The governor visits the settlers upon George's river
The _Norfolk_ sloop returns from an excursion to the northward
Account of her proceedings
Enters Shoal Bay
Particulars respecting it
Description of a palm-nut tree
Enters Glass-House Bay
Lieutenant Flinders meets some natives
Has an interview with them
Particulars
Point Skirmish
Proceeds to a river in Glass-House Bay
August.] In the beginning of this month the governor spent some days in
an excursion from Prospect-Hill to the settlement which he had
established on the banks of George's river. Having before examined the
country between Parramatta and that river, he now traced it in another
direction, and had the gratification of finding it equally favourable to
cultivation with what he had before observed. The distance from the hill
was about five miles, over excellent ground, well adapted both for
cultivation and pasturage, and equal to any on the banks of the Nile of
New South Wales. The settlers whom he had placed there were all doing
well, had not any complaints to make, and had not been molested lately by
the natives. On quitting them he proceeded down the river to Botany Bay,
and thence walked overland to Sydney, between which places there was
nothing but barren and uneven ground, but every where covered with the
most beautiful flowering heath.
Shortly after his return, the _Norfolk_ sloop came in from the
northward, having been absent about six weeks upon a particular service,
the following account of which is taken from the Journal of Lieutenant
Flinders, which he delivered to the governor after his arrival.
The governor being very desirous of gaining some information respecting
the coast to the Northward of Port Jackson, particularly of two large
openings marked by Captain Cook, the Northernmost of which he named
Hervey Bay, and appeared to lie about the latitude of 24 degrees 36
minutes south, he directed Lieutenant Flinders, who had been employed
before with Mr. Bass in the circumnavigation of Van Diemen's Island, to
proceed in the _Norfolk_ sloop to the northward, and examine them
with as much accuracy as the limited time of six weeks would admit. He
was also directed, if on his return he should find that he had some time
to spare, to enter Hunter's river, there to make what observations he
could relative to its extent, the quantity of coal to be found there, and
the nature of the country.
The vessel was manned with volunteers from the two king's ships, and
Lieutenant Flinders was accompanied by Bong-ree, a native of the
north side of Broken Bay, who had been noted for his good disposition, and
open and manly conduct. To guard against accidents, they were supplied
with provisions for eleven weeks, and on this service they sailed on the
8th of the last month, July, and proceeded to the Northward.
At half past seven in the morning of Sunday the 9th they sounded, but
without finding ground with fifteen fathoms of line, at the distance of
half a mile from a small reef of black rocks, which ran off from a
sugar-loaf point. There were two very low, and therefore dangerous rocks,
lying at S 20 degrees E three or four miles, and SE about two miles from
this point. Captain Cook passed this part of the coast in the night, and
therefore did not see the rocks; but they required to be particularly
looked out for by any vessel coming near the land.* The latitude of the
point is about 32 degrees 27 minutes S, Cape Hawke lying N 1 degree or 2
degrees E from it; and the intermediate coast was mostly beach, but
divided at intervals by short stony heads.
[* This and other nautical observations made by Lieutenant Flinders
are inserted, as it is presumed they (never having been published)
may be of use to such ships as may hereafter be employed in the whale
fishery upon the coast.]
Sounding with ten fathoms of line at half a mile distance from the shore
of Cape Hawke, they got ground. The two hills here mentioned by Captain
Cook were found to stand upon the pitch of the Cape, and were covered
with brush down to the low cliffs. The strata in these cliffs lay forty
or fifty degrees from the horizontal line. From the Cape the coast falls
back, forming a kind of double bay. The land was low, and rose, but very
gradually, ridge over ridge inland to a moderate height, the country
looking pleasant enough from the sea; but the trees appeared small, and
mixed with brushwood.
At daylight in the morning of the 10th they perceived the vessel to have
been carried by an extraordinary current considerably to the southward of
their expected situation, and at noon their latitude gave them a
difference of thirty-three miles, which current they attributed to their
being five or six leagues off the shore; for in the preceding twenty-four
hours, when she was close in with the shore, the difference between the
observation and the log was eight miles in her favour.
