LIST OF THE NAMES AND DESIGNATIONS OF THE SEVERAL PERSONS PROCEEDING ON
THE EXPEDITION OF DISCOVERY, UNDER THE COMMAND OF JOHN OXLEY, ESQ.,
SURVEYOR GENERAL OF LANDS.
1 John Oxley, Esq., chief of the expedition.
2 Mr. George William Evans, second in command.
3 Mr. Allan Cunningham, King's botanist.
4 Charles Fraser, colonial botanist.
5 William Parr, mineralogist.
6 George Hubbard, boat-builder.
7 James King, 1st boatman, and sailor.
8 James King, 2nd horse-shoer.
9 William Meggs, butcher.
10 Patrick Byrne, guide and horse leader.
11 William Blake, harness-mender.
12 George Simpson, for chaining with surveyors.
13 William Warner, servant to Mr. Oxley.
(Signed,) L. MACQUARIE.
Sydney,
March 2,1, 1817.
* * * * *
No. II
Government House, Sydney,
June 10, 1815.
Mr. Cox having reported the road as completed on the 21st of January, the
governor, accompanied by Mr. Macquarie, and that gentleman, commenced his
tour on the 25th of April last, over the Blue Mountains, and was joined
by Sir John Jamison, at the Nepean, who accompanied him during the entire
tour. The following gentlemen composed the governor's suite: Mr.
Campbell, secretary; Captain Antill, major of brigade; Lieutenant Watts,
aid-de-camp; Mr. Redfern, assistant surgeon; Mr. Oxley, surveyor general;
Mr. Meehan, deputy surveyor general; Mr. Lewin, painter, and naturalist;
and Mr. G. W. Evans, deputy surveyor of lands, who had been sent forward
for the purpose of making farther discoveries, and rejoined the party on
the day of arrival at Bathurst Plains.
The commencement of the ascent from Emu Plains, to the first depot, and
then to a resting-place, now called Spring Wood, distant twelve miles
from Emu Ford, was through a very handsome forest of lofty trees, and
much more practicable and easy than was expected. The facility of the
ascent for this distance excited surprise, and is certainly not well
calculated to give the traveller a just idea of the difficulties he has
afterwards to encounter.
At a farther distance of four miles, a sudden change is perceived in the
appearance of the timber, and the quality of the soil; the former
becoming stunted, and the latter barren and rocky. At this place the
fatigues of the journey may be said to commence; here the country became
altogether mountainous, and extremely rugged. Near to the eighteenth mile
mark (it is to be observed the measure commences from Emu Ford), a pile
of stones attracted attention; it is close to the line of road, on the
top of a rugged and abrupt ascent, and is supposed to have been placed
by Mr. Caley, as the extreme limit of his tour; hence the governor
gave that part of the mountain the name of Caley's Repulse. To have
penetrated even so far, was an effort of no small difficulty. From
hence forward to the twenty-sixth mile is a succession of steep and
rugged hills, some of which are almost so abrupt as to deny a passage
altogether; but at this place a considerably extensive plain is arrived
at, which constitutes the summit of the western mountains, and from
thence a most extensive and beautiful prospect presents itself on all
sides to the eye. The town of Windsor, the River Hawkesbury, Prospect
Hill, and other objects within that part of the colony now inhabited, of
equal interest, are distinctly seen from hence. The majestic grandeur of
the situation, combined with the various objects to be seen from this
place, induced the governor to give it the appellation of the King's
Table Land. On the south-west side of the King's Table Land, the mountain
terminates in abrupt precipices of immense depth; at the bottom of which
is seen a glen, as romantically beautiful as can be imagined, bounded on
the farther side by mountains of great magnitude, terminating equally
abruptly as the others; and the whole whole thickly covered with timber.
The length of this picturesque and remarkable tract of country is
about twenty-four miles, to which the governor gave the name of
the Prince Regent's Glen. Proceeding hence to the thirty-third mile,
on the top of a hill an opening presents itself on the south-west
side of the Prince Regent's Glen, from whence a view obtained
particularly beautiful and grand: mountains rising beyond mountains,
with stupendous masses of rock in the fore ground, here strike
the eye with admiration and astonishment. The circular form in which the
whole is so wonderfully disposed, induced the governor to give the name
of Pitt's Amphitheatre to this offset or branch from the Prince Regent's
Glen. The road continues from hence for the space of seventeen miles, on
the ridge of the mountain which forms one side of the Prince Regent's
Glen, and there it suddenly terminates in nearly a perpendicular
precipice of six hundred and seventy-six feet high, as ascertained by
measurement. The road constructed by Mr. Cox down this rugged and
tremendous descent, through all its windings, is no less than three
fourths of a mile in length, and has been executed with such skill and
dexterity as reflects much credit to him: the labour here undergone, and
the difficulties surmounted can only be appreciated by those who view
this scene. In order to perpetuate the memory of Mr. Cox's services, the
governor deemed it a tribute justly due to him to give his name to this
grand and extraordinary pass, and he accordingly called it Cox's Pass.
Having descended into the valley at the bottom of this pass, the
retrospective view of the overhanging mountain is magnificently grand.
Although the present pass is the only practicable point yet discovered
for descending by, yet the mountain is much higher than those on either
side of it, from whence it is distinguished at a considerable distance:
when approaching it from the interior, and in this point of view, it has
the appearance of a very high distinct hill, although it is in fact only
the abrupt termination of a ridge.
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