Observations on the Coast, Country, &c. from Cockburn Sound to Geographe Bay, between the 17th and 20th of November, 1829, by Mr. Collie and Lieut. Preston, R.N.

OBSERVATIONS ON THE COAST, COUNTRY,
&c. from Cockburn Sound to Geographe Bay, between the 17th and 30th of November, 1829, by Mr. Collie and Lieut. Preston, R.N.

November 17th.—We left the ship with two whale boats at thirty-five minutes past 5, a.m., and at fifty-nine minutes past 6, after passing through the southern entrance, between Garden Island and Cape Peron, brought the northern tangent of this Cape to bear due E. At five minutes past 7 we were close to what we have marked point A^[1] in the accompanying eye sketch of the coast, from this the following rough bearings were taken:—Rock off Cape Peron N. 9° W. southern extreme of land in view; Point B, which appeared a bluff head of little elevation, S. 5° W.; south-westernmost rock (No.5) S. 65° W.; southern extreme of island (X.) off Point A, S. 85° W.; northern extreme of same island N. 50° W.; eastern tangent of island (Z) N. 20° W. A sandy and flat point runs for a considerable distance from the eastern part of the island X towards point A, leaving only depth of water sufficient for our boats to pass at low water between them. The distance from point A to this sandy flat point of the island is nearly half a mile; on proceeding, and having brought a rather high double-topped sandy hummock on with a patch of the highest trees inland, and bearing S. 73° E. from No. 4 Rock outside of us, there were no soundings with a line of seven fathoms; when abreast of No. 5 Rock, there was only one fathom water. These rocks are all coral, with their faces generally undermined, rising from ten to fifteen feet above the water. A reef of coral, bare at low water, extends between them; and to the southward, for several miles, the water continued shallow, even for boats, from abreast No. 5 Rock to point B.; from this point, the southern extreme of coast in view, the head at the entrance of the Murray River bore S. 9° W., No. 5 Rock N. 28° W., western tangent of island (X) N. 5° W.; Point (A) N. 4° E. The shallow water continued for a considerable way past the Point, but beyond it there is water for large ships; and the extensive reef, where we saw the breakers, must shelter this port from the N.W. if not from the W. At half-past ten we were abreast of Murray River, but stood on to endeavour to ascertain the appearance of the coast between it and Cape Bouvard; and also to see if we could safely attempt rounding the Cape, before the breeze, which had been rapidly increasing and blowing on shore, should acquire such force as to endanger the boats. Observing no shelter on this side the Cape, and satisfied, from the appearance of the weather, that provided we could round it, we should not only be obliged to beach the boats through a considerable surf, and to remain for one or more days before the weather would settle to permit us to proceed, we bore up for Murray River, and giving, which is necessary, the rocks off the head with Two bare Patches to the S.W. of the entrance a good berth, we stood across the bar, through small breakers in the deepest part, close to the starboard shore. The bar is like the beach, on both sides formed of sand, and most probably changeable. Afterwards, on the 20th, in going out, I found not less than three feet water, when the tide appeared to be very low; but on the 30th, the fourth day after new moon, I found not more than 1¾ feet water at ten minutes past 5,a.m. the water bemg several inches lower than on the 20th. From two meridian altitudes we obtained 32° 33' 15" as the latitude of the entrance. The distance from it to the place where the estuary expands into an irregular square sheet of water, from five to seven miles each way, is about three miles, with a good channel, having on each side of it a low level plain, composed of a surface layer of three or four inches of blackish clay, resting on shells and other marine calcareous deposits. Casuarina trees are growing in some places, and a succulent plant, having some distant resemblance to samphire, occupies the most marshes; whilst on higher and sandy ground, the eycalipti are produced, along with a tolerably good herbaceous vegetation. In the expanded sheet of water there are many extensive flats, partly dry at low water, and not navigable for common boats even at high; they lie a long way from the south side, so far indeed as to preclude our examining the beach in that direction so closely as we wished, and on that account were obliged to leave it uncertain whether any river entered between the Murray at the N.E. angle, and another river I found at the S.W., although I saw no indication of any opening along the line of trees skirting that part. Several good channels traverse this part of the estuary, and one runs along the western bank to the South River. We passed the night on the western bank, amid trees and shrubs, and a thin production of grass, and other herbs, upon a sandy soil, mixed with a tolerable proportion of black mould. The wind blew strong in squalls, accompanied with rain.

