A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 13 by Robert Kerr

R >> Robert Kerr >> A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 13

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Till five in the afternoon it was calm, but afterwards we steered before
the wind N.W. as the land lay till ten at night, and then brought-to,
having had all along fourteen and fifteen fathom. At five in the morning
we made sail; and at day-light the northermost point of the main bore N.
70 W. Soon after we saw more land, making like islands, and bearing N.W.
by N. At nine, we were abreast of the point, at the distance of one
mile, with fourteen fathom water. This point I found to lie directly
under the tropic of Capricorn; and for that reason I called it _Cape
Capricorn_: Its longitude is 208 deg. 58' W. It is of a considerable height,
looks white and barren, and may be known by some islands which lie to
the N.W. of it, and some small rocks at the distance of about a league
S.E. On the west side of the cape there appeared to be a lagoon, and on
the two spits which formed the entrance we saw an incredible number of
the large birds that resemble a pelican. The northermost land now in
sight bore from Cape Capricorn N. 24 W. and appeared to be an island;
but the main land trended W. by N. 1/2 N. which course we steered,
having from fifteen to six fathom, and from six to nine, with a hard
sandy bottom. At noon, on latitude, by observation, was 23 deg. 24' S.; Cape
Capricorn bore S. 60 E. distant two leagues; and a small island N. by E.
two miles: In this situation we had nine fathom, being about four miles
from the main, which, next the sea, is low and sandy, except the points
which are high and rocky. The country inland is hilly, but by no means
of a pleasing aspect. We continued to stand to the N.W., till four
o'clock in the afternoon, when it fell calm; and we soon after anchored
in twelve fathom, having the main land and islands in a manner all round
us, and Cape Capricorn bearing S. 54 E. distant four leagues. In the
night, we found the tide rise and fall near seven feet; and the flood to
set to the westward, and the ebb to the eastward, which is just contrary
to what we found when we were at anchor to the eastward of Bustard Bay.

At six in the morning we weighed, with a gentle breeze at south, and
stood away to the N.W. between the outermost range of islands and the
main, leaving several small islands between the main and the ship, which
we passed at a very little distance; our soundings being irregular, from
twelve to four fathom, I sent a boat a-head to sound. At noon, we were
about three miles from the main, and about the same distance from the
islands without us: Our latitude, by observation, was 23 deg. 7' S. The main
land here is high and mountainous; the islands which lie off it are also
most of them high, and of a small circuit, having an appearance rather
of barrenness than fertility. At this time we saw smoke in many places
at a considerable distance inland, and therefore conjectured that there
might be a lagoon, river, or inlet, running up the country, the rather
as we had passed two places which had the appearance of being such; but
our depth of water was too little to encourage me to venture where I
should probably have less. We had not stood to the northward above an
hour, before we suddenly fell into three fathom; upon which I anchored,
and sent away the master to sound the channel which lay to the leeward
of us, between the northermost island and the main: It appeared to be
pretty broad, but I suspected that it was shallow, and so indeed it was
found; for the master reported at his return that in many places he had
only two fathom and a half, and where we lay at anchor we had only
sixteen feet, which was not two feet more than the ship drew. While the
master was sounding the channel, Mr Banks tried to fish from the cabin
windows with hook and line: The water was too shallow for fish; but the
ground was almost covered with crabs, which readily took the bait, and
sometimes held it so fast in their claws, that they did not quit their
hold till they were considerably above water. These crabs were of two
sorts, and both of them such as we had not seen before: One of them was
adorned with the finest blue that can be imagined, in every respect
equal to the ultra-marine, with which all his claws and every joint was
deeply tinged; the under part of him was white, and so exquisitely
polished, that in colour and brightness it exactly resembled the white
of old china: The other was also marked with the ultra-marine upon his
joints and his toes, but somewhat more sparingly; and his back was
marked with three brown spots, which had a singular appearance. The
people who had been out with the boat to sound reported, that upon an
island where we had observed two fires, they had seen several of the
inhabitants, who called to them, and seemed very desirous that they
should land. In the evening, the wind veered to E.N.E. which gave us an
opportunity to stretch three or four miles back by the way we came;
after which the wind shifted to the south, and obliged us again to
anchor in six fathom.

