beach; but no sooner had I gained it than I heard a native call from the
top of the cliffs, and the answering cries of his comrades rang through
the wood as they followed me along; my pistol was so thoroughly soaked in
my passage across the inlet that it was quite useless except as a club.
To attempt to swim back again after the narrow escape I had just had
would have been madness; besides which if I had succeeded I should have
lost the object for which I had put my life at hazard. Nothing therefore
was left but to walk along shore to the schooner, trusting, in my
defenceless state, that I might not fall in with any natives. It was now
dark and the shore was so broken and rocky that I got terribly cut and
bruised, and was, moreover, so weak from my exertions in swimming that
when I arrived opposite the vessel I could scarcely hail. Some of those
on board however heard me (as I found afterwards) and shouted in reply;
but their voices never reached my ears, and I imagined they were too far
for I could not now see the vessel.
I made one or two more efforts to hail the Lynher, but the noise I made
had now attracted the notice of the natives and I heard their cries in
several directions round me; this rendered my situation an unpleasant one
for I was worn out, naked, and defenceless: at first I thought to return
and rejoin my party, and even turned back for a short distance with this
intention, but I found myself too weak for such an undertaking and
changed my plans; resolving to remain nearly opposite to the vessel until
the morning, and resting my chance of safety upon being discovered from
it before the natives found me.
TAKEN UP BY THE LYNHER'S BOAT.
With this intent I returned to the position from which I had lately
hailed, and crept into a hole in the rocks whence I could still
occasionally hear the calls of the natives; but, being thoroughly worn
out, I soon forgot my toils and dangers in a very sound and comfortable
sleep. I might have slept for some two hours when I was roused by hearing
a voice shout "Mr. Grey;" still however feeling rather distrustful of the
truth of my mental impressions, and unwilling to betray my whereabouts to
the natives, I returned no answer, but, putting out my head from my
secret place of rest, I waited patiently for a solution of my doubts. But
again I certainly heard the same voice shout "Mr. Grey," and I moreover
now distinctly recognised the noise of oars working in the rowlocks; I
therefore hailed "Lynher, ahoy," and all my doubts were completely put at
rest by the hearty cheers which greeted my ear as Mr. Smith, the mate of
the schooner, called out, "Where shall we pull in, Sir?"
FORTUNATE DELIVERY AND THE PARTY REGAIN THE LYNHER.
In a few minutes more I was in the boat, and rejoiced to find all the
party safely there before me. My next question was, "Have you a little
water here?" "Plenty, Sir," answered Corporal Cole as he handed me a
little, which I greedily swallowed.
Their adventures were soon related to me. The party under Mr. Lushington,
being on an exposed part of the coast, the flash of their guns had been
seen after dark, and the Captain despatched a boat from the schooner to
pull along shore. This boat first of all found Coles near where I had
quitted him, and he directed them to the others; the boat, having picked
them up, then returned for Coles, and heard from him the intentions with
which I had attempted to swim the arm of the sea; but as he had never
seen me reach the opposite bank, and the inlet was of very considerable
width, they had, up to the moment of finding me, felt very serious
misgivings as to my fate.
I did not know till afterwards that the water Corporal Coles had handed
to me on entering the boat was all they had on board when he was picked
up, and that, although suffering severely from thirst, Coles would not
touch a drop as long as he retained any hope that I might be found and be
in want of it.
RETURN OF ALL ON BOARD.
We were now however safe again, and as all had borne themselves well
under the difficulties to which they had been exposed, more particularly
Mr. Lushington, to whom the credit is due of having, by his personal
example and influence, successfully brought on the party to the point of
their embarkation, it was now pleasant to revert to the trials we had
passed, and to recall to one another's recollection each minute
circumstance of our day's adventures; and when we were again on board and
had turned in for the night I could not help feeling a deep sense of
gratitude to that Providence who, in so brief a space, had preserved me
through so many perils.
CHAPTER 5. AT HANOVER BAY.
PLAGUE OF FLIES.
December 4.
To sleep after sunrise was impossible on account of the number of flies
which kept buzzing about the face. To open our mouths was dangerous. In
they flew, and mysteriously disappeared, to be rapidly ejected again in a
violent fit of coughing; and into the eyes, when unclosed, they soon
found their way and, by inserting the proboscis and sucking, speedily
made them sore; neither were the nostrils safe from their attacks, which
were made simultaneously on all points, and in multitudes. This was a
very troublesome annoyance, but I afterwards found it to be a very
general one throughout all the unoccupied portions of Australia; although
in general the further north you go in this continent the more
intolerable does the fly nuisance become.
Sunrise offered a very beautiful spectacle; the water was quite
unruffled, but the motion communicated by the tides was so great that,
although there was not a breath of air stirring, the sea heaved slowly
with a grand and majestic motion. On two sides the view was bounded by
lofty cliffs, from three to four hundred feet high, lightly wooded at
their summits, and broken by wide openings, into which ran arms of the
sea, forming gloomy channels of communication with the interior country;
whilst on each side of their entrances the huge cliffs rose, like the
pillars of some gigantic portal.
In front of us lay a smooth sandy beach, beyond which rose gradually a
high wooded country, and behind us was the sea, studded with numerous
islands of every variety of form.
ENTRANCE TO PRINCE REGENT'S RIVER.
I was too much tired by the fatigues of the night before to enjoy the
scene with the full delight I should otherwise have done; the bruises I
had received made me feel so stiff and sore that the slightest movement
was painful; the rainy season was however now so near that it would not
do to lose a single day of preparation. Directly after breakfast
therefore, whilst one boat went off to search for fresh water and a
convenient spot to land the stores at, I accompanied the Captain of the
vessel in another up Prince Regent's River.
EFFECT OF TIDES.
In general the openings to these rivers from the sea are very narrow,
forming gorges which terminate in extensive basins, some fifteen or
twenty miles inland; the levels of these reservoirs are subject to be
raised thirty-seven feet by every tide through their funnel-like
entrances, along which the waters consequently pour with a velocity of
which it is difficult to form any adequate idea. By such a tide were we
swept along as we entered this river by its southern mouth.
On each side of us rose lofty red sandstone cliffs; sometimes quite
precipitous, sometimes, from ancient landslips, shelving gradually down
to the water, and at these points covered with a dense tropical
vegetation.
GREEN ANTS.
At several such places we landed, but always found the ascent to the
interior so covered with large loose rocks that it would have been
impossible to have disembarked stores or stock on any. The thickness of
the vegetation made it difficult to force a way through, and whenever, in
attempting so to do, a tree was shaken, numbers of a large green sort of
ant fell from the boughs on the unhappy trespasser and, making the best
of their way to the back of his neck, gave warning by a series of most
painful bites that he was encroaching on their domain. Yet it was
sometimes ludicrous to see one of the party momentarily stamping and
roaring with pain, as he cried out to a companion to hasten and assist
him in getting rid of an enemy at once so diminutive and so troublesome.
PARRAKEETS.
We saw a great number of beautiful parakeets, as well as a remarkable
hawk of a bright cinnamon colour, with a milk-white head and neck. As
there was no apparent probability of our finding hereabouts a spot suited
to land our stock and stores at we returned in the afternoon to the
schooner, and found that the party in the other boat had been as
unsuccessful as ourselves.
DESCRIPTION OF LANDING-PLACE, AND ENCAMPMENT AT HANOVER BAY.
December 5.
The long-boat was this morning despatched to the ravine where we had
procured water on the first day of our landing to bring a few casks for
immediate use, and to examine the country again in that direction; whilst
I accompanied the Captain to examine the inlet at which Captain King had
watered in his visit to these parts, in 1821.
WATERING PLACE AT HANOVER BAY.
The approach to this watering-place was through a deep narrow channel,
bounded on each side by high cliffs, against which our voices echoed and
sounded strangely; whilst from the quantity of light which the cliffs
excluded a solemn sombre hue was imparted to the scene. Channels similar
to the main one branched off on each side; they were however so narrow
that the dense vegetation which grew on their sides nearly met in the
centre, giving them an appearance of dark and refreshing coolness; most
of these terminated in cascades, now dry, but down which the water in the
rainy seasons pours in torrents: at the foot of some of these cascades
were deep cavities, or natural basins, worn in the solid rock by the
falling of the water, and these were still full of the clearest cool
water, in which sported small insects and animals of kinds quite unknown
to me.
As we were swept up the main opening by the tide and sea-breeze its width
gradually contracted, till at last we came to a small island bearing a
single large mangrove tree, which we named One Tree Island. The shores
now became thickly wooded with mangroves, from the boughs of which
depended in clusters small but well-flavoured oysters, and soon after
passing the island we found our farther progress arrested by large
rounded blocks of sandstone, from amongst which fresh water came pouring
in a hundred little cascades.
BEAUTIFUL RAVINE.
We here quitted the boat to enter a deep and picturesque ravine, of which
the mean breadth was only one hundred and forty-seven feet, bounded on
each side by perpendicular cliffs from one hundred and fifty to two
hundred feet high; in the centre ran a clear stream, sometimes forming
deep and extensive pools, sometimes divided into innumerable little rills
which gurgled along through a dense and matted vegetation; and bordered
on each side of the main bed by a lofty species of Eucalyptus, with a
bark resembling layers of coarse white paper, and a foliage pendant and
graceful; whilst the great height of these trees for they raised their
heads above the cliffs, contrasted strangely with the narrowness of the
ravine in which they grew. The space between these trees and the cliffs
was filled by a dense forest, principally composed of the Pandanus and
wild nutmeg trees. Rich grasses and climbing plants occupied the interval
and twined around the trees, whilst parakeets of the most vivid colours
filled the wood with their cries. Nothing could be more striking than
this singular and novel scene; and we were all delighted as we wound our
way up the beautiful ravine.
The same character continued for the next mile or two, whilst
occasionally branch valleys of similar character ran off from a main one,
giving it at these points a much greater width. The summit of the cliffs
was found to be generally a rocky sandy tableland, thinly wooded; and
from what I had seen it appeared to me that I was not likely to find a
place better adapted for landing the stores than the main ravine.
On embarking to return we could perceive no sign of One Tree Island; and
as we swept down towards the sea the leafy top of a tree seen in the
clear water under the boat was the only evidence of its existence; though
a few hours ago it had formed so prominent an object.
FATE OF TWO OF THE DOGS.
The long-boat returned to the vessel half an hour after us and brought
eighty gallons of water; but the spot whence it was obtained had been
found very inconvenient for the purpose. At the waterhole they had met
Ranger, the dog we lost the first day; but he appeared quite mad, and
without recognising any of them ran wildly away into the woods. The body
of poor Ringhalz was also found, who had died on the spot where he fell.
LABOUR OF DISEMBARKING STORES.
December 6.
A party landed with me soon after dawn at the same point as yesterday,
for the purpose of selecting the spot at which to fix our temporary
encampment. We traced the valley for about four miles through scenery
precisely similar to that which we had found before; many branch valleys
ran of from the main one and differed from it in no other respect but
that they were much narrower. The most favourable spot I could find for
our purpose was distant about half a mile from the landing-place and
situated at the junction of two valleys, upon a neck of land which ran
out from the base of the cliffs. This was the nearest point to the sea at
which we should have been safe from any sudden inundation; it combined,
moreover, the advantages of affording a good supply of food and water for
the stock, of not being within reach of missiles thrown from the cliffs,
and at the same time of being situated close to an easy ascent to their
summit. I should have preferred pitching the encampment on the tableland
at the top, but the labour of carrying the stores up so precipitous an
ascent would have been too great for the men, and would have delayed our
movements for a longer time than I thought prudent.
PREPARATIONS FOR ENCAMPING.
Having selected the point for our encampment the next task was to form a
pathway to and from the landing-place; and this, on account of the rocky,
broken nature of the ground, was one of no slight difficulty. We first
set fire to the bush, and being thus enabled to see our way a little we
commenced moving the rocks and stones, and continued this operation until
near sunset, when we returned on board.
NATIVES SEEN.
December 7.
We landed again early this morning and went on working at the pathway.
The men dined on shore at noon, about which time it was nearly low-water.
We had repeatedly seen footmarks of the natives in the mud, and this
probably was a favourite fishing resort of theirs, for this day they came
upon the cliffs over our heads and shouted at us, as if to try and
frighten us away. Finding however that this produced no effect, they
threw down some large stones at us and then decamped.
In the course of the night (2 A.M.) we had one of those sudden heavy
squalls from off the land which are so common on this coast. I slept on
deck and was called to hear a loud roaring on the shore: this was
evidently the noise of a rushing wind, which gradually drew nearer and
nearer and at last reached us, accompanied by lightning, thunder, and
heavy rain; it did not however last for more than twenty minutes, and we
received no damage from it.
