Discoveries in Australia Volume II Part 19

Although our exploration in this neighbourhood did not lead to our finding any of the land fertile, yet from the new feature our chart will give to this part of the coast, the necessity of the Beagle's visit will be evident. Our object had been satisfactorily attained, inasmuch as we had cleared up the doubts respecting Ritchie's Reef, and the long-lost Tryal Rocks. We had also been so fortunate as to add to the stores of natural history a new kangaroo and two kinds of wallaby, besides a large water-snake.

RITCHIE'S REEF.

September 9.

We left Tremouille Island in the morning, and pa.s.sing round the north side, soon came in sight of Clerke's, alias Ritchie's Reef. It was our intention to have gone round the northern end of it, but the tide setting two knots an hour forced us to the southward. In a line midway between it and Tremouille the depth was 17 and 20 fathoms. The reef was nearly three miles long, in a north-east and south-west direction, and one mile and a half wide; the centre being partly dry. Two miles and a half South-West by West of it we crossed a patch of 13 fathoms, with 22 and 25 fathoms on each side, the northern part of Hermite Island bearing South 62 degrees East fourteen miles, soon after which it was lost sight of from the p.o.o.p.

The next afternoon a westerly wind brought us again in with the land; and in the evening we tacked in six fathoms, three miles and a half to the northward of Thevenard Island, which we found to be connected with a reef we discovered in the morning, lying eleven miles North by East from it; inside this reef the water looked deep and smooth. The island is a narrow strip lying east and west, about three miles; the west end we made in lat.i.tude 21 degrees 26 minutes South and longitude 114 degrees 54 minutes East. From the number of islands I saw to the south of Thevenard, I think the reef continues to Maison Island, near the North-west Cape. The outer one, seen from the Beagle, is in lat.i.tude 21 degrees 31 minutes South and longitude 114 degrees 42 minutes East. I myself believe the whole extent from Maison to Barrow's Island is occupied by islets and reefs, probably all connected. We know, in fact, from Captain King, that a reef extends sixteen miles off the south end of Barrow's Island.

RESULT OF SOUNDINGS.

Seventeen miles in a North-West by North direction from Thevenard Island we had 65 fathoms, fine white sand, having deepened gradually from six fathoms three miles north of it. In June of this year, working to the North-East we had 68 fathoms three miles West by South of that position, and 111 fathoms six miles North-West of it; beyond this no bottom was found with 120 and 150 fathoms.*

(*Footnote. The following table is the result of other outer soundings obtained in the Beagle, showing how far the bank of soundings extends off the Western coast of Australia.

COLUMN 1: LAt.i.tUDE SOUTH (DEGREES, MINUTES).

COLUMN 2: DEPTH IN FATHOMS.

COLUMN 3: QUALITY OF BOTTOM.

COLUMN 4: DISTANCE FROM NEAREST LAND.

32 02 : 70 : Fine white sand and rock : Rottnest or Garden Island 20 miles.

30 55 : 86 : Fine grey sand : Main abreast 34 miles.

29 38 : 127 : Fine grey sand : Main abreast 39 miles.

26 42 : 187 : Fine grey sand : South point of Shark's Bay 37 miles.

21 14 : 111 : Fine white sand : Thevenard Island 25 miles.

20 00 : 150 : Fine white sand : Tremouille Island 35 miles.

It would thus appear that a s.h.i.+p in less than 110 fathoms off the west sh.o.r.e of the continent would be within forty miles of the land; and nearly the same distance from the islands fronting it, when in about 200 fathoms between the lat.i.tudes of 19 degrees 50 minutes South and 20 degrees 10 minutes South. The bank of soundings extends further off the North-west coast, as eighty-five miles north of Depuch Island we had only 75 fathoms, fine white sand. In a south direction from that position the water shoaled rapidly to 40 fathoms in fifteen miles; but very gradually afterwards to 15 fathoms in fifty miles. This slope of the bank was determined by several boards in working to the westward.)

