Year: 1862

By LIEUTENANT Il. c. FOSTER.


To the northward of the island continent Of
Australia, separating it from the large island
of Papua, or New Guinea, lies narrow strait,
studded with iuuumerable Islands. rocks, shoals.
reefs and sand banks, rendering the navigation
intricate aud dangerous. and impossible except
in the hours of daylight.


To add to the perils, a number of the Islands
are inhabited BY Papuan savages-a race ap-
parently a cross between the Malay and the
negro of Australia, and possessing all the saw
age treaehery of the former, with the disgust
ing, bestial ferociy of the latter class OF saya-
ges.


1t is, therefore, generally the custom when
vessels are bound from Sydney, or any port in
Australia, to India or China-necesstating a
passage through this channel, known as Torres
Strait-for one captain to wait for another,
until two, three, or more vessels are ready to
sail together, and to keep company, and to
render each other assistance, should it be
needed.


The practice is for each vessel to keep
couple of men aloft during daylight to mark
the course, since the water is usually smooth
as that of a lake. and the sand banks and
shoals can be distinctly seen beneath. Even
then the currents are so strong and uncertain
that it is often found difficult to thread some of
the narrow passages; ; and as soon as it be-
comes dark, some spot is chosen wherein TO
come to with a kedge anchor during the night
when it is necessary TO keep welLarmed
watch on deck to preven. the crew from being
surprised by savages.


The islands are not all inhabited, and l am
OF opinion that the natives are in the habit of
roaming from one to another, as their fancy
chooses, or as fsh-their chief food-grows
scarce Many of the islands are perfect para
discs. The land is undulating, rising into hills
OF tolerable hight divided by vallies, equal in
scenery to the happy abode of Rasselas, Prince
of Abyssinia. They are well wooded, well
stocked with the wild fruits of the tropics, and
abound in little lakes and streams of fresh wa
ter. In fact they possess every variety of see
merry in miniature, so beautifully arranged that
it is scarcely possible to believe that the art of
the landscape gardener has not been employed
TO increase the natural beauty of these lovely
spots, and how the savages who reside upon
them can retain their degraded characteristics
amidst everything that is calculated TO soften
and refine mans nature, it is difficult to con-
ceive


Several years ago the sloop of war Coquette
sailed from Sydney, bound for the China seas
OF course ships of war are sufficiently well
armed and manned to protect themselves
against any number of savages, and conse-
quently they did not wait for consort, as is
the case with merchantmen.


The Coquette duly reached the straits, and
on the second night afterwards came to an an
chor under one of the islands. 1t was not yet
dark, and the captain and some of the officers
resolved to make trip on shore for an hour
A boat was accordingly lowered, and the cap
tain and five Others, with a crew, all we'll arm
ed in case of treachery on the part of the na-
tives, should there be any, landed on the island
1t was of no great extent, perhaps covering an
area of not more than fifteen or twenty acres.
but the soil was so undulating and so densey
wooded, and miniature scenery so diversified,
that it had the appearance OF much greater ex-
tent of surface.


The officers, taking their fowling pieces with
them, wandered all over the island They saw
numerous traces of its having been recently
inhabited, for they came across the ashes of
fires, evidently not long burnt out, and found
turtle half roasted, but they met with no
savages. In the midst of wood they came
across huge wooden idol, grotesquely carved,
with the mouth stuck full of shark teeth, and
the surface stained with red and yellow pig
ments. They shot several birds, and bringing
the idol with them, returned TO the boat, where
they found the sailors, who had been amusing
themselves gathering Shells of which they had
found several rare and curious specimens on
the beech. These, with the birds and the idol
as souvenir OF their visit, were all put into
the boat and carried on board the ship.


At eight o'clock the night watch was set,
the same as if the vessel had been on the open
sea, and nothing particular occurred until mid
night, when, according to nautical custom.
"eight bells were struck, and the watch be-
low was called to relieve their shipmates.-
Scarcely, however, had the last tone of the
bell ceased to vibrate, when eight bells "
were again distinctly struck.


Forward, there shouted the lieutenant of
the watch d" l say. who struck that bell 81


There was no reply.


who struck that bell? Who dared to
strike it the second tine? insist upon know
ing cried the officer.


PLEASE, sir, nobody, at length answered