CAIRNCROSS ISLAND.
July 12.
We left at an early hour, steering North-North-West 1/2 West for Cairncross Island, which we passed at a distance of half a mile from the eastern side in 16 fathoms. Its height is seventy-five feet to the tops of the trees, which, according to Mr. Bynoe, who subsequently visited it in the month of September, are dwarf gums. The tea-tree of the colonists is also found here, in addition to some small bushes. This island is the resort of a large bright cream-coloured pigeon (Carpophaga leucomela) the ends of the wings being tipped with black, or very dark blue. Mr. Bynoe found the island quite alive with them; flocks of about twenty or thirty flying continually to and from the main. They not only resort but breed there, as he found several old nests. As this bird was not met with in the Beagle on the western coast, we may fairly conclude it only inhabits the eastern and northern; the furthest south it was seen by the officers of H.M.S. Britomart was latitude 20 degrees. In addition to these, Mr. Bynoe saw the holes of some small burrowing animals, which are doubtless rats. On a sandy spit, close to the bushes or scrub, he saw a native encampment of a semicircular form, enclosing an area of about ten yards. The occupants had but recently left it, as a fire was found burning, and the impression of their feet still fresh in the sand. It appears that at this season of the year, being the favourable monsoon for ships passing through the Barrier reefs on their voyage to India, the islands to the southward are much frequented by the natives of Murray and others of the northern isles, waiting, like wreckers of old, the untoward loss of some ill-fated ship, when their canoes appear as if by magic, hastening to the doomed vessel; just as in the Pampas of South America, no sooner has the sportsman brought down a deer than the air is filled with myriads of vultures winging their way towards the carcass, though a few minutes before not a feather was stirring. The long-sightedness of these Indians resembles that of the carrion bird itself,* while their rapacity and recklessness of blood is fully equal to that of the lower animal.
(*Footnote. As some of our readers may imagine that vultures and birds of prey are attracted to the carcasses of animals by smell, I may state that an experiment was tried with a condor in South America; being hoodwinked, he passed unnoticed a large piece of beef, but as soon as the bandage was removed, he rushed eagerly towards and devoured it.)
PUDDING-PAN HILL.
We left our readers at Cairncross Island, and now return to our narrative by describing the neighbouring coast. The most remarkable feature on this part of the mainland, generally speaking a dull monotonous level, is a hill bearing over the extremity of the reef fronting the south side of Cairncross, South 45 degrees West, to which Captain Bligh has given the quaint name of Pudding-Pan Hill. It received this appellation from a resemblance to an inverted pudding dish, commonly used by sailors, and is 354 feet high. The coast about ten miles to the northward projects a mile and a half further eastward than is marked in the chart. This error did not however appear to be so great south of Escape River, where the character of the coast is low and cliffy, separated by small sandy bays; instead of a continued line of cliffs as at present represented.
ESCAPE RIVER.
At noon we were in the parallel of the south point of Escape River, in latitude 10 degrees 58 minutes South, observations and bearings both agreeing. This river receives its name in record of one of those narrow escapes to which surveying vessels are subject, Captain King having been nearly wrecked in the Mermaid. Attempting to enter the river he found it not to be navigable, a reef extending across its mouth, on which his vessel struck very heavily.
CORRECT POSITION OF REEFS.
Avoiding Captain King's track, we passed to the eastward of reef x, being thus afforded a better opportunity of determining its position than he had. This we did by transit bearings with different points, which placed it nearly two miles South by East of the spot assigned it on the charts.*