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CHAPTER L

MORESBY, continued

SECOND CRUISE OF THE "BASILISK" IN TORRES STRAIT, 1873

LEAVES SYDNEY, STH DECEMBER, 1872. REACHES CARDWELL, 2ND JANUARY, 1873. SCHOONERS "MELANIE" AND "CHALLENGE" CAPTURED AND TAKEN TO FITZROY ISLAND. UNCOVENANTED SOUTH SEA ISLANDERS ON BOARD, RECENTLY EMPLOYED IN DIVING FOR PEARL-SHELL. SHIPS CONDEMNED AS PRIZES IN BRISBANE. DECISION

REVERSED ON APPEAL TO PRIVY COUNCIL. RETROSPECTIVE EVIDENCE DISALLOWED. ANOTHER PRIZE, THE BARQUE "WOODBINE." PEARL-SHELL AND UNCOVENANTED LABOURERS ON BOARD. WAS THE SHELL GATHERED BEFORE THE NEW LEGISLATION? "WOODBINE" SENT TO BRISBANE. RELEASED FOR WANT OF EVIDENCE. BARQUE "CRISHNA," WITH SOUTH SEA ISLANDERS ON BOARD, SENT TO BRISBANE. CONDEMNED AND SOLD. THERE OUGHT TO BE A RIVER ENTERING LLOYD BAY. NETWORK OF SWAMPS, BUT No RIVER. LOCKHART RIVER DISCOVERED LATER. "BASILISK" TO SOMERSET. FRANK JARDINE. THE NATURALIST, COCKERILL, AND HIS COLLECTION OF BIRDS. "BASILISK" SURVEYING IN TORRES STRAIT. SADDLE ISLAND. GABBA ISLANDS. JERVIS ISLAND. PEARLING STATIONS. CORNWALLIS ISLAND, 3OTH JANUARY, 1873. SAIBAI AND CORNWALLIS ISLANDS AND PART OF NEW GUINEA COAST SURVEYED BY WHALE-BOAT PARTY. "BASILISK" TO WARRIOR ISLAND. PEARLERS IDLE, WAITING TILL LICENCES COULD BE OBTAINED. THROUGH BASILISK PASS TO COCO-NUT ISLAND. PEARLING. A MODEL VILLAGE. DARNLEY ISLAND, NOW CENTRE OF BECHE DE MER INDUSTRY. SAGO PALMS. MURRAY ISLANDS (IITH FEBRUARY). To REDSCAR BAY, NEW GUINEA. DISCOVERY OF PORT MORESBY. To SOMERSET (7TH MARCH). REJOINED BY WHALE-BOAT. SURVEY OF SOMERSET HARBOUR. "BASILISK" LOOKS FOR BETTER SITE FOR SETTLEMENT. MORESBY RECOMMENDS HAMMOND ISLAND. ANOTHER CRUISE AMONG ISLANDS. PEARLING SUSPENDED. AWAITING LICENCES. CORNWALLIS AND WARRIOR ISLANDS. YULE ISLAND. EASTERN END OF NEW GUINEA SURVEYED. CHINA STRAIT AND HAYTER, BASILISK AND MORESBY ISLANDS DISCOVERED. ISLANDS CLAIMED FOR GREAT BRITAIN. To SOMERSET. BOAT PARTIES REPORT EXTENSIVE SURVEYS OF WARRIOR REEF AND NEW GUINEA COAST. ANOTHER CRUISE AMONG PEARLING STATIONS. WORK SUSPENDED. WAITING FOR LICENCES. LEAVES SOMERSET,

24TH MAY. ARRIVES AT BRISBANE, 2IST JUNE, 1873.

AFTER cruising among the islands of Polynesia from May till 24th September, the "Basilisk" left Sydney on 8th December, 1872, for Torres Strait and New Guinea. On calling at Brisbane, Moresby again met the Governor, Lord Normanby, and Mr. Palmer, the Premier, of Queensland, from whom he learned, among other things, that the Government contemplated the establishment of a MAIL SERVICE to be carried on by

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