Part 20 (1/2)

No mariner ever shook the reefs from his sails, on the abatement of the stor, with s than those hich I turn fro, to the contemplation of fairer and more varied scenes My weary task has been perfor eneral reader, I would yet hope, that those who shall hereafter enter the field of Australian discovery, will profit from my experience, and be spared s to which I was unavoidably exposed They may rest assured, that it is only by steady perseverance and unceasing attention, by due precaution and aas that in which I was engaged That unless they are fortunate enough to secure such an assistant as I had in Mr Browne, their single eye , to study the features of the country through which they are passing, to keep their horses and cattle alithin view, to prevent disputes in their camp, and to husband their provisions with the utmost care, to ascertain from tiulate their consuly Few difficulties present the down a river, for that way is smooth before him; it is when he quits its banks, and traverses a country, on the parched surface of which little or no water is to be found, that his trials coo that personal toil, which sooner or later will lay hi, my work should close here I aestion I made in my Preface, that a short notice of South Australia at the close ofpages, therefore, it is proposed to give some account of that province, from whence, as the reader is aware, I tookmy recent labours Its circumstances and prospects have, I know, of late, been frequently brought before the public, but, I trust, nevertheless, thatof novelty, if not of interest, and utility with theest of the colonies that have been established round the shores of the Australian Continent, is situate, as its name would imply, upon its southern coast It extends froitude east from Greenwich, and runs up northwards into the interior to the 26th parallel of latitude The district of Port Phillip bounds it on the east, for which reason, the fixing of the eastern boundary line between those two fine provinces has of late been a point of great interest and ient officer, was employed by the Governitude of the ulations and observations it would appear that the 141st meridian falls on the coast about a mile and a half to the eastward of it Subsequent observations, taken by Captain Stokes, in cole, differ slightly from the result of Mr Tyers' observations, but they prove beyond doubt, the care and accuracy hich the latter officer carried on his survey The point, has since, I believe, been finally recognised by the governments of Sydney and Adelaide, and the boundary line been marked to the distance of 123 miles fro, however, was obliged to relinquish it for a time, in consequence of heavy rains; but it is not probable that any dispute will hereafter arise on the question If the line could have been extended to the Murray river, it would have been as well, but the desert country beyond it is valueless to civilised le of the province of South Australia has been fixed, we shall in the first instance proceed along its sea line, and notice any thing worthy of observation, before we enter into a detail as to the character of the country itself

Fro the coast of South Australia trends to the ard as far as Cape Northurees; [Note 11 The reader will be good enough to bear in itudes in this work are all east of Greenwich, and that the Latitudes are south] froeneral direction for more than 100 miles Between the last rees, there are several bays, two only of which, Rivoli Bay, immediately to the north of Cape Lannes, and Guichen Bay, a little to the south of Cape Bernouilli, have more particularly drawn the attention of the local Government, rendered necessary in consequence of the rapid settlement of the back country Recent surveys have enhanced the value of these two bays, and townshi+ps have been laid out at each That at Rivoli bay being called Grey Town, that of Guichen bay Robe Town At the latter, there is a resident istrate and a party of mounted police Many alloth the bays offer but little protection to large vessels, they are of great i the beautiful and fertile country in the neighbourhood of Mounts Gambier and Shanck From Cape Morard des Galles, a low dreary and sandy beach extends for five leagues beyond the sea mouth of the Murray, a distance of more than 100 miles This beach, which varies in breadth fro, and the depressed and barren country beyond it is co and narrow strip of land

The sea ical events that have occurred near it, and which give a rees 56 rees 32waters of that wild line of sand-hills through which it has forced a channel, without deep feelings of awe and emotion Directly open to the Southern Ocean, the swell that rolls into Encounter Bay, is of the heaviest description The breakers rise to the height of fifteen or eighteen feet before they burst in one unbroken line as far as the eye can see, and as the southerly is thewind on that part of the Australian coast, it is only during the summer season, and after several days of northerly wind that the sea subsides, and the roar of breakers ceases for a time The reader will perhaps bear in mind that the channel of the Goolwa connects Lake Victoria with Encounter Bay, the sea h which its waters are discharged into the ocean

The channel of the Goolwa (now called Port Pullen, in compliment to an officer of that name on the marine survey staff of the province, who succeeded, after several disappointe, and navigating her across the lake into the Murray River, as high as the settlement of Moorundi) is to the ard of the seais to the eastward [Note 12 below]

[Note 12 The compliment thus paid to Mr Pullen, who is now employed on the expedition to the North Pole, in search of Sir John Franklin, by Col

