Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia Volume I Part 18

June 29.

The following day Mr. Cunningham, being in search of plants, fell in with a party of natives consisting of ten or twelve men; two of them carried each a bundle of spears and a throwing-stick: Mr. Cunningham endeavoured to persuade the three foremost to approach, but they were alarmed at a dog that was with him; seeing this he sent away the only man who accompanied him with the animal, and at last enticed them to draw near.

One of them was an elderly man on whose cheek was a recently-healed spear-wound; after some little communication they were easily induced to follow him towards our tent, but the moment they saw the cutter's mast through the trees they stopped, and could not be prevailed upon to advance a step nearer; and, after devoting some time in watching us from the hills, walked away. Upon Mr. Cunningham's making his appearance with the strangers, I went towards him, to prevail upon them to visit our encampment, but they seemed more anxious that we should follow them, intimating by signs that they would give us something to eat; neither party, however, appearing inclined to yield to the other's invitation, they soon went away.

June 30.

But the next day twelve natives boldly visited our watering party, and followed them to the tent, where they remained some time watching our movements with great attention. They repeatedly made signs for hatchets, but evinced great aversion to a clasp-knife, although its use was shown to them. Mr. Bedwell obtained a s.h.i.+eld from one of them, of a crescented shape, and painted with black stripes; it was made from the wood of the Erythrina indica or coral tree, which grows abundantly near the anchorage. This interview lasted two hours, at the end of which we parted mutually satisfied with each other. Mr. Cunningham saw a kangaroo in one of his walks, but on mentioning the name of the animal, accompanied by a gesture descriptive of its leap, the natives did not appear to understand what was meant, although it was from these very people that Captain Cook obtained the name;* it was therefore thought to be possible, that in the s.p.a.ce of time elapsed since his visit, this word might have become obsolete.

(*Footnote. Hawkesworth volume 3 page 174.)

1819. July 1.

The next day no natives came near us, perhaps by reason of the rainy weather.

July 2.

But on the 2nd whilst our people were at the watering-place was.h.i.+ng their clothes, they were visited by twelve natives, some of whom were strangers: one of them, an elderly man, who had his son with him, a little boy of eight or nine years of age, appeared very morose and captious: everything was done by our people to amuse and keep them in good humour; but upon one of the sailors attempting to comb the head of the youngster, the old gentleman became so violently enraged that Mr.

Bedwell found it necessary to send away the offender, in order to conciliate them, for the whole party had armed themselves with stones.

Peace was thus restored, excepting with the individual before-mentioned, who still continued to be very angry and sulky. When the people left off was.h.i.+ng to go on board to dinner they took their clothes with them, much against the wish of the natives who made signs that they should be left and intrusted to their care; this was however prudently and cautiously refused, for the natives had become very inquisitive, and wished to possess themselves of everything they saw: they then followed our party to the tent and amused themselves about us during dinner. They appeared to be particularly struck with the progress that we had made upon the boat, which had by this time a.s.sumed its shape. Some of them wanted to go on board, but not liking their appearance and fearful of a rupture by being obliged to refuse them many things that were about the decks, and which they would certainly ask for, I desired Mr. Bedwell to divert them from their wish. After dinner our people returned to resume their was.h.i.+ng; and, taking their tubs and clothes, walked towards the watering-place, which was about three hundred yards off. Soon afterwards the natives took their leave, intimating by signs that they were going to eat; but upon pa.s.sing by our people at their was.h.i.+ng-tubs they stopped, and endeavoured to persuade one of the sailors, whose fair complexion led them to imagine that he was of the softer s.e.x, to undress; the man complied with their request so far as to take off his s.h.i.+rt, but upon their requiring still further exposure, he declined it rather unceremoniously, and dressing himself again returned to his occupation.

This opposition to their wishes incensed them so much that they could not help showing it; they then wanted to take some of the clothes away by force, and upon being prevented, their conduct evinced strong signs of an impending rupture; and as two of the natives, one of whom had been on the most friendly terms with us, had armed themselves with spears, which had previously been concealed in the mangrove bushes close at hand, one of our people was immediately despatched to the tent for a musket. The spears were then divided amongst the natives who fixed them in their throwing-sticks ready to throw. They then peremptorily insisted that our people should retire, and leave their clothes behind them, but this being again refused, they became highly enraged, and running off to a little distance made a stand, and threw a spear which pa.s.sed between three of our people, and broke in the ground: seeing that it had not taken effect, another spear was thrown which also fell harmless. At this moment the muskets arrived, and were fired over their heads, upon which they started off at full speed, and were quickly out of sight. The report of the muskets soon brought us to the spot, and being informed of the circ.u.mstance, I became alarmed for Mr. Cunningham's safety, who was alone on an excursion; but as his route was known, Mr. Bedwell and Mr. Roe set off with six men to protect his return; in this they were fortunately successful, having met him about two miles off, just as he was about to take a path that would have led him among the natives; who, had they seen him, would certainly have revenged themselves for their previous defeat and disappointment. They met him in the morning as he was going out, and as they knew the direction in which he went they would certainly have way-laid him.

