The Water In Every Part Was Found To Be Fresh And Good.
Of The Adjoining Country, The Opinions Of Those Who Had Inspected It
(Of Which Number I Was Not) Were So Various, That I Shall Decline
To Record Them.
Some saw a rich and beautiful country; and others were
so unfortunate as to discover little else than large tracts of low land,
covered with reeds, and rank with the inundations of the stream, by which
they had been recently covered.
All parties, however, agreed, that the rocky,
impenetrable country, seen on the first excursion, had ended nearly about
the place whence the boats had then turned back. Close to the fall
stands a very beautiful hill, which our adventurers mounted, and enjoyed
from it an extensive prospect. Potatoes, maize, and garden seeds
of various kinds were put into the earth, by the governor's order,
on different parts of Richmond-hill, which was announced to be its name.
The latitude of Richmond-hill, as observed by captain Hunter, was settled
at 33 degrees 36 minutes south.
Here also the river received the name of Hawkesbury, in honour of
the noble lord who bears that title.
Natives were found on the banks in several parts, many of whom were labouring
under the smallpox. They did not attempt to commit hostilities
against the boats; but on the contrary shewed every sign of welcome
and friendship to the strangers.
At this period, I was unluckily invested with the command of the outpost
at Rose Hill, which prevented me from being in the list of discoverers
of the Hawkesbury. Stimulated, however, by a desire of acquiring
a further knowledge of the country, on the 26th instant, accompanied by
Mr. Arndell, assistant surgeon of the settlement, Mr. Lowes, surgeon's mate
of the 'Sirius', two marines, and a convict, I left the redoubt at day-break,
pointing our march to a hill, distant five miles, in a westerly or inland
direction, which commands a view of the great chain of mountains,
called Carmarthen hills, extending from north to south farther than
the eye can reach. Here we paused, surveying "the wild abyss;
pondering our voyage." Before us lay the trackless immeasurable desert,
in awful silence. At length, after consultation, we determined to steer
west and by north, by compass, the make of the land in that quarter indicating
the existence of a river. We continued to march all day through a country
untrodden before by an European foot. Save that a melancholy crow now and then
flew croaking over head, or a kangaroo was seen to bound at a distance,
the picture of solitude was complete and undisturbed. At four o'clock
in the afternoon we halted near a small pond of water, where we took up
our residence for the night, lighted a fire, and prepared to cook our supper:
that was, to broil over a couple of ramrods a few slices of salt pork,
and a crow which we had shot.
At daylight we renewed our peregrination; and in an hour after we found
ourselves on the banks of a river, nearly as broad as the Thames at Putney,
and apparently of great depth, the current running very slowly in
a northerly direction. Vast flocks of wild ducks were swimming in the stream;
but after being once fired at, they grew so shy that we could not get near them
a second time. Nothing is more certain than that the sound of a gun
had never before been heard within many miles of this spot.
We proceeded upwards, by a slow pace, through reeds, thickets, and a thousand
other obstacles, which impeded our progress, over coarse sandy ground,
which had been recently inundated, though full forty feet above
the present level of the river. Traces of the natives appeared at every step,
sometimes in their hunting-huts, which consist of nothing more than
a large piece of bark, bent in the middle, and open at both ends, exactly
resembling two cards, set up to form an acute angle; sometimes in marks
on trees which they had climbed; or in squirrel-traps*; or, which surprised us
more, from being new, in decoys for the purpose of ensnaring birds.
These are formed of underwood and reeds, long and narrow, shaped like
a mound raised over a grave; with a small aperture at one end for admission
of the prey; and a grate made of sticks at the other: the bird enters
at the aperture, seeing before him the light of the grate, between the bars
of which, he vainly endeavours to thrust himself, until taken. Most of these
decoys were full of feathers, chiefly those of quails, which shewed
their utility. We also met with two old damaged canoes hauled up on the beach,
which differed in no wise from those found on the sea coast.
[*A squirrel-trap is a cavity of considerable depth, formed by art,
in the body of a tree. When the Indians in their hunting parties set fire
to the surrounding country (which is a very common custom) the squirrels,
opossums, and other animals, who live in trees, flee for refuge into these
holes, whence they are easily dislodged and taken. The natives always
pitch on a part of a tree for this purpose, which has been perforated
by a worm, which indicates that the wood is in an unsound state, and will
readily yield to their efforts. If the rudeness and imperfection of the tools
with which they work be considered, it must be confessed to be an operation
of great toil and difficulty.]
Having remained out three days, we returned to our quarters at Rose-hill,
with the pleasing intelligence of our discovery. The country we had passed
through we found tolerably plain, and little encumbered with underwood,
except near the river side. It is entirely covered with the same sorts
of trees as grow near Sydney; and in some places grass springs up luxuriantly;
other places are quite bare of it.
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