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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/7181-h.zip b/7181-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..d8772b3 --- /dev/null +++ b/7181-h.zip diff --git a/7181-h/7181-h.htm b/7181-h/7181-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..950d885 --- /dev/null +++ b/7181-h/7181-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,10960 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<HTML> +<HEAD> +<TITLE>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Bushman, by Edward Wilson Landor</TITLE> +<META HTTP-EQUIV="content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> +<style type="text/css"> +<!-- +body {background:lightyellow; margin:10%; text-align:justify} +h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 {color:green; text-align:center} +blockquote {font:smaller} +p.poem {text-align:center} +p.external {font:bold} +--> +</style> +</HEAD> +<BODY> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Bushman, by Edward Wilson Landor + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Bushman + Life in a New Country + +Author: Edward Wilson Landor + +Release Date: December, 2004 [EBook #7181] +Last Updated: August 10, 2012 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BUSHMAN *** + + + + +Produced by Sue Asscher + + + + + +</pre> + + + + +<h3>THE BUSHMAN.</h3> + +<h3>LIFE IN A NEW COUNTRY</h3> + +<h3>BY</h3> + +<h3>EDWARD WILSON LANDOR.</h3> + +<p> </p> + +<p><a name="f001"><img alt="" src="images/Landor_f001.jpg" width="500" height= +"350"></a></p> + +<center><b>"Kangaroo Hunting"</b></center> + +<br> +<br> + +<h4>PREFACE.</h4> + +<p>The British Colonies now form so prominent a portion of the +Empire, that the Public will be compelled to acknowledge some +interest in their welfare, and the Government to yield some +attention to their wants. It is a necessity which both the +Government and the Public will obey with reluctance.</p> + +<p>Too remote for sympathy, too powerless for respect, the +Colonies, during ages of existence, have but rarely occupied a +passing thought in the mind of the Nation; as though their +insignificance entitled them only to neglect. But the weakness of +childhood is passing away: the Infant is fast growing into the +possession and the consciousness of strength, whilst the Parent +is obliged to acknowledge the increasing usefulness of her +offspring.</p> + +<p>The long-existing and fundamental errors of Government, under +which the Colonies have hitherto groaned in helpless subjection, +will soon become generally known and understood—and then they +will be remedied.</p> + +<p>In the remarks which will be found scattered through this work +on the subject of Colonial Government, it must be observed, that +the system only is assailed, and not individuals. That it is the +system and not <i>The Men</i> who are in fault, is sufficiently +proved by the fact that the most illustrious statesmen and the +brightest talents of the Age, have ever failed to distinguish +themselves by good works, whilst directing the fortunes of the +Colonies. Lord John Russell, Lord Stanley, Mr. Gladstone—all of +them high-minded, scrupulous, and patriotic statesmen—all of +them men of brilliant genius, extensive knowledge, and profound +thought—have all of them been but slightly appreciated as +Colonial rulers.</p> + +<p>Their principal success has been in perpetuating a noxious +system. They have all of them conscientiously believed their +first duty to be, in the words of Lord Stanley, to keep the +Colonies dependent upon the Mother Country; and occupied with +this belief, they have legislated for the Mother Country and not +for the Colonies. Vain, selfish, fear-inspired policy! that keeps +the Colonies down in the dust at the feet of the Parent State, +and yet is of no value or advantage to her. To make her Colonies +useful to England, they must be cherished in their infancy, and +carefully encouraged to put forth all the strength of their +secret energies.</p> + +<p>It is not whilst held in leading-strings that they can be +useful, or aught but burthensome: rear them kindly to maturity, +and allow them the free exercise of their vast natural strength, +and they would be to the parent country her truest and most +valuable friends.</p> + +<p><i>The colonies of the Empire are the only lasting and +inalienable markets for its produce</i>; and the first aim of the +political economist should be to develop to their utmost extent +the vast resources possessed by Great Britain in these her own +peculiar fields of national wealth. But the policy displayed +throughout the history of her Colonial possessions, has ever been +the reverse of this. It was that grasping and ungenerous policy +that called forth a Washington, and cost her an empire. It is +that same miserable and low-born policy that still recoils upon +herself, depriving her of vast increase of wealth and power in +order to keep the chain upon her hapless children, those +ambitious Titans whom she trembles to unbind.</p> + +<p>And yet poor Old England considers herself an excellent +parent, and moans and murmurs over the ingratitude of her +troublesome offspring! Like many other parents, she means to do +well and act kindly, but unhappily the principles on which she +proceeds are radically wrong. Hence, on the one side, +heart-burning, irritation, and resentment; on the other, +disappointment, revulsion, and alarm.</p> + +<p>Is she too deeply prejudiced, or too old in error, to attempt +a new system of policy?</p> + +<p>In what single respect has she ever proved herself a good +parent to any of her Colonies? Whilst supplying them with +Government Officers, she has fettered them with unwholesome laws; +whilst giving them a trifling preference over foreign states in +their commerce, she has laid her grasp upon their soil; whilst +allowing them to legislate in a small degree for themselves, she +has reserved the prerogative of annulling all enactments that +interfere with her own selfish or mistaken views; whilst +permitting their inhabitants to live under a lightened pressure +of taxation, she has debarred them from wealth, rank, honours, +rewards, hopes—all those incentives to action that lead men +forward to glory, and stamp nations with greatness.</p> + +<p>What has she done for her Colonies—this careful and +beneficent parent? She has permitted them to exist, but bound +them down in serf-like dependence; and so she keeps them—feeble, +helpless, and hopeless. She grants them the sanction of her flag, +and the privilege of boasting of her baneful protection.</p> + +<p>Years—ages have gone by, and her policy has been the same— +darkening the heart and crushing the energies of Man in climes +where Nature sparkles with hope and teems with plenty.</p> + +<p>Time, however, too powerful for statesmen, continues his +silent but steady advance in the great work of amelioration. The +condition of the Colonies must be elevated to that of the +counties of England. Absolute rule must cease to prevail in them. +Men must be allowed to win there, as at home, honours and rank. +Time, the grand minister of correction—Time the Avenger, already +has his foot on the threshold of the COLONIAL OFFICE.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr> +<p> </p> + +<h3>CONTENTS.</h3> + +<p><b>CHAPTER.</b></p> + +1.—COLONISTS.<br> +2.—ST. JAGO.<br> +3.—THE MUTINY.<br> +4.—THE PRISON-ISLAND.<br> +5.—FIRST ADVENTURES.<br> +6.—PERTH.—COLONIAL JURIES.<br> +7.—BOATING UP THE RIVER.<br> +8.—FARMS ON THE RIVER.<br> +9.—THE MORAL THERMOMETER OF COLONIES.<br> +10.—COUNTRY LIFE.<br> +11.—PERSECUTIONS.<br> +12.—MICHAEL BLAKE, THE IRISH SETTLER.<br> +13.—WILD CATTLE HUNTING.<br> +14.—WOODMAN'S POINT.<br> +15.—HOW THE LAWS OF ENGLAND AFFECT THE NATIVES.<br> +16.—REMARKS ON THE PHYSICAL ORGANIZATION OF THE NATIVES.<br> +17.—SKETCHES OF LIFE AMONG THE NATIVES.<br> +18.—THE MODEL KINGDOM.<br> +19.—TRIALS OF A GOVERNOR.<br> +20.—MR. SAILS, MY GROOM.—OVER THE HILLS.—A SHEEP STATION.<br> +21.—EXTRACTS FROM THE LOG OF A HUT-KEEPER.<br> +22.—PELICAN SHOOTING.—GALES.—WRESTLING WITH DEATH.<br> +23.—THE DESERT OF AUSTRALIA.—CAUSE OF THE HOT +WINDS.—GEOLOGY.<br> +24.—COLONIAL GOVERNMENT.<br> +25.—ONE OF THE ERRORS OF GOVERNMENT.—ADVENTURES OF THE +"BRAMBLE".<br> +26.—SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES.—KANGAROO HUNTING.—EMUS.—LOST IN +THE BUSH.<br> +27.—THE COMET.—VITAL STATISTICS.—METEOROLOGY.<br> +28.—THE BOTANY OF THE COLONY.<br> +29.—MISFORTUNES OF THE COLONY.<br> +30.—RESOURCES OF THE COLONY:—HORSES FOR INDIA.—WINE.—<br> +DRIED FRUITS.—COTTON.—COAL.—WOOL.—CORN.—WHALE-OIL.—A WHALE +HUNT.—CURED FISH.—SHIP TIMBER.<br> +31.—RISE AND FALL OF A SETTLEMENT.—THE SEQUEL TO CAPTAIN GREY'S +DISCOVERIES.—A WORD AT PARTING.<br> +<br> + + +<p><b>PLATES.</b></p> + +<p><a href="#f001">KANGAROO HUNTING (Frontispiece).</a><br> +<a href="#f160">THE BIVOUAC.</a><br> +<a href="#f214">SPEARING KANGAROO</a><br> +<a href="#f336">DEATH OF THE KANGAROO.</a><br> +<a href="#f339">EMU HUNT (woodcut).</a></p> + +<p><b>THE BUSHMAN; OR, LIFE IN A NEW COUNTRY.</b></p> + +<p> </p> + +<p> </p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 1.</h3> + +<h4>COLONISTS.</h4> + +<p>The Spirit of Adventure is the most animating impulse in the +human breast. Man naturally detests inaction; he thirsts after +change and novelty, and the prospect of excitement makes him +prefer even danger to continued repose.</p> + +<p>The love of adventure! how strongly it urges forward the +Young! The Young, who are ever discontented with the Present, and +sigh for opportunities of action which they know not where to +seek. Old men mourn over the folly and recklessness of the Young, +who, in the fresh and balmy spring-time of life, recoil from the +confinement of the desk or the study, and long for active +occupation, in which all their beating energies may find +employment. Subjection is the consequence of civilized life; and +self-sacrifice is necessary in those who are born to toil, before +they may partake of its enjoyments. But though the Young are +conscious that this is so, they repine not the less; they feel +that the freshness and verdure of life must first die away; that +the promised recompense will probably come too late to the +exhausted frame; that the blessings which would now be received +with prostrate gratitude will cease to be felt as boons; and that +although the wishes and wants of the heart will take new +directions in the progress of years, the consciousness that the +spring-time of life— that peculiar season of happiness which can +never be known again— has been consumed in futile desires and +aspirations, in vain hopes and bitter experiences, must ever +remain deepening the gloom of Memory.</p> + +<p>Anxious to possess immediate independence, young men, full of +adventurous spirit, proceed in search of new fields of labour, +where they may reap at once the enjoyments of domestic life, +whilst they industriously work out the curse that hangs over the +Sons of Adam.</p> + +<p>They who thus become emigrants from the ardent spirit of +adventure, and from a desire to experience a simpler and less +artificial manner of living than that which has become the +essential characteristic of European civilization, form a large +and useful body of colonists. These men, notwithstanding the pity +which will be bestowed upon them by those whose limited +experience of life leads to the belief that happiness or +contentment can only be found in the atmosphere of England, are +entitled to some consideration and respect.</p> + +<p>To have dared to deviate from the beaten track which was +before them in the outset of life; to have perceived at so vast a +distance advantages which others, if they had seen, would have +shrunk from aiming at; to have persevered in their resolution, +notwithstanding the expostulations of Age, the regrets of +Friendship, and the sighs of Affection—all this betokens +originality and strength of character.</p> + +<p>Does it also betoken indifference to the wishes of others? +Perhaps it does; and it marks one of the broadest and least +amiable features in the character of a colonist.</p> + +<p>The next class of emigrants are those who depart from their +native shores with reluctance and tears. Children of misfortune +and sorrow, they would yet remain to weep on the bosom from which +they have drawn no sustenance. But the strong blasts of necessity +drive them from the homes which even Grief has not rendered less +dear. Their future has never yet responded to the voice of Hope, +and now, worn and broken in spirit, imagination paints nothing +cheering in another land. They go solely because they may not +remain—because they know not where else to look for a resting +place; and Necessity, with her iron whip, drives them forth to +some distant colony.</p> + +<p>But there is still a third class, the most numerous perhaps of +all, that helps to compose the population of a colony. This is +made up of young men who are the wasterels of the World; who have +never done, and never will do themselves any good, and are a +curse instead of a benefit to others. These are they who think +themselves fine, jovial, spirited fellows, who disdain to work, +and bear themselves as if life were merely a game which ought to +be played out amid coarse laughter and wild riot.</p> + +<p>These go to a colony because their relatives will not support +them in idleness at home. They feel no despair at the +circumstance, for their pockets have been refilled, though (they +are assured) for the last time; and they rejoice at the prospect +of spending their capital far from the observation of intrusive +guardians.</p> + +<p>Disgusted at authority which has never proved sufficient to +restrain or improve them, they become enamoured with the idea of +absolute license, and are far too high-spirited to entertain any +apprehensions of future poverty. These gallant-minded and truly +enviable fellows betake themselves, on their arrival, to the +zealous cultivation of field-sports instead of field produce. +They leave with disdain the exercise of the useful arts to +low-bred and beggarly-minded people, who have not spirit enough +for anything better; whilst they themselves enthusiastically +strive to realize again those glorious times,—</p> + +<p>"When wild in woods the noble savage ran."</p> + +<p>In the intervals of relaxation from these fatigues, when they +return to a town life, they endeavour to prove the activity of +their energies and the benevolence of their characters, by +getting up balls and pic-nics, solely to promote the happiness of +the ladies. But notwithstanding this appearance of devotion to +the fair sex, their best affections are never withdrawn from the +companion of their hearts—the brandy flask. They evince their +generous hospitality by hailing every one who passes their door, +with "How are you, old fellow? Come in, and take a nip." Somehow +or other they are always liked, even by those who pity and +despise them.</p> + +<p>The women only laugh at their irregularities—they are such +"good-hearted creatures!" And so they go easily and rapidly down +that sloping path which leads to ruin and despair. What is their +end? Many of them literally kill themselves by drinking; and +those who get through the seasoning, which is the fatal period, +are either compelled to become labourers in the fields for any +one who will provide them with food; or else succeed in exciting +the compassion of their friends at home, by their dismal accounts +of the impossibility of earning a livelihood in a ruined and +worthless colony; and having thus obtained money enough to enable +them to return to England, they hasten to throw themselves and +their sorrows into the arms of their sympathizing relatives.</p> + +<p>Nothing can be more absurd than to imagine that a fortune may +be made in a colony by those who have neither in them nor about +them any of the elements or qualities by which fortunes are +gained at home.</p> + +<p>There are, unfortunately, few sources of wealth peculiar to a +colony. The only advantage which the emigrant may reasonably +calculate upon enjoying, is the diminution of competition. In +England the crowd is so dense that men smother one another.</p> + +<p>It is only by opening up the same channels of wealth under +more favourable circumstances, that the emigrant has any right to +calculate upon success. Without a profession, without any +legitimate calling in which his early years have been properly +instructed; without any knowledge or any habits of business, a +man has no better prospect of making a fortune in a colony than +at home. None, however, so circumstanced, entertains this belief; +on the contrary, he enters upon his new career without any +misgivings, and with the courage and enthusiasm of a newly +enlisted recruit.</p> + +<p>Alas! the disappointment which so soon and so inevitably +succeeds, brings a crowd of vices and miseries in its train.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 2.</h3> + +<h4>ST. JAGO.</h4> + +<p>The reader may naturally expect to be informed of the reasons +that have induced me thus to seek his acquaintance. In one +word—I am a colonist. In England, a great deal is said every day +about colonies and colonists, but very little is known about +them. A great deal is projected; but whatever is done, is +unfortunately to their prejudice. Secretaries of State know much +more about the distant settlements of Great Britain than the +inhabitants themselves; and, consequently, the latter are seldom +able to appreciate the ordinances which (for their own good) they +are compelled to submit to.</p> + +<p>My own experience is chiefly confined to one of the most +insignificant of our colonies,—insignificant in point of +population, but extremely important as to its geographical +position, and its prospects of future greatness,—but the same +principle of government applies to all the British +settlements.</p> + +<p>A few years ago, I was the victim of medical skill; and being +sentenced to death in my own country by three eminent physicians, +was comparatively happy in having that sentence commuted to +banishment. A wealthy man would have gone to Naples, to Malta, or +to Madeira; but a poor one has no resource save in a colony, +unless he will condescend to live upon others, rather than +support himself by his own exertions.</p> + +<p>The climate of Western Australia was recommended; and I may be +grateful for the alternative allowed me.</p> + +<p>As I shall have occasion hereafter to allude to them +incidentally, I may mention that my two brothers accompanied me +on this distant voyage.</p> + +<p>The elder, a disciple of Aesculapius, was not only anxious to +gratify his fraternal solicitude and his professional tastes by +watching my case, but was desirous of realizing the pleasures of +rural life in Australia.</p> + +<p>My younger brother (whose pursuits entitle him to be called +Meliboeus) was a youth not eighteen, originally designed for the +Church, and intended to cut a figure at Oxford; but modestly +conceiving that the figure he was likely to cut would not tend to +the advancement of his worldly interests, and moreover, having no +admiration for Virgil beyond the Bucolics, he fitted himself out +with a Lowland plaid and a set of Pandaean pipes, and solemnly +dedicated himself to the duties of a shepherd.</p> + +<p>Thus it was that we were all embarked in the same boat; or +rather, we found ourselves in the month of April, 1841, on board +of a certain ill-appointed barque bound for Western +Australia.</p> + +<p>We had with us a couple of servants, four rams with curling +horns— a purchase from the late Lord Western; a noble +blood-hound, the gift of a noble Lord famous for the breed; a +real old English mastiff-bitch, from the stock at Lyme Park; and +a handsome spaniel cocker. Besides this collection of quadrupeds, +we had a vast assortment of useless lumber, which had cost us +many hundred pounds. Being most darkly ignorant of every thing +relating to the country to which we were going, but having a +notion that it was very much of the same character with that so +long inhabited by Robinson Crusoe, we had prudently provided +ourselves with all the necessaries and even non-necessaries of +life in such a region. Our tool chests would have suited an army +of pioneers; several distinguished ironmongers of the city of +London had cleared their warehouses in our favour of all the +rubbish which had lain on hand during the last quarter of a +century; we had hinges, bolts, screws, door-latches, staples, +nails of all dimensions—from the tenpenny, downwards—and every +other requisite to have completely built a modern village of +reasonable extent. We had tents, Macintosh bags, swimming-belts, +several sets of sauce-pans in graduated scale, (we had here a +distant eye to kangaroo and cockatoo stews,) cleavers, meat-saws, +iron skewers, and a general apparatus of kitchen utensils that +would have satisfied the desires of Monsieur Soyer himself. Then +we had double and single-barrelled guns, rifles, pistols, six +barrels of Pigou and Wilkes' gunpowder; an immense assortment of +shot, and two hundred weight of lead for bullets.</p> + +<p>Besides the several articles already enumerated, we had +provided ourselves with eighteen months' provisions, in pork and +flour, calculating that by the time this quantity was consumed, +we should have raised enough to support our establishment out of +the soil by the sweat of our brows. And thus from sheer ignorance +of colonial life, we had laid out a considerable portion of our +capital in the purchase of useless articles, and of things which +might have been procured more cheaply in the colony itself. Nor +were we the only green-horns that have gone out as colonists: on +the contrary, nine-tenths of those who emigrate, do so in perfect +ignorance of the country they are about to visit and the life +they are destined to lead. The fact is, Englishmen, as a body +know nothing and care nothing about colonies. My own was merely +the national ignorance. An Englishman's idea of a colony (he +classes them altogether) is, that it is some miserable place—the +Black-hole of the British empire—where no one would live if he +were allowed a choice; and where the exiled spirits of the nation +are incessantly sighing for a glimpse of the white cliffs of +Albion, and a taste of the old familiar green-and-yellow fog of +the capital of the world. Experience alone can convince him that +there are in other regions of the world climes as delightful, +suns as beneficent, and creditors as confiding, as those of Old +England.</p> + +<p>The voyage, of course, was tedious enough; but some portion of +it was spent very pleasantly in calculating the annual profits +which our flocks were likely to produce.</p> + +<p>The four noble rams, with their curly horns, grew daily more +valuable in our estimation. By the sailors, no doubt, they were +rated no higher than the miserable tenants of the long-boat, that +formed part of the cuddy provisions. But with us it was very +different. As we looked, every bright and balmy morning, into the +pen which they occupied, we were enabled to picture more vividly +those Arcadian prospects which seemed now brought almost within +reach. In these grave and respectable animals we recognised the +patriarchs of a vast and invaluable progeny; and it was +impossible to help feeling a kind of veneration for the sires of +that fleecy multitude which was to prove the means of justifying +our modest expectations of happiness and wealth.</p> + +<p>Our dogs also afforded us the most pleasing subjects for +speculation. With the blood-hound we were to track the footsteps +of the midnight marauder, who should invade the sanctity of our +fold. The spaniel was to aid in procuring a supply of game for +the table; and I bestowed so much pains upon his education during +the voyage, that before we landed he was perfectly au fait in the +article of "down-charge!" and used to flush the cat in the +steward's pantry with the greatest certainty and +satisfaction.</p> + +<p>Jezebel, the mastiff-birch, was expected to assist in guarding +our castle,—an honourable duty which her courage and fidelity +amply warranted us in confiding to her. Of the former quality, I +shall mention an instance that occurred during the voyage. We had +one day caught a shark, twelve feet long; and no sooner was he +hauled on deck than Jezebel, wild with fury, rushed through the +circle of eager sailors and spectators, and flew directly at the +nose of the struggling monster. It was with difficulty that she +was dragged away by the admiring seamen, who were compelled to +admit that there was a creature on board more reckless and daring +than themselves.</p> + +<p>We were now approaching the Cape Verd Islands. I daresay it +has been frequently mentioned, that there is in these latitudes a +vast bed of loose sea-weed, floating about, which has existed +there from time immemorial, and which is only found in this one +spot of the ocean; as though it were here compelled to remain +under the influence of some magic spell. Some navigators are of +opinion that it grows on the rocks at the bottom of the sea, +beneath the surface on which it floats. Others maintain that it +has been drifted across the Atlantic, having issued from the Gulf +of Mexico. Here, however, it is doomed to drift about hopelessly, +for ever lost in the wilderness of waters; on the surface of +which it now vegetates, affording shelter to small crabs, and +many curious kinds of fishes.</p> + +<p>One of the latter which we caught, about an inch in length, +had a spike on his back, and four legs, with which he crawled +about the sea-weed.</p> + +<p>We approached the Island of St. Jago, sailing unconsciously +close to a sunken rock, on which (as we afterwards learnt) the +"Charlotte" had struck about six weeks before whilst under full +sail, and had gone down in a few minutes, barely allowing time +for the crew to escape in their boat.</p> + +<p>Notwithstanding we had been five weeks at sea when we dropped +anchor in Porto Praya roads, the appearance of the land was by no +means inviting to the eyes. A high and extremely barren hill, or +large heap of dry earth, with a good many stones about it, seemed +to compose the Island. Close to us was the town, a collection of +white houses that looked very dazzling in the summer sun. Beside, +and running behind it, was a greenish valley, containing a clump +of cocoa-nut trees. This was the spot we longed to visit; so, +getting into the captain's boat, we approached the shore, where a +number of nearly naked negroes rushing into the sea (there being +no pier or jetty) presented their slimy backs at the gun-wale, +and carried us in triumph to the beach. The town boasted of one +hotel, in the only sitting-room of which we found some Portuguese +officers smoking pipes as dirty as themselves, and drinking a +beverage which had much the appearance of rum and water. There +was no one who could speak a word of English; but at length a +French waiter appeared, who seemed ravished with delight at the +jargon with which we feebly reminded him of his own lively +language "when at home." Having ordered dinner, we wandered off +in search of the coca-nut valley, and purchased bananas for the +first time in our lives, and oranges, the finest in the +world.</p> + +<p>Those who have been long at sea know how pleasant it is to +walk once more upon the land. It is one of the brightest of the +Everlasting flowers in the garland of Memory.</p> + +<p>We walked along the sea-beach, as people so circumstanced must +ever do, full of gladsome fancies. There was delight for us in +the varied shells at our feet; in the curious skeletons of small +fishes, untimely deceased; in the fantastic forms of the drifted +sea-weed; in the gentle ripple of the companionable waves by our +side. And little Fig, the spaniel, was no less pleased then +ourselves. He ran before us rejoicing in his fleetness; and he +ran back again in a moment to tell us how glad he was. Then as a +wave more incursive than its predecessor unexpectedly wetted his +feet, he would droop his tail and run faster with alarm, until +the sight of some bush or bough, left high and dry by the last +tide, awakened his nervous suspicions, and dreading an ambuscade, +he would stop suddenly and bark at the dreadful object, until we +arrived at his side, when, wagging his tail and looking slyly up +with his joyous eyes, he would scamper away again as though he +would have us believe he had been all the time only in fun.</p> + +<p>What profound satisfaction is there in the freedom of land +after so long a confinement! The sunshine that makes joyous every +object around us finds its way into the deeps of the heart.</p> + +<p>And now we determined to bathe. So we crossed over a jutting +rock, on the other side of which was a beautiful and secluded +little bay, so sheltered that the waves scarcely rippled as they +came to kiss the shell-covered beach. Here we soon unrobed; and I +was the first to rush at full speed into the inviting waters. +Before I got up to my middle, however, I saw something before me +that looked like a dark rock just below the surface. I made +towards it, intending to get upon it, and dive off on the other +side; but lo! as I approached, it stirred; then it darted like a +flash of lightning towards one side of the bay, whilst I, after +standing motionless for a moment, retreated with the utmost +expedition.</p> + +<p>It was a ground-shark, of which there are numbers on that +coast.</p> + +<p>We lost no time in putting on our clothes again, and returned +in rather a fluttered state to the inn.</p> + + +<h3>CHAPTER 3.</h3> + +<h4>THE MUTINY.</h4> + +<p>We remained a week at St. Jago, the captain being busily +engaged in taking in water, and quarrelling with his crew. One +day, at the instigation of our friend, the French waiter, we made +a trip of seven miles into the interior of the island, to visit a +beautiful valley called Trinidad. Mounted on donkeys, and +attended by two ragged, copper-coloured youths, we proceeded in +gallant style up the main street, and, leaving the town, crossed +the valley beyond it, and emerged into the open country. It was a +rough, stony, and hilly road, through a barren waste, where there +scarcely appeared a stray blade of grass for the goats which +rambled over it in anxious search of herbage.</p> + +<p>At length, after a wearisome ride of several hours, we +descended suddenly into the most fertile and luxuriant valley I +ever beheld, and which seemed to extend a distance of some miles. +A mountain brook flowed down the midst, on the banks of which +numerous scattered and picturesque cottages appeared. On either +side the ground was covered with the green carpet of Nature in +the spring of the year. Everywhere, except in this smiling +valley, we saw nothing but the aridity of summer, and the +desolation caused by a scorching tropical sun. But here—how very +different! How sudden, how magical was the change! Every species +of vegetable grew here in finest luxuriance. Melons of every +variety, pine-apples, sweet potatoes, plantains, and bananas, +with their broad and drooping leaves of freshest green and rich +purple flower, and ripe yellow fruit. Orange-trees, cocoa-nut +trees, limes—the fig, the vine, the citron, the pomegranate, and +numerous others, grateful to the weary sight, and bearing +precious stores amid their branches, combined to give the +appearance of wealth and plenty to this happy valley. It was not, +however, destined to be entered by us without a fierce combat for +precedence between two of our steeds. The animal whom it was the +evil lot of Meliboeus to bestride, suddenly threw back its ears, +and darted madly upon the doctor's quadruped, which, on its side, +manifested no reluctance to the fight.</p> + +<p>Dreadful was the scene; the furious donkeys nearing and +striking with their fore-feet, and biting each other about the +head and neck without the smallest feeling of compunction or +remorse; the two guides shrieking and swearing in Portuguese at +the donkeys and each other, and striking right and left with +their long staves, perfectly indifferent as to whom they hit; the +unhappy riders, furious with fright and chagrin, shouting in +English to the belligerents of both classes to "keep off!" The +screams of two women, who were carrying water in the +neighbourhood, enhanced by the barking of a terrified cur, that +ran blindly hither and thither with its tail between its legs, in +a state of frantic excitement—altogether produced a tableau of +the most spirited description. Peace was at length restored, and +we all dismounted from our saddles with fully as much +satisfaction as we had experienced when vaulting into them.</p> + +<p>There is little more to say about the valley of Trinidad. The +cottagers who supply the town of Porto Praya with fruits and +vegetables are extremely poor, and very uncleanly and untidy in +their houses and habits. We had intended to spend the night with +them, but the appearance of the accommodations determined us to +return to our inn, in spite of the friendly and disinterested +advice of our guides.</p> + +<p>St. Jago abounds with soldiers and priests; the former of whom +are chiefly convicts from Lisbon, condemned to serve here in the +ranks.</p> + +<p>The day for sailing arrived, and we were all on board and +ready. Our barque was a temperance ship; that is, she belonged to +owners who refused to allow their sailors the old measure of a +wine-glass of rum in the morning, and another in the afternoon, +but liberally substituted an extra pint of water instead.</p> + +<p>There is always one thing remarkable about these temperance +ships, that when they arrive in harbour, their crews, excited to +madness by long abstinence from their favourite liquor, and +suffering in consequence all the excruciating torments of thirst, +run into violent excesses the moment they get on shore. St. Jago +is famous for a kind of liquid fire, called aguadente, which is +smuggled on board ship in the shape of pumpkins and watermelons. +These are sold to the sailors for shirts and clothing; there +being nothing so eagerly sought for by the inhabitants of St. +Jago as linen and calico.</p> + +<p>Our crew, being thoroughly disgusted with their captain, as +indeed they had some reason to be, and their valour being +wondrously excited by their passionate fondness for water-melons, +came to a stern resolution of spending the remainder of their +lives on this agreeable island; at any rate, they determined to +sail no farther in our company. The captain was ashore, settling +his accounts and receiving his papers; the chief-mate had given +orders to loose the fore-topsail and weigh anchor; and we were +all in the cuddy, quietly sipping our wine, when we heard three +cheers and a violent scuffling on deck. In a few moments down +rushed the mate in a state of delirious excitement, vociferating +that the men were in open mutiny, and calling upon us, in the +name of the Queen, to assist the officers of the ship in bringing +them to order. Starting up at the call of our Sovereign, we +rushed to our cabins in a state of nervous bewilderment, and +loading our pistols in a manner that ensured their not going off, +we valiantly hurried on deck in the rear of the exasperated +officer. On reaching the raised quarter-deck of the vessel, we +found the crew clustered together near the mainmast, armed with +hand-spikes, boat-oars, crow-bars, and a miscellaneous assortment +of other weapons, and listening to an harangue which the +carpenter was in the act of delivering to them. They were all +intoxicated; but the carpenter, a ferocious, determined villain, +was the least so.</p> + +<p>At one of the quarter-deck gangways stood the captain's lady, +a lean and wizened Hecate, as famous for her love of rum as any +of the crew, but more openly rejoicing in the no less +objectionable spirit of ultra-methodism. Screaming at the top of +her voice, whilst her unshawled and dusky shoulders, as well as +the soiled ribands of her dirty cap, were gently fanned by the +sea-breeze, she commanded the men to return to their duty, in a +volume of vociferation that seemed perfectly inexhaustible. +Fearing that the quarter-deck would be carried by storm, we +divided our party, consisting of the two mates, three passengers +with their servants, and Mungo the black servant, into two +divisions, each occupying one of the gang-ways.</p> + +<p>In a few moments the carpenter ceased his oration; the men +cheered and danced about the deck, brandishing their weapons, and +urging one another to "come on." Then with a rush, or rather a +stagger, they assailed our position, hoping to carry it in an +instant by storm. The mate shouted to us to fire, and pick out +three or four of the most desperate; but perceiving the +intoxicated state of the men we refused to shed blood, except in +the last extremity of self-defence; and determined to maintain +our post, if possible, by means of our pistol-butts, or our fists +alone. In the general melee which ensued, the captain's lady, who +fought in the van, and looked like a lean Helen MacGregor, or the +mythological Ate, was captured by the assailants, and dragged to +the deck below. Then it was that combining our forces, and +inspired with all the ardour which is naturally excited by the +appearance of beauty in distress, we made a desperate sally, and +after a fearful skirmish, succeeded in rescuing the lady, and +replacing her on the quarter-deck, with the loss only of her cap +and gown, and a few handfuls of hair.</p> + +<p>After this exploit, both parties seemed inclined to pause and +take breath, and in the interval we made an harangue to the +sailors, expressive of our regret that they should act in so +disgraceful a manner.</p> + +<p>The gallant (or rather ungallant) fellows replied that they +were determined to be no longer commanded by a she-captain, as +they called the lady, and therefore would sail no farther in such +company.</p> + +<p>I really believe that most of them had no serious intention +whatever in their proceedings, but the officers of the ship were +firmly convinced that the carpenter and one or two others had +resolved to get possession of the vessel, dispose of the +passengers and mates somehow or other, and then slip the cable, +and wreck and sell the ship and cargo on the coast of South +America.</p> + +<p>Whilst the truce lasted, the second mate had been busily +engaged making signals of distress, by repeatedly hoisting and +lowering the ensign reversed, from the mizen-peak. This was soon +observed from the deck of a small Portuguese schooner of war, +which lay at anchor about half a mile from us, having arrived a +few hours previously, bringing the Bishop of some-where-or-other +on a visitation to the island. The attention of the officer of +the watch had been previously attracted towards us by the noise +we had made, and the violent scuffle which he had been observing +through his glass. No sooner, therefore, was the flag reversed, +than a boat was lowered from the quarter-davits, filled with +marines, and pulled towards our vessel with the utmost rapidity. +The mutineers, whose attention was directed entirely to the +quarter-deck, did not perceive this manoeuvre, which, however, +was evident enough to us, who exerted ourselves to the utmost to +prolong the parley until our allies should arrive.</p> + +<p>The carpenter now decided upon renewing the assault, having +laid aside his handspike and armed himself with an axe; but just +at this moment the man-of-war's boat ran alongside, and several +files of marines, with fixed bayonets, clambering on to the deck, +effected a speedy change in the aspect of affairs. Perceiving at +once how matters stood, the officer in command, without asking a +single question, ordered a charge against the astonished sailors, +who, after a short resistance, and a few violent blows given and +received, were captured and disarmed.</p> + +<p>There was a boy among the party called Shiny Bill, some +fifteen years of age, who managed to escape to the fore-shrouds, +and giving the marine who pursued him a violent kick in the face, +succeeded in reaching the fore-top, where he coiled himself up +like a ball. Two or three marines, exasperated by the scuffle, +and by several smart raps on the head which they had received, +hastened up the shrouds after the fugitive, who, however, +ascended to the fore-top-mast cross-trees, whither his enemies, +after some hesitation, pursued. Finding this post also untenable, +he proceeded to swarm up the fore-top-gallant-mast shrouds, and +at last seated himself on the royal yard, where he calmly awaited +the approach of the enemy. These, however, feeling that the +position was too strong to be successfully assailed by marines, +deliberately commenced their retreat, and arrived on deck, whilst +their officer was hailing the immovable Bill in Portuguese, and +swearing he would shoot him unless he instantly descended.</p> + +<p>Disdaining, however, to pay the least attention to these +threats, Shiny William continued to occupy his post with the +greatest tranquillity; and the officer, giving up the attempt in +despair, proceeded to inquire from us in Portuguese-French the +history of this outbreak. The scene concluded with the removal of +the mutineers in one of the ship's boats to the man-of-war, +where, in a few moments, several dozen lashes were administered +to every man in detail, and the whole party were then sent on +shore, and committed to a dungeon darker and dirtier than the +worst among them had ever before been acquainted with. But before +all this was done, and when the boats had pulled about a hundred +yards from the vessel, Shiny Bill began to descend from his post. +He slipped down unobserved by any one, and the first notice we +had of his intentions was from perceiving him run across the deck +to the starboard bow, whence he threw himself, without +hesitation, into the sea, and began to swim lustily after his +captive friends. Our shouts—for, remembering the abundance of +sharks, we were very much alarmed for the poor fellow—attracted +the attention of the officer in the boat, to whom we pointed out +the figure of Bill, who seemed as eager now to make a voluntary +surrender, and share the fate of his comrades, as he had +previously been opposed to a violent seizure. The swimmer was +soon picked up, and, to our regret, received in due season the +same number of stripes as fell to the lot of his friends captured +in battle.</p> + +<p>The prisoners remained several days in their dungeon, where +they were hospitably regaled with bread and water by the +Portuguese Government; and at the end of this period (so unworthy +did they prove of the handsome treatment they received) the +British spirit was humbled within them, and they entreated with +tears to be allowed to return to their duty. The mates, however, +refused to sail in the same vessel with the carpenter, and it was +accordingly settled that he should remain in custody until the +arrival of a British man-of-war, and then be returned to his +country, passage free.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 4.</h3> + +<h4>THE PRISON-ISLAND.</h4> + +<p>It was nearly the end of August when we approached the +conclusion of our voyage. The wind was fair, the sun shone +brightly, and every heart was gay with the hope of once more +being upon land. We drew nigh to the Island of Rottnest, about +sixteen miles from the mouth of the river Swan, and anchored to +the north of it, waiting for a pilot from Fremantle.</p> + +<p>And there we had the first view of our future home. Beyond +that low line of sand-hills, which stretched away north and +south, far as the eye could reach, we were to begin life again, +and earn for ourselves a fortune and an honourable name. No +friendly voice would welcome us on landing, but numberless +sharpers, eager to prey upon the inexperienced Griffin, and take +advantage of his unavoidable ignorance and confiding innocence. +There was nothing very cheering in the prospect; but supported by +the confidence and ambition of youth, we experienced no feelings +of dismay.</p> + +<p>In order to wile away the time, we landed on the island, and, +passing through a thick wood of cypresses, came to a goodly-sized +and comfortable-looking dwelling-house, with numerous +out-buildings about it, all built of marine lime-stone.</p> + +<p>As the particulars which I then learned respecting this island +were afterwards confirmed by experience and more extended +information, I may as well enter upon its history at once.</p> + +<p>The gentleman who was then Governor of Western Australia, was +Mr. John Hutt, a man of enlightened mind, firm, sagacious, and +benevolent. From the first, he adopted an admirable policy with +regard to the native inhabitants.</p> + +<p>Exhibiting on all occasions a friendly interest in their +welfare, he yet maintained a strict authority over them, which +they soon learned to respect and fear. The Aborigines were easily +brought to feel that their surest protection lay in the +Government; that every act of violence committed upon them by +individual settlers was sure to be avenged by the whites +themselves; and that, as certainly, any aggression on the part of +the natives would call down the utmost severity of punishment +upon the offenders. By this firm administration of equal justice +the Aboriginal population, instead of being, as formerly, a +hostile, treacherous, and troublesome race, had become harmless, +docile, and in some degree useful to the settlers.</p> + +<p>But it was not the policy of Mr. Hutt merely to punish the +natives for offences committed against the whites; he was anxious +to substitute the milder spirit of the British law in lieu of +their own barbarous code; and to make them feel, in process of +time, that it was for their own interest to appeal for protection +on all occasions to the dominant power of Government, rather than +trust to their own courage and spears. This was no easy task, and +could only be accomplished by firmness, discrimination, and +patience; but in the course of a few years, considerable progress +had been made in subduing the prejudices and the barbarous +customs of the Aborigines. Although it had been declared by Royal +Proclamation that the native inhabitants were in every respect +subjects of the British throne, and as such entitled to equal +privileges with ourselves, and to be judged on all occasions by +the common and statute laws, it proved to be no easy matter to +carry into practice these views of the Home Government. People in +England, who derive their knowledge of savages from the orations +delivered at Exeter Hall, are apt to conceive that nothing more +is requisite than to ensure them protection from imaginary +oppression, and a regular supply of spiritual comforts. They do +not consider that whilst they insist upon these unfortunate +creatures being treated exactly as British subjects, they are +placing a yoke on their own necks too heavy for them to bear in +their present condition. Primitive and simple laws are necessary +to a primitive state of society; and the cumbrous machinery of +civilized life is entirely unsuited to those who in their daily +habits and their intellectual endowments are little superior to +the beasts that perish. By declaring the savages to be in every +respect British subjects, it becomes illegal to treat them +otherwise than such. If a settler surprise a native in the act of +stealing a pound of flour, he of course delivers him over to a +constable, by whom he is conveyed before the nearest magistrate. +Now this magistrate, who is an old settler, and well acquainted +with the habits of the natives, is also a man of humanity; and if +he were allowed to exercise a judicious discretion, would order +the culprit to be well flogged and dismissed to his expectant +family. But thanks to Her Majesty's well-meaning Secretaries of +State for the Colonies, who have all successively judged alike on +this point, it is declared most unadvisable to allow a local +magistrate the smallest modicum of discretion. He has only one +course to pursue, and that is, to commit the offender for trial +at the next Quarter Sessions, to be held in the capital of the +colony. Accordingly the poor native, who would rather have been +flayed alive than sent into confinement for two months previous +to trial, whilst his wives are left to their own resources, is +heavily ironed, lest he should escape, and marched down some +sixty or seventy miles to Fremantle gaol, where the denizen of +the forest has to endure those horrors of confinement which only +the untamed and hitherto unfettered savage can possibly know.</p> + +<p>Among savages, the 'Lex talionis'—the law of retaliation—is +the law of nature and of right; to abstain from avenging the +death of a relative would be considered, by the tribe of the +deceased, an act of unpardonable neglect. Their own customs, +which are to them as laws, point out the mode of vengeance. The +nearest relative of the deceased must spear his slayer. Nothing +is more common among these people than to steal one another's +wives; and this propensity affords a prolific source of +bloodshed.</p> + +<p>They have also a general law, which is never deviated from, +and which requires that whenever a member of a tribe dies, +whether from violence or otherwise, a life must be taken from +some other tribe. This practice may have originated in a desire +to preserve the balance of power; or from a belief, which is very +general among them, that a man never dies a natural death. If he +die of some disorder, and not of a spear-wound, they say he is +"quibble gidgied," or speared by some person a long distance off. +The native doctor, or wise man of the tribe, frequently pretends +to know who has caused the death of the deceased; and the +supposed murderer is of course pursued and murdered in turn. This +custom necessarily induces a constant state of warfare. Now it is +very right that all these barbarous and unchristian practices +should be put an end to; but, whilst endeavouring to suppress +them, we ought to remember that they are part and parcel of the +long-established laws of this rude people, and that it is not +possible all at once to make them forego their ancient +institutions and customs. The settlers would gladly see punished +all acts of violence committed among the natives in their +neighbourhood. Were they permitted to inflict such punishments as +are best suited to the limited ideas and moral thraldom of the +Aborigines, these, without cruelty or injustice, might gradually +be brought within the pale of civilization; but when the law +declares it to be inevitable that every British subject who is +tried and found guilty of having speared his enemy shall be +hanged without benefit of clergy, the colonists out of sheer +humanity and pity for the ignorance of the culprit, refrain from +bringing him to trial and punishment—a proceeding which, by the +way, would cost the colony some fifteen or twenty pounds—and +thus he goes on in his errors, unreproved by the wisdom or the +piety of the whites. Sometimes, however, it happens that the +officers who exercise the calling of Protectors of the +Aborigines, anxious to prove that their post is no sinecure, make +a point of hunting up an occasional law-breaker, who, being +brought to trial, is usually found guilty upon his own +evidence—the unfortunate culprit, conscious of no guilt in +having followed the customs of his ancestors, generally making a +candid statement of his offence. The sentence decreed by the +English law is then passed upon him, and he would, of course, be +duly subjected to the penalty which justice is supposed to +demand, did not the compassionate Governor, in the exercise of +the highest privilege of the Crown, think proper to step in and +commute the sentence to perpetual imprisonment. As it would have +entailed a serious expense upon the colony to have had to +maintain these prisoners in a gaol in the capital, his Excellency +determined to establish a penal settlement at Rottnest; and this +he accordingly accomplished, with very good effect.</p> + +<p>At the time we visited the island, there were about twenty +native prisoners in charge of a superintendent and a few +soldiers.</p> + +<p>The prisoners were employed in cultivating a sufficient +quantity of ground to produce their own food. It was they also +who had built the superintendent's residence; and whenever there +was nothing else to do, they were exercised in carrying stone to +the top of a high hill, on which a lighthouse was proposed to be +built.</p> + +<p>The Governor has certainly shown very good judgment in the +formation of this penal establishment. It is the dread of the +natives throughout the colony; and those prisoners who are +released inspire among their fellows the greatest horror and +dismay by their tales of the hardships they have suffered. No +punishment can be more dreadful to these savages—the most +indolent race in the world—than being compelled to work; and as +their idleness brings them occasionally in contact with the +superintendent's lash, their recollections and accounts of +Rottnest are of the most fearful description. Certain, however, +it is, that nothing has tended so much to keep the Aborigines in +good order as the establishment of this place of punishment. It +is maintained at very little expense to the colony, as the +prisoners grow their own vegetables, and might easily be made to +produce flour enough for their own consumption.</p> + +<p>It was a clear, beautiful, sparkling day, and there was a +sense of enjoyment attached to the green foliage, the waving +crops, and the gently heaving sea, that threw over this new world +of ours a charm which filled our hearts with gladness.</p> + +<p>Having returned to our ship, we saw the pilot-boat rapidly +approaching. As it came alongside, and we were hailed by the +steersman, we felt a sensation of wonder at hearing ourselves +addressed in English and by Englishmen, so far, so very far from +the shores of England. With this feeling, too, was mingled +something like pity; we could not help looking upon these poor +boatmen, in their neat costume of blue woollen shirts, canvass +trousers, and straw hats, as fellow-countrymen who had been long +exiled from their native land, and who must now regard us with +eyes of interest and affection, as having only recently left its +shores.</p> + +<p>No sooner was the pilot on board than the anchor was weighed, +the sails were set, and we began to beat up into the anchorage +off Fremantle. Night closed upon us ere we reached the spot +proposed, and we passed the interval in walking the deck and +noting the stars come forth upon their watch. The only signs of +life and of human habitation were in the few twinkling lights of +the town of Fremantle: all beside, on the whole length of the +coast, seemed to be a desert of sand, the back-ground of which +was occupied with the dark outline of an illimitable forest.</p> + +<p>It was into this vast solitude that we were destined to +penetrate. It was a picture full of sombre beauty, and it filled +us with solemn thoughts.</p> + +<p>The next morning we were up at daybreak. Certainly it was a +beautiful sight, to watch the sun rise without a cloud from out +of the depths of that dark forest, rapidly dispersing the cold +gray gloom, and giving life, as it seemed, to the sparkling +waves, which just before had been unconsciously heaved by some +internal power, and suffered to fall back helplessly into their +graves.</p> + +<p>How differently now they looked, dancing joyously forward +towards the shore! And the sun, that seems to bring happiness to +inanimate things, brought hope and confidence back to the hearts +of those who watched him rise.</p> + +<p>Flights of sea-birds of the cormorant tribe, but generally +known as Shags, were directing their course landward from the +rocky islands on which they had roosted during the night. What +long files they form! —the solitary leader winging his rapid and +undeviating way just above the level of the waves, whilst his +followers, keeping their regular distances, blindly pursue the +course he takes. See! he enters the mouth of the river; some +distant object to his practised eye betokens danger, and though +still maintaining his onward course, he inclines upwards into the +air, and the whole line, as though actuated by the same impulse, +follow his flight. And now they descend again within a few feet +of the river's surface, and now are lost behind projecting rocks. +All day long they fish in the retired bays and sheltered nooks of +the river, happy in the midst of plenty.</p> + +<p>The river Swan issues forth into the sea over a bar of rocks, +affording only a dangerous passage for boats, or vessels drawing +from four to five feet water. Upon the left bank of the river is +the town of Fremantle. The most prominent object from the sea is +a circular building of white limestone, placed on the summit of a +black rock at the mouth of the Swan. This building is the +gaol.</p> + +<p>On the other side of the roadstead, about ten or twelve miles +distant from the main, is a chain of islands, of which Rottnest +is the most northern. Then come some large rocks, called the +Stragglers, leaving a passage out from the roadstead by the south +of Rottnest; after these is Carnac, an island abounding with +rabbits and mutton-birds; and still farther south is Garden +island.</p> + +<p>Fremantle, the principal port of the colony, is unfortunately +situated, as vessels of any burthen are obliged to anchor at a +considerable distance from the shore. Lower down the coast is a +fine harbour, called Mangles Bay, containing a splendid +anchorage, and it is much to be lamented that this was not +originally fixed upon as the site for the capital of the +colony.</p> + +<p>The first impression which the visitor to this settlement +receives is not favourable. The whole country between Fremantle +and Perth, a distance of ten miles, is composed of granitic sand, +with which is mixed a small proportion of vegetable mould. This +unfavourable description of soil is covered with a coarse scrub, +and an immense forest of banksia trees, red gums, and several +varieties of the eucalyptus. The banksia is a paltry tree, about +the size of an apple-tree in an English or French orchard, +perfectly useless as timber, but affording an inexhaustible +supply of firewood. Besides the trees I have mentioned, there is +the xanthorea, or grass-tree, a plant which cannot be +intelligibly described to those who have never seen it. The stem +consists of a tough pithy substance, round which the leaves are +formed. These, long and tapering like the rush, are four-sided, +and extremely brittle; the base from which they shoot is broad +and flat, about the size of a thumb-nail, and very resinous in +substance. As the leaves decay annually, others are put forth +above the bases of the old ones, which are thus pressed down by +the new shoots, and a fresh circle is added every year to the +growing plant. Thousands of acres are covered with this singular +vegetable production; and the traveller at his night bivouac is +always sure of a glorious fire from the resinous stem of the +grass-tree, and a comfortable bed from its leaves.</p> + +<p>We landed in a little bay on the southern bank of the river. +The houses appeared to be generally two-storied, and were built +of hard marine limestone. Notwithstanding the sandy character of +the soil, the gardens produced vegetables of every variety, and +no part of the world could boast of finer potatoes or cabbages. +Anxious to begin the primitive life of a settler as speedily as +possible, we consulted a merchant to whom we had brought letters +of introduction as to the best mode of proceeding. He advised us +to fix our head-quarters for a time near to Fremantle, and thence +traverse the colony until we should decide upon a permanent place +of abode. In the meantime we dined and slept at Francisco's +Hotel, where we were served with French dishes in first-rate +style, and drank good luck to ourselves in excellent claret.</p> + +<p>In the early days of the colony, Sir James Stirling, the first +Governor, had fixed upon Fremantle as the seat of government; and +the settlers had begun to build themselves country-houses and +elegant villa residences upon the banks of the river. These, +however, were not completed before it was determined to fix the +capital at Perth, some dozen miles up the river, where the soil +was rather better, and where a communication with the proposed +farms in the interior would be more readily kept up.</p> + +<p>The government officers had now to abandon their half-built +stone villas, and construct new habitations of wood, as there was +no stone to be found in the neighbourhood of Perth, and brick +clay had not then been discovered.</p> + +<p>It was in one of these abandoned houses (called the +Cantonment), situate on the banks of the Swan, about half a mile +from Fremantle, that, by the advice of our friend, we resolved to +take up our quarters. The building was enclosed on three sides by +a rough stone wall, and by a wooden fence, forming a paddock of +about three quarters of an acre in extent. It comprised one large +room, of some forty feet by eighteen, which had a roof of thatch +in tolerable repair. The north side, protected by a verandah, had +a door and two windows, in which a few panes of glass remained, +and looked upon the broad river, from which it was separated by a +bank of some twenty feet in descent, covered with a variety of +shrubs, just then bursting into flower. A few scattered red-gum +trees, of the size of a well-grown ash, gave a park-like +appearance to our paddock, of which we immediately felt extremely +proud, and had no doubt of being very comfortable in our new +domain. Besides the large room I have mentioned, there were two +others at the back of it, which, unfortunately, were in rather a +dilapidated condition; and below these apartments (which were +built on the slope of a hill) were two more, which we immediately +allotted to the dogs and sheep. This side of the building was +enclosed by a wall, which formed a small court-yard. Here was an +oven, which only wanted a little repair to be made ready for +immediate use.</p> + +<p>For several days we were occupied in superintending the +landing of our stores, and housing them in a building which we +rented in the town at no trifling sum per week. A light dog-cart, +which I had brought out, being unpacked, proved extremely useful +in conveying to our intended residence such articles as we were +likely to be in immediate want of.</p> + +<p>The two men had already taken up their abode there, together +with the rams and dogs; and at last, leaving our comfortable +quarters at the hotel with something like regret and a feeling of +doubt and bewilderment, we all three marched in state, with our +double-barrels on our shoulders, to take possession of our rural +habitation.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 5.</h3> + +<h4>FIRST ADVENTURES.</h4> + +<p>We had providently dined before we took possession; and now, +at sunset, we stood on the bank before our house, looking down +upon the placid river. The blood-hound was chained to one of the +posts of the verandah; Jezebel, the noble mastiff-bitch, lay +basking before the door, perfectly contented with her situation +and prospects; and little Fig was busily hunting among the +shrubs, and barking at the small birds which he disturbed as they +were preparing to roost.</p> + +<p>One of the men was sitting on an upturned box beside the fire, +waiting for the gently-humming kettle to boil; whilst the other +was chipping wood outside the house, and from time to time +carrying the logs into the room, and piling them upon the hearth. +As we looked around we felt that we had now indeed commenced a +new life. For some months, at any rate, we were to do without +those comforts and luxuries which Englishmen at home, of every +rank above the entirely destitute, deem so essential to bodily +ease and happiness.</p> + +<p>We were to sleep on the floor, to cook our own victuals, and +make our own beds. This was to be our mode of acquiring a +settlement in this land of promise. Still there was an air of +independence about it, and we felt a confidence in our own +energies and resources that made the novelty of our position +rather agreeable than otherwise.</p> + +<p>There was something exhilarating in the fresh sea-breeze; +there was something very pleasing in the gay appearance of the +shrubs that surrounded us—in the broad expanse of the river, +with its occasional sail, and its numerous birds passing rapidly +over it on their way to the islands where they roosted, or +soaring leisurely to and fro, with constant eyes piercing its +depths, and then suddenly darting downwards like streams of light +into the flood, and emerging instantly afterwards with their +finny prey. The opposite bank of the river displayed a sandy +country covered with dark scrub; and beyond this was the sea, +with a view of Rottnest and the Straggler rocks. A few white +cottages relieved the sombre and death-like appearance of that +opposite shore. Unpromising as was the aspect of the country, it +yet afforded sufficient verdure to support in good condition a +large herd of cattle, which supplied Fremantle with milk and +food.</p> + +<p>Here, then, the reader may behold us for the first time in our +character of settlers. He may behold three individuals in light +shooting coats and cloth caps, standing upon the bank before +their picturesque and half-ruinous house, their dogs at their +side, and their gaze fixed upon the river that rolled beneath +them. The same thoughts probably occupied them all: they were now +left in a land which looked much like a desert, with Heaven for +their aid, and no other resources than a small capital, and their +own energies and truth. The great game of life was now to begin +in earnest, and the question was, how it should be played with +success? Individual activity and exertion were absolutely +necessary to ensure good fortune; and warmly impressed with the +consciousness of this, we turned with one impulse in search of +employment.</p> + +<p>Aesculapius began to prepare their supper for the dogs, and +Meliboeus looked after his sheep, which were grazing in the +paddock in front of the dwelling. As for myself, with the ardent +mind of a young settler, I seized upon the axe, and began to chop +firewood—an exercise, by the way, which I almost immediately +renounced.</p> + +<p>And now for supper!</p> + +<p>Our most necessary articles were buried somewhere beneath the +heaps of rubbish with which we had filled the store-room at +Fremantle. Our plates, cups and saucers, etc., were in a crate +which was not to be unpacked until we had removed our property +and abode to the inland station which we designed for our +permanent residence. There were, however, at hand for present use +eight or nine pewter plates, and a goodly sized pannikin a-piece. +In one corner of the room was a bag of flour, in another a bag of +sugar, in a third a barrel of pork, and on the table, composed of +a plank upon two empty casks, were a couple of loaves which Simon +had purchased in the town, and a large tea-pot which he had +fortunately discovered in the same cask with the pannikins.</p> + +<p>The kettle fizzed upon the fire, impatient to be poured out; +the company began to draw round the hospitable board, seating +themselves upon their bedding, or upon empty packing-cases; and, +in a word, tea time had arrived. Hannibal, as we called the +younger of our attendants, from his valiant disposition, had +filled one of the pewter plates with brown sugar from the bag; +the doctor made the tea, and we wanted nothing but spoons to make +our equipage complete. However, every man had his pocket-knife, +and so we fell to work.</p> + +<p>Butter being at that time half-a-crown a pound, Simon (our +head man) had prudently refrained from buying any; and as he had +forgotten to boil a piece of the salt pork, we had to sup upon +dry bread, which we did without repining, determined, however, to +manage better on the morrow.</p> + +<p>In the meantime we were nearly driven desperate by most +violent attacks upon our legs, committed by myriads of fleas. +They were so plentiful that we could see them crawling upon the +floor; the dogs almost howled with anguish, and the most sedate +among us could not refrain from bitter and deep execrations. We +had none of us ever before experienced such torment; and really +feared that in the course of the night we should be eaten up +entirely. These creatures are hatched in the sand, and during the +rains of winter they take refuge in empty houses; but they infest +every place throughout the country, during all seasons, more or +less, and are only kept down by constant sweeping from becoming a +most tremendous and overwhelming plague, before which every +created being, not indigenous to the soil, would soon disappear, +or be reduced to a bundle of polished bones. The natives +themselves never sleep twice under the same wigwam.</p> + +<p>After tea, the sheep and dogs being carefully disposed of for +the night, we turned out before the house, and comforted +ourselves with cigars; and having whiled away as much time as +possible, we spread out our mattresses on the floor, and in a +state of desperation attempted to find rest. We escaped with our +lives, and were thankful in the morning for so much mercy +vouchsafed to us, but we could not conscientiously return thanks +for a night's refreshing rest.</p> + +<p>At the first dawn of day we rolled up our beds, lighted the +fire, swept out the room, let the dogs loose, and drove the rams +to pasture on the margin of the river. After breakfast, which was +but a sorry meal, we determined to make our first attempt at +baking. Simon, a man of dauntless resolution, undertook the task, +using a piece of stale bread as leaven. It was a serious +business, and we all helped or looked on; but the result, +notwithstanding the multitude of councillors, was a lamentable +failure. Better success, fortunately, attended the labours of +Hannibal, who boiled a piece of salt pork with the greatest +skill.</p> + +<p>Mutton at this period, 1841, was selling at sixteen-pence per +pound (it is now two-pence), and we therefore resolved to depend +upon our guns for fresh meat. We had brought with us a +fishing-net, which we determined to put in requisition the +following day.</p> + +<p>The most prominent idea in the imagination of a settler on his +first arrival at an Australian colony, is on the subject of the +natives. Whilst in England he was, like the rest of his +generous-minded countrymen, sensibly alive to the wrongs of these +unhappy beings— wrongs which, originating in a great measure in +the eloquence of Exeter Hall, have awakened the sympathies of a +humane and unselfish people throughout the length and breadth of +the kingdom. Full of these noble and ennobling sentiments, the +emigrant approaches the scene of British-colonial cruelty; but no +sooner does he land, than a considerable change takes place in +his feelings. He begins to think that he is about to place his +valuable person and property in the very midst of a nation of +savages, who are entirely unrestrained by any moral or human +laws, or any religious scruples, from taking the most +disagreeable liberties with these precious things.</p> + +<p>The refined and amiable philanthropist gradually sinks into +the coarse-minded and selfish settler, who is determined to +protect himself, his family, and effects, by every means in his +power—even at the risk of outraging the amiable feelings of his +brother philanthropists at home. In Western Australia, the +natives generally are in very good order; they behave peaceably +towards the settlers, eat their flour, and in return occasionally +herd or hunt up their cattle, and keep their larders supplied +with kangaroo.</p> + +<p>It is very rarely—I have never indeed heard of a single +well-authenticated instance—that any amount of benefits, or the +most unvarying kindness, can awaken the smallest spark of +gratitude in the breasts of these degraded savages. Those who +derive their chief support from the flour and broken meat daily +bestowed upon them by the farm settlers, would send a spear +through their benefactors with as little remorse as through the +breast of a stranger. The fear of punishment alone has any +influence over them; and although in this colony they are never +treated with anything like cruelty or oppression, it is +absolutely necessary to personal safety to maintain a firm and +prompt authority over them.</p> + +<p>When we first arrived, we were philanthropists, in the usual +sense of that term, and thought a good deal about the moral and +general destitution of this unfortunate people; but when we first +encountered on the road a party of coffee-coloured savages, with +spears in their hands, and loose kangaroo-skin cloaks (their only +garments) on their shoulders, accompanied by their women +similarly clad, and each carrying in a bag at her back her +black-haired offspring, with a face as filthy as its mother's—we +by no means felt inclined to step forward and embrace them as +brethren.</p> + +<p>I question, indeed, whether the most ardent philanthropist in +the world would not have hesitated before he even held forth his +hand to creatures whose heads and countenances were darkened over +with a compound of grease and red clay, whose persons had never +been submitted to ablution from the hour of their birth, and +whose approach was always heralded by a perfume that would +stagger the most enthusiastic lover of his species.</p> + +<p>But it was not merely disgust that kept us at arm's length. We +must confess we were somewhat appalled at this first view of +savage life, as we looked upon the sharp-pointed spears, wild +eyes, and well-polished teeth of our new acquaintance. Although, +in truth, they were perfectly harmless in their intentions, we +could not help feeling a little nervous as they drew nigh, and +saluted us with shrill cries and exclamations, and childish +bursts of wild laughter. Their principal question was, whether we +were "cabra-man?" or seamen, as we afterwards discovered their +meaning to be. After a good deal of screaming and laughing, they +passed on their way, leaving us much relieved by their absence. +They seemed to be, and experience has proved to us that they are, +the most light-hearted, careless, and happy people in the world. +Subsisting upon the wild roots of the earth, opossums, lizards, +snakes, kangaroos, or anything else that is eatable which happens +to fall in their way, they obtain an easy livelihood, and never +trouble themselves with thoughts of the morrow. They build a new +house for themselves every evening; that is, each family, erects +a slight shelter of sticks covered over with bark, or the tops of +the xanthorea, that just keeps off the wind; and with a small +fire at their feet, the master of the family, his wife, or wives, +and children, lie huddled together like a cluster of snakes— +happier than the tenants of downy beds. Far happier, certainly, +than we had lately been in ours. We had, however, devised a new +plan for the next night. Having each of us a hammock, we +suspended them from the rafters; and thus, after the first +difficulty and danger of getting into bed was overcome, we lay +beyond the reach of our formidable enemies, and contrived to +sleep soundly and comfortably.</p> + +<p>The next morning we breakfasted early. My brothers resolved to +try the effect of the fishing-net, and I myself arranged a +shooting excursion with a lad, whose parents rented a house +situated about a quarter of a mile from our own. We were to go to +some lakes a few miles distant, which abounded with wild ducks +and other water-fowl. Preceded by Fig, and more soberly +accompanied by Jezebel, we set out upon our expedition.</p> + +<p>It was the close of the Australian winter, and the temperature +was that of a bright, clear day in England at the end of +September. The air was mild, but elastic and dry; the peppermint +and wattle-trees were gay with white and yellow blossoms; an +infinite variety of flowering shrubs gave to the country the +appearance of English grounds about a goodly mansion; whilst the +earth was carpeted with the liveliest flowers. It was impossible +to help being in good spirits.</p> + +<p>We passed up a valley of white gum-trees, which somewhat +resemble the ash, but are of a much lighter hue. They belong to +the eucalyptus species.</p> + +<p>I shot several beautiful parroquets, the plumage of which was +chiefly green; the heads were black, and some of the pinion +feathers yellow. The country presented very little appearance of +grass, though abounding with green scrub; and frequently we +passed over denuded hills of limestone-rock, from which we beheld +the sea on one side, and on the other the vast forest of banksias +and eucalypti, that overspreads the entire country. The river +winding among this mass of foliage, relieved the eye.