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
Near the North-West extremity of the Cape just at high-water mark, I
noticed some pumice stones, small and not having the appearance of
belonging to a recent eruption, which seems to agree with the opinion
expressed by the Reverend W.G. Clarke in the Tasmanian Journal. He
considers, and I think justly, that its origin may be in the Solomon, New
Caledonia, or some other of the volcanic islands to the east of
Australia, from whence it drifted, as it has been found on all parts of
the coast, to the southern portion of which it has doubtless been carried
by the current. Captain Wickham did not remark any above the entrance of
the river he explored, on the western side of the bay, which bears out
the opinion I have above expressed. A curious fact, mentioned by Mr.
Clarke is, that one piece, perfectly water-worn, was found upon a high
mountain, full twenty-five miles inland from the mouth of Clarence River.
Was this carried thither by one of the natives, or does it indicate that
pumice drifted to this part of the continent at a time when, if ever, it
was on a level with the ocean? I further remarked in this place, many of
the land shells common to this and other parts of the coast.
There was great difficulty in attaining the loftiest point of the Cape,
which I found to be two thousand feet high. From thence our party
commanded a view of the whole of the bay, and discovered that we were,
strictly speaking, standing upon an island, a small creek winding round
the southern foot of the high land, and connecting the bays on the
eastern and western side of Cape Upstart.
The break in the hills seen by Captain King, and supposed to indicate an
opening, has been already alluded to. On reaching the summit I found that
this was merely a valley, containing the head of the plain which
stretched from the shores of the bay. On its southern side rose Mount
Abbott; but one of the most remarkable features on the coast is Mount
Elliott, lying about forty-five miles West and by North from our
position. It is a long level hill, with a peak at its northern extremity.
All those in the neighbourhood, as far as I could judge with the
spyglass, seemed to be of the same formation with Cape Upstart.
We found this a convenient stopping-place for vessels making the inner
passage, wood and water being easily procured. The latter is found in a
considerable reservoir fed by two streams from the high land of the Cape,
lying a mile within the mouth of the bay. From appearances, I should say
it would yield an abundant supply at any season of the year.
NATIVES SURPRISED.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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