John Lort Stokes

“ A stream of water, rising in the peak, runs through the green, while a few low gumtrees grow in small detached clumps; a ship may therefore procure both water and fuel; finding this to be the case, and as it was a convenient stopping place, we made a plan of the island, connecting it with those in the immediate neighbourhood. It is the more advantageous as an anchorage, in that it can be reached during the night, whereas this could not be done in the inner channel near Turtle Islands, it lying so much to the westward, and being more intricate. ”

“ Six miles W.S.W. from Stroud, we passed through a range trending N.W. from two to three thousand feet high, the debris from which enrich the flats of the Karuah on its eastern, and the Williams river on its western side. Our guide amused me by pointing to some of the steep parts of the range which he had galloped down, while hunting wild cattle, the most useful and exciting sport known in Australia—useful, inasmuch as it prevents the wild cattle from coming down to the plains and enticing away the tame herds; and exciting, from the rough nature of the country, in which the sport is pursued. ”

“ Being desirous to know if there were a practicable channel through Endeavour Strait, by which the inconvenience before alluded to, of passing the reef fronting Hammond's Island late in the afternoon, might be avoided, we proceeded in that direction, passing along the north-eastern extreme of the continent, and between the Possession Islands we entered Endeavour Strait. This termination of the shores of Australia, being level and of moderate elevation, presents nothing remarkable, save a peak over Cape York and fronting the Possession Isles. ”

“ Here a number of conical hills, from four to six hundred feet in height, suddenly presented themselves to our view, two of them, very remarkable headlands, and preserving the aboriginal names of Yacaba and Tomare, constitute the entrance points of Port Stephens. The sea-face of Tomare is a high line of cliffs, from which projects a sand-spit, leaving only a narrow entrance. When in this I noticed that a round hill at the south end of a distant range, was over the opening between the first island and the northern shore of the harbour. ”

“ It appears that at this season of the year, being the favourable monsoon for ships passing through the Barrier reefs on their voyage to India, the islands to the southward are much frequented by the natives of Murray and others of the northern isles, waiting, like wreckers of old, the untoward loss of some ill-fated ship, when their canoes appear as if by magic, hastening to the doomed vessel ”

“ The soundings gradually decreased with a soft muddy bottom, as we approached the eastern shores of the bay; which is so large and free from shoals, that a vessel not wishing to anchor might pass the night standing off and on with perfect safety. There is over the head of this bay a remarkable level-topped hill, called by Captain Cook, Janes' tableland; rendered the more conspicuous from the low nature of the surrounding country.
In the evening we anchored a mile from the S.W. side of a small detached reef, marked F in the chart, and distant 22 miles from Cape Flinders ”

“ On examining the reef fronting the island, which is a more perfect specimen of a lagoon than any we had yet seen, we found that the outer edge consisted of a wall higher than any of the parts within, rising at low-water, to an elevation of ten feet, while inside, pools or holes existed, three or four feet deep, containing live coral, sponges, sea-eggs, and trepang. ”

“ When this singular wall of coral, the most extensive perhaps in the world, is surveyed, it will I think be found to follow the direction of the coast it fronts with such exactness, as to leave little doubt that the vast base on which rests the work of the reef-building Polypifers, was, contrary to the opinion which I am aware prevails, upheaved at the same time with the neighbouring coast of the Australian continent, which it follows for a space of upwards of a hundred miles. ”

“ The summit of Number 1 of the Northumberland Isles forms a remarkable peak 720 feet high; a sandy bay on the west side promised good anchorage, and on its south-east and northern sides were some high detached rocks. The heights of the other parts of the group vary from two to six hundred feet. The crests of the western isles are covered with pine trees, which give them a curious jagged appearance. In the afternoon we passed in 34 fathoms four miles from the eastern side of the Percy Isles, which enabled us to add their eastern extremity in the chart. ”

“ It proved a good specimen of the circular or lagoon reef. One young mangrove was growing on the elevated part marked C in the woodcut. The rim which rose on all sides was quite black, but white when broken; the highest part being about three feet above the water. The nature of the bottom within the reef was a white sand mixed with small pieces of dead coral: without, we found on either side soft green sandy mud with shells, the inclination of the bottom on which the reef rests, being only one degree, we may fairly infer it to be superimposed on a most extensive basis. ”

“ This is the most critical moment. Great command of your horse is required, for the bull, if not mortally wounded, turns suddenly half mad with rage on his pursuer, and puts his nerves and judgment to a severe test. ”

“ The time of high-water being about 6 a.m., it is evident the flood-stream came here from S. or S.E. The islands passed during the day, were of a small lagoon character and the reefs oval-shaped, with an elevated patch of dead coral at their north extreme, which had the appearance, at a distance, of sand. The mainland had much changed in outline, having subsided into a wearisome series of undulating hills, varying from five to seven hundred feet in height. The coast was, therefore, utterly void of any feature of interest, after passing Fair Cape. ”

“ July 9.—The surveying operations necessary to perfect the chart of this neighbourhood, afforded ample employment during the day. The weather being dull, with passing rain, and squalls, the view I had anticipated enjoying from the summit of the island was quite destroyed. Like Cape Upstart and Lizard Island it is a granite mass. Dead coral was found on the western side, ten feet above high-water mark, a fact which in some measure supports what I have stated in connection with the raised beach on Cape Upstart. ”

