Read Ebook: Narrative of the Voyage of H.M.S. Rattlesnake Commanded By the Late Captain Owen Stanley R.N. F.R.S. Etc. During the Years 1846-1850. — Volume 1 Including Discoveries and Surveys in New Guinea the Louisiade Archipelago Etc. to Which Is Added the Account by MacGillivray John

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OF VOLUME 1.

Objects of the Voyage. Admiralty Instructions. Hydrographer's Instructions. Sail from Plymouth. Arrive at Madeira. Funchal. Visit to Curral. Try for Deep Sea Soundings. Crossing the Line. Arrive at Rio de Janeiro. City of Rio and Neighbourhood. Dredging in Botafogo Bay. Slavery. Religious Processions. Brazilian Character. Cross the South Atlantic. Temperature of the Sea. Oceanic Birds. Pelagic Animals. Arrive at Simon's Bay. Survey the Bay. Caffre War. Observations on the Waves. Arrive at Mauritius. Port Louis. Visit to Pamplemousses. La Pouce Mountain. Try for Deep Sea Soundings. Arrive at Hobart Town.

Arrive at Sydney. Bramble is attached to the Expedition. Survey Entrance of Port Jackson and Twofold Bay. Sail upon our First Northern Cruise. Arrive at Moreton Bay. Proceedings there. Natives at Moreton Island. Arrive at Port Curtis. Settlement of North Australia. Excursions made in Neighbourhood. Natural Productions. Call at the Percy Isles. Port Molle and Cape Upstart. Unable to find Fresh Water. Return to Sydney. Recent Occurrences there. Sail for Bass Strait. Visit Port Phillip and Port Dalrymple. Inspect the Lighthouses of the Strait.

Sail on our Second Northern Cruise. Entrance to the Inner Passage. Arrive at Rockingham Bay. Land Mr. Kennedy's Expedition. Commence the Survey at Dunk Island. Communication with Natives. Barnard Isles. Botanical Sketch. Examine a New River. Frankland Isles. Find the Cocoanut Palm. Fitzroy Island. The Will-o-the-Wisp and her Story. Trinity Bay. Animals of a Coral Reef. Stay at Lizard Island. Howick, Pelican, and Claremont Isles. Bird Isles. Meet party of Natives in Distress. Cairncross Island. Arrive at Cape York.

Water the Ship. Vessel with Supplies arrives. Natives at Cape York. Description of the Country and its Productions. Port Albany considered as a Depot for Steamers. Sail from Cape York and arrive at Port Essington. Condition of the Place. History of the Settlement. Would be useless as a Colony. Aborigines. Leave Port Essington. Arrive at Sydney.

Fate of Kennedy's Expedition. Sail on our Third Northern Cruise. Excursion on Moreton Island. History of Discoveries on the South-East Coast of New Guinea and the Louisiade Archipelago, from 1606 to 1846. Find the Shores of the Louisiade protected by a Barrier Reef. Beautiful appearances of Rossel Island. Pass through an opening in the Reef, and enter Coral Haven. Interview with Natives on Pig Island. Find them treacherously disposed. Their mode of Fishing on the Reefs. Establish a system of Barter alongside the Ship. Description of the Louisiade Canoes, and mode of management. Find a Watering Place on South-East Island. Its Scenery and Productions. Suspicious conduct of the Natives. Their Ornaments, etc. described.

Leave Coral Haven. Brierly Island. Communication with the Natives. Description of their Huts. Bartering for Yams and Cocoa-nuts. Suspicious conduct of the Natives. They attack the Surveying Boats. Calvados Group. Further communication with the Inhabitants. Stay at Duchateau Islands. Their Productions. Proceedings there. Duperre Islands. Unable to find Anchorage. Pass out to Sea, and proceed to the Westward. Western termination of the Louisiade Archipelago. Reach the Coast of New Guinea.

Brumer Islands. Catamarans and Canoes. Friendly relations with the Natives of New Guinea. Are well received at their Village. Tatooing and Dress of the Women. The Huts described. Large Canoe from the Mainland. Tassai ladies return our visit. The Natives described. Their Weapons, Ornaments, Food, etc. Cul de Sac de l'Orangerie, and Communication with the Natives. Redscar Bay and its Inhabitants. Leave the Coast of New Guinea. Arrive at Cape York.