</p> + +<p>After a walk of two hours we approached the lakes of which we +were in search. situated in a flat country, and their margins +covered with tall sedges, it was difficult to obtain a view of +the water. Now, then, we prepared for action. Behind those tall +sedges was probably a brood of water-fowl, either sleeping in the +heat of the day, or carefully feeding in the full security of +desert solitude. "Fig! you villain! what are you about? are you +going to rush into the water, and ruin me by your senseless +conduct? I have got you now, and here you must please to remain +quiet. No, you rascal! you need not look up to me with such a +beseeching countenance, whilst you tremble with impatience, eager +to have a share in the sport. You must wait till you hear my gun. +I am now shooting for my dinner, and perhaps for yours also, if +you will condescend to eat duck, and I dare not allow you the +pleasure of putting up the game. You understand all this well +enough, and therefore please to be silent;—or, observe! I'll +murder you."</p> + +<p>Leaving the boy with the dogs, I began to steal towards the +lake, when I heard his muttered exclamation, and turning round, +saw him crouching to the earth and pointing to the sky. Imitating +his caution, I looked in the direction he pointed out, and beheld +three large birds leisurely making towards the spot we occupied. +They were larger than geese, black, with white wings, and sailed +heavily along, whilst I lay breathlessly awaiting their approach. +The dogs were held down by the boy, and we all seemed equally to +feel the awfulness of the moment. The birds came slowly towards +us, and then slanted away to the right; and then wheeling round +and round, they alighted upon the lake.</p> + +<p>Creeping to the sedges, I pushed cautiously through, up to the +ankles in mud and water. How those provoking reeds, three feet +higher than my head, rustled as I gently put them aside! And now +I could see plainly across a lake of several acres in extent. +There on the opposite side, were three black swans sailing about, +and occasionally burying their long necks in the still waters. +With gaze riveted upon that exciting spectacle, I over-looked a +myriad of ducks that were reposing within a few yards of me, and +which, having discovered the lurking danger, began to rise en +masse from the lake.</p> + +<p>Never before had I seen such a multitude. Struck with +amazement, I stood idly gaping as they rose before me; and after +sweeping round the lake, with a few quacks of alarm, whirled over +the trees and disappeared.</p> + +<p>The swans seemed for a moment to catch the general +apprehension, and one of them actually rose out of the water, but +after skimming along the surface for a few yards, he sank down +again, and his companions swam to rejoin him. Gently retreating, +I got back upon the dry land, and motioning the boy to remain +quiet, hastened round the lake to its opposite bank. More +cautiously than before I entered the grove of sedges, and soon +beheld two of the swans busily fishing at some distance from the +shore. What had become of the third? There he is, close to the +border of the lake, and only about fifty yards from my position! +My first shot at a swan!—Now then—present! fire!— bang! What a +splutter! The shots pepper the water around him. He tries to +rise, He cannot! his wing is broken! Hurrah! hurrah! "Here +Jonathan! Toby! what's your name? here! bring the dogs—I've hit +him—I've done for him!</p> + +<p>"Fig, Fig!—O! here you are; good little dog—good little +fellow! now then, in with you! there he is!"</p> + +<p>With a cry of delight, little Fig dashed through the reeds. +The water rushed down his open throat and half-choked him; but he +did not care. Shaking the water out of his nose as he swam, he +whimpered with pleasure, and hurried after the swan which was now +slowly making towards the middle of the lake. Its companions had +left it to its fate. We stood in the water watching the chase. +Jezebel, excited out of all propriety, though she could see +nothing of what was going on, gallopped up and down the bank, +with her tail stiff out, tumbling over the broken boughs which +lay there, and uttering every now and then deep barks that awoke +the astonished echoes of the woods. Sometimes she would make a +plunge into the water, splashing us all over, and then she +quickly scrambled out again, her ardour considerably cooled.</p> + +<p>"Well done, Fig! good little dog! at him again! never mind +that rap on the head from his wing."</p> + +<p>Away swam the swan, and Fig after him, incessantly +barking.</p> + +<p>Had not the noble bird been grievously wounded he would have +defied the utmost exertions of the little spaniel, but as it was, +he could only get for a moment out of the reach of his pursuer by +a violent effort, which only left him more exhausted. And now +they approached the shore; and the swan, hard pressed, turns +round and aims a blow with its bill at the dog.</p> + +<p>This Fig managed to elude, and in return made a snap at his +enemy's wing, and obtained a mouthful of feathers; but in revenge +he received on his nose a rap from the strong pinion of the bird +that made him turn tail and fairly yelp with anguish. "Never +mind, brave Fig! good dog! at him again! Bravo—bravo! good +little fellow!" There he is, once more upon him. And now, master +Fig, taught a lesson by the smart blows he had received, +endeavours to assail only the wounded wing of the swan. It was a +very fierce combat, but the swan would probably have had the best +of it had not loss of blood rendered him faint and weak.</p> + +<p>He still fought bravely, but now whenever he missed his +adversary, his bill would remain a moment in the water, as though +he had scarcely strength to raise his head; and as he grew +momentarily weaker and weaker, so Fig waxed more daring and +energetic in his assaults; until at length he fairly seized his +exhausted foe by the neck, and notwithstanding his struggles, and +the violent flapping of his long unwounded wing, began to draw +him towards the shore. We hurried to meet and help him. Jezebel +was the first that dashed breast-high into the water; and seizing +a pinion in her strong jaws, she soon drew both the swan and Fig, +who would have died rather than let go, through the yielding +sedges to the land.</p> + +<p>The swan was soon dead; and Fig lay panting on the sand, with +his moth open, and looking up to his master as he wagged his +tail, clearly implying, "Did not I do it well, master?" "Yes, my +little dog, you did it nobly. And now you shall have some of this +bread, of Simon's own baking, which I cannot eat myself; and +Jonathan and I will finish this flask of brandy and water."</p> + +<p>And now we set out on our return home, anxious to display our +trophy to envious eyes.</p> + +<p>As we approached the Cantonment, I discharged my unloaded +barrel at a bird like a thrush in appearance, called a +Wattle-bird, from having two little wattles which project from +either side of its head.</p> + +<p>The salute was answered by a similar discharge from the +Cantonment, and soon afterwards Meliboeus came running to meet +us, preceded by the blood-hound at full gallop. The dogs greeted +one another with much apparent satisfaction. Little Fig was +evidently anxious to inform his big friend of all that he had +done, but Nero was much too dignified and important to attend to +him, and bestowed all his notice upon Jezebel.</p> + +<p>The fishermen had succeeded in catching a dozen mullet, which +were all ready for cooking; and the frying-pan being soon put in +requisition, we were speedily placed at table.</p> + +<p>Being still without legitimate knives and forks, the absence +of the latter article was supplied by small forked-sticks, cut +from a neighbouring peppermint tree. Those who did not like cold +water alone were allowed grog; and the entertainment, consisting +of fish and boiled pork (which a few months before we should have +considered an utter abomination), being seasoned with hunger, +went off with tolerable satisfaction.</p> + +<p>The following day we had the swan skinned and roasted, but it +certainly was not nearly so good as a Michaelmas goose. +Nevertheless, it was a change from boiled pork, and we +endeavoured to think it a luxury. Simon had been more successful +in his latter efforts at baking, and, on the whole, things +assumed a more comfortable aspect.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 6.</h3> + +<h4>PERTH—COLONIAL JURIES.</h4> + +<p>So soon as we were well settled in our new abode, we began to +think of pushing our researches a little farther into the +country. We thought it high time that we visited the capital, and +paid our respects to the Governor. About a mile and a half from +our location, the Fremantle and Perth road crosses the river +(which is there about four hundred yards wide) by a ferry. +John-of-the-Ferry, the lessee of the tolls, the Charon of the +passage, is a Pole by birth, who escaped with difficulty out of +the hands of the Russians; and having the fortune to find an +English master, after a series of adventures entered into the +employment of an emigrant, and settled in Western Australia. He +had now become not only the lessee of the ferry, but a dealer in +various small articles, and at the time to which I refer, was the +owner of several Timor ponies. Singular enough for a horse-dealer +and a colonist, John had the reputation of being an honest man, +and his customers always treated him with the utmost +confidence.</p> + +<p>Having learnt his good character, we repaired to his neat, +white-washed cottage on the banks of the river to inspect his +stud; and soon effected a purchase of two of his ponies. These +animals, about thirteen hands high, proved to belong to the +swiftest and hardiest race of ponies in the world. They required +no care or grooming; blessed with excellent appetites, they +picked up their food wherever they could find any, and came night +and morning to the door to receive their rations of barley, +oat-meal, bread-crusts, or any thing that could be spared them. +The colony had been supplied with several cargoes of these ponies +from Timor, and they proved extremely useful so long as there was +a scarcity of horses; but afterwards they became a nuisance, and +tended greatly to keep back improvements in the breed of horses. +Pony-stallions suffered to roam at large, became at length such +an evil, that special acts of Council were passed against them; +and as these did not prove of sufficient efficacy, the animals +were sometimes hunted like wild cattle, and shot with rifles.</p> + +<p>It was some amusement to us to break in our small quadrupeds +to draw my light cart; we had brought out tandem-harness; and in +a short time we got up a very fair team. But, alas! there was no +pleasure in driving in that neighbourhood—the road being only a +track of deep sand. One bright and tempting morning the doctor +and myself mounted our steeds, and leaving our affairs at the +castle in the faithful charge of Meliboeus, wended our way +towards the capital of the colony. The river at the ferry has a +picturesque appearance, precipitous rocks forming its sides, and +two bays, a mile apart, terminating the view on either hand, +where the river winds round projecting head-lands.</p> + +<p>The old road to Perth was truly a miserable one, being at +least six inches deep in sand the whole way. It was scarcely +possible to see more than fifty yards ahead of you, so thickly +grew the banksia trees. After crossing the ferry, we lost sight +of the river for several miles, and then diverged from the dismal +road by a path which we had been directed by the ferryman to look +out for, and which brought us to a sandy beach at the bottom of a +beautiful bay, called Freshwater Bay. From this point to the +opposite side was a stretch of several miles, and the broad and +winding river, or rather estuary, with its forest banks, +presented a beautiful appearance.</p> + +<p>We now ascended from the shore to the high land above. The +forest through which we passed resembled a wild English park; +below was the broad expanse of Melville water, enlivened by the +white sails of several boats on their way from Perth to +Fremantle. Farther on, the mouth of the Canning River opened upon +us; and now we could see, deep below the high and dark hill-side +on which we travelled, the narrow entrance from Melville water +into Perth water. At length we obtained a full view of the +picturesquely situated town of Perth.</p> + +<p>It stands on the right bank of a broad and crescent-shaped +reach of the river Swan, in an extremely well-chosen locality. +The streets are broad; and those houses which are placed nearest +to the river, possess, perhaps, the most luxuriant gardens in the +world. Every kind of fruit known in the finest climates is here +produced in perfection. Grapes and figs are in profuse abundance; +melons and peaches are no less plentiful, and bananas and +plantains seem to rejoice in the climate as their own.</p> + +<p>The town has a never-failing supply of fresh water from a +chain of swamps at the back, and the wells fed by them are never +dry. Many of the houses are well built—brick having long since +superseded the original structure of wood—and possess all the +usual comforts of English residences.</p> + +<p>In the principal street, most of the houses stand alone, each +proprietor having a garden, or paddock of three quarters of an +acre in extent, about his dwelling. The great misfortune of the +town is, that the upper portion of it is built upon sand, which +is many feet deep. The streets, not being yet paved, are all but +impassable; but happily, each possesses a good foot-path of clay, +and it is to be hoped that the cart-ways will ere long be +similarly improved. Sydney was originally in the state that Perth +presents now; but there the natural unfavourableness of the soil +has been entirely overcome. Increasing wealth and population will +ere long do as much for us.</p> + +<p>It is not until we reach Guildford, eight miles farther inland +than Perth, that the stratum of sand ceases, and a cold and marly +clay succeeds, which reaches to the foot of the Darling range of +hills, and extends many miles down the coast.</p> + +<p>The banks of the Swan River, as well as of the Canning and +most other rivers of the colony, contain many miles of rich +alluvial soil, capable of growing wheat sufficient for the +support of a large population. Many of these flats have produced +crops of wheat for sixteen years successively, without the aid of +any kind of manure. It must, however, be owned, that a very +slovenly system of farming has been generally pursued throughout +the colony; and, in fact, is commonly observable in all colonies. +The settlers are not only apt to rely too much upon the natural +productiveness of the soil, but they are in general men whose +attention has only lately been turned to agriculture, and who are +almost entirely ignorant of practical farming in its most +important details. The Agricultural Society of Western Australia +has for some years exerted itself to improve this state of +things, and has in some measure succeeded.</p> + +<p>It must be observed that with the exception of the rich flats +of the Swan and Canning rivers, the vast extent of country +between the coast and the Darling Hills is a miserable region, +scarcely more valuable for the purposes of cultivation than the +deserts of Africa, except where occasional swamps appear like +oases, and tempt the hardy settler to found a location. As all +the worst land of the colony lies unfortunately near the coast, +those who visit only the port and capital usually leave the +country with a very unfavourable and a very erroneous impression +of its real character.</p> + +<p>It is not until the granite range of the Darling Hills is +passed over, that the principal pastoral and agricultural +districts are found. There are the farm settlements, the flocks, +and herds of the colony. From the Victoria plains north of +Toodyay, for hundreds of miles to the southward, comprising the +fertile districts of Northam, York, Beverley, the Dale and the +Hotham, is found a surface of stiff soil, covered over with +straggling herbage, and many varieties of trees and shrubs. But I +am travelling too fast: I must pause for the present at +Perth.</p> + +<p>Circumstances determined me to take up my residence there, +instead of accompanying the rest of my party into the interior, +as I had originally intended. I liked the appearance and +situation of the town; and I liked the people generally. And here +I may state, with many kindly feelings, that never was a more +united or cordial society than that of the town of Perth, with +its civil and military officers, and its handful of merchants. No +political or religious differences have hitherto disturbed its +harmony; nor have there yet been introduced many of those +distinctions which may be necessary and unavoidable in large +communities, but which, though generally to be met with in all +societies, are not only lamentable but highly ridiculous in small +out-of-the-way colonies. Such divisions, however, must be +apprehended even here in progress of time, and the period will +come when we shall look back with regret to those days when we +were all friends and associates together, and when each +sympathized with the fortunes of his neighbour. The kindly +feeling which thus held society together, was ever manifested at +the death of one of its members. Then not only the immediate +connexions of the deceased attended his funeral, but every member +of his circle, and many also of the lower classes. It has more +than once happened that a young man has fallen a victim to his +rashness and nautical inexperience, and met with an untimely fate +whilst sailing on Melville water. I myself twice narrowly escaped +such a calamity, as perhaps I may hereafter narrate. Every boat +belonging to the place is immediately engaged in search of the +body, and many of the boatmen freely sacrifice their time and +day's wages in the pursuit. And when at length the object of that +melancholy search is discovered, and the day of the funeral has +arrived, the friends, companions, neighbours, and fellow-townsmen +of the deceased assemble at the door of his late residence, to +pay the last testimonies of sympathy and regret for him who has, +in that distant colony, no nearer relative to weep at his grave. +It is a long procession that follows the corpse to its home, +passing with solemn pace through the else deserted streets, and +emerging into the wild forest which seems almost to engulph the +town; and then pursuing the silent and solitary path for a mile +until, on the summit of a hill, surrounded by dark ever-green +foliage, appears the lonesome burial-ground. Ah! how little +thought the tenant of that insensible body, late so full of life +and vigour, that here he should so soon be laid, far from the +tombs of his family, far from the home of his parents, to which +his thoughts had so constantly recurred! I do not think any one +ever witnessed the interment in that solitary place of one whom +perhaps he knew but slightly when living, without feeling in +himself a sensation of loneliness, as though a cold gust from the +open grave had blown over him. It is then we think most of +England and home—and of those who though living are dead to +us.</p> + +<p>But these are only transient emotions; they are idle and +unavailing, so away with them!</p> + +<p>I shall now proceed to give an account of my first appearance +before a colonial public. Some of the crew of our vessel, +exasperated by the conduct of the captain, who refused to allow +them any liberty on shore after their long voyage, and encouraged +and even led on by the chief mate, had broken into the +store-room, and consumed a quantity of spirits and other stores. +Now as we had been most shabbily treated by the miserly and +ruffian captain, and as the stores thus stolen had been paid for +by the passengers, and withheld from them upon the voyage +(stolen, in fact, by the captain himself), we were delighted with +the robbery, and extremely sorry to hear that the chief mate had +been committed to prison for trial as the principal offender. In +fact, the captain thought proper to wink at the conduct of the +others, as he could not afford to part with any more of his crew. +The General Quarter Sessions drew nigh, and the day before they +commenced I received a kind of petition from the prisoner, +entreating me to aid him at this pinch, as he had not a friend in +that part of the world, and would inevitably be ruined for what +he considered rather a meritorious action—taking vengeance on +the stinginess of the captain. Though I did not see exactly of +what benefit I could be to him, I repaired to the court-house on +the day of trial. It was crowded with people, as such places +always are when prisoners are to be tried; and as I had met at +dinner most of the magistrates on the Bench, I did not much like +the idea of making my first public appearance before them as a +friend of the gentleman in the dock, who had improperly +appropriated the goods of his employer.</p> + +<p>The amiable desire, however, of paying off old scores due to +the captain, annihilated every other feeling; and when the +prisoner, on being asked whether he was guilty or not guilty of +the felony laid to his charge, instead of answering, cast his +imploring eyes upon me, as though I knew more of the business +than himself, I could not refrain from advancing towards the +table occupied by the counsel and solicitors, and asking +permission of the bench to give my valuable assistance to the +prisoner. This being graciously accorded, the mate, with a most +doleful countenance, and a very unassured voice, made answer to +the plain interrogative of the Clerk of Arraigns— "Not guilty, +my Lord."</p> + +<p>Whilst the prosecutor was being examined by the Advocate +General, I conned over the indictment with a meditative +countenance, but without being able to see my way in the least. +The captain, scowling atrociously at me and my persecuted friend, +gave his evidence with the bitterest animosity. He proved his +losses, and the facts of the store-room door having been broken +open, and the prisoner and most of the sailors being found drunk +by him on his repairing one evening to the vessel. It now became +my turn to ask questions, as</p> + +<p>Prisoner's Counsel. Your ship, Captain W., is commonly called +a Temperance ship, is it not?</p> + +<p>Captain (after a ferocious stare). I should think you knew +that.</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. And being a temperance ship, you do not allow the +men, at any time, any other liquor than water?</p> + +<p>Captain. No.</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. In temperance ships, I suppose it sometimes +happens that the men contrive to buy liquor for themselves?</p> + +<p>Captain (looking like a bull about to charge a matadore). +Boo!</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. Do you remember the day we were off Madeira?</p> + +<p>Captain stares and snorts.</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. Do you remember on that day several of the sailors +being remarkably light-headed—reeling about the deck?</p> + +<p>Captain (roaring, and striking the table with his hand). +Yes!</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. Was this the effect of a 'coup de soleil', do you +think?</p> + +<p>Captain. No!</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. Very well. Do you remember, whilst we were on the +Line, the second-mate being in your cabin helping Mrs. W. to stow +away some things in the lazarette, and both being found +afterwards extremely unwell, and obliged to be taken to bed?</p> + +<p>Chairman (interfering). I think the witness need not answer +that question.</p> + +<p>Advocate General. I should have made the same objection, Sir, +but— (aside) I was laughing too much.</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. Very well, Sir. I will not press it if it be +disagreeable. Do you remember at St. Jago the whole of the crew +being every day notoriously drunk—from eating water-melons?</p> + +<p>Captain (recovering from an apoplectic fit). Ah-h!</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. Do you remember, when off the Cape, the sail-maker +and several others being unable to do their duty, and being +pronounced by the doctor to be in a state of liquor?</p> + +<p>Captain. Yes.</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. Then, as it appears that on board of a temperance +ship, men do occasionally (and in your vessel very often) get +drunk, might not the prisoner at the time of his alleged offence +have been drinking other liquor than that which formed part of +your stores?</p> + +<p>Chairman (the Captain being too full of rage to articulate). +The jury will be able to draw their own inference as to that.</p> + +<p>Captain. It was he, gentlemen; it was this—gentleman +(forsooth— ha! ha!) who gave the men money on landing in order +to make them drunk.</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. Thank you for that evidence. The intelligent +gentlemen in the box will perceive that it was at my expense that +the unfortunate prisoner got drunk, and not at the captain's.</p> + +<p>The prosecutor was now permitted to retire, which he did +growling like a bear, amid the jeers of the populace, who always +sympathize with misfortune when it appears impersonated in the +dock.</p> + +<p>The jury were also evidently in high glee, and cast most +friendly looks at the prisoner, and the 'fidus Achates' who stood +up for him so stoutly.</p> + +<p>The next witness was the sail-maker, who reluctantly owned +himself to have aided the prisoner in drinking some brandy which +had come from the ship's stores.</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. But, Sails, you do not mean to say that the +prisoner told you he had himself taken it from the ship's +stores?</p> + +<p>Witness. Oh no, Sir, certainly not.</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. In fact, of your own knowledge, you do not know +where the liquor came from?</p> + +<p>Witness. No, Sir; oh, no, Sir!</p> + +<p>Here the Advocate-General administered such a lecture to the +witness, who was considerably more than half-drunk at the time, +that he entirely lost his wits and memory, and answered so +completely at random, that the jury begged he might not be asked +any more questions.</p> + +<p>Advocate General. It is of no importance. I shall call no more +witnesses, as I hold in my hand the prisoner's own confession, +made before the committing magistrate, who was yourself, Mr. +Chairman.</p> + +<p>This was a knock-down blow to me, and made the jury look +extremely blank. They gazed on one another in despair. The +document was duly proved, and the case for the prosecution +closed. The chairman asked if I wished to address the jury, but I +declined, and observed that the prisoner must explain for himself +what he meant by this extraordinary confession. Every thing +seemed dead against the prisoner, who hung his head and looked +remarkably simple. I read over the paper, which stated that he, +the prisoner, with several others, on a certain day took a +quantity of the captain's brandy, and got drunk thereupon.</p> + +<p>A ray of hope beamed upon me. I started up, and the jury +instinctively began to brighten; they had given up the prisoner +as lost, and now they were ready to catch at a straw. I addressed +the unfortunate "You state here, that you took the captain's +brandy with certain of the sailors. Do you mean by that, you +'partook' of the brandy which other sailors were drinking?"</p> + +<p>Prisoner (balbutiant). I—I—ye—ye—</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. What do you really mean, Sir, by this written +document? Do you mean to say that you yourself took this brandy, +or that you partook of it with others?</p> + +<p>Prisoner. Yes, Sir,—that I partook of it.</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. Then, gentlemen of the jury, this document does +not convict the unfortunate man at the bar; and what appears like +an admission of guilt is only to be attributed to his imperfect +mode of expressing himself. He admits that he partook of certain +brandy stated to be the captain's, which the captain, himself, +however, would lead you to suppose had been provided by me. The +witness who has been examined throws no further light upon the +matter; and though the prisoner himself has admitted that he +partook of liquor which he believed belonged to the captain, that +admission does not convict him under the present indictment, +which charges him with having "feloniously taken and carried +away," etc.</p> + +<p>The jury were evidently delighted with this construction; and +the people in the gallery and body of the court could scarcely be +restrained from giving three cheers.</p> + +<p>The chairman recapitulated the evidence, and left the matter +in the hands of the jury, who jostled one another out of the box, +and retired to "consider their verdict." As they passed through +the ante-room to the apartment in which they usually held their +solemn deliberations, they caught up a bucket of water which the +bailiff of the court generally kept at hand for thirsty counsel +or magistrates; and as soon as they had decently secluded +themselves, and indulged in a genial fit of merriment, the +foreman produced a bottle of brandy from his pocket, and seizing +the pannikin which floated in the bucket, poured forth a good +libation, and drank "towards all present." Each juryman in turn +then drank the health of the foreman. After that, they all drank +the prisoner's health; and as one of the number afterwards +assured me, they would have conscientiously toasted the +prisoner's counsel, but the liquor unfortunately failed.</p> + +<p>The foreman then said, "Come, my lads, there's no more left, +so we may as well go back again." So they jostled one another out +of the room, and with composed countenances returned to the +court, where they were ostentatiously conducted to their box by +the sheriff's officer amid loud cries of "Silence in the court! +silence there!"</p> + +<p>Their names having been called over, the Clerk of Arraigns +asked the usual question, "Have you considered your verdict, +gentlemen?"</p> + +<p>"Not guilty!" interrupted the foreman, as if he feared lest +the prisoner should be convicted in spite of the jury.</p> + +<p>"How say you," continued the clerk, "is the prisoner at the +bar guilty or not guilty?"</p> + +<p>"Not guilty!" cried the whole jury to a man; and amid thunders +of acclamations the prisoner was released from the dock, and +turned out of court, where he was seized upon by a multitude of +sympathizers, and carried in triumph to the next public-house. +There he spent the ensuing four-and-twenty hours, the hero of the +day.</p> + +<p>In this slight sketch I am conscious that I have only been +able to convey to the reader a very faint idea of A COLONIAL +JURY.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 7.</h3> + +<h4>BOATING UP THE RIVER.</h4> + +<p>Whilst I was making acquaintances at Perth, my brothers, +mounted on our Timor steeds, were making a tour of inspection +beyond the Darling Hills. They fixed at length upon a farm at +York, with about three thousand acres belonging to it, and having +a good farm-house, with excellent barn and out-buildings +attached. This evinced a more comfortable and luxurious state of +things than they had anticipated, and they returned in high +spirits to head-quarters.</p> + +<p>It now became necessary to consider how the various goods and +utensils were to be conveyed to the new settlement, which was +seventy miles distant from Fremantle. We sold most of our flour +and pork at a fair profit, and left by far the greater part of +the other articles which we had brought out with us to be sold by +a commission agent, as opportunity offered.</p> + +<p>From various causes, but chiefly from our own ignorance in +selecting our goods in London, we lost a considerable sum upon +the things we had brought out. Emigrants, unless they are men of +great experience, should bring all their capital to a colony in +bills or specie, and not attempt to increase their property by +speculating in goods. On their arrival, they will most probably +find the markets already glutted, and they will be compelled +either to sell at a sacrifice, or leave their effects in the +hands of an agent, who will charge enormously for warehouse-rent +and other expenses, and will take especial care that the +unfortunate emigrant is not the party who profits most by the +sale of his goods.</p> + +<p>We had brought out with us an old artillery waggon; and all +hands now set to work to put it together, which was accomplished +after a good deal of difficulty. We also purchased three pair of +bullocks, which were at that date very dear. One +pair—magnificent animals certainly—cost fifty guineas, and the +other animals twenty pounds a-piece. Now, however, the best +working bullocks may be obtained for about fifteen pounds a pair. +As the road so far as Guildford was excessively heavy, we +resolved to convey most of our goods by water to a spot a few +miles beyond that town, where a friendly settler had placed at +our disposal a wooden building, consisting of a single room, +situated on the banks of the river, and used occasionally by +himself as a store-house for his own goods on their transit to +his dwelling. The same friend lent us his own whale-boat; and by +determining to convey our effects ourselves we avoided a very +heavy expense. The cost of conveying necessaries from the coast +to the farm settlements in the interior, has been one of the +chief drawbacks to the colony. The boatmen made fortunes, whilst +the farmers were nearly ruined by their charges, and those of the +storekeepers in the towns.</p> + +<p>For fifteen years, at least, the latter have grumbled with +violent indignation unless their goods have realised from two to +five hundred per cent profit. Resolved, therefore, to be our own +boatmen, we moored our vessel at a little wooden jetty below our +house, and began to pack up such articles as were designed to +compose the first cargo.</p> + +<p>I remember well the pleasure with which we stood upon that +wooden jetty one summer's evening, looking upon the boat in which +we were to perform our first voyage up the river, as she lightly +floated before us, scarcely giving a strain upon the rope which +held her to one of the posts at the end of the pier. Fig and +Jezebel, always intimate friends, were hunting for +bandicoots—animals less than a kangaroo-rat—which abounded in +the bank below our dwelling.</p> + +<p>Upon this bank, Hannibal was to be seen cleaning the tandem +harness, suspended from the bough of a tree, and occasionally +casting an eye in the direction of the sheep, for whose safety he +was responsible. By the river side, our bullocks were busily +engaged picking the scanty herbage. The sea-breeze blowing +steadily up the river cooled the air, and seemed to bear health +and spirits on its wings.</p> + +<p>The only sound that met the ear was a rushing noise, which +every now and then rose from the water along the shore. It was +caused by myriads of little fish rushing into shoal water to +escape from some pressing foe.</p> + +<p>There are some minds that draw pleasure from things which in +no degree affect others; to such, this was one of those seasons +of tranquil happiness that leave no regrets behind. The +consciousness of independence—the pleasant nature of our +duties—the cheerful aspect of all around—the flattering +whispers of Hope, though false as usual—all helped to form for +the mental eye a picture which it loved to look upon.</p> + +<p>And now we were busied in loading our boat. What pride we +felt! no shame at being seen performing manual labour; but pride, +and pleasure, and exultation. We had always been fond of boating, +and now that it was about to be an useful employment, it seemed +additionally agreeable. And what a noble scene for this our first +adventurous voyage, upon that broad river or rather arm of the +sea! We had found out the secret of human happiness, long hidden +from us —business had become our pleasure. I was to be the +captain, and my youngest brother and Simon composed the crew.</p> + +<p>The boat was not loaded until late in the afternoon, and our +departure was therefore postponed until the sea-breeze should set +in on the following day. Still, we could not resist the delight +of making an experimental trip, and so the sprit-sail and jib +were set, and we shoved off into the tide-way. A whale-boat goes +very fast before the wind, but will not beat, nor will she go +about well without using an oar; she is not, therefore the craft +best adapted for nautical evolutions, but we were too happy to +find much fault with her on that occasion; and so we sailed +several times across the river and back again in the very height +of enjoyment. Then suddenly luffing up in the middle of the +stream, the anchor was let go, and the sail brailed up, in order +that we might have the pleasure of sitting still in the very +midst of the waters, and rest, as it were, in the plenitude of +our satisfaction; and when the anchor dragged a few yards over +the sand before it held, and then suddenly brought up the boat +with a jerk, it seemed the climax of our pleasure. This, the +sagacious reader, in the depth of his gravity, will consider +extremely boyish. But should we not rejoice and be thankful +whenever we find among the many simple pleasures of our boyhood, +a single one which retains the power of gladdening our maturer +years? Alas! one after another they die down, and are no more to +be revived. We are apt to fancy that when the pleasures of youth +have lost their sweetness, and are no longer desired, it is an +evidence of our increasing wisdom. But it proves only that our +tastes, grown more vitiated, have taken new directions. We have +only changed our follies—and for the worse.*</p> + +<p>[footnote] *"'Tis sweet to think we grow more wise When +Radcliffe's page we cease to prize, And turn to Malthus, and to +Hervey, For tombs, or cradles topsy-turvy; 'Tis sweet to flatter +one's dear self, And altered feelings vaunt, when pelf Is +passion, poetry, romance;— And all our faith's in three per +cents." R. R. Madden</p> + +<p>The breeze! the breeze! the glorious sea-breeze comes stealing +swiftly over the bar; it crosses the first bay. Like a dark +shadow it moves along the face of the river, and now it has +reached our landing-place and gone swiftly forwards, bringing +pleasure and thankfulness on its path. Now, my men, jump in! hand +me the grog and provision basket—and now loose the sails, and +shove off. There, we are fairly under weigh, and little Fig +whimpers his adieu to Jezebel and Nero, who for some minutes +accompany the course of the boat along the shore; and then +finding we are really going, remain fixed with astonishment, +gazing upon their departing friend. Soon, how soon, vanishes from +their breasts every feeling of regret! Before we have turned the +first headland we perceive them playfully biting each other about +the ears and neck: and now Nero scampers off under the trees in +the direction of the house, and Jezebel (type of her sex!) +hurries after him.</p> + +<p>The breeze came rattling up the river, and the boat flew +merrily before it. We had occasionally sailed to Perth in the +passage-boats, and therefore knew something of the channel. +Sand-spits frequently run far out into the river, and those who +think only of steering a straight course, are very sure of +running aground several times during the voyage.</p> + +<p>The distance from Fremantle to Perth, by water, is about +twelve miles, and it is about as many more from Perth to +Guildford. After passing the ferry-reach, the river appeared +about a quarter of a mile broad, having abrupt rocky banks on +either side; far a-head was the wooded bottom of Freshwater Bay. +Instead of coasting round this bay, we passed through a channel +cut across the spit into Melville water. Here is a beautiful site +for a house: a sloping lawn, covered with fine peppermint trees, +which in form resemble the weeping willow, and a great variety of +flowering shrubs, down to the water's edge. The view from the +house (lately the seat of Alfred Waylen, Esq.) is exceedingly +pleasing; on one hand is the fine sheet of Melville water, seven +miles in extent, and three or four in breadth, surrounded by +thick woods; in front is the graceful curve of Freshwater Bay; +and on the opposite side of the house from Melville water, the +river sweeps abruptly round through the deep and broad channel I +have already mentioned towards the ferry-reach.</p> + +<p>We passed up Melville water, and in about an hour and a +quarter after starting came abreast of the town of Perth, which +we left about three-quarters of a mile on our larboard side, and +continued our passage up Perth water. We had now a difficult +channel to pass through, where the river is extremely shoal; and +in our inexperience we soon got the boat aground. Jumping into +the water, we succeeded in shoving her again into the channel, +and passed by a small island called Harrison's Island. It was +here that a French exploring party took refuge after they had +come so far up the river in spite of many alarms. These men were +some of the crew of Captain Perron, who was engaged in a survey +of this part of the coast of Australia, for the French +Government. During the night they were thrown into a state of +agitation and alarm by hearing incessant noises in the thick +woods on the main land, that were thought by some to be the +bellowing of wild bulls; by many the howling of wolves; and by +others the cries of savages. After a night spent in momentary +expectation of attack and massacre, the Frenchmen got into their +boats and hastened down the river again with the utmost +expedition, and scarcely thought themselves quite safe until they +were once more on board their ship.</p> + +<p>This account of the French navigators was uppermost in the +minds of the English settlers on their first arrival, and +contributed greatly to the dread they felt at wandering a few +yards from the settlement. In those days, an orderly scarcely +durst take a message from the Governor to the Surveyor General's +tent, within sight, unless accompanied by a couple of his +fellows, with their muskets ready for action.</p> + +<p>The borders of the river were in many parts, especially on the +present town site of Perth, so entangled with thick brushwood, +that enemies might be lying in swarms, close at hand, without the +least fear of detection. When Sir James Stirling and his party +first passed up the river in boats, they had the accounts of the +French sailors fully in mind, and were very cautious how they +landed. They passed the night in a state of preparation, if not +of alarm, and were kept in constant vigilance by the same fearful +noises.</p> + +<p>The woods were now supposed to be filled with wild beasts, and +it was not until some time had elapsed that people became +convinced that the dreadful sounds which assailed their ears at +night proceeded from myriads of frogs. These little creatures +swarm in the samphire marshes near the river, and possess voices +far surpassing anything known in their species in Europe.</p> + +<p>I was once looking out for ducks or coots in a thicket of +bulrushes higher than my head, when I was startled by hearing a +loud "bomb!" at no great distance from me. Having no idea what +kind of wild beast had made its lair in that dense thicket, I got +ready to fire both barrels on the first appearance of danger. +Again the same awful noise! It must be the snorting of a bison, +or vast buffalo, seeking shelter from the sun—or it may proceed +from some kind of water-dragon, I thought. I looked in every +direction, but could see no living creature; and at last was +about to retreat in the quietest manner possible, when I espied a +little frog perched on the top of a reed, about a yard from my +nose, and apparently looking full in my face, whilst, ever and +anon he inflated his cheeks, and uttered the fearful sounds I had +heard.</p> + +<p>But besides the dread of wild beasts, the colonists were long +in the greatest apprehension of losing themselves in the vast +wilderness of forest by which they were on every side enclosed. +The country being extremely level, up to the Darling range of +hills, which is seen trending north and south about twelve or +fourteen miles at the back of Perth, a man once in the woods has +no object but the sun by which to direct his course. Every now +and then he comes upon an impassable swamp, which throws him out +of his track, and causes him infinite difficulty before he can +get round it, and then he begins to doubt of his true direction. +This is certainly, an awkward predicament; and nothing is so easy +as for inexperienced bushmen to lose their way. When once a man +begins to doubt whether he is right, he loses all confidence in +himself; he wanders first in one direction and then in another, +in the hope of finding something to guide him; and fears lest +every step should take him farther into the labyrinth of the +forest-wilderness. I have myself been several times lost for a +short period, and know how very unpleasant is the sensation. A +common soldier, sent on a message from Perth to Fremantle, +happened to get off the track. Becoming alarmed, he tried to +recover it, but as it had made a bend, he walked as far as he +thought its position ought to be, without success, and then +fancied he must have mistaken the direction. He therefore +diverged at right angles, and after walking a short time, +recollected that he must now be going in the wrong direction, as +he had left the path originally on his left hand. Accordingly he +turned back again, and walked so far without perceiving any signs +of the track that he now fancied he must be going parallel with +it. Had he gone on a few yards father, all would have been right, +but now he really took a parallel course, and after walking for +some time longer, he again turned back, and walked in another +direction. Now this man had the sea on one side of him, and the +river on the other, at most not more than four miles apart; yet +the dread of having walked back into the wilderness behind Perth +overpowered his faculties, and he walked for hours in a circle of +about half a mile in diameter. He might have considered that the +Darling Hills were behind Perth, and must have brought him up, +but reason does not always act freely at these times. At length, +completely exhausted, he sat down at the foot of a tree, where he +remained all night, expecting death from starvation, from the +natives, or some unknown wild beasts.</p> + +<p>The next day he walked again as long as his strength would +allow, but before night sank down in the extremity of despair. It +was not until the third day of his misfortunes that he was +tracked up by a party sent in search of him, and guided by +friendly natives, who followed his many devious steps with +unerring eyes.</p> + +<p>Another man, similarly lost in the interior, after vainly +trying to recover the road, determined to make for the coast, +which he knew lay to the west. He was also confident that the sun +regularly set in that quarter, and therefore, he boldly +determined to trust himself to the guidance of the sun, making +sure, that if he followed it far enough, it must lead him to the +coast at last. Accordingly, he marched after the sun till +night-fall and then went cheerfully to sleep, having supped upon +some bread and pork, which he carried with him. The next morning, +at sunrise, he started off in the direction of his guide, +perfectly unconscious that he was now retracing his steps, and +journeying eastward. All day, however, he continued to follow the +sun, and when it set, wondered that he had not yet reached the +sea. At night, he finished his bread and pork, and the next +morning set off again on his long and tedious journey; still, at +night, there was no appearance of the ocean, and he fired off his +gun at a black cockatoo, which he killed with his only charge of +shot.</p> + +<p>Upon this bird he lived for the next two days, and for two +more he subsisted upon roots. He had now given up all hopes of +discovering the sea, and had lain down to die, when he was found +by his master and a party of natives, who had come in search of +him.</p> + +<p>It appeared that he was found upon almost the very spot on +which he had first lost himself.</p> + +<p>When once a man begins to believe that he is lost in the +wilderness, he feels as helpless as one who is blind-folded at +the game of blindman's buff, and who has been twirled round so +often, that he has no idea whereabouts the door or the fire-place +is situated. Those who are used to the bush steer their course +with almost unerring precision by the sun, and a few known +objects, but there are numbers who never acquire this power. the +natives appear to know by instinct the direction of every spot +they wish to reach; and many white men seem to possess the same +faculty.</p> + +<p>But I have almost forgotten that we are all this time sailing +up the rive in our whale-boat. It was a very beautiful sail, and +we repeatedly passed cheerful-looking farm-houses on either +bank— sometimes goodly mansions with park-like enclosures about +them. In the afternoon we dined upon cold wild-duck; and as each +man sipped his grog in his pannikin, we felt so exceedingly +cheerful, that Simon and Meliboeus favoured the public with "Away +with melancholy!" and divers other agreeable ditties. The wind +however died away, and evening set in as we passed Guildford. The +banks of the river had now risen into steep cliffs, which threw a +deep gloom over our course. We had furled the sails, and taken to +the oars, and as we blindly poked our way, we began to think this +kind of work was not quite so agreeable as it had at first +appeared. Nothing was now to be seen but the outlines of the +steep sides of the river on which occasional houses were visible, +the light streaming through the windows, and making us fancy how +comfortable every thing must be within, and how pleasant it would +be to be sitting at supper in a cheerful room, instead of toiling +at our oars with blistered hands, and without the prospect of a +good bed at the end of the voyage.</p> + +<p>Romance was gone; the sad reality of life remained. Still we +pulled along, steering by turns, and doubting and wondering every +hundred yards whether we had not gone past the place we sought. +Sometimes we paused on our oars to debate the question, but still +we continued to push on; till at length we found ourselves close +abreast of the wooden building we were so anxiously looking out +for, and experienced a sensation of surprise as well as of +delight.</p> + +<p>The boat was soon safely moored, and the door of the building +unlocked; and by the light of a wax taper, which we had brought +on purpose, we found ourselves in a large empty room, without any +fire-place. A heap of dead wood was soon collected at the +entrance; and a glorious fire lighted up the small enclosure +which surrounded the building, and sufficiently illuminated a +considerable portion of the room itself. The kettle being put on, +we soon had tea ready, and managed to get through our rations of +bread and pork, not forgetting to give little Fig his supper, who +sat very seriously before the fire, wondering what it all +meant.</p> + +<p>Cigars, and brandy and water, having been duly administered +before bed-time, we next proceeded to litter down coats and +cloaks; and having made ourselves as comfortable as circumstances +would admit of, stretched ourselves on the floor, with a few +sighs and thoughts of home, and slept until day-break.</p> + +<p>The first thing we did next morning was to unload the boat; +and then having breakfasted, and secured the door on our effects, +we started on our homeward trip, and had the satisfaction of +pulling the whole distance to Perth, where we were obliged to +sleep the next night, as it was impossible for us to get down +Melville water in the teeth of a strong sea-breeze.</p> + +<p>When we had to start again with another load of goods, our +hearts were much heavier than on the first excursion.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 8.</h3> + +<h4>FARMS ON THE RIVER.</h4> + +<p>First impressions endure the longest, and are recalled with +most pleasure. Further acquaintance does not always give us a +truer idea of the value of the object, as familiarity frequently +makes us overlook as insignificant that which is constantly +before us. It is not the object that is proved to be really less +valuable as we become better acquainted with it, but our own +views which change with our position. My first impressions on +visiting the various farms, or rather gentlemen's residences, on +the banks of the Swan, were extremely agreeable. I thought +nothing could be more delightful than to live at one of those +picturesque and lovely spots. If the romance of that first +feeling be now faded from my heart, it is not because I have +discovered that all which I then saw was an illusion, but because +a more sober state of mind—that state into which the mind +settles as the excitement of sudden change and unwonted novelty +subsides—teaches that happiness is not local, and that it is no +more likely to be found in the finest country residence than in +the main street of a town.</p> + +<p>At the first view we are apt to imagine that people who live +in one of these pleasant retreats must needs be happier than +ourselves, who possess nothing but a miserable shilling.</p> + +<p>This is the delusion; and when with increasing knowledge, we +recover from this, we cease to envy and to covet.</p> + +<p>My first ride up the Swan was a most delightful one. No park +in England could be more beautiful than the grounds around some +of the dwellings.</p> + +<p>The ride through the scattered village of Guildford, with a +view of the rich and extensive flats of Woodbridge, the property +of Sir James Stirling, and the frequent bends of the river, is a +very agreeable one. The whole country of the middle and upper +Swan resembles a vast English park. We passed the pretty country +church of the Middle Swan, with its modest parsonage beside it, +and then proceeded through wooded ravines along a pleasant drive +to one of the most hospitable mansions in the colony. Extensive +stables, barns and out-buildings occupied the back of the +premises. As it was now too late in the evening to see much of +the surrounding scenery, we entered the house of Samuel Moore, +Esq., and sat down to an excellent dinner. In the evening we had +music—pianos are as common in Western Australia as in England. +At night I occupied a sofa in the parlour. The excitement and +novelty of my present situation—so many thousands of leagues +removed from the spot on which, only a few months before, I had +deemed I was to spend my life—kept me wakeful; and about one +o'clock I arose, and opening the French window, stepped out into +the verandah. How solemn was the scene before me, faintly lighted +by the moon! In front of the house was a pretty sloping garden, +and below this stretched a broad clearing, now waving with corn, +amidst which rose up a number of scattered, lofty, dead trees, +which had been purposely killed by ringing the bark. How mournful +they looked in that gloomy light!</p> + +<p>The river bounded this clearing, and beyond the river +stretched its high bank, covered with forest trees, the advanced +lines, as it were, of the vast wilderness which lay behind. From +out the depths of those woods rose the occasional shrieks of an +owl, or other night bird, and at intervals the long dismal howl +of a wild dog—the only carnivorous animal indigenous in that +country. The air was balmy, but there was something in the +mournful aspect of the scene that weighed upon the spirits, and +made one feel inexpressibly lonely in the midst of that boundless +wilderness of forest.</p> + +<p>Time soon takes off the edge of novelty, and long ago I have +learned to feel perfectly at ease and cheerful, whilst lying in +the midst of much deeper solitude, with no companions but my +horse grazing near me, and the fire at my feet. There is no +country in the world so safe for the traveller as Western +Australia.</p> + +<p>The next day we went over the farm of our host. His best land +was on the flats at the river side, but his upland, by judicious +cultivation, is made productive and valuable. A carriage-drive +extends through the grounds and affords beautiful prospects of +the river, and of the estates through which it runs; and on the +other side, of the Darling Hills. The hedge-rows on this property +are planted with olive, almond, and peach trees—an admirable +policy, which ought to be adopted throughout Australia. In a few +years— for the olive bears fruit much sooner here than in the +south of Europe—a valuable traffic in olive-oil may be expected +from this colony.</p> + +<p>The ingenious gentleman who owns this property (which is, in +point of soil, one of the worst farms on the Swan) continues +annually to add to its value by his persevering system of +improvement. He has had a steam-engine constructed on his own +premises, and under his personal superintendence; and he grinds +his own flour as well as that of his neighbours.</p> + +<p>The neighbouring estate of W. L. Brockman, Esq., is a more +valuable property, and equally attractive in possessing a +well-cultivated farm, a beautiful situation, a comfortable +residence, and an amiable family.</p> + +<p>With similar energy and savoir faire, all the beautiful farms +on this river might be made most enviable residences.</p> + +<p>Whilst on the subject of farming, I may mention a +reaping-machine which has been introduced into this colony from +South Australia, where it was invented. It is only adapted to a +very dry climate, but there it is most valuable. A pair of horses +push a machine before them, which consists of a threshing-machine +and a set of revolving combs, some six feet wide. These combs, in +their revolutions, catch up the wheat, and tear off the ears from +the stalks, throwing them back into the threshing-machine. A +field of wheat is thus reaped and threshed as fast as the horses +can walk over it. The straw is afterwards mown.</p> + +<p>The roads are hard and good in this neighbourhood, and some of +the settlers keep their open carriages.</p> + +<p>I doubt whether I have conveyed to the reader a just idea of +some of the pleasantest spots which are to be met with in this +colony; but I would not have him (full of romantic thoughts and +agricultural purposes) rush hastily into the mart and sell his +substance in order to lead a life of tranquil retirement in this +distant Eden. It requires a good deal of philosophy to make a +contented settler. Most colonists leave England full of virtuous +resolutions—with bosoms glowing with the ardent love of nature; +and fully persuaded that they need nothing to make them happy but +a small farm, beautifully situated, with its cottage ornee, and +its spreading vines, and a noble fig-tree, beneath which they are +to sit in the cool of the evening, with their little ones around +them. All this they may really possess; and for some time they +are in raptures at the novel feeling of being men of landed +interest. This is always the first ambition of a colonist—to +have some property which he may lawfully call his own. And, +indeed, the human heart never expands with more satisfactory +pride than in the breast of him whose territorial possessions +have hitherto been confined to a few flower-pots in his +parlour-window, but who now stands firmly beneath a lofty +gum-tree, and looking round him, murmurs "This is mine!" It is, +indeed, a very pleasant sensation, but, unfortunately, it is very +short-lived.</p> + +<p>Men do not come out to a colony to spend an income, but to +make a living. When once their capital is laid out in the +acquisition of a farm, and in the necessary purchase of stock, +they have to raise money out of it to pay their labourers' wages, +and find their households with tea, sugar, clothing, and +"sundries." Many things may be grown upon your farm, but not +everything. At first, the settler is satisfied with finding that +he can sell sufficient produce to enable him to pay his way, +provided he practise the utmost economy, and exhibit a reasonable +degree of good management.</p> + +<p>But soon there are extra expenses to be liquidated; a long +illness in his family brings him in debt to the doctor; or his +neighbour has injured him, and he has, thereupon, further injured +himself by going to law and avenging the wrong. He now becomes +discontented, and thinks he is as badly off as he was before he +left England; or, perhaps he may have sustained no losses, and is +just able to live on his property without getting into debt; he +forgets, however, the principles on which he came out to settle; +he begins to complain that he is not making money. It is true he +leads an easier life than he did in England; he is not striving +and struggling for existence as he was there, but he is making no +money. His wife asks him daily, in the pleasantest connubial key, +why he brought them all from England, to bury them there, and see +nobody from morn till night? What, she urges, is to become of +their children? Will Jonadab, their first-born, be a gentleman +like his maternal ancestors?—But how, indeed should he, with the +pursuits of a cow-boy and the hands of a scavenger? It is very +well for one who cares nothing for genteel society, and whose +bearish manners, in fact, unfit him for it, to lead such a life; +but is she to endure this for ever, and see her daughters married +to men who wear long beards and Blucher boots?</p> + +<p>These incessant attacks at length overthrow the ennobling +philosophy of the colonist. He knows not where to procure more +than he already possesses, or he would gladly return to the +country of his fore-fathers; but alas! he sees no prospect of +gaining even a bare livelihood there. Without knowing, then, how +or where to improve his condition, he deplores the penury of his +lot, and sighs for wealth which he has no prospect of ever +obtaining.</p> + +<p>My own opinion has ever been that colonists, with few +exceptions, must always be poor men. They may possess large +estates and numerous herds; but the more numerous these herds, +the less is their marketable value: for population and demand can +never increase in equal ratio with the supply. A man, therefore, +who possesses the elements of wealth, may still be poor in the +article of money.</p> + +<p>Nor will his estates produce him more income than his herds; +for in most cases the only rent which his tenants can afford to +pay is in kind. 'The only real wealth to a colony is the +incessant influx of immigration, combining capital and +labour.'</p> + +<p>There are some of us, happily, who still retain the ancient +philosophy. We have not thought of pecuniary wealth, and are +content to live easily, with those moderate blessings which +attach to a beneficent climate and a simple mode of life.</p> + +<p>So very little is required which money can buy, that men seem +to be annoyed at the fact, and insist upon creating new +wants.</p> + +<p>A great deal of discontent and repining generally prevails in +a colony. People who have lived miserably in England, who have +long doubtfully hovered between suicide and highway robbery, +determine at length to adopt the still more melancholy +alternative of emigration. After bequeathing a few tender sighs +to the country which they have hitherto regarded rather as a +step-mother than a parent; and having pathetically solicited the +sympathy of those who more readily bestow upon them a few pounds +than a few tears, in the pious hope of never seeing them more, +our emigrants betake themselves to the favoured land of their +adoption, in the full and confident belief that they have nothing +now to do, but live "like gentlemen," though without the means, +or any other qualifications of that class. Their Faith is of that +affecting and unlimited description, as to lead them to suppose +that He who beneficently feeds the ravens will not neglect the +rooks or the drones.</p> + +<p>In a very short time, however, they find that they are no +better off in the new than they were in the old country. The +gum-trees do not produce bread, nor the banksias shoulders of +mutton; and, consequently, their hopes have been miserably +disappointed, and they loudly proclaim their wants and sorrows in +the streets. There are unfortunately in all colonies—those +'refugia peccatorum'—many emigrants of this class, idle and +worthless, who have never done well, and never will succeed in +any part of the world.</p> + +<p>A colonial life is not for these men, and we recommend them to +pass on to some other region as quickly as possible.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 9.</h3> + +<h4>THE MORAL THERMOMETER OF COLONIES.</h4> + +<p>In the chief town of every colony, there is always agreeable +society to be found among the resident Government officers, and +the other principal inhabitants. Many estimable individuals are +to be met with in all communities; in that in which I have myself +resided for some years, there are many for whom I entertain the +highest regard. I hope, therefore, it will not be considered +that, in the remarks which I am about to make, I am actuated by +any ill or invidious feeling, or at all allude to individuals. +Since I have undertaken the task of drawing sketches of colonial +life, I must not endeavour to conceal any portion of the truth, +nor tacitly allow erroneous conclusions to be drawn from my +remarks.</p> + +<p>I have already observed that a good and kindly feeling towards +one another prevails in this colony among the settlers generally. +But I must qualify this remark by adding—in all cases in which +individual interests are not concerned. There is less perhaps of +the 'spirit of dealing' in this colony than in any other of the +British empire. Ours is not a mercantile community, and the +farm-settlers generally are young men of good birth and +gentlemanly spirit. Still, even here, beyond all question, exists +the same odious tendency (though less apparent) which prevails +more or less in all colonies, to advance self-interest on every +possible occasion, without being deterred by any scruples +whatsoever.</p> + +<p>When men become emigrants, they leave behind them their +relations, friends, connexions, and all their old associations, +and appear upon a new theatre of action, where they have no +feelings to consult beyond their own personal wishes and +interests.</p> + +<p>They find themselves suddenly emancipated from all those +restraints which formerly acted with a salutary influence upon +their natural inclinations; and having no one near them whose +opinion they regard, or whom they care to conciliate, they fall +rapidly into the belief that they have no one to live for but +themselves, and, consequently, make self the sole guide of all +their actions, and sole god of their idolatry.</p> + +<p>This spirit of 'Yankeeism' is the prevailing spirit of +colonies. It is the natural consequence of the isolated state in +which men feel themselves to exist, when they have no longer +those less selfish motives of action that influenced and +regulated their conduct under other circumstances. The eye of a +parent no longer watches over them with approbation or anxiety; +and what has a still more powerful influence upon their conduct, +they are now beyond the observation of that circle of friends, +relations, and acquaintance, to which they had been known from +childhood; which had constituted their world, and the censure or +approbation of which determined their state of self-reproach or +self-satisfaction. Few men may be trusted far who can say, "I am +not known here," for these are always the people who care least +what they do. Good and well-meaning persons will exclaim, +"Colonists can have very little sense of religion, if they allow +themselves to act at a distance differently from what they would +do at home." Those who have more than a theoretical acquaintance +with mankind, and who are used to look upon them in their +undisguised selfishness, know well that their sense of religion +is greatly dependent upon the circumstances in which men find +themselves placed. We are not speaking of what such and such +people would do and feel, but of what is really done and felt by +thousands.</p> + +<p>Besides, I have already premised that it is not every colonist +who acts on these principles, but that such is the general +tendency to act in a colony.</p> + +<p>We can now understand the origin of that intense selfishness +in the American character, which has never yet been cast aside, +and which, in fact, is perpetuated by a republican form of +government.</p> + +<p>The high and nice sense of honour, the chivalrous generosity, +the frank acknowledgment of superiority, and the ready devotion +of self to the interests of others at the call of duty, +constituted the brightest ornaments of the feudal system, and +still glitter (though with feebler lustre) among the fragments of +that system throughout civilized Europe.</p> + +<p>The Spirit of Trade, which has shattered feudalism, has +impaired the brightness of that principle which was the soul of +feudalism. Nor has religion yet succeeded in supplying the loss. +Religion, which is the bond between Man and his God, has less +influence in regulating his dealings with his fellows than +Honour, which is the bond between man and man.*</p> + +<p>[footnote] *In making this observation, I refer to the general +conduct of the World; and am far from intending to say, that +honour ought to have more influence with mankind than religion. +The truly religious, a small but sacred band, "do justly, love +mercy, and walk humbly with God."</p> + +<p>And when the principle of honour loses its purity, you may be +sure that the principle of religion is already decayed or dead. +Now the principle of honour being (so to speak) of human origin, +depends greatly for existence upon the opinions of men; and when +we are emancipated from all great regard for those opinions, it +almost inevitably follows that our sense of honour becomes much +impaired; and having no longer any fear of censure, we no longer +have any feeling of shame.</p> + +<p>In a colony, then, is most apparent the accursed Spirit of +Trade— that insidious spirit which undermines the truth of the +heart, which destroys its most generous impulses, and sneers at +every manifestation of disinterestedness. The first object of a +colonist is that of a petty shopkeeper,—to grasp at every thing +which is likely to benefit himself, without regard to justice, +religion, or honour. His own interest is the only guide of his +actions, and becomes the very soul of his existence. He came out +to make a fortune, if possible, and he thinks himself justified +in using every means to this end. Do not suppose that he is a +downright villain who would commit highway robbery. He would be +greatly shocked at such an imputation, for his conscience is +still too timid for so flagrant a crime. He merely follows the +golden maxim of 'caveat emptor', and, like the petty shopkeeper, +thinks he is justified in cheating those who are too stupid to +look after their own interests, and too ignorant or too feeble to +enforce their just dues.</p> + +<p>When that nice sense of honour which rules the conduct of the +high-minded gentleman, and makes him scorn to take advantage of +the ignorance or the necessities of another, ceases to influence, +the accursed spirit becomes dominant, and men look with suspicion +on all around them.</p> + +<p>It has become the pride and the boast of colonists, as of +horse-dealers, that they are sharp fellows; that they have cut +their eye-teeth, and are remarkably wide-awake. These honourable +distinctions are acknowledged by the simple-minded with alarm. +They feel like men involved among a mob, and instinctively button +up their pockets.</p> + +<p>The moral thermometer in a colony is lamentably low.</p> + +<p>We do not, however, look upon this state of things as +irremediable, and without hope; on the contrary, we doubt not but +the Better Spirit will in time resume its pre-eminence, and +colonists will be respected for their elevated sentiments and +high sense of honour, rather than for their acuteness in driving +a bargain. This evil, which is the natural consequence of their +present condition as isolated atoms, unconnected together by +those bonds of mutual respect which confine men in older +countries, will cease as society becomes re-organized, and men +feel themselves occupying in a colony the same position, as +regards obligations and duties, that they would have filled in +the parent state. As they settle themselves more firmly in their +places, they will come to feel that respect which ever attaches +to the character of HOME; and conscious that example is necessary +from men who occupy prominent positions, a higher tone will +insensibly be assumed, and the Better Spirit again be diffused +throughout all the ramifications of society. But to this end, it +is most essential that every aid should be given that Government +has the power to bestow. Religious instruction, and that good +example which, we may assume, is ever afforded to society by the +English clergy, are the principal instruments to be sought. In +Western Australia there are at this time only six clergymen, who +are scattered over a country many hundred miles in extent. Many +districts are, unavoidably, entirely without the exhortations and +offices of a minister. At King George's Sound, an important post, +no clergyman is seen from one year to another. Human beings are +born, married, and buried, without a minister to baptize, to +teach, to bless, or to give consolation in their extremity. There +is no bishop to consecrate, to watch over, or to reprove.*</p> + +<p>[footnote] *By the munificence of Miss Burdett Coutts, a +bishopric has been recently founded in South Australia; and the +Western Colony is for the present to be included in the same +diocese. But when it is remembered that there is no over-land +communication between the colonies, and the route by sea occupies +about ten days, it must be evident that this provision is very +inadequate to our wants.</p> + +<p>This is a state of things that must be remedied, or moral +improvements cannot be expected.</p> + +<p>The Roman Church has been more thoughtful of her children in +this colony, there being now settled here a bishop, and about a +dozen priests of that persuasion—reason the more for the active +interference of a Protestant Government to protect the spiritual +welfare of the Protestant community.</p> + +<p>The next most important object is the education of the youth +of the colony. So soon as ever Government can afford the grant of +a few hundreds a year, free-schools ought to be established in +various districts. Such is usually the scarcity of money in a +colony, that parents cannot afford to bestow even the commonest +education upon their children. Of course, I allude only to the +general condition of society; there are individuals who educate +their families in a judicious and sufficient manner; but the +great prevailing want is not the less felt and deplored. Boys, +the sons of men who have themselves been well educated, are early +made to supply the place of labourers and servants. Hardy and +manly in appearance, they are naturally rough and uncouth in +manner, and unhappily possess no mental stores beyond those early +principles of gain which have grown with their growth. In their +anxiety that their sons should do well in the world, the parent's +first object is to impress upon them the necessity of making the +most of every thing. Their early powers are exercised in selling +stores, sheep, cattle, or other produce, and they are applauded +in proportion to the hard bargain which they have driven. If a +man, threatened with law proceedings, is compelled to sell his +whole crop of potatoes at a ruinous loss, our keen and knowing +youngster glories in the opportunity of making a bargain by which +he shall profit to the amount of a hundred per cent., though the +seller return to his agitated family writhing with despair. The +malleable intellect of our youth is annealed by the Demon of Gain +upon the anvil of Self-interest.</p> + +<p>National education is one of the first objects of a paternal +government. The course of study ought ever to be adapted to the +circumstances and position of the scholars. In the first years of +a colony, the human mind peculiarly exhibits a downward tendency. +Few men prove themselves in their new condition of life superior +or equal to the character which they had formerly borne, as +pious, learned, or humane. The circumstances which formerly so +eminently conduced to the maintenance of piety, the cultivation +of intellect, and the exercise of benevolence, no longer exist. +Solitary and selfish from position, men of naturally generous +temper and good disposition, feel their hearts contract and +shrivel within them. Surrounded by a sordid and selfish crew, +they find no objects for sympathy, no inducements for the +increase or the preservation of knowledge, no animating impulse +to lead them forward in a good cause. Struggling for a time in +the net which is around them, they at length fall from the edge, +down into the seething cauldron, and become fused among the +mass.