Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia by Phillip Parker King
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Phillip Parker King >> Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia
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(*Footnote. See Note above.)
On his reaching the edge of the water, he found the sand so soft that at
every step his feet sunk three or four inches, which so distressed him
and impeded his progress that he must soon have fallen overpowered with
fatigue had not the sudden appearance of our people, at the same time
that it inspired him with fresh hopes of escape, arrested the progress of
the natives, who, after throwing two or three spears without effect,
stopped and gave him time to join our party, quite spent with the
extraordinary effort he had made to save his life.
Whilst this event occurred I was employed on board in constructing my
rough chart, but upon Mr. Roe's being seen from the deck in the act of
running along the beach pursued by the Indians, I hastened on shore,
determined if possible to punish them for such unprovoked hostility. Upon
landing, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Roe, and one of the men joined me in pursuit of
the natives; but from our comparatively slow movements and our ignorance
of the country, we returned after an hour without having seen any signs
of them; in the evening before our people left off work we made another
circuitous walk, but with the same bad success. The natives had taken the
alarm and nothing more was seen of them during the remainder of our stay,
excepting the smokes of their fires which appeared over the trees at the
back of the island.
Previous to this attack upon Mr. Roe the natives had probably been
following Mr. Hunter; and were doubtless deterred from attacking him by
witnessing the destructive effects of his gun among a flight of
cockatoos, five or six of which he brought away, and left as many more
hopping about the grass wounded and making the woods re-echo with their
screams. When Mr. Hunter parted from Mr. Roe the natives remained to
watch the latter gentleman; and no sooner had he discharged his gun,
which they found was of no use until it was reloaded, than they commenced
their attack; and from the known dexterity of the natives of this country
in throwing the spear it was not a little surprising that they missed him
so repeatedly.
Before we embarked for the night I walked with Mr. Roe to the place where
he was attacked, in order to look for the spears that had been thrown at
him and for the cartridges he had lost; but as neither were found, we
were revengeful enough to hope that the natives would burn their fingers
with the powder, an event not at all unlikely to occur, from their
ignorance of the dangerous effect of placing the cartridges near the
fire, which they would be sure to do.
During our visit we were fortunate in having very fine weather; and
although it was very hazy we did not experience that excessive heat
which, from the advanced state of the season, had been expected. The
thermometer ranged between 73 and 83 degrees; but the regularity and
strength of the sea-breezes tended materially to keep the air cool and
pleasant.
August 25.
On the 25th the gentlemen visited Sims' Island, where they found a
considerable quantity of fresh water in holes that had apparently been
dug for the purpose by the Malays. Among the insects which they brought
back with them was a very fine species of cimex; it was found in great
numbers upon the foliage of Hibiscus tiliaceus.
In the evening we left the bay.
August 26.
And the next morning passed to the northward of New Year's Island in
order to avoid the calm weather which was experienced at the same season
last year.
Off the entrance of Van Diemen's Gulf (Dundas Strait) we passed through
large quantities of sea sawdust, some of which was put into a bottle; and
when the process of putrefaction had taken place the substance sunk to
the bottom and coloured the water with a crimson tinge.
1820. September 3.
After passing the meridian of Cape Van Diemen our course was directed
towards Captain Baudin's Banc des Holothuries near Cape Bougainville; but
being impeded by calms and light winds did not reach it until the 3rd of
September, when we passed between its south-east extremity and Troughton
Island. Before dark we passed over the north extremity of the long reef
to the westward of Cape Bougainville.
September 5.
The following day at noon we were near Condillac Island, after which a
sea-breeze from the westward enabled us to pass Cape Voltaire, at which
point our last year's survey terminated. When we were within the Cape we
found an ebb-tide setting out of a bight, which trended deeply in to the
southward and appeared to be studded with rocky islands. This adverse
tide continued to run all the evening and prevented our reaching the
bottom; so that at sunset we dropped the anchor a few miles to the south
of Cape Voltaire.
To the westward of this position we counted twenty-three islands, the
northernmost of which were supposed to be the Montalivet Isles of Baudin.
