Philip Parker King

“ The next morning we landed on the Island of which Pine Head is the south-easternmost extremity and from its summit obtained an extensive set of bearings.
The island possesses the same rocky character with the rest of this group; but the soil, although shallow, nourished some luxuriant grass which reached up to our middle and concealed the rocks that are plentifully strewed over the ground. The trees are low and stunted, but the steep slope of the head is covered with pines and forms one of the most remarkable features of Whitsunday Passage. ”

“ Calms and light airs detained us until two o'clock, when a fresh breeze sprung up from the eastward, to which we made sail, but the glare of the sun, shining in the direction of our course, obliged our hauling up to avoid the risk of running thus dark with excess of bright upon any rocks or shoals that might be in our way; and as the low coastline of this part of the bar was distinctly traced, we steered towards the island marked 2, near which the cutter was anchored, at eight o'clock, in eleven fathoms' mud. ”

“ The town is situated principally on the east bank of the river; which, rising in the mountains, runs through a torrent-worn course until it reaches the valley in which the town is built; here the tide meets it, and at low water its bed is nearly dry: it communicates with the sea by a shoal bar immediately under a rocky eminence on which the Fort of Concordia is constructed. This fort, from its favourable situation, protects the harbour and outer anchorage, as well as commands the town.
From the anchorage, Coepang presents a very picturesque and lively appearance. ”

“ The next day at half-past twelve o'clock when the ebb tide began to make, the wind freshened up from South-East and soon carried us into the narrows: it then veered round to the eastward, and after half an hour's calm a strong sea-breeze set in against us; but the tide being in our favour we made quick progress until half an hour before the time of low water, when we anchored under the north-west end of Adolphus Island. ”

“ All around us bore the most desolate appearance. The grass, which was quite dry, wanted but a spark and a breeze to set the whole country in flames. The soil on which it grows, which is about two feet above the high watermark, is a stiff clay; covered with a slight incrustation of salt on which the tracks of native dogs were noticed; several smokes were observed at a distance but no natives were seen. The tide had now began to ebb; and as there was no inducement to detain us for the next day to examine it farther we set off on our return ”

“ As soon as the vessel was secured Mr. Bedwell landed on the eastern shore of the bay, and found it to be of bold approach, but lined with coral rocks, and covered with dead shells, among which a buccinum of immense size was noticed. The soil, if such it can be called, is composed of a red quartzose sand; but on the hills it contained also a small portion of earth, which gave it a strong resemblance to brick-dust. The country is slightly sprinkled with a stunted vegetation, and bore a most desert-like appearance; and on the shore we noticed a few mangrove bushes. ”

“ The point, which is named Cape Wessel, is the extremity of the northernmost island of the group and is separated from that to the southward of it by a narrow and apparently a rocky strait.
On approaching within a mile and a half of the Cape we passed through a strong rippling tide without having soundings with fifteen fathoms. Six natives were seen sitting on the verge of the cliffs that overhang the Cape, watching us as we passed; and farther on two more were observed walking on the beach. On the west side of the Cape is a small sandy bay in which there appeared to be good anchorage. ”

“ While I was employed in levelling the theodolite the gentlemen directed their steps to a flight of pelicans that was seen collected upon the beach; at their approach the old birds took wing and left their unfledged young, to the number of eighteen or twenty, waddling about the sand, all of which were killed and skinned before we embarked for the sake of their white down. On the islet three very neatly-constructed natives' huts were observed, that, from their appearance and the very recent state of the fish-bones and turtle-shells scattered about, had been lately occupied. ”

“ Bedwell landed abreast the anchorage, and walked a mile inland to one of the salt marshes. On his way, he passed several ant-hills of the same description as those seen by us at the Bay of Rest. The coast is here protected from inroads of the sea by a barrier of sand dunes, from ten to twenty feet high, on which were growing a variety of plants, particularly a species of convolvulus, which, from the great size and length of its stem, being an inch in diameter and extending along the beach for more than thirty yards, is very conspicuous. ”

“ The next morning I landed with Mr. Roe, and climbed the summit of Rocky Head before the sun rose; in the ascent we crossed several deep ravines which, together with the hills, were thickly covered with a wiry grass (spinifex) growing over and amongst heaps of rocks that were piled up in all directions as if it had been done purposely; the greater part of the surface of the island being covered with these stones, we had a considerable difficulty in advancing, and it was not without some labour that we arrived at the summit of the hill. ”

