A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels Volume Xiii Part 14

Our people went ash.o.r.e as usual, and with them Mr Banks and Dr Solander; who, in search of plants, repaired to the woods. Our men, who were employed in cutting gra.s.s, being the farthest removed from the main body of the people, a company of fourteen or fifteen Indians advanced towards them, having sticks in their hands, which, according to the report of the serjeant of the marines, shone like a musquet. The gra.s.s-cutters, upon seeing them approach, drew together, and repaired to the main body.

The Indians, being encouraged by this appearance of a flight, pursued them; they stopped however when they were within about a furlong of them, and after shouting several times went back into the woods. In the evening they came again in the same manner, stopped at the same distance, shouted and retired. I followed them myself, alone and unarmed, for a considerable way along the sh.o.r.e, but I could not prevail upon them to stop.

This day Mr Green took the sun's meridian alt.i.tude a little within the south entrance of the bay, which gave the lat.i.tude 34 S., the variation of the needle was 11 3' E.

Early the next morning, the body of Forby Sutherland, one of our seamen, who died the evening before, was buried near the watering-place; and from this incident I called the south point of this bay _Sutherland Point_. This day we resolved to make an excursion into the country. Mr Banks, Dr Solander, myself, and seven others, properly accoutred for the expedition, set out, and repaired first to the huts, near the watering-place, whither some of the natives continued every day to resort; and though the little presents which we had left there before had not yet been taken away, we left others of somewhat more value, consisting of cloth, looking-gla.s.ses, combs, and beads, and then went up into the country. We found the soil to be either swamp or light sand, and the face of the country finely diversified by wood and lawn. The trees are tall, straight, and without underwood, standing at such a distance from each other, that the whole country, at least where the swamps do not render it incapable of cultivation, might be cultivated without cutting down one of them: Between the trees the ground is covered with gra.s.s, of which there is great abundance, growing in tufts about as big as can well be grasped in the hand, which stand very close to each other. We saw many houses of the inhabitants, and places where they had slept upon the gra.s.s without any shelter; but we saw only one of the people, who the moment he discovered us ran away. At all these places we left presents, hoping that at length they might produce confidence and good-will. We had a transient and imperfect view of a quadruped about as big as a rabbit: Mr Banks's grey-hound, which was with us, got sight of it, and would probably have caught it, but the moment he set off he lamed himself, against a stump which lay concealed in the long gra.s.s. We afterwards saw the dung of an animal which fed upon gra.s.s, and which we judged could not be less than a deer; and the footsteps of another, which was clawed like a dog, and seemed to be about as big as a wolf; we also tracked a small animal, whose foot resembled that of a polecat or weasel. The trees over our head abounded with birds of various kinds, among which were many of exquisite beauty, particularly loriquets and c.o.c.katoos, which flew in flocks of several scores together. We found some wood which had been felled by the natives with a blunt instrument, and some that had been barked. The trees were not of many species; among others there was a large one which yielded a gum not unlike the _Sanguis draconis_; and in some of them steps that had been cut at about three feet distance from each other, for the convenience of climbing them.

From this excursion we returned between three and four o'clock, and having dined on board, we went ash.o.r.e again at the watering-place, where a party of men were filling casks. Mr Gore, the second lieutenant, had been sent out in the morning with a boat to dredge for oysters at the head of the bay; when he had performed this service, he went ash.o.r.e, and having taken a mids.h.i.+pman with him, and sent the boat away, set out to join the waterers by land. In his way he fell in with a body of two-and-twenty Indians, who followed him, and were often not more than twenty yards distant; when Mr Gore perceived them so near, he stopped, and faced about, upon which they stopped also; and when he went on again, continued their pursuit: They did not however attack him, though they were all armed with lances, and he and the mids.h.i.+pman got in safety to the watering-place. The Indians, who had slackened their pursuit when they came in sight of the main body of our people, halted at about the distance of a quarter of a mile, where they stood still. Mr Monkhouse and two or three of the waterers took it into their head to march up to them; but seeing the Indians keep their ground till they came pretty near them, they were seized with a sudden fear very common to the rash and fool-hardy, and made a hasty retreat: This step, which insured the danger that it was taken to avoid, encouraged the Indians, and four of them running forward discharged their lances at the fugitives, with such force, that flying no less than forty yards, they went beyond them. As the Indians did not pursue, our people, recovering their spirits, stopped to collect the lances when they came up to the place where they lay; upon which the Indians, in their turn, began to retire. Just at this time I came up, with Mr Banks, Dr Solander, and Tupia; and being desirous to convince the Indians that we were neither afraid of them, nor intended them any mischief, we advanced towards them, making signs of expostulation and entreaty, but they could not be persuaded to wait till we could come up. Mr Gore told us, that he had seen some of them up the bay, who had invited him by signs to come on sh.o.r.e, which he, certainly with great prudence, declined.

The morning of the next day was so rainy, that we were all glad to stay on board. In the afternoon, however, it cleared up, and we made another excursion along the sea-coast to the southward: We went ash.o.r.e, and Mr Banks and Dr Solander gathered many plants; but besides these we saw nothing worthy of notice. At our first entering the woods, we met with three of the natives, who instantly ran away: More of them were seen by some of the people, but they all disappeared, with great precipitation, as soon as they found that they were discovered. By the boldness of these people at our first landing, and the terror that seized them at the sight of us afterwards, it appears that they were sufficiently intimidated by our fire-arms: Not that we had any reason to think the people much hurt by the small-shot which we were obliged to fire at them, when they attacked us at our coming out of the boat; but they had probably seen the effects of them, from their lurking-places, upon the birds that we had shot. Tupia, who was now become a good marksman, frequently strayed from us to shoot parrots; and he had told us, that while he was thus employed, he had once met with nine Indians, who, as soon as they perceived he saw them, ran from him, in great confusion and terror.