December 8.
Whilst the party continued the pathway I landed on the sandy beach and
explored the interior of the country for several miles. We found but very
little fresh water and the country was dreadfully burnt up; the heavy
rain which had fallen last night however gave signs of the approach of
the wet season. We passed several dry watercourses, in many of which we
dug for it, but all that we obtained was brackish. We had another squall
this afternoon, similar to last night's.
LANDING STOCK. LABOUR IN LANDING STORES.
December 9.
This day we pitched the tents, disembarked the sheep and goats, and some
of the stores. It was no slight pleasure to see for the first time those
animals landed on a new country, and they appeared themselves to rejoice
in their escape from the close confinement on shipboard.
We here first hoisted the British flag, and went through the ceremony of
taking possession of the territory in the name of Her Majesty and her
heirs for ever.
The next few days were passed in moving the stores from the landing-place
to the tent; as it was necessary that before I allowed the schooner to
start we should be amply provided with all necessaries so as to be able
to maintain ourselves for some time, in the event of anything happening
to the vessel: this was very fatiguing work for the whole party but they
all exerted themselves with the most strenuous energy, especially Mr.
Lushington; and our labours were varied by several amusing novelties
which relieved the monotony of the employment.
REMARKABLE FISHES.
Sometimes as we sat at our dinner near the landing-place we watched a
strange species of fish (genus Chironectes, Cuvier). These little animals
are provided with arms, at least with members shaped like such as far as
the elbow, but the lower part resembles a fin; they are amphibious,
living equally well on the mud or in the water; in moving in the mud they
walk, as it were, on their elbows, and the lower arm or fin then projects
like a great splay foot; but in swimming the whole of this apparatus is
used as a fin. They have also the property of being able to bury
themselves almost instantaneously in the soft mud when disturbed. The
uncouth gambols and leaps of these anomalous creatures were very
singular.
Another remarkable fish was a species of mullet which, being left by the
retreat of the high tides in the pools beyond the rounded rocks at the
head of the landing-place, was obliged to change its element from salt to
fresh water, which by a very remarkable habit it appeared to do without
suffering any inconvenience. The natural hue of this fish was a very pale
red, but when they had been for some time in the fresh water this reddish
tinge became much deeper, and when of this colour I have found them in
streams a considerable distance from the sea, as if, like our salmon,
they had quitted it for the purpose of spawning. Indeed birds, insects,
and all things we saw, were so new and singular that our attention was
kept constantly excited by the varied objects which passed before us.
December 11.
I went on board in the morning for the purpose of preparing my letters,
and about 10 A.M. it was reported to me that a party of natives had come
down to one of the sandy beaches and were fishing there. I immediately
went upon deck and saw four natives in the sea opposite to the beach,
running about and fishing. Captain Browne went on shore at once with me
to try and parley with them, but as we approached the land they ran away;
we remained for some time on the beach and tried to follow their tracks
up into the country, but could see nothing more of them.
This night at 8 P.M. we had another sudden squall from off the land,
accompanied with thunder, lightning, and heavy rain; it blew so hard that
we were obliged to let go the best bower anchor, but as usual it only
lasted twenty minutes.
PREPARATIONS FOR SENDING THE VESSEL TO TIMOR.
As Mr. Lushington was to accompany the schooner to Timor, and I was
anxious to ascertain which would be the best direction for us to move off
in on his return, I determined to commence my exploring trips as soon as
possible. All hands still continued busily engaged in landing the stores
and conveying them to the tents; but though the men worked hard our
progress was slow. Everything had to be carried on the men's shoulders,
for the path, after the great trouble and labour we had bestowed on it,
was still so intricate and rocky that it was impossible to use even a
hand-barrow. The intense heat of the sun, too, incommoded the men very
much at first; but by the 16th of December all the stores were landed,
and a considerable supply of water was taken off to the vessel. I
determined therefore now to start in my first exploring excursion,
leaving to Mr. Lushington the task of seeing the watering of the schooner
completed before he left for Timor.
CHAPTER 6. HANOVER BAY AND ITS VICINITY.
NATIVES SEEN.
Sunday December 17.
This morning directly after breakfast I read prayers to the men, and then
commenced my preparations for the excursion on which I intended to start
in the evening. Whilst I was occupied in arranging my papers Mr.
Lushington observed two natives sitting on the rocks on the top of the
cliffs which overlooked the valley, and gazing down intently on us. The
instant that he made friendly signs to them they rose from their seats
and began to retreat. Some of the party then called to them and one of
the natives answered; but they still moved rapidly away. I would not
allow them to be followed for fear of increasing their alarm, and in the
hope that they would return, but was disappointed. It must have awakened
strange feelings in the breast of these two savages, who could never
before have seen civilized man, thus to have sat spectators and
overlookers of the every action of such incomprehensible beings as we
must have appeared; and the relation to their comrades of the wonders
they had witnessed could not have been to them a whit less marvellous
than the tales of the grey-headed Irish peasant, when he recounts the
freaks of the fairies, "whose midnight revels by the forest side or
fountain" he has watched intently from some shrub-clad hill.
COMMENCEMENT OF FIRST EXCURSION.
I started in the evening, accompanied by Corporal John Coles and Private
R. Mustard, both of the corps of Royal Sappers and Miners, and for a
short distance by two or three others of the party from the camp. We
moved up the ravine in which we were encamped in a nearly due south
direction, and after following this course about a mile turned up a
branch ravine to the left, bearing 87 degrees from the north.
CHARACTER OF THE SCENERY. GEOLOGICAL PHENOMENA.
The romantic scenery of this narrow glen could not be surpassed. Its
width at bottom was not more than forty or fifty feet, on each side rose
cliffs of sandstone between three and four hundred feet high and nearly
perpendicular; lofty paper-bark trees grew here and there, and down the
middle ran a beautiful stream of clear, cool water, which now gushed
along, a murmuring mountain torrent, and anon formed a series of small
cascades. As we ascended higher the width contracted; the paper-bark
trees disappeared; and the bottom of the valley became thickly wooded
with wild nutmeg and other fragrant trees. Cockatoos soared, with hoarse
screams, above us, many-coloured parakeets darted away, filling the woods
with their playful cries, and the large white pigeons which feed on the
wild nutmegs cooed loudly to their mates, and battered the boughs with
their wings as they flew away.
The spot I chose to halt at for the night was at the foot of a lofty
precipice of rocks, from which a spring gushed forth. Those who had
accompanied us from the camp now returned, leaving me and the two
soldiers alone and about to penetrate some distance into an utterly
unknown country. We were each provided with ten days' provisions and,
confident in the steadiness and courage of my men, I had not the
slightest anxiety--feeling that as long as we maintained a cool and
determined bearing the natives would make no attacks upon us that we
could not repel.
We soon erected a little hut of bark, then kindled a fire and cooked our
supper, consisting of tea and two white pigeons which we had shot; and by
the time our repast was finished it was nearly dark. My companions laid
down to sleep: I remained up for a short time to think alone in the
wilderness, and then followed their example.
ASCENT OF A GLEN.
December 18.
At break of day we were again upon our route, which lay up the valley we
had slept in; but, as each of us carried ten days' provisions and a day's
water, besides our arms, the progress we made in a tropical climate, when
thus laden, was necessarily slow and laborious; but the beauty of the
landscape and the solicitude we all felt to see more of this unexplored
land cheered us on.
TABLELAND AT THE SUMMIT.
Having at length reached the tableland which this valley drained we found
ourselves in the midst of a forest, differing widely from anything we had
before seen. The soil beneath our feet was sandy and thickly clothed with
spinifex (a prickly grass) which in spite of our thick trousers slightly
but continually wounded our legs. The trees were lofty and some of them
of considerable circumference; but the trunks of all were charred and
blackened by constant fires: this circumstance, and their slight and
thin, yet strikingly graceful foliage, gave them a most picturesque
appearance.
Every here and there in the wood rose lofty and isolated pinnacles of
sandstone rock, fantastic in form, and frequently overgrown with graceful
creeping and climbing plants which imparted to them a somewhat of mystery
and elegance. In other parts rose the gigantic ant-hills so much spoken
of by former visitors of these shores; and in the distance we saw
occasionally the forms of the timid kangaroos, who stole fearfully away
from the unknown disturbers of their solitude.
ANOTHER VALLEY.
But when we arrived at the extremity of the tableland I felt somewhat
disappointed at beholding a deep narrow ravine at my feet, precisely
resembling in character the one we had left, and beyond this a second
sandstone range, wooded as that on which we stood; in about half an hour
we gained the bottom of the ravine and found that a rapid stream ran
through it, which, being the first we had discovered, I named the
Lushington, after the father of my associate in this expedition, and in
accordance with a determination I had made before starting.
Mustard (one of the men with me) being ill, I determined to halt here for
breakfast and, having completed this meal, I was sorry to find that he
was still too unwell to proceed; such however being the case I was
compelled to halt for the day: leaving Coles therefore to take care of
him, I strolled off to explore the valley alone. Except in being much
larger it differed in no respect from the first in which we encamped, and
I found that within about half a mile below the spot where I had left the
men it terminated in a salt-water inlet, nearly choked up with mangroves.
On returning to them I found Mustard somewhat better; to our annoyance
however heavy rain set in, accompanied by thunder and lightning; and as
we had no shelter but what some overhanging rocks afforded us we passed a
very uncomfortable night.
December 19.
Mustard was still not quite well; we therefore started late and travelled
slowly, keeping nearly in a south-east direction. We thus gradually
ascended the second sandstone range, the summit of which was a tableland,
at this point about half a mile wide.
GEOLOGICAL PHENOMENA.
We here remarked a very curious circumstance. Several acres of land on
this elevated position were nearly covered with lofty isolated sandstone
pillars of the most grotesque and fantastic shapes, from which the
imagination might easily have pictured to itself forms equally singular
and amusing. In one place was a regular unroofed aisle, with a row of
massive pillars on each side; and in another there stood upon a pedestal
what appeared to be the legs of an ancient statue, from which the body
had been knocked away.
Some of these time-worn columns were covered with sweet-smelling
creepers, while their bases were concealed by a dense vegetation, which
added much to their very singular appearance. The height of two or three
which I measured was upwards of forty feet; and, as the tops of all of
them were nearly upon the same level, that of the surrounding country
must at one period have been as high as their present summits, probably
much higher.
From the top of one of these pillars I surveyed the surrounding country
and saw on every side proofs of the same extensive degradation--so
extensive, indeed, that I found it very difficult to account for; but the
gurgling of water, which I heard beneath me, soon put an end to the state
of perplexity in which I was involved, for I ascertained that streams
were running in the earth beneath my feet; and, on descending and
creeping into a fissure in the rocks, I found beneath the surface a
cavern precisely resembling the remains that existed above ground, only
that this was roofed, whilst through it ran a small stream which in the
rainy season must become a perfect torrent. It was now evident to me that
ere many years had elapsed the roof would give way, and what now were the
buttresses of dark and gloomy caverns would emerge into day and become
columns clad in green, and resplendent in the bright sunshine.
GRADUAL DEGRADATION OF THE LAND.
In this state they would gradually waste away beneath the ever-during
influence of atmospheric causes, and the material being then carried down
by the streams, through a series of caverns resembling those of which
they once formed a portion, would be swept out into the ocean and
deposited on sandbanks, to be raised again, at some remote epoch, a new
continent, built up with the ruins of an ancient world.
I subsequently, during the season of the heavy rains, remarked the usual
character of the mountain streams to be that they rose at the foot of
some little elevation which stood upon a lofty tableland composed of
sandstone, then flowed in a sandy bed for a short distance and afterwards
mysteriously sank in the cracks and crevices made in the rocks from
atmospheric influences, and did not again reappear until they had reached
the foot of the precipice which terminated the tableland whence they
sprang; here they came foaming out in a rapid stream which had
undoubtedly worked strange havoc in the porous sandstone rocks among
which it held its subterraneous course.
What the amount of sand annually carried down from the north-western
portion of Australia into the ocean may be we have no means whatever of
ascertaining; that it is sufficient to form beds of sand of very great
magnitude is attested by the existence of numerous and extensive
sandbanks all along the coast. One single heavy tropical shower of only a
few hours' duration washed down, over a plot of ground which was planted
with barley, a bed of sand nearly five inches deep, which the succeeding
showers again swept off, carrying it further upon its way towards the
sea.
