io8 NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



our kettles on shore and made tea and portable broth, and a few oysters we picked off 

 the rocks, with which we made a comfortable meal, indeed the only one which we 

 had made since the day before we left the ship." 



SURGEON HAMILTON 



" $rd September. We steered from these hostile savages to other islands in sight, 

 and sent some armed men on shore . . . without success. This island we called 

 PLUMB ISLAND, from its bearing an austere, astringent kind of fruit, resembling 

 plumbs, but not fit to eat. 



" In the evening, we steered for these islands which we supposed were called the 

 PRINCE OF WALES ISLANDS, and about 2 o'clock in the morning [^.th September. ' Before 

 midnight,' says the Captain], came to anchor, with a grappling, alongside of an island, 

 which we called LAFORY'S ISLAND [HORN ISLAND]. As the night was very dark, and 

 this was the last land that could afford us relief, all hands went to sleep. 



" The morning [^th September] was ushered in with the howling of WOLVES, who 

 had smelt us in the night. . . . Lieutenant Corner and a party were sent at daylight 

 to search again for water ; and, as we approached, the wild beasts retired and filled 

 the woods with their hideous growling." 



Water was discovered on digging in a hollow. Signs of recent 

 human presence were also observed. 



"After having gorged our parched bodies with water till we were perfectly 

 waterlogged, we began to feel the cravings of hunger a new sensation of misery we 

 had hitherto been strangers to, from the excess of thirst predominating. We found 

 a harsh, austere, astringent fruit, resembling a plumb. . . . We permitted the 

 men to fill their bellies with them. There was also a small berry, of similar taste to 

 the plumb. . . . We carefully avoided shooting at any bird, lest the report . . . 

 should alarm the natives, whom we had every reason to suspect were at no great distance. 

 . . . When every other thing was filled with water, the carpenter's boots were also 

 filled. The water in them was first served out, on account of leakage. 



" There is a large sound here, to which we gave the name of SANDWICH'S SOUND 

 [now FLINDERS PASSAGE], and commodious anchorage for shipping in the bay, to 

 which we gave the name of WOLF'S BAY, in which there is from 5 to 7 fathoms water 

 all around. This is extremely well situated for a rendezvous in surveying Endeavour 

 Straits ; and were a little colony settled here, a concatenation of Christian settlements 

 would enchain the world and be useful to any unfortunate ship ; ... or should a 

 rupture take place with South America, a great vein of commerce might find its way 

 through this channel. 



" HAMMOND'S ISLAND lies NW. by W., PARKER'S ISLAND [WEDNESDAY ISLAND ?] 

 from N. and by W. to N. and by E., and an island seen to the north entrance NW. 

 We supposed it to be an island called by Captain Bligh MOUNTAINOUS ISLAND [now 

 BANKS ISLAND. R. L. J.], laid down in latitude 10 16' S. [The island now charted 

 as Hammond Island may or may not be the one so named on this occasion, as the 

 above confused description does not tally with anything when the bearings are plotted 

 on the modern chart. The name, however, has been perpetuated, but must be 

 regarded as a ' complimentary ' one. R. L. J.] 



" SANDWICH'S SOUND is formed by Hammond's, Parker's and a cluster of small 

 islands on the stat board hand at its eastern entrance. We also called a back land 

 behind Hammond' s Island and the other islands to the southward of it, CORNWALLIS 

 LAND. The uppermost part of the mountain was separated from the main by a large 

 gap. Under the gap, low land was seen ; but whether that was a continuation of 

 the main or not we could not determine. Near the centre of the sound is a small, 

 dark-coloured, rocky island. [By a ' back land,' Hamilton probably meant a land 



