After they disappeared behind the hill it was thought not unlikely that they would attack our people at the watering-place; the party were therefore sent away in the afternoon well armed, but the natives did not make their appearance, and the boats returned at sunset without having been disturbed. The tide was so trifling and the difficulty of loading the boat so great that only ninety gallons of water were procured; and as we were not likely to make quicker progress unless we waited for the spring-tides, we gave up all idea of completing our water, and made preparations to leave the bay.

August 10.

On the following day (10th) as there was no wind all the morning, I sent for another turn of water but only obtained enough for one day's issue; for the tide did not rise more than four feet. In the meantime I visited the extreme point on the west side of the bay, and examined in my way some openings in the land that, from their appearance, promised to afford water: as it was low tide I could not enter them, for they were blocked up by banks of sand and rocks; but on my return the tide was higher, and I pulled about one mile up the northernmost inlet, where I was again stopped by the shoalness of the water. All these places must afford abundance of fresh water during the rainy season, and perhaps are seldom without; and, as this was a year of unusual drought, it is not improbable that the river in which we watered generally afforded a very considerable stream; if so, from its proximity to the anchorage, the bay is of great importance, and is an excellent place for refreshment: turtle might be procured at the islands in its vicinity, and abundance of very fine fish at the sandy beach: the anchorage is safe in all parts, being protected from the sea by the islands in the offing, which front the bay. There is also abundance of wood that may be cut close to the waterside.

Ships detained during the westerly monsoon, as far to leeward as the meridian of 125 degrees, would find an advantage in putting into Hanover Bay, and remaining there until the wind should veer round: by which they would avoid the necessity of beating to windward, over such dangerous ground as extends between this part to Timor; and, by being to the southward, out of the strength of the westerly winds, at the latter end of February and beginning of March, when southerly and south-east winds prevail on the coast, they might much earlier effect their passage to the westward.

The beach of Hanover Bay is situated in latitude 15 degrees 18 minutes 21 seconds, and 13 minutes 40 seconds West of our observatory at Careening Bay, which makes its longitude 124 degrees 47 minutes 5 seconds East of Greenwich.

August 11.

The next morning (11th) we left Hanover Bay and steered out at the distance of a mile and a half from the western shore. After passing round the western head, we entered a deep opening, and, running into it for some distance between a rocky shore on either side, came into an extensive basin, in the centre of which was a high island which we saw at a distance last year, and then called the Lump, from its shape. As a set of bearings from this island was desirable, the vessel was anchored abreast of it at about a mile and a half from the shore; having landed upon it in time to observe the sun's meridional altitude in the artificial horizon, we ascended its summit and obtained the desired bearings; we also discovered Freycinet's Island on the horizon, bearing North 13 degrees 42 minutes West; this island was distinguished easily by its form, which is that of an inverted basin. A large island lies in the centre of the entrance of the port, by which two channels are formed; the westernmost has several patches of rocks in it, but the eastern one, which we used, appeared to be clear and free from danger, excepting a rocky shelf projecting from the eastern shore for not more than three quarters of a mile. In the afternoon we examined the former, and from a summit at the south-west end of the island in the entrance obtained another set of bearings. Afterwards we sounded its channel, and found a deep passage, but too narrow and intricate to be preferred to the eastern channel.

Whilst one boat was thus employed, Mr. Baskerville went to examine an opening at the bottom of the port, which he reported to be a strait, trending round to the South-West for six miles, beyond which his view was intercepted by the next projecting point. The strait, which he called after Captain R.H. Rogers, R.N., is sprinkled with many islands and dry reefs of great extent.

August 12.

On the 12th I was occupied in laying down the plan of this place, which, on account of the day, was honoured with the name of our most gracious king, Port George the Fourth.

August 13.

The next day we sailed out by the eastern channel, but having to beat against the wind, made no further progress than an anchorage off Point Adieu, which was the last land seen by us in the Mermaid; it is the north end of the land that forms the west side of Port George the Fourth, which was afterwards called Augustus Island: to the westward of the point there appeared to be many islands and much broken land. I sent Mr. Roe to Point Adieu to get some bearings from the summit of the hill, and in the meantime Mr. Baskerville sounded the channel between the point and the islands; which he found to be deep and clear; Mr. Roe's report, however, of the appearance of the inner part among the islands was not so favourable, for it is studded over with numerous extensive reefs, which, being low water, were exposed to view. Mr. Roe saw a tolerably broad separation between two islands to the south-west, but more to the westward the islands were so numerous that very little information as to their shape or number could be obtained.

August 14.

At daylight the following morning we weighed, and with a moderate land-breeze from South-East, steered to the North-West, and passed round the islands. Very far to the northward on the sea horizon we saw a sandbank, surrounded with heavy breakers; and more to the westward was an island, which was at first supposed to be one of the Champagny Isles of Captain Baudin, but which I afterwards satisfied myself was Captain Heywood's Red Island: it is rocky and of small extent and apparently quite barren. We were soon afterwards abreast of a strait leading between some rocky islands to the southward; which, as it appeared to be free from danger, we purposed to steer through. The brig entered it at noon, when it was high-water, and as she advanced and reached the narrow part, the ebb-tide was setting so strong against us that, although we were sailing five knots by the log, we were losing ground; we continued however to persevere for three hours and a half, and had run nearly twenty miles by the log without gaining an inch; the breeze then died away, and not being able to stem the tide, we steered back for anchorage, but it was dark and late before a favourable bottom was found so that we lost all the progress that we had gained since noon.

August 15.

The next morning, after taking angles from the sun's rising amplitude, we got underweigh and stood towards the strait to make another attempt to pass through it. The view that was obtained yesterday evening from the masthead before we put about to look for anchorage, induced us to suppose that many reefs existed in the neighbourhood of its south entrance, for one of very extensive size was observed dry, lying off the south-west end of the island that bounds the west side of the strait. The north end of that island also appeared to be fronted by many shoals, which either embrace Red Island and extend to the northward, or else the channels are narrow and deep. The flowing tide, now in our favour, carried us quickly forward: as we passed on we heard the voices of natives and soon afterwards perceived two standing on a hill; our course was, however, so rapid that we were soon out of sight of them; their fires were seen yesterday but then they did not make their appearance.

The flood-tide, running to the South-West through the strait, meeting the ebb flowing North-East into the deep bay to the South-East, formed many strong ripplings, which to a stranger would have been a frightful vortex to have entered, and although we had lately been accustomed to such appearances, yet we did not encounter them without some fear. After clearing them we sounded on a muddy bottom; upon which, as the weather was so thick and hazy as to conceal the land from our view, we anchored in seventeen fathoms muddy sand, at six miles from the strait.

In the afternoon the weather cleared a little, but it was still too thick for us to be underweigh, so that we remained all the evening, which was profitably spent in bringing up the chart; a little before sunset the weather cleared and afforded a good view of the land, which to the South-East is composed principally of islands, but so numerous that the mainland could not be distinguished beyond them; a point, afterwards called Point Hall, round which the land trended to the southward, bore from the anchorage South 19 degrees East.

The direction of the tides, the flood setting South-South-East, and the ebb North-North-West and North-West, induced me to suppose that the opening to the eastward of the bay we were at anchor in, which was called Camden, in compliment to the noble Marquess, was not only connected with Rogers Strait, but was also the outlet of another considerable river or bay.

At the anchorage the flood did not run at a greater rate than a mile and a half an hour, but it ebbed two miles, and fell thirty-seven feet, which is the greatest rise and fall we had yet found; it is probable, from the intricate nature of the coast, that these high tides are common to all this neighbourhood.

August 16.

At five o'clock on the morning of the 16th after a fine night the wind sprung up from the East-South-East and blew fresh; but misty weather immediately after sunrise enveloped us, and clouded our view. The breeze was too fresh for us to continue at anchor, we therefore got underweigh, and made sail by the wind; but upon standing across the channel and finding that the flood-tide set to the South-West, we bore away, and, passing round Point Hall, steered to the southward towards some low islands that were just visible through the haze, and which, being disposed in a group, were named after Mr. Andrew Montgomery, the surgeon of the Bathurst.

At noon our latitude observed to the South was 15 degrees 44 minutes 16 seconds. The land was visible from the deck as far as South 30 degrees West, but from the masthead at one o'clock it was seen as far as South 50 degrees West, and a long low island, the westernmost of Montgomery Isles, bore from South-West by West to South-West by South. The group besides this contained six other isles, which are all low and rocky and crowned with bushes: as we approached them the water shoaled to ten fathoms rocky ground; which on being reduced to the depth of low water, would not be more than five and perhaps only four fathoms. Between Point Hall and these islands the ground was also rocky, and, as the group appeared to be connected by reefs, we steered off to pass round them; the wind, however, changing to the westward, detained us all the evening near them.

