Lądowe życie ciąg dalszy

Ale w pamięci mam jeszcze ostatnie żeglowanie pomiędzy uroczymi wyspami Queensland. Na południu, gdzie nie docierają czarterowe jachty, jest bardzo odludnie, wyspy są w większości niezamieszkałe, ale dostarczają wielu innych atrakcji. Woda koloru zielonego, ustępującą przejrzystości środkowego Pacyfiku ale da się pływać... jeśli zapomnieć na chwile o krokodylach i meduzach. :)
Busz zdecydowanie nie do spacerowania. Za to na przybrzeżnych skałach nareszcie coś do jedzenia!!!

A wiec dla Was zagadka! Co tu się spożywa? Dodam dla ułatwienia, że nie każdemu smakuje.... hahahaha!

Był tez czas na zajęcia dodatkowe. Wyposażeni w odpowiedni sprzęt moglibyśmy zapolować, gdybyśmy jeszcze tylko umieli się tym sprzętem właściwie posługiwać...

I zagadka numer dwa! A raczej quiz - ile błędów popełnia ta nieustraszona łuczniczka?

Jestem bardzo ciekawa, czy udało się Wam odsłuchac piosenkę o Percy Island? I czy wytrzymacie bez nowin ze trzy tygodnie, kiedy to wyląduję na uroczej wyspie Rangiroa? / Tuamotu oczywiście... tak, tak... Polinezja.. mmmmm...

Lądowe historie

Ponieważ łódka przechodzi właśnie szybkie malowanie farba antyporostowa i jest na twardym, zapraszam do zapoznania się z poruszającą historia sprzed lat.
Jechaliśmy samochodem do Alrlie Beach , po nici do reperacji żagla, po drodze minęliśmy bardzo australijsko wyglądający bar .Ian opowiedział mi historię związaną z tym miejscem.
Otóż w czasach, gdy polowanie na Aborygenów należało do zajęć rozrywkowych, w tej okolicy policja ścigała grupę tubylców, winnych lub niewinnych jakimś występkom i zapędziła się za nimi na wzgórze Mandanara. Tam, jedna z kobiet z niemowlakiem na reku, nie chcąc wpaść w ręce policji - podobno też czarnej- rzuciła się w przepaść z urwiska, ginąc na miejscu. Dziecko ocalało i zostało adoptowane przez białą rodzinę.

Teraz, przed barem w którym zrelaksowani Australijczycy popijają piwko, stoi pomnik czarnej jak heban kobiety z dzieckiem na reku, w pozycji  gotowej do skoku. No.

Tu można zobaczyć zdjęcie wzgórza


Thirty minutes from the centre of Mackay on top of Mt Mandarana is a town known as The Leap. The name comes from an event in 1928. Police attempted to capture a group of Aboriginal people from the Yumi nation, but one woman refused to surrender, instead she leaped from the mountain with her baby in her arms - the rocks below killed the woman, Kowaha, but the baby lived. In the caves near the summit the remains of seafoods, mussels and oysters are still where the traditional owners used to live.

Before White Settlement in the Mackay District there were at least 6 main aboriginal tribal groupings in region.  

George Bridgman who established the first Aboriginal Reserve on land between Bakers Creek and Sandy Creek in 1871 was the first to describe the tribal groups around the Mackay Area.  The Yuipera’s territory was in the town area, the Kungulburra were established between Port Mackay and Broadsound;Toolginburra were located west of the coastal strip in land over the Connors Range and the Googaburra were the tribe that inhabited the Islands off the coast. 

An early group of Mackay Tribal Aborigines late 1800s. (Mackay Historical Society Archive No. 85-327)

Later research namely by the late Norman Tindale in the middle part of the 1900’s, described the groups as the following Juipera, Wiri, Biria, Jangga, Barna and  Baradawhich the names they are commonly recognised by today. 

The boundaries tended to follow natural features such as rivers and mountain ranges, things that were easy to recognise, as it was to invite swift and fatal retribution for crossing the boundaries. 

The Juipera people were the most dominant in the area around Mackay City on the coast from St. Helens to Cape Palmerston and inland to the Connor’s Range. 

It was estimated that in 1860 each of the tribes would have numbered about 500 persons made up of several families.  After 40,000 years, the precise number that a tribal area could support had been established and was strictly observed. 

It is not known how the boundaries were established, however early researchers point out that only enough country was claimed to support the tribe.  In rich areas such as rainforest or coastal lowlands, the tribal areas were smaller than in the open country of the inland. Social mixing of the tribes was not common.   

After white settlement, most Europeans failed to recognise tribal boundaries and hunting rights.  Dispossession of the land resulted in physical hardship and spiritual confusion.  Faced with the grim prospect of starvation or warfare, many tribes turned to the white man’s herds to replenish food supplies.  Resulting conflict and disease decimated the population

Mount Mandurana now known more commonly as “The Leap” located about 20km’s north of Mackay was the scene of a sad tale of the conflict between the early white settlers and the aboriginals. 

