June 21. The Hormuzeer’s long boat was sent ahead; and, at ten o’clock, the ships bore away northward. At noon, the latitude was 9 deg. 30′. The course was altered, at three, to the north-west; and at dusk, they hove to, for the night: soundings from 70 to 56 fathoms. The same course being resumed on the 22nd, the latitude, at noon, was 8 deg. 48′; and the depth 30 fathoms, on a bottom of sand, mud, and shells. From noon to five p.m., when they anchored, the ships appear to have steered W. by S. The land had been seen at one o’clock; and at two, the water had shoaled suddenly, from 30 to 10 fathoms, and afterwards diminished to 5, which continued to the place of anchorage. The land was part of the coast of NEW GUINEA; and the extremes were set at W. by N. 1/2 N. and N. W. 1/2 N., six or seven leagues, (in the chart, miles.) The flood tide here, set two miles per hour, towards the land; and the rise, by the lead line, was nine feet.
June 23. The ships got under way with the weather, or ebb, tide, a little before noon: latitude 8 deg. 52′. At four o’clock, the wind blew strong at south-east, with thick weather, and they anchored in 9 fathoms, blue mud; having made a course of E. N. E. nearly parallel to the coast. They remained here till the next afternoon; when the Hormuzeer having parted her cable, both ships stood to the north-eastward, along the land, until midnight; at which time they wore to the south-west, in 30 fathoms. At daylight of the 25th, the depth had decreased to 16 fathoms; and they stretched north-eastward again, with little variation in the soundings. The latitude, at noon, was 8 deg. 10′; and the ships continued their course upon a wind, keeping as much to the east as possible; and the soundings having increased to 30 fathoms, at dusk, they hove to; but stretched off, at midnight, on coming into 10 fathoms. In the morning of June 26, they were standing to the eastward; but the wind becoming light at nine o’clock, Mr. Bampton anchored in 9 fathoms, on a muddy bottom, in latitude 7 deg. 55′ south. The coast of New Guinea was then seen to extend from N. N. W. 1/2 W. to E. N. E.; and the south end of a reef, running off from the western extreme, bore W. by S. 1/2 S., two leagues.
The land here forms a large, unsheltered bay; and an opening nearly at the head, bearing N. 1/2 E., appeared like the entrance of a considerable river; but an officer, who was sent in a boat to sound, saw breakers stretching across. The soundings were regular, from 9 to 6 fathoms, within a mile or two of the shore; when there was only twelve feet; and the surf which rolled in, made it impossible to land. The country round the bay is described as level and open, and of an agreeable aspect.
On the return of the boat the ships weighed, and stretched southward until June 27, at noon. The latitude was then 9 deg. 1′; and a sand bank was seen from the mast head, bearing S. W. 1/2 W. They then wore to the north-eastward; and continued upon that course until the 28th, at dusk; when the land of New Guinea being in sight as far as E. by N., the same, apparently, which had been set from the anchorage on the 26th, they stretched off till two in the morning and then in again, towards the land.
Captain Bampton had followed the coast of New Guinea thus far, in the hope of finding a passage to the northward, between it and Louisiade; but the trending of the land so far to the east, and the difficulty of weathering it, from the current being adverse, obliged him to give up that hope. A consultation was then held; and a determination made to attempt the passage through the middle of Torres’ Strait.
At the time the ships hauled their wind to the southward, the latitude was 8 deg. 3′; the longitude, from three distances of the sun and moon, 145 deg. 23′; and the depth of water 40 fathoms, on a muddy bottom. They had no soundings from that time to July 1, at one a.m.; when there was 35 fathoms. At daylight, land, which was the _Darnley’s Island_ of captain Bligh, bore S. W. by S. seven or eight leagues; a dry sand was seen in the W. N. W., (probably W. S. W.); and a reef, which appears to have been that of Anchor Key, was six or seven miles distant in the S. E. At four in the afternoon, when Darnley’s Island bore W. by N. 1/2 N. five leagues, and Murray’s Island S. E. 1/2 E. (probably S. S. E. 1/2 E.) the ships anchored in 22 fathoms, marly bottom; and the boats were sent towards the first Island to sound, and see if it were inhabited. The latitude observed at this anchorage, was 9 deg. 40′ south, and longitude from three distances of the sun and moon 142 deg. 58′ 30″ east.
July 2. The boats returned. Between the ships and the island, they had passed over five different reefs, separated by narrow channels of 11 to 14 fathoms deep. The natives of the island came down in considerable numbers; and exchanged some bows and arrows, for knives and other articles. They were stout men; and somewhat above the common size of Europeans. Except in colour, which was not of so deep a cast, they bore much resemblance to the natives of Port Jackson; and had scars raised upon their bodies in the same manner. The men were entirely naked; but the women, who kept at a distance and appeared small in size, wore an apron of leaves, reaching down, to the knee. Many cocoa-nut trees were seen in the lower parts of the island.
When the boats returned, they were followed by four canoes. One of them went along-side of the Chesterfield; and an Indian ventured on board, on a sailor going into the canoe, as a hostage for him. Most of these people had their ears perforated. The hair was generally cut short; but some few had it flowing loose. It is naturally black; but from being rubbed with something, it had a reddish, or burnt appearance. These Indians, so far as they could he understood, represented their island to abound in refreshments; and it was, therefore, determined to send another boat to make further examination.
July 3. Mr. Shaw, chief mate of the Chesterfield, Mr. Carter, and captain Hill of the New-South-Wales corps, who was a passenger, went away armed, with five seamen in a whale boat; and were expected to return on the following day; but the 4th, 5th, and 6th, passed, without any tidings of them; although many signal guns had been fired.
On the 7th, two boats, manned and armed, under the command of Mr. Dell, chief mate of the Hormuzeer, were sent in search of the whale boat. On reaching the island, Mr. Dell heard conch shells sounding in different parts; and saw eighty or ninety armed natives upon the shore. To the inquiries, by signs, after the missing boat, they answered that she was gone to the westward; but none of them would venture near; nor did they pay attention to a white handkerchief which was held up, and had before been considered a signal of peace.
As the boats proceeded in their search, round the island, the natives followed along the shore, with increasing numbers. One man, who was rubbed with something blue, and appeared to be a chief, had a small axe in his hand; which was known, from the red helve, to have belonged to Mr. Shaw. On reaching the bay in the north-west side of the island, Mr. Dell remarked that the natives disappeared; all except about thirty, who were very anxious in persuading him to land. They brought down women; and made signs, that the boat and people whom he sought, were a little way up in the island. He, however, rowed onward; when the beach was immediately crowded with people, who had been lying in ambush, expecting him to land.
After having gone entirely round the island, and seen nothing of the object of his research, Mr. Dell returned to the first cove; where a great concourse of natives, armed with bows, arrows, clubs, and lances, were assembled at the outskirt of the wood. By offering knives and other things, a few were induced to approach the boat; and the coxswain seized one of them by the hair and neck, with the intention of his being taken off to the ships, to give an account of the missing boat and people. A shower of arrows instantly came out of the wood; and a firing was commenced, which killed one Indian, and wounded some others. In the mean time, the coxswain found it impossible to keep the man, from his hair and body being greased; and the boat’s crew was too much occupied to assist him.
July 8. The two commanders having heard the report of Mr. Dell, proceeded with the ships, round the northern reefs and sand banks, to the bay on the north-west side of Darnley’s Island, which was named _Treacherous Bay_. On the 9th, in the afternoon, they anchored with springs on the cables, in 13 fathoms, sand, mud, and shells; the extremes of the island bearing E. 1/2 N. to S. W. by S., and the nearest part distant a quarter of a mile. A boat was sent on shore; and returned, at sunset, with a few cocoa nuts; but without having seen any of the inhabitants.
July 10. An armed party of forty-four men landed from the ships, under the command of Mr. Dell. After hoisting the union jack, and taking possession of this, and the neighbouring islands and coast of New Guinea, in the name of His Majesty, they examined the huts, and found the great coats of captain Hill, Mr. Carter, and Mr. Shaw; with several other things which had belonged to them, and to the boats’ crew; so that no doubt was entertained of their having been murdered. In the evening, the party arrived from making the tour of the island; having burnt and destroyed one-hundred-and-thirty-five huts; sixteen canoes, measuring from fifty to seventy feet in length; and various plantations of sugar cane. The natives appeared to have retired to the hills in the centre of the island; as not one of them could be discovered.
Darnley’s Island was judged to be about fifteen miles in circumference. It is variegated with hills and plains; and the richness of the vegetation bespoke it to be very fertile; it appeared, however, to be scantily supplied with fresh water, there being only one small place where it was found near the shore. The plantations of the natives, which were extensive and numerous in the plains, contained yams, sweet potatoes, plantains, and sugar canes, inclosed within neat fences of bamboo; and cocoa-nut trees were very abundant particularly near the habitations. The hills, which mostly occupy the middle of the island, were covered with trees and bushes of a luxuriant growth; and upon different parts of the shores, the mangrove was produced in great plenty.
The habitations of the Indians were generally placed at the heads of the small coves; and formed into villages of ten or twelve huts each, inclosed within a bamboo fence of, at least, twelve feet high. The hut much resembles a haycock, with a pole driven through it; and may contain a family of six or eight people. The covering is of long grass, and cocoa leaves. The entrance is small; and so low, that the inhabitants must creep in and out; but the inside was was clean and neat; and the pole that supports the roof, was painted red, apparently with ochre.
In each of the huts, and usually on the right hand side going in, were suspended two or three human skulls; and several strings of hands, five or six on a string. These were hung round a wooden image, rudely carved into the representation of a man, or of some bird; and painted and decorated in a curious manner: the feathers of the Emu or Cassuary generally formed one of the ornaments. In one hut, containing much the greater number of skulls, a kind of gum was found burning before one of these images. This hut was adjoining to another, of a different form, and much more capacious than any of the others. The length was thirty feet, by fifteen in breadth; and the floor was raised six feet from the ground. The hut was very neatly built of bamboo, supported by long stakes, and thatched with cocoa leaves and dried grass. It was judged to be the residence of the chief of the island; and was the sole hut in which there were no skulls or hands; but the adjoining one had more than a double proportion.
The corpse of a man, who had been shot, was found disposed of in the following manner. Six stakes were driven into the ground; about three feet from each other, and six feet high. A platform of twigs was worked upon them, at the height of five feet; and upon this, the body was laid, without covering; but the putrid state of the corpse, did not allow of a close inspection.
Upon the reefs which surround the island, square places, of about fifty feet every way, were formed, by piling up stones of two or three feet high. The tide flows over these; and, on the ebb, the Indians go down and take out the fish. On all parts of the reefs, there were bamboos set up, with pendants of dried leaves; but whether they were intended as beacons for the canoes, or to point out the boundaries of each fishery, could not be ascertained.
The description of the canoes is nearly the same as that given in the voyage of Bligh and Portlock; but Mr. Bampton says, “some of them were ingeniously carved and painted, and had curious figures at each end.” The weapons of these people are bows, arrows, clubs of about four feet long, and spears and lances of various kinds, made of black., hard, wood. Some of the lances were jagged, from the sharp point to a foot upward; and most of them were neatly carved.
The sole quadrupeds seen, were rats, mice, and lizards; which, when the huts were set on fire, ran from them in great numbers. Land birds were numerous in all parts of the island; and upon the reefs were many curlews, large yellow-spotted plover, king’s fishers, sand pipers, red bills, and gulls.
Captain Bampton lays down Darnley’s Island, which the natives call WAMVAX, in latitude 9 deg. 39′ 30″ south, and longitude 142 deg. 59′ 15″ east; but in his chart, the centre is placed in 9 deg. 34′ south., and 143 deg. 1′ east. He much regretted that he could not land again, to examine the interior parts of this fine island; but his long boat having drifted out of sight, without water, provisions, or compass, it was judged necessary for the ships to weigh, and look after her.
July 11. The Hormuzeer stood to the northward, with soundings of 15 to 19 fathoms. After three hours run, with a fresh breeze, a reef and sand bank were seen ahead, and the ship was veered to the south-west. Another reef and bank were descried, soon afterward, in the west; and, at the same time, a signal for seeing the long boat was made by the Chesterfield. In the afternoon, the boat was picked up, and both ships anchored under Stephens’ Island.
