"Of the men on whom the chief care of the horses and baggage devolved,
it is impossible to speak in too high terms. Their conduct in periods of
considerable privation, was such as must redound to their credit; and
their orderly, regular, and obedient behaviour could not be exceeded.
It may principally be attributed to their care and attention, that
we lost only three horses; and that, with the exception of the loss
of the dry provisions already mentioned, no other accident happened
during the course of the expedition. I most respectfully beg leave to
recommend them to your excellency's favourable notice and consideration.
"I trust your excellency will have the goodness to correct any
omissions or inaccuracies that may appear in this letter: the messenger
setting out immediately will not allow me to revise or correct it.
"I have the honour to remain, with the greatest respect,
Your excellency's most obedient and humble servant,
(Signed), J. OXLEY, Surveyor General."
To His Excellency, Governor Macquarie, etc., etc., etc.
* * * * *
APPENDIX.
PART II.
No. IV.
DIARY OF MR. EVANS, DEPUTY SURVEYOR GENERAL, FROM THE 8TH,
TO THE 18TH OF JULY 1818.
Wednesday, July 8. - Left Mount Harris about nine o'clock. For six miles
the country tolerably good; afterwards, to the end of my day's journey,
it was alternately acacia pendula scrubs, and cypress brushes; the soil
light, and full of holes; abundance of water, but, latterly, no grass. In
the evening halted on the bank of a gully, having gone about twelve
miles. Mount Harris bearing 8. 35. W.
July 9. - Set forward at eight o'clock, and continued travelling until
five in the afternoon, chiefly through very thick brushes, consisting of
various shrubs, with casuarina and dwarf box trees; the country nearly a
marsh and almost impassable, so much so, that I had great difficulty in
keeping my course, being the greater part of the day up to our knees in
water.
I estimate my distance this day to be about fifteen miles, on a
north-east course.
July 10. - The country worse than yesterday, being exceeding low and
marshy, with many thick scrubs. About eleven o'clock it opened, being
more thinly clothed with the acacia pendula: having travelled about ten
miles, we arrived on the borders of a large apparent plain, on which I
had proceeded about two miles, when we were suddenly stopped by deep
water among reeds; from hence I could distinctly see Arbuthnot's Range,
the north end of which bore N. 101., and the other part connected by a
low range bore from N. 108 to N. 112.
The country from north-west to north-east was open with the horizon,
being covered with water and reeds, as far as the eye could distinguish;
we saw immense numbers of wild ducks, many black swans, pelicans, and
birds resembling the sea gannet: I altered my course to east, and shortly
afterwards to south-east.
I estimate the distance travelled this day to be eighteen miles. Being
rather late, we were much at a loss to find a place dry enough to sleep
on: the north end of Arbuthnot's Range bore N. 98.
July 11. - Finding our efforts to travel in any direction north of east
useless, I altered my course for the north end of Arbuthnot's Range. The
country continuing nearly as yesterday, brushes and marshes alternately,
having gone about twelve miles, the last quarter of a mile of which was
at an almost imperceptible rise above the general level, I came to the
edge of a river, the stream of which was thirty or fort yards wide, but
the bed nearly one hundred yards, the banks being eight or nine feet
high: I forded it in the middle of a very long reach bearing north and
south, the stream clear, and running gently from the south, about three
feet deep, over a fine sandy bottom. After crossing this river, I
proceeded onwards about four miles, and halted on the edge of a brush,
having travelled sixteen or seventeen miles.
July 12. - After proceeding about four miles, we crossed a small stream
from the south-east; the country perfectly level, not a perceptible rise
in any direction, save Arbuthnot's Range: the space travelled over to-day
was a complete marsh, the soil good, being clearly alluvial. It will be
impossible for heavy loaded horses to walk over the country, traversed by
us these last three days; the trouble we have had is more than can well
be imagined. Travelled fifteen miles.
July 13. - A very cold morning, set off at sunrise: at the sixth mile
arrived on an open plain, over which was rather better travelling than we
had latterly experienced. Finding it unlikely that we should reach the
range, at least in time to view the country from it, I thought it best,
as I had no time to spare, to keep more southerly for a lofty eminence
about two miles distant, and apparently of easy ascent: this mount
afforded me a most extensive prospect. The south extreme of Arbuthnot's
Range bore south, the north extreme N. 20. E, then trends more easterly.
Westerly of the hill on which I stood and the range, the country is a
perfect level, without the slightest apparent rise or inequality; what I
could see of the country to the south-east, appeared to be very broken
and rugged, detached rocks projecting like pillars and pyramids, in
various parts of the ranges; there was a number of native fires about the
base of the range, and we saw plenty of kangaroos, for the first time
since quitting Mount Harris: I also this day shot a new species of
pigeon. The distance travelled, I suppose sixteen or seventeen miles.
July 14. - Set forward on my return to the tents in a south-west
direction, and passed, for four or five miles, through a good open forest
country, abounding with kangaroos:
