State of the Colony of Swan River, 1st January, 1830

State of the Colony of Swan River, 1st January, 1830Author(s): John BarrowSource: Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London, Vol. 1 (1831), pp. 1-16Published by: Wiley on behalf of The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of BritishGeographers)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1797655 .

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PAPERS READ

BEFORE T}IS

ROYAL (;EOGRAPHICAL SOCIET\.

I.-State of the Colony nf Swsln Peiver, 1st January, 18.30. Chiefly extracted from Captaill Stirlint,ts Report. By Johx Barrow, Esq., F.R.S. Read 22d Nov., 1830.

IN the infancy of the Royal Geographical Society of Lolldoll, and in this early stage of our proceedings, the Council may l?er- haps rlot be illdisposed tc) receive stlch communications as may collvey useful inforlllation, tllough not possessincr that degree of milwlte accLlracy which may be expected from the proceedings of the Society ill its luore mature stateS z\hell the higller objects for which it was instituted shall claim more lnarked attentioll, and whell a mole extended kllowledt,e of its iews shall hase lJeen diffused at home alld abroad.

\;tith this feelillg I have been illduced to stlbmit to the Societv a paper, drawn up from all authentic source, on the actual state of the Suan River Colorly, at the colllmencement of the year 1830, abollt sis months after its establishrnent. The stlbject may failly be considered as not altogetllel ullimportallt at this nlo- ulent wllen so many colflictil}g statements and opilliotls hdse lJeell promulgated, by whicll persons disposed to emit,rate to lllclt quarter are left iu suspense as to the steps it nlay be advisable for them to take.

It N70uld seem desirable, for other reasolls, to collect atld dis- tlibute informationregarding New Holland, ol, as it is nout tnore generally called, Austtalia. Hitherto) a country as large as Europe has been represented oll ouz xnaps nearly as a blank. YetX as this extellsive telritory will, iu all probability, in process of time, support a numerous population, tile prot,eny of Britolls, and n1ay be the sneans of spreading the Ellglis}l language, lasst alld



2 Stute of the Swa7t F?iver Cotony7 1st Jun., 1830.

institutions, over a ,reat part of the Eastern Archipelago, it is presumed that evely accession to our knowledge of its beographical features, houTeser linlited, will be acceptable to the Society.

Xome strarlge opinions were at one time held regardinO the formation of tllisextensive country. AVhen the Blue Movantains behind Sydney were {irst passed, which was not till many years after tle earliest establishmellt of the colony? and the waters there were foulld to take a westelly course, it was collcluded that this new cotlntry-a recent creatioll accordillg to some-had an inclination, or dip, on every side toxvards its centre, and that all the waters frozn the surrounditlg ridge fell, as fi om the rim of a basin, illto a Mediterranean Sea, or a succession of sTanlps or lllarshes. And the k}ese surveys made of its coasts

havint, afforded no discovery of ally river of magllitude, tellded to corlfirm this notioll. Recent researches, however, and par- ticulally those of Captain Sturt, have proved that, as in most other countries, the land dips from the central parts towards the coasts, and that the waters, as most waters do, draill off8 illtO the sea. 011 this subject I nlay quote a letter from Lieutenant- Colonel Dumaresq, Secretaly to the Governor of Nesv South Wales:-

' It vvill llot perhaps be uninteresting to aou,' says that c)fficer, ' to be informed, that, sinlultaneosly with Captain Sturt's dis- ' coveries, which have solved the problem respecting the con- ' struction of this Continent, it has been ascertailled that the hypo- C thesis, with regard to its post-diluvian formation7 is as ground- ' less as that of its absorbent interior marshes.

' Some caverns ill the lleighbourhood of Wellingtoll Valley ' have lately beell exanlined, and found to contain inntlmerable ' specimens of fossil bones, deeply imbedded in stalagmite, or in s indurated clay. I have seen some of these bones, +1vhich rnust ' have belollged to animals tllat do not llow exist here, and are s lalger than those of the rhinoceros or buffalo. 'reeth, appa- ' rently silmilar to those describecl by Buckland, have likewise ' been collected; and we have now many other proofs that this ' country was once inhabited by beasts of prey, and that it is coevaI ' nZith the rest of the Borld.

s tRhe countrv in the neighbotlrhood of Wellington Valley is of 4 limestone formation, and the ridges are perforated by nllmerou ' stlbterraneous caverns, which blanch off in valious dilections. ' Others exist in the Shoal Haven gullies, (the most remarkably ' formecl cotlntry perllaps, ill the world,) and which will probably { be found to collttlin similar diluvian remains.

' l'o tlle above pllysiolot,ical facts I may add, that Captai ' Sturt does llot appear to thillk it at all implobal31e that there is



State of the Swan Rzver Colony, lst Jan. 1830.

' an opelling fiom " Lake Alexandria" into the Gtllf of St. ' Vincent; and he is of opinioll that the whole of that country is ' fornzed by allavial deposit from the vast interior, through svllicl ' flow the rivers AIurray, Dalling, Castlereagh, alld Peel; as also ' that the Darling will be found to be one of the longest rivers of ' the world.

a A;\I e have recently ascertained that tlle finest tract of lalld exists

' to the soutll, immediately beyond OUI' present boundary, rvhich is ' abulldalltiy watered by streams said to take their rise from sllow- ' clad mountains. Tllese facts illduce me to thillk we should ' abclndon the idea of pushing our settlements, at present, furtller v illtO the interior, and that we ougllt to fortn a belt of cololli%a- ' tion alol! the 1lorth and south cousts. The water commullica- s tiOIl wotlld give employmellt to sealuen, and be the means of ' collsertinz, the Colonial youth illtO sailors, who, in case of lleed, ' mitht contribute to the manning of the navies of the mother ' coulltry.'

rrhus fal C:olonel Dumaresq. XVitll regard to the discovery of bolles, Alajol SIitchell, the Surveyor-General ill New Souti +\rales, tllTls writes to Mr. EIay: ' At lellgth an itnmense quRn-

' tity of the remains of antediluvian animals has been discovered, ' pxecisely in a situation such as tllat described by Profbssor ' Bucklalld. \Vhat is most singular is, that there appeals no ' affility, as far as I can discover, between these bolles and those ' of tlle caves of Europe, althougll some are very large. A bolle, ' the tclna of some huge allimal, is somewhat like that of all ox, ' but it is four times vas lart,e.'