At five in the morning, I sent away the master to search for a passage
between the islands, while we got the ship under sail; and as soon as it
was light, we followed the boat, which made a signal that a passage had
been found. As soon as we had got again into deep water, we made sail to
the northward, as the land lay, with soundings from nine fathom to
fifteen, and some small islands still without us. At noon we were about
two leagues distant from the main, and by observation, in latitude 22 deg.
53' S. The northermost point of land in sight now bore N.N.W. distant
ten miles. To this point I gave the name of Cape Manifold, from the
number of high hills which appeared over it. It lies in latitude 22 deg. 43'
S. and distant about seventeen leagues from Cape Capricorn, in the
direction of N. 26 W. Between these capes the shore forms a large bay,
which I called Keppel Bay; and I also distinguished the islands by the
name of Keppel's Islands. In this bay there is good anchorage; but what
refreshments it may afford I know not; we caught no fish, though we were
at anchor, but probably there is fresh water in several places, as both
the islands and the main are inhabited. We saw smoke and fires upon the
main, and upon the islands we saw people. At three in the afternoon we
passed Cape Manifold, from which the land trends N.N.W. The land of the
Cape is high, rising in hills directly from the sea, and may be known
by three islands which lie off it, one of them near the shore, and the
other two eight miles out at sea. One of these islands is low and flat,
and the other high and round. At six o'clock in the evening we
brought-to, when the northermost part of the main in sight bore N.W. and
some islands which lie off it N. 31 W. Our soundings after twelve
o'clock were from twenty to twenty-five fathom, and in the night from
thirty to thirty-four.

At day-break we made sail, Cape Manifold bearing S. by E. distant eight
leagues, and the islands which I had set the night before were distant
four miles in the same direction. The farthest visible point of the main
bore N. 67 W. at the distance of twenty-two miles; but we could see
several islands to the northward of this direction. At nine o'clock in
the forenoon we were abreast of the point which I called Cape Townshend.
It lies in latitude 22 deg. 15', longitude 209 deg. 43'. The land is high and
level, and rather naked than woody. Several islands lie to the northward
of it, at the distance of four or five miles out at sea; three or four
leagues to the S.E. the shore forms a bay, in the bottom of which there
appeared to be an inlet or harbour. To the westward of the Cape the land
trends S.W. 1/2 S. and there forms a very large bay which turns to the
eastward, and probably communicates with the inlet, and makes the land
of the Cape an island. As soon as we got round this cape, we hauled our
wind to the westward, in order to get within the islands, which lie
scattered in the bay in great numbers, and extend out to sea as far as
the eye could reach, even from the mast-head: These islands vary both in
height and circuit from each other, so that although they are very
numerous, no two of them are alike. We had not stood long upon a wind
before we came into shoal water, and were obliged to tack at once to
avoid it. Having sent a boat a-head, I bore away W. by N. many small
islands, rocks, and shoals lying between us and the main, and many of a
larger extent without us; our soundings till near noon were from
fourteen to seventeen fathom, when the boat made the signal for meeting
with shoal water; upon this we hauled close upon a wind to the eastward,
but suddenly fell into three-fathom and a quarter; we immediately
dropped an anchor, which brought the ship up with all her sails
standing. When the ship was brought up we had four fathom, with a
coarse sandy bottom, and found a strong tide setting to the N.W. by W.
1/2 W. at the rate of near three miles an hour, by which we were so
suddenly carried upon the shoal. Our latitude, by observation, was 22 deg.
8' S. Cape Townshend bore E. 16 S. distant thirteen miles; and the
westermost part of the main in sight W. 3/4 N. At this time a great
number of islands lay all round us.

In the afternoon, having sounded round the ship, and found that there
was water sufficient to carry her over the shoal, we weighed, and about
three o'clock made sail and stood to the westward, as the land lay,
having sent a boat a-head to sound. At six in the evening we anchored in
ten fathom, with a sandy bottom, at about two miles distance from the
main; the westermost part of which bore W.N.W. and a great number of
islands, lying along way without us, were still in sight.