The space of ground covered with these columns gradually contracted its
dimensions as we proceeded; the columns themselves became nearer and
nearer to each other until they at length formed walls of cliffs on each
side of us, and we finally reached a point where a single lofty pillar,
standing in front of a dry cascade, formed the centre of an amphitheatre
of sandstone. There was some water in a little natural basin at the base
of the cliffs. I determined therefore to halt here for breakfast and,
leaving the men at the foot of the cascade to prepare some tea, I
clambered to its summit, and found myself on another tableland similar to
that which I had just left, and covered in the same manner with natural
columns.
SANDSTONE CAVERNS.
Some distance from the top of the cascade I discovered a cavern, or
rather huge hole in the water-course, into which, thinking it might
contain fossil bones, I descended as far as the first ledge, and I then
perceived that the water pouring through this cavern in the rainy season
was cutting off another rock of sandstone similar to the remarkable
pillar in front of the cascade. The water in the basin below must have
filtered out from this cavern. On a further examination I found that a
precisely similar series of operations was going on throughout the whole
amphitheatre of cliffs which bounded the tableland we had been traversing
during the morning.
In the rainy season (March 7th) I again passed this spot and found the
watercourse full of water, which was also falling abundantly from the
cascade. From this circumstance I inferred that the subterraneous outlets
for the water were all filled, consequently the large body which these
caverns would contain must have been then endeavouring to force its way
through the fissures in the porous sandstone rocks.
CONTINUATION OF ROUTE. HALT IN A VALLEY.
After breakfast we continued on our route through a sandstone country
precisely resembling the one which I have now described, and in the
course of the day, having completed fifteen miles in a straight line, we
halted for the night in a fertile valley affording plenty of fresh water,
and so densely wooded with the dwarf pandanus and other prickly trees
that we could scarcely make our way through the underwood. In this valley
we saw several sorts of cranes, principally Ardea antigone, and Ardea
scolopacia, and I shot one of the former kind and laid it by, intending
to eat it in the morning. We could not find any holes in the rocks large
enough to protect us from the rain, which fell throughout the night,
accompanied by thunder and lightning.
December 20.
Just as we turned out this morning a large kangaroo came close to us to
drink at a waterhole; the effect as it stole along through the thick
bushes in the morning twilight was very striking. I could not succeed in
getting a shot at it; but, as I was determined to have a meat breakfast,
I desired Mustard to cook the crane, the rats however had eaten the
greater part of it; we therefore at once moved on and, after travelling
four miles in a south-east direction over good land, we reached a valley,
the largest and best I had yet seen, containing trees and birds such as
we had not before met with; kangaroos were more plentiful, and, for the
first time, we saw the opossum. The valley was more than a mile in width
at the point where we first made it, and we had but just time to cross it
and to gain the partial shelter of some rocks when heavy rain again set
in. We could keep no fire and, being soon wet through, passed a wretched
night.
December 21.
We all today began to feel the want of food; since Sunday night we had
subsisted on nothing but rice and tea, and only in very small quantities
at a time, as the heavy rain had materially interrupted our cooking. As
there was plenty of game in this valley I determined to halt for a day
previously to my return to the party, for the double purpose of exploring
the valley and of shooting game.
CUCKOO-PHEASANT.
The large bird which was the most abundant here was the Cuculus phasianus
or pheasant cuckoo. This bird in colour, in length of tail, in its size,
and general appearance so closely resembles the hen pheasant of England
that, when it is on the wing, it is almost impossible to tell the
difference; its habits and food are also identical with that of the
English pheasant. The chief point of distinction is that its toes point
two before and two behind, in the same manner as those of a parrot; but
what is very remarkable about this bird is that, although, like the other
Scansores, it delights in climbing and running up trees, it is equally
fond of running along the ground in the manner a pheasant does.
SPORTING.
This day I found plenty of these birds in a cover of long dry grass and
bushes about half my height. From this kind of ground I descended to deep
lagoons in the bottoms, with rushes, reeds, and dense tropical vegetation
around them, amongst which the bamboo and pandanus bore a conspicuous
figure; as I beat this cover the pheasants, with their whirring noise,
rose on all sides of me, and my Westley Richards was kept in constant
operation. I never enjoyed a better day's pheasant shooting in any
preserve in England; and I may here remark that North-Western Australia
is as good a country for sport in the shooting way as I am acquainted
with; whilst for every kind of sport except wild-fowl shooting the
southern part of Australia is the worst country in the world. My bag
being full, and my companions very hungry, I had no excuse for staying
longer away from them, and therefore returned, although very loth to
leave such beautiful scenery and such excellent sport.
FERTILE COUNTRY DESCRIED.
In the interval between the showers, and whilst the men were trying to
kindle a fire, I ascended a sandstone range under the shelter of some
rocks near the summit of which we were encamped; from this elevated
position I saw a far better country to the south of us than any we had
yet traversed; and the prospect was so cheering in this direction that I
felt assured, when it was once gained with the horses, we should be able
to travel on with comparative rapidity and facility.
NATIVE HAUNTS.
Having emptied my bag I started again to commence the exploration of the
valley we were in. It sloped first in a north-easterly and then in a
nearly easterly direction; the river that ran through it was in some
places almost dry, or was rather a chain of large ponds than a river,
several of these ponds being more than a hundred yards across. I followed
the valley down for about five miles in the direction of Prince Regent's
River and found to my surprise that this part was by no means thinly
inhabited by natives; still, as none of the traces I had yet seen were
very recent, I trusted that we should not fall in with any considerable
body.
TRACES OF NATIVES.
At length however I came upon a spot which a number of them appeared to
have quitted only an hour or two before, and where they had been sitting
under a large tree at the edge of one of these ponds; their recent fire
had been first slaked with water and sand then thrown over it. I knew
therefore that they had been disturbed, and most probably by my gun; but
not before they had made a hearty meal of roasted fresh-water mussels
(unios) and nuts of a kind which grew on a large shady tree in pods, like
a tamarind pod, the kernel being contained in a shell, of which each pod
held several, and the fruit tasting exactly like filberts. The spot was
admirably suited for their purpose; their bark beds were placed under the
shelter of this tree and only a few yards distant from the pond, which
contained abundance of large unios.
ATTACK OF NATIVES.
I sat down under the nut tree to consider what was my best plan to adopt.
From the signs around us the natives were evidently much more numerous
than I had expected: in the event of anything happening to one of the
three our return to the main party might be considerably impeded, if not
altogether prevented; and although, from the superiority of our weapons
over theirs, I entertained but little doubt as to the issue of any
contest we might be forced into, the calls of humanity as well is of
personal interest warned me to do my utmost to avoid an affray.
RETURN TOWARDS HANOVER BAY.
I returned therefore to the party and, having made our dinner from
pheasant soup and birds which had been first split in two and then nicely
roasted on the ashes, we commenced our journey homewards, cautiously and
circumspectly, that we might run no risk of being surprised. Until the
evening began to close upon us we pursued our route through scenery
similar to that we had passed the day before, our course laying several
miles to the northward of our former track; and when we halted for the
night I carefully chose a good position and, mentioning my apprehensions
concerning the natives to the men in such a way as to put them on their
guard without exciting their alarm, we bivouacked for the night. Soon
after sunset the thunderstorms of the previous evening were renewed,
accompanied by tremendous rain. This was unfortunate as it rendered it
nearly impossible for us to keep our arms in an efficient state.
December 22.
After passing a wretched and uncomfortable night we started before dawn,
pursuing a direction about west by north, and passed one of the openings
from Prince Regent's River laid down in Captain King's chart, and there
left without a termination, which I had thus an opportunity of fixing.
Having completed about six miles I halted for breakfast. No signs
whatever of the natives had been again seen; this restored my confidence
and, as the sun was intensely hot and we were much fatigued, we lay about
in rather a careless and imprudent way. Fortunately the gathering clouds
prognosticated that we should soon have rain; and, as we could get no
good shelter where we were, I ordered the men to move on: we had just
gained the top of the range when a violent storm of rain overtook us, I
therefore doubled back about a hundred yards to the left of our former
track to gain some rocks forming a portion of a detached group upon a
tableland, and which I had observed as we passed them.
ATTACKED BY NATIVES.
Scarcely had we reached these rocks, and sheltered ourselves under the
overhanging projections, when I saw a savage advancing with a spear in
his right hand, and a bundle of similar weapons in his left; he was
followed by a party of thirteen others, and with them was a small dog not
of the kind common to this country. The men were curiously painted for
war, red being the predominant colour, and each man carried several
spears, a rowing stick, and a club. Their chief was in front, and
distinguished by his hair being of a dark red colour from some
composition with which it was smeared; the others followed him close,
noiselessly, and with stealthy pace, one by one, whilst he, crouching
almost to the earth, pricked off our trail.
We remained concealed and motionless until they had all passed, but the
moment they came to where we had turned off they discovered our retreat,
and raised loud shouts of triumph, as, forming themselves into a
semicircle, they advanced upon us, brandishing their spears and bounding
from rock to rock. It was in vain that I made friendly signs and
gestures, they still closed upon us, and to my surprise I heard their
war-cry answered by a party who were coming over the high rocks in our
rear, which I had flattered myself protected us in that direction.
Our situation was now so critical that I was compelled to assume a
hostile attitude. I therefore shouted in answer to their cries and,
desiring the men to fire one at a time if I gave the word, I advanced
rapidly, at the same time firing one barrel over their heads. This had
the desired effect. With the exception of one more resolute than the rest
they fled on all sides, and he, finding his efforts unavailing, soon
followed their example.
RETURN TO THE ENCAMPMENT. HANOVER BAY.
Feeling however that the neighbourhood we were in was a dangerous one,
and being anxious to know whether the party I had left at the
encampment--only six in number--had seen these natives, I hurried our
march, although the rain fell in torrents all day; and we that night made
the camp.
PROCEEDINGS THERE DURING MY ABSENCE.
I found the party all in good health and spirits: they had seen nothing
whatever of the natives during my absence. The sailing of the Lynher had
been unfortunately delayed until the 21st of December. On the 18th and
19th the tides had been so low that, although Mr. Lushington had done his
utmost, the schooner made little or no progress in her watering. On the
20th the crew and whole party were employed; yet they only succeeded in
getting off 280 gallons for they were obliged to carry the water in small
baricos to the boat, over slippery rocks and deep mud: and on the 21st,
thinking it better to complete their water at Timor, they set sail. This
difficulty of watering only arose from the lowness of the tides (neap)
and our ignorance of the country. Subsequently we found no difficulty in
procuring it; indeed no country in the world is better watered than this
portion of Australia.
Since the sailing of the Lynher the party had been actively engaged in
building a shed for the stores. This labour was still continued, after my
arrival, and completed on Christmas eve.
CHRISTMAS DINNER.
On Christmas Day we all dined together in a little booth made of boughs,
which we dressed up as gaily as we could. I could not but feel
considerable pleasure in seeing the happy countenances of the men ranged
round the rough plank that formed our table. We sat down, a little band
of nine, bound upon an adventure of which the issue to any and all of us
was very uncertain: yet no forebodings appeared to damp the pleasure of
the present moment; and as I anxiously looked round I could not detect
the slightest trace of a gloomy thought in any of the cheerful faces that
surrounded me. After dinner we drank the Queen's health, the first time
such a toast had been given in these regions; and then, Mr. Walker and
myself retiring to talk alone, left the rest to their own amusements.
1838.
PLANTING USEFUL SEEDS.
The interval between that and New Year's Day found and left us full of
occupation. On this latter day I had resolved to do homage to the country
by a seasonable gift; and therefore, rising with the earliest dawn, spent
the whole day in planting, in various positions, seeds of the most useful
fruits and vegetables. Those we had already planted were doing well, and
I hoped that this benefaction might prove one of no small value, perhaps
to civilized man, or at least to the natives of the vicinity.
WALK TO MUNSTER WATER.
January 4.
A party of us this day walked to Hanover Bay for the purpose of making
some observations on the sandy beach there, after which we went over to
Prince Regent's River, near Munster Water. The country until near the
bank of the river at this point was of the same sandy nature as that
about the beach: there however it improves; and from the circumstance of
my finding a regular haunt of the natives I feel sure that there is
plenty of fresh water in the neighbourhood. This place of their sojourn
resembled one before described, and many others I had seen. An extensive
circle was formed by laying a large flat stone upon the ground, and on
each of these a smaller one; between the two they evidently crushed the
shellfish and nuts which formed their food. Near some of the stones were
laid huge shells for the purpose of drinking from; and in the centre of
the circle were the marks of frequent fires. We heard the natives calling
to one another in the woods, but saw none of them; and in the evening
returned to our encampment.