Colonel Dumaresq's observatiol], that the finest tracts of land are founcl towards tlle south coast of this great colltillent, is fully confirmecl, as to the western part of the same south coast, by the discovelies made by Dr. Wilsoll of the llavyj to the distallce of eigtlty or nillety miles northerly, frosn King George's Soulld, recelltly allnesed to tlle settlement of Swan River. Of this jour- ney a l)rief accotlnt is colltained ill tlle following paper, alld it is also sketclled on tlle map. Our acquaintance-, however, is yet far from l:)eillg milltlte with tllis south coast, from Cape Leuwin to Port Philip, an extent of at least fifteell hundred geographical miles7- otherwise all estuary of sixty miles in lellgth, by tllirty or forty ill breadth, could not have escaped observatio Ulltil discovered fiorn the interior; allcl our kllowledge of othe parts of tlle coast is even still more defective. For instance, o the +sestern side, frolll lSorth-west Cape, itl lat. 22?, to Clarellce Stlait, ill lat. l21aO, a distance of mole thall one thousand miles, thel e al e llumel ous large openings, llot yet examilled, in which llo lalad is visilule tv the eye of the spectator in the interior, atld throut,l

B 2



4 State of the Swan River COlO?^y Ist JaX., 1830.

which rivers of the first magnittlde might discharge their watels unseell antl wIllknown. The whole of this coust is fionted with inllumerable islands, with deep channels betweell thetn, throut,h wllich, according to Captaill Iking's expressioll, ' the tide rushes

with fi iohtful rapidity.' He sllspects the eat mass of lalld

called Dampier's Lan(l, exte)lcling froul Cape Levique to Poillte Galltheaume, to be an islalld, behilld which there is an opelling of at least eigllt miles ill rvidth; and here, as uZell as ill the Bllccaneel^ss Archipelago, he found the rise and fall of the tides six and tllil ty feet, which on other parts of the coast did llot exceed eight or nille feet. l:7rom t}lese phenomena Captain Kisg coltIes to the sallle conclusion rvith tlltlt excellent olcl ll-elvigator Dampier. ' From all tllat is at present known,' lle observes, ' of tllis remark- ' able opelling, there is enough to excite the greatest illterest; ' since, fiotll the extellt of tlle openint, the lapidity of the strealll, ' allcl tlle great rise alld fall of tlle tides, tllere must be a ery es- ' tensive gulf or opening, totally different frolal ever-tlling tilat llas ' been lefore seen. But in parts of the coast so dallgerous, no survey can le made} except in boats, or l)y land, alo]g tlle sl-sole.

8 * * g * *

' lt will llot be necessary for me,' says Captain Stirling, in his official despatches to Government, ' to recapitulate the inconve- ' niences we had to encollllter on our first arrival. The winter ' season, the loneliness of our situation, and ignorance of the ' c(untly, and of the navigation of the coast, alld our allxiety as to ' uhethel oTe should succeed or fail, were sources of Illleasiness ' R!hich are happily passed away. It is our present colldition that <Nzill interest you most, and to tllat I shall confine myseli;'

'The first operation, on arriving at Swan River, was to mark out tlle site- of two touns, to one of which was given the 1lame of Freemalltle, close to the entrallce of tlle river; to tlle other tllat of Pertll, abotlt nine miles hibher up, oll its right or llorthern banl. Ill August, 1829, the settlers began to crowd ill; and Laav- illg received their respective allottnellts, commenced the erectio of temporary buildilogs. In November, the COUlatly Ol1 the banks of tlle Ssvan and Canning Rivers, extendillg between the sea and the mountains, and to the distance of fifty miles to tlle southward of Perth, was tllrown open to them. And many at once established themselves on their lands, ret,ardless of any dal1ger fiom the natives, fivho indeed were found to be so harmless, that sin^,le individuals even, mrho had traversed the cotlntry, and palticulally ;lmono tlle nlountaills, had never met with ally intelruption, nor sustailled any illsult or injtlry at their hands.

As settlers contintled to flocli ill, towards the elld of the year



State of the Swan River Colony, lst Jan., 1830. 5

Captain Stirling foulld it necessary to explore the country to a greater extellt tllan had hitherto beell done, bv which he ob- taillecl a kllowledge relative to the coast seventy miles to the lsorthwal(l of Rottenest, and ninety miles to the sollthnvard of it. Ill this extent, the only discoveries of any note were six river.s, of luo great mat,nitude, alld a bar harbollr, capable only of receiving bouts. rl'o the nol thward, the land seen xvas of indiSel ellt quality, lvhile tllat to tlle southwald was fotln(l to inlprove in fEltility the farther it was explored ill that disectioll. C)ne of the settlels a3 so much stluck with the fertility of the soil alsout Port Lescllellavllt, tllat he detelmilled at once to fis his abode there. LIe describes tllis esttlary to exceed that of Melville Water in the Suall Rivel, ill pOillt of size, alld superior in the beauty of its bavlles. It receives two rivers floving down from the Dalling range, which is here about the same distance from the coast as at Sxvan Rixer. Across the lllouth of tl-le Colley is a }ar, llut to the distance of sixteen or eighteell miles witllill it maintains a depth of zzater fiom sis to two fatlloms, alld here it becomes pelfectly fresh. 'l'he plaills are ̂ 1vell mooded utith large timber trees, and the obole coulltry wears tlle appearance of an English park. Port Leschenault is fit only for tlse receptioll of srrlall craft, havint, a bar vith no more thall from thlee to four feet, and two fathoms water nitl)in.