The next day, twelve canoes, in each of which was a single Indian, came towards the watering-place, and were within half a mile of it a considerable time: They were employed in striking fish, upon which, like others that we had seen before, they were so intent, that they seemed to regard nothing else. It happened, however, that a party of our people were out a-shooting near the place, and one of the men, whose curiosity might at length perhaps be roused by the report of the fowling-pieces, was observed by Mr Banks to haul up his canoe upon the beach, and go towards the shooting party: In something more than a quarter of an hour he returned, launched his canoe, and went off in her to his companions.

This incident makes it probable that the natives acquired a knowledge of the destructive power of our fire-arms, when we knew nothing of the matter; for this man was not seen by any of the party whose operations he had reconnoitred.

While Mr Banks was gathering plants near the watering-place, I went with Dr Solander and Mr Monkhouse to the head of the bay, that I might examine that part of the country, and make farther attempts to form some connection with the natives. In our way we met with eleven or twelve small canoes, with each a man in it, probably the same that were afterwards abreast of the sh.o.r.e, who all made into shoal water upon our approach. We met other Indians on sh.o.r.e the first time we landed, who instantly took to their canoes, and paddled away. We went up the country to some distance, and found the face of it nearly the same with that which has been described already, but the soil was much richer; for instead of sand, I found a deep black mould, which I thought very fit for the production of grain of any kind. In the woods we found a tree which bore fruit that in colour and shape resembled a cherry; the juice had an agreeable tartness, though but little flavour. We found also interspersed some of the finest meadows in the world: Some places, however, were rocky, but these were comparatively few: The stone is sandy, and might be used with advantage for building. When we returned to the boat, we saw some smoke upon another part of the coast, and went thither in hopes of meeting with the people, but at our approach, these also ran away. We found six small canoes, and six fires very near the beach, with some mussels roasting upon them, and a few oysters lying near: By this we judged that there had been one man in each canoe, who, having picked up some sh.e.l.l-fish, had come ash.o.r.e to eat it, and made his separate fire for that purpose: We tasted of their cheer, and left them in return some strings of beads, and other things which we thought would please them. At the foot of a tree in this place we found a small well of fresh water, supplied by a spring; and the day being now far spent, we returned to the s.h.i.+p. In the evening, Mr Banks made a little excursion with his gun, and found such a number of quails, resembling those in England, that he might have shot as many as he pleased; but his object was variety and not number.

The next morning, as the wind would not permit me to sail, I sent out several parties into the country to try again whether some intercourse could not be established with the natives. A mids.h.i.+pman who belonged to one of these parties having straggled a long way from his companions, met with a very old man and woman, and some little children; they were sitting under a tree by the water-side, and neither party saw the other till they were close together: The Indians showed signs of fear, but did not attempt to run away. The man happened to have nothing to give them but a parrot that he had shot; this he offered, but they refused to accept it, withdrawing themselves from his hand, either through fear or aversion. His stay with them was but short, for he saw several canoes near the beach fis.h.i.+ng, and being alone, he feared they might come ash.o.r.e and attack him: He said, that these people were very dark-coloured, but not black; that the man and woman appeared to be very old, being both grey-headed; that the hair of the man's head was bushy, and his beard long and rough; that the woman's hair was cropped short, and both of them were stark naked. Mr Monkhouse the surgeon, and one of the men, who were with another party near the watering-place, also strayed from their companions, and as they were coming out of a thicket, observed six Indians standing together, at the distance of about fifty yards. One of them p.r.o.nounced a word very loud, which was supposed to be a signal, for a lance was immediately thrown at him out of the wood, which very narrowly missed him. When the Indians saw that the weapon had not taken effect, they ran away with the greatest precipitation; but on turning about towards the place whence the lance had been thrown, he saw a young Indian, whom he judged to be about nineteen or twenty years old, come down from a tree, and he also ran away with such speed as made it hopeless to follow him. Mr Monkhouse was of opinion that he had been watched by these Indians in his pa.s.sage through the thicket, and that the youth had been stationed in the tree, to discharge the lance at him, upon a signal as he should come by; but however this be, there could be no doubt that he was the person who threw the lance.

In the afternoon I went myself with a party over to the north sh.o.r.e, and while some of our people were hauling the seine, we made an excursion a few miles into the country, proceeding afterwards in the direction of the coast. We found this place without wood, and somewhat resembling our moors in England; the surface of the ground, however, was covered with a thin brush of plants, about as high as the knees: The hills near the coast are low, but others rise behind them, increasing by a gradual ascent to a considerable distance, with marshes and mora.s.ses between.

When we returned to the boat, we found that our people had caught with the seine a great number of small fish, which are well known in the West-Indies, and which our sailors call leather-jackets, because their skin is remarkably thick. I had sent the second lieutenant out in the yawl a-striking, and when we got back to the s.h.i.+p, we found that he also had been very successful. He had observed that the large sting-rays, of which there is great plenty in the bay, followed the flowing tide into very shallow water; he therefore took the opportunity of flood, and struck several in not more than two or three feet water: One of them weighed no less than two hundred and forty pounds after his entrails were taken out.

The next morning, as the wind still continued northerly, I sent out the yawl again, and the people struck one still larger, for when his entrails were taken out he weighed three hundred and thirty-six pounds.

