Character of the country--Damage of provisions--Adroitness of the
natives in catching fish--The skiff broken up--Stream from the
North-East supposed to be the Darling--Change of country in descending
the river--Intercourse with the natives--Prevalence of loathsome
diseases among them--Apparent populousness of the country--Junction of
several small streams--The Rufus, the Lindesay, &c.--Rainy and
tempestuous weather--Curious appearance of the banks--Troublesomeness
of the natives--Inhospitable and desolate aspect of the
country--Condition of the men--Change in the geological character of
the country--The river passes through a valley among hills.
Arrived once more at the junction of the two rivers, and unmolested in
our occupations, we had leisure to examine it more closely. Not having
as yet given a name to our first discovery, when we re-entered its
capacious channel on this occasion, I laid it down as the Murray River,
in compliment to the distinguished officer, Sir George Murray, who then
presided over the colonial department, not only in compliance with the
known wishes of his Excellency General Darling, but also in accordance
with my own feelings as a soldier.
The new river, whether the Darling or an additional discovery, meets
its more southern rival on a N. by E. course; the latter, running
W.S.W. at the confluence, the angle formed by the two rivers, is,
therefore, so small that both may be considered to preserve their
proper course, and neither can be said to be tributary to the other. At
their junction, the Murray spreads its waters over the broad and sandy
shore, upon which our boat grounded, while its more impetuous neighbour
flows through the deep but narrow channel it has worked out for itself,
under the right bank. The strength of their currents must have been
nearly equal, since there was as distinct a line between their
respective waters, to a considerable distance below the junction, as if
a thin board alone separated them. The one half the channel contained
the turbid waters of the northern stream, the other still preserved
their original transparency.
INUNDATED AND ALLUVIAL COUNTRY.
The banks of the Murray did not undergo any immediate change as we
proceeded. We noticed that the country had, at some time, been subject
to extensive inundation, and was, beyond doubt, of alluvial formation.
We passed the mouths of several large creeks that came from the north
and N.W., and the country in those directions seemed to be much
intersected by water-courses; while to the south it was extremely low.
Having descended several minor rapids, I greatly regretted that we had
no barometer to ascertain the actual dip of the interior. I computed,
however, that we were not more than from eighty to ninety feet above
the level of the sea. We found the channel of the Murray much
encumbered with timber, and noticed some banks of sand that were of
unusual size, and equalled the largest accumulations of it on the sea
shore, both in extent and solidity.
STATE OF PROVISIONS.
We would gladly have fired into the flights of wild fowl that winged
their way over us, for we, about this time, began to feel the
consequences of the disaster that befell us in the Morumbidgee. The
fresh water having got mixed with the brine in the meat casks, the
greater part of our salt provisions had got spoiled, so that we were
obliged to be extremely economical in the expenditure of what remained,
as we knew not to what straits we might be driven. It will naturally be
asked why we did not procure fish? The answer is easy. The men had
caught many in the Morumbidgee, and on our first navigation of the
Murray, but whether it was that they had disagreed with them, or that
their appetites were palled, or that they were too fatigued after the
labour of the day to set the lines, they did not appear to care about
them. The only fish we could take was the common cod or perch; and,
without sauce or butter, it is insipid enough. We occasionally
exchanged pieces of iron-hoop for two other kinds of fish, the one a
bream, the other a barbel, with the natives, and the eagerness with
which they met our advances to barter, is a strong proof of their
natural disposition towards this first step in civilization.
DEXTERITY OF NATIVES IN FISHING.
As they threw off all reserve when accompanying us as ambassadors, we
had frequent opportunities of observing their habits. The facility, for
instance, with which they procured fish was really surprising. They
would slip, feet foremost, into the water as they walked along the bank
of the river, as if they had accidentally done so, but, in reality, to
avoid the splash they would necessarily have made if they had plunged
in head foremost. As surely as they then disappeared under the surface
of the water, so surely would they re-appear with a fish writhing upon
the point of their short spears. The very otter scarcely exceeds them
in power over the finny race, and so true is the aim of these savages,
even under water, that all the fish we procured from them were pierced
either close behind the lateral fin, or in the very centre of the head,
It is certain, from their indifference to them, that the natives seldom
eat fish when they can get anything else. Indeed, they seemed more
anxious to take the small turtle, which, sunning themselves on the
trunks or logs of trees over the water, were, nevertheless, extremely
on their guard. A gentle splash alone indicated to us that any thing
had dropped into the water, but the quick eyes and ears of our guides
immediately detected what had occasioned it, and they seldom failed to
take the poor little animal that had so vainly trusted to its own
watchfulness for security. It appeared that the natives did not, from
choice, frequent the Murray; it was evident, therefore, that they had
other and better means of subsistence away from it, and it struck me,
at the time, that the river we had just passed watered a better country
than any through which the Murray had been found to flow.
BREAK UP THE SKIFF.
We encamped rather earlier than usual upon the left bank of the river,
near a broad creek; for as the skiff had been a great drag upon us, I
determined on breaking it up, since there was no probability that we
should ever require the still, which alone remained in her. We,
consequently, burnt the former, to secure her nails and iron work, and
I set Clayton about cutting the copper of the latter into the shape of
crescents, in order to present them to the natives. Some large huts
were observed on the side of the creek, a little above the camp, the
whole of which faced the N.E. This arrangement had previously been
noticed by us, so that I was led to infer that the severest weather
comes from the opposite quarter in this part of the interior. I had not
the least idea, at the time, however, that we should, ere we reached
the termination of our journey, experience the effects of the S.W.
winds.
We must have fallen considerably during the day from the level of our
morning's position, for we passed down many reaches where the decline
of country gave an increased velocity to the current of the river.
I had feared, not only in consequence of the unceremonious manner in
which we had left them, but, because I had, in some measure, rejected
the advances of their chiefs, that none of the natives would follow us,
and I regretted the circumstance on account of my men, as well as the
trouble we should necessarily have in conciliating the next tribe. We
had not, however, been long encamped, when seven blacks joined us. I
think they would have passed on if we had not called to them. As it
was, they remained with us but for a short time. We treated them very
kindly, but they were evidently under constraint, and were, no doubt,
glad when they found we did not object to their departing.
NEW RIVER IDENTIFIED WITH THE DARLING.