The land to the southward trended deeply in and appeared to be much broken in its character and very uninviting to us who had only one anchor to depend upon. This bight was named, at Mr. Montgomery's request, in compliment to the late Captain Sir George Collier, Bart., K.C.B., R.N. During the greater part of the night the wind was light, and by the bearings of a fire on the land we were making but little drift.

August 17.

At sunrise we were near two low islands, bearing South 12 degrees 22 minutes West, and South 20 degrees West, from which very extensive reefs were seen extending between the bearings of South and South-West by West. They were called Cockells Isles. We passed round their north end over a bottom of hard sand, mixed with shells, stones, and coral; in doing which we found an irregular depth, but as the water did not shoal to less than twelve fathoms our course was not altered. Soon after the sun appeared above the horizon the distant land was again enveloped in mist. At eight o'clock we ventured to steer more southerly, but continued to sound over a rocky bottom until ten o'clock, when the islands bore South-East; we then steered South-West through a muddy channel with the flood tide in our favour, towards some land that, as the mist partially cleared off, became visible as far as South-West 1/2 West; some islands were also seen bearing South-South-East; and at noon, being in latitude 15 degrees 50 minutes 39 seconds, we found ourselves off a bay, the east head of which was formed by several islands. The land at the back appeared to be of tolerable height but its outline was so level, that it did not present any prominent feature sufficiently defined to take a bearing of more than once; its coast appeared to be fronted by several rocky islands and to be very much intersected to the westward; either by straits or considerable openings.

The continued hazy state of the weather prevented our ascertaining the particular feature of the country; it seemed to be rocky and very bare of vegetation; but they were some parts, particularly on one of the islands to the eastward at the entrance of Collier's Bay, where a few good-sized trees were growing over a sandy beach.

The ebb tide after noon was against us, and the wind being light, we were making no progress. As sunset approached, we began to look for anchorage; but the suspicious nature of the bottom and the great depth of the water prevented our being successful until some time after dark; the anchor was at last dropped in twenty-eight fathoms, on a bottom of sandy mud, with the ebb-tide setting to the North-West, at the rate nearly of two knots.

Several whales of that species called by whalers fin-backs were playing about us all day, and during the morning two or three were seen near the vessel lashing the water with their enormous fins and tails, and leaping at intervals out of the sea, which foamed around them for a considerable distance.

After anchoring the wind was variable and light from the western quarter but during the night there was a heavy swell. The flood-tide, which commenced at nine o'clock, when the depth was twenty-eight fathoms, gradually ran stronger until midnight, when its rate was two miles per hour: high-water took place at 3 hours 15 minutes a.m., or at twelve minutes before the moon passed her meridian; the rise being thirty-six feet.

August 18.

We were underweigh before six o'clock the next morning, and after steering by the wind for a short time towards the southward (on which course the tide being against us we were making no progress) bore up with the intention of hauling round the point to leeward for anchorage, whence we might examine the place by the means of our boats, and wait for more favourable weather; but upon reaching within half a mile of the point we found that a shoal communication extended across to a string of islands projecting several miles to sea in a West-North-West direction: in mid channel the sea was breaking, and from the colour of the water it is more than probable that a reef of rocks stretches the whole distance across the strait; but this appearance, from the experience we afterwards had of the navigation of this part, might have been produced by tide ripplings, occasioned by the rapidity of the stream, and by its being contracted in its passage through so narrow a pass; it was however too doubtful and dangerous to attempt without having some resource to fly to in the event of accident.

Being thus disappointed, we were under the necessity of steering round the above-mentioned range of islands, and at nine o'clock were two miles North-East by East from the small island 18, when our latitude by observation was 15 degrees 57 minutes 56 seconds; the depth being thirty-seven fathoms, and the bottom of coral mixed with sand, mud, and shells.

To the westward and in a parallel direction with this line of islands was another range, towards which we steered; at sunset we hauled to the wind for the night, off the northernmost island which afterwards proved to be the Caffarelli Island of Captain Baudin. Between these two ranges of islands we only obtained one cast of the lead which gave us thirty-three fathoms on a coral bottom. Upon referring to the French charts of this part of the coast it appeared that we were in the vicinity of a reef (Brue Reef) under which the French ships had anchored; and, as the night was passed under sail, we were not a little anxious, fearing lest there might be others in its neighbourhood.

August 19.

At daybreak Caffarelli Island bore South-South-East; and shortly afterwards we had the satisfaction of seeing Brue Reef; it appeared to be partly dry but of small extent.

We passed within half a mile of the dry rock that lies a mile and a half from the west end of Caffarelli Island and afterwards endeavoured to steer between the range of islands, of which Caffarelli is the northernmost, and a group of rocky isles, marked 33; but finding we could not succeed from the scanty direction of the wind, then blowing a fresh breeze from South-East, we bore up round the west side of the latter and then steered by the wind towards a group of which the island 40 is the principal. On approaching 40 there appeared to be a channel round its south-end; but afterwards observing the sea breaking in the direction of our course, we tacked off to pass round the west extremity of the group, towards two small low islands, 50 and 51, that were seen in the distance bearing about South 84 degrees West. The tide, having been before in our favour, was now against us, and, setting with great strength, drove us near the rocks that front the islands to the northward of Island 40; the wind was however sufficiently strong to enable us to clear the dangerous situation we found ourselves in, but soon afterwards it fell to a light air and we were carried by the tide rapidly towards the low rocky extremity of the islets, which we were nearly thrown upon, when a breeze suddenly sprung up again from the South-East and enabled us to clear this impending danger. We were now drifting to the South by East through a wide channel, sounding in between fifty and sixty fathoms, rocky bottom. Had the evening been less advanced and the wind favourable, we could have run through, and taken our chance of finding either anchorage or an open sea; and although this would certainly have been hazarding a great risk, yet it was of very little consequence in what part of the archipelago we spent the night, as the spots which we might consider to be the most dangerous might possibly be the least so. We had however no choice; we were perfectly at the mercy of the tide, and had only to await patiently its ebbing to drift us out as it carried us in.

By our calculations high-water should have taken place at a quarter past four o'clock; every minute therefore after that time was passed by us most anxiously. Every now and then we were in the midst of the most violent ripplings and whirlpools, which sometimes whirled the vessel round and round, to the danger of our masts. Five o'clock at last arrived and the tide-eddies ceased, but the stream continued to run until a quarter of an hour afterwards, when at last the brig began to drift out slowly. To add now to the dilemma and the danger we were in a breeze sprung up against us: had it continued calm we should have been drifted back through the deepest part of the channel, over the same ground that the flood had carried us in: we however made sail and beat out, and before dark had made considerable progress; we then lost sight of the land until eleven o'clock when some was seen to the eastward: at half-past eleven we had a dead calm; and, to increase our anxiety, the tide had begun to flow and to drift us towards the land, which was then ascertained to be the group 33, on whose shores the sea was distinctly heard to break. As midnight approached the noise became still more and more plain; but the moon at that time rose and showed that our position was very much more favourable than we had conjectured; for, by bearings of Caffarelli Island and the body of 33 group, I found we were at least two or three miles from the shore of the latter.

August 20.

A few minutes after midnight we were relieved from our fears by the sudden springing up of a fresh breeze from South-West, and in a moment found ourselves comparatively out of danger.

At daylight we were eight miles to the north-east of Caffarelli Island; whence we steered to the South-West by West and South-South-West. Brue Reef was seen as we passed by it. At noon our latitude was 16 degrees 14 minutes 1 second, Cape Leveque bearing South.

From noon until one o'clock we were steering South-South-West, but made no progress, on account of an adverse tide which occasionally formed such strong eddies and ripplings that we were several times obliged to steer off to get without their influence. The land of Cape Leveque is low, and presents a sandy beach lined by a rocky reef, extending off the shore for a mile, on many parts of which the sea was breaking heavily: the land was clothed with a small brush wood, but altogether the coast presented a very unproductive appearance, and reminded us of the triste and arid character of the North-West Cape.

On laying down upon the chart the plan of this part, I found Cape Leveque to be the point which Dampier anchored under when on his buccaneering voyage in the Cygnet in 1688. He says: "We fell in with the land of New Holland in 16 degrees 50 minutes, we ran in close by it, and finding no convenient anchoring, because it lies open to the North-West, we ran along shore to the eastward, steering North-East by East, for so the land lies. We steered thus about two leagues, and then came to a point of land, from whence the land trends east and southerly for ten or twelve leagues; but how, afterwards, I know not. About three leagues to the eastward of this point there is a pretty deep bay with abundance of islands in it, and a very good place to anchor in or to hale ashore. About a league to the eastward of that point we anchored in twenty-nine fathom, good hard sand and clean ground." He then proceeds to say: "This part of it (the coast) that we saw is all low, even land, with sandy banks against the sea, only the points are rocky, and so are some of the islands in the bay."*

(*Footnote. Dampier volume 1 page 462.)