RETURN TO SWAN RIVER.

The glimpse we got of the string of islands lying between Barrow's Island and the North-west Cape, was quite unexpected, as the next land we had intended seeing was Swan River. After rounding the North-west Cape, we had the usual southerly winds, but a strong breeze from the north-west overtook us in lat.i.tude 30 degrees 40 minutes South and longitude 112 degrees 25 minutes East, and shortened the pa.s.sage, bringing us on the 27th to an anchorage under the east end of Rottnest Island, where we found a current sweeping round to the southward, at the rate of nearly a knot an hour. There had not been any previously felt; but in lat.i.tude 30 degrees South and longitude 110 degrees East, two days before the north-wester, it set two knots to the northward; another instance of how entirely the currents are governed by the winds off this coast.

NATIVE TALENT.

Our Swan River native had not obtained so much information of his wild countrymen to the northward as Miago. Still he had made the most of what he saw; and his visit to Timor crowned all. The facility and rapidity with which he could make a song about anyone whom he might choose as the subject of his poetical fancy, was very amusing; he must have equalled many of the Italian improvisatori. He had also got a very good idea of where the s.h.i.+p had been since leaving Swan River, in his head. The drawings of his countrymen on Depuch Island had greatly hurt his vanity, whilst they excited his emulation; and always afterwards, whenever he could get hold of paper or pencil, he was trying to excel them, which, from the improvement he made, I have no doubt he would have shortly done.

During the time he and his townsman Miago were with us, the following vocabulary was made; the words from Port Essington have been furnished by Mr. Earl.

COLUMN 1: ENGLISH.

COLUMN 2: PORT ESSINGTON.

COLUMN 3: SWAN RIVER.

Crow : - : Woordang.

Emu : Angorok : Wadye.

Eggs : Olajuk : Noorago.

s.h.a.gs : - : Mere.

Kangaroo : Abbugi : Yewart.

Female Kangaroo : - : Waroo.

Wallaby: - : Wallyo.

Bandicoot or rat : - : Condee.

Very small kangaroo, larger than a wallaby : - : Goora.

Ringtail possum : - : Gnoorah.

Large possum : - : Goomal.

--tailed possum : - : Mooroo.

Native dog : Nukakoin : Dudah.

The tail : - : Diar.

Black swan : - : Coolecha.

Duck : Cormoro : Oonanah.

Mountain duck : - : Kooracha.

Wombat : - : Koolemah.

Magpie : - : Gooraba.

Brown Chatterer : - : Telaho Fishhawk : - : Undoorah.

Eagle : - : Mulurah.

Pigeon : - : Woodah.

Quail : Windalo : Barrabberry.

Tortoise : - : Booye, or Boorje.

Mullett : - : Kalkurrie.

Cobler : - : Corallia.

Small blue bird : - : Deldillia.

Snake : Ambeetj : Waggile.

Sun : Muree : Murgah.

Moon : Allee : Magee.

Stars : Argadba : Nungarah.

Clouds : - : Marah.

Wind : Mailo : Curajahl.

A bird : Aluk-aluk : Walta.

Sand : Onak : Coo-yah.

Head : Wokbok : Cuttah.

Eyes : Ira : Mael.

Nose : Anjinmul : Moolyah.

Ears : Alaijar : Tungah.

Mouth : Angaikbirig : Dah.

Chin : - : Nungah.

Face : Anmarura : Yoodah.

Hair : Angbal : Cutap.

Eyebrows : - : Mingart.

Eyelashes : - : Cunbah.

Teeth : Anjigi : Nalgo.

Tongue : - : Dalang.

Neck : - : Wardo.

Throat : - : Daragert.

Shoulders : - : Wundardah.

Arms : - : w.a.n.go.

Armpit : - : Nulyar.

Collar bone : - : Chelee wundardah.

Arm, upper : - : Maraga.

Arm, lower : - : Aye yung.