Flinders Journal – 4 December

Saturday 4 December, 1802 Bountiful Island Next morning, two boats went to bring off the officer and people with what had been caught; ... it took nearly the whole day to get on board what the decks and holds could contain ... They were found by Mr. Brown to be nearly similar to, but not exactly the true green turtle, and he thought might be an undescribed species. We contrived to stow away forty-six, the least of them weighting 250lbs, and the average about 300; besides which, many were re-turned on shore, and suffered to go away. This Bountiful Island, for so I termed it, is near three miles long, and generally low and sandy; the highest parts are ridges of sand, overspread with a long, creeping coarse grass, which binds the sand together, and preserves it from being blown away; grass of the common kind grows in the lower parts, and in one place there were some bushes and small trees. The basis consists partly of a streaked, ochrous earth, and in part of sand, concreted with particles of iron ore. Nothing bespoke this island to have been ever before visited, whence it is probably that the natives of the neighbouring lands do not possess canoes; for with them, the distance of four leagues from Cape Van Diemen would not have been too great to be passed, though too far in a tide's way for such rafts as I saw at Horse-shoe Island. A kind of bustard, with a very strong bill, and not larger than a hen, was numerous at Bountiful Island; and appeared to subsist upon the young turtle .. But is is not only in the bustards, nor on land alone, that they have enemies to fear; tiger sharks were numerous, and so voracious, that seven were hooked along-side the ship, measuring from five to nine feet in length." (P154/5)

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