I have stated, that I felt satisfied in my own mind, that the beautiful
stream we had passed was no other than the river Darling of my former
journey. The bare assertion, however, is not sufficient to satisfy the
mind of the reader, upon a point of such importance, more especially
when it is considered how remarkable a change the Darling must have
undergone, if this were indeed a continuation of it. I am free to
confess that it required an effort to convince myself, but after due
consideration, I see no reason to alter the opinion I formed at a
moment of peculiar embarrassment. Yet it by no means follows that I
shall convince others, although I am myself convinced. The question is
one of curious speculation, and the consideration of it will lead us to
an interesting conjecture, as to the probable nature of the distant
interior, between the two points. It will be remembered that I was
obliged to relinquish my pursuit of the Darling, in east long. 144
degrees 48 minutes 30 seconds in lat. 30 degrees 17 minutes 30 seconds
south. I place the junction of the Murray and the new river, in long.
140 degrees 56 minutes east, and in south lat. 34 degrees 3 minutes. I
must remark, however, that the lunars I took on this last occasion,
were not satisfactory, and that there is, probably, an error, though
not a material one, in the calculation. Before I measure the distance
between the above points, or make any remarks on the results of my own
observations, I would impress the following facts upon the reader's
mind.
I found and left the Darling in a complete state of exhaustion. As a
river it had ceased to flow; the only supply it received was from brine
springs, which, without imparting a current, rendered its waters saline
and useless, and lastly, the fish in it were different from those
inhabiting the other known rivers of the interior. It is true, I did
not procure a perfect specimen of one, but we satisfactorily
ascertained that they were different, inasmuch as they had large and
strong scales, whereas the fish in the western waters have smooth
skins. On the other hand, the waters of the new river were sweet,
although turbid; it had a rapid current in it; and its fish were of the
ordinary kind. In the above particulars, therefore, they differed much
as they could well differ. Yet there were some strong points of
resemblance in the appearance of the rivers themselves, which were more
evident to me than I can hope to make them to the reader. Both were
shaded by trees of the same magnificent dimensions; and the same kind
of huts were erected on the banks of each, inhabited by the same
description, or race, of people, whose weapons, whose implements, and
whose nets corresponded in most respects.
We will now cast our eyes over the chart: and see if the position of
the two rivers upon it, will at all bear out our conclusion that they
are one and the same; and whether the line that would join them is the
one that the Darling would naturally take, in reference to its previous
course.--We shall find that the two points under discussion, bear
almost N.E. and S.W. of each other respectively, the direct line in
which the Darling had been ascertained to flow, as far as it had been
found practicable to trace it. I have already remarked that the
fracture of my barometer prevented my ascertaining the height of the
bed of the Darling above the sea, during the first expedition. A
similar accident caused me equal disappointment on the second; because
one of the most important points upon which I was engaged was to
ascertain the dip of the interior. I believe I stated, in its proper
place, that I did not think the Darling could possibly be 200 feet
above the sea, and as far as my observations bear me out, I should
estimate the bed of the Murray, at its junction with the new river, to
be within 100. It would appear that there is a distance of 300 miles
between the Murray River at this place, and the Darling; a space amply
sufficient for the intervention of a hilly country. No one could have
been more attentive to the features of the interior than I was; nor
could any one have dwelt upon their peculiarities with more earnest
attention. It were hazardous to build up any new theory, however
ingenious it may appear. The conclusions into which I have been led,
are founded on actual observation of the country through which I
passed, and extend not beyond my actual range of vision; unless my
assuming that the decline of the interior to the south has been
satisfactorily established, be considered premature. If not, the
features of the country certainly justify my deductions; and it will be
found that they were still more confirmed by subsequent
observation.--That the Darling should have lost its current in its
upper branches, is not surprising, when the level nature of the country
into which it falls is taken into consideration; neither does it
surprise me that it should be stationary in one place, and flowing in
another; since, if, as in the present instance, there is a great extent
of country between the two points, which may perhaps be of considerable
elevation, the river may receive tributaries, whose waters will of
course follow the general decline of the country. I take it to be so in
the case before us; and am of opinion, that the lower branches of the
Darling are not at all dependent on its sources for a current, or for a
supply of water. I have somewhere observed that it appeared to me the
depressed interior over which I had already travelled, was of
comparatively recent formation. And, by whatever convulsion or change
so extensive a tract became exposed, I cannot but infer, that the
Darling is the main channel by which the last waters of the ocean were
drained off. The bottom of the estuary, for it cannot be called a
valley, being then left exposed, it consequently remains the natural
and proper reservoir for the streams from the eastward, or those
falling easterly from the westward, if any such remain to be discovered.
From the junction of the Morumbidgee to the junction of the new river,
the Murray had held a W.N.W. course. From the last junction it changed
its direction to the S.W., and increased considerably in size. The
country to the south was certainly lower than that to the north; for,
although both banks had features common to each other, the flooded
spaces were much more extensive to our left than to our right.
CHANGE OF COUNTRY.
We started on the morning of the 24th, all the lighter from having got
rid of the skiff, and certainly freer to act in case the natives should
evince a hostile disposition towards us. As we proceeded down the
river, the appearances around us more and more plainly indicated a
change of country. Cypresses were observed in the distance, and the
ground on which they stood was higher than that near the stream; as if
it had again acquired its secondary banks. At length these heights
approached the river so nearly as to form a part of its banks, and to
separate one alluvial flat from another. Their summits were perfectly
level; their soil was a red sandy loam; and their productions, for the
most part, salsolae and misembrianthemum. From this it would appear
that we had passed through a second region, that must at some time have
been under water, and that still retained all the marks of a country
partially subject to flood.
INTRODUCED FROM TRIBE TO TRIBE.
We had, as I have said, passed over this region, and were again hemmed
in by those sandy and sterile tracts upon which the beasts of the field
could obtain neither food nor water. We overtook the seven deputies
some time after we started, but soon lost sight of them again, as they
cut off the sweeps of the river, and shortened their journey as much as
possible. At 2 p.m. we found them with a tribe of their countrymen,
about eighty in number. We pulled in to the bank and remained with them
for a short time, and I now determined to convince the blacks who had
preceded us, that I had not been actuated by any other desire than that
of showing to them that we were not to be intimidated by numbers, when
I refused to make them any presents after their show of hostility. I
now, therefore, gave them several implements, sundry pieces of iron
hoop, and an ornamental badge of copper. When we left the tribe, we
were regularly handed over to their care. The seven men who had
introduced us, went back at the same time that we continued our
journey, and two more belonging to the new tribe, went on a-head to
prepare the the neighbouring tribe to receive us; nor did we see
anything more of them during the day.