An armed party was immediately sent on shore, to obtain intelligence if possible, of the lost whale boat. The natives were assembled in hostile array, upon the hills, sounding their conchs; but, after lancing a few arrows, they fled. Several were wounded by the shots fired in return; but they succeeded in escaping to a canoe at the back of the island, and getting off; all except one boy, who was taken unhurt.* In the huts, which were burnt, several things were found; and amongst them, a sheet of copper which belonged to the Chesterfield.
[* It does not appear in the journal, when, or where this boy was set on shore; nor is any further mention made of him.]
July 12. Stephens’ Island was traversed all over; and a spike nail, with the king’s broad arrow upon it, was brought on board, and excited many conjectures as to whence it came.* The plantations, huts, images, skulls, and hands, were found similar to those of Darnley’s Island. Amongst the trees, there was one resembling an almond, the nuts of which were good. The cocoa nut grows abundantly; especially in the south-eastern part, where the trees formed a continued grove. The sole quadruped seen, except rats, was a pretty animal of the opossum tribe. It was found in a cage; and had probably been brought, either from New Guinea, or New South Wales.**
[* It had probably been obtained from the crews of either the Providence or Assistant; which had anchored under Stephens’ Island, nine months before.]
[** Mr. Bampton’s description of this animal is briefly as follows. Size and shape, of the opossum. Colour, yellowish white with brown spots. End of the tail, deep red: prehensile. Eyes, reddish brown: red when irritated. No visible ears. Used its paws in feeding: five nails to each. Habit, dull and slothful: not savage. Food, maize, boiled rice, meat, leaves, or any thing offered. Odour, very strong at times, and disagreeable.]
July 13. A boat was sent to Campbell’s Island; but it did not contain either plantations, cocoa-nut trees, or fixed inhabitants. This, as also Stephens’ and Nepean’s Islands, are mostly low and sandy; and surrounded with extensive reefs, upon which, it was thought, the Indians pass from one island to the other, at low water.
In the afternoon, the ships proceeded to the westward; but meeting with many reefs, they hauled more to the north, and discovered _Bristow Island_, lying close to the coast of New Guinea. Their attempts to find a passage here, were fruitless; and after incurring much danger, and the Chesterfield getting aground, they returned to their former anchorage, in the evening of July 21. The banks, reefs, and lands, seen during these eight days, will be found marked in Plate XIII.
Two canoes immediately came off from Stephens’ Island; and one of the natives remained on board the Hormuzeer till eight o’clock. He seemed to be without fear; and when inquiry was made after the lost boat and people, he pointed to a whale boat, and made signs that such an one had been at Darnley’s Island; and that six of the people were killed.* Many presents were made to this man; and he was clothed, and sent on shore in one of the boats.
[* Captain Hill and four of the seamen were murdered by the natives. Messieurs Shaw and Carter were severely wounded; but with Ascott, the remaining seaman, they got into the boat, cut the grapnel rope, and escaped. They were without provisions or compass; and it being impossible to reach the ships, which lay five leagues to windward, they bore away to the west, through the Strait; in the hope of reaching Timor. On the tenth day, they made land; which proved to be _Timor-laoet_. They there obtained some relief to their great distress; and went on to an island called by the natives, _Sarrett_; where Mr. Carter died: Messieurs Shaw and Ascott sailed in a prow, for Banda, in the April following. See Collins’ _Account of the English Colony in New South Wales_. Vol. I. page 464, 465.]
July 22. The ships’ crews beginning to feel the want of fresh water, people were sent on shore to dig a well; and the natives, though they still appeared shy and suspicious, gave them some assistance. On the 24th, the boats had discovered a passage to the south-westward; and as the well produced little water, and no provision could be obtained, it was determined to proceed onward, through the Strait, without further delay.
They weighed the same afternoon; and anchored, at dusk, in 14 fathoms; Campbell’s Island bearing N. E. by E. to E. by N. 3/4 N.; and many other small isles being in sight to the south-west and southward. Next day, the 25th, they steered S. by W. 1/2 W., from seven in the morning to six in the evening; when they anchored in 17 fathoms, having islands in sight nearly all round: the nearest at the distance of five or six miles. These islands were small; but inhabitants were seen on the greater number; and two canoes went off to the Chesterfield.
July 26. The ships proceeded westward, very slowly; the wind being at south-west. In the morning of the 27th, they were at anchor in 11 fathoms; Dungeness Island bearing W. by N. to N. W. by W. 1/2 W., about six miles; and Warriors Island N. N. W. 1/2 W. eight miles. Mr. Dell had passed the preceding night upon one of the Six Sisters, which was called _Dove Island_, bearing from the ship, S. S. E. six miles. A fire on the beach, with two fish broiling upon it, bespoke the presence of inhabitants; but on searching the island over, none could be discovered: it was thought that they had fled to a larger island, it being connected with this by a reef, which dries at low water. Mr. Dell had a seine with him, and caught a dozen fine fish; but the object of remaining all night, that of taking turtle, did not succeed; although large shells of them were found upon the shore.
Dove Island is about one mile and a half in circumference; and covered with trees and shrubs, the fragrance of whose flowers perfumed the air. Amongst other birds, two beautiful doves were shot. The plumage of the body was green; the head, bill, and legs, red; the tail, and under sides of the wings, yellow. No huts, plantations, or other signs of fixed inhabitants were seen; nor was there any fresh water.
On the return of the boat, the vessels weighed; and the wind being at W. S. W., they worked through. between Dungeness and Warriors Islands, with the flood tide. They then anchored in 11 fathoms; the first Island bearing S. S. E. to S 1/2 W. three leagues, and the second E. by S. 1/2 S.
July 28. Having a fresh breeze at E. S. E., the long boat was sent ahead, and the ships followed, to the westward. They passed Turtle-backed Island, the Cap, and the Brothers, on one side, and Nichols’ Key on the other: the soundings gradually shoaling from 12 to 7 fathoms. Upon the Cap, Mr. Bampton “saw a volcano burning with great violence,” which induced him to give it the name of _Fire Island_; not knowing that it had before been named. At noon, the Brothers, with the Cap and Turtle-backed Island behind, bore S. E. by S. to S. 1/2 E. four miles; and Mount Cornwallis N. 16 deg. W.
The water continued to shoal; and at three p.m., the ships anchored in 5 fathoms, sand, shells, and stones; the Brothers bearing E. by S. 1/4 S. five leagues, and Mount Cornwallis N. by E. 1/4 E. There were two large islands in sight in the S. S. W. 1/4 W. to S. W. 1/4 S., at the distance of eight or ten leagues; and many nearer reefs in the same direction.
July 29. The long boat was sent to sound in the north-west; and when the ebb tide slacked, the ships followed: wind at E. S. E. The soundings increased from 5 to 7 fathoms; and afterwards varied between these depths, until noon; when the latitude observed was 9 deg. 42′ south.* The Brothers then bore S. 64 deg. E.; Mount Cornwallis N. 38 deg. E; and a long, low island (Turn-again., of Bligh,) N. 35 deg. to 58 deg. W. At three p.m. the reefs were so numerous, that the ships were obliged to anchor, until the boats could sound for a passage: the depth here was 41/2 fathoms, on a bottom of rotten stones and coral.
[* This latitude is from 4′ to 6′ more _south_ than captain Bligh’s positions; and the same difference occurs in all the observations, where a comparison can be made.]
July 31. They weighed, and hauled the wind eastward, to pass round Turn-again Island; bearing away occasionally to avoid small reefs: the soundings 51/2 to 4 fathoms. After passing round, they anchored in 5 fathoms; until the boats should sound between the reefs which appeared on every side: Turn-again Island then bore S. 56 deg. to 83 deg. W. about two leagues, Mount Cornwallis N. 56 deg. E., the Brothers S. 50 deg. E.; the latitude observed was 9 deg. 32′, and longitude from four sights of the sun and moon, 140 deg. 58′ east. Next afternoon, in proceeding to the north-westward, the Chesterfield struck upon a bank in eight feet water; but the coral giving way to the ship, she went over without injury. In the evening, they both anchored in 41/2 fathoms, gravel and shells; Mount Cornwallis bearing E. 1/4 S., and a long tract of land from N. W. by N. to N. E., at the distance of five or six leagues. Turn-again Island bore S. S. E. 3/4 E. to S. 1/2 W., four miles; and thither the ships ran on Aug. 3, and anchored in 33/4 fathoms, fine sand, within a quarter of a mile of the shore; the extremes bearing S. 58 deg. E. to 60 deg. W. The purpose for which they came to this island, was to procure wood, water, and refreshments; during the time necessary for the boats to explore a passage through the innumerable reefs and banks, which occupy this part of the Strait.
Messieurs Bampton and Alt remained here seventeen days; being afraid to move with the strong south-east winds which blew during the greater part of the time. Turn-again Island is flat, low, and swampy; and about three miles in length, by half that space in breadth. (Mr. Bampton’s chart makes it the double of these dimensions; and, generally, the islands in it exceed the description of the journal in about the same proportion: the journal seems to be the preferable authority.) The reefs which surround Turn-again Island, extend a great distance to the east and west; particularly in the latter direction, where there are many dry sand banks. The island is mostly over-run with mangroves; and at the top of the flood, the wood cutters were obliged to work in the water; and were, at all times, exceedingly annoyed with musketoes. The island is said, in the journal, to be in 9 deg. 34; south and 140 deg. 55′ east; which is 3′ to the south and 1 deg. 24′ west of its situation in the chart of captain Bligh.
No other refreshment than small quantities of fish, crabs, and shell-fish, being procurable here, the ships crews were further reduced in their short allowance. With respect to fresh water, their situation was still worse: None could be obtained upon Turn-again Island; and had not captain Bampton ingeniously contrived a _still_, their state would have been truly deplorable. He caused a cover, with a hole in the centre, to be fitted by the carpenter upon a large cooking pot; and over the hole he funded an inverted tea kettle, with the spout cut off. To the stump of the spout, was fitted a part of the tube of a speaking trumpet; and this was lengthened by a gun barrel, which passed through a cask of salt water, serving as a cooler. From this machine, good fresh water, to the amount of twenty-five to forty gallons per day, was procured; and obtained a preference to that contained in the few casks remaining in the Hormuzeer.
By Aug. 20., when the weather had become more moderate, the boats had sounded amongst the reefs in all directions; but there appeared to be no practicable passage out of this labyrinth, except to the north-west. In that direction the ships proceeded three hours, in from 6 to 3 fathoms. Next afternoon, they steered westward, with the flood tide; and again anchored in 3 fathoms, sand and gravel. The coast of New Guinea then extended from N. by E. 1/4 E. to N. W. 3/4 N.; and the north-west end of a long island, to which the name of _Talbot_ was given, bore N. by E. 1/2 E. nine or ten miles.
Aug. 22, At day-light they followed the long boat to the westward., in soundings from 21/2 to 4 fathoms. At seven o’clock, the Hormuzeer grounded in 2 fathoms; upon a bank whence Talbot’s Island bore N. N. E. to E. N. E., eight or ten miles, and where the observed latitude was 9 deg. 27′ south. She remained upon this bank until the morning of the 24th; when Mr. Bampton got into a channel of 13 fathoms, which had been found by the boats, and the ship did not appear to have received other damage, than the loss of the false keel. The _still_ continued to be kept at work, day and night.
Aug. 27. Messieurs Bampton and Alt proceeded onward in a track which had been sounded by the boats. At sunset, they came to, in 4 fathoms; the extremes of New Guinea then bearing N. W. by W. to N. E. by E., three or four leagues. Some further progress was made next morning; and at noon, when at anchor in 33/4 fathoms, and in latitude 9 deg. 261/2′, an island was discovered bearing S. W. 3/4 S. five or six leagues; which received, eventually, the name of DELIVERANCE ISLAND.
Aug. 29. The Hormuzeer grounded at low water; from which it appeared that the tide had fallen twelve feet, though then at the neaps. When the ship floated, they made sail to the westward; and deepened the water to 9 and 12 fathoms. At noon, it had again shoaled to 6; Deliverance Island bearing S. S. W. 1/2 W. nine or ten miles, and New Guinea N. W. to N. by E. 1/2 E. four or five leagues: latitude observed 9 deg. 25′ south. After proceeding a little further westward, they anchored in 5 fathoms.
