Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia — Vol. 1 · Chapter 4Chapter 2. (2)
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April 14.
The next morning, at daylight, we passed round the north extremity of the island, which was named Cape Croker, in compliment to the first secretary of the Admiralty; and anchored on the north side of a bight round the cape, which was subsequently named Palm Bay.
In the afternoon we landed, and ascending the hill or bank behind the beach, obtained a view of the coast of the bay: a distant wooded point, called, from its unusual elevation, High Point, bounded our view to the south; but to the South-West some patches of land were indistinctly visible. Tracks of natives were seen in many places, and the marks of footsteps on the beach had been very recently impressed. On the bank a circular spot of ground, of fifteen yards in diameter, was cleared away, and had very lately been occupied by a tribe of natives. The island is thickly wooded with a dwarf species of eucalyptus, but here and there the fan palm and pandanus grew in groups, and with the acacia, served to vary the otherwise monotonous appearance of the country. The soil, although it was shallow and poor, was covered with grass, and a great variety of shrubs and plants in flower, which fully occupied Mr. Cunningham's attention. As we proceeded through the trees, a group of lofty palms attracted our notice, and were at first supposed to be coconut trees that had been planted by the Malays; but on examining them closer, they proved to be the areca, the tree that produces the betel-nut and the toddy, a liquor which the Malays and the inhabitants of all the eastern islands use. Some of these palms were from thirty to forty feet high, and the stem of one of them was bruised and deeply indented by a blunt instrument.
Having spent several hours on shore, without finding anything very interesting or at all useful to us, we returned on board, when we found that we had been watched by three natives, who had walked along the beach, but on coming near us, had concealed themselves among the trees, from which they had, probably, observed all our movements whilst we were on shore. They were perhaps deterred from approaching us from our numbers, and from the muskets which each of us carried; for our experience of the disposition of the natives at Goulburn Island had taught us prudence, and no boat was, after that affair, permitted to leave the vessel without taking a musket for each man. It was, however, fortunate for us that we were not often obliged to resort to them for a defence, for the greater number of the twelve that we possessed were useless, notwithstanding they were the best that could be procured at Port Jackson when the vessel was equipped.
The rocks on the beach and the stones which are scattered about the surface of the ground are all of a ferruginous nature, and appear from their colour and weight to contain a large portion of iron; but the needle of the compass was in no way affected by being placed near them. The soil is also highly coloured by the oxide of iron, and it is this that gives the cliffs of this part of the coast, particularly the upper portion of them, the red appearance that they almost universally possess.
April 15.
The next day we went to High Point, which was found to be the east head of a moderate-sized port, affording good anchorage and perfect security during either monsoon. A sufficient inducement to bring the cutter thus far presented itself; and as it was near sunset, our remarks were merely confined to bearings from the point.
April 16.
On preparing to weigh the next morning, four Malay proas were observed steering across the bay out of an opening which trends round the south head of Palm Bay, and which proved to be a strait communicating with Mountnorris Bay. It was named after my friend James Bowen, Esquire, one of the Commissioners of the Navy. As soon as the proas had reached a sufficient distance to leeward, we got under sail; and on rounding the south point of the bay, and opening the strait, the remaining proas of the fleet that we had previously seen, were observed at anchor close to a sandy beach on the north shore, and their canoes to the number of twenty were fishing on the opposite side of the strait. The latter, on observing us, hoisted their sails, and returned to their proas; but as it was not considered prudent to examine the port until they had passed by, its exploration was deferred, and we returned to our anchorage in Palm Bay. We had not, however, to wait long, for the proas left Bowen's Strait the next morning, and crossed the bay to the westward. Our anchor was weighed immediately, and we steered towards their sternmost vessel, in order to communicate with her, and to show her a letter with which we had been kindly provided by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, written in the Malay language, and explanatory of our occupation. On running alongside the proa, the letter was displayed, but they appeared frightened and unwilling to bring to, and repeatedly pointed towards the headmost proa in which their Rajah sailed.
