Alligators abound, and one of the marines had a very narrow escape from them. It appears that one of these monsters who had come out of the water in the night, in search of food, found him sleeping in his hammock, which he had very injudiciously hung up near the water. The alligator made a snap at his prize; but startled at this frightful interruption of his slumbers, the man dexterously extricated himself out of his blanket, which the unwieldy brute, doubtless enraged at his disappointment, carried off in triumph. For some time this story was not believed, but when afterwards the huge reptile, on a similar excursion, was shot, a portion of the blanket was found in his stomach with the paw of a favourite spaniel, taken when swimming off the pier head.
Extensive hauls of fish were made on Point Record, amongst which one species, there called salmon, was most excellent eating.
It is unnecessary for a transient visitor to enlarge upon the birds of Port Essington, as in Mr. Gould's work we have the result of the labours of an individual who spent months collecting in the neighbourhood.
The spot selected for our observations was Government House, where nearly a hundred observations with the sun and stars were made for latitude, the mean result being 11 degrees 22 minutes 21 seconds South, which strange to say, was nearly 15 seconds greater than Captain Stanley and Mr. Tyers' determination: this difference to me was quite unaccountable, as the instruments used in the Beagle were before and subsequently, satisfactorily tested at well determined places. The longitude being affected by the doubtful meridian distance between Sydney and Port Stephens, we can only give an approximate result; and therefore for the sake of the longitudes of those places referred to the meridian of Port Essington, we consider it 132 degrees 12 minutes East of Greenwich.
From the quantity of iron in the rocks at Victoria, it was impossible to get any satisfactory observation for the variation of the compass. Those obtained varied from 3/4 to 2 1/2 degrees east.
We found that Mr. Tyers had made about seven months' observations on the tides, which gave a very irregular rise and fall, varying from two to thirteen feet. The time of high-water being half past three, at the full and change. Oxide of iron is found in some places in large quantities, and is used by the natives to adorn themselves when dancing. This it is which gives to the coast the peculiar red hue noticed between Cape Croker and Port Essington. Many of the cliffs were composed of a light-coloured marl; but the formation is chiefly old arenaceous rocks. Two of the highest and most remarkable hills on the Peninsula, known as Mounts Bedwell and Rose, have singular flat tops, bearing some resemblance to the curious appearance of Cape Bedford. I am inclined to believe this formation to be floetz trappe. Their elevation is about four hundred feet, being twice the general height of the Peninsula.
RAFFLES BAY.
The temperature during our stay averaged 82 degrees while land and sea breezes prevailed. We should not omit to mention, that Lieutenant Stewart, when visiting Raffles Bay in order to invite the French officers as above alluded to, found that a deep inlet intervening, formed a good harbour, to which he gave the name of Port Bremer. Of the old settlement nothing remained, save the graves of those whose labours had tended to render this part of Australia another outlet for the surplus population of the mother country, extending at the same time the blessings of civilization. The rapid growth of rank vegetation had swept all else away, and there in solemn solitude, upon that still and silent shore, mouldered the bones of the original colonists of Raffles Bay, whose praiseworthy efforts were rendered futile, by the unfavourable reports forwarded to Government; reports we cannot think entirely free from prejudice, when we know from Captain Law's account, that one of the Commandants declared that he felt disposed to sell out of the army in preference to going there.* One thus prepared to dislike the place, could scarcely be expected to take an interest in the country, or endeavour fully to develop its resources.
(*Footnote. See Wilson's Voyage round the World page 153.)
We cannot avoid expressing our regret at the abandonment of the settlement in Raffles Bay, after it had gone on so far successfully under Captain Barker's excellent management. In mentioning his kindness to the natives, to whose goodwill we must always owe much, we have already given one of the causes which assisted in fostering the undertaking. Nothing could be more unwise than the hostility shown to the natives by the first settlers, as from them we must always calculate on learning much that is useful and valuable, with regard to the productions of the country; a knowledge which would otherwise consume much time to acquire. This was not the only matter, however, in which he showed his superior good sense and judgment. His enticing the people of Macassar to come and locate there, was another instance of his foresight, which would have led in time to very favourable results. He was soon, however, compelled to retract his invitation, writing from Coepang to the Dutch Governor of Macassar, in order to stop the immigration, which otherwise would have been considerable. With all these several elements of success, we should doubtless, but for the abandonment, have now had a flourishing settlement in Northern Australia. The causes which led to its breaking up, are thus succinctly given by Dr. Wilson. "The alleged causes were: first, the unhealthiness of the climate; secondly, the hostility of the natives; and thirdly, the non-visitation of the Malays."