</p> + +<p>'The tendency of colonization is to deteriorate.' The first +object of Government should therefore be to arrest this impulse, +and remedy the evil so far as may be accomplished. If the +original settlers degenerate in their moral condition, their +children sink still lower. When parents cease to feel the +influence of those high and pure principles in which they were +themselves brought up, they naturally forget to inculcate them in +the minds of their offspring. What, then, are the guides that +direct these in their progress through life? What can they be but +Self-interest, relieved perhaps occasionally by a few touches of +Good-nature?</p> + +<p>The young women inevitably grow up mere creatures of impulse. +Where are those high qualities which are necessary to give them +their proper influence over the minds and actions of the other +sex? Where is that powerful sense of the duties of their calling +and position, that is necessary to create confidence in the +breast of the lover or the husband? Where are those unswerving +principles which alone can keep them, through trial and +temptation, in the right way?</p> + +<p>Woman, alas! has lost her power, when she ceases to inspire +veneration and command respect.</p> + +<p>It is the interest of every colony, and the duty of every +Government, to raise the moral character and condition of the +people. The necessity of this must be forcibly present in the +minds of those to whom the duties of legislation are intrusted; +and as the most obvious means of improvement lie in the judicious +instruction of the young generation, the attention of Government +must soon be directed to this grand object.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 10.</h3> + +<h4>COUNTRY LIFE.</h4> + +<p>It is most undeniably true, "that there is no place like +England," for men who are in "easy circumstances," and who +therefore think no more of direct or indirect taxation, and of +those multitudinous burthens which highly-civilized life imposes, +than a besom-maker's ass does of the load under which it daily +journeys. But how many thousands are there (children of sad +parents—Toil and Sorrow) who find their utmost efforts scarcely +sufficient to keep them out of the debtor's prison! Continual +gloom fills the chambers of their hearts; the sun bestows its +cheering rays in vain; and all the gay and beautiful influences +of the bright world of Nature fail to inspirit him whose every +energy is directed to the task of raising his family beyond the +threatening grasp of Want. In his few moments of relaxation, when +those whom he loves—for whom he is toiling unto death—hang +around him with gentle fondness; in those sweet moments, when +love unutterable beams through the glistening eye, and tender +solicitude watches the care-worn face, seeking to win one happy +smile—even then, he dare not give himself up to joy. The thought +is never absent from him that life perhaps is ebbing fast; the +very labours to which his only hope of income is attached, are +gradually wearing him down to the grave; and when he is no more, +what shall be the lot of those whose beaming faces smile so +sweetly? What struggles, what miseries are in store for the +beloved wife, and those young and innocent daughters whose hearts +are full of him! No! he dare not give himself up to joy; he +smiles in answer to their endearments—but it is rather a shadow +than a sunbeam that passes across his countenance.</p> + +<p>How many thousands are there in England so circumstanced, who +curse the artificial state of society in which they are compelled +to live! In their profession or trade they are bound to keep up a +certain degree of appearance, or they are shunned by those whom +it is their chief interest to conciliate. The great bug-bear ever +present in the mind of an Englishman, is the dread of not being +thought sufficiently "respectable." Professional men and +tradesmen depend for their subsistence upon appearances. To be +flashy is as bad as to be shabby; the great object is to appear +substantial. If you are rich, you have less temptation to be +dishonest, and may consequently be trusted. Every man, therefore, +who depends upon the opinion of others, is compelled to assume +the appearance of being comfortably circumstanced in order to +inspire confidence. Character is the life-blood of Englishmen, +but character alone will seldom extricate a man from the slough +of Poverty. In our highly artificial state of society, something +more powerful than character alone is required to place a man in +the road to fortune—call it as you please, tact or humbug.</p> + +<p>This necessity for keeping up appearances in order to move in +that rank of life which his business requires him to occupy, is +the heaviest tax imposed upon the income of an Englishman. How +often does it draw from him all his profits, leaving him to +lament how little he is enabled to lay by annually for his +children! Many times, without doubt, he wishes he durst retire to +a cottage too small to admit the visits of the heartless +acquaintance who form his "fashionable" world. Does their society +afford him or his family any real happiness? Is it not rather the +cause of many heart-burnings to him and to them? How much happier +he feels he should be, had he never looked abroad for happiness, +but sought it only around his own hearth! To see his daughters +elegantly attired, would gratify him extremely, were it not for +the unwelcome reminiscences of expense. But would they look less +lovely to his eyes, or be less dear to his heart, when moving +about him in the useful performance of domestic duties, clad in +homely garments, and thinking more of him and home than of +visiting and display?</p> + +<p>How economically, and how happily too, might he live, were his +own house his world, and his wife and children the only beings +for whose opinion he cared! But alas! these are the persons whose +opinion is of least importance in his pursuit of fortune. He must +do as the world does if he would secure its smiles, and is +compelled to think less of happiness than of gain.</p> + +<p>Is such a man happier, leading such a life, than he would be +as a colonist? Here—ever blessed be the recollection!—there is +no necessity for sacrificing peace of mind to appearance. The man +whose conduct proves him to be of gentlemanly mould, is +everywhere treated as an equal; and though his occupation and +mode of living be ever so humble, he loses nothing in the +consideration of his fellow-colonists. The half-pay officer, or +gentleman farmer, who occasionally drives his own cart, or sows +the seed which he has purchased in the market, is not thought +less qualified to act as a magistrate, nor is less respected by +the great and small in his neighbourhood. His cares are all +directed towards obtaining substantial comforts for his family, +and not towards making a display in the eyes of the little world +around him.</p> + +<p>Conscious that he is respected only for his character as an +upright man, and that as every one knows he is not wealthy, it +would be ridiculous to affect the appearance of wealth, he wears +the coarsest garments with more pleasure than the finest coat, +and draws all his happiness from domestic sources. His sons and +daughters equally indifferent to show—though the latter, at +least, are always neatly dressed—are busied with their different +duties, all tending to promote the general comfort.</p> + +<p>Happy family!—how pleasantly the evenings pass in your +society! Gladly would I ride many miles to spend such pleasant +hours, and witness happiness so unpretending and real. How +cheerful looks that large room, with its glorious fire of +Jarra-wood and black-boys, (for it is the winter season,) and how +lightly those young girls move about, arranging the tea-table, +and preparing for the evening meal! The kind-hearted mother, +relieved of all duties but that of superintendence, sits by the +fire chatting cheerfully with the guest, whose eyes, +nevertheless, wander round the room after a certain light and +dancing shape; the host, a man of eld, but stalwart in +appearance, full of hospitality and noble courtesy, appears in +his easy slippers and an old and well-worn coat, which formerly +had seen service in London ball-rooms. He discourses not only of +the crops and colonial politics, but of literature, and the last +news from England; for like many other colonists he receives the +English papers, and patronizes the 'Quarterly Review'. On the +sofa lie the latest numbers of 'Punch' and 'the Illustrated +London News'—some four months old, of course—for the ladies +like fun and pictures, whilst their father laboriously wades +through a three months' accumulation of the 'Times'.</p> + +<p>With what alacrity the old gentleman rises up and welcomes a +traveller, who has unexpectedly arrived, and has just stabled his +horse, and seen him fed before he made his appearance in the +parlour! There is no beating about the bush for a bed, or an +invitation to supper. Of the latter he is certain, and +indifferent about the former; for having slept the last night +under a tree, he feels sure of making himself comfortable on the +sofa, or on the hearth-rug before the fire. And then the girls, +who have no affectation or nonsense about them, crowd round the +new-arrived, and ply him with questions about their young friends +in other parts of the colony, and whether he was at the last ball +at Government House, and what was most worn on that +occasion—until the good man, laughing, breaks through the +circle, declaring he will answer no more questions till he has +had his supper, and, it may be, a glass of whisky-toddy +screeching hot.</p> + +<p>During the evening the girls sing, and happily they sing well; +and they take most pleasure in those songs which papa likes best +to hear. And the poor bachelor-guest, who looks on, feels his +heart melting within him, and reviles himself for the destitution +in which he lives at home. Suddenly, perhaps, horses at a gallop +are heard to enter the yard; and soon afterwards two young +fellows, fresh from the capital, come dashing into the room, full +of spirits, and vowing they have gallopped over on purpose to +ascertain whether the ladies were still living. Here is authority +of undoubted value for everything relating to the ball at +Government House; and the merits and appearance of every person +who attended it are soon brought under discussion. This naturally +inspires the young people with a desire to dance; so the table is +pushed aside, and papa being squeezed nearly into the fire, mamma +takes her place at the piano, and bursts off with the Annen +Polka.</p> + +<p>It may seem strange to you, dear reader, who have an idea that +colonists are merely wild beasts, that such things should be. But +so it is; and though people may dance the Cellarius with more +gravity in the saloons of St. James's, I question whether dancing +be half the fun there that our light-hearted colonists seem to +think it. There are no strangers in small colonies—it is always +a family party dancing together; and consequently, people are as +merry as if it were Christmas-time all the year round.</p> + +<p>Your fashionable people may pity them; but God help them, poor +things! In their dark and degraded state they seem to enjoy +themselves so much, that I should not like them to be put out of +conceit with themselves, or made to repudiate whatever gives them +innocent pleasure. Nor are they entirely insensible to the good +opinion of great people; for when they learnt that the Polka was +thought vulgar at Buckingham Palace, they had serious intentions +of denying it admittance into the ball-rooms of Perth; and I +sincerely believe it would speedily have pined away and died, +like a maiden under the breath of slander, but for a confidently +entertained hope that her Majesty would never hear of the +offences of the people of Perth—and people will do all kinds of +things when they can do them secretly. So the Polka continues to +be danced in Western Australia; and the courage of the dancers +has been much revived of late by hearing that it is still greatly +in vogue at home, notwithstanding the august censures said to +have been passed upon it.</p> + +<p>A country life might always be a happy one, were people +possessed of the smallest competence, and of properly regulated +minds. There is as much unhappiness, or at least discontent, in +colonies as elsewhere; but discontented colonists are the +greatest fools in the world, because they have themselves created +the evils, and the remedies are generally in their own power. The +grand object of man's search is happiness, which he strives to +obtain by a thousand various ways. Wealth he covets, because he +fondly believes that it contains the prize he seeks; but if +happiness may be found without wealth, of what value are riches? +Money is not so indispensable a necessary in a colony. Very +little indeed suffices to enable a proprietor on the banks of the +Swan, the Avon, or the Brunswick, to bring up his family in +comfort, and to perform all the rights of a generous hospitality. +The discontent which is so often felt in colonies arises from two +causes: first, it is the natural feeling of those who emigrate +late in life; who, although unsuccessful at home, have ever been +fondly attached to home associations, to the friends and +connexions with whom they have been bound up during many years, +and to the national belief that a man can never be truly happy +out of England. In addition to this, the emigrant of mature years +has been so long accustomed to feel himself living in the very +centre of intelligence, he has so long been accustomed to watch +the progress of political action at home and on the continent, +and to drink the fresh draughts of scientific discovery at the +fountain-head, that now, when far removed from the busy and +exciting scenes of the ever-moving panorama of European life, he +feels lost in the wilderness—a fragment of drift-wood washed +ashore and left far behind by the fast-progressing waves of +Knowledge and Action.</p> + +<p>The second cause of discontent is found in the non-acquisition +of money. Every one goes out to a colony with the full conviction +that he shall make a fortune in a few years, and then return to +England and become a man of landed interest.</p> + +<p>A man has to conquer his first disappointments before he can +become a happy settler; he has to form new and more just ideas of +his actual position. Generally, it is necessary that he should +return to England once more before he can entirely appreciate the +advantages open to him in a colony. He then fully perceives how +much more difficult it is to obtain a bare subsistence in the old +country. He finds that with the utmost economy he cannot supply +the numerous wants of his family, and he longs for his old +Australian dwelling again, and the easy, independent life which +he was accustomed to lead, when his children used to run about in +brown holland, and his wife looked becoming in printed cotton, +and thought no beverage so good as the wine which she had +assisted to make.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 11.</h3> + +<h4>PERSECUTIONS.</h4> + +<p>Scepticism is the offspring of ignorance. There are many +people still living who doubt the existence of dragons; who go so +far as to assert that such creatures never did exist upon the +face of this earth, and never did torment and destroy the +inhabitants thereof, and persecute forlorn maidens. They scoff at +the records which have descended to our times, as fabulous +legends, composed by idle monks; who were accustomed to write +fictitious histories during the dark ages. They deny to +historical ballads that authority which Mr. Macaulay attaches to +them; and yet the principal fact in the biography of Andromeda +(even before the times of the monks) may have been true; and the +poor people of Wantley may really have been harassed by the +celebrated dragon of that ilk. We speak seriously.</p> + +<p>Geologists have ascertained beyond a doubt that winged +monsters of the size described in ancient legends did really +inhabit this earth at some period or other. Happily they no +longer exist of the same dimensions as formerly; like the +descendants of Anak, they have become 'fined down', as it were, +in the course of ages, until their proportions no longer awaken +personal fear, nor do their exploits engage the attention of +historians. Sometimes, however, the ancient ferocity, the +propensity for devastation, still breaks forth, even in the +diminutive descendants of this formidable race, and persecuted +Man feels himself driven to the brink of despair.</p> + +<p>Soon after I had settled at Perth, in a small house, with +three quarters of an acre of ground about it, I began to think of +improving my little territory. I thought it was a duty I owed to +society to set a good example, by bringing my property into a +high state of cultivation.</p> + +<p>I intended to "make the barren desert smile"—to embower my +dwelling in the midst of blossoming peas, and aspiring kidney +beans, —to draw around me, as it were, a little luxuriant Eden, +which should be the admiration of a Sunday public, as they stood +riveted at the palings, unable to pass by without a lengthened +survey; whilst the envied possessor, stooping behind his +magnificent cabbages, would listen to their unstudied bursts of +rapture with justifiable pride. Glowing with horticultural +fervour, I rose early in the morning, and dug up the soil with +stern resolution, toiling with a Patagonian pick-axe at the great +roots which ran in every direction, until I thought myself a +perfect pattern of a settler. My man also exerted himself with +equal energy and more steady endurance; and in process of time a +considerable portion of ground was got ready for seed. In order +that nothing might be wanting to insure the most unlimited +success, I purchased a quantity of manure, and had it drawn upon +the ground. Then it was that the Evil Genius who (like the wicked +Enchanter that always kept his eye upon Don Quixote,) hath ever +dogged my steps, made his baleful presence manifest by the most +rampant hostility. The day on which the manure arrived, I went +out in my pleasure-boat upon Melville Water, accompanied by my +man Hannibal, to manage the head-sheets. On our return, at dusk, +we found the manure scattered all over the premises, as if it had +been kicked about by a party of dancing demons.</p> + +<p>The traces of talons were clearly discernible on the ground. I +knew not what to make of it. I thought a dragon must have been +rampaging about the premises. Well! the next day the man +scratched the manure together again as well as he could, and we +sowed a quantity of seed —peas, beans, and divers succulent +vegetables. The following morning Hannibal rose late, having +overslept himself, as he alleged. I was awakened by his sudden +appearance at my bed-side, but no sooner sat up than I fell back +again, appalled by the ghastliness of his visage.</p> + +<p>"The d—ls," said he, "have been again, and have scrat up the +earth far and wide; and (he added using a strong expression,) +I'll be dashed if there's a seed left!"</p> + +<p>Alas! "'twas but owre true." The ground so neatly raked the +evening before, which I had returned again and again to look at +with fond pride, until it was obscured by darkness, was now torn +up and defaced throughout its length and breadth.</p> + +<p>"Well!" I exclaimed, as soon as I could speak, "there are +dragons in the world."</p> + +<p>I could now enter into the feelings of the poor husbandman of +the dark ages, when he got up in the morning, and found a dragon +finishing the last of his highly-prized dairy cows. If I could +only catch him at it! I felt immediately a fit of +blood-thirstiness creep over me. I could have destroyed a dozen +dragons with pleasure, might I only come within reach of them. +Calmly, however, I ordered Hannibal to sow the seeds again, and +keep better watch and ward in future.</p> + +<p>It now became a serious question how my property was to be +protected. Am I to be subject to these incursions without +defence? Is there no safeguard in this country for a man's +possessions?</p> + +<p>I finished breakfast hastily, and went to consult the chief +magistrate. To my question as to how I ought to guard my garden +and vegetables from the attacks of the insidious enemy, he +replied by referring me to the 2 Wm. IV. No. 2, a local act, by +which people whose property is trespassed upon, are allowed the +privilege of impounding the trespassers.</p> + +<p>Impound a dragon! I thanked the worthy magistrate, "But," said +I, "the creatures that destroy my substance have wings, and are +not to be caught by men who have none."</p> + +<p>"The law," replied his worship, "is decisive on the subject; +you must follow the law, whether you be able to follow the +offender or not."</p> + +<p>"But," said I again, "if the law gives me no protection—and +merely to authorize me to impound a creature with wings, is a +mockery unworthy of the dignity of the law—I may surely protect +myself? I will have a file of men on guard, and fire on any +creature that infringes upon the vested rights which I possess in +my property. I will defend myself," said I, growing warm under +the oppressive weight of the law, "and maintain my vested +rights."</p> + +<p>"No man," replied the worshipful justice, "as you know very +well, has a right to defend himself, except with the weapons of +the law. You will only get into scrapes if you fight with any +other weapons."</p> + +<p>Finding that I was kicking against the pricks, I made my bow, +and went home again in a very ireful mood.</p> + +<p>Hannibal had resown the beds, and was at work upon others. On +seeing me, he stepped up to a fine Nuytsia floribunda, which +ornaments my grounds, and taking up a double-barrelled gun that +was leaning against it, gave a few significant slaps upon the +breach, and smiling complacently, winked his eye. I turned away +and entered the house, filled with a kind of grim satisfaction, +as thoughts of vengeance flitted through my brain. Too much +disturbed to sit still, I paced up and down the room, listening +eagerly for sounds which should announce the hour of slaughter +and revenge.</p> + +<p>The milk of human kindness had curdled in my breast; I felt +that I could sympathize with the restless anxiety of Charles IX +on the memorable eve of St. Bartholomew. But the butchery of +unarmed Huguenots was a different affair altogether from a war of +extermination against invading dragons. I looked out of the +windows every moment to see what Hannibal was about; but there he +continued hoeing, and weeding, and raking, and looking as calm +and amiable as the Duke when he awaited the proper moment to +attack the French. Suddenly he paused; I watched him quietly drop +his rake, and retire backwards behind a bush, where he remained +crouching down, with the double-barrelled gun in his hands.</p> + +<p>Unable to remain quiet any longer, I opened the window, and +cried in a fierce whisper, "Kill! kill!" With his hand he +motioned me to be quiet, so I withdrew and paced about the room +with feverish anxiety. The discharge of both barrels made me drop +into a chair. Murder had been committed! Vengeance was satisfied, +and remorse arrived as usual. Remorse, the ill-favoured offspring +of Fear!</p> + +<p>"You will get yourself into scrapes," said the chief +magistrate, "if you use any other weapon than the law." I +reasoned with Conscience; I repeated the argument that I had a +right to defend my property when the law failed to afford me +protection. Dragons, said I, are 'ferae naturae'; the people of +Perth, it would seem, are in the habit of keeping them as pets, +and thus they come to be considered private property. But then, +let the people of Perth destroy their own substance, and not +mine. If they do not choose to have gardens of their own, they +have no right to prevent the growth of my radishes. Because they +do not like sack, shall we have no more cakes and ale? Because +they can exist without cauliflowers, must I renounce all hopes of +having hyssop in my pottage?</p> + +<p>What! am I to rise up early in the morning and sow the seeds +of carefulness and labour, merely for the sustenance of other +people's harpies?</p> + +<p>To whom am I to look for redress, when I know not to whom the +ruthless creatures belong?—Creatures that wander far and wide in +search of food; that gain their precarious subsistence by plunder +and rapine; and are intensely hostile to the labours and +improvements of civilization. No wonder the poet looked upon them +as hell-born, and called them a pest and a curse to +society:—</p> + +<p>"———nec saevior ulla Pestis et ira Deuim Stygiis sese +extulit undis."</p> + +<p>I had made these reflections, and received a good deal of +comfort from them, when Hannibal appeared at the door with a +pallid countenance.</p> + +<p>"Two of them, Sir, are done for; one's a big un—eight pounds, +if he weighs an 'unce. He's a handsome feller, that un; black +feathers, and spurs to his heels six inches long. They'll make a +houtcry about him, I expect."</p> + +<p>"What have you done with the carcases?"</p> + +<p>"Dragged 'em behind the bushes. 'Tan't legal to lift the +bodies."</p> + +<p>"Go on with your work, Hannibal, and don't appear at all +fluttered or discomposed. Look as if nothing had happened. If any +one calls, I am not at home."</p> + +<p>An outcry was raised about the death of the dragon. He was the +favourite of a young lady who was a pet of her papa's—(next to +dragons, children are the most horrid nuisances).—An accursed +dog (the D—-l take all dogs! say I,) had found the body, and +dragged it into the street, where it was recognised by the girl. +The papa, furious at the sight of the favourite's tears, roamed +and raged about the town in search of witnesses. Men of Belial +are always to be found, especially in a colony, and Hannibal was +openly accused of the murder.</p> + +<p>The whole town was in a state of excitement. People seemed to +think that a blow had been struck at the very roots of civil and +religious liberty; and as every one had his favourite dragon, +every one felt alarmed for its safety so long as Hannibal +remained unpunished.</p> + +<p>The ladies were especially bitter in their remarks and +innuendoes.</p> + +<p>I was told by 'friends', that more than one lady had observed, +that an old bachelor like myself cared nothing about dragons, and +therefore it was just like my selfishness to seek to deprive them +of their innocent pleasures and amusements.</p> + +<p>No one would listen to my plea of self-defence; no one +regarded my losses; I was not looked upon as a sufferer; and +instead of sympathy received only abuse.</p> + +<p>A summons being issued against Hannibal, he appeared before +the tribunal of two of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace, +accused of a grave misdemeanour.</p> + +<p>As every one knew that I was the instigator of the offence, I +magnanimously avowed the fact, and was requested to stand in the +place of Hannibal.</p> + +<p>In vain, however, did I use every argument to justify the +deed. The chief magistrate reminded me that I had been fully +advised to proceed only according to law, under the Act, 2 Wm. +IV. No. 2, amended (!!) by 4 Wm. IV. No. 5; by either of which I +was fully authorized to seize and impound all trespassers—a +limit and license that included dragons.</p> + +<p>My defence was allowed to be a sensible and rational one; but +the law was opposed to it, and their worships were bound by oath +to prefer the law to common sense. (I doubted myself whether +dragons came within the Law, but the Justices decided that they +were poundable animals.) This being the case, I was under the +necessity of paying the sum of ten shillings damages, and as many +more for costs and expenses incurred by the bailiff, in +travelling up and down his bailiwick in search of the body of +John Hannibal Muckthorne (whose body was all the time sitting +quietly in my kitchen)—rather than go to Fremantle gaol for a +month, and help to draw stones about the streets in a large +cart.</p> + +<p>I need scarcely add, that I returned home a wiser and sadder +man. "Hannibal," said I, "the Spirit of the Age in this colony is +opposed to territorial and to social improvement. My grounds must +still remain a barren waste. Instead of embowering myself in +fertility, as I had intended; instead of creating new beauties +which should transfuse fresh charms into the minds of the +peripatetics of Perth; I must continue to live in a desert, and +shall doubtless soon subside into an ascetic recluse. Hannibal! +turn the horses into the garden, and let them trample over the +beds."</p> + +<p>Thus have I reluctantly shown the reader that the dark ages +still cast their shadows over the city of Perth;—the dawn of a +high state of civilization is still wanting there, where man +continues defenceless from the ravages of noxious monsters +peculiar to an early and uncivilized era.*</p> + +<p>[footnote] *The laws which colonists make for themselves are +often as absurd as any that the Imperial Parliament thinks proper +to enact for them. To this day, the only legal remedy (except an +action and a shilling damages) against the winged and long-clawed +nuisances that destroy the hopes and break the heart of the +horticulturist, is to impound them.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 12.</h3> + +<h4>MICHAEL BLAKE, THE IRISH SETTLER.*</h4> + +<p>[footnote] *A dry and humorous old man, who I cannot help +suspecting coins a good many of his anecdotes, gave me this +account of one of the early settlers, just as I record it. The +fact of Blake's coming to this colony, solely because he had +heard there was an estate in it called Skibbereen, (after the +place of his nativity,) struck me as being something truly Irish +and original. The man's whole history is given almost in the +words of my informant, who professed to have received it pure +from the fountain-head.</p> + +<p>Michael Blake was a native of Skibbereen, a well-known barony +in the "ould country." His parents lived in a hut, "quite handy" +to the road, in the midst of a bit of turf-ground where they +managed to rear their annual crops of potatoes and their sprouts +of children with as little trouble to themselves as possible. +Michael, as he said himself, was the youngest of four, but there +were five younger than he. As soon as he could walk, his mother +clothed him in an old coat of his father's, the tails of which +swept the ground far behind him, as he trotted over the +cabin-floor with a stick in his hand to wallop his favourite +companion, the long-legged and long-snouted sow, as she lay +dreaming in the door-way. His father was an upright man, and +dealt equal justice among his children, whom he 'lathered' daily +with the strictest impartiality. This was all the education they +had any reason to expect, as the priest was always in a hurry +when he called at their door, and had not time to dismount from +his pony, from whose back he bestowed his blessing upon the +tattered crowd of children as they pressed around, and gazed upon +his Reverence with their wild grey eyes and open mouths. And +their parents could not be expected to give any other education +than they had themselves received.</p> + +<p>Michael grew up, therefore, as might be expected, a hungry, +dirty-faced, unbreeched, long-coated urchin. Although his parents +had done no more for him than to usher him into a life of mud and +misery, Nature had been more compassionate. She had bestowed upon +him a restless imagination, apparently for the purpose of +removing him from this scene of trouble as quickly as possible. +It led him, at an early age, to explore the passes of a +neighbouring bog, where he fell into a deep hole filled with +water, and was just on the point of escaping from the cares of +the world, when his eldest brother unfortunately came by, and +fished him out. Their father seized the opportunity, and lathered +them both.</p> + +<p>Michael next travelled in a northerly direction, and reached +the high-road with another brother, who was sent out to beg. Here +they both sat upon a stone and cried for their breakfast, until a +brilliant idea occurred to Michael, which dried his tears. He +made a dirt-pie, and presented it to his brother; and they both +passed their time very pleasantly, until an English carriage +appeared coming along the road. Little Pat ran forward, begging +and praying their honours to give him a halfpenny for the love of +the Virgin, as he had been carefully instructed to do by his dear +mother, whilst his father took measures to impress the lesson +upon his mind and person. Michael, on his part, made a vigorous +effort to cross over to the other side, crying lustily, "Please +Sir, a halfpenny!" but his mother, in order to give him a good +appearance in front, had buttoned the old coat wrong side before, +and poor Mike, in his haste and hurry, happening to put one of +his little feet into the remains of a pocket, unhappily tripped +himself up, and rolled before the horses' feet. The post-boy +cleverly turned them aside as quickly as possible, but nothing +could prevent the hind-wheel of the carriage from grazing one of +Michael's shins, and making him squall out in the most dreadful +manner.</p> + +<p>A young lady and gentleman descended from the carriage, and +showed the greatest compassion for the sufferer, whom they caused +to be carried by a servant to his father's hovel, whither they +accompanied him, and soon relieved the anxieties of his parents +by a present of five golden guineas.</p> + +<p>Some years elapsed, and things went on in the old way with the +Blake family. Mike had sprouted out into a fine gossoon of a boy, +and exercised his errant disposition by running after the +gentlemen when they went out shooting, and helping the keepers to +carry the game. One day, a gentleman who was shooting in the +neighbourhood called at his father's cabin, and asked for the +little boy whom he had run over in his carriage some seven years +before. Mr. Blake, senior, after blessing his honour for his +goodness, and wishing him long life and every earthly happiness +called to the young spalpeen to get out of that; and why was he +not for coming when the gentleman was spaking to him? Mr. Blake +hinted to his visitors that he should correct the manners of the +youth at an early opportunity, and in the meantime Mike slyly +approached with a gun that he was carrying for the keeper in his +hands, and received the compliments of the gentleman on his good +looks.</p> + +<p>The end of it was that the gentleman, who was an officer, took +Mike into his service; and in process of time, when he joined his +regiment, Michael became his constant attendant. Dying, however, +unexpectedly, as most people do, the worthy Mr. Blake, junior, +was left to his own resources; and finding nothing better to do, +he accepted a shilling from a friendly serjeant, and entered Her +Majesty's service as a full private.</p> + +<p>In process of time he married a wife—a real jewel, from that +"gem of the sea" so dear to poor old England—and accompanied his +regiment to Van Dieman's Land, en route to India. He was well +known and liked by the officers, having a peculiar talent for +blarney; and nothing pleased him so much as a little conversation +with a superior.</p> + +<p>The regiment remained seven years in Van Dieman's Land, and +then passed on to its destination, leaving a number of men, who +had received their discharge, to become settlers in the colony. +Among these was Mr. Michael Blake, who soon established himself +on a block of land, and became a prosperous colonist. But times +grew bad, ere he could retire with a fortune. His wife formed +undesirable acquaintances, and Michael endeavoured to reclaim her +by wholesome correction; but, unhappily, he bestowed so much +attention upon her amendment that he entirely neglected himself, +and before he was aware that he was falling into error, had +become an habitual drunkard.</p> + +<p>Everything now went wrong. Mike, hating himself, began to hate +everything about him; he hated the colony; he hated the +magistrates, who now and then imposed a penalty upon him; he +hated the laws, and discovered the difference between law and +justice, without being able to find any traces of the latter. His +fences fell into decay; his pigs and cattle committed trespasses, +and the neighbours made him pay damages. It was the fault of the +law, or rather of the lawyers, whom he condemned to the flames +with dreadful imprecations.</p> + +<p>Unable to pay the storekeeper for sugar and tea, judgment was +given against him, and his last surviving cow was seized by the +sheriff. He had the satisfaction of beating the officer nearly to +death; but the cow was sold notwithstanding, and he took a +month's exercise on the treadmill, whilst his wife spent the time +with her friend the excise-officer, and drank to his better +health and general improvement.</p> + +<p>On being released, he complained to the Governor, and +presented petitions to the Legislative Council against the unjust +judges who ruled the land, and crushed the hearts out of the +people.</p> + +<p>Soon, however, softer feelings came over him; thoughts +returned of home, so long forgotten in days of prosperity. He +wondered whether his parents were alive, whom, forty years ago, +he had left in the barony of Skibbereen, and had not heard of +since.</p> + +<p>He thought of the home of his boyhood; of the antiquated cabin +in which, at the will of his father, he had so often "eaten +stick;" of the long-legged and long-snouted sow, that used to +grunt uneasily in her dreams before the fire; of the potatoes and +salt for breakfast and dinner, of which he never got enough; of +the puddle before the door, in which he used to love to +dabble—all these visions of the past came back upon him now in +the time of his sorrows, and filled him with a craving for the +scenes of his youth.</p> + +<p>Every one in trouble goes to the Governor, who has +consequently plenty of morning-callers. A few words of sympathy +from his Excellency are very consoling, and serve the afflicted +for a topic of conversation for some time to come. "His +Excellency, the last time I saw him, desired me to write to my +friends." "His Excellency particularly wishes me to make it up +with Smith, or I'd never have forgiven him for seizing my cow." +"His Excellency swears that he can't spare me from the colony, or +nothing should make me stay another day in it," etc. etc.</p> + +<p>Mike presented himself at the government-offices, and after +waiting a couple of hours, caught sight of the Governor as he was +passing out through the ante-room.</p> + +<p>"God bless your Honour, it's bould I am to be stopping your +Honour and Excellency this way, and you going out too with the +business of the Nation upon your Honour's shoulders."</p> + +<p>"What do you want, my good friend, what do you want?"</p> + +<p>"It's your Honour and Excellency that's the good friend to me +and the poor, and many's the prayer that's offered up night and +morning for your Excellency, by them that blesses the Good God +and the Virgin for having sent your Honour to reign over +us."—</p> + +<p>"What is it, Mike, what is it? I'm in a hurry."</p> + +<p>"And is it me that's hindering your Honour? sure and I'll walk +wid ye to the world's end and talk all the same. Och, and it's +the bad times that have come upon us all entirely—and the ould +settlers feels it the most, as is likely. Faith and we'd all die +off, out and out, if it wasn't for your Excellency thinking of +us, and schaming to do us the good turn, when the Council (bad +luck to 'em!) raises the duties."</p> + +<p>"My horse is waiting; I really cannot stay."</p> + +<p>"Arrah, and it's a fine baste that same, and the two of you +looks well together, with the white cockatoo feathers, and the +sword all gould and diamonds."</p> + +<p>Here his Excellency showed signs of mounting his horse, so +Mike hastened to whisper confidentially,</p> + +<p>"Governor, dear, my heart's broken entirely for the ould +country, and the poor father and mother that's looking out for me +night and morning these forty years, to give me their blessing; +and the woman at home, the crathur, kills me day-by-day with her +going on; and I'd like to see ould Ireland once before I die, and +Skibbereen, which your Honour knows is the finest place under God +Almighty's blessed canopy, and I can't die in pace till I see +it—'deed I can't, Governor dear; and ther's a Man-of-war, no +less than the Shannon herself, going to sail for the Indies, +where I'd get passed on by Colonel Maxwell (God bless him for the +rale gintleman!) only, Governor dear, spake the good word for me +to Captain Widdicombe, and I'll be took to Calcutty free for +nothing; and it's not a tinpenny-piece that I have in the world, +the blessed Virgin pity me!" —Here his Excellency, being mounted +on horseback, felt himself in more independent circumstances, and +told Mike that he must not think of leaving the colony without +his wife, as it would be most improper conduct (the Government +would have to support her), and that he himself had no interest +with Captain Widdicombe—His Excellency's charger, being of an +impatient temper, allowed no further time for parley, but +cantered off with his rider, leaving Mike rather at fault.</p> + +<p>The more numerous the difficulties that appeared in the way of +Mike's return to Skibbereen, the more yearning became his desire +to lay his bones there. Every day he appeared at the +Government-offices, and waylaid the Colonial-secretary, or the +Attorney-General, or some other of the officials, entreating them +to obtain a free passage for an old soldier, whose only desire on +earth was to die among the bogs of Skibbereen.</p> + +<p>He talked incessantly of that beautiful spot, and swore that +he loved it better than the Garden of Eden. He pined after +Skibbereen as the melancholy pelican pines for his desert home; +but hope gradually seemed to leave him—all other friends had +long since abandoned him, and he had fallen helplessly into the +power of his arch-enemy the Rum-bottle, when a fellow-countryman +arrived at Hobart Town from Western Australia. Mr. Denis Maguire +listened patiently to Mike's pathetic lamentation over the lost +Skibbereen, and then calmly replied, "Och, but it's little that +I'd disthract myself for a place like that in the ould country; +sure isn't there Skibbereen near the Swan River, belonging to Mr. +O'Driscoll, and isn't it a beautifuller place entirely than any +other Skibbereen in the world?" "What!" interrupted Mike, "is +there Skibbereen at the Swan River, and is it Mr. O'Driscoll +that's living there? Arrah! say that again, my darling, if you +plaze." Maguire repeated the statement; on which Mike, starting +up, began to dance an Irish hornpipe; and then, stopping short of +a sudden swore that he was the happiest boy alive, and thanked +the blessed Saints for all their goodness to him.</p> + +<p>The next day he managed to sell all the remains of his +property, and made a bargain with the owner of a small +coasting-vessel to convey him and his wife (whom he was compelled +to take with him) to Swan River, where he arrived in due course +of time, and managed to locate himself at Skibbereen, where he +built a hut, cultivated several acres of land, and became quite a +reformed character.</p> + +<p>Although his landlord, Mr. O'Driscoll, was his countryman, +Mike managed to blarney him so that he did just what he liked, +and never paid any rent either in cash or in kind. His yearning +desire had been to live at Skibbereen, and now that he had +attained his object he was (wonderful to say) contented and +happy.</p> + +<p>He frequently came to Perth for the sake of a little chat with +the storekeepers and the gentry, and as he was sure to blarney +some one into giving him a dinner, he always returned home light +of heart and unimpaired in pocket. But alas! poor Mike was not +destined to die in peace at Skibbereen. A large party of the +natives had suddenly attacked the abode of a neighbouring +settler, and put the owner to death. Michael Blake and two of his +friends, without waiting for other assistance, hastened to the +rescue, imperfectly armed. They were overpowered in an instant. +Blake and one of his companions fell pierced with many spears, +whilst the other, being on horseback, escaped, carrying with him +four spears fixed in his body. Years afterwards, one of the +natives who had assisted at the slaughter coolly related the +particulars of the death of Michael Blake.</p> + +<p>When he was lying on the ground, said this man, he turned +round, and supporting himself on his arm, entreated for mercy in +the most moving terms. The savages stood round him, looking on, +and listening patiently to his address.</p> + +<p>"Did you show him mercy?" asked my informant.</p> + +<p>"No!" replied the savage, with calm indifference.</p> + +<p>"What did you do?"</p> + +<p>"We cut his tongue out."</p> + +<p>"Wretch! what for?"</p> + +<p>"He wongee (chattered) too much."</p> + +<p>Poor Mike! his blarney could not save him; it had often before +done him good service, but the savages valued it not.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 13.</h3> + +<h4>WILD CATTLE HUNTING.</h4> + +<p>Having received intelligence that a numerous herd of wild +cattle had lately been seen grazing upon some extensive plains a +day's journey south of Perth, I got up a party with the intention +of hunting them.</p> + +<p>Our preparations were made the day before starting on the +expedition. A bullock-cart was loaded with fire-arms, kegs of +brandy, various kinds of provisions, and cloaks and blankets. A +couple of natives had been engaged to act as guides, and these, +with their wives and families, spent the greater part of the day +lounging about my premises, idly inspecting the arrangements, and +sleeping in the sunshine, lazy as the pigs, which they surpassed +in filth. In the afternoon, taking with them a supply of flour, +they commenced their journey, intending to sleep upon the road, +and leave us to overtake them on the following day.</p> + +<p>At day-break the next morning we were in our saddles, the +bullock-cart having started during the night. The party consisted +of three, who were all clad in blue hunting-shirts, and had +polished horns hanging at their backs, filled with eau-de-vie, +wine and water, or the simple fluid, according to the taste of +the wearer. As we passed down the silent street at that early +hour, one of the party, an officer, agreeably dispelled the +slumbers of the peaceful inhabitants by a most able performance +upon a key-bugle; the others gave vent to the exuberance of their +spirits by loud "tally-ho's!" and cries of "hark away!" and other +encouraging expressions addressed to imaginary dogs. Then we gave +our able steeds the head, and dashed along with all those happy +and exulting thoughts which bubble in the breast of youth +hurrying to the chase. Is there any moment in life so dear to +memory as those we have passed on horseback, in the fine air of +morning, when we hurried along towards the haunt of cunning +Reynard, and expected every instant to see him break cover? Less +exciting by far is hunting in Australia, but still it is hunting, +and we are on horseback, and eager as ever for a gallop. Passing +over two well-built wooden bridges, connected by a causeway, we +crossed the river, and took the road for the Canning.</p> + +<p>Thick woods of banksia, wattle, and eucalypti, closed in the +view on every side; but occasionally we ascended a gentle slope, +and then looking back we could see a beautiful picture before us. +In the still air and misty light of the morning, Perth water lay +clear and tranquil amidst the vast forest by which it is +surrounded. The heights of Mount Eliza looked down into the +glittering mirror. On the right bank were the white houses of the +capital; far to the left we caught glimpses of Melville water. +Except the occasional flights of wild ducks, and the dark gusts +which from time to time swept along the waters, heralding the +rising land-wind, all was still and breathless. One could not +help asking oneself how long this scene had existed as we now +beheld it? Was it designed for thousands of years to be viewed +only by savages, mindless as the birds or fishes that frequented +its waters? Had it always existed thus, or been growing during +centuries under the hand of Nature, until it should be adapted to +the habitation of civilized man? And was that period now arrived, +or were we premature in seizing upon our inheritance before it +was thoroughly prepared for our reception? Many times have we +asked ourselves this last question. This singular country appears +to represent the ancient character of the earth in one of the +earlier stages of formation. It represents that epoch when animal +life was first developed in the lowest order of quadrupeds.</p> + +<p>There are a few small exceptions, but it may be laid down as a +general rule, that all the animals indigenous to this country are +marsupial—from the kangaroo, the largest down to the little +field-mouse.</p> + +<p>The animals not indigenous are Man, the wild cattle, and the +wild dogs. Many speculations have been hazarded as to the origin +of the first: to me it appears there can be little doubt that the +first tribes found their way hither from the eastern islands, +having proceeded originally from India. The language of the +natives bears more traces of the Hindu than of any other. This, I +believe, is the opinion of the Rev. J. Mitchell, M.A., of the +Middle Swan, whose long residence in India, and intimate +acquaintance with some of the languages of that country, give +weight to his conjectures. Many of the words used by the natives +of both countries are identical in sound, and express the same +meaning.</p> + +<p>I have also noticed that the Coolies of India and the natives +of this colony manage to understand one another much sooner than +is the case between the latter and the whites.</p> + +<p>The wild cattle have long existed in the interior, as appears +from their remains. Both they and the wild dog have probably +descended from animals cast ashore by shipwreck. The indigenous +tribes are those of the kangaroo, the opossum, and the lizard. It +is curious to observe how the distinguishing features of the +first are manifested in a great variety of animals, of all sizes +from the kangaroo downwards—the long hind, and short fore legs, +the three toes on the former, the rat-like-head, the warm pouch, +betokening the immature parturition. The opossums also are +marsupial. All these animals seem to belong to an early age of +the geological world. Many of the plants speak the same +language—especially the Zamia. The rocks, too, of this portion +of New Holland are all primary, except the limestone and +sandstone near the coast. Is this country, then, a portion of the +world that has remained in the same state for thousands, or +hundreds of thousands, of years; or is it of comparatively recent +formation, exhibiting that condition which at one period belonged +to the whole surface of the earth? The latter, of course, must be +the case; and if so, we cannot help thinking that further changes +must take place in its geological character before it shall be +permanently occupied by civilized man. At present, however, it +must be admitted there is no sign of volcanic action going on to +effect these changes. Our conjectures are purely speculative, and +will probably meet with no sympathy from the reader, but we throw +them out because the subject is full of wonder and mystery; and +those who have brought personal observation to bear upon it, best +know it to be so. As we wander through the lacustrine valleys +which abound here; valleys once the beds of rivers, but now broad +swamps choked up with lofty reeds—we feel as though we were in +the land and the age of the Saurians.</p> + +<p>The whole country swarms with lizards, some of which, to the +northward, grow to the size of five feet; but the most common are +the 'Iguana', or 'Guana', a creature some ten or twelve inches +long, with a flat head, very wide mouth, and only the stump of a +tail. they are perfectly harmless, and subsist upon frogs and +insects. One variety of this species, found in the district of +King George's Sound, was brought to my notice by my brother. It +is usually found in a tuft of grass, where it lies completely +hidden except its tongue, which is thrust upwards, and bears an +exact resemblance to the petal of a flower, crimson and pink. +Flies seem to delight in resting upon this deceptive flower, +which being covered with an adhesive mucous substance, takes them +prisoner, and proves their destruction.</p> + +<p>We have now had a long canter, which has brought us to the +neighbourhood of the Canning River. The country hereabouts +resembles a wild English park. The trees are all of the eucalypti +species, large and dispersed; the surface of the ground is level, +affording a view of the Darling Hills, which appear to be close +at hand. Crossing the river by a rustic bridge, we ascended the +opposite bank, whilst our trumpeter blew a charge that was +intended to announce our approach at a farm-house close at hand. +As we rode up to the door, the proprietor, attended by three +stalwart sons, hastened to greet us. He was a gentleman who had +passed a good portion of his life on the Continent, but having a +large family to bring up had resolved to seek his fortune in the +Southern hemisphere. Breakfast was already set out for us in a +large room which served as the baronial hall of the mansion; +whilst our horses, partaking of the prodigal hospitality of the +farmer colonist, were tethered in various parts of a fine field +of clover.</p> + +<p>Breakfast is a famous meal after an early morning ride, and +people have then not only good appetites but good spirits. +Half-a-dozen kangaroo-dogs, attracted by the clatter of knives +and the tempting savour that arose from the large dish of sheep's +fry, crowded round the open door, whilst they seemed to feel +keenly the selfishness of those who appropriated the whole of the +feast to themselves. Every now and then arose a howl of anguish +from the group, as one of the young men would arrive with fresh +supplies of coffee or fried bacon, and kicked a clear passage for +himself into the room. One only of the canine race was allowed to +approach the table—the venerable Tip, who having formerly, in +times of scarcity, earned his master five pounds a-week by +catching kangaroos for the market of Fremantle, was now entitled +to sit at his right hand, where a few morsels were occasionally +bestowed upon him, which he received with becoming gravity and +decorum.</p> + +<p>Breakfast finished, we saddled our horses and proceeded on our +way, accompanied by one of the sons of our host. We pushed along +towards the foot of the hills, over a sandy country covered with +scrub, and trees of various magnitudes.</p> + +<p>The birds that we saw were chiefly fly-catchers and +parroquets; and occasionally the wild turkey, or bustard sailing +along in the distance, made us sigh for a nearer +acquaintance.</p> + +<p>After a cheerful ride of several hours, having the hills on +our left hand, we crossed a few small plains; and understanding +from our guide, Tom H——-, that we were now at our destination, +we began to look about us for our bullock-cart, whose track we +had noticed from time to time as we came along. Our "cooeys" were +answered by voices not far distant; and following the sound, we +soon came within view of a column of smoke curling lightly above +the trees; and on arriving at the spot whence it arose, we found +our man, assisted by the natives, busily engaged in erecting a +kind of hut, or rather skreen of boughs, for our night quarters. +The bullocks were feeding quietly at a short distance; the cart +was conveniently placed for being unpacked; and a group of three +native women and their children, squatted round a fire of their +own, about a hundred yards from ours, and busily occupied in +baking flour-dampers, signalled our approach by shrill cries of +welcome without rising from their places.</p> + +<p><a name="f160"><img alt="" src="images/Landor_f160.jpg" width="500" height= +"350"></a></p> + +<center><b>Sketch of "The Bivouac"</b></center> + +<br> +<br> + + +<p> </p> + +<p>Our horses were soon relieved of their saddles, and each man +leading his own steed by the long tether-rope which had been +carefully coiled round its neck, took it to a neighbouring pool +to drink, and then proceeded in search of the best pasture. Our +animals having been attended to, our next thought was of +ourselves; and every one took his bundle of blankets and cloaks +out of the cart, and unrolled it beneath the sloping skreen of +boughs, and prepared his bed according to his particular taste or +experience; testing the accommodation from time to time by +flinging himself upon his couch, and ascertaining the different +vents by which the wind would be likely to prove annoying during +the night. These were next stopped up by handfuls of xanthorea +leaves, or by strips of bark from the paper-tree.</p> + +<p>The lodging being pronounced perfect, and the sun being level +with the horizon, we hastened the preparation for our meal; and +hampers and boxes soon gave forth their stores of cold fowls, +tongues, hams, and meat-pies. Sausages are excellent things in +bush-campaigns; and as every man toasts his own on the point of a +long stick, a high degree of nervous excitement is felt by each, +lest he should lose his savoury morsel in the fire.</p> + +<p>The kettle soon boiled, and as we ate our tea-dinner, the sun +went down, and night quickly swallowed up the short twilight, +leaving us to depend entirely on our fire, which presented a +goodly pile that shot forth cheerful flames, making the scenery +around us bright with light. The ground for the space of many +yards glittered beneath the flickering rays; the bowls of the +tall trees seemed whiter than usual; even the brown cheeks of the +natives looked less dark, as they chattered and laughed over +their supper. Cold grog, or hot brandy-and-water, was leisurely +sipped by those who lay on their couches in the full tranquillity +of after-dinner ease; and as digestion proceeded, songs and +catches awakened the echoes of the woods.</p> + +<p>Tired at last, we sank to sleep, having first, however, +visited our horses and changed their tether. During the night I +woke up. All around were fast asleep in different postures; some +rolling about uneasily in their dreams; others still as the dead. +I heaped fresh logs upon the fire, which blazed forth anew. The +natives were all huddled under their wigwams, which are about the +size and shape of an open umbrella resting on its edge. The night +was dark throughout the forest, and overhead; the little circle +of light within which I stood, seemed like a magician's ring, +sacred and safe from evil spirits that filled the air around. It +was as the speck of Time amid the ocean of Eternity—as Hope, +bright and solitary in the midst of unfathomable darkness. There +I felt safe and secure—but without —who might tell what spirits +roamed abroad, melancholy and malignant? Peering into that dark +boundary of forest, the eye vainly endeavoured to pierce the +gloom. Fancy peopled its confines with flitting shapes, and +beheld a grinning hobgoblin in the grotesque stump of many a +half-burnt tree, on which the light momentarily flickered. The +ear listened eagerly for sounds in the distant solitude; and one +almost expected to hear shrieks of laughter or of terror borne +upon the night-wind from the recesses of the hills. Evil spirits +seem peculiarly the companions of heathen savages. A wild, +desert, and desolate region, traversed only in the day-time, and +rarely even then, by straggling barbarians whose hearts have +never known a single gentle emotion, seems naturally to be the +haunt of the Spirits of Evil.</p> + +<p>Chingi, the terror of our natives, is often seen by them, as +they lie cowering under their kangaroo skins, and huddled +together in the extremity of fear, stalking giant-like and gloomy +along the summits of the hills, whilst the moon shrinks timidly +behind her curtain of clouds.</p> + +<p>On that night, however, there was no moon, and Chingi was not +visible to me, nor did any sound break in upon the silence of the +forest, save that of our horses eating their food, and giving an +occasional snort as the sand affected their nostrils. Anxious to +behold any spirits that might please to be visible, I walked to +the spot occupied by my quadruped, with the intention of changing +his quarters; but finding him comfortably stretched in repose, I +left him to dream of his own distant manger and two quarterns of +oats, and returned to my couch. The appearance of the bivouac, to +one viewing it from the surrounding darkness, was very +picturesque. Every object was lighted up by the cheerful +blaze—the cart with its packages in or about it, the sleepers in +their blue or red woollen shirts, under the sloping roof, their +guns leaning against the uprights, their shot-belts and pouches +hanging in front—the kangaroo-dogs lying round the fire, and as +near to it as possible—the surrounding trees and shrubs +glittering with a silvery light, their evergreen foliage rustling +at the breath of the soft land-breeze—altogether formed a +striking and peculiar scene.</p> + +<p>Next morning we were up before the sun, and having +breakfasted, proceeded on horseback in search of the herd of wild +cattle, which we knew, from the reports of natives, to be +somewhere in the neighbourhood. We rode down an extensive plain, +covered plentifully with grass, and presenting numerous clumps of +trees, which afforded shelter to bronze-winged pigeons and +immense flights of white cockatoos. The latter screamed fearfully +as we drew nigh, but did not remain long enough to allow us the +chance of a shot. Many tracks of the cattle were visible, +traversing these plains in every direction; but on reaching a +small pool, we found such recent traces as led us to believe the +animals could not be far distant. Remaining stationary for a few +moments, we allowed the two natives who accompanied us to +ascertain the direction in which the herd had wandered, and their +signs soon led us to follow in profound silence. The natives +walked rapidly ahead; the tracks were very apparent, and we were +all in high glee, and growing extremely excited. The sun shone +brightly, but as it was in the month of May, the air was mild and +pleasant, without being hot. After proceeding along the plains +for several miles we came to a thick jungle, through which the +cattle had formed a path. The interior presented a rocky area of +considerable extent. Fragments of rock lay jostled together, +among which trees and shrubs appeared, and here and there an open +space afforded room for the herbage which had tempted the cattle +into this rough scene. In parts where grass refused to grow, +beautiful purple flowers raised their heads in clusters—and ever +in the most rugged and barren spots the gayest flowers are found +to bloom. How grateful do we feel to Nature for bestowing such +charms upon the wild desert! cheering our spirits with a sense of +the beautiful, that else would droop and despond as we journeyed +through the lone and dreary waste.</p> + +<p>Although we sometimes proceeded over a surface of bare rock, +and at others over large and loose stones, where no foot-print +was visible to the eye of a white man, the natives never failed +to discover the traces which they sought with unerring sagacity. +After a ride of nearly two hours we observed one of the natives +making signs to us to halt. "There they are!" passed in eager +whispers from one to the other. Before us was a belt of wood, +through which we could perceive about a dozen cattle grazing on a +broad plain.</p> + +<p>Already they had a suspicion of danger, and began to look +around them. One of the natives, with my double-barrelled gun +loaded with heavy ball was creeping toward them through the grass +upon his hands and knees, whilst we cautiously drew up at the +side of the wood.</p> + +<p>The herd consisted of a huge mouse-coloured bull, with an +enormous hunch on his shoulders, and about a dozen cows, with a +few calves. The bull came slowly towards us, muttering low +bellows, and shaking his fierce head and ponderous neck, on which +grew a short, black mane. From some unexplained cause or other +the native fired his gun before the animal was within range, and +the bull, being a beast of discretion, stopped short, as though +extremely surprised, and after a little hesitation, turned round +and rejoined his female friends. The whole herd then began to +trot off at a slow pace across the plain, which was thereabout a +mile broad. We were now all eagerness for the pursuit; and Tom +H——-, the most experienced of the party, calling on us to +follow him, dashed off at right angles from the herd, and outside +the belt of wood, in the belief that he would be able to head the +animals by a little manoeuvring; but at the instant he started +the old bull turned short on his course, and made across the +plain in a new direction. I happened to be the last of our party, +and was the only one who perceived this new disposition of the +enemy. Anxious to be the first in the melee, I allowed my friends +to gallop off, and dashed myself through the wood directly in +pursuit of the herd. Thinking there was no time to lose, I waited +not for my gun, but resolved to trust to the pistols in my +holsters.</p> + +<p>The cattle, who had begun their retreat at a steady trot, +increased their speed as they saw me gallopping up to them. I was +afraid of their crossing the plain, and escaping in the thick +forest beyond, and so pushed my good horse to his utmost speed. +He seemed to be as much excited as myself, and in a few minutes I +headed the herd, and tried to turn them back; but they would not +deviate from their course, and would have rushed through a +regiment of foot, had it been in their way: I therefore avoided +the old bull, who came charging along at the head of the phalanx, +and found myself in the midst of the herd. It was a moment of +delightful excitement; some skill was required to avoid the +hurtling forest of horns, but I turned round and gallopped with +the mass; and having perfect confidence in my horse and +horsemanship, I felt that I could pick out any of the animals I +pleased. My gun, however, was wanting to bring the huge bull to +his bearings. He looked so enormous as I gallopped alongside of +him, that I despaired of making any impression with a pistol, and +resolved to limit my ambition to the slaughter of one of the +cows. We were now across the plain, the bull had entered the +forest, and the others were in the act of doing the same, when I +rode against the outside cow, in the hope of turning her away +from the thick cover, and keeping her in the open plain. She +would not, however, turn aside, and I fired my first pistol at +her eye, and though I only grazed her cheek, succeeded in +separating her from her companions, and turning her up the long +plain. At this moment four kangaroo-dogs, (a cross between a +greyhound and a blood-hound, bold, powerful, and swift,) that had +followed me in the chase, but had only gallopped alongside of the +cattle, finding me seriously engaged with one of the number, made +a simultaneous dash at the unfortunate cow, and endeavoured to +impede her career by barking, and biting at her nostrils, +dew-lap, and flanks.</p> + +<p>It was a fine sight to see these four noble hounds chasing +away on either side of the animal, whilst she, every now and +then, stooped low her head and made a dash at them, without +pausing in her career. Away she went at a slapping pace, keeping +me on the gallop. Fearful of hurting the dogs, I refrained from +firing for some time, but at length got a chance, and aimed a +ball behind her shoulders, but it struck her ribs, and penetrated +no deeper than the skin. Loading as I rode along, I delivered +another ball with better success, and she began to abate her +speed. The rest of the party now came up, cheering and hallooing, +but the game had dashed into a swamp in which the reeds and +shrubs were high enough to conceal horses and huntsmen; +nevertheless, we pushed through, and found her on the bank of a +muddy pool, where she stood at bay, whilst the dogs barked +cautiously before her. She was covered with sweat, blood, and +dirt, and perfectly furious; and the moment we approached she +made a rush, trampling over several of the dogs; and darting +madly against the nearest horseman, caught his charger on the +flank, and steed and rider rolled together on the ground. The +furious assailant stumbled over her prostrate foes, and was +saluted with a discharge of fire-arms, which, however, did not +prevent her from rushing against me in return for a ball in the +shoulder, but I eluded the assault, and the animal fell exhausted +to the ground.</p> + +<p>All this may sound savage enough to those who read in cold +blood, but it was very exciting at the time; and MAN, when a +hunter, becomes for the moment ruthless and blood-thirsty. This +was a very severe chase; the animal had run full five miles over +a rough country at such a pace as to cover our horses with foam, +and they now stood thoroughly blown, and shaking in every +limb.</p> + +<p>We returned to our home after a short rest, taking the tail +with us as a trophy. A party was despatched in the evening with +the cart, and a large portion of the carcase was brought in and +skilfully salted by the experienced hand of Tom H.</p> + +<p>This evening passed away as pleasantly as the last, and as we +were all rather fatigued, we retired early, and slept until +awakened by the sun.</p> + +<p>A native arrived early in the morning with the intelligence +that a herd of wild cattle was now grazing in a ravine of the +hills about four miles distant. As we could not well follow them +on horseback in that locality, we started off on foot armed with +our rifles. The morning as usual was brilliant, but not too warm, +and we walked along in high spirits. We had not proceeded far +through the woods when one of the natives, who was in advance, +stopped short on a sudden, and we all instinctively did the same. +Stealing back to us, he took my rifle out of my hands without any +ceremony, and telling us to remain perfectly still, crept slowly +forward, stooping nearly to the ground. We now perceived a small +plain about two hundred yards a-head of us, on which were six +wild turkeys leisurely feeding and walking about.</p> + +<p>The native had dived among the scrub, and we lost all signs of +him. It soon, however, became evident that the turkeys suspected +danger; they erected their tall brown and grey necks, and looked +about them like alarmed sentinels. "They're off!" cried we—but +just as they were preparing to run, which they do with great +rapidity, one of them was seen to flutter his wings and tumble +over, whilst the crack of the rifle proclaimed the triumph of +Migo. We rushed through the brush-wood, elated as schoolboys who +have shot their first throstle with a horse-pistol, and found the +bustard flapping out its last breath in the hands of the native, +whose dark visage gleamed with triumphant pride.</p> + +<p>Resuming our march, we passed over the side of a hill covered +with inferior Jarra trees, and soon entered the ravine in which +we expected to find the cattle. They were not visible; so we +crossed the valley, and passed up the other side for about +half-a-mile, when we entered another valley, some distance up +which we perceived a herd of cattle quietly grazing, or lying +ruminating in the confidence of perfect security. We endeavoured +to creep towards them as quietly as possible, but their senses of +smelling and hearing were so acute that they became acquainted +with their danger too soon for us, and trotted gently up the +valley before we could reach them. We now dispersed in the hope +of heading them. Attaching myself to Migo, who considered my +rifle the most likely to prove successful, as he had killed the +bustard with it, we walked for half an hour across the hill-side +without seeing anything of our game. A rifle-shot and a loud +shout prepared us for something, and in another minute we heard +the crashing of branches and the tread of feet, and soon beheld +half-a-dozen cows and two or three calves making their way up the +hill at a short distance from us.</p> + +<p>"What for you no get behind tree?" said the native in an angry +whisper, and giving me a push that prevented my staring idly any +longer, and sent me into a proper position.</p> + +<p>"Oh! why will they go in that direction? Why will they not +come within range? I will give everything I have on earth for one +good point-blank shot!"</p> + +<p>And sure enough a bouncing bull-calf, turning aside from a +thick clump of trees, came within about a hundred yards of me +apparently wild with fright, and not knowing which way to run. +Just as he was turning off again, I fired, and he fell upon his +knees, struck in the shoulder.</p> + +<p>Migo was upon him in an instant, and felled him to the earth +with a blow of his stone-hammer. I shouted the paean of victory, +and was answered by a loud "cooey" from the valley and the voice +of my friend Mr. B. calling out, "I have killed a splendid cow +and dispersed the herd. The bull and several cows are gone down +the valley towards the plains."</p> + +<p>All the party, with the exception of Tom N., were soon +assembled round the body of B.'s cow, which was black and +fine-limbed. She was evidently in milk, and there was little +doubt that the calf slain by me had belonged to her.</p> + +<p>Every one now asked what had become of Tom, whose assistance +was absolutely necessary in cutting up the carcases. B. had heard +his rifle down the valley, and we now began to "cooey" for him. +In a few moments we heard a faint "cooey" in reply, and started +in that direction. After walking for about ten minutes towards +the opening of the valley we heard distinctly, and at no great +distance, the bellowing of a bull. Proceeding cautiously, with +our rifles all ready, we soon arrived at the spot, and there +beheld a huge bull tearing up the ground with his feet and horns, +and bellowing in the most savage manner. A shout of joy directed +our attention among the boughs of a low banksia tree, where our +unfortunate friend Tom sat painfully perched, only just out of +reach of danger. The animal below every now and then fell upon +his knees, crushing and smashing something which we had great +difficulty in recognising as poor Tom's rifle.</p> + +<p>"He is badly wounded," cried Tom, "pitch into him, and don't +be afraid!"</p> + +<p>Without waiting for this exhortation, we let fly a volley, +which brought the animal down upon his knees; and after a few +staggering efforts to run at us, he sank to rise no more; whilst +his first assailant, Tom, slipped down from his perch, and limped +towards the remains of his rifle, execrating the dying bull in a +furious manner, and even venting his wrath in a kick. As Tom wore +a red shirt that only reached to his hips, he had no chance of +concealing an enormous rent in his nether garment, through which +protruded the remains of a shirt, which at the best of times was +probably far from presenting the appearance of virgin purity, but +now was stained with blood. As people in Tom's plight, when not +seriously hurt, are usually more laughed at than pitied, the +chagrin of our friend enhanced the interest with which we +listened to his story.</p> + +<p>Knowing that there was no escape for the herd of cattle up the +valleys, as they terminated in steep rocks, and that therefore +they would either cross over the side of the hill, or return down +the first valley towards the plains, Tom hung back, leaving the +rest of the party to head them. After some time had elapsed, he +distinguished the bull and several cows trotting along the +hill-side; and hastening to meet them, he posted himself behind a +tree, close to which he saw they would soon pass.</p> + +<p>Anxious, however, to get a view of the game, he stepped out +from his ambush just as the bull had approached within fifty +yards. Each saw the other at the same moment. The bull stopped +short, and Tom felt rather queer. He did not like to fire at the +vast head of the animal, lest the ball should glance off without +effect. The bull, instead of turning aside, began to bellow and +tear up the ground with his hoofs. The cows stood still, and +stared at Tom, who began to think the state of his affairs looked +gloomy; but he knew that his best policy was to remain +stock-still; so he looked at the bull and the cows, and the bull +and the cows looked at Tom. At length the bull had sufficiently +nerved his resolution, and began to advance, tearing up the +ground and bellowing as he came on. Tom took aim between the +shoulder-blade and the neck, and fired; the enemy staggered, and +roared with fury, rushing like a whirlwind upon Tom, who took to +his heels, and began dodging round the trees. But the bull was in +earnest; and savage with rage as a thousand lions, he tore round +the trees more quickly even than Tom, carrying his head close to +the ground, and his tail straight out behind, whilst his eyes, +Tom said, glared with such fury, that our poor friend's heart +froze up within him. Luckily he espied a banksia tree which +seemed easy to ascend; but just as he reached it the bull was +upon him. The bull roared, and Tom, roaring almost as loudly, +made a spring at the tree but slipped down again just upon the +horns of the animal. The next hoist, however, rent his garments, +and lacerated a portion of his person which he had always +considered especially sacred; but as the thrust heaved him +upwards at the same time, and gave a fresh impulse to his +agility, he succeeded in scrambling upon a bough that kept him +just out of danger. No one may describe the pangs of despair by +which he was assailed when he beheld the utter destruction of his +only rifle. He threw his cap in the face of the bull, but he only +lost his cap as well as his rifle by this rash and inconsiderate +action, which was the highest proof he could have given of the +extremity of his distress.