Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia Volume II Part 14

On going down to the sea I found many species of starfish. I brought away three species of these with me. Two Species Pentagonal; one species Quadrilateral.

First species Pentagonal length of side 0.55 inch.

Second species Pentagonal length of side 0.50 inch.

Quadrilateral length of side 0.55 inch.

I found a sort of worm in the coral which had the power of extending its head like an English worm; its body then appeared to be composed of two portions, the fore part being much slighter than the other. Its dimensions were:

Length of fore part of body 0.4 inch.

Length of hind part 0.6 inch.

Breadth, or diameter of cylinder 0.1 inch.

In the coral there was also another insect, not unlike a centipede.

Length 0.9 inch.

Breadth at head 0.08 inch.

In the inmost recesses of the coral there was a minute bivalve sh.e.l.l and also a very minute species of crab.

One remarkable circ.u.mstance relating to St. Helena is that it is of a basaltic formation exactly resembling that of the Isle of France and the North-west of New Holland; and that, although so widely separated in longitude, these places lie in nearly the same lat.i.tude.

When you quit the sandstone ranges of the North-west of Australia reptiles which have been before very numerous at once become scarce. I never saw a snake in this great basaltic district although there were plenty in the sandstone. This however is only negative evidence. Brookes, in his History of St. Helena (second edition page 24) says: "There are neither frogs, toads, nor snakes in the island." In the Isle of Bourbon there are neither toads nor snakes. In the Mauritius likewise there are neither toads nor snakes, and only one species of frog, whilst the bones of the land tortoise (Testudo indica) are only found in a fossil state.

Also, the highest land in St. Helena is 2800 feet; in the Mauritius about 2900 feet (scarcely); and in the volcanic district of North-west Australia about the same height.

July 26. At sea.

We caught a great variety of shrimp-like animals; these little things when disturbed emitted a brilliant phosph.o.r.escent light. We saw scarcely any gelatinous animals.

July 29.

Caught two small crabs (Nautilograpsus); these species have the power of swimming by means of the fringe-like fins with which their legs are provided. Several other crabs were also caught; some with their eggs attached, and two varieties of shrimp-like animals with eggs. Where these were abundant the sea was very luminous. Four or five of these were of a brilliant prussian blue colour, with silver-coloured spots on the back; others were of a very delicate pink colour; the tentaculae of both of them were of a delicate prussian blue colour.

We also caught a species of small Janthina, nearly resembling those we had found before, but they were larger; moreover the species of barnacle attached to them was totally different from any we had before found, as if each species of nautilus had its own kind of parasite. This is worthy of attention.

August 8.

We found a species of Halobates which swam rapidly with the short legs foremost, and the foremost legs appeared to be furnished with a fringe to give them that power. The colour of the legs, dark prussian blue; body of a silver colour in front, with a prussian blue colour behind; under part of the body, near the tail, three consecutive striae of a silver colour, separated from one another by a line of prussian blue. I have never seen this animal before.

August 9.

Caught two or three small insects, somewhat resembling a bug, of a dirty brick colour and several minute species of Diphyes and small jellyfish.

August 19.

Caught a small Janthina nearly resembling those we had formerly seen, also a small crab, two new species of gelatinous animals, and a Velella.

August 20.

Several fish, resembling an eel in shape, were caught today; they were of different sizes, and some of them gave a slight shock on being touched.

They were marked across the back with alternate striae of silver, and various shades of brown and black, though there were scarce two marked exactly alike. They had a transparent dorsal and two pectoral fins, which were all I observed, and a long thin snout or beak; the mouth was just at the end of it, on the top: some of them were th.o.r.n.y on the back; we caught also some crabs; a very minute blue fish; a black and red insect resembling a flea; a species of Diphyes; a very small kind of polypus; and one or two small jellyfish. A land bird flew on board today.

In 26 degrees north lat.i.tude we entered a portion of the sea covered with patches of seaweed, around which swarmed numerous eel-like fish, crabs, shrimps, and little blue fish; these last swam under those floating islands, sometimes leaving them for a little distance, but they always returned or swam to another: the crabs crawled in and out amongst the seaweed, and other fish of a large size came to these spots to deposit their sp.a.w.n, so that we were in an archipelago of floating islands teeming with busy inhabitants and animal enjoyment.

August 21.

There were a great many crabs of different kinds and sizes caught today; two kinds of shrimps, one marked across with alternate striae of silver and dark brown; it had no antennae, and had apparently been hurt, as I could only see some very short legs; the rest appeared to be of the same kind as others recently caught, except being of a lighter colour. Some eel-fish of the same kind as yesterday. There were two other small blue insects caught; unfortunately none have been preserved as they were put in the same gla.s.s with the shrimps and were instantly eaten by them. The crabs also ate two small blue fish that were caught. No jellyfish were seen.

August 24.

Some of the eel-like fish, two or three shrimps, a new species of dypha, various kinds of crabs, and a large species of Physalis, were caught today.

August 25.

Caught various kinds of crabs, some minute sh.e.l.ls, and a small curious insect, quite new to me, of a bright blue colour; the shrimps appear to be very fond of these insects, seizing them the instant they are put into the gla.s.s with them. We caught shrimps of all colours and sizes, many of them very beautiful; some were of a pale gold colour with bright blue spots; others with different shades of brown, and blue, white, or red spots. They all turned a dark red on being put into spirits. The smaller kinds had a round ball or excrescence on one side just below the head. I observed today that the eel-fish carries its eggs in a bag under the belly; the eggs were of a bright red colour. Two barnacles were caught; also a new and very remarkable fish.