ISTHMUS NEAR HANOVER BAY.
January 6.
I made an excursion this day for the purpose of examining the land lying
between Port George the Fourth and Hanover Bay: it consists of a low neck
which connects the peninsula terminating in High Bluff Point with the
main. Thus it is bounded on two sides by the sea, and on the other two by
rocky hills which are perfectly precipitous, both towards the main and
the peninsula; but a natural terrace runs along under the cliff in the
direction of Camden Sound, which I believe would form a good road to that
harbour. The tract thus enclosed appears to be very fertile. Porphyry and
basalt are the common rocks. The soil is rich vegetable mould, mixed with
gravel and covered with the most luxuriant grass. The trees were in
general small. We only found three springs here; these however were
sufficient to prove that it was well supplied in this respect. A species
of plant was observed here, which in appearance and smell exactly
resembled the jasmine of England: and it would be difficult to give any
adequate impression of the singular sensation of pleasure derived from
the sight of this simple emblem of home. Here were regular beaten tracks
of the natives, as completely pathways as those we find in England
leading from a village to a farmhouse.
HILL OF SHELLS.
Near the sea we also came upon a complete hill of broken shells, which it
must have taken some centuries to form, for it covered nearly, if not
quite, half an acre of ground, and in some places was ten feet high: it
was situated just over a bed of cockles, and was evidently formed from
the remains of native feasts, as their fireplaces, and the last small
heaps of shells were visible on the summit of the hill.* This neck of
land is undoubtedly of the first importance; for, lying as it does
between Port George the Fourth and Hanover Bay, it commands two excellent
harbours, and its soil is moreover highly fertile. I conceive that a
point nearer Camden Bay would be of greater consequence to the mother
country; but, after such a spot, this neck of land is the most important
position on the North-west coast of Australia.
(*Footnote. A similar mass of shells, though of smaller dimensions, is
spoken of by Captain King, at Port Essington: A curious mound,
constructed entirely of shells, rudely heaped together, measuring thirty
feet in diameter, and fourteen feet high, was also noticed near the
beach, and was supposed to be a burying-place of the Indians. King's
Australia volume 1 page 87.)
For some days after our return from this excursion all hands were
occupied in drying the stores, which had suffered a little from the late
rains; in planting barley and potatoes; and in a variety of occupations
of the same nature.
EXCURSION TO COUNTRY ABOUT PRINCE REGENT'S RIVER.
As all the necessary magnetic and astronomical observations were now
completed I seized the opportunity offered by the first favourable day
and started with a party of three in the direction of Prince Regent's
River.
We made the river about Halfway Bay, and then followed its course,
keeping about a mile or two inland. A considerable portion of the land in
the neighbourhood of the river was most excellent, consisting of rich
meadow plains. The general proportion of good country compared with the
bad was still however but small.
GOUTY-STEMMED TREES.
There was a very remarkable feature in the appearance of this part of the
country, caused by the number of gouty stemmed trees (a species of
Capparis ?) These trees grow to a considerable height, and had the
appearance of suffering from some disease, but, from the circumstance of
all of them being affected in the same way, this was undoubtedly their
natural state. I measured one of the largest I here saw, and found that
at eighteen inches above the ground its circumference was about
twenty-eight feet six inches.
The foliage of this tree was slight but graceful, and it was loaded with
a fruit of an elliptical form, as large as a coconut. This fruit was
enclosed in a rind, closely resembling that of the almond, and inside the
rind was a shell containing a soft white pulp, in which were placed a
species of almond, very palatable to the taste, and arranged in this pulp
much in the manner in which the seeds are placed in the pomegranate. Upon
the bark of these trees being cut they yielded in small quantities a
nutritious white gum, which both in taste and appearance resembles
macaroni; and upon this bark being soaked in hot water an agreeable
mucilaginous drink was produced.
This tree is, from this combination of useful qualities, a vegetable
production of no slight value, and probably comes near the cocoa-nut tree
in value. Its worth is well known to the natives for its vicinity is one
of their favourite haunts. Around nearly all of them I have found marks
of their fires, and on many of these trees were several successive rows
of notches, formed in this manner:
All but the last row being invariably scratched out. These rows of
notches were evidently of different ages, and I imagine must indicate the
number of nuts taken each year from the tree.* I often also found rude
drawings scratched upon the trees, but none of these sketches indicated
anything but a very ordinary degree of talent, even for a savage: some
were so imperfect that it was impossible to tell what they were meant to
represent.
(*Footnote. This tree was also observed on this part of the continent by
Captain King, who met with it both at Cambridge Gulf and Careening Bay,
and describes it as follows: Mr. Cunningham was fortunate in finding the
fruit of the tree that was first seen by us at Cambridge Gulf, and had
for some time puzzled us from its immense size and peculiar appearance.
It proved to be a tree of the Natural Order Capparides, and was thought
to be a Capparis; the gouty habit of the stem, which was soft and spongy,
gave it an appearance of disease; but as all the specimens, from the
youngest plant to the full-grown tree, possessed the same deformed
appearance, it was evidently the peculiarity of its habit. The stem of
the largest of these trees measured twenty-nine feet in girt, whilst its
height did not exceed twenty-five feet. It bore some resemblance to the
Adansonia figured in the account of Captain Tuckey's expedition to Congo.
King's Australia volume 1 page 423.)
SINGULAR PIECES OF SANDSTONE.
I this day again remarked a circumstance which had before this period
elicited my attention; which was that we occasionally found fixed in the
boughs of trees, at a considerable height from the ground, pieces of
sandstone, nearly circular in form, about an inch and a half in
thickness, and from four to five in diameter, so that they resembled
small millstones. What was the object in thus fashioning and placing
these stones I never could conceive, for they were generally in the least
remarkable spots: they cannot point out burial places, for I have made
such minute searches that in such a case I must have found some of the
bones; neither can they indicate any peculiar route through the country,
for two never occur near one another.
PREPARATION TO BUILD A BOAT.
On my return to the camp I found that the schooner had not yet arrived; I
now began to fear that some accident had occurred, and made my
preparations accordingly. The party was fully prepared to meet such a
misfortune and, as we had the means of constructing a boat large enough
to take us to Swan River, I felt more anxious for the safety of those in
the vessel than for our own. That no time however might be lost I
examined the neighbourhood of the encampment and found that within our
immediate vicinity were plenty of trees well adapted for the purpose,
which I marked, and had some of them felled.
CHAPTER 7. HANOVER BAY AND ITS VICINITY.
OCCUPATION AT THE CAMP.
During the absence of the schooner we had our attention fully engaged in
forming a garden, collecting specimens, and building sheds for the
stores. So difficult and rocky was the country we were in that I was
employed for several days in finding a route by which unloaded horses
could travel from the beach in Hanover Bay to the point where we were
encamped, for the landing-place at the end of the ravine was so rocky as
to be impracticable for that purpose. Mr. Walker at length discovered a
pass in the cliffs, and by constructing a winding path in this he thought
that we should be able to get loaded horses out of the valley. I feared
that he was too sanguine, and therefore daily renewed my search in all
directions. I travelled up the entire length of the ravine that we were
encamped in but found that, even granting it was not flooded, we should
find great difficulty in emerging by this route.
These circumstances made me resolve upon the return of the schooner to
re-embark the stores, and land them again either upon a point I had fixed
upon on the south bank of Prince Regent's River, or upon the neck of land
I have before mentioned, which lay between Port George the Fourth and
Hanover Bay; but I could not finally decide upon either of the points
until the return of the vessel should enable me to examine the coast
between Port George the Fourth and Camden Sound; for my party only
consisted of nine men, of whom with the exception of three or four I knew
nothing, and after what I had seen of the treacherous disposition of the
natives I did not think, in my position, it would be prudent to absent
myself from them for any length of time.
RETURN OF THE LYNHER.
Amidst such exciting and busy scenes, the time flew rapidly away until
the 17th of January, when about 11 A.M. the report of a carronade came
echoing up the valley. This was the preconcerted signal which was to
announce to us that the vessel was safely at anchor in Hanover Bay. We
were of course all anxiety to hear an account of their adventures, and to
ascertain whether the horses were safe. I hastened directly to the
landing-place, where I met Mr. Lushington and a party coming ashore from
the schooner.
RELATION OF PROCEEDINGS AT KUPANG TIMOR AND ROTI.
The following outline of their transactions was soon given:
They had quitted Hanover Bay on the 21st December at 9 A.M., and reached
Kupang in the Island of Timor on the 1st of January. For the first three
days until they got clear of the land they had every evening, soon after
sunset, heavy squalls from the north-east, accompanied with thunder,
lightning, and rain; the prevalent wind was however from the north-west.
The Lynher remained at Kupang until the 7th, during which time they
completed their water and collected coconuts, bread-fruit trees, etc., to
be planted in Australia; but as Mr. Lushington found that he should be
able more easily to obtain ponies at the island of Roti than at Kupang,
they sailed on the morning of the 7th for that place, and at 7 P.M. came
to in the harbour of Rougun in eleven fathoms water, with muddy bottom.
They were enabled to procure at Roti the requisite number of horses by
the evening of the 11th of January. The people of this island appeared to
be excessively ignorant, knew but little of the nature and value of
money, and were much astonished when they were shown a watch. Their
favourite mode of disposing of their property was by barter; the articles
they prized most were muskets and coarse gunpowder, but they preferred
having the gunpowder in a claret bottle, as if this was considered by
them to be some definite measure which bore a certain value. They were
not very particular about the quality of the muskets provided their
outward form and appearance were tolerably good. I have since ascertained
that the natives of the little-frequented islands of the Archipelago
invariably prefer an old musket to a new one, as they conceive a totally
new one may be unsafe, from having been made merely for the purpose of
sale; whilst one which has seen service has been indisputably
manufactured for use. If they entertain any doubt about the goodness of a
musket they generally insist upon the seller's firing it off.
MODE OF BARTER AT ROTI.
The people of Roti are not allowed to fix themselves what is to be the
price of their horses; all the details of the sale are settled by an
assemblage of chiefs: their constant cry in bartering (if anything else
is offered to them) is "schnapper, schnapper" (a musket, a musket). They
refused at first to take percussion guns in exchange, but when they saw
Captain Browse cock one of these, pour a quantity of water over the lock,
and fire it off, their astonishment knew no bounds, and they then eagerly
bartered for them. When they found that all the muskets were exhausted
they were content to take money and other articles in lieu: an old dress
waistcoat of mine and a regulation breastplate procured eight small
sheep; and Captain Browse got fourteen goats for a pair of old pistols.
The authorities give every encouragement to the trader; but the duties
exacted are high, for at Kupang and Roti they demand six rupees duty for
every horse exported, or musket imported. Arms and gunpowder are no
longer considered contraband.
The inhabitants of Roti were described as being so indolent that it was
almost impossible to induce them to do anything: although every means
were used to tempt them to cut a sufficient quantity of fodder for the
ponies on their passage they constantly delayed doing so and, Mr.
Lushington's patience being at last worn out, the vessel put to sea on
the 12th of January 1838.
NEW ISLAND DISCOVERED.
On the 13th they sighted the Hibernian shoal which they made in 11
degrees 57 minutes south latitude and 123 degrees 22 minutes 30 seconds
east longitude. On Monday 15th of January at 10 P.M. they discovered an
island, thus described in the log of the Lynher:
At 10 hours 30 minutes P.M. saw land about a quarter of a mile ahead;
hauled our wind to west by south; sounded in 12 fathoms water, rocky
bottom; it appeared to be about one mile in extent, and about twenty feet
above the water. After running west by south one mile, got no bottom with
40 fathoms of line. Kept our course south by east: it (the island)
appeared to be quite level with rocks extending to north-west, with heavy
breakers. Made it by observation south latitude 14 degrees 4 minutes;
east longitude 123 degrees 31 minutes by good chronometer rated at Roti.
TROUBLE WITH THE HORSES.
At 6 A.M. on the morning of the 16th they experienced heavy squalls of
wind off Red Island, and this prevented them from getting into Hanover
Bay on that day; but on the morning of the 17th they anchored safely,
without having lost a single pony, or without having experienced any
serious misfortune, having made the passage from Roti in five days.
UNFORESEEN EMBARRASSMENTS.
Some short time was occupied in narrating the adventures we had
respectively encountered since we had last seen one another, and in
giving way to the pleasure arising from meeting again in so distant a
land, and under such circumstances: at last came the unpleasant
announcement that there was not an atom of forage on board, so that the
ponies must of necessity be landed tomorrow; and my plans of disembarking
them at a more eligible site were thus at once overthrown. Being the only
person who knew the route to Hanover Bay from the encampment, I was
obliged to remain on shore to guide the party over there the next
morning. Mr. Lushington and the Captain however returned on board to make
preparations for landing the horses at daybreak.
