CORRECT CHART.

On the evening of the 13th, we again proceeded on our passage; the night was hazy, with a few slight squalls, much resembling the weather which we had before experienced in the same place.  Towards the close of the 15th, we anchored eight miles from Cape Tribulation, bearing North 11 degrees West.  The summit of Snapper Island, bore South 7 degrees East six miles; by which we found that both it and the coast are placed on the charts too much to the eastward.

In passing Point Barrow I was very much struck with the similarity which the low line of cliffs, running along the summit of the high land, bears to that on the Victoria River.* We avoided the reef off Cape Flinders, by following the directions given in the first volume, and by making a detour to the southward round Princess Charlotte’s Bay, were enabled to keep underweigh all night.

(Footnote.  See Sketches.)

RESTORATION ISLAND.

Continuing, we reached Restoration Island soon after dark on the 19th.  It was rather a confined anchorage, to be taken up at that hour with five ships.  Our arrival was under rather singular circumstances.  The night being dark, we could not make out even the outline of the high rocky island, which appeared one dark mass; and the meeting of the land and sea was only occasionally distinguished by patches of white, where the water broke against the steep rocky sides of the island.  Not a sound came from the shore as we drew near our berth; but no sooner did the heavy splash of the anchor, and the noise of the cable running out, resound among the heights, than one loud yell of startled natives seemed to rise from one end of the island to the other.  The discharge of a signal rocket, however, that curved its flight over the island, instantaneously quieted the uproar, and a death-like silence succeeded.

NATIVES OF TORRES STRAIT.

In the morning we found that the island was occupied by a party of natives from Torres Strait.  Their canoes, which were furnished with outriggers, were hauled up on the beach, and their spears were deposited in the bushes around, ready for immediate use; but, although they seemed to suspect our friendly intentions towards them at first, no disturbance occurred, and some were prevailed upon to come on board.  Their presence forcibly reminded us of the melancholy fate of the crew of the Charles Eaton; and no doubt they had come to the southward on a wrecking expedition.  They were a much finer race of men, than those met with on the shores of the continent; their voices sounded softer, and their language appeared quite different.  They instantly recognized the drawing of a Murray Island canoe, in Flinders’ Voyage, and constantly kept repeating the word toolic, meaning iron, in the Murray Island language.  The lobe of their ears was perforated with a large piece of bone; and their hair was like that which I have before described as crisp.  I noticed that their spears were all pointed with bone, and that the shafts in those used for fishing were large, with a coil of line attached, and a string also connecting the head, which came loose when a porpoise or turtle was struck; whilst the wood, floating, acted as a drag.  At daylight on the 21st we proceeded on our passage.