A Voyage to Terra Australis Volume I Part 17

[** Captain Furneaux says (in _Cook's second Voyage_, Vol. I. page 109), that on March 9, 1773, at noon, the South-west Cape bore _north, four leagues_; and by referring to the _Astronomical Observations_, p. 193, I find that his lat.i.tude was 43 45 2/3', which would place the Cape in 43 33 2/3'; nevertheless the captain says it is in 43 39', and it is so laid down in his chart. The observation by which captain Cook appears to have fixed the South-west Cape, is that of Jan. 24, 1777, at noon; when he says, "our lat.i.tude was 43 47' south" (_Third Voyage_, Vol. I. p.

93.) But the _Astronomical Observations_ of that voyage show (p. 101), that the observed lat.i.tude on board the Resolution was 43 42'; which would make the Cape in 43 32' south. I consulted captain King's journal at the Admiralty, but found no observed lat.i.tude marked by him on that day.]

The nearest land, at noon, was a steep head bearing N. 66 E., one mile and a half; and between this, and the head which bore S. 74 W., the sh.o.r.e forms a sandy bay four miles deep, where it is probable there may be good anchorage, if two clumps of rock, which lie in the entrance, will admit of a pa.s.sage in. After taking bearings of Maatsuyker's Isles and the different headlands, we bore away eastward, and pa.s.sed another deep, sandy bight, probably the same in which Mr. c.o.x anch.o.r.ed in 1789. At two o'clock, the

South-west Cape, distant 15 or 16 miles, bore W. 2 S.

A steep head at the furthest extreme, which proved to be the _South Cape_, S. 72 E. *

[* The magnetic bearing of the South-west Cape was W. 5 S., and that of the South Cape E. 15 S. The true variation I believe to have been 8 E.; but as the sloop's head was at east, no more than 3 are allowed, from a system which will be hereafter explained. It seemed necessary to say this, because the formation of the south end of Van Diemen's Land in my chart, differs from that given by captain Cook, and from those of most others. In Bayly's _Astronomical Observations_, page 192, it appears that six sets of variations were observed on board the Resolution, Mar. 24, 1777, off the South Cape; the mean result of which was 4 43' east. Next morning six other sets were taken near the same place, and the mean variation came out 108' east. In captain King's journal, I found the same observations entered, and that the s.h.i.+p's head was E. by N. N. in the first case, and N. W. by W. in the second. This, with the example in the Francis, page cxxvi {The relevant paragraph begins "Whilst pa.s.sing round the north end ..." ebook Ed.}, and that in the Norfolk on the preceding page {a few paragraphs above this point. ebook Ed.}, may serve to show, for the present, that corrections are required to the variation, according to the direction of the vessel's head.]

At this time we were one mile within, or north of the largest of the islands; and saw with some surprise, for it is three miles from the main, that its gra.s.sy vegetation had been burnt. From hence we steered for the easternmost isle, lying off a wide open bight in the coast, and afterwards hauled up for the South Cape. The wind died away at six o'clock, when the Cape was one mile distant; but thick clouds were gathering in the south and west, and strong gusts with heavy rain presently succeeded. Fortunately, the squalls came from the westward, so that we were enabled to get further from those stupendous cliffs; had they come from the south, the consequences might have been fatal to the Norfolk.

The first steep head, to the eastward of the South Cape, opened round it at E. 7 N., (allowing 4 east variation,) and a second from the first, at E. 16 N., their distances asunder being each about five miles. It is the middlemost of these three heads which is called South Cape by captain Cook, as appears from the relative situations of his Peaked Hill and of Sw.i.l.l.y rock; but he had not the opportunity of seeing the heads opening one from the other, as we had in the Norfolk. I make the lat.i.tude of the Cape (adding the 2' 40") to be 43 37', nearly as captain Furneaux did; and as captain Cook would have done, had his lat.i.tude at noon been taken 43 42', according to the _Astronomical Observations_, instead Of 42 47', as in the voyage.

Pedro Blame, or Sw.i.l.l.y rock, became visible at half past seven, when the squalls had mostly blown over; and the following bearings where then taken:

South Cape, distant five miles, W. by N.