</p> + +<p>Poor Tom! he had often been made a butt of, but had never been +so butted before.</p> + +<p>The cup went merrily round that evening, and many and jovial +were the songs that were sung, and witty and pleasant were the +jokes that passed freely at the expense of the unfortunate +'tauricide', who, bereft of his rifle, and dilapidated in +reputation and pantaloons, was heartily glad to be able to hide +his sorrows in sleep.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 14.</h3> + +<h4>WOODMAN'S POINT*</h4> + +<p>[footnote] *This is a more sentimental story than that of +Michael Blake, but I owe them both to the same authority.</p> + +<p>There is a pleasant ride along the shore from Fremantle to a +little bay about seven miles distant, one side of which, covered +with lofty trees, runs far into the sea, and is called Woodman's +Point. The sea in this part appears to be only a few miles broad; +Garden-island forming the opposite shore, the southern extremity +of which seems almost to join Cape Perron, and thus presents the +appearance of a vast bay. Not long ago, the blackened remains of +a small house, or hovel, were to be seen on the verge of the +wood, facing towards Cape Perron. Around it might be +distinguished the traces of a garden of considerable extent; a +few stunted vines still continued annually to put forth the +appearance of verdure, which served only to tempt the appetite of +the stray cattle that wandered down to this solitary spot. A +large bed of geraniums had extended itself across the path which +used to lead to the door of the house; and their varied and +beautiful flowers, rejoicing in this congenial climate, gave +additional melancholy to the scene. It was evident those plants +had been reared, and tended, and prized for their beauty; they +had once been carefully cultured, pruned, and watered—now they +were left to bloom or to die, as accident permitted. Near to this +bed of geraniums, but apart and solitary, untouched even by +weeds, of which there were only few in that sandy soil, grew an +English rose-tree. Its long, unpruned boughs straggled wildly on +the ground. It looked the picture of desolation and despair. A +few imperfect flowers occasionally peeped forth, but knew only a +short and precarious existence, for the shrub being no longer +sheltered behind the house, was now exposed to the daily violence +of the sea-breeze.</p> + +<p>This widowed rose, deprived of the hand which had tended it so +carefully, and of the heart which its beauty had gladdened, +seemed now in its careless desolation awaiting the hour when it +should die. It really looked, with its drooping boughs, its torn +blossoms, and its brown leaves, rustling and sighing to the +breeze, like a sentient being mourning without hope. Those who +have never lived in exile from their native land, can have no +idea of the feelings with which a lonely colonist, long separated +from all the associations of home, would regard a solitary plant +which so peculiarly calls up home memories. Pardon us, good +reader, this appearance of sentiment; you who will read these +lines in Old England—that land which we must ever think of with +pardonable emotion—will evince but little sympathy with us, who +necessarily feel some fond regard for the Mother from whom we are +parted, and are naturally drawn towards the inanimate things by +which we are reminded of her. There is in this colony of western +Australia a single daisy root; and never was the most costly +hot-house plant in England so highly prized as this humble little +exile. The fortunate possessor pays it far more attention than he +bestows upon any of the gorgeous flowers that bloom about it; and +those who visit his garden of rare plants find nothing there that +fills them with so profound a feeling of interest as the meek and +lowly flower which recalls to their memories the pleasant +pastures of Old England.</p> + +<p>But to return to the ruins of Woodman's Point. This plot of +land, now so neglected and forlorn, was once the blooming garden +of a very singular old man, who owed his support to the +vegetables which it produced, and to the fish that he caught from +the little cobble which danced at anchor in the bay, whenever the +weather permitted the fisherman to exercise his art. No one knew +his history, but his conversation and deportment told you that he +was of gentle birth, and had been well educated. His manners were +particularly amiable and retiring, and every one who visited the +solitary old man came away impressed with a melancholy interest +in his fate.</p> + +<p>He always welcomed a visitor with gentle pleasure, and seemed +glad of the opportunity of showing his crops of vegetables and +the flowers in which he delighted.</p> + +<p>The rose-tree never failed to arrest his steps for a moment. +He had brought it himself from England as a cutting, and there +was evidently some history attached to it; but he never shared +his confidence with any one; and the history of the rose-tree, +like his own, was never revealed.</p> + +<p>There was only one point on which he betrayed any feeling of +pride— and that was his name. No one else would perhaps have +been so proud of it, but he himself ever seemed to regard it with +veneration.</p> + +<p>He called himself Anthony Elisha Simson; and never failed to +make you observe that his patronymic was spelt without a "p".</p> + +<p>Nothing irritated him so much as to receive a note addressed, +"A. E. Simpson, Esq."</p> + +<p>The Simsons, he would assure you, were an old family in the +northern counties of England, and traced back their genealogy to +the Conquest; whereas the Simpsons were of quite a different, and +doubtless inferior origin. Nothing more than this did he ever +relate concerning his family or his personal history.</p> + +<p>He arrived in the colony a few years after its foundation, +without any other effects than what were contained in a +portmanteau and carpet-bag, and with only a few sovereigns in his +purse. Without associating himself with any one, he early fixed +upon the spot where he afterwards built his house, and +established his permanent abode. Here he began to make his +garden, and did not disdain to earn a few shillings occasionally +by cutting fire-wood for a man who supplied Fremantle with that +necessary article. It was this occupation that caused the +settlers, who knew nothing more of him, to give him the title of +"The Woodman"—a name which soon attached to the locality.</p> + +<p>After he had been some time in the colony, Mr. Simson began to +express great impatience for the arrival of letters from England. +Whenever a vessel arrived at the port, he would put on his old +shooting-coat, and walk along the shore to Fremantle, where, +after having inquired in vain at the post-office, he would +purchase a pound of tea, and then return home again.</p> + +<p>Years went by. Every time that a vessel arrived, poor Simson +would hurry to Fremantle. He would watch, with eyes of +ill-repressed eagerness, the mail carried to the post-office in +boxes and large sacks. Surely amid that multitude of letters +there must be one for him! Patiently would he wait for hours at +the window, whilst the post-master and his assistants sorted the +letters; and when he had received the usual answer to his +inquiry, he would return to his abode with down-cast looks.</p> + +<p>As time passed on he grew more fretful and impatient. +Receiving no intelligence from England, he seemed to be anxious +to return thither. He would drop expressions which led his +visitors (generally government officers who called upon him in +their rides) to believe he would depart from the colony were he +rich enough to pay his passage, or were he not restrained by some +other powerful motive.</p> + +<p>His mind ran altogether upon the Old Country, and it was with +reluctance that he planted the vegetables and cured the fish +which were essential to his support.</p> + +<p>For many hours during the day he used to be seen standing +fixed as a sentinel on the low rock which formed the extremity of +the ridge called after himself—the Woodman's Point—and looking +homewards.</p> + +<p>Doubtless, thought was busy within him—the thought of all he +had left or acted there. None had written to him; none remembered +or perhaps wished to remember him. But home was in his heart, +even whilst he felt there was no longer a home for him. A +restless anxiety preyed upon his mind, and he grew thin and +feeble; but still whenever a sail was seen coming round the north +end of Rottnest, and approaching the port, he would seize his +staff, and set out upon his long journey to Fremantle to inquire +if there were, at last, a letter awaiting him.</p> + +<p>May we imagine the growing despair in the heart of this poor +old exile, as life seemed ebbing away, and yet there came no +news, no hope to him from home? Frequently he wrote himself, but +always to the same address—that of a broker, it was supposed, in +Throgmorton-street. But no answer was ever returned. Had he no +children—no friends?</p> + +<p>Naturally weak-minded, he had now grown almost imbecile; but +his manners were still so gentle, and every thing about him +seemed to betoken so amiable and so resigned a spirit, that those +who visited him could scarcely part again without tears. As he +grew more feeble in body, he became more anxious to receive a +letter from home; he expected that every one who approached his +dwelling was the bearer of the intelligence so long hoped for in +vain; and he would hasten to greet him at the gate with eager +looks and flushed cheeks—again only to be disappointed.</p> + +<p>At length it was with difficulty that he tottered to the +Point, to look for a vessel which might bring him news. Although +no ship had arrived since he last sent to the post-office, he +would urge his visitor, though with hesitating earnestness, to be +so good as to call there on his return, and ascertain if by +chance a letter were not awaiting him. He said he felt that his +hour was approaching, but he could not bear to think of setting +out on that long journey without having once heard from home. +Sometimes he muttered, as it were to himself, that treachery had +been practised against him, and he would go and expose it; but he +never allowed himself to indulge long in this strain. Sometimes +he would try to raise money enough by drawing bills to pay his +passage, but no one would advance anything upon them.</p> + +<p>Daily he became more feeble, and men began to talk of sending +him a nurse. The last visitor who beheld him alive, found him +seated in the chair which he had himself constructed, and +appearing less depressed than usual. He said he expected soon to +receive news from home, and smiled with child-like glee. His +friend helped him to walk as far as the rose-tree, which was then +putting forth its buds. "Promise," said the old man, laying his +trembling hand upon the other's arm, "promise that when I am gone +you will come and see them in full blow? Promise! you will make +me happy."</p> + +<p>The next day they sent a lad from Fremantle to attend upon +him. The boy found him seated in his chair. He was dead. A mound +of earth at the foot of a mahogany-tree, still marks the spot +where he was buried. Those 'friends' at home who neglected or +repulsed him when living, may by chance meet with this record +from the hand of a stranger—but it will not move them; nor need +it now.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 15.</h3> + +<h4>HOW THE LAWS OF ENGLAND AFFECT THE NATIVES.</h4> + +<p>The native population of our colony are said to be a much more +peaceable and harmless race than those of any other part of +Australia. In the early days of the settlement they caused a good +deal of trouble, and were very destructive to the pigs and sheep +of the colonists; but a little well-timed severity, and a +steadily pursued system of government, soon reduced them into +well-conducted subjects of the British Crown. There appears, +however, to be little hope of civilizing them, and teaching them +European arts and habits. Those of mature age, though indolent, +and seldom inclined to be useful in the smallest degree, are +peaceful in their habits; and when in want of a little flour will +exert themselves to earn it, by carrying letters, shooting wild +ducks with a gun lent to them, driving home cattle, or any other +easy pursuit; but they appear to be incapable of elevation above +their original condition. Considerable pains have been bestowed +(especially by the Wesleyans) upon the native children, many of +whom are educated in schools at Perth, Fremantle, and other +places, in the hope of making them eventually useful servants to +the settlers. Most of these, however, betake themselves to the +bush, and resume their hereditary pursuits, just at the age when +it is hoped they will become useful. Very frequently they die at +that age of mesenteric disorders; and very few indeed become +permanently civilized in their habits.</p> + +<p>Nothing could be more anomalous and perplexing than the +position of the Aborigines as British subjects. Our brave and +conscientious Britons, whilst taking possession of their +territory, have been most careful and anxious to make it +universally known, that Australia is not a conquered country; and +successive Secretaries of State, who write to their governors in +a tone like that in which men of sour tempers address their +maladroit domestics, have repeatedly commanded that it must never +be forgotten "that our possession of this territory is based on a +right of occupancy."</p> + +<p>A "right of occupancy!" Amiable sophistry! Why not say boldly +at once, the right of power? We have seized upon the country, and +shot down the inhabitants, until the survivors have found it +expedient to submit to our rule. We have acted exactly as Julius +Caesar did when he took possession of Britain. But Caesar was not +so hypocritical as to pretend any moral right to possession. On +what grounds can we possibly claim a right to the occupancy of +the land? We are told, because civilized people are justified in +extending themselves over uncivilized countries. According to +this doctrine, were there a nation in the world superior to +ourselves in the arts of life, and of a different religious +faith, it would be equally entitled (had it the physical power) +to the possession of Old England under the "right of occupancy;" +for the sole purpose of our moral and social improvement, and to +make us participants in the supposed truths of a new creed.</p> + +<p>We have a right to our Australian possessions; but it is the +right of Conquest, and we hold them with the grasp of Power. +Unless we proceed on this foundation, our conduct towards the +native population can be considered only as a monstrous +absurdity. However Secretaries of State may choose to phrase the +matter, we can have no other right of occupancy. We resolve to +found a colony in a country, the inhabitants of which are not +strong enough to prevent our so doing, though they evince their +repugnance by a thousand acts of hostility.</p> + +<p>We build houses and cultivate the soil, and for our own +protection we find it necessary to declare the native population +subject to our laws.</p> + +<p>This would be an easy and simple matter were it the case of +conquerors dictating to the conquered; but our Secretaries of +State, exhibiting an interesting display of conscientiousness and +timidity, shrink from the responsibility of having sanctioned a +conquest over a nation of miserable savages, protected by the +oracles at Exeter Hall, and reject with sharp cries of anger the +scurrilous imputation. Instead, therefore, of being in possession +by right of arms, we modestly appropriate the land to ourselves, +whilst making the most civil assurances that we take not this +liberty as conquerors, but merely in order to gratify a +praiseworthy desire of occupying the country. We then declare +ourselves seised in fee by right of occupancy. But now comes the +difficulty. What right have we to impose laws upon people whom we +profess not to have conquered, and who have never annexed +themselves or their country to the British Empire by any written +or even verbal treaty?</p> + +<p>And if this people and country be not subject to our rule by +conquest, and have never consented or desired (but the contrary) +to accept of our code of laws, and to submit themselves to our +authority, are they really within the jurisdiction of the laws of +England—'especially for offences committed inter se?'</p> + +<p>Such is the anomalous position in which the native inhabitants +are placed through the tender consciences of our rulers at home. +A member of a tribe has been speared by one of another tribe, who +happens to be patronized by a farm-settler, and is occasionally +useful in hunting-up stray cattle. The friends of the dead man +proceed to punish the assassin according to their own hereditary +laws; they surprise him suddenly, and spear him. The farmer +writes an account of the fact to the Protector of Natives at +Perth; and this energetic individual, rising hastily from dinner, +calls for his horse, and endowing himself with a blue woollen +shirt, and a pair of dragoon spurs, with a blanket tied round his +waist, fearlessly commits himself to the forest, and repairs to +the scene of slaughter.</p> + +<p>He learns from the mouth of the farm-settler, that the facts +are really what he had been already apprised of by letter; and +then, having left word that the offender may be caught as soon as +possible, and forwarded to Fremantle gaol, he hastens back again +to his anxious family; and the next morning delivers a suitable +report to his Excellency the Governor of all that he has +performed. In course of time the native is apprehended—betrayed +by a friend for a pound of flour—and brought to the bar of +justice. His natural defence would be that he certainly slew an +enemy, as he is accused of having done, but then it was a +meritorious and necessary act; he glories in it; his own laws +required that he should slay the murderer of his relative; and +his own laws, therefore, accuse him not. What are English +customs, prejudices, or laws to him? He is not a British subject, +for he is not the inhabitant of a conquered country (as English +governors tell him), nor has he, or any of his tribe or +complexion, consented or wished to be placed under the protection +of our laws. Why, then, should he be violently dragged from the +arms of his 'wilgied' squaws, and his little pot-bellied +piccaninnies, and required to plead for his life in the midst of +a large room filled with frowning white faces? Much obliged is he +to the judge, who kindly tells him, through the interpreter, that +he is not bound to convict himself, and need not acknowledge +anything that may operate to his disadvantage in the minds of the +jury.</p> + +<p>The unfortunate savage disregards the friendly caution, and +heeds it not; he maintains, stoutly, that he 'gidgied' Womera +through the back, because Womera had 'gidgied' Domera through the +belly. He enters into minute details to the gentlemen of the jury +of the manner in which these slaughters were effected, and +describes the extent and direction of the wounds, and every other +interesting particular that occurs to him. The gentlemen of the +jury, after duly considering the case, return (of necessity) a +verdict of "Wilful murder," and the judge pronounces sentence of +death—which is afterwards commuted by the Governor to +transportation for life to the Isle of Rottnest.</p> + +<p>Now if our laws had been imposed upon this people as a +conquered nation, or if they had annexed themselves and their +country to our rule and empire by anything like a treaty, all +these proceedings would be right and proper. But as it is, we are +two nations occupying the same land, and we have no more right to +try them by our laws for offences committed 'inter se', than they +have to seize and spear an Englishman, according to their law, +because he has laid himself open to an action of 'crim. con.' at +the suit of his next-door neighbour.</p> + +<p>Look at the question in another point of view. Is jurisdiction +a necessary incident of sovereignty? Do a people become subject +to our laws by the very act of planting the British standard on +the top of a hill? If so, they have been subject to them from the +days of Captain Cook; and the despatches of Her Majesty's +Secretaries of State, declaring that the natives should be +considered amenable to our laws for all offences which they might +commit among themselves, were very useless compositions. We claim +the sovereignty, yet we disclaim having obtained it by conquest; +we acknowledge that it was not by treaty; we should be very sorry +to allow that it was by fraud; and how, in the name of wonder, +then, can we defend our claim? Secretaries of State have +discovered the means, and tell us that Her Majesty's claim to +possession and sovereignty is "based on a right of occupancy." +Jurisdiction, however, is not the necessary incident of +territorial sovereignty, unless that sovereignty were acquired by +conquest or treaty. We question, indeed, whether it is the +necessary consequence even of conquest—the laws of the conqueror +must first be expressly imposed. The old Saxon laws prevailed +among the people of England after the Conquest, until the Norman +forms were expressly introduced.</p> + +<p>It is well known in colonies, that the laws propounded in +certain despatches are more powerful, and more regarded and +reverenced, than any others, human or divine. A kind of moral +gun-cotton, they drive through the most stupendous difficulties, +and rend rocks that appeared to be insuperable barriers in the +eyes of common sense or common justice. Judges are compelled to +yield to their authority, and do violence to their own +consciences whilst they help to lay the healing unction to those +of their lawgivers.</p> + +<p>The most convenient and the most sensible proceeding, on the +part of our rulers at home, would be to consider this country in +the light of a recent conquest. Instead of declaring, as now, +that the natives are to be treated in every way as British +subjects—thus making them amenable to the English law in all its +complexity, whilst their own laws and habits are so entirely +opposite in character—it would be better to pass a few simple +ordinances, in the nature of military law, which would be +intelligible to the natives themselves, and which would avoid the +difficulty of applying the cumbrous machinery of our criminal +code to the government of savages who can never be made to +comprehend its valuable properties. It is most essential that the +natives who commit offences against the persons or property of +the whites should be brought to punishment. At the same time it +is most difficult to establish the guilt of the party accused, +according to the strict rules of legal evidence. The only +witnesses, probably, were natives, who understand not the nature +of an oath, and who lie like the Prince of Darkness whenever they +have wit enough to perceive it is their interest to do so. In +general, the only chance of obtaining a legal conviction is +through the confession of the prisoner; and as it is most +desirable that he should be convicted, when there is no moral +doubt of his guilt, as his acquittal would be looked upon as a +triumph by his fellows, and make them more daring in their +opposition to the law, very little delicacy is used in obtaining +that confession.</p> + +<p>Were the prisoner defended by counsel, who did his duty to his +client, without regard to the interests of the public, the guilty +person would escape in almost every instance. As it is, the law +is outraged, and a trial by jury made an occasion of mockery and +gross absurdity, in order to obtain a conviction which is +necessary to the welfare of the white population. Nothing would +be more easy than to legislate for the proper government of the +Aborigines; but you must begin 'de novo', and throw aside with +scorn the morbid sentimentality that refuses to look upon those +as a conquered people, whom, nevertheless, it subjects to the +heavy thraldom of laws which they are not yet fitted to +endure.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 16.</h3> + +<h4>REMARKS ON THE PHYSICAL ORGANIZATION OF THE NATIVES.</h4> + +<p>The native inhabitants of Western Australia are only superior +in the scale of human beings to the Bosjemans of Southern Africa. +Their intellectual capacity appears to be very small, and their +physical structure is extremely feeble. In some respects the +Australian peculiarly assimilates to two of the five varieties of +the human race. In the form of his face and the texture of his +hair he resembles the Malay; in the narrow forehead, the +prominent cheek-bones, and the knees turned in, he approaches +towards the Ethiopian.* There is a remarkable difference between +the jaws and teeth of the Australian and those of any other +existing race. The incisores are thick and round, not, as usual, +flattened into edges, but resembling truncated cones; the +cuspidati are not pointed, but broad and flat on the masticating +surface, like the neighbouring bicuspides. This may be +attributable to mechanical attrition, depending on the nature of +the food which the teeth are employed in masticating. The upper +does not overlap the under jaw, but the teeth meet at their +surfaces. This peculiarity of teeth has been noticed by +Blumenbach as a characteristic of the Egyptian mummy; but he +thinks the nature of the food not sufficient to account for it, +and imagines it to depend on a natural variety. He observes, that +"although it seemed most easy to account for this appearance by +attributing it to the nature of the food used by the Egyptians, +yet the generality of its occurrence in Egyptian mummies, and its +absence in other races, are remarkable; and it affords some +probability that the peculiarity depends upon a natural +variety."** A constant uniformity in the structure and +arrangement of the teeth is an important particular in the +identification of species; and if any human race were found to +deviate materially in its dentition from the rest of mankind, the +fact would give rise to a strong suspicion of a real specific +diversity. I have examined the teeth of infants and children, and +found them in every respect similar to those of Europeans of +similar ages. Moreover, the process of degradation may be traced +in natives of different ages up to the teeth worn to the level of +the gums in the old man. I therefore consider it the effect of +attrition; but it becomes an interesting question to determine +what may be the nature of the food which produced the same +character in the ancient Egyptian and the modern Australian. Did +the fathers of science live on barks and roots, like the wretched +Australian? Although attrition may cause this singular appearance +of the teeth, the real question is, why does the lower jaw so +perfectly and exactly meet its fellow? And is this confined to +these two examples?</p> + +<p>[footnote] *The observations in this chapter were contributed +by Henry Landor, Esq., Colonial Surgeon on the Gold Coast, who +resided five years among the natives of Western Australia, and is +intimately acquainted with all their habits and +peculiarities.</p> + +<p>[footnote] **In a former chapter (13.) I have expressed an +opinion that the natives are descended from the old inhabitants +of India, which I think is exceedingly probable. It is +interesting to remember, that the ancient Egyptians are supposed +to have originally come from the same country.</p> + +<p>There is no fixed law determining invariably the human +stature, although there is a standard, as in other animals, from +which deviations are not very considerable in either direction. +Some varieties exceed, others fall short of, the ordinary stature +in a small degree. The source of these deviations is in the +breed; they are quite independent of external influences.</p> + +<p>In all the five human varieties, some nations are conspicuous +for height and strength, others for lower stature and inferior +muscular power; but in no case is the peculiarity confined to any +particular temperature, climate, or mode of life. The +Australians, in general, are of a moderate stature, with slender +limbs, thin arms, and long taper fingers. Although in general +stature there is nothing to distinguish one variety of man from +another, yet in the comparative length of the different parts of +the human frame there are striking differences. In the highest +and most intellectual variety (the Caucasian) the arm (os humeri) +exceeds the fore-arm in length by two or three inches—in none +less than two inches. In monkeys the fore-arm and arm are of the +same length, and in some monkeys the fore-arm is the longer. In +the Negro, the 'ulna', the longest bone of the fore-arm, is +nearly of the same length as the 'os humeri', the latter being +from one to two inches longer. In a Negro in the lunatic asylum +of Liverpool (says Mr. White) the ulna was twelve and a half +inches, and the humerus only thirteen and a half. In the +Australian, the ulna in some I have measured was ten and a half, +nine, ten, eleven and a half; the humerus was in those +individuals respectively eleven and a half, ten and a half, +eleven and a half, twelve and a half. Thus, in none of the +measurements did the humerus exceed the ulna two inches, which in +the Caucasian variety is the lowest number. In all the black +races the arm is longer in proportion to the stature than in the +white. The length of the leg of the Australian averages +thirty-six inches; in one man it was only thirty-three and a +half, and the tibia of that man measured sixteen and a half, +leaving only seventeen to the femur—a very remarkable +disproportion.</p> + +<p>Thus in the proportion of their limbs, the Australian ranks +far below the European; nay, even below the Negro, and approaches +far nearer to the simiae than any of the other races of mankind. +Perron, in his voyage, made an estimate of the average strength +of the arms and loins of the Australian, and of some French and +English; this is the result in French measures:—</p> + +<pre> + ARMS. LOINS. + Kilogrammes. Myriagrammes. +Australian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50.8 . . . . . . . .10.2 +Natives of Timor . . . . . . . . . . . 58.7 . . . . . . . 11.6 +French . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69.2 . . . . . . . .15.2 +English . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71.4 . . . . . . . .16.3 +</pre> + +<p>Thus in whatever manner the capacity of the race is tested, +its inferiority is strikingly exhibited. We shall find, when +examining the skull, that the coronal suture falls on the +temporal instead of the sphenoid bone, which is one of the +strongest marks of the simiae, and does not occur in other human +skulls.</p> + +<p>I have no desire to place the Australian lower in the scale of +intelligence than he is fairly entitled to rank, but I cannot +shut my eyes to facts; and if his organization is in conformity +with his inferiority, there he must rank, in spite of the wishes +of his warmest friends. At the same time I agree with the most +enthusiastic philanthropist that no attempt should be left +untried to amend his condition, and bestow upon him the blessings +which Providence has lavished upon us; but I cannot help fearing +the result will be disappointment. A fair comparative experiment +says Mr. Lawrence, has been made of the white and dark races of +North America; and no trial in natural philosophy has had a more +unequivocal result. The native races have not advanced a single +step in 300 years; neither example nor persuasion has induced +them, except in very small numbers and in few instances, to +exchange the precarious supply of hunting, and fishing for +agriculture and the arts of settled life.</p> + +<p>The colour of the skin is chocolate, and resembles the Malay, +although perhaps a little darker. The colour of the skin is, of +course, greatly dependent upon the nature of the climate and the +constant exposure of the surface of the body to the sun; the +parts under the arms are of a brighter colour than those more +exposed. We find in human races, as in vegetation, that every +successive level alters its character; thus indicating that the +state of the temperature of high regions assimilates to high +latitudes. If, therefore, complexions depend upon climate and +external conditions, we should expect to find them varying in +reference to elevation of surface; and if they should be actually +found to undergo such variations, this will be a strong argument +in favour of the supposition that these external characters do in +fact depend upon local conditions. The Swiss in the high +mountains above the plains of Lombardy have sandy or brown hair. +What a contrast presents itself to the traveller in the Milanese, +where the peasants have black hair and almost Oriental features! +The Basques, of the tracts approaching the Pyrenees, says Colonel +Napier, are a strikingly different people from the inhabitants of +the low parts around, whether Spaniards or Biscayans. They are +finely made, tall men, with aquiline noses, fair complexions, +light eyes, and flaxen hair; instead of the swarthy complexion, +black hair, and dark eyes of the Castilian. And in Africa what +striking differences of complexion exist between the Negro of the +plains and of the mountains, even whilst the osteology is the +same, therefore I pass over the hair and skin of the Australian +as parts too much subjected to the influence of climate to afford +means of legitimate deduction. It is the general opinion that +these natives are not a long-lived race. The poverty of their +food may account for this, together with the want of shelter from +the vicissitudes of the climate. The care taken by civilized man +to preserve health is, by increasing susceptibility, the indirect +cause of disease; the more rigid is the observance of regimen, +the more pernicious will be the slightest aberration from it; but +a total disregard of all the comforts of regular food, and +efficient shelter, the habit of cramming the stomach when food is +plentiful, and of enduring long abstinence when it cannot be +procured, has a far more baneful effect upon the human +constitution than all the excesses of the white man. As man +recedes from one hastener of destruction, he inevitably +approaches another: "Gross riot treasures up a wealthy fund Of +plagues, but more immedicable ills Attend the lean extreme."</p> + +<p>I have observed that the natives mix the gum of certain trees +with the bark, and masticate both together. This is attributed to +the difficulty of masticating the gum alone; but I am persuaded +that it has another cause also, and that it arises from that +experience of the necessity of an additional stimulus to the +digestive organ which has taught the Esquimaux and Ottomacs to +add sawdust or clay to their train-oil. It arises from the fact +that (paradoxical as it may appear) an animal may be starved by +giving it continually too simple and too nutritious food; aliment +in such a state of condensation does not impart the necessary +stimulus, which requires to be partly mechanical and partly +chemical, and to be exerted at once on the irritability of the +capillaries of the stomach to promote its secretions, and on the +muscular fibres to promote its contractions.</p> + +<p>I shall now point out the difference between the Australian +skull and those of some other races, without giving a description +of skulls in general, which would unnecessarily lengthen these +observations. "Of all the peculiarities in the form of the bony +fabric, those of the skull are the most striking and +distinguishing. It is in the head that we find the varieties most +strongly characteristic of the different races. The characters of +the countenance, and the shape of the features depend chiefly on +the conformation of the bones of the head."</p> + +<p>The Australian skull belongs to that variety called the +prognathous, or narrow elongated variety; yet it is not so +striking an example of this variety as the Negro skull. If the +skull be held in the hand so that the observer look upon the +vertex, the first point he remarks is the extreme narrowness of +the frontal bone, and a slight bulging where the parietal and +occipital bones unite. He also sees distinctly through the +zygomatic arches on both sides, which in the European skull is +impossible, as the lateral portions of the frontal bone are more +developed. The summit of the head rises in a longitudinal ridge +in the direction of the sagittal suture; so that from the +sagittal suture to that portion of the cranium where the diameter +is greatest the head slopes like the roof of a house. The +forehead is generally flat; the upper jaw rather prominent; the +frontal sinuses large; the occipital bone is flat, and there is a +remarkable receding of the bone from the posterior insertion of +the 'occipitofrontalis' muscle to the 'foramen magnum'. It is a +peculiar character of the Australian skull to have a very +singular depression at the junction of the nasal bones with the +nasal processes of the frontal bone. This may be seen in an +engraving in Dr. Pritchard's work. I have before described the +teeth, and mentioned the remarkable junction of the temporal and +parietal bones at the coronal suture, and consequently the +complete separation of the sphenoid from the parietal, which in +European skulls meet for the space of nearly half an inch. +Professor Owen has observed this conformation in six out of seven +skulls of young chimpanzees, and Professor Mayo has also noticed +it in the skulls he has examined. But although this is a +peculiarity found in this race alone, it is not constant. I have +a skull in which the sphenoid touches the parietal on one side, +whilst on the other they are separated a sixth of an inch; and in +the engraving, before referred to, the bones are slightly +separated, but by no means to the extent that they are in +European skulls. The super and infra orbital foramina are very +large, and the orbits are broad, with the orbital ridge sharp and +prominent. All the foramina for the transmission of the +sensiferous nerves are large, the auditory particularly so; while +the foramen, through which the carotid artery enters the skull, +is small. The mastoid processes are large, which might be +expected, as their hearing is acute. The styloid process is +small; in monkeys it is wanting. The position of the 'foramen +magnum', as in all savage tribes, is more behind the middle +transverse diameter than in Europeans; but this arises in a great +measure, though not entirely, from the prominence of the alveolar +processes of the upper jaw. Owing to constant exposure to all +seasons, the skulls of savages are of greater density, and weigh +heavier than those of Europeans:—</p> + +<pre> + Avoirdupois. + lb. oz. +Skull of a Greek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 11 1/2 + " Negro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 + " Mulatto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 10 + " Chinese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7 1/2 + " Gipsy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 + " Australian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 12 1/2 +</pre> + +<p>Upon an examination of the foregoing points of diversity, it +is unquestionable that the Australian skull is inferior in +development to the European, and the capacity of the cranium of +much less.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 17.</h3> + +<h4>SKETCHES OF LIFE AMONG THE NATIVES.</h4> + +<p>The Natives have very few traditions, and most of those which +they relate resemble the disconnected phantasies of a dream +rather than the record of a series of facts.</p> + +<p>They have some indistinct ideas about Chingi, the Evil Spirit, +but no notion whatever of a Supreme God. When first the English +arrived, many of the Aborigines considered them to be the spirits +of their deceased relatives; and some of them fancied they could +trace the features of former friends in the lineaments of +individuals among the whites. One of these natives, still living, +has more than once told me that his late uncle is now a certain +eloquent and popular member of the Legislative Council. The +nephew and resuscitated uncle occasionally meet, when the former +never fails to claim the relationship, which the latter +good-humouredly acknowledges; and the relatives separate with +mutual expressions of politeness and good-will.</p> + +<p>One of their most remarkable and most intelligible traditions +was recorded some time ago in the 'Perth Inquirer', by Mr. +Armstrong, Interpreter to the Natives.</p> + +<p>It is as follows:— "The natives assert that they have been +told from age to age, that when man first began to exist, there +were two beings, male and female, named Wal-lyne-up (the father) +and Doronop (the mother); that they had a son called +Biu-dir-woor, who received a deadly wound, which they carefully +endeavoured to heal, but without success; whereupon it was +declared by Wal-lyne-up, that all who came after him should also +die in like manner. Could the wound have been healed in this +case, being the first, the natives think death would have had no +power over them. The place where the scene occurred, and where +Bin-dir-woor was buried, the natives imagine to have been on the +southern plains, between Clarence and the Murray; and the +instrument used is said to have been a spear thrown by some +unknown being, and directed by some supernatural power. The +tradition goes on to state that Bin-dir-woor, the son, although +deprived of life and buried in his grave, did not remain there, +but arose and went to the west; to the unknown land of spirits +across the sea. The parents followed after their son, but (as the +natives suppose) were unable to prevail upon him to return, and +they have remained with him ever since."</p> + +<p>The following is one of their fables:—The kangaroo was +originally blind, and could only walk or crawl. The frog seeing +it so much at the mercy of its enemies, took compassion on it, +and anointed the sightless eyeballs of the kangaroo with its +saliva, and told it to hop as he did. The kangaroo did so, and is +now become the most difficult animal in the world to catch.</p> + +<p>Besides Chingi, the evil spirit who haunts the woods, there is +another in the shape of an immense serpent, called Waugul, that +inhabits solitary pools. Snakes that frequent both water and +land, of great size—twenty feet long, according to some +authorities— have been occasionally seen, and give a colour to +this belief of the natives. One day, whilst bivouacking at a +lonely and romantic spot, in a valley of rocks, situated some +forty miles north of Perth, called the 'Dooda-mya', or the Abode +of Dogs, I desired a native to lead my horse to a pool, and let +him drink. The man, however, declined with terror, refusing to go +near the pool, which was inhabited by the Waugul. I therefore had +to take my horse myself to the spot, whilst the native stood +aloof, fully expecting that the Waugul would seize him by the +nose and pull him under water.</p> + +<p>The natives are polygamists. Each male is entitled to all the +females who are related to him in a certain degree. A newly-born +child is therefore the betrothed spouse of a man who may be +thirty years of age, and who claims her from her parents so soon +as she is marriageable—when she is twelve years old, or earlier. +Some men have, consequently, four or six wives of various ages, +whilst others have none at all. The latter are therefore +continually engaged in stealing the wives of other people.</p> + +<p>This causes incessant wars among the tribes. When the +legitimate husband recovers his wife, he does not restore her to +the full enjoyment of domestic happiness, until he has punished +her for eloping. This he does by thrusting a spear through the +fleshy part of her leg or thigh.</p> + +<p>The natives are very good-natured to one another; sharing +their provisions and kangaroo-skin cloaks without grudging. The +head of a family takes the half-baked duck, opossum, or wild-dog, +from the fire, and after tearing it in pieces with his teeth, +throws the fragments into the sand for his wives and children to +pick up. They are very fond of rice and sugar; and bake dampers +from flour, making them on a corner of their cloaks.</p> + +<p>Fish and other things are frequently baked in the bark of the +paper-tree.</p> + +<p>The following observations have been sent to me by my youngest +brother: "Every tribe possesses a certain tract of country which +is called after the name of the tribe—as Moenaing Budja—the +Moenai-men's ground. They are not always very particular about +trespassing on their neighbour's territory. Many of the colonists +say that each tribe has its chief or king; but among all whom I +have seen, I never could discover that they paid any particular +respect to one individual, though they appear to reverence old +age; and I have frequently seen a party of young men, alternately +carrying an old grey-headed patriarch during their excursions +from one encampment to another.</p> + +<p>"They have no religion whatever, but they believe in some kind +of an evil spirit. I have often tried to discover, but could +never clearly understand, whether they believe in only one +all-powerful evil spirit, or whether it is merely the spirits of +their departed friends that they fear; or, (as I am inclined to +believe) they fear both; and for these reasons:—wherever there +is a large encampment of natives, each family has its own private +fire and hut, but you will always perceive another fire about one +hundred yards from the camp, which apparently belongs to no one; +but which the old hags take care shall never go out during the +night; for they will frequently get up and replenish that fire, +when they are too lazy to fetch fuel for their own. They call +that Chingi's fire; and they believe if he comes in the night he +will sit quietly by his own fire and leave them undisturbed. That +they likewise believe in the reappearance of departed spirits, +may be easily proved by the manner and the formalities with which +they bury their dead. In the first place they cut off the hair +and beard; they then break his finger-joints and tie the thumb +and fore-finger of the right hand together; so that if he rise +again, he may not have the power to use a spear and revenge +himself. They then break his spears, throwing-stick, and all his +other implements of war, and throw them into the grave, over +which they build a hut; and a fire is kept lighted for a certain +length of time. It is likewise customary for his wife or nearest +relation, if at any future period they should happen to pass near +the grave, to repair the hut, rekindle the fire, and utter a long +rigmarole to the departed, to induce him to lie still, and not +come back and torment them. Nothing will induce a stranger to go +near a new grave, or to mention the name of the departed for a +long time after his death. They always speak of him as +So-and-so's brother, or father. If the deceased be the father of +a family, it is the duty of his eldest son, or nearest relation, +to avenge his death by killing one of the next, or any other +tribe; and this often leads to furious battles or cold-blooded +murders; for they are by no means particular whether it be man, +woman, or child who is the victim; and it is generally the poor +women who suffer on these occasions; the men being too cowardly, +unless under the influence of very strong passion, to attack +those of equal strength with themselves. The women do all the +work, such as building huts, carrying water, digging up roots, +and procuring grubs out of the wattle and grass-trees. I have +seen a poor unfortunate woman marching twenty miles a-day, with +(at least) a hundred pounds'-weight on her back, including the +child and all their effects; whilst the husband has been too lazy +to carry even his cloak. A hunting excursion with a large party +of natives is capital sport. They choose, if possible, a valley, +at one end of which they station ten or twenty of the most expert +spearmen; with whom, if you want any fun, you must station +yourself, taking care to remain concealed. All the juveniles of +the party then start off, and make a circuit of many miles in +extent, shouting and hallooing the whole time. They form a +semicircle, and drive all the kangaroos before them down the +valley, to the spot where the old hunters are placed. Then comes +the tug of war, the crashing of bushes, the flying of spears, and +the thump, thump of the kangaroos, as they come tearing along, +sometimes in hundreds, from the old grey grandfather of six feet +high, to the little picanniny of twelve inches, who has tumbled +out of his mother's pouch; and numbers fall victims to the +ruthless arms of the hunters. The evening terminates with a grand +feast and a corrobery."</p> + +<p><a name="f214"><img alt="" src="images/Landor_f214.jpg" width="500" height= +"350"></a></p> + +<center><b>"Spearing Kangaroos"</b></center> + +<br> +<br> + + +<p> </p> + +<p>Each tribe has its doctor, or wise man, who is supposed to +have supernatural powers of healing wounds, and is the oracle of +the tribe. One of these fellows described to me the mode of his +initiation. He said his father, himself a wise man, took him one +night to the edge of a steep hill, where he left him lying +wrapped in his kangaroo-skin cloak. He was very much frightened, +but durst not stir. During the night Chingi came and tried to +throw him down the hill, and to strangle him, but did not +succeed. Chingi was like something very black. He afterwards came +again, and told him a great many secrets; and thus is was that my +informant became a doctor and a wise man. I think I have heard of +people obtaining the power of second sight in the Isle of Skye by +lying on a rock all night, wrapped in a bull's hide, and +receiving a visit from the devil. The similarity between these +initiatory processes struck me forcibly.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 18.</h3> + +<h4>THE MODEL-KINGDOM.</h4> + +<p>A well-governed colony is the Model of a great kingdom. As in +the case of other models, every part of the machinery by which it +is moved is placed at once before the eye of the spectator. In a +great empire, the springs of action are concealed; the public +behold only the results, and can scarcely guess how those results +were brought about. In a colony, every one stands so close to the +little machine of Government, that he can readily discern how it +is made to work, and therefore takes a more lively interest in +the working of it. The model has its representative of a +sovereign; its Ministers, who comprise the Executive Council with +the Colonial Secretary as Premier; its Parliament, the +Legislative Assembly; its Bishop of London, who is represented by +the Colonial Chaplain, the dignitary of the Church in those +parts. In the Legislative Assembly there are the Government +party, consisting of the Colonial Secretary and the Attorney +General, who prove their loyalty and devotion by adhering to His +Excellency the Governor on every division, and (according to +general belief) would rather vote against their own measures than +against the representative of their Queen. Then there is the +popular party, consisting of the popular member, who speaks at +random on either side of the debate, but invariably votes against +the Government, in order to maintain inviolate the integrity of +his principles. We have also the Judge, or Lord chancellor, the +great Law officer of the Crown, who sits silently watching the +progress of a Bill, as it steals gently forward towards the close +of the second reading; and then suddenly pounces upon it, to the +consternation of his Excellency, and the delight of the popular +member, and tears it in pieces with his sharp legal teeth, whilst +he shows that it is in its scope and tendency contrary to the Law +of England in that case provided, and is besides impossible to be +carried out in the present circumstances of the Colony. The Model +Nation has its national debt of one thousand pounds, due to the +Commissariat chest; and this burthen of the State costs his +Excellency many a sleepless night, spent in vain conjectures as +to the best mode of relieving the financial embarrassments.</p> + +<p>It is pleasant to learn from the model, how Government +patronage is disposed of in the Parent country. Kindly motives, +however, which never appear in the arrangements of the latter, +are always conspicuous in a colony. A public work is sometimes +created for the sole purpose of saving an unfortunate mechanic +from the horrors of idleness; and a debt due to the State is +occasionally discharged by three months' washing of a Privy +Councillor's shirts.</p> + +<p>Then we have the exact fac-simile of a Royal Court, with its +levees and drawing-rooms, where his Excellency displays the +utmost extent of his affability, and his lady of her queenly +airs. There may be seen, in all its original freshness and +vigour, the smiling hatred of rival ladies, followed by their +respective trains of admirers; whilst the full-blown dames of +Members of Council elbow their way, with all the charming +confidence of rank, towards the vicinity of her who is the +cynosure of all eyes. The early levees of the first Governor of +Western Australia were held in a dry swamp, near the centre of +the present town of Perth. His Excellency, graciously bowing +beneath the shade of a banksia tree, received with affability +those who were introduced to him, as they stumbled into his +presence over tangled brushwood, and with difficulty avoided the +only humiliation that is scorned by English courtiers—that of +the person.</p> + +<p>Ladies, in struggling through the thorny brake, had sometimes +to labour under the double embarrassment of a ragged reputation +and dress. To appear before the Presence, under such +circumstances, with a smiling countenance, proved the triumph of +feminine art, and of course excited general admiration. But this +was in the early days of the settlement. We have now a handsome +Government-house, where ladies who attend drawing-rooms incur no +danger of any kind.</p> + +<p>From the financial difficulties of a small colony you may form +some idea of the troubles of the Chancellor of the Exchequer at +home. And yet there is less financial talent required to raise +five hundred thousand pounds in England than five hundred in an +impoverished colony. In the former country only a few voices, +comparatively, are raised in expostulation; and no one cares +about them, if Mr. Hume could be gagged, and the other patriots +in the Commons. But in a colony! threaten to raise the price of +sugar by the imposition of another half-penny per pound, and the +whole land will be heaved as though by an earthquake. Not only +will the newspapers pour forth a terrific storm of denunciations +against a treacherous Government, but every individual of the +public will take up the matter as a personal injury, and roar out +his protest against so monstrous a political crime. Those who +called most loudly for the erection of a necessary bridge, will +be most indignant when asked next year to contribute towards its +cost.</p> + +<p>The Governor of a colony should not only be a good financier, +but if he would avoid the bitter pangs of repentance, must +possess great firmness in resisting the innumerable calls upon +the Government purse.</p> + +<p>His Excellency may lay his account to being daily vituperated +for not consenting to the construction of this or that national +work, but he will be still more taken to task when the melancholy +duty of paying for it becomes imperative, and is found to be +unavoidable.</p> + +<p>It is the general belief, that in a colony we are altogether +out of the world; but it has always appeared to me, that within +the narrow confines of one of those epitomes of a kingdom we may +see more of the world than when standing on the outer edge of +society in England.</p> + +<p>A man thinks himself in the midst of the world in Great +Britain, because he reads the newspapers and knows what is +passing and being enacted around him. But the same newspapers are +read with equal diligence in a colony, and the same knowledge is +acquired there, though some three months later. To read the +newspapers, and to hang, close as a burr, upon the skirts of +society, is not to be in the world. The world is, in truth, the +heart of Man; and he knows most of the World who knows most of +his species. And where, alas! may this knowledge, so painful and +so humiliating, be better acquired than in a colony? There we +have the human heart laid open before us without veil or +disguise: there we see it in all its coarseness, its selfishness, +its brutality.</p> + +<p>How many fine natures, cultivated, delicate, and generous, +have gone forth from their native land, full of high resolves, +only to perish in the mephitic atmosphere of a colony!</p> + +<p>There we find whatever there is of good and bad in human +nature brought immediately before our eyes. It is a school of +moral anatomy, in which we study subjects whose outer covering +has been removed, and where the inner machinery (fearful to see!) +is left exposed.</p> + +<p>A knowledge of the world! if we gain it not in a colony, it +must ever remain a sealed book to us.</p> + +<p>We shall leave but a bad impression on the mind of the reader +in concluding this short chapter with these sombre observations; +but we would not leave him without hope. Time will remedy all +this. Some moral evils correct themselves; as the water of the +Nile becomes pure again after it has gone putrid.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 19.</h3> + +<h4>TRIALS OF A GOVERNOR.</h4> + +<p>Except the waiter at a commercial inn, no man has so much upon +his hands, or so many faults to answer for, as the Governor of a +colony. If public affairs go wrong, every voice is raised, +requiring him immediately to rectify them; and as every one has a +particular plan of his own, the Governor is expected instantly to +adopt them all. Nor has he public calamities only to answer for; +the private misfortunes of individuals are, without hesitation, +laid at his door. He is expected to do something, and not a +little, for all who are in trouble; he has to devise expedients +for those whose own wits are at fault: it is among his duties to +console, to cheer, to advise, to redress, to remedy; and, above +all, to enrich.</p> + +<p>As men set up a block of wood in a field to become a +rubbing-post for asses; as bachelors take to themselves wives, +and elderly spinsters individuals of the feline race, in order to +have something on which to vent their occasional ill-humours, so +is a Governor set up in a colony, that the settlers may have a +proper object or mark set apart, on which they may satisfactorily +discharge their wrongs, sorrows, wants, troubles, distractions, +follies, and unreasonable expectations. A Governor is the +safety-valve of a colony; withdraw this legitimate object of +abuse, and the whole community would be at loggerheads. A state +of anarchy would be the immediate consequence, and broil and +blood-shed would prevail throughout the land. Sometimes a +Governor forgets the purpose for which he was sent out from home, +and placed on high in a colony, as a rubbing-post; he sometimes +lapses into the error of fancying himself a colonial Solon, and +strives to distinguish his reign by the enactment of laws, which +only increase the natural irritability of the settlers, and cause +him to be more rubbed against than ever. On these occasions he is +not always entitled to much sympathy; but when private parties +come crowding round him to have the consequence of their follies +averted, or merely in a state of discontented irritation, to have +their backs scratched, his poor Excellency is much to be +compassionated.</p> + +<p>Almost every morning a long-eared crowd assembles around the +Government-offices, where the rubbing-post is set up, and one +after another they are admitted to find what relief they may from +this cheap luxury. It is pleasant to observe that they almost all +come out again with smiling countenances. For a moment, the sense +of pain or discontent has been alleviated by the gentle +application.</p> + +<p>Sometimes an honest farmer has ridden fifty miles in order to +have the pleasure of complaining to his Excellency of the +mal-administration of the post-office department, evidenced by +the non-delivery of a letter, which, after a vast deal of +investigation and inquiry, turns out never to have been posted. +Sometimes a man comes for advice as to the propriety of going to +law with his neighbour about a bull which had taken the liberty +to eat some of his turnips. One man wishes to have his +Excellency's opinion upon a disease which has lately broken out +among his pigs; another has mysteriously carried a piece of +iron-stone in his pocket for a hundred miles, and claims the +reward for the discovery of a coal-mine; a third has a plan to +propose for fertilizing the sand-plains around Perth, by manuring +them with sperm oil. Some are desirous that their sons should be +made Government clerks, and insist upon their right to all vacant +appointments on the plea of being "old settlers." Others have +suggestions to make the neglect of which would prove ruinous to +the colony: general misery is only to be averted by the repeal of +the duty on tobacco: no more ships need be expected (this is +after a gale and wreck,) unless a break-water be constructed, +which may be done for ninety-five thousand pounds, and there was +a surplus revenue last year over the expenditure of thirteen +shillings and sixpence, the local government being also indebted +to the Commissariat chest in the sum of nine hundred pounds odd. +Some complain of roads and bridges being in a defective state, +and wonder why two thousand pounds extra per annum are not laid +out upon them; these are succeeded by a deputation from the +inhabitants of Rockingham, requesting, as a matter of right, that +half that sum may be applied in ornamenting their principal +square with a botanical garden. Then the Governor has to attend +to complaints against public officers. The Commissioner of the +Civil Court has proved himself to be an unjust judge by deciding +for the defendant contrary to the truth, as proved by the +plaintiff; or the Commissioner of the Court of Requests has +received a bribe of three-and-fourpence, and refused to listen to +the complainant's story. The magistrates have granted a spirit +license to a notorious character, and denied one to the +applicant, an unimpeachable householder. The Post-Master General +has embezzled a letter, or the Colonial Secretary has neglected +to reply to one.</p> + +<p>All these things, and a thousand others, the Governor is +expected to listen to, inquire about, remedy, or profit by.</p> + +<p>One day, I remember, I went myself to complain of the +absurdity of an Act of Council which I thought might be +advantageously amended by the aid of a little light which had +lately dawned upon me.</p> + +<p>Among those who haunted the ante-room, waiting for admittance +to the rubbing-post was a tall Irish woman, who had seen better +days, but was now reduced to much distress, and was besides not +altogether right in her intellects.</p> + +<p>She was in the frequent habit of attending there, for the +purpose of complaining against the Advocate General, who never +paid her proper attention when she went to lay her grievances +before him. This woman was the terror of the Government officers. +She never allowed her victim to escape when once she had begun +her story;—in vain might he try to edge away towards the +door—if he were not to be retained by the fascination of her +voice, she would seize him by the coat with a grasp of iron, and +a fly might as well try to escape from a pot-bellied spider. +Whenever she appeared, no public officer was ever to be found. A +general epidemic seemed to have fallen upon the offices, and +exterminated all the inhabitants. The Colonial Secretary would +rush out to luncheon, deaf as an adder to the cries of female +distress that rang in the troubled air behind him. The Advocate +General, hearing the well-known voice inquiring for him in no +friendly key, would hurry away through an opposite door, and dive +into the woods adjoining Government-house, and there gnaw his +nails, in perturbation of spirit until he thought the evil was +overpast. His Excellency himself would sooner have seen the +Asiatic cholera walk into the room than Miss Maria Martin, and +invariably turned paler then his writing-paper, and shuddered +with a sudden ague. She had so many wrongs to complain of, which +no human power could redress, and she required so much to be done +for her, and insisted upon having reiterated promises to that +effect, that no wonder she excited the utmost terror in the minds +of all whom she approached. She was, moreover, a huge, brawny, +fierce-looking creature, and though upwards of fifty years of +age, had the strength of an Irish porter. She was reported on one +occasion to have taken a gentleman of high reputation, and +unimpeachable morals, by the collar of his coat, and pinned him +up against the wall, until he had promised to speak for her to +the Governor; and when he subsequently accused her of this +violence, she retorted by saying that it was in self-defence, as +he had attempted improper liberties. The fear of such an +unscrupulous and cruel accusation made Government officers, +especially the married ones, extremely shy of granting a +tete-a-tete conversation to Miss Martin; and as no one was, of +course, more correct in his conduct than his Excellency the +Governor, no wonder that he should feel extremely nervous +whenever he was surprised into an interview with this interesting +spinster.</p> + +<p>When I found her in the ante-room I naturally recoiled, and +tried to back out again, smiling blandly all the time, as one +does when a violent-looking dog comes up. and begins sniffing +about your legs. Miss Martin, however, was used to these +manoeuvres, and suddenly getting between me and the door, +intercepted my retreat, and insisted on telling me, for the +twentieth time, how villanously the Advocate General had deceived +her. Escape was impossible; I groaned and sweated with anguish, +but listen I must, and had to suffer martyrdom for an hour, when +the Governor's door opened, and he himself looked out. On seeing +the Gorgon he tried to withdraw, but she pounded like a tigress +through the door-way, and slamming the door after her, secured an +audience with his Excellency, which she took care should not be a +short one. I could remain no longer, and therefore owe the rest +of the story to public report. After an hour's tete-a-tete, his +Excellency's voice grew more imperative. The clerks, highly +interested, conceived that he was insisting upon her withdrawing. +It is supposed that he could not possibly escape himself, as she +of course cut off all communication with either the door or the +bell-rope. The lady's voice also waxed higher; at length it rose +into a storm. Nothing more was heard of the poor Governor beyond +a faint, moaning sound; whether he was deprecating the tempest, +or being actually strangled, became a matter of grave +speculation. Some asserted that they heard his kicks upon the +floor, others could only hear convulsive sobs; then all fancied +they could distinguish the sounds of a struggle. The officials +debated whether it would be proper or indelicate to look in upon +the interview; but it became so evident that a scuffle was going +on, that the private secretary's anxiety overcame all other +considerations. The door was opened just as his Excellency, +escaping from the grasp of the mad woman, had made a vault at the +railing which ran across the farther end of the Council Room (to +keep back the public on certain days), in hopes of effecting his +escape by the door beyond. Nothing could have been better +conceived than this design; but unhappily the lady had caught +hold of his coat-tail to arrest his flight, and therefore instead +of vaulting clear over the rails, as he had anticipated, his +Excellency was drawn back in his leap, and found himself seated +astride upon the barrier, with a desperate woman tugging at his +tail, and trying to pull him back into the arena. Nothing, we +believe, has ever exceeded the ludicrous misery displayed in his +Excellency's visage on finding himself in this perilous +situation. But seeing the private secretary and a mob of clerks, +with their pens in their hands, hastening to his rescue, he made +a desperate effort, and cast himself off on the other side; and +finally succeeded in rushing out of the room, having only one +tail hanging to his coat, with which he escaped into an adjoining +apartment, and was received into the arms of the Surveyor General +in a state of extreme exhaustion.</p> + +<p>Such are some of the troubles and afflictions incident to the +unenviable office of Governor of a colony. Those innocent country +gentlemen who have expended the better part of their property on +contested elections, and now weary heaven and Her Majesty's +Principal Secretaries of State for colonial appointments, little +know what they invoke upon themselves. In my opinion Sancho Panza +had a sinecure, compared with theirs, in his Governorship of the +island of Barrataria.*</p> + +<p>[footnote] *Our love of the ludicrous frequently makes us +delighted to find even the most estimable characters in a +ridiculous position. The above anecdote is perhaps exaggerated, +but it is here recorded as a moral warning to those who yearn +like Sancho Panza for a government, and not from a desire to cast +ridicule upon one who was universally respected and esteemed, for +the quiet decorum of his life, his high principles, his strict +impartiality, and the conscientious discharge of all the duties +of his office.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 20.</h3> + +<h4>MR. SAILS, MY GROOM.—OVER THE HILLS.—A SHEEP STATION.</h4> + +<p>Soon after I was settled in my residence at Perth I purchased +a couple of young mares unbroke, recently imported from the Cape +of Good Hope. They were the offspring of an Arab horse and Cape +mare, and one of them, a chestnut, was almost the handsomest +creature I ever beheld. They cost me thirty guineas each; but +since that period the value of horses is greatly diminished.</p> + +<p>I was very much pleased with this purchase, which recalled the +memories of boyhood and a long-tailed pony, whenever I found +myself feeding or grooming my stud—which I often thought proper +to do, as my establishment, though at that time numerous, did not +comprise a well-educated groom.</p> + +<p>Besides my own man, I had two runaway sailors from the ship in +which we had come out, quartered upon me. They expressed so +flattering a regard for me, as the only person whom they knew in +this part of the world, and were so ready to dig the garden and +plant potatoes, or do any other little matter to make themselves +useful, that I had not the heart to refuse them a nook in the +kitchen, or a share of our daily meals. I now called their +services into activity by making them assist at the breaking in +of my mares; and whilst I held the lunging-rein, Mr. Sails would +exert himself till he became as black as a sweep with dust and +perspiration, by running round and round in the rear of the +animal, urging her forward with loud cries and objurgations, +accompanied with furious crackings of his whip. These sailors +never did anything quietly. If told to give the horses some hay, +they would both start up from their stools by the kitchen fire, +as if in a state of frantic excitement; thrust their pipes into +the leathern belt which held up their trousers, and jostling each +other through the doorway like a brace of young dogs, tear round +the house to the stable, or rather shed, as though possessed by a +legion of devils. Then, unable to use a fork, they would seize as +much hay as they could clasp in their arms, and littering it all +about the premises, rush to the stalls, where they suddenly grew +exceedingly cautious; for in fact, they felt much greater dread +of these horses than they would have done of a ground shark. Then +it was all, "Soh! my little feller! Soh! my pretty little +lass!—Avast there—(in a low tone) you lubber, or I'll rope's +end you—none of that!" This was whenever the mare, pleased at +the sight of the hay, looked round and whinnied. Unless I +superintended the operation myself, the hay would be thrown under +the horse's feet, whilst the men took to their heels at the same +moment, and then turned round to see whether the animals could +reach their fodder. If they could, these worthy grooms would come +cheerfully to me and tell me that the horses were eating their +allowance; but if not, they filled their pipes, and took a turn +out of the way, trusting the hay would all be trampled into the +litter before I happened to see it. Whenever I was present, I +made them get upon the manger and put the hay into the rack, (I +never could teach them to use a fork,) but it was with fear and +trembling that they did this. One day, Sails was standing on the +manger, with the hay in his arms, when the mare, trying to get a +mouthful, happened to rub her nose against the hinder portion of +his person. Sails roared aloud, and let the hay fall upon the +mare's head and neck.</p> + +<p>"What's the matter, man?" said I.</p> + +<p>"By Gad, sir," cried Sails, looking round with a face of +terror, and scrambling down, "he's tuk a bite out of my +starn!"</p> + +<p>After the horses had been well lunged it became necessary to +mount them. In vain, however, I tried to persuade Sails or his +comrade Dick to get upon their backs. I therefore mounted first +myself, and after a deal of plunging and knocking about was +dismounted again, with the mare, who had thrown herself down, +actually kneeling upon my body. All this time, Sails stood +helplessly looking on open-mouthed, holding the lunging-rein in +his hands; and I had to call to him to "pull her off" before he +made any attempt to give assistance. This accident effectually +prevented my gallant grooms from trusting themselves on +horseback; but they proved more useful in breaking in the animals +to draw the light cart. One would ride whilst the other drove, +and their nautical phrases, and seaman-like style of steering the +craft, as they called it, excited the admiration of the +neighbourhood. But they never could bring themselves to like the +employment of tending horses; and finding that I insisted upon +their making themselves useful in this way, they at last gave me +up, and volunteered as part of the crew of a vessel about to sail +for Sincapore.</p> + +<p>Long after this period I drove the dog-cart over the hills to +York races. My brother had come down to Perth, and we went +together, taking with us our friend the amiable and talented +editor of one of the Perth journals. Attaching another horse to +an outrigger, we drove unicorn, or a team of three.</p> + +<p>It was a splendid October morning, (the commencement of +summer,) and we rattled over the long and handsome wooden bridges +that cross the two streams of the Swan, at a spanking pace, +whilst the worthy editor, exulting in his temporary emancipation +from office, made the wooded banks of the river ring again with +the joyous notes of his key-bugle.