Discoveries in Australia Volume II Part 13

April 6.

There was unusual weather last night, overcast with a squally westerly wind. Just laying our course North-North-West, at noon we were in lat.i.tude 29 degrees 11 minutes South, on the position a.s.signed to a reef called the Turtle Dove. From the masthead I could see nothing indicating a shoal. Captain King pa.s.sed near this position, and also remarks not seeing it. The Colonial schooner Champion, in beating to the southward, has pa.s.sed over and near its a.s.signed position, and I think we may fairly infer that there is no such reef as the Turtle Dove, and that probably it originated from the south end of the Abrolhos reef, ten miles North-North-West of it, being seen. We found 29 fathoms on this supposed shoal, with 35, twelve miles South by East of it, and 127, twenty-eight miles in the same direction. Between it and the south end of the Abrolhos Group the water deepened to 35 fathoms. In approaching the nearest island we pa.s.sed close round the south-east end of a reef, running out about a mile from the south point, and then trending away round in a North-west by North direction, so as to form one side of a lagoon, whilst the island I have mentioned--a long narrow strip trending North-east by North--forms the other. The weather looking unsettled, the wind being from the south-west, with slight rain squalls, we were glad to find shelter, so near the commencement of our work, in a bight on the east side of the island, three quarters of a mile from the south point, where we anch.o.r.ed in 13 fathoms, scarcely a quarter of a mile from the sh.o.r.e. A coral patch, of two and a half fathoms, with only two on its northern extreme, confines this anchorage, which affords shelter from South-South-East round by West to North-east by North. The tide rose here 32 inches.

From the masthead I got a tolerably good view of the island, in some places scarcely a cable wide, and a number of islets scattered to the north-west. The lagoon at this place was not more than three miles across, though marked twelve in the old charts; and I could trace the long line of white breakers rolling in on the other side in solemn grandeur, contrasting strongly in their foaming turbulence with the placid waters within the protection of the reef and island. I could clearly distinguish the limit of the danger in this direction, and that there was nothing to break the swell beyond. The surface of the lagoon was diversified by blue and grey patches, showing the alternations of shoal and deep water; near the centre there appeared to be a channel, which we afterwards found to be ten fathoms deep.

In the head of the bight where we were anch.o.r.ed, there was a narrow low sandy neck, placed by our observations in lat.i.tude 28 degrees 58 minutes 26 seconds South and longitude 1 degree 47 minutes 32 seconds west of Swan River,* over which we hauled a boat to examine the opposite side of the lagoon.

(*Footnote. As we shall refer all longitudes during this cruise to Scott's Jetty, Swan River, I may here state that the approximate longitude of that place is considered to be 115 degrees 47 minutes East of Greenwich.)

A few remarkable clumps of mangroves pointed out the position of some lagoons about a mile and a half from the south end of the island, which is fronted by a line of low overhanging cliffs of recent, cream-coloured limestone. Upon these rests a layer of a kind of soil, in some places eighteen inches deep, in others four feet, in which the seabirds burrow, and which, from what I have since seen of the much sought after guano, I believe to contain some of the valuable substance. In some of the islands forming Houtman's Abrolhos which we subsequently examined, I found similar signs of the presence of this manure, which I think worthy of being made the subject of enquiry.

On the south part of the island I found a block of scoria measuring three feet by two; which, though not appearing to possess the power of floating, must have been brought by the current from the volcanic island of St. Paul's. We saw a few hair-seals on the beach when we landed, and a rich kind of rock oyster was found at low-water.

PELSART GROUP.

On the south west point of the island the beams of a large vessel were discovered, and as the crew of the Zeewyk, lost in 1728, reported having seen the wreck of a s.h.i.+p on this part, there is little doubt that the remains were those of the Batavia, Commodore Pelsart, lost in 1627. We in consequence named our temporary anchorage Batavia Road, and the whole group Pelsart Group. It was the wreck of this Dutch s.h.i.+p that led to the discovery of this part of the continent of Australia, Commodore Pelsart himself having crossed over to it in a boat in search of water.

VISIT TO THE MAIN.

