few days elapsed before the vessel was swept by the force of the tide upon a sand-bank, where she lay, striking continually, during two hours and a half. A loud crash which attended one of these shocks, gave reason to fear some serious damage; but, on heaving the cutter off, no material injury was detected, and the voyage was continued. It afterwards proved, however, that extensive mischief had occurred, and by the middle of September, it became necessary to lay the ship down for the purpose of examination and repair. Port Bowen, on the North-west coast, presented the necessary facilities, and no time was lost in securing the vessel and landing the stores. On inspection, the state of things was found to be exceedingly alarming. The keel was much damaged, and its hold of the stern-post greatly weakened; while the spike nails that fastened the planking, were found to be in an advanced stage of oxidation. The copper sheathing was now the only security, and there was every reason for apprehending that, before it could be possible to reach Port Jackson, the starting of a plank would terminate the expedition by sinking the cutter and her crew, without the possibility of escape. Happily, however, they reached Sydney Cove in safety on the 6th of December, though they had nearly been wrecked in the very sight of home. The whole history of navigation affords few more extraordinary instances of escape from almost inevitable destruction, than the following.

At 2h. 40m. a. m., by the glare of a flash of lightning, the land was suddenly discovered close under our lee: we hauled to the wind immediately, but the breeze at the same moment fell, and the swell being heavy, the cutter made but little progress. Sail was made as quickly as possible, and as the cutter headed N N.E., there was every likelihood of her clearing the land; but a quarter of an hour afterwards, by the light of another flash, it was again seen close to us, stretching from right a-head to our lee-quarter, and so near, that the breakers were distinctly seen gleaming through the darkness of the night. A third flash of lightning confirmed our fears as to the dangerous situation we were in; and as there was not room to veer, the helm was immediately put a-lee; but, as was feared, the cutter refused stays. We were now obliged to veer as a last resource, and the sails being manœuvred, so as to perform this operation as quickly as possible, we fortunately succeeded in the attempt, and the cutter's head was brought to the wind upon the other tack without her striking the rocks. We were now obliged to steer as close to the wind as possible, in order to weather the reef on which the sea was breaking, within five yards to leeward of the vessel: our escape appeared to be next to impossible. The night was of a pitchy darkness, and we were only aware of our situation from time to time as the lightning flashed: the interval, therefore, between the flashes, which were so vivid as to

illumine the horizon round, was of a most awful and appalling nature; and the momentary succession of our hopes and fears, which crowded rapidly upon each other, may be better imagined than described. We were evidently passing the line of breakers very quickly; but our escape appeared to be only possible through the interposition of a Divine Providence, for, by the glare of a vivid stream of forked lightning, the extremity of the reef was seen within ten yards from our lee-bow; and the wave which floated the vessel, the next moment broke upon the rocks with a surf as high as the vessel's mast head. At this dreadful moment, the swell left the cutter, and she struck upon a rock with such force, that the rudder was nearly lifted out of the gudgeons. Fortunately we had a brave man and a good seaman at the helm, for, instantly recovering the tiller, by a blow from which he had been knocked down when the vessel struck, he obeyed my orders with such attention and alacrity, that the sails were kept full; so that, by her not losing way, she cleared the rock before the suc ceeding wave flowed from under her, and the next moment, a flash of lightning shewed to our almost unbelieving eyes, that we had passed the extremity of the rocks, and were in safety! This sudden deliverance from the brink of destruction was quite unexpected by all on board our little vessel, and drew from us a spontaneous acknowledgement of gratitude to the only source to which our providential escape could be attributed.'

The chief result of the present voyage, was the ascertainment of the superior safety and convenience of what is termed the in-shore route along the eastern coast of New Holland. The tremendous barrier of reefs that ranges parallel with that line of coast, and nearly fills up the channel between Cape York and New Guinea, leaves, between its inner side and the shore, a space of clear water, varying in width, and at all times 'perfectly smooth.' Wood and water are procurable from the proximity of the land; good anchorage is generally at hand; and it should seem that the passage may be effected in a shorter time. The outer navigation is extremely dangerous. The charts are as yet, and must be for a long time to come, incomplete; the danger of falling leeward is exceedingly great; anchorage is uncertain: and, in foggy weather, every hazard is indefinitely increased.

