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"On the following day, when our people resumed their occupation, they were again cautioned not to trust to the apparent absence of the natives. In the afternoon Mr. Roe walked along the beach with his gun in quest of birds; on his way he met Mr. Hunter returning from a walk, in which he had encountered no recent signs of the Indians. This information emboldened Mr. Roe to wander farther than was prudent, and in the mean time Mr. Hunter returned to our party in order to go on board; he had, however, scarcely reached our station, when the report of a musket and Mr. Roe's distant shooting were heard. The people immediately seized their arms and hastened to his relief, and by this prompt conduct probably saved his life.

It appeared that, after parting from Mr. Hunter, he left the beach and pursued his walk among the trees; he had not proceeded more than fifty yards when he fired at a bird: he was cautious enough to reload before he moved from the spot in search of his game, but this was scarcely done before a boomerang wizzed past his head, and struck a tree close by with great force. Upon looking round towards the verge of the cliff, which was about twenty yards off, he saw several natives; who, upon finding they were discovered, set up a loud and savage yell, and threw another boomerang and several spears at him, all of which providentially missed. Emboldened by their numbers and by his apparent defenceless situation, they were following up the attack by a nearer approach, when he fired amongst them, and, for a moment, stopped their advance. Mr. Roe's next care was to reload, but to his extreme mortification and dismay he found his cartouch-box had turned round in the belt, and every cartridge had dropped out: being thus deprived of his ammunition, and having no other resource left but to make his escape, he turned round, and ran towards the beach; at the same time shouting loudly, to apprize our people of his danger. He was now pursued by three of the natives, whilst the rest ran along the cliff to cut off his retreat.

"On his reaching the edge of the water, he found the sand so soft that at every step his feet sunk three or four inches, which so distressed him and impeded his progress, that he must soon have fallen overpowered with fatigue, had not the sudden appearance of our people, at the same time that it inspired him with fresh hopes of escape, arrested the progress of the natives, who, after throwing two or three spears without effect, stopped, and gave him time to join our party, quite spent with the extraordinary effort he had made to save his life.

"Whilst this event occurred, I was employed on board in constructing my rough chart, but upon Mr. Roe's being seen from the deck in the act of running along the beach pursued by the Indians, I hastened on shore, determined, if possible, to punish them for such unprovoked hostility. Upon landing, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Roe, and one of the men joined me in pursuit of the natives; but, from our comparatively slow movements, and our ignorance of the country, we returned after an hour without having seen any signs of them; in the evening, before our people left off work, we made another circuitous walk, but with the same bad success. The natives had taken the alarm, and nothing more was scen of them during the remainder of our stay, excepting the smokes of their fires, which appeared over the trees at the back of the island.

“Previous to this attack upon Mr. Roe, the natives had probably been following Mr. Hunter; and were, doubtless, deterred from attacking him, by witnessing the destructive effects of his gun among a flight of cockatoos, five or six of which he brought away, and left as many more hopping about the grass wounded, and making the woods re-echo with their screams. When Mr. Hunter parted from Mr. Roe, the natives remained to watch the latter gentleman; and no sooner had he discharged his gun, which they found was of no use until it was reloaded, than they commenced their attack; and from the known dexterity of the natives of this country in throwing the spear, it was not a little surprising that they missed him so repeatedly.

"Before we embarked for the night, I walked with Mr. Roe to the place where he was attacked, in order to look for the spears that had been thrown at him, and for the cartridges he had lost; but as neither were found, we were revengeful enough to hope that the natives would burn their fingers with the powder, an event not at all unlikely to occur, from their ignorance of the dangerous effect of placing the cartridges near the fire, which they would be sure to do."

Mr. Roe had a genius for getting into scrapes. In the second volume we meet with the following narrative.

Upon reaching Cairncross Island, under which it was my intention to anchor, the sails were reduced; and, as we were in the act of letting go the anchor, Mr. Roe, who was at the mast-head holding thoughtlessly by the fore-topmast staysailhalliards, whilst the sail was being hauled down, was precipitated from a height of fifty feet, and fell senseless on the deck. We were now close to the reef; and in the hurry and confusion attending the accident, and the Dick at the same time luffing-up under our stern, the anchor was dropped, without my ascertaining the quality of the bottom, which was afterwards found to be of a very questionable

nature.