LANDING THE HORSES.
I lay down to sleep this night oppressed with very uneasy thoughts. I was
thoroughly convinced that the position we occupied was a bad one to make
a start from; but we had already approached too near the season of the
heaviest rains (the beginning of February) to allow of longer delay, so
that to have landed the horses, then to cut grass for them, and
afterwards to have re-embarked them and the stores, would, in my opinion,
have been a tedious and wrong course to adopt. Unforeseen difficulties,
and against which we could not have guarded, had already completely
encompassed us, so that, considering the scanty means at our disposal,
the remote and unknown region in which we were situated, and the
impossibility of our receiving further aid from any quarter, I saw no way
of overcoming them. All therefore that was now left us was to make the
most of our actual means, to acquit ourselves like men, and do our
utmost.
EXCURSION BY WATER TO PRINCE REGENT'S RIVER.
January 18.
Fortune smiled on us this morning in as far as she gave us a fine
daybreak, and at dawn we started for Hanover Bay, leaving a small party
at the encampment. After all the trouble I had taken to find a good route
for the horses, we still had a great deal to do to render it at all
practicable; we however all worked cheerfully and sturdily away at
burning the grass, moving rocks and fallen trees, etc., and thus, as it
were, fought our way through opposing obstacles to Hanover Bay, over a
distance of about four miles.
TROUBLE IN GETTING THE HORSES TO THE CAMP.
On arriving there I found Mr. Lushington already on shore and some of the
horses disembarked. They were not only well selected for the purpose, but
were generally in good condition. They had however two faults which could
not have been avoided, and these were that they were very small and
perfectly wild. By about two o'clock in the afternoon the whole
twenty-six had been swum ashore, and we started for the huts.
Our progress was however slow; for, as there were only a few of us, each
person was obliged to take charge of three or four of these untamed,
unbroken brutes. The mode we adopted was to fasten them together by long
ropes so that the number each man led could follow in a line; but, being
wholly unused to this kind of discipline, they strenuously resisted it,
biting and kicking at one another with the greatest ferocity; and as they
were chiefly very courageous little entire horses, a variety of spirited
contests took place, much to their own satisfaction, but to my infinite
chagrin. Some of the men who were not much accustomed to horses regarded
these wild ponies as being but little better than savage monsters, with
whom it was dangerous to have anything to do; and, being thus rather
afraid of them, treated them very cruelly, kicking them often with great
violence whenever I for a moment looked away, and thus naturally
rendering the ponies still more wild.
But even when we did induce these brutes to move along pacifically they
would not follow one another in a line, but all strove to go in different
directions, and, as our road lay through a rocky forest, the consequence
of this pulling was that the connecting ropes kept on getting entangled
in rocks and trees; indeed there was scarcely an instance of two of them
passing on the same side of a tree or rock at the first attempt, so that
we were continually halting to clear their tether ropes; again, one of
the beasts would now and then become obstinate, refuse to move, and this
delayed us all; for I would not allow the party to separate for fear of
the natives. In consequence of all these adverse circumstances at sunset
we had scarcely got half-way to the encampment; and just at this period
one pony became and remained so obstinate that, in despair, I had it tied
up to a tree alone. We now moved on again as fast as we could, but night
soon surprised us, and, when it became too dark to see our course, we
tethered our horses and laid down in the forest by them; but as it
rained, and we had neither warm clothes nor covering, and many of the
party had tasted nothing since dawn, our situation was not very pleasant;
indeed, the combined circumstances of cold, hunger, and obstinate ponies
had rendered some of the men more crabbed than I had ever before seen
them.
January 19.
As soon as it was light enough to find the ponies we recommenced our
march; and, all our annoyances of yesterday being repeated, did not
succeed in arriving at the ravine until noon--it took us much care and a
great deal of time to reach the bottom of this in safety; when however we
had done so, we knee-haltered the ponies and let them loose amidst very
good feed, of which they now stood much in need, for there was no grass
whatever between the encampment and Hanover Bay; the whole of the
intervening country being a mass of rock, scrub, and spinifex. I now sent
a party back to bring on the refractory pony, which I had yesterday been
obliged to tie up to a tree, and the long fast it had been subjected to
appeared to have produced a very beneficial effect on its temper, for it
now was perfectly docile.
EXCURSION UP PRINCE REGENT'S RIVER. PREPARATIONS FOR MOVING.
For the next few days all was bustle and preparation. The ponies being so
much smaller than I had expected, all our packsaddles had to be altered,
and fourteen of them, which the party had made during the absence of the
schooner, still had to be put together. Mr. Walker undertook the task of
constructing a pathway up the cliffs, by means of which the loaded ponies
could ascend; he laboured personally at making this path, occasionally
assisted by two or three others; and it would be impossible for anyone
who had not seen it at all to comprehend the obstacles he met with, and
the perseverance with which he contended against and finally overcame
them. We were obliged to complete everything in a hurried and
unsatisfactory manner, for our departure had been so long delayed that we
were every day in expectation of the setting in of the heavy rains and
the consequent flooding of the ravine in which we were encamped; and in
the event of this taking place before we made a start it was impossible
to foresee for how long a period our movements might be delayed.
CHARACTER OF ITS SHORES.
On Monday the 22nd Captain Browse and Mr. Walker accompanied me in the
jolly-boat up Prince Regent's River; we went up with the flood-tide,
entering the river by its northern mouth; I had thus an opportunity of
examining the island which lies at the entrance to this great arm of the
sea, and landed upon it in several places, but found only bad sandy land,
occasionally covered with rocks; it was however well wooded and abounded
with birds. After we had passed the mouth of Rothsay Water the tide swept
us along with great rapidity, and we soon found ourselves in St. George's
Basin. I kept close along the northern shore, where we saw but little
good land after entering the basin; but there was one fertile island, of
a small conical shape, bearing nearly due east as you enter. From the
appearance of this island there can be no doubt whatever that it is of
volcanic origin; as it in all respects resembles Mount Lyell and the
other basaltic conical hills which we afterwards found in the fertile
district of Glenelg; we did not however land on it, but merely ran close
by, and then continued our route up the river.
St. George's Basin is a noble sheet of water some ten or twelve miles
across. On its southern side deep inlets run up into a low and marshy
country, leading to fertile districts, and the main object of my present
excursion was to endeavour to identify these inlets with some I had seen
on my first trip to the southward.
SCENERY AND THUNDERSTORM.
On the northern bank lofty mountains, crowned with castellated summits,
rear their sterile heads over the broad waters, and fling their giant
shadows on the bosom of the basin, forming a scene of surpassing beauty.
We had entered the more contracted channel of the river, when there came
on a tremendous squall of wind, rain, thunder, and most vivid lightning.
The pealing echoes of the thunder as they bounded from height to height
and from cliff to cliff was awfully magnificent; whilst the rugged
mountains which had just before looked golden in the bright light of the
setting sun were now shrouded in gloomy mists, and capped with dark
clouds from which issued incessant and dazzling flashes of lightning.
During this grand and terrific elemental convulsion our little boat was
driven powerless before the blast. The impenetrable forests of mangroves
which clothed the riverbanks obliging us to run far up the stream until
at last a convenient opening enabled us to land upon the southern shore.
DELUSIVE APPEARANCE ON THE ROCKS.
We had not long landed when the rain ceased and, as we found several
natural caverns in the rock and plenty of dead mangrove trees, we
proceeded to make ourselves comfortable for the night; but the men soon
reported that they saw the smoke of a native fire close to us, and
Captain Browse and myself, under the conviction that such was the case,
darted with Mr. Walker to endeavour to gain an interview. But, as we
proceeded over the rocks, the smoke appeared gradually to retire, always
keeping about the same distance from us: and we at last ascertained that
what had appeared to us to be smoke was nothing but the rising vapour
occasioned by the cold rain falling on sandstone rocks, which had during
the whole day been exposed to the burning rays of a tropical sun.
We had now become so much accustomed to sleeping without any covering,
and upon hard rocks, that we should not have minded our exposure had it
not been for the rain which fell during the night and beat in under the
rocks, beneath which we had crept for shelter. The cold air of the
morning awoke us long before daylight; and Mr. Walker and myself, having
explored the country to the southward and climbed a high hill from which
we had an extensive view, we started on our return to the schooner. In
proceeding down the river we landed on an island, situate at the
south-eastern extremity of St. George's Basin, just where the river runs
into it. The presence of large dead trees on this island, which had
evidently been swept down the river in the time of floods and washed up
far above the usual water-mark, showed that Prince Regent's River is
subject to the same sudden inundations as all other rivers in Australia
which I have seen. During our passage down the river we saw no extent of
good land in any one place.
STATE OF THE STOCK.
For the next few days we had almost uninterrupted bad weather. The party
were all occupied in preparing the saddles, etc. The ponies having eaten
off the grass in the ravine, we were compelled, about the 28th, to move
them to the higher grounds. These at our first arrival on this coast were
perfectly dry and burnt up; but since the heavy rains had set in they
teemed with running springs, along the margins of which grew a scanty
coating of grass. Being obliged to send the horses to a distance to graze
delayed us a great deal for one portion of our party was occupied in
attending upon them. Our sheep also now began to die off: they had up to
this time improved rapidly and were doing very well, having, during the
absence of the vessel, been regularly tended and driven to the high dry
ground to feed; but now the pressure of business was so great that we
were compelled in some degree to neglect them, and from this they
suffered. The goats had from some cause never succeeded well.
From the period of their being landed many of the horses had declined
very much, and several of them were by this time reduced to a very weakly
state. This originated from the heavy rains and the excessive cold which
accompanied them, as well as from some food they had eaten which had not
agreed with them. On the 28th and 29th the rains increased in violence
and duration; but we still continued our occupations of completing the
packsaddles and arranging the stores in such small packages that they
could easily in case of necessity be transported on men's shoulders.
FINAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE MARCH.
Having provided every requisite for the party, such as food, working
utensils, soap, tobacco, etc., all of which were arranged in their
respective packages, I issued an order that nothing but certain articles
of clothing for each individual were to be put upon the ponies. This step
was rendered the more necessary from their weakness and their diminutive
size having greatly abridged our intended means of transport. Numerous
requests were now made to me to be allowed to put various articles upon
the horses, all of which I felt myself obliged to meet by a steady
refusal; but this refusal, dictated entirely by the necessity of the
case, raised angry and discontented feelings, tending to diminish
materially the individual zeal and energy which were so much required at
this juncture to ensure our success.
DEPARTURE FOR THE INTERIOR. DIFFICULTIES OF THE ROUTE.
On the 29th we began in the afternoon to load our horses. Mr. Walker's
pathway was completed by means of a number of circuitous and sharp
turnings: it led directly up the face of cliffs which were almost
precipitous and 180 feet in height. To commemorate the completion of this
really laborious undertaking I named the valley Walker's Valley.
TROUBLESOME ASCENT FROM THE VALLEY. SICKNESS AND MORTALITY AMONG THE
HORSES AND STOCK.
The ponies, though weak, bore their burdens and submitted to the
packsaddles better than I had hoped. The first horse was led up by the
stock-keeper in safety, with its saddle and load on it; I followed with
the second, but was not so fortunate. I had accomplished about
three-fourths of the ascent when, turning one of the sharp corners round
a rock, the load struck against it and knocked the horse over on its
side. I thought for a moment that the poor beast would have fallen down
the precipice, but luckily its roll was checked in time to prevent this.
There it lay however on a flat rock, four or five feet wide, a precipice
of 150 feet on one side of it, and the projecting rock against which it
had struck on the other, whilst I sat upon its head to prevent it from
moving. Its long tail streamed in the wind over the precipice; its wild
and fiery eye gleamed from its shaggy mane and forelock; and, ignorant of
its impending danger, it kicked and struggled violently, whilst it
appeared to hang in mid-air over the gloomy depth of this tropical
ravine. Anxious as I felt for the safety of my pony I could not be
unconscious of the singular beauty of the scene during the few minutes
that elapsed whilst I was repressing its struggles on a narrow ledge of
rock, of which the dark brow projected threateningly above me, whilst the
noise of a rushing torrent was audible far below. I cut the girths of the
saddle, which then with its load rolled over the precipice, and pitched
with a heavy crash on a rock far down. Even then, if the brute had not
been a denizen of a wild and mountainous country, it must have been lost;
but now it no sooner felt itself freed from its encumbrance than, looking
sagaciously around and then raising itself cautiously up, it stood
trembling by my side upon the narrow terrace.
