1 82 NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



tion equally clear. On the mainland, gum trees extended to Cape 

 York and the immediately adjoining islands, with jungle-foliage 

 only in gullies. On the northern islands of the strait, there were 

 no gum trees, and the woods were dense and umbrageous, and often 

 matted into thickets, with coco-nuts, plantains, bamboos, etc. 

 " It was evident," says Jukes, " that in crossing Torres Strait we 

 were passing from the Australian centre of life, so to speak, into that 

 of the Indian Archipelago, or, more strictly, perhaps, of the 

 Moluccas." 



Having replenished the water supply at Evans Bay, the " Fly " 

 sailed to BOOBY ISLAND, where she found the " Prince George" 

 whose men had learned through the " post office" all about the 

 movements of the LOST BOATS. It appeared that the boats, unable 

 to sight the ships or to make Bramble Cay, the length of their stay 

 being determined by the amount of the provisions carried, had 

 made for Booby Island, where, fortunately, the provisions left by 

 the " Fly " in February were still available. Their men had got 

 water at PORT LIHOU, Prince of Wales Island, and then taken on 

 the " Midge " to PORT ESSINGTON. 



The " Fly " and " Prince George " arrived at PORT ESSINGTON 

 on I2tb June, 1845. There they found the crews and passengers 

 of the " Hyderabad " and " Coringa Packet" which had been 

 WRECKED, the former in the Cumberland Passage, near Murray 

 Island, and the latter on outside reefs in 17 S. and 150 E. The 

 " Prince George " conveyed some of the men to Singapore and the 

 " Fly " took the rest to SYDNEY, where she arrived on 2$tb September, 

 1845. There, orders were waiting, requiring the " Fly " to return 

 to England, while the survey was to be continued by Yule in the 

 " Bramble" with a tender to be commanded by Master (now 

 Lieutenant) Aird. The " Castlereagh " was subsequently pur- 

 chased in Sydney for this purpose, but was found unsuitable and 

 was resold. The " Bramble " was paid off in Sydney, but on the 

 arrival of the " Rattlesnake " to replace the " Fly" was recom- 

 missioned to act as her tender and again put under the command 

 of Lieutenant Yule. 1 



In reviewing the voyage of the " Fly" Jukes strongly urged the 

 establishment of a POST AT CAPE YORK similar to that at Port 

 Essington. He foreshadowed the changes soon to be brought about 

 by steam navigation, citing Captain McKenzie's article in the 

 Nautical Magazine for February, 1847, in support of his views, 

 and insisted on the necessity for coaling stations. He predicted 

 for such a settlement that it would speedily become " another 

 Singapore." 



1 MacGillivray's Voyage of the " Rattlesnake," I, p. 43. 



