Upon Walking Round The Shores Of Fowler's Bay, I Found Them Literally Strewed In All Directions With The Bones And Carcases Of Whales, Which Had Been Taken Here By The American Ship I Saw At Port Lincoln, And Had Been Washed On Shore By The Waves.

To judge from the great number of these remains, of which very many were easily recognisable as being those of distinct animals, the American must have had a most fortunate and successful season.

It has often surprised me, that the English having so many colonies and settlements on the shores of Australia, should never think it worth their while to send whalers to fish off its coasts, where the whales are in such great numbers, and where the bays and harbours are so numerous and convenient, for carrying on this lucrative employment. I believe scarcely a single vessel fishes any where off these coasts, which are entirely monopolised by the French and Americans, who come in great numbers; there cannot, I think, be less than three hundred foreign vessels annually whaling off the coasts, and in the seas contiguous to our possessions in the Southern Ocean. I have generally met with a great many French and American vessels in the few ports or bays that I have occasionally been at on the southern coast of Australia; and I have no doubt that they all reap a rich harvest.

Among the many relics strewed around Fowler's Bay, I found the shell of a very large turtle laying on the beach; it had been taken by the crew of the vessel that I met at Port Lincoln, and could not have weighed less than three to four hundred weight. I was not previously aware that turtle was ever found so far to the southward, and had never seen the least trace of them before.

Chapter XII.

LAND THE STORES AND SEND THE CUTTER TO DENIAL BAY - PARTY REMOVE TO POINT FOWLER - LEAVE THE PARTY - BEDS OF LAKES - DENSE SCRUB - COAST SAND DRIFTS - FRUITLESS SEARCH FOR WATER - DISTRESS OF THE HORSES - TURN BACK - LEAVE A HORSE - FIND WATER - REJOIN PARTY - SEND FOR THE HORSE - COUNTRY AROUND DEPOT - TAKE A DRAY TO THE WESTWARD - WRETCHED COUNTRY - EALL IN WITH NATIVES - MISUNDERSTAND THEIR SIGNS - THEY LEAVE US - VAIN SEARCH FOR WATER - TURN BACK - HORSE KNOCKED UP - GO BACK FOR WATER - REJOIN THE DRAY - COMMENCE RETURN - SEARCH FOR WATER - DRAY SURROUNDED BY NATIVES - EMBARRASSING SITUATION - BURY BAGGAGE - THREE HORSES ABANDONED - REACH THE SAND DRIFTS - UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO SAVE THE HORSES - SEND FOR FRESH HORSES - SEARCH FOR WATER TO N. E. - RECOVER THE DRAY AND STORES - REJOIN THE PARTY AT DEPOT NEAR POINT FOWLER - RETURN OF THE CUTTER.

November 20. - THE wind being favourable for the boats landing to-day, I sent the overseer with pack-horses to the west side of Fowler's Bay, to bring up some flour and other stores for the use of the party; at the same time I wrote to the master of the cutter, to know whether he considered his anchorage, at Fowler's Bay, perfectly safe. His reply was, that the anchorage was good and secure if he had been provided with a proper cable; but that as he was not, he could not depend upon the vessel being safe; should a heavy swell set in from the southeast. Upon this report, I decided upon landing all the stores from the cutter; and sending her to lay at a secure place on the west side of Denial Bay, until I returned from exploring the country, near the head of the Great Bight. On the 22nd, I gave orders to this effect, at the same time directing the captain to return to Fowler's Bay by the 11th December, at which time I hoped to have accomplished the journey I contemplated.

On the same day I gave my overseer instructions for his guidance during my absence; and after sending the drays on to the water behind Point Fowler, that they might be nearer to the vessel, I set off on horseback to the westward, accompanied by a native; and taking with us a pack-horse to carry provisions. Crossing for about six miles through scrub, at a west by south course, we entered open grassy plains, among which were many beds of small dried up salt lakes. This description of country continued for about six miles, when we again entered a very dense scrub, and continued in it for eight miles, until we struck the coast. Not finding any indications of water or grass, I pushed up along the beach for three miles further, and was then obliged to encamp without either, as it had become too dark to proceed.

November 23. - Moving along the coast for ten miles, we came to large high drifts of pure white sand, from which some red-winged cockatoos and pigeons flew out, and near which were several native encampments. I now fully hoped to find water; but after a long and anxious examination, was obliged to give up the search. I knew that our only hope of finding water lay in these drifts of sand; but as it was frequently very difficult to find, and never could be procured without digging, (sometimes to a great depth,) I began to fear that our attempt to reach the head of the Bight was almost hopeless. We had no means of digging in the sand to any depth; whilst, from the constant drift, caused by the winds among these bare hills, it was exceedingly disagreeable to remain even for a short time to examine them. The wind was blowing strong, and whirlwinds of sand were circling around us, with a violence which we could scarcely struggle against, and during which we could hardly venture either to open our eyes, or to draw our breath.

Leaving the sand-drifts we travelled behind the coast ridge through a more open but still sandy country, making a long stage to some more high bare sand-drifts, amidst which we again made a long but unsuccessful search for water; at night we encamped near them, and our unfortunate horses were again obliged to be tied up for the second time without either grass or water.

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