Two Expeditions Into the Interior of Southern Australia

Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia During the years 1828, 1829, 1830, and 1831: with observations on the soil, climate, and general resources of the colony of New South Wales. Sturt, Charles (1795-1869) University of Sydney Library Sydney 2001 http://setis.library.usyd.edu.au/ozlit/ © University of Sydney Library. The texts and Images are not to be used for commercial purposes without permission Source Text: Prepared from the print edition published in 2 volumes by Smith, Elder and Co. London 1833 All quotation marks retained as data All unambiguous end-of-line hyphens have been removed, and the trailing part of a word has been joined to the preceding line. First Published: 1833 Languages: F1704 Australian Etexts 1810-1839 exploration and explorers (land) prose nonfiction Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia During the years 1828, 1829, 1830, and 1831: with observations on the soil, climate, and general resources of the colony of New South Wales By 39th Regt. F.L.S. and F.R.G.S. “For though most men are contented only to see a river as it runs by them, and talk of the changes in it as they happen; when it is troubled, or when clear; when it drowns the country in a flood, or forsakes it in a drought: yet he that would know the nature of the water, and the causes of those accidents (so as to guess at their continuance or return), must find out its source, and obverve with what strength it rises, what length it runs, and how many small streams fall in, and feed it to such a height, as make it either delightful or terrible to the eye, and useful or dangerous to the country about it.” — Sir William Temple's Netherlands. London Smith, Elder and Co. 1833 TO THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL OF RIPON, VISCOUNT GODERICH, Lord Pribp Seal, &c. &c. &c. MY LORD, THE completion of this Work affords me the opportunity I have long desired of thanking your Lordship thus publicly, for the kindness with which you acceded to my request to be permitted to dedicate it to you. The encouragement your Lordship was pleased to give me has served to stimulate me in the prosecution of a task, which would, I fear, have been too great for me to have accomplished, in my present condition, under any ordinary views or ambition. Indeed, labouring as I have been for many months past, under an almost total deprivation of sight, (the effect of exposure and anxiety of mind in the prosecution of geographical researches,) I owe it to the casual assistance of some of my friends, that I am at length enabled to lay these results before your Lordship and the public. While I feel a painful conviction that many errors must necessarily pervade a work produced under such unfavourable circumstances, it affords me no small consolation to reflect that your Lordship has been aware of my situation, and will be disposed to grant me every reasonable indulgence. I have the honor to be, With the highest respect, My Lord, Your Lordship's Very obedient and humble Servant, CHARLES STURT. Contents of the First Volume. PRELIMINARY CHAPTER. Purpose of this Chapter — Name of Australia — Impressions of its early Visitors — Character of the Australian rivers — Author's first view of Port Jackson — Extent of the Colony of New South Wales — its rapid advances in prosperity — Erroneous impressions — Commercial importance of Sydney — Growth of fine wool — Mr. M'Arthur's meritorious exertions — Whale-fishery — Other exports — Geographical features — Causes of the large proportion of bad soil — Connection between the geology and vegetation — Geological features — Character of the soil connected with the geological formation — County of Cumberland — Country westward of the Blue Mountains — Disadvantages of the remote settlers — Character of the Eastern coast — Rich tracts in the interior — Periodical droughts — The seasons apparently affected by the interior marshes — Temperature — Fruits — Emigrants: Causes of their success or failure — Moral disadvantages — System of emigration recommended — Hints to emigrants — Progress of inland discovery — Expeditions across the Blue Mountains — Discoveries of Mr. Evans, Mr. Oxley, and others — Conjectures respecting the interior. EXPEDITION DOWN THE MACQUARIE RIVER, AND INTO THE WESTERN INTERIOR IN 1828 AND 1829. CHAPTER I. State of the Colony in 1828—29 — Objects of the Expedition — Departure from Sydney — Wellington Valley Page — Progress down the Macquarie — Arrival at Mount Harris — Stopped by the marshes — Encamp amidst reeds 1 — Excursions down the river — Its termination — Appearance of the marshes — Opthalmic affection of the men — Mr. Hume's successful journey to the northward — Journey across the plain — Second great marsh — Perplexities — Situation of the exploring party — Consequent resolutions. CHAPTER