Page:History of West Australia.djvu/28

 18 expedition to complete the survey of the north and north-west coast of Australia. Lieutenant Philip P. King, RN., F.R.S., F.L.S., was given command, and among the officers was Lieutenant John Septimus Roe, who subsequently held so honourable a connection with the colony of Western Australia. A. Cunningham was the botanist. King was specially instructed to examine the cluster of islands surrounding Rosemary Island, and the chief motive for his survey was "to discover whether there be any river in that part of the coast likely to lead to an interior navigation into this great continent." The opinions expressed by Dampier, that the continent was probably bisected near the North West Cape by a passage of water were still believed in. The outfit for the expedition was obtained in Sydney, and among the company was Boongaree, chief of the Broken Bay (New South Wales) tribe of natives, who had accompanied Flinders in some of his explorations, and thus had the opportunity of sailing round a continent his ancestors had inhabited. The Mermaid, of 84 tons, with King on board, left Sydney on 22nd December, 1817. For different reasons King decided to begin his surveys at the North West Cape, and he sailed through Bass Strait to King George's Sound, which was reached on January 20, 1818. In the evening the party landed on Seal Island in the sound, and there they found, besides seals, the skeleton of a goat's head, and the remains of a glass case bottle left there by Lieutenant Forster, R.N., who it appears put into the harbour in 1815, outward bound on the hired transport Emu from Port Jackson to Europe. The mainshore was then visited, and the sight of the beautiful flowers and plants which dotted the adjoining hill well repaid them the exertion of ascent. Two rivers, connected with Oyster Harbour, in which they anchored on the following day, caused great inconvenience to Mr. Roe, who while out walking waded one, and was in some danger in the second, that of the "Riviere de François," discovered by Captain Baudin. Mr. Roe counted eleven weirs, constructed of crescent shape by natives, for catching fish. Great numbers of sea-fowl and land birds were observed, and Mr. Cunningham "made a large collection of seeds and dried specimens from the vast variety of beautiful plants and flowers with which Nature has so lavishly clothed the hills and plains of this interesting country." Culinary seeds were planted here, as elsewhere, as instructed by the Admiralty, but visiting the place more than three years later, King found no signs of the garden remaining. After taking in water and wood, the Mermaid sailed along the south coast and rounded the Leeuwin. Owing to sickness on board, Lieutenant King found it impossible to examine any part of the west coast as he desired, until he came near to North West Cape. Their first anchorage was not a good one, for the swell on the coast broke their anchor chain and they drifted towards a rocky island, but they circumvented the danger. After passing the cape, they came to in a good bay, where they remained for three days, and being exceedingly fatigued, they not inaptly named it the Bay of Rest. Elaborate examinations were made of the coast and islands by the officers. The weather was excessively hot, while the country presented few pleasing features, and contained numerous ant—hills. On the 18th February they sailed into a gulf, which was named Exmouth, after Viscount Exmouth. A small river was found in this gulf. The shore was lined with mangroves and a species of eucalyptus, and native fishing weirs were also seen. Sand dunes prevented the inroads of the sea to the coast, and on these grew a sort of convolvulus. From the hot winds which blew off the land, King judged that the interior of Australia was occupied by vast sandy deserts. Cape Locker, Cape Preston, and Enderby Island were named after friends of King's, and more of the coast was examined and found to be chiefly backed by sand dunes, with mangroves as the principal vegetation. In the centre of a strait, towards Lewis Island, three natives perched on logs were observed in the water propelling themselves by paddling with their hands. One of them was seized and taken on the Mermaid, notwithstanding his strong resistance. About forty natives congregated on the shore and watched this capture with consternation, and the women cried loudly in their grief, and rolling on the ground, covered their bodies with sand. To pacify the captured man, beads and a red cap were placed upon him, which at first he viewed with satisfaction, but soon he looked vacantly about him, probably awaiting anticipated doom. Biscuit was given him to eat, which tasting he spat out of his mouth, but he so enjoyed sugar that he licked the saucer upon which it was given him. The poor fellow was then released, He was given a red cap, beads, an axe, and food, was placed on the log and paddled back to his companions. It was probably the first time this tribe had seen white men and their ships, and they were terrified beyond measure. They huddled together when the native landed, and with poised spears ordered him to throw away his presents, and apparently made him answer many questions. "The women were kept away, but their curiosity was so much excited that, although they were more terrified than the men, they were seen peeping over the bushes and rocks which concealed them, and attentively watching what was going on. Our friend stood in the position of, and as motionless as, a soldier at drill, and answered all their interrogations and enquiries without making the least movement. He was soon allowed to approach nearer, and then the whole party cautiously advanced, with their spears still poised, and surrounded him. His body was then carefully examined, and upon the women and children being allowed to approach, they seated themselves in a ring and placed him in the middle when he told his story which occupied about half-an-hour. Upon its being finished they all got up, and, after shouting and hahooing to us, they went to the opposite side of the island, leaving our presents upon the beach, after having carefully examined them. This pathetic story may be an instance of that unconscious terror which tells of coming doom, but while some at the first sight of white men sank back in abject fear, others stepped forward and with spears and other primitive weapons threatened the invaders, until the report of a gun, the loud beating of a drum, or some other unusual sound not understood by them, struck terror to their hearts, and they flew away in unmistakable horror.

In this case King made friends with the natives, and treated them with the utmost kindness. The captive was a well-made man six feet in height, and the upper part of his body was scarified at every three inches, "the cicatrice of which was at least an inch in diameter, and protruded half an inch from the body." Their huts were miserable, being composed of bushes stuck in the grounds and afforded meagre shelter. The surrounding islands seemed to be fairly thickly inhabited, and on some the natives so objected by menaces to King's landing that he did not persist and left them masters of their domains. In remembrance of his communication with the natives he named the group of islands between Lewis Island and the mainland the Intercourse Islands. On the 4th March he anchored in a bay called, at Mr. Roe's request, Nickol's Bay, and made many researches in the neighbourhood. He then continued his voyage and soon got beyond Western Australian limits. Parts of the north coast were examined, then the vessel went to Timor, whence it sailed down the west coast, but quickly made its way south and round to Sydney. Replenishing the stores, King again visited Cambridge Gulf in September, 1819, which he called after the Viceroy of Hanover, the Duke of Cambridge. There the party discovered Mt. Cockburn, named after Sir George Cockburn,