The shattered condition of the Mermaid rendered it expedient to abandon the intention of employing her in the succeeding investigations, and a larger, as well as much more convenient vessel was purchased, and named the Bathurst. May 26, 1821, Captain King again sailed to the east. At Clark's Island, near Cape Flinders, Mr. Cunningham, the naturalist, discovered some curious specimens of native art.

• The remarkable structure of the geological feature of this islet led me,' he observes, to examine the south-east part, which was the

most exposed to the weather, and where the disposition of the strata was of course more plainly developed. The base is a coarse, granular, siliceous sand-stone, in which large pebbles of quartz and jasper are embedded; this stratum continues for sixteen to twenty feet above the water for the next ten feet, there is a horizontal stratum of black schistose rock, which is of so soft a consistence, that the weather had excavated several tiers of galleries; upon the roof and sides of which some curious drawings were observed, which deserve to be particularly described. They were executed upon a ground of red ochre, (rubbed on the black schistus,) and were delineated by dots of a white argillaceous earth, which had been worked up into a paste. They represented tolerable figures of sharks, porpoises, turtles, lizards, (of which I saw several small ones among the rocks,) trepang, star-fish, clubs, canoes, water-gourds, and some quadrupeds, which were probably intended to represent kangaroos and dogs. The figures, besides being outlined by the dots, were decorated all over with the same pigment in dotted transverse belts. Tracing a gallery round to windward, it brought me to a commodious cave or recess, overhung by a portion of the schistus, sufficiently large to shelter twenty natives, whose recent fire-places appeared on the projecting area of the cave.

The roof and sides of this cavern were ornamented in the same way; and, on the whole, not fewer than a hundred and fifty figures gave testimony to the industry of the artist. In the night of the 1st of July, the Bathurst lost two of her anchors, and was in circumstances of considerable danger. In Hanover Bay, an interview with some of the natives was near producing disastrous effects. The savages were exceedingly irritable, and Captain King gave orders to retire in order to avoid a positive rupture. No sooner, however, had the party turned to depart, than spears were thrown, and Mr. Montgomery, the surgeon, was dangerously wounded in the back.

The next morning, at eleven o'clock, a native was seen on a float, or catamaran, paddling round the west point of the strait, and another man, a woman, and a child, were observed upon the rocks, who, in less than a quarter of an hour, came down to the spot where we met them yesterday, and began to wave and call to us. An opportunity now offered of punishing these wretches for their treacherous conduct, and of disappointing them in their present plans, for they were evidently intent upon some mischief. Mr. Bedwell was therefore despatched to secure their catamaran, which was hauled up on a sandy beach near the outer point, whilst another boat was sent towards the natives. When the latter arrived near the shore, they were sitting on the rock, and inviting us to land; but it was necessary to convince them that we were not so defenceless as they imagined, and as as we were sufficiently near, several muskets were fired over their heads one of them fell down behind a rock, but the other made off. The native who had fallen, was wounded in the shoulder, and was recognised to be the man that speared Mr. Montgomery: he made

soon

several attempts to get away, but every time his head appeared above the rock which concealed him from us, a pistol or a musket was fired to prevent his escape; at last, however, he sprang up, and, leaping upon the rock, with a violent effort, was instantaneously out of sight. As soon as he was gone, we pulled round to the sandy bay, where the natives had landed, and overtook Mr. Bedwell, who was passing by the place. Upon the beach we found two catamarans, or floats, on each of which a large bundle of spears was tied with ligatures of bark; and on searching about the grass, we soon found and secured all their riches, consisting of water-baskets, tomahawks, spears, throwingsticks, fire-sticks, fishing-lines, and thirty-six spears. Some of the latter were of a large size, and very roughly made, and one was headed with a piece of stone, curiously pointed and worked. This last spear is propelled by a throwing-stick, which was also found lying by it. After launching the catamarans, and securing every thing found upon them, they were towed round by the boats to where we had fired upon the natives, whilst a party walked over land to examine the place. On the way, several spears were discovered, placed ready for use on their retreat to the beach, where, from the quantity collected, they evidently intended to make a stand; supposing, no doubt, from our appearance yesterday, that we were defenceless, and would therefore fall an easy prey. On reaching the rock, behind which the native fell, it was found covered with blood; and Bundell, who probably did the deed, said the wound was on his shoulder. We traced their retreat by the blood for half a mile to the border of a mangrove inlet, which they had evidently crossed, for the marks of their feet were perceived imprinted in the mud. We then gave up the pursuit, and went on board.'