“ The wild cattle invariably keep on high ranges, and from their acuteness of smell, are difficult to get at, and it is only to leeward that one can approach them. The bulls being the leaders of the herds are always singled out, and after a desperate and trying gallop over a rugged country, the huntsman finds himself going stride for stride alongside one of these Kings of the Forest, and wondering how an animal so ungainly in his gait, can get over the country at such a pace. ”

“ Without dwelling on the fact that the result of our examination afforded us the satisfaction of restoring parts of the chart, before erroneously corrected, to his original construction, we would venture to hope that, while desirous as much as possible to perfect our knowledge of the coast, we were in no manner actuated by that spirit of fault-finding, so pithily described by Liebeg, when he says that it is "startling to reflect that all the time and energy of a multitude of persons of genius, talent, and knowledge is expended in endeavours to demonstrate each others' errors." ”

“ It is the general opinion of every voyager who has sailed along the coast of Halifax Bay, that it is the most interesting portion of the north-east side of the continent; as, combining the several facts which we have above given, we have every reason to believe that the discovery of fertile and therefore valuable land, will one day reward the labours of the explorer. ”

“ We found little to add to Captain King's chart, with the exception of some reefs lying about ten miles east from the above-mentioned headland.
The coast here again attained a moderate height, and a round hill ten miles south of Cape Direction, reached the height of 1250 feet; its latitude being 13° S. is nearly five degrees and a half north of where the Cordillera is 3500 feet high, and 231⁄2 degrees of where it attains its greatest elevation, that of 6500 feet; a fact which will at once demonstrate the northerly tendency in the dip of the chain of hills. ”

“ The most remarkable feature on this part of the mainland, generally speaking a dull monotonous level, is a hill bearing over the extremity of the reef fronting the south side of Cairncross, S. 45° W., to which Captain Bligh has given the quaint name of Pudding-Pan Hill. It received this appellation from a resemblance to an inverted pudding dish, commonly used by sailors, and is 354 feet high. The coast about ten miles to the northward projects a mile and a half further eastward than is marked in the chart. ”

“ The mainland falling so much back soon after passing Port Bowen, we could form no idea of its character, but certainly what we had seen did not leave a favourable impression of its apparent fertility. ”

“ On reaching the banks of William river, we inquired our way at a cottage, whose occupants, I found, held a small piece of land on what is called a clearing lease—that is to say, they were allowed to retain possession of it for so many years, for the labour of clearing the land. Many an industrious poor man is raised to opulence by this means, a pair of oxen being all that is necessary to set them going. ”

“ During the whole night our soundings only varied from 17 to 19 fathoms.
The weather was gloomy with passing showers of rain and a moderate S.S.E. breeze; but all was bright again by daylight (July 1st) when Magnetical Island bore S. 9° W., and the south and largest of the Palm Isles N. 81° W., which, corresponding with the log, showed there had been no current during the night. Magnetical Island was so named by Cook, because he fancied it affected the Endeavour's compass in passing it. ”

“ It is not a little singular that the altitude of Mount Hinchinbroke should be identical with what Strzelecki considers the mean height of the Cordillera, which he traced continually on foot, from 31 to 44° S. latitude giving to the highest point, 6500 feet in lat. 36° 20' S., the name of Mount Kosciusko, for reasons most admirably and feelingly expressed, and which we therefore, in justice to his patriotic sentiments, give below in his own words.* It will thus be seen that there is a northerly dip in the cordillera of 3000 feet in 18 degrees of latitude. ”

“ Just before dark, the soundings decreased to 29 fathoms, Pine Peak of Percy Group, bearing S.W. 10 miles. Our course was now shaped for Cape Gloucester, the extreme of the Cumberland Isles; and about this time we felt the flood-tide setting S.W. by W. nearly a knot an hour, a sure indication of there being openings in the barriers in that direction. The great distance at which this part of it lies from the islands will render its examination a difficult and hazardous undertaking. The night was anything but favourable for sailing among islands, being very hazy, with passing rain squalls. ”

“ On the western side is a little cove where Captain King found snug anchorage.
Passing midway between Green Island, which is about twenty feet high, encircled with a coral reef, and Cape Grafton, we steered N.W. 1⁄2 N. for a shoal on which Her Majesty's Ship Imogene grounded; and at noon, were exactly on the spot, in lat. 16° 241⁄4' S. by observations and bearings of the land, Low Isles being W.N.W. four miles. Here we found sixteen fathoms, not having had less than seventeen since the morning. ”

“ This island is the resort of a large bright cream-coloured pigeon (Carpophaga leucomela) the ends of the wings being tipped with black, or very dark blue. Mr. Bynoe found the island quite alive with them; flocks of about twenty or thirty flying continually to and from the main. They not only resort but breed there, as he found several old nests. As this bird was not met with in the Beagle on the western coast, we may fairly conclude it only inhabits the eastern and northern ”

“ The great height of this range, and the extreme abruptness of its eastern face, where no waters are thrown off, renders it more than probable that on the western side there is land of great fertility. Whatever waters originate on its summit and slopes, must flow towards the interior, and there give rise to rivers emptying themselves into the Gulf of Carpentaria, or by first forming lagoons, feed streams of some magnitude even, during their overflow. ”