</p> + +<p>Half an hour carried us over five miles of road, and brought +us to Mangonah, the beautifully situated dwelling of R. W. Nash, +Esq., barrister at law, the most active-minded and +public-spirited man in the colony. After a short delay, to laugh +at one of our friend's last coined and most facetious anecdotes, +and also to visit his botanical garden, we rattled off again to +Guildford; a scattered hamlet that was made acquainted with our +approach by loud strains from the editor's bugle. Here, however, +we paused not, but proceeded along a hard and good road towards +Green Mount, the first hill which we had to ascend. Green Mount, +six miles from Guildford, is famous for a desperate skirmish +which took place some years ago between a large body of natives +and Messrs. Bland and Souper, at the head of a party escorting +provisions from Perth to the infant settlement at York. Whilst +slowly ascending the hill, a thick flight of spears fell among +the party, wounding several of them. No enemy was visible, and +the greatest consternation prevailed among the men, who hastened +to shelter themselves under the carts. This induced the natives +to rush out of their ambush, when they were received with a +shower of balls; and at length driven back, after losing a good +many men. Mr. Souper had several spears sticking in his body, and +others of the English were severely wounded, but none +mortally.</p> + +<p>The natives are very tenacious of life, and so are all the +birds and animals indigenous to the country.</p> + +<p>The natives often have spears thrust completely through their +bodies, and without any serious injury, receive wounds that would +prove mortal to the whites. A vagabond who had speared one of +those noble rams of ours, of whom honourable mention has been +already made, was shot by our shepherd whilst in the act of +decamping with the carcase. The ball passed completely through +his lungs, and would have made an end of any white man; but the +native recovered in the course of a few days, and walked a +hundred miles heavily ironed, to take his trial for +sheep-stealing at the Quarter Sessions.</p> + +<p>From Guildford to the foot of Green Mount, the country +presents a vast plain of cold clayey soil, unfit for cultivation, +and though covered with scrub, affording very little useful +herbage.</p> + +<p>On ascending the hill, we come upon what is generally called +the iron-stone range, which extends nearly to York, a distance of +forty miles. These extensive hills (about fifteen hundred feet +above the level of the sea) are composed almost entirely of +granite rocks, with occasional tracts of quartz; and the surface +is generally strewn over with a hard loose rubble.</p> + +<p>Although the sides and summits of the hills present scarcely +any appearance of soil, vast forests of large Jarra trees, and +other varieties of the eucalyptus, extend in every direction; and +flowers the most beautiful relieve the sombre appearance of the +ground. Some few of the valleys afford a few acres of alluvial +soil; and in the first of these, called Mahogany Creek, six miles +from Green Mount, we found a comfortable way-side house, with +good out-buildings, and other accommodations; and here we halted +to lunch, and bait our horses.</p> + +<p>Many other individuals, bent upon the same journey as +ourselves, were lounging and smoking before the house, or +partaking of the refreshments. Most were travelling on horseback; +some in gigs, and some in light spring-carts. A famous round of +cold beef, with bottled ale and porter, proved extremely +agreeable after our drive.</p> + +<p>In the afternoon we proceeded fifteen miles farther, to the +half-way house, where on my first arrival in the colony I had +been initiated into the art of cooking a saddle of kangaroo, and +serving it up with mint-sauce. The road, through a dense forest +of evergreen trees, is excessively dreary, and the quarters for +the night were never very satisfactory; but the traveller might +always look forward to a comfortable sitting-room, kangaroo +steaks and pork, with plenty of fresh eggs and good bread. Since +that time the house has been given up by the energetic landlord; +and the Local Government is partly responsible for the loss of +this accommodation, in consequence of having insisted upon a +heavy license being annually taken out. In good times, when the +farm-settlers of the York and Northam districts brought their +wool and other produce down this road to the capital, they +invariably spent a merry evening at the half-way house; but since +money has become scarcer in the colony, they have been compelled +to avoid this place of entertainment, and kindle instead a fire +by the road-side, where they spend their evenings in solitary +meditation, to the advantage doubtless of their minds and purses. +In the morning, full of philosophical thoughts and fried rashers +of pork, they calmly yoke their bullocks to the wain, unafflicted +by those pangs which were often the only acknowledgment rendered +to the hospitality of Mr. Smith—pangs of mental remorse and a +bilious stomach. And yet the worthy host never suffered a guest +whom he respected to depart without administering to him what he +called "a doctor"—of which, about five o'clock in the morning, +the poor man usually felt himself much in need; and at that hour, +as Aurora entered at the window, would mine host (equally +rosy-cheeked) enter by the door, and deliver his matutinal +salutation. This "doctor," a character universally esteemed by +travellers in those parts, was a tumbler of milk fresh from the +cow, tinctured with brandy.</p> + +<p>The glory had not departed from the half-way house at the +period to which I refer; and as we drove up to the door, amid the +liveliest strains of the editorial bugle, our jovial host +welcomed us with his heartiest greeting. This spot is truly an +oasis in the desert, affording a few acres of tolerable land, and +some excellent garden-ground which, in the season, produces +abundance of grapes, peaches, apples, figs, and various kinds of +vegetables. A deep brook runs at the bottom of the garden which +is very well watered; and on its margin, in the midst of a green +plot, protected by palings from rude encroachment, is the quiet +grave of one of Mr. Smith's children. How different looks the +solitary grave of the desert from the crowded churchyards of +England! How much more home it comes to the heart! Across the +brook is a large barley-field, and down the valley are several +other inclosures; all around, beyond these, is the dark, +melancholy, illimitable forest. At one end of the house, which is +of goodly size, stands a huge erection of wood, resembling a +gallows, from which are suspended the bodies of three kangaroos. +Not far from this, a group of natives—men, women, and +children—are squatted round a small fire, eating baked opossums, +and chattering, and uttering shrill screams of laughter, with all +their might. Half a dozen large kangaroo dogs are hanging about +this group with wistful eyes, but evidently without any +expectations of obtaining a morsel.</p> + +<p>The house, being filled with people on their way to the races, +resounded all the evening with jokes and merriment; and when the +well-disposed retired to bed, and flattered themselves they were +just sinking into repose, a mob of their evil-minded friends, +headed by an Irish barrister and the usually sedate Crown +Solicitor, beat down the door, and pulled them forth again. Then +were the four walls of the room (which contained four beds) made +witnesses to a scene exhibiting all the horrors of war. Dreadful +was the conflict: bolsters and carpet-bags were wielded with +fierce animosity; pillows and rolled-up blankets flew about the +room like cannon-shot; and long was the contest doubtful, until +the despair of the besieged at length overcame the impetuosity of +the assailants, and succeeded in driving them from the +apartment.</p> + +<p>The half-way house was often so crowded that some of the +guests had to sleep upon the dining-table, the sofas, and the +floor. At early dawn it was usually cleared of its visitors, who +would push on to breakfast at Mahogany Creek; or if going to +York, at St. Roman's Well, distant some fifteen miles. It was +here that we breakfasted, sitting upon the grass, whilst with our +camp-kettle we boiled our chocolate, and enjoyed our morning meal +exceedingly.</p> + +<p>York is a scattered hamlet of good farm-houses. The country is +highly interesting. A lofty hill, or mountain, called Mount +Bakewell, confines the view on one side, and below it is the +river Avon, a broad stream in winter, but in summer consisting +only of deep pools in various parts of its course. The +neighbourhood is beautifully wooded, and has the appearance of a +park. In the centre of the hamlet a modest-looking, white-washed +church "rears its meek fane." Nothing could be more peaceful and +serene than the whole aspect of the place.</p> + +<p>At my brother's farm, comprising 4,000 acres, the property of +R. H. Bland, Esq., Protector of Natives, we found a hearty +reception, and a very pleasant dwelling-house. For several days +it was filled with young men who had come from various parts of +the colony to attend the races.</p> + +<p>These gentlemen were most of them young men of good family, +and well educated, who having only a small patrimony, and having +been brought up to no trade or profession, had come out to a +colony in the hope of acquiring landed estates, and of founding +in this part of the world a family of their own. In the meantime +they had to drive their teams, shear their sheep, thresh their +corn, and exhibit their skill in husbandry; whilst their houses +were as ill arranged and uncomfortable as could be expected from +the superintendence of bachelors who thought more of their +stables than of the appearance of their rooms. They care more +about good horses than good cooks, and in most cases prefer doing +without kitchen stuff rather than be troubled with a garden.</p> + +<p>Freedom of discourse and ease of manner characterize the +social meetings of our bachelor aristocracy "over the hills."</p> + +<p>Dinner is only to be obtained by dint of incessant shouting to +the slave (frequently an Indian Coolie) who presides in the +detached kitchen, and brings in the viands as fast as he "dishes +up." The roast mutton gradually cools upon the table while Mooto +is deliberately forking the potatoes out of the pot, and +muttering curses against his master, who stands at the +parlour-door, swearing he will wring his ears off if he does not +despatch. In order to moderate the anguish of stomach experienced +by the guests, the host endeavours to fill up the time by sending +the sherry round. The dinner is at length placed upon the table, +and Mooto scuffles out of the room whilst his master is busy +carving, lest he should be compelled to wait, an occupation less +agreeable than that to which he returns, and which engages most +of his time—sitting on an upturned box before the fire, and +smoking his pipe. Here, piously thanking Vishnu and Brama for +such good tobacco, he puffs away, heedless of the shouts of his +suzerain, who has just discovered there are only eight plates for +twelve people. One of the guests volunteers a foray into Mooto's +territory, chiefly for the sake of relieving his own feelings by +making that worthy acquainted with the opinion he entertains of +him, and returns to his seat with cold plates and a tranquillized +mind.</p> + +<p>When the villain lacquey has smoked his pipe, he brings in the +cheese, and clears away. No unnecessary feelings of delicacy +restrain the guests from reviling him seriatim as he removes the +platters; and he retires to his own den and the enjoyment of a +pound of boiled rice with undisturbed equanimity, leaving the +others to boil the kettle and concoct egg-flip, which, together +with wine, brandy, cigars, and pipes, enables the party to get +through the afternoon. Some remain at the table, drinking out of +wine-glasses, tumblers, or pannikins (every vessel which the +house contains being put in requisition), and talking loudly +about their horses, or making bets for the next day's races; +others having thrown off their coats, and flung their persons +upon a sofa, with their feet on a window-sill, puff away in +meditative silence, only joining occasionally in the +conversation; whilst two or three walk up and down the verandah, +in solemn consultation as to the best mode of hedging, having +unhappily backed a colt for the Margaux Cup that turns out to be +a dunghill.</p> + +<p>I trust my good friends over the hills will not think I am +making an ungrateful return for much hospitality by this rough +and imperfect sketch. Heaven knows they are a worthy, +kind-hearted, hospitable set of good fellows as ever drew a cork +or made egg-flip; but I must say some of the bachelor +establishments are rather in a rude and primitive state at +present.</p> + +<p>Those houses which are fortunate enough to possess a presiding +genius in the gentle and attractive form of Woman are very +differently ordered. English neatness and English comforts +pervade the establishment, and the manners and customs of +well-regulated society are never forgotten.</p> + +<p>It is a pleasant sight in the evening to watch the cattle +driven into the stock-yard by the native boy, who has been with +them all day in the bush. Some of the old cows go steadily enough +in the right direction, but others, and especially the young +heifers, are continually bunting one another, and trying to push +their next neighbours into the ditch. Several, tempted by a +pleasant field of barley, have leapt over a broken rail, and are +eating and trampling down all before them. But soon they are +perceived by the dusky herdsman, who incontinently shrieks like +one possessed by demons, and rushing after the stray kine with a +bough hastily picked up, chases and belabours them up and down +the field (the gate of which he has never thought of opening), +until he has done as much mischief as possible to the crop. +Somebody then opens the gate for him, and the cattle are at +length secured in the yard.</p> + +<p>Next arrives a flock of two thousand sheep, driven by white +shepherds. On coming to the entrance of the fold-yard, they stop +and hesitate, refusing to enter. All is uncertainty and +confusion, the rearmost urged forward by the shout of the men and +the barking of the dogs, who run from side to side, thrusting +their noses into the soft white fleeces, press into the mass; +great is the scuffle, the rush, and the pattering of feet over +the loose pebbles of the yard. At length, a hardy and determined +ram in the vanguard gives a leap of ten feet through the open +gateway, and the others hustle through after him, every one +leaping as he had done, and all congratulating themselves on +having thus cleverly eluded the designs of some unseen enemy.</p> + +<p>I do not intend to give an account of the races, though they +afforded more amusement probably than is common at Epsom or +Ascot. Every one knew everybody and everybody's horse; and as the +horses were generally ridden by gentlemen, there was no doubt of +fair play. There was an accident, as usual, in the hurdle-race; +but not being fatal, it did not interrupt the sports. Large +groups of the natives, sitting on the ground, or standing leaning +on their spears, gave increased effect to the picturesque +scenery. Some clumps of forest-trees still occupied the centre of +the course, and through these you caught glimpses of coloured +jackets and jockey-caps as they flashed by. The green side of +Mount Bakewell was spotted with sheep, and above them frowned a +forest of dark trees.</p> + +<p>A loaf of bread stuck upon a spear was a mark and a prize for +native dexterity. The dusky savages forming a line in front, and +clustering eagerly upon one another behind, took their turns to +throw at the coveted target; and every time that a spear left the +womera, or throwing-stick, and missed the mark, a shrill yell +burst simultaneously from the mass, relieving the excitement +which had been pent up in every breast. But when a successful +spear struck down the loaf, trebly wild and shrill was the yell +that rent the air.</p> + +<p>The York and Northam districts afford a vast quantity of land +suitable for all kinds of grain. The sheep and cattle runs are +excellent, but they are now fully stocked, and new settlers must +direct their steps to the southward, the Dale and Hotham +districts affording scope and verge enough for many a flock and +herd. Our own sheep were generally kept at a squatting station on +the Hotham, some sixty or seventy miles south of York. Thither, +after the races, we drove to inspect the flock. There was no +road, and only an endless succession of trees, and of gently +rising and falling country. How my brother and his men used to +manage to hit upon the site of the location is more than I can +conjecture. People accustomed to the bush seem to acquire, like +the natives, the faculty of knowing exactly the direction, +position, and distance of the spot they want to reach.</p> + +<p>On the way, we fell in with one of those extraordinary nests +constructed by that singular bird called by the natives the Now. +Mr. Gould's description of a similar bird in New South Wales, the +Brush Turkey 'Talegalla Lathami' does not exactly tally with that +which we should give of the Now. His description is as +follows:—"For some weeks previous to laying its eggs, the Brush +turkey collects together an immense mass of vegetable matter, +varying from two to four cart-loads, with which it forms a +pyramidal heap; in this heap it plants its eggs about eighteen +inches deep, and from nine to twelve inches apart. The eggs are +always placed with the large ends upwards, being carefully +covered, and are then left to hatch by the heat engendered by the +decomposition of the surrounding matter. The heaps are formed by +the labours of several pairs of birds. The eggs are white, about +three inches and three quarters long by two and a half in +diameter, and have an excellent flavour."</p> + +<p>Of this bird, Professor Owen observes, "On comparing the +osteology of the 'Talegalla' with that of other birds, it +exhibits all the essential modifications which characterize the +gallinaceous tribe; and among the Rasores, it most nearly +resembles the genera Penelope and Crax."</p> + +<p>The Now of Western Australia does not build its nest of +vegetable substances, but collects together an immense heap of +earth, sand, and small stones, into the form of a broad cone, +four or five feet high in the centre, and about ten feet across. +Directly in the centre it either leaves or subsequently hollows +out a hole large enough to admit itself, into which it descends +and deposits its eggs. The powerful summer sun heats the earth +sufficiently to hatch the eggs, and the young birds come forth +active and able to provide for themselves. Not the least +astonishing part to me is, how they manage to scramble out of +that deep hole. The natives declare that the hen frequently +visits the nest, and watches the progress of incubation, and then +when the young ones are hatched, they get upon her back, and she +scrambles out with her family about her.</p> + +<p>This bird is about the size of a pheasant, has long legs, and +a very deep breast-bone. It runs fast. Each nest is supposed to +be built by a single bird, but it is believed that other birds +may occupy them in succeeding seasons.</p> + +<p>In the afternoon of the second day after leaving York, we +descended into a broad valley, abounding with grass and scattered +gum-trees. A large flock of sheep were being driven towards the +bottom of the valley, where we could discern signs of human +habitation.</p> + +<p>On arriving, we found a hut built of piles or stakes +interwoven with boughs, before the door of which was a fire with +a large pot upon it, from which a powerful steam arose that was +evidently very grateful to a group of natives seated around. Two +families seemed to compose this group, consisting of a couple of +men, four women, and five or six children of various ages. As we +drew nigh, the whole party, without rising, uttered a wild scream +of welcome, accompanied by that loud laughter which always seems +to escape so readily from this light-hearted and empty-headed +people.</p> + +<p>On descending from the vehicle, and looking in at the hut +door, we perceived lying in his shirt-sleeves on a couch composed +of grass-tree tops covered with blankets and a rug made of +opossum skins, the illustrious Meliboeus himself, with a short +black pipe in his mouth, and a handsome edition of "Lalla Rookh" +in his hand. Perceiving us, he jumped up, and expressing his loud +surprise, welcomed us to this rustic Castle of Indolence.</p> + +<p>When a large flock of sheep is sent into the bush, and a +squatting station is formed, the shepherds take the sheep out to +pasture every morning, and bring them home at night, whilst one +of the party always remains at the station to protect the +provisions from being stolen by the natives. This person is +called the hut-keeper. His duty is to boil the pork, or kangaroo +flesh, and provide supper, etc., for the shepherds on their +return at night. Meliboeus, who superintended this station, +undertook the duties of cooking and guarding the hut whenever he +did not feel disposed to go out kangaroo-hunting, or shooting +wild turkeys or cockatoos. In all things, sports or labours, the +natives were his daily assistants, and in return for their +services were rewarded with the fore-quarters of the kangaroos +killed, and occasionally with a pound or two of flour. There were +some noble dogs at the station, descendants of Jezebel and Nero; +and my brother had a young kangaroo, which hopped in and out with +the utmost confidence, coming up to any one who happened to be +eating, and insisting upon having pieces of bread given to it. +Full of fun and spirits, it would sport about as playfully as a +kitten; and it was very amusing to see how it would tease the +dogs, pulling them about with its sharp claws, and trying to roll +them over on the ground. The dogs, who were in the daily habit of +killing kangaroos, never attempted to bite Minny, who sometimes +teased them so heartily, that they would put their tails between +their legs and fairly run away.</p> + +<p>The great enemies of the sheep in the Australian colonies are +the wild-dogs. At York, and in the other settled districts, they +are very troublesome, and require the shepherd to keep a constant +lookout. We were therefore much surprised to learn that although +wild dogs abounded near this squatting station, they never +attempted to touch our flocks. A sheep was to them a new animal; +they had yet to learn the value of mutton. A cowardly race, they +are easily intimidated, and as they have not the art of jumping +or clambering over a fence, a low sheep-fold will keep them out, +provided they cannot force their way under the palings or +hurdles. They cannot bark, and utter only a melancholy howl. The +bitch generally litters in a hollow tree, and produces four or +five puppies at a birth.</p> + +<p>The production of wool—the careful acquisition of a good +flock of well-bred sheep, and the attainment of the highest +degree of perfection in preparing the fleeces for the English +market—appears to us to be the proper ambition of an emigrant to +the Australian colonies. When ill-health compelled my steps +hither, it was the intention of myself and brothers to invest our +capital entirely in sheep; and retiring into the bush for some +six or seven years, gradually accumulate a large flock, the +produce of which would soon have afforded a handsome income. It +has never, however, appeared to be the object of either the Home +Government or the Local Government of any colony (though +unquestionably the interest of both) to encourage emigration. +Settlers have invariably every possible difficulty thrown in +their way. On arriving in this colony, we found to our +astonishment that squatting was illegal, and that we would not be +allowed, as we had designed to carry our goods into the interior +and form a station upon Government land. No license could at that +time be obtained, and if we bought the smallest section allowed +to be sold, which was 640 acres, for as many pounds, it was ten +to one but we should soon find the district in which it was +situated insufficient for the run of a large flock, and should +have to change our quarters again. The consequence was, that we +were compelled to abandon our project: my brothers took a farm at +a high rent, and wasted their capital upon objects that could +never bring in a good return; whilst I (infelix!), instead of +listening to the gentle bleatings of sheep, and ministering to +the early comforts of innocent lambs, have been compelled to +hearken to the angry altercations of plaintiff and defendant, and +decide upon the amount of damages due to injured innocence when +the pot had insulted the kettle.</p> + +<p>Now, however, limited licenses are granted to persons wishing +to go as squatters upon Government land; and even before these +were issued, we were OBLIGED to send our sheep upon Crown lands, +and form a station, for want of room in the settled +districts.</p> + +<p>Sheep flocks constitute doubtlessly one of the most profitable +investments for the employment of capital, notwithstanding the +many obstacles and discouragements still thrown by both +governments in the way of the wool-grower. They yield a very +large return TO THOSE WHO ATTEND TO THEM IN PERSON, and who +confine their attention entirely to that pursuit, growing only +corn enough for their own consumption.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 21.</h3> + +<h4>EXTRACTS FROM THE LOG OF A HUT-KEEPER.</h4> + +<p>May 10th.—Felt rather lonely to-day, in the midst of this +endless solitude. Sat before the hut-door thinking of Zimmerman +and his Reflections. Also thought of Brasenose, Oxford, and my +narrow escape from Euclid and Greek plays. Davus sum, non +Oedipus. Set to work, and cooked a kangaroo stew for the three +shepherds.</p> + +<p>June 4th.—We have removed the sheep from the Dale to the +Avon. We go wandering about with our flocks and baggage like the +Israelites of old, from one patch of good grass to another. I +wonder how long it will be before we make our fortunes?</p> + +<p>28th.—K. arrived from York with a supply of flour, pork, tea +and sugar. Brings no news from England, or anywhere else. Where +the deuce are all the ships gone to, that we get no letters? +Moved the station to Corbeding.</p> + +<p>29th.—K. returned to York with his bullock-cart. No chance of +my being relieved at present. Went out by myself kangarooing. The +pup, Hector, out of Jezebel, will make a splendid dog. First +kangaroo fought like a devil; Hector, fearing nothing, dashed at +him, and got a severe wound in the throat; but returned to the +charge, after looking on for a few moments. Crossed an immense +grassy plain, eight or nine miles wide, without a tree upon it. +Had to carry a kangaroo more than five miles on my back. Wished +it at Hanover, and twice abandoned it, but returned for it again, +being so much in want of fresh meat.</p> + +<p>30th.—Spent the day in dreary solitude in the hut. All my +books have been read, re-read, and re-re-read.</p> + +<p>July 1st.—Went out with the dogs, and caught three kangaroos. +Passed over some splendid country—wish it were peopled with +white humans. How pleasant to have been able to call at a +cottage, and get a draught of home-brewed! On the contrary, could +not find even a pond, or a pint of water, and was nearly worried +to death by sand-flies.</p> + +<p>2d.—Some scabby sheep having got among our flock, have played +the deuce with it. The scab has regularly broke out. I had rather +it were the plague or Asiatic cholera, and cleared them all off +(my own sheep are fortunately at York). Dressing lambs all +morning— beastly work. In the afternoon went out with the sheep, +and left James to mind the hut. Sand-flies infernal.</p> + +<p>3d, Sunday.—Stayed in the hut all day. Smoked sheep-tobacco,* +all my Turkish being finished. Felt pious, and wrote a short +sermon, choosing the text at random—Jeremiah ii. 7: "And I +brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof +and the goodness thereof." Read it at night to the shepherds. +James said it was "slap-up."</p> + +<p>[footnote] *Coarse pig-tail, used as a decoction for dressing +the diseased sheep.</p> + +<p>4th.—Went out kangarooing. Killed an immense fellow: when +standing on his hind legs fighting with me and the dogs, he was a +foot higher than myself. He ran at me, and nearly gave me a +desperate dig with his claw, which tore my only good +hunting-shirt miserably. Smashed his skull for it.</p> + +<p>5th and 6th.—Dressing sheep all day. Out [band of] York +natives, whom we have hitherto kept with us, are all gone home +again, leaving me and my three men, with only two guns, among a +suspicious and treacherous tribe that cannot understand a word we +say to them. Wish my brothers would come and look after their own +sheep. It would do E.'s health more good than sitting in Court, +hearing a set of fools jabber. Sand-flies eat us alive here, and +the mosquitoes polish our bones.</p> + +<p>7th.—Muston and myself dressed fifty sheep to-day. John out +with part of the flock.</p> + +<p>8th.—Heavy rain last night. Cannot go on dressing. Did +nothing all day.</p> + +<p>9th.—Stayed in the hut doing nothing.</p> + +<p>10th, Sunday.—Ditto.</p> + +<p>11th.—Tired of doing nothing. Dressed sheep most of the day. +Muston out kangarooing; caught three.</p> + +<p>12th.—Cooking. Made a "sea-pie," which was generally +admired.</p> + +<p>August 1st.—The Doctor arrived from York, driving tandem in +E.'s trap. He has brought me a parcel of books just come from +England. Blessings on my dear sister for remembering me. I +thought myself forgotten by all the world. Sisters (Heaven for +ever bless them!) are the only people that never forget. News +from home! How many thoughts come flooding upon me!</p> + +<p>2d.—Last night, I confess, I cried myself to sleep, like a +great big baby. I am very comfortable and contented so long as I +receive no letter from home; and yet I am such a fool as to wish +for them; and when they come I am made miserable for a week +afterwards. Somehow, they make me feel my loneliness more. I feel +deserted, forgotten by all but ONE. She says she is constantly +wishing for me in her rides. They seem to enjoy themselves more +at home than they used to do, now that we are gone—always +picknicking, boating, or forming riding parties. "Fairy" +continues the favourite—I always thought she was a good hack. +"Light-foot," whom I lamed hunting, was obliged to be sold. It +seems to be a sore subject with the Governor. I wonder how Juno +has turned out; she was a splendid-looking whelp. I wish they'd +enter more into particulars when they write. It's ridiculous my +asking questions, as it will be more than a year before answers +can arrive. They ought to write about EVERY THING. I cannot bear +to think to-day of anything but home.</p> + +<p>3d.—The Doctor gone back to York—sulky about the sheep being +so bad. Why does he not send us more tobacco and turpentine? Says +we smoke it all. The Doctor is an——. Promises to send K. next +week with mercurial ointment; it is therefore useless to waste +any more tobacco on the sheep—the stock is low enough as it +is.</p> + +<p>4th.—Lay all day on my couch, reading "Rose d'Albret." Wish I +had her here. One wants somebody to sympathize with so +desperately in the bush.</p> + +<p>5th.—Ditto, ditto.</p> + +<p>6th.—Reading Punch all morning. In the afternoon made a +damper, baked it, and eat it in company with the others. "Pit a +cake, pat a cake, baker's man!" etc.</p> + +<p>16th.—Dressing sheep all day with mercurial ointment. Wish +this job was over. Dreadful work bending one's back all day, and +rooting amongst the wool for the diseased places.</p> + +<p>18th.—Went out with the dogs, and killed two kangaroos. It +rained tremendously all the time, and I wish the kangaroos at +the——. The natives happened to be hunting in a large party, +driving the game before them; and as I stood in the midst of a +large plain which they had surrounded on three sides, multitudes +of kangaroos—I believe I might say thousands—of all sizes, came +rushing past me. The dogs were quite bewildered, and remained at +my side aghast; and it was several minutes before they recovered +themselves enough to give chase. The natives took no notice of +me. In the evening fifty of them came about the hut. We took care +to show our guns, and I shot a green parrot, sixty yards off, +just to show them what we could do. They were quite peaceable, +and danced a corrobery at night.</p> + +<p>20th.—I dressed twenty-five sheep this morning myself. In the +afternoon William came from York with six hundred more sheep +(mine among them), which were found to be scabby. More work! This +is really too bad, thrusting all this cursed business upon me. He +had been four days coming, and had not lost a single sheep.</p> + +<p>21st.—Went out kangarooing, quite disgusted. Wandered a long +distance, and had to carry a large buck several miles. Could +scarcely find my way back, but at length got home (!!) quite +knocked up, and more and more disgusted with human nature and +every thing.</p> + +<p>22d.—The Doctor is enjoying himself at York, and E. lives on +the fat of the land at Perth, whilst I have never tasted anything +but salt pork and kangaroo for many months, and have nothing to +drink but tea. I have almost forgotten the taste of a potato. We +have nothing here but kangaroo and pork, and unleavened bread, +called damper. I wish I could exchange our bill of fare +occasionally with that French fellow who complained of having +"toujours perdrix." He would be the loser, I take it. I could eat +even perdrix aux choux—a villanous dish formerly—but we have no +more cabbages than partridges to thank God for. I have long been +obliged to leave off saying "grace after meat;" it really became +an impious mockery, and was also impolitic and uneconomical, as +my stomach used to turn against it. I consulted John this morning +about killing a sheep, as none of them seemed inclined to die +naturally. John caught at the idea with great quickness. He +really is an intelligent fellow; and both he and the other poor +devils are so patient and unrepining, that the Doctor is little +better than a beast not to order them some mutton occasionally. I +consider it absolutely necessary for their health. We fixed upon +one of E.'s sheep, as it looked the fattest; and he being the +richest, and never coming himself to look at his flock, will not +care about a few sheep more or less. I'd kill one of my own, but +they are such a seedy lot. No one is answerable for the murder of +this sheep but myself, as I hereby confess that I killed it with +my own hand, and afterwards held a coroner's inquest on the body, +directing a verdict of "Visitation of Providence" to be recorded +in the accounts relating to the flock. We had the liver for +supper. Excellent! never tasted anything half so good.</p> + +<p>23d.—Dined on sheep's head and trotters. (Tea to drink, +toujours.)</p> + +<p>24th.—Saddle of mutton.</p> + +<p>25th.—Leg.</p> + +<p>26th.—Shoulder.</p> + +<p>27th.—Leg.</p> + +<p>28th.—Shoulder.</p> + +<p>29th.—Finished the sheep, and polished the bones.</p> + +<p>[The rest of the Journal runs on much in the same way. This +specimen will probably be enough for the reader.]</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 22.</h3> + +<h4>PELICAN SHOOTING.—GALES.—WRESTLING WITH DEATH.</h4> + +<p>The large estuary of the Swan affords ample scope for boating +or sailing in small pleasure-yachts.</p> + +<p>Perth water, on the northern bank of which the capital is +built, extends from two to three miles in length, and about the +same distance in its broadest part, its form being that of a half +moon. It is connected with Melville water by an opening of a +quarter of a mile across. Melville water is some six miles long, +and from three to four broad; a splendid bay, called Freshwater +Bay, developes itself at the western extremity of this fine sheet +of water; and the river, or estuary, here makes a turn at right +angles, and pursues its course towards the sea between high +precipitous rocks of marine limestone, which are from six to +seven hundred yards apart.</p> + +<p>My pleasure-boat has enabled me to pass many agreeable hours +upon this estuary.</p> + +<p>At first, especially, it was exceedingly pleasant to make +expeditions for the purpose of exploring the different bays and +inlets, which abounded with ducks, swans, and pelicans.</p> + +<p>My youngest brother and myself would frequently rise at a good +hour, and having supplied our little vessel with a stock of +provisions, and a few bottles of ale or other drinkables, hoist +the sails, and bear away upon a cruise. The warm dry air, +tempered by the sea-breeze, made boating exceedingly pleasant; +and as we often touched at gardens situated at the mouth of the +Canning, or on the shores of Melville water, and procured a +basket of grapes, or peaches and melons, we managed to lunch +luxuriously, having first cast anchor and bathed.</p> + +<p>Many readers must have felt the excitement experienced by +young sportsmen when they have the luck to fall in with some bird +or animal not previously known to them. Every one remembers the +delight with which, when a boy, he shot his first wood-pigeon, or +lay in ambush behind a hedge for an old crow.</p> + +<p>When first we beheld a group of huge tall birds, standing +lazily in the sunshine upon a sand-spit which ran far into +Melville water, we could scarcely believe our eyes that these +were really live pelicans; and it was not only with intense +interest, but with feelings of self-reproach, that we drew nigh +with hostile intentions to birds which in the days of our +boyhood, when visiting Mr. Wombwell's menagerie, had filled us +with awe and reverence, as creatures that were wont to evince the +depth of parental devotion by feeding their young with their own +blood.</p> + +<p>Our first overt act of hostility against the pelicans was +unsuccessful. The sea-breeze was blowing strong, and we had to +beat out against it close-hauled; just as we made the last board, +and were bearing down upon the enemy, the huge, heavy birds, +awakening from the siesta "with a start," raised their heads and +looked about them. Then the foremost began to flap his long +wings, and lift himself on tip-toe, whilst the others followed +his example; and soon they were all heavily skimming along the +surface of the water, trying to launch themselves fairly into the +upward air; and having at length succeeded, they rose higher and +higher in wide gyrations. The leader seemed resolved to hide +himself in the distant blue of the cloudless heavens; and +upward—up, up, up—they continued to mount, going round, and +round, and round, in lessening circles—whilst the spectator +gazed in wonder at the slowly diminishing specks, that were +almost lost in ether; and at length, moving slowly towards the +east —the unknown, mysterious wilderness—they altogether faded +away. We have heard of eagles soaring into the sun, but I doubt +whether even they could soar much higher, or look much grander, +than the noble pelican of the desert.</p> + +<p>The sheets were eased off, the long boom of the graceful +sliding-gunter (a kind of latteen) sail, stretched far over the +gun-wale of the boat, which slipped along easily and rapidly +through the water, the rolling waves heaving up her stern, and +sending her forward with a gentle impulse. We were opening the +broad mouth of the Canning, when Meliboeus pointed out two other +pelicans fishing in-shore on the lee-bow. Gently we edged away +towards them; Meliboeus standing before the mast with his +double-barrel ready, and motioning to me how to steer, as the +main-sail hid the birds from my view.</p> + +<p>They perceived us, and began to swim along shore at a rapid +rate; the water was shoaling fast, and we greatly feared they +would escape, but still we held on. The majestic birds rose +slowly from the water, one following the other, and made towards +the Canning. "I'll let fly at them" cried Meliboeus, in an +intense whisper, "luff up!— hard-a-lee!" The helm was jammed +down, and the sheet hauled in; the boat luffed into the wind, and +became stationary, only bobbing upon the waves, whilst her sails +shivered and rattled in the breeze. Meliboeus fired—and the +hindmost bird declined gradually towards the water; its long +wings became fixed and motionless at their widest stretch, and +slowly it sank down upon its heaving death-bed. Loud shouted the +sportsman; and momentary envy filled the heart of him who +steered.</p> + +<p>Away goes the boat before the freshening breeze, and soon it +dashes past the body of the pelican, which is seized by the ready +Meliboeus, and with great difficulty hauled on board. A shot had +penetrated to its brain and killed it instantaneously. The wind +up the Canning was nearly abeam, and we dashed through the deep +and narrow passage called Hell's Gates, and held on till we came +to the foot of a steep and rounded hill, Mount Henry. The river +here turns at right angles, sweeping round the base of the hill, +and leaving a broad and deep bay called Bull's Creek, to the +southward. This is a famous spot for ducks and swans, and many a +pleasant bivouac have I formed near it, waiting for early morn +when the birds are busy feeding. As we rounded Mount Henry, we +observed a large slate-coloured bird lazily flying across the +river ahead of us. The Canning is here about four hundred yards +broad, widening occasionally to a quarter of a mile. The wind was +now right aft, and we soon came upon the line of the bird, which +appeared to be a crested crane. The boom was topped-up in a +moment, the jib-sheet let fly, and the boat's nose ran crashing +through the sedges which in this part fringed the bank. The crane +had alighted on the very summit of a straight and lofty tree, and +there she sat, unconscious of the danger at hand.</p> + +<p>Too much excited to care for any obstacles, and with eyes ever +fixed upon the game, I tore my way through brambles, thickets, +water and mud, until with no little difficulty I arrived at +ground free from underwood. The bird was still sitting patiently +on her lofty perch, and my heart beat anxiously with hope that I +should be able to creep within shot. What a moment of interest! +It is still vivid in the memory, with all its doubts and fears +and wildly-beating hopes. The crane seemed preparing to fly. +Death! I felt nearly distracted with apprehension. The interest +and excitement became intense. I crept from tree to tree, and +whenever I thought I was observed, stood motionless. My eye-balls +became dry and hard with incessant gazing. I feared to wink lest +she should be gone. She extended her wings! I bounded forward. +She was just off, and barely within reach, as I fired; a single +number two shot struck her pinion, and down she tumbled to the +ground with a glorious wallop.</p> + +<p>A loud shout from Meliboeus, who had sat in the boat scarcely +daring to breathe, proclaimed the presence of a witness to my +triumph.</p> + +<p>Since then I have shot cranes without emotion or much feeling +of interest.</p> + +<p>Boating, as an amusement, ought only to be followed during the +summer months, from the 1st of October to the 1st of April. In +the winter season there are extremely violent gales of wind from +the north-west, that sometimes last for three days together. +Their arrival is generally foretold by the rapid falling of the +barometer; and at Perth it is almost always preceded by the +rising of the estuary. A singular storm visited the district of +Australind in the night of the 17th June, 1842. It crossed the +Leschenault estuary, and entered the forest, making a lane +through the trees from three to four hundred yards wide. In this +lane, which extended for many miles, nothing was left standing +but the stumps of trees; whilst the trees on either wide of the +land stood up like a wall and were perfectly uninjured. The storm +in its course, which was in a direct line from N.W. to S.E. +levelled the trees in the valleys as well as those on the hills. +Its effects were not like those of a whirlwind, when trees appear +twisted round, and scattered in every direction; in this lane the +young healthy trees, which were generally broken off about two or +three yards from the ground, all lay in the same direction.</p> + +<p>Twice have I nearly paid dearly for my rashness in boating. My +boat was once capsized in a moment in a squall, and Hannibal and +myself were soused in the water before we knew what had happened. +I caught hold of the bilge of the boat, and nearly drowned myself +with laughing at the Son of Amilcar, who was splashing about +shrieking with terror, and swallowing quarts of salt-water, as +his open mouth popped every moment under a wave. In vain I called +to him to come to me, and lay hold of the boat; he could neither +see nor hear, and would have soon joined his illustrious namesake +in the Elysian fields, had I not managed to throw the bight of a +rope round his neck, and towed him within reach, when I held him +up by the collar of his jacket (ducking him under water +occasionally to make him cease from howling) until we were +rescued by a fishing-boat.</p> + +<p>One day, the 11th April, 1843, feeling disposed to take my +book on the water and enjoy the calm air, I embarked by myself—a +most unusual occurrence, as I scarcely ever went out alone. What +little wind there was blew down the estuary, but only gently +ruffled the waters; and my boat glided noiselessly before it. A +couple of hours took me to the farther extremity of Melville +water, and here it fell calm. I now began to feel uncomfortable, +for the air was close, and dark clouds appeared rising in the +north-west. The wind began to blow in gusts; a sudden puff, +curling the waters, would strike the boat and make her heel over +until her gunwale kissed the wave, as with a sudden start she +rushed forward under the impulse of the blast. I was now making +homeward. The heavens became black with angry clouds; the wind +first sighed and moaned like a reluctant Spirit driven forth to +fulfil its task of evil, feeling something of remorse at crimes +foreshadowed and inevitable; and then working itself into fury, +as though it would stifle thought, and crush out the germ of +pity, the Wind in its might and rage rushed roaring over the +waters, making the foam fly before it, and tearing up the face of +the estuary into rugged lines of wild tumultuous waves. The +little bark vainly strove to keep her head to the storm, which +bore her down until the water poured over the gunwale.</p> + +<p>It was about six o'clock in the evening, and darkness, hurried +on prematurely by the tempest, spread suddenly around. The waves, +as if trying to leap beyond the reach of some internal agony, +rolled high above my head, as the "Fair Maid of Perth" sank +hopelessly in the deep channel, with rocking mast and shivering +sails. But not yet submerged, she rose again, and fronted the +storm, struggling desperately to reach the northern shore, which +was not far distant. But the skies grew blacker still; the storm +became a hurricane; the wind roared so loud that no voice of +human agony or despair might be heard above its tremendous fury; +the waves grew higher and mightier, and became rushing hills of +water, overwhelming, irresistible. To me, quailing in my frail +bark, in all the consciousness of helplessness and ruin, it +seemed as though the winds and the waves were really sentient +beings combining to overwhelm me, and increasing their efforts +the more I struggled.</p> + +<p>This is no fiction that I am relating, but a reality that +happened to myself, and which it would be impossible to +exaggerate. Never shall I forget the last tremendous wave that +came down upon me, impelled by a maddening gust which whirled +tearing along through the wild air, and scooping its deep passage +through the waters. In vain was the jib-sheet let fly; in vain +did I luff into the wind. I could not quit the helm, and +therefore was unable to lower the sail which in that hurricane +could not have been got in easily, and in the meantime the boat, +breaking off from the wind, would have been swamped. I was so +near the shore that I hoped still to reach it, the wind being +abeam, in the course of a few minutes. But nothing could +withstand the last wave and blast. The boat lurched, and broke +off. Hurled on her beam-ends, the boom was in the water; the +waves rushed over the side; she struggled bravely, and tried to +right herself; but after staggering forwards a few seconds, the +weight of the in-rushing water bore her down, and she slowly fell +over on her side. The sensation was by no means pleasant. I felt +her going, without being able to prevent it. I glanced around for +aid or hope; but there was neither. I could see nothing but +waves, and hear nothing but the roaring blast. The shore was +close to me, but the high waves, and the darkness of the +hurricane, prevented my discerning even the tops of the trees. As +the boat capsized, I kicked off my shoes and threw off my coat +and waistcoat, and seizing the main-sheet, let myself down in the +water, trying to find bottom, but there was none within +reach.</p> + +<p>I struck out towards the shore, but the ablest swimmer that +ever swam could have made no progress against that sea, and I +could scarcely swim at all.</p> + +<p>I scrambled back to the boat, which now lay on her side, level +with the surface. On getting upon her, you may conceive—but no! +you cannot—the horror of the moment, as I felt her gradually go +down —sink, sinking beneath me. All now seemed over. My time had +arrived; my last moment was come. I collected my thoughts, and +prepared for it.</p> + +<p>I did not feel so much terror as I should have anticipated in +such a scene. Death seemed inevitable, and I nerved myself, and +prayed. All the past did NOT press upon me at this moment, in +this death- struggle, as some readers may imagine. I thought not +of my sins, nor of my friends, nor of time misspent and work left +undone—my whole mind was absorbed in the sense of DEATH and +FUTURITY. The glances, rather than the thoughts which shot across +my soul, seemed like revealings of immortality. My sensations +were mixed of horror and hope; the CHANGE from the old to the new +Life seemed beginning within me. It might have been excess of +terror, but I did not feel terrified. I felt that all was over, +and there was no room for the anguish that arises from doubt. All +struggling was vain, and though in tumult and horror, I yet felt +resigned. The World of Time was past, and new being was at +hand.</p> + +<p>Such is the memory which I must ever bear of the hour when +(yet vigorous and full of Life) I was held in the arms of +Death.</p> + +<p>The boat went down. The waves rushed over me; the enemy held +me by the throat, and seemed to press me into the opening grave. +Even as the light faded from my eyes, and the Spirit waited for +that quick, sharp touch of the dart which should free it from the +bonds of mortal life, I perceived the stem of the boat rising +slowly out of the waves, whilst the stern was borne down by my +weight.</p> + +<p>Instinctively I swam forward, and got upon another part of the +boat. Down it went again; and as the water dashed against my +face, I saw the stern now rising up, whilst the stem plunged down +into the depths below. I scrambled amidships; the sea and the +wind struck her, and she rolled heavily over, righting herself +for a moment, with her mast and sail erect; but soon she lay on +her larboard side, deep in the water. I had been washed off her, +but clung to the main-sheet, and so got back again. I now held on +to the side with one hand, whilst I managed to strip off all my +clothes except my shirt and flannel waistcoat, first taking my +knife out of my pocket. With this I tried to cut away the stays +which held the mast in its place, hoping that it would then fall +out, and relieve the boat of the sails which weighed her down so +low in the water. Most fortunately I had not sand-ballast, in +tarred bags, as most of our pleasure-boats had, but water-ballast +in breakers, which now proved no additional burthen to the boat. +It was also fortunate that she was built partly of deal, and had +only her lower streaks of jarra wood, which does not float.</p> + +<p>The blade of the knife, which was only a pen-knife, soon +broke, and I was obliged to give up the attempt to remove the +sails. Still the hurricane blew on, wild and terrible as ever; +the spray washed over me like rain; the waves dashed me +repeatedly from the boat, which was whirled and tossed about in a +strange manner; sometimes rolling completely over, sometimes +going down head, and sometimes stern foremost, I had to scramble +from part to part, and exercise a good deal of agility in saving +myself from being struck by the gunwale, or by the boom and sail, +as they rose from the water and fell back again.</p> + +<p>And now I could see but small prospect of being eventually +saved. The only chance was that the boat would drift, in the +course of time, across the estuary, here nearly four miles broad. +Then I tried, and for a long time vainly, to ascertain whether +she drifted at all. The anchor, with about five-and-twenty feet +of cable, had doubtless fallen out, and the boat was probably +stationary. Night had set in, and it was too dark to distinguish +even the shore with its forest of trees. These gales sometimes +continue three days, and I knew it would be impossible to exist +many hours immersed in water. I dreaded lest I should become +benumbed and unable to hold on to the boat.</p> + +<p>In order to keep up circulation as much as possible, I shouted +aloud, and rubbed my breast and thighs with my disengaged +hand.</p> + +<p>Some dark object was on the water near me. It moved; it came +quickly towards me. I could just discern that it was a whale-boat +containing several men. It had no sails or oars, yet it flew +before the blast. I shouted and screamed as it went by, not +twenty yards from me; and the men turned their heads and waved +their arms, and doubtless answered, but the gale roared with +unabated fury, the waves intercepted them from my sight, and I +could not hear their voices.*</p> + +<p>[footnote] *These men were about a mile and a half astern of +me, when the hurricane began, and tried to pull in shore; but +just as they thought to have reached it, one of their oars broke, +and being now helpless, they were obliged to scud before the +wind. By good fortune they were carried up the Canning, where +they remained all night.</p> + +<p>The moon had now risen, and the clouds were partially +dispersed, so that I could at length distinguish the woods on the +weather-shore; and I could see the weary waste of waters over +which I must drift before I could possibly be saved.</p> + +<p>Sometimes the wind blew with lessened violence, and I could +sit upon the submerged bilge of the boat, and consider my state +and prospects. After long observation, I felt assured that the +boat did really drift, but it was very slowly; and I feared that +as we approached the other shore, her anchor must inevitably +bring her up in twenty-five feet water, and that nothing could +save me from perishing of cold. It never occurred to me during +this memorable night, that when I set sail in the afternoon I had +shortened the cable to about five feet in length, in order the +more easily to trip the anchor. This was one of the +circumstances, providentially ordered, that tended to save my +life.</p> + +<p>Some miles down the estuary I could distinguish a light in the +house at Point Walter, high placed on a steep bank; there two of +my friends were at that moment carousing, whilst I was being +buffetted by waves and tempest, and fearing that the saturated +sails and heavy wood at length would sink the unfortunate boat to +the bottom. I yet could scarcely hope to escape; my mind was +still made up to die, and I tranquilly awaited the event.</p> + +<p>The moon had now made half of her journey across the heavens; +the wind had moderated, and I redoubled my exertions to keep off +the cold by shouting and rubbing myself. My flannel-shirt was +another instrument of safety to me. It felt warm to my body +though the waves poured continually over it.</p> + +<p>The outline of the forest on the lee side of the estuary was +now distinguishable, and hope would have been rife within me but +for the expectation of finding myself anchored fast at a fatal +distance from the shore.</p> + +<p>Every thing appeared so indistinct in the gloom of the night, +that I could not guess how far I was from land; and it was with +surprise, as well as delight and gratitude, that I felt the boat +bump against the sand. Oh that first bump, which told me of +safety and deliverance after five hours of incessant peril! Shall +I ever forget the thrill of delight which it gave me? I could +scarcely credit my senses, and put down my benumbed feet with +doubt; but they rested on the sand— real, hard, blessed terra +firma! and without delay I waded through the water to the +beach.</p> + +<p>The wind had now fallen, and it began to rain.</p> + +<p>I was on the edge of a thick wilderness of forest, without any +house within reach—the nearest was some miles distant, and to +reach it in the dark, and without shoes, through swamps and +thickets was almost impossible.</p> + +<p>The Canning River was about half-a-mile from me, and on the +farther side of it was a settler's house; but though I might +reach the bank of the river, I could not hope to make myself +heard half a mile off, amid the howling of the dying storm, and +by people fast asleep. There was nothing for it, therefore, but +to make myself as comfortable as possible, and remain where I was +until morning. Fortunately, I recollected having seen the ruins +of a goat-shed not far distant, when I had landed on this spot +with my gun two or three months before. With some difficulty, and +some pain to my feet from thorns, I discovered this relic of a +hovel. Part of the roof was yet entire, and sheltered me from the +wind.</p> + +<p>The door was lying inside, and this I made my bed. Then, +having wrung out my shirt and flannel-waistcoat, and returned +thanks to the Almighty for preserving a life not, perhaps, +sufficiently prized by the owner, I lay down completely exhausted +and fell asleep.</p> + +<p>Awaking at daylight, I started off through the woods, stiff +and hoarse with cold, but light of heart; and having reached the +Canning, succeeded at last in making myself heard by the farmer +opposite, who took me across in his boat, breakfasted me, and +lent me his clothes, and finally conveyed me to Perth, where I +found my friends preparing to go in search of my body.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 23.</h3> + +<h4>THE DESERT OF AUSTRALIA.—CAUSE OF THE HOT +WINDS.—GEOLOGY.</h4> + +<p>I intend in this chapter* to give an explanation of the cause +of the hot-winds of Australia; to throw out a suggestion on the +most likely mode of prosecuting discovery towards the interior; +and to conclude with a slight sketch of the geology of the +colony. Before doing this I shall give a brief account of a +journey made by myself and Mr. Maxwell Lefroy in search of the +inland sea so often talked of, and which a native promised to +show to us; so large, he said, that when he stood on one shore he +could not see the other. Although this sea turned out to be a +pure fiction, the journey was not entirely useless, nor +altogether uninteresting. As this sea was probably not more than +200 miles distant from York, according to the reckoning of the +native, who said it was "ten sleeps off," I judged that one +month's provision would be sufficient.</p> + +<p>[footnote] *This chapter I owe to Mr. Henry Landor.</p> + +<p>Accordingly, Mr. Lefroy and myself started on the expedition, +on horseback, taking with us a native boy, and a pack-horse +loaded with flour, tea, and sugar, and other necessaries. It will +be sufficient to state that we pursued a south-east course, +crossing the Hotham, the Williams, and the Arthur rivers, and +traversing an indifferent country, but in many places fit for +sheep-grazing, before we came to the lake, or sea, of which we +were in search. When we arrived at it, we were disappointed to +find it not more than six miles long, although the natives, with +their usual amount of exaggeration, had increased it to an +illimitable ocean. Before descending from the high land to the +plain in which the lakes are situated, we caught a distant +glimpse of what appeared to be a grand and broad river, pursuing +a winding course through a magnificently wooded valley, with its +clear bright waters dwindling in the distance to a silvery +thread. A nearer examination, however, dispelled the illusion, +and the beautiful river turned out to be nothing more than a +chain of shallow lakes, situated in a woody valley; and only in +very wet seasons flowing from one to another.</p> + +<p>We determined to follow the chain of lakes eastward, so long +as our provisions should last, or as long as our horses could +find food for themselves. We proceeded east for six days, passing +numberless lakes, and observing that the chain divided, one +branch of lakes running north-east, and the other due east. We +followed the latter until we came to a lake called Dambeling, by +far the largest we had seen, being about fifteen miles long by +seven or eight wide, with a good sheep country on its northern +bank, and a river, which we called the Lefroy, falling into its +eastern end. The river was about thirty yards wide, with a clayey +bed, and large fresh-water pools, and flowed from the east, +through the worst country we had seen, it being an apparently +endless desert, and level to the horizon. We went one day's +journey into this inhospitable country, but the want of food for +our horses, and our own unprepared state, prevented us from +penetrating farther. On our return, we went for two or three days +north, on the outskirts of the desert, before we turned westward +on our way back to York.</p> + +<p>The only land we crossed in this expedition was situated on +the head of the Hotham and Williams. The area of this country is +undoubtedly very great, but its average character is below the +York district, although it is well adapted for sheep-grazing.</p> + +<p>But the most interesting feature is the barren and desolate +country to the east of Lake Dambeling, doubtless a continuation +of the same sterile country seen by Mr. Roe, the +surveyor-General, east of York many years previously; and +probably from Mr. Eyre's observation, extending quite down to the +southern coast. We had no means of ascertaining the width of this +dreary country, but we did not think it could be impassably wide +because the river Lefroy appeared to come across it. This river, +in a geographical point of view, may be important, as the +character of its bed, without trees, more water-worn than the +other rivers of the colony, its size, and the direction from +which it comes, render it exceedingly interesting to determine +how it is supplied. The sandy nature of the country on its banks, +and for many miles east, and the flatness of the country, +preclude the idea that it receives its supply of water from the +immediately surrounding district. It must either be supplied by a +country of a far better character to the eastward, or it is the +outlet of another and larger lake far in the interior. From the +natives we could learn nothing but that there were no kangaroos, +no opossums, and no water to the east; but as their knowledge +never extends 100 miles, and they would tell any lie to avoid +going where they had no inclination to go, their opinions are +worthless. It might be worth the while of the colony to send +forth another expedition to determine the boundaries of this +desolate country, as it is not improbable that a practicable rout +might be discovered to South Australia by means of the river and +lakes.</p> + +<p>The outlet of the lakes is into the river Beaufort, and +possibly also into the Gordon. There is no doubt that in +exceedingly wet seasons the whole valley is one continuous +stream, when all the lakes would be united and present a truly +magnificent appearance; but as the area of evaporation is so +large, and the banks of many of the lakes are high, the quantity +of rain must be enormous before the valley becomes filled with a +running river. Lake Barbering, where the valley divides, has a +steep shore, with three distinct marks of former water-levels. +All the lakes have two or more shores, showing either a decrease +of rain or an elevation of the land itself, probably both. +Between the present and ancient shores there is a belt of +swamp-oaks and tea-trees, which show that some length of time has +elapsed since the water left its old levels.</p> + +<p>The water to fill these large reservoirs must come down the +river Lefroy, as the neighbouring country is too sandy to supply +it in sufficient quantities.</p> + +<p>No question in geography has presented a wider field for +conjecture than the much-debated one of the nature of the +interior of Australia. Is it desert, or water, or pasture? +inhabited, or destitute alike of animal and vegetable life? The +explorations of Captain Sturt, and the journey of Mr. Eyre, would +incline us to believe that the country is one vast sterile waste; +but the journey of the latter is worth nothing as an attempt to +expose the nature of the interior, since he never left the coast. +It certainly shows how much suffering the human frame can endure; +and whilst, as illustrative of Australian geography, it is +valueless, it is highly creditable to the energies of the +traveller.</p> + +<p>The expedition of Captain Sturt has shown that to the north of +South Australia the country is chiefly desert, totally incapable +of supporting animal life: while the geological specimens of that +traveller prove that the rich mineral strata of South Australia +extend far beyond the pastoral boundaries of the colony. A +reference to the journey of Mr. Lefroy and myself, from York to +the south-east, will show that there exists a low level country +running far beyond our farthest eastern point, which may afford +abundance of water and pasture for any future expedition +proceeding in that direction.</p> + +<p>An expedition starting from these lakes in the BEGINNING OF +WINTER, so as to take advantage of the first supplies of water, +might advance far enough into the interior to discover at least +the possibility of proceeding before the succeeding summer would +render it impossible to return; for the lakes alone would not be +sufficient to ensure a supply of good drinkable water during the +summer, as they generally become quite salt long before summer is +over. It would be necessary to find a good deep water-hole for +the party to remain at during the dry season, and from which they +could push out small lateral expeditions as a sort of foundation +for the next season's main advance. Expeditions in Australia +require great circumspection. It is not the most rapid traveller +who will get the farthest, but the most prudent and cautious. I +consider it quite possible to get across the island, either to +South Australia or to Port Essington. Most probably it would be +easier to get to the latter than the former.</p> + +<p>From observations made on the rains and winds in Western +Australia, and careful inquiries on the same subjects when I was +in South Australia, and on a comparison of the two, I am inclined +to believe that the climates of the two colonies assimilate. A +wet winter in one is a wet winter in the other. Both receive +their rains when the wind blows from the north-west to +south-west. Thus the rains from South Australia pass from the +Indian Ocean over Western Australia, and the whole island, to +South Australia. The hot wind of Western Australia blows from the +north-east; and, in fact, the hot wind of both colonies comes +from the same portion of the great island. That which is the hot +wind in summer in Western Australia is the cold wind in winter; +and the same in South Australia. The reason is obvious. It is +evident, from the fact that South Australia receives its rain +from the Indian Ocean, that there are no mountains in the +interior of sufficient elevation to intercept the clouds; that +there are no mountains in the interior, is shown also by the +absence of rivers emptying themselves into the ocean. From the +observation of Mr. Lefroy and myself, we were led to suppose that +the interior consisted for the most part of immense clay plains; +the lower portion of these plains being hollowed into the large +shallow lakes we meet with in our journey. Where the country is a +little more elevated the plains are sand instead of clay. In +winter these plains are covered with water, as the drifted leaves +on the bushes testify; and the marks of water on the surface are +very evident. Now, when the winter winds pass over these immense +masses of water, the great evaporation renders them intensely +cold; and they arrive in the colony laden, (if I may so +unphilosophically express it,) with cold, caused by rapid +evaporation. In summer these very plains are equally the cause of +the hot wind; for when the rains cease, and the sun acquires his +summer power, the water is quickly evaporated, the clay becomes +baked, and the heat is reflected from the hard heated surface +quite sufficiently to raise a thermometer to 110 degrees in the +shade. The wind is now driven towards the colony laden with heat +from the cracked, baked, clay-plains in the interior; and thus it +is, that at different seasons the same country produces such +opposite effects. But although the general state of the interior +is barren and unproductive, as I imagine, I do not suppose that +it is entirely so. I believe there are many cases of good pasture +land in the midst of this sterile country; fertile spots, small +when compared with the vast area of indifferent country around +them, but large in themselves. And these pastoral oases are more +cultivated than the worthless land amid which they are placed. In +these patches of good land there are always water-holes to be +found, and water-courses well marked, conducting the surplus +waters to the lakes in the clay plains. That there are such +fertile spots in the Australian deserts is certain, for I have +seen many of them myself, and they are mentioned also by the +South Australian travellers. The similarity in most respects of +vegetation in Western Australia and in South Australia, and the +identity of many plants, proves also a country of good quality +lying between the two colonies; by which such plants were +conveyed from one country to the other. Thus, the so called +white-gum is the same tree in both colonies; the mungat, or +raspberry-jam tree, is common to both; and also to the plains of +New England, in New South Wales, where (I understand) it acquires +a larger size than in Western Australia. The manch is another +tree also common to the two colonies; so is the black-wattle. The +grasses are many of them alike. But this similarity is not +confined only to the vegetable kingdom. The birds and animals are +many of them also alike. The white and the black cockatoo are +common to the three colonies, as are many kinds of the smaller +parrots, the kangaroo, and the kangaroo-rat, the numbat, the +opossum, the native cat, and many others. And this is not only +true of animals of great locomotion, or birds of long flight, as +the pigeon or cockatoo, but equally so of the opossum, the quail, +and the wild-turkey. The quail and the turkey are birds chiefly +found in grassy lands, and neither fly to any great distance: at +least the quail never does; the turkey will when much disturbed, +but not otherwise. Also the water animals, as the tortoise, are +to be found in both colonies; but not the platypus, which is +confined to the country east of the great river Murrumbidgee and +its tributary the Darling.</p> + +<p>The natives are also alike in feature and habits, evidently +the same race, with language similar in character, in both +countries, with similar weapons and methods of procuring food; +having also similar customs and laws.</p> + +<p>Now, I infer from these facts, that the population, animal as +well as vegetable, proceeded from one country to the other; and +that many forms of vegetation in the two colonies possess no +greater difference, than the difference of soil and latitude may +account for; and that it may therefore be possible for men to +find a route from one country to the other, by carefully noting +and following the lay of the water-courses, the direction of the +oases, and the nature of the geology of the country; for that no +impenetrable desert exists between the countries, is evident from +the passage of vegetables and animals from the one to the other. +What will be the benefit, some one may ask, when such a route is +discovered? Why, independent of the knowledge gained to +geography, there will be the great practical good of opening the +boundless pastures of Western Australia to the flocks of the +already overstocked lands of the other colonies. To Western +Australia the gain would be great; and to South Australia it +would be equally advantageous, as it would maintain the value of +stock there, which will rapidly fall when no more land can be +found fit for occupation. Even with all the rapid increase of +population which the great mineral abundance of that colony will +continue to create, sheep will multiply faster than the +population, until they become of the same low value as in New +South Wales, where, if there be no run sold with them, they are +not worth more than the value of the wool on their backs.</p> + +<p>It is therefore most desirable that attempts should be made to +find a stock route from the western to the eastern coasts.</p> + +<p>Intra-tropical Australia is more abundantly supplied with +rivers, and of a larger magnitude, than any out of the tropics, +the Murray alone excepted; and doubtless a journey across the +island within the tropic would present fewer difficulties than +one direct from Perth to Sydney, or Adelaide; but, excepting for +the advancement of geographical knowledge, there is no object to +be gained by such a journey. The best way is along the valley of +the lakes, guided as the party proceeds, by the nature of the +country.</p> + +<p>I earnestly hope that an expedition will be sent to make some +effort to penetrate the great extent of an unknown country, lying +east of Western Australia, as it is an object well worth the +attention of the Government, or of the Geographical Society.</p> + +<p>The geology of Western Australia is not very interesting, as +the country is entirely of primary formation to the east of the +Darling range of hills: the granite every where crowning the +summit of the hills, and the immense plains consisting entirely +of granitic sand, or of hard clay containing nodules of primary +rocks. This formation, which does not in Western Australia +consist of the stratified primary series, as in South Australia, +cannot be expected to yield the abundant mineral riches that the +strata of South Australia exhibit. Probably gold may be met with, +and copper and lead may be found in the Koikunenup Range, which +is not entirely a granitic range, but is, I believe, capped with +clay slate. The level country lying between the Darling hills and +the sea is of a much more recent formation; but has not been +sufficiently examined to determine its age precisely, though I +imagine it will be found to belong to the pliocene tertiary +formations. Certainly it contains many shells of species now +living in the neighbouring ocean; and the limestone ridge running +parallel with and close to the coast, and which in the colony is +falsely called magnesian limestone, contains a great proportion +of modern shells. The country lying between the hills and the sea +contains many beds of lignite; one of which, at Nornalup, on the +south coast, is more than two feet thick, and shows itself on the +face of the cliff on the north shore of the estuary. Following +the line of coast in any part of Australia, the geologist cannot +fail to be much struck by the evident marks of a gradual +elevation of the land; he will every where see the marks of the +sea on the cliffs, at a considerable height above its present +level. At Cape Chatham, on the south coast, these sea-marks are +visible 300 feet above the present level of the ocean; and can be +seen on the face of the rocks, in the hills at some distance from +the coast. On my journey to Nornalup, I discovered a lake +containing shells in abundance, which appeared to me, and were +also considered by the late Dr. Hinds (Surgeon, Royal Navy) a +skilful conchologist, to be a littoral species, common to the +shores of various parts of the globe. These shells, of no +interest in themselves, become excessively interesting as +evidence of a connexion once existing between this lake and the +ocean, from which it is now at least forty miles distant. This +lake is not more than 100 feet above the present level of the +ocean, and entirely separated from any other lake or river. How, +therefore, could these marine shell-fish be living in a salt +lake, unless they had continued to exist there from the period +when it was a portion of the ocean itself? That many generations +of them had lived and died in this spot, was quite certain, from +the abundance of dead shells on the shores of this very +interesting lake. Nor is the evidence of elevation confined to +the coast; all the lakes seen by Mr. Lefroy and myself have +ancient shores much higher than the present waters ever reach. +The same evidence of elevation is to be seen in the harbour of +Sydney, and in Spencer's Gulf, in South Australia. At the head of +the latter the shingle and rolled-stones clearly show that the +gulf has formerly run much farther inland: probably to Lake +Torrens, the superfluous waters of which are now discharged into +the head of the gulf. The whole plain of the Murrumbidgee has +been, at not a very distant date, beneath the ocean; as the +Madrepores, and other fossils in the limestone cliffs of the +river testify. Earthquakes have been felt in South Australia +since its settlement. A very intelligent gentleman there told me +that he had noted eleven since his arrival; quite perceptible +enough to leave no doubt as to their character. Probably the +country was elevated at each shock, in a slight degree; and +perhaps before the volcano of Mount Gambier became extinct the +elevatory movements were more rapid. Be that as it may, I am +quite convinced that they are going on at this moment; and it +would be well to make marks on the cliffs in various parts of the +coast, at the present sea-level, in order to determine, after the +lapse of years, the rate of elevation.