At five o'clock the next morning, I sent away the master with two boats
to sound the entrance of an inlet which bore from us west, at about the
distance of a league, into which I intended to go with the ship, that I
might wait a few days till the moon should increase, and in the mean
time examine the country. As soon as the ship could be got under sail,
the boats made the signal for anchorage, upon which we stood in, and
anchored in five fathoms water, about a league within the entrance of
the inlet; which, as I observed a tide to flow and ebb considerably, I
judged to be a river that ran up the country to a considerable distance.
In this place I had thoughts of laying the ship ashore, and cleaning her
bottom; I therefore landed with the master in search of a convenient
place for that purpose, and was accompanied by Mr Banks and Dr Solander.
We found walking here exceedingly troublesome, for the ground was
covered with a kind of grass, the seeds of which were very sharp and
bearded backwards, so that whenever they stuck into our clothes, which
indeed was at every step, they worked forwards by means of the beard,
till they got at the flesh, and at the same time we were surrounded by a
cloud of musquitos, which incessantly tormented us with their stings. We
soon met with several places where the ship might conveniently be laid
ashore, but to our great disappointment we could find no fresh water. We
proceeded however up the country, where we found gum trees like those
that we had seen before, and observed that here also the gum was in very
small quantities. Upon the branches of these trees, and some others, we
found ants nests made of clay, as big as a bushel, something like those
described in Sir Hans Sloan's Natural History of Jamaica, vol. ii. p.
221, tab. 258, but not so smooth; the ants which inhabited these nests
were small and their bodies white. But upon another species of the tree
we found a small black ant, which perforated all the twigs, and having
worked out the pith, occupied the pipe which had contained it, yet the
parts in which these insects had thus formed a lodgment, and in which
they swarmed in amazing numbers, bore leaves and flowers, and appeared
to be in as flourishing a state as those that were sound. We found also
an incredible number of butterflies, so that for the space of three or
four acres the air was so crowded with them, that millions were to be
seen in every direction, at the same time that every branch and twig was
covered with others that were not upon the wing. We found here also a
small fish of a singular kind; it was about the size of a minnow, and
had two very strong breast fins; we found it in places that were quite
dry, where we supposed it might have been left by the tide; but it did
not seem to have become languid by the want of water, for upon our
approach it leaped away, by the help of the breast fins, as nimbly as a
frog; neither indeed did it seem to prefer water to land; for when we
found it in the water, it frequently leaped out, and pursued its way
upon dry ground; we also observed that when it was in places where small
stones were standing above the surface of the water at a little distance
from each other, it chose rather to leap from stone to stone, than to
pass through the water; and we saw several of them pass entirely over
puddles in this manner, till they came to dry ground, and then leap
away.[78]

[Footnote 78: As the natural history department of the account of this
country will be filled up when we come to another voyage, little or no
attention is paid to it at present. Dr Hawkesworth's labours, it may
have been already observed by the intelligent reader, are satisfactory
to any one more than to a student of that science.--E.]

In the afternoon we renewed our search after fresh water, but without
success, and therefore I determined to make my stay here but short;
however, having observed from an eminence that the inlet penetrated a
considerable way into the country, I determined to trace it in the
morning.