August 28.

Caught today two of the fish of the same kind as the one taken on the 25th. It had a dorsal fin with 14 spines; a ventral fin; a tail, 16 spines; and in addition to these it had four pectoral fins resembling the claws of a frog, which it used much in the same manner that a lizard uses its claws. The upper pair of these were divided into two joints, the lower one of which was a perfect hand, terminating in ten claws, with which it could seize hold of any object, or expand and use it as a broad paddle, or fin. At the point where these arms are inserted into the body and immediately behind them are placed two tubes, one behind each arm.

These form its gills, through which it expels the water taken in at its mouth; the lower pair of arms have only one apparent joint, and each of these hands are furnished with five claws; it has two protuberances which look like horns, one projects immediately between the eyes, and the other is situated between this and the dorsal fin, these are covered with little spines and it carries them erect. Its colour is pale yellow with brown spots and stripes on it; the spots about the head and upper arms are much darker than the others; about the stomach are little things resembling the wattles of the wattle-bird, they are of a brilliant white colour. It feeds on small shrimps, climbs about the weeds like a lizard, and at times swims like a fish and is very rapid and strong in its motions. It swells out the membranes about the spot where its gills ought to be, so as to puff itself out like a toad when it takes water in: its colour resembles that of the common English frog, and it looks remarkably like one when it sits on a piece of weed, resting on its claws and puffing out its cheeks. There are several lines of red stripes at the bottom of its stomach.

We caught also a great many shrimps and crabs; some of the shrimps were boiled and proved to be very good eating.

August 30.

At 5 hours 30 minutes P.M. a pine tree pa.s.sed us, covered with barnacles and surrounded by fish, which swam about this floating island, eating such things as fell from it.

No portion of the globe is more thickly inhabited, or affords, in proportion to its size, a greater amount of animal enjoyment than did this wave-tossed isle. On it were innumerable barnacles, several species of teredo, one of which, having its head shaped like a screw split into two equal portions, I believe to have been quite new. Many varieties of crab and minute insects shaped like a slug fed on the seaweed growing on the log.

These last animals were of different lengths. They were shaped like a caterpillar and composed of fifty-six rings; the stomach could only be distinguished from the back by a sort of excrescence which grew on the latter; each ring or division of the body was furnished with two pairs of legs, one pair pointing downwards from the stomach, the other pair projecting from the back; these legs were composed of bristles, and by sticking them into the timber they were able to maintain their hold and to walk along. In thus progressing they drew into a case the legs of the rings they were going to move, and pushed them forward by means of the other legs, and then, letting down the legs they had drawn into the case, they stuck them into the wood and made good their ground. Their habit was to lie about amongst the weeds that grew on the tree or to creep into some large holes that were in it. They did not die when I took them out of water but lived for sixteen hours, and were then as well and strong as ever, only dying after they had been put into spirits.

I got also two pieces of stones from the roots of this tree; they were small, quite angular, and had been carried this distance from the continent of America without any appearance of being water-worn. This must often take place when trees are blown down and washed away by floods, and in this manner angular pieces of stone may be conveyed many miles from the rock from which they were derived by the agency of water, and yet not be water-worn.

August 31.

At 11 hours 30 minutes A.M. we found a portion of the timber of a s.h.i.+p on the water, containing animals similar to those on the pine-tree yesterday: this was perforated through and through by different species of teredo.

CHAPTER 8. THE OVERLANDERS.

CLa.s.s OF PERSONS.

It is to be expected that a totally new state of things will, in recently settled countries, give rise to different orders or cla.s.ses of men unknown in older lands, but who have been called into existence by novel circ.u.mstances, and whose energies have been so developed as best to suit the modifications which these hitherto unexperienced causes may produce.

In collecting information regarding the condition of our settlements in Australia my attention was particularly drawn to the mode of life pursued by some of my enterprising fellow-countrymen, known there under the denomination of Overlanders, and which is characterised by several remarkable peculiarities well deserving of observation, particularly at a time when so many young and adventurous spirits are looking towards that continent as the land of their future fortunes and home.

CHARACTER OF THE OVERLANDERS.

The Overlanders are nearly all men in the prime of youth, whose occupation it is to convey large herds of stock from market to market and from colony to colony. Urged on by the hope of profit, they have overcome difficulties of no ordinary kind, which have made the more timid and weak-hearted quail, and relinquish the enterprises in which they were engaged; whilst the resolute and undaunted have persevered, and the reward they have obtained is wealth, self-confidence in difficulties and dangers, and a fund of accurate information on many interesting points.

Hence almost every Overlander you meet is a remarkable man.

The Overlanders are generally descended from good families, have received a liberal education (Etonians and Oxonians are to be found amongst them) and even at their first start in the colonies were possessed of what is considered an independence. Their grandfathers and fathers have been men distinguished in the land and sea service of their country; and these worthy scions of the ancient stock, finding no outlet for their enterprise and love of adventure at home, have sought it in a distant land; amongst them therefore is to be found a degree of polish and frankness rarely to be looked for in such a mode of life, and in the distant desert you unexpectedly stumble on a finished gentleman.