II. Prosecution of our course into the interior — Mosquito Brush — Aspect and productions of the country — Page Hunting party of natives — Courageous conduct of one of them — Mosquitoes — A man missing — Group of 61 hills called New-Year's Range — Journey down New-Year's Creek — Tormenting attack of the kangaroo fly — Dreariness and desolation of the country — Oxley's Table Land — D'Urban's Group — Continue our journey down New-Year's Creek — Reach a large river (the Darling) — Extreme disappointment on finding it salt — Fall in with a tribe of natives — Our course arrested by the want of fresh water — Extraordinary sound — Retreat towards the Macquarie. CHAPTER III. Intercourse with the natives — Their appearance and condition — Remarks on the Salt or Darling River — Page Appearance of the Marshes on our return — Alarm for safety of the provision party — Return to Mount Harris 102 — Miserable condition of the natives — Circumstances attending the slaughter of two Irish runaways — Bend our course towards the Castlereagh — Wallis's Ponds — Find the famished natives feeding on gum — Channel of the Castlereagh — Character of the country in its vicinity — Another tribe of natives — Amicable intercourse with them — Morriset's chain of Ponds — Again reach the Darling River ninety miles higher up than where we first struck upon it. CHAPTER IV. Perplexity — Trait of honesty in the natives — Excursion on horseback across the Darling — Forced to return — Page Desolating effects of the drought — Retreat towards the colony — Connection between the Macquarie and the 140 Darling — Return up the banks of the Macquarie — Starving condition of the natives. CHAPTER V. General remarks — Result of the expedition — Previous anticipations — Mr. Oxley's remarks — Character of Page the Rivers flowing westerly — Mr. Cunningham's remarks — Fall of the Macquarie — Mr. Oxley's erroneous 151 conclusions respecting the character of the interior, naturally inferred from the state in which he found the country — The marsh of the Macquarie merely a marsh of the ordinary character — Captain King's observations — Course of the Darling — Character of the low interior plain — The convict Barber's report of rivers traversing the interior — Surveyor-General Mitchell's Report of his recent expedition. CHAPTER VI. CONCLUDING REMARKS — Obstacles that attend travelling into the interior of Australia — Difficulty of Page carrying supplies — Importance of steady and intelligent subordinates — Danger from the natives — Number of 172 men requisite, — and of cattle and carriages — Provisions — Other arrangements — Treatment of the natives — Dimensions of the boat used in the second expedition APPENDIX. No I. Letter of Instructions Page 183 No. II. List of Stores supplied for the Expedition — 182 No. III. Sheep-farming Returns — 191 No. IV. List of Geological Specimens — 197 No. V. Official Report to the Colonial Government, (Jan. 1829.) 201 No. VI. Ditto (April 1829.) 205 Illustrations to the First Volume Frontispiece Native Burial Place near Budda Map of Australia page 1 page 17 Cataract of the Macquarie page 24 The Rose Cockatoo page 79 The Crested Pigeon of the Marshes page 199 A Selenite page 199 Chrystallized Sulphate of Lime Contents of the Second Volume. EXPEDITION DOWN THE MORUMBIDGEE AND MURRAY RIVERS, IN 1829, 1830 AND 1831. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY— Remarks on the results of the former Expedition—The fitting out of another determined Page on—Its objects—Provisions, accoutrements, and retinue—Paper furnished by Mr. Kent—Causes that have 1 prevented the earlier appearance of the present work. CHAPTER II. Commencement of the expedition in November, 1829.—Joined by Mr. George M'Leay—Appearance of the Page party—Breadalbane Plains—Hospitality of Mr. O'Brien—Yass Plains—Hill of Pouni—Path of a hurricane— 7 Character of the country between Underaliga and the Morumbidgee—Appearance of that river—Junction of the Dumot with it—Crossing and recrossing—Geological character and general aspect of the country—Plain of Pondebadgery—Few natives seen. CHAPTER III. Character of the Morumbidgee where it issues from the hilly country—Appearance of approach to swamps— Page Hamilton Plains—Intercourse with the natives—Their appearance, customs, &c.— Change in the character of 38 the river—Mirage—Dreariness of the country—Ride towards the Lachlan river—Two boats built and launched on the Morumbidgee; and the drays, with part of the men, sent back to Goulburn Plains. CHAPTER IV. Embarkation of the party in the boats, and voyage down the Morumbidgee—The skiff swamped by striking on a Page sunken tree—Recovery of boat and its loading—Region of reeds—Dangers of the navigation—Contraction of 72 the channel—Reach the junction of a large river—Intercourse with the natives on its

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