They found this morning that the sloop had unfortunately sprung a very
bad leak, which admitted so much water as kept one pump constantly at
work. By its coming on suddenly, it was judged not to have been
occasioned by any straining of the vessel. It was, however, a serious
cause of alarm; and the maize with which the sloop had been before loaded
was continually choking up the pumps.
The Solitary Isles were seen on the 11th. It had been Mr. Flinders's
intention to have landed upon some of these islets, had any inducement
presented itself; but on them he saw not either seal or bird. They seemed
to be covered with short brush; and two of them having been lately burnt
proved that they were visited by natives. In the colour of the rock, and
in their general appearance, they much resembled the small islands lying
off Tasman's heads, and might with equal propriety be termed the
Miserable as the Solitary Isles. Some breakers lying between them,
Mr. Flinders thinks it would be dangerous for a ship to pass within any of
them until they should be better known. At noon the observed latitude was
29 degrees 57 minutes 25 seconds south. The country still retained the
same woody, hilly, and irregular, though not unpleasing, appearance; but
in running along the shore it manifestly grew worse, having more tendency
to sand. The small projections of land which appeared as they sailed
along often presented the delusive appearance of openings behind them;
and they were the more inclined to entertain these hopes, as Captain Cook
passed along this part of the coast in the night.
At half past two a small island opened off from a low rocky point, behind
which there was a small river running into the SW; but breakers seemed to
extend mostly across the entrance. If there was any passage, it would be
found on the south side of the island.
At half past three, a peaked hill, standing four or five miles inland,
and more conspicuous than usual, bore true East. Before five, the vessel
stood in for what appeared to be an opening, and about dusk was in the
entrance to a wide shoal bay; soon after which she anchored in two and a
half fathoms, on a hard sandy bottom.
The objects in view that induced Mr. Flinders to enter this bay were,
that he might have daylight to run along the remaining part of the coast,
which had been passed by Captain Cook in the night, and to ascertain a
place of safety to run for, should the wind come dead on the coast on his
return. The leak in the sloop was also a material part of the inducement;
for should the place turn out to be of consequence enough to be worth
expending a few days in its examination, and a convenient place offer
itself for laying her on shore, he intended in the interval to get it
stopped.
On examining this bay in his boat, he found it to be very shallow; the
north point of the entrance into it was only a projecting spot of sandy
ground. Having returned to the sloop about noon, he landed on the south
head for the purpose of observing for the latitude. The sun being more
than half an hour distant from the meridian gave him time to examine
three huts which stood at a little distance. They were of a circular
form, and about eight feet in diameter. The frame was composed of the
stronger tendrils of the vine, crossing each other in all directions, and
bound together by strong wiry grass at the principal intersections. The
covering was of bark of a soft texture, resembling the bark of what is
called the Tea-tree at Port Jackson, and so compactly laid on as to keep
out the wind and rain. The entrance was by a small avenue projecting from
the periphery of the circle, not leading directly into the hut, but
turning sufficiently to prevent the rain from beating in.* The height of
the under part of the roof is about four and a half, or five feet, and
those that were entered had collected a coat of soot, from the fires
which had been made in the middle of the huts. They much resembled an
oven. One of them was a double hut, comprising two recesses under one
entrance, intended most probably for kindred families, being large enough
to contain twelve or fifteen people. Bong-ree readily admitted that they
were much superior to any huts of the natives which he had before seen.
He brought away a small hand basket, made of some kind of leaf, capable
of containing five or six pints of water, and very nearly resembling
those used at Coupang in the island of Timor for carrying toddy, which
Mr. Flinders had noticed there.
[* How much superior in contrivance to those about Port Jackson, or in
Van Diemen's Island!]
The meridional altitude of the sun gave 29 degrees 26 minutes 28 seconds
S for the latitude of the entrance into the bay.
Many white cockatoos and paroquets were seen about here, and a crow
whose note was remarkably short and hasty. Numbers of pelicans, with some
gulls and red bills, frequented the shoals, and the country itself was
very sandy wherever they landed. The palm nut-tree which grows here was
the third kind of palm mentioned by Captain Cook as being produced on the
eastern coast of New South Wales.* This, he says, was found only in the
northern parts; and as Bong-ree, who was tolerably well acquainted with
the country as far as Port Stephens, never saw or heard of it before,
this was probably one of the most southern situations in which it would
be found.
