shoulder by NATIVES from an ambush in a cliff. Having drawn out
the spear, he ran, with the natives in pursuit, to safety in the arms
of a party of sailors coming from the boat with instruments. By
1 2th December, he had recovered from the wound sufficiently to
bear the motion of the vessel, which accordingly left Point Pearce
for the Swan River settlement. Twelve days later, he was " just
able to crawl on the poop." At the SWAN RIVER, he was interested
in the shipping in Gage's Roads, which included some American
whalers, and in the infant city of PERTH. On 25th March, 1840, he visited the penal establishment for aborigines on ROTTNEST ISLAND. A surveying cruise to the north, along the western coast of Australia, commenced on 4th April and ended at TIMOR on 23rd July, 1840.
TIMOR was left behind about 9th August. The SWAN RIVER was revisited. The town of ALBANY was visited on 2nd and ADELAIDE on 27th November, and the " Beagle " returned to SYDNEY on 23d December.
2. SECOND CAPE YORK SURVEYING VOYAGE, 1841
On yd June, 1841, the " Beagle " again left SYDNEY for Torres Strait, this time in command of Captain Stokes, as Captain Wickham had not recovered from dysentery contracted at the Swan River. On anchoring on iqth June at RESTORATION ISLAND, off Cape Weymouth (SEE MAP B), it was found that the island was temporarily occupied by a large party of BLACKS from Torres Strait, who had come in canoes. Some further surveying was done between POSSESSION and WALLIS ISLANDS (SEE MAP A), and BOOBY ISLAND was reached on 2yd June (SEE MAP H).
On 27th June, the "Beagle" lay off BOLD POINT (17 S. ; 140 56' E.), on the Cape York Peninsula. Two miles north- north-east of the point, an inlet was observed, and, following Flinders, it was taken for Tasman's Van Diemen Inlet. It was explored in whale-boats by Messrs. Forsyth, Fitzmaurice and Tarrant up to fresh water, a distance of 27 miles by the windings, but not more than 10 in a direct east-south-easterly line. NATIVES were seen, but they displayed no hostility. This inlet is, in fact, as later exploration has proved, the largest of the many MOUTHS OF THE GILBERT RIVER.
Leaving Bold Point on $th July, the " Beagle " reached BOUNTIFUL ISLAND[1] (16 41' S. ; 139 55' E.), east of Mornington Island, the following day. On 8th July, she dropped anchor in INVESTIGATOR ROADS, between Sweers and Bentinck Islands. (SEE MAP M.) On the latter were found the well sunk by Flinders and a tree branded " Investigator." About a dozen NATIVES were observed under MOUNT INSPECTION, but they displayed no hostility.
- ↑ So named by Flinders on account of the abundance of turtles.
