20 DECEMBER 1851, Page 26

MACGILLIvRA.Y'S VOYAGE OF THE RATTLESNAKE. *

THE primary object of the voyage of the Rattlesnake was to com- plete the survey of the barrier reefs that block as it were the entrance to Torres Strait, in order to further facilitate what is called "the outer passage" for ships sailing between New South Wales and the Eastern Seas. Connected with this purpose, was a partial survey of the Coral Sea, lying between Australia, New Guinea, and the Louisiade Archipelago ; with such observations on the last two little-known regions as opportunities might furnish. A fuller and more exact examination of what is called the inner passage, lying between the Eastern shore of Australia and the coral reefs and islands which separate it from the outer ocean, was also directed, so as to allow the safer passage to be made with greater speed by marking the obstacles to its navigation. All these objects have been effected, together with some minor surveys in connexion with colonial objects ; but the great result, in a nautical point of view, has been the discovery of an open course along the shores of the Louisiade Archipelago and New Guinea.

"The most important practical result of Captain Stanley's survey of the Louiaiade Archipelago and the South coast of New Guinea, was the ascertain- ing the existence of a clear channel of at least thirty miles in width along the Southern shores of these islands, stretching East and West between Cape De-

Narrative of the Voyage of H. M. S. Rattlesnake, commanded by the late Cap- tain Owen Stanley, R.N., F.R.8., &c., during the years 1848-1850. Including Dis- coveries and Surveys in New Guinea, the Louisiade Archipelago, &c. To which is added, an Account of Mr. E. B. Kennedy's Expedition for the Exploration of the Cape York Peninsula. By John Macgilhvray, F.R.G.S., Naturalist to the Expe- dition. Published under the Sanction of the Lords Commissioners of the Ad- miralty. In two volumes. Published by T. and W. Boone. liveranee and the North-east entrance to Torres Strait, a distance of about six hundred miles. This space was so traversed. by the two vessels of the expedi- tion without any detached reefs being discovered, that it does not seem probable that any such exist there, with the exception of the Eastern Fields of Flin- ders, the position and extent of which may be regarded as determined with sufficient accuracy for the purposes of navigation, and the reefs at p. 288 of vol. I. which, if they exist at all, and are not merely Eastern fields laid down far to the Eastward of their true position, must be sought for further to the Southward. The shores in question may now be approached with safety, and vessels may run along them either by day or night under the guidance of the chart, without incurring the risk of coming upon unknown reefs, such as doubtless exist in other parts of the Coral Sea further to the Southward, judging from the occasional discovery of a new one by some ves- sel which had got out of the beaten track."

The interest of a surveying voyage is rather scientific than po- pular: the mariner looks only to its results upon the chart, the naturalist and geologist to the account of observations connected with his pursuit, which, expressed as they often are in technical terms, are not intelligible to general readers. The staple matter, however, is usually -varied by incidents connected with the under- taking, by pictures of scenery, and by observations upon the people among whom the expedition is thrown : and, of course, the remoter the regions where the work is carried on, the more attractive these subjects are likely to prove. In the case of this expedition, the slow voyages along the coast between Moreton Bay and Port Essington, the now abandoned settlement at the Northern extre- mity of Australia, furnish opportunities for interesting descrip- tions of the shore and the adjacent islands, occurrences connected with the naturalist's pursuit of his various objects, and sketches of the natives. The voyages out and home, as well as those to and fro between Sydney and the surveying-grounds, abound with the usual nautical occurrences, set off by Mr. Macgillivray's clear ob- servation and vigorous style. The new interest of the book, how- ever, is in the examination of the Louisiade Archipelago, and the visits to the islands of Torres Straits. A halo hangs over this region from the pictures of the first discoverers, heightened, no doubt, by the circumstances under which they saw them after the monotony of a long sea-voyage, when the mere smell of land to the wave-tired rivalled the

" Sakean odours from the spicy shore Of Araby the blest."

