ORIGINAL PAPERS. DECEMBER, 1836. AUSTRALIAN SETTLEMENTS-NORTHERN COAST. (Continued from page 645.) On the following morning (21st Sept.) Capt. Bremer landed with a party of gentlemen, to examine the country, and search for fresh water on the north side of Table Point, while the master was sent in charge of a party in the same neighbourhood to haul the sein. Mr. Smith, master's mate, was detached in another direction to search for fresh water, and I obtained permission for the cutter on a similar service. Accompanied by Mr. Capponi, the surgeon, Lieut. Williamson, R. M., and a midshipman, I commenced the examination of that part of the east coast of the harbour on the south side of Table Point. Landing there, we proceeded alongshore southerly, followed by the boat, and strictly examined every spot that was considered at all likely to reward our search, but without effect, the soil being very dry and parched, though in many parts exceedingly good, and covered with gum trees (eucalypti) and casuarina of small dimensions. The pandanus and fan palm were also plentiful, but recent conflagrations have totally destroyed all brush or underwood, and have given the country the general pleasing appearance of being open forest land. It was generally destitute of much grass, and in some few parts very sandy and sterile, but seemed capable of being made a fine grazing country by thinning the woods. Traces of the kangaroo were occasionally met with, and from a dry ravine we started an opossum, about the size of a rabbit, but saw no other quadrupeds. The ground in many parts had been so perforated and burrowed by lizards, snakes, kangaroo rats, and perhaps some other animals, that it gave way under foot, and we frequently sunk several inches into it. The soil thus exposed to view was in general extremely good, though in some places it resembled the sand of hour-glasses, and was of a red colour. On these spots numerous ant-hills had been erected, from a few inches to five feet in height, terminating mostly in sharp-peaked summits, and the majority of them inhabited by a great variety of these industrious little insects. The most tormenting species of them to man is a light-coloured green ant, which generally forms its nest by binding together the large leaves of trees and bushes; and when NO. 53. VOL. V. 5 E disturbed by a luckless passenger, they do not fail to display their power of resentment with ample ferocity. During a walk of fourteen or fifteen miles in different directions, we observed among the feathered race the handsome black cockatoo of the country, parrots of a deep-red and dark colour, parroquets, quail, the small Australian pheasant, doves and pigeons, numerous sand-larks, hawks of very beautiful plumage, and a great variety of others quite unknown to me by name or character; but we saw no snakes, though this must be considered a wonderful part of Australia, if found to be without them. The dry beds of numerous small ravines and hollows were searched for fresh water without effect, until we arrived at a low sandy point bearing from the ship at anchor S. 30′ W. distant about seven miles. Here we found a deserted encampment of the Malays, that had been occupied by them not long since for the purpose of curing their trepang; the rude fire-places for this purpose, ranged in five or six rows of half a dozen in each, were still quite perfect, and filled with the embers of their recent fires; temporary stalls or bed-places remained undemolished, and piles of fire-wood, that had been cut and laid in heaps to season, plainly indicated the intention of these Mahometans to return. About the fire-places that appeared to have been used for cooking, were several pieces of earthen pots or boilers, and five or six water-holes about two feet in depth, staked round with split bamboo, to keep out the loose sandy mould in which they were dug. On clearing one of them of the loose drift-sand with which it had been nearly filled up, water began to flow into it at three feet below the surface, and proved perfectly fresh and good. There could be little doubt of our meeting with equal success in all the others; but our point being gained by the discovery of water, and our time not admitting of farther delay, we walked to the extremity of the point, and under the inner side of two casuarina trees growing close together at the edge of high-water mark, we dug a hole in the sand nearly four feet deep, and buried a bottle containing, on parchment, a copy of the Declaration already given, together with an English farthing of his late Majesty's reign. The mouth of the bottle was secured with a cork, covered over with wax, bladder, canvass, and sheet-lead. The neck was placed downwards, with an English penny-piece under it, and an old and new coin of the same kind on the top; after which we filled up the hole level with the surrounding sand; and to guard against the probability of its removal by Malays, or the natives, we left no external marks by which it could be discovered. With my pocket-compass, I then set the point of entrance to Knocker's Bay, bearing N. 55° W., and the south trend of a projection southward of Spear Point S. 33° W. This spot, which we named Point Record, being the only prominent sandy projection in its vicinity, may easily be found by the above bearings, and its situation with respect to Table Point. Returning on board about half an hour after sunset, we found that a party of gentlemen who had been amusing themselves with their fowling-pieces on the same shore, had seen, in addition to what I have enumerated above, a great many kangaroo of a rusty brown colour, of various sizes, besides clouds of large vampyre bats, which took wing on the discharge of a musket in their neighbourhood, and completely darkened the air by their numbers: one of the latter was shot, but lodged in a tree, and could not be recovered. The fishing party caught with the sein a good supply of sand-mullet, king-fish, guard-fish, mackerel, and some other kinds; while those on board caught some of the same sort alongside with hook and line, and fared sumptuously. The principal object to be desired, fresh-water, was not however discovered by them, though traces of natives were numerous, and, with the presence of so many kangaroo, &c., leave room for supposing that there certainly were some at no great distance. The morning of the 22d being calm, the boats of the expedition hauled the sein with success in the sandy bay north of Table Point, while I accompanied Captain Bremer to the opposite shore in the Tamar's barge, with Captain Barlow of the Buffs, and the commander of the Harcourt, in further search of fresh water. Landing on the projection which forms Knocker's Bay, we climbed a very narrow ridge of the red earthy cliffs, which are here about thirty feet high, and very rocky, and found their summit crowned with forest land that had been cleared of underwood by recent fires, and thereby rendered easy of access to the explorer. The surface was mostly covered with iron-stone gravel, and