From this description I have little hesitation in settling Cape Leveque to be the point he passed round. In commemoration, therefore, of his visit, the name of Buccaneer's Archipelago was given to the cluster of isles that fronts Cygnet Bay, which was so-called after the name of the ship in which he sailed. The point within Cape Leveque was named Point Swan after the Captain of the ship; and to a remarkable lump in the centre of the Archipelago the name of Dampier's Monument was assigned. During the last four days we have laid down upwards of eighty islands upon the chart, and from the appearance of the land it is not improbable but that there may be as many more behind them.

Had we even recognised the bay above alluded to by Dampier before we passed round Cape Leveque, we could not have anchored in it for the wind was blowing strong from the northward, and a heavy swell was rolling, which would have placed us in rather a dangerous situation, besides its being exposed to easterly winds, which for the last two or three days had blown very strong. During the time we had been among these islands, we had not met with a single spot that we could have anchored upon without the almost certain loss of our anchor; and the weather had been so very thick and hazy that only the land in the vicinity of the vessel's situation could be at all distinguished; and these disadvantages, added to the great strength of the wind and the rapidity of the tides, had materially prevented us from making ourselves better acquainted with the place. It is remarkable that as soon as we passed round the Champagny Isles, hazy weather commenced, and continued without intermission until we were to the westward of Cape Leveque. The French complain of the same thing; and they were so deceived by it that, in their first voyage, they laid down Adele Island as a part of the main, when it is only a sandy island about two or three miles long. No natives were seen on any of the islands but there were many large smokes on the horizon at the back of Cygnet Bay.

We were now beginning to feel the effects of this fatiguing duty. One-fourth of the people who kept watch were ill with bilious or feverish attacks, and we had never been altogether free from sickness since our arrival upon the coast. Mr. Montgomery's wound was, however, happily quite healed, and Mr. Roe had also returned to his duty; but Mr. Cunningham, who had been confined to the vessel since the day we arrived in Careening Bay, was still upon the sick list. Our passage up the east coast, the fatigues of watering and wooding at Prince Regent's River, and our constant harassing employment during the examination of the coast between Hanover Bay and Cape Leveque, had produced their bad effects upon the constitutions of our people. Every means were taken to prevent sickness: preserved meats were issued two days in the week in lieu of salt provisions; and this diet, with the usual proportions of lemon-juice and sugar, proved so good an anti-scorbutic that, with a few trifling exceptions, no case of scurvy occurred. Our dry provisions had suffered much from rats and cockroaches; but this was not the only way these vermin annoyed us, for, on opening a keg of musket ball cartridges, we found, out of 750 rounds, more than half the number quite destroyed, and the remainder so injured as to be quite useless.

August 21.

The following day we made very little progress, from light winds in the morning and a dead calm the whole of the evening. At sunset we anchored at about four miles from the shore, in seventeen fathoms sandy ground.

During the afternoon we were surrounded by an immense number of whales, leaping out of the water and thrashing the sea with their fins; the noise of which, from the calmness and perfect stillness of the air, was as loud as the report of a volley of musketry. Some remorae were also swimming about the vessel the whole day, and a snake about four feet long, of a yellowish brown colour, rose up alongside, but instantly dived upon seeing the vessel.

August 22.

High-water took place the next morning at twenty-six minutes after six o'clock, at which time we got underweigh with a moderate land-breeze from South-South-East, and steered to the southward along the shore. At noon we were in latitude 16 degrees 30 minutes 19 seconds, Cape Borda bearing South 42 1/2 degrees East. Soon after noon the sea-breeze sprung up from the northward and, veering to North-West, carried us to the southward along the coast which is low and sandy. At three o'clock we were abreast of a point which was conjectured to be the land laid down by the French as Emeriau Island; the name has therefore been retained, with the alteration only of Point for Island. To the eastward of Cape Borda the coast falls back and forms a bay, the bottom of which was visible from our masthead and appeared to be composed of sand-downs. From Point Emeriau the coast trends to the south-west, and preserves the same sandy character. At five o'clock Lacepede Islands, which were seen by Captain Baudin, were in sight to the westward; and at sunset we anchored in eight fathoms, at about three leagues within them. These islands are three in number, and appear to be solely inhabited by boobies and other sea-fowl: they are low and sandy and all slightly crowned with a few shrubby bushes; the reef that encompasses them seemed to be of great extent.

August 23.

The next day we were steering along the shore, and passed a sandy projection which was named Cape Baskerville, after one of the midshipman of the Bathurst. To the southward of Cape Baskerville the coast trends in, and forms Carnot Bay; it then takes a southerly direction. It is here that Tasman landed, according to the following extract from Dalrymple's Papua: "In Hollandia Nova, in 17 degrees 12 minutes South (Longitude 121 degrees, or 122 degrees East) Tasman found a naked, black people, with curly hair, malicious and cruel; using for arms, bows and arrows, hazeygaeys and kalawaeys. They once came to the number of fifty, double armed, dividing themselves into two parties, intending to have surprised the Dutch, who had landed twenty-five men; but the firing of guns frightened them so, that they fled. Their proas are made of the bark of trees; their coast is dangerous; there are few vegetables; the people use no houses."

At noon our latitude was 17 degrees 13 minutes 29 seconds. At four o'clock we were abreast of Captain Baudin's Point Coulomb, which M. De Freycinet describes to be the projection at which the Red Cliffs commence. The interior is here higher than to the northward, and gradually rises, at the distance of eight miles from the shore, to wooded hills, and bears a more pleasing and verdant appearance than we have seen for some time past; but the coast still retains the same sandy and uninviting character. During the afternoon we had but a light sea-breeze from the westward; and at sunset the anchor was dropped in thirteen fathoms fine soft sand, at about six miles from the shore. Large flocks of boobies flew over the vessel at sunset, directing their course towards the reefs of Lacepede Islands, and in the direction of the Whale Bank, which, according to the French chart of this part, lies in the offing to the westward. As no island was noticed by us in the position assigned to Captain Baudin's Carnot Island, the bay to the southward of Cape Baskerville has received that name. The smokes of fires have been noticed at intervals of every four or five miles along the shore, from which it may be inferred that this part of the coast is very populous. Captain Dampier saw forty Indians together, on one of the rocky islands to the eastward of Cape Leveque, and, in his quaint style, gives the subjoined interesting account of them:

"The inhabitants of this country are the miserablest people in the world. The Hodmadods of Monomatapa, though a nasty people, yet for wealth are gentlemen to these; who have no houses, and skin garments, sheep, poultry, and fruits of the earth, ostrich eggs, etc., as the Hodmadods have: and setting aside their human shape, they differ but little from brutes. They are tall, straight-bodied, and thin, with small, long limbs. They have great heads, round foreheads, and great brows. Their eye-lids are always half closed, to keep the flies out of their eyes; they being so troublesome here, that no fanning will keep them from coming to one's face; and without the assistance of both hands to keep them off, they will creep into one's nostrils, and mouth too, if the lips are not shut very close; so that from their infancy, being thus annoyed with these insects, they do never open their eyes as other people; and therefore they cannot see far, unless they hold up their heads, as if they were looking at somewhat over them.

"They have great bottle-noses, pretty full lips, and wide mouths. The two fore-teeth of their upper jaw are wanting in all of them, men and women, old and young; whether they draw them out, I know not: neither have they any beards. They are long-visaged, and of a very unpleasant aspect, having no one graceful feature in their faces. Their hair is black, short and curled, like that of the negroes; and not long and lank like the common Indians. The colour of their skins, both of their faces and the rest of their body, is coal-black, like that of the negroes of Guinea.*

(*Footnote. The natives of Hanover Bay, with whom we communicated, were not deprived of their front teeth, and wore their beards long; they also differed from the above description in having their hair long and curly. Dampier may have been deceived in this respect, and from the use that they make of their hair, by twisting it up into a substitute for thread, they had probably cut it off close, which would give them the appearance of having woolly hair like the negro.)

"They have no sort of clothes, but a piece of the rind of a tree tied like a girdle about their waists, and a handful of long grass, or three or four small green boughs full of leaves, thrust under their girdle, to cover their nakedness.

