THE BEAGLE.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 55, 25 March 1843, Page 219

THE BEAGLE.

[From the Hobart Town Courier."] Her Majesty's surveying ship Beagle has arrived in the Derwent on her return to England, after having completed the arduous duties to which she had been appointed, and upon which she has been engaged for nearly six years. We take the opportunity to lay some particulars of the important work which has been performed from a. sketch published in the Sydney Morning Herald: — " The objects of her voyage were not confined to one spot or portion of the coast, but generally to complete all parts that had hitherto escaped the notice of, or had not been visited by, previous navigators, particularly portion^ of the north-western coast which were not seen by Captains Flinders and King, or by the French expedition under Com. modore Baudin in the year 1802: " The Beagle left England originally under the command of Captain J. C. Wickham. This officer, however, after two harassing voyages to the northwest coast — in which several interesting points were established, and two rivers (the Adelaide and the Victoria) discovered — was necessitated to return to England on account of bad health, brought on by the extreme heat of the climate, when the command devolved upon Captain J. L. Stokes, who has completed the objects of her voyage, and now takes her horne — to receive, it is hoped, the reward of his long and useful services. " To describe the work performed, in the succession in which it was executed, would be out of place here. It is better, therefore, to give a general summary of the different portions of the survey in the order, as to position, in which they follow each other. " Commencing, therefore, with the eastern coast. The inner route towards Torres Strait was twice navigated on the way to the north coast, and several important corrections and additions made to the charts now in use. Of the latter may be mentioned the determination of a better outlet than the one to the north of Wednesday and Hammond Islands, viz., by passing through Endeavour Strait, which hitherto has been considered to be too shoal for vessels of large burden. Captain Stokes has, however, ascertained that, by keeping nearer to Walks' Isles, a good channel or outlet exists, in which there is not less than five fathoms water. The passage, therefore, through this part of Torres Strait has been very much improved. " The next important feature of the Beagle's voyage was the discovery of two considerable rivers at the bottom of the Gulf of Carpentaria, flowing through a fine country in a south-westefly direction for sixty miles, navigable for thirteen miles for vessels of thirteen feet draft, and to within five miles of where the water is fresh. The boats, however, traced it for nearly fifty miles further, to the latitude of 17 ° 59', and longitude 139 ° 30. The climate was found, in the month of August, to be of an agreeable character, the thermometer in that month indicating an average temperature of 60 ° , the minimum being 50 ° . To these rivers the names of • Albert ' and * Flinders ' were given. The character of the country is low, and the soil chiefly alluvial. No satisfactory reason has been given for the low temperature of this tropical region, which, as the latitude is about 17 ° , ought at least to have been 70 °0r75 ° . The situation of these rivers may, at no distant period, open a road to the interior, which is at present wrapped up in doubt and mystery. " The next discovery in succession to the west was that of the Adelaide River, at the north-west part of the Gulf of Van Diemen, similar in character to the Alligator Rivers, which were discovered in the year 1818, falling into the gulf at its southern part. Proceeding farther, another river was found, of more importance, as to size, than any previously known in Intertropical Australia. It was called the • Victoria.' It extends for about 150 miles to the S.E. by E., and is navigable for vessels of burden for sixty miles from the entrance ; its further examination was made by a pedestrian party to the latitude of 15 ° 36', and longitude 130 ° 52', and was left still flowing from the S.E. This position is about 500 miles from the centre of the continent. The character of the river may better be understood from the following extract from Captain Stokes' journal : ' The valley through which the river passes varies in its stature, from treeless, stony plains to rich alluvial flats, lightly timbered with a white-Stemmed gUm. The banks are steep and high, thickly clothed with the acacia, drooping eucalyptus, and. tall refcds. There was no perceptible stream in the tipper reaches ; but, if we may judge from the inclination of the stems of the trees growing in the bed, and heaps.of large boulders in the channel of the river, the. Victoria, at some recent period; must have been a large and rapid river.' " Whilst employed in making observations at Cape Pearce, which forms the north entrance of this rivet-, Capt, Stokes was treacherously speared by the natives. The wound was a severe one, but assistance being rendered, his life was happily saved. It is a curious coincidence that the three officers whose services as surveyors in the late expedition have been most prominent, viz., Captain Stokes, Mr. A. B. Usborne, master; and Mr. Fitemaurice, mate, each met with 1 serious wounds in the prosecution of their duty, Messrs. Usborne and Fitzmaurice from muskets accidentally exploding! the former was obliged to invalid in consequence; and the latter (who, however, has persevered to the last) will be lame for life. , " The rivers' Albert and Flinders to the eastward, arid that of Victoria to the westward, converge in the direction of their sources apparently to one common point— to which also do the intermediate riven, the Alligators and the Adelaide. It seems probable that all derive their origin from some large inland marsh or lake, to which they serve as drains. It is not unlikely that there may be a low tract of land between the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Great Horseshoe Swamp, found by Mr. Eyre in the northern part of- the province of South Australia. ** With respect, however, to the climate of the country in the neighbourhood of the Victoria, the temperature; ranging between 95 ° and 1 10 ° , was found by the Beagle's officers, in the month of November, to be almost insufferable, and quite different to that experienced at the Albert, in the Gulf of Carpentaria. It would seem, from Captain Stoke*' description above inserted, to resemble in character the country tbout Cambridge Gulf, which

