CRUISE OF H.M.S. BEAGLE.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 6, 6 June 1874, Page 3

CRUISE OF H.M.S. BEAGLE.

(From the “ Sydney Morning Herald,” May 19th.)

The Beagle left Sydney on October Ist, called at Brisbane, where she remained ten days, and then proceeded to Cape York, taking as a passenger the new police magistrate for that place. Called at Cleveland Bay and the Endeavor Eiver, and visited the principal beche-le-mer stations, inside the Great Barrier, arriving at Somerset, Cape York, on November sth. A very extensive pearl-shell fishery was being carried on in Torres Straits, and the vessels engaged in it had beeen generally successful. The natives were giving a good deal of trouble at Cape York. They appeared to intend to attack the settlement. The Beagle left Cape York on November 13th, and arrived at Port Darwin on the 22nd, having been detained by calms and head winds in Van Dieman’s Gulf. When off Pprt Bssington, a canoe came off with four natives, one of whom could speak English very well. They were very anxious that the Beagle should visit that port; they said that the cattle are very plentiful which were left when the settlement was given up. There appeared to be a large population in Palmerston, but everything was dependent on the result of the gold crushing at the reefs. Many people had been disappointed in not finding alluvial diggings, and many had returned to Ithe other colonies, and given the place a bad name in consequence. Left Port Darwin on the 26th November, and arrived at Tien-tsin Bay on the 19th December, having experienced head winds all the passage. This place is generally known as the Nichol Bay settlement, which tends to mislead strangers visiting this coast, as there is no settlement in Nichol Bay, which is a mangrove bight, about thirty miles to the

westward, very shoal, and affording no shelter. The creek running up from Tientsin Bay, on which the township of Cossack is situated, is known as Butcher’s Inlet. and the whole is called Port Wallcott. Tin's is the head-quarters of the pearl shell fishery on the north-west coast. The town of Roc-bourne, about 12 miles N.N.E. from Cossack, is the principal place in the district, and there is a Government Resident there. Copper and lead have been found in large quantities n few miles from Roebonrne. and lately several specimens of gold have boon found in the copper. There is splendid pasture land in this part of Western Australia ; tho cattle and sheep are in prime condition. The want of water is the great drawback. the only spring for miles being the one on which Roebonrne is situated, from which nearly all the water used in Cossack has to be conveyed in casks. Tho pearl-shelling has been carried on from the Dam pi or Archipelagoto the east side of Exmouth Gulf, but it appearslikely that shells will bo found all along the north coast, as they are known to exist in Camden Harbour. There about 30 vessels employed in tho fishery, varying from cutters of 10 or 12 tons to schooners of 100. The larger vessels employ Malays, while the small ones are content with the natives of the country ; but the latter arc by far the best divers, and the expense of employing them is not. nearly so great. Unfortunately, the supply is not equal to the demand. All the vessels have done very fairly, and some remarkably well : the shells are of fair size, and sound, but very few pearls have been obtained this season. The Beagle left Port Walcott on January 3, and visited the pearling grounds, the extent of which is mentioned above, remaining there and cruising among the islands until the 9th February, when she returned to Port Walcott. The employers of Malay labour seemed much pleased to see a man of - war on the coast, as owing to the seizure of the Gift schooner last year they are rather apprehensive of the Malays. However they appeared well disposed and peaceful this year, but incurably lazy. One case of refusing work occurred in a small cutter, the JWaterlily, but nothing of any consequence. This part of the coast is a perfect labrinth of shoals and reefs, and, as there are no charts of it, it is very difficult navigation for a stranger. On the return of the Beagle to Port Walcott it was found that Colonel Warburton, the South Australian explorer, had arrived there, having passed through some months of frightful hardships, travelling over trackless deserts of sand. He struck the Oakover in December, and sent into Mr Grant’s station on the De Grey for provisions, &c, as they had been reduced to great extremities, having eaten all their camels but two. The Beagle left Port Walcott on the 18th February, and anchored in Shark’s Bay on the 7th March, having stopped two days at Beadon one of the mouths of the Ashburton river, to complete water. There is a very extensive pearl fishery carried on in Shark’s Bay, the fishing population numbering about 200 or 300, of whom a large portion are Malays. The pearls are principally straw coloured, and few have been found of any size—quantity not quality being the order of the day. The shells have been getting rather scarce lately, and many seemed disposed to leave the place. The work is carried on by dredging, the shells are then thrown into pits until they open, when the fish are taken out and put into tubs to rot, where they remain for about four or five days, and are then searched for the pearls. The refuse is left about in heaps, as are also the shells (which have little or no commercial value), and the consequence is that the stench about the encampments is something indescribable. The flies are innumerable, and other insects are also reported to exist. Altogether, Shark’s Bay is not the most delightful place in the world. The Beagle left Shark’s Bay on the 10th March, calling at Champion Bay on the 14th, and remaining till the 16th, and arrived at Fremantle on the 21st, having experienced a succession of strong southerly winds from the time of rounding the North West Cape. Having completed! provisions, &c., she left on the 20th April, and passed through Bass’s Straits on the 11th May, having met with light north-easterly winds nearly all the passage. On the 12th May experienced a heavy S.W. gale, and whilst lying-to she was thrown on her beam ends, losing the lee boat, but sustaining no other damage. The weather moderated on the morning of the 13th, but only temporarily, as heavy south-westerly gales have been experienced up to the 17th, She arrived in Sydney yesterday, after a most prosperous cruise. Lieutenant-Com-mander Rendall speaks highly of his vessel. He has tried her sailing qualities in all weathers, and she has always been more than a match for every craft she has met. In Bass’s Straits several ships were in company, and all hove-to with a S.W. gale, but the Beagle kept her course, and tripped before a heavy sea right merrily.