April 8.

In the afternoon we got underweigh, with a fresh south wind. The low neck over which the boat was hauled, and which appeared like a gap from the offing, bearing west, led clear to the northward of the two fathom patch.

We steered across East by South 1/2 South for the main, losing sight of the island from the Beagle's p.o.o.p (height 15 feet) at the distance of five miles and a half. Three miles further brought us in sight of the land, forming a high level range, with a k.n.o.b or lump on its south extreme. Some five or six miles to the south-east were seen isolated peaks, which we rightly supposed to be the Wizard Hills of Captain King, whilst the lump above spoken of proved to be Mount Fairfax, the level range being Moresby's Flat-topped Range. As we neared them the Menai Hills began to show themselves.

Our soundings, after leaving the island, deepened quickly to 30 and 35 fathoms. Six miles from it the depth decreased to 23 fathoms. We stood off and on during the night, the current setting North-North-West a mile an hour. The s.p.a.ce between the Abrolhos and the main bears the name of Geelvink Channel, after Vlaming's s.h.i.+p, the first that ever pa.s.sed through (A.D. 1680).

The chief object of the Beagle's visit to the main was to ascertain the position of a good anchorage, before spoken of as reported at Swan River to be under the south-west end of Moresby's Flat-topped Range. The favourable account which Captain Grey had given of the country behind the range made the knowledge of a good anchorage in its neighbourhood of vast importance. Captain King missed this portion of the coast by crossing over to the Abrolhos, which he places some five miles too much to the westward, the lowness of the island deceiving him, as indeed it at first did us. The reef off the south-west end, however, he has rightly fixed.

April 9.

At daylight the s.h.i.+p was in 24 fathoms, fifteen miles from Wizard Hills, bearing South 70 degrees East. As we neared the sh.o.r.e, steering North-East by North we saw a low point, running out west from the south end of Moresby's Range, fronted by heavy breakers, particularly to the north-west. Behind, the water was quite smooth, and promised a snug anchorage. We pa.s.sed round the reef in 13 1/2 fathoms, at the distance of a half, and three-quarters of a mile; but we did not haul into the bay until some suspicious spots had been sounded over by a boat. Finding not less than four and a half fathoms, we stood in, Mount Fairfax bearing east. The small table hill forming the north-west extreme of the Menai Hills, bearing North 11 degrees East, leads clear to the westward of the reef. Between this and the north point of the bay the water occasionally lifts suspiciously. Inside the depth is regular, five and six fathoms, fine white sand.

CHAMPION BAY.

To this anchorage was given the name of Champion Bay; whilst the projection sheltering it from the south-west was called Point Moore, after the Attorney-general at Swan River, who visited it in the Colonial schooner. We anch.o.r.ed early in the forenoon in four fathoms, Mount Fairfax bearing North 81 degrees East five miles and three-quarters; Point Moore South 49 degrees West one mile, the end of the reef North 60 degrees West also one mile, and a bare-topped brown sandhill, South 33 degrees East, three-quarters of a mile. Immediately under the last-mentioned the observations were made, placing that spot in lat.i.tude 28 degrees 47 minutes 8 seconds South and longitude 1 degree 9 minutes 20 seconds West of Swan River. A most singular ridge of very white sandhills lay a quarter of a mile to the eastward.

ELEVATION OF THE HILLS.

A plan of the bay was made, and the elevation of the neighbouring heights taken; Mount Fairfax proving to be 585 feet, and Wizard Peak 700 feet.

I regretted there was not time to visit Moresby's Flat-topped Range, as we might have got a glimpse of the good land reported by Captain Grey in the neighbourhood. The sides of the high lands look fertile over the sandhills of the bay; but through a spy-gla.s.s I found that they had a brown arid appearance and were dest.i.tute of timber.

I was forcibly struck with the resemblance between Moresby's Range, Sea Range on the Victoria, Cape Flattery on the north-east coast, and I may add, from Flinders' description, the cliffs forming the coast range at the head of the Australian Bight. The great similarity in the elevation, all being between 500 and 700 feet, is still more remarkable. To bring this great resemblance between opposite portions of the Australian continent before the reader, I have inserted sketches of those parts which were seen in the Beagle.