Rescue a white Woman from Captivity among the Natives. Her History. Bramble and boats complete the Survey of Torres Strait. Wini and the Mulgrave Islanders. Intercourse with the Cape York Natives. Nearly quarrel with them at a night dance. Witness a Native fight. Discover some fine country. Incidents of our stay. Many new Birds found. Remarks on the Climate, etc. of Cape York.

OBSERVATIONS ON THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SEA, MADE DURING THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. RATTLESNAKE, DECEMBER 1846 TO JULY 1847, BY LIEUTENANT J. DAYMAN, R.N.

ABSTRACTS OF MERIDIAN DISTANCES MEASURED DURING THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. RATTLESNAKE, 1847 TO 1850, BY CAPTAIN OWEN STANLEY, R.N., F.R.S., AND LIEUTENANT C.B. YULE, R.N.

OBSERVATIONS OF THE MEAN MAGNETIC INCLINATION, MADE ON SHORE IN THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. RATTLESNAKE, BY LIEUTENANT J. DAYMAN, R.N.

ACCOUNT OF THE POLYZOA AND SERTULARIAN ZOOPHYTES, COLLECTED IN THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. RATTLESNAKE, BY GEORGE BUSK, ESQUIRE F.R.S.

LIST OF PLATES. VOLUME 1.

CANOE AND NATIVES OF NEW GUINEA.

LIME CALABASH AND SPATULA.

INTERVIEW WITH NATIVES OF REDSCAR BAY, LOUISIADE ARCHIPELAGO. T. Huxley, Esquire del.

STONE-HEADED AXE AND FISHHOOK.

PLAN OF PIRON ISLAND CANOE.

LARGE CANOE OF THE LOUISIADE.

BRACELET MADE OF A HUMAN JAW.

END VIEW OF HUT ON BRIERLY ISLAND.

INTERIOR OF HUT ON BRIERLY ISLAND.

CATAMARAN AND NATIVES OF BRUMER ISLAND.

DRUM, BAILER, AND COOKING POT.

SHIELD, SPEARS, BASKET, AND COMB.

PANDEAN PIPES.

WOODEN PILLOW.

NEW GUINEA CANOE IN A SQUALL.

NATIVES OF REDSCAR BAY.

PLAYHOUSE OF BOWER BIRD OF CAPE YORK.

...

VOYAGE OF H.M.S. RATTLESNAKE.

Objects of the Voyage. Admiralty Instructions. Hydrographer's Instructions. Sail from Plymouth. Arrive at Madeira. Funchal. Visit to Curral. Try for Deep Sea Soundings. Crossing the Line. Arrive at Rio de Janeiro. City of Rio and Neighbourhood. Dredging in Botafogo Bay. Slavery. Religious Processions. Brazilian Character. Cross the South Atlantic. Temperature of the Sea. Oceanic Birds. Pelagic Animals. Arrive at Simon's Bay. Survey the Bay. Caffre War. Observations on the Waves. Arrive at Mauritius. Port Louis. Visit to Pamplemousses. La Pouce Mountain. Try for Deep Sea Soundings. Arrive at Hobart Town.

H.M.S. Rattlesnake, one of the old class of 28-gun ships, was commissioned at Portsmouth on September 24th, 1846, by the late Captain Owen Stanley, with a complement of 180 officers and men. The nature and objects of the intended voyage will best be conveyed to the reader through the medium of the following instructions from the Admiralty, for the use of which I am indebted to Lieutenant C.B. Yule, who succeeded to the command of the Rattlesnake, upon the death of our late lamented Captain, at Sydney, in March 1850, after the successful accomplishment of the principal objects of the expedition.

BY THE COMMISSIONERS FOR EXECUTING THE OFFICE OF LORD HIGH ADMIRAL OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, ETC.