The great quant.i.ty of plants which Mr Banks and Dr Solander collected in this place induced me to give it the name of _Botany Bay_.[72] It is situated in the lat.i.tude of 34 S., longitude 208 37' W. It is capacious, safe, and convenient, and maybe known by the land on the sea-coast, which is nearly level, and of a moderate height; in general higher than it is farther inland, with steep rocky cliffs next the sea, which have the appearance of a long island lying close under the sh.o.r.e.

The harbour lies about the middle of this land, and in approaching it from the southward, is discovered before the s.h.i.+p comes abreast of it; but from, the northward it is not discovered so soon: The entrance is a little more than a quarter of a mile broad, and lies in W.N.W. To sail into it the southern sh.o.r.e should be kept on board, till the s.h.i.+p is within a small bare island, which lies close under the north sh.o.r.e; within this island the deepest water on that side is seven fathom, shallowing to five a good way up. At a considerable distance from the south sh.o.r.e there is a shoal, reaching from the innersouth point quite to the head of the harbour; But over towards the north and north-west sh.o.r.e there is a channel of twelve or fourteen feet at low water, for three or four leagues, up to a place where there is three or four fathom, but here I found very little fresh water. We anch.o.r.ed near the south sh.o.r.e, about a mile within the entrance, for the convenience of sailing with a southerly wind, and because I thought it the best situation for watering; but I afterwards found a very fine stream on the north sh.o.r.e, in the first sandy cove within the island, before which a s.h.i.+p might lie almost land-locked, and procure wood as well as water in great abundance. Wood indeed is every where plenty, but I saw only two kinds which may be considered as timber. These trees are as large, or larger than the English oak, and one of them has not a very different appearance: This is the same that yields the reddish gum like _sanguis draconis_, and the wood is heavy, hard, and dark-coloured, like _lignum vitae_; the other grows tall and straight, something like the pine; and the wood of this, which has some resemblance to the live oak of America, is also hard and heavy. There are a few shrubs, and several kinds of the palm; mangroves also grow in great plenty near the head of the bay. The country in general is level, low, and woody, as far as we could see. The woods, as I have before observed, abound with birds of exquisite beauty, particularly of the parrot kind; we found also crows here, exactly the same with those in England. About the head of the harbour, where there are large flats of sand and mud, there is great plenty of water-fowl, most of which were altogether unknown to us: One of the most remarkable was black and white, much larger than a swan, and in shape somewhat resembling a pelican. On these banks of sand and mud there are great quant.i.ties of oysters, mussels, c.o.c.kles, and other sh.e.l.l-fish, which seem to be the princ.i.p.al subsistence of the inhabitants, who go into shoal water with their little canoes, and pick them out with their hands. We did not observe that they eat any of them raw, nor do they always go on sh.o.r.e to dress them, for they have frequently fires in their canoes for that purpose. They do not however subsist wholly upon this food, for they catch a variety of other fish, some of which they strike with gigs, and some they take with hook and line. All the inhabitants that we saw were stark naked: They did not appear to be numerous, nor to live in societies, but like other animals were scattered about along the coast, and in the woods. Of their manner of life, however, we could know but little, as we were never able to form the least connection with them: After the first contest at our landing, they would never come near enough to parley; nor did they touch a single article of all that we had left at their huts, and the places they frequented, on purpose for them to take away.

[Footnote 72: The reader will be plentifully supplied with information respecting this noted place, and the settlement of British convicts made at Port Jackson, in another part of this work. It would be very injudicious to break down the matter intended to be given there, for the purpose of ekeing out the limited remarks here made. This intimation may be equally applied to the whole subject of New Holland: about which the reader may promise himself very ample satisfaction in the course of this collection. Let this then be accepted as a pledge in apology for the paucity of observations on the text.--E.]

During my stay in this harbour, I caused the English colours to be displayed on sh.o.r.e every day, and the s.h.i.+p's name, and the date of the year, to be inscribed upon one of the trees near the watering-place.

It is high water here at the full and change of the moon about eight o'clock, and the tide rises and falls perpendicularly between four and five feet.

SECTION XXIX.

_The Range from Botany Bay to Trinity Bay; with a farther Account of the Country, its Inhabitants; and Productions_.

At day-break, on Sunday the 6th of May 1770, we set sail from Botany Bay, with a light breeze at N.W. which soon after coming to the southward, we steered along the sh.o.r.e N.N.E.; and at noon, our lat.i.tude, by observation, was 33 50' S. At this time we were between two and three miles distant from the land, and a-breast of a bay, or harbour, in which there appeared to be good anchorage, and which I called _Port Jackson_. This harbour lies three leagues to the northward of Botany Bay: The variation, by several azimuths, appeared to be 8 E. At sun-set, the northermost land in sight bore N. 26 E. and some broken land, that seemed to form a bay, bore N. 40 W. distant four leagues.

This bay, which lies in lat.i.tude 33 42' I called _Broken Bay_. We steered along the sh.o.r.e N.N.E. all night, at the distance of about three leagues from the land, having from thirty-two to thirty-six fathom water, with a hard sandy bottom.

Soon after sun-rise on the 7th, I took several azimuths, with four needles belonging to the azimuth compa.s.s, the mean result of which gave the variation 7 56' E. At noon, our lat.i.tude, by observation, was 33 22' S.: We were about three leagues from the sh.o.r.e; the northermost land in sight bore N. 19 E. and some lands which projected in three bluff points, and which, for that reason; I called _Cape Three Points_, bore S.W. distant five leagues. Our longitude from Botany Bay was 19' E. In the afternoon, we saw smoke in several places upon the sh.o.r.e, and in the evening, found the variation to be 8 25' E. At this time we were between two and three miles from the sh.o.r.e, in twenty-eight fathom; and at noon the next day, we had not advanced one step to the northward. We stood off sh.o.r.e, with the winds northerly, till twelve at night, and at the distance of about five leagues, had seventy fathom; at the distance of six leagues we had eighty fathom, which is the extent of the soundings; for at the distance of ten leagues, we had no ground with 150 fathom.

