Halted, having gone about ten
miles.
July 16. - I altered my course from south-west to west, 80 degrees south,
and had an extremely tedious and unpleasant day's journey, through a wet
and dreary country; continued rain. Travelled fifteen miles.
July 18. - Arrived at the hut about one o'clock, p.m., having travelled
yesterday and to-day about thirty-seven miles.
(Signed) G. W. EVANS.
* * * * *
No. V.
GOVERNMENT, AND GENERAL ORDERS.
Government House, Parramatta,
December 5, 1818.
CIVIL DEPARTMENT.
The sanguine hope which his excellency the governor was induced to
entertain, that, by pursuing the course of the Macquarie River, which had
been discovered running in a north-west direction by John Oxley, Esq., on
his return last year from tracing the course of the Lachlan to the
south-west, would have amply compensated for the disappointment sustained
on that occasion; and his excellency having in consequence accepted the
farther services of Mr. Oxley, on a second expedition; the party
consisting of John Oxley, Esq., surveyor general; John Harris, Esq., late
surgeon of the 102nd regiment, (who most liberally volunteered to
accompany the expedition); Mr. Evans, deputy surveyor general; and Mr.
Charles Fraser, colonial botanist; together with twelve men, having
eighteen horses and two boats, and provisions for twenty-four weeks, took
their final departure on the 4th of June last, from a depot prepared
for the occasion in the Wellington Valley, at about ninety miles west of
Bathurst; and those gentlemen, and the entire party, having a few days
since arrived at Port Jackson by sea, from the northward, his excellency
is happy in offering his most cordial congratulations to John Oxley,
Esq., the conductor of this expedition, and to John Harris, Esq., Mr.
Evans, and Mr. Fraser, on their safe return from this arduous
undertaking.
The zeal, talent, and attention manifested by Mr. Oxley, considering the
perils and privations to which he and his party were exposed, in
exploring a tract of country so singularly circumstanced in its various
bearings, are no less honourable to Mr. Oxley than conducive to the
public interest; and although the principal object, namely, that of
tracing the Macquarie River to its embouchure, has not been so favourable
as was anticipated, yet the failure is in a great degree counterbalanced
by other important discoveries made in the course of this tour, which
promise, at no very remote period, to prove of material advantage to this
rising colony.
Whilst his excellency thus offers this public tribute of congratulations,
he desires to accompany it with expressions of his high sense and
approbation of Mr. Oxley's meritorious services on this occasion; which
his excellency will not fail to represent to His Majesty's ministers, by
the earliest opportunity.
The personal assistance and support so cheerfully and beneficially
afforded to Mr. Oxley by the gentlemen associated with him on this
expedition, demand his excellency's best acknowledgments, which be is
happy thus publicly to request them to accept.