We encamped on the left bank of the river, amidst a polygonum scrub, in
which we found a number of the crested pigeon. It was late before the
tents were pitched: as Fraser seldom assisted in that operation, but
strolled out with his gun after he had kindled a fire, so on this
occasion he wandered from the camp in search of novelty, and on his
return, informed me that there was a considerable ridge to the south of
a plain upon which he had been.
I had myself walked out to the S.E., and on ascending a few feet above
the level of the camp, got into a scrub. I was walking quietly through
it, when I heard a rustling noise, and looking in the direction whence
it proceeded, I observed a small kangaroo approaching me. Having a
stick in my hand, and being aware that I was in one of their paths, I
stood still until the animal came close up to me, without apparently
being aware of my presence. I then gave it a blow an the side of the
head, and made it reel to one side, but the stick, being rotten, broke
with the force of the blow, and thus disappointed me of a good meal.
During my absence from the camp, a flight of cockatoos, new to us, but
similar to one that Mr. Hume shot on the Darling, passed over the
tents, and I found M'Leay, with his usual anxiety, trying to get a shot
at them. They had, he told me, descended to water, but they had chosen
a spot so difficult of approach without discovery, that he had found it
impossible to get within shot of them.
RIDGE TO THE SOUTH-EAST.
There was a considerable rapid just below our position, which I
examined before dark. Not seeing any danger, I requested M'Leay to
proceed down it in the boat as soon as he had breakfasted, and to wait
for me at the bottom of it. As I wished to ascertain the nature and
height of the elevations which Fraser had magnified into something
grand, Fraser and I proceeded to the centre of a large plain,
stretching from the left bank of the river to the southward. It was
bounded to the S.E. by a low scrub; to the S. a thickly wooded ridge
appeared to break the level of the country. It extended from east to
west for four or five miles, and then gradually declined. At its
termination, the country seemed to dip, and a dense fog, as from an
extensive sheet of water, enveloped the landscape. The plain was
crowded with cockatoos, that were making their morning's repast on the
berries of the salsolae and rhagodia, with which it was covered.
DISTANT RANGES SEEN.
M'Leay had got safely down the rapid, so that as soon as I joined him,
we proceeded on our journey. We fell in with the tribe we had already
seen, but increased in numbers, and we had hardly left them, when we
found another tribe most anxiously awaiting our arrival. We stayed with
the last for some time, and exhausted our vocabulary, and exerted our
ingenuity to gain some information from them. I directed Hopkinson to
pile up some clay, to enquire if we were near any hills, when two or
three of the blacks caught the meaning, and pointed to the N.W.
Mulholland climbed up a tree in consequence of this, and reported to me
that he saw lofty ranges in the direction to which the blacks pointed;
that there were two apparently, the one stretching to the N.E., the
other to the N.W. He stated their distance to be about forty miles, and
added that he thought he could observe other ranges, through the gap,
which, according to the alignment of two sticks, that I placed
according to Mulholland's directions, bore S. 130 W.
We had landed upon the right bank of the river, and there was a large
lagoon immediately behind us. The current in the river did not run so
strong as it had been. Its banks were much lower, and were generally
covered with reeds. The spaces subject to flood were broader than
heretofore, and the country for more than twenty miles was extremely
depressed. Our view from the highest ground near the camp was very
confined, since we were apparently in a hollow, and were unable to
obtain a second sight of the ranges we had noticed.
PASS THREE CREEKS.
Three creeks fell into the Murray hereabouts. One from the north,
another from the N.E., and the third from the south. The two first were
almost choked up with the trunks of trees, but the last had a clear
channel. Our tents stood on ground high above the reach of flood. The
soil was excellent, and the brushes behind us abounded with a new
species of melaleuca.
The heat of the weather, at this time, was extremely oppressive, and
the thermometer was seldom under 100 degrees of Fahr. at noon. The
wind, too, we observed, seldom remained stationary for any length of
time, but made its regular changes every twenty-four hours. In the
morning, it invariably blew from the N.E., at noon it shifted to N.W.,
and as the sun set it flew round to the eastward of south. A few dense
clouds passed over us occasionally, but no rain fell from them.
DISEASES OF THE NATIVES.
Our intercourse with the natives had now been constant. We had found
the interior more populous than we had any reason to expect; yet as we
advanced into it, the population appeared to increase. It was
impossible for us to judge of the disposition of the natives during the
short interviews we generally had with them, and our motions were so
rapid that we did not give them time to form any concerted plan of
attack, had they been inclined to attack us. They did not, however,
show any disposition to hostility, but, considering all things, were
quiet and orderly, nor did any instances of theft occur, or, at least,
none fell under my notice. The most loathsome of diseases prevailed
throughout the tribes, nor were the youngest infants exempt from them.
Indeed, so young were some, whose condition was truly disgusting, that
I cannot but suppose they must have been born in a state of disease;
but I am uncertain whether it is fatal or not in its results, though,
most probably it hurries many to a premature grave. How these diseases
originated it is impossible to say. Certainly not from the colony,
since the midland tribes alone were infected. Syphilis raged amongst
them with fearful violence; many had lost their noses, and all the
glandular parts were considerably affected. I distributed some Turner's
cerate to the women, but left Fraser to superintend its application. It
could do no good, of course, but it convinced the natives we intended
well towards them, and, on that account, it was politic to give it,
setting aside any humane feeling.
POPULOUS DISTRICT.
The country through which we passed on the 28th, was extremely low,
full of lagoons, and thickly inhabited. No change took place in the
river, or in the nature and construction of its banks. We succeeded in
getting a view of the hills we had noticed when with the last tribe,
and found that they bore from us due north, N. 22 E., and S. 130 W.