The wind continuing northerly, till the morning of the 10th, we continued to stand in and off the sh.o.r.e, with very little change of situation in other respects; but a gale then springing up at S.W. we made the best of our way along the sh.o.r.e to the northward. At sun-rise, our lat.i.tude was 33 2' S. and the variation 8 E. At nine in the forenoon, we pa.s.sed a remarkable hill, which stood a little way inland, and somewhat resembled the crown of a hat: And at noon, our lat.i.tude, by observation, was 32 53' S., and our longitude 208 W. We were about two leagues distant from the land, which extended from N. 41 E. to S. 41 W., and a small round rock, or island, which lay close under the land, bore S. 82 W. distant between three and four leagues. At four in the afternoon, we pa.s.sed, at the distance of about a mile, a low rocky point, which I called _Point Stephens_, on the north side of which is an inlet, which I called _Port Stephens_: This inlet appeared to me, from the mast-head, to be sheltered from all winds. It lies in lat.i.tude 32 40', longitude 207 51', and at the entrance are three small islands, two of which are high; and on the main near the sh.o.r.e are some high round hills, which at a distance appear like islands. In pa.s.sing this bay, at the distance of two or three miles from the sh.o.r.e, our soundings were from thirty-three to twenty-seven fathom, from which I conjectured that there must be a sufficient depth of water within it. At a little distance within land, we saw smoke in several places; and at half an hour past five, the northermost land in sight bore N. 36 E. and Point Stephens S.W. distant four leagues. Our soundings in the night, were from forty-eight to sixty-two fathom, at the distance of between three and four leagues from the sh.o.r.e, which made in two hillocks. This Point I called _Cape Hawke_: It lies in the lat.i.tude of 32 14' S., longitude 207 30' W.; and at four o'clock in the morning bore W. distant about eight miles; at the same time the northermost land in sight bore N. 6 E.

and appeared like an island. At noon, this land bore N. 8 E. the northermost land in sight N. 13 E. and Cape Hawke S. 37 W. Our lat.i.tude, by observation, was 32 2' S. which was twelve miles to the southward of that given by the log; so that probably we had a current setting that way: By the morning amplitude and azimuth, the variation was 9 10' E.

During our run along the sh.o.r.e, in the afternoon, we saw smoke in several places, at a little distance from the beach, and one upon the top of a hill, which was the first we had seen upon elevated ground since our arrival upon the coast. At sun-set, we had twenty-three fathom, at the distance of a league and a half from the sh.o.r.e: The northermost land then bore N. 13 E. and three hills, remarkably large and high, lying contiguous to each other, and not far from the beach, N.N.W. As these hills bore some resemblance to each other, we called them _The Three Brothers_. They lie in lat.i.tude 31 40' and maybe seen fourteen or sixteen leagues. We steered N.E. by N. all night, having from twenty-seven to sixty-seven fathom, at the distance of between two and six leagues from the sh.o.r.e.

At day-break, we steered north, for the northermost land in sight. At noon, we were four leagues from the sh.o.r.e, and by observation, in lat.i.tude 31 18' S., which was fifteen miles to the southward of that given by the log; our longitude 206 58' W. In the afternoon, we stood in for the land, where we saw smoke in several places, till six in the evening, when, being within three or four miles of it, and in twenty-four fathom of water, we stood off with a fresh breeze at N. and N.N.W. till midnight, when we had 118 fathom, at the distance of eight leagues from the land, and then tacked. At three in the morning, the wind veered to the westward, when we tacked and stood to the northward.

At noon, our lat.i.tude, by observation, was 30 43' S., and our longitude 206 45' W. At this time we were between three and four leagues from the sh.o.r.e, the northermost part of which bore from us N. 13 W. and a point, or head-land, on which we saw fires that produced a great quant.i.ty of smoke, bore W. distant four leagues. To this Point I gave the name of _Smokey Cape_: It is of a considerable height, and over the pitch of the point is a round hillock; within it are two others, much higher and larger, and within them the land is very low. Our lat.i.tude was 30 31' S., longitude 206 54' W.: This day the observed lat.i.tude was only five miles south of the log. We saw smoke in several parts along the coast, besides that seen upon Smokey Cape.

In the afternoon, the wind being at N.E. we stood off and on, and at three or four miles distance from the sh.o.r.e had thirty fathom water: The wind afterwards coming cross of land, we stood to the northward, having from thirty to twenty-one fathom, at the distance of four or five miles from the sh.o.r.e.

At five in the morning, the wind veered to the north, and blew fresh, attended with squalls: At eight, it began to thunder and rain, and in about an hour it fell calm, which gave us an opportunity to sound, and we had eighty-six fathom at between four and five leagues from the sh.o.r.e: Soon after this we had a gale from the southward, with which we steered N. by W. for the northermost land in sight. At noon, we were about four leagues from the sh.o.r.e, and by observation, in lat.i.tude 30 22', which was nine miles to the southward of our reckoning, longitude 206 39' W. Some lands near the sh.o.r.e, of a considerable height, bore W.