At sun-rise I went ashore, and climbing a considerable hill, I took a
view of the coast and the islands that lie off it, with their bearings,
having an azimuth compass with me for that purpose, but I observed that
the needle differed very considerably in its position, even to thirty
degrees, in some places more, in others less; and once I found it differ
from itself no less than two points in the distance of fourteen feet. I
took up some of the loose stones that lay upon the ground, and applied
them to the needle, but they produced no effect, and I therefore
concluded that there was iron ore in the hills, of which I had remarked
other indications both here and in the neighbouring parts. After I had
made my observations upon the hill, I proceeded with Dr Solander up the
inlet; I set out with the first of the flood, and long before high water
I had advanced above eight leagues. Its breadth thus far was from two to
five miles, upon a S.W. by S. direction; but here it opened every way,
and formed a large lake, which to the N.W. communicated with the sea;
and I not only saw the sea in this direction, but found the tide of
flood coming strongly in from that point: I also observed an arm of this
lake extending to the eastward, and it is not improbable that it may
communicate with the sea in the bottom of the bay, which lies to the
westward of Cape Townshend. On the south side of the lake is a ridge of
high hills which I was very desirous to climb; but it being high-water,
and the day far spent, I was afraid of being bewildered among the shoals
in the night, especially as the weather was dark and rainy; and
therefore I made the best of my way to the ship. In this excursion I saw
only two people, and they were at a distance; they followed the boat
along the shore a good way, but the tide running strongly in my favour,
I could not prudently wait for them: I saw however several fires in one
direction, and smoke in another, but they also were at a distance. While
I was tracing the inlet with Dr Solander, Mr Banks was endeavouring to
penetrate into the country, where several of the people who had leave to
go ashore were also rambling about. Mr Banks and his party found their
course obstructed by a swamp, covered with mangroves, which, however,
they resolved to pass; the mud was almost knee deep, yet they resolutely
went on, but before they got half way, they repented of their
undertaking: The bottom was covered with branches of trees interwoven
with each other, sometimes they kept their footing upon them, sometimes
their feet slipt through, and sometimes they were so entangled among
them, that they were forced to free themselves by groping in the mud and
slime with their hands. In about an hour, however, they crossed it, and
judged it might be about a quarter of a mile over. After a short walk
they came up to a place where there had been four small fires, and near
them some shells and bones of fish, that had been roasted: They found
also heaps of grass laid together, where four or five people appeared to
have slept. The second lieutenant, Mr Gore, who was at another place,
saw a little water lying in the bottom of a gully, and near it the track
of a large animal: Some bustards were also seen, but none shot, nor any
other bird except a few of the beautiful loriquets which we had seen in
Botany Bay. Mr Gore, and one of the midshipmen, who were in different
places, said that they had heard the voices of Indians near them, but
had seen none. The country in general appeared sandy and barren, and
being destitute of fresh water, it cannot be supposed to have any
settled inhabitants. The deep gullies, which were worn by torrents from
the hills, prove that at certain seasons the rains here are very copious
and heavy.

The inlet in which the ship lay I called Thirsty Sound, because it
afforded us no fresh water. It lies in latitude 22 deg. 10' S. and longitude
210 deg. 18' W. and may be known by a group of small islands lying under the
shore, from two to five leagues distant, in the direction of N.W. and by
another group of islands that lie right before it, between three and
four leagues out at sea. Over each of the points that form the entrance
is a high round hill, which on the N.W. is a peninsula that at high
water is surrounded by the sea; they are bold to both the shores, and
the distance between them is about two miles. In this inlet is good
anchorage in seven, six, five, and four fathom; and places very
convenient for laying a ship down, where, at spring-tides, the water
does not rise less than sixteen or eighteen feet. The tide flows at the
full and change of the moon about 11 o'clock. I have already observed
that here is no fresh water, nor could we procure refreshment of any
other kind. We saw two turtles, but we were not able to take either of
them; neither did we catch either fish or wild-fowl, except a few small
land-birds: We saw indeed the same sorts of water-fowl as in Botany Bay,
but they were so shy that we could not get a shot at them.

