CHAPTER L 



MORESBY, continued 



SECOND CRUISE OF THE "BASILISK" IN TORRES STRAIT, 1873 



LEAVES SYDNEY, STH DECEMBER, 1872. REACHES CARDWELL, 2ND JANUARY, 1873. 

 SCHOONERS " MELANIE " AND " CHALLENGE " CAPTURED AND TAKEN TO FITZROY 

 ISLAND. UNCOVENANTED SOUTH SEA ISLANDERS ON BOARD, RECENTLY EMPLOYED 

 IN DIVING FOR PEARL-SHELL. SHIPS CONDEMNED AS PRIZES IN BRISBANE. DECISION 

 REVERSED ON APPEAL TO PRIVY COUNCIL. RETROSPECTIVE EVIDENCE DISALLOWED. 

 ANOTHER PRIZE, THE BARQUE " WOODBINE." PEARL-SHELL AND UNCOVENANTED 

 LABOURERS ON BOARD. WAS THE SHELL GATHERED BEFORE THE NEW LEGISLATION ? 

 " WOODBINE " SENT TO BRISBANE. RELEASED FOR WANT OF EVIDENCE. BARQUE 

 " CRISHNA," WITH SOUTH SEA ISLANDERS ON BOARD, SENT TO BRISBANE. CON- 

 DEMNED AND SOLD. THERE OUGHT TO BE A RIVER ENTERING LLOYD BAY. NET- 

 WORK OF SWAMPS, BUT No RIVER. LOCKHART RIVER DISCOVERED LATER. 

 " BASILISK " TO SOMERSET. FRANK JARDINE. THE NATURALIST, COCKERILL, AND 

 HIS COLLECTION OF BIRDS. " BASILISK" SURVEYING IN TORRES STRAIT. SADDLE 

 ISLAND. GABBA ISLANDS. JERVIS ISLAND. PEARLING STATIONS. CORNWALLIS 

 ISLAND, 3OTH JANUARY, 1873. SAIBAI AND CORNWALLIS ISLANDS AND PART OF 

 NEW GUINEA COAST SURVEYED BY WHALE-BOAT PARTY. " BASILISK " TO WARRIOR 

 ISLAND. PEARLERS IDLE, WAITING TILL LICENCES COULD BE OBTAINED. THROUGH 

 BASILISK PASS TO COCO-NUT ISLAND. PEARLING. A MODEL VILLAGE. DARNLEY 

 ISLAND, NOW CENTRE OF BECHE DE MER INDUSTRY. SAGO PALMS. MURRAY 

 ISLANDS (IITH FEBRUARY). To REDSCAR BAY, NEW GUINEA. DISCOVERY OF 

 PORT MORESBY. To SOMERSET (7TH MARCH). REJOINED BY WHALE-BOAT. SURVEY 

 OF SOMERSET HARBOUR. " BASILISK " LOOKS FOR BETTER SITE FOR SETTLEMENT. 

 MORESBY RECOMMENDS HAMMOND ISLAND. ANOTHER CRUISE AMONG ISLANDS. 

 PEARLING SUSPENDED. AWAITING LICENCES. CORNWALLIS AND WARRIOR ISLANDS. 

 YULE ISLAND. EASTERN END OF NEW GUINEA SURVEYED. CHINA STRAIT AND 

 HAYTER, BASILISK AND MORESBY ISLANDS DISCOVERED. ISLANDS CLAIMED FOR 

 GREAT BRITAIN. To SOMERSET. BOAT PARTIES REPORT EXTENSIVE SURVEYS OF 

 WARRIOR REEF AND NEW GUINEA COAST. ANOTHER CRUISE AMONG PEARLING 

 STATIONS. WORK SUSPENDED. WAITING FOR LICENCES. LEAVES SOMERSET, 

 24TH MAY. ARRIVES AT BRISBANE, 2IST JUNE, 1873. 



A~TER cruising among the islands of Polynesia from 

 May till 24th September, the "Basilisk" left SYDNEY 

 on 8th December, 1872, for Torres Strait and New Guinea. 

 On calling at BRISBANE, Moresby again met the Governor, 

 Lord Normanby, and Mr. Palmer, the Premier, of Queensland, from 

 whom he learned, among other things, that the Government con- 

 templated the establishment of a MAIL SERVICE to be carried on by 



360 