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 24.</h3> + +<h4>COLONIAL GOVERNMENT.</h4> + +<p>We have already observed that a vast deal of discontent +prevails in colonies. With all the natural advantages of a +fruitful soil and a heavenly climate, colonists are always +dissatisfied with their position; because, in a pecuniary point +of view, they are always poor. And why are they so? The answer is +a startling one. The excess of their abundance is the first cause +of their poverty; the instability of their government, the +second. They possess more than they can dispose of, and are borne +down by the weight of their possessions. Place the markets of +England and the labour of Ireland within their reach, and they +would become millionaires were they to cease to be colonists; but +so long as they continue to be colonists, governed by a Power +altogether distinct from that which rules over Englishmen in +their native land, they will continue to be helpless, oppressed, +and poverty-stricken.</p> + +<p>They alone, among British subjects, are living under an +absolute Monarchy; the caprices of which render property insecure +and of uncertain value; neutralizing industry, paralyzing +enterprise, and crushing with fatal authority the energies and +the spirits of the people.</p> + +<p>In the absolute recklessness of colonial rule, no sooner does +private enterprise raise its head, and throw out the first +feelers on the way to wealth, than a watchful government steps +forward, and careful only to secure gain to itself, crushes out +(in the first feebleness of existence,) the germ of vitality.</p> + +<p>In all new countries in which the sources of wealth are +imperfectly developed, the expense of applying the means +necessary to their development is so enormous, as to leave but +small profit to the speculator. Labour is always dear in new +countries, where there is so large an outlet afforded to the +labourer to escape from the toils of servitude, and become +himself an occupant or an owner of the soil. All that he gains by +the exchange is an ideal independence; which is, unhappily, but +too attractive to the uneasy spirit of modern improvement.</p> + +<p>The prosperity of a colony is the aggregate of individual +wealth. the prosperous advance of the colonist, is, therefore, +the first duty of a superintending Government. But the first aim +of that watchful guardian is ever to wring from the settler as +much as may be extracted by pressure. The lowest demand for land, +which would be dear at half-a-crown an acre, is eight times that +amount. No sooner does the settler, by his science or industry, +discover some lucrative opening, than government steps in with +its restrictions, its taxes and duties, and at once cuts down the +budding promise. If the design be to bring to light the mineral +wealth of the country, royalties are immediately imposed; and no +chance of profit is left to the speculator when the rents are +raised according to the probabilities of success. It is the same +with all other speculations; no one will embark, even in a +timber-trade, when he knows that he is placing his capital at the +mercy of a grasping and short-sighted Government.</p> + +<p>How much more lucrative, and how much more statesman-like +would it prove, were our rulers to display as much good policy as +the peasants of Norfolk, who do not pluck their geese until they +be well feathered! Colonists, like cabbages, should be allowed to +acquire the necessary strength, and attain the proper dimensions, +before they be seriously operated upon. You might then cut and +nick them with reasonable hope of their sprouting forth anew.</p> + +<p>But the worst evil of an absolute Government arises from the +destruction in the minds of the people of all faith and +confidence in its truth and honour.</p> + +<p>One Secretary of State countermands the edicts of his +predecessor; and as the Executive Government of a colony is +composed of the paid servants of the Crown, and is merely the +machine of the Secretary for the time being, the ordinances which +it promulgates are distinguished by only one uniform feature—the +announcement of broken promises and betrayed faith.</p> + +<p>The inhabitants of colonies, disappointed and deceived, have +no trust in their rulers, and dare not invest their capital in +enterprises which may be ruined in a moment by an arbitrary +edict. At one period, for instance, they may have been induced, +upon the faith of the Government, to purchase remission tickets, +which entitle the owner to a certain quantity of land wherever he +may choose to select it. A succeeding Government confines this +right of selection within certain narrow limits; whilst another +decides that the holder shall be allowed to purchase with these +tickets only land that is entirely valueless. At one period men +are encouraged to attempt the production of colonial spirits; but +no sooner is a large amount of capital expended, than it is made +illegal to distil. Some parties are permitted to purchase land at +a distance from the capital: and after years of toil and expense +are deprived of all protection from the Government, and allowed +no compensation for its withdrawal.</p> + +<p>But it were vain to attempt to enumerate the acts of broken +faith on the part of an absolute Government, from whose decree +there is no appeal, and from whose oppression no redress. The +moral evil to colonies is crushing and fatal.</p> + +<p>The best informed among English statesmen know nothing of +colonies: but their hardihood in legislating for them is, +unhappily, equal to their ignorance. It was only last year (1846) +that the bill for the government of Western Australia was +(according to newspaper report) opposed in the House of Lords by +a noble duke, on the ground, as his grace alleged in an animated +and interesting speech, of the wretchedly immoral state of the +colony, arising from the system of transportation, which so +deluged the country with convicts that it was now a perfect hell +upon earth! A noble lord, then Under-secretary for the Colonies, +apologised, with the best grace he could assume, for this +lamentable state of things, and assured the noble duke that the +Government was quite aware of the evil, and was turning its +attention to a remedy for it. Had any one of the noble lords +present known anything at all about the subject of the debate, he +might in a few words have relieved the anxiety of the Government, +by informing it that Western Australia is not, and never has +been, a penal settlement—that convicts are not sent thither for +punishment; that even a single bush-ranger has never been known +within the territory; and that, in the words of an Adelaide +journal, "it is as free from stain as any of the rural districts +of England."</p> + +<p>Another Australian colony (that of Port Phillip) calls for the +attention of Government more imperatively, perhaps, than any +other of these settlements. At present an appendage to Sydney, +but situated at a most inconvenient distance from that capital, +it is compelled to remit thither between fifty and one hundred +thousand pounds annually for rates, taxes, and duties, not a +tithe of which ever finds its way back again. It is deprived of +roads, bridges, and all public works of importance, solely +because it is friendless at home, voiceless and unrepresented. +Might Englishmen be made to feel that interest in colonies which +in general they are ever ready to accord to the unfortunate, they +would glow with indignation at the wrongs, the injustice, and the +oppression under which the inhabitants of distant settlements +bend in silence. "If you don't keep your colonies in a state of +dependence," are the memorable words of Lord Stanley, in May, +1846, "of what use are they?" Such has ever been the +narrow-minded and unstatesman-like policy of the British +Government. And yet even the infant colonies of the empire, +though fettered, cramped, and swathed like the young progeny of +the Esquimaux, are useful still to the Mother Country. They +afford the best market for her produce; and when freed from the +pressure of their bonds, like plants released from the torturing +confinement of their earthenware prison, and allowed to extend +their roots abroad in the free soil of Nature, they will display +new strength and viridity, and bring forth fruit in increased +abundance. Her Majesty's present Secretary of State for the +Colonies (Earl Grey) entered upon his office with truly liberal +and right-minded views, which, we trust, will be carried out into +operation wherever found necessary and practicable. "There can be +no doubt," said his Lordship in the House of Lords, shortly +before taking office, "that in our colonial empire we have the +advantage of possessing warm friends and allies in all quarters +of the world, who, commanding great natural resources, are united +in heart and soul to defend our trade and our interests, and to +take part with us in all contests against our enemies. We have +garrisons of the cheapest kind in every quarter of the universe. +On the other hand, the colonies have this inestimable +advantage—they have the glory and security to be derived from an +intimate connexion with the greatest, the most civilized, and the +most powerful nation on the face of the earth. They have the +glory—and they feel it to be a glory—of calling themselves +British subjects, and feeling that in defence of their interests +and best rights, the power and might of this country are ready at +any moment to be called forth and exercised in their behalf. This +is a substantial advantage of the most important kind to the +colonies; and they are fully sensible of it. And if with this we +pursue a liberal policy, and extend to them the dearest privilege +of Englishmen—THE PRIVILEGE OF SELF-GOVERNMENT, AND DO NOT +VEXATIOUSLY INTERMEDDLE WITH THEIR INTERNAL AFFAIRS; in short, if +we pursue a liberal policy towards them, both commercially and +politically, we shall bind them to us with chains which no power +on earth may break, and the connexion between the parent state +and those great dependencies may continue until they far exceed +us in population."</p> + +<p>These are generous sentiments and profound truths, and they +have shed the bright beams of Hope over that vast colonial empire +to which they refer.</p> + +<p>In legislating for colonies, let it not be forgotten that one +of the chief drawbacks to their prosperity is the want of +confidence in the stability and permanency of existing +regulations. There can be no success, and there can be no safety, +whilst those regulations and laws are liable to the influence of +peculiar views or individual caprice. It is the people +themselves, for whose government the laws are intended, who +should be allowed to impose, to modify, or to expunge them.</p> + +<p>The predominating evil in colonies is THE WANT OF CONFIDENCE +AND FAITH IN THE GOVERNMENT.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 25.</h3> + +<h4>ONE OF THE ERRORS OF GOVERNMENT—ADVENTURE OF THE +BRAMBLE.</h4> + +<p>It has ever been considered one of the first principles of +good government, that a frequent and ready communication and +intercourse should be maintained between the ruling power and the +possessions subject to its authority. The first act of Roman sway +was ever to lay down good lines of road through the conquered +country; and nothing has tended so much to maintain the authority +of the United States over the Red Indians of America, as the +formation of roads through the wilderness. The rulers of Great +Britain entertain the opinion that when they have once seized +upon a distant country, and thrown into it a handful of troops +and a few of their importunate friends, with the title of +government officers, they have done all that is required of them. +They wait with resignation for any account that may be brought of +the progress of the new colony, by some wandering +merchant-vessel. Despatches, frequently dated twelve months +previously, during which time they have been making the tour of +all the oceans at present known upon the globe, are brought to +Downing Street; and are then thrown aside, or at least are never +attended to, probably because they are too old to be deemed +interesting. No matter how pressing and immediate the wants of +the colony, chance alone affords the opportunity of making their +necessities known at home. Letters and despatches accumulate in +the Post-office; no vessel arrives bringing intelligence from +England, or offering to take away a mail: the Colonial Secretary, +having exhausted every official resource in the way of mental +occupation, looks out at the window, and meditates upon +quail-shooting. His Excellency the Governor, questions the +possibility of adding another despatch to the hundred and fifty +already composed in illustration of the art of making despatches, +as Soyer makes soup, out of nothing; and oppressed by the +subject, becomes dormant in his chair of state; the clerks in the +neighbouring offices no longer exhibit the uplifted countenance +which, as justly observed by Sallust, distinguishes man from all +other creatures; nothing is to be seen of them but masses of hair +in wild profusion, and right hands extended on the table, still +mechanically grasping steel-pens, whilst every face lies +flattened upon a paper-case, and sleep and silence, broken only +by sighs and snores, reign throughout the building. Universal +stagnation prevails among government people; and merchants and +store-keepers appear to be much in the same condition. The only +person in office who is kept in a constant state of fever, is the +unhappy Post-Master-General, who is hourly called upon to state +when he is going to make up a mail for England. In vain he +apologises for the non-arrival of ships; there is something +radically wrong in his department, for which he is expected to +answer; and dark denunciations are muttered in his ear, until +worn out with anxiety and nervousness, he loses his appetite, and +gradually withers away, like grass in the oven.</p> + +<p>And when at length a vessel arrives accidentally from Van +Diemen's Land, or perhaps from America, the Master at first +demurs about taking a mail, under the idea that it may convey +letters giving information of the state of markets that he +desires should be known only to himself and his employers; but +finally consents; and then, having received the mail on board, +carries it about with him from port to port, until at the +conclusion of a long voyage, having occasion to empty his vessel +in order to smoke out the rats, he discovers the forgotten boxes, +and conscientiously sends them ashore.</p> + +<p>But if it be vexatious and inconvenient to have only this +uncertain means of despatching our letters to England, how much +more annoying is it to have no regular and stated time for +receiving them from home! What could be more painful than to have +to wait twelve months before you can receive an answer to an +inquiry; and what more destructive to the interests of commerce? +How many fluctuations are there in the state of the markets +during those twelve months!</p> + +<p>It is one of the greatest of evils to have no regular +post-office communication between the Mother Country and her +colonies, and the interests of trade in both greatly suffer by +it.</p> + +<p>Much has been said lately of establishing steam communication +with Sydney. A committee of Sydney merchants has been appointed +in London to consider the subject, and the restless and +indefatigable Lieut. Waghorn has written a pamphlet showing how +it may be done, provided the Government will contribute 100,000 +pounds per annum towards the project. He proposes that a branch +line of steamers shall be established, to proceed from Sincapore +by the north of New Holland, touching at Port Essington, and +through Torres Straits to Sydney, and probably on to Van Dieman's +Land. But why follow such a route as this, through the most +dangerous channel in the world, where even steamers would have to +lie-to at night (as the Lieutenant admits), and where +light-houses would have to be erected and kept up at an +extravagant cost? Why take such a route, which presents not a +single place to call at, except Port Essington, a miserable spot, +intended only as a kind of refuge for shipwrecked mariners, +possessing no commercial or agricultural inhabitants, and only +enjoying the advantages and the society of a Governor, a handful +of soldiers, and three white women? Why insist upon expending so +much public money, and encountering so many dangers, without +conferring a single additional benefit upon the Australian +colonies, when the route by the south of New Holland is so +obvious, so practicable, and so superior? The projectors talk of +making Port Essington a depot for coal; but why not make this +depot in Western Australia? During the summer months, from 1st +October to 1st April, the steamers might touch at Fremantle; and +during the winter months, at Port Gladstone, fifteen miles to the +southward, affording a sheltered harbour where ships may ride +securely within one hundred yards of the shore. Coal mines will +probably soon be at work in the colony, vast beds of that mineral +having been discovered, thus offering every inducement to +steam-vessels to touch here. Nor could anything be more +advantageous, considering the great interests that England now +has at stake in these seas, than to form a general depot in this +colony, where her Majesty's steamers and ships-of-war might refit +on occasion. As there is no other spot in all New Holland, Van +Dieman's Land, or New Zealand, where first-rate ship-timber may +be obtained, and where IRON, COAL, and COPPER, are also +procurable in abundance, this colony offers advantages for the +formation of a Government Dock-yard and depot (at Port +Gladstone), that must be acknowledged by every unprejudiced +person.</p> + +<p>Objections may be raised to doubling Cape Lewin during the +winter season; but let the steamers stand well out to sea, and +there would be no difficulty. The time lost would not exceed that +spent in lying-to in Torres Straits during the night. Our +colonial schooner, the Champion, goes round Cape Lewin at all +seasons.</p> + +<p>We would propose that the mail steamers, instead of branching +off from Sincapore, as proposed by Lieut. Waghorn, should depart +from Point de Galle, Ceylon, make direct for Swan River, there +take in coal, and pass on to Adelaide, South Australia, and +thence to Van Dieman's Land, where they might put the Melbourne +and Sydney mails on board of the steamer already plying between +Van Dieman's Land and those places. By this route the Sydney +people would receive their letters quite as soon as though their +interests alone had been consulted, according to the desire of +the disinterested committee before alluded to; whilst Van +Dieman's Land would gain a few days, and South Australia and +Western Australia would be allowed to share in the general +advantage, from which they would otherwise be entirely +excluded.</p> + +<p>But the Government and the public would also be gainers by the +route which we suggest. It would be much cheaper to them, because +it would be much more profitable to the company that carried it +out. The colony of South Australia is now a populous country, and +becomes more so every year; but the Steam Company would carry no +passengers and no goods for South Australia (perhaps not even for +Van Dieman's Land), if the route to Sydney were to be by Port +Essington and Torres Straits. The two colonies of South and +Western Australia deriving no benefit from such a course, could +give no support to the company. Government hitherto has resisted +the efforts of the Sydney merchants, and refused to sanction the +proposal of Mr. Waghorn, but chiefly upon the ground of expense. +And there is no doubt that Ministers would be guilty of a gross +misdemeanour, were they to consent to apply 100,000 pounds per +annum of the public money in furtherance of a scheme designed for +the exclusive benefit of a single colony. It is the duty of +Government to see that any sum which may be granted shall be so +applied as to confer the most extensive benefit upon all the +Australian colonies. That measures ought to be immediately taken +to ensure a regular communication between the home country and +every one of her colonies is a matter of no doubt to us. The want +of this has long appeared to be one of the grand errors of +colonial legislation. Let us hope that the day is not far distant +when this crying evil shall be remedied. Now that steam +navigation has come so generally into use, there is no valid +reason why it should not be made the means of uniting together, +as it were, the different outposts of the empire, drawing them +more closely towards their parent country as to a common centre. +It is full time that a greater appearance of sympathy were +exhibited at home for those distant settlements which have now +become the principal markets for British produce, and which, +therefore, deserve something more at the hand of Government than +what they have so long been accustomed to find—alternate periods +of tyranny and neglect.</p> + +<p>By far the greater portion of English merchant-ships are +engaged in trading to the colonies; our manufactures there find +their principal mart; our surplus population is there cheaply +provided with maintenance and a home. These are the grounds on +which the colonies lay claim to the fostering care of the Mother +Country, and we trust the days are at hand that will see it +afforded.</p> + +<p>The first step must be to ensure a regular and frequent +intercourse between the countries, without which there can be no +real protection; without which there is no sufficient +encouragement given to trade; and the parent state can therefore +reap but little advantage, comparatively, from a colony whose +powers are only imperfectly developed.</p> + +<p>Since the above remarks were written, accounts have reached +England of the arrival at Fremantle of her Majesty's surveying +vessel Bramble, Commander Lieutenant Yule, after passing some +time in Torres Straits and on the coast of New Guinea.</p> + +<p>Mr. Yule having kindly placed the notes of his voyage at the +disposal of a friend in the colony, they were partially published +in one of the local journals in the month of January last. The +portion relating to Torres Straits is instructive. The Bramble +sailed from Port Jackson about the end of December 1845, in +company with the Castlereagh tender, Lieut. Aird, Commander. +Touching at Moreton Bay, Mr. Yule visited his old acquaintance, +Captain Wickham, R.N., late in command of H.M.S. Beagle, and now +a settler on the Brisbane. In the words of the journal referred +to, "the Bramble proceeded slowly to the northward, being much +delayed by the bad sailing of the tender." The voyage presents +nothing worthy of notice, until the arrival of the ships in +Torres Straits, when it is impossible to help being struck with +the commentary which Mr. Yule unconsciously affords upon the +"perfect safety" of that passage, now so much vaunted by the +advocates of the northern route. While the Bramble and +Castlereagh were lying off Sir Charles Hardy's Islands, the +latter being deficient in ballast, Mr. Aird was despatched with +the boats to look for the "wreck" of the Maid of Athens and the +"wreck" of the Martha Ridgway, with the view of procuring some; +and having failed in discovering the former, and therefore in +procuring a sufficient supply, he was again sent to the "wreck" +of the Sir Archibald Campbell for the same purpose. So much for +Torres Straits!</p> + +<p>Mr. Yule strongly recommends Cairncross Island as the best +station for obtaining wood and water for vessels navigating the +straits, there being abundance of both easily procurable, and +even large timber, if required. On this island they shot four +megapodii, and observed many of their nests, some of which Mr. +Yule describes as being twelve feet high, and upwards of fifty +feet in circumference.</p> + +<p>On Friday, the 10th April they made the coast of New Guinea, +which presented a low and thickly-wooded coast-line, backed by +mountains of magnificent height and beauty; the country being +apparently very rich, with many villages, embowered in cocoa-nut +trees, scattered along the shore. While coasting along, in search +of a convenient place to land, they encountered a native vessel +of most extraordinary size and character, which we will allow Mr. +Yule to describe in his own words:—</p> + +<p>"At daybreak, as the sun was rising, I was very much struck +with the grandeur of some very distant mountains in a +south-eastern direction —one in particular, the outline of whose +summit was only visible above the intervening clouds; immense +ranges of mountains were also distinctly visible this side of it, +extending in a N.W. and S.E. direction. It is seldom the rising +sun has disclosed to my sight so splendid a view as then +presented itself; but in a few minutes, when the sun's disk +appeared, the beautiful scene vanished, leaving only inferior +cloud-topped mountains visible, together with the rich and +undulating foreground. We shortly afterwards saw the strange sail +seen last night. Although she was much nearer, she proved more +unaccountable than before. As there was not sufficient wind to +enable us to weigh, I resolved to send Mr. Pollard in the second +gig to take a nearer view of this extraordinary vessel. I watched +the boat until Mr. Pollard must have gone nearly five miles from +us, when the boat's sails appeared a mere speck when close to the +wonderful stranger. On this officer's return, he informed me he +had approached within bow-shot of the vessel, which proved to be +a gigantic double canoe, which he conceives must have measured +fifty or sixty feet long, kept apart and together by a platform +from fifteen to twenty feet broad, which extended nearly the +whole length of the canoes, the after-end being square with the +sterns of the boats; six or eight feet of this was left clear for +the three steersmen, who guided the vessel with three long +paddles over the stern. With the exception of this part of the +platform, the whole was covered by a strong, well-built house, +made of cane, the roof being flat, and about five or six feet +above the platform. This roof answered the purpose of an upper +deck, affording the crew the means of conveniently walking on it. +This extraordinary craft was propelled by two large mat sails, +each spread between two bamboo masts, the heels of which were +fixed in the same step, the mastheads being spread (athwartships) +from twenty to thirty feet asunder, the sail being triangular +between these bamboo masts, which were supported by diagonal +shores fore and aft on either side; besides these two large +sails, the canoe had numerous smaller (square) ones suspended +from the principal masts; there was also a small square sail +forward. The whole of the spars and rigging was ornamented with a +sort of flags and streamers. Mr. Pollard thinks that he saw about +forty or fifty people on the roof, several of whom were in the +act of stringing their bows; except this precaution on the part +of the strangers, there was no demonstration of hostility. After +taking a good view of this most extraordinary canoe, Mr. Pollard +returned; and she ultimately was wafted out of sight. Whence she +came, or where bound, still remains to me a problem.</p> + +<p>"At noon I obtained the latitude, which was 8 degrees 3 +minutes S.; longitude, by chronometer, 145 degrees 28 minutes +E.</p> + +<p>"In the afternoon the Castlereagh was visited by two small +canoes, with eight men, who had come off from a village we +discovered abreast of us. The natives brought off a few +cocoa-nuts and some bows and arrows, which they readily bartered +for such trifles as were given in exchange."</p> + +<p>The lofty mountain which so much excited Mr. Yule's +admiration, was named by him Mount Victoria, and between it and +the shore were several ranges of inferior altitude, which gave +him "every reason to believe that the lower regions were well +watered and fertile."</p> + +<p>Having fixed upon a favourable spot for commencing his +triangulation behind a promontory which served to conceal them +from the view of a native village which they saw at no great +distance, Mr. Yule went ashore in the first gig with five seamen +and one marine, accompanied by Mr. Sweetman, in the second gig, +with three seamen and two marines, all well armed, and proceeded +to hoist the Union Jack and take possession of the place in the +name of her Majesty Queen Victoria. Having successfully performed +this duty, and obtained the observations he required, Mr. Yule +thought it high time to return on board; but the surf had in the +meantime increased so heavily, that in the attempt the second gig +was swamped, and every thing in her, including the arms, lost, +except the quintant and chronometer, the boat herself being with +difficulty saved by being towed outside the surf by the other +gig. The rest of the adventure we shall give in Mr. Yule's own +words:—</p> + +<p>"At this time I observed the Castlereagh about two miles +beyond Cape Possession, under sail; I therefore made signs to Mr. +Wright, in the first gig, to tow the second gig towards the +Castlereagh, which I concluded would attract Mr. Aird's +attention. In this I was not mistaken, as the Castlereagh was +immediately anchored about a mile and a half off, and her boats +sent to the relief of ours. In the interim I determined that +every thing which was washed on shore should be collected +together, after which we all huddled close under a bush near the +beech, whence we could see our boats and be hid from the view of +the natives as much as possible. The Castlereagh's boats having +at length closed with the Bramble's, the second gig was soon +baled out, when all four boats pulled up abreast of us outside of +the surf, which had continued to increase; the Castlereagh at the +same time weighed, which I confess alarmed me much, as I knew +very few persons could be left on board after she had dispatched +two boats' crews; I therefore concluded we were discovered by the +natives beyond Cape Possession. I was in a few moments confirmed +in my fears by seeing Mr. Andrews prepare to push his boat +through the surf. I waved him back, when he energetically pointed +towards Cape Possession. I fully understood his signs (that +natives were coming), but still waved him off, as I knew his +gallant attempt to relieve us would fail, and that he and his +boat's crew would be added to those already in distress on shore; +he, however, pushed through the surf, when, as I expected, this +boat was upset, and all his arms, ammunition, etc. lost. At the +same moment we observed crowds of natives coming round the point +of Cape Possession, armed with spears, clubs, and stone axes. Our +arms and ammunition had been all lost or destroyed; our situation +was therefore most defenceless, and, I may say, our retreat +hopeless; those boats at the back being unable to afford us the +least relief. I then thought it best to show no signs of fear or +mistrust, but to make friends with the natives, and amuse them, +until the next tide should enable a boat to back through the +surf. In the interim, Mr. Andrews, with his four men, and +assisted by some others, made three attempts to launch his boat, +which failed, and she was ultimately dashed in pieces against the +rocks. I advanced alone with playful gestures, waving a branch of +green leaves, in token of peace. One man pointed a spear at me, +but the others stared at me with more wonder depicted on their +countenances than ferocity. I then offered them some bits of +tobacco, which they would not approach near enough to take from +my hands. This shyness, unfortunately, did not continue long; for +when the main body came up, amounting to eighty or ninety men, +armed, they became troublesome, and laid their hands on +everything they could get hold of that was lying on the beach. To +these robberies I attempted to put a stop, and made them some +presents instead; but the savages must have known our helpless +condition, and became every moment more daring and rapacious; +and, to add to our tribulation, we observed two large canoes, +each containing thirty or forty men, come round Possession Point, +and heave to between the Castlereagh and the boats, as if with +the intention of cutting off the latter. The Castlereagh could +not unfortunately take advantage of her guns by firing grape or +canister, as we were completely intermixed with the natives. At +this critical stage of our anxiety, the second gig, at all +hazards, was veered through the surf, and, to our great joy, four +or five men were drawn off in safety. A second attempt was made, +and succeeded. Then came the awful moment for us who waited for +the last trip; for only a few moments before, I baulked a native +when taking a deliberate aim at one of our last men who embarked. +The natives now, seeing our numbers decrease, laid hands on us in +the most violent manner. My quintant was first wrested from my +coxswain, who in a tone of grief made me known the circumstance. +I immediately turned round and exclaimed 'Oh! don't part with +that'; but it was too late; and when I endeavoured to recover it, +I found a club wielded over my head. In making my escape from +this wretch I was secured by four others, who first took the +government micronometer, which was slung round my neck. I then +endeavoured to struggle out of their clutches, and escape with +the pocket chronometer and note-book, but these, AS WELL AS EVERY +ARTICLE OF CLOTHING I HAD ABOUT MY BODY, were stripped off; when +the second gig was opportunely again backed in, and in this +forlorn state Mr. Pollard, the two marines, and I, waded off, and +were dragged into the boat. We then went on board the +Castlereagh, which was at anchor about a mile from the shore; the +canoes slowly made off to the north-westward, after we had +embarked. The boats having been hoisted up and secured, we got +the anchor up and proceeded out to the Bramble, and anchored +close to her at 6h. 30m. p.m. I immediately afterwards returned +to the Bramble, truly thankful for our having escaped with our +lives. The loss of instruments grieved me exceedingly, +particularly as the nature of the coast rendered it next to +impossible to effect a safe landing to attempt their recovery. +From the account I heard of the ferocity of the natives where the +Fly had been surveying last year on this coast, I confess I fully +expected death would be my fate in a few minutes, and thought of +the similar position poor Captain Skying was in when murdered at +Cape Roso. If we had been possessed of six or eight muskets and +plenty of ammunition, I think the natives might easily have been +checked, but being defenceless, my only hope was to dissemble my +fears and amuse them, to give us time until we could effect our +escape. These people varied in complexion from black to a light +copper colour; they appeared well made and active; all of them +were ornamented, but some much more so than others; their +ear-rings were made of rings of tortoiseshell, a number of them +being fastened together, and suspended to the lower parts of the +ears, in which are holes stretched so large as to admit a man's +thumb being passed through them; the cartilage dividing the +nostrils is perforated in like manner."</p> + +<p>This adventure of our old friends of the Bramble appears to me +sufficiently interesting to excuse my having wandered through +Torres Straits in order to record it.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 26.</h3> + +<h4>SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES.—KANGAROO HUNTING.—EMUS.—LOST IN +THE BUSH.</h4> + +<p>There can be no doubt as to the truth of the axiom that "facts +are stubborn things." Right or wrong, they seem to persist in a +resolution to force conviction upon a man however reluctant he +may be.</p> + +<p>Sturdy facts are never wanting in support of erroneous views; +and more false conclusions are drawn from them than from the +subtlest arguments of the sophist.</p> + +<p>When your theory is once confirmed by a fact, the question is +considered decided, and no further argument is admissible. I had +two theories not long ago, the pursuit and investigation of which +gave me a good deal of pleasure; they were built upon facts, and +therefore they were indisputable.</p> + +<p>My first theory was upon the amount of evaporation at Perth +during the summer months.</p> + +<p>The excessive dryness of the atmosphere proved that the +evaporation at the end of the rainy, or winter season, must be +very great indeed. My friend, Mr. H., had an hygrometer, which he +kept in a small room adjoining that in which he usually sat; and +this hygrometer afforded the ground-work for our theories. It +proved most satisfactorily that the evaporation exceeded every +thing of the kind known in any other part of the globe. It was +clear that our atmosphere was drier than that of a brick-kiln +when burning its best. But the great beauty and novelty of the +theory was, that the evaporation was greater at night than in the +day time.</p> + +<p>This certainly puzzled us a good deal at first; but when once +you are sure of your facts, it is astonishing how soon you come +to mould your theory so as to make it perfectly agree with them, +and manage to reconcile yourself to the most startling +contradictions. After satisfying himself of the truth of the +fact—that the evaporation was really greater by night than by +day—Mr. H. proceeded to prove philosophically that nothing could +be more reasonable than such a circumstance. From all that I +could make out of his arguments, which were extremely logical and +ingenious, it seemed clear that as every thing in this country is +diametrically opposite to every thing in the old country, it was +perfectly consistent with the regulations of nature in Australia, +that evaporation should be greater at night than during the day +time. Moreover, he placed great reliance upon the attraction of +the moon.</p> + +<p>For my part, seeing that facts were on his side, I embraced +his views with ardour; and went about as an apostle, proclaiming +the new tidings far and wide. It was one of those astonishing +truths in science that come suddenly and unexpectedly upon +mankind—like those connected with electricity—that take the +reason captive, and are beyond the reach of human investigation. +Men usually appeared incredulous when the theory was first +broached to them; but when convinced of the fact, as proved +indisputably by the hygrometer, they were compelled to +acknowledge the truth, and forthwith looked upon it as a matter +of course.</p> + +<p>As the weather grew warmer—when the thermometer stood daily +at about 86 degrees in a cool room—the nocturnal evaporation +increased. At length it grew to such a pitch, that the tube of +the hygrometer containing the water was exhausted in a couple of +nights. Notwithstanding the astonishment of Mr. H., he was +enraptured at the triumphant confirmation of his theory. He +devoted every moment he could spare from public duties, to the +compilation of a learned and voluminous treatise upon the +subject. He looked upon himself as destined to be considered one +of the master-philosophers of the age, the promulgator of a new +and wondrous theory, based not only upon sound argument, but upon +long observation and indisputable facts. When any one ventured to +raise a doubt, he would smile with that ineffable sweetness which +distinguishes a man conscious of his superior knowledge and +sources of information. I, his enthusiastic adherent, picked up +the crumbs of instruction that fell from his table; and dealt +forth mysterious hints of the scientific errors about to be +corrected by the observations and treatises of Mr. H., who was +now generally known to have forwarded an account of his +discoveries to some of the learned Societies of London; and the +English papers were perused with avidity, in the hope of finding +that due honour had been paid to his merits.</p> + +<p>As he walked along the streets he was looked upon with +additional reverence. He had raised the renown of Western +Australia, and was now considered to be at once its decus et +tutamen. The idlers who congregated in small knots about +luncheon-time at the corners of the streets, began to talk of a +statue in the market-place.</p> + +<p>Suddenly, however, the philosopher secluded himself from the +vulgar gaze. The public wondered, and then became alarmed. The +philosopher had taken to his bed. After some days I was admitted +to his presence, and found him greatly enfeebled for want of +rest. It was evident there was something that weighed upon his +mind. After many ineffectual efforts, many sighs and some +blushes, he faltered forth a confession that he feared our +theory, (he seemed now, for the first time, kindly solicitous to +share the merit of the discovery,) of evaporation being greater +at night than in the day-time, was not well founded. An electric +shock, shivering the funny-bones of both elbows, could not have +startled me more. What did he mean? He continued, that one night +whilst engaged upon a new hygrometrical treatise, he had sat up +till a very late hour; the door of the room which contained the +instrument was open, and the light from his lamp fell directly +upon it. Absorbed in profound speculations, his eye occasionally +rested upon the little instrument which stood upon a table. There +it was—the pillar of his fame. It seemed to dilate in dimensions +until it rivalled the column in the Place Vendome, and on the top +of it was a figure, less sturdy than that of Napoleon. Suddenly +his vision was broken, and his thoughts were recalled from the +future to the present, by seeing a living object move along the +table, and quietly approach the foot of his column. Appalled and +paralyzed, he sat immovable whilst he beheld an actual mouse, +unrestrained by any scientific considerations, place its profane +snout in the bowl of the hygrometer, and drink deliberately until +its thirst was satisfied. It then retired, and other mice soon +came trotting along the table and did the same.</p> + +<p>Mr. H. is a man of great self-control. He did not tear his +remaining locks, or commit any other rash act, but with all the +calmness of despair he set fire to the unfinished treatise, and +saw it consumed; then he retired to bed, a desolate individual, +and rose not again for several days.</p> + +<p>My next theory was entirely my own. I claimed all the merit of +it, and felt the utmost pangs of jealousy when any one ventured +to assert that HE had long ago suspected it. Built upon a solid +foundation of facts, I maintained an opinion entirely at variance +with that of Professor Owen and certain Parisian professors, and +satisfied myself, at least, that the young of the kangaroo, and +of other marsupial animals, is produced, not in the usual way, +but from the teat of the dam. And although this theory is, and +must be erroneous, I can even yet scarcely bring myself to +believe it so—with such fidelity do we cling to error. There are +many men in the colony who have been for years in the constant, +almost daily, habit of killing kangaroos, and they have +consequently had opportunities of observing the young ones in +every stage of development. Females have been killed with young +ones hanging to the nipple, about half an inch long—the form not +fully developed, a mere foetus, presenting no appearance of +active vitality. The nipple to which it is attached is not merely +placed in the mouth of the foetus, but extends into its stomach, +where it serves the purposes of the umbilical cord in other +animals, whilst the lips grow round it, so that it cannot be +removed without rupturing the skin. A little older, and it +becomes evidently possessed of vitality—a quickened foetus. The +pouch of the doe is closed up until the birth of the young one; +and gradually enlarges to accommodate the inhabitant.</p> + +<p>There are other marsupial animals, of the size of rabbits, +that are found with eight or ten young ones, or rather small +foetuses, similarly attached to the nipples of the parent.</p> + +<p>Now I could not conceive how creatures with long sharp claws, +though provided with flexible wrists or joints, should be able to +take up the newly produced little lump of inanimate flesh, and +thrust a long, soft, yielding nipple down into the depths of the +stomach. I collected a number of FACTS to prove the contrary—but +the question is now considered to be set at rest by the +observations of French naturalists, and therefore I have quietly +strangled my theory, but am still occasionally haunted by its +ghost.</p> + +<p>I may mention here that male kangaroos are sometimes found +provided with pouches; but these, I conceive, are lusus +Naturae.</p> + +<p>This allusion to kangaroos (being good for nothing else) may +serve as an introduction to a hunting excursion. A party of us +started from Perth, equipped in the manner already described in +the chapter upon Wild Cattle.</p> + +<p>We rode to the Canning to breakfast, at the house of the——s, +where we found the table ready spread with coffee, grilled fowls, +eggs, ham, etc. The room was a good one, having French windows, +looking out upon park-like scenery, among which the Canning River +pursued its lazy course. There was also a piano belonging to the +sister of our hosts, then absent on a visit. One of her brothers +informed us that he had availed himself of her absence to +abstract sundry of the wires from the piano in order to make +bell-wires, which he thought was turning the piano to good +account.</p> + +<p>After breakfast we loaded our bullock-cart with our goods, and +left it in charge of a servant whom we appointed to meet us at a +certain spot where we were to bivouac for the night. The only +disagreeable part of travelling in Australia is the scarcity of +water, except at the end of winter, when all the gullies are +filled. Unless, therefore, the ground be well known, it is always +advisable to take a native, who can inform you where the pools or +springs are situated. Four of us set out, well mounted, and +attended by a native on foot, and five kangaroo dogs. These dogs +are descended from a cross between a bloodhound and a greyhound, +and combine strength, fleetness, scent, and sight. As it was the +middle of winter (late in June) the air was cool and pleasant, +and the sun bright and joyous, as he always is here. We were all +in high spirits, anticipating excellent sport, as the country to +which we were going abounds with game of great +variety—kangaroos, emus, quail, and turkeys, or bustards. A +rough coarse scrub, interspersed with small quantities of grass, +overspread the sandy soil. The only animal we saw for some time +was an opossum, which the native discovered in a tree and climbed +up for. I examined its pouch, but there was no young one within +it. At length we caught a glimpse of a kangaroo hopping along at +a distance, and we galloped off in full chase, but he was too far +ahead for the dogs to make anything of it; so we lost him. +Disconcerted and vexed we drew together again after a short run, +but had scarcely done so before we emerged upon an open prairie, +where on our right we beheld three kangaroos hopping away at a +gentle pace. the kangaroo uses only his hind legs in running. The +leg presses the ground from the hock to the toes, and its strong +sinews enable the animal to bound forward with immense leaps; the +heavy tail vibrating behind keeps him steady. Four of the dogs +rushed after the game, followed by all the horsemen, at full +gallop, hallooing and shouting vociferously. A more animated +sight could scarcely be conceived; three graceful kangaroos +bounding away in a line, with four large greyhounds laying well +after them, and the hunters chiveying along, and dashing through +brushwood and thickets like whirlwinds. The kangaroos, however, +fairly beat us; they gained a thick wood, dashed through it and +into a swamp beyond, and there we lost sight of them. We all +returned to the side of the wood, and waited for the dogs, who +came back with hanging heads and drooping tail, completely blown. +All returned but one—the oldest and most sagacious of them. He +had not gone with the four which followed the heels of the +kangaroos, but had made a short cut to the left, so that he was +in the wood almost as soon as the kangaroos, whilst the other +dogs were still a long way behind. We waited patiently for old +Tip (of whom honourable mention has been made before); his +master, Tom H., asserting confidently that he had killed. At +length as we were standing talking together, we suddenly +perceived Tip among us. His master examined his mouth, and +declared he had killed; then saying, "Show, Tip, show!" the dog +turned round, and trotted off before us; and going into the swamp +took us to the spot where the kangaroo lay dead.</p> + +<p>It is not all kangaroo dogs that can be taught to show game, +and those that do so are therefore highly prized. It is a very +pleasing sight to observe how proud a dog is of this +accomplishment. He will come quietly back to his master, and +oftentimes lay himself down as if he were afraid the other dogs +should suspect he had got something to tell, and would run off in +search of it. And when his master gives the signal, he +deliberately proceeds to lead the way, snarling at the other dogs +whenever they run before him, and seem likely to arrive first at +the spot. Sometimes he tries to deceive them by going in a wrong +direction, and when the others have started off, full of +eagerness, as if they themselves (the senseless fools!) were +inviting people to follow, and were anxious to show them the +game, the old dog will rapidly turn aside, evidently laughing in +his sleeve, and dash forward to the spot where he left the +carcase. There you will find him standing over it; and as you +ride up he will give a faint wag of his tail, as though he were +glad that you are pleased with him, and yet he cannot help +feeling that he is not properly rewarded. His gaunt ribs and +melancholy eye speak of his hungry stomach; he seems to remember +that he receives from his rough master more kicks than caresses, +but still he does his duty, and will do so to the last; and +denies himself even a mouthful of the prey, which but for him, +would lie undiscovered in the thicket. I used to know an old +show-dog who displayed so much thought and sagacity, that I never +was in his company without feeling for him a certain degree of +respect. Whenever struck by brutes of lower order than himself, +he did not howl or display his teeth, but slunk aside with a look +of deep sorrow and reproach.</p> + +<p>In the evening we bivouacked near a small pool of water, where +the cart joined us, according to previous arrangement. The horses +were tethered out and fed; a good fire was kindled, and with +kangaroo steaks, cold fowls and ham, and brandy and water, we +managed to make a tolerable supper. A fence against the wind was +constructed of upright sticks, and leaves of the black-boy +(Xanthorea, or grass-tree) resembling rushes, only brittle; and +with a good fire at our feet we were exceedingly warm and +comfortable. The wild dogs uttered their doleful, wailing cries +around our camp during the night, and caused our own frequently +to sally forth and give them chase.</p> + +<p>We had kangaroo curry for breakfast next morning; and having +fed our horses, and sounded to saddle, set out again in pursuit +of game.</p> + +<p>Proceeding across some plains, interspersed with swamps and +thickets, we soon perceived a herd of about a dozen kangaroos +feeding and hopping about. Keeping a covert in line before us, we +tried to get near them, but they soon made off, bounding away +like a herd of deer, which they much resemble at a distance. The +dogs started after them at full speed; and with loud halloos and +bounding hearts the horsemen spurred their steeds, and scoured +along the plain. There are, unfortunately, no fences in this +country, but there are a thousand worse obstructions—fallen +trees, thick clumps of black-boys extending right across the +plain, and therefore not to be avoided; woods through which the +game dashes at speed, and where you must follow at the risk of +striking head or limbs against the trunks or branches of trees, +or else you will be thrown out. Then of course you don't like to +be last, and you don't like to allow the gallant captain, who is +spurring at your side, the opportunity of bragging at mess that +he alone kept near the dogs, which you know he would be delighted +to do. So, determined to ride against the captain at any rate, +you keep your horse and yourself well together, and flinch at +nothing; dashing through thickets, tearing over rough ground, +steering between trees, ducking your head under boughs, and +twitching up first one leg and then the other to save them from +being smashed against black-boys or banksias. You clear the wood, +and emerge again upon a plain; the kangaroos are bounding along, +some three hundred yards in advance, the dogs lying well up to +them; and now the latter have fixed upon one of the herd, whom +they pursue with resolute fierceness. The others escape into +friendly thickets, but the doomed one, an old buck, some six feet +in height when resting on his haunches, still holds out, though +his enemies are fast gaining upon him.</p> + +<p>At length, finding escape impossible, he makes for a broad +mahogany tree, where he suddenly comes to bay. The dogs hesitate +to rush in upon him, his eye gleams with such deadly ferocity, +whilst he sits erect upon his haunches, ready to dart the long +claw of his hind leg into the first assailant who comes within +reach.</p> + +<p>A kangaroo in this position is no despicable enemy. He has +great power in his limbs; and if he happens to strike a dog with +his claw, he inflicts a grievous wound, and sometimes tears out +his entrails, and kills him on the spot. He rushes at men with +the same fury, and tries to clasp them with his fore-paws whilst +he strikes at them with his hind-legs. I rode up to the animal in +question, dismounted, and struck him a rap on the head with a +broken bough, as he rushed towards me with a fierce hissing +noise. As he staggered at the blow, the dogs darted upon him and +quickly despatched him.</p> + +<p>We had several other good runs before luncheon, and then +baited our horses, and allowed them to rest for two or three +hours. Whilst riding towards our bivouac in the afternoon, a +native who was walking at my side, and who had accompanied us all +day, stopped suddenly, and, pointing with his finger, said, +"Emu!" About a mile distant across the prairie were two of those +large birds quietly feeding. The dogs were immediately called +together, fresh vigour seemed to animate the whole party, and we +proceeded to give chase in high spirits. Emus are sometimes shot +with the rifle, but the usual mode of obtaining them is by +hunting them with kangaroo dogs. If you happen to come near +enough to them without raising alarm, they may frequently be +detained, and even attracted almost up to your stirrup by +WHISTLING. I have known this to be repeatedly tried with success. +When you begin to whistle, the emu lifts up its head and listens +with attention; soon, delighted with the sound, he walks +leisurely in the direction from which it comes; then, perceiving +a human being, he pauses, seems irresolute, and finally walks +round and round you in circles gradually lessening, until he +approaches within a few yards. If his confidence be not repaid +with a bullet, he will, after gratifying his curiosity by a good +stare, quietly walk away through his native woods. Emus are +frequently speared by the natives, who, by taking care to stand +stock-still the moment the creature lifts up its head, manage to +approach within a few yards of them while feeding. Though the +savage may have his hand raised in the act of throwing the spear, +he remains fixed in that attitude whilst the emu takes a survey +of him. Perceiving only an object without motion, the bird takes +him for a tree, and continues to graze, falling a victim, like +other innocent things, to a misplaced confidence in its own +security.</p> + +<p><a name="f336"><img alt="" src="images/Landor_f336.jpg" width="500" height= +"350"></a></p> + +<h4>"Death of the Kangaroo"</h4> + +<p><a name="f339"><img alt="" src="images/Landor_f339.jpg" width="500" height= +"350"></a></p> + +<h4>Emu Hunt</h4> + +<p>The emus ran fast, and gave us a long chase; but at length the +headmost dog caught hold of the extended flapper of one of the +birds, and arrested its progress; the others, coming up, soon +pulled him to the ground, and by the time we reached the spot he +was dead. The feathers from the tail were distributed among the +party, and placed in our caps; and the legs being cut off, the +rest of the bird was abandoned. The legs alone afford any meat, +which is by no means a delicacy, and resembles coarse beef. +Whilst the process of cutting up was going on, my attention was +attracted to the movements of old Tip, who had stolen away from +the party, and was now, ventre a terre, scouring along the edge +of a belt of trees about a quarter of a mile from us. His master +in vain tried to recall him, and I set off to see what he was +about. Following him through the wood, I perceived him at the +other side in hot pursuit of half-a-dozen kangaroos, that were +bounding away some hundred yards ahead of him. It was in vain to +attempt to recall him, so I foolishly followed the chase, though +it was leading far away from the direction I wanted to take. Old +Tip held on unflaggingly, as though this were his first run that +day; and for nearly two miles we dashed along through woods and +across prairies, until I began to wish myself back with my +friends. At length we lost the game in a vast swamp, covered with +thick underwood, in which my horse floundered for some time in a +fearful manner. Thinking it worse to return than to push through, +we struggled on, in momentary danger of sinking for ever, and +after great exertions got upon solid ground again. When +dismounted, to rest the horse, who panted and trembled with the +efforts he had made, I called for Tip till the woods rang again, +but all in vain. At last I saw a single kangaroo, a fresh one of +immense size, break cover, with Tip about forty yards in his +rear. In the ardour of the chase, all prudential considerations +were given to the winds; and cheering on the gallant hound, I +followed the game more determinedly than ever. And what a race +that villain kangaroo led us!—through thickets where my +hunting-shirt was torn into strips, my arms and legs covered with +bruises, and my face lacerated with boughs that were not to be +avoided. The villain doubled like a hare, and led us in such +various directions, that I fancied we must have turned upon our +steps and gone past the spot where I had parted from my friends. +Unless a man be very well accustomed to the bush, he is certain +to lose himself in a few minutes. One clump of trees is so like +another—the thick swamps, the open plains, all bear such a +general resemblance to one another, that you feel quite +confounded whilst trying to recollect whether you have really +seen them before, and can form some tolerable guess as to your +position. The kangaroo was now approaching the foot of the long, +even, uninteresting range of the Darling Hills; his pace was +slow, he made his leaps with difficulty, and would soon have been +caught, had not poor Tip been equally dead beat.</p> + +<p>It was evident the old dog could scarcely drag himself along, +but still he refused to give in. My horse, exhausted with +floundering in the swamp, was completely knocked up; and for some +time I had only been able to push him along at a jog-trot. Still +I was no more willing to give up the chase than old Tip. It +seemed to have become a point of honour that I should not desert +the hound; and moreover, feeling myself completely lost, I did +not like to part from my companion; and, above all, it would +never do to let the kangaroo escape after all the trouble he had +given us. So we all three continued to work along as best we +could.</p> + +<p>At last my poor horse happened to set his foot in an empty +water-hole, and too weak to recover himself, came down on his +shoulder and side with great violence. I threw myself off as he +fell, but could not save my foot from being crushed beneath the +saddle, and so both horse and man lay extended on the ground. I +could just see the hound and kangaroo still struggling onward, +and almost close together. The horse made no attempt to rise, and +I tried in vain to extricate my foot; at length I managed to flog +him up, and then raised myself with difficulty. I had not +suffered much damage, though bruised, and in some pain, but my +poor horse had sprained his shoulder, and was completely hors de +combat. On looking about for the chase, I fancied I could +perceive the dog lying on a little rising ground, a few hundred +yards distant; and leaving the horse, I hopped after the game. On +arriving at the spot, I found the kangaroo and the dog lying side +by side, both alive, but completely exhausted; the one unable to +do any injury, and the other to get away. Securing the dog with +my handkerchief, I sat down, waiting till he should be able to +walk. In a few minutes the kangaroo lifted up his head, and +looked about him; the dog sat up, panting as though his heart +would burst, and took no notice of the other. The kangaroo, +scrambling to its feet, hopped away a few yards, and then stood +still again. "Go along, old fellow!" said I, "you have done us +abundance of mischief, but it would be criminal to kill you when +I cannot carry home even your tail—so farewell!" Off he jumped, +and was soon lost to view, leaving us alone—three miserable +cripples, far from any shelter, and (so far as I was concerned) +not knowing at all how to rejoin our friends. Tip being now able +to limp on three legs, and myself upon one, we returned to the +unhappy steed, who remained where I had left him, hanging down +his head, and looking the image of woe.</p> + +<p>In vain I tried to determine the direction I ought to take; +trees and swamps were on all sides of me, and I could not decide +whether my friends were now on my right-hand or my left. I +remembered that our place of rendezvous appeared to be nearly +opposite an opening in the hills, some six or eight miles +distant; but there were openings in the hills on each side of me, +and which was the one to be sought I could not determine. I +therefore resolved to retrace the foot-marks of my horse, if +possible; and set out leading the animal, having Tip limping at +my side, and every now and then looking up as though he felt for +the ill plight in which we all appeared. It soon became evident +that the horse must be left behind; and therefore removing his +saddle and bridle, I placed them at the foot of a tree, and gave +him his liberty.*</p> + +<p>[footnote] *Six months afterwards he was caught among the +horses of a settler on the Serpentine, perfectly sound and in +excellent condition.</p> + +<p>After going some distance, I came within view of an extensive +swamp, which I fancied formed part of that I had so much +difficulty in crossing. Turning to the right, I followed its +course for some time, hoping to get round it, but it seemed to +extend towards the hills, cutting off all farther progress. The +sun was now about to set, and getting desperate, I plunged into +the thicket, and tried to push through the swamp. There was no +water, but the immense quantities of bind-weed, and other +thickly-growing plants, quite defied every attempt, and I was +obliged to turn back again. Tip and myself had now to retrace our +steps. It was getting dusk, and the state of affairs looked +uncomfortable. Again we tried in vain to cross the swamp, which +soon afterwards receded farther from the hills, and left a broad +plain before us, which we traversed in the course of half an +hour.</p> + +<p>My foot seemed to get better with exercise, but night had now +set in, and it was useless to attempt making farther progress, +when we could not distinguish an object thirty feet in advance. I +now found myself stumbling up a rising ground covered with trees; +and here I lay down, with Tip at my side, to wait as patiently as +possible for morning. The dog, I imagine, had found some water in +the swamp, as he did not now seem to be suffering from thirst as +I was myself. He was soon asleep, and I envied him, for hours +elapsed before I could find repose. The land-wind, sweeping down +from the hill-side, moaned through the trees; the rising moon +shed her sickly and distorting light upon the bushes around; and +bruised and stiff, hungry, thirsty, and uncomfortable, I felt by +no means delighted with my quarters. A fire would have been +agreeable, but there were no means of procuring one. Sleep at +last befriended me, and I did not wake until the sun began to +shed his first rays upon the tops of the trees.</p> + +<p>On rising I found myself exceedingly stiff, and by no means in +good condition for walking, but there was no choice; and when Tip +had got upon his legs, and given himself a good stretch and yawn, +and licked my hand, as much as to say he had no intention of +leaving me in the lurch, we started on our doubtful journey. In +vain I tried to encourage the dog to lead the way; he would not +stir from my side. Only once he darted after a kangaroo-rat, and +caught it before it had gone twenty yards. This afforded a +breakfast which I envied him. I now pushed on towards the coast, +but was continually intercepted by thick swamps impossible to +penetrate, and turned from the right direction. I looked about +for water, and found some at length in a muddy hole. It was most +refreshing, and revived my spirits, which had begun to flag +considerably.</p> + +<p>Mid-day was long past, and I was still rambling over plains of +coarse grass, penetrating into woods, and struggling through +swamps; worn almost to death with fatigue and hunger, and the +pain of my ankle, now greatly swollen, I sat down at last at the +foot of a mahogany-tree in order to gain a little rest.</p> + +<p>I knew that the hills were behind me, and the sea must be +somewhere before me, but as to my precise locality, and the +distance of the nearest settler's house, I was quite at a loss. +In vain I tried to satisfy myself as to whether I was much to the +south of the bivouac. I was growing dizzy with hunger and +weariness, and no longer felt any wonder at the confusion of mind +which seizes upon those who are lost in the wilderness. During +the day, I had repeatedly cooeyed as loudly as I could, in the +faint hope of attracting the attention of my friends; but no +voice responded.</p> + +<p>It was now nearly five o'clock in the evening, and I had the +prospect before me of spending another night in solitude, and +felt some misgivings as to whether it would not be the last of my +existence.</p> + +<p>I tried to struggle on a little farther, as it was possible +that I might be close to some farm on the Serpentine; but it was +difficult to move along. Tip seemed to be getting tired of this +slow progress; he grew fidgety, and I fancied he had formed the +base resolution of leaving me to myself. Suddenly he started off +upon our traces, and I was alone without a friend.</p> + +<p>In a few minutes I heard behind me a distant shout, and +immediately afterwards a loud cooey met my ear. Oh how thankfully +I heard it, and answered it as loudly as I could! And then, +having returned grateful acknowledgments to the Almighty for this +seasonable relief, I began to walk towards the sounds, which were +repeated from minute to minute. Not long afterwards I perceived a +party of natives, followed by men on horseback, emerging from the +trees. The latter galloped towards me, waving their hats, and +shouting with friendly joy. It is due to Tip to state that he +reached me first, and gave his congratulations with warm +sincerity.</p> + +<p>My friends had started at day-break with the natives, who had +tracked my footsteps without once losing the trail. They had +found the horse grazing near the place where I had left him, but +he was too lame to be removed; the natives had fully accounted +for every trace; they perceived that the dog and kangaroo had +lain side by side, and that the latter had recovered first, and +got away. They found and brought with them the saddle and bridle, +and followed my steps to the swamp, through which they saw I had +not been able to penetrate. And so they tracked me during the +whole of the day, whilst I was only going farther and farther +from my friends. I had wandered much more to the south than I +expected; and now, mounting a horse, we all rode to a house on +the Serpentine, where we were hospitably entertained, and where I +continued until able to return to Perth.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 27.</h3> + +<h4>THE COMET.—VITAL STATISTICS.—METEOROLOGY.</h4> + +<p>One evening in March, 1844, whilst standing at my gate +enjoying the pleasant balmy air and the conversation of a friend, +our attention was attracted to a luminous appearance in the sky +immediately above the horizon. We fancied that a large ship must +be on fire not a great distance from the coast.</p> + +<p>The next evening, happening to leave the house at an early +hour, my eye was immediately caught by a grant novelty in the +heavens. A magnificent comet extended itself over an entire fifth +of the firmament. Its tail reached to the belt of Orion, whilst +its nucleus, a ball of fire resembling a star of the fourth +magnitude, was scarcely a degree above the horizon. It looked +like a fiery messenger rushing headlong down from the very +presence of GOD, bound with dread tidings for some distant world. +Beautiful, yet terrible messenger, it seemed to leave its long, +fiery trace behind it in its passage through the heavens. The +soul of the spectator was filled with the sense of its beauty, +whilst admiration was sublimed into awe. Speaking to us strange +and wonderful things of the hidden Holy of Holies which it seemed +to have left, it passed on its headlong journey of billions and +trillions of miles with the glad speed of a love-inspired +emanation from the Most High. It left us to wonder at its +transient visit, and to wish in vain for its return.*</p> + +<p>[footnote] *This comet, having exactly the appearance I have +described, was visible nearly a week, gradually disappearing in +the northern heavens.</p> + +<p>Whether it had or not any effect upon the season, I cannot +say, but the ensuing six months were the most unhealthy period +ever known in the colony. The natives, who were greatly alarmed +by the sudden appearance of the comet, declared that it would +cause many people to be mendik and die—so universal is the +belief in the portentous and malign influence of these +phenomena.</p> + +<p>In general, as I have before observed, the climate is most +salubrious. "The Comparative Statement of Deaths to the +Population" proves the vast superiority of Western Australia in +this respect, not only over Great Britain, but over neighbouring +colonies. I refer to the able, interesting, and +carefully-prepared Reports of G. F. Stone, Esq. the Colonial +Registrar-General of Births, Marriages, and Deaths. Taking his +data from the Parliamentary Reports of 1836, he deduces the +following:</p> + +<p>Comparative Statement of Deaths to the Population.</p> + +<pre> +Western Australia . . . . . . . . . .1 death in 94 21/41 +Van Dieman's Land . . . . . . . . . .1 " 65 161/220 +Cape of Good Hope . . . . . . . . . .1 " 60 1/3 +England . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 " 46 3/5 +Mauritius . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 " 44 2/5 +</pre> + +<p>The opinions of medical men, published in different reports, a +few of which happen now to lie before me, may prove interesting +to some readers, and I therefore extract them briefly:—</p> + +<p>J. M. Johnson, Esq. M.D. Surgeon of H.M.S. Sulphur:— "During +the three years that H.M.S. Sulphur was employed on that station +(Western Australia) not a single death, and very few important +cases of disease occurred, notwithstanding the very great +exposure of her men. When exploring the country for several days, +and sometimes weeks, they have been exposed to the sun; fatigued +in the evening after a day's excursion, slept in the open air, +(and that repeatedly in wet weather,) and suffered no +inconvenience. I have no hesitation in stating that such a life +in any other climate would have been productive of the most +serious sickness."</p> + +<p>William Milligen, Esq. M.D. Surgeon 6th Dragoons:— "I have +met with several individuals here, who, on leaving England, were +great sufferers from dyspepsia, and diseases of the digestive +organs, who have recovered their health in a wonderful degree +since their arrival. Children thrive remarkably well; and I may +add that every description of live stock, although collected from +different countries—England, India, America, Africa, etc.—find +here a congenial temperature."</p> + +<p>Joseph Harris, Esq. Acting Government Surgeon:— "Nothing can +be more delightful than the climate generally; and its +invigorating influences on the human constitution, especially +those of Europeans, render it more fit for invalids than any +other in the world. Several persons arrived in the colony +suffering from pulmonary and bronchial affections, asthma, +phthisis, haemoptysis, or spitting of blood, hopeless of recovery +in England, are now perfectly restored, or living in comparative +health—measles and small-pox are unknown."</p> + +<p>W. H. Sholl, Esq. Government Surgeon, pro tempore:— "From +pulmonary complaints we are happily free; and even when these +have gone to some length in other countries, removal to this +climate has been of the highest possible benefit. Children are +exempt from the diseases common to them in England;—small-pox, +measles, scarlet-fever, and hooping-cough, are unknown here."</p> + +<p>W. P. Dineley, Esq. Surgeon of Fremantle Gaol:— "We have +almost a cloudless sky, a clear dry atmosphere, and a climate +unsurpassed by any in the world."</p> + +<p>Dr. Ferguson, of Australind:— "We have no fevers or epidemics +here."</p> + +<p>By the Registrar-General's Report for 1843, it appears that +the births in Western Australia are about 1 to 24 83/158, which +is a very high rate. Those readers who are fond of statistics +will be pleased to learn the following rather curious fact:—In +the year 1836, males were in respect to females, as about five to +three, but during the following seven years, females increased 21 +per cent. more than males; and the continued preponderance of +female births promises speedily to adjust the balance of the +sexes.</p> + +<p>The Registrar-General in his Report for 1844, makes the +following interesting observations:— "Supposing the whole +population of the colony were now grown up and unmarried, out of +every 100 males, as many as 67 could find wives.</p> + +<p>"Supposing the total population UNDER TWELVE were now of age, +and wished to marry; out of every 100 males 97 could find +wives.</p> + +<p>"Supposing the total population OF PERTH were now grown up, +and unmarried, 87 out of every 100 males could find wives.</p> + +<p>"But supposing the population OF PERTH UNDER TWELVE were grown +up, and wished to marry, out of 100 FEMALES, only 85 could find +husbands."</p> + +<p>The temperature of the atmosphere is exceedingly dry, and +therefore the heat is not oppressive, though the thermometer may +stand at a high degree.</p> + +<p>A rainy day in February or March is an extremely rare +occurrence at Perth, though not unusual at Australind, a hundred +miles southward.</p> + +<p>In the hottest weather, farm-labourers work all day in the +open air, and feel no more inconvenience than reapers do in +England. This is owing to the dryness and elasticity of the +atmosphere.</p> + +<p>I have no recorded observations of a late date, but the +following table is extracted from the journal of an obliging +friend, Robert Dale, Esq., who, when a Lieutenant in the 63d +regiment, was stationed some years in the colony.