"They have no houses, but lie in the open air without any covering; the earth being their bed, and the heaven their canopy. Whether they cohabit one man to one woman, or promiscuously, I know not; but they do live in companies, twenty or thirty men, women, and children together. Their only food is a small sort of fish, which they get by making weirs of stone across little coves or branches of the sea; every tide bringing in the small fish, the there leaving them for a prey to these people, who constantly attend there to search for them at low water. This small fry I take to be the top of their fishery: they have no instruments to catch great fish, should they come; and such seldom stay to be left behind at low water: nor could we catch any fish with our hooks and lines all the while we lay there. In other places at low water they seek for cockles, mussels, and periwinkles. Of these shell-fish there are fewer still; so that their chief dependence is upon what the sea leaves in their wares; which, be it much or little, they gather up, and march to the places of their abode. There the old people that are not able to stir abroad by reason of their age, and the tender infants, wait their return; and what Providence has bestowed on them, they presently broil on the coals, and eat it in common. Sometimes they get as many fish as makes them a plentiful banquet; and at other times they scarce get every one a taste; but be it little or much that they get, every one has his part, as well the young and tender, the old and feeble, who are not able to go abroad, as the strong and lusty. When they have eaten they lie down till the next low water, and then all that are able march out, be it night or day, rain or shine, 'tis all one; they must attend the weirs, or else they must fast; for the earth affords them no food at all. There is neither herb, root, pulse, nor any sort of grain for them to eat, that we saw; nor any sort of bird or beast that they can catch, having no instruments wherewithal to do so.

"I did not perceive that they did worship anything. These poor creatures have a sort of weapon to defend their weir, or fight with their enemies, if they have any that will interfere with their poor fishery. They did at first endeavour with their weapons to frighten us, who, lying ashore, deterred them from one of their fishing-places. Some of them had wooden swords, others had a sort of lances. The sword is a piece of wood shaped somewhat like a cutlass.* The lance is a long straight pole, sharp at one end, and hardened afterwards by heat. I saw no iron, nor any sort of metal; therefore it is probable they use stone hatchets, as some Indians in America do, described in Chapter 4.

(*Footnote. Probably a boomerang. See volume 1.)

"How they get their fire I know not; but probably as Indians do, out of wood. I have seen the Indians of Bon-Airy do it, and have myself tried the experiment. They take a flat piece of wood that is pretty soft, and make a small dent in one side of it, then they take another hard, round stick, about the bigness of one's little finger, and sharpened at one end like a pencil, they put that sharp end in the hole or dent of the flat soft piece, and then rubbing or twirling the hard piece between the palm of their hands, they drill the soft piece till it smokes, and at last takes fire.

"These people speak somewhat through the throat; but we could not understand one word that they said. We anchored, as I said before, January the 5th, and seeing men walking on the shore, we presently sent a canoe to get some acquaintance with them; for we were in hopes to get some provision among them. But the inhabitants, seeing our boat coming, run away and hid themselves. We searched afterwards three days in hopes to find their houses, but found none; yet we saw many places where they had made fires. At last, being out of hopes to find their habitations, we searched no farther; but left a great many toys ashore, in such places where we thought they would come. In all our search we found no water, but old wells on the sandy bays.

"At last we went over to the islands, and there we found a great many of the natives; I do believe there were forty on one island, men, women, and children. The men on our first coming ashore, threatened us with their lances and swords; but they were frightened by firing one gun, which we fired purposely to scare them. The island was so small that they could not hide themselves; but they were much disordered at our landing, especially the women and children; for we went directly to their camp. The lustiest of the women snatching up their infants ran away howling, and the little children run after squeaking and bawling; but the men stood still. Some of the women, and such people as could not go from us, lay still by a fire, making a doleful noise, as if we had been coming to devour them: but when they saw we did not intend to harm them, they were pretty quiet, and the rest that fled from us at our first coming, returned again. This their place of dwelling was only a fire, with a few boughs before it, set up on the side the winds was of.

"After we had been here a little while, the men began to be familiar, and we clothed some of them, designing to have some service of them for it; for we found some wells of water here, and intended to carry two or three barrels of it aboard. But it being somewhat troublesome to carry to the canoes, we thought to have made these men to have carried it for us, and therefore we gave them some old clothes; to one an old pair of breeches, to another a ragged shirt, to the third a jacket that was scarce worth owning; which yet would have been very acceptable at some places where we had been, and so we thought they might have been with these people. We put them on them, thinking that this finery would have brought them to work heartily for us; and our water being filled in small long barrels, about six gallons in each, which were made purposely to carry water in, we brought these our new servants to the wells, and put a barrel on each of their shoulders for them to carry to the canoe. But all the signs we could make were to no purpose, for they stood like statues, without motion, but grinned like so many monkeys, staring one upon another; for these poor creatures seem not accustomed to carry burdens; and I believe that one of our ship-boys of ten years old would carry as much as one of them. So we were forced to carry our water ourselves, and they very fairly put the clothes off again, and laid them down, as if clothes were only to work in. I did not perceive that they had any great liking to them at first, neither did they seem to admire anything that we had.

"At another time our canoe being among these islands seeking for game, espied a drove of these men swimming from one island to another; for they have no boats, canoes, or bark-logs. They took four of them, and brought them aboard; two of them were middle-aged, the other two were young men about eighteen or twenty years old. To these we gave boiled rice, and with it turtle and manatee boiled. They did greedily devour what we gave them, but took no notice of the ship, or any thing in it, and when they were set on land again, they ran away as fast as they could. At our first coming, before we were acquainted with them, or they with us, a company of them who lived on the main, came just against our ship, and standing on a pretty high bank, threatened us with their swords and lances, by shaking them at us: at last the captain ordered the drum to be beaten, which was done of a sudden with much vigour, purposely to scare the poor creatures. They hearing the noise, ran away as fast as they could drive; and when they ran away in haste, they would cry gurry, gurry, speaking deep in the throat. Those inhabitants also that live on the main would always run away from us; yet we took several of them. For, as I have already observed, they had such bad eyes, that they could not see us till we came close to them. We did always give them victuals, and let them go again, but the islanders, after our first time of being among them, did not stir for us."*

(*Footnote. Dampier volume 1 page 464 et seq.)

At this anchorage we perceived very little rise and fall of tide, and the flood and ebb both set to the northward, this was also the case at our anchorage within the Lacepede Islands. At four o'clock the next morning a strong south-easterly breeze sprang up, and moderated again before we weighed; but no sooner were we under sail than it freshened again, and, at half-past five o'clock, blew so strong as to oblige our double reefing the topsails, which had not been done for many weeks before. At noon the wind fell, and was very calm, at which time our latitude observed was 17 degrees 36 minutes 38 seconds. The highest part of the land bore North 70 1/2 degrees East, south of which a sandy point, supposed to be Captain Baudin's Cape Boileau, bore South 87 degrees East; and a smoke, a little to the northward of the masthead extreme, bearing South 42 degrees East must be upon the land in the neighbourhood of Cape Latreille.

Soon after noon the breeze veered round by South to West-South-West, and enabled us to make some progress; at sunset we again anchored in thirteen fathoms, soft sand, at six miles from a sandy projection of the main, which we afterwards found to be the land called by Captain Baudin, Gantheaume Island; the name has therefore been given to the point, for there was no appearance of its being insulated. It bears a truly desolate appearance, being nothing but ridges of bare white sand, scantily crowned with a few shrubby bushes.

Behind Point Gantheaume the land appeared to be formed by downs of very white sand; and between this point and Cape Boileau is a bay, which at first, from the direction of the flood stream at the anchorage, was conjectured to be an inlet; but as the tide afterwards set to the Northward and North-East, it was concluded to be occasioned by the stream sweeping round the shores of the bay: according to the depth alongside there was a rise of ten feet; after high-water the ebb set between North 1/2 West and North-North-East, at the rate of a quarter to three quarters of a knot.

During the whole day the horizon was occupied by haze, and produced a very remarkable effect upon the land, which was so raised above the horizon by refraction that many distant objects became visible that could not otherwise have been seen. This mirage had been frequently observed by us on various parts of the coast, but never produced so extraordinary an effect as on the present occasion. The coastline appeared to be formed of high chalky cliffs, crowned by a narrow band of woody hillocks; and the land of Cape Villaret was so elevated as to be distinctly seen at the distance of forty miles, whereas two days afterwards, the weather being clear, it was not visible above the horizon for more than five leagues. This state of the atmosphere caused a rapid evaporation during the day, and as the evening approached a very copious dew commenced falling, which by sunset was precipitated like a shower of rain.

The next morning the land was again enveloped in haze, but at seven o'clock it cleared off a little, and the coast was observed to trend round Point Gantheaume to the south-east, but as we had last evening seen it as far to the westward as South-West by South, we steered in the latter direction under the idea of there being no opening to the southward of the point, since the flood-tide flowed from it instead of towards it, as it naturally would have done had there been any inlet of consequence thereabout.

As usual, we had been surrounded by whales, and large flights of boobies; one of the latter lighted upon the deck this afternoon, and was easily taken; it seemed to be the same bird (Pelecanus fiber) that frequents the reefs upon the north and north-eastern coasts. Between sunrise and midday our progress was much retarded by light south-easterly winds. At noon we were in 17 degrees 51 minutes 45 seconds South: after which the sea-breeze set in from South-South-West and South-West, and we steered to the southward. The land was now visible considerably to the southward of Point Gantheaume, but of a very low and sandy character; and as we proceeded it came in sight to the South-South-West. At sunset we anchored about five or six miles to the north of Captain Baudin's Cape Villaret; the extreme, which was in sight a little without it, was doubtless his Cape Latouche-Treville. From Cape Villaret the land trended to the East-North-East, and was seen very nearly to join the shore at the back of Point Gantheaume.