The whole have an uninteresting and rocky appearance but are not
altogether destitute of vegetation: a greenish tinge upon the nearest
islet saved them from being condemned as absolutely sterile.
September 6.
The next morning a boat visited the outer north-easternmost islet, named
in the chart Water Island, which was found to be as rocky in reality as
it was in appearance. It is formed of a hard granular quartzose
sandstone, of a bluish-gray colour; the basis is disposed in horizontal
strata but the surface is covered with large amorphous rocks of the same
character that have evidently been detached and heaped together by some
convulsion of nature: over these a shallow soil is sprinkled, which
nourishes our old acquaintance spinifex, and a variety of plants of which
Mr. Cunningham collected more than twenty distinct known genera. The
exposed surfaces of the rocks are coloured by the oxide of iron, which is
so generally the case upon the northern and north-western coasts that the
name of Red Coast might with some degree of propriety be applied to a
great portion of this continent.
Mr. Hunter found a large quantity of bulbous-rooted plants; they proved
to be a liliaceous plant of the same species as those which we had before
found upon Sims' Island, the islands of Flinders' Group on the eastern
coast, and at Percy Island.
A meridional altitude of the sun was obtained on the north side of the
island; and before we embarked the boat's crew found fresh water enough
to fill our barica: this was so unusual a discovery that the island was
complimented with a name which will serve rather to record the fact than
to distinguish it as a place where so important an article of refreshment
may be procured with certainty. In the rainy season a large quantity may
always be obtained from cisterns, or holes, which were observed naturally
formed upon the surface of the rocks.
The marks of a turtle were noticed upon the beach; and near them was the
impression of a native's foot as well as the broken shells of some
turtles' eggs which had very recently been eaten. This discovery set the
boat's crew on the search for other nests but they were unsuccessful.
An extensive view of the surrounding islands was obtained from its
summit, as well as a set of bearings for the survey of this Sound, which
was named at Mr. Hunter's request after Robert Montagu, Esquire, Admiral
of the White.
A sea-breeze set in before we left the island: upon arriving on board we
got underweigh and at four o'clock anchored near the bottom of the bay
(Swift's Bay) in the entrance of a strait separating Kater's Island from
the main.
In the evening we landed upon the south-east end of Kater's Island and
found it to be in character, both geologically and botanically, very
similar to Water Island; excepting that there was more vegetation upon it
in the shape of shrubs and trees. The surface of the ground was covered
by spinifex, which rendered our walking both difficult and painful; this
plant diffuses a strong aromatic odour, which quality it possesses, as it
were, to counterbalance the annoying effects of its prickly foliage.
September 7.
The next day Mr. Bedwell examined a small inlet at the bottom of the bay.
It proved to be merely a salt-water creek bounded by rocks and mangroves.
Traces of natives were observed; and he brought on board with him the
remains of a fish-pot, nine feet long, made of strips of Flagellaria
indica, but so imperfect and disfigured that we could not readily
convince ourselves either of its particular construction or use. In the
evening we found a few gallons of water in a hollow near the beach upon
the south shore of the strait. During Mr. Bedwell's absence a hot
land-wind from South-East sprung up and raised the temperature to 90
degrees.
The peculiar verdure of the vegetation in all parts hereabout was a proof
that this part of the country had suffered less from drought than the
coast to the eastward. The traces of a small species of kangaroo were
found in every part but our appearance had frightened them away. The food
of this animal appeared to be principally the seeds and leaves of an
acacia which they reach easily from the rocks.
Mr. Cunningham, who was as usual most indefatigable in adding to his
collection, observed one of the large nests that have been so frequently
before described. It was six feet in diameter, formed principally of
sticks, among which was found a piece of bamboo about five feet long,
that had evidently been cut at its extremities by a sharp-edged tool,
probably by the Malays. Whatever the inhabitant of this nest might have
been it was doubtless a bird of considerable size and power to have
transported a stick of such a length.
September 8.