</p> + +<p>The thermometer was kept in a cool house at Perth, from March, +1830 to June 1831.</p> + +<pre> +MONTHS. A B C D E F REMARKS. + 1830 +March . . .28 . . 2 . . 1 . .88 . .71 . .58 +April . . .23 . . 0 . . 7 . .87 . .70 1/2. .54 +May . . . .17 . . 6 . . 8 . .84 . .64 1/2. .45 . .Fine weather at commence- + ment of this month. +June . . . 18 . . 5 . . 2 . .76 . .56 . .40 . .Five days not accounted + for. +July . . . 14 . . 9 . . 8 . .65 . .49 1/2. .30 +August . . 9 . . 8 . . 7 . .76 . .57 . .38 . .Seven days not accounted + for. +September .17 . . 2 . . 4 . .80 . .62 . .44 . . Ditto ditto. +October . .19 . . 5 . . 6 . .78 . .62 . .46 . .One day not accounted for +November . 23 . . 3 . . 4 . .93 . .73 1/2. .54 +December 26 . . - . . 5 . 103 . .82 1/2. .62 The thermometer was lower + than what is marked in + the minimum column. + 1831 +January 28 . . - . . 3 . 106 . .87 . .68 +February 26 . . 1 . . 1 . 102 . .82 . .62 +March 30 . . - . . 1 . 96 . .78 . .60 +April . . .28 . . - . . 2 . .98 . .73 . .48 +May . . . .21 . . 2 . . 8 . .78 . .61 . .44 At this season frequently + a heavy dew during the + night. +June . . . 14 . . 9 . . 7 . .70 . .52 . .38 + +A - No. of Fine Days. +B - No. of Rainy Days. +C - No. of Showers +D - Maximum Height of Thermometer +E - Medium Height of Thermometer +F - Minimum Height of Thermometer + +</pre> + +<h3>CHAPTER 28.</h3> + +<h4>THE BOTANY OF THE COLONY.</h4> + +<p>Baron Hugel, Dr. Lindley, and Sir William Hooker, have +published lists of Western Australian shrubs and plants, but the +most complete and elaborate work on the botany of Western +Australia is the series of nineteen letters published in the +"Inquirer," by Mr. Drummond, of Hawthornden, in the colony, and +from them we shall compile the present chapter; but, interesting +as they are in their fullest and most minute details to +botanists, it is possible that they may be TOO descriptive and +extend too much into detail for general readers, and we shall +therefore abstain from giving a catalogue of the various +indigenous plants, and confine our remarks to the more useful +ones.* The first to which Mr. Drummond alludes is the blackboy, +of which there are several varieties. The glaucus-leaved York +blackboy is, however, the most important, and grows thirty feet +in height without a branch. It is considered by the settlers the +best material for thatch, and the young and tender leaves are +found to be an agreeable vegetable, and also fodder for horses, +goats, sheep, and cattle. The natives are particularly fond of +the blackboy, whilst its sound old flower-stalks furnish them +with the means of obtaining a light by friction. the native yam, +of the class Dioeceae, is stated by Mr. Drummond to be the finest +esculent vegetable the colony produces. The fungi, or mushrooms, +are also palatable to the Aborigines; one species belonging to +this order, and named the Boletus, is remarkable for possessing +the properties of German tinder, when well dried, and for +emitting a radiant light in its natural state.</p> + +<p>[footnote] *This brief compilation is the work of Alexander +Andrews, Esq.</p> + +<p>There are seventy species of grasses. The genus stripa has +several varieties, of which the seeds are injurious to sheep, +penetrating into the wool, and sometimes into the carcase and +causing death. By adopting the precaution of shearing before the +seeds are ripe, this mischief is however obviated. Another +description is distinguished as elegantissima, from its beautiful +appearance, and is used as a decoration, and for ornamenting +rooms.</p> + +<p>The bulrush of Scripture is found here, and is used by coopers +to stanch their work. A large jointed rush has also been found of +great service, and introduced in the walls of houses to +advantage, and some varieties of the Restiaceae are useful in +thatch work; and in his sixth letter, Mr. Drummond mentions the +buttack as very useful in tyings. A climbing species of the +Thysanotus, near the Moore river, is much used by the natives as +food. The Madge and the Guardine are roots from which the natives +extract nutritious food; the pigs are also fond of them, and +besides these there are other white roots used as food by the +natives.</p> + +<p>The oak-leaved Chenopodium is supposed to contain essential +oil; it was formerly used by the settlers as a vegetable, and is +proved to contain carbonate of soda, so that, as Mr. Drummond +suggests, "it would be worth inquiry at what price we could +afford barilla as an export." The Erythraea Australis is, we are +informed, a good substitute, and is used as such, for hops; and +one species of tobacco is indigenous to the colony. The +sow-thistle of Swan River was, in the early days of the +settlement, used as a vegetable, but is now eaten only by the +domestic animals, by whom it is much relished. As a salad, it is +said to be scarcely inferior to endive. The Helicrysum, a +biennial of the Vasse district, is a grateful fodder for horses, +and the Morna nitida for goats, sheep, and cattle, as are also +several species of Picris and other shrubs. There is also a +native celery, which forms a poor substitute for that of Europe; +two varieties of this species are mentioned—the Conna, of which +the roots are eaten by the natives after being peeled, and the +Kukire, the foot of which resembles the carrot in appearance, +with the smell and colour of the parsnip. The wild carrot is also +an excellent vegetable, and from its root rich wine has been +extracted. The order Eryngo has a species of which the roots when +candied have great restorative powers. Of the Hederoma latifolia, +Dr. Lindley remarks, that its half-ripe fruits, if sent to +Europe, would give several original and valuable scents to the +perfumer.</p> + +<p>Of the sea-weeds, one particular species, supposed to be the +Fucus amylaeceus, thrown in great quantities upon the coast, is +mentioned as forming when boiled, sweetened, and spiced, a +nutritious and beautiful jelly of a fine rose colour; and as it +appears that it may be dried without injury and preserved for +years, it would be of value as an export.</p> + +<p>The catalogue of indigenous fruits is not very extensive, but +one species, belonging to the order Epacrideae, is reported to +bear very palatable berries. The Vasse apple, of the size of a +peach, is stated when boiled with sugar to be an agreeable +sweet-meat.</p> + +<p>Another fruit, of the species Mesembryanthemum, is of a less +pleasing flavour; but one of the same species, resembling the +English gooseberry, is said to be delicious. Mr. Drummond also +records the discovery, southward of the Vasse, of a nondescript +shrub of about five feet in height, and bearing fruit as large as +a middle-sized plum, of a fine purple colour, covered with a rich +bloom, and having a stone similar to the plum. It is reported to +have a pleasing taste. This completes the list of fruits, which +Mr. Drummond acknowledges to be imperfect, as the cultivation of +the vine, olive, currant, and other imported fruits has withdrawn +the attention of the settlers from the native productions; and we +shall now pass to the smaller classes of the Eucalyptus tribe. +The Doatta is a species of this class, and the bark of its root +is much relished by the natives, having a sweet and pleasing +taste, as is also the trunk of the red-gum; and its leaves, +washed in water, form an agreeable beverage. They also collect a +description of manna from the leaves of the York gum, which +yields a considerable quantity of saccharine matter. The common +green wattle of the genus of Acacia is found plentifully on the +alluvial flats of the Swan, and the bark is much used for +tanning; and the gum-wattle of the same order produces so great a +quantity of gum as to demand the attention of exporters. Another +shrub of this order is found in the Vasse district, and produces +galls similar to those of the oak, which might also be collected +for exportation. The gum of some of these species is used by the +natives as food, and the seeds, when ground, give them a +tolerable substitute for flour.</p> + +<p>Instead of entering more at large into dry botanical details, +I will transfer to these pages a letter from my respected friend, +Mr. James Drummond, the botanist already alluded to, which +perhaps will prove more acceptable to the general reader.</p> + +<p>This letter was published at the time in the local +journals.</p> + +<p>"Dear Sir,—I send you a few extracts from a journal of +observations which I made in a journey to the north, in company +with Mr. Gilbert, the ornithologist.* My sons had heard from the +natives that a considerable river and lakes of fresh water were +to be found about two days' journey to the north of their station +on the Moore River; and in company with Captain Scully, the +Government Resident of this district, they determined to explore +the country in that direction. Mr. Phillips and some other +gentlemen who were to be of the party, as well as Mr. Gilbert and +myself, arrived at the station too late; I shall therefore +principally confine my observations to Mr. Gilbert's transactions +and my own.</p> + +<p>[footnote] * Mr. Gilbert, an enthusiastic naturalist, and an +amiable and highly respectable man, was treacherously murdered by +natives to the North-East of New Holland, whilst engaged upon a +scientific expedition.</p> + +<p>"We left Hawthornden on the 22d August, and slept at the +residence of Captain Scully, who had set out some days before to +join the exploring party. On the 23d we proceeded on our journey +to the north, and in about five or six miles we examined some +remarkable masses of granite rocks a little to the right of the +road which is formed by our carts and horses passing to and from +the Moore River. Mr. Gilbert found a small but curious +fresh-water shell in some pools of rain-water on the rocks, and I +found two plants which I had not seen before. In about eleven or +twelve miles from Captain Scully's we reached a permanent spring +called Yoolgan, where there is excellent grass, and where we +stopped to dine and feed our horses. Soon after leaving Yoolgan, +we met with Mr. Phillips and Mr. John Mackie returning; they had +arrived at our station a day too late for the party; we therefore +knew that our hurrying on to join them was useless. In ten or +twelve miles from Yoolgan we reached Yeinart, a tea-tree swamp, +where there is grass and water to be had throughout the year. The +night threatened to rain, but we arrived too late to do much in +the house-making way; fortunately, the rain kept off until +daylight, when we soon covered our house with tea-tree bark, and +determined to stop for the day, which I consider the best way, as +no collections can be made when it is raining, and provisions and +everything get spoiled. It cleared up about ten o'clock, and we +went to visit a brushwood swamp, where my son Johnston had shot +several specimens of a beautiful species of kangaroo with a +dark-coloured fur, overtopped with silvery hairs, called Marnine +by the natives: we saw plenty of tracks of the animals, but could +not see a single specimen. On the top of a hill to the north of +the swamp I succeeded in finding two very distinct species of +Dryandra, new to me. I also found a fine species of Eucalyptus in +flower, which is distinguished from the Matilgarring of the +natives, the Eucalyptus macrocarpus of Sir W. T. Hooker, by +having lengthened recurved flower-stalks; the flowers are +rose-coloured.</p> + +<p>"On the 25th we proceeded on our journey. I observed two new +species of acacia near Yeinart. We mistook our road, and made our +old station at Badgee-badgee, where we stopped to dine and feed +our horses. I also found some curious aquatic plants in the pools +of water among the rocks at Badgee-badgee. After dinner we +succeeded with difficulty in tracing our road to our present +station on the Mouran pool, the cart tracks being nearly +obliterated by the trampling of the sheep. On arriving, we found +that the exploring party had returned, and that Captain Scully +and my son James had left, on their return, about half an hour +before our arrival. The mutilated specimens of plants brought +home by the party, and the accounts of some which were left +behind, determined me to visit the new river myself, after +botanizing a day in the vicinity of the station, where I found a +fine glaucus-leaved Anadenia, and Mr. Gilbert got specimens of +the blue kangaroo, and several small new quadrupeds—one of them +apparently a true rat, almost as large and mischievous as the +Norway rat. Having got two natives, one of whom (Cabbinger) had +been with the party to the north, we started on the 27th, and +slept at a spring called Boorbarna. On the way I found a species +of the common poison which I had not seen before, and a beautiful +Conospermum, with pannicles of blue flowers varying to white. I +was informed, by my son Johnston, that a plant like horehound, +but with scarlet flowers, in tubes about an inch long, grew on +the top of a stony hill to the north of the spring; I went and +found the plant, which belongs to Scrophularinae; I also found a +Manglesia, allied to Tridentifera, but having the leaves more +divided; I also found a beautiful blue climbing plant, a species +of Pronaya, on the top of the same hill. On the 28th, soon after +setting out on our journey, I found two splendid species of +everlasting flower, of which my son Johnston had been the +original discoverer; one, with golden-yellow flowers varying to +white, has the flowers in heads different from anything of the +sort I have seen before, and will, I think, form a new genus of +Compositae; and the other with pink flowers, growing two feet +high, something like Lawrencella rosea, or Rhodanthe Manglesii, +but if possible finer than either. In nine or ten miles to the +north of Boorbarna, we crossed a curious tract of country, +covered with what I considered a variety of quartz, which breaks +with a conchoidal fracture, but it has very much the appearance +of flint; in many places the pieces were large, with sharp +angles; my sons complained that it injured their horses' feet, +but by alighting, and leading our horses over the worse parts, I +did not perceive any bad effects from it. This tract of country +produces some interesting plants; a splendid Calathamnus, with +leaves nine inches long, and showy scarlet flowers, was found by +my youngest son, and I got plenty of specimens.</p> + +<p>"With regard to a new Banksia, allied to Aquifolia, which he +found here, I was not so fortunate, and he brought home no +specimens. After crossing several miles of this quartz formation, +we came upon an extensive flat of strong clay, covered with +Eucalyptus, and some curious species of acacia; we crossed a +considerable river, or brook, running strong to the west, and +about two miles, after crossing this brook, we made the river we +were in quest of at a place called Murarino by the natives. Near +the river I found a splendid plant, which had been first observed +by my son Johnston; he took it for a Lasiopetalum, but I expect +it will prove to be a species of Solanum; it grows two or three +feet high, with large purple flowers, with calyxes like brown +velvet; the leaves are irregularly shaped, acuminate, about two +inches long, and an inch and a half wide at their broadest parts; +the stems are prickly, and all the leaves covered with a down as +in Lasiopetalum. I am uncertain about the genus, not having seen +the seed-vessels, but whatever that may be, it is of our finest +Australian plants.</p> + +<p>"We stopped to dine on the river, and in about four miles +farther to the north, we reached two fresh-water lakes called +Dalarn and Maradine. Ducks of various sorts were here in +thousands, and the water-hens, or gallinules, which visited the +settlements on the Swan some years ago, were plentiful. Mr. +Gilbert shot three or four at a shot. I found a fine Baechia, +which had been first found by my son James, and a curious new +plant belonging to Compositae, but not yet in flower. The +appearance of the country about these lakes, of which there are +several besides those I have named, and the plants which grow +about them, which are generally met with at no great distance +from the sea, seem to prove that the lakes are at no great +distance from it, and that the Darling Range does not extend so +far to the north. No hills of any description appeared to the +west; from the top of a hill to the east, two remarkable hills +appeared, apparently about thirty miles to the north; one of them +was observed by my son to have a remarkable peaked top, and they +supposed they might be Mount Heathcote and Wizard Peak. We saw, +as we came along, a high hill, which the natives called Wangan +Catta; they said it was three days' walk to it; it lay due east +of our course.</p> + +<p>"On the 29th, we returned on our track for about seven miles, +until we reached the first running river we met on our journey to +the north. Our guides agreed to take us back by a different +route, and to take us to a hill where a curious species of +kangaroo called Damar by them, would be met with. My son Johnston +has shot several of these animals about a day's walk to the east +of our station on the Moore River. We therefore ascended this +river in a course S.E. by E., and soon after we were upon its +banks, we came upon a grassy country; three or four miles up we +stopped to dine and feed the horses, at a place called Nugadrine; +several pairs of beautiful falcons, the Falco Nypolencus of +Gould, were flying over us, and Mr. Gilbert succeeded in shooting +one of them. After dinner, we proceeded in the same direction for +nine or ten miles; we soon crossed the tracks of Captain Scully +and my sons on their return; they had gone up the main or +northern branch of the river, and had found but little grass +while they followed its banks; but they had passed over a great +deal of grassy land in crossing the country from it to the Moore +River.</p> + +<p>"We travelled for ten or eleven miles through a splendid +grassy country, and met with a large tribe of natives, several of +whom had never seen white men before; they were very friendly, +and offered us some of their favourite root, the wyrang, which +grows abundantly among these grassy hills. They made so much +noise, that we wished to get some distance from them to sleep, +but they all followed us and encamped near, many of the single +men sleeping by our fire. In the morning of the 30th I went to +the top of a hill, near our bivouac, while Mr. Gilbert was +superintending the preparations for breakfast, and clipping the +beards of some of our new friends. After breakfast, we started +direct for our station on the Moore River; the natives who were +with us as guides considering our stock of flour insufficient to +proceed any farther in the direction of the hill where they +expected to find the Damars. For almost the whole of this day we +travelled over the most splendid grassy country I have ever seen +in Australia; the hill-sides, as far as we could see in every +direction, were covered with beautiful grass, and of a golden +colour, from the flowers of the beautiful yellow everlasting +flower which I have described in a former part of this letter, +which is only to be found in the richest soil. After reaching our +station, I was a day or two employed in drying my specimens of +plants. My son Johnston pointed out a most beautiful new +Dryandra, which he had discovered on the top of a hill near the +Mouran-pool; I have named the species Dryandra floribunda, from +its numerous blossoms, which almost hide the leaves; it grows +twelve or fifteen feet high, and in such abundance, that the side +of the hill on which it grows actually appears of a golden colour +for several miles. I consider it the most beautiful species of +the genus yet known for cultivation.</p> + +<p>"I am, Sir, "Your obedient servant, "James Drummond.</p> + +<p>"P.S.—Our course generally by compass from Hawthornden to +these lakes has been several points to the west of north. The +natives informed us, when at the lakes, that they could reach the +sea-coast long before sunset.</p> + +<p>"Hawthornden Farm, Toodyay Valley."</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 29.</h3> + +<h4>MISFORTUNES OF THE COLONY.</h4> + +<p>Many causes have unhappily united to keep Western Australia +from rising into notice and importance with that rapidity which +has marked the career of the other Australian colonies. The +misfortunes of the first settlers, attributable in a great +measure to flagrant mismanagement, deterred intending emigrants +from tempting the like fate. The man who had the largest grant in +the colony allotted to him—a monster grant of 250,000 +acres—made so ill an use of the means at his command, that +nothing but misery and misfortune has ever attended his steps. +The funds with which he was intrusted might have been applied +with the happiest effect, both for the advancement of the colony +and of his own personal fortunes. The people whom he brought out, +chiefly mechanics and labourers, to the number of four hundred or +upwards, were sufficient to have formed a settlement of their +own. By an unhappy fatality, the early settlers were landed on a +part of the coast the most unfavourable in the world for their +purposes. The whole country around them was a mere limestone +rock. Here, however, the town-site of Clarence was fixed upon, +but scarcely a yard of land was to be found that afforded space +for a garden. No attempt was made to sow grain, or plant +potatoes, to provide for the wants of the following year.</p> + +<p>The people lived upon the provisions they had brought out with +them. The four hundred workmen being left by their principal +without direction or employment, soon consumed in riotous living +the abundant stores left at their disposal, and too soon found +that destitution is the inevitable consequence of idleness and +folly. Many perished miserably of want and sickness, and many +others effected their escape to Van Dieman's Land, where they +gave a melancholy account of the wretchedness of those who were +unable to flee from the scene of their errors.</p> + +<p>The active intelligence, and unremitting exertions of the +Governor, Sir James Stirling, at length ameliorated the condition +of the unfortunate settlers. He removed the seat of Government to +Perth, and explored the neighbouring country in every direction +in the hope of finding tracts of land sufficient for the support +of the people under his charge. The flats of the Swan River +afforded all the facilities he required; but the settlers were +greatly intimidated by the treacherous attacks of the natives, +and were very reluctant to separate from the main body. In +consequence of these fears, many consumed their capital in their +present support, instead of applying it in the formation of +farms, and laying the ground-work of future prosperity. +Provisions being all imported, were sold at high rates, and the +hesitating colonists became unavoidably subservient to the +cupidity of the traders.</p> + +<p>In addition to these misfortunes, no man liked to lay out his +money in building a house upon land which might not eventually be +allotted to him. He lived therefore, with his wife, children, and +servants, miserably under a tent, until the surveyor-general +should be able to point out to him the land which had fallen to +his share, in the general lottery of the Government. In many +cases this was not done for one or two years after the formation +of the colony, in consequence of the lamentably inefficient force +placed at the disposal of the able and indefatigable +surveyor-general; and even then, the boundaries of the different +allotments were not permanently defined. This state of +incertitude had the most fatal effect, not only upon the +fortunes, but upon the moral condition of the settlers. Those who +had come out resolutely bent upon cultivating their own land, and +supporting themselves and families by their manual labour, +refused to make the necessary exertions upon property which might +eventually belong to others for whom they had no desire to toil. +Waiting, therefore, in their tents on the shore, until the +Government should determine their respective locations, they +passed the time in idleness, or in drinking and riotous living; +and when at length they obtained their Letters of Allocation, +they found themselves without money or any means of subsistence, +except by hiring out their manual labour to others more prudent, +or more fortunate.</p> + +<p>Other accidental circumstances have combined to retard the +progress of the colony. From ignorance of the seasons, many lost +their crops, and were obliged consequently to expend the last +remains of their capital in procuring necessary supplies. From +the same cause, vessels which brought emigrants to the colony +were not secured during the winter season in the safest +anchorages, and being exposed to the fury of the north-west +gales, were in too many instances, driven ashore and completely +wrecked.</p> + +<p>Again, too, there has always existed a strong desire on the +part of Western Australia to connect herself with India, +conscious that there are great facilities of communication +between the countries, from favourable trade-winds, and that her +own climate is perhaps better suited to invalids than even that +of the Cape. This desire has been met by several influential +gentleman of Calcutta, and on two occasions, vessels were +freighted and despatched from that city to the colony, in the +hope of establishing a mutually advantageous connexion, and on +both occasions the vessels were lost on the voyage. At length a +small establishment was effected near Australind, by the agents +of Mr. W. H. Prinsep, for the purpose of breeding horses for the +Indian market; and we most sincerely hope success will ultimately +attend the enterprising effort. Indian officers have occasionally +visited the colony; but they have naturally received unfavourable +impressions, from being unable to find those accommodations and +luxuries to which they had been accustomed.</p> + +<p>The settlers will not build houses and lay out their money on +the mere speculation of gaining advantage by the visits of Indian +officers, but if once there appeared a reasonable prospect of +early remuneration, every convenience would be provided, and +every comfort ensured to visitors. Living is now extremely cheap, +and there is a profusion of vegetables and fruits of every kind. +There are plenty of good horses and pleasure-boats, and there are +the amusements of fishing, and hunting the Kangaroo and Emu.</p> + +<p>The misconduct of some, and the misfortunes of others of the +early settlers, tended to bring about calamities which were +echoed throughout Great Britain, and for many years had the +effect of turning the stream of emigration away from these +shores. Other causes have also contributed to this end. The +Government plan of giving grants of land to emigrants, +proportioned to the capital which they introduced into the +colony, was good to a certain extent, but the object was +perverted, and the boon abused. In almost all instances, men +received a much greater quantity of land than they were justly +entitled to. Every article of provisions, furniture, and +household effects, and even wearing apparel, were taken into +account. The valuations were made by friends and neighbours, who +accommodated one another, and rated the property of the applicant +at a most astounding price. The consequence has been, that large +grants of land have fallen into the hands of those who have never +lived upon them, or spent anything upon their improvement, beyond +a fictitious amount which they were required to specify to the +Government before they could obtain possession of their deeds of +grant. These original grantees have clung to their lands with +desperate tenacity, in the hope that some day their value will be +more than nominal. The idea that all the best portions of the +colony are in the hands of a few great unimproving proprietors, +has been one reason why emigrants have turned away from it.</p> + +<p>But the provision, which has so long been an evil to the +colony, may now be looked upon, thanks to the narrow-minded +policy of the Home Government, as an advantage. These original +grants, which have proved so little beneficial to the owner, and +so highly detrimental to the community, are now far more easily +obtainable by the emigrant than the surrounding crown-lands. The +policy of the Government has entirely changed with regard to the +disposal of waste lands in the Australian colonies; instead of +giving them away with a lavish hand, it has for some years been +the practice to throw every obstacle in the way of intending +purchasers.</p> + +<p>They are now valued at one pound per acre, though it is well +known, even at the colonial office, that five acres of Australian +land are requisite to maintain a single sheep; and as the average +value of sheep in all these colonies is six or seven shillings, +it scarcely requires the head of a Secretary of State to +calculate that every one who buys land for the purpose of feeding +his flocks upon it, must be content to purchase it at an +irreparable loss of capital. In consequence of this wise +regulation, no purchase of crown-lands are now made in any of the +Australian colonies, except of town allotments, which have a +factitious value, altogether irrespective of the qualities of the +soil. It is now that the holders of large grants find purchasers, +as they are extremely willing to sell at a much lower rate than +the crown. In Western Australia alone, however, are these grants +to be found; and here excellent land may be purchased at three +shillings an acre. Thus the careless profusion of one government, +and the false policy and unhappy cupidity of another, have proved +the means of placing this colony in a better position in some +respects than any other.</p> + +<p>Western Australia has been unfortunate also in having had no +powerful company to support her cause in England. The +neighbouring colony of South Australia, with a much less +extensive territory, and without any natural superiority in the +quality of the soil, was immediately puffed into notice by the +exertions of her friends at home.</p> + +<p>But whilst the settlers at Adelaide and their patrons in +London, proclaimed to the world the advantages of the new colony, +they scrupled not to draw comparisons between it and the Western +settlement, that were neither flattering nor just to the latter. +Not content with elevating their own idol with paeans and +thanksgiving, before the gaze of a bedinned public, they +persisted in shouting out their scorn and contempt at the +pretensions of their unhappy neighbour. The public, with its +usual discernment, gave implicit credence to both fables. Western +Australia had met its contumelious detractors with silence; and +the false statements were therefore looked upon as admitted and +undeniable. But notwithstanding the injurious misrepresentations +of enemies, and her own injurious silence, this colony has been +quietly and steadily progressing, until she has laid for herself +a foundation that no envious calumny can shake. The last blow she +has received was from the failure of the settlement at +Australind; a subject that I intend to treat of in a separate +chapter.</p> + +<p>So many misfortunes and untoward accidents have combined to +prejudice the emigrating portion of the British public against +Western Australia, that no voice is ever raised in her behalf, +and scarcely any literary journal condescends to acknowledge her +existence. And yet, notwithstanding the veil of darkness that +conceals her from Northern eyes, there is perhaps no spot in the +world that contains so eminently within itself the elements of +prosperity and happiness. A climate more genial, more divine than +that of Italy, robs poverty of its bleakness and its bitterness. +Absolute want is never felt, and those who possess but little, +find how little is sufficient in a climate so productive and so +beneficent.</p> + +<p>The purity and elasticity of the atmosphere induce a continual +flow of good spirits.</p> + +<p>To all the fruits of Italy in most abundant profusion, are +added the productions of the East.</p> + +<p>The regularity of the seasons is so certain, that the +husbandman always reckons with confidence upon his crops. No +droughts interfere, AS IN THE OTHER COLONIES, to ruin his hopes. +the vintages, annually increasing and improving, are equally free +from disappointment.</p> + +<p>It must not, however, be denied that there are many natural +disadvantages which can never be overcome without a much larger +population.</p> + +<p>In the first place, the only good harbour on the Western coast +has only just been discovered—June 1846—and is at least +thirty-five miles distant from Perth, the capital. Then, +secondly, all the superior land of the colony is situated about +sixty miles back from the capital, and the farmers therefore have +a considerable distance to convey their produce to the port; and +part of that distance the roads are extremely bad.</p> + +<p>There is another objection to the colony in the opinion of +intending emigrants, which arises from a small plant, or shrub, +of the order leguminosae, a deadly poison to sheep and cattle. +This plant grows over the colony in patches, but is now so well +known, that accidents very seldom occur from it, shepherds being +careful not to allow their flocks to feed in its vicinity. It is +however to be observed, that neither sheep nor cattle will feed +upon this plant unless they be very hungry, and other food be +wanting. It is very seldom indeed that cattle, which are +sometimes left to roam at large over the country, are found to +have perished from pasturing upon it. This plant has no injurious +effect upon horses; but these animals have in several instances +been poisoned by eating the leaves of a small plant described as +resembling the ranunculus, which grows in small quantities in the +Southern portion of the colony. A gentleman once informed me that +he was riding up from Australind on a favourite and very fine +horse, which he allowed to feed, during several hours of rest, on +a spot where this plant unfortunately grew. On mounting to resume +his journey, the horse seemed full of spirit; but he had not +proceeded a mile before it stumbled, and was with difficulty kept +from falling. A little farther on, after proceeding with evident +difficulty, it fell, to rise no more, and died in a few hours of +violent inflammation of the kidneys.</p> + +<p>However alarming these drawbacks may seem to people at a +distance, they are only lightly considered in the colony. +Fatalities are very rare among the flocks and herds, and many +diseases which prevail in New South Wales are entirely unknown +among us.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 30.</h3> + +<h4>THE RESOURCES OF THE COLONY:—HORSES FOR INDIA—WINE—DRIED +FRUITS—COTTON—COAL—WOOL—CORN—WHALE-OIL—A WHALE-HUNT—CURED +FISH—SHIP TIMBER.</h4> + +<p>The geographical position of Western Australia makes it one of +the most desirable colonies of the British empire. The French +would be delighted to possess so advantageous a station in that +part of the world, whence they could sally forth and grievously +annoy our shipping-trade. Vessels bound for China and the Eastern +Islands pass within a few days' sail of the colony. For my part, +I confess I should feel by no means sorry were we to fall into +the hands of the French for a few years, as they would not +hesitate to make such lasting improvements as would materially +add to the importance of the settlement. It requires that +Government should be made to feel the value of this colony as a +naval station before it will rise into anything like consequence. +The anchorage of Cockburn Sound, lying between Garden Island and +the main land, presents a splendid harbour, where hundreds of +ships of war might lie throughout all weathers in perfect safety. +Enemy's cruisers passing along the coast cannot come within +Garden Island from the south, and they would scarcely venture +without a pilot from the north, except with a great deal of +deliberation and caution, so that small vessels might readily +slip away and avoid the danger; and numbers of ships might lie so +close under Garden Island, that they never would be perceived by +men-of-war reconnoitring the coast.</p> + +<p>There is no other colony in Australia so admirably situated +with respect to other countries. The Cape of Good Hope is four or +five weeks sail distant; Ceylon about twenty days; Calcutta, +Sincapore, and Batavia are all within easy reach. In exporting +live-stock, this is of vast importance; and in time of war a +central position like this would afford an admirable place for +vessels to repair to in order to refit. With the finest timber in +the world for naval purposes in unlimited profusion; with a soil +teeming with various metals; with harbours and dock-yards almost +ready made by the hand of Nature, all things requisite for the +wants of shipping may be obtained whenever a Government shall see +fit to resort to them.</p> + +<p>It must doubtless surprise many that more has not been done in +a colony possessing such natural advantages. The reason is, that +the prejudices which have so long prevailed against this +settlement have retarded the progress of immigration, and the +small number of inhabitants has ever precluded the possibility of +any great effort being made by the colony itself.</p> + +<p>Public opinion in England must turn in its favour before it +can rise from obscurity into importance; but public opinion is +never in favour of the poor and deserted. Time, however, will +eventually develope those resources, which at present lie dormant +for want of capital and opportunity.</p> + +<p>The proximity of this colony to India peculiarly marks it as +the most advantageous spot for the breeding of horses for that +market. From Van Dieman's Land or New South Wales, ships are +generally about eight weeks in reaching an Indian port, and must +proceed either by the north of New Holland, through the dangerous +navigation of Torres Straits, or by the south and west, round +Cape Lewin. Either route presents a long and rough passage, +highly detrimental to stock, and of course increasing the cost of +the horses exported. The voyage from Fremantle may be performed +in half the time, and the animals will therefore arrive at their +destination in much finer order, and with much less loss.</p> + +<p>It is well known that none of these colonies afford better or +more extensive pasture-ground for horses and cattle than ours. +Nothing is wanted but capital and population to produce a +thriving traffic in horse-flesh between this settlement and +India.</p> + +<p>There is every reason to believe that Western Australia will +one day become a great wine country. Its vineyards are becoming +more numerous and extensive every year, and the wine produced in +them is of a quality to lead us to believe that when the art of +preparing it is better understood, it will be found of very +superior quality. It will, however, be a new kind of wine; and +therefore, before it will be prized in Europe, prejudices in +favour of older wines have to be overcome. Soil and climate +combined, give to different wines their peculiar flavour. The +vines which in Madeira produce the wine of that name, when +brought to another country, even in a corresponding latitude, and +planted in soil that chemically approaches as closely as possible +to that which they have left, will produce a wine materially +different from that called Madeira. So with the vines of Xeres +and Oporto; of Teneriffe or Constantia. Different countries +produce wines peculiar to themselves; and the wine of Western +Australia will be found to be entirely sui generis. All that I +have tasted, though made from the poorest of grapes, the common +sweet-water, have one peculiarity; a good draught, instead of +affecting the head or flushing the face, causes a most delightful +glow to pervade the stomach; and it is of so comforting a nature, +that the labourers in harvest prefer the home-made colonial wine +to any other beverage. Every farm-settler is now adding a +vineyard to his estate. The olive is also being extensively +cultivated. In a few years' time, dried fruits will be exported +in large quantities; but we almost fear that the colonists are +giving too much of their attention to the cultivation of grapes +and other fruits. In addition to exports, on a large scale, of +wool, horses, timber, and metals, these articles of commerce are +not undeserving of attention, but they should not be brought so +prominently forward as to form the principal feature in the trade +of the colony. Wine and fruit countries are always poor +countries; let us think of substantials first, and of wine and +fruit only by way of dessert.</p> + +<p>Cotton is a plant that grows extremely well in this colony, +and might be cultivated on a large scale, and doubtless with +great success. Mr. Hutt, the late governor, whose constant +anxiety to promote the interests of the settlers in every way +must long endear him to their memories, always appeared extremely +sanguine as to the practicability of making this a great cotton +country.</p> + +<p>But Western Australia contains, perhaps, greater internal +wealth than that which appears on the surface. She abounds in +iron, which must some day come into the Indian market; and as the +metal lies close to the surface, it may be obtained without much +expenditure of capital. There is no doubt, also, that she is +equally rich in copper and platina, but capital is wanting at +present to enable the settlers to work the mines. Soon, however, +companies will be formed, and operations will be carried on +rivalling those of South Australia.</p> + +<p>Extensive fields of excellent COAL have lately been +discovered, and will prove the source of vast wealth to the +colony. Steam-vessels in the Indian ocean will be supplied with +coal from Western Australia; and the depots at Sincapore, +Point-de-Galle, and perhaps at Aden, will afford a constant +market for this valuable commodity.</p> + +<p>The staple export of the colony is, of course, at present +wool. Our flocks, unfortunately, increase in a much greater ratio +than the inhabitants, and thus the scarcity of labour becomes +severely felt. A large flock becomes an evil, and men are +burdened and impoverished by the very sources of wealth. The +expense of maintaining becomes greater than the returns. The +emigrants who are most sure of improving their condition in a +colony, are those men who begin as shepherds, and having +established a good character for themselves, undertake the care +of a flock upon shares; that is, they receive a certain +proportion—a third, and sometimes even a half—of the annual +increase and wool, delivering the remainder to the owner at the +seaport, ready packed for shipping. These men, of course, soon +acquire a flock of their own, and then abandon the original +employer to his old embarrassment, leaving him, (a resident +probably in the capital, and already a prey to multitudinous +distractions,) to find out a new shepherd on still more +exorbitant terms. As large grants of land may be obtained by +tenants for merely nominal rents, or in consideration of their +erecting stock-yards or farm-buildings in the course of a term of +years, there is every inducement to men of this class to become +settlers.</p> + +<p>The houses in some districts are built of clay, or prepared +earth, rammed down between boards, and thus forming solid walls +of twelve or eighteen inches in thickness, that harden in a short +time almost to the consistency of stone. The windows and doorways +are cut out of the walls. These edifices are built at a very +cheap rate; and when laths or battens are fixed inside of them, +may be covered with plaister, and either whitewashed or +painted.</p> + +<p>Besides the extensive sheep-runs of the colony, there is an +unlimited extent of excellent corn-land. The crops in the +Northam, Toodyay, and York districts—though inferior to those of +the midland counties of England, for want of manure, and a more +careful system of husbandry—are extremely fine; and there is +land enough, if cultivated, to supply the whole of the southern +hemisphere with grain.</p> + +<p>The sea on the western coast of New Holland still abounds with +whales, although the Americans for many years made it one of +their principal stations, and have consequently driven many of +the animals away. The whale is a very suspicious and timid +creature, and when it has been once chased it seldom returns to +the same locality. The Americans tell us that Geographe Bay, +about twenty years ago, abounded with whales at certain seasons. +Many of them came there apparently to die, and the shore was +covered with their carcases and bones. About the month of June, +the whales proceed along the coast, going northward; and then +visit the various bays and inlets as they pass, in pursuit of the +shoals of small fish that precede them in their migration. They +generally return towards the south about six weeks afterwards, +and at these times the whale-fishery is eagerly pursued both by +the Americans and the colonists. Bay-whaling is followed with +various success at Fremantle, Bunbury, the Vasse, Augusta, and +King George's Sound.</p> + +<p>At these times swarms of sharks of enormous dimensions infest +the coast. At the Vasse, they were so numerous in 1845, that the +men in the boats became quite cowed by their audacity. Were a +whale killed in the evening, two-thirds of it would be eaten +before morning by the sharks. The monsters (sometimes thirty feet +in length) would follow the whale-boats, and strike against them +with their snouts and fins; until the men were so intimidated +that they even refused to go in pursuit of a whale which +otherwise they might easily have captured. Mr. Robert Viveash, +one of the principals at this station, told me, among other +anecdotes, that one day, standing on the deck of a small +schooner, watching the evolutions of an enormous shark, he saw it +seize the rudder with its teeth in a kind of frenzy, or else in +mere sport, and shake it so violently that the tiller, striking +against some heavy object on deck, was actually broken in two +pieces. It is a well-authenticated fact, that some years ago a +shark, playing round a whaling vessel of upwards of 300 tons, +whilst lying at anchor during a calm, got entangled in the +buoy-rope of the anchor, and in its efforts to free itself +actually tripped the anchor. The people on board, perceiving +something extraordinary had happened, hove up the anchor, and +brought the struggling shark to the surface. Having thrown a rope +over its head and secured it by a running bowline knot under the +pectoral fins, the fish was boused up to the fore-yard; and its +length was so great, that when its nose touched the yard, its +tail was still lashing the water.</p> + +<p>There is something highly exciting in the chase of the whale. +I have watched the proceedings for hours from Arthur's Head, the +high rock between Fremantle and the sea. A man stationed here on +the look out, perceives a whale spouting about six miles off, +between the main-land and the opposite islands. He immediately +hoists a flag, and makes signals indicating the direction.</p> + +<p>The crews of six whale-boats, which have been lying ready on +the beach, with their lines carefully coiled in a tub, and +harpoon and lances all at hand, assemble like magic. The boats +are launched, and pulling rapidly out of the bay, each with its +own particular flag flying at the bows; the steersman leans +forward, and gives additional force to the stroke-oar by the +assistance of his weight and strength; the men pull strongly and +well-together; the boats dance over the flashing waves, and +silence and determination reign among the crews. The object is to +meet the whale, and come down upon him in front; none but a +lubber or a knave would cross his wake; for his eyes are so +placed that he can see laterally and behind better than straight +before him, and the moment he detects a boat in pursuit he begins +to run. The lubber crosses his wake, because he has not steered +so as to be able to avoid doing so; the knave, because either out +of spite to his employer, or because he is bribed by an adverse +company, is desirous that the fish should be lost. If the boats +are a long distance astern when the whale begins to run, pursuit +is useless, and the men return, hoping for better luck another +time.</p> + +<p>The boats come round Arthur's Head almost together. The men, +knowing that many hours of severe toil are probably before them, +pull steadily, but not so as to exhaust themselves at the outset. +At length one boat creeps out from the rest; the others gradually +drop into line, and the distance between each widens perceptibly. +The last boat, a heavy sailer, is half-a-mile astern of the +first. From the boats, your eye wanders to the spot where the +whale was last seen to blow. For some time you can discern +nothing, and fancy he must be gone off to sea again. At last a +thin white column of vapour is perceptible; the animal is +carelessly sporting about, unconscious of danger. The first boat +draws rapidly down upon him; it approaches nearer and nearer. The +fish has disappeared, but his enemies seem to know the direction +in which he is going, and are ready awaiting him when he returns +to the surface. You now perceive him blowing close to the first +boat, the steersman of which draws in the steer-oar and runs +forward, whilst the men have all peaked their oars, and remain +quiet in their seats. The steersman has seized the harpoon to +which the long line of coiled rope is attached; in a moment he +has plunged it into the animal's side. Starting at the stroke, +away it darts; the line flies out of the tub over the bow of the +boat; the men begin to pull, in order to ease the shock when the +line is all run out; and now away they go, the whale drawing the +boat after him at such speed that the water flies off from the +bows in broad flakes.</p> + +<p>After running upwards of a mile, the fish dives down to the +bottom; there he remains some minutes, until compelled to return +to the surface for breath. His reappearance is heralded by a +column of water spouted from his nostrils.</p> + +<p>Two of the boats are able to approach near enough to allow +lances to be thrown at him, which, penetrating through the +blubber, pierce his vitals, and cause him to run again as swiftly +as before. Again he sinks, and again appears on the surface; the +column which he now spouts forth is tinged with red. The boats +again approach, the more lances are driven into his sides, but he +is not yet subdued; he breaks away from the assassins, and tries +once more to escape; but, alas! his strength and his life-blood +are fast ebbing away; his breath begins to fail, and he cannot +remain long beneath the surface.</p> + +<p>He comes up suddenly in the very midst of the boats, and, as +he rolls from side to side, he strikes one of them with his fin, +staving it in and making it a wreck upon the water. The drowning +men are picked up by their companions, and the whale is again +pursued. He is now in the death-flurry, spinning round and round, +and lashing the sea into foam with his broad tail. He is still; +and now the boats venture to come close up to the carcase, and +fixing grapnels in it, with tow-lines attached, they form in a +line, and commence towing their conquest to the shore, singing as +they row, their measured paeans of victory.</p> + +<p>When the blubber is cut off and tryed out, it produces from +three to ten tons of oil.</p> + +<p>Besides whales, there are immense quantities of fish upon this +coast. The best kind are called tailors, and have a good deal of +the mackerel flavour; and snappers, which somewhat resemble +cod-fish. The mullets and whitings are better than those on the +English coast, but every other fish is much inferior in flavour +to those known in England. We have nothing to equal salmon, +turbot, soles, cod, or mackerel; nevertheless, a snapper of +twenty pounds weight is a very eatable fish.</p> + +<p>They are caught in great quantities, salted and exported to +the Mauritius, where they are acknowledged to be superior to the +fish imported from the Cape of Good Hope. Snapper-fishing is not +bad sport, as they bite freely. They go in immense shoals, and it +is not an uncommon thing to catch twenty-hundred weight at a +single haul. When H.M.S. Challenger was lying in Cockburn Sound, +some of the men with a very large seine-net, caught two thousand +fish at a single haul—averaging five pounds a-piece. This is +almost incredible, but it is related on good authority.</p> + +<p>The fresh-water rivers have no fish but a small craw-fish, +that buries itself in the ground when the bed of the stream is +dry; and a flat-headed, tapering fish called a cobbler. This is +about twelve inches long, and has a sharp, serrated bone an inch +in length on each side of its head, that lies flat and perfectly +concealed until an enemy approaches. This bone is hollow, like an +adder's tooth, and contains a virulent poison, which is injected +into the wound, and causes intense pain for several hours. Men +are frequently stung by these wretches, whilst wading through the +water.</p> + +<p>There are several valuable kinds of wood in this colony, which +do not exist in South Australia or New South Wales. We may +mention the sandalwood, which now finds a market in Ceylon, where +it fetches about 22 pounds per ton; but if it were sent direct to +China, (its ultimate destination,) it would obtain probably 35 +pounds per ton. Sandal-wood is burnt in large quantities in +China, as a kind of incense. There is another highly-fragrant +wood peculiar to this colony, called by the settlers raspberry +jam, from its resembling that sweet-meat in its scent. A small +quantity sent to Tonbridge-Wells, was worked up into boxes, and +highly approved of by the cabinet-makers, who gave it the name of +violet wood.</p> + +<p>One of the most beautiful trees in the colony is called the +peppermint-tree; its leaves, which are very abundant, resemble +those of the willow, and, on being rubbed, smell strongly of +peppermint. It bears a small yellow flower. These is much reason +to believe that this is of the same species as the tree which +yields the valuable Cajeput oil, and it is highly desirable that +an endeavour should be made to distil this oil from the +leaves.</p> + +<p>Many of the vegetable productions of Western Australia appear +to correspond with those of Java and others of the Eastern +Islands, modified by the difference of climate.</p> + +<p>The timber adapted to ship-building purposes, extends in vast +quantities down the line of coast, and is of three kinds, all +varieties of the eucalyptus. The tooart in the districts of +Bunbury and the Vasse, and the blue-gum which abounds at Augusta +and Nornalup, are woods of large size, and remarkably hard and +close-grained in texture. It is well adapted for keel-pieces, +stern-posts, capstan-heads, and heavy beams: and its fibres are +so closely matted and interwoven together, that it is scarcely +possible to split it. It grows in lengths of from 30 to 60 feet, +and measures from 15 to 30 inches in diameter.</p> + +<p>But the wood most highly prized and most easily attainable is +the Jarra, which grows upon the entire range of the Darling +Hills, distant from sixteen to twenty miles from the coast, and +extends over a country averaging at least twenty miles in +breadth. It was for a long time erroneously called mahogany by +the settlers, as it takes an excellent polish, and is extremely +useful for cabinet purposes. A small quantity recently sent to +England for the purpose of being worked up with furniture, has +been thus reported upon:—</p> + +<p>"We have just inspected about two tons of wood brought to this +town (Leeds) under the name of Swan River Mahogany. Some of the +wood is firm and close in texture, with a very great abundance of +cross mottle;—in fact, it is quite crowded with figure. The +colour is something like old Jamaica mahogany, and it bears a +strong resemblance in some of its figures to the wood so +celebrated by Messrs. Collard as Ocean Wood. We are quite firm in +our opinion, that it is NOT mahogany, and do not know why it +should be nicknamed. Why not call it by its proper name?—for it +has sufficiently strong claims to maintain its own +independence.</p> + +<p>"J. Kendell and Co. "Cabinet Manufacturers, Leeds."</p> + +<p>Mr. Bond, of the firm of Gillows and Co., cabinet +manufacturers, 176 and 177 Oxford-street, London, to whom a small +quantity was submitted, has also made an equally favourable +report. Messrs. Chaloner and Fleming, of Liverpool, whose firm is +one of the most extensive importers of timber in the empire, have +reported that they "consider the specimens submitted to them to +be of rich figure, and very fine quality, although the colour is +rather dark. It is quite as fine in texture as the best Spanish +mahogany, and takes the polish remarkably well."</p> + +<p>It is not, however, as cabinet wood that the Jarra is so +highly valuable. It has been found to be some of the best +ship-timber in the world. It is so extremely durable, that when +it is cut in a healthy state, it is never found to rot, even +though it be buried in the ground for years. For seventeen years +it has been constantly used in the colony for a variety of +purposes. As it resists the white-ant, an insect that destroys +oak and every other kind of wood, and is never subject to the +dry-rot, it is invaluable for building purposes. Boats +constructed of it, which have been in the water during the whole +of this period, and entirely unprotected by paint, are still as +sound as they were when first launched.</p> + +<p>It resists the sea-worm; and our colonial vessels, when hove +down for repairs or survey at Sincapore, Launceston, or other +ports, have always excited the admiration of the surveyors, and +have been pronounced not to require to be coppered. This wood is +long in the grain, but very close and tough, and not only makes +very good planking, but excellent beams, keel-pieces, and many +other portions of a ship. Growing without a branch to the height +of from fifty to one hundred feet, and from eighteen inches to +three feet and upwards in diameter, it excites the admiration of +all practical men; and as its properties have been so long +tested, and are so generally admitted in the southern hemisphere, +it is matter of no less surprise than regret that it should be +still unknown in the English markets. Strong prejudice, and the +interest of parties connected with the timber-trade in other +countries, have served to keep the inexhaustible forests of +Western Australia in the obscurity which has hung over them from +primeval times. Besides this, although the Jarra wood exists not +in other parts of Australia, and is confined to the Western coast +alone, timber has been imported to England from New South Wales, +and is very little prized there. Timber-merchants, therefore, who +confound all the Australian colonies together, as most other +people in England do, are willing to believe that the Jarra of +Western Australia is the same as the Stringy-bark of New South +Wales, and therefore worth little or nothing for ship-building +purposes. The experience of seventeen years has proved the +contrary. Not only have the valuable qualities of the Jarra been +tested in vessels built in the colony, and employed in trading to +the neighbouring ports; but men-of-war and merchant ships have +been frequently repaired with it, and the wood so employed has +always been highly esteemed when subsequently inspected +abroad.</p> + +<p>In the autumn of 1845, the Halifax Packet, a barque of 400 +tons, having parted from her anchor in a gale, and drifted +ashore, underwent repairs at Fremantle, to the extent of about +eleven hundred pounds. On being surveyed at the Port of London on +her return home, the new timber, which had never been previously +recognized at Lloyd's, though many efforts have been made to +obtain that sanction, was allowed to remain in the ship as being +perfectly serviceable. The following memorandum was addressed by +the Surveyor of Lloyd's to A. Andrews, Esq., a gentleman +interested in the welfare of the colony:</p> + +<p>"The wood used in the repairs of the Halifax Packet at Swan +River, appears to answer the purpose very well. It is not found +necessary to remove any part thereof.</p> + +<p>"From the samples which I have seen of Swan River timber, I am +of opinion that it will form a very desirable and serviceable +wood in ship-building; but this must be regarded as my private +opinion, the Society of Lloyd's Register, to which I belong, not +having as yet assigned any character to it in their rules.</p> + +<p>(Signed) "P. Courtney, Lloyd's Surveyor. "Lloyd's, 24th +February, 1846."</p> + +<p>This extraordinary timber grows to a size that would appear +incredible to readers in England. It is perhaps only manageable +and remunerative from 40 to 60 feet; but in the southern +districts of the colony—especially to the back of Nornalup and +Wilson's Inlet—it is found growing to 120 and 150 feet in +height, before the first branch appears. My brother and his +servant, when exploring in that district, took refuge once from a +storm in the hollow of an old Jarra tree, which not only +sheltered themselves but their horses; and the interior actually +measured in diameter three times the length of the largest horse, +an animal sixteen hands high and very long backed. This may +appear an astounding assertion, but the following is not less so. +The same parties found a Jarra tree which had fallen completely +across a broad and deep river (called the Deep River) running +between high precipitous banks, thus forming a natural bridge, +along which a bullock cart might have passed!</p> + +<p>Timber of such large dimensions is perfectly useless; but +there are, of course, trees of every size, growing in boundless +profusion.</p> + +<p>As Indian teak and African oak are now scarcely obtainable, we +look upon our colony as a store-house for the British navy; and +though we have hitherto vainly battled against prejudice and +private interest to make this timber known to our rulers, the day +will arrive when the wants of the naval service will compel men +in authority to acknowledge the value of wood, which is most +highly prized by all who have had the opportunity of testing its +qualities.</p> + +<p>It is due to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to +state, that on two occasions they have promised to receive a +quantity of this timber, provided it were delivered at one of the +royal dockyards, and to allow a fair price for it. But +unfortunately, there is so great a scarcity of labour and of +capital in the colony, that the settlers have shrunk from the +outlay necessary to perform what would be, after all, only an +experiment.</p> + +<p>It cannot be supposed, that timber which has been tested in +every way for seventeen years, and is known throughout Australia +to be indisputably FIRST-RATE for ship-building purposes, should +be condemned at home as unserviceable. But the colonists know how +many prejudices and interested feelings environ the Admiralty; +and in general shrink from the experiment.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 31.</h3> + +<h4>RISE AND FALL OF A SETTLEMENT.—THE SEQUEL TO CAPTAIN GREY'S +DISCOVERIES.—A WORD AT PARTING.</h4> + +<p>His Excellency the Governor having kindly invited me to be his +companion on a journey which he proposed to make to the new +settlement of Australind, about a hundred miles south of Perth, I +set about making the necessary preparations. I borrowed a pair of +saddle-bags, and having stuffed my traps into one side of them, +loaded the other with a cold roast fowl, a boiled tongue, a pound +of sausages, a loaf of bread, a flask of brandy, and sundry small +packages of tea, sugar, cigars, etc.</p> + +<p>When I looked at the result of my labours, the swollen sides +of the leathern receptacle, I enjoyed a noble feeling of +independence; as though I were now prepared to ramble through the +world, and stood in no need of friendly welcome, or the doubtful +hospitality of an inn.</p> + +<p>Having breakfasted at five o'clock on a December morning (the +middle of summer), and equipped myself in a broad-brimmed +straw-hat and light shooting jacket, I mounted my steed, and +sallied forth from my gate, followed by the sympathizing grins of +Hannibal.</p> + +<p>His Excellency, true to the hour, was mounting his horse at +the door of Government House—and as the appearance of the whole +turn-out was rather unlike anything usually seen in Hyde Park, or +even connected with the morning drives of his Excellency the +Viceroy of Ireland, I may as well describe it.</p> + +<p>The representative of our gracious Sovereign was habited in +his bush costume—a white hat, bare of beaver, having a green +veil twisted round it, a light shooting coat and plaid trousers, +shoes, and jean gaiters. His illustrious person was seated on a +pair of broad saddle-bags, which went flap, flap against the +sides of his charger, as he jogged steadily along at the usual +travelling pace. On the pummel of his saddle was strapped a roll +of blankets for the night bivouac, and to one of the straps was +attached a tin-pannikin, which bumped incessantly against his +horse's mane. Round the animal's neck was coiled a long +tether-rope, which every now and then kept coming undone, and the +caravan had to halt whilst it was being readjusted.</p> + +<p>Behind us rode his Excellency's man, no longer the smug +gentleman in a black suit, with a visage as prim as his +neck-cloth, but blazing in a red woollen shirt, and grinning +incessantly with amazement at his own metamorphosis. Strapped to +his waist by a broad belt of leather, was a large tin-kettle, for +the purpose of making his Excellency's tea in the evening. Huge +saddle-bags contained provisions, knives and forks, plates, and +everything necessary for travelling in the Bush in a style of +princely magnificence. No scheik or emir among the Arabs wanders +about the desert half so sumptuously provided. I could not help +laughing (in my sleeve, of course,) at the figure produced by the +tout ensemble of John mounted on his ewe-necked and pot-bellied +steed.</p> + +<p>In excellent spirits we jogged along to the Canning, and then +eleven miles farther, to a muddy pool called Boregarup, where we +baited the horses, and lunched on one of his Excellency's cold +meat-pies. The water in the pool was not very tempting, but we +ladled a little out in our pannikins, and mixing it with brandy, +managed to drink it. The want of water makes travelling in the +bush during summer a serious business. Frequently you find a +well, on which your thoughts and hopes have been fixed for the +last twenty miles, completely dried up; and you have to endure +thirst as well as you can for some hours longer. Sometimes by +scraping the bottom of the well, and digging down with your +pannikin, you come to a little moisture, and after waiting an +hour, succeed in obtaining about half-a-pint of yellow fluid, +compounded of mud and water. This you strain through as many +pocket-handkerchiefs as you can command, and are at last enabled +to moisten your baked lips.</p> + +<p>On these occasions the traveller cares less about himself than +his horse, and often have we served the latter out of our +pannikin from holes into which he could not get his nose, whilst +denying ourselves more than a little sip.</p> + +<p>After lying an hour on our blankets in the hot shade, smoking +a cigar, and waging incessant war with myriads of mosquitoes and +sand-flies, we decided that it was impossible to continue any +longer so unequal a conflict; and saddling our horses in haste, +we beat a quick retreat, and felt much cooler and more +comfortable whilst in motion. In the course of the afternoon we +passed through a vast dry swamp many miles long. The reeds on +each side of the track frequently reached to our heads, and +prevented our seeing any thing else on either side of us; and +when we did get a glimpse over the rushes level with our eyes, we +could behold nothing but an immense plain of waving green, like a +huge field of unripe wheat, edged in the distance by the stern +outline of the ever-sombre forest of eucalyptus trees. This swamp +is a terrible place to pass through in winter. It is nevertheless +one of the royal post-roads of the colony; and the bearer of her +Majesty's mail from Pinjarra to Perth, is frequently obliged to +swim for his life, with the letter-bag towing astern, like a +jolly-boat behind a Newcastle collier.</p> + +<p>After emerging from the swamp, we passed through an extensive +plain, covered with coarse scrub and thinly-scattered grass, and +lined with forest trees and clumps of black-boys. When about +half-way down it, we came upon a herd of wild cattle grazing at +some two hundred yards' distance from the path. They seemed very +much astonished at the appearance of three such picturesque +individuals; and after gazing for a few moments, lost in wonder, +they tossed up their heads, and trotted along-side of us, keeping +their original distance. Having kept us company for about +half-a-mile, they relieved us of their society, (which was not +very agreeable, as we had no firearms) by coming to a halt, and +allowing us to proceed in peace, whilst they contented themselves +with brandishing their horns and tails, and butting against one +another in play.</p> + +<p>That night we slept at the Dandalup, hospitably entertained by +F. Corbet Singleton, Esq., M.C., the owner of a fine estate of +twelve thousand acres, a good deal of it alluvial soil. Were the +population such as it ought to be in this fine country; and the +markets proportioned to the capabilities of the soil, nothing +would be more agreeable than to live on a beautiful property like +this, cultivating your corn lands and multiplying your flocks and +herds. But as it is, unfortunately, a man is soon overdone with +his own wealth. He has more corn than he can find a market for; +more cattle than he can sell; and he is obliged to allow his land +to run waste, and his herds to run wild, rather than be at the +expense of farming on a great scale without adequate +remuneration.</p> + +<p>Let me advise emigrants to these colonies to turn their +attention chiefly to the breeding of sheep and horses, which are +saleable things in foreign markets. The growers of wool, and the +breeders of horses for India will make their estates profitable; +but large herds of cattle will produce nothing to the owner in a +thinly-populated country.</p> + +<p>The next day, after inspecting the farm, we proceeded with our +host to Mandurah, crossing an estuary a quarter of a mile broad, +but so shallow that the water did not reach above our +saddle-flaps. And now (having parted from Singleton) we had to +swim our horses across the mouth of the Murray River. After a +little delay, a boat was found; with a couple of men to row it +across, and removing the saddles and other things from the +horses' backs, we prepared for the passage. His Excellency's Arab +mare was destined to make the experimental trip, and the +Governor, with many injunctions and misgivings, committed the end +of the tether-rope to the hand of his servant, who belayed it to +the stern of the boat, where he seated himself, to act as +occasion should require. The boatman rowed till the tether-rope +was out at full stretch; his Excellency coaxed and entreated the +mare to enter the water, and "shoo-ed!" and "shaa-ed!" and called +her a stupid creature, whilst I cracked my whip and jumped about, +and rattled my hat, and made as much noise as people usually do +on such occasions. The mare, on her part, reared up, and flung +herself back, and plunged about, and showed so strong a +determination not to go down the broken bank, that we feared we +should never get her into the river. At last, however, we managed +to back her into the water, when she was dragged instantly out of +her depth and obliged to swim. The men pulled so fast that she +could not keep up with them, and giving up the attempt, floated +quietly on her side, to the great horror of her master, who +thought he never should bestride her again, until he was relieved +by seeing her start to her feet in shallow water, and scramble up +the bank, dripping like a veritable hippopotamus.</p> + +<p>The other horses behaved better; and when we had ourselves +crossed and remounted, we rode by the side of the river, or +rather estuary, a distance of ten miles, till we came to a +picturesque little spot called Mocha weir—a high bank, a clump +of trees, a brawling brook, (unusual sight in this country,) and +a patch of excellent grass.</p> + +<p>Here we resolved to halt for the night. Each rider attended to +his own horse, which, however, did not get much grooming, and +then we prepared for the great business of life, and kindled a +fire, filled the kettle with limpid water, drew out our various +stocks of provisions, and arranged the dinner-table on the grass, +and made every thing look exceedingly comfortable and inviting. +Then we made tea, and invited each other to eat, and did eat +without invitation; and joked and laughed, and felt considerably +more happy and sociable than if vice-royalty had been +real-royalty, and the green canopy of the trees were the +banqueting-hall at Windsor Castle. The man munched his victuals +at a small private bivouac of his own, within easy call, as he +had to jump up every now and then, and bring the kettle, or wash +the plates for the second and third courses. When the things were +removed, we lighted cigars, and pleasantly discoursed, recumbent +before the fire. Our beds were already made of black-boy tops, +and, therefore we had nothing to do but await the hour of rest. +The sun had disappeared, and darkness, closing around us, drew +nigher and more nigh every moment, swallowing up object after +object in its stealthy advance, and seeming about to overwhelm us +in its mysterious obscurity. But John heaped logs of dry wood +upon the fire, and nobly we resisted all the powers of Darkness. +In the midst of that black solitude, our little circle of light +maintained its independence, nor yielded to the invasion which +had swallowed up all around it. Here was our Camp of Refuge, and +here we felt snug, and secure, and at home; whilst all without +our magic circle was comfortless and desolate.</p> + +<p>Sometimes the active-minded John would dive, without apparent +dismay, into the black and hostile-looking regions of Night, +which seemed to close upon him as though for ever; and when we +had resignedly given him up, a prey to the evil spirits that +prowled around, he would reappear with startling suddenness, +issuing forth into the light like some red demon of the woods, +and bearing a huge log upon his shoulder —the spoils of his +"foray-sack"—which he would fling down upon the fire, making it +blaze up with sudden fierceness, and extending the circle of +light for a few moments to a greater distance around, so as to +give us a transient glimpse of things which were soon swallowed +up again in darkness—like glimpses of the dead in dreams.</p> + +<p>I must hurry on to Australind, merely mentioning that we +passed two lakes not far from each other, one of which was fresh, +and the other salt—salt as the Dead Sea. It is usual in this +perverse country (though not so in this instance) to find a salt +lake surrounded with good, and a fresh-water lake with bad land. +Here it was bad altogether. The country, however, improved +greatly as we drew towards Australind; and about ten miles from +that place, we came upon a fine flock of sheep that seemed to be +doing extremely well.</p> + +<p>We now passed along the banks of the Leschenault estuary, on +which Australind is situated; and soon we discovered three +figures approaching on horseback. these proved to be M. Waller +Clifton, Esq., the chief Commissioner of the Western Australian +Company, to whom the whole district belongs, attended by a brace +of his surveyors as aides-de-camp—one mounted on a very tall +horse, and the other on a very small pony. The Chief Commissioner +himself bestrode a meek-looking cart-horse, which, on perceiving +us in the distance, he urged into an exhilarating trot. His +Excellency, seeing these demonstrations of an imposing reception, +hastily drew forth his black silk neck-cloth from his pocket, and +re-enveloped his throat therewith, which, during the heat of the +day, he had allowed to be carelessly exposed. Gathering himself +up in his saddle, and assuming the gravity proper to the +representative of his sovereign, he awaited with as much dignity +as his state of perspiration would allow, the approach of the +Chief of Australind. As for myself, I plucked up my shirt-collar, +and tried to look as spicy as possible.