November 18th,—Embarked at forty minutes past 6, and proceeded to the Southern River, which we had only conjectured the preceding night to exist. An arm, from one mile and a half wide to two miles and a half, extends from the S.W. angle of the large sheet of water, nearly and with little turning in a S. by E. direction, for about eight miles and a half. It is of a good depth for boats except about seven miles up, where there is a small sandy island near its middle, producing shrubs and small trees of the casuarina and melaleuca, and from which flats, that our boats touched on, extend from both sides to the banks opposite. The rising ground on the bank is formed of sand and calcareous petrefactions of trees; the lower chiefly of siliceous sand, which, however, forms a smaller than usual proportion. The surface in these last places is inclined to swampy, and every where except on two elevated points. On the right bank, covered with wood, natives were seen in great numbers, and from twenty to thirty came down to the boats, and seemed very anxious that we should not go away from them. At the southern end of this arm, it became so very shallow that it was with great labour that the men got the boats over into a deep narrow channel that formed many abrupt turnings. As we ascended, first taking a direction so for one-eighth of a mile, then S.W. one-fifth of a mile, and after that about one-twelfth of a mile more, formed a short reach W.N.W.; we continued to ascend S.S.W., S.E., S. by E., S.E., E.N.E., E., S.S.E., and E.N.E., where we stopped for the night at half past 4,p.m. two miles and a half from the last flats, the men having been pulling almost the whole time, from our departure in the morning, against a good deal of sea and a strong wind from the S.S.W. We had scarcely entered the narrow part of the river when the water became fresh. After disembarking for the night, we traced the river first N.E. about three hundred yards, then forming a sudden turning to the W.S.W., S., S.E. by S. and E., which it continued about three-eighths of a mile, two creeks leading to swamps are formed by it in the last mile. Its banks, although high, are sandy, often void of wood, nor covered with rich verdure;—some lower levels looked well; and a considerable fertile plain lay beyond our stopping place. The wind blew fresh and squally from the S.W.; we filled our water casks, and on the 19th, at five minutes past 7, commenced descending the river; we passed the upper and lower flats better than yesterday, and had a long and amicable interview with several natives, who waded out on the flats to admire us, the novelty of the boats, and every thing we had. We spent a good part of the day in ineffectually attempting to approach the south side of this large sheet of water; and as the weather appeared to be settling, we bivouaced at the entrance, to be ready to proceed along the coast next morning. Several of the men were affected with pain of the eyes from the reflection along the shallows, and one suffered from diarrhoea. At five minutes past 7, a.m. of the 20th we passed the bar without seeing breakers, where the deepest water was about three feet; the wind was E.S.E. and moderate. After rounding the reef off Two-bare Patches Head, we stood along a sandy and nearly straight coast, S. W, for four miles and a half, and then, still keeping the direction of the beach S.W. by S.½ S., for two miles farther, having seven fathoms water, one-third of a mile from the shore. There was little surf on the beach with the land, but more with the sea breese, that came in at 10, and blew fresh the sand S.W. Beyond the beach, mounds, barren of trees, but covered with verdure, concealed the plain behind them, and it was only through breaks that we could occasionally see the trees inland. The meridian altitudes gave the latitude of Cape Bouvard 32° 38' considerably to the south of what is laid down in the chart. The only marked distinction between the cape and the other parts of the coast, is its projecting the farthest into the sea, for the mounds which form it are not very perceptibly higher than on either side, nor does it form a pointed but rounded headland. At 3, p.m. the boats making but little way against a heavy sea and strong breeze, we ran them through the surf on the beach, in doing which one of the grapnels that was let go to haul out by on launching parted, and could not be recovered on account of the violence of the surf. No fresh water was to be procured at a considerable depth in the valleys some way from the beach, but we soon discovered, from one of the highest sand mounds, an extensive lake about one mile and a half wide, lying parallel to the beach, and about a mile from it. These sand mounds rise very irregularly and abruptly, having considerable herbaceous verdure in their hollows, and being covered higher up with the usual shrubs. A small plain, bearing grass trees, eycalipti, and tea trees, intervenes between them and the lake, but it was in a great measure submerged.

