A Voyage to Terra Australis — Volume 2: Undertaken for the purpose of completing the discovery of that vast country, and prosecuted in the years 1801, 1802 and 1803, in His Majesty's ship the Investigator, and subsequently in the armed vessel Porpoise and Cumberland schoonerFlinders, Matthew
History
A Voyage to Terra Australis — Volume 2: Undertaken for the purpose of completing the discovery of that vast country, and prosecuted in the years 1801, 1802 and 1803, in His Majesty's ship the Investigator, and subsequently in the armed vessel Porpoise and Cumberland schooner
Flinders, Matthew
Australia -- Discovery and exploration; Voyages and travels
There did not appear to be any rich soil on the borders of the bay; but
on the south and eastern sides the country was covered with an agreeable
intermixture of grass and trees, and better adapted for cattle than any I
have seen in so low a latitude. The soil, though not deep, would produce
most things suited to the climate; for the heat and moisture do so much
for vegetation, that very little earth seems necessary to its support. On
the south side the trees are mostly different species of _eucalyptus_,
growing tall and straight, though not large; whereas on the sandy parts
of Point Dundas, a _casuarina_, of the same species as seen at Coen River
and other parts of the gulph, was most abundant, and served us for fuel.
A _santalum_, more nearly allied to the true sandel wood than any before
seen in this country, was found on the borders of the bay.
No inhabitants were perceived, nor any fresh traces of them; but as dogs
were seen twice, it is probable the natives were watching us at no great
distance; they had visited all the places where I landed, and should
therefore seem to possess canoes. Traces of the same strangers, of whom
mention has been so often made, were found here; and amongst others were
partitions of frame work and part of a large earthen jar. Kangaroos
appeared to be rather numerous in the woods, brown doves and large white
pigeons were tolerably plentiful, and a bird nearly black, of the size
and appearance of a hen, was shot; there were also cockatoos, both black
and white, and a beautiful species of paroquet not known at Port Jackson.
The aquatic birds were blue and white cranes, sea-pies, and sand-larks.
Besides fish, our seine usually brought on shore many of the grey slugs
or sea cucumbers, but not so abundantly as in Caledon Bay.
We were not here pestered so much with the black flies as before; but the
musketoes and sand flies were numerous and fierce. Most of the bushes
contained nests made by a small green ant; and if the bush were
disturbed, these resentful little animals came out in squadrons, and
never ceased to pursue till the disturber was out of sight. In forcing
our way amongst the underwood, we sometimes got our hair and clothes
filled with them; and as their bite is very sharp, and their vengeance
never satisfied, there was no other resource than stripping as
expeditiously as possible.
The sun was at this time very near the zenith, which not only prevented
the latitude from being observed in the artificial horizon, but rendered
the observations from the sea horizon, to the north and south at the same
noon, liable to inaccuracies; and in consequence, our positions in this
neighbourhood may not be very correct.
The _latitude_ of Point Dundas, from one double observation, was 12° 13'
50"; but from the bearing of Mount Saunders, it is taken to be 12° 13' 0"
S.
_Longitude_ by survey from Caledon Bay, being 1' greater than by time
keepers,136° 41' 40" E.
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