CHAPTER XXIII 

 H.M.S. "BEAGLE," WICKHAM AND STOKES, 1839-41 



THE NORMAN RIVER AND NORMANTON, AND THE ALBERT 

 RIVER AND BURKETOWN 



" BEAGLE'S " FIRST SURVEYING CRUISE. SYDNEY TO TORRES STRAIT. ENDEAVOUR 

 STRAIT. POST OFFICE ON BOOBY ISLAND.; PORT ESSINGTON. PORT DARWIN. 

 POINT PEARCE. STOKES SPEARED. SWAN RIVER. INFANT CITY OF PERTH. 

 PENAL SETTLEMENT ON ROTTNEST ISLAND. TIMOR. SWAN RIVER. ALBANY. 

 ADELAIDE. SYDNEY. " BEAGLE'S " SECOND SURVEYING CRUISE. RESTORATION 

 ISLAND CROWDED WITH VISITORS FROM TORRES STRAIT ISLANDS. BOATING UP 

 SUPPOSED VAN DIEMEN INLET (A MOUTH OF THE GILBERT RIVER). BOUNTIFUL 

 ISLAND. INVESTIGATOR ROADS. SURVEYING AND SOUNDING. BOAT PARTIES 

 SENT OUT. POINT BAILEY. POINT PARKER. PROPOSED TRANSCONTINENTAL 

 RAILWAY TO POINT PARKER (1881). GENERAL FEILDING'S EXPEDITION. THE 

 PEOPLE'S PATRIMONY. SIR THOMAS MC!LWRAITH'S GOVERNMENT OUSTED. 

 PROGRESS OF DISTRICT DELAYED FOR AGENERATION. "BEAGLE " PROCEEDS EASTWARD 

 TO GORE POINT. BOAT PARTIES EXPLORING SHALLOW COAST SOUTH OF GULF 

 OF CARPENTARIA. POINT TARRANT. PASCOE INLET. NICHOLSON RIVER. AN 

 " IMPORTANT INLET." ALBERT RIVER. TWENTY-SEVEN MILES UP AN INLET 

 (A MOUTH OF LEICHHARDT RIVER). GUN ACCIDENT TO LIEUTENANT GORE. INLET 

 NAMED DISASTER INLET. " BEAGLE " AT MOUTH OF FLINDERS RIVER (TASMAN'S 

 CARON INLET ?). BYNOE MOUTH OF FLINDERS (TASMAN'S VAN DER LIJN INLET). 

 ABORIGINAL FUNERAL CUSTOMS. BOAT PARTY EXPLORES THE " IMPORTANT 

 INLET " (ALBERT RIVER) FOR 40 MILES. PLAINS OF PROMISE. STOKES ADVISES 

 EXPLORERS TO START INLAND FROM THIS POINT. SITE OF BURKETOWN. IMPORTANT 

 MINERAL FIELDS EASY OF ACCESS. BOAT PARTY EXPLORES NORMAN RIVER (TASMAN'S 

 VAN DIEMEN INLET). SITE OF NORMANTON, NOW TERMINUS OF RAILWAY FROM 

 CROYDON GOLDFIELD. SMITHBURN RIVER (A MOUTH OF LEICHHARDT'S GILBERT 

 RIVER). ACCIDENT INLET (ANOTHER MOUTH OF GILBERT) is THE " PERA'S " 

 " FURTHEST SOUTH " AND CARSTENSZOON'S STATEN INLET. UNFORTUNATELY, 

 STOKES ACCEPTED FLINDERS' GUESSES AT THE IDENTITY OF THE INLETS NAMED 

 BY THE DUTCH NAVIGATORS AS FACTS. " BEAGLE " COASTS PENINSULA NORTH- 

 WARD. BOOBY ISLAND. PORT ESSINGTON. TIMOR. SWAN RIVER. ADELAIDE. 

 SYDNEY. LANDSBOROUGH'S BURKE AND WILLS SEARCH EXPEDITION FROM SITE 

 OF FUTURE NORMANTON ACROSS BARKLY TABLELAND TO CAMOWEAL. PASTORAL 

 OCCUPATION PROGRESSING NORTHWARD. CAPTAIN NORMAN STEAMS FROM SWEERS 

 ISLAND AND SELECTS SITE FOR NORMANTON TOWNSHIP AND CUSTOM HOUSE. 



THE " BEAGLE" 

 i. FIRST CAPE YORK SURVEYING VOYAGE, 1839 



ON 2<)th May, 1839, Commander John Clements Wickham 

 left Sydney in H.M.S. " Beagle " to explore the 

 northern part of the Australian continent. The 

 story of this and the other Australian voyages 

 of the " Beagle " is told by Captain (afterwards Admiral) 



159 