They looked bare and perpendicular, and appeared to be about twenty
miles from us. I am very uncertain as to the character of these hills,
but still think that they must have been some of the faces of the bold
cliffs that we had frequently passed under. From the size and number of
the huts, and from the great breadth of the foot-paths, we were still
further led to conclude that we were passing through a very populous
district. What the actual number of inhabitants was it is impossible to
say, but we seldom communicated with fewer than 200 daily. They sent
ambassadors forward regularly from one tribe to another, in order to
prepare for our approach, a custom that not only saved us an infinity
of time, but also great personal risk. Indeed, I doubt very much
whether we should ever have pushed so far down the river, had we not
been assisted by the natives themselves. I was particularly careful not
to do anything that would alarm them, or to permit any liberty to be
taken with their women. Our reserve in this respect seemed to excite
their surprise, for they asked sundry questions, by signs and
expressions, as to whether we had any women, and where they were. The
whole tribe generally assembled to receive us, and all, without
exception, were in a complete state of nudity, and really the loathsome
condition and hideous countenances of the women would, I should
imagine, have been a complete antidote to the sexual passion. It is to
be observed, that the women are very inferior in appearance to the men.
The latter are, generally speaking, a clean-limbed and powerful race,
much stouter in the bust than below, but withal, active, and, in some
respects, intelligent; but the women are poor, weak, and emaciated.
This, perhaps, is owing to their poverty and paucity of food, and to
the treatment they receive at the hands of the men; but the latter did
not show any unkindness towards them in our presence.
Although I desired to avoid exciting their alarm, I still made a point
of showing them the effects of a gunshot, by firing at a kite, or any
other bird that happened to be near. My dexterity--for I did not trust
Fraser, who would, ten to one, have missed his mark--was generally
exerted, as I have said, against a kite or a crow; both of which birds
generally accompanied the blacks from place to place to pick up the
remnants of their meals. Yet, I was often surprised at the apparent
indifference with which the natives not only saw the effect of the
shot, but heard the report. I have purposely gone into the centre of a
large assemblage and fired at a bird that has fallen upon their very
heads, without causing a start or an exclamation, without exciting
either their alarm or their curiosity.
Whence this callous feeling proceeded, whether from strength of nerve,
or because they had been informed by our forerunners that we should
show off before them, I know not, but I certainly expected a very
different effect from that which my firing generally produced, although
I occasionally succeeded in scattering them pretty well.
JUNCTION OF THE RUFUS.
About 11 a.m., we arrived at the junction of a small river with the
Murray, at which a tribe, about 250 in number, had assembled to greet
us. We landed, therefore, for the double purpose of distributing
presents, and of examining the junction, which, coming from the north,
of course, fell into the Murray upon its right bank. Its waters were so
extremely muddy, and its current so rapid, that it must have been
swollen by some late rains. Perhaps, it had its sources in the hills we
had seen; be that as it may, it completely discoloured the waters of
the Murray.
We made it a point never to distribute any presents among the natives
until we had made them all sit, or stand, in a row. Sometimes this was
a troublesome task, but we generally succeeded in gaining our point;
with a little exertion of patience. M'Leay was a famous hand at
ordering the ranks, and would, I am sure, have made a capital
drill-sergeant, not less on account of his temper than of his
perseverance. I called the little tributary I have noticed, the Rufus,
in honour of my friend M'Leay's red head, and I have no doubt, he will
understand the feeling that induced me to give it such a name.
GEOLOGICAL EXAMINATION.
Not many miles below the Rufus, we passed under a lofty cliff upon the
same side with it. It is the first elevation of any consequence that
occurs below the Darling, and not only on that account, but also on
account of the numerous substances of which it is composed, and the
singular formation that is near requires to be particularly noticed.
[See Appendix.] The examination was a task of considerable danger, and
both Fraser and myself had well nigh been buried under a mass of the
cliff that became suddenly detached, and, breaking into thousands of
pieces, went hissing and cracking into the river.
THUNDER STORMS.
The weather about this time was extremely oppressive and close. Thunder
clouds darkened the sky, but no rain fell. The thermometer was seldom
below 104 at noon, and its range was very trifling. The wind shifted
several times during the twenty-four hours; but these changes had no
effect on the thermometer. It was evident, however, as the sun set on
the evening of the 26th, that the clouds from which thunder had for the
last four or five days disturbed the silence of nature around us, would
not long support their own weight. A little before midnight, it
commenced raining, and both wind and rain continued to increase in
violence until about seven in the morning of the 27th; when the weather
moderated.
Two or three blacks had accompanied us from the last tribe, and had
lain down near the fire. As the storm increased, however, they got up,
and swimming across the river, left us to ourselves. This was a very
unusual thing, nor can I satisfy myself as to their object, unless it
was to get into shelter, for these people though they wander naked over
the country, and are daily in the water, feel the cold and rain very
acutely.
Observing the clouds collecting for so many days, I indulged hopes that
we were near high lands, perhaps mountains; but from the loftiest spots
we could see nothing but a level and dark horizon. Anxious to gain as
correct a knowledge of the country as possible we had, in the course of
the day, ascended a sandy ridge that was about a mile from the river.
The view from the summit of this ridge promised to be more extensive
than any we had of late been enabled to obtain; and as far as actual
observation went, we were not disappointed, although in every other
particular, the landscape was one of the most unpromising description.
To the S. and S.E., the country might be said to stretch away in one
unbroken plain, for it was so generally covered with wood that every
inequality was hidden from our observation. To the S.W. the river line
was marked out by a succession of red cliffs, similar to those we had
already passed. To the north, the interior was evidently depressed; it
was overgrown with a low scrub, and seemed to be barren in the extreme.
The elevations upon which we stood were similar to the sand-hills near
the coast, and had not a blade of grass upon them. Yet, notwithstanding
the sterility of the soil, the large white amarillis which grew in such
profusion on the alluvial plains of the Macquarie, was also abundant
here. But it had lost its dazzling whiteness, and had assumed a sickly
yellow colour and its very appearance indicated that it was not in a
congenial soil.
LINDESAY RIVER.
We passed two very considerable junctions, the one coming from the
S.E., the other from the north. Both had currents in them, but the
former was running much stronger than the latter. It falls into the
Murray, almost opposite to the elevations I have been describing, and,
if a judgment can be hazarded from its appearance at its embouchure, it
must, in its higher branches, be a stream of considerable magnitude.
