MANGALORE CATTLE STATION
Wreck of the _Friendship_—I am attacked by Captain Harrison and
MacLeod—I receive the Royal Guelphic Order of Knighthood—Secure the
sheep and cattle station of “Mangalore” in Port Phillip with my
brother—Leave Norfolk Island—Visit to Mangalore
JUST as these charges were brought against MacLeod, the hired schooner
_Friendship_ arrived off the island with Government provisions and
stores, and after exchanging signals she made fast to a large buoy and
moorings which had been laid down some months before by his Majesty’s
ship _Alligator_. Captain Harrison and Mr. Bull then landed to report
themselves, and I asked them to dinner. When this was over I told them
they must return at once to their ship and look to her safety, that I
should send a trusty constable and a few men with them, and that, should
it come to blow hard, they must immediately slip away from the moorings
and stand out to sea until the weather moderated. They returned to their
vessel, but about midnight it blew very hard, and at daylight we had a
very strong gale; the schooner was then seen dragging the moorings and
drifting fast towards the rocks in front of the settlement, yet not a
man could be seen moving on board. I was in bed at this time, and one of
my chief constables came and informed me that the schooner was drifting
fast on to the rocks, and the surf on the beach was running so high that
it was impossible to send out a boat, adding that no man could be seen
on board, and that they must all be asleep. I dressed hurriedly, and
sent to the military barracks for our gunners and some ammunition for
our great guns, and as soon as they arrived we fired round after round
over the schooner, yet not a man appeared on deck. At last they heard
us, and attempted to make sail. But it was too late; for by this time
the ill-fated vessel was amongst the breakers, and in a few minutes more
was broadside on the rocks, and soon became a total wreck. The crew and
guard got on shore in safety, and our next efforts were to save the
cargo, and for this purpose some dozens of prisoners volunteered their
services, and went off through the surf, up to their waists, some to
their necks, and succeeded in getting on board. Captain Fothergill and
about twenty soldiers followed to protect the property and preserve
order. There was a large fire seen burning in the caboose on deck, the
sparks flying about everywhere, and repeated cries were heard that there
was powder on board. The kegs were soon discovered and thrown overboard;
the prisoners then got into the hold, and managed to get small and large
cases of stores on deck, then handed them over the ship’s side to gangs
of prisoners on the rocks. In this manner the whole cargo was safely
landed without any loss or damage, but the unfortunate ship became a
greater wreck every day. At last what remained of her was towed into the
boat harbour, and several attempts were made to patch her up, but all to
no purpose, and at last all efforts were abandoned.
I had to quarter Captain Harrison, his crew and passengers on the
different civil and military officers and free constables, and I took
Mr. and Mrs. Bull to Government House. Captain Harrison became the guest
of the military officers, and we all endeavoured to make them as
comfortable as we possibly could. About a month afterwards it was
reported to me that Captain Harrison talked of selling the wreck and
other materials and stores belonging to the vessel, and that MacLeod,
the late superintendent, was in his confidence, and was advising him to
do so. I took no notice of this at the time, but from other information
I clearly saw the object was to defraud the underwriters, as the ship
was insured. Captain Harrison had posted handbills over the settlement,
naming a day for the sale of the wreck and stores by public auction. I
ordered the bills to be torn down, and, sending for Captain Harrison, I
reprimanded him for attempting such proceedings without my order, and
told him I could not permit any sale of the kind, but that when an
opportunity offered for sending him and his crew back to Sydney they
should be allowed free passages and room for his stores and cargo also.
He appeared dissatisfied, and wished to argue the matter with me, saying
that he and others thought it better to sell everything on the island. I
begged to know his advisers, but he would not tell me, and from this
time he gave me much trouble.