As I had not therefore a single inducement to stay longer in this place,
I weighed anchor at six o'clock in the morning of Thursday the 31st of
May, and put to sea. We stood to the N.W. with a fresh breeze at S.S.E.
and kept without the group of islands that lie in shore, and to the N.W.
of Thirsty Sound, as there appeared to be no safe passage between them
and the main: At the same time we had a number of islands without us,
extending as far as we could see: During our run in this direction our
depth of water was ten, eight, and nine fathom. At noon, the west point
of Thirsty Sound, which I have called Pier Head, bore S. 36 E. distant
five leagues; the east point of the other inlet, which communicates with
the sound, bore S. by W. distant two leagues; the group of islands just
mentioned lay between us and the point, and the farthest part of the
main in sight, on the other side of the inlet, bore N.W. Our latitude by
observation was 21 deg. 53'. At half an hour after twelve, the boat, which
was sounding a-head, made the signal for shoal water, and we immediately
hauled our wind to the N.E. At this time we had seven fathom, at the
next cast five, and at the next three, upon which we instantly dropped
an anchor that brought the ship up. Pier Head, the north-west point of
Thirsty Sound, bore S.E. distant six leagues, being half-way between the
islands which lie off the east point of the western inlet, and three
small islands which lie directly without them. It was now the first of
the flood, which we found to set N.W. by W. 1/2 W.; and having sounded
about the shoal, upon which we had three fathom, and found deep water
all round it, we got under sail, and having hauled round the three
islands that have been just mentioned, came to an anchor under the lee
of them, in fifteen fathom water; and the weather being dark, hazy, and
rainy, we remained there till seven o'clock in the morning. At this time
we got again under sail, and stood to the N.W. with a fresh breeze at
S.S.E.; having the main land in sight, and a number of islands all round
us, some of which lay out at sea as far as the eye could reach. The
western inlet, which in the chart is distinguished by the name of Broad
Sound, we had now all open; at the entrance, it is at least nine or ten
leagues wide: In it, and before it, lie several islands, and probably
shoals also; for our soundings were very irregular, varying suddenly
from ten to four fathom. At noon, our latitude by observation was 21 deg.
29' S., a point of land which forms the north-west entrance into Broad
Sound, and which I named _Cape Palmerston_, lying in latitude 21 deg. 30',
longitude 210 deg. 54' W. bore W. by N. distant three leagues. Our latitude
was 21 deg. 27', our longitude 210 deg. 57'. Between this Cape and Cape
Townshend lies the bay which I called the _Bay of Inlets_. We continued
to stand to the N.W. and N.W. by N. as the land lay, under an easy sail,
having a boat a-head to sound: At first the soundings were very
irregular, from nine to four fathom; but afterwards they were regular,
from nine to eleven. At eight in the evening, being about two leagues
from the main land, we anchored in eleven fathom, with a sandy bottom,
and soon after we found the tide setting with a slow motion to the
westward. At one o'clock it was slack, or low water; and at half an hour
after two the ship tended to the eastward, and rode so till six in the
morning, when the tide had risen eleven feet. We now got under sail, and
stood away in the direction of the coast, N.N.W. From what we had
observed of the tide during the night, it is plain that the flood came
from the N.W., whereas the preceding day, and several days before, it
came from the S.E.; nor was this the first or even second time that we
had remarked the same thing. At sun-rise this morning, we found the
variation to be 6 deg. 45' E.; and in steering along the shore, between the
island and the main, at the distance of about two leagues from the main,
and three or four from the island, our soundings were regular from
twelve to nine fathom; but about eleven o'clock in the forenoon we were
again embarrassed with shoal water, having at one time not more than
three fathom, yet we got clear without casting anchor. At noon we were
about two leagues from the main, and four from the islands without us.
Our latitude by observation was 20 deg. 56', and a high promontory, which I
named _Cape Hillsborough_, bore W. 1/2 N., distant seven miles. The land
here is diversified by mountains, hills, plains, and valleys, and seems
to be well clothed with herbage and wood: The islands which lie parallel
to the coast, and from five to eight or ten miles distant, are of
various height and extent; scarcely any of them are more than five
leagues in circumference, and many are not four miles: Besides this
chain of islands, which lies at a distance from the coast, there are
others much less, which lie under the land, from which we saw smoke
rising in different places. We continued to steer along the shore at the
distance of about two leagues, with regular soundings from nine to ten
fathom. At sun-set, the farthest point of the main bore N. 48 W. and to
the northward of this lay some high land, which I took to be an island,
and of which the north-west point bore 41 W.; but not being sure of a
passage, I came to an anchor about eight o'clock in the evening, in ten
fathom water, with a muddy bottom. About ten we had a tide setting to
the northward, and at two it had fallen nine feet; after this it began
to rise, and the flood came from the northward, in the direction of the
islands which lay out to sea; a plain indication that there was no
passage to the N.W. This however had not appeared at day-break, when we
got under sail and stood to the N.W. At eight o'clock in the morning, we
discovered low land quite across what we took for an opening, which