There have been many conflicting stories of what happened but the story goes somewhat like this:- 

Early in 1867, John Greenwood Barnes was speared in the arm after an aboriginal attack.  Early in 1867, John Greenwood Barnes was speared in the arm after an aboriginal attack.  Barnes resided at Cremorne, which was a ceremonial ground for the Juipera, and it appears he was harassed on many occasions not surprisingly for trespassing on sacred ground.  Due to the attack on Barnes, a contingent on Native Mounted Police (NMP) were active in the ‘dispersal’ of many aborigines on the North Side of the Pioneer River. 

According to folklore a local aboriginal woman with her baby in her arms leapt from the western escarpment of Mt. Mandurana to her death, trying to escape the pursuing NMP, however the baby survived.  There are conflicting versions of the story in that the woman was thrown over the cliff by the NMP, or she committed suicide as the child was a half-caste child and she was a victim of domestic violence.  We may however never know the real story. 

The child was adopted by the family of James Ready, an early settler of the area and was baptised ‘Johanna’ on 22 July 1867. Johanna married an Englishman George Howes and had three children.  It is unknown exactly what happened to Johanna but it appears she died on 25 December 1897 and was buried in the Mackay Cemetery. 

Barnes resided at Cremorne, which was a ceremonial.

Żeglowanie po australijsku

Zaczynam powoli rozumieć na czym polega australijskie żeglowanie. Tutaj wschodnie wybrzeże usiane jest niezliczonymi wysepkami, przeważnie niezamieszkałymi, oddzielonymi od oceanu odległą o kilka, kilkanaście mil rafą koralową z kilkoma pasażami na otwartą wodę. (Raz zakotwiczyliśmy na rafie; no to jest coś, w okół jak nie spojrzeć ocean a jacht sobie stoi spokojnie...)

Wybrzeże jest tak dlugie, że nikogo na otwartą wodę nie ciągnie bo nic tam nie ma a wszędzie daleko. Żeglują więc tylko z południa na północ wzdłuż wybrzeża, mając do wyboru wiele kotwicowisk na nocny odpoczynek.
Canada Goose (tak nazywa się łódka) jest teraz przy Scawfell Island, w Refuge Bay. Przypłynęliśmy tu wczoraj w nocy, szukając osłony przed zapowiadanym silnym wiatrem z SE, który pewnie jest odpryskiem cyklonu Vera z okolic Nowej Kaledonii.
Z żalem opuszczałam wyspę Percy Island, która mnie urzekła swoim kształtem, silikonowym piaskiem świszczącym pod stopami,
spokojem i bogatą historią sięgającą siedemnastego wieku. Przy plaży stoi tam chatka, gdzie od lat przepływający tamtędy żeglarze zostawiają coś na pamiątkę;deskę z wyrytym napisem, butelkę z karteczką, zdjęcie lub cokolwiek... Wisi też tam polska flaga, ale bez napisu.
Na Percy  mieszka jedna rodzina,Moris. Mają dom na wzgórzu, ogród, hodują kozy, pawie i kury. żeglarzom sprzedają miód, sok cytrynowy i robią też wino z mango. John pracował do niedawna na lądzie, w systemie 6-cio tygodniowym. Catherine uraczyła nas musem z corosoli i opowieścią o dawnych czasach na wyspie. Historia białego człowieka zaczyna się w 1770 r., ale wcześniej mieszkali tu Aborygeni - wysiedleni, pomarli z tęsknoty za domem...
Ci, którzy chcieliby tu pobyć, popracować na rzecz Morissonów za wikt i opierunek mogą zajrzeć na www.woofing.com.au
Zapraszam też do poczytanie fragmentu książki o Percy Island i wysłuchania fajnej piosenki!
Z Percy Island na Scrafell płyneliśmy z dobrym południowo-wschodnim wiatrem niosąc jedynie genuę na spinaker pole'u. To jest cudowne pływanie przy baksztagu; żagiel ani drgnie przy kołyszącym się na boki jachcie. Pycha!

Parchment

The cutter-rigged yacht "Psyche", which had been carried away by four convicts from Hobart Tas. during the night of Feb. 20-21 1849, was totally wrecked off the Queensland coast in 1849, probably March. Belonging to Reverend Francis R. Nixon, Bishop of Tasmania, the "Psyche" was in the charge of his secretary, George Forester, who entrusted the care and navigation  of the vessel to his assigned servant, John Hill. She was mostly employed running between Hobart and a farm at 'Three Hut Point'. The "Psyche" was taken to sea from under the noses of the water police constables on duty at 'Coal yard wharf' and the crew of the guard boat, the colonial government's schooner "Swallow". The alarm was not given until 10.30 am on the 21st of Feb., when 3 prisoners assigned to the Marine department- Rees Griffiths, John King and 

Matthew Clark- were found to be absent. A Sextant, with some other articles, were found to be missing from the "Swallow". The following story is about 4 convicts who stole the Bishop of Tasmania‘s yacht and 

ended up being wrecked on Middle Percy Island. The Psyche was a small gaff rigged cutter about 30 foot in length weighing 10 tons. She was jointly owned by the Reverend Francis R. Nixon and William Lambert Dobson who was the Chief of Justice in Tasmania. 