The beach in the south corner of Champion Bay, having the appearance of being seldom visited by a surf, it is possible that a small vessel may be sheltered by the reef in north-west gales, which the anchorage is exposed to, and which, therefore, can only be considered safe in the summer season. Five miles to the southward of Point Moore there is another bay, which appeared much exposed to the prevailing winds. The sh.o.r.e between is rocky with outlying reefs.

LEAVE CHAMPION BAY.

April 10.

We left Champion Bay at daylight, with a moderatE south wind and fine weather, and pa.s.sed over some uneven ground south-west of the north point, soundings varying from five to seven fathoms, sand and rock, which though at a quiet time, almost formed breakers.

APPEARANCE OF THE COAST.

As we ran along to the northward, the coast was lined with sandhills very partially dotted with vegetation. Behind these was a margin of brown arid-looking downs, receding to the foot of the uplands. Twenty miles of the coastline from Champion Bay trended North 29 degrees West.

At noon we were in lat.i.tude 28 degrees 26 minutes South; the Menai Hills, a group lying just off the north end of Moresby's Flat-topped Range, bearing South 73 degrees East ten miles. A valley or ravine, through which probably a rivulet* runs in the wet season, bore North 83 degrees East two miles, and a singular large patch of sand, 270 feet above the sea, North 22 degrees East two miles and a half. North of this patch the land changes its appearance; the bare sandhills cease, and a steep-sided down, 300 feet high, faces the coastline. Our track was from two to three miles from the sh.o.r.e, in 19 and 22 fathoms, fine white sand; a heavy surf was.h.i.+ng the beach. South-east of the Menai Hills the country appeared much broken, with high table ranges of from 4 to 700 feet.

(*Footnote. This (in lat.i.tude 28 degrees 25 minutes South) may have been one of the rivers discovered by Captain Grey, but which it was impossible for us to determine, as no account of them had been left with the Surveyor-general, Mr. Roe.)

It was now necessary to resume our examination of the Abrolhos, and thirty-one miles on a West 1/4 South course, brought us between two groups of them, where we anch.o.r.ed for the night in 23 fathoms. The soundings in standing across Geelvink Channel, were 22 and 26 fathoms, fine white sand; the current ran North-North-West, a mile an hour.

April 11.

At daylight we found that the summit of a large island, in the centre of the group to the northward, bore North 21 1/2 degrees West about nine miles.

GOOD FRIDAY HARBOUR.

We now beat to the southward in search of a harbour, where the s.h.i.+p might lie in safety whilst we went to work with the boats, and were fortunate enough to discover one close to the north-east point of a large island lying in the centre of the group to the southward; which we named Easter Group, and the harbour Good Friday Harbour, to commemorate the season of the Christian year, at which we visited it. Perhaps at some future period, when the light of the gospel shall have penetrated to every part of the vast Australian continent, these sacred names, bestowed by us upon some of its outworks, may be p.r.o.nounced with pleasure, as commemorative of the time when the darkness of ignorance and superst.i.tion was just beginning to disperse.

Good Friday Harbour, like all coral harbours, requires to be taken by eye, being full of coral knolls, which necessitate the utmost vigilance.

In itself, however, it is an excellent port, capable of holding a large number of s.h.i.+ps, and with a general depth, between the coral patches, of from 15 to 17 fathoms, with a fine muddy sandy bottom. The eastern extremity of the large island bearing South by East 1/2 East led into the harbour. As we threaded our way among the patches of coral, the view from the masthead of the submarine forests through the still pellucid water was very striking. The dark blue of the deep portions of the lagoon contrasted beautifully with the various patches of light colours interspersed.

We found to our surprise that the group into which we had penetrated was entirely distinct from that under which we had first anch.o.r.ed to the southward, so that we had already discovered the Abrolhos to form three separate groups.

RAT ISLAND.