November 21st.—The wind continuing to blow fresh along the shore from the south prevented our going to sea; we therefore sent a party to the lake to procure water, which, although we found it brackish, we were obliged to use; others went to bake cakes from the flour we had taken with us instead of bread, and some were still labouring under defective vision. We went to the northern end of the lake to determine its boundary, and found it shut in by swamp and ultimately dry land. Its extent to the southward was concealed at about eight miles distance by the sand mounds, round which it seemed to incline a little westerly towards the sea beach. Mount William bore from us S.56°E.

November 22d.—Immediately the land breeze came in force to be of service, we launched our boats, without waiting for break of day; it was forty minutes past 4; and with a scanty land wind but smooth water we pulled along shore till noon, when the sea breeze having again set in strong, we beached the boats on a continuation of the same beach, about three-quarters of a mile to the south of two remarkable bald-looking sand mounds, and opposite to hammocks which stand insulated on both sides by a lower and uniform shore. From the heights above this landing place Mount Williams bore N. 79° E., and the head beyond Port Leschenault S. 16° W. There are three gradually sloping heights of unequal size, and at irregular distances, within the head; within the sand hills, which were here more fertile than we had observed before, we observed what we thought a continuation of the lake seen at our former landing place. It approached to about three-quarters of a mile of the sea-beach, and was found to be as salt as sea-water. The heights which we had time to ascend afforded us no view either of a southern or northern termination; but we could not see above a few miles. No fresh water was found in digging.

November 23d.—Embarked at forty minutes past 4, having previously breakfasted, as soon as the surf and daylight would permit us. We kept close in shore, expecting to see some entrance to the lagoon we had left, but could discover no traces of one. Arrived at Port Leschenault at half-past 8. After giving the boat's crews some refreshment, we proceeded in one boat to examine the port, and left the other with Mr. Cudlip, to pitch the tents, dig for water, prepare dinner, &c. About two miles and a half up we discovered a river flowing over a shallow to the estuary, and immediately made for it. Every one was obliged to get out and track the boat over a short distance, when the water became deep and very little salt. Good land appeared on both banks; and we were soon among the natives, who testified the greatest and most friendly eagerness to be allowed to approach us. There are two mouths to the river, with a low sandy island between them and the one we entered; the western-most was afterwards found the least shallow. A second island is formed in the river, not a mile up, and the water rather shallow, affording a good crossing place for the natives. About half a mile above this, the water being perfectly fresh, we filled our barricoes, and soon had our native friends around us. On returning, between thirty and forty had assembled on the banks, and ran to the shallows at the mouth, where they closely surrounded us, carrying green boughs, and without any weapons of offence or defence. The soil which we saw, and productions on both sides of the river as far as we saw—and there was a long and wide reach beyond where we stopped—seemed good and luxuriant, except on one or two heights, where the sand predominated so much as only to support a few shrubs, banksias, and a few eycalipti. The head, which runs out to the westward of the entrance, is bare of trees but covered with shrubs and a little grass, and composed of sand mounds, except on one side, where, on a level with the sea, a black and hard rock is washed by the sea. This rock appeared to be continued more or less exposed for a considerable distance towards Geographe Bay. At night, one of our men who had lately joined the ship, and who had been noticed to have been inebriated, and reproved for being so, in the evening was missing, nor did a diligent search discover where he had gone, neither did he appear on the morning of the 24th, when we were to set out for Port Vasse. Every one was satisfied, from the character of the man, that he had voluntarily gone away with the intention of deserting, yet blame might have been attached, however undeservedly, had we not made every search that daylight could afford. It was therefore determined to remain, although a fair wind and fine day was a material loss, as we had to go upon a wholly unknown coast. Mr. Collie and Mr. Preston went up the river to get an additional supply of water, and to examine still farther beyond the river, to ascertain whether there existed others on that side, and how far the lagoon, if it might be so called, extended. Lieutenant Preston remained to make every search near the tents; as the boats returned down the river the man was found on the banks, and taken on board. He said he had intended to go back to the ship, but meeting suddenly a native woman, who had no more covering than the men, she set up a shriek and two men came out; he ran off and swam a river, and they threw their spears at him without striking. Before the boat returned it was too late to depart that day. The natives had not observed the boat till she had descended the river, but soon after this they came running with all speed; in order to go out on the shallows she was obliged to go near. Nor were they satisfied with this partial view of our party, but almost immediately after the boat had returned seventeen of them had made a circuit, and came down to the tents, still carrying their green boughs. After a very amicable interview, during which we did not admit them close to the tents, they returned seemingly very much gratified with what they had seen, and with a few trifles which they had gotten. In the afternoon we took our boats to examine the western shore of the harbour, between the entrance and the river already discovered, as the mouth of another river was supposed to have been seen yesterday in passing; nor had we been mistaken, for we found a channel of not less than six feet deep, leading to a river of as great a depth, about a mile nearer the entrance than the former one. In ascending, the direction is very serpentine; the breadth at its mouth from ninety yards to one hundred feet at our farthest ascent, about one mile and a half from its mouth. The banks are from three to six feet deep. The surface was thickly covered with grass and other herbs, with stringy bark, and other trees, liguminous shrubs, ferns, and sow thistles, and exposed a soil of blackish brown earth, being a good mixture of loam and mould, about two feet deep. We walked thirty or forty yards from the bank, and as far as we could see the same soil and productions continued. A short way farther up, however, on a subsequent day, we found the channel much obstructed with trees, and near its banks low knolls and intervening vales, almost wholly sand, yet supporting a little herbaceous, but mostly shrubby vegetation, and the tallest and finest eycalipti (red and blue gum) trees, and banksia, we have any where discovered. Mr. Cudlip had examined the entrance the previous night near high water, and discovered six feet over the bar. We examined it again, and found eight in one place. The deepest water is close to the starboard shore coming in. Some of the men discovered, a short way round the head, close to the beach, fresh water flowing from the sand hills.

