Discoveries in Australia, Volume 1.: With an Account of the Coasts and Rivers Explored and Surveyed During; The Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, in the Years 1837-38-39-40-41-42-43.; By Command of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. Also a Narrative; Of Captain Owen Stanley's Visits to the Islands in the Arafura Sea.Stokes, John Lort
History
Discoveries in Australia, Volume 1.: With an Account of the Coasts and Rivers Explored and Surveyed During; The Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, in the Years 1837-38-39-40-41-42-43.; By Command of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. Also a Narrative; Of Captain Owen Stanley's Visits to the Islands in the Arafura Sea.
Stokes, John Lort
Australia -- Description and travel; Australia -- Discovery and exploration; Natural history -- Australia
Although very anxious to learn if they had in the ship heard anything of
Lieutenant Grey's party, still I did not like to break through my usual
rule of indulging in a thorough cleansing of men and boats, before making
our appearance on board, we therefore did not make an early start. In
clearing Roger Strait, we heard the cry of a native, who was seen with
the aid of a spy-glass, perched on a distant cliff, watching our
movements. I scarcely believed it possible to have heard his shrill voice
so far. We reached the ship, lying in Port George the Fourth, early in
the afternoon, and found on board a most welcome addition to our little
party, in the person of Lieutenant Grey. I met him again, with feelings
of the greatest satisfaction; for though none were, perhaps, fully aware
of it, a feeling of despondency as to the fate of himself and his
companions, had more than once occurred to me, which each day's delay
much increased, and which this agreeable rencounter at once effectually
removed. Poor fellow! gaunt misery had worn him to the bone; and I
believe, that in any other part of the world, not myself alone, but
Lieutenant Grey's most intimate friends, would have stared at him without
the least approach to recognition. Badly wounded, and half starved, he
did, indeed, present a melancholy contrast to the vigorous and determined
enthusiast we had parted from a few months before at the Cape, to whom
danger seemed to have a charm, distinct from success.
No sooner had we ascertained the safety of the rest of the party, than,
as might be supposed, we fell into a long and animated conversation upon
the success of the expedition. They had discovered a river, called by
them the Glenelg, and a tract of fine country, which, from Lieutenant
Grey's description, I instantly recognised as being the same Mr. Helpman
had seen from Brecknock Harbour.
A spot, sixty miles in a South-South-East direction from Hanover Bay,
indicates their furthest distance towards the interior. The rugged nature
of the country in the neighbourhood of this coast, and its vast distance
from the interior, from whence it is further removed than any other part
of the continent, justify the expression of an opinion that this was an
ill-chosen spot for the debarkation of an expedition for inland research;
though unquestionably its proximity to our East Indian possessions, would
make it, if suitable in other respects, a most valuable spot for
colonization. I shall always regret that Lieutenant Grey and his
companions had not the advantage of starting from the Fitzroy, or
exploring yet further the unknown course of the Victoria, by which I am
now convinced, a most successful attempt to reach the interior might be
made.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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