[* Vide Hawkesworth's Voyages, Vol III p 624.]
The individual nuts were seen scattered about the fire-places of the
natives; and it was observed, that the lower end of them had been chewed
and sucked in the manner that artichokes are eaten. This method, on
procuring some that were ripe, was afterwards practised.
The taste was rather pleasant at first, but left an astringency behind
that scarcely tempted one to try a second time. The eatable part of the
nut in this way was so small, as to be not worth the trouble of sucking
it out from the fibres. They were about the size of a walnut; within the
outer skin was a hard shell like that of the cocoa nut; and within this,
two, or perhaps more, almond-like kernels. The nut, as taken from the
tree, was an assemblage of these kernels set into a cone, and was from
the size of a man's two fists, to that of his head. Its size, and the
furrows or indentations upon the surface, appeared on the first view like
the exterior form of the bread fruit, but a pine apple may be a better
object of comparison. The stem of the tree was short, and none were
observed to be two feet or even eighteen inches in diameter. The branches
did not ramify into twigs, but preserved their size to the extreme, where
the leaves were produced surrounding the fruit. One or two smaller
branches here and there struck off from the main branch, and produced
their leaves in the same way, without fruit. The height of the tree all
together might be from fifteen to twenty-five or thirty feet. Suckers or
branches of all sizes were seen shooting out below those bearing fruit,
and, growing downwards along the stem, entered the ground, where they not
only formed roots, but became supporters to the tree.
Mr. Flinders thought this fruit might be the mellori of the Nicobar
Islands. The description given of the mellori* in the third volume of
the Asiatic Researches corresponded with it in every particular, as far
as his examination went; but not having at that time any idea of the
value of the tree, and the subject being foreign to his pursuit, he did
not give it much attention.
[* The manner of cooking this fruit, mellori, is given in the description,
and may be found in the Annual Register for 1794.]
This bay not appearing to deserve more than a superficial examination,
Mr. Flinders did not think it worth consuming much of his time, and
therefore got under way at one o'clock in the afternoon of the 12th.
He could not give any particular mark that would point out the situation
of Shoal Bay, except its latitude, and the somewhat remarkably peaked
hill lying about four leagues to the southward of it. Were any vessel
ever likely to visit it, it would be necessary to observe, that either of
two heads, which bore from the vessel SW by W and W by N behind which
there was some appearance of an inlet, might be mistaken for the south
head of the bay.
On Saturday the 13th, about ten in the morning, they were three miles
distant from Cape Byron, and at the same time the peak of Mount Warning
was just appearing over it. Having hauled more off the shore soon after
noon, to avoid the reef lying off Point Danger, on the following morning
they found themselves at a considerable distance from the land. They now
steered west for a large space, where no land was visible, and,
perceiving breakers off the south point of the opening, were satisfied
that this was Moreton Bay. Passing between these breakers and Point
Lookout, they got ground in twenty fathoms water. As they drew nearer,
there appeared to be a very large extent of water within the opening; but
Mr. Flinders suspected that there was not any passage for a vessel in the
direction he was then steering, along the shore for the northern extreme
of the land. The country to the sea-ward was wretchedly sandy. At dusk
Cape Moreton bore west, distant two or three miles; and the highest
Glass-House, whose peak was just presenting itself over the distant land,
had opened round it at W 3 degrees or 4 degrees N. Two hummocks
resembling haycocks, distinct from any other land, opened soon after a
few degrees to the southward.
The vessel was now hauled in round Cape Moreton, to go into Glass-House
Bay. They steered west till eight o'clock, when, having little wind, and
that little being from the southward, they dropped anchor for the night.
Weighing again the next morning, the 14th, they worked near the eastern
shore until noon, at which time their latitude was 27 degrees 00 minutes
29 seconds south; and Cape Moreton bearing E 10 degrees N two or three
miles would be in the same latitude, allowing the variation to be 10
degrees east. This differs four miles and a half from its situation in
Captain Cook's Narrative.