November 25th.—Left Port Leschenault at forty-five minutes past 4 a.m., and having rounded the breakers which extend off the head, about half a mile N.E. by N., and stood along a sandy beach with frequent rocks at the water's edge, we entered Port Vasse at fifty minutes past 9, through a narrow entrance, with only one foot and three quarters of water at low water, but tide flowing, and so indistinct, that had it not been for the pelicans and gulls which were sitting on the beach close by it, we should have had difficulty in perceiving it at a few yards' distance. Both here, at Port Leschenault, and the Estuary of the Murray River, we always found these birds assembled at the entrance, whether of the harbour itself or of the rivers into it, and they were of considerable utility in directing us. A short way inside the beach we found the channel again very shallow; also narrow, and the main branch taking a northerly direction, parrellel to the beach, and only separated from it by a few sandy knolls; another branch continued past the opening for one or two hundred yards to the southward, and terminated without any communication. The land adjoining, and to the distance of some hundred yards, is an uneven plain, composed of raised and low places, the former being a tolerable mixture of sand and mould, producing some herbs, shrubs, chiefly liguminous, and trees, for the most part septospermi; the latter is covered with rushes, and swampy. A few hundred yards farther on, along the beach, to the south, there is another similar opening, which, after a narrow channel of good depth, that is bounded on the left by a cliff of calcareous sandstone, and split by an island, becomes so shallow, that our boat could with difficulty be dragged over; it then expands into a considerable sheet of water, the circuit of which we did not complete; but it appeared to be generally very shallow, and on its banks, salt marshes, or a low black clayey, and, at present, dry soil, extended some distance, especially between it and the beach. Inland of this recent formation, a similar, but little more elevated surface, still showing that it had been lately flooded, producing grass and other herbs, without any trees or shrubs, for many acres. Port Leschenault having offered the best prospects of land in its vicinity, and the greatest extent of harbour, which we had every reason to suppose extended many miles in the form of a lagoon, to the northward, behind the sand hills; and Geographe Bay having been formerly surveyed, we had every inducement to return as soon as possible to Port Leschenault; we therefore left Port Vasse at 1 p.m. expecting to have a favourable sea breeze to carry us back before dark; in this we were disappointed, and had to pull the whole way. We got into Port Leschenault at forty minutes past 8 p.m., having passed between the point and the outermost breakers seen in the morning, but which were much less in the evening. We had seen smoke in many places a short way beyond, and even close to the beach, between Port Vasse and Port Leschenault, as well as beyond the former in Geographe Bay; and we saw and heard the natives shouting on the beach.

