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a considerable quantity of salt pork from underneath the store-houses. H.M.S. Pelorus having parted her cables, was driven on shore, and thrown over on her beam ends, on the north-east point of the settlement, where heeling over 82° her starboard side was buried nine feet in the mud, leaving the keel three feet clear of the ground.

At daylight the barometer rose slowly to 29.90, the gale moderated, and the sea went down so fast, that between seven and eight we were able to send a boat to the assistance of the Pelorus: after eight the breeze continued to blow strong from the northward for two days, with heavy rain.

The occurrence of such a hurricane must be very rare, as the natives were as much astonished as ourselves, and came to beg for shelter: they have no name for it, and no tradition of anything of the sort having happened before the state in which the very extensive fences at Raffles Bay were in shortly before, must prove that the trees had never been blown down in the way they were on the 25th of November, since that settlement was abandoned in 1829.

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I was not able to detect any change in the formation or extent of the shoals in the harbour afterwards, except where the Pelorus was left; there the shoal certainly extended farther than before, as she was quite dry at low-water. The bay, however, from its being so shoal had not been sounded with the same care and attention as the other parts of the harbour.

I am at a loss to account for the manner in which the Pelorus was so bedded in the mud, unless by supposing it to have been deposited upon her after she upset; as there were no symptoms of her having been forced down; the starboard side bore no marks of friction, and the mud showed neither mound nor hollow near her; on the contrary all round her was a dead level.

The extent of the hurricane must have been very limited: at Coepang a strong gale from the south-west was experienced, and also between Java and Timor on the 26th, but the wind did not change: at Swan River nothing of the kind was felt, nor could I learn that the Beagle had met with any very bad weather, though she must have been nearer to Victoria at the time. Even eighteen miles north at Vashon Head the change of wind must have been greater though equal in force. There the first trees fell with the wind from W.S.W.; a few fell when the wind was east, and most when the wind was north-west. The Malays have an idea that every fifth year the monsoon is stronger than usual, but can give no reason for thinking so. According to them this monsoon ought to have been a strong one.

Sailed from Port Essington Feb. 12th, 1840, for Sydney, and had to contend alternately with light variable airs, and heavy squalls accompanied by rain from W.N.W. to W.S.W.; the current was also entirely influenced by the wind, but having been informed that it set constantly to the west in both monsoons near Timor, we stood to the northward, and made the east end of the island which is 2,000 feet high, and the mountains are intersected by very deep ravines. No westerly current was found, and the wind was so very light that we were glad to get to the southward again; in one month the distance made good gave an average of a mile an hour.

ENLARGED SERIES.-NO. 9.-VOL. FOR 1841.

4 F

March 10th. We passed a reef; the north point of which is in lat. 13° 39', and long. 121° 53′ east, considering Port Essington to be in 132° 9' Its extent from east to west is about five miles, from our masthead we could not see the end of it: in the south-east upon the outer edges the sea was breaking heavily within the breakers; the shoal was not dry any where, but did not appear to have more than two or three feet water. Tried for soundings with sixty fathoms within three cables' length without success. Scotts reef was seen some hours afterwards from the masthead apparently quite distinct from the other: Scotts reef extends more to the westward than is laid down in the chart, but I had not daylight enough to ascertain how far exactly, but I should think five miles.

The south-east trade commenced in lat. 19° S., long. 120° E., and carried us into lat. 21° S., long. 104° E.; its general direction was S.S.E., and was very light and variable. A westerly breeze succeeded, but when off Swan river, having been eight weeks from Port Essington, and only fourteen days' provision left, we were obliged to put in for supplies; we passed H.M.S. Beagle off Rottenest, but did not communicate. During her stay the channel between the south end of Rottenest* and the Stragglers was examined, and a good passage with not less than four fathoms and a half, but I had no opportunity of seeing their plan of it.

GEOGRAPHICAL POSITIONS.

Victoria, Port Essington, latitude of Government-house deduced
from 52 observations with circle
from 41

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11 22 01-4

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Longitude from 10 sets of moon culminating stars. Sh. 48m. 37.7s.

Variation near the pier.