The next morning after Mr. Roe had sounded the strait that separates
Kater's Island from the main we got underweigh and passed through it; and
then rounding a high island named after Dr. W.H. Wollaston, we steered to
the westward through a group of islets which were too numerous to be
correctly placed in a running survey. To the westward of Wollaston Island
is a deep bay which, from the broken appearance of the coast at the back,
there is some reason to think may prove the embouchure of a small
rivulet; but as it was not of sufficient importance to cause delay it was
passed with the appellation of Mudge Bay. In the evening we anchored off
an island named on account of the peculiar shape of a rock near the beach
Capstan Island; and as it wanted yet an hour to sunset we landed and
ascended the summit which, from its very rugged ascent, was no easy task.
A view however from this elevated station, and an amplitude of the
setting sun, repaid me for my trouble; and Mr. Cunningham increased his
collection by the addition of some interesting plants and a few papers of
seeds.
The distance that the French expedition kept from this part of the coast,
of which M. De Freycinet so often and so justly complains, prevented it
from ascertaining the detail of its shores: in fact very few parts of it
were seen at all. Commodore Baudin's Cape Chateaurenaud must be some low
island which we did not see, unless it was the outermost of our Prudhoe
Islands.
Montagu Sound is bounded on the west by an island of considerable size
which was named in compliment to John Thomas Bigge, Esquire, his
Majesty's late Commissioner of Inquiry into the state of the colony of
New South Wales. Bigge Island is separated from the main by a strait
named after the Reverend Thomas Hobbes Scott, now Archdeacon of New South
Wales, formerly Secretary to the above commission.
September 9.
The next morning we steered through Scott's Strait but not without
running much risk on account of the muddy state of the water, and from
the rocky nature of its channel. It was however passed without accident;
but as the tide prevented our doubling Cape Pond the anchor was dropped,
and the evening spent on shore upon a rocky island that fronts the Cape,
from the summit of which an extensive set of bearings was taken. The land
was observed to trend in very deeply to the southward of Cape Pond and
the western horizon was bounded by a range of islands on which were two
hills of sugarloaf form. This island, like Capstan Island, is a heap of
sandstone rocks, clothed with the usual quantity of spinifex and small
shrubs. A path of the natives was observed winding among the grass and on
the beach were the marks of feet. The tide fell whilst we were on shore
twenty-two feet.
September 10.
The next morning we steered round Cape Pond and entered the opening; but,
the wind being contrary, we did not reach farther than Anderdon's
Islands, where the night was passed.
September 11.
The next day we took advantage of the flood-tide and before high water
anchored where the depth at low water was three fathoms. The tide
subsequently rose twenty-eight feet.
We were now at the bottom of a very extensive harbour bounded by bold and
irregular ranges of precipitous rocky hills, particularly on its eastern
side, where three or four peaks were noticed, among which were Manning
Peak and Mount Anderdon. Under these hills was the mouth of a large
opening; and to the eastward of the anchorage we observed another of
greater size but not so interesting in its appearance as the former.
The country hereabout, although equally rocky and rugged, is more wooded
than that to the north-east; and from the number of fires that were
burning there is reason to suppose it is more populous. We therefore
prepared to examine the two openings in view, with sanguine expectations
of finding something to repay us for the numerous disappointments we had
already encountered.
September 12.
And the next morning Mr. Hunter accompanied me to explore the opening
under Manning Peak whilst Mr. Roe and Mr. Cunningham embarked in another
boat to examine the river that falls into the bottom of the bay.
After landing at the entrance of the opening we proceeded up a
considerable reach, bounded on either side by precipitous rocks, in some
parts from two to three hundred feet in height. This reach extends four
miles; and being from five to seven fathoms deep, and more than half a
mile wide, forms an excellent port: half way up on the north side is a
wide inlet; probably the embouchure of a mountain stream, for it appeared
to wind under the base of Manning Peak. We landed in many parts on search
of fresh water but were on all occasions unsuccessful. At the end of this
reach the river, for such it now appeared to be, gradually narrowed and
wound with a more serpentine course under the base of the hills which
still continued to be rugged and steep; but the banks were now thickly
lined by mangroves, whereas in the first or sea reach they are formed
principally of large rounded masses of rock that had been detached from
the summits of the overhanging hills by the effect of the cascades, some
of which must have fallen from a height of 200 feet without interruption
in their descent. During the rainy season it would be dangerous to expose
a vessel to the strength of the freshes in this river.