Nothing more was heard of the Indians during the day, but this rupture made us more watchful. A sentry was appointed on sh.o.r.e to protect the carpenters, and at night four of our people slept close at hand: during the day a masthead watch was kept to prevent surprise, for the gra.s.s about us was so high that they might have approached unperceived and wounded some of our people before we could have been aware of their presence.

Our work however proceeded without molestation, and the only inconvenience experienced was the confinement of Mr. Cunningham to the vicinity of the tent.

July 2 to 4.

We saw no natives until Sunday the 4th when two, whose faces were not familiar to us, came down to the end of the dry sand opposite the cutter and beckoned for us: they had paddled across from the mangroves at the back of the port to the low sandy point that forms the west end of the long north sandy beach, behind which they had left their canoe. Mr.

Bedwell was sent to them in our largest boat, but on his approaching them, and being within ten yards of the beach, they started and ran off with considerable speed towards their canoe. When about half way to it they stopped, and, upon looking back and observing that they were not pursued, beckoned again. Upon seeing this manoeuvre, it was suspected that they might have a strong party concealed at the back of the point, to which they were anxious to decoy our people; the boat was therefore called alongside and armed and again sent after them. By this time they had embarked in their canoe and were paddling with all their strength towards the mangroves on the opposite sh.o.r.e, pursued by our boat until it was stopped by the shoals in the river; the natives, however, easily shoved their canoe over it with poles and soon arrived at the opposite bank, where they were met by several other natives, all of whom immediately retired into the mangrove bushes which concealed them from our view. This manoeuvre was evidently intended to decoy us into their power, and served to increase our caution.

Soon afterwards their fires were seen about a mile behind the mangroves and in the evening the canoe was observed to pa.s.s up the river with the same two natives in it.

July 5.

On the 5th we landed at the long north sandy point, and measured a base line of 231 chains from the point to the end of the beach, where it is terminated by a rocky head that forms the base of a steep hill; this we climbed, and from its summit obtained a very extensive view of the reefs near the coast; but as the weather was too hazy to allow of our making any observation upon distant objects, very few of the reefs in the offing were distinctly seen.

On the beach we pa.s.sed the wreck of a canoe, large enough to carry seven or eight persons; it measured nineteen feet in length, and twenty-two inches in the bilge, and appeared, like that of Blomfield's Rivulet, to be made of the trunk of the Erythrina indica, hollowed out either by fire or by some blunt tool. A piece of teak-wood, one side of which bore the marks of green paint, was found washed up on the beach; it had probably dropped or been thrown overboard from some s.h.i.+p pa.s.sing by; several coconuts which had been evidently washed on sh.o.r.e were also lying above the tides' mark.

July 6.

The next day our boat was completed and painted. During our stay at this harbour the weather was such as would have prevented our moving, even had we no occupation to detain us; for since our arrival the wind had blown little less than a constant gale from the South-East, accompanied with thick rainy weather. This day however appearing finer, I ascended the hill over the tent; but, on reaching the summit, thick weather set in, and deprived me of a sight of the reefs in the offing for which I had princ.i.p.ally taken the walk. In our descent our dog started a kangaroo, but it made its escape before we approached near enough to shoot it.

At night, owing to the strength of the tides, the stern anchor came home, and the cutter swung across the tide.

July 7.

This compelled me to haul out to the bower anchor, and the next morning the cutter was moored in the stream. In the afternoon we again ascended the hills over the anchorage and had a more favourable opportunity of seeing the reefs in the offing, several of which were set.

July 8.

The following morning Mr. Roe and Mr. Cunningham examined the river as far as the boat could penetrate. From Mr. Roe's report the country was low and of unpromising appearance. The river took its course by a very tortuous channel through a low country: for two or three miles from the entrance its banks are overrun with dense forests of mangroves; but beyond this they are superseded by red earthy cliffs, on which was growing abundance of the Hibiscus tiliaceus. Further back the country is open and gra.s.sy, upon which a stunted eucalyptus is common; here Mr.

Cunningham found two species of grevillea, and the sago palm (Cycas media) which also grows near the mouth of the river, above which the Seaforthia elegans occasionally raised its towering head, and with its picturesque foliage served to vary and enrich the scene.