Gawler, the then Governor, ell merited, as a reward for the perseverance and patience he had shewn on the occasion--for those only who have been at the spot can form an idea of the disturbed and doubtful character of the place, and the risk there e for the first ti into the Goolwa, it was only under the most favourable circumstances, nor will the sea able purposes How far it may be practicable to steamers, I would not hazard an opinion, nor is the subject at the present moment one of es is not yet sufficiently located to call for such a speculation

The sea mouth of the Murray is about the third of acurrent runs out of it with such rapidity, that the tide setting in at the sa sea It took Captain Barker nine ht seconds to swim across it on the fatal occasion on which he lost his life--but he was obliged to go somewhat above the outlet, as the stream would otherwise have carried him amidst the breakers The western shore is very low, but the eastern one is e sandhill, now called Barker's Knoll, after that talented and a but a wild line of sand-hills meets the view, such as few h which fewer still could hope to find a passage into the calmer waters of Lake Victoria, so completely hidden is the entrance It was only by patient watching indeed, that Mr Pullen seized the opportunity by which he entered the Goolwa He was not the first, however, who did so, as Captain Gill, the master of a small cutter that was unfortunately wrecked on the strand at some distance to the eastward of the outlet, was the first to co in his boat, in which he ultimately reached Victor Harbour, but he also had to remain three weeks under the sand-hills before he could venture forth Some years prior to this, however, Sir John Jeffcott, the first judge of South Australia, and Captain Blenkensorf, the head of the fishery, both found a watery grave in atte to pass from the Goolwa into Encounter Bay

I speak more particularly on the point, however, because, in 1838, during my first visit to the province, I ith a party of hardy sea into the Goolwa from seaward At Encounter Bay, Captain Hart, who had the superintendence of the fishery there, gavewhale-boat

In this I left Victor harbour for Freeht of Encounter Bay, where I re, when I started for the outlet under theoff the land for several days, and the sea was so tranquil that I had every hope of success I had five leagues to pull, and keeping about ait We were still about four ing us onwards On approaching it at loater, I tried in vain to enter The sea was breaking heavily right across the entrance from one side to the other, and after several ineffectual attempts to run in, I ca that the sea would subside at high water and that we should then have less difficulty We had not, however, been in this position more than half an hour, when a heavy southerly swell set in; froreen, and the wind suddenly flew round to the SW Before we could weigh and stand out from the shore, several seas had broken outside of us, and in less than ten minutes the whole coast, to the distance of more than a mile from the shore, hite with foa on Under these circu to the little harbour fro directly against us, we et to the nob,” said Mr

Witch, who had the steer oar, to me; ”it blows too hard, Sir” ”What are we to do, then?” said I ”Why, Sir,” he replied, ”we must either beach or run out to sea,” ”We will beach, then,” I said; ”it is better to try that than to do any thing else” Mr Witch evinced some surprise at my decision, but made no remark ”You had better select your place,” I observed, ”and be careful to keep the boat's head well on to the seas”

”You need not fear me, Sir,” said the hardy seaman; ”I am accustomed to such work It looks worse than it really is” The sea, however, was now breaking full atowards it I observed a solitary horseth Mr Witch said that he thought ere opposite to a favourable spot, on which I directed him to put the boat's head towards the shore, and to keep her end on as he went in Round we flew, and in aat railway speed on the top of a heavy wave

”Steady, men,” said Mr Witch: ”Steady all,” and on ent; but looking round him a moment after--”Back, all Back, all,” he cried The men did as they were ordered, and the boat's as stopped Her stern rose almost perpendicularly over the prow, and the next h of the sea The wave, transparent as bottle glass, rushed past us, and topping, as it is called, burst at our very bow, in a broad sheet of foam ”Give way, my lads,” was the next order of the watchful steersain cast his eyes behind him ”Give way, my lads Give way, all”

”Steady,wave I thought I saw paleness on the face of the rowers, but they pulled regularly and well, and a thundering sound soon told us we had escaped the threatening sea that had co justice to the occurrence There was er in it, and Ibefore been accustomed to the heavy surf of Norfolk Island It was, however, a reat excitement We had literally shot towards the shore, and were noithin fifty yards of it, when Mr Witch said to me, ”Take care of yourself, Sir; we shall catch it at last”