East extreme of the next steep head, dist. 2 miles, N. 14 E.

Pedro Blanca, S. 33 E.

Distant land through the haze, N. 60 E.

At nine o'clock we hauled up for D'Entrecasteauxs Channel, of which I had the sketch of Mr. Hayes, and stood off and on, in the entrance, during the night; the wind blowing hard at west, with dark rainy weather.

Dec. 14, at four in the morning, our situation was far to leeward; and having no prospect of fetching into the channel, we bore away for Boreel's Isles, which were seen bearing N. 65 E. two leagues. Three of these produce some vegetation, and that of the largest had been partially burnt not long before. The two easternmost, called the Friars by captain Furneaux, are bare pyramidal rocks, and, except where they had been made white by the gannets, are of a black, weather-beaten colour: a patch of breakers lies one mile to the north-east from them.

Fluted Cape opened round Tasman's Head at N. 18 E. We pa.s.sed these steep projections at a mile distance; and not being able to fetch into Adventure Bay, did the same by Cape Frederick Henry.* At noon, this cape bore S. 13 W. eight miles, and Fluted Cape was behind it in the same bearing. I proposed to enter the Derwent River; but on making a stretch toward Betsey's Island,** it appeared that the Henshaw's Bay of Hayes, instead of being a shallow bight, was a deep opening; and as the north-west wind blew out of the Derwent, we stretched on, seven miles above the island, and came to an anchor in 10 fathoms, sandy ground. This opening is the _North Bay_ of D'Entrecasteaux; but I was totally ignorant, at that time, of its having ever been entered.

[* This name, given by Captain Furneaux, is altered in D'Entrecasteaux's voyage to that of _>Cape Trobriand_. The captain was undoubtedly mistaken in his idea concerning Frederik Hendrick's Bay; but this does not appear to be a sufficient reason for changing the established name of the cape, unless Tasman had applied it to some other land, which is not the case.]

[** This is the _Isle Willaumez_, of D'Entrecasteaux; but it was known to me from the sketch of captain Hayes, and is still to the colonists, under the name of Betsey's Island.]

Dec. 15, the wind being at north-west, we pa.s.sed a sloping island (Isle St. Aignan of D'Extrecasteaux), and steered north-eastward, to explore the inlet. After running three-and-half miles, with soundings from 13 no bottom, to 5 fathoms, we anch.o.r.ed under a small island, which lies S. 75 W., one mile and a half, from _Point Renard_, the uppermost station of the French boats. This small spot received the descriptive name of _Isle of Caves_, and lies in the pa.s.sage from North Bay to a large extent of water which appeared to the eastward, and which the French boats did not explore.

From the Isle of Caves we ran six miles, E. S. E. up the new bay, for _Smooth Island_. The width of the entrance, from Point Renard to _Green Head_, is two miles, the soundings are from 6 to 16 fathoms, and there are no dangers. Smooth Island, behind which we anch.o.r.ed in 4 fathoms, and where I again landed to take bearings, is three quarters of a mile long, and covered with gra.s.s and a few small trees. It had been visited by the natives, as had the Isle of Caves; but from the eggs of gulls found upon both, I judge they do not go often.

Dec. 16, we anch.o.r.ed two miles to the south-east of Smooth Island, in 6 fathoms, near a point of the main where a round hill afforded me a good view of this extensive bay. The country there is stony and barren, though covered with wood and much frequented by kangaroos. In the evening, the appearance of a southern gale induced me to s.h.i.+ft our berth to the north side of the point; between which, and an islet lying half a mile from it, the depth was 5 to 7 fathoms.

On the 17th, we landed upon the islet, and killed some out of the many gulls by which it is frequented. A small arm of the bay extending north-eastward, where we hoped to obtain fresh water, was the object of our examination in the afternoon. There was a little stream falling in at the head, but rocks prevented it from being accessible to boats, or to a raft; and a walk of perhaps a mile to the eastward, afforded nothing but the sight of a stony country, and of a few miserable huts. Our greyhound started a kangaroo, but it was lost in the wood; and there were no birds to shoot.

