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TWO EXPEDITIONS INTO THE INTERIOR OF SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA,
VOLUME I
by
CHARLES STURT
TWO EXPEDITIONS INTO THE INTERIOR OF SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA DURING THE
YEARS 1828,1829,1830,1831 WITH OBSERVATIONS ON THE SOIL, CLIMATE AND
GENERAL RESOURCES OF THE COLONY OF NEW SOUTH WALES.
IN TWO VOLUMES
VOLUME I.
"For though most men are contented only to see a river as it runs by
them, and talk of the changes in it as they happen; when it is
troubled, or when clear; when it drowns the country in a flood, or
forsakes it in a drought: yet he that would know the nature of the
water, and the causes of those accidents (so as to guess at their
continuance or return), must find out its source, and observe with what
strength it rises, what length it runs, and how many small streams fall
in, and feed it to such a height, as make it either delightful or
terrible to the eye, and useful or dangerous to the country about
it."...SIR WILLIAM TEMPLE'S NETHERLANDS.
TO THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL OF RIPON, VISCOUNT GODERICH, Lord Privy Seal
&c. &c. &c.
MY LORD,
The completion of this Work affords me the opportunity I have long
desired of thanking your Lordship thus publicly, for the kindness with
which you acceded to my request to be permitted to dedicate it to you.
The encouragement your Lordship was pleased to give me has served to
stimulate me in the prosecution of a task, which would, I fear, have
been too great for me to have accomplished in my present condition,
under any ordinary views of ambition. Indeed, labouring as I have been
for many months past, under an almost total deprivation of sight, (the
effect of exposure and anxiety of mind in the prosecution of
geographical researches,) I owe it to the casual assistance of some of
my friends, that I am at length enabled to lay these results before
your Lordship and the public.
While I feel a painful conviction that many errors must necessarily
pervade a work produced under such unfavourable circumstances, it
affords me no small consolation to reflect that Your Lordship has been
aware of my situation, and will be disposed to grant me every
reasonable indulgence.
I have the honor to be, With the highest respect, My Lord, Your
Lordship's Very obedient and humble servant,
CHARLES STURT
London, June, 1833.
CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME
PRELIMINARY CHAPTER.
Purpose of this Chapter--Name of Australia--Impressions of its early
Visitors--Character of the Australian rivers--Author's first view of
Port Jackson--Extent of the Colony of New South Wales--its rapid
advances in prosperity--Erroneous impressions--Commercial importance of
Sydney--Growth of fine wool--Mr. M'Arthur's meritorious
exertions--Whale-fishery--Other exports--Geographical features--Causes
of the large proportion of bad soil--Connection between the geology and
vegetation--Geological features--Character of the soil connected with
the geological formation--County of Cumberland--Country westward of the
Blue Mountains--Disadvantages of the remote settlers--Character of the
Eastern coast--Rich tracts in the interior--Periodical droughts--The
seasons apparently affected by the interior
marshes--Temperature--Fruits--Emigrants: Causes of their success or
failure--Moral disadvantages--System of emigration recommended--Hints
to emigrants--Progress of inland discovery--Expeditions across the Blue
Mountains--Discoveries of Mr. Evans, Mr. Oxley, and others--Conjectures
respecting the interior.
EXPEDITION DOWN THE MACQUARIE RIVER, AND INTO THE WESTERN INTERIOR IN
1828 AND 1829.
CHAPTER I.
State of the Colony in 1828-29--Objects of the Expedition--Departure
from Sydney--Wellington Valley--Progress down the Macquarie--Arrival at
Mount Harris--Stopped by the marshes--Encamp amidst reeds--Excursions
down the river--Its termination--Appearance of the marshes--Opthalmic
affection of the men--Mr. Hume's successful journey to the
northward--Journey across the plain--Second great
marsh--Perplexities--Situation of the exploring party--Consequent
resolutions.
CHAPTER II.
Prosecution of our course into the interior--Mosquito Brush--Aspect and
productions of the country--Hunting party of natives--Courageous
conduct of one of them--Mosquitoes--A man missing--Group of hills
called New-Year's Range--Journey down New-Year's Creek--Tormenting
attack of the kangaroo fly--Dreariness and desolation of the
country--Oxley's Table Land--D'Urban's Group--Continue our journey down
New-Year's Creek--Extreme Disappointment on finding it salt--Fall in
with a tribe of natives--Our course arrested by the want of fresh
water--Extraordinary sound--Retreat towards the Macquarie.
CHAPTER III.
Intercourse with the natives--Their appearance and condition--Remarks
on the Salt or Darling River--Appearance of the marshes on our
return--Alarm for safety of the provision party--Return to Mount
Harris--Miserable condition of the natives--Circumstances attending the
slaughter of two Irish runaways--Bend our course towards the
Castlereagh--Wallis's Ponds--Find the famished natives feeding on
gum--Channel of the Castlereagh--Character of the country in its
vicinity--Another tribe of natives--Amicable intercourse with
them--Morrisset's chain of Ponds--Again reach the Darling River ninety
miles higher up than where we first struck upon it.
CHAPTER IV.
Perplexity--Trait of honesty in the natives--Excursion on horseback
across the Darling--Forced to return--Desolating effects of the
drought--Retreat towards the colony--Connection between the Macquarie
and the Darling--Return up the banks of the Macquarie--Starving
condition of the natives.
CHAPTER V.
General remarks--Result of the expedition--Previous anticipations--Mr.
Oxley's remarks--Character of the Rivers flowing westerly--Mr.
Cunningham's remarks--Fall of the Macquarie--Mr. Oxley's erroneous
conclusions respecting the character of the interior, naturally
inferred from the state in which he found the country--The marsh of the
Macquarie merely a marsh of the ordinary character--Captain King's
observations--Course of the Darling--Character of the low interior
plain--The convict Barber's report of rivers traversing the
interior--Surveyor-General Mitchell's Report of his recent expedition.
CHAPTER VI.
Concluding Remarks--Obstacles that attend travelling into the interior
of Australia--Difficulty of carrying supplies--Importance of steady
intelligent subordinates--Danger from the natives--Number of men
requisite,--and of cattle and carriages--Provisions--Other
arrangements--Treatment of the natives--Dimensions of the boat used in
the second expedition.
APPENDIX.
No. I. Letter of Instructions
No. II. List of Stores supplied for the Expedition
No. III. Sheep-farming Returns
No. IV. List of Geological Specimens
No. V. Official Report to the Colonial Government, (Jan. 1829.)
No. VI. Ditto (April 1829.)
ILLUSTRATIONS TO THE FIRST VOLUME
(Not included in this etext)
Native Burial Place near Budda
Vice Admiral Arthur Phillip
Cataract of the Macquarie
A Selenite
Chrystallized Sulphate of Lime
PRELIMINARY CHAPTER
Purpose of this Chapter--Name of Australia--Impressions of its early
Visitors--Character of the Australian rivers--Author's first view of
Port Jackson--Extent of the Colony of New South Wales--its rapid
advances in prosperity--Erroneous impressions--Commercial importance of
Sydney--Growth of fine wool--Mr. M'Arthur's meritorious
exertions--Whale-fishery--Other exports--Geographical features--Causes
of the large proportion of bad soil--Connection between the geology and
vegetation--Geological features--Character of the soil connected with
the geological formation--County of Cumberland--Country westward of the
Blue Mountains--Disadvantages of the remote settlers--Character of the
Eastern coast--Rich tracts in the interior--Periodical droughts--The
seasons apparently affected by the interior
marshes--Temperature--Fruits--Emigrants: Causes of their success or
failure--Moral disadvantages--System of emigration recommended--Hints
to emigrants--Progress of inland discovery--Expeditions across the Blue
Mountains--Discoveries of Mr. Evans, Mr. Oxley, and others--Conjectures
respecting the interior.
PURPOSE OF THIS PRELIMINARY CHAPTER.
When I first determined on committing to the press a detailed account
of the two expeditions, which I conducted into the interior of the
Australian continent, pursuant to the orders of Lieutenant General
Darling, the late Governor of the Colony of New South Wales, it was
simply with a view of laying their results before the geographical
world, and of correcting the opinions that prevailed with regard to the
unexplored country to the westward of the Blue Mountains. I did not
feel myself equal either to the task or the responsibility of venturing
any remarks on the Colony of New South Wales itself. I had had little
time for inquiry, amidst the various duties that fell to my lot in the
ordinary routine of the service to which I belonged, when unemployed by
the Colonial Government in the prosecution of inland discoveries. My
observations had been in a great measure confined to those points which
curiosity, or a desire of personal information, had prompted me to
investigate. I did not, therefore, venture to flatter myself that I had
collected materials of sufficient importance on general topics to
enable me to write for the information of others. Since my return to
England, however, I have been strenuously urged to give a short
description of the colony before entering upon my personal narrative;
and I have conversed with so many individuals whose ideas of Australia
are totally at variance with its actual state, that I am encouraged to
indulge the hope that my observations, desultory as they are, may be of
some interest to the public. I am strengthened in this hope by the
consideration that some kind friends have enabled me to add much
valuable matter to that which I had myself collected. It is not my
intention, however, to enter at any length on the commercial or
agricultural interests of New South Wales. It may be necessary for me
to touch lightly on those important subjects, but it is my wish to
connect this preliminary chapter, as much as possible with the subjects
treated of in the body of the work, and chiefly to notice the physical
structure, the soil, climate, and productions of the colony, in order
to convey to the reader general information on these points, before I
lead him into the remote interior.
NAME OF AUSTRALIA.
It may be worthy of remark that the name "Australia," has of late years
been affixed to that extensive tract of land which Great Britain
possesses in the Southern Seas, and which, having been a discovery of
the early Dutch navigators, was previously termed "New Holland." The
change of name was, I believe, introduced by the celebrated French
geographer, Malte Brun, who, in his division of the globe, gave the
appellation of Austral Asia and Polynesia to the new discovered lands
in the southern ocean; in which division he meant to include the
numerous insular groups scattered over the Pacific.
IMPRESSIONS OF ITS EARLY VISITORS.
Australia is properly speaking an island, but it is so much larger than
every other island on the face of the globe, that it is classed as a
continent in order to convey to the mind a just idea of its magnitude.
Stretching from the 115th to the 153rd degree of east longitude, and
from the 10th to the 37th of south latitude, it averages 2700 miles in
length by 1800 in breadth; and balanced, as it were, upon the tropic of
that hemisphere in which it is situated, it receives the fiery heat of
the equator at one extremity, while it enjoys the refreshing coolness
of the temperate zone at the other. On a first view we should be led to
expect that this extensive tract of land possessed more than ordinary
advantages; that its rivers would be in proportion to its size; and
that it would abound in the richest productions of the inter-tropical
and temperate regions. Such, indeed, was the impression of those who
first touched upon its southern shores, but who remained no longer than
to be dazzled by the splendour and variety of its botanical
productions, and to enjoy for a few days the delightful mildness of its
climate. But the very spot which had appeared to Captain Cook and Sir
Joseph Banks an earthly paradise, was abandoned by the early settlers
as unfit for occupation; nor has the country generally been fount to
realize the sanguine expectations of those distinguished individuals,
so far as it has hitherto been explored.
CHARACTER OF AUSTRALIAN RIVERS.
Rivers which have the widest mouths or the most practicable entrances,
are, in Europe or America, usually of impetuous current, or else
contain such a body of water as to bear down all opposition to their
free course; whilst on the other hand, rivers whose force is expended
ere they reach the sea, have almost invariably a bar at their
embouchure, or where they mingle their waters with those of the ocean.
This last feature unfortunately appears to characterize all rivers of
Australia, or such of them at least as are sufficiently known to us.
Falling rapidly from the mountains in which they originate into a level
and extremely depressed country; having weak and inconsiderable
sources, and being almost wholly unaided by tributaries of any kind;
they naturally fail before they reach the coast, and exhaust themselves
in marshes or lakes or reach it so weakened as to be unable to preserve
clear or navigable months, or to remove the sand banks that the tides
throw up before them. On the other hand the productions of this
singular region seem to be peculiar to it, and unlike those of any
other part of the world; nor have any indigenous fruits of any value as
yet been found either in its forests or on its plains.
He who has never looked on any other than the well-cultured fields of
England, can have little idea of a country that Nature has covered with
an interminable forest. Still less can he estimate the feelings with
which the adventurer approaches a shore that has never (or perhaps only
lately) been trodden by civilized man.
FIRST VIEW OF PORT JACKSON.
It was with feelings peculiar to the occasion, that I gazed for the
first time on the bold cliffs at the entrance of Port Jackson, as our
vessel neared them, and speculated on the probable character of the
landscape they hid; and I am free to confess, that I did not anticipate
anything equal to the scene which presented itself both to my sight and
my judgment, as we sailed up the noble and extensive basin we had
entered, towards the seat of government. A single glance was sufficient
to tell me that the hills upon the southern shore of the port, the
outlines of which were broken by houses and spires, must once have been
covered with the same dense and gloomy wood which abounded every where
else. The contrast was indeed very great--the improvement singularly
striking. The labour and patience required, and the difficulties which
the first settlers encountered effecting these improvements, must have
been incalculable. But their success has been complete: it is the very
triumph of human skill and industry over Nature herself. The cornfield
and the orchard have supplanted the wild grass and the brush; a
flourishing town stands over the ruins of the forest; the lowing of
herds has succeeded the wild whoop of the savage; and the stillness of
that once desert shore is now broken by the sound of the bugle and the
busy hum of commerce.
EXTENT OF NEW SOUTH WALES AND DIVISIONS OF THE COLONY.
The Colony of New South Wales is situated upon the eastern coast of
Australia; and the districts within which land has been granted to
settlers, extends from the 36th parallel of latitude to the 32nd, that
is say, from the Moroyo River to the south of Sydney on the one hand,
and to the Manning River on the other, including Wellington Valley
within its limits to the westward. Thus it will appear that the
boundaries of the located parts of the colony have been considerably
enlarged, and some fine districts of country included within them. In
consequence of its extent and increasing population, it has been found
convenient to divide it into counties, parishes, and townships; and
indeed, every measure of the Colonial Government of late years, has had
for its object to assimilate its internal arrangements as nearly as
possible, to those of the mother country. Whether we are to attribute
the present flourishing state of the colony to the beneficial influence
of that system of government which has been exercised over it for the
last seven years it is not for me to say. That the prosperity of a
country depends, however, in a great measure, on the wisdom of its
legislature, is as undoubted, as that within the period I have
mentioned the colony of N. S. Wales has risen unprecedentedly in
importance and in wealth, and has advanced to a state of improvement at
which it could not have arrived had its energies been cramped or its
interests neglected.
ITS ADVANCES IN PROSPERITY.
There is a period in the history of every country, during which it will
appear to have been more prosperous than at any other. I allude not to
the period of great martial achievements, should any such adorn its
pages, but to that in which the enterprise of its merchants was roused
into action, and when all classes of its community seem to have put
forth their strength towards the attainment of wealth and power.
ERRONEOUS IMPRESSIONS.
In this eventful period the colony of New South Wales is already far
advanced. The conduct of its merchants is marked by the boldest
speculations and the most gigantic projects. Their storehouses are
built on the most magnificent scale, and with the best and most
substantial materials. Few persons in England have even a remote idea
of its present flourishing condition, or of the improvements that are
daily taking place both in its commerce and in its agriculture. I am
aware that many object to it as a place of residence, and I can easily
enter into their feelings from the recollection of what my own were
before I visited it. I cannot but remark, however, that I found my
prejudices had arisen from a natural objection to the character of a
part of its population; from the circumstance of its being a penal
colony, and from my total ignorance of its actual state, and not from
any substantial or permanent cause. On the contrary I speedily became
convinced of the exaggerated nature of the reports I had heard in
England, on some of the points just adverted to; nor did any thing fall
under my observation during a residence in it of more than six years to
justify the opinion I had been previously led to entertain of it. I
embarked for New South Wales, with strong prejudices against it: I left
it with strong feelings in its favour, and with a deep feeling of
interest in its prosperity. It is a pleasing task to me, therefore, to
write of it thus, and to have it in my power to contribute to the
removal of any erroneous impressions with regard to its condition at
the present moment.
COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE OF SYDNEY.
I have already remarked, that I was not prepared for the scene that met
my view when I first saw Sydney. The fact was, I had not pictured to
myself; nor conceived from any thing that I had ever read or heard in
England, that so extensive a town could have been reared in that remote
region, in so brief a period as that which had elapsed since its
foundation. It is not, however, a distant or cursory glance that will
give the observer a just idea of the mercantile importance of this busy
capital. In order to form an accurate estimate of it, he should take a
boat and proceed from Sydney Cove to Darling Harbour. He would then be
satisfied, that it is not upon the first alone that Australian commerce
has raised its storehouse and wharfs, but that the whole extent of the
eastern shore of the last more capacious basin, is equally crowded with
warehouses, stores, dockyards, mills, and wharfs, the appearance and
solidity of which would do credit even to Liverpool. Where, thirty
years ago, the people flocked to the beach to hail an arrival, it is
not now unusual to see from thirty to forty vessels riding at anchor at
one time, collected there from every quarter of the globe. In 1832, one
hundred and fifty vessels entered the harbour of Port Jackson, from
foreign parts, the amount of their tonnage being 31,259 tons.
The increasing importance of Sydney must in some measure be attributed
to the flourishing condition of the colony itself, to the industry of
its farmers, to the successful enterprise of its merchants, and to
particular local causes. It is foreign to my purpose, however, to enter
largely into an investigation of these important points. To do so would
require more space than I can afford for the purpose, and might justly
be considered as irrelevant in a work of this kind. Without attempting
any lengthened detail, it may be considered sufficient if I endeavour
merely to point out the principal causes of the present prosperity
(and, as they may very probably prove) of the eventual progress of our
great southern colony to power and independence.
STAPLE OF THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES.
The staple of our Australian colonies, but more particularly of New
South Wales, the climate and the soil of which are peculiarly suited to
its production,--is fine wool. There can be no doubt that the growth of
this article has mainly contributed to the prosperity of the above
mentioned colony and of Van Diemen's Land.
At the close of the last century, wool was imported into England from
Spain and Germany only, and but a few years previously from Spain
alone. Indeed, long after its introduction from the latter country,
German wool, obtained but little consideration in the London market;
and in like manner, it may be presumed that many years will not have
elapsed before the increased importation of wool from our own
possessions in the southern hemisphere, will render us, in respect to
this commodity, independent of every other part of the world. The great
improvements in modern navigation are such, that the expense of sending
the fleece to market from New South Wales is less than from any part of
Europe. The charges for instance on Spanish and German wool, are from
fourpence to fourpence three farthings per pound; whereas the entire
charge, after shipment from New South Wales, and Van Diemen's Land,
does not exceed threepence three farthings,--and in this the dock and
landing charges, freight, insurance, brokerage, and commission, are
included.