Aug. 30. The soundings varied as before, between 4 and 10 fathoms: the bottom, rotten coral intermixed with sand. At noon, when the latitude was 9 deg. 21′, Deliverance Island was just in sight from the deck, in the S. E. by S.; and the extremes of New Guinea bore N. E. by E. to N. W. 1/2 W., ten or twelve miles.* In the afternoon, the depth again decreased to 4 fathoms, and obliged them to anchor until morning. On the 31st, the ships appear to have steered south-westward, leaving on the starbord hand a very extensive bank, on which the long boat had 2 fathoms water: the soundings from the Hormuzeer were from 3 to 7 fathoms. At noon, the latitude was 9 deg. 27′, and no land in sight. The soundings then increased gradually; and at sunset, no bottom could be found at 40 fathoms. A swell coming from S. S. W. announced an open sea in that direction; and that the dangers of Torres’ Strait were, at length, surmounted.
[* Mr. Bampton’s chart and journal are more at variance here than in the preceding parts of the Strait, and I have found it very difficult to adjust them; but have attempted it in Plate XIII.]
This passage of the Hormuzeer and Chesterfield in _seventy-two_ days, with that made in _nineteen_, by the captains Bligh and Portlock, displayed the extraordinary dangers of the Strait; and appear to have deterred all other commanders from following them, up to the time of the Investigator. Their accounts confirm the truth of Torres having passed through it, by showing the correctness of the sketch contained in his letter to the King of Spain.
CONCLUSIVE REMARKS.
The sole remaining information, relative to the North Coast of Terra Australis, was contained in a note, transcribed by Mr. Dalrymple, from a work of burgomaster WITSEN upon the _Migration of Mankind_. The place of which the burgomaster speaks, is evidently on the coast of Carpentaria, near the head of the Gulph; but it is called _New Guinea; and he wrote in 1705_. The note is as follows; but upon whose authority it was given, does not appear:
“In 16 deg. 10′ south, longitude 159 deg. 17′” (east of Teneriffe, or between 142 deg. and 143 deg. east of Greenwich,) “the people swam on board of a Dutch ship; and when they received a present of a piece of linen, they laid it upon their head in token of gratitude: Every where thereabout, all the people are malicious. They use arrows, and bows of such a length, that one end rests on the ground when shooting. They have also _hazeygaeys_ and _kalawaeys_, and attacked the Dutch; but did not know the execution of the guns.” On summing up the whole of the knowledge which had been acquired of the North Coast, it will appear, that natural history, geography, and navigation had still much to learn of this part of the world; and more particularly, that they required the accomplishment of the following objects:
1st. _A general survey of TORRES’ STRAIT_. The navigation from the Pacific, or Great Ocean to all parts of India, and to the Cape of Good Hope, would be greatly facilitated, if a passage through the Strait, moderately free from danger, could be discovered; since _five or six weeks_ of the usual route, by the north of New Guinea or the more eastern islands, would thereby be saved. Notwithstanding the great obstacles which navigators had encountered in some parts of the Strait, there was still room to hope, that an examination of the whole, made with care and perseverance, would bring such a passage to light. A survey of it was, therefore, an object much to be desired; not only for the merchants and seamen trading to these parts, but also from the benefits which would certainly accrue therefrom to general navigation and geography.
2nd. _An examination of the shores of the GULPH OF CARPENTARIA_. The real form of this gulph remained in as great doubt with geographers, as were the manner how, and time when it acquired its name.* The east side of the Gulph had been explored to the latitude of 17 deg., and many rivers were there marked and named; but how far the representation given of it by the Dutch was faithful–what were the productions, and what its inhabitants–were, in a great measure, uncertain. Or rather it was certain, that those early navigators did not possess the means of fixing the positions and forms of lands, with any thing like the accuracy of modern science; and that they could have known very little of the productions, or inhabitants. Of the rest of the Gulph no one could say, with any confidence, upon what authority its form had been given in the charts; so that conjecture, being at liberty to appropriate the Gulph of Carpentaria to itself, had made it the entrance to a vast arm of the sea, dividing Terra Australis into two, or more, islands.
[* I am aware that the president de Brossed says, “This same year also (1628) CARPENTARIA was thus named by P. Carpenter, who discovered it when general in the service of the Dutch Company. He returned from India to Europe, in the month of June 1628, with five ships richly laden.” (_Hist. des Nav. aux Terres Aust_. Tome I. 433). But the president here seems to give either his own, or the Abbe’ Prevost’s conjectures, for matters of fact. We have seen, that the coast called Carpentaria was discovered long before 1628; and it is, besides, little probable, that Carpenter should have been making discoveries with five ships richly laden and homeward bound. This name of Carpentaria does not once appear in Tasman’s Instructions, dated in 1644; but is found in Thevenot’s chart of 1663.]
3rd. _A more exact investigation of the bays, shoals, islands, and coasts of ARNHEM’S, and the northern VAN DIEMEN’S, LANDS_. The information upon these was attended with uncertainty; first, because the state of navigation was very low at the time of their discovery; and second, from want of the details and authorities upon which they had been laid down. The old charts contained large islands lying off the coast, under the names of _T’ Hoog Landt_ or _Wessel’s Eylandt_, and _Crocodils Eylanden_; but of which little more was known than that, if they existed, they must lie to the eastward of 135 deg. from Greenwich. Of the R. Spult, and other large streams represented to intersect the coast, the existence even was doubtful. That the coast was dangerous, and shores sandy, seemed to be confirmed by Mr McCluer’s chart; and that they were peopled by “divers cruel, poor, and brutal nations,” was certainly not improbable, but it rested upon very suspicious authority. The Instructions to Tasman. said, in 1644, “Nova Guinea has been found to be inhabited by cruel, wild, savages; and as _it is uncertain what sort of people the inhabitants of the South Lands are_, it may be presumed that they are also wild and barbarous savages, rather than a civilized people.” This uncertainty, with respect to the natives of Arnhem’s and the northern Van Diemen’s Lands, remained, in a great degree, at the end of the eighteenth century.
Thus, whatever could bear the name of _exact_, whether in natural history, geography, or navigation, was yet to be learned of a country possessing five hundred leagues of sea-coast; and placed in a climate and neighbourhood, where the richest productions of both the vegetable and mineral kingdoms were known to exist. A voyage which should have had no other view, than the survey of Torres’ Strait and the thorough investigation of the North Coast of Terra Australis, could not have been accused of wanting an object worthy of national consideration.
PRIOR DISCOVERIES IN TERRA AUSTRALIS.
SECTION II.
WESTERN COASTS.
Preliminary Observations.
Discoveries of Hartog:
Edel:
of the Ship Leeuwin:
the Vianen:
of Pelsert:
Tasman:
Dampier:
Vlaming:
Dampier.
Conclusive Remarks.
PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. (ATLAS Pl. I.)
Under the term WESTERN COASTS, is comprehended the space from the western extremity of the northern _Van Diemen’s Land_ to the _North-west Cape_ of New Holland; and from thence, southward to _Cape Leeuwin_. The first is usually termed the North-west, and the second the West Coast: Taken together, they present an extent of shore of between seven and eight hundred leagues in length; lying in the fine climates comprised between the 11th and 35th degrees of south latitude.
HARTOG. 1616.
The recital of discoveries in Tasman’s instructions speaks of the first knowledge gained of these coasts in the following terms: “In the years 1616, 1618, 1619, and 1622, the west coast of this _Great unknown_ SOUTH LAND, from 35 deg. to 22 deg. south latitude, was discovered by outward-bound ships; and among them by the ship _Endragt_.” The recital gives no further particulars; but from thence, and from a manuscript chart by _Eessel Gerrits_, 1627,* there seems to be sufficient authority for attributing the first authenticated discovery of any part of the Western Coasts to DIRK HARTOG, commander of the ship _Endragt_, outward-bound from Holland to India. He appears to have first seen the West Coast in latitude about 261/2 deg. south; and to have sailed northward along it, to about 23 deg.; giving the name LANDT DE ENDRAGT, to the country so discovered. An important part of his discovery was _Dirk Hartog’s Road_ (at the entrance of a sound afterwards called _Shark’s Bay_, by Dampier), lying a little south Of 25 deg.. Upon one of the islands which form the road there was found, first in 1697, and afterwards in 1801, a plate of tin, bearing the following inscription.
[* See Dalrymple’s _Collection concerning Papua_, note, page 6.]
“Anno 1616, the 25th of October arrived here the ship _Endragt_ of Amsterdam; the first merchant _Gillis Miebais_ of Luik, _Dirk Hartog_ of Amsterdam, captain. They sailed from hence for Bantam, the 27th Do.” On the lower part, as far as could be distinguished in 1697, was cut with a knife, “The under merchant _Jan Stins_; chief mate _Pieter Dookus_ of Bill. Ao. 1616.”
The _Mauritius_, another outward-bound ship, appears to have made some further discovery upon the West Coast, in July 1618, particularly Of WILLEM’S RIVER, near the North-west Cape; but no further particulars are known.
EDEL. 1619.
In Campbell’s edition of _Harris’ Voyages_ (p. 325), it is said, “The next year the LAND OF EDEL was found, and received its name from the discoverer.”. The president De Brosses says nearly the same thing (Tome I. P. 432); whence, combining this with the Dutch recital and the chart of Eessel Gerritz, it should appear that J. DE EDEL commanded an outward-bound ship; and, in July 1619, accidentally fell in with that part of the West Coast to which his name is applied. The extent of Edel’s discovery appears, from Thevenot’s chart, to have been from about the latitude 29 deg., northward to 261/2 deg., where the Land of Endragt commences; but in a chart of this coast, by _Van Keulen_, the name is extended southward to 32 deg. 20′, past the island Rottenest, which, according to Thevenot, should rather have been the discovery of the ship Leeuwin.
The great reef lying off the coast of Edel, called _Houtman’s Abrolhos_, was discovered at the same time; probably by Edel, or by some ship in the same squadron.
THE LEEUWIN. 1622.
I do not find it any where said who commanded the _Leeuwin_, or Lioness; but it should appear, that this was also one of the outward-bound ships which fell in with the West Coast. In Thevenot’s chart, Leeuwin’s Land comprehends about ninety leagues of the south-west extremity of New Holland; and, from the latitude of 35 deg., extends northward to about 31 deg.; but in later publications, it has been much restricted in its northern limit, apparently, upon the authority of Van Keulen.
THE VIANEN. 1628.
The next discovery upon the Western Coasts was that of the ship _Vianen_, one of the seven which returned to Europe under the command of the governor-general Carpenter. The Dutch recital speaks of this discovery in the following terms. The coast was seen “again accidentally in the year 1628, on the north side, in the latitude 21 deg. south, by the ship Vianen, homeward bound from India; when they coasted two-hundred miles, without gaining any knowledge of this Great Country; only observing a foul and barren shore, green fields, and very wild, black, barbarous inhabitants.”
This was the part called DE WITT’S LAND; but whether the name were applied by the captain of the Vianen does not appear in the recital. De Brosses says, “William de Witt gave his own name to the country which he saw in 1628, to the north of Remessen’s River; and which _Viane_, a Dutch captain, had, to his misfortune, discovered in the month of January in the same year; when he was driven upon this coast of De Witt, in 21 deg. of latitude, and lost all his riches.” The confusion that reigns in the president’s account does not render it improbable, that the country might have received its _name_ in the way he describes, and in the year 1628; for, in 1644, _De Witt’s Land_ is used as a known term for this part of the North-west Coast.
PELSERT. 1629.
Thus far, the parts of the Western Coasts have been distinguished by little else than the dates and limits of their discovery; for, in fact, this is all that has reached us from these early navigators. The following account is of a different character: it is extracted from the twenty-first piece in Thevenot’s collection; and, in the table of contents, is said to be translated from the Dutch.
The _Batavia_, commanded by FRANCISCO PELSERT, struck, in the night of June 4, 1629, upon a reef, “called by our Flemings the _Abrolhos_ or Rocks of _Frederick Houtman_,” lying off the west coast of New Holland. At daylight, an island was seen about three leagues distant, and two islets, or rather rocks, somewhat nearer, to which the passengers and part of the crew were sent. There being no fresh water to be found upon these islands, Pelsert had a deck laid over one of the boats; and, on June 8, put to sea, in order to make search upon the opposite main land: his latitude, at noon, was 28 deg. 13′ south.
