Discoveries in Australia Volume I Part 10

In pa.s.sing out, we named two low small rocky islands, lying north of Point Swan, and hitherto unhonoured with any particular denomination, the Twins. It should be noted, that the tide did not begin to make to the southward till 8 hours 15 minutes A.M., being full half an hour after low-water by the sh.o.r.e. We pa.s.sed through several tide races; not, however, feeling their full force, owing to our encountering them at the time of slack water. In every case our soundings indicated great irregularity of bottom, the cause to which I have already a.s.signed these impediments to in-sh.o.r.e navigation.

SUNDAY STRAIT.

We found a temporary anchorage the same morning, on the east side of the large group forming the eastern side of Sunday Strait; so named by Captain King, who was drifted in and out of it on that day, August 19th, 1821, amid an acc.u.mulation of perils that will long render the first navigation of this dangerous Archipelago a memorable event in the annals of nautical hardihood.

ROE'S GROUP.

This group we called after Lieutenant Roe, R.N., Surveyor-General of Western Australia, who had accompanied Captain King in that perilous voyage, and whose valuable information had enabled us to escape so many of the dangers to which our predecessors had been exposed.

Nothing could exceed the desolate appearance of the land near which we were now lying: rocks, of a primitive character, ma.s.sed together in all the variety of an irregularity, that rather reminded the beholder of Nature's ruin than her grandeur, rose, drear and desolate, above the surrounding waters; no trees shaded their riven sides, but the water-loving mangrove clothed the base of this sterile island, and a coa.r.s.e, wiry gra.s.s was thinly spread over its sides.

MIAGO AND HIS FRIENDS.

Soon after we had anch.o.r.ed, some natives were observed by Miago watching us from the sh.o.r.e; and shortly afterwards a party landed, to attempt communicating with them, and to get the necessary observations for the survey. In the first object they failed altogether; for these blackfellows, as that gallant hero called them, retired to the heights, and, while closely watching every movement, refused to trust themselves within our reach. The smallness of their number, and their want of arms, quite elevated the courage of Miago, who loudly vaunted his intention of monopolizing a northern gin, in order to astonish his friends upon our return to the south: stealing away the ladies being, as I have before remarked, the crowning and most honourable achievement of which man, in the eyes of these savages, is capable. I ought not to omit remarking here, that the natives seen to-day were accompanied by a black dog; the only instance in which, before or since, we observed the existence of a dog of that colour in this vast country. Captain King mentions that he saw one in this neighbourhood during his visit in 1821.

DAY OF REST.

The following day was Sunday, and, there being no absolute necessity to s.h.i.+ft our berth, we remained at anchor; marking the character of this sacred festival, by giving it up to the crew, for healthful rest and harmless recreation--after morning prayers had been performed--as much as the needful discipline, upon a proper observance of which the efficiency of a s.h.i.+p's company entirely depends, would allow. This practice, constantly observed throughout our long voyage, was always attended with the best results.

Some rather small pigeons,* of a dark brown colour, marked with a white patch on the wings, were seen, and some specimens shot. They made a whirring sound in flight, like the partridge, and appeared to haunt the rocks; a habit which all subsequent observation confirmed.

(*Footnote. Petrophila albipennis. Gould.)

February 12.

Soon after daylight we left this anchorage, whose exact position I mention, as it may be of use to some future voyager in these seas. The eastern of the three islands north of Roe's group was just open of the north point of the bight in which we lay, and a small rocky islet close to the sh.o.r.e bore South-South-West one mile; we had five fathoms at low-water in the bight, and twelve immediately outside.

After making a stretch to the southward for about five miles, in soundings varying from 20 to 25 fathoms, we again closed with the sh.o.r.e, and anch.o.r.ed in five fathoms, on the south side of Roe's group, three miles from our former anchorage. A party landed in the afternoon to procure the requisite observations: the country was not quite so sterile, nor its face of so rugged a character.

NATIVE RAFT.

We found nothing worth particular attention, except a native raft, the first we had yet seen. It was formed of nine small poles pegged together, and measured ten feet in length by four in breadth; the greatest diameter of the largest pole was three inches. All the poles were of the palm tree, a wood so light, that one man could carry the whole affair with the greatest ease. By it there was a very rude double-bladed paddle.

From a distant station I looked upon the dangerous and rapid current, which divides two rocky islands, and the perils of which are fearfully increased by the presence of an insulated rock in its centre, past which (its fury only heightened by the opposition) the torrent hurries with accelerated force.

CAPTAIN KING AND THE BATHURST.

It was by this fearful pa.s.sage that Captain King entered this part of the Sound, drifting towards apparently instant destruction, without a breath of wind to afford him even a chance of steering between the various perils that environed his devoted s.h.i.+p. As the Bathurst swept past the neighbouring sh.o.r.es--covered with the strange forms of the howling savages who seemed to antic.i.p.ate her destruction, and absolutely within the range of their spears--drifting with literally giddy rapidity towards the fatal rocks, what varied thoughts must have flashed, crowding an age within an hour, upon the mind of her commander? It seemed that all evidence of what his own perseverance, the devotion of his officers, and the gallantry of his crew, had accomplished for the honour of their common country, would in a few brief moments be the prey of the rapid, the spoil of the deep; and yet, while many a heart sent up its voiceless prayer to HIM, whose arm is not shortened that it cannot save, believing that prayer to be their last--not a cheek blanched--not an eye quailed!