Under this impression, I have called it the Lindesay, as a tribute of
respect to my commanding officer, Colonel Patrick Lindesay of the 39th
regt. I place it in east long. 140 degrees 29 minutes, and in lat. 33
degrees 58 minutes south. Mr. Hume is of opinion that this is the most
southerly of the rivers crossed by him and Mr. Hovel in 1823; but, as I
have already remarked, I apprehend that all the rivers those gentlemen
crossed, had united in one main stream above the junction of the
Morumbidgee, and I think it much more probable that this is a new
river, and that it rises to the westward of Port Phillips, rather than
in the S.E. angle of the coast.
NATIVES BECOME TROUBLESOME.
We found the blacks who had deserted us with a tribe at the junction,
but it was weak in point of numbers; as were also two other tribes or
hordes to whom we were introduced in rapid succession. Taken
collectively, they could not have amounted to 230 men, women, and
children. The last of these hordes was exceedingly troublesome, and I
really thought we should have been obliged to quarrel with them.
Whether it was that we were getting impatient, or that our tempers were
soured, I know not, but even M'Leay, whose partiality towards the
natives was excessive at the commencement of our journey, now became
weary of such constant communication as we had kept up with them. Their
sameness of appearance, the disgusting diseases that raged among them,
their abominable filth, the manner in which they pulled us about, and
the impossibility of making them understand us, or of obtaining any
information from them,--for if we could have succeeded in this point,
we should have gladly borne every inconvenience,--all combined to
estrange us from these people and to make their presence disagreeable.
Yet there was an absolute necessity to keep up the chain of
communication, to ensure our own safety, setting aside every other
consideration; but as I had been fortunate in my intercourse with the
natives during the first expedition, so I hoped the present journey
would terminate without the occurrence of any fatal collision between
us. The natives, it is true, were generally quiet; but they crowded
round us frequently without any regard to our remonstrances, laying
hold of the boat to prevent our going away, and I sometimes thought
that had any of them been sufficiently bold to set the example, many of
the tribes would have attempted our capture. Indeed, in several
instances, we were obliged to resort to blows ere we could disengage
ourselves from the crowds around us, and whenever this occurred, it
called forth the most sullen and ferocious scowl--such, probably, as
would be the forerunner of hostility, and would preclude every hope of
mercy at their hands. With each new tribe we were, in some measure,
obliged to submit to an examination, and to be pulled about, and
fingered all over. They generally measured our hands and feet with
their own, counted our fingers, felt our faces, and besmeared our
shirts all over with grease and dirt. This was no very agreeable
ceremony, and a repetition of it was quite revolting, more especially
when we had to meet the grins or frowns of the many with firmness and
composure.
TEMPESTUOUS WEATHER.
The weather had been tempestuous and rainy, for three or four
successive days: on the 28th it cleared up a little. Under any
circumstances, however, we could not have delayed our journey. We had
not proceeded very far when it again commenced to rain and to blow
heavily from the N.W. The river trended to the South. We passed down
several rapids, and observed the marks of recent flood on the trees, to
the height of seven feet. The alluvial flats did not appear to have
been covered, or to be subject to overflow. The timber upon them was
not of a kind that is found on flooded lands, but wherever reeds
prevailed the flooded or blue gum stretched its long white branches
over them. The country to the westward was low and bushy.
SINGULAR FORMATION OF THE BANKS.
The left bank of the Murray was extremely lofty, and occasionally rose
to 100 feet perpendicularly from the water. It is really difficult to
describe the appearance of the banks at this place; so singular were
they in character, and so varied in form. Here they had the most
beautiful columnar regularity, with capitals somewhat resembling the
Corinthian order in configuration; there they showed like falls of
muddy water that had suddenly been petrified; and in another place they
resembled the time-worn battlements of a feudal castle. It will
naturally be asked, of what could these cliffs have been composed to
assume so many different forms? and what could have operated to produce
such unusual appearances? The truth is, they were composed almost
wholly of clay and sand. Wherever the latter had accumulated, or
predominated, the gradual working of water had washed it away, and left
the more compact body, in some places, so delicately hollowed out, that
it seemed rather the work of art than of nature. This singular
formation rested on a coarse grit, that showed itself in slabs.
From the frequent occurrence of rapids I should imagine that we had
fallen considerably, but there was no visible decline of country. The
river swept along, in broad and noble reaches, at the base of the
cliffs. Vast accumulations of sand were in its bed, a satisfactory
proof of the sandy character of the distant interior, if other proof
were wanting.
We did not see so many natives on the 28th as we had been in the habit
of seeing; perhaps in consequence of the boisterous weather. A small
tribe of about sixty had collected to receive us, but we passed on
without taking any notice of them, Nevertheless they deputed two of
their men to follow us, who overtook us just as we stopped for the
purpose of pitching our tents before the clouds should burst, that just
then bore the most threatening appearance. The blacks seemed to be
perfectly aware what kind of a night we should have, and busied
themselves preparing a hut and making a large fire.
The evening proved extremely dark, and towards midnight it blew and
rained fiercely. Towards morning the wind moderated, and the rain
ceased. Still, the sky was overcast, and the clouds were passing
rapidly over us. The wind had, however, changed some points, and from
the N.W. had veered round to the S.S.W.; and the day eventually turned
out cool and pleasant.
LARGE TRIBE OF NATIVES--THEIR INDIFFERENCE TO FIRE-ARMS.
We fell in with a large tribe of natives, amounting in all to 270. They
were extremely quiet, and kept away from the boat; in consequence of
which I distributed a great many presents among them. This tribe was
almost the only one that evinced any eagerness to see us. The lame had
managed to hobble along, and the blind were equally anxious to touch
us. There were two or three old men stretched upon the bank, from whom
the last sigh seemed about to depart; yet these poor creatures evinced
an anxiety to see us, and to listen to a description of our appearance,
although it seemed doubtful whether they would be alive twenty-four
hours after we left them. An old woman, a picture of whom would disgust
my readers, made several attempts to embrace me. I managed, however, to
avoid her, and at length got rid of her by handing her over to Fraser,
who was no wise particular as to the object of his attention. This
tribe must have been one of the most numerous on the banks of the
Murray, since we fell in with detached families for many miles below
the place where we had parted from the main body.
I have omitted to mention that, while among them, I fired at a kite and
killed it; yet, though close to me, the blacks did not start or evince
the least surprise. It really is difficult to account for such firmness
of nerve or self-command. It is not so much a matter of surprise that
they were indifferent to its effects, for probably they knew them not,
but it is certainly odd that they should not have been startled by the
report.