proved to be a bay, about five or six leagues deep; upon this we hauled
our wind to the eastward round the north point of the bay, which at this
time bore from us N.E. by N. distant four leagues: From this point we
found the land trend away N. by W. 1/2 W. and a streight or passage
between it and a large island, or islands, lying parallel to it. Having
the tide of ebb in our favour, we stood for this passage; and at noon
were just within the entrance: Our latitude by observation was 20 deg. 26'
S.; Cape Hillsborough bore S. by E. distant ten leagues; and the north
point of the bay S. 19 W. distant four miles. This point, which I named
_Cape Conway_, lies in latitude 26 deg. 36' S., longitude 211 deg. 28' W.; and
the bay which lies between this Cape and Cape Hillsborough I called
_Repulse Bay_. The greatest depth of water which we found in it was
thirteen fathom, and the least eight. In all parts there was safe
anchorage, and I believe, that upon proper examination, some good
harbours would be found in it; especially at the north side within Cape
Conway; for just within that Cape there lie two or three small islands,
which alone would shelter that side of the bay from the southerly and
southeasterly winds, that seem to prevail here as a Trade. Among the
many islands that lie upon this coast, there is one more remarkable than
the rest; it is of a small circuit, very high and peaked, and lies E. by
S. ten miles from Cape Conway, at the south end of the passage. In the
afternoon, we steered through this passage, which we found to be from
three to seven miles broad, and eight or nine leagues in length, N. by
W. 1/2 W., S. by E. 1/2 E. It is formed by the main on the west, and by
the islands on the east, one of which is at least five leagues in
length: Our depth of water in running through was from twenty to
five-and-twenty fathom, with good anchorage everywhere, and the whole
passage may be considered as one safe harbour, exclusive of the small
bays and coves which abound on each side, where ships might lie as in a
bason. The land both upon the main and islands is high, and diversified
by hill and valley, wood and lawn, with a green and pleasant appearance.
On one of the islands we discovered with our glasses two men and a
woman, and a canoe with an outrigger, which appeared to be larger, and
of a construction very different from those of bark tied together at the
ends, which we had seen upon other parts of the coast; we hoped
therefore that the people here had made some farther advances beyond
mere animal life than those that we had seen before. At six o'clock in
the evening, we were nearly the length of the north end of the passage;
the north-westermost point of the main in sight bore N. 54.W., and the
north end of the island N.N.E. with an open sea between the two points.
As this passage was discovered on Whitsunday, I called it _Whitsunday's
Passage_, and I called the islands that form it _Cumberland Islands_, in
honour of his Royal Highness the Duke. We kept under an easy sail, with
the lead going all night, being at the distance of about three leagues
from the shore, and having from twenty-one to twenty-three fathom water.
At daybreak, we were abreast of the point which had been the farthest in
sight to the north-west the evening before, which I named _Cape
Gloucester_. It is a lofty promontory, in latitude 19 deg. 59'S., longitude
211 deg. 49' W. and may be known by an island which lies out at sea N. by W.
1/2 W. at the distance of five or six leagues from it, and which I
called _Holborne Isle_; there are also islands lying under the land
between Holborne Isle and Whitsunday's Passage. On the west side of Cape
Gloucester the land trends away S.W. and S.S.W. and forms a deep bay,
the bottom of which I could but just see from the mast-head: It is very
low, and a continuation of the low land which we had seen at the bottom
of Repulse Bay. This bay I called _Edgecumbe Bay_, but without staying,
to look into it, we continued our course to the westward, for the
farthest land we could see in that direction, which bore W. by N. 1/2 N.
and appeared very high. At noon, we were about three leagues from the
shore, by observation in latitude 19 deg. 47' S., and Cape Gloucester bore
S. 63 E. distant seven leagues and a half. At six in the evening, we
were abreast of the westermost point just mentioned, at about three
miles distance, and because it rises abruptly from the low lands which
surround it, I called it _Cape Upstart_. It lies in latitude 19 deg. 39' S.,
longitude 212 deg. 32' W., fourteen leagues W.N.W. from Cape Gloucester, and
is of a height sufficient to be seen at the distance of twelve leagues:
Inland there are some high hills or mountains, which, like the Cape,
afford but a barren prospect. Having passed this Cape, we continued
standing to the W.N.W. as the land lay, under an easy sail, having from
sixteen to ten fathom, till two o'clock in the morning, when we fell
into seven fathom; upon which we hauled our wind to the northward,
judging ourselves to be very near land: At day-break, we found our
conjecture to be true, being within little more than two leagues of it.
In this part of the coast the land, being very low, is nearer than it
appears to be, though it is diversified with here and there a hill. At
noon, we were about four leagues from the land, in fifteen fathom water,
and our latitude, by observation, was 19 deg. 12' S. Cape Upstart bearing S.
32 deg. 30' E. distant twelve leagues. About this time some very large
columns of smoke were seen rising from the low lands. At sun-set, the
preceding night, when we were close under Cape Upstart, the variation
was nearly 9 deg. E., and at sun-rise this day, it was no more than 5 deg. 35'.;
I judged therefore that it had been influenced by iron-ore, or other
magnetical matter, contained under the surface of the earth.