A short time after quitting the Abrolhos, captain Pelsert got sight of the coast, which, by estimation, bore N. by W. eight leagues from the place of shipwreck.* He had 25 to 30 fathoms, and stood off till midnight, when he again steered for the land; and in the morning of the 9th, it was four leagues off. He ran that day from five to seven leagues, sometimes to the north, sometimes to the west; the direction of the coast being N. by W.: it appeared to be rocky–without trees–and about the same height as the coast of Dover. A small, sandy bay was seen, into which Pelsert desired to enter; but finding too much surf, and the weather becoming bad, he was obliged to haul further off.
[* Thevenot says _six miles_, and does not explain what kind of miles they are; but it is most probable that he literally copies his original, and that they are Dutch miles of fifteen to a degree. Van Keulen, in speaking of Houtman’s Abrolhos, says, page 19, “This shoal is, as we believe, 11 or 12 leagues (_8 ae 9 mijlen)_ from the coast.”]
July 10. He kept in the same parallel, upon a wind; the weather being bad, and his boat very leaky. Next day, the wind was at W. S. W., and more moderate. He then steered north; for the sea was too high to approach the shore in safety. On the 12th, Pelsert observed the latitude to be 27 deg., and steered along the coast with a fair wind at S. E.; but the shore was too steep to admit of landing; neither could he find any bay or island to break off the sea. At a distance, the land seemed fertile and covered with plants. The latitude, on the 13th, was 25 deg. 40′, which showed a current setting to the northward. Here Pelsert found himself a-breast of an opening, where the coast trends to the north-east (apparently into Shark’s Bay). The course this day was nearly north; the shore consisted of reddish rock, of an equal height; and there being no island in front, the waves, which broke high upon it, prevented landing.
June 14. The wind was at east; and at noon, the latitude was observed to be 24 deg.. The tides (or rather the current) took the boat further to the north than was desired; for Pelsert then carried but little sail, in the hope to find a landing place without going further. Perceiving some smokes at a distance, he rowed towards them; but the shore proved to be steep, with many rocks, and the sea broke high against it. At length, six of his people leaped overboard, and with much labour and risk got through the surf, whilst the boat remained at anchor, in 25 fathoms. The sailors employed the rest of the day in seeking for water; and on looking about on every side, they saw four natives creeping towards them on their hands and feet. One of “our people” having appeared on an eminence, near them, the natives rose up and took to flight; so that those who were in the boat could see them distinctly. These men were wild, black, and altogether naked; not covering even those parts which almost all savages conceal.
The six sailors, losing all hope of finding water, swam back to the boat, wounded and bruised by the blows they had received from the waves and rocks. The anchor was then weighed, and Pelsert continued his course, under easy sail, along the coast; but keeping without side of the shoals. The 15th in the morning, they discovered a cape, off which lay a chain of rocks, running out four miles into the sea; and behind this was another reef, close to the shore. The water being tolerably still between them, Pelsert thought to pass through; but the reefs joined round further on, and obliged him to return. At noon, an opening was seen, where the water was smooth, and they went into it, but with considerable danger; for the depth was no more than two feet, and the bottom stony. On landing, the people dug holes in the sand; but the water which oozed in was salt. At length, fresh rain water was found in the cavities of the rocks, and afforded them great relief; for they had, hitherto, been confined to a pint of water each. They staid on shore that night, and collected full forty gallons. Ashes and the remains of cray fish were found; which showed that the natives had been there no long time before.
July 16. They sought to collect more water, but were unsuccessful; and none could be expected in the sandy, level country behind the coast. This plain was destitute of both grass and trees, and covered with ant hills so large, that they might have been taken for the houses of Indians. The quantity of flies was such, that the people had great difficulty in keeping them off. Eight savages, with with each a stick (probably a spear) in his hand, were seen at a distance. They came within musket shot; but on the Dutch sailors going towards them they took to flight.
Captain Pelsert, being at length convinced of the impossibility of procuring more water, determined to quit this coast. At noon, he got withoutside of the reef by a second opening more to the north; for, having observed the latitude to be 22 deg. 17′, his intention was to seek for the _River of Jacob Remessens_ (near the North-west Cape); but the wind veering to north-east, he could no longer follow the direction of the coast. Considering, then, that he was more than four hundred miles from the place of shipwreck, and that scarcely water enough had been found for themselves, Pelsert resolved to make the best of his way to Batavia, to solicit assistance from the governor-general.
In the mean time, some one of the people left upon the islands of the _Abrolhos_ thought of tasting the water in two holes, which, from its rising and falling with the tide, was believed to be salt; but, to their great surprise and joy, it was found good to drink, and never failed them afterwards.
On Pelsert’s return to the Abrolhos in the yacht _Sardam_, he was under the necessity of executing some atrocious conspirators, and two were set on shore upon the opposite main land.* Tasman was directed by his instructions, in 1644, to “inquire at the continent thereabout, after two Dutchmen; who, having forfeited their lives, were put on shore by the commodore Francisco Pelsert, if still alive. In such case, you may make your inquiries of them about the situation of those countries; and if they entreat you to that purpose, give them passage hither.”
[* For an account of the miseries and horrors which took place on the islands of the Abrolhos during the absence of Pelsert, the English reader is referred to Vol. I. p. 320 to 325 of _Campbell’s_ edition of _Harris’ Voyages_; but the nautical details there given are very incorrect.]
TASMAN. 1644.
It is not from any direct information, that ABEL JANSZ TASMAN is placed as the next discoverer upon the western coasts of Terra Australis; for, as has been already observed, no account of his second voyage has ever been made public, or is any such known to exist. It is, however, supposed, with great probability of truth, that, after the examination of the North Coast, he pursued his course westward along the shore to the North-west Cape, conformably to his instructions; but that he did not go further southward along the Land of Endragt than to the tropic of Capricorn, where he quitted his examination, and returned to Batavia.
The chart published by Thevenot, in 1663, gives a form to the Western Coasts, and joins them to the northern Van Diemen’s Land; but it is evident from Tasman’s instructions, that the part between De Witt’s Land and Cape Van Diemen was unknown to the Dutch government at Batavia in 1644. And since there is no account of its having been seen during the intermediate nineteen years, it may be concluded that the North-west Coast was first explored by him; and Dampier says (Vol. III. p. 96), that he had Tasman’s chart of it; though none bearing his name can now be found.*
[* The French editor of the _Voyage de Decouvertes aux Terres Australes_, published in 1807, Vol. I. p. 128, attributes the formation of the North-west Coast in the common charts to the expedition of the three Dutch vessels sent from Timor in 1705. But this is a mistake. It is the chart of Thevenot, his countryman, _published forty-two years previously_ to that expedition, which has been mostly followed by succeeding geographers.]
The notes of burgomaster Witsen show, that the North-west Coast was visited by Tasman; and as they give the earliest information of the inhabitants, and are curious in themselves, they are here transcribed from Mr. Dalrymple’s Papua.
“In lat. 13 deg. 8′ S. lon. 146 deg. 18′” (probably about 1291/2 deg. east of Greenwich), “the coast is barren. The people are bad and wicked, shooting at the Dutch with arrows, without provocation, when they were coming on shore: It is here very populous.”
“In 14 deg. 58′ S. lon. 138 deg. 59′ (about 125 deg. east), the people are savage, and go naked: none can understand them.”
“In HOLLANDIA NOVA,* in 17 deg. 12′ S. (lon. 121 deg. or 122 deg. east) _Tasman_ found a naked, black people, with curly hair; malicious and cruel, using for arms, bows and arrows, hazeygaeys and kalawaeys. They once came to the number of fifty, double armed, dividing themselves into two parties, intending to have surprised the Dutch, who had landed twenty-five men; but the firing of guns frightened them so that they fled. Their prows are made of the bark of trees: their coast is dangerous: there are few vegetables: the people use no houses.”
[* This expression indicates, that the before-mentioned places were not then included under the term NEW HOLLAND by Witsen: he wrote in 1705.]
“In 19 deg. 35′ S. long. 134 deg. (about 120 deg., apparently), the inhabitants are very numerous, and threw stones at the boats sent by the Dutch to the shore. They made fires and smoke all along the coast, which, it was conjectured, they did to give notice to their neighbours of strangers being upon the coast. They appear to live very poorly; go naked; eat yams and other roots.”
DAMPIER. 1688.
The buccaneers with whom our celebrated navigator, WILLIAM DAMPIER, made a voyage round the world, came upon the north-west coast of Terra Australis, for the purposes of careening their vessel, and procuring refreshments. They made the land in the latitude of 16 deg. 50′, due south from a shoal whose longitude is now known to be 1221/4 deg. east. From thence, they ran along the shore, N. E. by E. twelve leagues, to a bay or opening, where a convenient place was found for their purpose. Dampier’s description of the country and inhabitants of the place, where he remained from Jan. 5. to March 12., is contained in the account of his voyages, Vol. I. page 462 to 470; and renders it unnecessary to do more than to mark its coincidence or disagreement with what is said, in the above note from Tasman, of the inhabitants and country near the same part of the coast.
Dampier agrees in the natives being “a naked, black people, with curly hair,” like that of the negroes; but he says they have “a piece of the rind of a tree tied like a girdle about their waists, and a handful of long grass, or three or four green boughs full of leaves, thrust under their girdle, to cover their nakedness.” Also, “that the two fore teeth of the upper jaw are wanting in all of them, men and women, old and young: neither have they any beards;” which circumstances are not mentioned in the note from Tasman. Dampier did not see either bows or arrows amongst them; but says, “the men, at our first coming ashore, threatened us with their lances and swords; but they were frightened by firing one gun, which we did purposely to scar them.” Of “their prows made of the bark of trees,” he saw nothing. On the contrary, he “espied a drove of these men swimming from one island to another; for _they have no boats, canoes, or bark logs_.” The English navigator is silent as to any dangers upon the twelve leagues of coast seen by him; but fully agrees in the scarcity of the vegetable productions, and in the circumstance of the natives using no houses.
VLAMING. 1696.
The relation of Willem DE VLAMING’S voyage to New Holland was published at Amsterdam in 1701; but not having been fortunate enough to procure it, I have had recourse to _Valentyn_, who, in his _Description of Banda_, has given what appears to be an abridgment of the relation. What follows is conformable to the sense of the translation which Dr. L. Tiarks had the goodness to make for me; and the reasons for entering more into the particulars of this voyage than usual are, the apparent correctness of the observations, and that no account of them seems to have been published in the English language.*
[* The Abbe Prevost in his _Hist. gen. des Voyages_, Tome XVI. (a la Haye) p. 79-81, has given some account of Vlaming’s voyage in French; but the observations on the coast between Shark’s Bay and Willem’s River are there wholly omitted.]
A Dutch ship, called the _Ridderschap_, having been missing from the time she had left the Cape of Good Hope, in 1684 or 1685, it was thought probable she might have been wrecked upon the GREAT SOUTH LAND, and that some of the crew might (in 1696) be still living. Accordingly, the commodore Willem de Vlaming, who was going out to India with the _Geelvink_, _Nyptang_, and _Wezel_, was ordered to make a search for them.
On Dec. 28, the ships got soundings in 48 fathoms, coral bottom; in latitude 31 deg. 53′, and longitude 133 deg. 44′ (east, apparently, from the Peak of Teneriffe, 16 deg. 45′ to the west of Greenwich); where the variation was observed to be 10 deg. 28′ west: they afterwards had 25 fathoms, on better ground. On the 29th, they anchored under the island _Rottenest_, which lies in lat. 31 deg. 50′, long. 134 deg. 25′;* and next day, a piece of wood, which had some time been fixed to the deck of a ship, was found upon the shore; but the nails were then rusted away. Fire wood was abundant here.
[* The account in _Van Keulen_ is somewhat different. He says “we steered for the Land of Endragt: and on Dec. 28, got soundings in 63 fathoms, sandy bottom. The ensuing day we had 30 fathoms, and the coast was then in sight. The Island Rottenest, in 32 deg. south latitude, was the land we steered for; and we had from 30 to 10 fathoms, in which last we anchored on a sandy bottom.”]
VLAMING. 1697.
Jan. 5. Vlaming went on shore (to the main coast), with eighty-eight armed men, and walked inland to the eastward. There were a few large, and some small trees, from which dropped a kind of _gum-lac_; but they found nothing which could be used as food: the birds were small cockatoos and green parrots, and both were very shy. At the end of three hours walk they came to a piece of water, which was salt, and upon the beach were footsteps of full-grown persons and of children. No men were seen, but they observed many smokes; and found three deserted huts, so low and ill-constructed as to be inferior to those of the Hottentots.