Since our object could not be effected without communicating with their Rajah, and as another opportunity might offer at some future time of communicating with these people, it was abandoned for the present; and we steered into the bay, and anchored within a small island at the entrance, in time to observe the sun's meridional altitude. The evening was spent in pulling round the bay, the shores of which are low, and so overrun with mangroves, that landing was in most parts impracticable; but a small break in them being observed under a cliff, we put ashore to examine the country. Here we found two streams of fresh water, one of which ran over the beach with some force; but they appeared to be only the drainings of the country, and to be merely of temporary duration. The soil was here very good, but the trees and underwood were so thick that we did not venture far from the boat. A native's basket was found, and the usual signs of their having lately been hereabouts. We also landed on a projecting point, at the bottom of the bay, to obtain bearings; and a second time under a remarkable cliffy point on the west side, from the summit of which another set of bearings were obtained, which completed the survey of the port; and we named it Raffles Bay, in compliment to Sir Stamford.
At night, the seine was hauled under High Point, and procured us a good mess of fish.
April 19.
We left Raffles' Bay on the 19th in the morning, and ran along the western shore to the North-West point which we passed round; and, steering between it and a low sandy island, entered a bay, at the bottom of which was an opening, but we were prevented from entering it by shoal water.
The next point to the westward is Point Smith, and at the distance of a mile from it, is a ledge of rocks on which the sea constantly breaks. We passed close round the reef, and hauled into a very considerable opening about six or seven miles wide, and at least five or six leagues deep. At the bottom of this inlet was some higher land than usual, and among it two flat-topped hills were very conspicuous. The eastern shore of the port, for such it proved to be, is formed by a succession of rocky points, between which were ranges of red cliffs, much higher than any we had yet seen, and, if possible, more thickly wooded. As the day was far spent, we anchored on the east side under one of the cliffs, and during the night, the dismal howling of native dogs was heard close to the vessel, a noise that was very frequently heard by us whenever we anchored, and passed a calm night near the shore.
April 20.
The next morning, before we got under weigh, we landed at the mouth of a small salt-water inlet, which trended in among the mangroves: having climbed a hill, we had a distinct view of the bottom of the port, which, at the distance of eight miles higher up, closed to a narrow opening, and then widened to a spacious inner harbour. The country is here thickly, and in some parts almost impenetrably, clothed with eucalyptus, acacia, pandanus, fan palms, and various other trees; whilst the beaches are in some parts studded, and in others thickly lined with mangroves. The soil is chiefly of a gray sandy earth, and in some parts might be called even rich; there were, however, very few places that could bear so favourable a character. The climate seems here to favour vegetation so much that the quality of the soil appears to be of minor importance, for everything thrives and looks verdant.
Having returned on board we got under weigh, and steered for the narrow opening at the bottom of the port. On reaching it, the water deepened, but we were obliged to anchor, and sound the channel, before we succeeded in entering the inner harbour, which we found to be a spacious sheet of water, divided into two bays by a projecting cliffy point, which from its situation was called Middle Head. There we remained at anchor until the 23rd, during which time the shores of the inner harbour were examined, and visits made to various parts of it.
The shores of the inner harbour are thickly wooded to the beach, which is fronted by mudflats, that at low water are dry for a considerable distance.
VIEW OF INNER HARBOUR, PORT ESSINGTON. From Spear Point. From a sketch by P.P. King. Published in May 1825 by John Murray, London.
On the western point of entrance, we found the remains of a wrecked canoe, and upon further search Mr. Bedwell discovered a spear which was altogether different from any that we had before seen; it was headed with a sharp pointed splinter of quartz, about four inches long, and an inch and a half broad; the shaft was of the mangrove-tree, seven feet eight inches long, and appeared, from a small hole at the end, to have been propelled by a throwing-stick; the stone head was fastened on by a ligature of plaited grass, covered by a mass of gum: it was the most formidable weapon of the sort we had ever yet seen.
April 22.
At the bottom of the western basin one of our people found the skeleton of a human body; and the skull and some of the bones were brought on board, but they were too imperfect to be worth preserving. The traces of natives were found every where, but they did not show themselves. In one of our excursions a tree was observed that had been cut down by some sharp instrument, and we had afterwards reason to believe that the natives were possessed of iron tools, which they might have obtained from the Malays. A curious mound, constructed entirely of shells, rudely heaped together, measuring thirty feet in diameter, and fourteen feet in height, was also noticed near the beach, and was supposed to be a burying-place of the Indians.
April 23.
