An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Volume 2: An Account Of The English Colony In New South Wales, From Its First Settlement In 1788, To August 1801: With Remarks On The Dispositions, Customs, Manners, Etc. Of The Native Inhabitants Of That Country. To Which Are Added, Some Particulars Of New Zealand; Compiled, By Permission, From The Mss. Of Lieutenant-Governor King; And An Account Of The Voyage Performed By Captain Flinders And Mr. Bass.Collins, David
History
An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Volume 2: An Account Of The English Colony In New South Wales, From Its First Settlement In 1788, To August 1801: With Remarks On The Dispositions, Customs, Manners, Etc. Of The Native Inhabitants Of That Country. To Which Are Added, Some Particulars Of New Zealand; Compiled, By Permission, From The Mss. Of Lieutenant-Governor King; And An Account Of The Voyage Performed By Captain Flinders And Mr. Bass.
Collins, David
New South Wales -- Description and travel
On the following day Mr. Flinders landed upon an island that lay in his
passage, with instruments for taking angles, and observing the latitude.
Footsteps of dogs, and those recent, were numerous upon the beach; but
traces of men were scarcely visible: there were, however, several
fire-places, and many other marks of the island having lately been
visited. This island was two or three miles in circumference. The central
part was higher than the skirts, and was covered with a coat of fine
vegetable mould of a reddish colour. On the SE side of the island this
elevated part descended suddenly in a steep bank, where the earth was as
red as blood; and, being clayey, some portions of it were nearly hardened
into rock. The trees upon it, among which was the new pine, were large
and luxuriant. The exterior part of the island upon the west side was a
flat, over which the tide seemed to rise, and was abundantly covered with
large mangrove trees. On the SW and NE sides it was mostly low and sandy,
and here the palm nut tree was produced. Probably these nuts formed the
principal inducement for the natives to visit this island; and there was
abundant testimony under the trees that they were not suffered to fall
off and rot. They met with some boughs so ranged as to keep off the
southerly winds; and from the fireplaces which they were placed to
defend, it was inferred that not less than five or six natives had made
this their place of residence, probably a temporary one only, as they did
not meet with any huts regularly constructed.
The black and the white cockatoo, the beautiful lilac-headed paroquet,
and the bald-headed mocking bird of Port Jackson, were seen here; but
there were not any marks of resident quadrupeds, rats excepted.
The latitude of this island, deduced from the sun's altitude taken at
noon, was 27 degrees 34 minutes 59 seconds S making the depth of this bay,
from Cape Moreton, to be thirty-four miles; for beyond this island the bay
was contracted into a river, of considerable width indeed, but it appeared
to be so shoal, or, if there was any deep channel, to be so difficult of
access, that Mr. Flinders gave up all idea of pursuing it further,
especially as the winds were obstinately adverse: he therefore returned
on board, with the intention of running into the river near the
Glass House peaks, there to lay the sloop on shore, and procure a supply
of fresh water, if a convenient situation could be found.
The following day was passed in endeavouring to get into the river,
which, from the pumice-stone found upon its shores, obtained the name of
Pumice-Stone River, anchoring at sun-set within two miles of its
entrance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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