On the 6th, they divided themselves into three parties: one took to the north, another to the south, and the third went four miles east, more into the interior; but, except one or two decayed huts, they met with nothing. Being returned to the salt lake without finding fresh water, they dug a pit near the side of it, and obtained wherewith to relieve their thirst. The lake had fallen a foot, which showed it to have a communication with the sea; and they afterwards found the outlet, a little to the southward. No noxious animal of any kind was seen; and after remaining on shore all night, they returned on board on the 7th. The ships were then anchored nearer to the land, with the entrance of the lake or river bearing S. E. by E. The commodore afterwards went up this river, to the distance of fourteen or sixteen leagues, and caught some smelts, as also several black swans, of which two were taken alive to Batavia.*
[* This appears to be the first mention made of the black swan: the river was named _Black-Swan River_.]
Having clearly ascertained the latitude (of the ships at anchor, most probably,) to be 31 deg. 43′ south, and discovered a reef four geographic miles in length, and two miles from the shore, they sailed from thence on Jan. 13. The wind was from the southward; and whilst the ships steered N. by W., parallel to the coast, the boats ran along within them, to examine it more closely. On the 15th, the people from the boats reported that they had seen neither men nor animals, and very few trees; but had met with a reef near the shore, in 30 deg. 17′; and many shoals, both under and above water.
Fires upon the land were seen from all the ships in the night of Jan. 16; and next day, a boat was sent with armed people; but they returned with nothing, except some sea-mews which had been caught upon the islands and shoals lying along the coast. On the 18th, the ships were in latitude 30 deg. 30′, and found the variation to be 9 deg. 21′ west; and the 20th, some small islands were seen, and shrubs observed on the main land. On the 23rd, they were near a steep head, in 28 deg. 8′, and sent a boat to the shore; but the high surf prevented landing. People were perceived walking on the downs, but at too great a distance to distinguish more than that they were of the common stature, black, and naked.* The boat got on shore soon afterward, when some brackish water was found; and having landed again on the 27th, the people saw some huts, as also the footsteps of men, and some birds; but there was no other vegetation than small shrubs. Some very indifferent water was the sole useful thing met with, and it was too far off for any to be taken on board.
[* It was near this place that captain Pelsert put the two Dutch conspirators on shore in 1629. Vlaming appears to have passed within _Houtman’s Abrolhos_ without seeing them.]
Jan. 30. The boats were again sent on shore, and discovered two inlets, of which the southernmost, in latitude 26 deg. 16′, was three miles in width. On Feb. 2, they found two other openings, very deep, one of which ran up northward, and the other to the east, far inland. They went eleven leagues up the first of these, and found that it had another communication with the sea, to the N. N. W.* On the 3rd, a boat brought the above account; and also, that the chief mate of the Geelvink had found a plate of tin, with an inscription commemorating the arrival and departure of _Dirk Hartog_. (See the inscription under the article Hartog, preceding.) This Road of Dirk Hartog’s Bay, where the plate had been set up, is in 25 deg. 24′; and the west variation was 8 deg. 34′.
[* These two openings, which in the original are called rivers, were nothing more than the entrance into Shark’s Bay. A small island, lying a little within the entrance, probably made it be taken for two openings.]
No mention is made by Valentyn of the ships entering the road, nor of their departure from it; but it should seem that they anchored on Feb. 4. On the 5th, commodore Vlaming and the commander of the Nyptang went with three boats to the shore, which proved to be an island. They found also a river, and went up it four or five leagues, amongst rocks and shoals; when they saw much water inland, as if the country were drowned, but no men, nor any thing for food; and, wherever they dug, the ground was salt. They afterwards came to another river, which they ascended about one league, and found it to terminate in a round basin, and to be entirely salt water. No men were seen, nor any animals, except divers which were very shy; and the country was destitute of grass and trees. Returning downward on the 10th, they saw footsteps of men and children, of the common size, and observed the point of entrance into the river to be of a very red sand.
The ships appear to have left Dirk Hartog’s Road on Feb. 12. In the evening, the west variation was observed to be 7 deg. 21′; am on the 13th, they saw a cliffy point from whence three shoals, connected by a reef, stretch out to the N. N. E. The shore here, in latitude 24 deg. 42′, lies S. by E. and N. by W. On the 16th, they passed round the point, and steered southward along the inner side of this land; and having doubled its south end, found that it was it was an island: their latitude was then 24 deg. 54′.
Feb. 17. The variation was observed to be 5 deg. west, in latitude 23 deg. 59′. Eight miles south of this situation they saw a bay with a rugged point; but to the northward the land was low: the variation was 7 deg. 3′, in the evening. They discovered some reefs on the 19th, lying three geographic miles off shore; and also a point or cape (the North-west Cape) from which a reef extended two miles to the N. N. W. On the north side of this cape is a bay, where the Geelvink anchored; and a little further on (eastward), the other two vessels found an _opening like a river, whose entrance was twelve miles wide_. They went into it, _but could no where find anchorage_. The bay is called _Willem’s River_; and the two vessels afterwards there joined the Geelvink: it is in 21 deg. 28′. The same day it was determined to sail for Batavia, every thing having been done that the commodore’s orders required; and, on the 21st, they departed accordingly.
Thus the West Coast, from the island Rottenest to the North-west Cape, was examined with care by Vlaming; and it is most probable, that the chart in Van Keulen, which Mr. Dalrymple republished, and was the best known at the end of the eighteenth century, resulted from this same voyage.
DAMPIER. 1699.
CAPTAIN WILLIAM DAMPIER visited, a second time, the western coasts of Terra Australis; being then sent out purposely for discovery, in his Majesty’s ship the _Roebuck_.
In the night of Aug. 1, 1699, he struck soundings upon the northern part of the Abrolhos shoal, in latitude about 27 deg. 40′ south. Next morning he saw the main coast, and ran northward along it; discovering, in 26. 10′, an opening two leagues wide, but full of rocks and foul ground. Aug. 6, he anchored (in _Dirk Hartog’s Road_) at the entrance of a sound, which he named SHARK’s BAY, in latitude 25 deg. 5′ south. He remained there eight days, examining the sound, cutting wood upon the islands, fishing, etc.; and gives a description of what was seen in his usually circumstantial manner.*
[* For the full account of Dampier’s proceedings and observations, with views of the land, see his _Voyages_, Vol. III. page 81, _et seq_.]
An animal found upon one of the islands is described as “a sort of raccoon, different from that of the West Indies, chiefly as to the legs; for these have very short fore legs; but go jumping upon them” (not upon the short fore, but the long hind, legs, it is to be presumed), “as the others do; and like them are very good meat.” This appears to have been the small kangaroo, since found upon the islands which form the road; and if so, this description is probably the first ever made of that singular animal.
Leaving Shark’s Bay on Aug. 14, captain Dampier steered northward, along the coast; but at too great a distance to make much observation upon it, until he got round the North-west Cape. On the 22nd, he saw an extensive cluster of islands; and anchored, in latitude 20 deg. 21′, under one of the largest, which he called _Rosemary Island_. This was near the southern part of De Witt’s Land; but, besides an error in latitude of 40′, he complains that, in _Tasman’s chart_, “the shore is laid down as all along joining in one body, or continent, with some openings like rivers; and not like islands, as really they are.”–“By what we saw of them, they must have been a range of islands, of about twenty leagues in length, stretching from E. N. E. to W. S. W.; and for ought I know, as far as to those of Shark’s Bay; and to a considerable breadth also, for we could see nine or ten leagues in amongst them, towards the continent or main land of New Holland, _if there be any such thing hereabouts_: And by the great tides I met with awhile afterwards, more to the north-east, I had a strong suspicion that here might be a kind of archipelago of islands; and a passage, possibly, to the to the south of New Holland and New Guinea, into the great South Sea, eastward.”
Not finding fresh water upon such of the islands as were visited that day, captain Dampier quitted his anchorage next morning, and “steered away E. N. E., coasting along as the land lies.” He seems to have kept the land in sight, in the day time, at the distance of four to six leagues; but the shore being low, this was too far for him to be certain whether all was main land which he saw; and what might have been passed in the night was still more doubtful.
Aug. 30, being in latitude 18 deg. 21′, and the weather fair, captain Dampier steered in for the shore; and anchored in 8 fathoms, about three-and-half leagues off. The tide ran “very swift here; so that our nun-buoy would not bear above the water to be seen. It flows here, as on that part of New Holland I described formerly, about five fathoms.”
He had hitherto seen no inhabitants; but now met with several. The place at which he had touched in the former voyage “was not above forty or fifty leagues to the north-east of this. And these were much the same blinking creatures (here being also abundance of the same kind of flesh flies teizing them), and with the same black skins, and hair frizzled, tall and thin, etc., as those were. But we had not the opportunity to see whether these, as the former, wanted two of their fore teeth.” One of them, who was supposed to be a chief, “was painted with a circle of white paste or pigment about his eyes, and a white streak down his nose, from his forehead to the tip of it. And his breast, and some part of his arms, were also made white with the same paint.”
Neither bows nor arrows were observed amongst these people: they used wooden lances, such as Dampier had before seen. He saw no houses at either place, and believed they had none; but “there were several things like haycocks, standing in the savannah; which, at a distance, we thought were houses, looking just like the Hottentots’ houses at the Cape of Good Hope; but we found them to be so many rocks.” *
[* Dampier could not have examined these rocks closely; for there can be little doubt that they were the ant hills described by Pelsert as being “so large., that they might have been taken for the houses of Indians.”]
The land near the sea-coast is described as equally sandy with the parts before visited, and producing, amongst its scanty vegetation, nothing for food. No stream of fresh water was seen, nor could any, fit to drink, be procured by digging.
Quitting this inhospitable shore, captain Dampier weighed his anchor on September 5, with the intention of seeking water and refreshments further on to the north-eastward. The shoals obliged him to keep at a considerable distance from the land; and finally, when arrived at the latitude 16 deg. 9′, to give up his project, and direct his course for Timor.
CONCLUSIVE REMARKS.
With the voyage of Dampier terminates the information gained of the Western Coasts, previously to the year 1801. Monsieur de _St. Alouarn_ had, indeed, seen some points or islands, in the year 1772, when he commanded the French _flute Le Gros Ventre_; but the particulars are not generally known, being, in all probability, of little importance.
The summary of the knowledge possessed by the public, and the objects to which investigation might be usefully directed in these parts of Terra Australis, were as follow. The outline of the north-west coast was known upon the authority, as generally believed, of _Tasman_; with some points corrected by _Dampier_. The accuracy of Tasman’s chart was, however, very much called in doubt: instead of being a continued shore, as the Dutch chart represented it, Dampier found the southern parts of De Witt’s Land to consist of a range of islands. And he gives it as his opinion, that the northern part of New Holland was separated from the lands to the southward, by a strait; “unless”, says he, “the high tides and indraught thereabout should be occasioned by the mouth of some large river; which hath often low lands on each side of the outlet, and many islands and shoals lying at its entrance: but I rather thought it a channel, or strait, than a river.” This opinion he supports by a fair induction from facts; and the opening of _twelve miles wide_, seen near the same place by Vlaming’s two vessels, and in which they could find no anchorage, strongly corroborated Dampier’s supposition.
Later information had demonstrated, that the supposed strait could not lead out into the Great Ocean, eastward, as the English navigator had conjectured; but it was thought possible, that it might communicate with the Gulph of Carpentaria, and even probable that a passage existed from thence to the unknown part of the South Coast, beyond the Isles of St. Francis and St. Peter.
But whether this opening were the entrance to a strait, separating Terra Australis into two or more islands, or led into a mediterranean sea, as some thought; or whether it were the entrance of a large river, there was, in either case, a great geographical question to be settled, relative to the parts behind Rosemary Island.
If Tasman’s chart were defective at De Witt’s Land, it was likely to be so in other parts of the same coast; where there was no account, or belief, that it had been examined by any other person further north than the latitude 161/2 deg.. An investigation of the whole North-west Coast, with its numerous islands and shoals, was, therefore, required, before it could enter into the present improved systems of geography and navigation.
The chart of the West Coast, as far south as Rottenest, was founded upon much better authority; but for its formation from thence to Cape Leeuwin there were no good documents. In this part, there was room even for discovery; and the whole coast required to be laid down with more accuracy than had been attainable by the Dutch navigators.