The dew was precipitated as copiously this evening as the last, and the sun set in a very dense bank; but the night was throughout fine. We now began to experience a more considerable set of tide than we had found since rounding Cape Leveque, for the rate was as much as a knot and a half; but as the tides were neaped it only rose nine feet.

At an anchorage near this spot, in the year 1699, Captain Dampier remarks that the tide rose and fell five fathoms, and ran so strong that his nun-buoy would not watch: but the French expedition, at an anchorage a little to the southward, found the flood-tide to set South-South-East and to rise only nine feet, the moon being then three days past her full. All these particulars have been mentioned, since it is from the nature of the tides that Captain Dampier formed his hypothesis of the existence of either a strait or an opening between this and the Rosemary Islands; but from our experience it would appear more probable that these great tides are occasioned by the numerous inlets that intersect the coast between this and Cape Voltaire; a further examination, however, can only prove the real cause.

August 26.

At daylight (26th) we weighed with a light breeze from South-West, but soon afterwards falling calm, and the tide drifting us to the South-East the anchor was again dropped: ten minutes afterwards a land breeze from East-South-East sprung up, to which we again weighed, but no sooner were we under sail than we were enveloped in a thick mist that blew off the land, where it had been collecting for the last two days. At eleven o'clock the fog cleared away to seaward, but the land was screened from our view until noon, when a sea breeze from west gradually dispersed the fog, and the hillocky summit of Cape Latouche-Treville was seen, bearing South 17 degrees West. At half-past twelve two rocky lumps on the land to the westward of Cape Villaret were seen, and very soon afterwards the hill on the cape made its appearance. Between Capes Villaret and Latouche-Treville is a bay formed by very low sandy land, slightly clothed with a stunted vegetation. The wind was now unfavourable for our approaching the land, and after standing off to sea and then towards the shore we anchored in thirteen fathoms coarse sand.

At this anchorage we found a still greater difference in the tides than was experienced the night preceding; the flood set South-East by East and East-South-East; and the ebb from North-North-East round to West-North-West; the rise was sixteen feet and a half, from which it would appear probable that there must be some reason for so great an indraught of water into the bight between Cape Villaret and Point Gantheaume, which I have named Roebuck Bay, after the ship that Captain Dampier commanded when he visited this part of the coast.

As the wind now blew constantly from the South-West, or from some southern direction, and caused our progress to be very slow and tedious; and as the shore for some distance to the southward of Cape Latouche-Treville had been partly seen by the French, I resolved upon leaving the coast. Our water was also nearly expended, and our provisions, generally, were in a very bad state; besides which the want of a second anchor was so much felt that we dared not venture into any difficulty where the appearance of the place invited a particular investigation, on account of the exposed nature of the coast, and the strength of the tides, which were now near the springs: upon every consideration, therefore, it was not deemed prudent to rely any longer upon the good fortune that had hitherto so often attended us in our difficulties.

August 27.

Accordingly after weighing, we steered off by the wind, and directed our course for Mauritius.

1821. September 22.

On the 22nd September at daylight after a passage of twenty-five days we saw Roderigues, five or six leagues to the northward. In the evening a fresh gale sprung up from the southward and we experienced very bad weather: at noon of the 24th by our calculation we were seventy-three miles due East from the north end of Mauritius and, having the day before experienced a westerly current of one mile per hour, we brought to at sunset for the night, from the fear of getting too near the shore.

September 25.

At daylight the following morning, being by the reckoning only thirty-four miles to the eastward of the north end of the island, we bore up for it; but the land, being enveloped in clouds, was not seen until noon; we then found ourselves off the south-east end, instead of the north point; having been set to the southward since yesterday noon at the rate of three quarters of a mile an hour: in consequence of which we determined upon going round the south side, and bore up for that purpose; upon approaching the land we found another current setting us to the north.

September 26.

The next morning at nine o'clock we passed round the Morne Brabant, the south-west point of the island, but it was four o'clock before we reached our anchorage (at a cable's length within the flag beacon at the entrance of Port Louis) in fifteen fathoms mud; we were then visited by the Health Officer, and afterwards by a boat from H.M. Ship Menai, which was at anchor in the port.

September 27.

But as it was too late that evening to enter the brig was not moved until the following morning, when she was warped in and moored head and stern within the harbour.

My wants were immediately made known to Captain Moresby, C.B. (of H.M. Ship Menai) who directed the necessary repairs to be performed by the carpenters of his ship; those articles which could not be supplied from the Menai's stores were advertised for in the Mauritius Gazette, when the most reasonable tenders were accepted.

As many of the carpenters and caulkers of the Menai as could be spared from their other occupations were daily employed upon our repairs; but from her being put into quarantine and other unforeseen delays they were not completed for nearly a month: our sails were repaired by the Menai's sailmakers; and, as all our running rigging was condemned and we had very little spare rope on board, her rope-makers made sufficient for our wants. The greater part of our bread, being found in a damaged state from leaks, was surveyed and condemned.

Captain Flinders' account of Mauritius appears to have been drawn up with much correctness and judgment, and is, even at the present day, so descriptive of the island as to be considered, both by the English and French residents of Port Louis, as the best that has yet been given to the world. Many alterations and considerable improvements have however taken place since his departure, and among the latter the improved system of the culture of the sugar cane, and the introduction of modern machinery into their mills, may be particularly mentioned. These have been effected entirely by the political changes that have, since Captain Flinders' captivity, taken place in the government of the island; and by the example and exertions of the English, who possess very large plantations, and indeed may be considered now as the principal proprietors of the land.

(*Footnote. It afforded me very great pleasure to hear the high terms in which my late friend and predecessor Captain Flinders was spoken of by the inhabitants of this island, and their general regret at his infamous detention. His friend M. Pitot had lately died, but I met many French gentlemen who were acquainted with him. General Decaen, the governor, was so much disliked by the inhabitants that Captain Flinders gained many friends at his expense who would not otherwise have troubled themselves about him; and this circumstance probably went far towards increasing the severity of the treatment he so unjustly received. An anecdote of him was related to me by a resident of Port Louis, which, as it redounds to his honour, I cannot lose the gratification of recording.

When Captain Flinders was at the house of Madame d'Arifat in the district of Plains Wilhelms, in which he was latterly permitted to reside upon his parole, an opportunity of escaping from the island was offered to him by the commander of a ship bound to India: it was urged to him by his friends that, from the tyrannical treatment he had received and the unjustifiable detention he was enduring, no parole to such a man as General Decaen ought to be thought binding or prevent him from regaining his liberty and embracing any opportunity of returning to his friends and country. The escape was well planned, and no chance of discovery likely to happen: the ship sailed from Port Louis, and at night, bringing to on the leeward side of the island abreast of Captain Flinders' residence, sent a boat to the appointed spot which was six miles only from Madame d'Arifat's house; but after waiting until near daylight without the captain making his appearance the boat returned to the vessel, which was obliged to pursue her voyage to prevent suspicion.

It is almost needless to add that Captain Flinders did not think it consistent with his feelings to take advantage of the opportunity, nor to effect his escape from imprisonment by a conduct so disgraceful to the character of a British officer and to the honourable profession to which he belonged.)

For some years past coffee has entirely failed upon the island and cotton is seldom seen growing. The principal attention of the habitans appeared to be given to the cultivation of the sugar cane and maize, both of which had begun to produce an abundant return to the planters; the manihot is also generally cultivated: but the dreadful effects of the hurricanes to which this island is exposed render property of so precarious and doubtful a tenure that nothing is secure until the season for these destructive visitations is over; they last from the beginning of December to the end of April and generally occur about the full of the moon, being invariably preceded by an unsteady motion of the mercury in the barometer. They are not always so violent as to be termed hurricanes: the last experienced before our visit was merely a coup de vent, by which very little damage was sustained.*

(*Footnote. In the month of January, 1824 this unfortunate island was again visited and laid waste by a tremendous hurricane that did very considerable damage, and has in a great measure destroyed the prosperous state which the island was beginning to arrive at from the previous long absence of this dreadful visitation.)

The town of Port Louis which is at the north-west, or leeward, side of the island, is built at the extremity of an amphitheatre of low land, backed in by a high and precipitous range, upon which Peter Botte and the Pouce are conspicuous features. The streets are laid out at rightangles, the principal of which lead from the Chaussee to the Champ de Mars, a plot of grassy land about half a mile square that intervenes between the town and the hills. This is the promenade, the drive, the racecourse, and, in fact, the principal resort for the inhabitants. It is skirted by houses and gardens and is a valuable acquisition to the town. The Chaussee and other streets are well furnished with useful shops of which those of the Tinman, the Druggist, and the Conservateur et Patissier, are the most numerous.