GROWTH OF FINE WOOL. MR. M'ARTHUR'S EXERTIONS.
As some particulars respecting the introduction of this source of
national wealth into Australia may prove interesting to the public, I
have put together the following details of it, upon the authenticity of
which they may rely. The person who foresaw the advantage to be derived
from the growth of fine wool in New South Wales, and who commenced the
culture of it in that colony, was Mr. John M'Arthur. So far back, I
believe, as the year 1793, not long after the establishment of the
first settlement at Sydney, this gentleman commenced sheep-farming, and
about two years afterwards he obtained a ram and two ewes from Captain
Kent, of the royal navy, who had brought them, with some other stock
for the supply of the settlement, from the Cape of Good Hope, to which
place a flock of these sheep had been originally sent by the Dutch
government. Sensible of the importance of the acquisition, Mr. M'Arthur
began to cross his coarse-fleeced sheep with Merino blood; and,
proceeding upon a system, he effected a considerable improvement in the
course of a few years. So prolific was the mixed breed, that in ten
years, a flock which originally consisted of not more than seventy
Bengal sheep, had increased in number to 4,000 head, although the
wethers had been killed as they became fit for slaughter. It appears,
however, that as the sheep approached to greater purity of blood, their
extreme fecundity diminished.
TO REAR MERINO FLOCKS.
In 1803, Mr. M'Arthur revisited England; and there happening at the
time to be a committee of manufacturers in London from the clothing
districts, he exhibited before them samples of his wool, which were so
much approved, that the committee represented to their constituents the
advantages which would result from the growth of fine wool, in one of
the southern dependencies of the empire. In consequence of this a
memorial was transmitted to His Majesty's government, and Mr.
M'Arthur's plans having been investigated by a Privy Council, at which
he was present, they were recommended to the government as worthy of
its protection. With such encouragement Mr. M'Arthur purchased two ewes
and three rams, from the Merino flock of His Majesty King George the
Third. He embarked with them on his return to New South Wales in 1806,
on board a vessel named by him "the Argo," in reference to the golden
treasure with which she was freighted. On reaching the colony he
removed his sheep to a grant of land which the Home Government had
directed he should receive in the Cow Pastures. To commemorate the
transaction, and to transmit to a grateful posterity the recollection
of the nobleman who then presided over the colonies, the estate,
together with the district in which it is situated, was honoured by the
name of Camden.
EXPORT OF WOOL TO ENGLAND.
Since that time the value of New South Wales wool has been constantly
on the increase, and the colony are indebted to Mr. M'Arthur for the
possession of an exportable commodity which has contributed very
materially to its present wealth and importance. Such general attention
is now paid to this interesting branch of rural economy, that the
importation of wool into England from our Australian colonies,
amounted, in 1832, to 10,633 bales, or 2,500,000 lbs. It has been sold
at as high a price as 10s. per lb.; but the average price of wool of
the best flocks vary from 1s. 6d. to 4s. 6d. at the present moment. The
number of sheep in New South Wales alone was calculated in the last
census at 536,891 head. The ordinary profits on this kind of stock may
be extracted from the Table given in the Appendix to the first volume
of this work.
WHALE FISHERY.
Among the various speculations undertaken by the merchants of Sydney,
there is not one into which they have entered with so much spirit as in
the South Sea Fishery. The local situation of Port Jackson gives them
an advantage over the English and the American merchants, since the
distance of both these from the field of their gains, must necessarily
impede them greatly; whereas the ships that leave Sydney on a whaling
excursion, arrive without loss of time upon their ground, and return
either for fresh supplies or to repair damages with equal facility. The
spirit with which the colonial youth have engaged in this adventurous
and hardy service, is highly to their credit. The profits arising from
it may not be (indeed I have every reason to think are not) so great as
might be supposed, or such as might reasonably be expected; but the
extensive scale on which it is conducted, speaks equally for the energy
and perseverance of the parties concerned, in the prosecution of their
commercial enterprises. It has enabled them to equip a creditable
colonial marine, and given great importance to their mercantile
interests in the mother country.
In the year 1831, the quantity of sperm and black oil, the produce of
the fisheries exported from New South Wales, amounted to 2,307 tons,
and was estimated, together with skins and whalebone, to be worth
107,971 pounds sterling. The gross amount of all other exports during
that year, did not exceed 107,697 pounds sterling. Of these exports,
the following were the most considerable:
Timber 7,410 pounds
Butter and Cheese 2,376
Mimosa bark 40
Hides 7,333
Horses 7,302
Salt provisions 5,184
Wool 66,112
The above is exclusive of 61,000 pounds value of British manufactures
re-exported to the various ports and islands in the Southern Seas.
OTHER EXPORTS.
In this scale, moreover, tobacco is not mentioned; but that plant is
now raised for the supply of every private establishment, and will
assuredly form an article of export, as soon as its manufacture shall
be well understood. Neither can it be doubted but that the vine and the
olive will, in a short time, be abundantly cultivated; and that a
greater knowledge of the climate and soil of the more northern parts of
the colony, will lead to the introduction of fresh sources of wealth.
GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES.
Having taken this hasty review of the commercial interests of the
colony, we may now turn to a brief examination of its internal
structure and principal natural features.
I have already given a cursory sketch of the geographical features of
the whole continent. Of the vast area which its coasts embrace, the
east part alone has been fully explored.
A range of hills runs along the eastern coast, from north to south,
which, in different quarters, vary in their distance from the sea; at
one place approaching it pretty nearly, at another, receding from it to
a distance of forty miles. It is a singular fact, that there is no pass
or break in these mountains, by which any of the rivers of the interior
can escape in an easterly direction. Their spine is unbroken. The
consequence is, that there is a complete division of the eastern and
western waters, and that streams, the heads of which are close to each
other, flow away in opposite directions; the one to pursue a short
course to the sea; the other to fall into a level and depressed
interior, the character of which will be noticed in its proper place.
GREAT PROPORTION OF BAD SOIL.
The proportion of bad soil to that which is good in New South Wales, is
certainly very great: I mean the proportion of inferior soil to such as
is fit for the higher purposes of agriculture. Mr. Dawson, the late
superintendent of the Australian Agricultural Company's possessions,
has observed, as a singular fact, that the best soil generally prevails
on the summits of the hills, more especially where they are at all
level. He accounts for so unusual a circumstance by the fact, that
elevated positions are less subject to the effects of fire or floods
than their valleys or flanks, and attributes the general want of
vegetable mould over the colony chiefly to the ravages of the former
element, whereby the growth of underwood, so favourable in other
countries to the formation of soil, is wholly prevented. Undoubtedly
this is a principal cause for the deficiency in question. There is no
part of the world in which fires create such havoc as in New South
Wales and indeed in Australia generally. The climate, on the one hand,
which dries up vegetation, and the wandering habits of the natives on
the other, which induce them to clear the country before them by
conflagration, operate equally against the growth of timber and
underwood.
CAUSE OF THIS.
But there is another circumstance that appears to have escaped Mr.
Dawson's observation; which is the actual property of the trees
themselves, as to the quantity of vegetable matter they produce in
decay. Being a military man, I cannot be supposed to have devoted much
of my time to agricultural pursuits; but it has been obvious to me, as
it must have been to many others, that in New South Wales, the fall of
leaves and the decay of timber, so far from adding to the richness of
its soil, actually destroy minor vegetation. This fact was brought more
home to me in consequence of its having been my lot to spend some
months upon Norfolk Island, a distant penal settlement attached to the
Government of Sydney. There the abundance of vegetable decay was as
remarkable as the want of it on the Australian Continent. I have
frequently sunk up to my knees in a bed of leaves when walking through
its woods; and, often when I placed my foot on what appeared externally
to be the solid trunk of a tree, I have found it yield to the pressure,
in consequence of its decomposition into absolute rottenness. But such
is not the case in New South Wales. There, no such accumulations of
vegetable matter are to be met with; but where the loftiest tree of the
forest falls to the ground, its figure and length are marked out by the
total want of vegetation within a certain distance of it, and a small
elevation of earth, resembling more the refuse or scoria of burnt
bricks than any thing else, is all that ultimately remains of the
immense body which time or accident had prostrated. Thus it would
appear, that it is not less to the character of its woods than to the
ravages of fire that New South Wales owes its general sterility.
CONNECTION BETWEEN THE GEOLOGY AND VEGETATION.
Whilst prosecuting my researches in the interior of the colony, I could
not but be struck with the apparent connection between its geology and
vegetation; so strong, indeed, was this connection, that I had little
difficulty, after a short experience, in judging of the rock that
formed the basis of the country over which I was travelling, from the
kind of tree or herbage that flourished in the soil above it. The
eucalyptus pulv., a species of eucalyptus having a glaucus-coloured
leaf, of dwarfish habits and growing mostly in scrub, betrayed the
sandstone formation, wherever it existed, This was the case in many
parts of the County of Cumberland, in some parts of Wombat Brush, at
the two passes on the great south road, over a great extent of country
to the N.W. of Yass Plains, and at Blackheath on the summit of the Blue
Mountains. On the other hand, those open grassy and park-like tracts,
of which so much has been said, characterise the secondary ranges of
granite and porphyry. The trees most usual on these tracts, were the
box, an unnamed species of eucalyptus, and the grass chiefly of that
kind, called the oat or forest grass, which grows in tufts at
considerable distances from each other, and which generally affords
good pasturage. On the richer grounds the angophora lanceolata, and the
eucalyptus mammifera more frequently point out the quality of the soil
on which they grow. The first are abundant on the alluvial flats of the
Nepean, the Hawkesbury and the Hunter; the latter on the limestone
formation of Wellington Valley and in the better portions of Argyle;
whilst the cupressus calytris seems to occupy sandy ridges with the
casuarina. It was impossible that these broad features should have
escaped observation: it was naturally inferred from this, that the
trees of New South Wales are gregarious; and in fact they may, in a
great measure, be considered so. The strong line that occasionally
separates different species, and the sudden manner in which several
species are lost at one point, to re-appear at another more distant,
without any visible cause for the break that has taken place, will
furnish a number of interesting facts in the botany of New South Wales.
It was observed both on the Macquarie river and the Morumbidgee, that
the casuarinae ceased at a particular point. On the Macquarie
particularly, these trees which had often excited our admiration from
Wellington Valley downwards, ceased to occupy its banks below the
cataract, nor were they again noticed until we arrived on the banks of
the Castlereagh. The blue-gum trees, again, were never observed to
extend beyond the secondary embankments of the rivers, occupying that
ground alone which was subject to flood and covered with reeds. These
trees waved over the marshes of the Macquarie, but were not observed to
the westward of them for many miles; yet they re-appeared upon the
banks of New-Year's Creek as suddenly as they had disappeared after we
left the marshes, and grew along the line of the Darling to unusual
size. But it is remarkable, that, even in the midst of the marshes, the
blue-gum trees were strictly confined to the immediate flooded spaces
on which the reeds prevailed, or to the very beds of the water-courses.
Where the ground was elevated, or out of the reach of flood, the box
(unnamed) alone occupied it; and, though the branches of these trees
might be interwoven together, the one never left its wet and reedy bed,
the other never descended from its more elevated position. The same
singular distinction marked the acacia pendula, when it ceased to cover
the interior plains of light earth, and was succeeded by another shrub
of the same species. It continued to the banks of New-Year's Creek, a
part of which it thickly lined. To the westward of the creek, another
species of acacia was remarked for the first time. Both shrubs, like
the blue-gum and the box, mixed their branches together, but the creek
formed the line of separation between them. The acacia pendula was not
afterwards seen, but that which had taken its place, as it were, was
found to cover large tracts of country and to form extensive brushes.
Many other peculiarities in the vegetation of the interior are noticed
in the body of this work, but I have thought that these more striking
ones deserved to be particularly remarked upon.
GEOLOGICAL FEATURES.
If we strike a line to the N.W. from Sydney to Wellington Valley, we
shall find that little change takes place in the geological features of
the country. The sand-stone of which the first of the barrier ranges is
composed, terminates a little beyond Mount York, and at Cox's River is
succeeded by grey granite. The secondary ranges to the N.W. of
Bathurst, are wholly of that primitive rock; for although there are
partial changes of strata between Bathurst and Moulong Plains, granite
is undoubtedly the rock upon which the whole are based: but at Moulong
Plains, a military station intermediate between Bathurst and Wellington
Valley, limestone appears in the bed of a small clear stream, and with
little interruption continues to some distance below the last-mentioned
place. The accidental discovery of some caves at Moulong Plains, led to
the more critical examination of the whole formation, and cavities of
considerable size were subsequently found in various parts of it, but
more particularly in the neighbourhood of Wellington Valley. The local
interest which has of late years been taken in the prosecution of
geological investigations, led many gentlemen to examine the contents
of these caverns; and among the most forward, Major Mitchell, the
Surveyor-General, must justly be considered, to whose indefatigable
perseverance the scientific world is already so much indebted.
The caves into which I penetrated, did not present anything particular
to my observation; they differed little from caves of a similar
description into which I had penetrated in Europe. Large masses of
stalactites hung from their roofs, and a corresponding formation
encrusted their floors. They comprised various chambers or
compartments, the most remote of which terminated at a deep chasm that
was full of water. A close examination of these caves has led to the
discovery of some organic remains, bones of various animals embedded in
a light red soil; but I am not aware that the remains of any extinct
species have been found, or that any fossils have been met with in the
limestone itself. There can, however, be little doubt but that the same
causes operated in depositing these mouldering remains in the caves of
Kirkdale and those of Wellington Valley.
About twenty miles below the junction of the Bell with the Macquarie,
free-stone supersedes the limestone, but as the country falls rapidly
from that point, it soon disappears, and the traveller enters upon a
flat country of successive terraces. A schorl rock, of a blue colour
and fine grain, composed of tourmaline and quartz, forms the bed of the
Macquarie at the Cataract; and, in immediate contact with it, a mass of
mica slate of alternate rose, pink, and white, was observed, which must
have been covered by the waters of the river when Mr. Oxley descended
it.
From the Cataract of the Macquarie, a flat extends to the marshes in
which that river exhausts itself. From the midst of this flat Mount
Foster and Mount Harris rise, both of which are porphyritic: but as I
have been particular in describing these heights in their proper place,
any minute notice of them here may be considered unnecessary. We will
rather extend our enquiries to those parts of the colony upon which we
shall not be called upon to remark in the succeeding pages.
Returning to the coast, we may mark the geological changes in a line to
the S.W. of Sydney; and as my object is to extend the information of my
readers, I shall notice any particular district on either side of the
line I propose to touch upon, which may be worthy of notice. It would
appear that the first decided break in the sandstone formation which
penetrates into the county of Camden, is at Mittagong Range. It is
there traversed by a dike of whinstone, of which that range is wholly
composed. The change of soil and of vegetation are equally remarkable
at this place; the one being a rich, greasy, chocolate-coloured earth,
the other partaking greatly of the intertropical character. In
wandering over them, I noticed the wild fig and the cherry-tree,
growing to a much larger size than I had seen them in any other part of
the colony. Upon their branches, the satin bird, the gangan, and
various kinds of pigeons were feeding. Birds unknown to the eastward of
the Blue Mountains, were numerous in the valleys; and there was an
unusual appearance of freshness and moisture in the vegetation.
These signs of improvement, however, vanish the moment Mittagong range
is crossed, and sand-stone again forms the basis of the country to a
considerable distance beyond Bong-bong. At a small farm called the
Ploughed Ground, it is again traversed by a dike of whinstone, and a
rich but isolated spot is thus passed over. With occasional and partial
interruption, however, the sand-stone formation continues to an abrupt
pass, from which the traveller descends to the county of Argyle. This
pass is extremely abrupt, and is covered with glaucus, the low scrub I
have noticed as common to the sand-stone formation. A small but lively
stream, called Paddy's River, runs at the bottom of this pass, and
immediately to the S.W. of it, an open forest country of granite base
extends for many miles, on which the eucalyptus manifera is prevalent,
and which affords the best grazing tracts in Argyle. At Goulburn
Plains, however, a vein of limestone occurs, which is evidently
connected with that forming the ShoalHaven Gully, which is perhaps the
most remarkable geological feature in the colony of New South Wales. It
is a deep chasm of about a quarter of a mile in breadth, and 1200 feet
in depth. The country on either side is perfectly level, so much so
that the traveller approaches almost to its very brink before he is
aware of his being near so singular an abyss. A small rivulet flows
through the Gully, and discharges itself into the sea at ShoalHaven;
but this river is hardly perceptible, from the summit of the cliffs
forming the sides of the Gully, which are of the boldest and most
precipitous character. The ground on the summit is full of caves of
great depth, but there has been a difficulty in examining them, in
consequence of the violent wind that rushes up them, and extinguishes
every torch.
The open and grassy forests of Argyle are terminated by another of
those abrupt sand-stone passes I have just described, and the traveller
again falls considerably from his former level, previously to his
entering on Yass Plains, to which this pass is the only inlet.
From Yass Plains the view to the S. and S.W. is over a lofty and broken
country: mountains with rounded summits, others with towering peaks,
and others again of lengthened form but sharp spine, characterise the
various rocks of which they are composed. The ranges decline rapidly
from east to west, and while on the one hand the country has all the
appearance of increasing height, on the other it sinks to a dead level;
nor on the distant horizon to the N. W. is there a hill or an
inequality to be seen.
From Yass Plains to the very commencement of the level interior, every
range I crossed presented a new rock-formation; serpentine quartz in
huge white masses, granite, chlorite, micaceous schist, sandstone,
chalcedony, quartz, and red jasper, and conglomerate rocks.
It was however, out of my power, in so hurried a journey as that which
I performed down the banks of the Morumbidgee River, to examine with
the accuracy I could have wished, either the immediate connection
between these rocks or their gradual change from the one to the other.
I was content to ascertain their actual succession, and to note the
general outlines of the ranges; but the defect of vision under which I
labour, prevents me from laying them before the public.
CHARACTER OF THE SOIL CONNECTED WITH GEOLOGICAL FORMATION.
From what has been advanced, however, it will appear that the physical
structure of the southern parts of the colony is as varied, as that of
the western interior is monotonous, and we may now pursue our original
observations on the soil of the colony with greater confidence.