Warned by this misfortune we managed to make another turn in the path, by
which this awkward rock was avoided, and the remainder of the horses,
with their loads, reached the tableland in safety. But so rocky was this
country that, even after having mastered the ascent, we found great
difficulty in getting the loaded ponies half a mile further to a point I
had fixed on for our camp. We had this night a continued succession of
heavy showers, accompanied with thunder and lightning.
January 30.
This morning it was reported to me that several sheep were dead, and that
the horses were beginning to suffer much from constant exposure to the
heavy cold rains, for the trees were so small, and their foliage so
slight, that they afforded no shelter whatever from tropical showers. On
repairing to the ravine I found that the stream which even yesterday was
much swollen had now become an impetuous torrent, so much so that even to
swim across it was not an easy matter. A tree was soon felled and a
temporary foot-bridge thus formed; and as the rain cleared off a little
towards the afternoon we managed, in this interval of fine weather, to
load the ponies and carry some stores up the cliffs, but the poor beasts
were so much weakened since yesterday that we were obliged to diminish
their loads considerably. They all appeared to be gradually declining in
health, strength, and condition, but from what cause except exposure I
could not tell.
IMPEDIMENTS FROM BAD WEATHER.
January 31.
During last night we had heavy storms, the torrent was still more swollen
and, although we laboured hard all day, we accomplished very little;
several sheep died during the day, and the ponies appeared to be worse. I
became now very anxious as to the result of the expedition; my worst
apprehensions as to the rainy season setting in before we had got clear
of the sandstone ranges had already been fully realized; every endeavour
to hasten our preparations and to prevent this occurrence had been used,
though unsuccessfully; it appeared now the better course to bear up
against evils that could not be avoided than to lose time in murmuring; I
therefore kept all hands constantly employed in doing something which
might tend to accelerate our departure.
HEAVY RAINS.
February 1.
We again had heavy and incessant rain throughout Wednesday night,
accompanied by thunder and lightning. At daylight the stock-keeper came
to report to me that two horses, three sheep, and one goat were dead, and
that several other horses appeared to be in a very dangerous state. All
our stores with the exception of a few articles had now been removed from
the valley in which we had first encamped; some of our goats were still
left there, but the torrent had become so rapid and impetuous that it had
swept away the bridge and was now impassable. Heavy rains fell throughout
the greater portion of the day, and produced a beautiful effect in the
ravines, for cascades were pouring over the cliffs on each side, sweeping
every now and then before them massive pieces of rock, the crash of which
in their fall echoed loudly through the valleys.
FURTHER LOSS OF STOCK.
February 2.
Bad news came again this morning--the stock-keeper met me with a very
rueful countenance to report that another horse and two sheep had just
been found dead, and that several more sheep were missing. It still
rained so heavily that we could not attempt to move, for already a
considerable portion of our stores was damaged by the water which had
filled the ditch, and regularly flooded the tent in which they were
placed.
Mr. Walker started with me for the purpose of marking off a road to the
place we next intended to halt at, for the country was so rocky that it
was necessary to choose a path with the greatest caution, or we should
soon have become embarrassed in precipitous places which the horses could
not have traversed. Whilst I was thus engaged Mr. Lushington and two men
made another unsuccessful attempt to get the goats and remaining stores
across the stream.
WEAKNESS AND OBSTINACY OF THE PONIES.
February 3.
This morning the rain had somewhat abated: the remaining stores were
brought from the ravine, and the goats were swum across; in the meantime
the ponies were brought up and loaded, and all preparations were at last
made for a start: but a host of new difficulties arose; many of the
ponies were found to be in such a weakly state that they could with great
difficulty carry any weight at all. We were obliged to make a totally new
division of the stores, and to select and put aside what articles we
could best leave behind. These preparations occupied a considerable time,
but we at last moved off in a south-east direction. Our progress was
however very slow and tedious; the ponies, though lightly loaded, were so
reduced that the slightest obstacle made many fall from weakness, whilst
others laid down from obstinacy, and the men being inexperienced in
re-fixing the loads, each horse that fell delayed us considerably. At
last so many were down at one time that I advanced with such as were able
to move to a point distant not more than half a mile, where I halted for
the night; and, having unloaded and tethered these horses, we returned to
assist the others, and after a great deal of difficulty got the remainder
of the weak ponies safe to the encampment.
I slept but little this night for I doubted whether, with our cattle so
enfeebled and so out of condition, we should ever succeed in penetrating
any distance into the country. We were still a considerable way from the
fertile plains I had seen to the southward, whilst the intervening ground
was very difficult to travel across and afforded no good feed for the
ponies. All my meditations however only terminated in the conviction that
it was my duty to continue to use my best exertions under such adverse
circumstances.
February 4.
There being no good grass for the horses where we were, I was obliged to
move the party and commenced by using every method I could to lighten the
loads and to rid the expedition of all encumbrances. I left here a male
and female goat who, by their obstinacy, delayed our movements; thinking
also that, if they escaped the natives, their offspring might become a
valuable acquisition to this land.
We also left here 28 pounds of gunpowder, 10 pounds of ball cartridges,
70 pounds of shot, 200 pounds of preserved meat, some carpenters' tools,
and many other useful articles; yet, notwithstanding this decrease in the
loads of the ponies, the country we had to travel through was so bad that
we only completed two miles in the course of the day; and yet to find the
track by which we did succeed in crossing the range had cost me many
successive hours' walking under a burning sun. The character of the
country we passed through was the same as these sandstone ranges always
present; namely, sandy scrubby plains, and low ranges of ruinous, rocky
hills, in trying to scramble over which the ponies received numerous and
severe falls. We however had a very beautiful halting-place, shaded by
lofty pines and affording fair feed for the animals.
NEW PLAN OF MOVEMENTS.
February 5.
On this morning it was reported to me that several of the ponies were in
a dying state, and that none of them would be again able to carry even
such light loads as they had hitherto done; the quantity of stores they
could now convey was quite inadequate to supply a party of the strength
we were obliged to move with for any great length of time. A new plan of
operations was thus forced upon me, and I now resolved to proceed as
follows:
To advance with half our stores to a convenient place for encamping at,
and then, on the succeeding day, to send back some of the party with the
ponies for the remaining portion of the provisions; whilst, accompanied
by two men, I marked off the road by which we were to move on the
following day. This mode of proceeding would not very much delay our
movements; for the country we were at present in was of so intricate a
nature that it was impossible to move loaded horses without previously
marking a road for them; and by its adoption I trusted to be able to
establish a depot of provisions at some point distant from the coast and
whence we could yet make a good start in a southerly direction.
LABOUR OF TRACING ROUTE.
In pursuance of this plan Mr. Lushington returned this day to our last
camp to bring up the provisions we had abandoned; whilst I went off with
two men to endeavour to pick out a route by which the ponies could
travel. A more toilsome day's work than we had could not be imagined. For
eleven hours I was incessantly walking, exposed during the greater part
of the time to the burning rays of a tropical sun; and we found nothing
but rocky, almost impassable sandstone ranges and precipitous ravines. I
however at last succeeded in discovering a path along which it was just
possible we might be able, by using great care, to lead loaded horses;
and on my return to the camp I found that all the remaining stores had
been brought up.
DESCENT INTO A VALLEY.
February 6.
We began our descent this morning from the tableland into a deep valley,
following the track we had yesterday marked off, which was still however
so rugged and rocky as to be very difficult to get along. Heavy rains set
in, and these were always so cold that the large drops falling upon us
Occasioned quite a painful sensation. The valleys being all flooded there
was no feed in them for the horses and sheep; I therefore was obliged to
send them back under charge of Mr. Lushington to the camp, which we had
this morning quitted.
I retained three men with me; and after the remainder of the party had
moved off I left two of them in charge of the stores, and started with
Corporal Coles, again to explore the country in front of us.
CHARACTER OF THE COUNTRY. FLOODED RAVINE.
About half a mile to the south there was a deep ravine, bounded on each
side by lofty cliffs. This ravine resembled in many respects the one we
had first encamped in, but it was larger; and it was now impossible to
travel either up or down in it on account of the great body of water
which occupied its bed. Just opposite to where we were this ravine
separated into three smaller ones, running up into the sandstone ranges
along which I had previously sought for a route whereby to turn and
travel round their heads; but I had found the country so rocky, so
impracticable, and devoid of forage that I felt sure it was useless to
attempt to traverse it.
My next object was to find a passage out of the main ravine, between the
points where the subsidiary ravines ran into it, and where it joined the
sea. If I could succeed in doing this our difficulties would, in a great
measure, have terminated, for no other main ravine lay between us and the
fertile plains which I had seen to the southward; and I knew that we
should find no difficulty in traversing the intervening sandstone range,
which consisted of a series of elevated plains or terraces, rising one
behind the other.
With this view Coles and myself searched until after sunset, but without
success. We found the ravine bounded throughout its southern side by
inaccessible cliffs. Occasionally little branch ravines ran into it; but
on penetrating for some distance up these they invariably terminated in
precipitous cascades. A great portion of this afternoon was spent up to
our middles in water as we waded about the flooded valley; and the only
thing we had to compensate us for the fatigue and suffering we underwent
was the wild beauty of the scenery, which was as lovely and picturesque
as impetuous torrents, foaming cascades, lofty rocks, and a rich tropical
vegetation could render it.
NATIVES.
On our return homewards, wearied and disappointed, we came close upon a
large party of natives before they were aware of our presence. Coles had
followed me up the northern bank of the ravine, and we thus occupied a
good position; the natives had, I suppose, wished to avoid us, for we saw
no more of them, but merely heard the sound of their retiring voices as
they moved up the centre of the valley. We now returned to the men we had
left in charge of the stores, and reached the tent soon after dark.
LABOUR OF TRACING AND FORMING A PATH.
February 7.
This day was passed in constructing the pathway which was to lead us down
into the deep ravine in our front. Whilst the men were thus engaged I
traversed the country I had yesterday visited in the hope that I might
yet find some outlet into the good country which would take us clear of
the others; but my searches were in vain. Only one man accompanied me,
and I completely knocked him up ere the evening closed in upon us. We
then were obliged to retrace our steps to the camp, and I now found
myself perfectly worn out by the fatigue consequent on such continued and
violent walking exercise under a tropical sun.
It was however cheering to me to see how constantly some of the men had
laboured at forming the road down the valleys which led into the ravine.
The horses had been brought down thus far; but three more of them had
died, so that our twenty-six ponies were reduced to nineteen, many of
whom were in wretched condition.
CONTINUED DIFFICULTIES OF ROUTE.
February 8.
We again resumed our journey towards the interior; but the pathway, which
ran through the valleys leading to the summit of the ravine, was still so
broken and difficult that the ponies could only carry half loads along
it; and the descent down the clifTs was so steep that they were obliged
to be unladen and led into the ravine without their burdens, which were
carried down upon the men's shoulders. Men could not have behaved better
than they all did on this occasion, particularly Corporal Auger who,
possessing the power of carrying on his back very heavy burdens, took
every occasion of exercising it in such a way as to stimulate the others,
and very much to accelerate our movements.
But even when we had with so much labour got ponies, stores, etc. to the
bottom of the ravine, our troubles had, as it were, only commenced, for
we now had to get out of it on the other side. In the course of the
afternoon however a path had been made, and most of the stores were
safely stowed upon an elevated tableland where we had pitched the tents.
The place I had chosen for our camp was a pretty spot; a sweet, short
herbage had been raised by the heavy rains from the sandy soil, and
amongst this the beauteous flowers, for which Australia is deservedly
celebrated, were so scattered and intermixed that they gave the country
an enamelled appearance. A lofty species of Casuarina was intermingled
with trees of a denser foliage, and on each side we looked down into two
deep ravines; through the dense dark foliage of which could be seen the
white foaming waters brawling on their way far below.
The next day was occupied in bringing up the remainder of the stores from
the ravine and repairing the damages which had resulted from the bursting
of bags and other mischief in their transit over such rough ground. Early
in the morning we all had a good bathe, and only those who have been so
constantly engaged under a burning sun, and for upwards of a week without
regularly washing or undressing, can at all estimate the pleasure with
which I plunged into the clear and rapid stream.
ASCENT FROM THE RAVINE.