The nature of the soil in the estent of COulltly here mentioned is of various descriptions. 011 the sea coast, vIhere a continued calcareolls ridge exists, no gralllineous plants are to be found, but several species of shrubby or helbaceous plullts rise Ollt of the sandy surface, affordillg good nutriment for sheep alld cattle at all

seasolls of tlle year. Next to this calcareowls formation is a parallel l)readth of a superficial soil, still somewhat sandy, bealillt, large timl)er trees, and aSording good but rather scanty feedint, for sheep alld cattle. Adjoinillg this district of light, sandy soil, is a collsi(lerable bleadth of red land, extending to the base of thn Darling mountains, the soil of wllich varies from red sandy loam to tlle richest led marl and clay, apparently fit for all agrictlltural ptlrposes. The fotlrth variety of cout try is the unevell surface of tl-le moulltaillous ra-lge, vhich is of glanite ancl trap folmatioll. The vallets of tllis lange are excee(lingly ricll and veldant, alld tlle Iills themselves, altllout,h occasiollally rugged by the protlu- SiOll of the locks, aJord lllaanificent timber, and very excellent slleep lanfls. The whole breadth of this rallge of motllltains hafl not beell crossed 3:, tllough examined to tlle distance of twenty-five miles from tlle svestern edge. Stragglillg parties of natives ele occasionally met Witll; and in one or tuo places wele hovels of

* See, however, oll this head p. 16, where subsequent discoveries are Iloticed.



6 State of the Swan River Colony, lst Jan., l 830.

grass anfl twits, very small, and resembling in shape tlle half of a bee-hive Ctlt ^7ertically. The men and children were 1laked: their ^vomell did not appear. 'I'hey seemed to be a good-humoured, inoffensive peol)le. In several of the valleys are pools alld rills of water. The iifth and last variety of soil is that which is foullcl on the ballks of tlle river3 and streamlets. It is alluvial, alld generally very rich, bearing spontaneously good native flax, man- edible roots, alld thirty or forty species of grasses. This descriptioll of tbe country applies mole partictllally to tlle extent of about forty miles to the southnvard of Hiwall Hiver. Farther south, the sandy tract disappears, and tlle rocky glound is less protrudin^,; the climate is cooler, alld tlle sulface seems to indicate the fall of more frequellt showers.

Iirom the little inconveniellce which a large portion of the settlers suSered from want of dwellillbs, alld exposule to the nit,ht air for eeks together, the opinioll is universal that the climate i5 fansourable to health in a very uncommon degree. Captain Stir- lillg says, that for two or three of the sumnler morlths it Aras deemed pllldent tllat tl-le ̂sorkmen should not work exposecl to tlle stln between tlle hours of tell and thlee; btlt that great exer- tion at other tilues produced no consequellt lassitude: and 11e adds that, with the exception of ten or eleven da-s, the sllmmer heat had lJeell telllpered ly soutllern breezes, and thereby lendered very at,reeable. Raill had not fallen for about three months; but this dlotlt,ht fortunately occurs at the season proper for harvest. Al,d thotl^,h the grasses alld other herbage are at this time much ill- jured by the great and g;lowing he:lt of the sun, it is worthy of relllark, that oll sandy soils the plant3 sustain the heat much better tllan on the clay. Nolle of those whose roots are *lear the stlrface call escape fiom the effects of the bakillg which tllis latter kind of soil sustains.

Captaill Stirlill^, speaks with great cautioll oll the productive poNrer of the soils, and hour far they may be modified by climate. ' Tlle most skilful of the farmers who have conle fiom England,' he obselves, ' proSess tllemselves at a loss to form a judgment ' here, as processes in vegetation are t,oing forward before their ' e-es, evell on mere sallds, which are wholly irreconcileable to

tlleir pre-existin^, llotions and modes of jud^,ill*,. I think, how- ' ever,' he colltinues, ' I am safe ill stating tllat the sandy soils o ' tl-le coast produce a shrubby herbaoe, on wllich horned cattle, ' horses, and sheep have lived now throughout the hottest alld the ' coldest pawts of the year; that there is, between the hills and the ' sea, a breadth of red loamy soil, on which graill and artificial ' glasses may be prodtlced; that the banks of the rivers and nll- ' melous stleams offer the Iichest AlluV7ial loam; and that the llills ' theluselves, although occasiollally very rugged, are capable of



State of the Swan River Colony lst Jan. 1830. 7

t becomilog good sheep pasture, as the soil on their sides, where { it exists at all, is invariably excellent, resting on granite and { svhinstone.' He states that the supply of watet for the use of the people and for cattle is abundarit everywhere. Though the livers are not of ,reat magnitude, they are of value, by serving as so many calials for boat navigation. Lakes, strealils, and springs are found in every direction; and even on the sea-shore vt!ells have been rarely stilik in vain. From this abulidance, alid from the colisiderabIe provision of food for live stock which the terlitory seems to possess, he thinks the pastoral life will be found 1nole profitable than the agricultural, alad will be chosen by the bulk of the settlers.

