Discoveries In Australia - free ebook by John Lort Stokes

J. LORT STOKES,

NATIVES OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA. I.R. Fitzmaurice del....

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INTRODUCTION.

I cannot allow these volumes to go before the public, without expressing my thanks to the following gentlemen for assistance, afforded to me in the course of the composition of this work: To Captain Beaufort, R.N., F.R.S., Hydrographer to the Admiralty, for his kindness in furnishing me with some of the accompanying charts; to Sir John Richardson, F.R.S; J.E. Gray, Esquire, F.R.S.; E. Doubleday, Esquire, F.L.S., and A. White, Esquire, M.E.S., for their valuable contributions on Natural History,

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CHAPTER 1.1. INTRODUCTION.

For more than half a century, the connection between Great Britain and her Australian possessions has been one of growing interest; and men of the highest eminence have foreseen and foretold the ultimate importance of that vast continent, over which, within the memory of living man, the roving savage held precarious though unquestioned empire. Of the Australian shores, the North-western was the least known, and became, towards the close of the year 1836, a subject of much geographical speculatio

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CHAPTER 1.2. PLYMOUTH TO BAHIA.

The morning of the 5th July saw us running out of Plymouth Sound with a light northerly wind, and hazy weather: soon after we were outside we spoke H.M.S. Princess Charlotte, bearing the flag of Admiral Sir R. Stopford, and as she was bound down channel we kept together for the next three days: she had old shipmates on board, and was not the less an object of interest on that account. Nothing worthy of particular notice occurred during the run to Santa Cruz in Tenerife, which we made on the 18th

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CHAPTER 1.3. FROM THE CAPE TO SWAN RIVER.

We had, upon the whole, a favourable passage across to the Cape; but on the 17th of September, when distant from it about 500 miles, we encountered a moderate gale from the north. As this was the first heavy weather we had experienced since our departure from England, I was curious to see what effect such a strange scene would have on our passengers. Wrapt in mute astonishment, they stood gazing with admiration and awe on the huge waves as they rolled past, occasionally immersing our little vess

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CHAPTER 1.4. FROM SWAN RIVER TO ROEBUCK BAY.

CURRENTS AND SOUNDINGS. The solemnities of Christmas, and the festal celebration of the New Year, beneath a cloudless sky, and with the thermometer at 90, concluded our first visit to Swan River. We left our anchorage in Gage's Road on Thursday, January 4th, devoting several hours to sounding between Rottnest and the main. We bore away at 4 P.M. to search for a bank said to exist about fifteen miles north from the middle of Rottnest Island, having from twenty to twenty-two fathoms over it. Near

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CHAPTER 1.5. FROM ROEBUCK BAY TO SKELETON POINT.

DEPARTURE FROM ROEBUCK BAY. January 22, 1838. Satisfied that no inland communication could be expected from Roebuck Bay, we weighed in the early part of the morning, and stood away to the northward. APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY. Roebuck Bay, so named to commemorate the name of Dampier's ship, is about sixteen miles across: the southern shores are low, and extensive sandbanks and mud flats are bared at low-water. Near the North-East point of the bottom of this bay, is a curious range of low cliffs,

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CHAPTER 1.6. POINT CUNNINGHAM TO FITZROY RIVER.

February 21, 1838. We remained at this sheltered anchorage until the 21st, by which time the coast, so far as Point Cunningham, had been carefully examined. We found it everywhere indented with deep bays, in each of which good anchorage was to be found. The water's edge was in almost every place fringed with the closely twining mangrove trees, behind which the country gradually rose to an average level of about 200 feet, being thickly covered with the various sorts of Eucalypti, for which all th

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CHAPTER 1.7. THE FITZROY RIVER TO PORT GEORGE THE FOURTH, AND RETURN TO SWAN RIVER.

March 7, 1838. We spent the morning in making the necessary preparations, and in the afternoon started to resume our examination of Fitzroy River. Captain Wickham and Lieutenant Eden in the gig, and myself, accompanied by Mr. Tarrant, in one of the whaleboats; we reached the mangrove isles at sunset, and spent the night between them and the eastern shore. On the 8th the tide suited us but badly, and we were only able to proceed about four miles beyond Escape Point, where we secured the boats in

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CHAPTER 1.8. SWAN RIVER TO SYDNEY.