The centre island we named Rat Island, from the quant.i.ty of that vermin with which it was infested. We also saw here a few seals, and numbers of a very pretty lizard (figured in the appendix) with its tail covered with spines. Several of these were brought away alive. I had two myself for nine months on board, and afterwards presented them to Lady Gipps. Of those taken by Lieutenant Emery, he was so fortunate as to bring one alive to England, in 1841. It is still in his possession, and thrives remarkably well. In one of his last letters he writes to me as follows on the subject: "The Abrolhos lizard is very docile, and knows Mrs. Emery quite well, and will eat and drink out of her hand; but is timid with strangers. Its habits are rather torpid, but it becomes active when in the sun or before the fire. It eats so very little that a piece of sponge cake about the size of a small bean will satisfy it for three or four weeks. It changes its skin twice a year."

The formation of Rat Island resembles that already noticed in Pelsart Group; there were the same low overhanging cream-coloured limestone cliffs, to the height of half the island; the greatest elevation of which was 13 feet, with a similar soil, mixed with guano, and filled with burrows of the sooty petrel, or mutton bird. Surrounding it is a low coral reef, trending northward to the outer edge of the group.

CORAL FORMATION.

This reef afforded me an opportunity of examining the coral formation of the Abrolhos, which, with the exception of Bermuda, is the place farthest removed from the equator where coral formation is found. The reef on which Rat Island rests extends off four hundred yards on the inner side, and has 12 fathoms just off it, on a grey sandy mud. The greater portion is composed of a variety of corals intermixed, and forming a consolidated ma.s.s, with brain-stones scattered over. It is nearly dry at low-water; but a portion does not rise so high, projecting out so as to form a narrow shelf, from the edge of which a wall descends almost sheer to the depth of 54 feet. The upper 20 feet are formed of a peculiar kind of coral, growing in the shape of huge fans, spreading out from stout stems overlapping each other in cl.u.s.ters, and having angular cavities between.

The coral forming the lower 34 feet of the wall is of the common large branch kind.

Whilst in Good Friday Harbour the quarter-master reported smoke on one of the islands to the north-east. All eyes were instantly turned in that direction, in curiosity to find what could have caused it. And sure enough a long streak of smoke was curling upwards through the air. It soon however appeared that it rose from some fire on the main, distant about thirty-five miles, and that its being visible by us was owing to the extreme clearness of the atmosphere.

The observation spot on Rat Island was on the north-east end, which we placed in lat.i.tude 32 degrees 42 minutes 50 seconds South and longitude 1 degree 57 minutes 50 seconds West of Swan River. Having completed our work in the harbour, we left, for the purpose of securing the requisite material for the north-east part of this group, which we found to be a detached cl.u.s.ter with deep-water between, and to be also similarly separated from the extreme of the group--a small isle about five feet high, composed of sand and dead coral. The average depth surrounding the islands was 20 and 23 fathoms, being the same level as that of the great flat or plain on which they rest, and which extends out from the mainland, shelving off at the outer edge of the southern part of the Abrolhos almost precipitously to no bottom with 250 fathoms. We now proceeded southward, to examine the opening between Easter and Pelsart Groups, and to complete the extremity of the northern part of the latter.

SNAPPER BANK.

On our way we discovered a coral bank of 7 fathoms, a mile and a half long, seven miles East-South-East from the north-east end of Easter Group. We called it Snapper Bank, from the immense quant.i.ty of that fish which we found on it. In half an hour we caught more than we could cure, so that it became necessary to stop the sport. This shows what a lucrative trade might be carried on by the people of Swan River with the Mauritius; for the lake on the island of Rottnest affording a large supply of salt, any quant.i.ty of fish might easily be caught and cured.

The whole group is abundantly supplied, though nowhere so plentifully as at Snapper Bank.

From near the south-east end of this bank the main was visible from the Beagle's p.o.o.p. Here we anch.o.r.ed for the night in 24 fathoms, and next morning stood out to sea between Easter and Pelsart Groups to ascertain if there were any more reefs to the westward, though the long unbroken swell was almost sufficient to convince us that there were none.

SOUNDINGS BETWEEN THE GROUPS.