Dip by my needle

Ditto by Capt. Wickham

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Port Concordia, Coepang, Timor, difference of longitude from Victoria.

Variation
Dip

34m. 19:28. Oh. 34m. 20-2s

1° 53' W.

34 21.3

33 46

Custom-house Delli, Timor, difference of longitude from Victoria.

Going
Returning

26m. 31.4s.
26 23.0

Oh. 26m. 27-2s.

Reef near Scotts reef, north end, latitude

. 13° 39' S.

Difference of longitude from Victoria 41m. 06s.
Long. in space (considering Victoria in 139° 9' 25" E.) 121° 52′ 55′′ E.

CLIMATE OF PORT ESSINGTON.

A correspondent who signs himself "Chisholm," sends us the following further particulars of Port Essington.

The climate of Port Essington is extremely healthy, as we had not a

* Directions for the navigation about Rottenest Island appeared in our last number p. 400.

single case of sickness brought on by it during our stay there, although nearly all the people slept on deck. The natives are apparently a finer set of men than those of the southern coast; their arms are spears of different sorts, some stone-headed, but most of them are headed with wood, barbed, and about two feet in length, which is fitted into a bamboo handle of about eight or ten feet in length, with gum and small cord made from the bark of a tree. They also have large clubs made of the same sort of wood as the spear heads, and are used with both hands. They have no idea of the bow and arrow, as they could not use them when shewn how, nor could they use the bomerang of the southern coast. The only defensive weapon is a small shield, about two and a half feet in length, by one in breadth, on which they receive the spears thrown at them with wonderful dexterity. The larger sort of spear is thrown with a wamara or throwing stick, which is about three feet in length, and three or four inches in breadth, with a small hook at the end, into which the end of a spear is fixed, which gives a great lever power, and enables them to throw it to a distance of more than forty yards with beautiful precision. The small sort of spear is thrown without the wamara, and is only used for birds. I have seen them hit a bird on the wing with one.

They have no dress whatever for either sex, except a belt round the waist, armlets, bracelets, and anclets, be called dress. It has been said that they have no religion, but to judge from circumstances, one would think differently. They raise mounds over their dead, and in describing a man as having been killed; they laid down as if dead, and then pointed upwards, as much as to say, that the deceased is gone there. Their only musical instrument is a piece of bamboo scraped very thin from the inside, with which they make a noise something between a base horn and a tromboon, but much softer than either; it is about four feet long in general. Their digara-wamba or dances are several; in some they imitate fighting, but others are rather indecent. The different dances have different tunes, and the men and women do not dance together.

When I left in the Alligator, there was a wharf run out for a considerable distance, built of stone. Each marine had a house and garden, for himself; besides which, there was a government-house, barracks, hospital, storehouse, and a mess-house for the officers living on shore; there were also several private houses belonging to the officers. A good number of pigs, which were increasing fast; some guinea-fowls, and common cocks and hens also on the increase.

The party which traversed the Peninsula, a short time before we left, saw numerous traces of buffaloes quite fresh; but only saw a few of the animals themselves, which ran away on their approach.

STRANDING OF H.M.S. PELORUS AT PORT ESSINGTON.

THE following extract from the Sydney Herald, 12th June, gives an account of the stranding of the Pelorus which vessel has since been got afloat.

"The Pelorus went on shore during the hurricane at Minto Head, Port Essington. She was driven on shore about midnight, nearly drifting

foul of H.M.S. Britomart, firing guns of distress, which, from the violence of the wind were not heard. She struck very heavily, gave two or three lurches to starboard and port, and fell over on her starboard broadside; the crew held on by the weather rigging, the sea making a clear breach over her. All her boats were smashed, and her yards were sticking in the mud. At daylight a raft was constructed of some of their spars, and by means of a rope previously taken on shore by one of the seamen, they were enabled to transport the sick to the shore. One man was drowned in attempting to gain the shore. The Britomart sent a whale boat to the assistance of the crew. This was the only boat, besides a gig, left out of twenty belonging to the vesselsof-war and the colony. By means of this boat and the raft, the ship's company were safely landed. After erecting huts for the comfort of the men, and providing for the sick in hospital, the attention of the officers and crew was directed to the clearing the vessel preparatory to trying to heave her off. At low water spring tide, the Pelorus was high and dry for upwards of twenty yards beyond her. The sea had risen during the hurricane to about ten or twelve feet above the common level of the highest springs, and consequently she was thrown up as far as her draft of water (fifteen feet,) would allow.