The river inclined very much to the southward for some miles below our
last camp; at length it struck against some elevations that turned it
more to the westward. Before we terminated our day's pull it again
changed its direction to the eastward of south. The right bank became
lofty, and the left proportionably depressed.
REFLECTIONS ON THE PROGRESS OF THE EXPEDITION.
In consequence of the boisterous weather we had had, we were uncertain
as to our precise situation, even in point of latitude. But I was
perfectly aware that we were considerably to the south of the head of
St. Vincent's Gulf. I began, therefore, to contemplate with some
confidence a speedy termination to our wanderings, or, at least, that
we should soon reach the extreme point to which we could advance. The
sun was at this time out of my reach, since the sextant would not
measure double the altitude. Observations of the stars were, in like
manner, uncertain, in consequence of the boisterous weather we had had,
and the unavoidable agitation of the quicksilver. My last observation
of Antares placed us in latitude 34 degrees 4 minutes; so that we were
still 115 miles from the coast.
We had now been twenty-two days upon the river, and it was uncertain
how long we should be in compassing the distance we had still to run.
Considering all things, we had, as yet, been extremely fortunate; and I
hoped that we should terminate our journey without the occurrence of
any fatal accident. Had the country corresponded with the noble stream
that traversed it, we should have been proportionably elated, but it
was impossible to conceal from ourselves its inhospitable and
unprofitable character, as far as we had, as yet, penetrated. If we
except the partial and alluvial flats on the immediate borders, and in
the neighbourhood of its tributaries and creeks, the Murray might be
said to flow through a barren and sandy interior. The appearance of the
country through which we passed on the 29th, was far from being such as
to encourage us with the hopes of any change for the better. The river
was enclosed, on either side, by the same kind of banks that have
already been described; and it almost appeared as if the plain had been
rent asunder to allow of a passage for its waters. The view of the
distant interior was unsatisfactory. It was, for the most part, covered
with brush, but, at length, cypresses again made their appearance,
although at a considerable distance from us.
The river continued to flow to the southward, a circumstance that gave
me much satisfaction, for I now began to feel some anxiety about the
men. They had borne their fatigues and trials so cheerfully, and had
behaved so well, that I could not but regret the scanty provision that
remained for them. The salt meat being spoiled, it had fallen to the
share of the dogs, so that we had little else than flour to eat. Fish
no one would touch, and of wild fowl there were none to be seen. The
men complained of sore eyes, from the perspiration constantly running
into them, and it was obvious to me that they were much reduced. It
will be borne in mind, that we were now performing the earliest part of
our task, and were going down with the stream. I was sure that on our
return, (For I had no hopes of meeting any vessel on the coast,) we
should have to make every day's journey good against the current; and,
if the men were now beginning to sink, it might well be doubted whether
their strength would hold out. Both M'Leay and myself, therefore,
encouraged any cheerfulness that occasionally broke out among them, and
Frazer enlivened them by sundry tunes that he whistled whilst employed
in skinning birds. I am sure, no galley-slave ever took to his oar with
more reluctance than poor Frazer. He was indefatigable in most things,
but he could not endure the oar.
NATIVES BECOME UNRULY.
We did not fall in with any natives on the 30th, neither did we see
those who had preceded us from the last tribe. On the 31st, to my
mortification, the river held so much to the northward, that we undid
almost all our southing. What with its regular turns, and its extensive
sweeps, the Murray covers treble the ground, at a moderate computation,
that it would occupy in a direct course; and we had a practical
instance of the truth of this in the course of the afternoon, when we
found our friends ready to introduce us to a large assemblage of
natives. On asking them how they had passed us, they pointed directly
east to the spot at which we had parted. By crossing from one angle of
the river to the other, they had performed in little more than half a
day, a journey which it had taken us two long days to accomplish. After
our usual distribution of presents, we pushed away from the bank;
though not without some difficulty, in consequence of the obstinacy of
the natives in wishing to detain us; and I was exceedingly vexed to
find, while we were yet in sight of them, that we had proceeded down a
shallow channel on one side of an island instead of the further and
deeper one; so that the boat ultimately grounded. A crowd of the blacks
rushed into the water, and surrounded us on every side. Some came to
assist us, others, under a pretence of assisting, pulled against us,
and I was at length obliged to repel them by threats. A good many of
them were very much disposed to annoy us, and, after the boat was in
deep water, some of them became quite infuriated, because we would not
return. Had we been within distance, they would assuredly have hurled
their spears at us. Thirteen of them followed us to our resting place.
They kept rather apart from us, and kindled their fire in a little
hollow about fifty paces to our right; nor did they venture to approach
the tents unless we called to them, so that by their quiet and
unobtrusive conduct they made up in some measure for the unruly
proceedings of others of their tribe.
We had now arrived at a point at which I hoped to gain some information
from the natives, respecting the sea. It was to no purpose, however,
that I questioned these stupid people. They understood perfectly, by my
pointing to the sky, and by other signs, that I was inquiring about
large waters, but they could not, or would not, give any information on
the subject.
CHANGE IN THE GEOLOGY OF THE COUNTRY.
As we proceeded down the river, its current became weaker, and its
channel somewhat deeper. Our attention was called to a remarkable
change in the geology of the country, as well as to an apparent
alteration in the natural productions. The cliffs of sand and clay
ceased, and were succeeded by a fossil formation of the most singular
description. At first, it did not exceed a foot in height above the
water, but it gradually rose, like an inclined plane, and resembled in
colour, and in appearance, the skulls of men piled one upon the other.
The constant rippling of the water against the rock had washed out the
softer parts, and made hollows and cavities, that gave the whole
formation the precise appearance of a catacomb. On examination, we
discovered it to be a compact bed of shells, composed of a common
description of marine shell from two to three inches in length,
apparently a species of turritella.
BANKS OF PETRIFIED SHELLS.