I turned round, and saw a large roller close upon us, just on the point of topping--I had scarcely tiive my back to it when it came upon us, and I never had such a thump in my life The boat was filled in a moment and ere all thrown out--Mr Witch, who had been standing, was hurled to a great distance, but theabout four feet deep, and with admirable dexterity ran her on the beach I do not re a breeze The reader may form some idea of it when I assure him that the wind rolled the boat over and over as if she had been as light as a carpenter's chip, and the sand and pebbles caed to retreat behind the sand hills until it ho had accoure we had seen on the beach, and he assured me that we see apparently flown per hopeless to expect that the sea would subside for many days, I hauled the boat over the sand hills, and launching her in the Goolwa, tried to row through the outlet to sea, but after re ive up the attempt as I had no time to spare The distance between th In endeavouring to pass out I shoaled to a quarter less one, having kept the lead constantly going I abandoned the task therefore under an iable, yet Mr Pullen succeeded in taking a small cutter into the Goolith perfect safety I cannot but conclude therefore that it has a shi+fting bar, and that it will present difficulties to regular navigation that will only be sure of its locality, and in all probability by artificial means

From Freeman's nob the coast line turns southwards to Rosetta Head, a bold and prominent conical hill, froame Under the lea of Rosetta Head there is a small harbour called Rosetta Harbour It is separated by a rocky island called Granite Island, and a reef that is visible at loater, and connects Granite Island with the main land from Victor Harbour, so called after HM's shi+p Victor, when surveying in that quarter Neither of these harbours however are considered secure, although they are protected from all but south-east winds

It was in Rosetta Harbour, that during the early settlement of the Colony the South Australian Company's shi+p South Australian, was driven on shore and lost The John Pirie, a strongly built schooner, also belonging to the Coh shared her fate This little vessel was lying astern of the Australian when she went ashore, with the reef close astern of her In this fearful position her anchors began to drag, and her destruction appeared inevitable, when her co to take her over the reef, it being high water at the tily cut his cable, set his sails, and ran his vessel on the rocks Four times she struck and was heaved as often over theth she floated in the deeper water of Victor Harbour, and found her safety under the lea of the very danger from which she expected destruction It was a bold resolve and deserved the success that attended it I always feel a pleasure in recording such events, not only fros of admiration, but because they are examples for men to follohen placed in equally hazardous circumstances, and shew that firency The anchorage in Victor Harbour is under the lea of Granite Island, but I believe it is foul and rocky, and until both it and Rosetta Harbour shall be better known, the seaman will enter them with caution Encounter Bay indeed, is not a place into which the stranger should venture, as he would find it extremely difficult to beat out to sea with a contrary wind Still no doubt vesselswest and south-inds, but I have always understood that it is better for a shi+p encountering a gale at the entrance of Backstairs Passage rather to keep at sea, than seek shelter in any contiguous harbour

There is room for two or three tolerably sized vessels in Victor Harbour, which is in longitude 138 {188 in published text} degrees 38 rees 32 minutes, and in certain seasons of the year it may be deemed secure, if it were not liable to other objections, but I have heard it stated by an experienced seae of this part of the coast of South Australia is indisputable, that there is anchorage under the lea of Freeman's nob, and a small island off it, sufficient for two or three vessels of 250 or 300 tons, altogether preferable to either of those I haveground--but we et that it is deeper in the bay, and there would consequently be a greater difficulty in beating out; but the truth is that the importance and capabilities of these harbours will only be developed as the wants of the colonists render it necessary for them to have ports in this vicinity When the country to the eastward of the mountains shall be more thickly peopled, and when the rich and fertile valleys of the Inman, the Hindmarsh and Currency Creek, and the available country between the two last, be enerally cultivated, and when the mines at the Reedy Creek and other places are at full work, the want of a harbour at Encounter Bay will be sufficiently apparent

The principal whale fishery on the coast of South Australia is in Encounter Bay, and has, I believe, of late years proved as advantageous a speculation to those who have carried it on as could be expected; profits are of course dependent on contingencies, as the nature of the season and the number of whales that may visit the coast: but the fishery at Encounter Bay has certainly been as successful as any other on the coast, and would have been round had not been intruded upon As a source of colonial industry, and as a proof of coret to see this bold and hardy occupation abandoned See Appendix

Froain trends for a short distance to the west, and foraroo Island, the Backstairs Passage, or eastern entrance into St Vincent's Gulf, of which Cape Jervis is the NW point It is here that the ation of the South Australian seas commences The line of coast I have already described is not sufficiently known to be approached by the stranger without caution, nevertheless the several bays and harbours I have reater convenience than I am able to point out

One of the first establishments, if not the very first, of the South Australian Coaroo Island, on the shores of Nepean Bay