As to the soil and vegetable productions upon several points near the sea, from Rottenest, northward to 161/2, there was tolerably good general information; the inhabitants, also, had been seen; and, at one place, communication with them had been obtained. The accounts did, certainly, not give any flattering prospect, that much interesting knowledge was likely to be acquired under these heads, unless a strait, or inland sea, were found; but the accounts were not only confined as to place, but, with the exception of Dampier’s, were very imperfect; and the great extent of the coasts, in the richest climates of the world, excited hopes that a close investigation would not only be of advantage to natural history, but would bring to light something useful in the mineral or vegetable kingdoms.
In the case of penetrating the interior of Terra Australis, whether by a great river, or a strait leading to an inland sea, a superior country, and perhaps a different people, might be found, the knowledge of which could not fail to be very interesting, and might prove advantageous to the nation making the discovery.
PRIOR DISCOVERIES IN TERRA AUSTRALIS.
SECTION III.
SOUTH COAST.
Discovery of Nuyts.
Examination of Vancouver:
of D’Entrecasteaux.
Conclusive Remarks.
NUYTS. 1627. (Atl. Pl. I.)
No historical fact seems to be less disputed, than that the South Coast of New Holland was first discovered in January 1627: whether it were the 26th, according to _De Hondt_, or the 16th, as is expressed on _Thevenot’s_ chart, is of very little import. It is generally said, that the ship was commanded by PIETER NUYTS; but as Nuyts, on his arrival at Batavia, was sent ambassador to Japan, and afterwards made governor of Formosa, it seems more probable that he was a civilian, perhaps Company’s first merchant on board, rather than captain of the ship: the land discovered has, however, always borne his name.
The Dutch recital says–“In the year 1627, the South Coast of the _Great_ SOUTH LAND was accidentally discovered by the ship the _Gulde Zeepaard_, outward-bound from Fatherland, for the space of a thousand miles.”
This discovery has always been considered as of importance. A memoir was published at Amsterdam in 1718, “to prove, that NUYTS’ LAND, being in the fifth climate, between 34 deg. and 36 deg. of latitude; it ought to be, like all other countries so situated, one of the most habitable, most rich, and most fertile parts of the world.” * The journal of this discovery seems to have been lost; or possibly was either suppressed or destroyed, according to what is thought to have been the Dutch policy of that time. It was, therefore, from the chart, and the above passage in the recital, alone, that any particulars could be drawn. If the extent of a _thousand miles_ were taken to be in a straight line, and to commence at Cape Leeuwin, the end of Nuyts’ Land would reach nearly to the longitude of 135 deg. east of Greenwich; but if, as was probable, the windings of the shore were included, and a deduction made of one-sixth to one-seventh in the distance, then the Isles of St. Francis and St. Peter might be expected to be found between the 132nd and 133rd degrees of east longitude.
[* _Hist. des Nav. aux Terres Australes_. Tome I. page 429.]
VANCOUVER. 1791.
With the exception of Mons. de St. Alouarn, who is said to have anchored near Cape Leeuwin in 1772, the south coast of Terra Australis, though occupying much attention from geographers, seems to have been left unvisited from 1627 to 1791. In this year, captain GEORGE VANCOUVER, being on his way to North-west America, made the South Coast on Sept. 26, at _Cape Chatham_, in latitude 35 deg. 3′ south, and longitude 116 deg. 35′ east, not many leagues beyond where Nuyts appears to have commenced his discovery. He sailed eastward, from thence, along the shore, till the 28th; when he anchored in a sound, to which was given the name of KING GEORGE THE III.
The country in the neighbourhood of the Sound, and of its two harbours, was found to be agreeably variegated in form; to be clothed with grass and wood; and, though generally more barren than fertile, yet affording many spots capable of cultivation. No considerable river was discovered; but fresh water was every where abundant for domestic purposes; and the climate was judged to be as healthy as the temperature was found to be agreeable. Kangaroos did not appear to be scarce; nor were the woods ill tenanted by the feathered tribes; and reptiles and other noxious animals were not numerous. Amongst the aquatic birds, black swans and wild ducks held a distinguished place; but, like the land animals, were very shy: sea and shell fish were in tolerable abundance.
None of the inhabitants were seen; but from the appearance of their deserted huts, they were judged to be the same miserable race as those of the North-west and East Coasts. No marks of canoes, nor the remains of fish, even shell fish, were found near their habitations; and this circumstance, with the shyness of the birds and quadrupeds, induced a belief that the natives depended principally upon the woods for their subsistence.
Captain Vancouver quitted King George’s Sound on Oct. 11, and proceeded eastward in the examination of the coast; but unfavourable winds prevented him from doing this so completely as he wished, and some parts were passed unseen; and the impediments to his progress at length caused the examination to be quitted, in favour of prosecuting the main design of his voyage. The last land seen was _Termination Island_, in latitude 34 deg. 32′ and longitude 122 deg. 8′. The coast to the north of this island appeared much broken; but, although in Nuyts’ chart a considerable group of islands were laid down in about that situation, captain Vancouver rather supposed it to be a continued main land.*
[* For captain Vancouver’s account of his proceedings and observations on the South Coast, see his _Voyage round the World_, Vol. I. page 28-57.]
So far as this examination extended, the general form of the coast was found to correspond with that of the old chart; nor was any material error found in Nuyts’ latitude. A further, and more extended confirmation of the Dutch navigator’s discovery, and of its having been well laid down, considering the period at which it was done, was obtained in the following year.
D’ENTRECASTEAUX. 1792.
The French rear-admiral BRUNY D’ENTRECASTEAUX, having been sent out with the ships _La Recherche_ and _L’Esperance_ in search of the unfortunate La Perouse made the south coast of New Holland on Dec. 5, 1792, about twenty-eight leagues to the north-west of Cape Chatham.* The coast, from the South-west Cape to the longitude of Termination Island, was explored by the admiral, with all the minuteness that the state of the weather could permit; and he was, generally, able to keep the shore closer abord than captain Vancouver had done, and to supply the deficiencies in his chart. The broken land to the north of Termination Island was found to be conformable to what Nuyts had laid down: it made part of a very extensive group of islands, one of which afforded timely shelter to the French ships on Dec. 9, from a gale which had arisen at south-west.
[*When the Investigator sailed, the journal of _M. Labillardiere_, naturalist in D’Entrecasteaux’s expedition, was the sole account of the voyage made public: but M. DE ROSSEI one of the principal officers, has since published the voyage from the journals of the rear-admiral and it is from this last that what follows is extracted.]
They remained a week at this anchorage, whilst the naturalists explored the surrounding country, and the surveyors examined such of the islands as were visible from the ships. Seals, penguins, and some kangaroos were seen; but no fresh water, accessible to shipping, could any where be found; the country within their reach being sandy and sterile. From Dec. 17 to 24, the ships were occupied in coasting eastward, along the outskirt of the group of islands, and then found it to terminate at 21/2 deg. of longitude from its commencement. The main land at the back of the islands had been generally visible, but at too great a distance for the precise form of the coast to be ascertained, or to allow of fixing the positions of, or even seeing, many of the inner islands and reefs.
This group is the first of the two marked upon the chart of Nuyts; and admiral D’Entrecasteaux praises the general accuracy of the Dutch navigator, in that “the latitude of Point Leeuwin, and of the coast of Nuyts’ Land, were laid down with an exactness, surprising for the remote period in which they had been discovered.” This liberal acknowledgment renders it the more extraordinary, that in the appellation which it was judged proper to give to this extensive group, the French admiral had not rather thought of doing honour to the original discoverer, or to the _Gulde Zeepaard_, than to his own ship; more especially, as his examination was far from being complete. This would have been more conformable to his general practice; but ARCHIPEL DE LA RECHERCHE was the name adopted.
Beyond the archipelago, the South Coast was found to trend east-north-eastward; without any island lying off it, or presenting any place of shelter. The shore was either a steep calcareous cliff, of an equal height, or low and sandy, with a few naked hillocks behind; and above these, no hill., nor any thing of the interior country, could be discerned. “It is not surprising,” says D’Entrecasteaux., “that Nuyts has given no details of this barren coast; for its aspect is so uniform, that the most fruitful imagination could find nothing to say of it.”
1793.
Frustrated in his expectation of procuring fresh water, and having no more than sufficient, at a short allowance, to reach Van Diemen’s Land, the admiral abandoned the investigation of the South Coast, on Jan. 3; being then in latitude 31 deg. 49′ south, and longitude 131 deg. 381/2′ east of Greenwich.
In the otherwise excellent charts constructed by M. BEAUTEMPS-BEAUPRE, geographical engineer on board La Recherche, there is an extraordinary omission, arising either from the geographer, or the conductor of the voyage. In the first 12 deg. of longitude no soundings are marked along the coast; whilst, in the last 50, they are marked with tolerable regularity: the cause of this difference is not explained.
In comparing the French chart with that of Nuyts, it appeared that the rear-admiral had not proceeded so far along this coast as the Dutch navigator had done; for he did not see the islands of St. Francis and St. Peter, nor the reef marked about thirty leagues to the west of them. The point, however, where D’Entrecasteaux’s examination terminated, was, in all probability, within a few leagues of that reef; and the end of Nuyts’ discovery would be between 133 deg. and 134 deg. to the east of Greenwich.
CONCLUSIVE REMARKS.
The South Coast was not known, in 1801, to have been visited by any other than the three navigators, _Nuyts_, _Vancouver_, and _D’Entrecasteaux_.* The coast line, from Cape Leeuwin to near the longitude of 132 deg., was generally so well ascertained, and the charts of Vancouver and D’Entrecasteaux appeared to be so good, that little remained in this space for future visitors to discover. At two places, the country and productions near the sea-side had also been examined; though no communication had any where been obtained with the inhabitants. It was known also from Nuyts, that at 133 deg. or 134 deg. of east longitude, commenced a second archipelago; and that the coast began there to assume an irregular form; but in what direction it trended, whether to the south-eastward for Bass’ Strait, or northward for the Gulph of Carpentaria, was altogether uncertain.
[* It afterwards appeared, that lieutenant James Grant had discovered a part of it in 1800, in his way to Port Jackson with His Majesty’s brig Lady Nelson.]
The great point, then, which required to be ascertained, was the form of the land from longitude 133 deg. to 146 deg. east, and from south latitude 32 deg. to 381/2 deg.; comprising a space of two hundred and fifty leagues in a straight line. What rendered a knowledge of this part more particularly interesting, was the circumstance of no considerable river having been found on any of the coasts of Terra Australis previously explored: but it was scarcely credible that, if this vast country were one connected mass of land, it should not contain some large rivers; and if any, this unknown part was one of two remaining places, where they were expected to discharge themselves into the sea.
The apparent want of rivers had induced some persons to think, that Terra Australis might be composed of two or more islands, as had formerly been suspected by the Dutch, and by Dampier; whilst others, believing in the continuity of the shores, thought this want might arise from the interior being principally occupied by a mediterranean sea; but it was generally agreed, that one end of the separating channels, or otherwise the entrance, if such existed, into the supposed sea, would most likely be found in this unexplored part of the South Coast.
Besides the solution of this important geographical problem, something remained to be done upon the parts already seen. The main land behind the first archipelago, as also the inner islands, were yet to be examined for harbours, where refreshment for ships might be obtained; a comparison of the persons and usages of the inhabitants, with those in other parts of this vast country, was desirable; and, although little utility could be drawn from the known productions at the two points visited, it might reasonably be hoped, that an investigation of a coast so extensive, would not fail to produce much useful information.
Many circumstances, indeed, united to render the south coast of Terra Australis one of the most interesting parts of the globe, to which discovery could be directed at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Its investigation had formed a part of the instructions to the unfortunate French navigator La Perouse, and afterwards of those to his countryman D’Entrecasteaux; and it was, not without some reason, attributed to England as a reproach, that an imaginary line of more than two hundred and fifty leagues extent, in the vicinity of of one of her colonies, should have been so long suffered to remain traced upon the charts, under the title Of UNKNOWN COAST. This comported ill with her reputation as the first of maritime powers; and to do it away was, accordingly, a leading point in the instructions given to the Investigator.
PRIOR DISCOVERIES IN TERRA AUSTRALIS.
SECTION IV
EAST COAST, WITH VAN DIEMEN’S LAND.
PART I.
Preliminary Observations.
Discoveries of Tasman;
of Cook;
Marion and Furneaux.
Observations of Cook;
Bligh; and Cox.