“ But the wind was so light and baffling, that we made no progress until the 2nd of January; when, with a freshening breeze from the eastward, we moved rapidly on our way, and flattered ourselves with the hope of clearing the strait before night. In this hope we were not deceived; but before it was effected, we had very nearly suffered from the careless look-out of the man at the masthead. At four o'clock we were near Three Hummock Island, and steered so as to pass close to its northern point, in order that we might obtain a correct latitude for sights for the chronometers. ”

“ There is, however, every reason to believe that in mid-channel the water is deep enough for any purpose; but as our persisting would have answered no end, we steered across Mermaid's Strait, and by sunset were abreast of Cape Bruguieres, so named by Captain Baudin, round which the land trended to East by South, forming the south side of a shoal strait, separating Gidley Island from Captain Baudin's Legendre Island: the latter is a narrow, long, rocky island, lying East-South-East and West-North-West, and is of a lower character than the islands to the southward of it. ”

“ On our way to the boat we were accompanied by the whole mob, which had now increased to forty or fifty people: all the men were armed with cresses, and two amongst them had swords and spears; but there was no appearance of hostility or of any unfriendly disposition towards us. When they saw our empty barica in the boat they intimated by signs that we might fill it, and Mr. Bedwell and Mr. Cunningham accordingly accompanied one of our people to the well to take advantage of their offer; for a few gallons of water were now of great importance to us. ”

“ When the tide made against the wind the swell rose and caused our only remaining anchor to drag; more cable was instantly veered; but as the vessel did not bring up and we were drifting towards the reef no alternative was left but to weigh and keep under sail; which, during a long and dark night, and near so extensive a reef, was running great risk. Our loss of anchors was now much felt for no sooner were we under sail than the wind died away; and from the heavy swell the cutter was so ungovernable that the vessel twice missed stays in endeavouring to tack in shoal water ”

“ The coast is here tolerably elevated, and may be seen at the distance of six or seven leagues; it is composed of a red-coloured, sandy-looking rock, which is very scantily sprinkled with small shrubs, and appears to be extremely arid and sterile. The shore is fronted with rocks that extend for three or four miles into the sea; on the extremity of which the surf breaks with a continued foam. To the north the land suddenly terminates with rather a steep slope, but a low sandy plain extends to the East-North-East for three miles further, the extremity of which is the North-West Cape. ”

“ Bedwell and Mr. Cunningham, we had only lost one man; and this from a complaint which even medical assistance might not, perhaps, have cured; and by an accident which could not have been prevented, for our people were at the moment so busily employed in working the vessel through a dangerous navigation that the unfortunate man's situation was not known until the vital spark was nearly extinct, and too far gone for any human means to save his life. ”

“ The mountaineers are described to be a warlike race of men, but since the cession of the island to the Dutch by the King of Ternate, to whom it appears to have originally belonged, they are distributed under the sovereignty of different rajahs, to whom they pay implicit obedience; and are, in fact, little better than mere slaves. On all parts of the coast good wholesome water may be procured, excepting at Sesally on the north coast where it is said to be of a noxious quality, occasioned by a tree or plant that grows on its tanks, and taints the stream. ”

“ In order to divert them and obtain as much information as we could whilst the boat's crew were filling the water-casks, we seated ourselves on the grass and commenced a conversation that was perfectly unintelligible to each other, accompanied with the most ridiculous gestures, a species of buffoonery that is always acceptable to the natives of this part of the world, and on more than one occasion has been particularly useful to us. ”

“ Having landed at the bottom of the cove where the Sophia had obtained her cargo, we found the Huon pine-trees, interspersed with many others of different species, growing in great profusion, within three yards of the edge of the water, upon a soil of decomposed vegetable matter, which in many parts was so soft that we often suddenly sank ankle-deep, and occasionally up to the knees in it: this swampy nature of the soil is to be attributed to the crowded state of the trees; for they grow so close to each other as to prevent the rays of the sun from penetrating to the soil. ”

“ A perpetual warfare exists between them, so that it would be a difficult matter for us to procure a friendly communication with a people who cannot, of course, discriminate between us and the Malays. I regretted to hear this, for our force was so small that I feared we should, in our future visits to the coast, be frequently attacked, and perhaps be under the necessity of convincing them of the destructive power of our weapons, which they must first experience before they can dread their fatal effects. ”

“ After passing the Cape and hauling round its inner trend towards the sandy bay, we had to beat to windward to reach the anchorage, and, in the act of tacking on the western side of the inlet, the tide swept us upon a sandbank, over which, as the wind was blowing obliquely upon it, the cutter continued to drive until the sails were taken in and an anchor laid out astern to check her ”