The mystery in which they have continued has added to the in- terest. Although lying so near to our Australian settlements, and to the track of many vessels, very little even in a geographical sense was hitherto known about them, partly from the treacherous character ascribed to the natives, partly from the reefs and other difficulties of navigation that defended them. As the sea, not the land, was the principal object of the expedition, and the character of the people necessitated caution, the information collected by the expedition is very far from exhausting the subject. The ex- ploration of the channels through the islands, the sojourn of the vessel while the tender and boats were employed in reconnoitering, the guarded visits to the shore, and the interviews with the na- tives, who communicated with White men for the first time, have about them the racy freshness of the early navigators ; to which Mr. Macgillivray adds philosophical acquirements they did not possess. The following scene at a small island in the group will convey an idea of the nature of this part of the narrative. "July 41/I.—The first cutter was sent to Brierly Island today, for the double purpose of endeavouring to procure yams from the natives for the use of the ship's company, and enabling me to make additions to my vo- cabulary and collection. Mr. Brady took charge of the bartering ; and, draw- ing a number of lines upon the sandy beach, explained that when each was covered with a yam he would give an axe in return. At first some little difficulty occurred, as the yams were brought down very slowly, two or three at a tune; but at length the first batch was completed and the axe handed over. The man who got it—the sword-bearer of yesterday—had been trembling with anxiety for some time back, holding Mr. Brady by the arm, and watching the promised axe with eager eye. When he obtained posses- sion of it he became quite wild with joy, laughing and screaming, and flou- rishing the axe over his head. After this commencement, the bartering went on briskly, amidst a great deal of uproar ; the men passing between the village and the beach at full speed, with basketfuls of yams, and too intent upon getting the kiram kelumai (iron axes) to think of anything else. Meanwhile, Mr. Huxley and myself walked about unheeded by almost any one. The women kept themselves in the bush at a little distance, making a great noise, but avoided showing themselves. Occasionally we caught a glimpse of these sable damsels ; but only one female came near us,—a meagre old woman, who darted past with an axe in her hand, and sprang up into one of the huts like a harlequin, showing at the same time more of her long shrivelled shanks than was strictly decorous. Besides the usual petticoat reaching to the knee, made of a grass or some leaf, perhaps of the pandanus, cut into long shreds, this dame wore a somewhat similar article round the neck, hanging over the breast and shoulders, leaving the arms free. An axe was offered to one of the men who had previously sat for his portrait, to in- duce him to bring the woman to Mr. Huxley, who was anxious to get a sketch of a female ; but in spite of the strong inducement we did not succeed, and any further notice taken of the woman seemed to give offence. While wandering about the place, we came upon a path leading into the adjacent brush, but blocked up by some cocoa-nut leaves recently thrown across. This led past an enclosure of about three-quarters of an acre, neatly and strongly fenced in, probably used as a pen for keeping pigs in, judging from the abseirm of anything like cultivation, and the trodden-down appearance, apparently made by these animals, a jaw-bone of one of which was picked up close by.

"At length the natives appeared anxious to get rid of us, after obtaining

about seventeen axes and a few knives, in return for three hundred and sixty-eight pounds of yams, which cost us little more than a halfpenny per pound. After wading out to the boat, the natives assisted in shoving her off; and when we had got well clear of the beach, they treated us to what might have been one of their dances ; dividing into two parties, and with wild pantomimic gesture advancing and retiring, and going through the mo- tion of throwing the spear, with one or two of which each was provided. Even during the height of the bartering, very few of the natives had laid aside their weapons ; and it was evident that they were influenced by no

very

mfriendly feeling towards us, and were glad to be relieved of ow Fe-

The preceding .account refers to the Louisiade Archipelago ; the following is from a group of islets lying off the coast of New Guinea.

"A. 25th.—Yesterday and today, in addition to upwards of a hundred natives alongside bartering, we were honoured with visits from several par- ties of the Tassai ladies ; in whose favour the prohibition to come on board was repealed for the time. The young women were got up with greater at- tention to dress and finery than when seen on shore, and some had their face blackened, as if to heighten their attractions. The outer petticoat, worn on gala days such as this, differs from the common sort in being much finer in texture and workmanship, besides being dyed red and green, with interme- diate bands of straw colour and broad white stripes of palm-leaf. It is made of long bunches of very light and soft shreds, like fine twisted grass, appa- rently the prepared leaf of a calamus or rattan. None of the women that I saw possessed even a moderate share of beauty, (according to our notions,) although a few had a pleasing expression and others a very graceful figure ; but, on the other hand, many of the boys and young men were strikingly handsome. We had no means of forming a judgment regarding the condi- tion of the women in a social state, but they appeared to be treated by the men as equals, and to exercise considerable influence over them. On all occasions they were the loudest talkers, and seemed to act from a perfect right to have everything their own way. It is worthy of mention, that even in their own village, and on all other occasions where we had an opportunity of observing them, they acted with perfect propriety ; and although some in- decent allusions were now and then made by the men, this was never done in the presence of the women. Of their marriages we could find out nothing ; one man appeared to have two wives, but even this was doubtful. The cir- cumstance of children being daily brought off by their fathers to look at the ship and the strange things there, indicated a considerable degree of parent- al affection."

Various scientific observations are contained in appendices ; and Mr. Macgillivray has reprinted from a Sydney publication the account of Mr. Kennedy's attempted land journey from Rocking. ham Bay to Cape York, which ended in his death by the spears of the natives, and the deaths of the greater part of his followers from privation.