Discovery of D’Entrecasteaux.
Hayes.
PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS.
Van Diemen’S Land would more properly have been arranged under the head of the South Coast; but the later discoveries here have so intimate a connexion with those on the East, as to render it impossible to separate them without making repetitions, and losing perspicuity in the narrative.
The anxiety of the Dutch government at Batavia, to know how far the SOUTH LANDS might extend towards the antarctic circle, was the cause of Tasman being sent with two vessels, to ascertain this point; and the discovery of Van Diemen’s Land was one of the results. It was not, however, the policy of the Dutch government to make discoveries for the benefit of general knowledge; and accordingly this voyage “was never,” says Dr. Campbell, “published intire; and it is probable, that the East-India Company never intended it should be published at all. However, _Dirk Rembrantz_, moved by the excellency and accuracy of the work, published in _Low Dutch_ an extract of captain Tasman’s journal, which has ever since been considered as a great curiosity; and as such, has been translated into many languages.” *
[* _Complete Collection of Voyages and Travels, originally published by John Harris, D. D. and F. R. S._ London, 1744. Vol. I. page 325.]
If a judgment may be formed from the translations, Rembrantz must have omitted great part of the nautical details concerning Van Diemen’s Land, a defect which is remedied in the following account. It is taken from a journal containing, besides the daily transactions and observations throughout the whole voyage, a series of thirty-eight manuscript charts, views, and figures. The expression _by me_, which often occurs in it, and followed by the signature _Abel Jansz Tasman_, shows that if this were not his original journal, it is a copy from it: probably one made on board for the governor and council of Batavia. With this interesting document, and a translation made in 1776, by Mr. C. G. Woide, chaplain of His Majesty’s Dutch chapel at St. James’s, I was favoured by the Right Hon. SIR JOSEPH BANKS.*
[* I am proud to take this opportunity of publicly expressing my obligations to the Right Hon. President of the Royal Society; and of thus adding my voice to the many who, in the pursuit of science, have found in him a friend and patron. Such he proved in the commencement of my voyage, and in the whole course of its duration; in the distresses which tyranny heaped upon those of accident; and after they were overcome. His extensive and valuable library has been laid open; and has furnished much that no time or expense, within my reach, could otherwise have procured.]
TASMAN. 1642. (Atlas. Plate VII.)
CAPTAIN ABEL JANSZ TASMAN sailed from Batavia on Aug. 14, 1642, with the yacht _Heemskerk_ and fly-boat _Zeehaan_; and, after touching at Mauritius, steered south and eastward upon discovery. Nov. 24, at four p.m., high land was seen in the E. by N., supposed to be distant forty miles. The ships steered towards it till the evening; when there were high mountains visible in the E. S. E., and two smaller ones in the N. E. They sounded in 100 fathoms, and then stood off from the land, with the wind at south-east.
In the morning of Nov. 25., it was calm; but on a breeze springing up from the southward, Tasman steered for the land; and at five p.m., when it was twelve miles distant, sounded in 60 fathoms, coral bottom: at four miles off, the bottom was fine white sand. The latitude was then 42 deg. 30′ south; the _mean of all their longitudes_ 163 deg. 50′ east (of Teneriffe apparently); and the compass had no variation. The coast here lies S. by E. and N. by W. It is of an even height; and was named ANTONY VAN DIEMEN’s LAND, in honour of the governor-general, “our master, who sent us out to make discoveries. The islands round about, as many of them as were known to us, we called in honour of the Council of India.”
The ships stood off again for the night, with a light breeze at S. S. E. On the 26th, the wind was from the eastward, and weather rainy, so that no land could be seen; but its distance was supposed to be twelve or thirteen leagues. At noon, the latitude from dead reckoning was 43 deg. 36′, and longitude 163 deg. 2′; the course having been S. S. W. 72 miles.* In the evening the wind shifted to the north-east, and their course was directed E. S. E.: the variation was then half a degree west.
[* This and the following courses and distances run from one noon to another, do not always agree with the latitudes and longitudes; but the differences are not great: They probably arose from the distances being marked to the nearest Dutch mile on the log board; whereas the latitude and longitude are taken to minutes of a degree.]
Nov. 27, the land was again seen. At noon, a course of S. E. by E. 52 miles, gave the latitude by estimation 44 deg. 4′ south, and longitude 164 deg. 2′ east. The weather was thick and rainy, and the wind still from the north-eastward; and at the fourth hour of the night, the vessels lay to, not venturing to run in the dark. In the morning of the 28th, it was foggy, with rain. They made sail to the east; but on seeing the land from N. E. to N. N. E., hauled up for it. From what could be perceived of the coast, it extended S. E. by E. and N. W. by W., and seemed to decrease in height to the eastward. At noon, the latitude by estimation was 44 deg. 1′, longitude 165 deg. 2′; and the course steered, E. by S. 44 miles. The wind was then at north-west; and in the evening, they came near three small islands, one of which was shaped like a lion’s head, and lies twelve miles from the continent (this was the _Mewstone_, of Furneaux). The wind was from the eastward in the night, and the ships lay to.
Nov. 29, they were still near the cliffy, lion-head-shaped island. The wind was light and fair, and they steered parallel to the coast, which lies here east and west. At noon, having made a course of E. N. E. 48 miles, the latitude was judged to be 43 deg. 53′, longitude 166 deg. 3′. They had, a little before, passed two cliffy islets lying to seaward; of which the westernmost (_Swilly_ of Furneaux) is like _Pedra Blanca_ near the coast of China: the easternmost (_Eddystone_ of Cook) resembles an awkward tower, and is about sixteen miles from the main land. Continuing to coast along the shore, they came, at five in the evening, to a bay, into which it was resolved in council to enter; but when almost in it, a high wind rose, and obliged them to shorten sail and stand out to sea. At daylight of the 30th, they found themselves driven so far off by the _storm_ (whence the name of STORM BAY, applied in the chart), that the land was scarcely visible. At noon, the general course had been E. by N. 80 miles; the latitude _was found_ to be 43 deg. 41′, and longitude by estimation (corrected) 168 deg. 3′: the needle pointed here, true North. The land was in sight to the north-west, and the wind strong, but variable, from the northward. The ships steered westward for a short time; but the weather being too stormy to admit of approaching the land, they went upon the other tack; and kept as much to the northward., under easy sail, as the wind would permit.
Dec. 1, the wind was more moderate; and on its veering to W. S. W., the ships steered towards the shore. At noon, their course made good was N. N. W. 39 miles; the latitude was 43 deg. 10′ and longitude 167 deg. 55′. It then fell calm, and a council of officers from the two vessels was called, in which it was resolved, if wind and weather permitted, “to get a knowledge of the land, and some refreshments.” An eastern breeze sprung up soon afterward; and they got to anchor, an hour after sunset, “in a good port, in 22 fathoms, whitish good-holding sand; wherefore we ought to cc praise GOD ALMIGHTY.” This port is called FREDERIK HENDRIK’S BAY, in the chart.
Next morning early, two armed boats were sent to an inlet (the inner bay), situate four or five miles to the north-westward of the ships, in order to search for fresh water, wood, and refreshments. They returned in the afternoon, and the officers gave the following account.
They rowed four or five miles round the point of the inlet, along a high and level shore. Wild greens were plentiful; some resembled those at the Cape of Good Hope, “and may be used in place of wormwood;” others were long and saltish, and like sea parsley. They found many dry gullies, and one watering place in which the water was good, but obtained with difficulty, and in very small quantities. Some human voices were heard, and a sound like that of a trumpet, or little _gong_, which was not far off; but they could see no person. Amongst the trees, two were remarked whose thickness was two, or two and a half fathoms, and the first branches from sixty to sixty-five feet above the ground. The bark had been taken off with a flint stone, and steps were cut, full five feet one from the other; whence the natives were presumed to be very tall, or able to get up these trees by some artifice. They supposed the steps to be made for the purpose of getting at the nests of birds; and that some of them had not been cut above four days before. They observed traces on the ground, as if made by the claws of a tiger; and saw the excrements, as was thought, of quadrupeds. Some well-looking gums, which dropped from the trees and somewhat resembled _gum-lac_, were brought on board.
Off the east point of the (inner) bay, they found thirteen to fourteen feet water; and that the tide flowed about three feet. They there saw a number of men, of wild ducks, and geese; but inland none were seen, though their noise was heard. Muscles were found sticking to bushes, in different places. The country was covered with trees; but so thinly scattered, that one might see every where to a great distance amongst them, and distinguish men and animals. Several of the trees were “much burnt about the foot; and the ground was here and there like little squares (_vuysterchen_), and become as hard as stone, by fire.”
A short time before the boats returned, a thick smoke had been observed upon the continent, to the west of where the ships lay at anchor; and from the people staying so much longer than they had been ordered, it was thought to have been made by them, as a signal. But on inquiry, they answered in the negative; and said that they, also, had seen smoke in several places; and bushes–(here seems to be a line omitted.) “So that without doubt, here must be exceedingly tall people.”
Dec. 3. A boat was sent to the south-east part of the (outer) bay, and found fresh water; but it broke through the low shore to the sea, and was brackish; and the soil was too rocky to dig wells. In the afternoon, commodore Tasman went, with several officers from both vessels in two boats, to the south-east extremity of the bay; taking with them the PRINCE’S flag, and a post upon which was cut a compass, to be erected on shore. One of the boats was obliged to return, from the bad weather; but the shallop went to a little cove W. S. W. of the ships. The surf being there too high to admit of landing, the first carpenter, _Pieter Jacobsz_, swam on shore with the post and Prince’s flag; and set it up near the last of four remarkable trees, which stood in the form of a crescent, in the middle of the cove. “When the first carpenter had done this, in the sight of me ABEL J. TASMAN, of the master _Gerrit Jansz_, and under-merchant _Abraham Coomans_, we went with the shallop as near as possible to the shore, and the said carpenter swam back, through the surf. We then returned on board; and left this as a memorial to the posterity of the inhabitants of this country. They did not show themselves; but we suspected some to be not far from thence, watching carefully our doings.”
The wind was from the northward all this day; and at sunset, it blew a storm. The variation at anchor was observed to be 3 deg. east; the latitude was 43 deg. south, and longitude 1671/2 deg. east from Teneriffe.
Dec. 4. The wind was more moderate, and came from the westward, off the land. The anchors were then weighed, but the flukes of one were broken. On quitting Frederik Hendrik’s Bay, the ships steered northward as much as possible, to look for a watering place. At noon, the course had been N. E. 32 miles; the latitude was 42 deg. 40′, and longitude 168 deg.. In the evening, they saw a round mountain, about eleven leagues to the N. N. W.; and during the whole day, several smokes were visible along the coast. “Here,” says Tasman, “I should give a description of the extent of the coast, and the islands near it, but I hope to be excused, and refer, for brevity’s sake, to the chart made of it, and herewith joined.”
The ships kept close to the wind all night, as they did in the morning of Dec. 5, when it was N. W. by W. The high round mountain was then seen bearing west, eight leagues, and this was the furthest land visible, nor did the wind allow them to come in with it again. At noon, the latitude was judged to be 41 deg. 34′, and longitude 169 deg.; the course for the last day having been N. E. by N. 80 miles. Tasman then steered “precisely eastward, to make further discoveries,” agreeably to a resolution of the council, taken in the morning.
The copy of Tasman’s charts, given in the Atlas, PLATE III. of D’Entrecasteaux’s Voyage, and taken from Valentyn, is conformable to the manuscript charts in the Dutch journal. There is, however, an error of one degree too much east, in the scale of longitude; and Pedra Blanca is erroneously written against the Eddystone, in the general chart. In the plan of Frederik Hendrik’s Bay, the name is placed _within_ the inner bay, instead of being written, as in the original, on the point of land between the inner and outer bays: I conceive the name was intended to comprise both.*
[* In Vol. III. just published, of captain Burney’s _History of Discoveries in the South Sea_, a copy is given of Tasman’s charts, as they stand in the original.]
COOK. 1770.
More than a century had elapsed after this celebrated voyage of Tasman, and the eastern limit of Terra Australis remained still unknown. But the British nation was then taking the lead in discovery; and the new and liberal principles upon which His Majesty, GEORGE III, ordered it to be prosecuted, was a sure indication that so considerable a part of the globe would not long escape attention. Captain JAMES COOK, accompanied by Mr. Green, was sent in the _Endeavour_ to observe, at Taheity, the transit of Venus over the sun’s disk; and after accomplishing that object, and making a survey of New Zealand, he continued his course westward, in order to explore the east side of the _Terra Australis Incognita_.