Dec. 18, the wind still blowing fresh from the westward, we worked up to Smooth Island; and then stretched over to the south side of the bay. The soundings were generally 9 fathoms, on mud and sand, to within a mile of the sh.o.r.e; and at half a mile, where the anchor was dropped, the depth was 4 fathoms.

We landed at a steep, but not high point near the sloop, where I took some bearings, and observed the meridian alt.i.tude of the moon in an artificial horizon, which gave the lat.i.tude 43 1'; Mr. Ba.s.s, in the mean time, walked a little distance inland, but saw nothing of particular interest. Some further bearings were taken next morning, from a head lying to the west; after which the anchor was weighed, and we steered northward along the west side of the bay, with soundings from 8 to 4 fathoms. In the evening, we had worked back into North Bay, and come to an anchor under the north-east end of Sloping Island.

The great eastern bay now quitted had never been entered till this time; and as it is proved not to be Frederik Hendrik's, I have named it NORFOLK BAY. It is about eight miles long, north and south, and three to five miles broad from east to west. The largest fleet may find shelter here, with anchorage on a good bottom of 4 to 9 fathoms deep. We saw but one small stream of fresh water, and that was of difficult access; but it is scarcely probable that, amongst the many coves all around the bay, water convenient for s.h.i.+ps should not be found. The country near the sh.o.r.e is rocky; but as the kangaroo seemed to be abundant, there are probably many gra.s.sy plains further inland. Wood abounds every where, except at Green Head, which is mostly covered with gra.s.s. Of the four islands in the bay, Smooth and Gull Islands were found superior in fertility to the main land: the first contains about forty acres of tolerable pasturage.

In North Bay, the upper part seemed to be circ.u.mscribed by a sandy beach, and to offer nothing of particular interest; we therefore steered downward, on Dec. 20, for the Derwent River; but rainy squalls coming on from the south, ran for a small beach on the western sh.o.r.e, and anch.o.r.ed off it in 2 fathoms. A narrow inlet there, from which the tide issued with some strength, excited the hope of finding a short cut into the Derwent; but it proved, on examination, to terminate in a shoal lagoon.

The country on its borders affords good pasturage, with some spots fit for cultivation; there is, also, fresh water on the north side, but only for domestic purposes. The lagoon is frequented by ducks, black s.h.a.gs, pelicans, and gannets.

Dec. 21, we proceeded round for the Derwent. On clearing North Bay, I went off in the boat to Betsey's Island, leaving Mr. Ba.s.s to conduct the sloop. This island is high, and accessible only towards its north end; its length is one mile, and mean breadth about half that quant.i.ty; the soil is fertile, and nourishes a luxuriant vegetation of gra.s.s and wood; and though the natives visit it occasionally, none of their traces were recent. On rejoining the sloop, I found she had pa.s.sed between the island and two flat rocks near the main, with from 5 to 9 fathoms water; in which depths the gigantic sea-weed grows up to the surface. At eight clock we anch.o.r.ed in 9 fathoms, off Cape Direction, at the entrance of the river.

Dec. 22, a base was measured and bearings taken for a survey of the entrance, which proved to be near three miles wide. On the 23rd, the wind being fair, we ran upwards between sh.o.r.es which were sometimes steep, but generally of a gradual ascent, and well clothed with gra.s.s and wood. At nine miles from the entrance lies _Sullivan Cove_, on the west side, where a settlement has since been established by colonel Collins;* and here the width of the river is suddenly contracted, from one mile and a half to less than three-quarters of a mile, but the depth is not diminished. Four miles higher up we found Risdon Cove, and anch.o.r.ed there in 4 fathoms, with the intention of filling our empty water casks at the _Risdon River_ of Mr. Hayes; but finding it to be a little creek which even our boat could not enter, I determined to seek a more convenient watering place higher up the Derwent.

[* The first settlement was made in Risdon Cove, in 1803, by captain John Bowen of the navy, who was sent from Port Jackson for that purpose, by his Excellency governor King; but on the arrival of colonel Collins in 1804, it was removed to Sullivan Cove.]