"She was found, at low water, some few days after the hurricane, to have imbedded herself ten feet in the sand, part of her main and false keel gone, and the forefoot merely held on by a couple of copper bolts. It was found advisable to divest her of her false feel altogether, to lessen the draft of water, in hopes of floating her off at a high spring tide. The men were employed in digging for the guns, but it was found impracticable to continue the work. Captain Kuper then ordered a dam to be built to enclose the guns, and by dint of great exertion on his part, and that of the officers and men, in conjunction with the crew of the Britomart, and Capt. McArthur's party at the colony, the guns were dug out, and the mud entirely cleared. Six pumps were continually at work to keep the dam dry; until about half-tide it was found safer to clear away for the water, to prevent it sweeping the dam in altogether; during each neap tide, nothing could be done to lighten her. The guns having been got out with all the stores, and a great number of casks and tanks lashed to her by means of spars, &c., by bearing on purchases, on January the 18th she rose a little; and from this time probably she came up every tide.

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Latterly, one pump kept her free. The shores under her side having given way on one night at the falling tide, the vessel fell over and sprung her mainmast, February the 3rd.-The Britomart hauled to within a cable's length of her, and for two or three tides, at high water, hove in on heavy purchases, without being able to do more than turn her a little round, and, it was supposed had carried her ahead a few feet. The purchases were all carried away. Captain Kuper, it was understood, when the Britomart left, intended to dig her way out, by building dams, but it would be a work of considerable time. The highest water under her stern was ten feet, and it was supposed she drew twelve feet when supported by casks. A raft weighing upwards of twelve tons, was lashed to her mast heads, at low water, to keep her on her broadside, to float her out in that position, but as the tide rose,

so rose the vessel, raft, and all nearly upright. This weight appeared to have little or no effect upon her. Captain Kuper was so sanguine of getting her afloat, by the next new moon, that he needed no longer the assistance of the Britomart, and she was, consequently, despatched to Sydney for provisions. Great doubts, however, are entertained whether she will ever get afloat again.'

SANTA CHRISTINA, RESOLUTION BAY, MARQUESAS ISLANDS.-From the Remarks of H.M.S. Samarang, Capt. J. Scott.

IN hauling up to the southward, after passing through the chanuel between Dominica and Santa Christina, Resolution Bay is easily recognized by the extraordinary high land over its southern extremity, running up into two points, the western sharp, but well defined, the eastern of an irregular form higher, and appears as if rock were piled upon rock, in every fantastic form. On opening the Bay, the houses of the inhabitants are distinguished among the cocoa-nut and bread fruit trees; a point of land juts into the sea, at the bottom of the Bay dividing them so as to give the appearance of two villages. As the wind generally blows down in strong eddies from the high land that surrounds it, it is necessary to be on your guard in working into the anchorage, the shore is steep close to on both sides. It is not above 1,200 yards deep, and about 13 or 1400 yards wide at the entrance.

Good water is procured in abundance close to the sea, from a small stream at the southern part of the northern beach, we rafted it off, but with a Hearle's pump and a hose, the boat might be filled by lying close to the rocks that form a break in the sandy beach between the two villages before mentioned.

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Is a low island covered with stunted bushes, and a few cocoa-nut and palm trees here and there, large lagoons were seen from the masthead in the centre of the island, like other islands of the same coral formation. From the south-east to the south-west point of the island the line of coast runs N.W.b.W. W. 25.8 miles. A deep bay, however, runs to the northward from a point of land about thirteen miles and a half from the south-east point, near which are two conspicuous

The Pelorus has since been floated, and stated to have sailed from Port Essington.-ED.

In our February number for 1838, will be found some remarks by the Actæon on Resolution Bay, but a considerable difference appears in the longitude. See p. 74.-ED.

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