At the distance of six miles from the end of the first reach we arrived
at the termination of the river where its width was not more than
twenty-five yards. Here its bed was blocked up by large water-worn masses
of sandstone and, as the boat could not proceed farther, we landed to
await the turn of the tide.
About a mile below this part we had unexpectedly found a spring of fresh
water bubbling up among the mangroves and yielding a very considerable
quantity: whilst we were examining it the tide was nearly up so that we
had only time to fill our barica and kettle before the salt water flowed
over and mixed with it.
During our detention here we ascended the hills over the landing-place to
examine the country; but on reaching the top after a rugged and difficult
walk, higher hills obstructed our view in every direction. The bed of the
river appeared to continue for some distance through a deep gully formed
by precipitous hills. In the wet season this is doubtless a very
considerable stream; and then perhaps the water is fresh as low as the
upper part of the first reach. At this time the holes in the rocks were
filled with fresh water but the tide flowed up as far as it was navigable
for our boat. The trees on the tops and sides of the hills had lately
been burned: in the shady parts however near the water, the shore was
lined with several plants which had escaped destruction; among them was a
species of nutmeg (Myristica insipida, Brown), a tree of twenty-five feet
high (Maba laurina, Brown), and on the top of the hills and shelving
places halfway down were observed several coniferous trees that resembled
the Callitris ventenat, or Australian cypress, which grows in the
interior of the colony at Port Jackson: they were at this season in
fruit.
A steep peaked hill near our landing-place was named Donkin's Hill after
the inventor of the preserved meats; upon a canister of which our party
dined. This invention is now so generally known that its merits do not
require to be recorded here; we had lately used a case that was preserved
in 1814 which was equally good with some that had been packed up in 1818.
This was the first time it had been employed upon our boat excursions and
the result fully answered every expectation, as it prevented that
excessive and distressing thirst from which, in all other previous
expeditions, we had suffered very much.
On our return we landed at the spring. The tide had covered it; but upon
searching another was found farther back among the mangroves, supplying
at the rate of two to three gallons a minute; a discovery so valuable
that the river was thought worthy of a name and it was called after my
companion Mr. Hunter, who shared my pleasure in the gratification of
finding what we had hitherto thought, at this season, totally wanting
near the coast.
No signs of natives were observed, unless the country, having been lately
fired, might indicate their having been in these parts; but, from the
very rugged nature of the hills, it is not probable they frequent the
neighbourhood of the river.
Kangaroos' tracks were seen and a small opossum observed skipping about
the rocks. On our return down the river we landed on several parts where
the depth of the gullies and the verdure of the trees indicated a
probability of our finding fresh water, but in vain; not a drop was
obtained.
On returning we were left by the ebbing tide upon a bank of mud; being
however near low water, we had only to exercise our patience for two
hours. We reached the vessel by eleven o'clock at night.
Mr. Roe did not return until sunset of the following day from his
examination of the river which falls into the bottom of the port. When he
left the cutter he pulled to a hill at the entrance of the river, which
had been pointed out to him as probably affording an easy ascent and from
which he would obtain a commanding view of the country to guide his
proceedings. From this elevation the country around appeared to be very
stony and barren, although he fancied there was some approach towards
improvement; the banks of the river were low and lined with mangroves and
intersected by many small saltwater inlets extending through the low
country to the foot of the back hills; at low water the shore is fronted
by a bank of mud, ten or twelve yards wide, and so soft as to prevent
landing. Whilst he was employed at the summit of the hill in taking
bearings, twelve natives with two dogs made their appearance on the
opposite shore which was separated from the hill on which Mr. Roe landed
by a soft mud flat. The natives attempted to cross to him, shouting
loudly as they advanced, but when halfway over they desisted and slowly
returned. When Mr. Roe descended he perceived several fresh prints of the
human foot on the mud, from which he supposed that there were already
some natives upon the island. There were several large fires burning in
various directions and one was kindled by the natives on the opposite
bank.*
(*Footnote. The natives of this part were seen by Tasman, according to
the following note of Burgomaster Witsen, as published in Mr. Dalrymple's
Papua. "In 14 degrees 58 minutes South, longitude 138 degrees 59 minutes
(about 125 degrees East) the people are savage, and go naked: none can
understand them.")