In endeavouring to account for the poverty of the soil in New South
Wales, and in attributing it in a great degree to the causes already
mentioned, it appears necessary to estimate more specifically the
influence which the geological formation of a country exercises on its
soil, and how much the quality of the latter partakes of the character
of the rock on which it reposes. And although I find it extremely
difficult to explain myself as I should wish to do, in the critical
discussion on which I have thus entered, yet as it is material to the
elucidation of an important subject in the body of the work, I feel it
incumbent on me to proceed to the best of my ability.
I have said that the soil of a country depends much upon its geological
formation. This appears to be particularly the case in those parts of
the colony with which I am acquainted, or those lying between the
parallels of 30 degrees and 35 degrees south. Sandstone, porphyry, and
granite, succeed each other from the coast to a very considerable
distance into the interior, on a N. W. line. The light ferruginous dust
that is distributed over the county of Cumberland, and which annoys the
traveller by its extreme minuteness, to the eastward of the Blue
Mountains, is as different from the coarse gravelly soil on the
secondary ranges to the westward of them, as the barren scrubs and
thickly-wooded tracts of the former district are to the grassy and open
forests of the latter.
As soon as I began to descend to the westward it became necessary to
pay strict and earnest attention to the features of the country through
which I passed, in order to determine more accurately the different
appearances which, as I was led to expect, the rivers would assume. In
the course of my examination I found, first, that the broken country
through which I travelled, was generally covered with a loose, coarse,
and sandy soil; and, secondly, that the ranges were wholly deficient in
that peat formation which fills the valleys, or covers the flat summits
of the hills or mountains, in the northern hemisphere. The peculiar
property of this formation is to retain water like a sponge; and to
this property the regular and constant flow of the rivers descending
from such hills, may, in a great measure, be attributed. In New South
Wales on the contrary, the rains that fall upon the mountains drain
rapidly through a coarse and superficial soil, and pour down their
sides without a moment's interruption. The consequence is that on such
occasions the rivers are subject to great and sudden rises, whereas
they have scarcely water enough to support a current in ordinary
seasons. At one time the traveller will find it impracticable to cross
them: at another he may do so with ease; and only from the remains of
debris in the branches of the trees high above, can he judge of the
furious torrent they must occasionally contain.
This seeming deviation on the part of Nature from her usual laws will
no longer appear such, if we consider its results for a moment. The
very floods which swell the rivers to overflowing, are followed by the
most beneficent effects; and, rude and violent as the means are by
which she accomplishes her purpose, they form, no doubt, a part of that
process by which she preserves the balance of good and evil. Vast
quantities of the best soil have been thus washed down from the
mountains to accumulate in more accessible places. From frequent
depositions, a great extent of country along the banks of every river
and creek has risen high above the influence of the floods, and
constitutes the richest tracts in the colony. The alluvial flats of the
Nepean, the Hawkesbury, and the Hunter, are striking instances of the
truth of these observations; to which the plains of O'Connell and
Bathurst must be added. The only good soil upon the two latter, is in
the immediate neighbourhood of the Macquarie River: but, even close to
its banks, the depositions are of little depth, lying on a coarse
gravelly soil, the decomposition of the nearer ranges. The former is
found to diminish in thickness, according to the concavity of the
valley through which the Macquarie flows, and at length becomes mixed
with the coarser soil. This deposit is alone fit for agricultural
purposes; but it does not necessarily follow that the distant country
is unavailable since it is admitted, that the best grazing tracts are
upon the secondary ranges of granite and porphyry. These ranges
generally have the appearance of open forest, and are covered with
several kinds of grasses, among which the long oat-grass is the most
abundant.
COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND.
If we except the valley of the Nepean, the banks of the South Creek,
the Pennant Hills near Parramatta, and a few other places, the general
soil of the county of Cumberland, is of the poorest description. It is
superficial in most places, resting either upon a cold clay, or upon
sandstone; and is, as I have already remarked, a ferruginous compound
of the finest dust. Yet there are many places upon its surface,
(hollows for instance,) in which vegetable decay has accumulated, or
valleys, into which it has been washed, that are well adapted for the
usual purposes of agriculture, and would, if the country was more
generally cleared, be found to exist to a much greater extent than is
at present imagined. I have frequently observed the isolated patches of
better land, when wandering through the woods, both on the Parramatta
River, and at a greater distance from the coast. And I cannot but
think, that it would be highly advantageous to those who possess large
properties in the County of Cumberland to let Portions of them. The
concentration of people round their capital, promotes more than
anything else the prosperity of a colony, by creating a reciprocal
demand for the produce both of the country and the town, since the one
would necessarily stimulate the energy of the farmer, as the other
would rouse the enterprise of the merchant. The consideration, however,
of such a subject is foreign to my present purpose.
It must not be supposed, that because I have given a somewhat
particular description of the County of Cumberland, I have done so with
a view to bring it forward as a specimen of the other counties, or to
found upon it a general description of the colony. It is, in fact,
poorer in every respect than any tract of land of similar extent in the
interior, and is still covered with dense forests of heavy timber,
excepting when the trees have been felled by dint of manual labour, and
the ground cleared at an expense that nothing but its proximity to the
seat of government could have justified. But experience has proved,
that neither the labour nor the the expense have been thrown away. Many
valuable farms and extensive gardens chequer the face of the country,
from which the proprietors derive a very efficient income.
COUNTRY WEST OF BLUE MOUNTAINS.
To the westward of the Blue Mountains, the country differs in many
respects from that lying between those ranges and the coast; and
although, its aspect varies in different places, three principal
features appear more immediately to characterise it. These are, first,
plains of considerable extent wholly destitute of timber; secondly,
open undulating woodlands; and, thirdly, barren unprofitable tracts.
The first almost invariably occur in the immediate neighbourhood of
some river, as the Plains of Bathurst, which are divided by the
Macquarie; Goulburn Plains, through which the Wallandilly flows; and
Yass Plains, which are watered by a river of the same name. The open
forests, through which the horseman may gallop in perfect safety, seem
to prevail over the whole secondary ranges of granite, and are
generally considered as excellent grazing tracts. Such is the country
in Argyleshire on either side of the Lachlan, where that river crosses
the great southern road near Mr. Hume's station; such also are many
parts of Goulburn and the whole extent of country lying between
Underaliga and the Morumbidgee River. The barren tracts, on the other
hand, may be said to occupy the central spaces between all the
principal streams. With regard to the proportion that these different
kinds of country bear to each other, there can be no doubt of the undue
preponderance of the last over the first two; but there are
nevertheless many extensive available tracts in every part of the
colony.
MEANS OF INLAND TRANSPORT.
The greatest disadvantage under which New South Wales labours, is the
want of means for conveying inland produce to the market, or to the
coast. The Blue Mountains are in this respect a serious bar to the
internal prosperity of the colony. By this time, however, a magnificent
road will have been completed across them to the westward, over parts
of which I travelled in 1831. Indeed the efforts of the colonial
government have been wisely directed, not only to the construction of
this road, which the late Governor, General Darling commenced, but also
in facilitating the communication to the southern districts, by an
almost equally fine road over the Razor Back Range, near the Cow
Pastures; so that as far as it is possible for human efforts to
overcome natural obstacles, the wisdom and foresight of the executive
have ere this been successful.
DISADVANTAGES OF DISTANT SETTLERS.
The majority of the settlers in the Bathurst country, and in the more
remote interior, are woolgrowers; and as they send their produce to the
market only once a year, receiving supplies for home consumption, on
the return of their drays or carts from thence, the inconvenience of
bad roads is not so much felt by them. But to an agriculturist a
residence to the westward of the Blue Mountains is decidedly
objectionable, unless he possess the means with which to procure the
more immediate necessaries of life, otherwise than by the sale of his
grain or other produce, and can be satisfied to cultivate his property
for home consumption, or for the casual wants of his neighbours. Under
such circumstances, a man with a small private income would enjoy every
rational comfort. But of course, not only in consequence of the loss of
labour, but the chance of accidents during a long journey, the more the
distance is increased from Sydney, as the only place at which the
absolute necessaries of life can be purchased, the greater becomes the
objection to a residence in such a part of the country; and on this
account it is, that although some beautiful locations both as to extent
and richness, are to be found to the westward of Bathurst, equally on
the Bell, the Macquarie and the Lachlan, it is not probable they will
be taken up for many years, or will only be occupied as distant stock
stations.
CHARACTER OF EASTERN COAST.
Since, therefore, it appears from what has been advanced, that it is
not to the westward the views of any settlers should be directed,
excepting under particular circumstances, it remains for us to consider
what other parts of the colony hold out, or appear to hold out, greater
advantages. The eye naturally turns to the south on the one hand, and
to Port Macquarie northerly on the other. It is to be remarked that the
eastern shores of Australia partake of the same barren character that
marks the other three. It is generally bounded to a certain extent by a
sandy and sterile tract. There are, however, breaks in so prolonged a
line, as might have been expected, where, from particular local causes,
both the soil and vegetation are of a superior kind. At Illawarra for
instance, the contiguity of the mountains to the coast leaves no room
for the sandy belt we have noticed, but the debris from them reaches to
the very shore. Whether from reflected heat, or from some other
peculiarity of situation, the vegetation of Illawarra is of an
intertropical character, and birds that are strangers to the county of
Cumberland frequent its thickets. There is no part of Australia where
the feathered race are more beautiful, or more diversified. The most
splendid pigeon, perhaps, that the world produces, and the satin bird,
with its lovely eye, feed there upon the berries of the ficus (wild
fig,) and other trees: and a numerous tribe of the accipitrine class
soar over its dense and spacious forests.
PORT MACQUARIE AND FIVE ISLANDS.
We again see a break in the sandy line of the coast at Broken Bay, at
Newcastle, and still further north at Port Macquarie; at which places
the Hawkesbury, the Hunter, and the Hastings severally debouche. Of
Port Macquarie, as a place of settlement, I entertain a very high
opinion, in consequence of its being situated under a most favourable
parallel latitude. I am convinced it holds out many substantial
advantages. One of the most important of these is the circumstance of
its having been much improved when occupied as a penal settlement. And
since the shores of the colony are how navigated by steam-boats, the
facility of water communication would be proportionably great.
I believe the Five Islands or Illawarr district is considered
peculiarly eligible for small settlers. The great drawback to this
place is the heavy character of its timber and the closeness of its
thickets, which vie almost with the American woods in those respects.
The return, however, is adequate to the labour required in clearing the
ground. Between the Five Islands and Sydney, a constant intercourse is
kept up by numerous small craft; and a communication with the interior,
by branch roads from the great southern line to the coast, would
necessarily be thrown open, if the more distant parts of it were
sufficiently peopled.
RICH TRACTS IN THE INTERIOR.
Recent surveys have discovered to us rich and extensive tracts in the
remote interior between Jervis Bay and Bateman's Bay, and southwards
upon the western slope of the dividing range. The account given by
Messrs. Hovel and Hume is sufficient to prove that every valley they
crossed was worthy of notice, and that the several rivers they forded
were flanked by rich and extensive flats.
The distance of Moneroo Plains, and of the Doomot and Morumbidgee
Rivers from Sydney, alarms the settler, who knows not the value of
those localities; but men whose experience has taught them to set this
obstacle at nought, have long depastured their herds on the banks of
the last two. The fattest cattle that supply the Sydney market are fed
upon the rich flats, and in the grassy valleys of the Morumbidgee; and
there are several beautiful farms upon those of the Doomot. Generally
speaking, the persons who reside in those distant parts, pay little
attention to the comfort of their dwellings, or to the raising of more
grain than their establishments may require; but there can be no doubt
this part of the interior ought to be the granary of New South Wales;
its climate and greater humidity being more favourable than that of
Sydney for the production of wheat.
PERIODICAL DROUGHTS; THE SEASONS AFFECTED BY THE MARSHES.
The most serious disadvantages under which the colony of New South
Wales labours, is in the drought to which it is periodically subject.
Its climate may be said to be too dry; in other respects it is one of
the most delightful under heaven; and experience of the certainty of
the recurrence of the trying seasons to which I allude, should teach
men to provide against their effects. Those seasons, during which no
rain falls, appear, from the observations of former writers, to occur
every ten or twelve years; and it is somewhat singular that no cause
has been assigned for such periodical visitations. Whether the state of
the interior has anything to do with them, and whether the wet or dry
condition of the marshes at all regulate the seasons, is a question
upon which I will not venture to give my decisive opinion. But most
assuredly, when the interior is dry, the seasons are dry, and VICE
VERSA. Indeed, not only is this the case, but rains, from excessive
duration in the first year after a drought, decrease gradually year
after year, until they wholly cease for a time. It seems not
improbable, therefore, that the state of the interior does, in some
measure, regulate the fall of rain upon the eastern ranges, which
appears to decrease in quantity yearly as the marshes become exhausted,
and cease altogether, when they no longer contain any water. A drought
will naturally follow until such time as the air becomes surcharged
with clouds or vapour from the ocean, which being no longer able to
sustain their own weight, descend upon the mountains, and being
conveyed by hundreds of streams into the western lowlands, again fill
the marshes, and cause the recurrence of regular seasons.
TEMPERATURE OF THE CLIMATE.
The thermometer ranges during the summer months, that is, from
September to March, from 36 degrees to 106 degrees of Fahrenheit, but
the mean of the temperature during the above period is 70 degrees. The
instrument in the winter months ranges from 27 degrees to 98 degrees,
with a mean of 66 degrees. However great the summer heat may appear, it
is certain that the climate of New South Wales has not the relaxing and
enfeebling effect upon the constitution, which renders a residence in
India or other parts of the south so intolerable. Neither are any of
the ordinary occupations of business or of pleasure laid aside at noon,
or during the hottest part of the day. The traveller may cast himself
at length under the first tree that invites him, and repose there as
safely as if he were in a palace. Fearless of damps, and unmolested by
noxious insects, his sleep is as sound as it is refreshing, and he
rises with renewed spirits to pursue his journey. Equally so may the
ploughman or the labourer seek repose beside his team, and allow them
to graze quietly around him. The delicious coolness of the morning and
the mild temperature of the evening air, in that luxurious climate, are
beyond the power of description. It appears to have an influence on the
very animals, the horses and the cattle being particularly docile; and
I cannot but think it is is some degree the same happy effect upon some
of the hardened human beings who are sent thither from the old world.
FRUITS.
As I have before observed, it has not yet been discovered whether there
are any indigenous fruits of any value in Australia. In the colony of
New South Wales there certainly are none; yet the climate is peculiarly
adapted for the growth of every European and of many tropical
productions. The orange, the fig, the citron, the pomegranate, the
peach, the apple, the guava, the nectarine, the pear, and the loquette,
grow side by side together. The plantain throws its broad leaves over
the water, the vine encircles the cottages, and the market of Sydney is
abundantly supplied with every culinary vegetable.
In a climate, therefore, so soft that man scarcely requires a dwelling,
and so enchanting that few have left it but with regret, the spirits
must necessarily be acted upon,--and the heart feel lighter. Such,
indeed, I have myself found to be the case; nor have I ever been
happier than when roving through the woods or wandering along one of
the silent and beautiful bays for which the harbour of Port Jackson is
so celebrated. I went to New South Wales as I have already remarked,
highly prejudiced against it, both from the nature of the service, and
the character of the great body of its inhabitants. My regiment has
since quitted its shores, but I am aware there are few of them who
would not gladly return. The feeling I have in its favour arises not,
therefore, from the services in which I was employed, but from
circumstances in the colony itself; and I yet hope to form one of its
community and to join a number of valuable and warm-hearted friends
whom I left in that distant part of the world.
REMARKS ON EMIGRATION.
On the subject of emigration, it is not my intention to dwell at any
length. My object in these preliminary remarks has been to give the
reader a general idea of the country, in the interior recesses of which
I am about to lead him. Still, however, it may be useful to offer a few
general observations on a topic which has, of late years, become so
interesting to the British public.
The main consideration with those who, possessing some capital, propose
to emigrate as the means of improving their condition, is, the society
likely to be found in the land fixed on for their future residence. One
of the first questions I have been asked, when conversing on the
subject of emigration, has consequently related to this important
matter. I had only then to observe in reply, that the civil and
military establishments in New South Wales, form the elements of as
good society as it is the lot of the majority to command in Great
Britain.
The houses of the settlers are not scattered over a greater surface
than the residences of country gentlemen here, and if they cannot vie
with them in size, they most assuredly do in many other more important
respects; and if a substantial cottage of brick or stone has any claim
to the rank of a tenantable mansion, there are few of them which do not
posses all the means of exercising that hospitality for which young
communities are remarkable.
But to sever the links of kindred, and to abandon the homes of our
fathers after years of happy tranquillity, is a sacrifice the magnitude
of which is unquestionable. The feelings by which men are influenced
under such circumstances have a claim to our respect. Indeed, no class
of persons can have a stronger hold upon our sympathies than those whom
unmerited adverse fortune obliges to seek a home in a distant country.
Far, therefore, be it from me to dispute a single expression of regret
to which they may give utterance. It must, however, he remembered that
the deepest feelings of anguish are providentially alleviated in time.
Our heaviest misfortunes are frequently repaired by industry and
caution. The sky clears up, as it were: new interests engage the
attention, and the cares of a family or the improvement of a newly
acquired property engross those moments which would otherwise be spent
in vain and unprofitable regrets.
DESCRIPTION OF IMMIGRANTS; MOST LIKELY TO PROSPER.
It cannot be doubted that persons such as I have described, whose
conduct has hitherto been regulated by prudence, and whose main object
is to provide for their children, are the most valuable members of
every community, whether young or old. To such men few countries hold
out greater prospects of success than New South Wales; for the more we
extend our enquiries, the more we shall find that the success of the
emigrant in that colony depends upon his prudence and foresight rather
than on any collateral circumstance of climate or soil; and to him who
can be satisfied with the gradual acquirement of competency, it is the
land of promise. Blessed with a climate of unparalleled serenity, and
of unusual freedom from disease, the settler has little external cause
of anxiety, little apprehension of sickness among his family or
domestics, and little else to do than to attend to his own immediate
interests. I should wish to illustrate the observations by two or three
instances of their practical bearing and tendency.
CASES OF EMIGRANTS; CAUSES OF SUCCESS OR FAILURE.
It was on my return from my second expedition, that I visited Lieut.
****** who resides in the southern parts of the colony. The day after
my arrival, he took me round his property, and explained the various
improvements he had made, considering the small means with which he had
commenced. At this part of our conversation, we came within view of his
house, a substantial weather-board cottage. "I trust," said I, turning
to him, "you will excuse the question I am about to ask; for your
frankness emboldens me to propose it, and on your answer much of the
effect of what you have been saying will depend. In effecting these
various improvements, and in the building of that house, have you been
obliged to embarrass yourself, or are they free from
incumbrance?"--"Your question," he said, "is a reasonable one, and I
will answer it with the frankness you are kind enough to ascribe to me.