Here the town of Kingscote was laid out, and so to dilapidation and decay, since it has been abandoned by the Coscote is a very pretty sea-port town, and the harbour is undoubtedly good The bay is large enough to hold a nu almost completely land-locked The water insidespit of sand, whereby the roughness of the outer sea does not affect it, and vessels consequently lie there during heavy weather without any apparent es, Kingscote Harbour should have any drawback, but e have given credit for its capabilities as a harbour, we have done all, and even as a harbour, sailors are divided in opinion, whether or not American River, or a small bay, five miles to the south-east of it, are not to be preferred In Nepean Bay there is a deficiency of water, which is not the case in either of the last hbourhood of all three, but Kingscote having been occupied, the ground has been cleared of the dense brush that grew on it in a state of nature, and soardens in the Province are to be found there It is astonishi+ng what quantities of the finest onions are sent froscote, with other produce, to Adelaide The island is, however, so generally and so heavily covered with brushwood, that although the soil is good in many places, it has been found iaroo Island, I would observe, that, from the reports of those best acquainted with it, nine-tenths of the surface is covered with dwarf gum-trees, or heavy low brush, that there are no plains of any consequence, no harbours excepting those I have already enerally scarce, and the best land is most heavily wooded and perfectly impenetrable; but, if it is thus useless and unavailable for pastoral and agricultural purposes, Kingscote, being so short a distance fro-place to those who, desiring change of air and sea-bathing, would wish to leave the heated neighbourhood of the capital during the sue to them that there are few places on the shores of St Vincent's Gulf, on which bathing places could be established, but the change of air at Kingscote would be as great a benefit as sea-bathing itself, for hot winds are not felt there, but a cool and refreshi+ng breeze is al-place therefore, it may, one day or other, be of importance, when the convenience of steaaroo Island, like a trip across the Channel But it is to be observed that whatever disadvantages the island hest importance, since it lies as a breakwater at the bottom of St Vincent's Gulf, and prevents the effects of the heavy southerly seas froulf, whether it is entered by the eastern or western passage, the navigation of which is so easy as that of St Vincent, and so clear of dangers, that it can only be by the lect, that any accident can befal a shi+p in its passage up to Adelaide

Anxious to make this portion ofassured that the remarks I have hitherto made will only lead the sea any of the harbours and bays I have e of which is still lie fro Instructions for South Australia, published souidance of commanders of vessels bound to Port Adelaide I shall only observe that, in running up the Gulf it is extrenise the peak of Mount Lofty; but a pile of stones has been erected upon it, which is easily visible through a good telescope, and that the pilot station spoken of by Captain Lee as being fivehas been abandoned, and the pilots now board shi+ps froland bound to Port Adelaide, should, after leaving the Cape of Good Hope, run to the eastward in 37 degrees or 38 degrees south latitude, until they arrive in longitude 132 degrees east, when they rees 25 rees 30 aroo Island, passing bethich and a sator's Straits These Straits form the western entrance to St Vincent's Gulf, and are so free froet on shore without gross negligence The only danger that can possibly affect a vessel is the Troubridge Shoal, and this, by a little attention to the lead, may be easily avoided, as on the south side of the shoal the water deepens gradually frohteen fathoaroo Island are bold and rocky, whilst on the north side, on Yorke's Peninsula, they are low and sandy In working up in the night, stand no nearer to the north shore than nine fathoms, or to the southward than twelve fathoms You will have frorey sand,up St Vincent's Gulf, you may stand to the eastward in six fathoe Shoal in nine fatho winds are from the south-west to south-east, especially in the summer months, when the sea breeze sets in about nine o'clock The strength of tide in the Gulf is very irregular, with a strong south-ind, the flood runs up at the rate of about two miles an hour, whilst with a northerly wind it is scarcely perceptible The anchorage in Holdfast Bay is hardly safe in the winter months, as it is quite open to north-west, west, and south-inds, which, when blowing hard, raise a short turound is a fine sand, almost covered eeds, so that when the anchor once starts, the weeds being raked up under the croill in a greatIn the sue, if due caution is exercised in giving the vessel cable in tie vessel is with the su east in six fatho her depth of water sufficient to ride in

”The pilot station for Port Adelaide is about fiveup keep in five fatho-staff on the beach, when a pilot will co and evening, and consequently loater in the middle of the day In the present state of the harbour, no vessel drawing o into the port

Several very serious accidents have befallen vessels in this port, for which the harbour itself ought certainly to be held blameless”