Dec. 24, the wind being adverse to proceeding upward, an extensive set of angles was taken from the top of Mount Direction; and next day, I carried the survey up the river, whilst Mr. Ba.s.s ascended the great _Mount Table_, on the western side. At the northern foot of this mount lie _King George's Plains_, a name given by Mr. Hayes to about three hundred acres of pasture land; and in the front of the plains is his _Prince of Wales'

Bay_, a small shallow cove. Such names as these led us, at first, into some errors with respect to the importance of the places sought; but after the above examples, we were no longer deceived by them.

In the afternoon of the 25th, we got the sloop, with much difficulty, five or six miles further up the river, to an inlet which I called _Herdsman's Cove_, from the pastoral appearance of the surrounding country. Two streams fall into it; and up the princ.i.p.al one, in the north-east corner, I went two miles with the boat. The water was there found to be fresh, and the depth sufficient to allow of its being reached by the sloop; but the banks being steep and channel narrow, I was deterred from watering in this place, by the fear of detention from foul winds.

The width of the Derwent abreast of Herdsman's Cove is half a mile; but except a very narrow channel close to the eastern sh.o.r.e, it is too shallow even for boats. The intention of proceeding further with the sloop was therefore abandoned; but so soon as the rainy, blowing weather permitted, which was not until the 28th, I accompanied Mr. Ba.s.s in a boat excursion up the river. Three miles above Herdsman's Cove the banks open out to a mile in width; the river, from running north-westward, turns to the south-west; and the deep channel makes a short cut across to the convex bank, leaving the mud to collect in the opposite elbow. A great deal of long, aquatic gra.s.s growing upon these mud flats, seemed to have attracted the black swans, for the number collected there was not estimated at less than five hundred.

The width of the Derwent is contracted in the south-west reach to little more than a quarter of a mile, and we had not rowed far up it before the water became perfectly fresh. The land on both sides rises to hills of moderate elevation, and the rather steep acclivities being well clothed with verdure, they had an agreeable appearance. Our attention was suddenly called from contemplating the country, by the sound of a human voice coming from the hills. There were three people; and as they would not comply with our signs to come down, we landed and went up to them, taking with us a black swan. Two women ran off, but a man, who had two or three spears in his hand, stayed to receive us, and accepted the swan with rapture. He seemed entirely ignorant of muskets, nor did any thing excite his attention or desire except the swan and the red kerchiefs about our necks; he knew, however, that we came from the sloop, and where it was lying. A little knowledge of the Port Jackson, and of the South-Sea-Island languages was of no use in making ourselves understood by this man; but the quickness with which he comprehended our signs spoke in favour of his intelligence. His appearance much resembled that of the inhabitants of New South Wales; he had also marks raised upon the skin, and his face was blackened and hair ruddled as is sometimes practised by them. The hair was either close cropped, or naturally short; but it had not the appearance of being woolly. He acceded to our proposition of going to his hut; but finding from his devious route and frequent stoppages, that he sought to tire our patience, we left him delighted with the certain possession of his swan, and returned to the boat. This was the sole opportunity we had of communicating with any of the natives of Van Diemen's Land.

At one o'clock, when advanced five miles above the elbow, the ebb tide made; and the wind being unfavourable, we landed to dine. The general course of the river had been nearly south-west; but it there turned west-by-north. The width, found by extending a base line, was two hundred and thirty yards, and the depth, as it had generally been in the channel from Herdsman's Cove, was 3 fathoms; but in some parts there may not be more than 2, at low water.

We arrived on board the sloop in the evening, with fourteen swans, in time to get a short distance down the river, before the ebb tide had done running; and no place more convenient than Risdon Cove having offered itself, we anch.o.r.ed there next day, and proceeded to complete our water, and refit the sloop for returning to Port Jackson. The late rains had so much increased the stream at the head of the cove, that our labour was much abridged; and in the evening of Dec. 30, every thing was completed.

This cove is the highest part of the Derwent to which a s.h.i.+p can advance.