The houses, generally of wood, are irregularly built, and far from being elegant in their appearance; those however that have been lately constructed by our countrymen have already given the place an appearance of solidity that it could not boast of before, and several substantial stone dwellings and stones have lately been erected. The roads for seven or eight miles out of the town, leading to Pamplemousses, to Plains Wilhelms and to Moca districts, are very good and are kept in repair partly by Malabar convicts from India; but travelling beyond that distance is performed in palanquins which four bearers will carry, at a steady pace, at the rate of six miles per hour.

At the time of our visit there were few fruits ripe; but when we were about to sail the mango of delicious flavour began to be common; besides which there were coconuts, guavas, papaws, grapes, the letchy (or let-chis, a Chinese fruit) and some indifferent pineapples. The ship's company were supplied daily with fresh beef and vegetables. The latter were procured in abundance at the bazaar and were exceedingly fine, particularly carrots and cabbages of an unusually large size and fine flavour. Bullocks are imported into the island from Madagascar, in which trade there are two vessels constantly engaged during the fine season.

Horses are very scarce; they are imported from the Cape of Good Hope and fetch a high price: a cargo of a hundred and seventy-seven mules arrived from Buenos Ayres while we were at Port Louis, which, on being sold by auction, averaged each one hundred and eighty dollars. To encourage the importation of these useful animals a premium of five dollars is offered by the government for every mule that is brought alive to the island.

The circulating medium was principally of paper but bore a very great depreciation; the premium upon bills of exchange upon Europe, at the time of our departure, was as much as 66 to 76 per cent, and upon silver coin there was a depreciation of 45 per cent.

On the voyage to this place three charts of the north-west coast were reduced and copied by Mr. Roe and were forwarded to the Admiralty by H.M. Sloop Cygnet, together with a brief account of our voyage from the time that we parted company with the Dick, off Cape Van Diemen.

No observations were taken at this place excepting for ascertaining the rates of the chronometers, and for the variation and dip of the magnetic needle: the former being 12 degrees 31 minutes West, and the latter 51 degrees 42 minutes 1 second. The situation of the observatory has been long since fixed by the Abbe de la Caille in 20 degrees 10 minutes South latitude, and 57 degrees 29 minutes East longitude.

I cannot conclude this very brief account of our visit to Mauritius without expressing my acknowledgments for the civilities and hospitality we received from our countrymen at Port Louis, particularly from His Excellency Sir Robert T. Farquhar, Bart., who so long and ably presided as Governor of the Island; and for the valuable assistance rendered me in our re-equipment by Captain Fairfax Moresby, C.B., of H.M. Ship Menai, for which the expedition I had the honour to command is under more than a common professional obligation.



CHAPTER 3. Departure from Port Louis. Voyage to the South-west Coast of New Holland. Anchor in King George the Third's Sound. Occurrences there. Visited by the Natives. Our intercourse with them. Descriptions of their weapons and other implements. Vocabulary of their language. Meteorological and other observations. Edible plants. Testaceous productions.

1821. November 10.

On the 10th November we were ready for sea.

November 15.

But, from various delays, did not quit the port until the 15th. At midnight we passed round the Morne Brabant, and the next evening at sunset saw the high land of Bourbon: for the first two days we had south-east winds and upon reaching the parallel of 25 degrees, the winds became light and baffling with calms.

November 21.

But as we advanced more to the southward they gradually veered to east and north-east, and afterwards to north-west, with very fine weather.

November 28.

We did not get out of the influence of these variable winds until the 28th when we were at noon in latitude 32 degrees 47 minutes and longitude 65 degrees 5 minutes; after which we encountered westerly winds and rough weather. On the whole we had a very quick passage to the coast of New Holland; and for the last week were expedited by a strong westerly gale without encountering any accident or the occurrence of any circumstance worth recording.

1821. December 23.

On the 23rd December at daylight the land about Cape Chatham was in sight, and a course was directed to the eastward for King George's Sound; where it was my intention to complete our wood and water previous to commencing the examination of the west coast. At four o'clock in the afternoon we hauled round Bald Head and, entering the Sound, soon afterwards anchored at one mile from the entrance of Princess Royal Harbour.

December 24.

Having at our former visit re-fitted at Oyster Harbour, I wished on this occasion to try Princess Royal Harbour; but as I was both unacquainted with its entrance, as well as its convenience for our purposes, excepting from Captain Flinders' account, I hoisted the boat out early the next morning, to make the necessary examination before the sea-breeze commenced. Whilst the boat was preparing a distant shouting was heard, and upon our looking attentively towards the entrance several Indians were seen sitting on the rocks on the north head hallooing and waving to us, but no further notice than a return of their call was taken until after breakfast, when we pulled towards them in the whale-boat. As we drew near the shore they came down to receive us and appeared from their gestures to invite our landing; but in this they were disappointed, for, after a little vociferation and gesture on both sides, we pulled into the harbour, whilst they walked along the beach abreast the boat. As the motions of every one of them were attentively watched it was evident that they were not armed; each wore a kangaroo-skin cloak over his left shoulder that covered the back and breast but left the right arm exposed. Upon reaching the spot which Captain Flinders occupied in the Investigator I found that the brig could not anchor near enough to the shore to carry on our different operations without being impeded by the natives, even though they should be amicably disposed. Our plan was therefore altered and, as the anchorage formerly occupied by the Mermaid in the entrance of Oyster Harbour would be on all accounts more convenient for our purposes, I determined upon going thither.

By this time the natives had reached that part of the beach where the boat was lying, and were wading through the water towards us; but as we had no wish at present to communicate with them, for fear that, by refusing anything we had in the boat, for which their importunity would perhaps be very great, a quarrel might be occasioned, we pulled off into deeper water where we remained for five minutes parleying with them, during which they plainly expressed their disappointment and mortification at our want of confidence. Upon making signs for fresh water, which they instantly understood, they called out to us "badoo, badoo," and pointed to a part of the bay where Captain Flinders has marked a rivulet. Badoo, in the Port Jackson language, means water; it was thought probable that they must have obtained it from some late visitors; and in this opinion we were confirmed, for the word kangaroo was also familiar to them.*

(*Footnote. The San Antonio, merchant brig, the vessel that joined our company during our passage up the east coast, visited this port in December 1820 and communicated with the natives; it is therefore probable that the above words were obtained from that vessel's crew.)

Upon our return towards the entrance the natives walked upon the beach abreast the boat, and kept with her until we pulled out of the entrance, when they resumed their former station upon the rocks and we returned on board.

Upon reaching the brig, the anchor was weighed, and with a fresh sea-breeze from South-East we soon reached Oyster Harbour, but in crossing the bar the vessel took the ground in eleven and a half feet water, and it was some time before we succeeded in heaving her over, and reaching the anchorage we had occupied at our last visit. Whilst warping in, the natives, who had followed the vessel along the sandy beach that separates the two harbours, were amusing themselves near us in striking fish with a single barbed spear, in which sport they appeared to be tolerably successful. As soon as we passed the bar three other natives made their appearance on the east side, who, upon the boat going to that shore to lay out the kedges, took their seats in it as unceremoniously as a passenger would in a ferry-boat; and upon its returning to the brig, came on board, and remained with us all the afternoon, much amused with everything they saw, and totally free from timidity or distrust. Each of our visitors was covered with a mantle of kangaroo-skin, but these were laid aside upon their being clothed with other garments, with the novelty of which they appeared greatly diverted. The natives on the opposite shore seeing that their companions were admitted, were loudly vociferous in their request to be sent for also; but unfortunately for them it was the lee shore, so that no boat went near them; and as we did not wish to be impeded by having so many on the deck at one time, their request was not acceded to and by degrees they separated and retired in different directions.

As soon as the brig was secured two of our visitors went ashore, evidently charged with some message from the other native, but as he voluntarily remained on board nothing hostile was suspected; we therefore landed and dug a hole three feet deep among the grass about two yards above the highest tide-mark, for water; but it was found to be so highly coloured and muddy as it flowed in, that other holes were dug in the sand nearer the edge of the tide-mark, where it was also produced, and proved to be of a much better taste, as well as clearer, from being filtered through the sand.

On examining the place of our former encampment, it was so much altered from the rapid growth of vegetation that we could scarcely recognise its situation. The stem of the casuarina on which the Mermaid's name and the date of our visit had been carved was almost destroyed by fire; and the inscription in consequence so nearly obliterated that the figures 1818, and two or three letters alone remained visible. There was not the least trace of our garden, for the space which it formerly occupied was covered by three or four feet of additional soil, formed of sand and decayed vegetable matter and clothed with a thicket of fine plants in full flower, that would be much prized in any other place than where they were. The initials of the names of some of our people were still very perfect upon the stem of a large Banksia grandis which, from being covered with its superb flowers, bore a magnificent and striking appearance.