While ranging within a mile of the shore, ten natives were counted, half
of whom were probably women, from their keeping behind the others. The
men made many antic gestures to our people. One had a green branch in his
hand, which he waved to and fro at the extent of his arm, from the ground
on one side of him to that on the other; and some of them would run into
the water occasionally, and beat the surf with sticks. They appeared to
be friendly, using nearly the same word in calling our people that would
have been made use of by a Port Jackson native, and seemed desirous that
they should proceed up the bay.
At eight in the evening they anchored in eleven fathoms water, about two
miles from a low sandy shore on the west side of the bay.
At daylight on Tuesday the 16th, they again weighed to turn up the bay,
having the wind still from the southward. In their progress, they met
with various depths of water; and, perceiving an opening in the low
western land, Mr. Flinders wished to anchor near it, but was prevented by
shoal water. At a quarter past eight in the morning they anchored in
three fathoms water for the night.
After breakfast Mr. Flinders went in his boat toward the opening, taking
Bong-ree the native with him. As they approached the sandy point on the
east side of the opening, some dogs came down upon the beach, and soon
after several natives made their appearance, most of them carrying
fishing nets over their shoulders. They lay upon their oars some time,
conversing with them by signs, and repeating the words which they made
use of. As they seemed to be friendly, Bong-ree wished to make them a
visit; and, seeing nothing among them but the pieces of fire-wood which
the natives usually carry with them, the boat was backed in, and he
jumped on shore, naked, and as unarmed as they themselves appeared.
He quickly made an exchange with the yarn belt from his waist, for a
fillet made of kangaroo hair. The muskets were kept at hand in the boat,
to be prepared against any treachery; but, every thing seeming to go on
well, the natives appearing rather shy than otherwise, Mr. Flinders
joined his companion, taking his gun with him. By making friendly signs,
laying down the gun, and offering them a woollen cap, he was suffered to
approach, and one took the cap; but when Mr. Flinders made signs that he
expected to have his net bag in return, he gave him to understand that he
must first give him his hat. This hat was made of the white filaments of
the cabbage-tree, and seemed to excite the attention and wishes of the
whole party.
As the hat was not given to him, he came forward, first throwing the cap
that he had received upon the bank behind him, to secure it, and seemed
very anxious for either the hat or gun, or both. Every thing, however,
was carried on very amicably; and Mr. Flinders, with his native,
retreated slowly toward the boat, but turned again, upon finding that
they pressed close after them. One of them then, laughing, and talking at
the same time to Mr. Flinders, attempted to take the hat off his head
with a long hooked stick; which, on his discovering, created a laugh.
Behind him another was stretching out a long arm to the same object, but
was fearful of coming near enough to reach it.
On our people getting into the boat, and shoving her off into deep water,
they did not seem pleased, but tried to persuade them to land again.
Finding they could not succeed, one of them threw his piece of fire-wood
at them; but it falling short, the matter was treated as a joke, and
laughed at. On this, another ran into the water, and threw his also, but
it likewise fell short: he then took the hooked stick, and slipping off
the hook, which it seems was only lashed or tied on, produced a spear,
with which he ran up to the middle in water, and threw at them by hand.
It passed over the centre of the boat, about a foot and a half above the
gunwale, but touched no one.
After this impudent and unprovoked attack, Mr. Flinders snapped his gun
at the man who threw the spear; but the flint having received some wet
when it was laid upon the beach, it missed fire. It was loaded with buck
shot, and he was strongly tempted to fire among the cluster of natives
who were standing upon the beach; but, recollecting himself, he tried
again at the offender, who was still standing in the water, with his back
turned toward them, and calling to his companions. The gun again missed
fire.
While this was transacting, the major part of the natives were observing
Mr. Flinders's motions with much unconcern. On the third trial, however,
it went off. The man in the water fell flat, as did every individual
among them; but those on shore rose almost instantaneously, and scrambled
away toward the bank, some upright, and some upon their hands and feet.
One of the people in the boat then fired among them, and they fell again
upon their faces; but they all got up, and flew immediately behind the
bank into the wood. Even the man in the water rose up, and made off, but
his progress was much slower than that of the others, and he stooped a
great deal, carrying one hand behind him upon his back. From hence it was
conjectured that he was wounded, and he looked every now and then over
his shoulder, as if expecting to see the spear that he supposed must be
sticking in his back.* According to Bong-ree's account, another native
had his arm broken by the second shot.
