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
Taking the return tide, we passed the night in the fourth reach; very
stringent orders were given to the watch to keep a sharp lookout for
alligators, as a great many had been seen during the day, while we knew
that on the previous night a monster of this description had attempted to
get into one of the boats. We had fired at several, but with one
exception had done no mischief. To be roused by the noise of the boat's
keel or side grating harshly against the scaly back of an alligator, is
far from being a pleasant occurrence, and on such occasions I generally
found myself clutching a pistol, always kept near me, for the purpose of
executing judgment upon the very first flat head that showed his nose
above the gunwale. Entertaining very vivid recollections of our
experience on Fitzroy River, on the first start of the boats great
preparations were made against the mosquitoes; to our agreeable surprise,
however, we experienced but slight annoyance from them. The exemption,
however, was fully made up by the swarms of flies which infest the
Adelaide, and during mealtimes availed themselves of the opportunity of
popping into our mouths.
There had been a fresh North-East wind the latter part of the day, which
dying away was succeeded by a calm and cloudless night with a heavy dew.
The thermometer was down to 77 degrees, and in the day varied from 87 to
92.
RETURN OF THE BOATS.
August 6.
We got on board in the forenoon, when the result of our examination was
heard with a satisfaction not easily expressed, but which may be readily
imagined. We felt that we had discovered a river navigable for vessels of
four and five hundred tons, for about fifty miles, and into fresh water,
a thing hitherto unknown in Australia. We may then with justice
congratulate ourselves on the importance of the discovery of the
Adelaide.
ADAM BAY.
The bay into which it flows, named after Sir Charles Adam, is six miles
deep and ten broad at the entrance, where there are 9 fathoms. The shores
gradually approach each other, and at the head, where it receives the
waters of the Adelaide, the width is only one mile.
The mouth of the river is fronted with shoals that extend out five miles;
the channel between them is narrow, 3 and 4 fathoms deep, and lies on the
western side of the bay. A guide for the mouth of it is the east entrance
point of the river, bearing South 40 degrees East.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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