A snake about seven feet long was the only animal our party saw, but the
dung of the kangaroo was as usual plentifully spread in all directions.
From this station, which was seven miles from the mouth, they followed
the course of the river, first on an easterly direction for ten miles,
and then it took a sudden turn to the southward and trended alternately
South by East and South by West for fifteen miles; at this part the river
was upwards of seventy yards wide; the banks were lined with mangroves
but the rocks rose precipitously behind them to the height of three
hundred feet. Here our party landed to pass the night, and before dark
Mr. Roe and his companion Mr. Cunningham with one of the boat's crew
climbed the ridge over their heads but encountered much difficulty before
they reached the summit, from which they could discover nothing but
ridges beyond ridges of rocky wooded hills, precisely similar to what
they were upon. One higher than the rest was discerned about ten miles
off to the eastward. No signs of human beings were noticed.
The top of the hill was strewed about with ant-hills constructed of dry
dusty sand, and this was the only substance that could be called soil;
but notwithstanding all this sterility there were trees of the eucalyptus
family growing from twenty to forty feet high; and one was measured whose
diameter was as much as eighteen inches.
The rocks are of sandstone, in nearly horizontal strata, coated with a
crust of crystallized quartz and coloured by a ferruginous oxide.
On their return to the tent they made preparations to pass the night; and
as it was prudent, if possible, to keep the boat afloat, one of the men
was stationed in her for that purpose; but, overpowered by fatigue, he
fell asleep and the boat in a short time was left dry upon the mud; the
party on shore were continually disturbed during the night by what was
thought to be the rushing of alligators into the water beneath them, but
the noise was probably occasioned by stones and lumps of mud falling into
it as the tide ebbed; a splash, however, that they heard on the opposite
side was very likely an alligator, for they had seen one swimming as they
pulled up the river. On hearing this Mr. Roe became very much alarmed on
account of the boat-keeper, but no pains to apprize him of his danger had
any effect: the only reply that could be got from him was, "Damn the
alligators," and the next moment he was asleep again; fortunately for him
no alligator came near enough to make him repent his foolhardy
insensibility.
The width of the stream at low water, which was quite salt, was not more
than twenty-five feet. When the flood commenced it came in so rapidly
that the water rose five feet in ten minutes: altogether it rose
twenty-four feet; but driftwood and dead branches of trees were noticed
among the rocks at least fourteen feet above the ordinary high-water
mark, indicating, at other seasons, the frequency of strong freshes or
floods. One of the pieces of driftwood had been cut by a sharp
instrument.
Mr. Roe further says, "From the appearance of the country and the steep
hills, generally about three hundred feet high, among which this river
winds, there can be little doubt of its being, during the rainy season, a
considerable fresh-water stream; and as I consider the length of its
various windings to be twenty-six or twenty-seven miles, there is every
prospect of its being navigable for our boat for at least half that
distance farther. Fish were plentiful, but principally of that sort which
the sailors call cat fish; of these several were caught. Small birds were
numerous, together with white cockatoos, cuckoos, some birds with very
hoarse discordant notes, and one whose note resembled the beating of a
blacksmith's hammer upon an anvil. At daybreak they all exerted
themselves in full chorus, and I should then have proceeded farther, but
the tide was half out, and a soft mud-bank forty feet broad fronting the
shore cut off our communication with the boat."
As soon as the ebb-tide began to make Mr. Roe embarked on his return; and
during his passage down saw as many as twelve alligators. Two were fired
at but the balls glanced off their tough coats of mail without hurting or
scarcely frightening them. A small trickling of water was noticed among
the rocks, which they found to be fresh but in too small a quantity to be
of any use. The boat was six hours and a half pulling down although for
the first five hours the tide was favourable.
The river was named after the rector of Newbury, the reverend father of
my zealous and diligent assistant Mr. Roe. It appears to be a very
considerable stream and, as Mr. Roe justly observes, in the rainy season
or at any other time of the year than during the months of September and
October, which terminate the dry season, will doubtless afford a large
quantity of fresh water.
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