After an absence of an hour our two friends returned, when it appeared that they had been at their toilet, for their noses and faces had evidently been fresh smeared over with red ochre, which they pointed out to us as a great ornament; affording another proof that vanity is inherent in human nature and not merely the consequence of civilisation. They had however put off the garments with which we had clothed them and resumed their mantles.

Each brought a lighted fire-stick in his hand, intending, as we supposed, to make a fire, and to pass the night near the vessel, in order to watch our intentions and movements.

On returning on board we desired the native who had remained behind to go ashore to his companions, but it was with great reluctance that he was persuaded to leave us. Whilst on board, our people had fed him plentifully with biscuit, yams, pudding, tea, and grog, of which he ate and drank as if he was half famished, and after being crammed with this strange mixture and very patiently submitting his beard to the operation of shaving, he was clothed with a shirt and a pair of trousers, and christened Jack, by which name he was afterwards always called, and to which he readily answered. As soon as he reached the shore, his companions came to meet him to hear an account of what had transpired during their absence, as well as to examine his new habiliments which, as may be conceived, had effected a very considerable alteration in his appearance, and at the same time that the change created much admiration on the part of his companions, it raised him very considerably in his own estimation. It was however a substitution that did not improve his appearance; in fact he cut but a sorry figure in our eyes, in his chequered shirt and tarry trousers, when standing amongst his companions, with their long beards and kangaroo-skin mantles thrown carelessly over their shoulders.

Upon being accosted by his companions Jack was either sullen with them or angry with us for sending him on shore, for without deigning to reply to their questions he separated himself from them, and after watching us in silence for some time, walked quietly and slowly away, followed at a distance by his friends who were lost in wonder at what could have happened to their sulky companion. The grog that he had been drinking had probably taken effect upon his head and, although the quantity was very trifling, he might have been a little stupefied.

December 25.

At daylight the following morning the natives had again collected on both sides, and upon the jolly-boat's landing the people to examine the wells Jack, having quite recovered his good humour, got into the boat and came on board. The natives on the opposite side were vociferous to visit us, and were holding long conversations with Jack, who explained everything to them in a song, to which they would frequently exclaim in full chorus the words "Cai, cai, cai, cai, caigh" which they always repeated when anything was shown that excited their surprise. Finding we had no intention of sending a boat for them they amused themselves in fishing. Two of them were watching a small seal that, having been left by the tide on the bank, was endeavouring to waddle towards the deep water; at last one of the natives, fixing his spear in its throwing-stick, advanced very cautiously and, when within ten or twelve yards, lanced it, and pierced the animal through the neck, when the other instantly ran up and stuck his spear into it also, and then beating it about the head with a small hammer very soon despatched it.

This event collected the whole tribe to the spot, who assisted in landing their prize and washing the sand off the body; they then carried the animal to their fire at the edge of the grass and began to devour it even before it was dead. Curiosity induced Mr. Cunningham and myself to view this barbarous feast and we landed about ten minutes after it had commenced. The moment the boat touched the sand the natives, springing up and throwing their spears away into the bushes, ran down towards us; and before we could land had all seated themselves in the boat ready to go on board, but they were obliged to wait whilst we landed to witness their savage feast. On going to the place we found an old man seated over the remains of the carcass, two-thirds of which had already disappeared; he was holding a long strip of the raw flesh in his left hand, and tearing it off the body with a sort of knife; a boy was also feasting with him and both were too intent upon their breakfast to notice us or to be the least disconcerted at our looking on. We however were very soon satisfied and walked away perfectly disgusted with the sight of so horrible a repast, and the intolerable stench occasioned by the effluvia that arose from the dying animal, combined with that of the bodies of the natives who had daubed themselves from head to foot with a pigment made of a red ochreous earth mixed up with seal-oil.

We then conveyed the natives, who had been waiting with great patience in the boat for our return, to the vessel, and permitted them to go on board. Whilst they remained with us Mr. Baskerville took a man from each mess to the oyster-bank; here he was joined by an Indian carrying some spears and a throwing-stick, but on Mr. Baskerville's calling for a musket that was in the boat (to the use of which they were not strangers) he laid aside his spears, which probably were only carried for the purpose of striking fish, and assisted our people in collecting the oysters. As soon as they had procured a sufficient quantity they returned on board when, as it was breakfast time, our visitors were sent onshore, highly pleased with their reception and with the biscuit and pudding which the people had given them to eat. They were very attentive to the mixture of a pudding, and a few small dumplings were made and given to them, which they put on the bars of the fireplace but, being too impatient to wait until they were baked, ate them in a doughy state with much relish.

Three new faces appeared on the east side, who were brought on board after breakfast, and permitted to remain until dinner-time: one of them, an old man, was very attentive to the sailmaker's cutting out a boat's sail, and at his request was presented with all the strips that were of no use. When it was completed a small piece of canvas was missing, upon which the old man, being suspected of having secreted it, was slightly examined, but nothing was found upon him; after this, while the people were looking about the deck, the old rogue assisted in the search and appeared quite anxious to find it; he however very soon walked away towards another part of the deck and interested himself in other things. This conduct appeared so suspicious that I sent the sailmaker to examine the old man more closely, when the lost piece was found concealed under his left arm, which was covered by the cloak he wore of kangaroo-skin. This circumstance afforded me a good opportunity of showing them our displeasure at so flagrant a breach of the confidence we had reposed in them; I therefore went up to him and, assuming as ferocious a look as I could, shook him violently by the shoulders. At first he laughed but afterwards, when he found I was in earnest, became much alarmed: upon which his two companions, who were both boys, wanted to go onshore; this however was not permitted until I had made peace with the old man, and put them all in good humour by feeding them heartily upon biscuit. The two boys were soon satisfied; but the old man appeared ashamed and conscious of his guilt; and although he was frequently afterwards with us, yet he always hung down his head and sneaked into the background.

During the day the people were employed about the rigging, and in the evening before sunset the natives were again admitted on board for half an hour. In the afternoon Mr. Montgomery went to Green Island and shot a few parrakeets and waterbirds, some of which he gave to the natives after explaining how they had been killed, which of course produced great applause.

December 26.

The next day was employed in wooding and watering, in which the natives, particularly our friend Jack, assisted. We had this day twenty-one natives about us and among them were five strangers. They were not permitted to come on board until four o'clock in the afternoon, excepting Jack, who was privileged to come and go as he liked, which, since it did not appear to create any jealousy among his companions, enabled us to detain him as a hostage for Mr. Cunningham's safety, who was busily engaged in adding to his collections from the country in the vicinity of the vessel.

In the evening Jack climbed the rigging as high as the top masthead, much to the amusement of his companions but to the mortification of Bundell who had never taken courage to mount so high.

The waterholes yielded about a ton of water a day; but a stream was found in the sandy bay to the eastward of the entrance, running over the beach, which we used when the holes were emptied of their contents; the latter were however preferred, since our people worked at them under an immediate protection from the vessel's deck. Near the stream we found some felled trees and the staves of a cask.*

(*Footnote. At this place the San Antonio merchant brig wooded and watered in 1820.)

December 27 to 28.

Our watering continued to proceed without molestation from the natives; the number of whom had increased to twenty-nine, besides some whom we had before seen that were now absent. During the afternoon of the 28th the wind freshened from south-west and blew so strong as to cause a considerable swell where we were lying; but towards sunset the breeze moderated and the natives were again admitted on board; there were, however, only eleven, for the rest, having worn out their patience, had walked away.

They were now quite tractable and never persisted in doing anything against our wishes. The words "by and by" were so often used by us in answer to their cau-wah, or "come here," that their meaning was perfectly understood and always satisfied the natives, since we made it a strict rule never to disappoint them of anything that was promised, an attention to which is of the utmost importance in communicating with savages. Every evening that they visited us they received something, but as a biscuit was the most valuable present that could be made, each native was always presented with one upon his leaving the vessel; during the day they were busily occupied in manufacturing spears, knives, and hammers, for the evening's barter; and when they came in the morning they generally brought a large collection, which their wives had probably made in their absence.

December 29.

On the 29th we had completed our holds with wood and water and prepared to leave the harbour. In the morning there was thirteen feet water at the buoy which had been moored on the deepest part of the bar, the depth of which, during the two preceding days, had been frequently sounded.

In the evening we were visited by twenty-four natives among whom was our friend Jack. When they found us preparing to go away they expressed great sorrow at our departure, particularly Jack, who was more than usually entertaining but kept, as he always did, at a distance from his companions and treated them with the greatest disdain. When the time came to send them on shore he endeavoured to avoid accompanying them and as usual was the last to go into the boat; instead however of following them, he went into a boat on the opposite side of the brig that was preparing to go for a load of water, evidently expecting to be allowed to return in her.