As we advanced to the northward from Botany Bay, the land gradually increased in height, so that in this lat.i.tude it may be called a hilly country. Between this lat.i.tude and the Bay, it exhibits a pleasing variety of ridges, hills, vallies, and plains, all clothed with wood, of the same appearance with that which has been particularly described: The land near the sh.o.r.e is in general low and sandy, except the points, which are rocky, and over many of them are high bills, which, at their first rising out of the water, have the appearance of islands.[73] In the afternoon, we had some small rocky islands between us and the land, the southermost of which lies in lat.i.tude 30 10', and the northermost in 29 58', and somewhat more than two leagues from the land: About two miles without the northermost island we had thirty-three fathom water.

Having the advantage of a moon, we steered along the sh.o.r.e all night, in the direction of N. and N. by E. keeping at the distance of about three leagues from the land, and having from twenty to twenty-five fathom water. As soon as it was light, having a fresh gale, we made all the sail we could, and at nine o'clock in the morning, being about a league from the sh.o.r.e, we discovered smoke in many places, and having recourse to our gla.s.ses, we saw about twenty of the natives, who had each a large bundle upon his back, which we conjectured to be palm-leaves for covering their houses: We continued to observe them above an hour, during which they walked upon the beach, and up a path that led over a hill of a gentle ascent, behind which we lost sight of them: Not one of them was observed to stop and look towards us, but they trudged along, to all appearance, without the least emotion either of curiosity or surprise, though it is impossible they should not have seen the s.h.i.+p by a casual glance as they walked along the sh.o.r.e; and though she must, with respect to every other object they had yet seen, have been little less stupendous and unaccountable than a floating mountain with all its woods would have been to us. At noon, our lat.i.tude, by observation, was 28 39' S., and longitude 206 27' W. A high point of land, which I named _Cape Byron_, bore N.W. by W. at the distance of three miles. It lies in lat.i.tude 28 37' 30" S., longitude 206 30' W., and may be known by a remarkable sharp peaked mountain, which lies inland, and bears from it N.W. by W. From this point, the land trends N. 13 W.: Inland it is high and hilly, but low near the sh.o.r.e; to the southward of the point it is also low and level. We continued to steer along the sh.o.r.e with a fresh gale, till sun-set, when we suddenly discovered breakers a-head, directly in the s.h.i.+p's course and also on our larboard bow. At this time we were about five miles from the land, and had twenty fathom water: We hauled up east till eight, when we had run eight miles, and increased our depth of water to forty-four fathom: We then brought-to, with the s.h.i.+p's head to the eastward, and lay upon this tack till ten, when, having increased our sounding to seventy-eight fathom, we wore, and lay with the s.h.i.+p's head to the land till five in the morning, when we made sail, and at day-light, were greatly surprised to find ourselves farther to the southward, than we had been the evening before, though the wind had been southerly, and blown fresh all night: We now saw the breakers again within us, and pa.s.sed them at the distance of one league. They lie in lat.i.tude 28 8' S. stretching off east two leagues from a point of land, under which is a small island. Their situation may always be known by the peaked mountain which has been just mentioned, and which bears from them S.W. by W. for this reason I have named it _Mount Warning_. It lies seven or eight leagues inland, in lat.i.tude 28 22' S.

The land about it is high and hilly, but it is of itself sufficiently conspicuous to be at once distinguished from every other object. The Point off which these shoals lie, I have named _Point Danger_. To the northward of this Point the land is low, and trends N.W. by N.; but it soon turns again more to the northward.

[Footnote 73: The appearance and adjustment of the hills in New Holland have attracted very considerable regard. They are thought to bear a strong resemblance in disposition to the Andes in South America. Some interesting information on this topic will be given when we treat of another voyage. This hint may suffice for the present.--E.]

At noon, we were about two leagues from the land, and by observation, in lat.i.tude 27 46' S., which was seventeen miles to the southward of the log; our longitude was 206 26' W. Mount Warning bore S. 26 W. distant fourteen leagues, and the northermost land in sight bore N. We pursued our course along the sh.o.r.e, at the distance of about two leagues, in the direction of N. 1/4 E. till between four and five in the afternoon, when we discovered breakers in our larboard bow. Our depth of water was thirty-seven fathom, and at sun-set, the northermost land bore N. by W.

the breakers N.W. by W. distant four miles, and the northermost land set at noon, which formed a point, and to which I gave the name of _Point Look-out_, W. distant five or six miles, in the lat.i.tude of 27 6'. On the north side of this Point, the sh.o.r.e forms a wide open bay, which I called _Moreton's Bay_, in the bottom of which the land is so low that I could but just see it from the top-mast head. The breakers lie between three or four miles from Point Look-out; and at this time we had a great sea from the southward, which broke upon them very high. We stood on N.N.E. till eight o'clock, when having pa.s.sed the breakers, and deepened our water to fifty-two fathom, we brought-to till midnight, when we made sail again to the N.N.E. At four in the morning, we had 135 fathom, and when the day broke, I perceived that during the night I had got much farther northward, and from the sh.o.r.e, than I expected from the course we steered, for we were distant at least seven leagues; I therefore hauled in N.W. by W. with a fresh gale at S.S.W. The land that was farthest to the north the night before, now bore S.S.W. distant six leagues, and I gave it the name of _Cape Moreton_, it being the north point of Moreton's Bay: Its lat.i.tude is 26 56', and its longitude is 206 28'. From Cape Moreton the land trends away west, farther than can be seen, for there is a small s.p.a.ce, where at this time no land is visible, and some on board having also observed that the sea looked paler than usual, were of opinion that the bottom of Moreton's Bay opened into a river. We had here thirty-four fathom water, and a fine sandy bottom: This alone would have produced the change that had been observed in the colour of the water; and it was by no means necessary to suppose a river to account for the land at the bottom of the Bay not being visible, for supposing the land there to be as low as we knew it to be in a hundred other parts of the coast, it would have been impossible to see it from the station of the s.h.i.+p; however, if any future navigator should be disposed to determine the question, whether there is or is not a river in this place, which the wind would not permit us to do, the situation may always be found by three hills which lie to the northward of it, in the lat.i.tude of 26 53'. These hills lie but a very little way inland, and not far from each other: They are remarkable for the singular form of their elevation, which very much resembles a gla.s.shouse, and for which reason I called them the _Gla.s.s Houses_: The northermost of the three is the highest and largest: There are also several other peaked hills inland to the northward of these, but they are not nearly so remarkable.[74] At noon, our lat.i.tude was, by observation, 26 28' S. which was ten miles to the northward of the log, a circ.u.mstance which had never before happened upon this coast; our longitude was 206 46'. At this time we were between two and three leagues from the land, and had twenty-four fathom water. A low bluff point, which was the south head of a sandy bay, bore N. 62 W., distant three leagues, and the northermost point of land in sight bore N. 1/4 E.

