WEST KIMBERLEY PLACE REPORT - Department of Sustainability ...

complete what Matthew Flinders had begun, nearly two decades earlier, and led to the
production of maps which allowed for safely-navigable coastal shipping routes. These
maps were published as Admiralty charts and had a lasting influence, with several of
King's coastal sheets and plans of harbours and gulfs still in use in the mid-twentieth
century (Pearson 2005).
Archaeological evidence that can attest to the presence of the Mermaid and its crew
may be found at Careening Bay. The length of the Mermaid's stay at Careening Bay
(up to three weeks) increases the likelihood of the existence of such evidence.
An estimate of the archaeological evidence that can be expected to be found at
Careening Bay is gained from King's published journal, Narrative of a Survey of the
Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia (originally published in 1827). He
describes a boab tree that was carved by his crew with the words 'HMC Mermaid
1820'. This tree, he claimed on his return nearly a year later, 'seemed likely to bear the
marks of our visit longer than any other memento we had left' (King 1969 [1827]). He
also mentioned an inscribed copper sheet that was attached to a tree which had been
used to prop up the mess tent in their camp. He notes, however, that this was already
becoming detached from the tree, when they returned the following year.
Upon careening, King's crew found that extensive repairs to the ship were necessary.
Large iron bolts and brackets that had been salvaged from another ship, the Frederick,
were required to hold together a large rent in the Mermaid's keel. Chain plates, also
salvaged from the Frederick were forged into a large iron brace to help hold the ship
together. To do this, members of the Mermaid crew constructed a forge from local
stone and created their own charcoal from the plentiful trees nearby (Hordern 1997).
It is possible that evidence of this forge, refuse and charcoal remain at the site. While
repairing the ship, King states that they also found the iron nails in the ship's hull to
be severely decayed and in need of replacement. It is likely that these would have
been left where they fell after removal.
King included in his journal a sketch of Careening Bay which depicts the ship on the
beach and their camp nearby. The sketch shows that the crew stayed in tents. An area
of wooden crates/barrels is situated near their camp, which is very close to the highest
tide mark. It seems likely that little evidence of the camp would be left as the tents
and crate/barrels would have been taken with them when they left the bay. However,
it is safe to assume that a refuse pit/area would be found near where the camp was
located. Personal items of crew members, either lost or discarded, might also be
present in and around the camp site.
Archaeological evidence could offer information on the lives of nineteenth century
maritime explorers. Specifically, it offers a glimpse of how such men survived and
occupied their time while ashore in remote regions. It could indicate, among other
things, what they ate, what sort of conditions they lived in, what type of activities they
undertook, and how they went about repairing a careened ship.
A literature review was carried out to assess whether research material was likely to
be found within the Careening Bay site.
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