Mr. Cunningham, in return for the plants he collected, sowed peach and apricot stones in many parts near the banks.

The river is generally very shallow, but at nine miles from the mouth the water is fresh. At the place where the party turned back the width was not more than six yards. On their return they examined another arm on the north side, which proving inconsiderable, and the evening being far advanced, they did not delay to examine it.

July 10.

On the 10th our boat was launched and preparations were made for leaving the place which has afforded us so good an opportunity of repairing our defects.

The basis of the country in the vicinity of this river is evidently granitic; and, from the abrupt and primitive appearance of the land about Cape Tribulation and to the north of Weary Bay, there is every reason to suppose that granite is also the princ.i.p.al feature of those mountains; but the rocks that lie loosely scattered about the beaches and surface of the hills on the south side of the entrance are of quartzose substance; and this likewise is the character of the hills at the east end of the long northern beach, where the rocks are coated with a quartzose crust, that in its crumbled state forms a very unproductive soil. The hills on the south side of the port recede from the banks of the river and form an amphitheatre of low gra.s.sy land, and some tolerable soil upon the surface of which, in many parts, we found large blocks of granite heaped one upon another. Near the tent we found coal; but the presence of this mineral in a primitive country, at an immense distance from any part where a coal formation is known to exist, would puzzle the geologist, were I not to explain all I know upon the subject. Upon referring to the late Sir Joseph Banks's copy of the Endeavour's log (in the possession of my friend Mr. Brown) I found the following remark, under date of 21st and 22nd June, 1770. "Employed getting our coals on sh.o.r.e." This is also confirmed in the account of the voyage;* and, when it is taken into consideration that we found it on no other part than the very spot that Captain Cook's coals must, from our local knowledge of the place, have been landed, the difficulty ceases; and there remains no doubt but that it is a relic of that navigator's voyage, which must have been lying undisturbed for nearly half a century.

(*Footnote. Hawkesworth volume 3 page 155.)

Among the varieties of seeds which were collected at this river were the following: Grevillea gibbosa; a species of leea; a ca.s.sia; a species of dalea, remarkable for its simple foliage; two species of melaleuca, one bearing a white, the other a crimson flower; an acacia; two species of the natural order convolvolaceae, namely, Ipomoea sp. and Ipomoea gracilis; and a species of the natural order leguminosae allied to galega; Erythrina indica or the coral-tree; several species of eucalyptus; a xanthorrhoea; and a great number of other curious plants which will appear whenever the catalogue of Mr. Cunningham's extensive botanical collection is published.

July 11.

On the 11th at daybreak it was intended that we should leave the river, but the weather being very thick and foggy with no wind, we were compelled to remain. During the morning two natives, whom we afterwards recognised to be the same that came down to the dry sands last Sunday, were perceived walking from the north end of the long sandy beach towards the point; and as they pa.s.sed abreast of us they frequently hailed. Soon after they had disappeared round the point they were seen to paddle in a canoe towards the mangroves on the opposite sh.o.r.e; they were armed with spears, and were perhaps returning from a hunting excursion. Soon after this they were again perceived paddling along the edge of the mangroves, apparently engaged in spearing fish with a fiz-gig; which the striker used in a similar way to that of the natives of Port Jackson; but from the leisurely manner in which they proceeded it was evidently their intention to approach us under pretence of fis.h.i.+ng.

They were soon lost sight of by the intervention of the land of the south-east corner of the port, but in half an hour re-appeared behind the point which was about fifty yards off. As soon as they found themselves perceived they uttered some unintelligible words, and made signs of friends.h.i.+p by patting their b.r.e.a.s.t.s; upon which Mr. Roe went in the jolly-boat, and endeavoured to bring them alongside by keeping their canoe close to his boat and gently pulling towards the vessel; but upon their evincing symptoms of fear as they drew nigh he released them, and beckoned them to follow, which they did for some few seconds; but then gradually edging off, increased their distance from us; after this Mr.

Roe came on board and by our entirely disregarding their presence and paying no attention to their movements, the natives a.s.sumed confidence and landed to examine the place where our boat had been constructed, which they did with great minuteness; upon this some biscuits were thrown to them from the vessel, which they picked up and pretended to eat.

Finding that we were not inclined to take any further notice of them, they soon afterwards re-embarked, and, paddling over to the opposite sh.o.r.e, disappeared round the sandy point.

Early the next morning we succeeded in getting out of the port, but not without difficulty on account of the baffling winds which blew in eddies round the hill. After clearing the bar, the weather began to re-a.s.sume its threatening appearance, but tired of the delay of waiting for fine weather we determined to proceed, and steered for Cape Bedford.