Upon leaving the inner harbour we anchored in Knocker's Bay, on the west side of the port, which received the name of Essington, a tribute of my respect for the memory of my lamented friend, the late Vice-Admiral Sir William Essington, K.C.B.: and in the afternoon we set off to examine an opening in the mangroves at the bottom of the bay. After pulling through its various winding channels for about a mile, where it was scarcely broad enough for the boat to pass, its further investigation was given up, and we commenced our return, but the mangroves were so thick, and formed so impervious a net-work, that we had great difficulty in effecting it. When about halfway towards the mouth, we found the boat impeded by the roots of a mangrove bush; and whilst the boat's crew were busily employed in clearing the rudder, we were suddenly startled by the shout of a party of Indians, who were concealed from our view by a projecting bush, not more than eight or ten yards from us: our situation was rather alarming, from the boat being so entangled, and the river not being broad enough for the oars to be used. No sooner had the natives uttered the shout, than they leaped into the water armed with spears and clubs; but the moment they made their appearance round the tree, two muskets loaded with ball, and a fowling-piece with small shot, were fired over their heads, which had the desired effect, for they gave up their premeditated attack, and quickly disappeared among the bushes on the opposite side, where they remained screaming and vociferating loudly in angry threatening voices, whilst we were clearing the boat from the bushes that obstructed our progress. Having at last effected this, we proceeded on our way down the rivulet, and at the same time the natives were observed through the bushes to hasten towards a low part, which we were obliged to pass before we could reach the bay. But as we were aware of their intention we were prepared for the event, and as was expected, we were assailed by a shower of spears and stones from the natives, who were concealed behind the mangroves. Happily, however, we received no damage, although the spears and stones fell about us very thickly, and several of the former struck the boat. A volley of musketry was fired into the mangroves, but we could not ascertain whether any of the balls took effect, since we could not see our assailants. A wound from one of their stone-headed weapons, from our want of surgical knowledge, must in such a climate have proved fatal, and we considered our escape truly providential. As soon as we were out of the reach of their spears, which they continued to throw until it was of no use, we hoisted the sail, and steered round the shores of the bay. We had not proceeded far before their canoe was observed secured to the beach by a small rope, which offered so good an opportunity of punishing these savages for their treacherous attack, that we landed and brought it away; and upon examining its contents, we found not only their clubs, but also a large quantity of bivalve shellfish, (Arca scapha?*) so that we had not only deprived them of their boat, but of their supper, and three very formidable clubs. This must have been a very serious loss to such simple savages, but one that they richly deserved. The canoe was nearly new, it measured eighteen feet in length, and two in breadth, and would easily carry eight persons; the sides were supported by two poles fastened to the gunwhale by strips of a climbing plant (Flagellaria indica), that grows abundantly hereabouts, and with which also the ends of the canoe were neatly, and even tastefully joined; the poles were spanned together on either side by rope constructed of strips of bark. The canoe was made of one sheet of bark, but in the bottom, within it, short pieces were placed cross-ways, in order to preserve its shape, and increase its strength. The description of a canoe seen by Captain Flinders at Blue Mud Bay, in the Gulf of Carpentaria, differs very little from the above.**
(*Footnote. Lamarck tome 6 part 1 page 42. Chemn. Conch. 7 page 201. t. 55 f. 548.)
(**Footnote. Flinders Terra Australis volume 2 page 198.)
Whilst we were bringing away the canoe the natives, who had followed us along the shore, were heard close by among the trees, loudly vociferating, in which the ward ca-no-a was thought to be frequently used.
April 24.
The next morning we sailed out of Knocker's* Bay, and anchored a little within Point Smith, preparatory to our resuming our examination of the coast. The heat was now by no means oppressive, for although the thermometer ranged between 79 and 86 degrees, yet its effect was lessened by the constancy of the breeze, which tended materially to preserve the health of the crew, who were happily all quite well.
After anchoring, a squall that had been gathering all the afternoon burst overhead, and was accompanied by heavy rain and strong gusts of wind, during which a canoe that had been previously observed near the beach drifted past the cutter; it was sent for and brought alongside, but the next morning before we got under weigh, it was taken on shore, and hauled up on the beach out of the reach of the water, and in it were deposited several iron tools, to show the natives that our intentions were friendly.
During our examination of Port Essington, we found no fresh water, but our search for it did not extend beyond the precincts of the sea-beach, since we were not in want of that article, having so lately completed our stock at Goulburn Island; but from the number of natives seen by us, and the frequency of their traces, which were encountered at every step we took, there must be fresh water; and had we dug holes, we should doubtless have succeeded in finding some, particularly in the vicinity of the cliffs.
Wood is abundant and convenient for embarking, but the trees are generally small: the waters are well stocked with fish.
