Just as I was about to leave the place a whale was announced and instantly three boats well manned were seen cutting through the water, a harpooneer standing up at the stern of each with oar in hand and assisting the rowers by a forward movement at each stroke. It was not the least interesting scene in these my Australian travels thus to witness from a verandah on a beautiful afternoon at Portland Bay the humours of the whale fishery and all those wondrous perils of harpooneers and whale boats of which I had delighted to read as scenes of the stormy north. The object of the present pursuit was "a hunchback" and it being likely to occupy the boats for some time I proceeded homewards.
SAGACITY OF THE NATIVES ON THE COAST.
I understood it frequently happened that several parties of fishermen left by different whaling vessels would engage in the pursuit of the same whale, and that in the struggle for possession the whale would occasionally escape from them all and run ashore, in which case it is of little value to whalers as the removal, etc., would be too tedious and they in such cases carry away part of the head matter only. The natives never approach these whalers, nor had they ever shown themselves to the white people of Portland Bay but, as they have taken to eat the castaway whales, it is their custom to send up a column of smoke when a whale appears in the bay, and the fishers understand the signal. This affords an instance of the sagacity of the natives for they must have reflected that, by thus giving timely notice, a greater number will become competitors for the whale and that consequently there will be a better chance of the whale running ashore, in which case a share must fall finally to them. The fishers whom I saw were fine able fellows; and with their large ships and courageous struggles with the whales they must seem terrible men of the sea to the natives. The neat trim of their boats set up on stanchions on the beach looked well, with oars and in perfect readiness to dash at the moment's notice into the angry surge. Upon the whole, what with the perils they undergo and their incessant labour in boiling the oil, these men do not earn too cheaply the profits derived from that kind of speculation. I saw on the shore the wreck of a fine boat which had been cut in two by a single stroke of the tail of a whale. The men were about to cast their net into the sea to procure a supply of fish for us when the whale suddenly engaged all hands.
We returned along the shore of the bay, intersecting at its estuary the mouth of the little river last crossed and which, at the request of Mr. Henty, I have named the Surry. This river enters Portland Bay in latitude 38 degrees 15 minutes 43 seconds South; longitude (by my survey)141 degrees 58 minutes East. We encamped on the rich grassy land just beyond and I occupied for the night a snug old hut of the natives.
August 31.
Early this morning Richardson caught a fine bream and I had indeed been informed by Messrs. Henty that these streams abound with this fish.
MOUNT CLAY.
On ascending the highest point of the hill immediately behind the estuary of the Surry and which I named Mount Clay, I found it consisted of good forest land, and that its ramifications extended over as much as three miles. Beyond it we descended into the valley of the Fitzroy, and at noon I ascertained the latitude where we had before forded it to be 38 degrees 8 minutes 51 seconds South. The river had risen in the interim a foot and a half, so that we were obliged to carry the flour across on the heads of the men wading up to the neck. When we reached the summit of Mount Eckersley, the horizon being clear, I completed my series of angles on points visible from that station by observing the Julian Island and Mount Abrupt, two of great importance in my survey which were hidden from our sight by the squally weather when I was last on this hill.
RETURN TO THE CAMP.
We reached the camp about sunset and found all right there, the carts having been drawn out of the bogs, all the claw-chains repaired by the blacksmith, our hatchets resteeled, and two new shafts made for the heavy carts. Piper had during our absence killed abundance of kangaroos, and I now rejoiced at his success on account of the aboriginal portion of our party for whose stomachs, being of savage capacity, quantity was a more important consideration than quality in the article of food, and we were then living on a very reduced scale of rations. On my return from such excursions The Widow and her child frequently gave notice of our approach long before we reached the camp: their quick ears seemed sensible of the sound of horses' feet at an astonishing distance, for in no other way could the men account for the notice which Turandurey and her child, seated at their own fire, were always the first to give of my return, sometimes long before our appearance at the camp. Piper was usually the first to meet me and assure me of the safety of the party, as if he had taken care of it during my absence; and I encouraged his sense of responsibility by giving him credit for the security they had enjoyed. A serene evening, lovely in itself, looked doubly beautiful then as our hopes of getting home were inseparable from fine weather, for on this chance our final escape from the mud and bogs seemed very much to depend. The barometer however indicated rather doubtfully.