CONVICT ABSCONDERS- on the night of Tuesday  the 20th instant, four prisoners of the Crown absconded from Hobart Town, named Griffiths, King, Clarke, and Hill. The latter had formerly been a commander of a vessel. They had previously broken into the cabin of the Government schooner “Swallow”, and removed a sextant, two charts, a quantity of clothing, bags of biscuit, three water beakers, all of which they took  aboard the yacht “Psyche”, a small yacht belonging to 

the Lord Bishop of Tasmania, and which vessel Hill had  charge of. What provisions he had on board at the time, together with what they took from the “Swallow” is calculated to last them fifteen days. Soon after the 

“Psyche” had sailed with them, expresses were sent in all directions. The “Swallow” was sent to „Forte-Que. Bay., the police boat to „Adventure Bay., keeping close to the coast, and Mr.P.S.Tomlins, P.M. of South Port, was apprised of the circumstance so as to have his boat in readiness. All the stations, coastwise, have been informed. The Chief Police Magistrate (now at Fingal) immediately made arrangements upon hearing of the circumstance. All the constables in pursuit are picked men: they have police warrants and are heavily armed. The “John”, from Launceston reports having seen a vessel of the “Psyches” description on Wednesday morning, about fifteen miles from Port Arthur. The police boat is on her return after a fruitless search. Upon going to press nothing further had been ascertained. 

FACTS AND FICTIONS ARISING OUT OF THE BISHOP.S YACHT- Imprimis, four  convicts bolted from the colony, taking with them the Bishop.s yacht, the “Psyche”; they have not been taken, nor are they likely to be. The Lord Bishop of Tasmania placed his pleasure yacht under sole charge of a prisoner of the Crown, although it is well known that he has always been most loud in his invectives against the contamination of that class. Hill, the prisoner in charge of the said yacht, and one of the above bolters, was that day gazetted on the ticket-of-leave list for meritorious conduct. These are the facts...Now for the fictions. There was a rumor about town, that it was mainly owing to the inactivity of the police that the four men above alluded to escape, and that, had they been wide awake at the time, the Bishop.s yacht would not 

have been taken away: that is not a fact, for there were no constables stationed near the spot at the time. Mr. McLean, deeming it quite a sufficient security in having a prisoner on the Commissariat Wharf. The next report was, that some of the government clerks were out pleasuring in the “Corsair”- that the “Swallow” mistook her for the “Psyche”- that she was fired into, and one of the young gentlemen wounded- but that report was fortunately contradicted before the nerves of a large circle of relatives, friends, and acquaintances had been too severely shaken: this report was really too bad, inasmuch as it caused one of our contemporaries to be buoyed up with the idea of a first rate local, and as a matter of course was doomed to disappointment. Yesterday it was reported that the “Swallow” was returning, bringing the “Psyche” with her: there is no foundation for this, for the Bishop.s yacht has proved herself in every respect a cutter. 

Some 3 months after the disappearance of the "Psyche" from Hobart, the barque "Freak" put into 'Percy Island' off the Queensland coast below Mackay. There the "Freaks" Master J.B.Simpson found two castaways who gave their names as John Davis and Matthew Clark and claimed to be sailors from the "Buona Vista". This vessel, they said, had been wrecked on a voyage through Torres Strait from New Zealand. Their story, however, was unconvincing, and Simpson concluded the two men were runaway convicts, He carried them to 'escape river' and there transferred them to the Sydney bound schooner "Coquette", warning the latter's Master, George Elliot that they were almost certainly runaways. He Told Elliot he thought they might be two of the men who had pirated "Psyche" and warned him to keep a close watch on them. When the "Coquette" arrived in Sydney N.S.W. on 6th July, Davis and Clark were for some reason allowed to slip ashore, as soon as the schooner was inside the heads. When the water police magistrate boarded "Coquette" as she was working up the harbour he was not informed they had been onboard. He soon learned about them however, and a search for the men was instituted. Davis was quickly arrested and identified as John King, but Clark was never recaptured. King refused to disclose the fate of the "Psyche" or to say what had happened to the other two men, Hill and Griffiths, but a report from Captain Simpson disclosed that he had found a skeleton on Percy Island, with evidence suggesting that there was suspicious circumstances surrounding the man.s death. It was at first intended to charge King with murder, but on the 31st July the principal Superintendent of convicts, decided that the charge could not be proved. He was therefore returned to Tasmania, where his original sentence of ten years transportation was increased by 18 months for absconding. 

wszystko o Percy Island:

Kate Gibson śpiewa http://percyisland.com.au/http://chomikuj.pl/szawele/Dokumenty/piosenka+o+Percy+Island,2287915623.wmapiosenka

http://percyisland.com.au/