As a harbour, Port Essington is equal, if not superior, to any I ever saw; and from its proximity to the Moluccas and New Guinea, and its being in the direct line of communication between Port Jackson and India, as well as from its commanding situation with respect to the passage through Torres Strait, it must, at no very distant period, become a place of great trade, and of very considerable importance.
April 25.
Early the following morning we sailed out of Port Essington, and passing round its western head, which was named out of respect to my friend Admiral Vashon, we hauled into a bay where a Malay encampment was observed upon the beach, with several proas at anchor close to it; but, as the place offered us no inducement to delay, we steered round the next head, and hauled into another bay, apparently about four miles deep and two broad. The coast here appeared to take a decided turn to the southward, and, as some land was observed on the western horizon, we rightly concluded that we had reached the entrance of the Great Bay of Van Diemen, the examination of which formed a prominent feature in my instructions. The bay was named Popham Bay, and the extremity of the land in sight received the appellation of Cape Don; the former after the late Rear-Admiral Sir Home Popham, K.C.B., and the latter in compliment to Lieutenant-General Sir George Don, K.C.B., the Lieutenant-Governor of the fortress of Gibraltar. The two flat-topped hills, seen from Port Essington, were also observed over the bottom of the bay, and being conspicuous objects, were named Mounts Bedwell and Roe, after the two midshipmen who accompanied me.
As we steered into the bay another division of the Malay fleet was perceived at anchor on the eastern shore, close to an encampment: the number of the proas were four; and as we considered ourselves a match for this number, we determined upon remaining the night, and therefore anchored about two miles without them, with our ensign hoisted at the masthead over a large white flag, which was answered by each proa instantly displaying Dutch colours.
Soon afterwards a canoe came from the proas, but it required some persuasion to entice them alongside; when they did come, we showed them Sir Stamford Raffles' letter, which they could not read, but on our showing them our rough chart they instantly comprehended our employment, and without further hesitation, two of them came on board. The canoe was fitted for fishing; it was paddled by a man and five boys, and was steered by a younger man, who, from his dress and authority, appeared to be of some consequence amongst them. During their visit their curiosity was much excited by everything they saw; and, having drank pretty freely of our port wine, they talked incessantly. They remained with us three hours, during the greater part of which their canoe was absent catching fish. One of our visitors was very communicative, and by means of signs and a few words of the Malay language, which we understood, he explained that their Rajah's proa was armed with two small guns, and carried a compass. On looking at our binnacle, they pointed to the north-west rhumb, and made us easily understand that it was the course they always steered on their return to Macassar.
Upon mentioning the natives of the coast and showing them the stone-headed spear that we had found, they evinced their dislike to them very plainly, they called them Maregas, Marega being, as we afterwards found, their appellation for this part of the coast.
It was now growing late, and as the canoe had not returned, they hailed their companions several times, but not being answered, they asked for a musket, and fired it in the direction of their boat; this had the desired effect, and it very shortly came alongside, but the crew had not been successful, for they had caught only two small fishes which were presented to us: they then took leave, repeatedly assuring us that the next morning they would pay us another visit.
April 26.
But, without waiting for the honour they intended us, we got under weigh early and left them to comment as they pleased upon our disappointing them of the gunpowder, which, to get rid of them, we had promised to give them the next morning.
Being under sail, we steered to the West-South-West, until the land opened round Cape Don in an east-northerly direction for eight miles, and then the coast trended to the south-eastward under Mounts Bedwell and Roe, where the land was lost to view. To the westward the land was observed trending in a north and south direction, and bore the appearance of being an island.
The ebb now commenced setting out, and although we were going three knots through the water, we made no progress over the ground. Seven miles West by South from Cape Don we sounded in fifty fathoms on a bottom of branch-coral, and four miles more to the westward we had but nineteen fathoms. When the flood commenced, it was too dark to profit by it.
April 27.
And no progress was made until the next morning, when, having a fresh breeze, we reached an anchorage in a bay on the north side, and close under the base of Mount Bedwell. On our way we steered through strong tide-ripplings in which, at times, notwithstanding the strength of the breeze, the cutter was quite ungovernable. Off the bay is a low mangrove island which I had the pleasure to name after the Reverend James W. Burford, of Stratford, Essex, and the bay in which we had anchored was called after W. Aiton, Esquire, of the Royal Gardens at Kew.
The bottom of Aiton Bay is shoal and apparently terminates in an inlet or creek; at low water the tide left a considerable space dry that appeared to extend from shore to shore.