This day we saw smoke in several places, and some at a considerable distance inland.

[Footnote 74: The depth of the Bay from Cape Moreton is said to be 34 miles--it then contracts into a small stream; and there is a considerable river near Gla.s.s-House Peaks, as they have been called.--E.]

In steering along the sh.o.r.e at the distance of two leagues, our soundings were from twenty-four to thirty-two fathom, with a sandy bottom. At six in the evening, the northermost point of land bore N. 1/4 W., distant four leagues; at ten it bore N.W. by W. 1/2 W. and as we had seen no land to the northward of it, we brought-to, not well knowing which way to steer.

At two in the morning, however, we made sail with the wind at S.W., and at day-light, we saw the land extending as far as N. 1/4 E. the point we had set the night before bore S.W. by W., distant between three and four leagues. It lies in lat.i.tude 25 58', longitude 206 48' W.: The land within it is of a moderate and equal height, but the point itself is so unequal, that it looks like two small islands lying under the land, for which reason I gave it the name of _Double Island Point_; it may also be known by the white cliffs on the north side of it. Here the land trends to the N.W. and forms a large open bay, the bottom of which is so low a flat that from the deck it could scarcely be seen. In crossing this bay, our depth of water was from thirty to twenty-two fathom, with a white sandy bottom. At noon, we were about three leagues from the sh.o.r.e, in lat.i.tude 25 84' S., longitude 206 45' W.: Double Island Point bore S.

1/4 W. and the northermost land in sight N. 1/4 E. This part of the coast, which is of a moderate height, is more barren than any we had seen, and the soil more sandy. With our gla.s.ses we could discover that the sands, which lay in great patches of many acres, were moveable, and that some of them had not been long in the place they possessed; for we saw in several parts, trees half buried, the tops of which were still green; and in others, the naked trunks of such as the sand had surrounded long enough to destroy. In other places the woods appeared to be low and shrubby, and we saw no signs of inhabitants. Two water-snakes swam by the s.h.i.+p: They were beautifully spotted, and in every respect like land-snakes, except that their tails were broad and flat, probably to serve them instead of fins in swimming. In the morning of this day, the variation was 8 20' E., and in the evening, 8 36. During the night, we continued our course to the northward, with a light breeze from the land, being distant from it between two and three leagues, and having from twenty-three to twenty-seven fathom, with a fine sandy bottom.

At noon on the 19th, we were about four miles from the land, with only thirteen fathom. Our lat.i.tude was 26 4', and the northermost land in sight bore N. 21 W., distant eight miles. At one o'clock, being still four miles distant from the sh.o.r.e, but having seventeen fathom water, we pa.s.sed a black bluff head, or point of land, upon which a great number of the natives were a.s.sembled, and which therefore I called _Indian Head_: it lies in lat.i.tude 25 3'. About four miles N. by W. of this head, is another very like it, from whence the land trends away somewhat more to the westward: Next to the sea it is low and sandy, and behind it nothing was to be seen, even from the mast-head. Near Indian Head we saw more of the natives, and upon the neighbouring sh.o.r.e fires by night, and smoke by day. We kept to the northward all night, at the distance of from four miles to four leagues from the sh.o.r.e, and with a depth of water from seventeen to thirty-four fathom. At daybreak, the northermost land bore from us W.S.W. and seemed to end in a point, from which we discovered a reef running out to the northward as far as we could see.

We had hauled our wind to the westward before it was light, and continued the course till we saw the breakers upon our lee-bow. We now edged away N.W. and N.N.W. along the east side of the shoal, from two to one mile distant, having regular soundings from thirteen to seven fathom, with a fine sandy bottom. At noon, our lat.i.tude, by observation, was 2026', which was thirteen miles to the northward of the log: We judged the extreme point of the shoal to bear from us about N.W. and the point from which it seemed to run out bore S. 3/4 W., distant twenty miles. This point I named _Sandy Cape_, from two very large patches of white sand which lay upon it. It is sufficiently high to be seen at the distance of twelve leagues, in clear weather, and lies in lat.i.tude 2445', longitude 206 51': The land trends from it S.W. as far as can be seen. We kept along the east side of the shoal till two in the afternoon, when, judging that there was a sufficient depth of water upon it to allow pa.s.sage for the s.h.i.+p, I sent the boat a-head to sound, and upon her making the signal for more than five fathom, we hauled our wind, and stood over the tail of it in six fathom. At this time we were in lat.i.tude 2422', and Sandy Cape bore S. 1/2 E., distant eight leagues; but the direction of the shoal is nearest N.N.W. and S.S.E. It is remarkable that when on board the s.h.i.+p we had six fathom, the boat, which was scarcely a quarter of a mile to the southward, had little more than five, and that immediately after six fathom we had thirteen, and then twenty, as fast as the man could cast the lead: From these circ.u.mstances, I conjectured that the west side of the shoal was steep.