I have ever made it a rule not to exceed my income. Mrs. ****** bore
our first trials with so much cheerfulness, and contributed so much to
my happiness and my prosperity, that I felt myself bound to build her a
good house with the first money I had to spare." I confess this answer
raised my host in my estimation, and it was a gratifying proof to me of
the success that attends industry and perseverance.
But let us look at another case. Mr. *** had a property to the N.W. of
Sydney, and having considerable funded means when he arrived in the
colony, he soon put his property into a state of progressive
improvement, and being in truth an excellent practical farmer, it
assumed the appearance of regularity and order. Had Mr. *** stopped at
this moment, he would have been in the enjoyment of affluence and of
every rational comfort. But instead of exercising prudent rules of
hospitality, he gave way to the natural generosity of his disposition,
entered into expenses he could not afford, and was ultimately obliged
to part with his estate. Now it is deeply to be regretted, that one
whose energies and abilities particularly fitted him for the life he
had chosen, should have failed through such conduct; and it is more
than probable, that if he had commenced with smaller means, and had
gradually improved his property, his fate would have been very
different.
I shall leave these cases without any further comment, convinced as I
am, that each of them furnishes matter for serious consideration, and
that they are practical illustrations of the causes of success or
failure of those who emigrate to the colony of New South Wales. And
although I do not mean to affirm, that the majority follow Mr. ***'s
example, I must venture to assert that thoughtlessness--useless
expenditure in the first instance--waste of time and other
circumstances, lead to equally ruinous consequences.
MORAL OBJECTIONS TO THE COLONY.
One of the greatest objections which families have to New South Wales,
is their apprehension of the moral effects that are likely to overwhelm
them by bad example, and for which no success in life could compensate.
In a colony constituted like that of New South Wales, the proportion of
crime must of course be great. Yet it falls less under the notice of
private families than one might at first sight have been led to
suppose. Drunkenness, as in the mother country, is the besetting sin;
but it is confined chiefly to the large towns in consequence of the
difficulty of procuring spirits in the country. There are, no doubt,
many incorrigible characters sent to settle in the interior, and it is
an evil to have these men, even for a single day, to break the harmony
of a previously well regulated establishment, or to injure its future
prospects by the influence of evil example. They are men who are sent
upon trial, from on board a newly arrived ship, and they generally
terminate their misconduct either on the roads or at a penal
settlement, being thus happily removed from the mass of the prisoners.
Frequently, however, men remain for years under the same master. They
become attached to their occupations, their hearts become softened by
kindness, and they atone as much as they possibly can for previous
error.
SYSTEM OF IMMIGRATION RECOMMENDED; ENCOURAGEMENT FOR EMIGRATION.
Still there can be no doubt, but that the evil complained of is
considerable. It is from this reason, and from my personal knowledge of
the southern parts of the colony, that I should rejoice to see its
flats and its valleys filled with an industrious population of a better
description of farmers. A hope might then be reasonably indulged, that
the Home Government would not be backward in recognising, and in acting
upon a principle, the soundness of which has been felt and acknowledged
in all ages, but the chief difficulty of which rests in its judicious
application. I allude to a system of emigration. Sure I am that if it
were well organized, and care were taken to profit by the experience of
the past in similar attempts, it could not fail to be attended with
ultimate success. The evils resulting from a surplus population in an
old community, were never more seriously felt than in Great Britain at
the present moment. Assuming that the amount of surplus population is
2,000,000, the excess of labour and competition thus occasioned by
diminishing profits and wages, creates, it has been said, an indirect
tax to the enormous extent of 20,000,000 pounds per annum. It has
appeared to many experienced persons, that it is in emigration, we
should best find the means of relief from this heavy pressure;
particularly if the individuals encouraged to go out to the colonies
were young persons of both sexes, from the industrious classes of the
community. Even if no more than three couples were induced to emigrate
from each parish in England in ten years, the relief to the springs of
industry would be very great. Besides, the funds necessary for this
purpose would revert to the country by a thousand indirect channels.
Persons unacquainted with our Australian colonies, whether Van Dieman's
Land or New South Wales, can form little idea of the increasing demand
for, and consumption in them of every species of British manufacture.
The liberal encouragement given by government to every practicable
scheme of emigration, and the sum advanced by it towards the expenses
of the voyage to the labouring classes, sufficiently indicate the light
in which the subject is viewed by the legislature; and the fact that no
private family taking out servants to Sydney, has in any one instance
been able to retain them, on account of offers more advantageous from
other quarters, shows clearly the great demand for labour in the
colony. If I might judge of the feelings of the majority of respectable
individuals there, from the assurances of the few, they would willingly
defray any parochial expenses attendant on the voyage, provided the
services of such individuals could be secured to them for a time
sufficiently long to remunerate them for such pavement. The tide of
emigration should be directed to Sydney, Van Dieman's Land, or Western
Australia, upon condition of the labourer's receiving a certain sum in
wages, and his daily subsistence from his employer, with an
understanding, however, that he must consider himself bound for two
years to such employer. Surely there are hundreds of our indigent
countrymen, who would gladly seek a land of such plenty, and cast away
the natural, but unavailing regret of leaving home to secure to
themselves and their families, the substantial comforts of life on such
easy conditions.
COMMITTEE FOUND AT SYDNEY.
It is not, perhaps, generally known that a committee has been formed in
Sydney, to advise settlers as to the best mode of proceeding on arrival
there. Such a plan is one of obvious utility; and if those who may find
themselves at a loss for information would apply to this committee for
advice, rather than to individuals with whom they may become casually
acquainted, they would further their own interests, and in all
probability ensure success. Still there are some broad rules upon which
every man ought to act, which I shall endeavour to point out, and it
will give me no ordinary satisfaction, if I should be the means of
directing any one to the road of prosperity and comfort.
HINTS TO EMIGRANTS.
It is to be feared that those who emigrate to New South Wales,
generally anticipate too great facility in their future operations and
certainty of success in conducting them; but they should recollect that
competency cannot be obtained without labour. Every trade--every
profession in this respect, is subject to the same law--the lawyer, the
physician, the tradesman, and the mechanic. This labour is required at
our hands, even in an old community; how much more then is it called
for in a new, where the ingenuity of men is put to trial to secure
those means of accomplishing their ends which here are abundant. Now,
it appears to me but consistent, that he who is obliged to leave his
native country from want of means to hold his station there, can hardly
expect to find, or rather to secure, abundance elsewhere without some
exertion. Every man who emigrates should proceed with a conviction on
his mind, that he is about to encounter years of labour and privation.
He will not then be disappointed at partial reverses, and will be more
thankful for unexpected prosperity. I feel persuaded the tone of mind
has a great deal to do with success, because it influences the conduct
of the individual. Supposing, however, that an emigrant has taken this
rational view of his situation, he should determine on his pursuits,
and allow nothing but absolute certainty of better fortune to turn him
aside. Men, however, landing at Sydney, in their eagerness for
information get bewildered, give up their original plans, adopt new and
uncertain speculations, trifle away both their time and their money,
and ultimately ruin themselves. An individual who goes to New South
Wales for the purpose of settling, should not remain in Sydney a day
longer than is necessary for the arrangement of his affairs. Every
shilling spent there is thrown away. The greatest facility is given by
the different departments of the Colonial Government to the settlers;
and it is entirely his own fault if he trifles away his time in search
of information elsewhere than at the fountainhead, or if he trusts to
any other opinion than his own, supposing him experienced as to the
quality of the land he may fix upon. Let him be speedy in his
selection, and fix himself upon his allotment as soon as possible.
Instead of overstocking his farm, or employing more labourers than he
can afford to keep, let him be satisfied with a gradual increase of his
stock, and wait patiently till he can better afford to employ labour;
above all, let him avoid embarrassing himself by the purchase of any
superfluous or unnecessary comfort. I consider that man has already
failed, who runs into debt in the first instance, or who exhausts his
means in the purchase of large herds, from the vain expectation that
their increase will clear him. The time was when those idle
speculations were occasionally attended with success, but such is not
now the case. The energies of the agriculturist are directed to their
proper channel, and if the few are unable to make rapid fortunes, the
many have escaped inevitable ruin. No farm in a state of nature can be
expected to yield any return of consequence for the first year. It is
incumbent on a settler to provide for his establishment, or to retain
the means of providing for it as circumstances may require.
Farming implements are as cheap in Sydney as in England. Horses and
cattle are cheaper. It requires little, therefore, to stock a farm in a
reasonable manner. On the other hand, the climate is so mild that the
want of a house is scarcely felt, and a temporary residence easily
constructed. On the whole I am convinced, that a man who regulates his
conduct by prudence, and who perseveringly follows up his occupations,
who behaves with kindness to those around him, and performs his social
and moral duties with punctuality, will ultimately secure to himself a
home that will make up for the one he has quitted in the land of his
fathers, and place him in as respectable and as happy a situation as
that which he there enjoyed.
*****
PROGRESS OF INLAND DISCOVERY.
Having thrown out the foregoing remarks for the information of the
general reader, and of persons who look to Australia with the more
earnest views of selecting a colonial home, I now return to the
immediate object of these volumes; but before entering on the narrative
of my own expeditions, I think it necessary to advert cursorily to the
discoveries previously accomplished.
The journeys of Mr. Oxley, far into the western interior of Australia,
gave rise to various and conflicting opinions as to the character of
the more central parts of that extensive continent, of which the colony
of New South Wales forms but a small portion. I feel, therefore, called
upon briefly to advert to the conclusions which that able and
intelligent officer drew from his personal observation of the country
into which he penetrated, as an acquaintance with his opinions will not
only tend to throw a clearer light on the following details, but will,
also, convey much necessary information to those of my readers who may
not have perused his journals. It is necessary, however, in order to
divest the subject of all obscureness, to trace, in the first instance,
the progress of inland discovery, in New South Wales, from the first
foundation of the colony to the period when Mr. Oxley's exertions
attracted the public attention.
In the year 1788, the British Government took formal possession of the
eastern coast of Australia, by the establishment of a penal colony at
Port Jackson. The first settlers, under Governor Phillips, had too many
difficulties to contend with to submit themselves to be thwarted from
pursuits essential to their immediate safety and comfort, by the
prospect of remote and uncertain advantages. It was by perseverance and
toil alone that they first established and ultimately spread themselves
over that part of the territory, which, flanked by the ocean on the one
hand, and embraced as it were by the Nepean River on the other, is now
entitled the County Of Cumberland. For many years, this single district
supplied the wants of the settlers. Upon it they found ample pasture
for their herds, and sufficient employment for themselves. Nor was it
until a succession of untoward seasons, and the rapid increase of their
stock pointed out to them the necessity of seeking for more extensive
pasturage, that they contemplated surmounting that dark and rugged
chain of mountains, which, like the natural ramparts of Spain and
Italy, rose high over the nether forest, and broke the line of the
western horizon.
MR. CALEY'S ATTEMPT.
A Mr. Caley is said to have been the first who attempted to scale the
Blue Mountains: but he did not long persevere in struggling with
difficulties too great for ordinary resolution to overcome. It appears
that he retraced his steps, after having penetrated about sixteen miles
into their dark and precipitous recesses; and a heap of stones, which
the traveller passes about that distance from Erne Ford, on the road to
Bathurst, marks the extreme point reached by the first expedition to
the westward of the Nepean river.
LIEUT. LAWSON'S EXPEDITION.
Shortly after the failure of this expedition, the sad effects of a long
protracted drought called forth a more general spirit of enterprise and
exertion among the settlers; and Mr. Oxley makes honorable mention of
the perseverance and resolution with which Lieut. Lawson, of the 104th
regiment, accompanied by Messrs. Blaxland and Wentworth, conducted an
expedition into the Blue Mountains. Their efforts were successful: and
the objects of their enterprise would have been completely attained,
but for the failure of their provisions at a moment when their view of
the distant interior was such as to convince them that they had
overcome the most formidable obstacles to their advance, and that in
their further progress few impediments would have presented themselves.
MR. EVANS' DISCOVERIES.
The success of this undertaking induced Governor Macquarie to further
the prosecution of inland discovery, and of attempts to ascertain the
nature of the country of which Mr. Lawson only obtained a glimpse. An
expedition was accordingly dispatched under Mr. Evans, the Deputy
Surveyor-General, to follow the route taken by the former one, and to
penetrate as far as practicable into the western interior. The result
was the discovery of the Macquarie river, and of Bathurst Plains. The
report of Mr. Evans was so favourable, that orders were immediately
issued for the construction of a line of road across the mountains.
When that was completed, the Governor went in person to fix the site of
a future town on Bathurst Plains. From thence Mr. Evans, who
accompanied the Governor on the occasion, was directed to proceed to
the southward and westward, to ascertain the nature of the country in
that direction. He discovered another considerable river, flowing, like
the Macquarie, to the west, to which he gave the name of the Lachlan.
The promising appearance of these two streams, and the expectation of
all parties that they would be found to water rich and extensive tracts
of country, led to the fitting out of a more important expedition than
any which had before been contemplated.
MR. OXLEY'S DISCOVERIES.
Mr. Oxley, the Surveyor-General of the Colony, was appointed chief of
this expedition, and was directed to trace the Lachlan and Macquarie
rivers, as far as practicable, with a view to ascertain their
capabilities and the nature of the country they watered. In 1817, Mr.
Oxley directed his attention to the former river, and continued to
follow its windings, until it appeared that its waters were lost in
successive marshes and it ceased to be a river. In the following year
he turned towards the Macquarie, and traced it, in like manner, until
he was checked by high reeds that covered an extensive plain before
him, amidst which the channel of the river was lost.
From what he observed of the country, on both these occasions, he was
led to infer that beyond the limits of his advance the interior had a
uniform level, and was, for the most part, uninhabitable and under
water. Its features must have been strongly marked to have confirmed
such an opinion in the mind of the late Surveyor-General. It stands
recorded on the pages of his journal, that he travelled over a country
of many miles in extent, after clearing the mountains, which so far
from presenting any rise of ground to the eye, bore unequivocal marks
of frequent and extensive inundation. He traced two rivers of
considerable size, and found that, at a great distance from each other,
they apparently terminated in marshes, and that the country beyond them
was low and unbroken. In his progress eastward, he crossed a third
stream (the Castlereagh), about forty-five miles from the Macquarie,
seemingly not inferior to it in size, originating in the mountains for
which he was making, and flowing nearly parallel to the other rivers
into a level country like that which he had just quitted.
DISCOVERIES OF MESSRS. MECHAN, HUME, HOVEL AND CUNNINGHAM.
Mr. Evans, moreover, who accompanied Mr. Oxley on these journeys, and
who had been detached by his principal from Mount Harris, to ascertain
the nature of the country in the line which the expedition was next to
pursue, having crossed the Castlereagh considerably below the place at
which the party afterwards effected a passage, reported that the river
was then running through high reeds. The inference naturally drawn by
Mr. Oxley, was, that it terminated as the Lachlan and the Macquarie had
done; and that their united waters formed an inland sea or basin. It is
evident that Mr. Oxley had this impression on his mind, when he turned
towards the coast; but the wet state of the lowlands prevented him from
ascertaining its correctness or error. Doubt, consequently, still
existed as to the nature of the country he had left behind him; a
question in which the best interests of the colony were apparently
involved. Subsequently to these discoveries, Mr. Surveyor Mechan,
accompanied by Mr. Hamilton Hume, a colonist of considerable
experience, explored the country more to the southward and westward of
Sydney, and discovered most of the new country called Argyle, and also
Lake Bathurst.
Mr. Hume was afterwards associated with a Mr. Hovel, in an excursion to
the south coast, under the auspices of Sir Thomas Brisbane. After a
most persevering and laborious journey, they reached the sea; but it is
uncertain whether they made Port Philips, or Western Port. Mr. Hume,
whose practical experience will yield to that of no man, entertains a
conviction that it was to the former they descended from the
neighbouring ranges; but Mr. Hovel, I believe supports a contrary
opinion. In the early stage of their journey, they passed over York or
Yass Plains; and, after crossing the Morumbidgee, were generally
entangled among mountain ranges that increased in height to the east
and south-east. They crossed three considerable rivers, falling
westerly, which they named the Goulburn, the Hume, and the Ovens; and
found a beautiful and well-watered country in the vicinity of the coast.
In 1826, Mr. Allan Cunningham, Botanical Collector to his late Majesty,
traversed a considerable portion of the interior to the north of
Bathurst, and, with a laudable zeal, devoted his labours to the
acquisition of general information, as well as to his more immediate
professional pursuits. In 1827, this gentleman again bent his steps
towards the northward, and succeeded in gaining the 28th parallel of
latitude; and, on a subsequent occasion, having taken his departure
from Moreton Bay, he connected his former journey with that settlement,
and thus contributed largely to our knowledge of the mountain country
between it and the capital. Mr. Cunningham, who, independently of his
individual excursions, had not only circumnavigated the Australian
Continent with Capt. King, but had formed also one of the party with
Mr. Oxley, in the journeys before noticed, had adopted this gentleman's
opinion with regard to the swampy and inhospitable character of the
distant interior. Its depressed appearance from the high ground on
which Mr. Cunningham subsequently moved, tended to confirm this
opinion, which was moreover daily gaining strength from the reports of
the natives, who became more frequent in their intercourse with the
whites, and who reported that there were large waters to the westward,
on which the natives had canoes, and in which there were fish of great
size.
It became, therefore, a current opinion, that the western interior of
New Holland comprehended an extensive basin, of which the ocean of
reeds which had proved so formidable to Mr. Oxley, formed most probably
the outskirts; and it was generally thought that an expedition
proceeding into the interior, would encounter marshes of vast extent,
which would be extremely difficult to turn, and no less dangerous to
enter.
It remained to be proved, however, whether these conjectures were
founded in fact. The chief difficulty lay in the character of the
country, and in providing the necessary means to ensure success. Those
which were resorted to will be found in the succeeding chapter. Whether
they would have been found sufficient and applicable had the interior
been wholly under water, is doubtful; and my impression on this point
induced me to make more efficient arrangements on the second expedition.
EXPEDITION DOWN THE BANKS OF THE MACQUARIE RIVER in 1828 and 1829.
CHAPTER I.
State of the Colony in 1828-29--Objects of the Expedition--Departure
from Sydney--Wellington Valley--Progress down the Macquarie--Arrival at
Mount Harris--Stopped by the marshes--Encamp amidst reeds--Excursions
down the river--Its termination--Appearance of the marshes--Opthalmic
affection of the men--Mr. Hume's successful journey to the
northward--Journey across the plain--Second great
marsh--Perplexities--Situation of the exploring party--Consequent
resolutions.
