120 THE HEAD OF THE AUSTRALIAN BIGHT 



enormous shark passed so close to us that we had a 

 full view of it. Like the whales, which it appeared to be 

 following, it swam slowly, passing the Swan at a distance 

 of eighty yards. I can, therefore, testify that its length 

 was at least forty feet ; and in bulk it seemed to be nearly 

 equal to some of the whales. From the circumstance of its 

 great size, there can be no doubt that this was a specimen 

 of Rhinodofi typicus^ or the great Pacific basking-shark. 

 Had we known this at the time we should have been 

 spared a shudder : for the basking-shark, though the 

 largest fish of its genus, and probably the largest of exist- 

 ing fishes, is harmless to man. Indeed, some naturalists 

 declare that it is a vegetable feeder ; and the conformation 

 of its jaws show that, at least, its prey is much smaller 

 than that of the " man-eating shark." 



Coasting along very leisurely, we reached a spot where 

 the landing looked so comparatively easy that I was 

 tempted to go ashore again. This was behind a great 

 headland six hundred feet high, which was crowned with 

 bushes, but was perfectly bare on its faces, and of a white 

 colour, all the cliffs on this part of the Bight seeming to 

 be of chalk formation. The headland, which we believed 

 to be Point Dover, was ninety miles by dead reckoning 

 (or guesswork, if that term is too nautical) from the last 

 landing-place. We landed here on the i8th, and found 

 no great difficulty in climbing up to the country above. 

 From the top of the cliffs we could trace the coast-line 

 much further to the south-west than was possible from 

 the deck of the Swan. The atmosphere was so clear 

 that we were convinced we could trace the cliffs for a 

 hundred miles. The ship seen on the i6th was still in 

 the offing, distant about fifteen miles, and there could 

 now be no doubt that she was a whaler, and probably 

 a German or Hollander. We had a good view of her 

 through a glass, and could see by her movements that 

 she was looking out for whales, probably for the school 

 of which she had already taken toll. 



Inland the view was bounded on the north, north-west, 

 ^rid west, by some low hills, covered with scrub and c^ 



