ceived lay beyond Port Patterson in that direction, and one merely touched at by Captain King. A gap on the coast line of twenty-eight miles, with a strong tide, raised high their speculations. As they advanced the coast divided, and a riverlike opening made its appearance; a noble stream, which was named after her present Majesty, the Victoria, rewarded these researches. It is considered as of equal importance with the Murray; is at least to this northern portion what that river is to the southern. Another smaller stream, the Fitzmaurice, so named from its discoverer, exists here. Up the glorious river Victoria, her Majesty's ship Beagle advanced fifty miles, and she could have gone seven more, so that this stream was well worthy the name it received. The enthusiasm of our author is admirably expressed in the following passage:

"The expedition, consisting of the two large boats and gig, with Captain Wickham, who was to show them the watering-place, left the ship early on the morning of the 31st of October. I was to follow in one of the whale-boats, and explore the upper parts in company with Captain Wickham; and after completing the survey near the ship, I was at last fairly off to explore the Victoria with the first glimmer of light the morning following, once more to revel in scenes where all was new. How amply is the explorer repaid by such sights for all his toils! To ascend a hill, and say you are the first civilized man that has ever trod on this spot; to gaze around from its summit and behold a prospect over which no European eye has ever before wandered; to descry new mountains; to dart your eagle glance down unexplored valleys and unvisited glens; to trace the course of rivers whose waters no white man's boat has ever cleaved, and which tempt you onwards into the bosom of unknown lands,—these are the charms of an explorer's life!" (vol. ii. p. 49.)

An alligator, fifteen feet long, was one of the first prizes secured in the Victoria by the heroism of our author. After an ascent of seventy-five miles from the ship, Reach Hopeless showed the navigable termination of the Victoria by boats. Our author, Captain Wickham being too unwell to proceed, headed the party to proceed still onwards to follow it by the land. This portion of their daring brought them to a native village composed of thirteen huts of paper bark, but they saw none of the inhabitants. Three women, whom they were prudent enough not to notice, furnished further indications of human life, as well as two children. It was soon, however, evident that they were approaching a thickly populated region. The river continued before them in undiminished magnitude, but the health of the exploring party soon compelled them to a swift return. To add to their troubles in this state of general debili

tation, the natives made their appearance: they were a fine manly race, but exhibited no signs of attacking the party.

Our author brought from Reach Hopeless one of numerous specimens of a kind of silk cotton tree. It is as yet undescribed, but Sir Joseph Banks met with it in Captain Cook's voyage. They reached the strait without any particular danger from the natives; but at Point Pearce our gallant author encountered the following sad adventure. He had to take some observations before leaving the coast, and while thus occupied, selected a spot near the cliffs for that object. We give the rest in his own words:

"On landing, I directed Mr. Tarrant and one of the boat's crew to follow with the rest of the instruments. The walking was very bad, the reef being strewed with coral fragments, and interspersed with large pools. With my mind fully occupied with what we had seen of late, I hurried on without waiting, and reached the observation spot, just glancing towards the cliff, which presented nothing to the view but the silvery stems of the never-failing gum trees.

“I had just turned my head round to look after my followers, when I was suddenly staggered by a violent and piercing blow about the left shoulder; and ere the dart had ceased to quiver in its destined mark, a loud long yell, such as the savage only can produce, told me by whom I had been speared. One glance sufficed to show me the cliffs, so lately the abode of silence and solitude, swarming with the dusky forms of the natives, now indulging in all the exuberant action with which the Australian testifies his delight. One tall bushy-headed fellow led the group, and was evidently my successful assailant. I drew out the spear, which had entered the cavity of the chest, and retreated with all the swiftness I could command, in the hope of reaching those who were coming up from the boat, and were then about half way. I fully expected another spear while my back was turned; but, fortunately, the savages seemed only to think of getting down to the beach to complete their work.

“Onward I hurried, carrying the spear which I had drawn from the wound, and determined if, as I expected, overtaken, to sell my life dearly. Each step less steady than the former one, reminded me that I was losing blood: but I hurried on, still retaining the chronometer, and grasping my only weapon of defence. The savage cry behind soon told me that my pursuers had found their way to the beach: while at every respiration, the air escaping through the orifice of the wound, warned me that the strength by which I was still enabled to struggle through the deep pools and various other impediments in my path, must fail me soon. I had fallen twice, each disaster being announced by a shout of vindictive triumph from the bloodhounds behind. To add to my distress, I now saw with utter dismay that Mr. Tarrant and the man with the instruments, unconscious of the fact that I had been speared, and therefore believing

I

that I could make good my escape, were moving off towards the boat. gave up all hope, and with that rapid glance at the past, which in such an hour crowds the whole history of life upon the mind, and one brief mental act of supplication, or rather submission, to Him in whose hands are the issues of life and death, I prepared for the last dread struggle. At that moment the attention of the retreating party was aroused by a boat approaching hastily from the ship; the first long, loud, wild shriek of the natives having most providentially apprized those on board of our danger, they turned and perceived that I was completely exhausted. I spent the last struggling energy I possessed to join them. Supported on each side, I had just strength to direct them to turn towards our savage enemies, who were hurrying on in a long file, shouting and waving their clubs, and were now only about thirty yards off. Our turning momentarily checked their advance, whilst their force increased. During these very few and awfully anxious moments, a party headed by Lieutenant Emery hastened over the reef to our support: another moment and ours would have been the fate of so many other explorers. hand of the savage almost grasped our throats; we should have fallen a sacrifice in the course of discovery, and our bones, left to moulder on this distant shore, would have been trodden heedlessly under foot by the wandering native." (vol. ii. p. 107.)

