On Christmas Day we all dined together in a little booth made of boughs, which we dressed up as gaily as we could. I could not but feel considerable pleasure in seeing the happy countenances of the men ranged round the rough plank that formed our table. We sat down, a little band of nine, bound upon an adventure of which the issue to any and all of us was very uncertain: yet no forebodings appeared to damp the pleasure of the present moment; and as I anxiously looked round I could not detect the slightest trace of a gloomy thought in any of the cheerful faces that surrounded me. After dinner we drank the Queen's health, the first time such a toast had been given in these regions; and then, Mr. Walker and myself retiring to talk alone, left the rest to their own amusements.
1838.
PLANTING USEFUL SEEDS.
The interval between that and New Year's Day found and left us full of occupation. On this latter day I had resolved to do homage to the country by a seasonable gift; and therefore, rising with the earliest dawn, spent the whole day in planting, in various positions, seeds of the most useful fruits and vegetables. Those we had already planted were doing well, and I hoped that this benefaction might prove one of no small value, perhaps to civilized man, or at least to the natives of the vicinity.
WALK TO MUNSTER WATER.
January 4.
A party of us this day walked to Hanover Bay for the purpose of making some observations on the sandy beach there, after which we went over to Prince Regent's River, near Munster Water. The country until near the bank of the river at this point was of the same sandy nature as that about the beach: there however it improves; and from the circumstance of my finding a regular haunt of the natives I feel sure that there is plenty of fresh water in the neighbourhood. This place of their sojourn resembled one before described, and many others I had seen. An extensive circle was formed by laying a large flat stone upon the ground, and on each of these a smaller one; between the two they evidently crushed the shellfish and nuts which formed their food. Near some of the stones were laid huge shells for the purpose of drinking from; and in the centre of the circle were the marks of frequent fires. We heard the natives calling to one another in the woods, but saw none of them; and in the evening returned to our encampment.
ISTHMUS NEAR HANOVER BAY.
January 6.
I made an excursion this day for the purpose of examining the land lying between Port George the Fourth and Hanover Bay: it consists of a low neck which connects the peninsula terminating in High Bluff Point with the main. Thus it is bounded on two sides by the sea, and on the other two by rocky hills which are perfectly precipitous, both towards the main and the peninsula; but a natural terrace runs along under the cliff in the direction of Camden Sound, which I believe would form a good road to that harbour. The tract thus enclosed appears to be very fertile. Porphyry and basalt are the common rocks. The soil is rich vegetable mould, mixed with gravel and covered with the most luxuriant grass. The trees were in general small. We only found three springs here; these however were sufficient to prove that it was well supplied in this respect. A species of plant was observed here, which in appearance and smell exactly resembled the jasmine of England: and it would be difficult to give any adequate impression of the singular sensation of pleasure derived from the sight of this simple emblem of home. Here were regular beaten tracks of the natives, as completely pathways as those we find in England leading from a village to a farmhouse.