The year 1826 was remarkable for the commencement of one of those
fearful droughts to which we have reason to believe the climate of New
South Wales is periodically subject. It continued during the two
following years with unabated severity. The surface of the earth became
so parched up that minor vegetation ceased upon it. Culinary herbs were
raised with difficulty, and crops failed even in the most favourable
situations. Settlers drove their flocks and herds to distant tracts for
pasture and water, neither remaining for them in the located districts.
The interior suffered equally with the coast, and men, at length, began
to despond under so alarming a visitation. It almost appeared as if the
Australian sky were never again to be traversed by a cloud.
OBJECTS OF THE EXPEDITION.
But, however severe for the colony the seasons had proved, or were
likely to prove, it was borne in mind at this critical moment, that the
wet and swampy state of the interior had alone prevented Mr. Oxley from
penetrating further into it, in 1818. Each successive report from
Wellington Valley, the most distant settlement to the N. W., confirmed
the news of the unusually dry state of the lowlands, and of the
exhausted appearance of the streams falling into them. It was,
consequently, hoped that an expedition, pursuing the line of the
Macquarie, would have a greater chance of success than the late
Surveyor General had; and that the difficulties he had to contend
against would be found to be greatly diminished, if not altogether
removed. The immediate fitting out of an expedition was therefore
decided upon, for the express purpose of ascertaining the nature and
extent of that basin into which the Macquarie was supposed to fall, and
whether any connection existed between it and the streams falling
westerly. As I had early taken a great interest in the geography of New
South Wales, the Governor was pleased to appoint me to the command of
this expedition.
JOURNEY FROM SYDNEY TO EMU PLAINS.
In the month of September, 1828, I received his Excellency's commands
to prepare for my journey; and by the commencement of November, had
organised my party, and completed the necessary arrangements. On the
9th of that month, I waited on the Governor, at Parramatta, to receive
his definitive instructions. As the establishments at Sydney had been
unable to supply me with the necessary number of horses and oxen,
instructions had been forwarded to Mr. Maxwell, the superintendent of
Wellington Valley, to train a certain number for my use; and I was now
directed to push for that settlement without loss of time. I returned
to Sydney in the afternoon of the 9th, and on the 10th took leave of my
brother officers, to commence a journey of very dubious issue; and, in
company with my friend, Staff-surgeon M'Leod, who had obtained
permission to accompany me to the limits of the colony, followed my men
along the great western road. We moved leisurely over the level
country, between the coast and the Nepean River, and availed ourselves
of the kind hospitality of those of our friends whose property lay
along that line of road, to secure more comfortable places of rest than
the inns would have afforded.
We reached Sheane, the residence of Dr. Harris, on the 11th, and were
received by him with the characteristic kindness with which friends or
strangers are ever welcomed by that gentleman, He had accompanied Mr.
Oxley as a volunteer in 1818, and his name was then given to the mount
which formed the extreme point to which the main body of the first
expedition down the banks of the Macquarie penetrated, in a westerly
direction.
The general appearance of the property of Dr. Harris, showed how much
perseverance and labour had effected towards its improvement. Many
acres of ground bore a promising crop, over which a gloomy forest had
once waved. The Doctor's farming establishment was as complete as his
husbandry seemed to be prosperous; but he did not appear to be
satisfied with the extent of his dwelling, to which he was making
considerable additions, although I should have thought it large enough
for all ordinary purposes of residence or hospitality. The rewards of
successful industry were everywhere visible.
FROM EMU PLAINS TO WELLINGTON VALLEY.
On the 13th, we gained Regent's Ville, the more splendid mansion of Sir
John Jamieson, which overlooks the Nepean River, and commands the most
beautiful and extensive views of the Blue Mountains. Crossing the ford
on the 14th, we overtook the men as they were toiling up the first
ascent of those rugged bulwarks, which certainly gave no favourable
earnest of the road before us; and, as we could scarcely hope to reach
the level country to the westward without the occurrence of some
accident, I determined to keep near the drays, that I might be on hand
should my presence be required. We gained O'Connell's plains on the
20th November, and arrived at Bathurst on the 22nd, with no other
damage than the loss of one of the props supporting the boat which
snapped in two as we descended Mount York. On examination, it was found
that the boat had also received a slight contusion, but it admitted of
easy repair.
I was detained at Bathurst longer than I intended, in consequence of
indisposition, and during my stay there experienced many proofs of the
kind hospitality of the settlers of that promising district: nor was I
ever more impressed with the importance of the service upon which I was
employed, or more anxious as to the issue, than while contemplating the
rapid advance of agriculture upon its plains, and the formidable bar to
its prosperity which I had left behind me, in the dark and gloomy
ranges which I had crossed.
On the 27th, Mr. Hamilton Hume, whose experience well qualified him for
the task, and who had been associated with me in the expedition, having
joined me, we proceeded on our journey, and reached Wellington Valley
about the end of the month.
WELLINGTON VALLEY.
I wished to push into the interior without any delay, or at least, so
soon as we should have completed our arrangements and organized the
party; but, although Mr. Maxwell had paid every attention to the
training of the cattle, he was of opinion that they could not yet be
wholly relied upon, and strongly recommended that they should be kept
at practice for another week. As we could not have left the settlement
under the most favourable circumstances in less than four days, the
further delay attendant on this measure was considered immaterial, and
it was, accordingly, determined upon. Mr. Hume undertook to superintend
the training of the animals, and this left me at leisure to gather such
information as would be of use to us in our progress down the river.
In his description of Wellington Valley, Mr. Oxley has not done it more
than justice. It is certainly a beautiful and fertile spot, and it was
now abundant in pasturage, notwithstanding the unfavourable season that
had passed over it.
The settlement stands upon the right bank of the Bell, about two miles
above the junction of that stream with the Macquarie. Its whitewashed
buildings bore outward testimony to the cleanliness and regularity of
the inhabitants; and the respectful conduct of the prisoners under his
charge, showed that Mr. Maxwell had maintained that discipline by which
alone he could have secured respect to himself and success to his
exertions, at such a distance from the seat of government.
The weather was so exceedingly hot, during our stay, that it was
impossible to take exercise at noon; but in the evening, or at an early
hour in the morning, we were enabled to make short excursions in the
neighbourhood.
Mr. Maxwell informed me that there were three stations below the
settlement, the first of which, called Gobawlin, belonging to Mr.
Wylde, was not more than five miles from it; the other two, occupied by
Mr. Palmer, were at a greater distance, one being nineteen, the other
thirty-four miles below the junction of the Bell. He was good enough to
send for the stockman (or chief herdsman), in charge of the last, to
give me such information of the nature of the country below him, as he
could furnish from personal knowledge or from the accounts of the
natives.
LOW STATE OF THE MACQUARIE RIVER.
Mr. Maxwell pointed out to me the spot on which Mr. Oxley's boats had
been built, close upon the bank of the Macquarie; and I could not but
reflect with some degree of apprehension on the singularly diminished
state of the river from what it must then have been to allow a boat to
pass down it. Instead of a broad stream and a rapid current, the stream
was confined to a narrow space in the centre of the channel, and it ran
so feebly amidst frequent shallows that it was often scarcely
perceptible. The Bell, also, which Mr. Oxley describes as dashing and
rippling along its pebbly bed, had ceased to flow, and consisted merely
of a chain of ponds.
On the 3rd of Dec, the stockman from below arrived; but the only
information we gathered from him was the existence of a lake to the
left of the river, about three days' journey below the run of his
herds, on the banks of which he assured us, the native companions, a
species of stork, stood in rows like companies of soldiers.
He brought up a nest of small paroquets of the most beautiful plumage,
as a present to Mr. Maxwell, and affirmed that they were common about
his part of the river. The peculiarity of the seasons had also brought
a parrot into the valley which had never before visited it. This
delicate bird was noticed by Captain Cook upon the coast, and is called
PSITTACUS NOVAE HOLLANDIAE, or New Holland Parrot, by Mr. Brown. It had
not, however, been subsequently seen until the summer of 1828, when it
made its appearance at Wellington Valley in considerable numbers,
together with a species of merops or mountain bee-eater.
DEPARTURE FOR THE INTERIOR.
On the 5th, our preparations being wholly completed, and the loads
arranged, the party was mustered, and was found to consist of myself
and Mr. Hume, two soldiers and eight prisoners of the crown, two of
whom were to return with dispatches. Our animals numbered two riding,
and seven pack, horses, two draft, and eight pack, bullocks, exclusive
of two horses of my own, and two for the men to be sent back.
BANKS OF THE MACQUARIE.
The morning of the 7th December, the day upon which we were to leave
the valley, was ushered in by a cloudless sky, and that heated
appearance in the atmosphere which foretells an oppressively sultry
day. I therefore put off the moment of our departure to the evening,
and determined to proceed no further than Gobawlin. I was the more
readily induced to order this short journey because the animals had not
been practised to their full loads, and I thought they might have given
some trouble at starting with an unusual weight. They moved off however
very quietly, and as if they had been accustomed to their work by a
long course of training. We took our departure from the settlement at 3
p.m. and, crossing to the right bank of the Macquarie, a little above
its junction with the Bell, reached Mr Wylde's station about half-past
five. Thus we commenced our journey under circumstances as favorable as
could have been wished. In disengaging ourselves on the following day
from the hills by which Wellington Valley is encompassed on the
westward, with a view to approach Mr. Palmer's first station, we kept
rather wide of the river, and only occasionally touched on its more
projecting angles. The soil at a distance from the stream was by no
means so good as that in its immediate vicinity, nor was the timber of
the same description. On the rich and picturesque grounds near the
river the angophora prevailed with the flooded gum, and the scenery
upon its banks was improved by the casuarinae that overhung them. On
the latter, inferior eucalypti and cypresses were mixed together. The
country was broken and undulating, and the hills stony, notwithstanding
which, they appeared to have an abundance of pasture upon them. Mr.
Hume rode with me to the summit of a limestone elevation, from which I
thought it probable we might have obtained such a view as would have
enabled us to form some idea of the country into which we were about to
descend. But in following the river line, the eye wandered over a dark
and unbroken forest alone. The ranges from which we were fast receding
formed an irregular and beautiful landscape to the southward; and
contrasted strongly with the appearance of the country to the N. W., in
which direction it was rapidly assuming a level.
We reached Mr. Palmer's at a late hour in the afternoon, in consequence
of a delay we experienced in crossing a gully, and encamped upon a high
bank immediately opposite to the mouth of Molle's rivulet which here
joins the Macquarie from the southward. The cattle had consumed all the
food, and the ground on both sides of the river looked bare and arid.
No doubt, however, the face of the country in ordinary seasons wears a
very different appearance. Its general elevation continued high; nor
did the Macquarie assume any change of aspect. Mountain debris and
rounded pebbles of various kinds formed its bed, which was much
encumbered with timber.
DIBILAMBLE.
We had been unable to persuade any of the natives of Wellington Valley
to accompany us as guides, on our leaving that settlement. Even Mr.
Maxwell's influence failed; for, notwithstanding the promises of
several, when they saw that we were ready to depart, they either
feigned sickness or stated that they were afraid of the more distant
natives. The fact is, that they were too lazy to wander far from their
own district, and too fond of Maxwell's beef to leave it for a
precarious bush subsistence. Fortunately we found several natives with
Mr. Palmer's stockmen, who readily undertook to conduct us by the
nearest route to the cataract, which we considered to be midway between
Wellington Valley and Mount Harris. We started under their guidance for
Dibilamble, Mr. Palmer's second station, and reached it about half-past
4 p.m. The distance between the two is sixteen miles. The country for
some miles differs in no material point from that through which we had
already passed. The same rich tracts of soil near the river and the
same inferiority in the tracks remote from it. Near Dibilamble,
however, the limestone formation terminates, and gives place to barren
stony ridges, upon which the cypress callities is of close and stunted
growth. The ridges themselves were formed of a coarse kind of freestone
in a state of rapid decomposition. The Tabragar (the Erskine of Mr.
Oxley) falls into the Macquarie at Dibilamble. It had long ceased to
flow, being a small mountain torrent whose source, if we judge from the
shingly nature of its bed, cannot be very distant. Our descent was
considerable during the day; the rapids were frequent in the river, but
it underwent no change in its general appearance. Its waters were hard
and transparent, and its banks, in many places, extremely lofty; with a
red sandy loam and gravel under the alluvial deposits. It generally
happened that where the bank was high on the one side it was low and
subject to flood, to a limited extent at least, on the other. Upon
these low grounds the blue-gum trees were of lofty growth, but on the
upper levels box prevailed.
SCENERY NEAR THE RIVER.
The views upon the river were really beautiful, and varied at every
turn; nor is it possible for any tree to exceed the casuarina in the
graceful manner in which it bends over the stream, or clings to some
solitary rock in its centre.
It here became necessary for us to cross to the left bank of the river,
not only to avoid its numerous windings, and thus to preserve as much
as possible the direct line to Mount Harris; but also, because the
travelling was much better on the south side. We therefore availed
ourselves of a ford opposite to the ground on which the tents had
stood; and then pursued our journey, in a south-westerly course, over a
country of a description very inferior to that of any we had previously
noticed.
Iron-bark and cypresses generally prevailed along our line of route on
a poor and sandy soil, which improved after we passed Elizabeth Burn, a
small creek mentioned by Mr. Oxley.
TAYLOR'S RIVULET.
We approached the river again early in the day, and pitched our tent on
the summit of a sloping bank that overlooked one of its long still
reaches. We were protected from the sun by the angophora trees, which
formed a hanging wood around us, and, with its bright green foliage,
gave a cheerfulness to the scene that was altogether unusual. The
opposite side of the river was rather undulated, and the soil appeared
to be of the finest description. The grass, although growing in tufts,
afforded abundance of pasture for the cattle; and, on the whole, this
struck me as a most eligible spot for a station, and I found it
occupied as such on the return of the expedition. We had encamped about
a quarter of a mile from Taylor's Rivulet, which discharges itself into
the Macquarie from the N. E., and is the first stream, upon the right
bank, below the Wellington Valley.
Immediately after receiving it the river sweeps away to the southward,
in consequence of which it became again necessary for us to cross it.
Our guides, who were intelligent lads, led the cattle to a ford, a
little below the junction of Taylor's Rivulet, at which we effected a
passage with some difficulty; the opposite bank being very steep, and
we were obliged to force our way up a gully for some eighty or a
hundred yards before we could extricate the team. Pursuing our journey,
in a N. W. direction, we soon left the rich and undulating grounds
bordering the river behind us. A poor, level, and open country,
succeeded them. The soil changed to a light red, sandy loam, on which
eucalypti, cypresses, and casuarinae, were intermixed with minor
shrubs; of which latter, the cherry tree (exocarpus cupressiformis) was
the most prevalent.
At about seven miles from the river we passed some barren freestone
ridges, near which Mr. Hume killed the first kangaroo we had seen. At
mid-day we passed a small creek, at which the cattle were watered; and
afterwards continued our journey through a country similar to that over
which we had already made our way.
As we neared the stream we noticed the acacia pendula for the first
time,--an indication of our approach to the marshes. The weather still
continued extremely hot. Our journey this day was unusually long, and
our cattle suffered so much, and moved so slowly, that it was late when
we struck upon the Macquarie, at a part where its banks were so high
that we had some difficulty in finding a good watering place.
SURPRISE SOME NATIVES.
Being considerably in front of the party, with one of our guides, when
we neared the river, I came suddenly upon a family of natives. They
were much terrified, and finding that they could not escape, called
vehemently to some of their companions, who were in the distance. By
the time Mr. Hume came up, they had in some measure recovered their
presence of mind, but availed themselves of the first favourable moment
to leave us. I was particular in not imposing any restraint on these
men, in consequence of which they afterwards mustered sufficient
resolution to visit us in our camp. We now judged that we were about
ten miles from the cataract, and that, according to the accounts of the
stockman, we could not be very distant from the lake he had mentioned.
NATIVE BURIAL PLACE.
As I was unwilling to pass any important feature of the country without
enquiry or examination, I requested Mr. Hume to interrogate the
strangers on the subject. They stated that they belonged to the lake
tribe, that the lake was a short day's journey to the eastward, and
that they would guide us to it if we wished. The matter was accordingly
arranged. They left us at dusk, but returned to the camp at the
earliest dawn; when we once more crossed the river, and, after
traversing a very level country for about nine miles, arrived at our
destination. We passed over the dried beds of lagoons, and through
coppices of cypresses and acacia pendula, or open forest, but did not
observe any of the barren stony ridges so common to the N.E. About a
mile, or a mile and a half, from the lake we examined a solitary grave
that had recently been constructed. It consisted of an oblong mound,
with three semicircular seats. A walk encompassed the whole, from which
three others branched off for a few yards only, into the forest.
Several cypresses, overhanging the grave, were fancifully carved on the
inner side, and on one the shape of a heart was deeply engraved.
BUDDAH LAKE.
We were sadly disappointed in the appearance of the lake, which the
natives call the Buddah. It is a serpentine sheet of fresh water, of
rather more than a mile in length, and from three to four hundred yards
in breadth. Its depth was four fathoms; but it seemed as if it were now
five or six feet below the ordinary level. No stream either runs into
it or flows from it; yet it abounds in fish; from which circumstance I
should imagine that it originally owed its supply to the river during
some extensive inundation. Notwithstanding that we had crossed some
rich tracts of land in our way to it, the neighbourhood of the lake was
by no means fertile. The trees around it were in rapid decay, and the
little vegetation to be seen appeared to derive but little advantage
from its proximity to water.
EXTREME HEAT OF THE WEATHER.
We had started at early dawn; and the heat had become intolerable long
ere the sun had gained the meridian. It was rendered still more
oppressive from the want of air in the dense bushes through which we
occasionally moved. At 2 p.m. the thermometer stood at 129 degrees of
Fahrenheit, in the shade; and at 149 degrees in the sun; the difference
being exactly 20 degrees. It is not to be wondered at that the cattle
suffered, although the journey was so short. The sun's rays were too
powerful even for the natives, who kept as much as possible in the
shade. In the evening, when the atmosphere was somewhat cooler, we
launched the boat upon the lake, in order to get some wild fowl and
fish; but although we were tolerably successful with our guns, we did
not take anything with our hooks.
The natives had, in the course of the afternoon, been joined by the
rest of the tribe, and they now numbered about three and twenty. They
were rather distant in their manner, and gazed with apparent
astonishment at the scene that was passing before them.