"The Dick having dropped her anchor within forty yards of us, was lying so close as to prevent our veering more cable than sixty fathoms; but as we appeared to ride tolerably easy with a sheer to starboard, while the Dick rode on the opposite sheer, we remained as we were: to prevent accident, the yards were braced so that we should cast clear of the Dick if we parted, a precaution which was most happily taken.

"As soon as the distressing accident that had occurred was known on board the Dick, Dr. Armstrong, a surgeon of the navy, and a passenger in that ship, hastened on board to assist Mr. Montgomery in dressing Mr. Roe's hurt, which I found, to my inexpressible satisfaction, was not so grievous as might have been expected his fall was most providentially broken twice; first by the spritsail brace, and secondly by some planks from the Frederick's wreck, which had fortunately been placed across the forecastle bulwark over the cat-heads: his head struck the edge of the plank, and broke his fall, but it cut a very deep wound over the right temple. This unfortunate event threatened to deprive me of his very valuable assistance for some time, a loss I could but very ill spare, particularly when upon the point of returning to the examination of so intricate a coast as that part where we last left off.'

""

One of the dangers of untried navigation is thus strikingly exemplified.

"It was my intention to have brought up under the lea of the point, where Dampier describes his having anchored in twenty-nine fathoms clear sandy ground; but, upon rounding the projection, the wind suddenly fell, and after a light squall from S. W., we had a dead calm; the depth was thirty fathoms coral bottom, and therefore not safe to anchor upon; this was unfortunate, for the sudden defection of the wind prevented our hauling into the bay out of the tide, which was evidently unning with considerable rapidity, and drifting us, without our having the means of preventing it, towards a cluster of small rocks and islands, through which we could not discover any outlet, and which were so crowded, that in the dangerous predicament in which we found ourselves placed, they bore a truly awful and terrific appearance. At this time I was at my usual post, the mast-head, directing the steerage of the vessel; but, as the brig was drifting forward by a rapid sluice of tide towards some low rocks, about a quarter of a mile off, that were not more than two feet above the water's edge, and upon which it appeared almost inevitable that we must strike, I descended to the deck, under the certain conviction that we could not escape the dangers that were strewed across our path, unless a breeze should spring up, of which there was not the slightest appearance or probability.

"

Happily, however, the stream of the tide swept us past the rocks without accident, and after carrying us about half a mile farther, changed its direction to south-east, and drifted us towards a narrow strait, separating two rocky islands, in the centre of which was a large insulated rock that seemed to divide the stream. The boat was now hoisted out and sent a-head to tow, but we could not succeed in getting the vessel's head round. As she approached the strait, the channel became much narrower, and several islands were passed, at not more than thirty yards from her course. The voices of natives were now heard, and soon afterwards some were seen on either side of the straight, hallooing and waving their arms; we were so near 4 c

VOL. II.

to one party, that they might have thrown their spears on board; they had a dog with them, which Mr. Cunningham remarked to be black. By this time, we were flying past the shore with such velocity, that it made us quite giddy; and our situation was too awful to give us time to observe the motions of the Indians; for we were entering the narrowest part of the strait, and the next moment were close to the rock, which it appeared to be almost impossible to avoid; and it was more than probable that the stream it divided would carry us broadside upon it, when the consequences would have been truly dreadful; the current, or sluice, was setting past the rock at the rate of eight or nine knots, and the water being confined by its intervention, fell at least six or seven feet; at the moment, however, when we were upon the point of being dashed to pieces, a sudden breeze providentially sprung up, and, filling our sails, impelled the vessel forward for three or four yards;---this was enough, but only just sufficient, for the rudder was not more than six yards from the rock. No sooner had we passed this frightful danger, than the breeze fell again, and was succeeded by a dead calm; the tide, however, continued to carry us on with a gradually decreasing strength, until one o'clock, when we felt very little effect from it."