The

Such are the evils of the explorer's life, and such the greeting of uncivilized man to his brother. Before leaving this portion of our labours, we think it right to remark that above Reach Hopeless the Victoria had a breadth of from three to five miles, and this still increased when our author was compelled to quit it at Mount Regret. Among the results of this expedition to the Victoria, may be numbered a new species of kangaroo, a fresh-water tortoise, and several beautiful birds, all additions to our natural history.

Our voyagers having effected these great objects, prepared to return to Swan River. Our gallant author long remained a great sufferer from his wound, and will probably always feel it. We trust, however, but a slight affection will remain from it. Our traveller found Swan River much improved: they were now enabled to get their supplies from it, and they next proceeded to return to the north-west coast, and to examine on their way Houtman's Abrolhos, a coral group rarely visited, remarkable for the loss of two Dutch ships in two succeeding centuries, and of which place next to nothing was known. Here, on their arrival, they found the remains of a large vessel, (supposing this to be Commodore Pelsart's ship). Our adventurers named a mass of islands "Pelsart Group." The Abrolhos furnished them with an opportunity of observing closely the habits of the Marsupial animals. These parts abound in a peculiar species of the

wallaby, and the physiologist will read with great delight the observations of Mr. Bynoe on this genus, at p. 157, vol. ii. This region presented them with an opportunity of inspecting many drawings made by the natives on the smooth surface of the rocks. Most of these have already appeared in the Royal Geographical Journal, but a plate embracing several is given by our author. Their native interpreter proved but of little use to them; like the first, Miago, he was evidently cowed by the fierce demeanour of the northern tribes. A new bird, kangaroo, and helix shell were found upon Depuch Island in this locality.

Passing a long sail to the eastward, and a visit to the Dutch Resident at Coepang, also to Dampier's Archipelago, we come to Barrow's Island, where a new kind of kangaroo and wallaby were discovered. Here they killed also two iguanos seven feet long. The tribute paid by our author to our late venerable Secretary at the Admiralty will be read by all with pleasure. We subjoin it:

"We cannot quit this island without reminding our readers that it was named after the distinguished Secretary to the Admiralty, who has just retired from office after a period of service of nearly half a century, during which time he was the promoter of all geographical research, and mainly instrumental in founding a society which is of growing importance to Great Britain, and who has established a lasting reputation both by his travels and his literary productions." (vol. ii. p. 211.)

From this direction they again reached their rendezvous at Swan River. From hence they proceeded to South Australia. The magnitude of Adelaide struck them with immense surprise, even after seeing Sydney. Our author considers the instruction of the natives in their own tongue an error; and so do we: and heartily shall we rejoice when our island knows but one language, and gets rid of Scotch, Welsh, and Irish, as it has already done of Cornish. English certainly ought to be the sole medium of instruction. From hence they passed to Sydney, where Captain Wickham invalided, and our author succeeded to the sole command of the Beagle. Lieutenants Emery and Eden also left for England, the former not without giving his name to undiscovered regions. Lieutenant Gore, an old friend of Captain Stokes, joined the Beagle. The Gulf of Carpentaria now became the object of their pursuit. This scene of the achievements of Flinders was gratefully remembered by the party, and the same tree that bears the name of his ship, the Investigator, is also marked with her consort's in discovery, the Beagle. Here a river, and they had previously determined to name the first discovered after the first navigator of these re

gions, Flinders, met their sight. Thirty miles of it were traversed by their boats; but a more brilliant discovery yet awaited them. Mr. Fitzmaurice had reported so favourably of an opening bearing W. by S. fifteen miles from the ship, that they proceeded thither to investigate it, and a noble stream, which they named the Albert, to their great delight, was soon discovered, and of extreme beauty, as Lieutenant Gore's exquisite sketch of it, given in the work, indicates. It was followed up fifty miles in boats from the entrance. The land party proceeded a few miles further, and the Albert flowed on undiminished in volume of water, when our enthusiastic author quitted it. Certainly this point, from which, by the aid of camels, the centre of the continent may be now reached, being only 400 miles distant, as our author justly remarks, appears the fittest for exploration into the interior. Nor was the discovery of the Albert all that was achieved: 200 miles of the Gulf of Carpentaria were minutely examined by the boats of the Beagle, and twenty-six inlets, only two of which proved to be rivers, inspected. After this they reached the Victoria settlement, where Captain Stanley communicated to Captain Stokes his cruise in the Arafura Sea, which is published in the work. We shall, however, pass this, and proceed on with the fortunes of the Beagle. Port Essington had wonderfully improved in external appearance since their first visit two years ago. The Australians are supposed to be greatly destitute of feeling. The following tale of a native mother would show the contrary :—

"The reader will remember the native named Alligator, whom I have mentioned on a previous visit to Port Essington. I witnessed in his family an instance of affection for a departed child, which, though it exhibited itself in this peculiar manner, was extremely touching. The wife had treasured up the bones of the little one, and constantly carried them about with her, not as a memento mori, but as an object whereon to expend her tenderest emotions, whenever they swelled within her breast. At such times she would put together these bones with a rapidity that supposed wonderful knowledge of osteology, and set them up that she might weep over them. Perhaps in her imagination, as she performed this melancholy rite, the ghastly framework before her became indued with the comely form of infancy; bright eyes once more sparkled in those hollow cells, and a smile of ineffable delight hung where, in reality, was nought but the hideous grin of death." (vol. ii. p. 355.)

We fully agree in the estimate of the importance of this settlement by our author. Its geographical position, and its being the only good harbour on the north coast, must prove of great ultimate utility. Watering at Port Essington and Fort Concor