If there had been other proof wanting, of the lamentably parched and
exhausted state of the interior, we had on this occasion ample evidence
of it, and of the fearful severity of the drought under which the
country was suffering. As soon as the sun dipped under the horizon,
hundreds of birds came crowding to the border of the lake, to quench
the thirst they had been unable to allay in the forest. Some were
gasping, others almost too weak to avoid us, and all were indifferent
to the reports of our guns.
CATARACT OF THE MACQUARIE.
On leaving the Buddah, eleven only of the natives accompanied us. We
reached the river again about noon, on a north-half-east course, where
it had a rocky bed, and continued to journey along it, until we reached
the cataract at which we halted. We travelled over soil generally
inferior to that which we had seen on the preceding day, but rich in
many places. The same kind of timber was observed, but the acacia
pendula was more prevalent than any other, although near the river the
flooded gum and Australian apple-tree were of beautiful growth.
It had appeared to me that the waters of the Macquarie had been
diminishing in volume since our departure from Wellington Valley, and I
had a favourable opportunity of judging as to the correctness of this
conclusion at the cataract, where its channel, at all times much
contracted, was particularly so on the present occasion. So little
force was there in the current, that I began to entertain doubts how
long it would continue, more especially when I reflected on the level
character of the country we had entered, and the fact of the Macquarie
not receiving any tributary between this point and the marshes. I was
in consequence led to infer that result, which, though not immediately,
eventually took place.
As they were treated with kindness, the natives who accompanied us soon
threw off all reserve, and in the afternoon assembled at the pool below
the fall to take fish. They went very systematically to work, with
short spears in their hands that tapered gradually to a point, and sank
at once under water without splash or noise at a given signal from an
elderly man. In a short time, one or two rose with the fish they had
transfixed; the others remained about a minute under water, and then
made their appearance near the same rock into the crevices of which
they had driven their prey. Seven fine bream were taken, the whole of
which they insisted on giving to our men, although I am not aware that
any of themselves had broken their fast that day. They soon, however,
procured a quantity of muscles, with which they sat down very
contentedly at a fire. My barometrical admeasurement gave the cataract
an elevation of 680 feet above the level of the sea; and my
observations placed it in east longitude 148 degrees 3 minutes and in
latitude 31 degrees 50 minutes south.
It became an object with us to gain the right bank of the Macquarie as
soon as possible; for it was evident that the country to the southward
of it was much more swampy than it was to the north: but for some
distance below the cataract, we found it impossible to effect our
purpose. The rocks composing the bed of the river at the cataract,
which are of trapp formation, disappeared at about eight miles below
it, when the river immediately assumed another character. Its banks
became of equal height, which had not before been the case, and
averaged from fifteen to eighteen feet. They were composed entirely of
alluvial soil, and were higher than the highest flood-marks. Its waters
appeared to be turbid and deep, and its bed was a mixture of sand and
clay. The casuarina, which had so often been admired by us, entirely
disappeared and the channel in many places became so narrow as to be
completely arched over by gum-trees.
A TRIBE OF NATIVES.
On the 16th, we fell in with a numerous tribe of natives who joined our
train after the very necessary ceremonies of an introduction had
passed, and when added to those who still accompanied us, amounted to
fifty-three. On this occasion I was riding somewhat in front of the
party, when I came upon them. They were very different in appearance
from those whom we had surprised at the river; and from the manner in
which I was received, I was led to infer that they had been informed of
our arrival, and had purposely assembled to meet us. I was saluted by
an old man, who had stationed himself in front of his tribe, and who
was their chief. Behind him the young men stood in a line, and behind
them the warriors were seated on the ground.
CONDUCT OF THE NATIVES.
I had a young native with me who had attached himself to our party, and
who, from his extreme good nature and superior intelligence, was
considered by us as a first-rate kind of fellow. He explained who and
what we were, and I was glad to observe that the old chief seemed
perfectly reconciled to my presence, although he cast many an anxious
glance at the long train of animals that were approaching. The
warriors, I remarked, never lifted their eyes from the ground. They
were hideously painted with red and yellow ochre, and had their weapons
at their sides, while their countenances were fixed, sullen, and
determined. In order to overcome this mood, I rode up to them, and,
taking a spear from the nearest, gave him my gun to examine; a mark of
confidence that was not lost upon them, for they immediately relaxed
from their gravity, and as soon as my party arrived, rose up and
followed us. That which appeared most to excite their surprise, was the
motion of the wheels of the boat carriage. The young native whom I have
noticed above, acted as interpreter, and, by his facetious manner,
contrived to keep the whole of us in a fit of laughter as we moved
along. He had been named Botheri by some stockman.
In consequence of our wish to cross the river, we kept near it, and
experienced considerable delay from the frequent marshes that opposed
themselves to our progress. In one of these we saw a number of ibises
and spoonbills; and the natives succeeded in killing two or three
snakes. Our view to the westward was extremely limited; but to the
eastward the country appeared in some places to expand into plains.
CROSSING OF THE RIVER.
After travelling some miles down the banks of the river, finding that
they still retained their steep character, we turned back to a place
which Mr. Hume had observed, and at which he thought we might, with
some little trouble, cross to the opposite side. And, however
objectionable the attempt was, we found ourselves obliged to make it.
We descended, therefore, into the channel of the river, and unloaded
the animals and boat-carriage. In order to facilitate the ascent of the
right bank, some of the men were directed to cut steps up it. I was
amused to see the natives voluntarily assist them; and was surprised
when they took up bags of flour weighing 100 pounds each, and carried
them across the river. We were not long in getting the whole of the
stores over. The boat was then hoisted on the shoulders of the
strongest, and deposited on the top of the opposite bank; and ropes
being afterwards attached to the carriage, it was soon drawn up to a
place of safety. The natives worked as hard as our own people, and
that, too, with a cheerfulness for which I was altogether unprepared,
and which is certainly foreign to their natural habits. We pitched our
tents as soon as we had effected the passage of the river; after which,
the men went to bathe, and blacks and whites were mingled promiscuously
in the stream. I did not observe that the former differed in any
respect from the natives who frequent the located districts. They were
generally clean limbed and stout, and some of the young men had
pleasing intelligent countenances. They lacerate their bodies,
inflicting deep wounds to raise the flesh, and extract the front teeth
like the Bathurst tribes; and their weapons are precisely the same.
They are certainly a merry people, and sit up laughing and talking more
than half the night.
BAROMETER BROKEN.
During the removal of the stores my barometer was unfortunately broken,
and I had often, in the subsequent stages of the journey, occasion to
regret the accident. I apprehend that the corks in the instrument,
placed to steady the tube, are too distant from each other in most
cases; and indeed I fear that barometers as at present constructed,
will seldom be carried with safety in overland expeditions.
DESERTED BY THE NATIVES.
Nine only of the natives accompanied us on the morning succeeding the
day in which we crossed the river. Botheri was, however, at the head of
them; and, as we journeyed along, he informed me that he had been
promised a wife on his return from acting as our guide, by the chief of
the last tribe. The excessive heat of the weather obliged us to shorten
our journey, and we encamped about noon in some scrub after having
traversed a level country for about eleven miles.
Several considerable plains were noticed to our right, stretching east
and west, which were generally rich in point of soil; but we passed
through much brushy land during the day. It was lamentable to see the
state of vegetation upon the plains from want of moisture. Although the
country had assumed a level character, and was more open than on the
higher branches of the Macquarie, the small freestone elevations,
backing the alluvial tracts near the river, still continued upon our
right, though much diminished in height, and at a great distance from
the banks. They seemed to be covered with cypresses and beef-wood, but
dwarf-box and the acacia pendula prevailed along the plains; while
flooded-gum alone occupied the lands in the immediate neighbourhood of
the stream, which was evidently fast diminishing, both in volume and
rapidity; its bed, however, still continuing to be a mixture of sand
and clay.
The cattle found such poor feed around the camp that they strayed away
in search of better during the night. On such an occasion Botheri and
his fraternity would have been of real service; but he had decamped at
an early hour, and had carried off an axe, a tomahawk, and some bacon,
although I had made him several presents. I was not at all surprised at
this piece of roguery, since cunning is the natural attribute of a
savage; but I was provoked at their running away at a moment when I so
much required their assistance.
Left to ourselves, I found Mr. Hume of the most essential service in
tracking the animals, and to his perseverance we were indebted for
their speedy recovery, They had managed to find tolerable feed near a
serpentine sheet of water, which Mr. Hume thought it would be advisable
to examine. We directed our course to it as soon as the cattle were
loaded, moving through bush, and found it to be a very considerable
creek that receives a part of the superfluous waters of the Macquarie,
and distributes them, most probably, over the level country to the
north. It was much wider than the river, being from fifty to sixty
yards across, and is resorted to by the natives, who procure muscles
from its bed in great abundance. We were obliged to traverse its
eastern bank to its junction with the river, at which it fortunately
happened to be dry. We had, however, to cut roads down both its banks
before we could cross it; and, consequently, made but a short day's
journey. The soil passed over was inferior to the generality of soil
near the river, but we encamped on a tongue of land on which both the
flooded-gum and the grass were of luxuriant height. We found a quantity
of a substance like pipe-clay in the bed of the river, similar to that
mentioned by Mr. Oxley.
GREAT HEAT.
The heat, which had been excessive at Wellington Valley, increased upon
us as we advanced into the interior. The thermometer was seldom under
114 degrees at noon, and rose still higher at 2 p.m. We had no dews at
night, and consequently the range of the instrument was trifling in the
twenty-four hours. The country looked bare and scorched, and the plains
over which we journeyed had large fissures traversing them, so that the
earth may literally be said to have gasped for moisture. The country,
which above the cataract had borne the character of open forest,
excepting on the immediate banks of the river, where its undulations
and openness gave it a park-like appearance, or where the barren stony
ridges prevailed below that point, generally exhibited alternately
plain and brush, the soil on both of which was good. On the former,
crested pigeons were numerous, several of which were shot. We had
likewise procured some of the rose-coloured and grey parrots, mentioned
by Mr. Oxley, and a small paroquet of beautiful plumage; but there was
less of variety in the feathered race than I expected to find, and most
of the other birds we had seen were recognised by me as similar to
specimens I had procured from Melville Island, and were, therefore,
most probably birds of passage.
ASPECT OF THE COUNTRY, AND THE RIVER.
As we neared Mount Harris, the Macquarie became more sluggish in its
flow, and fell off so much as scarcely to deserve the name of a river.
In breadth, it averaged from thirty-five to forty-five yards, and in
the height of its banks, from fifteen to eighteen. Mr. Hume had
succeeded in taking some fish at one of the stock stations; but if I
except those speared by the natives, we had since been altogether
unsuccessful with the hook, a circumstance which I attribute to the
lowness of the river itself.
About thirty miles from the cataract the country declines to the north
as a medium point, and again changes somewhat in its general
appearance. To the S. and S.W. it appeared level and wooded, while to
the N. the plains became more frequent, but smaller, and travelling
over them was extremely dangerous, in consequence of the large fissures
by which they were traversed. The only trees to be observed were
dwarf-box and the acacia pendula, both of stunted growth, although
flooded-gum still prevailed upon the river.
On the 20th we travelled on a N.W. course, and in the early part of the
day passed over tolerably good soil. It was succeeded by a barren
scrub, through which we penetrated in the direction of Welcome Rock, a
point we had seen from one of the Plains and had mistaken for Mount
Harris.
ARRIVAL AT MOUNT HARRIS.
On a nearer approach, however, we observed our error, and corrected it
by turning more to the left; and we ultimately encamped about a mile to
the W.S.W. of the latter eminence. On issuing from the scrub we found
ourselves among reeds and coarse water-grass; and, from the appearance
of the country, we were led to conclude that we had arrived at a part
of the interior more than ordinarily subject to overflow.
As soon as the camp was fixed, Mr. Hume and I rode to Mount Harris,
over ground subject to flood and covered for the most part by the
polygonum, being too anxious to defer our examination of its
neighbourhood even for a few hours.
VESTIGES OF MR. OXLEY'S ENCAMPMENT.
Nearly ten years had elapsed since Mr. Oxley pitched his tents under
the smallest of the two hills into which Mount Harris is broken. There
was no difficulty in hitting upon his position. The trenches that had
been cut round the tents were still perfect, and the marks of the
fire-places distinguishable; while the trees in the neighbourhood had
been felled, and round about them the staves of some casks and a few
tent-pegs were scattered. Mr. Oxley had selected a place at some
distance from the river, in consequence of its then swollen state. I
looked upon it from the same ground, and could not discern the waters
in its channel; so much had they fallen below their ordinary level. He
saw the river when it was overflowing its banks; on the present
occasion it had scarcely sufficient water to support a current. On the
summit of the greater eminence, which we ascended, there remained the
half-burnt planks of a boat, some clenched and rusty nails, and an old
trunk; but my search for the bottle Mr. Oxley had left was unsuccessful.
A reflection naturally arose to my mind on examining these decaying
vestiges of a former expedition, whether I should be more fortunate
than the leader of it, and how far I should be enabled to penetrate
beyond the point which had conquered his perseverance. Only a week
before I left Sydney I had followed Mr. Oxley to the tomb. A man of
uncommon quickness, and of great ability, the task of following up his
discoveries was not less enviable than arduous; but, arrived at that
point at which his journey may be said to have terminated and mine only
to commence, I knew not how soon I should be obliged, like him, to
retreat from the marshes and exhalations of so depressed a country. My
eye instinctively turned to the North-West, and the view extended over
an apparently endless forest. I could trace the river line of trees by
their superior height; but saw no appearance of reeds, save the few
that grew on the banks of the stream.
Mount Foster, somewhat higher than Mount Harris, on the opposite side
of the river, alone broke the line of the horizon to the North N.W. at
a distance of five miles. From that point all round the compass, the
low lands spread, like a dark sea, before me; except where a large
plain stretching from E. to W., and lying to the S.E. broke their
monotony; and if there was nothing discouraging, there certainly was
nothing cheering, in the prospect.
ILLNESS OF TWO OF THE MEN.
On our return to the camp, I was vexed to find two of the men, Henwood
and Williams, with increased inflammation of the eyes, of which they
had previously been complaining, and I thought it advisable to bleed
the latter.
In consequence of the indisposition of these men, we remained
stationary on the 21st, which enabled me to pay a second visit to Mount
Harris. On ascending the smaller hill, I was surprised to find similar
vestiges on its summit to those I had noticed on the larger one; in
addition to which, the rollers still continued on the side of the hill,
which had been used to get the boat up it. [Mr. Oxley had two boats;
one of which he dragged to the top of each of these hills, and left
them turned bottom upwards, burying a bottle under the head of the
larger boat, which was conveyed to the more distant hill.]
Mount Harris is of basaltic formation, but I could not observe any
columnar regularity in it, although large blocks are exposed above the
ground. The rock is extremely hard and sonorous.
MOUNT FOSTER AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD.
We moved leisurely towards Mount Foster, on the 22nd, and arrived
opposite to it a little before sunset. The country between the two is
mostly open, or covered only with the acacia pendula and dwarf-box. The
soil, although an alluvial deposit, is not of the best; nor was
vegetation either fresh or close upon it. As soon as the party stopped,
I crossed the river, and lost no time in ascending the hill, being
anxious to ascertain if any fresh object was visible from its summit, I
thought that from an eminence so much above the level of the
surrounding objects, I might obtain a view of the marshes, or of water;
but I was wholly disappointed. The view was certainly extensive, but it
was otherwise unsatisfactory. Again to the N.W. the lowlands spread in
darkness before me; there were some considerable plains beyond the near
wood; but the country at the foot of the hill appeared open and
promising. Although the river line was lost in the distance, it was as
truly pointed out by the fires of the natives, which rose in upright
columns into the sky, as if it had been marked by the trees upon its
banks.
To the eastward, Arbuthnot's range rose high above the line of the
horizon, bearing nearly due East, distant seventy miles. The following
sketch of its outlines will convey a better idea of its appearance from
Mount Foster than any written description.
[small sketch here--not shown in etext]
I stayed on the mount until after sunset, but I could not make out any
space that at all resembled the formidable barrier I knew we were so
rapidly approaching. I saw nothing to check our advance, and I
therefore returned to the camp, to advise with Mr. Hume upon the
subject. Not having been with me on Mount Foster, he took the
opportunity to ascend it on the following morning; and on his return
concurred with me in opinion, that there was no apparent obstacle to
our moving onwards. As the men were considerably better, I had the less
hesitation in closing with the marshes. We left our position, intending
to travel slowly, and to halt early.
The first part of our journey was over rich flats, timbered
sufficiently to afford a shade, on which the grass was luxuriant; but
we were obliged to seek more open ground, in consequence of the
frequent stumbling of the cattle.
We issued, at length, upon a plain, the view across which was as dreary
as can be imagined; in many places without a tree, save a few old
stumps left by the natives when they fired the timber, some of which
were still smoking in different parts of it. Observing some lofty trees
at the extremity of the plain, we moved towards them, under an
impression that they indicated the river line. But on this exposed spot
the sun's rays fell with intense power upon us, and the dust was so
minute and penetrating, that I soon regretted having left the shady
banks of the river.
About 2.p.m. we neared the trees for which we had been making, over
ground evidently formed by alluvial deposition, and were astonished to
find that reeds alone were growing under the trees as far as the eye
could penetrate. It appeared that we were still some distance from the
river, and it was very doubtful how far we might be from water, for
which the men were anxiously calling. I therefore halted, and sent
Fraser into the reeds towards some dead trees, on which a number of
spoonbills were sitting. He found that there was a small lake in the
centre of the reeds, the resort of numerous wild fowl; but although the
men were enabled to quench their thirst, we found it impossible to
water the animals. We were obliged, therefore, to continue our course
along the edge of the reeds; which in a short time appeared in large
masses in front of us, stretching into a vast plain upon our right; and
it became evident that the whole neighbourhood was subject to extensive
inundation.
ENCAMP AMIDST REEDS.
I was fearful that the reeds would have checked us; but there was a
passage between the patches, through which we managed to force our way
into a deep bight, and fortunately gained the river at the bottom of it
much sooner than we expected. We were obliged to clear away a space for
the tents; and thus, although there had been no such appearance from
Mount Foster, we found ourselves in less than seven hours after leaving
it, encamped pretty far in that marsh for which we had so anxiously
looked from its summit, and now trusting to circumstances for safety,
upon ground on which, in any ordinary state of the river, it would have
been dangerous to have ventured. Indeed, as it was, our situation was
sufficiently critical, and would not admit of hesitation on my part.
NATURE OF THE COUNTRY.