By the month of August, it became necessary to procure supplies; the loss of anchors, too, had been severely felt, and it was determined to run for the Mauritius, where the brig anchored on the 26th of September, and was detained until the 15th of November. St. George's Sound was the point fixed on by Captain King for wooding and watering previously to the recommencement of his survey, and he anchored there on the 23rd of December. One of the natives who came on board, exhibited more intelligence than is usually found among these savages. He clearly perceived the superiority of the Europeans, and testified a wish to accompany them on their departure. His resolution was, however, very effectually neutralised by a taste of sea-sickness, and 'Jack' was relanded. The natives here

'were well acquainted with the effect of a musket, although not the least alarmed at having one fired off near them. Every thing they saw, excited their admiration, particularly the carpenter's tools, and our clothes; but what appeared to surprise them above all other things, was the effect produced upon the flesh by a burning glass, and of its causing the explosion of a train of gunpowder. They perfectly understood that it was from the sun that the fire was produced, for, on one occasion, when Jack requested me to shew it to two or three

strangers whom he had brought to visit us, I explained to him, that it could not be done while the sun was clouded; he then waited patiently for five minutes, until the sunshine re-appeared, when he instantly reminded me of the removal of the obstacle. He was a good deal surprised at my collecting the rays of the sun upon my own hand, supposing that I was callous to the pain, from which he had himself before shrunk; but, as I held the glass within the focus distance, no painful sensation was produced; after which he presented me with his own arm, and allowed me to burn it as long as I chose to hold the glass, without flinching in the least, which, with greater reason, equally astonished us in our turn.'

Captain King began his examination of the western coast at Rottnest Island, the intermediate portion having been sufficiently explored by other navigators. Shark's Bay, though imperfectly surveyed by the recent expedition of Commodore Baudin, did not detain him, and he pushed forward for more urgent objects. Among the islands of Buccaneer's Archipelago, the vessel was in imminent danger.

It was my intention to have brought up under the lee of the point, where Dampier describes his having anchored in twenty-nine fathoms clear sandy ground; but, upon sounding the projection, the wind suddenly fell, and after a light squall from S.W. we had a dead calm ; the depth was thirty fathoms coral bottom, and therefore not safe to anchor upon. This was unfortunate, for the sudden defection of the wind prevented our hauling into the bay out of the tide, which was evidently running with considerable rapidity, and drifting us, without our having the means of preventing it, towards a cluster of small rocks and islands, through which we could not discover any outlet, and which were so crowded, that, in the dangerous predicament in which we found ourselves placed, they bore a truly awful and terrific appearance. At this time, I was at my usual post, the mast-head, directing the steerage of the vessel; but, as the brig was drifting forward by a rapid sluice of tide towards some low rocks, about a quarter of a mile off, that were not more than two feet above the water's edge, and upon which it appeared almost inevitable that we must strike, I descended to the deck, under the certain conviction that we could not escape the dangers that were strewed across our path, unless a breeze should spring up, of which there was not the slightest appearance or probability. Happily, however, the stream of the tide swept us past the rocks without accident, and, after carrying us about half a mile further, changed its direction to south-east, and drifted us towards a narrow strait, separating two rocky islands, in the centre of which was a large insulated rock that seemed to divide the stream. The boat was now hoisted out and sent a-head to tow, but we could not succeed in getting the vessel's head round. As she approached the strait, the channel became much narrower, and several islands were passed, at not more than thirty yards from her course. The voices of natives were now heard, and soon afterwards, some were seen on either side of the strait, hallooing and waving their arms. We were so near to