Читать книгу Northmost Australia - Robert Logan Jack - Страница 41

"I steered for an island called by Lieutenant Bligh Mountainous Island, and when joined by the boats [2nd September] ran into a bay of that island [3rd September, MOUNT ADOLPHUS ISLAND.—R. L. J.], where we saw INDIANS on the beach. The water was shoal, and the Indians waded off to the boats. I gave them some presents and made them sensible that we were in want of water. They brought us a vessel filled with water, which had been given them for the purpose, and they returned to fill it again. They used many signs to signify they wished us to land, but we declined their invitation from motives of prudence.

"Just as a person was entering the water with the second vessel of water, an arrow was discharged at us by another person, which struck my boat on the quarter, and perceiving that they were collecting bows and arrows, a volley of small arms was fired at them, which put them to flight. I did not think proper to land and get water by force, as land was seen at that time in different directions, which by appearance was likely to produce that article, and which I flattered myself we might be able to procure without being drove to that extremity. I therefore ran close along the shore of this island and landed at different places at some distance from the former situation. I also landed at another island near it, which I called PLUM ISLAND [Thomson's footnote: 'TREE ISLAND.' Possibly LITTLE ADOLPHUS ISLAND. R. L. J.], from its producing a species of that fruit, but we were unsuccessful in finding the article we were in search of and in so much want of.

"In the evening [3rd September] we steered for the islands which we supposed were those called by Captain Cook the PRINCE OF WALES ISLANDS, and before midnight came to a grapnel...near one of these islands, in a large sound formed by several of the surrounding islands, to several of which we gave names, and called the sound SANDWICH SouND. [2] It is fit for the reception of ships, having from 5 to 7 fathoms of water. There is plenty of wood on most of the islands, and by digging we found very good water [in the morning of 4th September. R.L.J.] on the flat part of a large island which I called LAFORY'S ISLAND [Basil Thomson's Note: HORN ISLAND], situated on the larboard hand as we entered the sound from the eastward. We saw a burying-place and several wolves [Basil Thomson's Note: 'Dingoes'] near the watering-place, but we saw no natives. Here we filled our several vessels with water and made two canvas bags, in which we also put water, but with this assistance we had barely the means to take a gallon of water for each man in the boats. We sent

[1) Evidently an interpolation, being practically a quotation from the Captain's log, which Mr. Hamilton probably saw at Batavia. R. L. T.]

[2) Basil Thomson's Note: "Now called Prince of Wales Channel. It is the best channel through Torres Straits, and if Edwards' narrative had been published, his discovery would doubtless have been perpetuated in his name."]

our kettles on shore and made tea and portable broth, and a few oysters we picked off the rocks, with which we made a comfortable meal, indeed the only one which we had made since the day before we left the ship."