The results of the voyage are summed up at the conclusion, and will not be found uninteresting, as they certainly are not unimportant.

"It may not be considered irrelevant here to make a few brief observations upon what has been effected by these voyages, and what yet remains to be done upon the northern coasts of Australia. Beginning with the north-eastern coast, I have been enabled to lay down a very safe and convenient track for vessels bound through Torres' Strait, and to delineate the coast line between Cape Hillsborough, in 20o 54 S, and Cape York, the north extremity of New South Wales; a distance of six hundred and ninety miles. As my instructions did not authorize my delaying to examine any part of this coast, I could not penetrate into the many numerous and extensive openings that presented themselves in this space; particularly in the neighbourhoods of Capes Gloucester, Upstart, and Cleveland; where the intersected and broken appearances of the hills at the back are matters of interesting inquiry and research.

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My instructions at first confined me between Cape Arnhem and the Northwest Cape, but were subsequently extended to the western coast. The examination of the northern and part of the north-western coasts, from Wessel Islands to Port George the Fourth, a distance of seven hundred and ninety miles, has been carefully made, and, with a few exceptions, every opening has been explored. Those parts in this interval that yet require examination, are some inlets on the south side of Clarence Strait, and one of more considerable size to the eastward of Cambridge Gulf, trending in to the south-east: otherways, the coast comprised within these limits has been sufficiently examined for all the purposes of navigation.

"The coast also between the North-west Cape and Depuch Island, containing two hundred and twenty miles, has also been sufficiently explored; but between the latter island and Port George the Fourth, a distance of five hundred and ten miles, it yet remains almost unknown. The land that is laid down is nothing more than an archipelago of islands fronting the main land, the situation of which is quite uncertain. Our examinations of these islands were carried on as far as Cape Villaret, but between that and Depuch Island the coast has only been seen by the French, who merely occasionally saw small detached portions of it. At present, however, all is conjecture; but the space is of considerable extent, and if there is an opening into the interior of New Holland, it is in the vicinity of this part. Off the Buccaneer's Archipelago, the tides are strong, and rise to the height of thirtysix feet. Whatever may exist behind these islands, which we were prevented by our poverty in anchors and other circumstances from exploring, there are certainly some openings of importance; and it is not at all improbable that there may be a communication at this part with the interior for a considerable distance from

the coast.

"The examination of the western coast was performed during an almost continued gale of wind, so that we had no opportunity of making any very careful observation upon its shores. There can, however, be very little more worth knowing of them, as I apprehend the difficulty of landing is too great ever to expect to gain much information; for it is only in Shark's Bay that a vessel can anchor with safety.

A few

"With respect to the subjects of natural history that have been procured upon the voyage, it is much to be lamented that the small size of the vessel, and our constant professional duties, prevented my extending them. Of quadrupeds we saw but few. Birds were very numerous, but the operation of skinning and preserving them would have taken up more time than could be afforded. insects, some shells, and a small series of specimens of the geology of the parts we landed at, were among the only things obtained, excepting the extensive and valuable collection of plants formed by Mr. Cunningham, which are now in the possession of Mr. Aiton of the Royal Gardens at Kew; for which establishment it would seem that they were solely procured. It was in fact the only department of natural history in which any pains were taken, and for which every assistance was rendered. A small herbarium was, however, collected by me, containing nearly five hundred species: they are in the possession of my respected friend, Aylmer B. Lambert, Esq. whose scientific attainments in the field of botany are well and widely known. is to be hoped, however, that the few subjects offered to the scientific world in the appendix through the kindness of my friends, will not be thought uninteresting or unimportant; and that they will serve to shew how very desirable it is to increase the comparatively slender knowledge that we possess of this extensive country. which in this respect might still with propriety retain its ancient name of Terra Australis Incognita."

It

If our readers have felt any sympathy for Mr. Roe, they will be glad to learn that he was promoted to the Lieutenancy of the Tamar, and was employed in the foundation of the settlement of Fort Dundas on the newly discovered coast. The details will be found in pages 234 to 242, and they are accompanied by a little jewel of a chart, from a survey made by the same intelligent and deserving officer, whom we are happy thus to commemorate, as we know him to be as fine a specimen of the real honest friendly British seaman as ever squeezed a landsman's hand to jelly in his hearty grasp.