MIAGO'S RECEPTION BY HIS COUNTRYMEN. We were considerably amused with the consequential air Miago assumed towards his countrymen on our arrival, which afforded us a not uninstructive instance of the prevalence of the ordinary infirmities of our common human nature, whether of pride or vanity, universally to be met with both in the civilised man and the uncultivated savage. He declared that he would not land until they first came off to wait on him. Decorated with an old full-dress Lieutenant's c

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CHAPTER 1.9. BASS STRAIT.

Before quitting Sydney I must express my gratitude for the hospitality we experienced during our stay, which prepared us with greater cheerfulness to encounter the difficulties we might expect to meet with in the boisterous waters that rolled between the then imperfectly known shores, and islands of Bass Strait. It was not until the 11th of November that we bade adieu to our friends, and sailed to commence our contemplated operations. On the 14th we passed the rocky islands (Kent's Group) at the

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CHAPTER 1.10. SYDNEY TO PORT ESSINGTON.

May 22. We again bade adieu to our friends at Sydney, and sailed to explore the north-western part of the continent, which from the number of openings still unexamined, possessed the interest that invariably attaches to whatever is unknown. We submitted, accordingly, with impatience to the delay caused by light north-westerly winds, and a southerly current of nearly a knot per hour, which prevented us from reaching the parallel of Port Macquarie before the 29th; when about forty miles from it we

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CHAPTER 1.11.

PORT ESSINGTON. The expanse of water presented to our view in standing up Port Essington, quite delighted us. It is in truth a magnificent harbour, and well worthy of having on its shores the capital of Northern Australia, destined, doubtless, from its proximity to India, and our other fast-increasing eastern possessions, to become not only a great commercial resort, but a valuable naval post in time of war. Many circumstances combine to render it a desirable station. Its great size, having an e

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CHAPTER 1.12.

In pursuance of orders from Sir G. Bremer, C.B. we sailed from Port Essington on the 18th March, 1839, having on board, Captain Kuper (then 1st Lieutenant of H.M.S. Alligator) and one of the Australian natives, who was induced to accompany us, partly by his own curiosity, and partly by liberal promises and plenty to eat. He was known at the settlement by the name of Jack White, and from his great good humour and intelligence, was a favourite with everyone. I hoped by keeping him on board for som

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APPENDIX 1.

IchthyiAetus leucogaster. Ieracidea berigora. Astur approximans, Vig. and Horsf. Collocalia arborea. Podargus humeralis, Vig. and Horsf. Podargus phalaenoides, Gould. Eurostopodus guttatus. Merops ornatus, Lath. Dacelo Leachii. Dacelo cervina, Gould. Halcyon macleayii, Jard. and Selb. Alcyone azurea. Dicrurus bracteatus, Gould. Colluricincla cinerea, Gould. Pachycephala gutturalis. Pachycephala melanura, Gould. Pachycephala pectoralis, Vig. and Horsf. Pachycephala lanoides, Gould. Artamus sordid

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APPENDIX 2.

Balistes phaleratus. RICHARDSON. CH. SPEC. B. cauda tot aculeolis quot squamis armata; gena tota squamulis stipatis aspera, nec lines laevibus decursa; squamis majoribus rotuntdatis post aperturam branchiorum; fascia frontali et mtacula caudae nigris: fascia nigra laterali ab oculo ad caudam extensa, cumque pari suo ter trans dorsum conjugata. RADII. D. 3-1 : 25; A. 1 : 23; C. 12; P. 14. FISHES. PLATE 1. Figures 4, 5. FISHES. PLATE 1. FIGURES 4, 5. Balistes phaleratus. Drawn on Stone by W. Mitch

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APPENDIX 3.

Fam. SAURIDAE. SILUBOSAURUS, Gray. Head subquadrangular, raised in front, head-shields flat, thin, rather rugose. Nasal shields ovate, triangular, rather anterior, with a groove behind the nostril. Rostral shields triangular, erect. Supranasal none; internasal broad; frontonasal large, contiguous; frontal and interparietal small, frontoparietal and parietal moderate; eyebrow shields, 4-4. Temples scaly, no shields between the orbit and labial plates. Eyes rather small, lower lid opatic, covered

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APPENDIX 4.