After thus performing our ablutions we breakfasted, and then, whilst the
stores were being conveyed to the tableland, I started, accompanied by
one man, to explore a route for our line of march next day. After
continuing on the tableland for about a mile I traced a good route both
into and out of another ravine; the stream which occupied the bed of this
was so swollen that I had some difficulty in finding a ford across it;
but after a few rather ludicrous plunges and falls upon the green
slippery rocks I succeeded in detecting a tolerably good one. Our line of
route now lay across some elevated open plains, clothed with spinifex,
and thinly wooded with a large species of Eucalyptus. We saw here
numerous signs of the natives, who had been cutting steps in the trees
for the purpose of hunting opossums. These open plains extended for about
two miles, and we then reached another small ravine, with a rapid stream
running through it. A very good route brought us across this slight
descent and stream; and from this point no further impediment of any
consequence appeared to lie in our way. The direction in which I now
wished to travel presented a series of rocky, sandy plains, thinly
wooded, and affording a scanty sufficiency of food for the ponies.
EXHAUSTION FROM FATIGUE. COLD RAINS.
During the time I was searching for this route the rain had fallen in
torrents, and the quantity of ground I had walked over was so
considerable that I was exhausted; riding was quite impossible in these
excursions as, in many places where the ground was covered with loose
rocks overgrown with a vegetation which concealed treacherous cavities,
it was necessary to pass across it two or three times before I could
determine whether a horse could move over it or not. Today I found myself
completely knocked up, and felt certain that I could not for many days
longer bear up against such continued fatigues. On my return to the camp
I found all prepared for a start tomorrow; but many of the horses were so
ill as to be incapable of carrying more than half a load.
February 10.
We moved off at daybreak and, having reached the ravine, set to work to
form a pathway down the descent, and up the ascent on the other side,
under the additional disadvantage of heavy rain. The sudden transition
from the rays of a burning sun to this cold bath made my teeth chatter as
if I had a tertian ague. When half our work was completed we breakfasted
in the beautiful ravine amidst the dark luxuriant vegetation of the
tropics, formed by the pandanus, bamboo, and palm.
After breakfast the men recommenced their labour on the road. About two
P.M. it was completed, and we then loaded the ponies and set out. The
poor animals were however so weak that it was almost impossible to get
them to move; they stumbled and fell repeatedly, and thus thereby not
only injured themselves but so delayed our movements that we only made
three miles and a half during the day, and then halted for the night on
very elevated land, and in a good position, for we were on a little sandy
rise, along the base of which ran a stream, distant about one hundred
yards.
WORST DIFFICULTIES SURMOUNTED.
Having thus gained the elevated plains I laid down to sleep, satisfied
that the worst of our labours were over; yet I could not but recollect
that it had taken us ten days to reach a spot which by the proper route
was only a short day's journey from the valley we were first encamped in,
and that in our march through the country we had been compelled to
traverse we had lost seven ponies, and injured many of those remaining;
all these difficulties arose from our departure having been delayed so
long that the rains had set in and so flooded the country that we could
not proceed by the proper route.
CHAPTER 8. TO THE GLENELG RIVER.
MEETING AND ENCOUNTER WITH THE NATIVES.
February 11.
The stores we had left behind yesterday were so necessary to us that I
was fearful they might be injured or destroyed if left exposed in the
bush beyond today, and therefore despatched a party under Mr. Lushington
for them.
Some time after they were gone I started from the encampment on foot,
with the intention of choosing a track for our route next day, as well as
of endeavouring to fall in with my former track in this direction; for by
so doing I should be enabled to get the party on the good land without
further impediment, and at the same time to complete my map of this part
of the country.
GATHERING OF NATIVES ABOUT THE CAMP.
I was accompanied by Corporal Coles and a fine-looking young man about
twenty years of age, from the Cape of Good Hope, leaving three men at the
camp. Soon after my departure these men heard the voices of natives in
the woods, and presently they appeared themselves in numbers which
rapidly increased until there were collected together about two hundred
men, women, and children. The party at the tents instantly got under
arms, and posted themselves on the brow of the hill on which our tents
stood; whilst at some distance from its base, and on the opposite side of
the stream, the natives were assembled.
The advance of a large armed body from the woods seemed now to indicate
that a hostile movement was about to be made; one of my party therefore
shouted out to them in a threatening tone, motioning to them at the same
time to go away. The natives immediately answered the shout, then halted,
and, after apparently consulting together for some time, retired a
little. The party at the tents simultaneously took counsel together and,
agreeing that it would be imprudent in their small number to hold
intercourse, under the existing circumstances, with so large a body of
natives, it was resolved not to allow them to approach beyond a certain
point, and, in the event of any armed portion passing the stream towards
the tents in disregard of their signals, then to fire on them one by one.
PROCEEDINGS AT THE CAMP.
In the meantime the women and little children moved round the hill,
examining everything with the most intense delight: a pony which was in
front of the camp more particularly excited their attention; the little
children laughed loudly at it, and appeared also to laugh at the party
themselves, regarding them much the same way that little boys do a
stranger in foreign costume when he appears in the streets of a country
village in England. The native men regarded the pony more seriously; they
walked round and round, examining it carefully, and when the little
stallion, becoming playful from these marks of attention, neighed, put
down his head, and prepared to fight and kick vigorously, they all beat a
precipitate retreat.
The party at the tents overlooked all their movements and heard every
word that was uttered. They describe the language this people spoke as
clear, distinct, and agreeable to the ear; the men they observed to be a
fine race, tall and athletic: two were remarked in particular, one of
whom was very tall, and had his forehead and face painted with white
(their sign of mourning, and that there is a death to avenge) whilst the
other was of a far lighter shade of colour than the rest, and these two
appeared to direct the general movements.
After some time distant shouts were heard from other natives in the
direction in which my party had seen me go; and a large body of the
native men instantly hurried off in that quarter, headed by the tall man
and the light-coloured one I have just mentioned. Then ensued a pause of
about two hours, during which the native women and children wandered
about in the distance, conversing in groups: suddenly was heard shouts,
as of distress, from the same quarter, which were answered by the natives
in front of the camp, when all moved off in a hurried manner and were
seen there no more. But in the interim another scene connected with this
had been passing at a distance.
EVENTS IN TRACING A ROAD.
On quitting the camp in the morning I and my two companions traversed for
some time portions of the elevated sandstone plains which I had passed on
a former occasion; and, after an hour's walking through the gloomy
stringy-bark forest which covered them, we reached a stream of water
running in a shallow valley; and as there was a bad route down to this I
halted to make a road which the ponies could traverse. There was plenty
of water and forage hereabouts, and a fine level country for our
proceedings, so that we were all in high hopes and spirits, and, as I
then believed, our principal difficulties were at an end.
Whilst at work at the road we all thought that we heard a native call,
and that others answered him; having listened for a repetition of these
sounds we again heard them, but they were so indistinct in character that
none of us this time agreed as to what they were. I imagined that it was
the call of a bird and, when I again heard the same sound very faintly in
the distance, I felt convinced it was not a human voice, and proceeded on
my way perfectly at ease.
My attention was soon occupied by other objects. I saw from a hill I
ascended some remarkable blue peaks to the south: this gave us fresh
hopes; and nothing occurred till about three-quarters of an hour after we
had first heard the native call, when we arrived at a short descent
covered with rocks, from which started a large kangaroo; I got a fair
shot at, and knocked it over, but it sprang up again and hopped away; we
then tried to track it but soon lost its footsteps in the scrubby
vegetation of the gloomy forest,
It was the duty of the Cape man who accompanied me to mark a tree every
here and there by chipping the bark, so that the party might the next day
easily recognise the route which they had to pursue; upon looking back I
now perceived that he had neglected a very remarkable tree about twenty
or thirty yards behind us, and which stood close to the spot where I had
fired at the kangaroo. I desired him to go back and chip it, and then to
rejoin us; in the meantime I stood musing as to the best means of
avoiding the little rocky ravine in our front.
SUDDEN SURPRISE BY NATIVES.
Finding that the man remained absent longer than I had expected I called
loudly to him, but received no answer, and therefore passed round some
rocks which hid the tree from my view to look after him. Suddenly I saw
him close to me breathless and speechless with terror, and a native with
his spear fixed in a throwing-stick in full pursuit of him; immediately
numbers of other natives burst upon my sight; each tree, each rock,
seemed to give forth its black denizen, as if by enchantment.
A moment before, the most solemn silence pervaded these woods. We deemed
that not a human being moved within miles of us, and now they rang with
savage and ferocious yells, and fierce armed men crowded round us on
every side, bent on our destruction.
CONTEST WITH THEM. UNFORTUNATE RESULTS.
There was something very terrible in so complete and sudden a surprise.
Certain death appeared to stare us in the face: and, from the determined
and resolute air of our opponents, I immediately guessed that the man who
had first seen them, instead of boldly standing his ground, and calling
to Coles and myself for assistance, had at once, like a coward, run away;
thus giving the natives confidence in themselves, and a contempt for us:
and this conjecture I afterwards ascertained was perfectly true.
We were now fairly engaged for our lives; escape was impossible, and
surrender to such enemies out of the question.
As soon as I saw the natives around me I fired one barrel of my gun over
the head of him who was pursuing my dismayed attendant, hoping the report
would have checked his further career. He proved to be the tall man seen
at the camp, painted with white. My shot stopped him not: he still closed
on us and his spear whistled by my head; but, whilst he was fixing
another in his throwing stick, a ball from my second barrel struck him in
the arm and it fell powerless by his side. He now retired behind a rock,
but the others still pressed on.
IMMINENT DANGER.
I now made the two men retire behind some neighbouring rocks, which
formed a kind of protecting parapet along our front and right flank,
whilst I took post on the left. Both my barrels were now exhausted; and I
desired the other two to fire separately, whilst I was reloading; but to
my horror, Coles, who was armed with my rifle, reported hurriedly that
the cloth case with which he had covered it for protection against rain
had become entangled. His services were thus lost at a most critical
moment whilst trying to tear off the lock cover; and the other man was so
paralysed with fear that he could do nothing but cry out, "Oh, God! Sir,
look at them; look at them!"
In the meantime our opponents pressed more closely round; their spears
kept whistling by us, and our fate seemed inevitable. The light coloured
man, spoken of at the camp, now appeared to direct their movements. He
sprang forward to a rock not more than thirty yards from us and, posting
himself behind it, threw a spear with such deadly force and aim that, had
I not drawn myself forward by a sudden jerk, it must have gone through my
body, and as it was it touched my back in flying by. Another
well-directed spear, from a different hand, would have pierced me in the
breast, but, in the motion I made to avoid it, it struck upon the stock
of my gun, of which it carried away a portion by its force.
All this took place in a few seconds of time, and no shot had been fired
but by me. I now recognized in the light-coloured man an old enemy who
had led on the former attack against me on the 22nd of December. By his
cries and gestures he now appeared to be urging the others to surround
and press on us, which they were rapidly doing.
FALL OF THE NATIVE CHIEF.
I saw now that but one thing could be done to save our lives, so I gave
Coles my gun to complete the reloading, and took the rifle which he had
not yet disengaged from the cover. I tore it off and, stepping out from
behind our parapet, advanced to the rock which covered my light-coloured
opponent. I had not made two steps in advance when three spears struck me
nearly at the same moment, one of which was thrown by him. I felt
severely wounded in the hip, but knew not exactly where the others had
struck me. The force of all knocked me down, and made me very giddy and
faint, but as I fell I heard the savage yells of the natives' delight and
triumph; these recalled me to myself, and, roused by momentary rage and
indignation, I made a strong effort, rallied, and in a moment was on my
legs; the spear was wrenched from my wound, and my haversack drawn
closely over it, that neither my own party nor the natives might see it,
and I advanced again steadily to the rock. The man became alarmed and
threatened me with his club, yelling most furiously; but as I neared the
rock behind which all but his head and arm was covered he fled towards an
adjoining one, dodging dexterously, according to the native manner of
confusing an assailant and avoiding the cast of his spear; but he was
scarcely uncovered in his flight when my rifle ball pierced him through
the back between the shoulders, and he fell heavily on his face with a
deep groan.
DISPERSION OF HIS FOLLOWERS.
The effect was electrical. The tumult of the combat had ceased: not
another spear was thrown, not another yell was uttered. Native after
native dropped away and noiselessly disappeared. I stood alone with the
wretched savage dying before me, and my two men close to me behind the
rocks, in the attitude of deep attention; and as I looked round upon the
dark rocks and forests, now suddenly silent and lifeless but for the
sight of the unhappy being who lay on the ground before me, I could have
thought that the whole affair had been a horrid dream.