There is no danger in proceeding thus far, except off Shoal Point, about two miles below, on the western sh.o.r.e; and on the opposite side, near the echoing cliffs, there are 12 to 17 fathoms. Above Risdon Cove the mud flats commence, and will stop any vessel which draws more than ten or twelve feet; although there be, in some places higher up, from 5 to 8 fathoms. Mount Direction, on the north side of Risdon Cove, forms two round heads which are distinguishable from the entrance of the river, bearing N. 16 W. from Cape Direction. The lat.i.tude observed under the mount, from the moon's meridian alt.i.tude, was 42 48' 12" south; variation of the azimuth compa.s.s on the south side of the cove, 8 28', and of the surveying theodolite 9 15' east; but I found it alter one or two degrees in different places, both in Norfolk Bay and in the Derwent, owing to partial attractions in the land.*

[* Upon the top of Mount Table, the compa.s.s has since been found to vary as much as 20, from one part of the mountain to another.]

In Risdon Cove the tide rises between four and five feet, which is more, by at least a foot, than it appeared to be at the entrance of the river.

The time of high water is _about eight hours after_ the moon's pa.s.sage over the meridian, or one hour later than in Adventure Bay.* In the narrow parts, above Sullivan Cove, the tides run with tolerable regularity, and with some degree of strength; but towards the entrance of the river, the water at the surface sometimes ran down twelve hours together, and at other times as much upwards, whilst the rise and fall by the sh.o.r.e were at the usual periods. These anomalies were probably occasioned by the wind, and seemed not to extend far below the surface; for I found a counter current at the bottom.

[* See Bligh's _Voyage to the South Seas_; page 53.]

The banks of the Derwent are not remarkably high, but the country in general may be termed mountainous. Mount Table, at the back of Sullivan Cove, is supposed to be three-quarters of a mile in height; nor do I think, from having seen it beyond the distance of thirty miles from the sloop's deck, that it can be much less. The publication of Mr. Ba.s.s'

remarks upon the soil and productions of this part of Van Diemen's Land dispenses me from entering upon those subjects; it is sufficient to say, that the reports of them were so favourable as to induce the establishment of a colony on the banks of the Derwent, four years afterward; and that the discoveries which have since been made are marked in the chart.

1799.

The last day of December and the first of January were occupied in beating down to the entrance of the river.

Jan. 2. The wind blew strong from the south-east, with heavy rain; and finding no advantage could be made by beating in Storm Bay, we ran into D'Entrecasteaux's Channel, pa.s.sed the large _North-west Port_, and anch.o.r.ed in Pruen Cove, in 4 fathoms. We landed, so soon as the rain cleared away, and found a small creek in which the water was fresh at a few hundred yards above where it falls into the cove. A tree had been felled on the bank, probably in 1793 or 4 by Mr. Hayes, who called this stream Amelia's River; but it would be very difficult to fill casks here, except when long continued rains should bring the fresh water to the entrance of the creek. The valley through which it comes from the westward, seemed to be of a rich, though damp soil.

On Jan. 3, having a breeze at north-west, we got under way at daylight; and after repa.s.sing the northern entrance of D'Entrecasteaux's Channel, steered across Storm Bay. At two clock I had the following bearings:

Tasman's Head. S. 37 W.

Cape Frederik Henry, S. 71 W.

Quoin Island, distant six miles, N. 28 W.

Low point, distant 1 miles, N. 6 E.

Cape Raoul,* distant 3 miles, S. 71 E.

[* This is the cape which, from its appearance, I had called by the descriptive name of _Cape Basaltes_; not knowing that D'Entrecasteaux, or any other navigator, had previously affixed an appellation. I give it up the more readily, because it is said these columns are not strictly basaltes.]

Cape Pillar opened round Cape Raoul at E. 5 N., and the distance run from one to the other was nine miles. These two high, columnar capes are the extreme points of the land which captain Furneaux took to be Maria's Island. Between them, the sh.o.r.e falls back about four miles, and forms a small bay at the head, where there appeared to be shelter against all winds except those from the southward; and perhaps from those also, for the water seemed to reach behind the inner western point. At five clock we pa.s.sed Tasman's small, cliffy Island and Cape Pillar, and Maria's Island came in sight at N. 6 E. We then hauled up to keep close in with the sh.o.r.e to the northward; but the wind came in such violent puffs down those steep cliffs, that the necessity of steering further off frustrated my intention: the outer Hippolite Rock bore N. 56 W. three miles, at dusk.

Jan. 4. At daylight, Maria's Island appeared to be divided into two, Schouten's Island was visible, and the princ.i.p.al bearings taken were as follow: