Journals of Two Expeditions into the Interior of New South Wales

John Oxley

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• Publié par: phoip
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 13
• Langue: English

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Journals of Two
Expeditions into the Interior of New South Wales,
by John Oxley
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**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla
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Title: Journals of Two Expeditions into the Interior
of New South Wales
Author: John Oxley
Release Date: March, 2004 [EBook #5334] [Yes,
we are more than one year ahead of schedule]
[This file was first posted on July 2, 2002]
Edition: 10
Language: English
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG
EBOOK JOURNALS OF TWO EXPEDITIONS ***
Produced by: Col Choat [e-mail] OF TWO
EXPEDITIONS INTO
THE INTERIOR OF NEW
SOUTH WALES, BY
ORDER OF THE
BRITISH
GOVERNMENT IN THE
YEARS 1817-18. BY
JOHN OXLEY,
SURVEYOR GENERAL
OF THE TERRITORY
AND LIEUTENANT OF
THE ROYAL NAVY.
WITH MAPS AND
VIEWS OF THE
INTERIOR, OR NEWLY
DISCOVERED
COUNTRY.
Production notes: * 12 items of errata listed in the
book have been corrected in this eBook. *
Illustrations, Maps and Charts have not been
included in this eBook. * Notes included within the
text have been included in square brackets [] in the
text at the point referenced. * Italics have been
converted to upper case.CONTENTS
PART I
LIST OF PLATES LIST OF CHARTS
INRODUCTION JOURNAL OF AN EXPEDITION
IN AUSTRALIA PART I.
PART II
PREFACE
JOURNAL OF AN EXPEDITION IN AUSTRALIA
PART II.
APPENDIX PART I.
No. I. Instructions for conducting and leading first
expedition.
No. II Report of tour over Blue Mountains in 1815
by the Governor.
No. III Letter from Oxley to Governor advising of
his return from first
expedition.
APPENDIX PART II.
No. IV Diary of Mr. Evans, from 8th to 18th of July,
1818.
No. V. Governor's report on the return of Oxley
from the second
expedition, together with a letter from Oxley
on his arrival
at Port Stephens..
No. VI. Governor's report on Oxley's discovery of
Port Stephens together
with a letter from Oxley to the Governor on
this subject.
A brief abstract of the population of N.S.W in 1815,
1816 and 1817.
A statement of land in cultivation, quantities of
stock, etc. from
1813 to 1817 inclusive.
LIST OF PLATES (NOT INCLUDED IN THIS
EBOOK).
Field Plains from Mount Aymot.The Grave of a Native of Australia.
Arbuthnot's Range, from the West.
Liverpool Plains. West Prospect from View Hill.
Bathurst's Falls.
A Native Chief of Bathurst.
LIST OF CHARTS (NOT INCLUDED IN THIS
EBOOK).
Range of the Thermometer from April 9th to
August 30th 1817 by John Oxley. A Chart of Part
of the Interior of New South Wales, 1817. First
Expedition. A Chart of Part of the Interior of New
South Wales, 1818. Second Expedition. Reduced
Sketch of the Two Expeditions. A Plan of Port
Macquarie Including a Sketch of Part of Hastings
River, on the East Coast of New South Wales. A
General Statement of the Inhabitants of New South
Wales as per General Muster commencing 28th
September 1818, with an account of same at Van
Diemmens Land. A General Statement of the Land
in Cultivation etc., the quantities of Stock etc., as
accounted for at the General Muster, with an
account of same at Van Diemmens Land..
JOURNAL OF AN EXPEDITION IN AUSTRALIA
Part I.
TO HIS EXCELLENCY LACHLAN MACQUARIE,
ESQ. MAJOR GENERAL IN THE ARMY, AND
CAPTAIN GENERAL AND GOVERNOR IN CHIEF
IN AND OVER THE TERRITORY OF NEW SOUTH
WALES AND ITS DEPENDENCIES, THE
FOLLOWING JOURNAL OF AN EXPEDITION,
PERFORMED UNDER HIS ADMINISTRATION
AND DIRECTION, IS RESPECTFULLY
INSCRIBED, BY HIS VERY OBEDIENT HUMBLE
SERVANT, JOHN OXLEY.INTRODUCTION.
The colony had been established many years
before any successful attempt had been made to
penetrate into the interior of the country, by
crossing the range of hills, known to the colonists
as the Blue Mountains: these mountains were
considered as the boundary of the settlements
westward, the country beyond them being deemed
inaccessible.
The year 1813 proving extremely dry, the grass