After the cattle had been turned out, Mr. Hume and I again mounted our
horses, and proceeded to the westward, with a view to examine the
nature of the country before us, and to ascertain if it was still
practicable to move along the river side. For, although it was evident
that we had arrived at what might strictly be called the marshes of the
Macquarie, I still thought we might be at some distance from the place
where Mr. Oxley terminated his journey.
There was no indication in the river to encourage an idea that it would
speedily terminate; nor, although we were on ground subject to
extensive inundation, could we be said to have reached the heart of the
marshes, as the reeds still continued in detached bodies only. We
forced a path through various portions of them, and passed over ground
wholly subject to flood, to a distance of about six miles. We then
crossed a small rise of ground, sufficiently high to have afforded a
retreat, had necessity obliged us to seek for one; and we shortly
afterwards descended on the river, unaltered in its appearance, and
rather increased than diminished in size. A vast plain extended to the
N.W., the extremity of which we could not discern; though a thick
forest formed its northern boundary.
It was evident that this plain had been frequently under water, but it
was difficult to judge from the marks on the trees to what height the
floods had risen. The soil was an alluvial deposit, superficially
sandy; and many shells were scattered over its surface. To the south,
the country appeared close and low; nor do I think we could have
approached the river from that side, by reason of the huge belts of
reeds that appeared to extend as far as the the eye could reach.
MEN ATTACKED WITH OPHTHALMIA.
The approach of night obliged us to return to the camp. On our arrival,
we found that the state of Henwood and Williams would prevent our
stirring for a day or two. Not only had they a return of inflammation,
but several other of the men complained of a painful irritation of the
eyes, which were dreadfully blood-shot and weak. I was in some measure
prepared for a relapse in Henwood, as the exposure which he necessarily
underwent on the plain was sufficient to produce that effect; but I now
became apprehensive that the affection would run through the party.
Considering our situation in its different bearings, it struck me that
the men who were to return to Wellington Valley with an account our our
proceedings for the Governor's information, had been brought as far as
prudence warranted. There was no fear of their going astray, as long as
they had the river to guide them; but in the open country which we were
to all appearance approaching, or amidst fields of reeds, they might
wander from the track, and irrecoverably lose themselves. I determined,
therefore, not to risk their safety, but to prepare my dispatches for
Sydney, and I hoped most anxiously, that ere they were closed, all
symptoms of disease would have terminated.
In the course of the day, however, Spencer, who was to return with
Riley to Wellington Valley, became seriously indisposed, and I feared
that he was attacked with dysentery. Indeed, I should have attributed
his illness to our situation, but I did not notice any unusual moisture
in the atmosphere, nor did any fogs rise from the river. I therefore
the rather attributed it to exposure and change of diet, and treated
him accordingly. To my satisfaction, when I visited the men late in the
evening, I found a general improvement in the whole of them. Spencer
was considerably relieved, and those of the party who had inflammation
of the eyes no longer felt that painful irritation of which they had
before complained. I determined, therefore, unless untoward
circumstances should prevent it, to send Riley and his companion
homewards, and to move the party without loss of time.
We had not seen any natives for many days, but a few passed the camp on
the opposite side of the river on the evening of the 25th. They would
not, however, come to us; but fled into the interior in great apparent
alarm.
DEPARTURE OF TWO MEN FOR WELLINGTON.
On the morning of the 26th, the men were sufficiently recovered to
pursue their journey. Riley and Spencer left us at an early hour; and
about 7 a.m. we pursued a N.N.W. course along the great plain I have
noticed, starting numberless quails, and many wild turkeys, by the way.
Leaving that part of the river on which Mr. Hume and I had touched
considerably to the left, we made for the point of a wood, projecting
from the river line of trees into the plain. The ground under us was an
alluvial deposit, and bore all the marks of frequent inundation.
The soil was yielding, blistered, and uneven; and the claws of
cray-fish, together with numerous small shells, were every where
collected in the hollows made by the subsiding of the waters, between
broad belts of reeds and scrubs of polygonum.
CONSULTATION.
On gaining the point of the wood, we found an absolute check put to our
further progress. We had been moving directly on the great body of the
marsh, and from the wood it spread in boundless extent before us. It
was evidently lower than the ground on which we stood; we had
therefore, a complete view over the whole expanse; and there was a
dreariness and desolation pervading the scene that strengthened as we
gazed upon it. Under existing circumstances, it only remained for us
either to skirt the reeds to the northward, or to turn in again upon
the river; and as I considered it important to ascertain the direction
of the Macquarie at so critical and interesting a point, I thought it
better to adopt the latter measure. We, accordingly, made for the
river, and pitched our tents, as at the last station, in the midst of
reeds.
There were two points at this time, upon which I was extremely anxious.
The first was as to the course of the river; the second, as to the
extent of the marshes by which we had been checked, and the
practicability of the country to the northward.
In advising with Mr. Hume, I proposed launching the boat, as the surest
means of ascertaining the former, and he, on his part, most readily
volunteered to examine the marshes, in any direction I should point
out. It was therefore, arranged, that I should take two men, and a
week's provision with me in the boat down the river; and that he should
proceed with a like number of men on an excursion to the northward.
After having given directions as to the regulations of camp during our
absence, we separated, on the morning of the 26th for the first time,
in furtherance of the objects each had in view.
BOAT EXCURSION.
In pulling down the river, I found that its channel was at first
extremely tortuous and irregular, but that it held a general N.W.
course, and bore much the same appearance as it had done since our
descent from Mount Foster.
We had a laborious task in lifting the boat over the trunks of trees
that had fallen into the channel of the river or that had been left by
the floods, and at length we stove her in upon a sunken log. The injury
she received was too serious not to require immediate repair; and we,
therefore, patched her up with a tin plate. This accident occasioned
some delay, and the morning was consumed without our having made any
considerable progress. At length, however, we got into a more open
channel.
The river suddenly increased in breadth to thirty-five or forty-five
yards, with a depth of from twelve to twenty feet of water. Its banks
shelved perpendicularly down, and were almost on a level with the
surface of the stream; and the flood mark was not more than two feet
high on the reeds by which they were lined. We had hitherto passed
under the shade of the flooded gum, which still continued on the
immediate banks of the river; but, the farther we advanced, the more
did we find these trees in a state of decay, until at length they
ceased, or were only rarely met with.
TERMINATION OF THE RIVER.
About 2 p.m. I brought up under a solitary tree, in consequence of
heavy rain: this was upon the left bank. In the afternoon, however, we
again pushed forward, and soon lost sight of every other object amidst
reeds of great height. The channel of the river continued as broad and
as deep as ever, but the flood mark did not show more than a foot above
the banks, which were now almost on a level with the water; and the
current was so sluggish as to be scarcely perceptible. These general
appearances continued for about three miles, when our course was
suddenly, and most unexpectedly, checked. The channel, which had
promised so well, without any change in its breadth or depth, ceased
altogether; and whilst we were yet lost in astonishment at so abrupt a
termination of it, the boat grounded. It only remained for us to
examine the banks, which we did with particular attention. Two creeks
were then discovered, so small as scarcely to deserve the name, and
which would, under ordinary circumstances, have been overlooked. The
one branched off to the north--the other to the west. We were obliged
to get out of the boat to push up the former, the leeches sticking in
numbers to our legs. The creek continued for about thirty yards, when
it was terminated; and, in order fully to satisfy myself of the fact, I
walked round the head of it by pushing through the reeds. Night coming
on, we returned to the tree at which we had stopped during the rain,
and slept under it. The men cut away the reeds, or we should not have
had room to move. At 2 a.m. it commenced raining, with a heavy storm of
thunder and lightning; the boat was consequently hauled ashore, and
turned over to afford us a temporary shelter. The lightning was
extremely vivid, and frequently played upon the ground, near the
firelocks, for more than a quarter of a minute at a time.
It is singular, that Mr. Oxley should, under similar circumstances,
have experienced an equally stormy night, and most probably within a
few yards of the place on which I had posted myself. Notwithstanding
that the elements were raging around me, as if to warn me of the danger
of my situation, my mind turned solely on the singular failure of the
river. I could not but encourage hopes that this second channel that
remained to be explored would lead us into an open space again; and as
soon as the morning dawned we pursued our way to it. In passing some
dead trees upon the right bank, I stopped to ascend one, that, from an
elevation, I might survey the marsh, but I found it impossible to trace
the river through it. The country to the westward was covered with
reeds, apparently to the distance of seven miles; to the N.W. to a
still greater distance; and to the north they bounded the horizon.
The whole expanse was level and unbroken, but here and there the reeds
were higher and darker than at other places, as if they grew near
constant moisture; but I could see no appearance of water in any body,
or of high lands beyond the distant forest.
As soon as we arrived at the end of the main channel, we again got out
of the boat, and in pushing up the smaller one, soon found ourselves
under a dark arch of reeds. It did not, however, continue more than
twenty yards when it ceased, and I walked round the head of it as I had
done round that of the other. We then examined the space between the
creeks, where the bank receives the force of the current, which I did
not doubt had formed them by the separation of its eddies. Observing
water among the reeds, I pushed through them with infinite labour to a
considerable distance. The soil proved to be a stiff clay; the reeds
were closely embodied, and from ten to twelve feet high; the waters
were in some places ankle deep, and in others scarcely covered the
surface. They were flowing in different points, with greater speed than
those of the river, which at once convinced me that they were not
permanent, but must have lodged in the night during which so much rain
had fallen. They ultimately appeared to flow to the northward, but I
found it impossible to follow them, and it was not without difficulty
that, after having wandered about at every point of the compass, I
again reached the boat.
CAUSES OF THE FAILURE OF THE RIVER.
The care with which I had noted every change that took place in the
Macquarie, from Wellington Valley downwards, enabled me, in some
measure, to account for its present features. I was led to conclude
that the waters of the river being so small in body, excepting in times
of flood, and flowing for so many miles through a level country without
receiving any tributary to support their first impulse, became too
sluggish, long ere they reached the marshes, to cleave through so
formidable a barrier; and consequently spread over the surrounding
country--whether again to take up the character of a river, we had
still to determine. Unless, however, a decline of country should favour
its assuming its original shape, it was evident that the Macquarie
would not be found to exist beyond this marsh, of the nature and extent
of which we were still ignorant. The loss of my barometer was at this
time severely felt by me, since I could only guess at our probable
height above the ocean; and I found that my only course was to
endeavour to force my way to the northward, to ascertain, if I could,
from the bottom of the marshes; then penetrate in a westerly direction
beyond them, in order to commence my survey of the S.W. interior. I was
aware of Mr. Hume's perseverance, and determined, therefore, to wait
the result of his report ere I again moved the camp, to which we
returned late in the afternoon of the second day of our departure. We
found it unsufferably hot and suffocating in the reeds, and were
tormented by myriads of mosquitoes, but the waters were perfectly sweet
to the taste, nor did the slightest smell, as of stagnation, proceed
from them. I may add that the birds, whose sanctuary we had invaded, as
the bittern and various tribes of the galinule, together with the
frogs, made incessant noises around us, There were, however, but few
water-fowl on the river; which was an additional proof to me that we
were not near any very extensive lake.
MR. HUME'S REPORT.
Mr. Hume had returned before me to the camp, and had succeeded in
finding a serpentine sheet of water, about twelve miles to the
northward; which he did not doubt to be the channel of the river. He
had pushed on after this success, in the hope of gaining a further
knowledge of the country; but another still more extensive marsh
checked him, and obliged him to retrace his steps. He was no less
surprised at the account I gave of the termination of the river, than I
was at its so speedily re-forming, and it was determined to lose no
time in the further examination of so singular a region.
FALSE CHANNEL; PERPLEXITIES.
On the morning of the 28th therefore we broke up the camp, and
proceeded to the northward, under Mr. Hume's guidance, moving over
ground wholly subject to flood, and extensively covered with reeds; the
great body of the marsh lying upon our left. After passing the angle of
a wood, upon our right, from which Mount Foster was distant about
fourteen miles, we got upon a small plain, on which there was a new
species of tortuous box. This plain was clear of reeds, and the soil
upon it was very rich. Crossing in a westerly direction we arrived at
the channel found by Mr. Hume, who must naturally have concluded that
it was a continuation of the river. The boat was immediately prepared,
and I went up it in order to ascertain the nature of its formation. For
two miles it preserved a pretty general width of from twenty to thirty
yards; but at that distance began to narrow, and at length it became
quite shallow and covered with weeds. We were ultimately obliged to
abandon the boat, and to walk along a native path. The country to the
westward was more open than I had expected. About a quarter of a mile
from where we had left the boat, the channel separated into two
branches; to which I perceived it owed its formation, coming, as they
evidently did, direct from the heart of the marsh. The wood through
which I had entered it on the first occasion bore south of me, to which
one of the branches inclined; as the other did to the S.W. An almost
imperceptible rise of ground was before me, which, by giving an impetus
to the waters of the marsh, accounted to me for the formation of the
main channel. It was too late, on my return to the camp, to prosecute
any further examination of it downwards; but in the morning, Mr. Hume
accompanied me in the boat, to ascertain to what point it led; and we
found that at about a mile it began to diminish in breadth, until at
length it was completely lost in a second expanse of reeds. We passed a
singular scaffolding erected by the natives, on the side of the
channel, to take fish; and also found a weir at the termination of it
for the like purpose so that it was evident the natives occasionally
ventured into the marshes.
There was a small wood to our left which Mr. Hume endeavoured to gain,
but he failed in the attempt. He did, however, reach a tree that was
sufficiently high to give him a full view of the marsh, which appeared
to extend in every direction, but more particularly to the north, for
many miles. We were, however, at fault, and I really felt at a loss
what step to take. I should have been led to believe from the extreme
flatness of the country, that the Macquarie would never assume its
natural shape, but from the direction of the marshes I could not but
indulge a hope that it would meet the Castlereagh, and that their
united waters might form a stream of some importance. Under this
impression I determined on again sending Mr. Hume to the N.E. in order
to ascertain the nature of the country in that direction.
EXCURSION TO THE NORTH-WEST.
The weather was excessively hot, and as my men were but slowly
recovering, I was anxious while those who were in health continued
active, to give the others a few days of rest. I proposed, therefore,
to cross the river, and to make an excursion into the interior, during
the probable time of Mr. Hume's absence; since if, as I imagined, the
Macquarie had taken a permanent northerly course, I should not have an
opportunity of examining the distant western country. Mr. Hume's
experience rendered it unnecessary for me to give him other than
general directions.
A PLAIN ON FIRE.
On the last day of the year we left the camp, each accompanied by two
men. I had the evening previously ordered the horses I intended taking
with me across the channel, and at an early hour of the morning I
followed them. Getting on a plain, immediately after I had disengaged
myself from the reeds on the opposite side of the river, which was full
of holes and exceedingly treacherous for the animals, I pushed on for a
part of the wood Mr. Hume had endeavoured to gain from the boat, with
the intention of keeping near the marsh. On entering it, I found myself
in a thick brush of eucalypti, casuarinae and minor trees; the soil
under them being mixed with sand. I kept a N.N.W. course through it,
and at the distance of three miles from its commencement, ascended a
tree, to ascertain if I was near the marshes; when I found that I was
fast receding from them. I concluded, therefore, that my conjecture as
to their direction was right, and altered my course to N.W., a
direction in which I had observed a dense smoke arising, which I
supposed had been made by some natives near water. At the termination
of the brush I crossed a barren sandy plain, and from it saw the smoke
ascending at a few miles' distance from me. Passing through a wood, at
the extremity of the plain, I found myself at the outskirts of an open
space of great extent, almost wholly enveloped in flames. The fire was
running with incredible rapidity through the rhagodia shrubs with which
it was covered. Passing quickly over it, I continued my journey to the
N.W. over barren plains of red sandy loam of even surface, and bushes
of cypresses skirted by acacia pendula. It was not until after sunset
that we struck upon a creek, in which the water was excellent; and we
halted on its banks for the night, calculating our distance at
twenty-nine miles from the camp. The creek was of considerable size,
leading northerly. Several huts were observed by us, and from the heaps
of muscle-shells that were scattered about, there could be no doubt of
its being much frequented by the natives. The grass being fairly burnt
up, our animals found but little to eat, but they had a tolerable
journey, and did not attempt to wander in search of better food. I shot
a snipe near the creek, much resembling the painted snipe of India; but
I had not the means with me of preserving it.
A TRIBE OF NATIVES.
Continuing our journey on the following morning, we at first kept on
the banks of the creek, and at about a quarter of a mile from where we
had slept, came upon a numerous tribe of natives. A young girl sitting
by the fire was the first to observe us as we were slowly approaching
her. She was so excessively alarmed, that she had not the power to run
away; but threw herself on the ground and screamed violently. We now
observed a number of huts, out of which the natives issued, little
dreaming of the spectacle they were to behold. But the moment they saw
us, they started back; their huts were in a moment in flames, and each
with a fire-brand ran to and fro with hideous yells, thrusting them
into every bush they passed. I walked my horse quietly towards an old
man who stood more forward than the rest, as if he intended to devote
himself for the preservation of his tribe. I had intended speaking to
him, but on a nearer approach I remarked that he trembled so violently
that it was impossible to expect that I could obtain any information
from him, and as I had not time for explanations, I left him to form
his own conjectures as to what we were, and continued to move towards a
thick brush, into which they did not venture to follow us.
CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY.
After a ride of about eighteen miles, through a country of alternate
plain and brush, we struck upon a second creek leading like the first
to the northward. The water in it was very bitter and muddy, and it was
much inferior in appearance to that at which we had slept. After
stopping for half-an-hour upon its banks, to rest our animals, we again
pushed forward. We had not as yet risen any perceptible height above
the level of the marshes, but had left the country subject to overflow
for a considerable space behind us. The brushes through which we had
passed were too sandy to retain water long, but the plains were of such
an even surface, that they could not but continue wet for a
considerable period after any fall of rain. They were covered with
salsolaceous plants, without a blade of grass; and their soil was
generally a red sandy loam. There were occasional patches that appeared
moist, in which the calystemma was abundant, and these patches must, I
should imagine, form quagmires in the wet season.
On leaving the last-mentioned creek, we found a gently rising country
before us; and about three or four miles from it we crossed some stony
ridges, covered with a new species of acacia so thickly as to prevent
our obtaining any view from them. As the sun declined, we got into open
forest ground; and travelled forwards in momentary expectation, from
appearances, of coming in sight of water; but we were obliged to pull
up at sunset on the outskirts of a larger plain without having our
expectation realized. The day had been extremely warm, and our animals
were as thirsty as ourselves. Hope never forsakes the human breast; and
thence it was that, after we had secured the horses, we began to wander
round our lonely bivouac. It was almost dark, when one of my men came
to inform me that he had found a small puddle of water, to which he had
been led by a pigeon.
It was, indeed, small enough, probably the remains of a passing shower;
it was, however, sufficient for our necessities, and I thanked
Providence for its bounty to us. We were now about sixty miles from the
Macquarie, in a N.W. by W. direction, and the country had proved so
extremely discouraging, that I intimated to my men my intention of
retracing my steps, should I not discover any change in it before noon
on the morrow. A dense brush of acacia succeeded to the plain on which
we had slept, which we entered, and shortly afterwards found ourselves
in an open space, of oblong shape, at the extremity of which there was
a shallow lake. The brush completely encircled it, and a few huts were
upon its banks. About 10 p.m. we got into an open forest track of
better appearance than any over which we had recently travelled.
ISOLATED HILL.
There was a visible change in the country, and the soil, although red,
was extremely rich and free from sand. A short time afterwards we rose
to the summit of a round hill, from which we obtained an extensive view
on most points of the compass. We had imperceptibly risen considerably
above the general level of the interior.
VIEW FROM THE SUMMIT.
Beneath us, to the westward, I observed a broad and thinly wooded
valley; and W. by S., distant apparently about twenty miles, an
isolated mountain, whose sides seemed almost perpendicular, broke the
otherwise even line of the horizon; but the country in every other
direction looked as if it was darkly wooded. Anticipating that I should
find a stream in the valley, I did not for a moment hesitate in
striking down into it. Disappointed, however, in this expectation, I
continued onwards to the mountain, which I reached just before the sun
set. Indeed, he was barely visible when I gained its summit; but my
eyes, from exposure to his glare, became so weak, my face was so
blistered, and my lips cracked in so many places, that I was unable to
look towards the west, and was actually obliged to sit down behind a
rock until he had set.
Perhaps no time is so favourable for a view along the horizon as the
sunset hour; and here, at an elevation of from five to six hundred feet
above the plain, the visible line of it could not have been less than
from thirty-five to forty-five miles. The hill upon which I stood was
broken into two points; the one was a bold rocky elevation; the other
had its rear face also perpendicular, but gradually declined to the
north, and at a distance of from four to five miles was lost in an
extensive and open plain in that direction. In the S.E. quarter, two
wooded hills were visible, which before had appeared to be nothing more
than swells in the general level of the country. A small hill, similar
to the above, bore N.E. by compass; and again, to the west, a more
considerable mountain than that I had ascended, and evidently much
higher, reflected the last beams of the sun as he sunk behind them. I
looked, however, in vain for water. I could not trace either the
windings of a stream, or the course of a mountain torrent; and, as we
had passed a swamp about a mile from the hill, we descended to it for
the night, during which we were grievously tormented by the mosquitoes.
RESULTS OF THE EXCURSION.
I had no inducement to proceed further into the interior. I had been
sufficiently disappointed in the termination of this excursion, and the
track before me was still less inviting. Nothing but a dense forest,
and a level country, existed between me and the distant hill. I had
learnt, by experience, that it was impossible to form any opinion of
the probable features of so singular a region as that in which I was
wandering, from previous appearances, or to expect the same result, as
in other countries, from similar causes. In a geographical point of
view, my journey had been more successful, and had enabled me to put to
rest for ever a question of much previous doubt. Of whatever extent the
marshes of the Macquarie might be, it was evident they were not
connected with those of the Lachlan. I had gained knowledge of more
than 100 miles of the western interior, and had ascertained that no
sea, indeed that little water, existed on its surface; and that,
although it is generally flat, it still has elevations of considerable
magnitude upon it.
Although I had passed over much barren ground, I had likewise noticed
soil that was far from poor, and the vegetation upon which in ordinary
seasons would, I am convinced, have borne a very different aspect.
Yet, upon the whole, the space I traversed is unlikely to become the
haunt of civilized man, or will only become so in isolated spots, as a
chain of connection to a more fertile country; if such a country exist
to the westward.
The hill which thus became the extreme of my journey, is of sandstone
formation, and is bold and precipitous. Its summit is level and lightly
timbered. As a tribute of respect to the late Surveyor-General, I
called it Oxley's Table Land, and I named the distant hills D'Urban's
Group, after Sir Benjamin D'Urban, in compliance with a previous
request of my friend Lieut. De la Condamine, that I would so name any
prominent feature of the interior that I might happen to come upon.
RETURN TO THE CAMP.
In returning to the camp, I made a circuit to the N.E., and reached the
Macquarie late on the evening of the 5th of January; having been absent
six days, during which we could not have ridden less than 200 miles.
Yet the horses were not so fatigued as it was natural to expect they
would have been.
My servant informed me that a party of natives had visited the camp on
the 3rd, but that they retired precipitately on seeing the animals. I
regretted to find the men but little better than when I left them.
Several still complained of a painful irritation of the eyes, and of
great weakness of sight. Attributing their continued indisposition in
some measure to our situation, I was anxious to have moved from it; but
as Mr. Hume was still absent, I could not decide upon the measure. He
made his appearance, however, on the 6th, having ridden the greater
part of the day through rain, which commenced to fall in the morning.
Soon after his arrival, Dawber, my overseer of animals, who had
accompanied him, was taken suddenly ill. During the night he became
much worse, with shivering and spasms, and on the following morning he
was extremely weak and feverish. To add to my anxiety, Mr. Hume also
complained of indisposition. His state of health made me the more
anxious to quit a position which I fancied unwholesome, and in which,
if there was no apparent, there was certainly some secret, exciting
cause; and as Mr. Hume reported having crossed a chain of ponds about
four miles to the eastward, and out of the immediate precincts of the
marshes, I ordered the tents to be struck, and placing Dawber on my
horse, we all moved quietly over to them.
MR. HUME'S EXCURSION.
The result of Mr. Hume's journey perplexed me exceedingly. He stated,
that on setting out from the Macquarie his intention was to have
proceeded to the N.E., to ascertain how far the reeds existed in that
direction, and, if at all practicable, to reach the Castlereagh; but in
case of failure, to regain the Macquarie by a westerly course. At first
he travelled nearly four miles east, to clear the marshes, when he came
on the chain of ponds to which we had removed.
He travelled over good soil for two miles after crossing this chain of
ponds, but afterwards got on a red sandy loam, and found it difficult
to proceed, by reason of the thickness of the brush, and the swampy
state of the ground in consequence of the late rain.
The timber in the brushes was of various kinds, and he saw numerous
kangaroos and emus. On issuing from this brush, he crossed a creek,
leading northerly, the banks of which were from ten to twelve feet
high. Whatever the body of water usually in it is, it now only afforded
a few shallow puddles. Mr. Hume travelled through brushes until he came
upon a third creek, similar to the one he had left behind him, at which
he halted for the night. The water in it was bad, and the feed for the
animals extremely poor. The brush lined the creek thickly, and
consisted chiefly of acacia pendula and box. The country preserved an
uniform level, nor did Mr. Hume, from the highest trees, observe any
break on the horizon.
On the 2nd of January, Mr. Hume kept more northerly, being unable to
penetrate the brushes he encountered. At two miles he crossed a creek
leading to the N.W., between which and the place at which he had slept,
he passed a native burial ground, containing eight graves. The earth
was piled up in a conical shape, but the trees were not carved over as
he had seen them in most other places.
The country became more open after he had passed the last mentioned
creek, which he again struck upon at the distance of eight miles, and
as it was then leading to the N.N.E. he followed it down for eighteen
or twenty miles, and crossed it frequently during the day. The creek
was dry in most places, and where he stopped for the night the water
was bad, and the cattle feed indifferent.
Mr. Hume saw many huts, but none of them had been recently occupied,
although large quantities of muscle-shells were scattered about. He
computed that he had travelled about thirty miles, in a N.N.W.
direction, and the whole of the land he passed over was, generally
speaking, bad, nor did it appear to be subject to overflow.
On the 3rd, Mr. Hume proceeded down the creek on which he had slept, on
a northern course, under an impression that it would have joined the
Castlereagh, but it took a N.W. direction after he had ridden about
four miles, and then turned again to the eastward of north. In
consequence of this, he left it, and proceeded to the westward, being
of opinion that the river just mentioned must have taken a more
northerly course than Mr. Oxley supposed it to have done.
A short time after Mr. Hume turned towards the Macquarie, the country
assumed a more pleasing appearance. He soon cleared the brushes, and at
two miles came upon a chain of ponds, again running northerly in times
of flood. Shortly after crossing these, he found himself on an
extensive plain, apparently subject to overflow. The timber on it was
chiefly of the blue-gum kind, and the ground was covered with shells.
He then thought he was approaching the Macquarie, and proceeded due
west across the flat for about two miles. At the extremity of it there
was a hollow, which he searched in vain for water. Ascending about
thirty feet, he entered a thick brush of box and acacia pendula, which
continued for fourteen miles, when it terminated abruptly, and
extensive plains of good soil commenced, stretching from N. to S. as
far as the eye could reach, on which there were many kangaroos.
Continuing to journey over them, he reached a creek at 5 p.m. on which
the wild fowl were numerous, running nearly north and south, and he
rested on its banks for the night. The timber consisted both of blue
and rough gum, and the soil was a light earth.
Mr. Hume expected in the course of the day to have reached the
Macquarie, but on arriving at the creek, he began to doubt whether it
any longer existed, or whether it had not taken a more westerly
direction. On the following morning, therefore, he crossed the creek,
and travelled W.S.W., for about two miles over good plains; then
through light brushes of swamp-oak, cypress, box, and acacia pendula,
for about twelve miles, to another creek leading northerly. He shortly
afterwards ascended a range of hills stretching W.N.W. to which he gave
the name of New Year's Range. From these hills, he had an extensive
view, although not upon the highest part, but the only break he could
see in the horizon was caused by some hills bearing by compass W. by S.
distant about twenty-five miles. There was, however, an appearance as
of high land to the northward, although Mr. Hume thought it might have
been an atmospheric deception. From the range he looked in vain for the
Macquarie, or other waters, and, as his provisions were nearly
consumed, he was obliged to give up all further pursuit, and to retrace
his steps. He fell in with two parties of natives, which, taken
collectively, amounted to thirty-five in number, but had no
communication with them.
It was evident, from the above account, that supposing a line to have
been drawn from the camp northerly, Mr. Hume must have travelled
considerably to the westward of it, and as I had run on a N.W. course
from the marshes, it necessarily followed that our lines of route must
have intersected each other, or that want of extension could alone have
prevented them from having done so; but that, under any circumstances,
they could not have been very far apart. This was too important a point
to be left undecided, as upon it the question of the Macquarie's
termination seemed to depend.
Both Mr. Hume and myself were of opinion, that a medium course would be
the most satisfactory for us to pursue, to decide this point; and it
appeared that we could not do better than, by availing ourselves of the
creek on which we were, and skirting the reeds, to take the first
opportunity of dashing through them in a westerly direction.
DOUBTS OF THE FURTHER EXTENSION OF THE RIVER.
I entertained great doubts as to the longer existence of the river, and
as I foresaw that, in the event of its having terminated we should
strike at once into the heart of the interior, I became anxious for the
arrival of supplies at Mount Harris; and although I could hardly expect
that they had yet reached it, I determined to proceed thither. Mr. Hume
was too unwell for me to think of imposing additional fatigue upon him;
I left him, therefore, to conduct the party, by easy stages, to the
northward, until such time as I should overtake them. Even in one day
there was a visible improvement in the men, and Dawber's attack seemed
to be rather the effects of cold than of any thing else. A death,
however, under our circumstances, would have been so truly deplorable
an event, that the least illness was sufficient to create alarm.
I can hardly say that I was disappointed on my arrival at Mount Harris,
to find its neighbourhood silent and deserted. I remained, however,
under it for the greater part of the next day, and, prior to leaving
it, placed a sheet of paper with written instructions against a tree,
though almost without a hope that it would remain untouched.
PERPLEXING SITUATION.
A little after sun-set we reached the first small marsh, at which we
slept; and on the following morning I crossed the plains of the
Macquarie, and joined the party at about fifteen miles from the creek
at which I had left it. I found it in a condition that was as unlooked
for by Mr. Hume as it was unexpected by me, and really in a most
perplexing situation.
On the day I left him, Mr. Hume only advanced about two miles, in
consequence of some derangement in the loads. Having crossed the creek,
he, the next morning, proceeded down its right bank, until it entered
the marshes and was lost. He then continued to move on the outskirts of
the latter, and having performed a journey or about eight miles, was
anxious to have stopped, but there was no water at hand. The men,
however, were so fatigued, in consequence of previous illness, that he
felt it necessary to halt after travelling about eleven miles.
No water could be procured even here, notwithstanding that Mr. Hume,
who was quite unfit for great exertion, underwent considerable bodily
fatigue in his anxiety to find some. He was, therefore, obliged to move
early on the following morning, but neither men nor animals were in a
condition to travel; and he had scarcely made three miles' progress,
when he stopped and endeavoured to obtain a supply or water by digging
pits among the reeds. From these he had drawn sufficient for the wants
of the people when I arrived. Some rain had fallen on the 6th and 7th
of the month, or it is more than probable the expedient to which he
resorted would have failed of success. Mr. Hume, I was sorry to
observe, looked very unwell; but nothing could prevent him from further
endeavours to extricate the party from its present embarrassment.
JOURNEY CONTINUED.
As soon as I had taken a little refreshment, therefore, I mounted a
fresh horse; and he accompanied me across a small plain, immediately in
front of the camp, which was subject to overflow and covered with
polygonum, having a considerable extent of reeds to its right.
From the plain we entered a wood of blue-gum, in which reeds, grass,
and brush formed a thick coppice. We at length passed into an open
space, surrounded on every side by weeds in dense bodies. The great
marsh bore south of us, and was clear and open, but behind us the
blue-gum trees formed a thick wood above the weeds.
About two hundred yards from the outskirts of the marsh there was a
line of saplings that had perished, and round about them a number of
the tern tribe (sea swallow) were flying, one of which Mr. Hume had
followed a considerable way into the reeds the evening before, in the
hope that it would have led him to water. The circumstance of their
being in such numbers led us to penetrate towards them, when we found a
serpentine sheet of water of some length, over which they were playing.
We had scarcely time to examine it before night closed in upon us, and
it was after nine when we returned to the tents.
From the general appearance of the country to the northward, and from
the circumstance of our having got to the bottom of the great marsh,
which but a few days before had threatened to be so formidable, I
thought it probable that the reeds would not again prove so extensive
as they had been, and I determined, if I could do so, to push through
them in a westerly direction from our position.
SECOND GREAT MARSH.
The pits yielded us so abundant a supply during the night, that in the
morning we found it unnecessary to take the animals to water at the
channel we had succeeded in finding the evening before; but pursuing a
westerly course we passed it, and struck deep into the reeds. At
mid-day we were hemmed in by them on every side, and had crossed over
numerous channels, by means of which the waters of the marshes are
equally and generally distributed over the space subject to their
influence. Coming to a second sheet of water, narrower, but longer, as
well as we could judge, than the first, we stopped to dine at it; and,
while the men were resting themselves, Mr. Hume rode with me in a
westerly direction, to ascertain what obstacles we still had to contend
with. Forcing our way through bodies of reeds, we at length got on a
plain, stretching from S.E. to N.W., bounded on the right by a wood of
blue-gum, under which the reeds still extended, and on the left by a
wood in which they did not appear to exist. Certain that there was no
serious obstacle in our way, we returned to the men; and as soon as
they had finished their meal, led them over the plain in a N.W. by W.
direction. It was covered with shells, and was full of holes from the
effects of flood.
CONCLUSIONS IN REGARD TO THE MACQUARIE.
As we were journeying over it, I requested Mr. Hume to ride into the
wood upon our left, to ascertain if it concealed any channel. On his
return he informed me that he descended from the plain into a hollow,
the bottom of which was covered with small shells and bulrushes. He
observed a new species of eucalypti, on the trunks of which the
water-mark was three feet high. After crossing this hollow, which was
about a quarter of a mile in breadth, he gained an open forest of box,
having good grass under it; and, judging from the appearance of the
country that no other channel could exist beyond him, and that he had
ascertained sufficient for the object I had in view, he turned back to
the plain. We stopped for the night under a wood of box, where the
grass, which had been burnt down, was then springing up most
beautifully green, and was relished exceedingly by the animals.
It was in consequence of our not having crossed any channel, while
penetrating through the reeds, that could by any possible exaggeration
have been laid down as the bed of the river, that I detached Mr. Hume;
and the account he brought me at once confirmed my opinion in regard to
the Macquarie, and I thenceforth gave up every hope of ever seeing it
in its characteristic shape again.
Independently however of all circumstantial evidence, it was clear that
the river had not re-formed at a distance of twenty-five miles to the
north of us, since Mr. Hume had gone to the westward of that point, at
about the same distance on his late journey, without having observed
the least appearance of reeds or of a river. He had, indeed, noticed a
hollow, which occasionally contained water, but he saw nothing like the
bed of a permanent stream. I became convinced, also, from observation
of the country through which we had passed, that the sources of the
Macquarie could not be of such magnitude as to give a constant flow to
it as a river, and at the same time to supply with water the vast
concavity into which it falls. In very heavy rains only could the
marshes and adjacent lands be laid wholly under water, since the
evaporation alone would be equal to the supply.
The great plains stretching for so many miles to the westward of Mount
Harris, even where they were clear of reeds, were covered with shells
and the claws of cray-fish and their soil, although an alluvial
deposit, was superficially sandy. They bore the appearance not only of
frequent inundation, but of the floods having eventually subsided upon
them. This was particularly observable at the bottom of the marshes. We
did not find any accumulation of rubbish to indicate a rush of water to
any one point; but numerous minor channels existed to distribute the
floods equally and generally over every part of the area subject to
them, and the marks of inundation and subsidence were everywhere the
same. The plain we had last crossed, was, in like manner, covered with
shells, so that we could not yet be said to be out of the influence of
the marshes; besides which we had not crossed the hollow noticed by Mr.
Hume, which it was clear we should do, sooner or later.
SITUATION OF THE PARTY.
To have remained in our position would have been impossible, as there
was no water either for ourselves or the animals; to have descended
into the reeds again, for the purpose of carrying on a minute survey,
would, under existing circumstances, have been imprudent. Our
provisions were running short, and if a knowledge of the distant
interior was to be gained, we had no time to lose. It was determined,
therefore, to defer our further examination of the marshes to the
period of our return; and to pursue such a course as would soonest and
most effectually enable us to determine the character of the western
interior.