For a second or two I gazed on the scene and then returned to my former
position. I took my gun from Coles, which he had not yet finished
loading, and gave him the rifle. I then went up to the other man, and
gave him two balls to hold, but when I placed them in his hands they
rolled upon the earth--he could not hold them, for he was completely
paralysed with terror, and they fell through his fingers; the
perspiration streamed from every pore; he was ghastly pale and trembled
from head to foot; his limbs refused their functions; his eyes were so
fixed in the direction in which the natives had disappeared that I could
draw his attention to nothing else; and he still continued repeating,
"Good God, sir! look at them, look at them."
The natives had all now concealed themselves, but they were not far off.
Presently the wounded man made an effort to raise himself slowly from the
ground: some of them instantly came from behind the rocks and trees,
without their spears, crowding round him with the greatest tenderness and
solicitude; two passed their arms round him, his head drooped senselessly
upon his chest, and with hurried steps the whole party wound their way
through the forest, their black forms being scarcely distinguishable from
the charred trunks of the trees as they receded in the distance.
To have fired upon the other natives when they returned for the wounded
man would, in my belief, have been an unnecessary piece of barbarity. I
already felt deeply the death of him I had been compelled to shoot: and I
believe that when a fellow-creature falls by one's hand, even in a single
combat rendered unavoidable in self-defence, it is impossible not
sincerely to regret the force of so cruel a necessity.
RETURN WOUNDED.
I had now time to attend to my own state and that of my men, and found
that they were uninjured. I had been severely wounded in the hip; another
spear had just cut my right arm, and a third had deeply indented my
powder-flask, whilst lying in a haversack, immediately over my stomach.
The men were not, up to this moment, aware of my being wounded, as I had
thought it better to conceal this circumstance from them as long as I
could. The natives had gone off in the direction of the tents; and as I
felt doubtful whether they might seize upon a favourable opportunity to
surprise the party there, and thus revenge their defeat, I was anxious to
reach the encampment as soon as possible. We therefore bound up my wound
as well as we could, picked up the spear which I had drawn out from my
hip, and started homewards.
We did not take with us any of the other spears or native weapons which
were lying about in abundance; for I still wished to show this people
that I was actuated by no ill will towards them. They did not however
deal so generously with us; for Coles unfortunately forgot a notebook
which he was carrying for me, containing many observations of great
value; and I sent back a party to look for it, but the natives had
returned to the place and carried off all their own spears, and other
weapons, and my notebook likewise.
The first part of our march homewards was managed tolerably well. We saw
the tracks of the natives, as if they were still retiring in the
direction of the tents; and at one place, close to a group of detached
rocks, were several tame native dogs, near which I have no doubt a party
of men or women were concealed, as these animals seldom wander far from
their masters. We did not however see any natives, and continued our
route unmolested.
My wound began by degrees to get very stiff and painful, and I was
moreover excessively weak and faint from loss of blood; indeed I grew so
dizzy that I could scarcely see, and neither of the others were capable
of leading the party back to the tents; yet I was afraid to halt and rest
for I imagined that if I allowed my wound to grow cold and benumbed I
should then be unable to move; leaning therefore on Coles's arm, I walked
on as rapidly as I could, directing the men which way to go.
MISTAKE OF THE ROUTE.
Unfortunately however we lost our track and, after walking for nearly two
hours, I found that we were far from the encampment, whilst my sight and
strength were momentarily failing. Under these circumstances I told Coles
to walk in a direction which I gave him, and which led directly across
the beaten track of the party; having reached which he could easily make
out the encampment, and, leaning on his arm more heavily than before, we
again moved on.
INABILITY TO PROCEED.
Having reached the track of the party and turned southward to follow it I
still pushed on until we were within two miles of the tent, when, as I
tried to cross a stream, I strained my wounded hip severely, just reached
the opposite shore, and fell utterly unable to rise again. Coles, with
his usual courage and devotion to me, volunteered to go on alone to the
party and send assistance; the other man was to remain with me and keep a
lookout for the natives, and, had they again attacked us, I should still
have had strength enough to have shot two of them, and thus have sold my
life dearly. I desired Coles to say that a tent, stores, the surgeon, and
two men were to be sent to me, for that I was not well enough to be
moved.
REFLECTIONS.
The water of the stream revived me considerably. My wound however was
very painful, and the interim between Corporal Coles leaving me, and
assistance arriving from the tent was spent in meditations, arising
naturally from my present circumstances. I sat upon the rocky edge of a
cool clear brook, supported by a small tree. The sun shone out brightly,
the dark forest was alive with birds and insects. On such scenery I had
loved to meditate when a boy, but now how changed I was; wounded,
fatigued, and wandering in an unknown land. In momentary expectation of
being attacked my finger was on the trigger, my gun ready to be raised,
my eyes and ears busily engaged in detecting the slightest sounds, that I
might defend a life which I at that moment believed was ebbing with my
blood away; the loveliness of nature was around me, the sun rejoicing in
his cloudless career, the birds were filling the woods with their songs,
and my friends far away and unapprehensive of my condition, whilst I felt
that I was dying there.
And in this way very many explorers yearly die. One poor youth (Mr.
Frederick Smith) my own friend and companion, has thus fallen since the
circumstances above described took place; others have, to my knowledge,
lately perished in a similar way. A strange sun shines upon their lonely
graves; the foot of the wild man yet roams over them: but let us hope
when civilization has spread so far that their graves will be sacred
spots that the future settlers will sometimes shed a tear over the
remains of the first explorer, and tell their children how much they are
indebted to the enthusiasm, perseverance, and courage of him who lies
buried there.
Mr. Walker was by my side within an hour after the time that Coles had
left me; he had come on alone ahead of the others, not knowing but that I
might be in immediate danger, and therefore running a risk on my account
that I can never forget.
He dressed my wound and told me that assistance was at hand to convey me
to the tents. Mr. Lushington soon arrived with a pony. It was now growing
very late in the day. I therefore did not like to remonstrate against
being moved on horseback although, from the position of my wound, I
feared that it was an injudicious mode of conveyance in my state. I was
placed upon the pony and, supported by my comrades, moved onwards to the
tent.
REACH THE CAMP. CONSEQUENCES OF THE WOUND.
I cared but little for the want of comforts I must now be subject to.
Therein I only shared the lot of many a worthy soldier; but one thing
made the night very wretched, for then through the woods came the
piercing shrieks of wailing women and the mournful cries of native men,
sorrowing over him who had that day fallen by my hand. These cries rang
on my ears all night, startling me at every moment from my feverish and
fitful slumbers.
Early next morning the natives moved off in a westerly direction without
having again attempted in any way whatever to molest us. My wound was not
today so painful as I had anticipated. Mr. Walker, at my request,
attempted to heal it by union by the first intention, as I hoped to be
thus only compelled to delay the party for a few days.
My pain and suffering were, after the first day, so great, owing to an
abscess having formed in my hip, that I was unable to keep a regular
journal, and will therefore give a short narrative of the events which
occurred, recommencing my journal on the 27th of February, the day on
which I was sufficiently recovered to enable me to proceed with the
party.
CAPE MAN SENT BACK TO THE VESSEL.
Two or three days after I had been wounded the man from the Cape, who had
been with me at the time, came to request that he might be allowed to
leave the party and return to the vessel. He stated very fairly that his
horror and dread of the natives were so great he should never be able to
face them; that he had never been before placed in circumstances of
danger; and felt himself quite unable to cope with them; that if his own
father had been with him when they attacked us he could not have helped
him; and that he was sure he should die of fright if ever he saw them
again.
I thought it would be cruel to compel him to remain with the party, and
it was moreover impossible to tell what evil effect his cowardice might
produce upon the others; when already he had, by running away from the
natives, induced them to attack us. The only account he gave of this
transaction was that he saw a native sitting on a rock with a spear and,
feeling alarmed, immediately ran away. No one after this could feel in
the least surprised at the consequences. The peculiar characteristic of
this savage race appears to be that they in all cases act upon first
impulses and impressions. I have repeatedly remarked this trait in their
character; and undoubtedly when they found an unknown being in their
native wilds, who fled from them in evident fear, it was to be expected
that they would, in the first instance, feel very much inclined to run
after, and throw a spear at him.
On the 21st of February I sent a party under Mr. Walker back to the
schooner for the purpose of escorting this man, as well as to direct the
Captain to delay her departure from the bay until the 2nd day of May;
which delay would allow time for us to complete the exploration of this
part of the country, and I could then decide upon what course I had
better adopt.
EVENTS DURING PERIOD OF HALT.
Mr. Walker returned on the 22nd, having executed both these commissions;
and his party brought back for me a little sugar, arrowroot, and wine.
All of these were articles of which, in my present state, I stood much in
need.
My recovery was a good deal delayed by the circumstances in which I was
placed. The heat in the store-tent, a portion of which I occupied, was
sometimes as high as 136 degrees of Fahrenheit, and until the return of
Mr. Walker I had been able to obtain nothing to eat or drink but damper
and tea without sugar; I also reclined upon the ground, until sores broke
out from lying on so hard a surface in one position. Corporal Auger
latterly however made a sort of low stretcher, which gave me a little
more ease. Added to these bodily ills were many mental ones--but I will
not dwell longer on times so replete with painful recollections.
ANECDOTE OF RUSTON.
During the time I was lying in my tent, in great pain and very low
spirits, I was attended with every care and kindness by Ruston, the
sailor I had brought from the Cape, who occasionally suggested such odd
topics of comfort as his philosophy could supply; and one day, either
from some expressions I had dropped, or other circumstance, he conceived
that the death of the native I had shot was preying most upon my mind;
under this impression he came into the tent, seated himself on a
flour-bag near me, and made his usual inquiries as to my wants and
desires; then, glancing at recent events, proceeded to say: "Well, Sir,
I'm sure if I were you, I shouldn't think nothing at all of having shot
that there black fellow; why, Sir, they're very thick and plentiful up
the country." I did not exactly see the consolation to be derived from
this argument of Ruston's, but I could not forbear smiling at its
quaintness, and feeling grateful for the kindness with which it was
intended.
TRACK FOUND.
During my illness Mr. Lushington explored a track to the westward of the
one I had formerly taken, and of which he reported so favourably that I
determined to pursue it. According to his account, by following it for
seven or eight miles, we should get altogether clear of the sandstone
ranges, and enter a tract of country of great fertility. On the 26th Mr.
Walker reported me to be so much better that he thought I might with
safety move on the next day on horseback, and preparations were
accordingly made for a start.
A very serious change had taken place in our resources in one respect,
for only fourteen ponies now remained alive out of twenty-six, and many
of these were so weak and in such bad condition as to be almost useless.
On opening one of those which had died about a hat-full of sand was found
in its inside, and it therefore appeared very probable that the ponies,
having been landed in the first instance on loose sandy soil producing
only a short and scanty vegetation, had taken up so much sand with their
food as to interfere with the functions of the stomach, and hence had
arisen their gradual wasting away and ultimate death. I indeed entertain
no doubt that the great loss of ponies we sustained arose from this
cause.
CHANGE OF PLANS.
This reduction in the number of our beasts of burden prevented me from
entertaining further hope of being able to proceed for any great distance
parallel to the coast in a southerly direction. I therefore formed a
depot at our present encampment, burying all such stores as the remaining
ponies were unable to carry on. My intentions being merely to proceed as
far as the supply of provisions we could carry with us would last, then
to return to our position, and from thence to the schooner.
DESCRIPTION OF A NEW VOLCANIC COUNTRY.
On the morning of the 27th of February I was, in pursuance of this plan
of operations, lifted on my horse, and we moved on in a south-west
direction, across sandy plains covered with scrub and a species of
stringy-bark; but on travelling for about a mile and a half the character
of the country became more rocky and difficult. After moving down a
slight descent, we came to a rapid stream, the same one on the banks of
which I had heard the natives' calls on the day I was wounded; the banks
afforded good food for the horses and trees which offered some shelter to
the men from the burning heat of the sun. I determined therefore to halt
here for breakfast; indeed the horses were so completely knocked up that
they were incapable of travelling any further. We had already been
compelled to abandon one of them in a dying state since we had started in
the morning.
We halted for about an hour and a half and then recommenced our journey,
but were unfortunate enough to miss the marked trees, and therefore
wandered a good deal in our attempts to find the right track. Whilst thus
roaming in the wood we passed two spots about one hundred yards distant
from each other, which I imagined to be native burying-places: they
consisted of piles of small loose stones so heaped together as to form a
large mound; these mounds were placed on flat bare rocks, one of them,
the smaller, had been recently made, the other was larger and much older,
for it was partly overgrown with plants.
VIEW FROM THE SANDSTONE RANGE.