Part 13 (1/2)

STRONG TIDES PREVENT LANDING

11th May

The gale continued to 11 a full at about noon Got underweigh at 1 p a strong ebb tide to 330, e came to anchor in five fathoms (sand and shells), about threeHead bearing north by east fiveof a deep reddish-brown In passing down the shore we observed that the whole of what is shown on the chart as a pro Head, is an island, with a channel nearly half ait froiven the name of Dolphin Island At 4 pm left the shi+p in the life boat, accompanied by Captain Dixon, Mr Hall, and four s for sixfive and six fathoms all the way; the water then shoaled to three fatho within aabout two radually shoaled to one foot, e grounded, and re at full we pulled for the shi+p, but not seeing her lights by 1 aued, we lay on our oars for an hour, and then took a stretch for two et under the shelter of the south-east shore of the bay, when, having no anchor, we lay-to till daylight, by which tih rocky land at the south-west head of the bay; the wind having risen soher head to the sea As we could not observe any spot at which we could land without the risk of swa towards the shi+p, the ebb tide assisting us until 2 phly tired out, a boat was sent from the Dolphin to our relief, with a timely supply of biscuit and brandy, which, with the assistance of a tow-line, enabled us to reach the shi+p by 3 pm, very thankful that we had escaped what at one time appeared likely to have proved a serious disaster

LANDING EFFECTED

13th May

In theit blew so fresh from the eastward that Captain Dixon did not like to move the vessel until 2 pm, e stood to the south for about fourthe life-boat and cutter, both well-manned, we pulled south to the shore about threeuntil at half a rounded on a sandbank, froh roves about fifty yards through, behind which rose a sandbank about thirty feet high, covered with flowers and coarse grass; froed metamorphic sandstone, a distance of half a rass just arriving at um trees As the sun had now set, we had only just tie, from which elevation could be discerned a sheet of water about a mile to the eastward, which we attempted to reach, but it became so dark that it was found better to return to the boats, which were now high and dry By 8 pm the tide had risen sufficiently to admit of Captain Dixon's return to the Dolphin, while I remained with a portion of ; the leaky state of the cutter keeping one of us bailing through the night

14th May

With Messrs Turner, Brown, Harding, and Brockman, landed at 7 aht, but found it only a tidal inlet, ter on our course for five rassy plain, the soil being a light brown loaneiss pebbles, and beds of liular nodules, in an hour and a half arrived at a deep stony watercourse, containing some small pools of brackish water This stream was followed up to the southward about a reater distance than twenty miles This river was na very pro the plainseveral hollows, in which the rainwater had very recently rested, leaving a rich alluvial deposit frorass, which was still quite green Notyet in full training, ere glad to return to the boat, which was reached by 2 p now in, enabled her to co found to be about sixteen feet By 50 we had returned to the shi+p, all tolerably well fatigued with our first day's march on shore

INTERVIEW WITH NATIVES

15th May

Not being satisfied to land the horses on a shore devoid of water, I deterh rocky shore on the west of the bay, which we had been afraid to enter during the gale on the 12th Leaving the shi+p with two boats and provisions for the day, we pulled for the little cove about fourwest by north For the first three s did not show less than three fathoradually to the beach; the landing being easily effected, as there noas but little surf The shore was found to be generally very sandy, a low flat valley extending from the head of the cove across the isthmus about two rove creek In about half an hour several wells were found, soht feet deep, in a hollow under a steep range of bare volcanic and granite hills, not more than 200 yards froood water; grass being plentiful and of fine quality in the valleys under the hills Our principal require the shi+p in near enough to land the horses On our return to the Dolphin we found that she had been visited by two natives, who had paddled off on logs of wood, shaped like canoes, not hollow, but very bouyant, about seven feet long and one foot thick, which they propelled with their hands only, their legs resting on a little rail made of small sticks driven in on each side At first they were afraid to co made, they ascended the ladder that had been put down for thee, above thesix feet four inches, and the other five feet eight inches; their hair straight and black, teeth regular, and general features characteristic of the tribes on the west coast; their bodies were ratherThe Champion Bay dialect was quite incomprehensible to them; they, however, knew the use of both biscuit and tobacco, so several hours on board, they took their departure for the eastern shore of the bay, distant at least six ns to repeat their visit the next day It is worthy of remark that neither of these natives were circumcised, or had lost the front teeth, as is common on this coast further to the eastward Their fearlessness and confidence in the good faith of Europeans would lead to the impression that this was not their first acquaintance with vessels on the coast It was not far fro had a visit froo While on shore to-day several new and very beautiful plants and floere observed, ast them one in particular, which, without exception, is the handsomest shrub I have ever seen in Australia; in fore chandelier, with a series of branches springing from a centre stem in sets of five each; on these are short erect ste five beautiful deep crirouped like lustres, producing a very gorgeous effect; the leaves of the plant are elegantly forreen A purple flowering bean, the seeds of which are the size of the English horse-bean, is here found in abundance, and are eaten by the natives Melons similar to those formerly seen by me on the Gascoyne, several varieties of brachychiton, a small variety of the adansonia, three or four different kinds of convolvulus (one of which runs along the sands near the beach with arth), acacias, sterculia, and a variety of eucalyptus rese the hills in small quantities

ACCIDENT FROM CARELESS USE OF FIREARMS

16th May

Early thisthe Dolphin was moved to within three miles of the cove visited yesterday, and anchored in two and a half fatho west by north By 110 am the first pair of horses were hoisted out and placed in the water under the counter of the cutter, two other boats assisted in towing us to the shore, which occupied about an hour; the horses, on landing, being scarcely able to stand, fro the beach, a serious accident occurred to Mr Hearson, the second ence of Ja my repeated cautions to all the meuns, had o handed out, the haed a ball through both the hips of thehim to fall in the water, which circue; he was immediately carried to a sheltered spot, and a tent pitched over hi the wound, I found the ball had entered the right posterior, passing close below the joint, and taking an oblique direction through the lower edge of the pelvis, h, between the fe either Thisanya ca to the comfort of our wounded companion, who occasioned me some anxiety, as the treatment must entirely devolve upon myself, who possessed but a very limited amount of experience in matters of this nature

17th May

Four , and ere returning to the vessel for another pair when a party of fourteen natives made their appearance at the caed as a signal for h they would not go away Our nu small, I determined not to allow them to enter the ca, and the few that could now be spared to guard the stores was insufficient to keep a constant watch on their stealthy movements; I therefore tried at first to make them understand that we had taken possession for the present, and did not want their conant at our endeavours to drive them away, and very plainly ordered us off to the shi+p It was very evident that our forbearance wasI accordingly took hold of one of the most refractory, and compelled him to march off at double-quick ti our ca Mr Broith me, we climbed the first hill, whichourselves for a fewcountry, ere just on the point of returning to the ca down a ravine to the horses, evidently with hostile intentions, as they shi+pped their spears on getting close enough to throe did not, however, give them time to accomplish their object, as we ran down the hill in ti that it was now time to convince them ere not to be trifled with, and to put a stop at once to what I saould otherwise terminate in bloodshed, we both took deliberate aim and fired a couple of bullets so close to the principal offender, that he could hardly escape feeling the effects of the fragments of lead, as they split upon the rocks within a few feet of his body After dark, it set in to rain heavily for an hour, when lights were observedon the alert, no further attempt was made to molest us

18th May