This shoal I called the _Break Sea Spit_, because we had now smooth water, and to the southward of it we had always a high sea from the S.E.

At six in the evening, the land of Sandy Cape extended from S. 17 E. to S. 27 E., at the distance of eight leagues; our depth of water was twenty-three fathom: With the same soundings we stood to the westward all night. At seven in the morning, we saw, from the mast-head, the land of Sandy Cape bearing S.E. 1/2 E., distant about thirteen leagues: At nine, we discovered land to the westward, and soon after saw smoke in several places. Our depth of water was now decreased to seventeen fathom, and by noon we had no more than thirteen, though we were seven leagues from the land, which extended from S. by W. to W.N.W. Our lat.i.tude at this time was 24 28' S. For a few days past we had seen several of the sea-birds called b.o.o.bies, not having met with any of them before; last night a small flock of them pa.s.sed the s.h.i.+p, and went away to the N.W.; and in the morning, from about half an hour before sun-rise, to half an hour after, flights of them were continually coming from the N.N.W. and flying to the S.S.E. nor was one of them seen to fly in any other direction; we therefore conjectured that there was a lagoon, river, or inlet of shallow water, in the bottom of the deep bay, to the southward of us, whither these birds resorted to feed in the day, and that not far to the northward there were some islands to which they repaired in the night. To this bay I gave the name of _Hervey's Bay_, in honour of Captain Hervey. In the afternoon we stood in for the land, steering S.W. with a gentle breeze at S.E. till four o'clock, when, being in lat.i.tude 24 36', about two leagues from the sh.o.r.e, and having nine fathom water, we bore away along the coast N.W. by W. and at the same time could see land extending to the S.S.E. about eight leagues.

Near the sea the land is very low, but within there are some lofty hills, all thickly clothed with, wood. While we were running along the sh.o.r.e, we shallowed our water from nine to seven fathom, and at one time we had but six, which determined us to anchor for the night.

At six in the morning we weighed, with a gentle breeze from the southward, and steered N.W. 1/4 W. edging in for the land till we got within two miles of it, with water from seven to eleven fathom; we then steered N.N.W. as the land lay, and at noon, our lat.i.tude was 24 19'.

We continued in the same course, at the same distance, with from twelve fathom to seven, till five in the evening, when we were abreast of the south point of a large open bay, in which I intended to anchor. During this course, we discovered with our gla.s.ses that the land was covered with palm-nut trees, which we had not seen from the time of our leaving the islands within the tropic; we also saw two men walking along the sh.o.r.e, who did not condescend to take the least notice of us. In the evening, having hauled close upon a wind, and made two or three trips, we anch.o.r.ed about eight o'clock in five fathom, with a fine sandy bottom. The south point of the bay bore E. 3/4 S. distant two miles, the north point N.W. 1/4 N. and about the same distance from the sh.o.r.e.

Early the next morning I went ash.o.r.e, with a party of men, in order to examine the country, accompanied by Mr Banks, Dr Solander, the other gentlemen, and Tupia: The wind blew fresh, and we found it so cold, that being at some distance from the sh.o.r.e, we took our cloaks as a necessary equipment for the voyage. We landed a little within the south point of the bay, where we found a channel leading into a large lagoon: This channel I proceeded to examine, and found three fathom water till I got about a mile up it, where I met with a shoal, upon which there was little more than one fathom; but having pa.s.sed over it, I had three fathom again. The entrance of this channel lies close to the south point of the bay, being formed by the sh.o.r.e on the east, and on the west by a large spit of sand: It is about a quarter of a mile broad, and lies in S. by W. In this place there is room for a few s.h.i.+ps to lie in great security, and a small stream of fresh water; I would have rowed into the lagoon, but was prevented by shallows. We found several bogs, and swamps of salt water, upon which, and by the sides of the lagoon, grows the true mangrove, such as is found in the West Indies, and the first of the kind that we had met with. In the branches of these mangroves there were many nests of a remarkable kind of ant, that was as green as gra.s.s: When the branches were disturbed they came out in great numbers, and punished the offender by a much sharper bite than ever we had felt from the same kind of animal before.[75] Upon these mangroves also we saw small green caterpillars in great numbers: Their bodies were thick set with hairs, and they were ranged upon the leaves side by side like a file of soldiers, to the number of twenty or thirty together: When we touched them, we found that the hair of their bodies had the quality of a nettle, and gave us a much more acute, though less durable pain. The country here is manifestly worse than about Botany Bay: The soil is dry and sandy, but the sides of the hills are covered with trees, which grow separately, without underwood. We found here the tree that yields a gum like the _sanguis draconis_; but it is somewhat different from the trees of the same kind which we had seen before, for the leaves are longer, and hang down like those of the weeping willow.[76] We found also much less gum upon them, which is contrary to the established opinion, that the hotter the climate, the more gums exude. Upon a plant also which yielded a yellow gum, there was less than upon the same kind of plant in Botany Bay. Among the shoals and sandbanks we saw many large birds, some in particular of the same kind that we had seen in Botany Bay, much bigger than swans, which we judged to be pelicans; but they were so shy that we could not get within gun-shot of them. Upon the sh.o.r.e we saw a species of the bustard, one of which we shot; it was as large as a turkey, and weighed seventeen pounds and a half. We all agreed that this was the best bird we had eaten since we left England; and in honour of it we called this inlet _Bustard Bay_. It lies in lat.i.tude 24 4', longitude 208 18'. The sea seemed to abound with fish; but unhappily, we tore our seine all to pieces at the first haul: Upon the mud banks, under the mangroves, we found innumerable oysters of various kinds; among others the hammer-oyster, and a large proportion of small pearl-oysters: If in deeper water there is equal plenty of such oysters at their full growth, a pearl fishery might certainly be established here to very great advantage.

