, we did not hesitate to pa.s.s through, and within half a mile of the island, where the channel was evidently the deepest, we sounded in eight and nine fathoms. As soon as we entered the opening it a.s.sumed a similar appearance to that of the river we examined yesterday, but it was very much more considerable and excited very sanguine hopes in our minds. Besides the low island above-mentioned there is another of smaller size between it and the west point of entrance; so that there are three entrances. The islands were called Barron and Field Islands, after my friend, then presiding as Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

As we proceeded, the depth continued to be so even, and to shoal so gradually, that we ran up it for six miles, when, as it was near noon, we anch.o.r.ed and landed on the eastern bank, to observe the sun's meridional alt.i.tude; but, from the muddy state of the banks, we had great difficulty in reaching the sh.o.r.e. On returning to the vessel, we sailed further up, and, at high water anch.o.r.ed near the end of the first reach, and made preparations for its further investigation. The tide then began to ebb at the rate of three miles per hour, and continued with nearly that velocity during the whole tide. During the evening our preparations were completed.

May 8.

And, at daybreak the next morning, I set off with Mr. Roe and Mr.

Cunningham for my companions: when we left the cutter the flood was just making, so that we had the advantage of the whole of the tide, which lasted until noon, when we landed, and observed the lat.i.tude to be 12 degrees 38 minutes 47 seconds. Our situation was within three miles of a hill bearing South 25 1/2 degrees West, the bearing of which having previously been taken from the cutter's present anchorage, enabled me to decide with tolerable accuracy upon the station we had reached.

This river, as far as we had examined it, a distance of thirty-six miles, differed from the other only in being of larger size. At the place where the lat.i.tude was observed, it was about one hundred and fifty yards wide.

From the anchorage the channel deepened from five to eight fathoms, and this depth continued tolerably even and regular for nine miles. It then began to decrease; and, at the furthest part we reached the depth at high water was two and a half fathoms. The banks, which were in most parts thickly lined with mangroves, and in no part more than three feet above high-water mark, are formed of soft mud, which rendered landing, except at high water, impossible. The country on all sides presented a low level plain, the monotony of which was occasionally relieved by a few wooded hills, and some groups of trees, among which the palm-tree was conspicuous, and tended in a trifling degree to improve the view, which, to say the best of it, was unvaried and heavy. The low land, at least that part over which the fires had not pa.s.sed, Was covered with a thickly matted broom-gra.s.s; and, where it was burnt off, the soil was observed to be composed of a hard and stiff clay, the surface of which bore the appearance of having been frequently inundated, either by high tides, or, more probably, by freshes in the rainy season.

We saw very few birds, and those were chiefly c.o.c.katoos; but alligators were as numerous as in the other river, whence the name of Alligator Rivers were bestowed upon them.

The water where we landed was fresh enough to be nearly drinkable, and probably would be quite sweet at half ebb.

May 8.

The ebb-tide did not serve to carry us on board, and the boat's crew were so fatigued by having been pulling all day, that we were obliged to drop the grapnel within seven miles of the cutter to await the turn of tide, so that it was not until midnight that we reached the vessel much exhausted.

May 9.

The next day we left our anchorage, and took up a station within Field Island, intending, if possible, to go through the pa.s.sage between Barron and Field Islands. At low water the banks dried for a considerable extent.

May 10.

But as there was every appearance of the existence of a narrow pa.s.sage between the islands, we ran through the next morning at high water; and, in pa.s.sing the narrows, had over-falls between three and fifteen fathoms: as soon as we reached a favourable bottom, we anch.o.r.ed in four fathoms in order to await the uncovering of the shoals at low water, so that we might see our way on, and construct the chart of this entrance with more correctness. Field Island is low and thickly wooded, and is surrounded by a rocky shoal which dries at low water, and extends to a considerable distance off its North-West end. The smoke of a fire having been seen on the island when we pa.s.sed, it was presumed to have been at that time occupied by natives.

Another opening was observed to the westward of the river we last examined. and as it bore a similar appearance, the name of Alligator Rivers was extended to it.

May 11.

The next morning we resumed our course to the westward; and, after coasting along a low sh.o.r.e, anch.o.r.ed at night in the South-West corner of the gulf, in three and a half fathoms; the land, from being so low, was scarcely distinct, but it appeared to be sandy.

May 12.

The next day we pa.s.sed a considerable opening, or, as it was thought to be, a bight; for many patches of land were observed on the horizon: The wind blew so fresh from the eastward that I did not venture to run into it, but steered towards some land to the northward that formed the northern boundary of the opening, and which proved to be that which had been seen by us from Popham Bay; and as it afterwards proved to be an island, it was called after the t.i.tle of the n.o.ble Viscount, now First Lord of the Admiralty.

The Gulf which we have now explored is that which was discovered by three Dutch vessels that sailed from Timor in 1705, and to which they gave the name of The Great Bay of Van Diemen. They entered it but did not reach its bottom, having been very likely prevented by the strong tides which in the entrance of Dundas Strait are altogether uncommon. From the nature of the Alligator Rivers there is no doubt but that there are others of a similar character that empty themselves into the Gulf between the easternmost Alligator River and Sir George Hope's Islands, although they are, probably, of smaller size and of less importance. At midnight the cutter, drifted by the tide, pa.s.sed close to the easternmost point of Melville Island near to which two bright fires were burning.