Discoveries in Australia, Volume 2: Discoveries in Australia; 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 — John Shaqi
Discoveries in Australia, Volume 2: Discoveries in Australia; 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 SeaStokes, John Lort
History
Discoveries in Australia, Volume 2: Discoveries in Australia; 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
We found a new kind of kangaroo and wallaby on Barrow's Island; but the
only specimen obtained of the former was destroyed through the neglect of
the person in whose charge it was left. It was a buck, weighing fifty
pounds, of a cinnamon colour on the back and a dirty white on the belly;
the hair was fine and long; the head of a peculiar shape, resembling a
dog's, with a very blunt nose; the forearms were very short; the hind
feet cushioned like those inhabiting rocky ground. The does appeared to
be much lighter; but all were very wary and scarce. From the number of
red sandhills, too, scattered over the island, they were difficult to be
seen at a distance. From our description of this specimen it has been
named Osphranter isabellinus. With the wallaby we were more fortunate,
Mr. Bynoe and myself succeeding in knocking over four, weighing from five
to eight pounds; they also had blunt noses, and were of a light brown
colour, quite different from those on the Abrolhos.
Two iguanas, measuring seven feet in length, and nearly black, striped
slightly with white, were also killed here.
We did not find any surface water; everything wore a dry parched
appearance. No traces of natives were discovered, except some charred
pieces of wood. Indeed I may remark that we saw signs of fire on every
part of the continent we visited. From the south extremity of the island
a long reef trended in the direction of the mainland, where Captain King
traced it extending off some distance, thus connecting with the shore the
whole of these islands, which seem to lie in a line with each other, like
the various parts of a submerged piece of land. The small isles,
especially between the Montebello Group and Barrow's Island, have all the
same direction; so that it seems fair to conclude that they were once a
part of the main, being in fact fragments of a promontory, forming a gulf
similar to Exmouth Gulf, lying on the south-west of it. I had been led to
expect this from the fact of our finding the flood-stream coming from the
north-east, whereas the direction of it in the offing is
North-North-West.
SUPPLY OF TURTLES.
Barrow's Island, being about twelve miles broad and twenty long, would,
in the event of a penal settlement being formed in this neighbourhood,
make a good second Norfolk Island. On leaving we brought away with us
seven tons of turtles from the abundant supplies its shores afforded.
Many of them we gave to our friends at Swan River on our arrival. We
cannot quit this island without reminding our readers that it was named
after the distinguished Secretary to the Admiralty, who has just retired
from office after a period of service of nearly half a century, during
which time he was the promoter of all geographical research, and mainly
instrumental in founding a society which is of growing importance to
Great Britain, and who has established a lasting reputation both by his
travels and his literary productions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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