At last the _Governor Phillip_ was reported in sight. I ordered Captain
Harrison and his crew and passengers to embark in her for Sydney, and so
got rid of them after a detention of seventy days. I also sent MacLeod
away beyond my control for ever, and our mail contained my reports to
the Government of the wreck, and all details connected with the saving
of the cargo, the attempt to sell the wreck and stores by public
auction, and my refusal to allow Captain Harrison to do this. I also
reported the whole of MacLeod’s misconduct, and that I had suspended him
from his situation and sent him back to Sydney. I had the satisfaction
to receive the Governor’s entire approval of all these proceedings. Soon
after this several letters appeared in the Sydney papers abusing me,
reflecting on my “misgovernment” of Norfolk Island, and complaining of
my treatment of the captain, crew, and passengers of the schooner
_Friendship_. I was afterwards assured these letters were written, some
by Captain Harrison, others by MacLeod and Mr. Bull, who with his wife
left me and Mrs. Anderson with many tears and endless professions of
gratitude for our kindness and hospitality during their long stay with
us. Of these letters I took not the slightest notice.
Early in 1838 I received a public notification that his Majesty King
William IV was graciously pleased to appoint me a Knight of the Royal
Hanoverian Guelphic Order for my past services in the field; at the same
time I received the Golden Star and Ribbon of the Order. I was indeed
proud of this distinction, as it was conferred without any application
from me, and I was included in a list of many brave officers specially
selected by his Majesty from different regiments for this mark of his
royal favour.
Soon after this I received a letter from my brother John, recommending
that we should together take up a station for sheep and cattle in the
newly discovered district of Port Phillip, saying that he was willing to
purchase a few hundred sheep and cattle to make a beginning, if I could
find trustworthy persons to go and take up a suitable run and the charge
and management of the establishment afterwards, and that he wished to
include amongst the number to be employed a Mr. Howell, a young
_protégé_ of his. My brother-in-law, Septimus Campbell, had some time
before this expressed a wish to retire from the service and try what he
could do as a squatter, so I named this chance to him, and offered to
recommend him to my brother for the management, and for a share in the
concern hereafter if he proved himself capable and deserving of the
charge. He willingly accepted, and I wrote accordingly to my brother; I
named also three men then in Sydney, who had been until lately prisoners
at Norfolk Island. I knew they were not only trustworthy, but also well
acquainted with sheep and cattle, as they had been formerly employed as
shepherds on sheep and cattle stations. My brother wrote back approval
of my proposal and consenting to give Campbell the management of our
station, provided he could at once enter on the charge, as he was
already in treaty for the purchase of a few hundred sheep. Campbell now
sent in his application to retire from the service by the sale of his
commission, and I gave him leave to return by the _Governor Phillip_
(then with us) to Sydney, and there he found my brother and Mr. Howell.
At that time convict servants were assigned by the Government to
officers in numbers according to their rank, and Campbell made an
application in my name, and in his own, for three men whom I had named,
Joseph Underwood, William Percival, and Richard Glegg. They were at once
granted, and most thankful they were for our confidence.
My brother now concluded his bargain for the purchase of a few hundred
sheep, a dray and team of working bullocks, and a variety of stores and
farm implements, etc.; and having made his arrangements with Campbell,
and given him a few hundred pounds for the purchase of cattle, they
started for Port Phillip about October, 1838. They went overland, except
Campbell, who had decided on going by sea, so as to get down before
them. For the first week the overland party got on very well, but after
that they had endless difficulties and losses, for Howell gave himself
up entirely to drink and was seldom sober, and when his money was
expended he actually sold some of the bullocks and sheep. He frequently
remained for days and nights at miserable pot-houses quite insensible
from intoxication, and when he became sober he was not allowed to leave
till he had paid for his folly by giving up as many of his sheep and
bullocks as the equally drunken and unprincipled landlord chose to
extort from him. Fortunately, our men remained steady, especially
Underwood, who now took the lead and the entire charge of our property,
and with the other men watched the animals day and night, and never left
them; but in spite of all this they lost a number of sheep. Some were
stolen, some were knocked up and died, from bad roads and much rain.