Our distance from the beach was so short that the howlings of dogs were distinctly heard, and other noises were distinguished which some of us thought were made by natives, but they were more probably the screams of birds.
April 28.
At daylight the next morning we steered round the land, and passing under the base of Mount Roe, we entered a strait that separates it from Greenhill Island; which is remarkable for having its north-west end terminated by a conspicuous bluff. The coast now took an easterly direction as far as the eye could reach, with a channel of from three to eight miles broad between it and a range of islands (which were named in compliment to the late Vice-Admiral Sir George Hope, K.C.B., then holding a seat in the Board of Admiralty). At noon the tide began to ebb, when we anchored near the land at about six miles east of Mount Roe.
The thermometer now ranged between 80 and 90 degrees, but the heat was by no means oppressive.
April 29.
By the next day at noon we had penetrated four leagues within Sir George Hope's Islands, when the water became so shoal that we could not approach an opening that was seen in the land to the south-eastward; after trying in several directions, the cutter was anchored, and Mr. Roe was sent to sound in a south direction in search of a passage out; but, as it appeared to be shoal and some parts were already dry, it was decided that we should return by the way we came; since our object was not so much to lay down the extent of the banks and directions of the channels, as to find rivers, and trace the coastline. The opening to the South-East of our anchorage certainly appeared to be sufficiently interesting to examine, but we had formed very sanguine expectations of discovering something of much greater importance at the bottom of the bay, and we were naturally anxious to reach it as soon as possible.
On constructing the chart of this part of the coast, it appeared that the land to the eastward of this anchorage is an isthmus four or five miles in breadth, separating the body of water from the bottom of Mountnorris Bay. The peninsula thus formed was honoured by the appellation of Cobourg, after His Royal Highness Prince Leopold.
During the day large smokes were observed on the south horizon, without any appearance of land near them.
1818. May 1.
On our way out we anchored under one of Sir George Hope's Islands, which, on the occasion of our landing upon it the next morning (1st May), was called May-day Island: it is about two miles long, and nearly the same distance across; its formation appears to have been originally of sand that has accumulated upon a rocky basis, and has gradually grown into an island; it is thickly covered with a forest of dwarf trees and impenetrable brushwood. Some recent impressions of a human foot on the sand below high-water mark were seen, and several old fireplaces, and one or two of more recent date were observed, around which were strewed the remains of shell-fish repasts; the natives, however, did not make their appearance.
When returning on board we endeavoured to pass out between May-day and Greenhill Islands, but a bar of sand that appeared to stretch across obstructed our progress: the weather being fine and the sea very smooth, we endeavoured to force her over, but as we did not succeed, we anchored for the night near our former position, to the eastward of Mount Roe.
May 2.
The next day we passed out between the Mount and Greenhill Island, and at night anchored on the south side of May-day Island, at eight miles distance from it.
May 3.
The following day we made some progress to the South-East, and by the afternoon obtained a glimpse of some land bearing between South 3 degrees West and South 18 degrees East.
May 4.
And at sunset the next evening the lowland was traced as far to the southward as South-South-East, upon which several detached hills were seen which probably may have some connexion with Wellington Range.
May 5.
The next day the cutter was anchored within a mile and a half of the south point of a considerable opening, which the boats were prepared to examine.
May 6.
And at daybreak we commenced its exploration, but the greater part of the tide was expended before we reached the entrance, which is fronted by a bank of mud on which there was not more than twelve feet water; the depth, however, increased after we entered the river to four and five fathoms; and as we proceeded up we found the channel to be seven and eight fathoms deep. The banks on either side were very low; they were composed of a soft mud, and so thickly lined with mangroves as to prevent our landing until we had pulled up for seven or eight miles. At ten o'clock the flood ceased and the ebb, setting with considerable strength, prevented our proceeding higher up: here we landed, and after spending some time in taking bearings and examining the country, we returned to the cutter, which we reached early in the afternoon.
The banks where we landed were about two hundred yards apart, but were so low and without a hillock to ascend or a tree to climb to enable us to obtain a view of the country, that we could form but a very slight opinion of the place. A sugar-loaf-shaped hill, which was also visible from the anchorage, bore South 80 degrees East; at the distance of a league was a rocky hill that bore North 88 1/4 degrees East; and, five or six leagues off, was a range of hills extending from East by South to South 27 degrees East. In all other directions the eye wandered over a dreary, low, and uninterruptedly flat country; which in most parts is covered with an arundinaceous grass.