It is too eally yet to form any estimate as to the number of cattle, horses alid sheep whicil may be kept on an aversige of any given extelit of lalid; but tl-sat very considerable ntimbers may be sustailled is evident from the fact, that, at the very driest season of the year, when no rain had fallen for three months there were both food and water in abundance. Tllis is an important fact, as the power of supporting these animals vtithout artificial food will secure 1lot only a clear profit to their owners, but a supply htere- after of allimal food for the use of the settlemelit. The live stock wilich has been introducecl is described as beirig, in several in- stances, of the very best qtialitf, and, with very feur exceptions, arising chiefly from lleglect, all kinds of it have done well The bullocks and sheep, even in the dry season, fattell upon the natural grasses arld herbage. Horses from England have not prospered so snrell, btit even these have maintained themselves withotit any food beyond the liatural llerbage. In short, he observes7 v I a1T1 happar { to say, with reirence to grazilig, that there is every reason to be ' satistied with the result of our experience up to the present time.'

The vie^rs of those settlers 1ho look forward to tillage are as yet confined to gardening and farminb for their own consumptiou. Grain is 1lot likely to be cultivated to any great extent, as it can be imported from Java and the surroundinr colonies of New South XVales and Van Dieinen's Land at a cheaper rate than it call be produced ill the new settlement, at least for some time to come. Captaill Stirlint thiliks, however, that flax of a vely superior kind, and a species of hemp, both glOWing SpOntalleOUS]Y,

may probably be ctiltivated to advalitat,e; that timber which is abuliclalit, nlay fil d a profitable market; that wines, olives, figs, opiumn alid tobacco may be looked to as filture sotirces of export; but ticat these alid other articles must await the time wilell the preselit sbsistence and comfort of the settlers shall have beell provided for and a stock of the necessaries of life permanently sectlred.

Many of the settlers of Perth and Freemantle have employed



8 State of fAe Swan Riq)er Colony, lst Jan., 1830.

thenlselsZes in the construction of boats for the conveyance of their goocts on the livers. rrhe ntlmber of these in the settlement were not less than forty. Solrse of the settlers employ themselves pro- fitably in fishing; alld Captain Stilling has reasoll to believe that the settlement will be able speedily to export cured fish to Java, Whales are ablllldant oll the coast, alld attention has been drawn to the establisllment of a hale-fishery, that can hardly fail of success. Cockbtlrll Sollnd is a safe and extensive anchorage: it has been made easy of access now by buo-illg off the channel leadin^, into it; and no place could be better situated for a Inarine

establishment thall the eastern shore of Buache or Garden Islalld here careenint, harfs nlay be constructed at a triflillt, expense.

Tlle favotlrable position hich this part of the coast of Nerv Holland occtlpies, with reference to the trade of tlle Easterll seas, Captain Stirling observes, has been sllown ill some measure by the arrival of ships from surious parts of the world, to the ntl-mler of more tllull thirty, ill the seven months of the first year of the establishment of the colony. Some of those from Ellgland lallded all their cargoes there; but the ,,leater part nzerely called, and after landing passellgels and part of their cargoes, proceeded oll their routes. rRwo vessels had been sent to the Malay islallds; and Captaill Stirling; ulldelstoocl that four small vessels ere illtended to be employed ill that antl other lilles of tradeJ diverging from Swall River as a centre. By means of these, it will soon be de termined whether this position will prove favourable for the dis- posal of British manufactures among the easternmost of the Malay slallds.

ln the formation of all new colonies, there will 1lecessalily be found a large portioll of the early advellturers ziving vent to feel- ings of discontent ancl disappointment. It always happens that mally 0 SUC}-1 adventulels are men unsettled ill their viess, inor- linate ila their expectations, and wholly ullfitted to encounter the difficulties ̂vElich are inevitable in the infallcy of a colony; alld that such persons should be disuppointedX discontented, and their rtlin cc)npleted, is quite in the ahlre of thinbs. AccoldillglyX among the numerous settlers +ho have flocked to- Sssan River were not a few whose minds aold bodies were but ill-suited to en- countel the struggles and distresses whicll are the unavoidable concomitants of a new settlelnent. ' Many, if not all,' says Captain Stirling, ' have accordillgly been more or less disap- ' pointed on their arrival, eithel witll tlle state of thillgs here, or ' their owll want of erseroy to sllrlnotlnt the diflictllties pressing ' arotllld them not gleater, hovever, than such as must lleces- { s:rily be experienced ill the beginlling of every 1lew cololly; ' and,-it may be added, far less severe than those which the Ame- rican colollists had to encounter, or those ys7ho first established



S{ate of the Swan Riuer Colotay, lst Jan.} 1830. 9

thelzzselses on the opposite side of Australia. Captain Stirling, hourever, observes, that ' fronl tilis state of depression the active ' alid .stotit-hearted have no\;\r recovered; and ten or twelve of ( the leadillo men liavint, occupied their lands, and having de- ' clarecl tilemselves fully satisfied with the quality of the soil and { the conditioll of their cattle, t consider the undertaking to be t llOW safe fiom tile effects of a teneral despondency, which at ? one time threatened to defeat the vie^vs of 1lis Majesty's goverl1- ' ment in this quarter.'

Amont, the heacis of families there is a great majority of highly Iespectable alid independelit persons; in the svorking class a great sariety. Some mtasters hasre been careftil ill the selection of their servants and workmell; but the ,reater part have either el1gaged the outcasts of parishes, or have broutht out men without ref'el'-

elice to character-men who, incapable of succeedint, at home, are not likely to prosper ill a new settlement to the extent of thei ,roundless alid inconsiderate expectations. ' If it be possible says Captaill Stirlin^,, ' to discoLlrage olle set of people and to ' encourage another, I would eainestly request that, for a few ' ears, the helpless and ineflicient may be kept from the settle- ' ulent, whilst to the active, ilidustrious.? and ilitellibent, there may ' be a collfidelit assurance of a fail len?ard fbr their labours.'

