DESCRIPTION OF NEW SOUTH WALES--DEPARTURE THEREFROM--ARRIVAL
AT VAN DIEMAN'S LAND.
We now made for the eastern coast of New Holland, southward of Port
Jackson; the coast has a most beautiful appearance, being constantly
green during the year. From the south cape, about five leagues to the
northward, is a most spacious bay with good anchorage, and sheltered
from all winds. The natives are very ferocious; few vessels put in
without partially suffering by their depredations, particularly seamen
who, having ventured from their parties, have been by them cut off,
robbed, and murdered. This place is called Two-fold Bay; ten leagues
farther north is Bateman's Bay. Here is good anchorage and plenty of
fresh water, but it lies open to the E. N. E. winds, and when they
prevail they are accompanied by a heavy swell, so that it is
impossible for vessels to lie secure. Seventeen leagues farther north
is Jervis's Bay, and an excellent harbour and good shelter from all
winds, with a fine sandy bottom. Round two small islands, at the mouth
of the bay, there are two very large kinds of fish, which are caught
in abundance with hook and line, called king fish and snappers.
The next harbour to the northward is Botany Bay, which is a capacious
bay, with excellent anchorage for shipping; but the entrance is very
dangerous to those commanders who are strangers to the coast. At the
head of the bay is George's River, which extends about sixty miles up
the country, and is navigable for small vessels of about 40 tons
burden; on the banks of this river there are several settlements,
which I shall hereafter describe. Nine miles farther north are the
heads of Port Jackson; on approaching the heads from sea, the entrance
is so narrow, and the rocks so perpendicular, that the opening is not
perceivable at a distance.
On the south head is a look-out house, and a flag staff, on which a
yellow flag is hoisted on the approach of any vessels from sea, which
is answered by another signal staff on a battery at the north end of
the town, called Davis's Point Battery, which is to be seen from all
parts of the town, so that a vessel is known to be approaching before
she enters the port. After entering the heads, the river runs due
south for six miles, it then turns short round a point of land on the
north shore, called Bradley's Head, which runs due west for
twenty-four miles. After rounding Bradley's Head, the town of Sydney
is perceivable, about three miles distant on the south shore. The
anchorage is a small cove, as still as a mill-pond, land-locked around
on all sides; the principal buildings in view are the stores and
dwelling of Mr. Campbell, a Bengal merchant; they are built of white
stone and have a noble appearance: the next is the government stores,
a large stone building, at the end of which is the hospital, wharf,
and stairs, the only public-landing place in the cove; here are two
centinels continually parading the quay. From the landing place is a
fine wide street, called George Street, with several fine stone and
brick buildings, extending a mile and a half long, and joining the
race ground. The public buildings in this line are the governor's
secretary's office, an orphan school for female children, and the
military barracks, with many fine private buildings, shops, &c. On the
S. E. side of the cove is the government house, a low but very
extensive building, surrounded with verandahs, and built in the
eastern style, with an extensive park and garden surrounded with a
high stone wall. About a quarter of a mile south of the government
house is the general hospital, a large and extensive building, erected
without any expense to government, the whole having been completed and
paid for by three private gentlemen of the colony, for the grant of
certain privileges. One mile further S. E. is Wallamolla, a fine brick
and stone mansion, the property and dwelling house of John Palmer,
Esq., formerly Commandant-general of the colony.
Between the general hospital and Wallamolla is the race ground, a fine
level course three miles long, planned and laid out after the model of
Doncaster race course, by order of his excellency Lochlin Macquarie.
The races commence on the 12th of August, and last three days, during
which time the convicts are exempt from all government duties.
Convicts that are placed in the town of Sydney are in many respects
happier than those farther inland; those who are employed in the
service of government are under the inspection of the superintendent
of the public works; they assemble at the ringing of a bell, in the
government-yard, soon after day-light, and are mustered by their
respective overseers and conducted to their work by them, having
received their orders from the superintendent on the preceding
evening. The overseers are themselves convicts of good character, and
perfect masters of their different trades. They labour from day-light
until nine o'clock, and they have then one hour allowed them to
breakfast, then they return and work till three in the afternoon, and
from that time they are at liberty to work for whom they think proper.
On leaving Sydney, the next settlement is Rose Hill, or, called by the
natives, Paramatta, and it is situated due west up the river. Between
Sydney and Paramatta there is but one settlement, about half way,
which is called Kissing Point, and close on its banks is a large farm,
kept by Mr. Squires, who likewise carries on an extensive brewery. The
principal edifice at Paramatta is the government stores, a large stone
building; close to the landing-place, and leading into the town, is a
street about a mile long. They are generally small cottages, and are
mostly inhabited by the convicts; and to each is attached a small
garden, which they are compelled to keep in good order.