INSECTS. PLATE 1. Megacephala australasiae, Hope, Proceedings of the Entomological Society, November 1, 1841, Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 9, 425. STOKES, INSECTS. PLATE 1, FIGURE 1. Habitat: North-West Australia. Aenigma cyanipenne, Hope; variety with the whole of the thorax punctulated. INSECTS. PLATE 1, FIGURE 2. The specimen figured, in other respects seems to me to agree with the species above-mentioned, described briefly by the Reverend F. Hope in the Proceedings of the Entomolo

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APPENDIX 5.

INSECTS. PLATE 3. LIST OF FIGURES ON INSECTS PLATE 3. Figure 1. 2. Euschemon rafflesia (MacLeay). a. b. Head of Euschemon rafflesia (MacLeay). c.* Base of wings of Euschemon rafflesia (MacLeay) to show the bristle and retinaculum. d. Anterior wings of Euschemon rafflesia (MacLeay). Figure 3. Glaucopis ganymede, Doubleday. Figure 4. Agarista leonora, Doubleday. e. Anterior wing of Agarista leonora, Doubleday. Figure 5. Synemon sophia (White). Figure 6. Synemon theresa, Doubleday. Figure 7. Synemo

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J. LORT STOKES,

MESSRS. FITZMAURICE AND KEYS DANCING FOR THEIR LIVES. L.R. Fitzmaurice, del. London, Published by T. &amp; W. Boone, 1846. ...

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LIST OF CHARTS.

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JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY. CHAPTER 2.1.

Leave Port Essington. Clarence Strait. Hope Inlet. Shoal Bay. Land for Observations. Explore a new Opening. Talc Head. Port Darwin. Continue Exploration. Mosquitoes and Sandflies. Nature of the Country. Its parched appearance. Large ant's nest. Return to Shoal Bay. Visit from the Natives. Remarks. Their teeth perfect. Rite of Circumcision. Observations on the Migrations of the Natives. Theory of an Inland Sea. Central Desert. Salt water drunk by Natives. Modes of procuring water. Survey the harb

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CHAPTER 2.2.

EXPLORATION OF THE VICTORIA. The expedition, consisting of the two large boats and gig, with Captain Wickham, who was to show them the watering place, left the ship early on the morning of the 31st of October. I was to follow in one of the whaleboats, and explore the upper parts in company with Captain Wickham; and after completing the survey near the ship, I was at last fairly off to explore the Victoria with the first glimmer of light the morning following, once more to revel in scenes where a

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CHAPTER 2.3. VICTORIA RIVER.

REUNION OF THE BOATS. November 13. The day was devoted to fixing the position of several of the surrounding hills; and in the afternoon we obtained observations for rating the chronometers: I found that one by French, which I had worn in my pocket, had gone most admirably. Captain Wickham joined us in the gig after dark. The evening was cloudy, and we had a sharp squall at midnight from south-east. November 14. Both boats were moved off down the river at daylight, and ere it had passed away, the

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CHAPTER 2.4. VICTORIA RIVER TO SWAN RIVER.

SAIL FOR SWAN RIVER. December 12. By this day Mr. Bynoe thought I was sufficiently recovered to be able to bear the motion of the ship at sea, and we accordingly sailed in the morning for Swan River. Standing out from Point Pearce we had a better view, than on our first approach, of the coast to the north of it; trending in a North 11 degrees East direction. It had a sandy appearance and was fronted with a rocky ledge at low-water, with one or two remarkable bare sand patches, four or five miles

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CHAPTER 2.5.

SAIL FROM SWAN RIVER. The improved state of the colony enabling us to get supplies, it was resolved that we should return to the North-west coast, examining on the way, Houtman's Abrolhos, a coral group that had very rarely been visited, since the Dutch ships were lost on them, one 120 and the other 220 years ago, and of which next to nothing was known. Not being able to persuade Miago to accompany us, he being too much engaged with his new wife, we enlisted the services of a native youth who ge

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CHAPTER 2.6.

Leaving Rottee we passed, soon after dark, round the western end of Pulo Douw, and stood for the position of a shoal reported by Mr. Lewis of the Colonial schooner, Isabella, to be in latitude 14 degrees 43 minutes South, and longitude 119 degrees 20 minutes East. Our inducement to search for this shoal was the fact of its being supposed to lie in the direct route of vessels sailing between Timor and the West coast of Australia. But after searching from the 9th to the 14th, and sounding repeated

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CHAPTER 2.7.