The state of tile colony, abstracted fiom the ofiicial returns at the end of the year 1829, and of six months from the first arlsivals, was as follows:-

N unllJer of residents, SS0. Nol1-residelits7 440. Value of plÔperty giVill:, claim to grants of lalld, 4 l ,5o01. Lands actually allottecl, 52Ei,0t)0 acres. Lvcations actually eSected, 39. Num- bel of cattle, ?04; of horses, 57; of sheep, ]096; of hobs, 106. iNvImber of ships arrived between Julle allcl Decembel, 2o.

Thougll strictly speakillg, there is llo harlsour at or llear Swa River tllis deficiellcy is, to a certasn cleglee, compensated by the capaciotls allchorage ill Cockburn Sound, capable, as Captain Stirlill^, informs us, of colltailling in safety a thousand ships. By tlle elltlance leillg buoyed off, it is rendered of easy access for

drge ships; bllt being stleNved oF-er witll rocks, it becomes wholiy iJnpracticable when the buoys are lemovecl. Ally lltlmber of vessels ̂ sould lie in perfect safety in this larbe sound fiom a11 ellemy's sqeladron on tlle outsicle, as tlle miclclle part of it is QUt

of nloltar lallt,e, either from tlle sea or the land side. Such a port, sittlated as tllis is, ill tlle hands of a11 etletny, rwit,llt become, ill any futale war, ten times snore destructive to British trade than even tlle Isle of Flallce was ill the last.

No otller portor llilrboul exists 011 this line of coast, lvith the exceptiow of Port Lescllenault, accessible only, as has beell obt servedt to boats The great Baie (Seographe, whose shape alid



10 State of t1le Swan River Coloely, lst Jan., 1830.

position, with regard to tbe points of the compass, is precisely that

of the Table Bay of tile Cape of Good Hope, has safe anchorage

olily whell the 7il](1s are to the eastuard, southward, alid south-

NZest. But o11 the southern coast of Australia, about one llundred

and fifty miles to the eastward of Cape Leuwin, is the saKe 31ld

excellent loadstead of lking Geort,e's Sound, with whicil are con-

1lected two harbolils, sheltered frolil all xvinds9 and completely

11lild-locked-Priticess Royal llal lsotir to the nol th-east, and

Oyster halbotil to tlle llortil-west; tile folmer liavilig an entrance

and alichorat,e within for the lartr,est ships; I)ut tile elitrance of

the latter has llot more than fourteen or {ifteen feet at bigh water.

Plelity of wood and good water are to be had in either of the har-

bours, and also in tile soulid. The position, close to tile tracks of

all ships proceedilig to Ne55t South \;Yales, and the inviting con-

veniences of tilese two 11arbouis, ilidilced the government, sonle

ferv years ago, to take possessioll of them, and to t-stablish a siliall

Inilitary post there, uledel tile direction of General Dallint,. It

has now, howevel, very properly been placed under the authority

of Captaill Stillil g, as a palt of the Suall River colony, and uZill

probably become, at no 8,reat distance of time, the llead-qtiarters

of tile settlenzent. Dr. \Vilson, of the navy, all intelligent al]d

enterplisint, traveller, ssI-lo has visited every part of Australia, from

R}files Bay in the north to Ikilig George's Soulid ill the SOUt]l,

lias given some accotint of the coulitry contigilous to the latter.

Ill company \itil olle or two others, and a civilised alid intelligelit

native beloligillo to the post, he tiavelled about ei^,hty miles in the

intelior to the nolthward, and returned ly a more stesteriv coulse,

traversing in the whole about two hundred miles over a cotintry

hitherto ullexplored. Each of tile party being obliged to carry his

oun lvluliket, provisions, antl watel, (tlle latter, hontevern beilig

found unnecessary,) the excursion occtipied eleven days; but such

is the excellelice of the climate of this country at a11 seasons of

the tear, bilt more especially aS,reeable in the summer months,

tl-lat they felt no inconvenience by sleepillg on the ,rot nd in tile

open air, 1lor did they sttffer any privation worthy of 1lotice. Dr.