[Footnote 75: For some remarks on these creatures, see the Section which treats of this country in general,--E.]

[Footnote 76: There are several trees which yield a resinous substance, resembling what is called dragon's blood, as the Pterocarpus draco, the Dracaena draco, the Calamus draco, the Dalbergia monetaria, &c. Some observations on the botany of New Holland are reserved for a future page.--E.]

The people who were left on board the s.h.i.+p said, that while we were in the woods about twenty of the natives came down to the beach, abreast of her, and having looked at her some time, went away; but we that were ash.o.r.e, though we saw smoke in many places, saw no people: The smoke was at places too distant for us to get to them by land, except one, to which we repaired. We found ten small fires still burning within a few paces of each other; but the people were gone: We saw near them several vessels of bark, which we supposed to have contained water, and some sh.e.l.ls and fish-bones, the remains of a recent meal. We saw also, lying upon the ground, several pieces of soft bark, about the length and breadth of a man, which we imagined might be their beds; and, on the windward side of the fires, a small shade, about a foot and a half high, of the same substance. The whole was in a thicket of close trees, which afforded good shelter from the wind. The place seemed to be much trodden, and as we saw no house, nor any remains of a house, we were inclined to believe that, as these people had no clothes, they had no dwelling; but spent their nights, among the other commoners of Nature, in the open air; and Tupia himself, with an air of superiority and compa.s.sion, shook his head, and said, that they were _Taata Enos_, "poor wretches,".[77] I measured the perpendicular height of the last tide, and found it to be eight feet above low-water mark, and from the time of low-water this day, I found that it must be high-water at the full and change of the moon at eight o'clock.

[Footnote 77: The natives of New Holland are indeed "poor wretches;" but let it be remembered that the term poor is relative. The reader must make allowance for prejudice, in judging of their state from the testimony of one who had lived in Otaheitan luxury. A Sicilian, it is probable, would give a very sorry account of the Highlands and Highlanders of Scotland--

Yet still e'en here Content can spread a charm, Redress the clime, and all its rage disarm.

We never more erroneously estimate the happiness of a people, than when we set up our own habits as the criterion of perfection. The error of Tupia is the error of thousands.--E.]

At four o'clock in the morning we weighed, and with a gentle breeze at south made sail out of the bay. In standing out, our soundings were from five to fifteen fathom; and at day-light, when we were in the greatest depth, and abreast of the north head of the bay, we discovered breakers stretching out from it N.N.E. between two and three miles, with a rock at the outermost point of them just above water. While we were pa.s.sing these rocks, at the distance of about half a mile, we had from fifteen to twenty fathom; and as soon as we had pa.s.sed them, we hauled along sh.o.r.e W.N.W. for the farthest land we had in sight. At noon, our lat.i.tude, by observation, was 23 52' S.; the north part of Bustard Bay bore S. 62 E. distant ten miles; and the northermost land in sight N. 60 W.; the longitude was 208 37', and our distance from the nearest sh.o.r.e six miles, with fourteen fathom water.

Till five in the afternoon it was calm, but afterwards we steered before the wind N.W. as the land lay till ten at night, and then brought-to, having had all along fourteen and fifteen fathom. At five in the morning we made sail; and at day-light the northermost point of the main bore N.

70 W. Soon after we saw more land, making like islands, and bearing N.W.

by N. At nine, we were abreast of the point, at the distance of one mile, with fourteen fathom water. This point I found to lie directly under the tropic of Capricorn; and for that reason I called it _Cape Capricorn_: Its longitude is 208 58' W. It is of a considerable height, looks white and barren, and may be known by some islands which lie to the N.W. of it, and some small rocks at the distance of about a league S.E. On the west side of the cape there appeared to be a lagoon, and on the two spits which formed the entrance we saw an incredible number of the large birds that resemble a pelican. The northermost land now in sight bore from Cape Capricorn N. 24 W. and appeared to be an island; but the main land trended W. by N. 1/2 N. which course we steered, having from fifteen to six fathom, and from six to nine, with a hard sandy bottom. At noon, on lat.i.tude, by observation, was 23 24' S.; Cape Capricorn bore S. 60 E. distant two leagues; and a small island N. by E.

two miles: In this situation we had nine fathom, being about four miles from the main, which, next the sea, is low and sandy, except the points which are high and rocky. The country inland is hilly, but by no means of a pleasing aspect. We continued to stand to the N.W., till four o'clock in the afternoon, when it fell calm; and we soon after anch.o.r.ed in twelve fathom, having the main land and islands in a manner all round us, and Cape Capricorn bearing S. 54 E. distant four leagues. In the night, we found the tide rise and fall near seven feet; and the flood to set to the westward, and the ebb to the eastward, which is just contrary to what we found when we were at anchor to the eastward of Bustard Bay.