National Tales. By Thomas Hood, Author of Whims and Oddities. 2 vols.

Mr. Hood is the very best punster that ever existed, and his vein of humour is frequently accompanied by a further and poetical feeling, which are the more delightful for the being more unexpected. Having this opinion of him, we were not prepared for the disappointment we have experienced in the perusal of his National Tales, which are very different indeed in merit from what we should have expected from the writer, who, two months ago, had diffused "one universal "grin" over England, by the circulation of his Whims and Oddities. Few of these tales are interesting; many of them simply dull; many unnecessarily tragical; and not a few absolutely disgusting; while in all of them there is an absurd affectation of the style and language of the old writer, which is any thing but ornamental. Most sincerely do we pity the unfortunate individual, whom the pre

vious reputation of Mr. Hood has seduced into the purchase of these two very worthless volumes, in which the author is most wofully

"chang'd from him,

The life of Pleasure, and the soul of Whim."

A Reply to the Accusations of Piracy and Plagiarism, exhibited by the Christian Remembrancer, the British Critic, and other Publications, (in their Reviews of Carpenter's popular Introduction to the Study of Scriptures,) in a Letter to the Rev. Thomas Hartwell Horne, A. M. By William Carpenter. Wightman and Cramp. 1827.

The limits of our Review forbid our entering so widely into an analysis of this polemical controversy, as we might otherwise have done. We will endeavour, however, in few words, to give an adequate abstract. Mr. Carpenter, a gentleman of ingenuity and talent, produced a short time since, "A popular Introduction to the Study "of the Holy Scriptures," which met with a welcome reception, and seems likely to fulfil its epithetical title. The Rev. Hartwell Horne, who is the author of a CRITICAL Introduction in the same cause, became tremulous for the success of his book, on seeing Mr. Carpenter's; and, as the only resort for his rivalship, attacked Mr. C. on the score of piracy in the pages of the Evangelical Magazine, the Critical Review, and the Christian Remembrancer; all which notable machinery plied very obediently beneath the directing hand of the Rev. Hartwell Horne, A. M. Thus attacked, both on the side of his moral and literary character, Mr. Carpenter has come forward, and, to our minds, completely exculpated himself from every charge of plagiarism and piracy. We could wish, for the sake of the previous character of Mr. Horne, that he had done NOTHING MORE.

"After having exposed the dishonesty and malevolence of the Reviewer, in all the leading points of his accusation, I should think that I trifled with my readers, if I offered any serious reply to some of the other topics on which he vehemently attacks me; as that I have stolen your italics—your dashes—your punctuation, &c. Here it is quite sufficient to answer a fool according to his folly, and to admit that there is not a letter in my book which may not be found in yours.

"When I first read the article in the Christian Remembrancer,' and the corresponding article in the British Critic,' I confess that I felt at once some pain and some indignation at finding my moral character so directly impeached before the tribunal of the public: and while I felt conscious of innocence in the matters charged against me, I was not at once equally certain of making that innocence appear to others. But truth, however beclouded for a time, will ultimately dispel every mist which obscured it; and accordingly, the closer examination of the charges adduced against me has supplied ample evidence that they are utterly groundless. My mind is, therefore, relieved from all feelings of indignation against my accuser, as well as from all painful solicitude for myself about the verdict of the public. But there is a painful feeling of which I cannot altogether divest myself, when I reflect that in vindicating my own moral character, I have been unavoidably compelled to impeach another's. Great indeed would be my pain if I were compelled to recognize the Rev. Thomas Hartwell Horne in the anonymous assailant of my reputation; if I were compelled to conclude, that you, sir, either wrote the articles alluded to, or supplied the materials for them. But, sir, I must endeavour to banish that idea. No: it cannot be, that a gentleman-a clergyman-a theologian, who has devoted so many years to the study and elucidation of the Scriptures-the professed pastor of a flock, before whom he is called to exemplify in his own conduct the pure

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