But the loving-kindness of omnipotent mercy rested even upon that solitary s.h.i.+p, and within a few yards of the fatal rock, one momentary breath of wind, proved HIS providential care, for those from whom all hope had fled! I shuddered as the events Captain King has recorded, rose up in palpable distinctness to my view, and afterwards, in memory of that day, called the channel Escape--to the sound itself we gave the name of King's, in the full confidence that all for whom the remembrance of skill and constancy and courage have a charm, will unite in thinking that the career of such a man should not be without a lasting and appropriate monument!

February 13.

It blew a violent gale the whole of this day from West-South-West, coming on quite unexpectedly, for neither the state nor appearance of the atmosphere gave us the least indication of its approach. Exposed on a lee-sh.o.r.e, it may be imagined that we were by no means displeased to see it as rapidly and inexplicably depart, as it had suddenly and mysteriously appeared.

POINT CUNNINGHAM.

February 14.

Leaving this anchorage we found another in a bay on the mainland, 12 miles South from Point Swan, and 11 North-West from a remarkable headland named by Captain King, Point Cunningham, in honour of that distinguished botanist, whose zealous exertions have added so much to the Flora of Australia. I well remember when we were preparing to sail from Sydney, in May 1839, the scientific veteran seemed to enter with the utmost interest into all the details of the coming adventure. And even, though the natural force of that frame which had so often set danger at defiance, while engaged in the enn.o.bling pursuits to which his honourable career had been devoted, was too palpably failing the mind whose dictates it had so long obeyed; the fire of the spirit that had burned throughout so brightly, seemed to leap up in yet more glowing flame, ere quenched forever by the ashes of the grave! alas! within the brief period of two months, the world had closed upon him for ever!

SUCCESSFUL SEARCH FOR WATER.

A point, fronting a small islet, almost joined to it at low-water, was selected as a fitting spot for the commencement of our well-digging operations, which we hoped to bring to a more successful termination than our former attempt at Point Swan. After sinking to a depth of eight feet our antic.i.p.ations were fully justified, the water flowing in through the sides in great abundance. It was quite fresh, and in every way most acceptable to us all; but tinged as it was with the red colour of the surrounding soil, we could at once perceive that it was only surface water. As we watched it filling our neatly excavated well, we found no great difficulty in understanding why, in this continent, a native speaks of any very favoured district, as "Very fine country--much plenty water--fine country;" thus comprehending in the certain supply of that one necessary of life, the chief, nay almost the sole condition essential to a happy land.

SKELETON POINT.

We named this Skeleton Point from our finding here the remains of a native, placed in a semi-rec.u.mbent position under a wide spreading gum tree, enveloped, or more properly, shrouded, in the bark of the papyrus.

All the bones were closely packed together, the larger being placed outside, and the general ma.s.s surmounted by the head, resting on its base, the fleshless, eyeless skull grinning horribly over the right side.

Some of the natives arrived shortly after we had discovered this curious specimen of their mode of sepulture; but although they entertain peculiar opinions upon the especial sanct.i.ty of the house appointed for all living--a sanct.i.ty we certainly were not altogether justified in disregarding--they made no offer of remonstrance at the removal of the mortal remains of their dead brother. Whether here, as in the neighbourhood of Fremantle, they regarded us as near kindred of their own under a new guise, and so perhaps might suppose that we took away the dry bones in order to rebuild the frame of which they before formed the support, and to clothe the hideous nakedness of death with the white man's flesh; or whether, deeming us indeed profane violators of that last resting-place of suffering humanity, which it seems an almost instinctive feeling to regard with reverence, they left the office of retribution either to the spirit of the departed, or the more potent boyl-yas--to be found upon the testimony of Miago in the wicked north--I know not; certain it is that under the superintendence of Mr. Bynoe the removal was effected, and that the skeleton itself, presented by that officer to Captain Grey, was by him bestowed upon the Royal College of Surgeons, in whose museum it is now to be found.

Among the ornithological specimens obtained here was one of the curlew tribe, greatly resembling an ibis, and remarkable for its size. It measured from the extremity of the bill to the tip of the toe 27 1/2 inches, and weighed 1 pound 14 1/2 ounces. The colour, with the exception of the belly and legs, which were of a dirty white slightly mottled, very much resembled that of the common English wild duck.

KILEYS.

One of the natives seen to-day had with him a kiley, so different in shape to any we had previously seen that I preserved a sketch of it. All the party wore their hair tied up behind, and each had suffered the loss of one of the front teeth in the upper jaw: and some had endured an extraordinary mutilation; apparently in exaggeration of an ancient Jewish rite. In general appearance they resembled the natives previously seen at Point Swan.

OUR PARTING LEGACY.

They appeared to luxuriate in the water we had found, wondered at the size of our well, and expressed the greatest admiration of our skill in thus procuring this needful article; and I do not doubt but that long after every other recollection of our visit shall have pa.s.sed away, this beneficial memorial of it will perpetuate the visit of H.M.S. Beagle, to this part of the great continent of Australia.

CHAPTER 1.6. POINT CUNNINGHAM TO FITZROY RIVER.

Survey the Coast to Point Cunningham.

Move the s.h.i.+p.

Mosquitoes.

Southern View of King's Sound.

Singular vitreous Formation.

Move to the south of Point Cunningham.

Captain King's limit.

Termination of Cliffy Range.

Disaster Bay.

An Exploring Party leave in the boats.

The sh.o.r.e.

A freshwater lake.

Valentine Island.

Native Fire and Food.

A heavy squall.

The wild Oat.

Indications of a River.

Point Torment.

Gouty-stem Tree and Fruit.

Limits of its growth.

Another squall.

Water nearly fresh alongside.

The Fitzroy River.

Tide Bore and dangerous position of the Yawl.

Ascent of the Fitzroy.