At about nine miles from the commencement of this formation, it rose to
the height of more than 150 feet; the country became undulating, and a
partial change took place in its vegetation. We stopped at an early
hour, to examine some cliffs, which rising perpendicularly from the
water, were different in character and substance from any we had as yet
seen. They approached a dirty yellow-ochre in colour, that became
brighter in hue as it rose, and, instead of being perforated, were
compact and hard. The waters of the river had, however, made horizontal
lines upon their fronts, which distinctly marked the rise and fall of
the river, as the strength or depth of the grooves distinctly indicated
the levels it generally kept. It did not appear from these lines, that
the floods ever rose more than four feet above the then level of the
stream, or that they continued for any length of time. On breaking off
pieces of the rock, we ascertained that it was composed of one solid
mass of sea-shells, of various kinds, of which the species first
mentioned formed the lowest part.
It rained a good deal during the night, but the morning turned out
remarkably fine. The day was pleasant, for however inconvenient in some
respects the frequent showers had been, they had cooled the air, and
consequently prevented our feeling the heat so much as we should
otherwise have done, in the close and narrow glen we had now entered.
Among the natives who followed us from the last tribe, there was an old
man, who took an uncommon fancy or attachment to Hopkinson, and who
promised, when we separated, to join us again in the course of the day.
FACE OF THE COUNTRY.
As we proceeded down the river we found that it was confined in a glen,
whose extreme breadth was not more than half-a-mile. The hills that
rose on either side of it were of pretty equal height. The alluvial
flats were extremely small, and the boldest cliffs separated them from
each other. The flats were lightly wooded, and were for the most part
covered with reeds or polygonum. They were not much elevated above the
waters of the river, and had every appearance of being frequently
inundated. At noon we pulled up to dine, upon the left bank, under some
hills, which were from 200 to 250 feet in height. While the men were
preparing our tea, (for we had only that to boil,) M'Leay and I
ascended the hills. The brush was so thick upon them, that we could not
obtain a view of the distant interior. Their summits were covered with
oyster-shells, in such abundance as entirely to preclude the idea of
their having been brought to such a position by the natives. They were
in every stage of petrification.
In the course of the afternoon the old man joined us, and got into the
boat. As far as we could understand from his signs, we were at no great
distance from some remarkable change or other. The river had been
making to the N.W., from the commencement of the fossil formation, and
it appeared as if it was inclined to keep that direction. The old man
pointed to the N.W., and then placed his hand on the side of his head
to indicate, as I understood him, that we should sleep to the N.W. of
where we then were; but his second motion was not so intelligible, for
he pointed due south, as if to indicate that such would be our future
course; and he concluded his information, such as it was, by describing
the roaring of the sea, and the height of the waves. It was evident
this old man had been upon the coast, and we were therefore highly
delighted at the prospect thus held out to us of reaching it.
REMARKABLE CLIFFS.
A little below the hills under which we had stopped, the country again
assumed a level. A line of cliffs, of from two to three hundred feet in
height, flanked the river, first on one side and then on the other,
varying in length from a quarter of a mile to a mile. They rose
perpendicularly from the water, and were of a bright yellow colour,
rendered still more vivid occasionally by the sun shining full upon
them. The summits of these cliffs were as even as if they had been
built by an architect; and from their very edge, the country back from
the stream was of an uniform level, and was partly plain, and partly
clothed by brush. The soil upon this plateau, or table land, was sandy,
and it was as barren and unproductive as the worst of the country we
had passed through. On the other hand, the alluvial flats on the river
increased in size, and were less subject to flood; and the river lost
much of its sandy bed, and its current was greatly diminished in
strength.
NATIVE CHARACTER.
It blew so fresh, during the greater part of the day, from the
westward, that we had great difficulty in pulling against the breeze.
The determined N.W. course the river kept, made me doubt the
correctness of the story of the little old black; yet there was an
openness of manner about him, and a clearness of description, that did
not appear like fabrication. He pointed to the S.S.W. when he left us,
as the direction in which he would again join us, thus confirming,
without any apparent intention, what he had stated with regard to the
southerly course the river was about to take. Among the natives who
were with him, there was another man of very different manners and
appearance. Our friend was small in stature, had piercing grey eyes,
and was as quick as lightning in his movements The other was tall, and
grey headed; anxious, yet unobtrusive; and confident, without the least
mixture of boldness. The study of the human character on many occasions
similar to this, during our intercourse with these people, rude and
uncivilized as they were, was not only pleasing, but instructive. We
found that the individuals of a tribe partook of one general character,
and that the whole of the tribe were either decidedly quiet, or as
decidedly disorderly. The whole of the blacks left us when we started,
but we had not gone very far, when the individual I have described
brought his family, consisting of about fifteen persons. We were going
down a part of the river in which there was a very slight fall. The
natives were posted under some blue-gum trees, upon the right bank, and
there was a broad shoal of sand immediately to our left. They walked
over to this shoal, to receive some little presents, but did not follow
when we continued our journey.
TAKE BEARINGS.
During the whole of the day the river ran to the N.W. We stopped for
the night under some cliffs, similar to those we had already passed,
but somewhat higher. From their summit, mountains were visible to the
N.W., but at a great distance from us. I doubted not that they were at
the head of the southern gulfs; or of one of them, at all events. Our
observations placed us in 34 degrees 08 minutes south of lat., and in
long. 139 degrees 41 minutes 15 seconds; we were consequently nearly
seventy miles from Spencer's Gulf, in a direct line, and I should have
given that as the distance the hills appeared to be from us. They bore
as follows:--
Lofty round mountain, S. 127 degrees W.
Mountain scarcely visible, S. 128 degrees W.
Northern extremity of a broken range, S. 102 degrees W.
Southern extremity scarcely visible, S. 58 degrees W.
The country between the river and these ranges appeared to be very low,
and darkly wooded: that to the N.E. was more open. The summit of the
cliff did not form any table-land, but it dipped almost immediately to
the westward, and the country, although, as I have already remarked, it
was depressed, and undulated.
I walked to some distance from the river, across a valley, and started
several kangaroos; but I was quite alone, and could not, therefore,
secure one of them. Had the dogs been near, we should have had a fine
feast. The soil of the interior still continued sandy, but there was a
kind of short grass mixed with the salsolaceous plants upon it, that
indicated, as I thought, a change for the better in the vegetation; and
the circumstance of there being kangaroos in the valleys to the
westward was also a favourable sign.
FEAST ON A TORTOISE.
Beneath the cliffs hereabouts, the river was extremely broad and deep.