LAND SALES. No improvement had taken place in colonial affairs, and the sales of land, in consequence of the high price, were very limited. The fact was, the regulations that had recently been made gave very little satisfaction. By these the minimum price was fixed at one pound per acre; in consequence of which many predicted that millions of acres would be excluded from the market for ages to come, as it seemed not conceivable that any change could make them worth a quarter that sum, especially

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CHAPTER 2.8. GULF OF CARPENTARIA.

June 26. The vessels forming our convoy departed this morning, and soon disappeared in the western horizon, leaving the Beagle, that seemed destined to be a solitary roamer, once more alone at anchor under Booby Island. On the same evening she was herself pursuing her lonely way towards the Gulf of Carpentaria, the eastern shore of which we saw on the morning of the 1st of July. In the afternoon we anchored in 3 1/4 fathoms; the north end of a very low sandy piece of coast, which we found to be

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CHAPTER 2.9. GULF OF CARPENTARIA.

ANOTHER BOAT EXPEDITION. Mr. Fitzmaurice reported so favourably of the last opening he discovered, bearing West by South fifteen miles from the ship, that I determined on making up a party to explore it, while another expedition, consisting of the yawl and whaleboat, was to examine the coast to the eastward from Flinders River to Van Diemen's Inlet. My party, including Lieutenant Gore and Messrs. Forsyth and Dring, left the ship with the gig and the other whaleboat on the evening of the day we r

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CHAPTER 2.10. INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO.

SAIL FOR DOBBO. We sailed from Port Essington on the 19th of June, and found a very heavy confused sea running outside, which made the topsides leak so much that we were obliged to have recourse to the pump every hour. On the second day we made the south end of the Arrou Islands, the latitude of which agrees with the position assigned to it in the Admiralty Chart. On attempting to close the land, which is very low, we shoaled the water suddenly from 15 to 6 fathoms, when at some distance from th

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CHAPTER 2.11. PORT ESSINGTON AND THE NORTH-WEST COAST.

PORT ESSINGTON. The period of our arrival at Port Essington had been looked forward to by all with deep interest, and, I may say, some anxiety. Two years had elapsed since our last visit, and various and contradictory were the reports in circulation respecting the welfare of the settlement. We were accordingly truly rejoiced to find it in a state of prosperity that will ever reflect the highest credit on the hardy few who have laboured so earnestly for its welfare. It was an emblem of the rapidi

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CHAPTER 2.12.

REPORTED HARBOUR. Among the news that most interested us on our arrival at Swan River, was the report of the discovery of a harbour on the west coast, near Moresby's Flat-topped Range. In the Surveyor General's office I was shown a map of that portion of Western Australia by Mr. Arrowsmith, "from the surveys of Captain Grey," whose name the port bore; and the united authorities of this talented explorer, and this celebrated geographer, would have removed all doubt from my mind as to the correctn

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CHAPTER 2.13.

EXPLORATION OF INTERIOR. The most interesting topic of conversation on our arrival at Sydney was the projected expedition into the interior. Two candidates for this important and deeply interesting undertaking had presented themselves--Mr. E.J. Eyre and Sir Thomas Mitchell, both experienced Australian explorers. The latter proposed to start from Fort Bourke on the Darling; and the former from Moreton Bay. In my own humble opinion, strengthened by recent experience, neither of these are practicab

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CHAPTER 2.14. AUSTRALIA TO ENGLAND.

The barometer, which had been rising gradually within the last three days, now standing at 30.20, showed that the opportunity of getting round the South-West Cape, had at length arrived. We therefore left Sullivan Cove on the morning of the 15th; and by the following midnight passed the above-mentioned storm-beaten headland with a fine northerly wind. Previous, however, to so doing, we had soundings in 84 fathoms, six miles South-West of the Mew Stone. From the result of others we had obtained a

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APPENDIX.

The winds on the western coast of Australia, are, for the most part, from some southern point--chiefly between South-South-West and South-South-East. During the summer, or from the early part of October to the beginning of April, they are almost constant from this quarter; but in the winter their regularity is broken in upon by occasional winds between north and west that at times blow with great violence, and are accompanied by heavy rain, and thick dirty weather. Near the shore, land and seabr

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