was nearly all destroyed, and the water failed; the
horned cattle suffered severely from this drought,
and died in great numbers. It was at this period
that three gentlemen, Lieutenant Lawson, of the
Royal Veteran Company, Messrs. Blaxland, and
William Wentworth, determined upon attempting a
passage across these mountains, in hopes of
finding a country which would afford support to
their herds during this trying season.
They crossed the Nepean River at Emu Plains, and
ascending the first range of mountains, were
entangled among gullies and deep ravines for a
considerable time, insomuch that they began to
despair of ultimate success. At length they were
fortunate enough to find a main dividing range,
along the ridge of which they travelled, observing
that it led them westward. After suffering many
hardships, their distinguished perseverance was at
length rewarded by the view of a country, which at
first sight promised them all they could wish.
Into this Land of Promise they descended by a
steep mountain, which Governor Macquarie has
since named Mount York [Note: This mountain was
found to be 795 feet in perpendicular height above
the vale of Clwydd.]. The valley [Note: Named by
Governor Macquarie the Vale of Clwydd.] to which
it gave them access was covered with grass, and
well watered by a small stream running easterly,
and which was subsequently found to fall into the
Nepean River. From Mount York they proceeded
westerly eight or ten miles, passing during the
latter part of the way through an open country, but
broken into steep hills. Seeing that the stream
before mentioned as watering the valley ran
easterly, it was evident they had not yet crossed
the ranges which it was supposed would give
source to waters falling westerly; they had however
proceeded sufficiently far for their purpose, and
ascertained that no serious obstacles existed to afarther progress westward.
Their provisions being nearly expended, they
returned to Sydney, after an absence of little more
than a month; and the report of their discoveries
opened new prospects to the colonists, who had
began to fear that their narrow and confined limits
would not long afford pasture and subsistence for
their greatly increasing flocks and herds.
His Excellency Governor Macquarie, with that
promptitude which distinguishes his character,
resolved not to let slip so favourable an opportunity
of obtaining a farther knowledge of the interior. Mr.
Evans, the deputy surveyor, was directed to
proceed With a party, and follow up the discoveries
already made. He crossed the Nepean River on
the 20th of November, 1813, and on the 26th
arrived at the termination of Messrs. Lawson,
Blaxland, and Wentworth's journey. Proceeding
westward, he crossed a mountainous [Note: Since
named Clarence Hilly Range.] broken country, the
grass of which was good, and the valleys well-
watered, until the 30th, when he came to a small
stream, running westerly; this stream, called by
him the Fish River, he continued to trace until the
7th of December, passing through a very fine
country, adapted to every purpose either of
agriculture or grazing; when he met another
stream coming from the southward: this latter
stream he named Campbell River, and when joined
with the Fish River, the united streams received
the name of the Macquarie River, in honour of his
excellency the present governor of New South
Wales.
Mr. Evans continued to trace the Macquarie River
until December the 18th, passing over rich tracts
clear of timber, well-watered, and offering every
advantage which a country in its natural state can
be supposed to afford. During this excursion, Mr.
Evans fell in with abundance of kangaroos and
emus, and the river abounded with fine fish: he
saw only six natives during the whole time of his
absence, viz. two women and four children,
although on his return he observed many fires in
the neighbourhood of the mountains. On the 8th of
January, 1814, he returned to Emu Plains, having
gone in the whole near one hundred miles in a
direct line due west from the Nepean River.
From the report of Mr. Evans, Governor Macquarie
was induced to believe that a road might be
opened for the whole distance