There is also a large manufactory of flax, the produce of the country,
of which they make coarse cloth of different descriptions. This town
is under the direction of the bishop of New South Wales (Samuel
Marsden) and is the place where the noted George Barrington resided
many years as chief constable, and died in the year 1806, highly
respected by the principal men of the colony. At eight miles distance,
in a westerly direction, is the village of Galba, which is a very
fertile soil, the farms being in high cultivation, the ground clear of
timber, and numbers of sheep and oxen seen grazing in its fields. Two
miles south of Galba is the village of Castle Hills, in appearance
resembling Galba; and a number of farm houses scattered about as far
as the eye can reach. About fourteen miles, in a S. E. direction, is
the town of Liverpool, on the banks of George's River; here
cultivation is making rapid progress; and on each side of the river
are numerous farms, till the traveller arrives at its termination.
From George's River a branch runs in a N. W. direction, is about
twenty miles in length, and is called the Nepean River. Here the eye
of the agriculturist would be highly delighted at the verdure that
constantly appears in view; the farms are but thinly dispersed, as the
Nepean is not navigable.
At the extremity of the Nepean is the most extensive tract of land
that has yet been discovered. This tract is laid out in pastures,
which are literally covered with wild cattle, the produce of six cows
and a bull which escaped from the colony about forty years ago. They
were discovered by a runaway convict, who returned to the settlement
and reported his discovery, for which they pardoned him his crime of
desertion. After leaving the cow pastures, due north is the town of
Windsor, the most productive place in the colony for grain of every
description, which is brought to be shipped on the River Hawksborough,
in small crafts for that purpose. Windsor is sixty miles from Sydney,
and the river is navigable all the way from the sea; its entrance is
called Broken Bay, and is fourteen miles north of Port Jackson, and
thirty miles north of Broken Bay.
The town of Newcastle is situated about seven miles up the river,
called the Coal River, in consequence of coals being found there in
great abundance, of very good quality. This town is a place where all
are sent to that prove refractory, or commit any crimes or
misdemeanors in the colony, and is much dreaded by the convicts as a
place of punishment.
Newcastle is the last settlement to the northward of Sydney; the
natives are black, and appear to be a most miserable race of people:
they live entirely naked, both men, women, and children, and they
possess not the least shame. They carry fish and game to the different
towns and villages inhabited by the English, which they barter for
bread, tobacco, or spirits; they are, in general, of a light make,
straight limbed, with curly black hair, and their face, arms, legs,
and backs are usually besmeared with white chalk and red ochre. The
cartilage of their nose is perforated, and a piece of reed, from eight
to ten inches long, thrust through it, which seamen whimsically term
their spritsail-yard. They seem to have no kind of religion; they bury
their dead under ground, and they live in distinct clans, by the terms
Gull, Taury Gull, or Uroga Gull, &c. They are very expert with their
implements of war, which are spears made of reed, pointed with crystal
or fish bone; they have a short club made of iron wood, called a
waday, and a scimeter made of the same wood. Those inhabiting the
coast have canoes; but the largest I ever saw would not hold more than
two men with safety.
Their marriage ceremony is truly romantic; all the youth of a clan
assemble, and are each armed with wadays; they then surround the young
woman, and one seizes her by the arm, he is immediately attacked by
another, and so on till he finds no combatant on the field, and then
the conquering hero takes her to his arms.
The different kinds of game which the colony produces, are several
kinds of kangaroos, of the same species, but differing in size and
colour. Beasts of prey have never been seen in the colony. The birds
are, parrots, cockatoos, and a large one called _emus_, which have
very long legs and scarcely any wings; they in general live upon fern,
and weigh from seventy to eighty pounds; there are likewise a number
of black swans. The woods abound with a number of dangerous reptiles,
such as centipedes and scorpions.
Government not being disposed to receive all our convicts, we were
taken up to proceed to Van Diemen's Land, with a crew of two hundred
convicts, besides a detachment of one hundred and sixty rank and file
of his Majesty's 46th regiment of foot. We sailed from hence, and
arrived at Van Diemen's Land after a pleasant passage of six days.
Van Diemen's Land is situated south of the Cape of New Holland, and is
a dependency under the control of the Governor-General. Here is a
Deputy-Governor, who resides at the principal town, called Hobart's
Town, situated about thirty miles up the Derwent; it is a town at
present consisting of small cottages, or huts, built of wood, and with
but few free inhabitants. The soil of the country is good; but there
is a very inconsiderable trade. The Derwent runs ninety miles due west
up the country. North of the Derwent, about twenty miles, is Frederick
Henry's Bay, an immense deep bay, with good anchorage and shelter for
shipping; and north-west of Henry's Bay is another fine river, called
Port Dalrymple; it runs south-west ninety miles inland; at the head of
it is a town, called Launceston; the inhabitants are principally
convicts, and are employed in clearing the land for government. The
native inhabitants of Van Diemen's Land are nearly the same as those
of New Holland; and they at present hold no intercourse with the
European inhabitants. After our prisoners were received on shore, they
sent us another detachment of 150 rank and file of his Majesty's 46th
regiment for Madras, and we began to prepare for sea.