November 26th.—We set out with both boats at half past 7 a.m.; ascended the nearest and last discovered river still farther, as has been already mentioned. The morning threatening rain, we put up a tent, and whilst we walked inland, the men were occupied washing. In the afternoon we proceeded up the harbour and examined the second entrance of the second river, and the eastern shore beyond it, where we found our former friends, the natives, still apparently more eager, if possible, of getting to us; we first, however, landed on the opposite shore, and left Mr. Cudlip, with one of the boats, to prepare supper; we returned in the other, and approached the shore as near as the shallows would permit—within 200 yards: we had a long and friendly communication with the natives, about thirty-five of whom, men and boys, came out to us. We had killed and caught several young swans, and they seemed highly delighted to get one; they appeared unwilling to part with their spears and knives, and to use considerable duplicity in bartering. Examined the northern part of the harbour, and found what we imagined to extend for many miles, to be shut in at a short distance by low land, at first swampy, and then covered with trees, which were continued as far as the eye could see from the highest sand hills. Soon after the boats landed for us to ascend the sand mounds, seventeen of the natives, whom we had seen yesterday, after rounding the southern boundary of the harbour, surprised us by their sudden approach; they remained, testifying satisfaction at the men, till we put off again; the general appearance of all whom we saw, is the same as that of those in the vicinity of Perth, but use different words significant of approbation; the language is perhaps considerably different; all their intentions seemed friendly, and their character unsuspecting and fearless. Having ascertained that no other rivers entered the harbour, which, from its northern termination to the river of twenty-third, is bounded on the east, that is, towards the plain, by moderately elevated ground covered with trees; we returned, to remain at the entrance for the night.

November 28th.—Left Port Leschenault at five minutes past 5, with a moderate breeze at S. by W. which soon freshened so as to make us reef our sails, and changed to S.S.W., and soon after to S.W. The harbour of Port Leschenault, not communicating with the salt water lake (most likely lagoon) seen on the 22d, made us think we must have passed, unobserved, its communication with the sea; and we had determined to examine still more narrowly, that part of the coast where we expected the communication to exist; but the force and direction of the wind, now rendered any further delay in getting to Murray River dangerous. We therefore steered for Cape Bouvard, and thence for the river, where we arrived after a boisterous passage, during which it required the utmost attention to prevent the sea, which ran very high, coming into the boats; the wind had freshened considerably, but Two-Bare-Patches Head, and the reef off it, sheltered the entrance, and we got in at five minutes past 3 p.m. without passing through any breakers.

November 29th.—Proceeded in one boat up the estuary, to examine five different but adjoining mouths of the Murray, where it flows at the S.E. part into the large sheet of water before mentioned, over a sandy beach and bar, with only sufficient depth of winter for our boat. The channel, about a mile up, is capacious, and the water fresh; and the land on its banks, to the distance of several yards, is partly sand, with a small proportion of mould or black argillaceous loam, and bearing the marks of being occasionally flooded. We again, but equally in vain as before, attempted to reach the southern side of the large sheet of water; we could find no channel between the flats in that direction. We had the distant view of several fires among the trees, a circumstance which assists in explaining the so frequent burnt appearance of the trees and shrubs in Western Australia; we have no doubt that they owed their production to the natives. On the previous night our fire rapidly caught the adjoining underwood and low vegetation, and we remarked a considerable space that had similarly suffered between our present and former touching here. The rocks off and at Two-Bare-Patches Head, are calcareous, and extend along the sandy beach a short way to the S.W. We had great difficulty in ascertaing the periods of the tides at the different places; near the time of new moon we had the lowest water, at about 5 a.m., and the highest at about 9 or 10 at night, whilst there was an influx in the middle of the day, but scarce any fall till about 9 or 10 at night. In the estuary of Murray River, and in the harbour of Port Leschenault, were great numbers of swans and water birds, and up the river, multitudes of ducks. Fish were observed in abundance, particularly in Port Vasse.

November 30th.—Returned to the ship, having touched at the reefs and islands in the northern part of the bay, formed between Cape Bouvard and Point (B),^[2] and gone outside of the rocks and reefs off Cape Peron, as, with the smooth water of the 17th, we had only enough of water inside, and there was now a considerable sea on; we kept nearer Cape Peron than Garden Island in coming in, and passed between several reefs which were all washed with the sea that was breaking over them; our truck gave us generally two and a half, and never less than two fathoms; this was a little before noon. Many of the men suffered at different times from slight attacks of Opthalmia, attended with considerable pain, but none were long incapacitated for work.

1. The references are to a Map in the hands of the Government, but it was not considered neccesary to enhance the price of the book by adding them to the publication.
2. See Note, page 35.