\Vilsoll beint filrnisiled witil no otiler instrument than a eompass,

the pOilltS lilarked down ill the sketch of a chart which accom-

pallies this 1lotice, are tlle reslllt ollly of the bearings alld estimated

distances traversed, and must tilerefd)re be col sidere(l ollly as con-

veint, a very general elescriptioll of the nature of the surface tra-

velled oser. It will be evident, from the inspection of this sketch, and

still 1nore so from tlle journal out of which this 1lotice is extiacted,

that, although in the immediate nei^,hboulilood of Kint, George's

Sound the surface is sandy and weals an unpromising appearance,

yet ill the interior there is no want of good grassy plailis} large



Stclte of the Swan River Colony, 1st Jan., 1830. 1

orest-trees, rivers, lakes, and potlds of good fresh vwater, in almost every part of the country traversed by Dr. Wilson. He says, illdeed, ' tllat the country is so well stlpplied with water, that ' tllose of his party who wislled it elljoyed tlle luxury of a cold ' bath, at least once a day, olle only excepted.' l'he surface tra- n-elled over consisted chieHy of fitle plains alld rich vallets alter- aatinO ovitll ridges clothed with sllrubby plallts, a great pl'OpOltiOlI of the forlller bein; capable of tillaCe, alld the rest affording good pasturat,e for sheep and cattle. Oll the ranges of tlle loftier llills +vere clumps of forest-trees of large dimensions. On the most balren lallds were various species of Banksia, stullted swamp oak, the grass-tree, and othel plal-lts similar to those oll the same kil-ld of soil in New Soutll Wales. On the alluvial flats along the banks of the rivers alld streamlets, the vegetation as most luxuriant. II the glens of the motlntains, the blue gum, the turpelltine, the box, and the apple-trees predominated, many of them measurillg fiom twenty to thirty feet ill girthn and from {ifty to sixty of trunk, free from branches. The plevailing gentls here, as in most parts of New South Xitales, is the Eucal?yptus, of which but fes of the species afford useful timber. The greell wattle WbIS but occasionally observed: it lqourished most luxurialltly on the hills in the neit,hbourhood of Motlnt Lindsey. This nlountain is described as a peak risin^, out of a ridge to tlle height of {ive or sis thousalld ket, terminatecl in a square of abotlt thirty yards each side, per- fectly level, paved srith minute particles of quartz, alld havillg at each ant,le an imrnense lulock of granite. The extensive vierv from tllis mountaill gave l)r. Wilsoll an excellent oppoltunity of crossilog his former bearint, roulld the shole holizoll.

Out of tlle same range of hills, running nearly llorth and south, ri.se three other peaks, which 11e named Mounts Roe, Mitchell, and Frankland. Between this and a more easterly parallel ran^,e, Dr. \5lilson is satisfied, fiolll his o+^n observation and from the accounts of the llatives they fell in with that a tract of good- land Bill be foulld extendillg illtO the origillal intended limits, and IlOW a part, of the Swall lliver Settlement; alld he obsers-es, s clweditin^, the report of the natives, svhich, fiom tbe corlectlless ( of tl-leir description of the nature of the land to the eastward, alld ' fi-om their general intelligence, I am justitied in cloing, mucll ' excellellt lalld may l)e fotlnd to the north-east, beyond the ' second rante of hills. I do not,' he adds, ' hesitate to say, ' nilhout fear of futtlre contradiction, that the area passed over ' by us contailled as nluch, if not more? Iand, fit for all rural pur- ' poses, as any portion of equal extent, at least 'dS far as I kllow, s ill New South Wales.'

Numerous lagoons or lakes of fresh water occurred to one of which the-y gave the name of Loch Katrine; it was fiotn sevell



12 State of the Swan River Coloxty, 1st JGtn., 1830.

to eight miles il] circtirnference, alid frequelited by vast flocks of black swans, rvild ducks, and various kilids of aquatic birds. '1he streams iSSUilig fiom the two ridges, east alid west of theil rotite, +\ele eqtlully lawimerous; and three of them, l-s.med the Denmark, the Elay, alid the Sleenlan, s7ere of colisiderlble ma- nitutle, beilig ill several parts not less thall a hundred yards in xvidth, alld deep enough ill palts to float a vessel of two ol three htilldied tons. All tl-le stleams had a southerly- directio-n, alid tlle thiee above 1lamed fell illtO all extensive inlet, +rhicil coinmtini- cated ith the sea by a cilani el composed of loose calcaleos salidstone, abotit seven hudred yards in widtil, lvilt which, as mas afteruards fotind, is colltracted occasiolially to thirty or forty yards; evell thell it lias a sufficient depth of water to admit of boats. 011 a subsequent visit to 1oulit Lindsey, by Captain Balker, the resident, accompanied by the intelligelit native lSe- lont,ing to the estalviishment at the post of Fredericton, aziother large ililet was seell about thirty miles mole resterly, lyint, I)e- tween Cape Chatham alld Point Nusts; and the opinion of the atives tiley lilet with was, on compalilig it îth tile fornzer illlet,

tilat vessels of very colisideralble size mi^,ht pass illtO it tllrougll tile

entlance. Captaitl 13arker, as ell as L)r. M;ilsoll, bears testimalay to the general acculacy of tile descliptiolis given by these a1)- orit,ines; he observes, 11owever, as they callllot sim, alld possess no kincI of floating vessel, they has7e no nlearl3 of speakin^, cor- rectly as to the depth of watels that are 1lot foldable.

As no survey has been made of that part of tIze southeril const lyil]gbetweenbCape Lellwin alid Kint Geolge's Siouncl? except that of ascertailling the pOSitiOllS, in sailing alonb it, of a few illlets, rocks, alid projectilig headlands, it ss llot improbable that, oll a closel inqlliry, many inlets of a similai kind will be found on this lille of coast, towards which tile interleal waters pursue tileir couises to the ocean. Incleed, there is every appealance of the motith of a river existing ill the large openilig which is left il] the chfarts, a little to the eastward of Cape Leussin, at tile bottolil of all open bay named ' Dangerous lSight ;' and wilen it is considered, that the late expedition of Cciptain Sttilt has lee the nieans of lvrillting to light the existence of a river, \7hose cowirse cannot l)e less than fifteen hundred miles? asad may be mucll mole; tilat it folilis all estzAary or lsilie of sixty miles in lengtil, alid froin thilty to forty ill width, tillotigil vilich its vaters (l-e dischalged illtO thE sea itl Elicounter Bay; tilat Elilzders Slil'-

Yeaecl the westertl pOillt of tilis bay, nZl-icil l-Xe called Cape Jeivis; that 33audill, wI10 sailed rolllld it, has laid clovil an *lllilitelstipted lille of const; and tilat both were *lilconscious of any sucil river or estti ary,- - it is llOt ASS UIllillg too nl uch to coliclu de, tilat luany rivers and inlets still remaill to be discovered on this? and, illdeed,



Stafe of the Swan Rtrer Colony, Oct. 1830. 13

on evely other, coast of Australia, ̂ hich measures in the whole extent from si.s to seven thousalld geographical lniles.