has its embouchure to the sea a short distance to the westward. " The next part of the north-west coast visited by the Beagle was the opening that was supposed to exist at the back of the Buccaneer's Archipelago. Perhaps no part of the whole coast promised to be of greater interest, and raised hopes of the existence there of a large river, hopes that were justified by the great rise and fall of the tides, which exceeded thirty-six feet. It was, however, found to be but a comparatively unimportant indentation, the eastern part, or Collier's Bay*, being nothing more than a shallow sinuosity of the coast line, and the western part narrowed gradually into a tolerably extensive sound, terminated by Fitzroy River, which was braced for twenty-five miles in a southerly direction, drainingthe lowland from and through which it flowed. ., _The opening near Cape LatoucheTreville, which was thought also to be another outlet of the supposed river, or else the mouth of a second, was an open bay, not affording even sheltered anchorage: The interval between this part and Depuch Island was also explored, but not found to contain any inlet or feature bf importance. It is generally a sandy and low sterile coast; fronted by a shoal approach and several sand-banks,, the positions of which were ascertained. The Monte-Bello Islands were also correctly and minutely surveyed, as also some rocks in the neighbourhood, which are doubtless the Trial Rocks of former navigators. " On the west coast, the Hdutman's Abrolhos was also explored and surveyed, together with the coast within it, where the fertile appearance of the coast gave strong indications of the presence of a country favourable for settling. It is here that Governor Grey recommended the Australind Company to establish themselves. Fortunately, however, they had located themselves at the inlet called Port Leschehuralt; for they afterwards ascertained that the former would not have suited their wants. Several new anchorages about Rottnest and Gage's Road, off Swan River, were also examined and surveyed, in which much advantage will be derived by the colonists at Western Australia. " South Australia has also had the advantage of the Beagle's services, in the survey of the anchorage and port at Adelaide. " But perhaps the most important, because useful, work performed by the Beagle has been the detailed survey of Bass's Strait, which has been just cordpleted by Captain Stokes, with the aid of the Government of Van Diemen's Land, which, in the most liberal way! at once acceded to the request of Captain Stokes, by devoting to his. services the use of the colonial cutter Tahsittart, for the survey of the southern portion of the eastern entrance of the Strait. The command of the vessel was temporarily given to Mr. C. C. Forsyth, mate of the Beagle. " The result of these labours has been the completicjn of the survey, in which the proper and relative position of the various headlands, capes, and islands which are so prominent and numerous in the Strait are laid down ; with the tides, soundings, and description of several new anchorages, in a manner that cannot but be of immense importance to the commercial interests of the colony. Much important information relative to' the entrance of Port Dalrymple; as well as that of Port Phillip and the Channel within in it, the approaches to and anchorages to the southward of Corner Inlet, have also been furnished by the operations of the Beagle during this important survey. Much labour and personal exertion have been bestowed upon this work, and too much praise cannot be given to those who have been prominent therein. It may be, however, necessary to say that it was commenced by Captain Wickham, and completed by Captain Stokes. " This, however, would not have been the last work which the Beagle would have performed for the colony, but for obstacles which unexpectedly presented themselves and prevented Captain Stokes from making a survey of the neighbouring coasts of Port Jackson. The necessity for a chart of the coast is very urgent, from discrepancies which have been found to exist in the only chart now in use, and the principal materials for it have been from time to time prepared as the Beagle passed up and down the coast. It is to be lamented that this de. sirable matter could not have been accomplished. " It is unnecessary to follow the Beagle with more detail through her various movements upon the long and tedious -service upon which she has been employed. Suffice to say that the fruit of her voyage has been of the greatest importance to the navigation of the coasts, which will be amply proved when the charts of her voyage* particularly that of Bass' 4 Straits, are published rind placed within the reach of navigators, by whom alone, from the unpretending manner in which the work has been performed, it can be estimated as it deserves. . . P. P. W."

Tbk Cotton Plant. — The shrub which bean the cotton grows to the height of three or four feet, and in verdure resembles the currant-bush- ; it requires some months to bring its delicate produce to perfection. It is planted between the rows of rice, Which does not impede its growth,- or. prevent its being reaped: Soon after the rice haVvftst is over,, the cotton-bushes put forth a beautiful yellow fldwer, with a crimson eye in etch petal ; I thii is succeeded by a green pod, filled with a white stringy pulp j the pod turns hard and brown as it-ripens, and then separates into two or three divisions, containing the cotton. A luxuriant I field, exhibiting at the same time the expanding blossom, the bunting capsule; and the snowyflakes of rip* cotton 1 , is one of the most beautiful objects in the agriculture of Hindoitan. i ELSCTBiCAL Agenct.— -Arsenic oroxmuriate of mercury, applied in sufficient quantity to a Hvmg part, ctfuses decomposition. The same quantity of either agent, when applied to any part of a dead body, does not leave a stain even. Alcohol, which may cause mortification of the living stomach, is employed by anatomists to preserve the dead organ. Oxalic acid, so rapidly destructive of living organization, merely whitens dead matter. Some agents, however, such at the concentrated mineral acids, decompose both dead and living matter, Dot in different ways. The poison of « cobras or a rattlesnake, applied to a dead body, Ha* no visible effect; how .different in the case of the living S - What but electrical agency «ri explftit these^ differences ?—F*Uacit* of /*» Faculty. Bf 8. 2W*. son,M.D. , ..