(Atlas, Pl. I.)
In the morning of April 19,1770, the land was seen bearing from north-east to west; the furthest part, in the latter direction, being judged to lie in 38 deg. south, and 148 deg. 53′ east. But captain Cook could not determine whether it did, or did not, join to Tasman’s Van Diemen’s Land.
It would be superfluous, here, to follow our great navigator in his discoveries along the coast, northward to _Botany Bay_ and from thence to Cape York. Such an abstract as suits the plan of this Introduction would be little satisfactory to the reader; when, by an easy reference to the original narrative, so much interesting information upon this new country, its productions, and inhabitants, may be obtained.*
[* _Hawkesworth’s Voyages_, Vol. III. page 77, _et seq_.]
This voyage of captain Cook, whether considered in the extent of his discoveries and the accuracy with which they were traced, or in the labours of his scientific associates, far surpassed all that had gone before. The general plan of the voyage did not, however, permit captain Cook to enter minutely into the details of every part; and had it been otherwise, the very extent of his discoveries would have rendered it impossible. Thus, some portions of the east coast of Terra Australis were passed in the night, many openings were seen and left unexamined., and the islands and reefs lying at a distance from the shore could, generally, be no more than indicated: he reaped the harvest of discovery, but the gleanings of the field remained to be gathered.
MARION. 1772.
The first visitor to Van Diemen’s Land, after Tasman, its discoverer, was captain MARION. He commanded the _Mascarin_ and _Marquis de Castries_, from the Isle Mauritius; and one of the objects of his expedition, was the discovery of the supposed SOUTHERN CONTINENT. This voyage possesses a considerable degree of interest, and was published at Paris in 1783; but not being generally known in England, the parts which relate to Van Diemen’s Land, are here given in abridgment.
March 3, 1772, M. Marion made the west side, in latitude 42 deg. 56′, half a degree south of Tasman’s first land fall; and behind a point in 43 deg. 15′, he saw an opening leading to the northward, but of which no particular mention is made. Steering eastward, round all the rocks and islets lying off the south coast, he arrived, on the evening of the 4th, in _Frederik Hendrik’s Bay_; and anchored in 22 fathoms, sandy bottom. The great sandy cove of the outer bay bore from thence, S. 25 deg. W. one league and a half; the extreme of Maria’s Island, N. E. by N.; and the northernmost part of the main land, N. 5 deg. W. six leagues: (these bearings appear to be as taken by the compass). The latitude observed here, was 42 deg. 50′ south, and longitude 145 deg. 20 east of Greenwich; the first being 10′, and the longitude above 5 deg. _less_, than given by Tasman.*
[* According to captain Cook, the longitude should be 148 deg. 10′.]
The fires and smokes, seen by day and night, bespoke the country to be well inhabited; and, on anchoring, there were about thirty men assembled upon the shore. On the boats being sent next morning, the natives went to them without distrust; and, having piled together some pieces of wood, presented a lighted stick to the new comers, and seemed to ask them to set fire to the pile. Not knowing what this ceremony meant, they complied; and the act seemed neither to excite surprise, nor to cause any alteration in the conduct of the natives: they continued to remain about the French party, with their wives and children, as before.
These people were of the common stature, of a black colour, and were all naked, both men and women; and some of the latter had children fastened to their backs, with ropes made of rushes. All the men were armed with pointed sticks (spears), and with stones which appeared to have been sharpened in the manner of axe heads. They had, in general, small eyes, and the white duller than in Europeans; the mouth very wide, the teeth white, and flat noses. Their hair, which resembled the wool of the Caffres, was separated into shreds, and powdered with red ochre. They were generally slender, tolerably well made, kept their shoulders back, and upon their prominent chests, several had marks raised in the skin. Their language, appeared harsh; the words seeming to be drawn from the bottom of the throat.
The French tried to win them by little presents, but they rejected with disdain every thing that was offered; even iron, looking-glasses, handkerchiefs, and cloth. They were shown ducks and fowls, which had been carried from the ships; and it was endeavoured to make them understand, that such would be gladly purchased of them; but they took these animals, with which they seemed to be unacquainted, and threw them away in anger.
The party had been about an hour with the savages when captain Marion went on shore. One of the natives stepped forward, and offered him a firebrand to be applied to a small heap of wood; and the captain, supposing it was a ceremony necessary to prove that he came with friendly intentions, set fire to the heap without hesitation. This was no sooner done, than they retired precipitately to a small hill, and threw a shower of stones, by which captain Marion, and the commander of the Castries were both wounded. Some shots were then fired; and the French, returning to their boats, coasted along the beach to an open place in the middle of the bay, where there was no hill or eminence from whence they could be annoyed. The savages sent their women and children into the woods, and followed the boats along shore; and on their putting in to land, one of the natives set up a hideous cry, and immediately a shower of spears was discharged. A black servant was hurt in the leg; and a firing then commenced, by which several of the natives were wounded, and one killed. They fled to the woods, making a frightful howling, but carried off such of the wounded as were unable to follow. Fifteen men, armed with muskets, pursued them; and on entering amongst the trees, they found a dying savage. This man was a little more than five feet seven inches high; his breast was marked like those of the Mozambique Caffres, and his skin appeared as black; but on washing off the soot and dirt, his natural colour appeared to be reddish. The spears, which it was feared might have been poisoned, were proved not to be so by the facility with which the wound of the black servant was healed.
After the flight of the savages, captain Marion sent two officers with detachments, to search for water, and for trees proper to make a foremast and bowsprit for the Castries; but after traversing two leagues of country without meeting a single inhabitant, they returned unsuccessful in both pursuits; nor could any fresh water be found during the six days which the ships remained in Frederik Hendrik’s Bay.
The land here is quite sandy, but covered with brush-wood, and with small trees which the savages had mostly stripped of the bark for cooking their shell fish. The greater part of the trees were burnt at the foot; but amongst them there was a kind of pine, less than ours, which was perfectly preserved; apparently from the natives finding them to be of use in some way or other.*
[* It is more probable, that these trees are able to resist the fire better than the others.]
There were marks of fire almost every where; and in many places the earth was covered with ashes. Where it was not burnt, there was plenty of grass, ferns like those of Europe, sorrel, and _alleluia_. From the few animals seen, it was thought that the fires made by the natives near the coast, drove them inland. The shooters met with a tiger cat, and saw many holes in the ground, like those of a warren. They killed crows, blackbirds, thrushes, doves, a white-bellied paroquet whose plumage resembled that of the same bird at the River Amazons, and several kinds of sea birds, principally pelicans, and the black-bodied red bill.
The climate was cold, although in the end of summer; and it excited surprise, that the savages could go naked; the more so, as the nearest approach to houses consisted of branches of trees, set up behind the fire places to break off the wind. The many heaps of shells seemed to bespeak, that the usual food of these people was muscles and other shell fish.
Many large rays were caught by the French, as also sea cats, old wives, and several other fish whose names were not known. They found also plenty of cray-fish, lobsters, very large crabs, and good oysters; and the curious picked up sea stars, sea eggs, and a variety of fine and rare shells.
Finding he was only losing time in searching for water in this wild country, captain Marion determined to make sail for New Zealand, where he hoped to succeed better, and also to obtain masts for the Castries. He accordingly left Van Diemen’s Land on the 10th of March; and the account of it concludes with the observation that they had very bad weather on the west coast, but on the east side the sky was much clearer and winds more moderate.
The chart of _Mons. Crozet_, which accompanies the voyage, appears, though on a very small scale, to possess a considerable degree of exactness in the form of the land. The wide opening, called Storm Bay, is distinctly marked; as is another bay to the westward, with several small islands in it, the easternmost of which are the _Boreel’s Eylanden_ of Tasman.
FURNEAUX. 1773.
A year after Marion had quitted Frederik Hendrik’s Bay, Van Diemen’s Land was visited by captain TOBIAs FURNEAUX, in His Majesty’s ship _Adventure_. He made the _South-west Cape_ on March 9, and steered eastward, close to the islands and rocks called Maatsuyker’s, by Tasman; and behind which lay a bold shore, which seemed to afford several anchoring places. Some of these rocks resembled, says captain Furneaux, “the Mewstone, particularly one which we so named, about four or five leagues E. S. E. 1/2 E. off the above cape, which Tasman has not mentioned, or laid down in his draughts.” * This is nevertheless the lion-head-shaped island, particularly mentioned by Tasman, as lying twelve miles out from the coast: the mistake arose from the imperfection of the accounts. After passing Maatsuyker’s Isles, captain Furneaux sent a boat to the main land, on the 10th, and the people found places where the natives had been., and where pearl scallop shells were scattered about. “The soil seemed to be very rich; the country well clothed with wood, particularly on the lee sides of the hills; plenty of water which falls from the rocks in beautiful cascades, for two or three hundred feet perpendicular, into the sea; but they did not see the least sign of any place to anchor in with safety.”
[* _Cook’s Second Voyage_, Vol. I. p. 109.]
On the return of the boat, captain Furneaux made sail, and came to “the westernmost point of a very deep bay, called by Tasman _Stormy Bay_. From the west to the east point of this bay there are several small islands, and black rocks which we called the _Friars_.” From the Friars he followed the coast N. by E. four leagues, and the same evening anchored in ADVENTURE BAY. “We first took this bay,” says the captain, “to be that which Tasman called Frederik Henry Bay; but afterwards found that his is laid down five leagues to the northward.”
Captain Furneaux here mistook the Storm and Frederik Hendrik’s Bays of Tasman; and he has been followed in this error by all the succeeding navigators of the same nation, which has created not a little confusion in the geography of this part of the world.
The bay supposed to have been Storm Bay, has no name in Tasman’s chart; though the particular plan shows that he noticed it, as did Marion more distinctly. The rocks marked at the east point of this bay, and called the Friars, are the _Boreel’s Eylanden_ of Tasman; and the true Storm Bay is the deep inlet, of which Adventure Bay is a cove. Frederik Hendrik’s Bay is not within this inlet, but lies to the north-eastward, on the outer side of the land which captain Furneaux, in consequence of his first mistake, took to be Maria’s Island, but which, in fact, is a part of the main land. All this is evident from a close comparison of the forms of the land in the two charts, and is corroborated by the differences of longitude from the Mewstone.
Adventure Bay proved to be a valuable discovery, being a good and well-sheltered anchorage, where wood and water were abundant, and procurable without much difficulty. The country was found to be pleasant; the soil black and rich, though not deep; the sides of the hills covered with large trees of the evergreen kind, growing to a great height before they spread out into branches. There were several species of land birds; and the aquatic fowl were ducks, teal, and the sheldrake. An opossum was seen, and the excrement of another quadruped, judged to be of the deer kind. Sea fish were caught, but not in plenty. The lagoons abounded with trout and several other sorts of fish. No natives came down to the ships; but their fires were seen at a distance, and several of their miserable huts were examined. Not the least mark of canoe or boat was seen, and it was generally thought they had none; “being altogether, from what we could judge, a very ignorant and wretched set of people; though natives of a country capable of producing every necessary of life, and a climate the finest in the world. We found not the least sign of any minerals or metals.”
After remaining five days in Adventure Bay, captain Furneaux sailed along the coast to the northward, in order to discover whether Van Diemen’s Land were joined to New South Wales. He passed the Maria’s, Schouten’s, and Vanderlin’s Islands of Tasman, at some distance; and then, closing more in with the coast, he found the land to be low and even, and of an agreeable aspect, “but no signs of a harbour or bay, where a ship might anchor in safety.” In latitude 40 deg. 50′, the coast, from running nearly north, turned to the westward., and, as captain Furneaux thought, formed a deep bay. From thence to 39 deg. 50′, is nothing but islands and shoals; the “land high, rocky, and barren.” In the course northward, past these islands, he had regular soundings, from 15 to 30 fathoms, though no land was visible; it was, however, seen again (or thought to be so) in latitude 39 deg., and nearly due north from the islands. The bottom then becoming uneven, our navigator discontinued his course, and steered for New Zealand.
Whether Van Diemen’s Land were, or were not, joined to New South Wales, was a question not yet resolved; but captain Furneaux gave it as his opinion, “that there is no strait between New Holland and Van Diemen’s Land, but a very deep bay.”
COOK. 1777.