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
ALARM OF THE NATIVES.
Finding the natives still coming down to the beach in great numbers, and
that all were in a highly excited state, we merely gratified our
curiosity on the beach, without attempting to go into their village, and
returned on board.
We subsequently found out that the natives had some reason to be alarmed
at our appearance, as they had been recently visited by a frigate, sent
by the Dutch government to punish the inhabitants of the neighbouring
island Laarat for the murder of Captain Harris, and part of the crew of
the English bark Alexander, on which occasion she destroyed the village
and took away several of the natives, who were supposed to have been
implicated in the business, prisoners to Amboyna.
After about an hour, during which the natives remained in a compact group
on the beach, evidently in deep consultation, the same chief who visited
us in the morning came off again, bringing with him the promised
supplies, consisting only of a billy-goat and a small pig. We tried some
time in vain to convince him we had no hostile intentions, and as the
weather was too unsettled to remain in so insecure an anchorage, we
weighed, and made sail for Oliliet, passing close along the island of
Vordate, which is moderately high, luxuriantly wooded, very well
cultivated, and apparently densely inhabited. It is separated from Laarat
by a narrow strait, which, from the way the sea broke across it, appeared
to be quite shoal.
RETURN TO OLILIET.
April 11.
At 10 A.M. we were off Laouran, but finding the swell, occasioned by the
strong breezes experienced yesterday, was breaking too heavily on the
reef skirting the bay for a boat to land, we stood on for Oliliet, and on
rounding the point fired a gun and hove to. Two canoes soon after left
the beach, and from the number of articles of European manufacture with
which they were decorated, we soon saw that some vessel must have visited
the place since our departure; and on the chief coming on board he handed
me some papers, from which I ascertained that Mr. Watson, commanding the
Essington schooner, had visited the place during our absence; and by
having a person on board who could communicate with the natives, he had
succeeded by threats and promises held out to the chiefs in getting the
European boy given up to him. The boy had nearly forgotten his English at
first, but Mr. Watson afterwards made out that he belonged to the
Stedcombe schooner, the crew of which were all murdered by the natives
while engaged in watering their vessel. He had been ten years on the
island, during which time he had been well treated by his captors.
The brig was obliged to stand off and on, as there is no anchorage off
Oliliet during the south-east monsoon, which had now set in; but two
boats were sent on shore to obtain supplies.
CONDUCT OF THE NATIVES.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account