Since the date of the precedilzg remalks atlother report has been eceived from Captain Stirling, brought down to the end of Oc-

tober, 1830. ln tllis report he observes, that ' the pro^,ress of s the settlement dulillg the present year, althoubh not unopposed 4 by many adverse circumstances, has beell as rapid as could hasc ' been expected or desired.' He says, indeed, 'that a greater s ilzcrease thall that whicl1 has takell place of ships, persons, and ' property woulcl probably have lJeen disadvalltat,eous to the wel- ' fal e of tlle settlement while stru ,glilig ill its infancy ;' and he adds, ' that althout,h individuals may have suiered irl the ullclertakin*,, ' the settlenlent is lloo; secilrely established, and its future prosperity ' no longer doubtful. Mucl- Izas tet to be accomplished for its ' advancemerlt, alld there sTill probably be much individual disap- ' pointment and distress; kut with a healthy climate, abundance of ' good lalid, an advantageous pOSitiOIl for trade, alid some valuable ' indit,ellous products, I trust the issue of the undertaking will ' not disappoint public expectation.'

In order to make himself acqtiainted with the nature of the country to the southward, the Lieutenant-Governor embarked, with the Surveyor-General alid some others, on board a schooner; examilled Geograpily Bay throughout its whole extent, alid ex- lulored the inteliol to some little distance; the surface was unevell, rising into high grallitic hills, most of them rugged ol sandy oll their summits, btit the valleys colitained a considerable qviantity of excellent land.

Tlle Vasse lliver was the next pOillt examined, to the distance of three or four miles from the coast, but the restllt Rvas not satis-

f,3ctoly, tile soil lJeilig too light and salidy; but tile stiaight alid xi^,orous g!r>util of tile trees seemed to colitiadict the apparent poverty of the soil. Fresil-water nas abunclallt ill this district.

They llext alicilored off the bal of Port T.eschellault, wilere the COUIltly pleselited so favotirable an appearance, that a detacilmelit of the sixt-third reginielit vas landedX togethel with stoles and proYiSions for the better support of the settlers; alid such were the facilities for tilese troops housint, tilemselves, from the abund- alice of btlilding n<aterials, that in a sery few days the party mtas cotnfortably lodged, and ̂ 5Zele protected against the approaching îllter.

Flom helice a pal ty set out and explored the country in evely directioll, as far as tile summits of the Darlilig range. 'l'he whole of this rall,,e, consistint, of well-wooded hills atld fertile xalleys, contillued to bear the character of great productiveness as far as the eye could reach to the eastward. The gexleral result of these



14 State of the Swan Wiver COIOnY OC{., 1830.

explorations may thus be briefly stated. The water which forms the little harlJoul of Leschenault receives three rivers, one flowing from the SOUtll east, called the Preston; olle from the east named the Collie; and olle fi orn the 1lorth-east, joining the Collie, to which no name appears to have been given. 'the banks of all these are corllposed of rich alluvial soil. The Pleston is navigable for the largest boats about {ive miles fronl its lnollth, and is at that pO;llt

a rtlllning stream of good fresh water. rlthe adjoining country i8

vell clothed with timber trees. The Collie is uavigable ten or twelve miles, nearly up to the first range of the hilly coulltry. At first the banks are sandy, but from the jUllCtiOll of the nolthern streanl it improves greatly, and becornes of all excellent description. 011 tlle whole7 the district around Port Leschenault ap- peared so favoulalole Xr settlers, that Captain Stirling left the detachlllent above-mentioned for the protection of those already thele, and such otl-lers as might be induced to avail thenlselves of the grants of land which the Lieutenallt-Governor was plepared to make. W5le clillaate is stated to be decidedly cooler than at Swan Rivel, allel judging from the quantity of grass aad the ver- dure of the folint,eX it (tppealecl to tlle party that this district was capaljle of sustaining a dry seasoll better thall the country farther to tlle llorthsvard, and that the duration of drout,ht was not so loll>. It was thought remarkable, that irl the uhole of tlleir ex- CUISiOllS no laatives were seen, thcxugh traces of themwere evident alld nunzerous in several places.

011 a second exctllsion to the southwald by the Lieutenant- Goverllor, accolllpanied by Captaill Currie of the 1lavy, and Lieutenant Roe, tile Stlrseyor-General, they doublecl Cape Leuxvill, and ancholed off the mouth of all illlet commullicatinb \-itll tlle sea in tIle slorth-west colner of the great bay, conl- mel cing with the Cape, and extelldinb easterly as fir as the Black Poillt of E7lallders. Ial the charts it is called ' l)angerous Bit,llt, I)ut call only be said to l)e dangerous when the southerly winds prevail. l'his discovery of an inlet and river ill this palticular

spot is just hat is allticipated ill the fornler part of this

l-eport, Hele it was determilled to establish a tOWll} to be called ' Augusta,2 where a river wllich was nallled the ' Black- wo(3d,' fell into the illlet; and several settlers to the numlJel of fifty persoals, illcludillg three heads of families, their servants, and cllilullell, disembarkecl tot,ether, .îth a detachIlleIlt of troops fol tllEir plOtECtiOll. The followillO is the stlbstallce of the Surveyor- Gelleral's report:

s l'he portioll of the sotlthern coast seen dllIing the excursion, ' takell ill connexion nvith our previous kllowledge, leads to the ' belief, that thele are three distillet parallel rallges of primitive ' mourltains) traversing that part of the territory of Westerll Aus-



State of {lle Swan SRiver Cobnyn Oct., 1830. 15

' tralia ullicll borders on the sea coast in the direcfion of 1lorth ' alld sollth. rlthe hiC,hest alld easternmost of these has its southern ' termillation neal to King Georges Sound. The second termi- ' nates at Cape Cllathatn, and is that of which General Darling's ' ranae bellilld Ssan lliver is a portion. Cape Leawin is tlle ' southern terrnination of tlle tllird ral,e, which is inferior ill ' altitude as well as ill extellt to the other twos disappearillt, at ' Cape Natltlaliste, alld ollly showing itself again at ' Moresby's ' Flat-topped llalsge" about half-way between Swan River and ' Sllal-k's Bay, or three llundred rniles to the nortilward of, alld ' on the sallle meridian witll, Cape Leuwin.