“ In the outer passage the sea is strewed with numerous reefs, many yet unknown,* which render the navigation at night extremely dangerous; and if, on approaching the part where it is intended to enter the reefs, the weather should be thick, and the sun too clouded at noon to procure an observation for the latitude, the navigator is placed in a very anxious and a very unenviable situation; for the currents are so strong that the position of the ship is by no means sufficiently known to risk running to leeward to make the reefs. ”

“ The next morning, the wind being easterly, we left the bay. On passing Red Point, twenty or thirty natives came to the extreme point of the cliff, shouting and hallooing and making violent gestures; a large group of women and children appeared in the background, timidly concealing themselves behind the trees and bushes; another party was quietly seated round small fires on the rocks near the sea-beach, apparently engaged in cooking their fish ”

“ This hostile conduct of the natives induced me to give up our intention of wooding at this island; since the Indians might easily advance under cover of the thick underwood, and throw their spears before we could be aware of their approach. As soon, therefore, as our watering was completed, I determined upon procuring our fuel from an island to the northward, which, during our visit, we had seen from the North-West point of the bay, and which, together with the one we were at, were called Goulburn Islands, in compliment to the then Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies. ”

“ During the day, as the wind was at South-East, we endeavoured to pass round its windward side, but the current was setting with such strength to the westward that, finding we had lost ground during the night, we bore up the next morning for the island of Savu, a proceeding which, if we should succeed in procuring refreshments and fresh water there, would be more advantageous than going to Timor: for in the first place there was less chance of incurring sickness among the crew; and secondly we should be farther advanced on our voyage back. ”

“ From the crowds of people in the streets a stranger would imagine it to be a place of great trade, but the only employments of the inhabitants seem to be those of fishing, making straw hats and carrying water; the last occupation is principally performed by the women, who convey it in vessels made of the broad part of the leaf of the fan palm, each containing from two to three gallons. ”

“ Dunk Island, a little to the northward, is larger and higher, and is remarkable for its double-peaked summit. No natives were seen in passing these islands, but the smoke of their fires, as usual, lined the coast, which here began to assume a more improved and favourable appearance: the shore is diversified by projecting wooded hills and intervening sandy bays; and, at the back, the hills are very high and separated from each other by deep valleys, where there must be abundance of water and probably good soil. ”

“ In the evening we anchored in a picturesque bay which, although open to the north, offers a tolerable shelter during the easterly monsoon: the beach is sandy, but is probably shoal and of rocky approach. The country appeared verdant, and the hills are thickly wooded; at the bottom of the bay a shoal opening trends in between two hills, over which, in the evening, seven natives were observed to cross in a canoe. This was called Lethbridge Bay. On the western side of the bay is a range of cliff like the pipe-clay cliff of Goulburn Island, the upper half being red, and the lower half white ”

“ Bedwell went to Sims' Island for turtle but no recent tracks were observed, excepting the remains of one that had a week before furnished a repast to the natives. Near to this place were found disinterred some of the bones of a human body that had been buried in a grave close by, not longer than two or three months since. The footsteps of the followers of the body to the grave were still visible in the sand, but other steps appeared to have been more recently impressed; which must have been those of the natives, who had dug the body up either from a motive of curiosity or revenge. ”

“ The next morning we steered to the eastward, along the land, and soon after noon passed round Captain Baudin's Bezout Island; a projecting point within it was named in compliment to my friend Aylmer Bourke Lambert, Esquire; behind which a range of hills extends to the South-South-East for five or six leagues, and then trends to the eastward, toward a group of islands named by the French Forestier's Archipelago, the principal of which is Depuch Island. Near this we anchored in five fathoms sandy ground. ”

“ There was also an appearance of its communicating with the swamps at the head of Bustard Bay; but in that direction the trees prevented my ascertaining it with certainty: the opening to the westward of Middle Head appeared to trend to the South-West through a low marsh; and to the southward and south-eastward the face of the country is irregular and mountainous. The hills which surround the bay are rocky; and although they are not deficient in wood and grass the soil is very shallow; and the trees, principally of eucalyptus, are of stunted growth. ”

“ On his reaching the edge of the water, he found the sand so soft that at every step his feet sunk three or four inches, which so distressed him and impeded his progress that he must soon have fallen overpowered with fatigue had not the sudden appearance of our people, at the same time that it inspired him with fresh hopes of escape, arrested the progress of the natives, who, after throwing two or three spears without effect, stopped and gave him time to join our party, quite spent with the extraordinary effort he had made to save his life. ”