July 12.

Having reached this the course was directed for Cape Flattery, on our way to which we steered between the Three Isles Group and a low island. On pa.s.sing round Cape Flattery our course was directed to Point Lookout, and within the Turtle Island Group, but to seaward of the islands, q. Shortly afterwards the islands of Howick's Group were seen to seaward on our bow, and other low isles ahead; and beyond these was n.o.ble Island. Upon reaching Howick's Group, a favourable place offering under the lee of the southernmost island, Number 3, we hauled in and anch.o.r.ed in the strait or channel that separates it from Number 2. The island, Number 3, being low, protected us only from the swell, and as the wind blew fresh from the South-East during the night, with a cross tide, the cutter rode very uneasily.

July 13.

At four o'clock the next morning the cutter was found to have drifted at least half a mile to leeward, but whether during the first or middle part of the night it was not easy to discover; had the island Number 2 been a quarter of a mile nearer, we should have had little chance of escaping s.h.i.+pwreck, for the night was very dark, and her distance did not exceed that when she was brought up by veering cable. As it was we were so near to the rocks that in making preparations to weigh, we had every reason to expect at least the loss of our anchor. We succeeded, however, in heaving short, and hoisting the sails without starting it; but it soon after tripped, and the cutter at the same time casting the wrong way, I was on the point of ordering the cable to be cut from the bows, when the wind so favoured us as to enable the cutter to weather the reef; all sail was instantly made and happily we succeeded both in clearing the reef, which we pa.s.sed at the distance of a cables' length, and saving our anchor, which was quickly hove up and secured.

After escaping this danger our course was directed to pa.s.s outside of n.o.ble Island, in our way to which four small wooded isles were left insh.o.r.e of our track, and named, at Mr. Roe's request, after Captain Sir Christopher Cole, K.C.B. Between this group and n.o.ble Island two dry sands were observed. Cape Bowen, so named by Lieutenant Jeffreys, is a remarkable projection in the hills, but not on the coast, for it rather forms a bay. To the northward of it the hills fall back with some appearance of a rivulet, but the sandy beach was traced from the masthead, and the opening, if any, was suspected to be a stream communicating with Ninian Bay. To the eastward of our course, abreast of Point Barrow, is a shoal, s, about three miles long, whose rocks showed their heads above the water; beyond this the weather was too hazy to observe anything.

Point Barrow is eleven miles to the northward of Cape Bowen, and is a narrow promontory forming the south head of a deep bay which I intended to anchor in and examine; for it bore the name of PORT Ninian in Lieutenant Jeffrey's chart; but on entering it our soundings rapidly decreased to three and a half fathoms long before Point Barrow sheltered us from the wind. After steering over to the north side and ascertaining that the shoal water extended across the bay we stood out again, and resumed a course along the most rugged and most stony land I ever saw; the stones are all of rounded form and heaped up in a most extraordinary and confused manner, as if it were effected by some extraordinary convulsion of nature. Might they not have been of diluvian origin? This promontory was named by Lieutenant Jeffreys, Cape Melville. At half past one o'clock we pa.s.sed between the straggling rocks which lie off the Cape and Pipon Island; and as we hauled round Cape Melville into Bathurst Bay the soundings suddenly decreased upon the edge of a bank, and our endeavours to find anchorage here were unsuccessful; we therefore stood across the bay towards Cape Flinders which is the extremity of a group of islands of high and rugged character forming the western head of Bathurst Bay.

On approaching the Cape we saw with surprise the wreck of a vessel thrown upon the rocks, with her masts and yards lying around her in the greatest confusion; her hull was divided; the stem and forecastle deck were lying in one place, and her stern frame with part of her quarterdeck in another. At some distance from her there were some things like two boats hauled up on the beach, but not the least sign of her crew.

As it was too late in the evening to examine any further we pa.s.sed on, and, rounding the Cape, anch.o.r.ed on its west side under a flat-topped hill, in ten fathoms and a half, sandy mud.

July 14.

The next morning Mr. Bedwell and Mr. Cunningham accompanied me to examine the wreck. On pulling round the Cape we found it impossible to land near her on account of the surf which, from the freshness of the wind blowing directly upon the place where she was thrown up, was breaking heavily; we therefore landed on the opposite side of the bay and walked round to examine the boats; but on reaching the place we found they were canoes of the natives, of similar construction to that seen on the beach at Endeavour River. In one of them was the apparatus for striking turtles which has been noticed by Captain Cook.* Woodcut 4 is descriptive of the instrument and of the manner in which it is used.

(*Footnote. Hawkesworth Coll. volume 3 page 232.)