{ On these lant,es allel tlleir illtervenillt, valleys the soil varies { accorclillg to pOSitiOll atld aItitude. Oll the moulltains and ' hither ilills the surface is rllgged (nd stony; in tlle lower sides ' of bOtll the soil is excellent; but in tlle principal valleys and ' the loser grounds, m7here the salldstone folmation prevails it is

of a ^7ery illferior descriptioll, except whel e the alluvial deposit ' of the rivers gives it a differellt character. These general rules { are esenplified ill the neigllboulhood of the newly establislled ' town ot Augsta, and Illay l)e takell as applicable gelerally to ' all other palts of tlle territory, except Oll the sea-coast, where ' tile regular folmatiolis have lJeell ilivaded alid modified l)y ex- ' traneous substalices, ,ellerally of a calcareous nature.

s Tlle pOSitiOIl cilosen fol tile new tOWll possesses the advan- ' ta^,es of excellent soil, t)lelity of goocl water, a pleasalit aspect, ' and easy access itl moclerate n7eattser to the anchorage, and to ' the interior country. Tlle ililet is of colisiderable extent, and ' leads to tlse livel we called ' 131ackwood," and which has a ' soutl-lelly direction for fifteell miles, alid a westerly olle ten ' miles, before it ceases to 13e laavigable by boats. Its banks are { covered with good timber of tlse striligy bark and red guin; but ' the soil is a ligilt santly loam? which is seldotn sufficielitly strolig ' for sticcessful cultivatiol. rlthe best soil, the fillest blue-gum ' timlJer allt1 sonze good grass, are mostly to be foulid orl hilly c land; but (111 the ,-eneral surface tlaere is usually found food b1 ' cattle, ancl very gooel sheep pastilre otl the downs skirtilig the ' coast. t1'he ancilorage is slseNtered from the usual winter winds, ' blit is otnell to those whicil l)low between south and east-south- ' east. r1'he pOsitiOll of Augusta, with referelice to the navigation s of tilese seas, alid the quality of tile surroundirig couistry, will ' make it a colivellielit place for vessels to stop at? oll the1r ' way to tile eastern colollies fiotn Englalid, India, and the Cape; { alld OI1 tlleSe glOUlldS tllere iS great reasol; to hope, that it will ' sooll lise to a collsiderable deglee of commelci31 plosperity.'

Another discovery has beell mad(+ by Ensign Dale .and a small party on tl-le eastelil side of Darling's range, alld at the distarice of



3 6 S{ate of the S?tan River Colony Oct., 183t;).

fifty miles due east frolll Pertll. Having reached the easterll base ofthis range, they found the waters taking all easterly direction, and dischalging themselves into a river of considerable magnitude, rtlnning north-west, about sixty yards in width, very deep, and having a strong current. This river, in all probability, will be found to discharge itself illtO some inlet on the coast; perhaps ill sollle

part of the unexamined coust of Shalk's Bay,-though Captain King is inclined to think its mouth will rather be found somewhere about ' Moresby's Flat-toppecl Rallge,' where, in passing, he observed clefts in the hills, and a finely wooded country down to the sancly beach. The 11ills of the Darlillg range were generally covered xvith a red loamy soil, producing good grass and ̂ wild vetches. The trees were chiefly of mahogally, of a very vigorous grovth, the blue alld red gunl, alld a ferv Banksias. M7here the saters first begall to take an easterly course, the trees were chiefly of blue gun, casuarilla, alld black wattle, al-ld a tree which is stated to be similal in its growth to an apple, bearillg a fruit resembling in form, but exceedillg ill size, an unripe hawthorll berry. Tlle wood of this tlee had sI remarkably szreet scent, and the basrk a clelicate pink colour. Alr. Dale says, ' a specimen wllich we ' brought home with us has beell pronoullced by some professed ' judges to be a species of sandal-Xl7ood.'

They met with no natives except three men on their retulnt who ssere very civil, and desirous of making themselves vlseful; but they obsers ed many traces of them; aud ill ascelldillt, the great river, about tvsenty-fotlr miles to a spot where tlle hills assumed a rugged alld lomalltic chalsactel, tlley discovered, ulldel a great mass of granite, a large cavern, the interior of which was arched, and had all the appearallce of an ancient luin. ' On olle side,' saas Mr. I)ale, ' was ludely carved \hat was evidently illterlded ' to represellt all imabe of the zun; it beillg a circular figure about ' eighteen in(hes in diatneter, elnittillb rays from its left side, and s havillg withill tlle circle line.s meetillg each other llearly at right ' allbles. Close to this represelltation of the sun were the im- ' pressions of an arm alld several hands.' It is state(l, that from these heights the view to tlle ea3tszard, for tventy to thilty miles7 exhibited all undulating surface and a well-wooded country.



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State of the Colony of Swan River, 1st January, 1830

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