ants had been as busily employed in the erection of habitations here as on the east side of the port; upon the whole, the soil was not so good as we found there, though the narrow neck of which I am remarking is not a fair criterion by which an opinion should be formed. The soil being perfectly dry and parched, I left the shooting party, and went in search of water alongshore towards the head of Knocker Bay, accompanied by Lieut. Williamson, R. M., and some of the young gentlemen of the Tamar. Along the beach we observed the tracks of two dogs, and several human feet, and the remains of shell and turtle repasts were plentiful in every part. In making choice of convenient shady spots in which to enjoy these repasts, the aborigines have here displayed a very considerable degree of rural taste, their resting-places being generally under the spreading branches of some beautiful tree at the water side, or under some of the many clusters of a very picturesque tree, called the pandanus, which thrives with extreme luxuriance and perfection on the small flats between the steep cliffs and high-water mark. It was near one of these enchanting little wild spots that I found two baskets made of the sheath or covering that encloses the leaves of a beautiful palm called "seaforthia elegans," at their insertion in the stem. These baskets were constructed in a simple but neat manner, and were neatly sewn together with strips of a cane peculiar to the country; their use appeared to have been to hold water, of which they were capable of containing about a gallon apiece; but the specimens in question had been long out of use, being rent in several places by the action of the sun, and totally unfit for service. This seemed to have been the encampment of a whole tribe of natives, the soft barb of the tea-tree which is used by them to lie upon being scattered about in large pieces, five or six feet in length, half buried in the sand. Large shells of the voluta species, that had been used by them as drinking utensils, and numerous heaps of cockle-shells, tended to corroborate this opinion; and against a bush I found a young sapling, broken off to the length of nine feet and a half, and trimmed of its branches, being evidently placed there to season for a spear; with my knife I made a small incision in the upper end, and fixed in it a penny-piece of the reign of George the Third. Continuing on a few hundred yards, we came to a sandy low point, bidding fair to reward our search for fresh water; and while eagerly examining it for that purpose, we discovered the old neg lected fire-places of parties of Malays, who had been some months ago curing trepang, and several water-holes dug around them. Some young trees having grown up among these fire-places, plainly shewed that they had not been in use for several months at least. The water-holes which had been dug, were now very nearly filled up with drift-sand, but by clearing them out, fresh water would very probably have been found. The afternoon was, however, so far advanced, that the barge was beating about, awaiting our return. Captain Bremer being in hopes of getting the ships out of the port before dark, with a fresh sea-breeze that had set in from the north-eastward; for the great want of fresh water in sufficient quantity for our purpose, seemed to act entirely in prejudice of Port Essington as a settlement; we, therefore, made the best of our way on board, but did not reach the Tamar till the sun had disappeared behind the land. It was then too late to venture running out of a place so little known, and the cable was again veered to its former range. On our arrival on board, we received the melancholy intelligence of a boat belonging to the Harcourt having upset a few hours previous, on her passage on board, with a party of gentlemen belonging to the intended new colony, who had been on shore shooting. The accident was providentially discovered by our youngest midshipman, Mr. Frederick Paul, and with an alacrity suitable to such an occasion, Mr. Golding, the first lieutenant, proceeded to the spot in time to rescue from a watery grave seven or eight individuals, who were clinging to the boat and to oars. The Harcourt's cabin steward, with a fine young apprentice-boy, named Graham, (son of a clergyman with a large family,) and two soldiers of the Buffs, unfortunately sunk to rise no more, after contending with the watery element under the disadvantages of not being able to swim. The gentlemen who were so opportunely saved on this occasion, were the surgeon, commission officer and storekeeper of the new colony, together with the Harcourt's second mate, to whom no blame was attached, but, on the contrary, every praise for his coolness and presence of mind. The boat was upset in consequence of the obstinacy of a man attending the sheet not easing it off when ordered to do so by the mate. During the excursions that were made on the east shore to-day, a young alligator, about seven feet in length, was seen by Mr. Smith of the Tamar, who was preparing to discharge his piece at the animal, when it disappeared among some rocks at the foot of the cliffs, and was not seen again. No natives had been seen to-day, but their fires were observed smoking to a great extent for the last two days on the narrow neck of land that separates Port Essington from Van Diemen's Gulf, and towards Mounts Bedwell and Roe, and they appeared to-day to have approached us much nearer than usual. On a sandy beach some of our people saw the representation of a turtle drawn with a stick, together with other marks, apparently intended to amuse children. It was greatly to be regretted that we could not hold a conference with any of these people, though I consider their encounters with the Malays to be of so hostile a nature, that it may be some considerable time before any friendly intercourse can be established with them. While at Timor a few years ago, I understood from a Malay rajah who had for many years sailed as chief of the numerous forces that periodically visit the northern coasts of Australia for trepang, that the natives were invariably very hostile towards them, and took every opportunity of collecting in the greatest numbers for the purpose of attacking them while procuring or preparing trepang. He represented them as a savage, ferocious, treacherous set of people, whom they stigmatize with the appellation of Marengos, which in the Malay language signifies a rascal, or great rogue. It should nevertheless be remembered, that in describing the Australian aborigines, the rajah was strongly portraying the character of his own countrymen, from whom they have doubtless imbibed many of those degrading principles for which that nation is so notorious, and which could not fail to degrade a character perhaps originally unamiable. It appears evident that the natives have purposely kept aloof since our arrival at Port Essington, on the shores of which numerous recent traces of them have been seen, and the actual sight of two can leave little room for doubting |