Whereas, it being the usual practice of vessels returning from the Australian Colonies, or from the South Sea, to proceed to India through Torres Strait; and most of those vessels preferring the chance of finding a convenient opening in the Barrier Reefs to the labour of frequent anchorage in the Inshore Passage, it was thought fit to send out an expedition under Captain Francis Blackwood, to determine which was the best opening that those reefs would afford, and to make such a survey thereof as would ensure the safety of all vessels which should continue to adopt that mode of reaching the Strait:

And whereas, although that specific object was successfully achieved by the survey of Raine Island Passage, and by the erection of a durable beacon there to render it the more accessible, yet it appears that much is still to be done in those seas in order to make the approach to the Strait more secure and certain, as well as to afford the choice of another entrance farther to the northward in case of vessels overshooting the latitude of Raine Island by stress of wind, or current:

We have, therefore, thought proper to appoint you to the command of the Rattlesnake, for the purpose of carrying out these objects; and you are here by required and directed, when that ship is in every respect ready for sea, to proceed in her to Madeira for the verification of your chronometers--from thence to Simon's Bay at the Cape of Good Hope, for a supply of water, and to land the 50,000 pounds you have been ordered to convey to that colony; then to make the best of your way to the Mauritius, to land the treasure entrusted to your charge for that island; and having so done, to proceed to King George Sound for the purpose of carrying its exact meridian distance to Sydney, where you will lose no time in preparing for the execution of the important service entrusted to you.

The several objects of that service have been drawn up under our direction by our Hydrographer; but notwithstanding the order in which they are placed, we leave to your own discretion the several periods of their performance, and likewise the times of your return to Sydney to revictual and refit--being satisfied that your zeal in pushing forward the survey will never outstrip your attention to the health and comfort of your crew.

You will take the Bramble and her tender, the Castlereagh, under your orders, and employ them in those places which require vessels of a lighter draft of water than the Rattlesnake. They are to be attached as tenders to the Rattlesnake, and to be manned from that ship; and such of the present crew of the Bramble as may have served five years continuously, and volunteer to remain on the surveying service in Australia, are to be entered in the Rattlesnake under the provisions of the Act of Parliament. The books of the Bramble are to be closed, and she is to be considered as no longer in commission; and you are here by authorised, after being joined by her and by the Castlereagh, to enter ten supernumerary seaman for wages and victuals in the Rattlesnake to enable you effectively to man the said two tenders.

In stretching off from the Barrier Reefs to the eastward, in order to explore the safety of the sea intervening between them and Louisiade and New Guinea, you will have occasion to approach those shores, in which case you must be constantly on your guard against the treacherous disposition of their inhabitants, all barter for refreshments should be conducted under the eye of an officer, and every pains be taken to avoid giving any just cause of offence to their prejudices, especially with respect to their women.

A naturalist having been permitted to accompany you, every reasonable facility is to be given him in making and preserving his collections.

In the event of this country being involved in hostilities during your absence, you will take care never to be surprised; but you are to refrain from any act of aggression towards the vessels or settlements of any nation with which we may be at war, as expeditions employed in behalf of discovery and science have always been considered by all civilised communities as acting under a general safeguard.

You will consider yourself under the command of Rear-Admiral Inglefield, the Commander-in-Chief of Her Majesty's ships and vessels on the East India station, while you are within the limits of that station; and we have signified to him our desire that he should not divert you from the survey, nor interfere with your proceedings, except under the pressure of strong necessity; and that upon all fit occasions he should order you to be supplied with the stores and provisions of which you may stand in need; and all officers senior to yourself, with whom you may fall in, are hereby directed to give you any assistance which may be requisite.

Notwithstanding the 16th article of the 4th section of the 6th chapter of the Admiralty Instructions, you are, besides your reports to your Commander-in-Chief, to send brief accounts to our Secretary of your proceedings, state, and condition: and you will make known to him, in due time, the nature and quantity of any supplies of which you may be absolutely in want, and which may have to be forwarded to you from England.

With our Hydrographer you are by every opportunity in your power to keep up a constant correspondence; you are to report to him in full detail all your proceedings; and you are to transmit to him, whenever possible, tracings of all charts and plans that you may have completed, accompanied by sailing directions, and with notices of any facts or discoveries which may be of interest to navigation.

Having completed the service herein set forth, you are to return in the Rattlesnake, along with the Bramble, to Spithead, when you will receive directions for your further proceedings. If the Bramble should, however, by that time be in an unfit state to undertake the voyage to Europe, it may perhaps be prudent to dispose of her, under the sanction of the Commander-in-Chief.

In the event of any unfortunate accident befalling yourself, the officer on whom the command may in consequence devolve, is hereby required and directed to carry out, as far as in him lies, the foregoing orders and instructions.

Given under our hands, this 1st December 1846.

Signed:

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