Travels in New South Wales

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About Google Book Search Google's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers discover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web at http : //books . google . com/ TWO YEARS IN NEW SOUTH WALES; A SERIES OF LETTERS, COMPRISING SKETCHES OP THE ACTUAL STATE OF SOCIETY IN THAT COLONY; OF ITS PECULIAR ADVANTAGES TO EMIGRANTS; OF ITS TOPOGRAPHY, NATURAL HISTORY, Sec. &c. P. CUNNINGHAM, SURGEON, R. N. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL, I. LONDON: HENRY COLBURN, NEW BURLINGTON STREET. 1827. i-^ i: v. ( PHINTED It A. J. TAtPV, HEO HON COKKT, FLICT STUIIT. w 3~/fss .*• A/S<? TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF CLARENCE, LORD HIGH ADMIRAL OF ENGLAND; THESE VOLUMES ARE MOST RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED, IN humble testimony of the unmingled pleasure felt by the Author, ID common "with all classes of His Majesty's Naval Service, at the high honour conferred thereon by the appointment of *His Royal Highness; and of the universal confidence inspired by His Royal Highness's measures since the commencement of his official career. PREFACE. HAVING made four voyages to New South Wales, as surgeon-superintendent of convict-ships, I had hopes, on my arrival in England in July 1826, of obtaining a fresh appointment, and afftin departing before winter set in; bnt failing in these expectations, and being consequently de tained until the ensuing spring, I commenced arranging the following letters for the press, with a view to beguile the long winter evenings. I have resided two years, at occasional intervals, in the colony, and travelled over a considerable k- vi PREFACE. portion of it, and have therefore had ample oppor tunities of acquiring knowledge and making obser vations relative both to its present and prospective state: I have come in contact with the aborigines in a variety of ways; I have enjoyed the society of the respectable and thriving inhabitants of Syd ney ; and I have, in my four voyages, carried out upwards of six hundred male and female convicts, without, I am proud to say, losing a single in dividual. I may therefore claim some acquaint ance with the manners, pursuits, and modes of thinking, of the various classes resident in the co lony, which I have endeavoured to represent as faithfully at the nature of the subject would admit. Te suck as have resolved on forsaking the land of their birth;, in Order to promote their fortunes in the new countries toward which the tide of emigration now flows, the general intelligence and talent of those to whom the government of such countries has-been confided, cannot be unimpor- PREFACE. vii tank The justice of its laws, and the wisdom displayed in their administration, have necessarily greater influence apon the prosperity of every infant state, than even the innate resources of climate and soil. The admirable system therefore pursued by the present governor of New South Wales, must be as encouraging to these purposing to emigrate as satisfactory to those already domiciliated there. I found my opinion relative to General Darling's measures almost solely upon the official orders promulgated by him in the public prints of the co lony, to which every one has access; and, conse quently, so far the same means of forming a judg ment as myself; but it is only individuals who know how much bis effective reforms were wanted, by whom their value can be thoroughly appreciated. A man of mere ordinary capacity may suffice for the government of one of the West.India islands, arrived as those colonies are at the period of ma turity. But in New South Wales, as yet im- viii PREFACE. mature, although destined perhaps to become the seat of a powerful empire, we require a governor possessed of ability to discern and activity to awaken its dormant energies; and although Lord Bathursl conferred many important benefits upon the colony during the period of his holding office, a greater could not have been conceded by him than the appointment of General Darling. CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME. LETTER I. Emigration—Comparative advantages held oat by Ame rica, the Cape of Good Hope, Van Dieman's Land, and Australia Page 1 LETTER II, Voyage out—Entrance of Bass Straits—Buna way con victs settled on their islands and the adjacent shores—First appearance of the coast of New South Wales—Geographi cal formation of the Australian continent, with reference (o the course of its rivers—Interior rivers, and benefits likely to result to the colony from the discovery of their out let* IS LETTER III. Entrance of Port Jackson—Scenery of its harbour— Sydney Cove—Town of Sydney—Its streets—General con struction of the houses—Public buildings and churches— Breweries — Distilleries — Taverns— Shops— Slate of so ciety in Sydney . 3d ! X CONTENTS. LETTER IV. Farther particulars relating to Sydney—Its markets- Police—Supplies of fish—'Pleasure walks and drives P.S6 LETTER V. General outline of settled portions of colony—Counties of Cumberland and Camden—Tbeir boundaries, natural aspect, forests, and soil—Mode in which they are watered —Different rontes to Paramatta—Stage-coach and pas sage-boat conveyance—Description of Paramatta 74 LETTER VI. Routes into the'interior — Windsor — Richmond — Li verpool— Cow-pasture River, and account of Mr. Mac- arthur's extensive sheep-establishment on its banks— Description of the country and of the settlers beyond— Illawarra and Barrage rang—Hawkesbury floods 101 LETTER VII. Settled portion of the colony south of Sydney, compris ing the county of Argyle; with a general outline of the unsettled country beyond toward Baas Straits—Western Port and King's Island ..... 121 LETTER VIII. Settled portion of New South Wales north of Sydney, comprising the counties of Northumberland and Durham on Hunter's River; with a general outline of the unsettled portion of interior country toward Liverpool Plains 142 CONTENTS. xi LETTER IX. Settled portion of the colony west of Sydney, compris ing 111* counties of Westmoreland, -Roxburgh, and Lon donderry, beyond the Blue mountains . Page 162 LETTER X. Conn try north of Hunter's River, comprising the penal settlements of Port Macquarie and Moreton Bay . 173 LETTER XI. Diseases prevalent in New South Wales—Winds and weather—General temperature and rains—Heat of cli mate relatively to that of England—Relative effects of frost npon the valleys and hilts— Eastern and western •an—Periodical rains—Dews — Hail—Thunder and lightning—Frost and snow ... 183 LETTER XII. Colonial forest timbers and tanning barks—Gum kino, gum arabic, and manna trees—Shrinking of colonial tim bers—The rotations of the various species upon soils, and chemical changes produced by them—Native plants, herbs, grasses, and pastures, with effects of the caterpillar ravages , 199 LETTER XIII. Native and imported fruits and vegetables—Peculiari ties of the annual and diurnal revolutions in Australia— Natural scenery—Musioof the birds contrasted with those of England—Agriculture, and seasons of seed-time and harvest 220 CONTENTS.

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