This friendly Indian had become a great favourite with us all and was allowed to visit us whenever he chose and to do as he pleased; he always wore the shirt that had been given to him on the first day and endeavoured to imitate everything that our people were employed upon; particularly the carpenter and the sailmaker at their work: he was the only native who did not manufacture spears for barter, for he was evidently convinced of the superiority of our weapons and laughed heartily whenever a bad and carelessly-made spear was offered to us for sale: for the natives, finding we took everything, were not very particular in the form or manufacturer of the articles they brought to us. He was certainly the most intelligent native of the whole tribe and if we had remained longer would have afforded us much information of this part of the country; for we were becoming more and more intelligible to each other every day: he frequently accompanied Mr. Cunningham in his walks and not only assisted him in carrying his plants but occasionally added to the specimens he was collecting.

December 30.

The next morning (30th) the anchors were weighed and the warps laid out, but from various delays we did not reach a birth sufficiently near the bar to make sail from, until the water had fallen too much to allow our passing it: the brig was therefore moored in the stream of the tide.

At eight o'clock the natives came down as usual and were much disappointed in finding the brig moved from her former place. After the vessel was secured the launch and jolly-boat were sent to the watering-place in the outer bay, where the eastern party were assembled with a bundle of spears, throwing-sticks, and knives, for barter. Upon the return of the boats our friend Jack came on board and appeared altogether so attached to us that some thoughts were entertained of taking him on our voyage up the west coast if he was inclined to go. As he did not want for intelligence there was not much difficulty in making him understand by signs that he might go with us, to which he appeared to assent without the least hesitation, but that it might be satisfactorily ascertained whether he really wished to go it was intimated to him that he should tell his companions of this new arrangement. Mr. Bedwell accordingly took him on shore, and purchased all the spears the natives had brought down, that, in case they should feel angry at his leaving them, they might have no weapons to do any mischief with.

When Jack landed he instantly informed his companions of his intended departure and pointed to the sea, to show whither he was going, but his friends received the intelligence with the most careless indifference, their attention being entirely engrossed with the barter that was going on. After the spears were purchased Mr. Bedwell got into the boat followed by Jack, who seated himself in his place with apparent satisfaction.

While Mr. Bedwell was purchasing the spears and other weapons Jack brought him a throwing-stick that he had previously concealed behind a bush and sold it to him for a biscuit; but after he had embarked and the boat was leaving the shore he threw it among his companions, thereby affording us a most satisfactory proof of the sincerity of his intentions.

About an hour after he had returned and I had determined upon taking him, the breeze freshened and raised a short swell which, causing a slight motion, affected our friend's head so much that he came to me and, touching his tongue and pointing to the shore, intimated his wish to speak to the natives. He was therefore immediately landed and Mr. Baskerville, after purchasing some spears and waiting a few minutes, prepared to return on board: upon getting into the boat he looked at our volunteer but Jack, having had a taste of sea-sickness, shook his head and hung back; he was therefore left on shore. Upon the boat's leaving the beach the natives dispersed for the night but Jack, as usual, was perceived to separate himself from his companions and to walk away without exchanging a word with them.

December 31.

The weather at daylight the next morning (31st) was too unsettled and the breeze too strong from the westward to think of moving from the anchorage. Jack and another native were down on the rocks at an early hour, hallooing and waving to us, and at eight o'clock some natives appeared on the opposite shore with spears and knives to barter, but we had no communication with them.

During our visit we have obtained from these people about one hundred spears, thirty throwing-sticks, forty hammers, one hundred and fifty knives, and a few hand-clubs, the value of each being at from half to one-eighth of a biscuit. We saw no fizgig, shield, nor boomerang; it is probable that they may have such weapons but did not produce them from a dislike at parting with them; but the knives, spears, and hammers which did not require much labour to manufacture were always ready for barter, particularly the first, but the greater part were, like Peter Pindar's razors, only made for sale.

Altogether we saw about forty natives of whom ten were boys: they were in most respects similar to their neighbours, having the same long curly hair and slight figure; they did not appear to be a navigating tribe, for we saw no canoes, nor did we observe any trees in the woods with the bark stripped, of which material they are usually made; and, from the timid manner they approached the water, it is more than probable that they are not much accustomed even to swimming. Captain Flinders is mistaken in stating that the natives of this place do not use the throwing-stick; but it is probable they did not produce those instruments to him, for fear of being deprived of them, for it required much persuasion on our part to prevail upon them to let us have any; they were much more ingeniously formed than others that we had previously seen, and different also, in having a small sharp-edged shell, or piece of quartz, fixed in a gummy knob at the handle, for the purpose of scraping the points of the spears: the shaft is broad, smooth and flat. Some of these throwing-sticks, or mearas, were three inches broad and two feet six inches long. See Woodcut 3.

The spears are very slender, and are made from a species of leptospermum that grows abundantly in swampy places; they are from nine to ten feet long and barbed with a piece of hard wood, fastened on by a ligature of bark gummed over; we saw none that were not barbed, or had not a hole at the end to receive the hooked point of the meara. Woodcut 4 shows the method by which this weapon is propelled.

The hammer, or kaoit, appears to be used only for the purpose of breaking open shellfish, and killing seals and other animals by striking them on the head; for it has no sharpened edge to be used as a chopping or cutting instrument; the handle is from twelve to fifteen inches long, having one end scraped to a sharp point, and on each side at the other end two pieces of hard stone fixed and cemented by a mass of gum, which, when dry, is almost as hard as the stone itself; the hammer is about one pound weight. See Woodcut 5.

The knife, or taap, is perhaps the rudest instrument of the sort that ever was made; the handle is about twelve inches long, scraped to a point like the hammer, and has, at the other end, three or four splinters of sharp-edged quartz stuck on in a row with gum, thus forming a sort of ragged instrument. See Woodcut 6. It is thus used: after they have put within their teeth a sufficient mouthful of seal's flesh, the remainder is held in their left hand, and, with the taap in the other, they saw through, and separate the flesh.* Every native carries one or more of these knives in his belt besides the hammer which is also an indispensable instrument with them.

(*Footnote. A very good idea may be obtained of the manner in which these taaps are used, by referring to Captain Lyon's drawing of the Esquimaux sledges at page 290 of Parry's Second Voyage: the natives of King George's Sound however hold the knife underhanded, and cut upwards.)

We did not perceive that these people acknowledged any chief or superior among them; the two parties that collected daily on the opposite sides of the harbour evidently belonged to the same tribe for they occasionally mixed with each other. Their habitations were probably scattered about in different parts for when the natives went away for the night they separated into several groups, not more than three or four going together, and these generally returned in company the next morning by the same path which they had taken when they left us: they also arrived at different times and some evidently came from a distance greater than others, for they were later in arriving and always took their leave at an earlier hour.

With the exception of one or two petty thefts besides the one above-mentioned of which serious notice was taken, and an attempt to steal a hat from one of the boys when he was by himself on the Oyster Bank, our communication with these people was carried on in the most friendly manner. Mr. Cunningham was, to their knowledge, on shore every day attended only by his servant, but none, excepting Jack, followed him after they had ascertained the intention of his walk, and observed the care that he took to avoid going near their habitations, for which they evinced a great dislike; one of their encampments was about a mile and a half off but, curious as we naturally were to witness their mode of living and to see the females and children of their tribe, we never succeeded in persuading them to allow us to gratify our curiosity. On one occasion it was necessary to lay a kedge anchor out in the direction of their dwelling-place, and upon the boat's crew landing and carrying it along the beach, the natives followed and intimated by signs that we should not go that way; as soon however as the anchor was fixed and they understood our intention, they assisted the people in carrying the hawser to make fast to it.

They were well-acquainted with the effects of a musket, although not the least alarmed at having one fired off near them. Everything they saw excited their admiration, particularly the carpenter's tools and our clothes; but what appeared to surprise them above all other things was the effect produced upon the flesh by a burning-glass, and of its causing the explosion of a train of gunpowder. They perfectly understood that it was from the sun that the fire was produced, for on one occasion when Jack requested me to show it to two or three strangers whom he had brought to visit us I explained to him that it could not be done while the sun was clouded; he then waited patiently for five minutes until the sunshine reappeared, when he instantly reminded me of the removal of the obstacle. He was a good deal surprised at my collecting the rays of the sun upon my own hand, supposing that I was callous to the pain, from which he had himself before shrunk; but as I held the glass within the focus distance, no painful sensation was produced; after which he presented me his own arm, and allowed me to burn it as long as I chose to hold the glass, without flinching in the least, which, with greater reason, equally astonished us in our turn.

They were all furnished, as has been before mentioned, with a cloak of kangaroo-skin, which is always taken off and spread under them when they lie down. Their hair was dressed in different ways; sometimes it was clotted with red pigment and seal oil, clubbed up behind, and bound round with a fillet of opossum-fur, spun into a long string, in which parrot-feathers, escalop shells, and other ornaments being fixed in different fanciful ways, gave the wearer a warlike appearance.