[* A certain proof of his total ignorance of the effect of fire arms,
he thus unhappily being the first victim to their use in this part of
the country.]
As this very wanton attack had unfortunately obliged the party to fire
upon these people, in order to maintain that superiority which they meant
upon all occasions to assert, Mr. Flinders thought it might be the means
of preventing much future mischief, to give them a more extensive idea of
his power, and thereby deter them from any future attempt in his
intercourse with them. For as this bay was to be examined, and the leak
which the sloop had sprung was to be stopped here, it became more than
probable that they would often meet; and he was well satisfied of the
great influence which the awe of a superior power has in savages, to
create respect, and render their communications with each other friendly.
In this view, with two musket balls in his gun, he fired at a man who was
looking at them from among the trees, and who, being about two hundred
yards off, perhaps thought himself secure. One of these balls touched the
edge of the bank in a right line for him, the other passed over, but
whether it took effect could not be seen. They afterwards landed,
intending to bring away the nets, which it was supposed they had in their
flight and alarm forgotten. On going upon the bank, previously to
ascertain the position of the enemy, he saw several of them running
different ways among the trees, apparently with a design of coming round
upon them; and, not knowing their force or numbers, Mr. Flinders directed
the native and a man who had also landed to return to the boat. But from
information since gained from Bong-ree, whose eyes were better than those
of Mr. Flinders, he believed they were running to conceal themselves.
They had not left their nets.
From the low sandy point where this affair happened, and which obtained
the name of Point Skirmish, they proceeded up the opening, which proved
to be a river leading to the Glass-House peaks. These peaks stood upon
the low flat ground, considerably within the mountains, and, as far as
could be judged, had every appearance of being volcanic. That they were
so, indeed, was in some measure corroborated by the quantity of pumice
stone which was lying at high-water mark upon the eastern shore of the
river, on which Mr. Flinders had landed to mark the nature and appearance
of the country, not being able from the strength of the ebb tide to
proceed far in his boat.
Among the largest and most common trees, there was one differing from any
that grew at Port Jackson. The leaves of this tree were of a darkish hue,
and bore some resemblance to the pine. The wood, when cut, smelt strongly
of turpentine, which exuded in places where the bark had been wounded.
The external part of the wood was white, but the body was of a reddish
brown, the bark somewhat resembling that of a tree at Port Jackson called
the iron bark.
The blue gum, she-oak, and cherry tree of Port Jackson were common here,
and also one with the leaves of the gum tree, but with the soft bark of
the tea tree. The soil where it grew was very sandy; but, fearing that
the natives might surprise them while among the trees, Mr. Flinders did
not go far from the beach; it was, however, covered with very tall and
not innutritious grass.
Five or six huts, from twelve to fifteen feet in length, were seen
standing near each other. They resembled a covered arch-way, rounded at
the far end. The roofs, and the manner of securing them, were nearly the
same as those which they had seen in Shoal Bay; but these had not any
curved entrance to keep out the weather, nor was the hut any smaller in
that part than elsewhere, but the sides and roof were equally calculated
to shelter the inhabitants from a storm. In one of them was found a small
and very light shield, and in another an old net, which had a bag to it,
and was knotted and made in the same way as it would have been if made by
an European seine maker. It appeared to be intended for a scoop net.
There were marks of a large kangaroo having passed, and many traces of
dogs were visible on the beach.
In returning to the sloop they passed a dry shoal lying at the entrance
of the river, the deep channel into which was between this shoal and
Point Skirmish, where they found from three to six fathoms water.
Before he left the sloop Mr. Flinders had given directions to examine a
part on the starboard side, where he suspected the leak to be; and on his
return was informed, that it was found to have been occasioned by the
starting of a plank from the timber about three or four streaks from the
keel. The caulker had filled it up with oakum from the inside, since
which she had made but little water lying at an anchor.
From the situation in which the sloop lay, the bay had not any appearance
of closing round, but seemed to promise a large river at its head, and a
communication with Moreton Bay, if not something more interesting. At
three in the afternoon they got under weigh to proceed up this river,
with a light air from the northward, standing to the southward until
dark, at which time they anchored, about three miles from the western
shore, in five fathoms, on a soft muddy bottom, whereas the ground before
had always been sandy.