At last, after a long journey of two months, Underwood and his two men
reached the bank of the Goulburn River, in the Port Phillip district,
with about three hundred and fifty of our sheep, the dray, and three or
four of our bullocks. They had not seen Howell for some weeks before,
and he was drunk at a public-house when they last saw him. Underwood
determined on halting and taking possession until the arrival of
Campbell. Meantime Howell joined them, but left them again in a few days
for a public-house which was on the Sydney line of road, a few miles
distant. Campbell directed them to stay where they were, on our future
run and station, and to try and extend the boundaries as far as they
could, taking care to mark the limits as well as possible, and to report
to him by marks or other signs the extent of country they wished to take
up, so as to enable him to make a special application to the Government
for our right and title to the same. Underwood managed this admirably,
and, having had a good knowledge of sheep stations before, he took care
to give us a wide range. In front we had seventeen miles on the banks of
the Goulburn River, and from twenty to thirty miles in all directions
back. By a survey made a few years afterwards, our run was computed at
about eighty-five thousand acres. I named the place at once Mangalore,
in compliment to my brother, that being the name of his military station
in India, of which he was very fond, and so it remains on all charts to
this day.
Campbell never stayed at Mangalore, as some pressing business obliged
him to go to Van Diemen’s Land, and thence to Sydney; so for many months
our station and property remained under the nominal care of Howell, but
in reality under the faithful management of Joseph Underwood. There was
little now to do, for when we took possession there was not one other
settler in that neighbourhood, nor nearer than the Devil’s River, a
distance of more than a hundred miles. There was a miserable
public-house and a small store in our neighbourhood known as Seymour,
and there all sorts of supplies and provisions could be purchased at
exorbitant prices, and they were always ready to trust squatters or
their agents, so that Howell had no difficulty in getting what he
required. I was still at Norfolk Island during this time, and knew
nothing of Howell’s doings for many months later. My brother had
returned to India, confident with me that all would be well at
Mangalore, and telling me, as his last instruction, that I was to
consider the whole as a joint speculation, and keep an account of all
additional expenditure. I wrote to Campbell and authorized him to draw
upon me for any money he required.
We remained happily at Norfolk Island until February, 1839. About the
end of the month the _Governor Phillip_ arrived, bringing a detachment
of the 80th Regiment under the command of Major Bunbury to relieve the
50th, and with dispatches to me naming the major as my successor as
civil superintendent and military commandant of the island.
After our arrival at Sydney I began to hear something about our sheep
station and the doings at Mangalore, and that Howell was constantly
drunk; so I made up my mind to go to Port Phillip and Mangalore. I left
Sydney in a sailing vessel in December, 1839, for Melbourne, and arrived
there after a week’s journey. Melbourne was then little more than a
village, and with only two or three very humble so-called hotels. On my
landing I was so fortunate as to meet a Mr. Michael Scobie, from my own
birthplace, whom I had known as a boy; he told me that my worthless
superintendent Howell was then, and for some time had been, in
Melbourne, and constantly drunk. Mr. Scobie accompanied me to search for
him, and we soon discovered that he lived in a miserable pot-house
called the Lamb Inn. He must have heard of my arrival and seen us
approaching, for as we entered he escaped through the back door. After
many more hunts we at last got hold of him, and I insisted on his going
with us on our journey the next morning. In two days we arrived at
Mangalore, where we found our true and trusty men, Underwood, Percival
and Glegg, evidently doing their best, but suffering a little from want
of tea and sugar and a scarcity of flour. Next day they collected the
sheep, and Scobie made a minute muster of all. They were reported all
healthy and in good order. He next rode with me round every part of the
station, and the more he saw the more he was pleased with the character
and capabilities of the run. What we heard from the men and saw for
ourselves convinced us that Howell was not to be trusted in any way with
the management of such an undertaking, and that the sooner I got rid of
him the better. I now appealed to Scobie, and offered him his own terms
if he would remain at Mangalore and take charge. He first said he would
willingly oblige me, but that he had a small station of his own near
Melbourne, and that therefore he must take time to consider my proposal.
We remained a week longer at Mangalore; Scobie occupied himself during
the whole of that time in riding about and gaining additional
information. He then consented to remain with me for one year certain,
for £100, and one-third of my increase of lambs, provided that I would
allow him to return to Melbourne with me for a few days to settle his
own affairs. I consented, and we at once signed a written agreement, and
Howell was told his services as manager were dispensed with, but that he
could remain at the station on a small salary as long as he conducted
himself properly and made himself useful, but if not, Scobie had my
authority to dismiss him at once. We then returned to Melbourne very
much pleased with our arrangements.
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