Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia Volume I Part 5

Great then was my joy when all my preparations were completed and I felt the vessel gliding swiftly from Table Bay into that vast ocean at the other extremity of which lay the land I so longed to see, and to which I was now bound with the ardent hope of opening the way for the conversion of a barren wilderness into a fertile garden.

Part of my plan was not only to introduce all useful animals that I possibly could into this part of Australia, but also the most valuable plants of every description. For this purpose, a collection had been made at Tenerife by Mr. Walker, under my direction, and another in South America,* including the seeds of the cotton plant. From the Cape and from England I had also procured other useful plants, and had planned that the vessel, on quitting Timor with the horses, should be filled in every vacant s.p.a.ce with young cocoa-nut trees and other fruits, together with useful animals such as goats and sheep, in addition to the stock we conveyed from the Cape.

(*Footnote. We had been able to introduce several useful plants into the Cape; amongst others the South American Yam, which, owing to the quality of the potatoes and their great fluctuations in price, will eventually be very serviceable to the colonists, more especially for the use of whalers.)

CHAPTER 3. FROM THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE TO HANOVER BAY.

NATURAL HISTORY.

FORSTER'S PACHYPTILA (Pachyptila vittata.)

October 16.

I shot a female petrel; it had a nail planted in the heel, but no thumb; the bill was hooked at the end, the extremity of which seemed to consist of a distinct piece, articulated with the remainder; the nostrils were united, and formed a tube laid on the back of the upper mandible, hence it belonged to the family of Petrels (Procellariae.)

Its temperature was 94 degrees.

Length from tip to tip of wing, 2 feet 3 inches.

Length from tip of beak to tip of tail, 1 foot 2.4 inches.

Length from root to tip of tail, 4 inches.

Length of beak, 1.45 inches.

Length of foot, 1.55 inches.

Breadth across body, 2.3 inches.

Colour of beak and legs black; body white underneath; general colour above, a light bluish slate, which grows darker in the head and wing covers; tail tipped with black; the four first wing feathers tinged with black.

CAPE PIGEONS.

I also shot this afternoon three Cape pigeons (Procellaria capensis) white underneath, spotted black and white above.

FIRST SPECIMEN--Female.

Temperature, 98 1/2 degrees.

Length from tip to tip of wing, 2 feet 11.3 inches.

Length from tip of tail to tip of beak, 1 foot 6 inches.

Length from tip of beak, 1.5 inches.

Length from root to tip of tail,4.1 inches.

Length of foot, 2.3 inches.

Breadth across body, 3.2 inches.

SECOND SPECIMEN.

Length from tip to tip of wing, 2 feet 5 inches.

Length from tip of tail to tip of beak, 1 foot 5 inches.

Length from tip of beak, 1.5 inches.

Length from root to tip of tail, 4 inches.

Length of foot, 2.3 inches.

Breadth across body, 3 inches.

THIRD SPECIMEN--Female.

Length from tip to tip of wing, 2 feet 5.5 inches.

Length from tip of tail to tip of beak, 1 foot 4.6 inches.

Length from tip of beak, 1.3 inches.

Length from root to tip of tail, 4.6 inches.

Length of foot, 2.2 inches.

Breadth across body, 3.4 inches.

Two species of insects were found in these Cape pigeons.

The only difference I have been able to observe between the male and female of these birds is, that the male has the black spots of rather a deeper hue.

October 21. Lat.i.tude 38 degrees 15 south; longitude 35 degrees 53 minutes east.

From a variety of observations I am able to bear testimony to the correctness of a fact that has been before noticed, namely, that the Medusae invariably live in families. This single circ.u.mstance is remarkable in connection with other points of natural history since it will tend to explain the reason of certain cla.s.ses of Petrels (Procellariae) only visiting particular parts of the ocean.

Sunday October 22. Lat.i.tude 37 degrees 44 minutes south; longitude 38 degrees 00 east.

Caught two small animals, one closely resembling a small shrimp (Penaeus) but having the head covered with a most beautiful purple s.h.i.+eld. I kept this alive in a jug. The other in size and appearance exactly like a purple grape (Hyalea) with a greenish tinge at one extremity surrounding an aperture, and a distinct aperture at the other extremity. It was 0.4 inches in diameter, and had the power of emitting a phosph.o.r.escent light.

I have since this period found several varieties of this animal; which, when it expands itself, closely resembles an insect, and has little wings. Further on will be found a sketch of these animals in their expanded state. (See ill.u.s.tration Hyalea figure 1.)

THE ALBATROSS (Diomedea exulans).

We caught four of these birds yesterday, from which I made the following measurements:

FIRST SPECIMEN. Weight, 19 1/2 pounds.

Length from tip of wing to tip of wing, 10 feet 2 inches.

Length from tip of beak to tip of tail, 4 feet 0.5 inches.

Length of beak, 6.8 inches.

Length from root to tip of tail, 10.0 inches.

Length of foot, 7.6 inches.

Length of wing, 4 feet 8 inches.

Height from ground, 2 feet 10 inches.

Temperature 98 degrees, the thermometer placed under the tongue during life. These measurements were all made during the lifetime of the bird.

SECOND SPECIMEN. Weight, 15 1/2 pounds.

Length from tip of wing to tip of wing, 10 feet.

Length from tip of beak to tip of tail, 3 feet 11 inches.

Length of beak, 6.6 inches.

Height from ground to top of head, 2 feet 4 inches.

Temperature 98 degrees.

THIRD SPECIMEN. The largest bird of the kind I have hitherto seen.

Length from tip of wing to tip of wing, 10 feet 8 inches.

Length from tip of beak to tip of tail, 4 feet 6 inches.