My servant thought it a good place for fishing and accordingly set a
night-line, one end of which he fastened to the bough of a tree. During
the night, being on guard, he saw a small tortoise floating on the
water, so near that he struck it a violent blow with a large stick,
upon which it dived: to his surprise, however, in the morning, he found
that it had taken the bait, and was fast to the line. On examining it,
the shell proved to be cracked, so that the blow must have been a
severe one. It was the largest we had ever seen, and made an excellent
dish. The flesh was beautifully white, nor could anything, especially
under our circumstances, have been more tempting than it was when
cooked; yet M'Leay would not partake of it.
The prevailing wind was, at this time, from the S.W. It blew heavily
all day, but moderated towards the evening.
I was very anxious, at starting on the 3rd, as to the course the river
would take, since it would prove whether the little old man had played
us false or not. From the cliffs under which we had slept, it held a
direct N.W. course for two or three miles. It then turned suddenly to
the S.E., and gradually came round to E.N.E., so that after two hours
pulling, we found ourselves just opposite to the spot from which we had
started, the neck of land that separated the channels not being more
than 200 yards across. I have before noticed a bend similar to this,
which the Murray makes, a little above the junction of the supposed
Darling with it.
CHART OF THE RIVER.
It may appear strange to some of my readers, that I should have laid
down the windings of the river so minutely. It may therefore be
necessary for me to state that every bend of it was laid down by
compass, and that the bearings of the angles as they opened were
regularly marked by me, so that not a single winding or curve of the
Murray is omitted in the large chart. The length of some of the reaches
may be erroneous, but their direction is strictly correct. I always had
a sheet of paper and the compass before me, and not only marked down
the river line, but also the description of country nearest; its most
minute changes, its cliffs, its flats, the kind of country back from
it, its lagoons, the places at which the tribes assembled, its
junctions, tributaries and creeks, together with our several positions,
were all regularly noted, so that on our return up the river we had no
difficulty in ascertaining upon what part of it we were, by a reference
to the chart; and it proved of infinite service to us, since we were
enabled to judge of our distance from our several camps, as we gained
them day by day with the current against us; and we should often have
stopped short of them, weary and exhausted, had we not known that two
or three reaches more would terminate our labour for the day.
REMARKABLE CLIFFS.
From the spot last spoken of, the river held on a due south course for
the remainder of the day; and at the same time changed its character.
It lost its sandy bed and its current together, and became deep, still,
and turbid, with a muddy bottom. It increased considerably in breadth,
and stretched away before us in magnificent reaches of from three to
six miles in length. The cliffs under which we passed towered above us,
like maritime cliffs, and the water dashed against their base like the
waves of the sea. They became brighter and brighter in colour, looking
like dead gold in the sun's rays; and formed an unbroken wall of a mile
or two in length. The natives on their summits showed as small as
crows; and the cockatoos, the eagles, and other birds, were as specks
above us; the former made the valley reverberate with their harsh and
discordant notes. The reader may form some idea of the height of these
cliffs, when informed that the king of the feathered race made them his
sanctuary. They were continuous on both sides of the river, but
retired, more or less, from it, according to the extent of the alluvial
flats. The river held a serpentine course down the valley through which
it passed, striking the precipices alternately on each side.
The soil on the flats was better, and less mixed with sand than it had
been, but the flats were generally covered with reeds, though certainly
not wholly subject to flood at any time. The polygonum still prevailed
upon them in places, and the blue-gum tree alone occupied their
outskirts. From the several elevations we ascended, the country to the
N.W. appeared undulating and well wooded; that to the eastward, seemed
to be brushy and low. Certainly there was a great difference in the
country, both to the eastward and to the westward. We had frequent
views of the mountains we had seen, or, I should have said, of a
continuation of them. They bore nearly west from us at a very great
distance all day.
We fell in with several tribes, but did not see our old friend,
although, from the inquiries we made, it was evident he was well known
among them. It would disgust my readers were I to describe the
miserable state of disease and infirmity to which these tribes were
reduced. Leprosy of the most loathsome description, the most violent
cutaneous eruptions, and glandular affections, absolutely raged through
the whole of them; yet we could not escape from the persecuting
examination of our persons that curiosity prompted them in some measure
to insist upon.
REJOINED BY OUR OLD NATIVE GUIDE.
The old man, whose information had proved strictly correct, joined us
again on the 4th, and his joy at being received into the boat was
unbounded, as well as the pleasure he expressed at again meeting
Hopkinson. He had been on a long journey, it would appear, for he had
not then reached his tribe. As we approached their haunt, he landed and
preceded us to collect them. We were, of course, more than usually
liberal to so old a friend, and we were really sorry to part with him.
Soon after leaving his tribe, which occupied the left bank of the
river, and was very weak in point of numbers, we fell in with a very
strong tribe upon the right bank. They numbered 211 in all. We lay off
the bank, in order to escape their importunities; a measure that by no
means satisfied them. The women appeared to be very prolific; but, as a
race, these people are not to be compared with the natives of the
mountains, or of the upper branches of the Murray.
We passed some beautiful scenery in the course of the day. The river
preserved a direct southerly course, and could not in any place have
been less than 400 yards in breadth. The cliffs still continued, and
varied perpetually in form; at one time presenting a perpendicular wall
to the view, at others, they overhung the stream, in huge fragments.
All were composed of a mass of shells of various kinds; a fact which
will call for further observation and remark.
DELAYED BY STRONG WINDS.
Many circumstances at this time tended to confirm our hopes that the
sea could not be very far from us, or that we should not be long in
gaining it. Some sea-gulls flew over our heads, at which Fraser was
about to shoot, had I not prevented him, for I hailed them as the
messengers of glad tidings, and thought they ill deserved such a fate.
It blew very hard from the S.W., during the whole of the day, and we
found it extremely laborious pulling against the heavy and short sea
that came rolling up the broad and open reaches of the Murray at this
place.
Four of the blacks, from the last tribe, followed us, and slept at the
fires; but they were suspicious and timid, and appeared to be very glad
when morning dawned. Our fires were always so much larger than those
made by themselves, that, they fancied, perhaps, we were going to roast
them. Our dogs, likewise, gave them great uneasiness; for although so
fond of the native brute, they feared ours, from their size. We
generally tied them to the boat, therefore, to prevent a recurrence of
theft, so that they were not altogether useless.