EXAMINATION OF BOYDAN ISLAND.
We had just read Captain P.P. King's interesting pamphlet in relation to this sad event, detailing with minuteness all the circumstances of the tragedy, and with our minds so recently imbued with the horrors it inspired, naturally advanced to the search with zeal and activity; anxious, if possible, to place the locality of its occurrence beyond a doubt. The isle was easily traversed, being of small extent, not more, indeed, than a mile in circumference. We crossed it accordingly in every direction, and discovered the remains of native fires, near which great quantities of turtle bones, and some coconut shells were scattered about. It was remarkable that wherever boughs were cut, an axe or some other sharp instrument had been used. A topmast with the lower cap attached to it, was found on the South-East side of the island, which we afterwards discovered to be a portion of the brig William, wrecked on the outer barrier three months before.
Captain King drew his conclusions relative to this island from the circumstance of young Ireland's stating, that on their way to it in the canoe, after leaving the raft, they first passed three islands on the right northward, and one on the left southward.
CORRECT CHART.
From the bearings, however, and from our run on the following morning we found it necessary to correct the chart, thus decreasing the number of islands. We found that marked 5, to have no existence, and 6, far too much to the westward, while 8 and 10 were placed to the eastward of their true position. These errors occasionally occur where they are numerous, much alike, and are passed quickly. The change in the number and position of the islands is in some measure hostile to the views of Captain King, and I am further inclined, from these corrections, to draw the conclusion that Number 4 of the group is Boydan island, a name given by the Murray islanders, to the spot rendered notorious by the cold-blooded massacre we have already alluded to, and which will be described more in detail in Captain Stanley's highly interesting narrative, further on in the present work.
On examining the reef fronting the island, which is a more perfect specimen of a lagoon than any we had yet seen, we found that the outer edge consisted of a wall higher than any of the parts within, rising at low-water, to an elevation of ten feet, while inside, pools or holes existed, three or four feet deep, containing live coral, sponges, sea-eggs, and trepang. Scattered about on different parts of the reef were many Chama gigas, not, however, so large as those I had formerly seen at Keeling or Cocos Islands, in the Indian Ocean, weighing 220 pounds.
Singular to say, at 3 P.M., I observed the latitude by a meridian altitude of Venus, although a bright sunny day. The result agreed with Captain King's chart, placing the centre of the island in latitude 11 degrees 28 minutes South.
TIDAL OBSERVATIONS.
We experienced more tide here than at any anchorage we had yet occupied during the passage. From 1 to 5 P.M., it set half an knot an hour to the southward, then changed to North-West by North, increasing its rate to one knot by 10 o'clock, and decreasing it to a quarter of a knot by 2 A.M., when it again set to the South-South-West. The stream thus appears to set nine hours North-West by North and three South-South-West. The short duration of the latter, which is the ebb, is caused by the northerly direction of the prevailing current. This also was the only spot where our fishermen had any success; in a few hours several dozen of a species of small red bream being caught.
Three or four ships passing together would find a secure berth about two miles North-North-East of where the Beagle anchored, where the depth is moderate, with good holding ground. It has great advantage in this particular over Cairncross, where but one vessel could lie snug, and still greater over Turtle Island, more exposed even than the former with a strong tide, and where vessels ride very uneasily. Moreover the supposed Boydan, or Number 1 isle, can be left a full hour before daylight, there being nothing in the way to impede a ship's progress for some miles. Those who are not desirous of passing the reefs off Wednesday and Hammond Islands, late in the day, with the sun in an unfavourable position, can find a convenient stopping place in Blackwood Bay under the largest York isle, or under the Cape of that name.