</p> + +<p>The first greetings over, the two chieftains rode into the +town side by side, as amicably as Napoleon and Alexander of +Russia; whilst I fell to the share of the aides, and related the +most recent news of Perth, and the last bon mots of Richard Nash, +for their entertainment; receiving in return an account of the +arrival of 400 male and female emigrants at the settlement the +day before.</p> + +<p>We were entertained, as every guest invariably is, right +hospitably by Mr. Clifton and his amiable family.</p> + +<p>Australind was then (December 1842) a promising new town. It +was alive with well-dressed young men and women, who were +promenading under the large forest trees which still occupied the +intended squares and most of the streets. They had only landed +from the vessel which had brought them some twenty-four hours +before, and they were evidently variously affected by all they +saw. Some appeared to be struck with the strange circumstance of +trees growing in the streets; some looked aghast at the wooden +houses and canvass tents; one thought everything looked +exceedingly green; another fancied that a town built upon sand +could not possibly endure long. And he was right: for the town +has long since been deserted, except by half a dozen families; +and the newly arrived settlers are dispersed over the colony. +This has not been the fault of the Chief Commissioner, nor is it +owing to any inferiority in the soil, but to causes which I +intend briefly to explain, as there are many people in England +who are, or were, interested in the fortunes of this promising +young settlement.</p> + +<p>The Western Australian Company's grant of land at Australind +comprises 100,000 acres, among which there is a large quantity of +excellent pasture and arable land. It is well watered, and +generally well adapted for the site of a new settlement. The +flats of the Brunswick and Collic rivers would supply the whole +colony, if thoroughly peopled, with grain; and there is abundance +of feed for sheep and cattle, even to the summits of the +hills.</p> + +<p>A great portion of this grant has been purchased by the +Company from Colonel Lautour, who, however, could not furnish a +good title to it. Having never performed the necessary +improvements which would entitle him to a deed of grant in +fee-simple from the crown, his right of possession became +forfeit; and in April, 1840, Governor Hutt, though much +interested in the success of the Company, of which his brother, +the member for Gateshead, was chairman, thought himself obliged, +in the conscientious discharge of his duty, to resume the estate +for the crown.</p> + +<p>This proved to be a most fatal proceeding. The Company's title +to Colonel Lautour's grant had been confirmed by the +Home-government in November 1839, but owing to the non-existence +of regular post-office communication (that grand and inexcusable +error, which allows the British Empire to be composed of a mass +of unconnected settlements, dependent upon chance for +intelligence and aid from the mother country), the news did not +reach the colony until May or June following.</p> + +<p>Accounts of the resumption of the grant by the Governor +reached England, and not only perplexed the Company, but greatly +disquieted the minds of the numerous individuals to whom they had +sold land, to the value of nearly 60,000 pounds. At this very +time, too, unhappily, arrived Captain Grey in England, on his +return from the expedition to the north-western side of New +Holland, of which he has since published a clever and popular +narrative. Captain Grey took an early opportunity of giving a +somewhat lamentable account of the Company's land at Leschenault, +or Australind, and a very glowing description of a district, many +miles to the north of Perth, between Gantheaume Bay and the +Arrowsmith River, which he had passed through on his disastrous +return. He also expatiated, in most precise terms, upon a +splendid harbour which he called Port Grey, and of which he made +an elaborate sketch; and on the 26th of October, 1840, addressed +to Lord John Russell "a detailed description of that portion of +the western coast of Australia which lies between Gantheaume Bay +and the River Arrowsmith, as it would be found useful in enabling +persons, intending to occupy that tract of country, to arrive at +correct conclusions regarding its capabilities." In the map of +his route, published by Arrowsmith, Port Grey is laid down as a +spacious, well-sheltered harbour, with a convenient point of land +extending a couple of miles out to sea from its northern +extremity, and having a useful reef of rocks projecting, most +happily, to the same distance, affording altogether a secure +shelter for shipping in seven fathoms' water.</p> + +<p>The Directors of the Western Australian Company, alarmed at +the account related of Australind, perplexed by the proceedings +of the local Government, and captivated by the description of +Port Grey, with its splendid districts of "rich flats," and +"fertile downs," determined to change the site of their +settlement.</p> + +<p>Captain Grey describes two "flat-topped ranges," in the +neighbourhood of this port, lying about twenty miles apart; and +in his diary of "Sunday, April 7, 1839," he says: "The country +between these two ranges was an open grassy valley thinly wooded; +and IT APPEARED TO BE ONE OF THE MOST EXTENSIVELY FERTILE +portions of country which I had yet seen in Australia. After +travelling for another mile over the sandy downs, we reached +another romantic glen-like valley, bounded to the north and south +by steep limestone cliffs; we descended these cliffs, and at +their base found as in the last valley we had crossed, EXTENSIVE +FLATS, through which wound a water-course. All the hills I could +see in the vicinity consisted of limestone, and for the whole +distance I could see to the eastward (about seven or eight miles) +the country appeared to be of the MOST FERTILE and picturesque +character; the hills were slightly wooded with large timber, and +the valleys were nearly bare of trees and COVERED WITH GRASS. On +ascending the limestone hills to the south of the valley, we +found ourselves once more in open sandy downs; after travelling +three miles across these in a S. by E. direction, we again came +to a valley of the same character as the one above described; it +ran from the same direction; to the eastward we saw a fertile +valley. * * * We halted for some time immediately at the foot of +Mount Fairfax.</p> + +<p>"We continued our route in the evening over the sandy downs, +which, at the distance of half a mile from the sea, terminated in +cliffs. * * * After travelling three miles, we halted for the +night.</p> + +<p>"Monday 8th. The first three miles of our route lay over sandy +downs, when we found ourselves in grassy, wooded plains, lying +between the flat-topped range, and some dunes which bordered a +bay," etc.</p> + +<p>It is well known that people in the latter stages of +starvation have constantly visions before their eyes of sumptuous +entertainments, rich meats, and delicious wines. Captain Grey, +who was then walking for his life, at a Barclay pace, with a very +empty stomach, was probably labouring under a similar +hallucination with respect to the country over which he passed; +beholding flowery meads and fertile vales in districts which we +fear would prove little attractive to a settler. He beheld fine +flowing rivers and sheltered bays, which have since altogether +disappeared, like the scenes beheld on misty mornings by Sicilian +mariners.</p> + +<p>His account of the country determined the Western Australian +Company to change the site of their intended settlement. Calling +together the purchasers of land at Australind, the Directors +offered to return them the amount of their respective purchases, +or allow them to take up new allotments in the very superior +district of Port Grey. Almost all chose to reclaim their cash, +and declined further speculation.</p> + +<p>The Company now, towards the close of 1840, sent out Mr. +Clifton, their "Chief Commissioner," with directions to remove +the whole of their establishment then settled at Australind, to +the new settlement of Port Grey. On arriving at Australind, Mr. +Clifton was agreeably surprised to find the country much superior +to what he had expected, after hearing Captain Grey's account of +it. So differently do the same objects appear to different eyes! +And perhaps Captain Grey had only viewed the sandy banks of the +inlet, without having passed into the interior, and seen the +flats of the Brunswick, etc. There is a very great deal more of +worthless than of good land at Australind, which is the case +throughout the whole of New Holland, in the very best districts. +The general character throughout all the settled parts of the +island, or continent, is bad, with scattered patches of good.</p> + +<p>The Chief Commissioner, however, prepared to carry out his +instructions, though with much regret, as he doubted greatly +whether the proposed alteration would prove for the better. These +preparations were put a stop to by a communication from his +Excellency the Governor, informing him that the Government +schooner had recently returned from a survey of the coast and +district of the so-called Port Grey, and that no sufficient +harbour could be discovered along the coast; whilst the country +in every direction appeared barren and incapable of cultivation. +Mr. Clifton therefore remained at Australind with his party, and +used every effort and exerted every energy to found a flourishing +colony. But unfortunately, the change of site to Port Grey, and +then the return to Australind, and the various conflicting +accounts promulgated by the Company themselves, now lauding and +now condemning the two places in turn, operated so unfavourably +upon the public mind that no more sales of land could be +effected. It became, therefore, inexpedient to maintain the +expensive establishment of Commissioners, Secretaries, and +Surveyors at Australind, who were accordingly conge'd without +much ceremony; and the Western Australian Company, like the +"unsubstantial pageant," or Port Grey itself, "melted into air, +thin air," leaving "not a rack behind." Yet not exactly so, for +it has left behind, like some stranded wreck by the receding +tide, a most worthy and high-minded family who deserved a +brighter fate.</p> + +<p>Such has been the lamentable result of Captain Grey's +discoveries in Western Australia; for whether there be or not a +good tract of land in the neighbourhood of Champion Bay, Captain +Grey's denunciation of Australind, and his strongly urged advice +to the Company to change the site of their settlement, have +undoubtedly been the chief causes of their failure.</p> + +<p>Three expeditions have been sent to the scene of this +Australian Fata Morgana, in the hope of beholding it again, but +like the door of the fairy palace in the rock, it is visible only +to Prince Ahmed; and unless the Governor of New Zealand will +himself found a colony there, it is most likely ever to remain +desert and valueless. The first expedition was that in the +Government schooner, in 1840, already alluded to; the second was +made in 1841, by H.M.S. Beagle, Captain Stokes, accompanied by +the Chief Commissioner, Mr. Clifton. A careful survey was made of +the coast as far north as the spot were Captain Grey was wrecked, +and began his march southward, but nothing was discovered at all +resembling the description given of Port Grey. The only bay in +which a ship could lie, and that with very doubtful security, was +Champion Bay; but unfortunately the country in every direction +from this spot is most barren and miserable. Captain Grey +travelled close along the coast-line, according to his journal, +but those who have gone in search of his "fertile valleys" have +penetrated some distance into the interior, without discovering +anything but scrub and desert.</p> + +<p>Captain Stokes, in his published "Letter to the Surveyor +General of Western Australia," detailing his proceedings, +mentions having "now seen and examined an extent of country +little short of forty miles, nearly the whole of which deserved +the character of sterility." In another place, he related the +discovery of "the only piece of grass of a useful nature seen in +this route; it was, however, quite parched, and occupied a space +of three or four acres."</p> + +<p>Not being able to find any tolerable shelter along the coast +besides Champion Bay, he concludes that it must be the spot +designated as Port Grey; and after exploring the country behind +it, with the effect just stated, he sailed away one morning +towards the north-west and meeting with a "favourable westerly +wind," by afternoon was carried "past the bight south of Point +Moore, sufficiently near to see that its shores were fronted with +many sunken rocks." This also led to the conclusion that +"Champion Bay is the port Captain Grey speaks of in his journal, +placed in Arrowsmith's chart twelve miles south of its true +position."</p> + +<p>Since the date of Captain Stokes's survey, Captain Grey has +himself virtually admitted Champion Bay to be the locality +visited by him. In a letter to that officer dated, "Government +House, Adelaide, January 28, 1842," and published in the South +Australian journals, Captain Grey observes, "I have attentively +read your letter to the Hon. the Surveyor-General of Western +Australia; and have also considered the observations made by you +to me, relative to the error you suppose I have fallen into in +mistaking the Wizard Peak of Captain King for the hill named by +him Mount Fairfax, and I find I have certainly fallen into this +error—a by no means unlikely one, considering the very similar +character of the singular group of hills called Moresby's +Flat-topped Range, and the circumstances under which I was +journeying."</p> + +<p>The hill, therefore, at whose foot Captain Grey halted on the +afternoon of April 7, 1839, was not Mount Fairfax, but the Wizard +Peak, or some other hill "to the north of Mount Fairfax." From +thence the "sandy downs," (mentioned in the extract from his +Journal that I have given above) over which he passed in the +evening continued to within "half a mile of the sea," where "they +terminated in cliffs." To have seen all this he must have been +walking at no very great distance from the shore during that +day's marsh. His object was to reach Perth as quickly as +possible; and he steered in the most direct course—"south by +east." We know, therefore, exactly the line of country traversed +by Captain Grey—the "singular group called Moresby's Flat-topped +Range" being unmistakeable.</p> + +<p>In December, 1844, H. M. colonial schooner, Champion, under +the command of Lieutenant Helpman, R.N., accompanied by Mr. J. +Harrison, Civil Engineer, etc., was again despatched by Governor +Hutt to make further observations in the neighbourhood of +Gantheaume Bay. Lieutenant Helpman says in his report, "I coasted +close in from Champion Bay, collecting angles and soundings until +in latitude 28 degrees 10' 30", S. the low ridges of sand along +the shore induced me to land, being then (as I concluded from the +latitude given by Captain Grey) in the immediate vicinity of the +estuary." This estuary is described by Captain Grey in his diary +of the FIFTH April, who states that "for one mile we continued +along THE RICH FLATS which bordered the estuary" ... "we ascended +the limestone range, and got a view of the country to the +eastward and found it STILL GRASSY, and exactly the same +character as far as we could see. For the next five miles we +continued along the top of the limestone range, the estuary still +occupying the valley which lay to the west of us." ... "At the +end of a mile in a south by east direction, we found ourselves on +the banks of a river, the Hutt, from forty to fifty yards wide, +which was running strong, and was brackish at its mouth," etc. +Such was the appearance of the estuary and of the Hutt River in +the eyes of Captain Grey.</p> + +<p>Lieutenant Helpman continues his report as follows:—</p> + +<p>"On reaching the summit of the highest coast hill I found +myself abreast of the centre of the inlet, which was void of +water, but presented the appearance of a continuous sheet of salt +as far as the eye could reach. Passing over the coast ridges, I +came down, in about half a mile, to the edge of the estuary, and +followed it in a southerly direction for about two miles, when I +ascended another hill, from which I could clearly see the south +end of it, which was covered with the same description of +incrustration of salt.</p> + +<p>"A gorge at the south-east corner of the estuary is probably +where the Hutt River discharges itself during the rainy season, +but there was no appearance of water in any part of the flat, +which was about two miles wide between the hills and the +south-east shore of the inlet.</p> + +<p>"Observing that the north extremity of the estuary, as seen +from the hill just referred to, presented some slight appearance +of water, I was induced to examine it, and found the sand ridges +on the coast extremely low, nearly destitute of herbage, but +giving the idea of having had water passing over them. This I +judged to be the case, from a few blades of very coarse grass +which were laid flat on the ground, as if from the effects of +running water.</p> + +<p>"From the highest point of these ridges, notwithstanding the +smoke from the numerous native fires, the whole north end of the +inlet was plainly seen to be covered with salty incrustations, +similar to those previously referred to.</p> + +<p>"I conceive the point of land near which these latter +observations were made, and where I landed the second time, to be +Shoal Point of the chart; but, except that it is very low, I see +no cause for its name, as the water was deep close to it, and +having only a few rocks close off its extreme west point, within +a quarter of a mile of the shore.</p> + +<p>"Following close in from Shoal Point, the coast is perfectly +clear of dangers; but I observed no opening in the hills +indicative of a river, nor could I discover any bay or place of +shelter for shipping to resort to.</p> + +<p>"Red Point, which is the western entrance of Gantheaume Bay, +is a very bold headland of considerable elevation, it is +circular, and about four miles in extent. I landed at the east +end of the red sand cliffs, taking a specimen of the rock.</p> + +<p>"The land to the northward from this promontory is of a white +sandy appearance, having ridges of sand hills along the coast of +moderate altitude.</p> + +<p>"The low state of the barometer, and the strong northerly +winds, induced me to keep the vessel at a considerable offing. +During the day the breezes were very fresh, and had it not been +for the whale-boat with which I was furnished, I should not have +been able to have effected a landing on any part of the coast +which came under my observation. Under these circumstances, I was +compelled most reluctantly to abandon the idea of spending much +time in examining the interior.</p> + +<p>"The VERY DRY STATE OF THE HUTT AT THIS SEASON seems to +indicate that but little water flows into it at any time; and I +am disposed to fancy, that the lagoon, or estuary, owes its +formation to the breaking in of the sea over the low sand hills +during the tempestuous gales of the winter months, more +especially towards the north end of the inlet, where the sand +ridges are lower than in any other part of the coast in that +vicinity."</p> + +<p>Thus the luxuriant country of Captain Grey, like the +water-pools seen in the mirage of the desert, when approached, +vanishes from the view of the traveller.</p> + +<p>It is to be observed, that Captain Stokes and Lieutenant +Helpman surveyed these districts in the early part of the summer +season— November and December—when they were more likely to +appear fertile than on the 5th and 7th April, quite at the end of +that season, and just before the commencement of the winter +rains.</p> + +<p>Since the above passages were written, I have read an account +in the Perth journals of January, 1847, of the discovery of coal +by the Messrs. Gregory, about forty miles east of Champion Bay. +These gentlemen relate, that in journeying towards the coast, +they passed through a tract of country capable of being settled. +This may possibly be Captain Grey's luxuriant district; and yet +the district which he describes was close upon the coast. It is +also stated, that there is now ascertained to be a corner of +Champion Bay in which small vessels may find a safe anchorage; +and this is conjectured to be that Port Grey whose existence has +been so long denied. But, although a few miles of country may be +found in this neighbourhood capable of supporting a limited +number of flocks and herds, it is certain that there is no such +district here as would suffice for the purposes of a colony of +the magnitude contemplated by the Western Australian Company. The +advice, therefore, given them to change the site of the +operations from Australind, or Leschenault, to Champion Bay, or +Port Grey, was the most pernicious that could have been +bestowed.</p> + +<p>But it may certainly be doubted whether the principles on +which the settlement of Australind was founded were in themselves +of a sound and permanent nature. They were those propounded +originally by Mr. Edward Gibbon Wakefield, and applied with +extraordinary success to the formation and to the circumstances +of the colony of South Australia. The most prominent features +which they present are,— the concentration of population, and +the high price of land.</p> + +<p>The land in the immediate neighbourhood of Adelaide is very +fine, and capable of supporting a dense population; it was +therefore perhaps, good policy to divide it into eight-acre +sections, valued at one pound per acre, which supported a body of +agriculturalists, who found a ready and near market for their +productions in the rapidly rising town. But there are few +theories that will bear universal application; and the mistake +made in the case of Australind was, in expecting to obtain the +same result from principles which were to be applied under very +different circumstances.</p> + +<p>The land adjoining the town-site of Australind is generally +very indifferent, though the flats of the Brunswick and Collie +Rivers afford perhaps some thousand acres of excellent land, but +still not sufficient to maintain a large and dense population. +The Company's property was divided into farms of 100 acres, and +these were valued at 100 pounds each to the emigrants, who drew +lots for the choice of site.</p> + +<p>When the settlers arrived and took possession of their +respective grants, they soon discovered that if they all produced +wheat, there would certainly be plenty of food in the settlement, +but very little sale for it; whereas, if they intended to become +sheep-farmers, and produce wool for the English market, one +hundred acres of land would not suffice in that country for the +keep of fifty sheep. The sections of one hundred acres were, +therefore, far too small for the wants of the settler, who found +that, although he might probably be able to supply his table with +vegetables, he had but small prospect of ever applying his capers +to boiled mutton, or initiating his family into the mysteries of +beef a la mode. Disgusted with the narrowness of his prospects, +and recoiling from the idea of a vegetable diet, the sturdy +settler quickly abandoned the limited sections of Australind, and +wandered away in search of a grant of some three or four thousand +acres, on which he might reasonably hope to pasture a flock of +sheep that would return him good interest for the capital +invested.</p> + +<p>The Western Australian Company gave far too much for their +land in the first instance, and were therefore compelled to set a +much higher value upon it than it would bear. The ministers of +the Crown, who have adopted the principles of Mr. Gibbon +Wakefield, require one pound per acre for waste lands; and the +Company, though they purchased their property from private +individuals at a somewhat lower rate, expected to sell it again +at the same price. There is very little land (in proportion to +the vast extent of poor and of entirely worthless land) +throughout the length and breadth of all New Holland, that is +worth twenty shillings an acre. In the more densely populated +parts, arable land is worth that sum, and often much more; but in +the pastoral districts, three shillings an acre is in truth a +high price.</p> + +<p>It has long been acknowledged in New South Wales, as well as +in other parts of Australia, that it takes from three to five +acres to support a single sheep throughout the year. An ewe-sheep +is worth about nine shillings; and if you have to buy three and a +half acres of land, at three shillings, to keep her upon, the +amount of capital you invest will be nineteen shillings and +sixpence. The profits on the wool of this sheep, after paying all +expenses of keep, shearing, freight, commission, etc., will be +barely two-pence, or about one per cent upon the capital +invested. But then you have her lamb? True, but you must buy an +additional quantity of land to keep it upon. Still there is a +gain upon the increase; and in process of time the annual profits +amount up to ten and even twenty per cent. But suppose the three +and a half acres of land, instead of 10 shillings and 6 pence had +cost 3 pounds 10 shillings and 6 pence, it would then be +perfectly absurd to think of investing money in sheep.</p> + +<p>The course pursued by the home Government, in fixing the +uniform extravagant price of twenty shillings an acre upon the +pastoral lands of Australia, is probably more the result of +ignorance of their real value than of a desire to check or +prevent emigration to that country. It is an ignorance, however, +that refuses to be enlightened, and has therefore all the guilt +of deliberate injury.</p> + +<p>The monstrous demand of twenty shillings an acre for +crown-lands, has not only had the effect of deterring capitalists +from embarking in so hopeless a speculation, but has grievously +wronged the existing land-owners, by raising the price of labour. +When land was sold at five shillings an acre, a fund was +accumulated in the hand of the local Government that served to +pay for the introduction of labouring emigrants. That fund has +ceased to exist in New South Wales and in Western Australia. The +value of labour has therefore risen, whilst the value of +agricultural produce, by the increase of the supply beyond the +demand, has grievously diminished. The advocates of the Wakefield +system triumphantly inform us that there never can be a +labour-fund in any colony in which private individuals are able +to sell land at a cheaper rate than the Government.</p> + +<p>They point to South Australia, and bid us note how different +is the state of things there, where land universally is worth a +pound an acre or more. But to us it appears, that the character +of the soil is much the same throughout these countries—if +anything, being superior in Western Australia, where there are no +droughts, and where the wool produced, though the worst got up, +from the want of labour, is stated by the London brokers to be +pre-eminent in quality—that colony would most naturally be +sought by the emigrant in which the price of land is the most +reasonable. It is not the high price of land that has caused the +prosperity of South Australia. Every one who is well informed on +the subject, is perfectly aware, that in 1841 and 1842, before +the discovery of copper-mines, South Australia was universally in +a state of bankruptcy. Never was a country so thoroughly smitten +with ruin. Almost all the original settlers sank in the general +prostration of the settlement, and never again held up their +heads. The inhabitants slunk away from the colony in numbers; and +property even in Adelaide was almost worthless. The holders of +the eighty-acre sections produced far more of the necessaries of +life than the non-producing population required; and the +neighbouring colonies were deluged with the farm-produce of the +bankrupt agriculturalists of South Australia. This model colony +afforded itself the most signal refutation of the truth of the +Wakefield theories; and the whole world would have been compelled +to acknowledge the falsehood, but for the opportune discovery of +the mineral wealth of the colony. It is to its mines that South +Australia owes its good fortune, its population, and its riches, +and not to any secret of political economy bestowed upon it by +adventurous theorists. According to the opinion of these +philosophers, New South Wales and Western Australia can never +again by any possibility possess a labour-fund, because the +private owners of large grants of land, which they obtained for +nominal sums, can always afford to undersell the Crown. So long +as the Crown refuses to sell for less than a pound an acre, this +will certainly be the case; but the day will doubtless come when +our rulers will condescend to enquire into the necessities of +those over whose fortunes they preside; and will adopt a policy +suited to the actual circumstances of the case, and not vainly +endeavour to apply, universally, abstract opinions which have +long been proved to be, in almost all parts of Australia, totally +useless and inapplicable. THE ONLY WAY TO RAISE A LABOUR-FUND IN +THESE COLONIES IS, BY OFFERING CROWN-LANDS TO THE EMIGRANT AT THE +LOWEST MARKET PRICE. The Crown could always afford to undersell +the private land-speculator, and might establish a permanent fund +for the introduction of labour, by selling land at a low rate, +AND RESERVING A RENT-CHARGE, IN THE SHAPE OF A LAND-TAX— OF ONE +HALF-PENNY PER ACRE. Thus, every grant of five thousand acres +would pay an annual tax to Government of 10 pounds 8 shillings +and 4 pence; and would, therefore, in a very few years, +accumulate a fund sufficient to supply itself with a labouring +population. When it is remembered how very small was the original +cost to the owners of most of the lands in Western Australia, +there will not appear much hardship in imposing this tax upon all +the private property of the colony, as well as upon lands to be +hereafter sold by the Crown. This course of legislation would +infuse new vitality into the colony; and at the end of the short +period of five years, the tax might be suspended as regards all +lands purchased by individuals PRIOR TO THE PASSING OF THE ACT, +but continued for ever upon lands purchased under the Act, and in +contemplation of having to bear such a rent-charge.</p> + +<p>This is the only way by which emigration can be insured to the +colonies of New South Wales and Western Australia; and the time +will sooner or later arrive when this suggestion will be adopted, +though it may not be acknowledged.</p> + +<p>Her Majesty's present Secretary of State for the Colonies is +the first really liberal minister we have had; and to him the +distant and struggling settlements of Australia look with +reviving hope. THE OBJECTS MOST EAGERLY SOUGHT BY THOSE COLONIES +ARE—A NEW SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT, WITH LESS OF COLONIAL-OFFICE +INTERFERENCE; A REGULAR POST-OFFICE COMMUNICATION WITH ENGLAND; +AND A TOTAL REFORM IN THE EXISTING REGULATIONS FOR THE SALE OF +CROWN-LANDS, WITHOUT WHICH, IN COUNTRIES PURELY PASTORAL AND +AGRICULTURAL, THERE CAN NEVER AGAIN BE FORMED A FUND FOR THE +INTRODUCTION OF LABOUR.</p> + +<p>In the hope of making colonial subjects more familiar to the +general reader, and more popular than they are at present, I have +perhaps given to this little work a character so trifling as to +make it appear unworthy of the attention of political +philosophers; and yet, inasmuch as it points out some of the +wants of a large body of British subjects, whose fortunes lie +entirely at the mercy of distant rulers, who have but little +sympathy with a condition of which they possess but a most +imperfect knowledge—it is a work (inadequate though it be) not +altogether undeserving of the consideration even of +Statesmen.</p> + +<h4>NOTE TO CHAPTER 30.</h4> + +<p>I am happy that this work will become the medium of informing +the Colonists of Western Australia of one of the most promising +events that has ever happened to that country.</p> + +<p>The ship-timber of the Colony, a trial cargo of which arrived +in England this month (October, 1847), has just been admitted +into the Royal Navy. A highly favourable report has been made +upon it by the Government surveyors, and it is pronounced +admirably adapted for kelsons, stern-posts, great beams for +steam-frigates, and other heavy work. If a company be formed, on +good principles, and under proper management, a timber trade for +the supply of the Navy will be found most lucrative.</p> + +<p>The principal portion of the labour should be performed by +Chinamen, to be obtained from Sincapore.</p> + +<p>For this great boon, the Colonists are indebted to LORD +AUCKLAND, the First Lord of the Admiralty, for his ready +acquiescence in agreeing to receive the timber, by way of +experiment; to Mr. G. H. Ward, the Secretary, for the kind +attention he has paid to every request made to him on the +subject, notwithstanding that he has been sufficiently pestered +to have wearied the patience of the most amiable of mankind; and, +above all, to our late Governor, MR. HUTT, and his brother, the +Honourable Member for Gateshead, who have been indefatigable in +their exertions to promote the weal of the Colony.</p> + +<p>THE END.</p> + + + +<BR> +<BR> +<BR> +<BR> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Bushman, by Edward Wilson Landor + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BUSHMAN *** + +***** This file should be named 7181-h.htm or 7181-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/7/1/8/7181/ + +Produced by Sue Asscher + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Bushman + Life in a New Country + +Author: Edward Wilson Landor + +Release Date: December, 2004 [EBook #7181] +Last Updated: August 10, 2012 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BUSHMAN *** + + + + +Produced by Sue Asscher + + + + + + +THE BUSHMAN: LIFE IN A NEW COUNTRY + +BY EDWARD WILSON LANDOR + + + +(ILLUSTRATION: "KANGAROO HUNTING.") + +---------------------------- + + +THE BUSHMAN. + +LIFE IN A NEW COUNTRY + +BY + +EDWARD WILSON LANDOR. + + + + +PREFACE. + +The British Colonies now form so prominent a portion of the Empire, +that the Public will be compelled to acknowledge some interest in +their welfare, and the Government to yield some attention to their +wants. It is a necessity which both the Government and the Public +will obey with reluctance. + +Too remote for sympathy, too powerless for respect, the Colonies, +during ages of existence, have but rarely occupied a passing thought +in the mind of the Nation; as though their insignificance entitled +them only to neglect. But the weakness of childhood is passing away: +the Infant is fast growing into the possession and the consciousness +of strength, whilst the Parent is obliged to acknowledge the +increasing usefulness of her offspring. + +The long-existing and fundamental errors of Government, under which +the Colonies have hitherto groaned in helpless subjection, will soon +become generally known and understood -- and then they will be +remedied. + +In the remarks which will be found scattered through this work on the +subject of Colonial Government, it must be observed, that the system +only is assailed, and not individuals. That it is the system and not +THE MEN who are in fault, is sufficiently proved by the fact that the +most illustrious statesmen and the brightest talents of the Age, have +ever failed to distinguish themselves by good works, whilst directing +the fortunes of the Colonies. Lord John Russell, Lord Stanley, Mr. +Gladstone -- all of them high-minded, scrupulous, and patriotic +statesmen -- all of them men of brilliant genius, extensive +knowledge, and profound thought -- have all of them been but slightly +appreciated as Colonial rulers. + +Their principal success has been in perpetuating a noxious system. +They have all of them conscientiously believed their first duty to +be, in the words of Lord Stanley, to keep the Colonies dependent upon +the Mother Country; and occupied with this belief, they have +legislated for the Mother Country and not for the Colonies. Vain, +selfish, fear-inspired policy! that keeps the Colonies down in the +dust at the feet of the Parent State, and yet is of no value or +advantage to her. To make her Colonies useful to England, they must +be cherished in their infancy, and carefully encouraged to put forth +all the strength of their secret energies. + +It is not whilst held in leading-strings that they can be useful, or +aught but burthensome: rear them kindly to maturity, and allow them +the free exercise of their vast natural strength, and they would be +to the parent country her truest and most valuable friends. + +THE COLONIES OF THE EMPIRE ARE THE ONLY LASTING AND INALIENABLE +MARKETS FOR ITS PRODUCE; and the first aim of the political economist +should be to develop to their utmost extent the vast resources +possessed by Great Britain in these her own peculiar fields of +national wealth. But the policy displayed throughout the history of +her Colonial possessions, has ever been the reverse of this. It was +that grasping and ungenerous policy that called forth a Washington, +and cost her an empire. It is that same miserable and low-born +policy that still recoils upon herself, depriving her of vast +increase of wealth and power in order to keep the chain upon her +hapless children, those ambitious Titans whom she trembles to unbind. + +And yet poor Old England considers herself an excellent parent, and +moans and murmurs over the ingratitude of her troublesome offspring! +Like many other parents, she means to do well and act kindly, but +unhappily the principles on which she proceeds are radically wrong. +Hence, on the one side, heart-burning, irritation, and resentment; on +the other, disappointment, revulsion, and alarm. + +Is she too deeply prejudiced, or too old in error, to attempt a new +system of policy? + +In what single respect has she ever proved herself a good parent to +any of her Colonies? Whilst supplying them with Government Officers, +she has fettered them with unwholesome laws; whilst giving them a +trifling preference over foreign states in their commerce, she has +laid her grasp upon their soil; whilst allowing them to legislate in +a small degree for themselves, she has reserved the prerogative of +annulling all enactments that interfere with her own selfish or +mistaken views; whilst permitting their inhabitants to live under a +lightened pressure of taxation, she has debarred them from wealth, +rank, honours, rewards, hopes -- all those incentives to action that +lead men forward to glory, and stamp nations with greatness. + +What has she done for her Colonies -- this careful and beneficent +parent? She has permitted them to exist, but bound them down in +serf-like dependence; and so she keeps them -- feeble, helpless, and +hopeless. She grants them the sanction of her flag, and the +privilege of boasting of her baneful protection. + +Years -- ages have gone by, and her policy has been the same -- +darkening the heart and crushing the energies of Man in climes where +Nature sparkles with hope and teems with plenty. + +Time, however, too powerful for statesmen, continues his silent but +steady advance in the great work of amelioration. The condition of +the Colonies must be elevated to that of the counties of England. +Absolute rule must cease to prevail in them. Men must be allowed to +win there, as at home, honours and rank. Time, the grand minister of +correction -- Time the Avenger, already has his foot on the threshold +of the COLONIAL OFFICE. + +----------------- + + +CONTENTS. + +CHAPTER. + +1. -- COLONISTS. + +2. -- ST. JAGO. + +3. -- THE MUTINY. + +4. -- THE PRISON-ISLAND. + +5. -- FIRST ADVENTURES. + +6. -- PERTH. -- COLONIAL JURIES. + +7. -- BOATING UP THE RIVER. + +8. -- FARMS ON THE RIVER. + +9. -- THE MORAL THERMOMETER OF COLONIES. + +10. -- COUNTRY LIFE. + +11. -- PERSECUTIONS. + +12. -- MICHAEL BLAKE, THE IRISH SETTLER. + +13. -- WILD CATTLE HUNTING. + +14. -- WOODMAN'S POINT. + +15. -- HOW THE LAWS OF ENGLAND AFFECT THE NATIVES. + +16. -- REMARKS ON THE PHYSICAL ORGANIZATION OF THE NATIVES. + +17. -- SKETCHES OF LIFE AMONG THE NATIVES. + +18. -- THE MODEL KINGDOM. + +19. -- TRIALS OF A GOVERNOR. + +20. -- MR. SAILS, MY GROOM. -- OVER THE HILLS. -- A SHEEP +STATION. + +21. -- EXTRACTS FROM THE LOG OF A HUT-KEEPER. + +22. -- PELICAN SHOOTING. -- GALES. -- WRESTLING WITH DEATH. + +23. -- THE DESERT OF AUSTRALIA. -- CAUSE OF THE HOT WINDS. -- +GEOLOGY. + +24. -- COLONIAL GOVERNMENT. + +25. -- ONE OF THE ERRORS OF GOVERNMENT. -- ADVENTURES OF THE +"BRAMBLE". + +26. -- SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES. -- KANGAROO HUNTING. -- EMUS. -- +LOST IN THE BUSH. + +27. -- THE COMET. -- VITAL STATISTICS. -- METEOROLOGY. + +28. -- THE BOTANY OF THE COLONY. + +29. -- MISFORTUNES OF THE COLONY. + +30. -- RESOURCES OF THE COLONY: -- HORSES FOR INDIA. -- WINE. -- +DRIED FRUITS. -- COTTON. -- COAL. -- WOOL. -- CORN. -- WHALE- +OIL. -- A WHALE HUNT. -- CURED FISH. -- SHIP TIMBER. + +31. -- RISE AND FALL OF A SETTLEMENT. -- THE SEQUEL TO CAPTAIN +GREY'S DISCOVERIES. -- A WORD AT PARTING. + + +(PLATES. + +KANGAROO HUNTING (Frontispiece). +THE BIVOUAC. +SPEARING KANGAROO. +DEATH OF THE KANGAROO. +EMU HUNT (woodcut).) + + +THE BUSHMAN; + +OR, + +LIFE IN A NEW COUNTRY. + + +CHAPTER 1. + +COLONISTS. + +The Spirit of Adventure is the most animating impulse in the human +breast. Man naturally detests inaction; he thirsts after change and +novelty, and the prospect of excitement makes him prefer even danger +to continued repose. + +The love of adventure! how strongly it urges forward the Young! The +Young, who are ever discontented with the Present, and sigh for +opportunities of action which they know not where to seek. Old men +mourn over the folly and recklessness of the Young, who, in the fresh +and balmy spring-time of life, recoil from the confinement of the +desk or the study, and long for active occupation, in which all their +beating energies may find employment. Subjection is the consequence +of civilized life; and self-sacrifice is necessary in those who are +born to toil, before they may partake of its enjoyments. But though +the Young are conscious that this is so, they repine not the less; +they feel that the freshness and verdure of life must first die away; +that the promised recompense will probably come too late to the +exhausted frame; that the blessings which would now be received with +prostrate gratitude will cease to be felt as boons; and that although +the wishes and wants of the heart will take new directions in the +progress of years, the consciousness that the spring-time of life -- +that peculiar season of happiness which can never be known again -- +has been consumed in futile desires and aspirations, in vain hopes +and bitter experiences, must ever remain deepening the gloom of +Memory. + +Anxious to possess immediate independence, young men, full of +adventurous spirit, proceed in search of new fields of labour, where +they may reap at once the enjoyments of domestic life, whilst they +industriously work out the curse that hangs over the Sons of Adam. + +They who thus become emigrants from the ardent spirit of adventure, +and from a desire to experience a simpler and less artificial manner +of living than that which has become the essential characteristic of +European civilization, form a large and useful body of colonists. +These men, notwithstanding the pity which will be bestowed upon them +by those whose limited experience of life leads to the belief that +happiness or contentment can only be found in the atmosphere of +England, are entitled to some consideration and respect. + +To have dared to deviate from the beaten track which was before them +in the outset of life; to have perceived at so vast a distance +advantages which others, if they had seen, would have shrunk from +aiming at; to have persevered in their resolution, notwithstanding +the expostulations of Age, the regrets of Friendship, and the sighs +of Affection -- all this betokens originality and strength of +character. + +Does it also betoken indifference to the wishes of others? Perhaps +it does; and it marks one of the broadest and least amiable features +in the character of a colonist. + +The next class of emigrants are those who depart from their native +shores with reluctance and tears. Children of misfortune and sorrow, +they would yet remain to weep on the bosom from which they have drawn +no sustenance. But the strong blasts of necessity drive them from +the homes which even Grief has not rendered less dear. Their future +has never yet responded to the voice of Hope, and now, worn and +broken in spirit, imagination paints nothing cheering in another +land. They go solely because they may not remain -- because they +know not where else to look for a resting place; and Necessity, with +her iron whip, drives them forth to some distant colony. + +But there is still a third class, the most numerous perhaps of all, +that helps to compose the population of a colony. This is made up of +young men who are the wasterels of the World; who have never done, +and never will do themselves any good, and are a curse instead of a +benefit to others. These are they who think themselves fine, jovial, +spirited fellows, who disdain to work, and bear themselves as if life +were merely a game which ought to be played out amid coarse laughter +and wild riot. + +These go to a colony because their relatives will not support them in +idleness at home. They feel no despair at the circumstance, for +their pockets have been refilled, though (they are assured) for the +last time; and they rejoice at the prospect of spending their capital +far from the observation of intrusive guardians. + +Disgusted at authority which has never proved sufficient to restrain +or improve them, they become enamoured with the idea of absolute +license, and are far too high-spirited to entertain any apprehensions +of future poverty. These gallant-minded and truly enviable fellows +betake themselves, on their arrival, to the zealous cultivation of +field-sports instead of field produce. They leave with disdain the +exercise of the useful arts to low-bred and beggarly-minded people, +who have not spirit enough for anything better; whilst they +themselves enthusiastically strive to realize again those glorious +times,-- + +"When wild in woods the noble savage ran." + +In the intervals of relaxation from these fatigues, when they return +to a town life, they endeavour to prove the activity of their +energies and the benevolence of their characters, by getting up balls +and pic-nics, solely to promote the happiness of the ladies. But +notwithstanding this appearance of devotion to the fair sex, their +best affections are never withdrawn from the companion of their +hearts -- the brandy flask. They evince their generous hospitality +by hailing every one who passes their door, with "How are you, old +fellow? Come in, and take a nip." Somehow or other they are always +liked, even by those who pity and despise them. + +The women only laugh at their irregularities -- they are such +"good-hearted creatures!" And so they go easily and rapidly down +that sloping path which leads to ruin and despair. What is their +end? Many of them literally kill themselves by drinking; and those +who get through the seasoning, which is the fatal period, are either +compelled to become labourers in the fields for any one who will +provide them with food; or else succeed in exciting the compassion of +their friends at home, by their dismal accounts of the impossibility +of earning a livelihood in a ruined and worthless colony; and having +thus obtained money enough to enable them to return to England, they +hasten to throw themselves and their sorrows into the arms of their +sympathizing relatives. + +Nothing can be more absurd than to imagine that a fortune may be made +in a colony by those who have neither in them nor about them any of +the elements or qualities by which fortunes are gained at home. + +There are, unfortunately, few sources of wealth peculiar to a colony. +The only advantage which the emigrant may reasonably calculate upon +enjoying, is the diminution of competition. In England the crowd is +so dense that men smother one another. + +It is only by opening up the same channels of wealth under more +favourable circumstances, that the emigrant has any right to +calculate upon success. Without a profession, without any legitimate +calling in which his early years have been properly instructed; +without any knowledge or any habits of business, a man has no better +prospect of making a fortune in a colony than at home. None, +however, so circumstanced, entertains this belief; on the contrary, +he enters upon his new career without any misgivings, and with the +courage and enthusiasm of a newly enlisted recruit. + +Alas! the disappointment which so soon and so inevitably succeeds, +brings a crowd of vices and miseries in its train. + + + +CHAPTER 2. + +ST. JAGO. + +The reader may naturally expect to be informed of the reasons that +have induced me thus to seek his acquaintance. In one word -- I am a +colonist. In England, a great deal is said every day about colonies +and colonists, but very little is known about them. A great deal is +projected; but whatever is done, is unfortunately to their prejudice. +Secretaries of State know much more about the distant settlements of +Great Britain than the inhabitants themselves; and, consequently, the +latter are seldom able to appreciate the ordinances which (for their +own good) they are compelled to submit to. + +My own experience is chiefly confined to one of the most +insignificant of our colonies, -- insignificant in point of +population, but extremely important as to its geographical position, +and its prospects of future greatness, -- but the same principle of +government applies to all the British settlements. + +A few years ago, I was the victim of medical skill; and being +sentenced to death in my own country by three eminent physicians, was +comparatively happy in having that sentence commuted to banishment. +A wealthy man would have gone to Naples, to Malta, or to Madeira; but +a poor one has no resource save in a colony, unless he will +condescend to live upon others, rather than support himself by his +own exertions. + +The climate of Western Australia was recommended; and I may be +grateful for the alternative allowed me. + +As I shall have occasion hereafter to allude to them incidentally, I +may mention that my two brothers accompanied me on this distant +voyage. + +The elder, a disciple of Aesculapius, was not only anxious to gratify +his fraternal solicitude and his professional tastes by watching my +case, but was desirous of realizing the pleasures of rural life in +Australia. + +My younger brother (whose pursuits entitle him to be called +Meliboeus) was a youth not eighteen, originally designed for the +Church, and intended to cut a figure at Oxford; but modestly +conceiving that the figure he was likely to cut would not tend to the +advancement of his worldly interests, and moreover, having no +admiration for Virgil beyond the Bucolics, he fitted himself out with +a Lowland plaid and a set of Pandaean pipes, and solemnly dedicated +himself to the duties of a shepherd. + +Thus it was that we were all embarked in the same boat; or rather, we +found ourselves in the month of April, 1841, on board of a certain +ill-appointed barque bound for Western Australia. + +We had with us a couple of servants, four rams with curling horns -- +a purchase from the late Lord Western; a noble blood-hound, the gift +of a noble Lord famous for the breed; a real old English +mastiff-bitch, from the stock at Lyme Park; and a handsome spaniel +cocker. Besides this collection of quadrupeds, we had a vast +assortment of useless lumber, which had cost us many hundred pounds. +Being most darkly ignorant of every thing relating to the country to +which we were going, but having a notion that it was very much of the +same character with that so long inhabited by Robinson Crusoe, we had +prudently provided ourselves with all the necessaries and even +non-necessaries of life in such a region. Our tool chests would have +suited an army of pioneers; several distinguished ironmongers of the +city of London had cleared their warehouses in our favour of all the +rubbish which had lain on hand during the last quarter of a century; +we had hinges, bolts, screws, door-latches, staples, nails of all +dimensions -- from the tenpenny, downwards -- and every other +requisite to have completely built a modern village of reasonable +extent. We had tents, Macintosh bags, swimming-belts, several sets +of sauce-pans in graduated scale, (we had here a distant eye to +kangaroo and cockatoo stews,) cleavers, meat-saws, iron skewers, and +a general apparatus of kitchen utensils that would have satisfied the +desires of Monsieur Soyer himself. Then we had double and +single-barrelled guns, rifles, pistols, six barrels of Pigou and +Wilkes' gunpowder; an immense assortment of shot, and two hundred +weight of lead for bullets. + +Besides the several articles already enumerated, we had provided +ourselves with eighteen months' provisions, in pork and flour, +calculating that by the time this quantity was consumed, we should +have raised enough to support our establishment out of the soil by +the sweat of our brows. And thus from sheer ignorance of colonial +life, we had laid out a considerable portion of our capital in the +purchase of useless articles, and of things which might have been +procured more cheaply in the colony itself. Nor were we the only +green-horns that have gone out as colonists: on the contrary, +nine-tenths of those who emigrate, do so in perfect ignorance of the +country they are about to visit and the life they are destined to +lead. The fact is, Englishmen, as a body know nothing and care +nothing about colonies. My own was merely the national ignorance. +An Englishman's idea of a colony (he classes them altogether) is, +that it is some miserable place -- the Black-hole of the British +empire -- where no one would live if he were allowed a choice; and +where the exiled spirits of the nation are incessantly sighing for a +glimpse of the white cliffs of Albion, and a taste of the old +familiar green-and-yellow fog of the capital of the world. +Experience alone can convince him that there are in other regions of +the world climes as delightful, suns as beneficent, and creditors as +confiding, as those of Old England. + +The voyage, of course, was tedious enough; but some portion of it was +spent very pleasantly in calculating the annual profits which our +flocks were likely to produce. + +The four noble rams, with their curly horns, grew daily more valuable +in our estimation. By the sailors, no doubt, they were rated no +higher than the miserable tenants of the long-boat, that formed part +of the cuddy provisions. But with us it was very different. As we +looked, every bright and balmy morning, into the pen which they +occupied, we were enabled to picture more vividly those Arcadian +prospects which seemed now brought almost within reach. In these +grave and respectable animals we recognised the patriarchs of a vast +and invaluable progeny; and it was impossible to help feeling a kind +of veneration for the sires of that fleecy multitude which was to +prove the means of justifying our modest expectations of happiness +and wealth. + +Our dogs also afforded us the most pleasing subjects for speculation. +With the blood-hound we were to track the footsteps of the midnight +marauder, who should invade the sanctity of our fold. The spaniel +was to aid in procuring a supply of game for the table; and I +bestowed so much pains upon his education during the voyage, that +before we landed he was perfectly au fait in the article of +"down-charge!" and used to flush the cat in the steward's pantry with +the greatest certainty and satisfaction. + +Jezebel, the mastiff-birch, was expected to assist in guarding our +castle, -- an honourable duty which her courage and fidelity amply +warranted us in confiding to her. Of the former quality, I shall +mention an instance that occurred during the voyage. We had one day +caught a shark, twelve feet long; and no sooner was he hauled on deck +than Jezebel, wild with fury, rushed through the circle of eager +sailors and spectators, and flew directly at the nose of the +struggling monster. It was with difficulty that she was dragged away +by the admiring seamen, who were compelled to admit that there was a +creature on board more reckless and daring than themselves. + +We were now approaching the Cape Verd Islands. I daresay it has been +frequently mentioned, that there is in these latitudes a vast bed of +loose sea-weed, floating about, which has existed there from time +immemorial, and which is only found in this one spot of the ocean; as +though it were here compelled to remain under the influence of some +magic spell. Some navigators are of opinion that it grows on the +rocks at the bottom of the sea, beneath the surface on which it +floats. Others maintain that it has been drifted across the +Atlantic, having issued from the Gulf of Mexico. Here, however, it +is doomed to drift about hopelessly, for ever lost in the wilderness +of waters; on the surface of which it now vegetates, affording +shelter to small crabs, and many curious kinds of fishes. + +One of the latter which we caught, about an inch in length, had a +spike on his back, and four legs, with which he crawled about the +sea-weed. + +We approached the Island of St. Jago, sailing unconsciously close to +a sunken rock, on which (as we afterwards learnt) the "Charlotte" had +struck about six weeks before whilst under full sail, and had gone +down in a few minutes, barely allowing time for the crew to escape in +their boat. + +Notwithstanding we had been five weeks at sea when we dropped anchor +in Porto Praya roads, the appearance of the land was by no means +inviting to the eyes. A high and extremely barren hill, or large +heap of dry earth, with a good many stones about it, seemed to +compose the Island. Close to us was the town, a collection of white +houses that looked very dazzling in the summer sun. Beside, and +running behind it, was a greenish valley, containing a clump of +cocoa-nut trees. This was the spot we longed to visit; so, getting +into the captain's boat, we approached the shore, where a number of +nearly naked negroes rushing into the sea (there being no pier or +jetty) presented their slimy backs at the gun-wale, and carried us in +triumph to the beach. The town boasted of one hotel, in the only +sitting-room of which we found some Portuguese officers smoking pipes +as dirty as themselves, and drinking a beverage which had much the +appearance of rum and water. There was no one who could speak a word +of English; but at length a French waiter appeared, who seemed +ravished with delight at the jargon with which we feebly reminded him +of his own lively language "when at home." Having ordered dinner, we +wandered off in search of the coca-nut valley, and purchased bananas +for the first time in our lives, and oranges, the finest in the world. + +Those who have been long at sea know how pleasant it is to walk once +more upon the land. It is one of the brightest of the Everlasting +flowers in the garland of Memory. + +We walked along the sea-beach, as people so circumstanced must ever +do, full of gladsome fancies. There was delight for us in the varied +shells at our feet; in the curious skeletons of small fishes, +untimely deceased; in the fantastic forms of the drifted sea-weed; in +the gentle ripple of the companionable waves by our side. And little +Fig, the spaniel, was no less pleased then ourselves. He ran before +us rejoicing in his fleetness; and he ran back again in a moment to +tell us how glad he was. Then as a wave more incursive than its +predecessor unexpectedly wetted his feet, he would droop his tail and +run faster with alarm, until the sight of some bush or bough, left +high and dry by the last tide, awakened his nervous suspicions, and +dreading an ambuscade, he would stop suddenly and bark at the +dreadful object, until we arrived at his side, when, wagging his tail +and looking slyly up with his joyous eyes, he would scamper away +again as though he would have us believe he had been all the time +only in fun. + +What profound satisfaction is there in the freedom of land after so +long a confinement! The sunshine that makes joyous every object +around us finds its way into the deeps of the heart. + +And now we determined to bathe. So we crossed over a jutting rock, +on the other side of which was a beautiful and secluded little bay, +so sheltered that the waves scarcely rippled as they came to kiss the +shell-covered beach. Here we soon unrobed; and I was the first to +rush at full speed into the inviting waters. Before I got up to my +middle, however, I saw something before me that looked like a dark +rock just below the surface. I made towards it, intending to get +upon it, and dive off on the other side; but lo! as I approached, it +stirred; then it darted like a flash of lightning towards one side of +the bay, whilst I, after standing motionless for a moment, retreated +with the utmost expedition. + +It was a ground-shark, of which there are numbers on that coast. + +We lost no time in putting on our clothes again, and returned in +rather a fluttered state to the inn. + + + +CHAPTER 3. + +THE MUTINY. + +We remained a week at St. Jago, the captain being busily engaged in +taking in water, and quarrelling with his crew. One day, at the +instigation of our friend, the French waiter, we made a trip of seven +miles into the interior of the island, to visit a beautiful valley +called Trinidad. Mounted on donkeys, and attended by two ragged, +copper-coloured youths, we proceeded in gallant style up the main +street, and, leaving the town, crossed the valley beyond it, and +emerged into the open country. It was a rough, stony, and hilly +road, through a barren waste, where there scarcely appeared a stray +blade of grass for the goats which rambled over it in anxious +search of herbage. + +At length, after a wearisome ride of several hours, we descended +suddenly into the most fertile and luxuriant valley I ever beheld, +and which seemed to extend a distance of some miles. A mountain +brook flowed down the midst, on the banks of which numerous scattered +and picturesque cottages appeared. On either side the ground was +covered with the green carpet of Nature in the spring of the year. +Everywhere, except in this smiling valley, we saw nothing but the +aridity of summer, and the desolation caused by a scorching tropical +sun. But here -- how very different! How sudden, how magical was +the change! Every species of vegetable grew here in finest +luxuriance. Melons of every variety, pine-apples, sweet potatoes, +plantains, and bananas, with their broad and drooping leaves of +freshest green and rich purple flower, and ripe yellow fruit. +Orange-trees, cocoa-nut trees, limes -- the fig, the vine, the +citron, the pomegranate, and numerous others, grateful to the weary +sight, and bearing precious stores amid their branches, combined to +give the appearance of wealth and plenty to this happy valley. It +was not, however, destined to be entered by us without a fierce +combat for precedence between two of our steeds. The animal whom it +was the evil lot of Meliboeus to bestride, suddenly threw back its +ears, and darted madly upon the doctor's quadruped, which, on its +side, manifested no reluctance to the fight. + +Dreadful was the scene; the furious donkeys nearing and striking with +their fore-feet, and biting each other about the head and neck +without the smallest feeling of compunction or remorse; the two +guides shrieking and swearing in Portuguese at the donkeys and each +other, and striking right and left with their long staves, perfectly +indifferent as to whom they hit; the unhappy riders, furious with +fright and chagrin, shouting in English to the belligerents of both +classes to "keep off!" The screams of two women, who were carrying +water in the neighbourhood, enhanced by the barking of a terrified +cur, that ran blindly hither and thither with its tail between its +legs, in a state of frantic excitement -- altogether produced a +tableau of the most spirited description. Peace was at length +restored, and we all dismounted from our saddles with fully as much +satisfaction as we had experienced when vaulting into them. + +There is little more to say about the valley of Trinidad. The +cottagers who supply the town of Porto Praya with fruits and +vegetables are extremely poor, and very uncleanly and untidy in their +houses and habits. We had intended to spend the night with them, but +the appearance of the accommodations determined us to return to our +inn, in spite of the friendly and disinterested advice of our guides. + +St. Jago abounds with soldiers and priests; the former of whom are +chiefly convicts from Lisbon, condemned to serve here in the ranks. + +The day for sailing arrived, and we were all on board and ready. Our +barque was a temperance ship; that is, she belonged to owners who +refused to allow their sailors the old measure of a wine-glass of rum +in the morning, and another in the afternoon, but liberally +substituted an extra pint of water instead. + +There is always one thing remarkable about these temperance ships, +that when they arrive in harbour, their crews, excited to madness by +long abstinence from their favourite liquor, and suffering in +consequence all the excruciating torments of thirst, run into violent +excesses the moment they get on shore. St. Jago is famous for a kind +of liquid fire, called aguadente, which is smuggled on board ship +in the shape of pumpkins and watermelons. These are sold to the +sailors for shirts and clothing; there being nothing so eagerly +sought for by the inhabitants of St. Jago as linen and calico. + +Our crew, being thoroughly disgusted with their captain, as indeed +they had some reason to be, and their valour being wondrously excited +by their passionate fondness for water-melons, came to a stern +resolution of spending the remainder of their lives on this agreeable +island; at any rate, they determined to sail no farther in our +company. The captain was ashore, settling his accounts and receiving +his papers; the chief-mate had given orders to loose the fore-topsail +and weigh anchor; and we were all in the cuddy, quietly sipping our +wine, when we heard three cheers and a violent scuffling on deck. In +a few moments down rushed the mate in a state of delirious +excitement, vociferating that the men were in open mutiny, and +calling upon us, in the name of the Queen, to assist the officers of +the ship in bringing them to order. Starting up at the call of our +Sovereign, we rushed to our cabins in a state of nervous +bewilderment, and loading our pistols in a manner that ensured their +not going off, we valiantly hurried on deck in the rear of the +exasperated officer. On reaching the raised quarter-deck of the +vessel, we found the crew clustered together near the mainmast, armed +with hand-spikes, boat-oars, crow-bars, and a miscellaneous +assortment of other weapons, and listening to an harangue which the +carpenter was in the act of delivering to them. They were all +intoxicated; but the carpenter, a ferocious, determined villain, was +the least so. + +At one of the quarter-deck gangways stood the captain's lady, a lean +and wizened Hecate, as famous for her love of rum as any of the crew, +but more openly rejoicing in the no less objectionable spirit of +ultra-methodism. Screaming at the top of her voice, whilst her +unshawled and dusky shoulders, as well as the soiled ribands of her +dirty cap, were gently fanned by the sea-breeze, she commanded the +men to return to their duty, in a volume of vociferation that seemed +perfectly inexhaustible. Fearing that the quarter-deck would be +carried by storm, we divided our party, consisting of the two mates, +three passengers with their servants, and Mungo the black servant, +into two divisions, each occupying one of the gang-ways. + +In a few moments the carpenter ceased his oration; the men cheered +and danced about the deck, brandishing their weapons, and urging one +another to "come on." Then with a rush, or rather a stagger, they +assailed our position, hoping to carry it in an instant by storm. +The mate shouted to us to fire, and pick out three or four of the +most desperate; but perceiving the intoxicated state of the men we +refused to shed blood, except in the last extremity of self-defence; +and determined to maintain our post, if possible, by means of our +pistol-butts, or our fists alone. In the general melee which ensued, +the captain's lady, who fought in the van, and looked like a lean +Helen MacGregor, or the mythological Ate, was captured by the +assailants, and dragged to the deck below. Then it was that +combining our forces, and inspired with all the ardour which is +naturally excited by the appearance of beauty in distress, we made a +desperate sally, and after a fearful skirmish, succeeded in rescuing +the lady, and replacing her on the quarter-deck, with the loss only +of her cap and gown, and a few handfuls of hair. + +After this exploit, both parties seemed inclined to pause and take +breath, and in the interval we made an harangue to the sailors, +expressive of our regret that they should act in so disgraceful a +manner. + +The gallant (or rather ungallant) fellows replied that they were +determined to be no longer commanded by a she-captain, as they called +the lady, and therefore would sail no farther in such company. + +I really believe that most of them had no serious intention whatever +in their proceedings, but the officers of the ship were firmly +convinced that the carpenter and one or two others had resolved to +get possession of the vessel, dispose of the passengers and mates +somehow or other, and then slip the cable, and wreck and sell the +ship and cargo on the coast of South America. + +Whilst the truce lasted, the second mate had been busily engaged +making signals of distress, by repeatedly hoisting and lowering the +ensign reversed, from the mizen-peak. This was soon observed from +the deck of a small Portuguese schooner of war, which lay at anchor +about half a mile from us, having arrived a few hours previously, +bringing the Bishop of some-where-or-other on a visitation to the +island. The attention of the officer of the watch had been +previously attracted towards us by the noise we had made, and the +violent scuffle which he had been observing through his glass. No +sooner, therefore, was the flag reversed, than a boat was lowered +from the quarter-davits, filled with marines, and pulled towards our +vessel with the utmost rapidity. The mutineers, whose attention was +directed entirely to the quarter-deck, did not perceive this +manoeuvre, which, however, was evident enough to us, who exerted +ourselves to the utmost to prolong the parley until our allies should +arrive. + +The carpenter now decided upon renewing the assault, having laid +aside his handspike and armed himself with an axe; but just at this +moment the man-of-war's boat ran alongside, and several files of +marines, with fixed bayonets, clambering on to the deck, effected a +speedy change in the aspect of affairs. Perceiving at once how +matters stood, the officer in command, without asking a single +question, ordered a charge against the astonished sailors, who, after +a short resistance, and a few violent blows given and received, were +captured and disarmed. + +There was a boy among the party called Shiny Bill, some fifteen years +of age, who managed to escape to the fore-shrouds, and giving the +marine who pursued him a violent kick in the face, succeeded in +reaching the fore-top, where he coiled himself up like a ball. Two +or three marines, exasperated by the scuffle, and by several smart +raps on the head which they had received, hastened up the shrouds +after the fugitive, who, however, ascended to the fore-top-mast +cross-trees, whither his enemies, after some hesitation, pursued. +Finding this post also untenable, he proceeded to swarm up the +fore-top-gallant-mast shrouds, and at last seated himself on the +royal yard, where he calmly awaited the approach of the enemy. +These, however, feeling that the position was too strong to be +successfully assailed by marines, deliberately commenced their +retreat, and arrived on deck, whilst their officer was hailing the +immovable Bill in Portuguese, and swearing he would shoot him unless +he instantly descended. + +Disdaining, however, to pay the least attention to these threats, +Shiny William continued to occupy his post with the greatest +tranquillity; and the officer, giving up the attempt in despair, +proceeded to inquire from us in Portuguese-French the history of this +outbreak. The scene concluded with the removal of the mutineers in +one of the ship's boats to the man-of-war, where, in a few moments, +several dozen lashes were administered to every man in detail, and +the whole party were then sent on shore, and committed to a dungeon +darker and dirtier than the worst among them had ever before been +acquainted with. But before all this was done, and when the boats +had pulled about a hundred yards from the vessel, Shiny Bill began to +descend from his post. He slipped down unobserved by any one, and +the first notice we had of his intentions was from perceiving him run +across the deck to the starboard bow, whence he threw himself, +without hesitation, into the sea, and began to swim lustily after his +captive friends. Our shouts -- for, remembering the abundance of +sharks, we were very much alarmed for the poor fellow -- attracted +the attention of the officer in the boat, to whom we pointed out the +figure of Bill, who seemed as eager now to make a voluntary +surrender, and share the fate of his comrades, as he had previously +been opposed to a violent seizure. The swimmer was soon picked up, +and, to our regret, received in due season the same number of stripes +as fell to the lot of his friends captured in battle. + +The prisoners remained several days in their dungeon, where they were +hospitably regaled with bread and water by the Portuguese Government; +and at the end of this period (so unworthy did they prove of the +handsome treatment they received) the British spirit was humbled +within them, and they entreated with tears to be allowed to return to +their duty. The mates, however, refused to sail in the same vessel +with the carpenter, and it was accordingly settled that he should +remain in custody until the arrival of a British man-of-war, and then +be returned to his country, passage free. + + + +CHAPTER 4. + +THE PRISON-ISLAND. + +It was nearly the end of August when we approached the conclusion of +our voyage. The wind was fair, the sun shone brightly, and every +heart was gay with the hope of once more being upon land. We drew +nigh to the Island of Rottnest, about sixteen miles from the mouth of +the river Swan, and anchored to the north of it, waiting for a pilot +from Fremantle. + +And there we had the first view of our future home. Beyond that low +line of sand-hills, which stretched away north and south, far as the +eye could reach, we were to begin life again, and earn for ourselves +a fortune and an honourable name. No friendly voice would welcome us +on landing, but numberless sharpers, eager to prey upon the +inexperienced Griffin, and take advantage of his unavoidable +ignorance and confiding innocence. There was nothing very cheering +in the prospect; but supported by the confidence and ambition of +youth, we experienced no feelings of dismay. + +In order to wile away the time, we landed on the island, and, passing +through a thick wood of cypresses, came to a goodly-sized and +comfortable-looking dwelling-house, with numerous out-buildings about +it, all built of marine lime-stone. + +As the particulars which I then learned respecting this island were +afterwards confirmed by experience and more extended information, I +may as well enter upon its history at once. + +The gentleman who was then Governor of Western Australia, was Mr. +John Hutt, a man of enlightened mind, firm, sagacious, and +benevolent. From the first, he adopted an admirable policy with +regard to the native inhabitants. + +Exhibiting on all occasions a friendly interest in their welfare, he +yet maintained a strict authority over them, which they soon learned +to respect and fear. The Aborigines were easily brought to feel that +their surest protection lay in the Government; that every act of +violence committed upon them by individual settlers was sure to be +avenged by the whites themselves; and that, as certainly, any +aggression on the part of the natives would call down the utmost +severity of punishment upon the offenders. By this firm +administration of equal justice the Aboriginal population, instead of +being, as formerly, a hostile, treacherous, and troublesome race, had +become harmless, docile, and in some degree useful to the settlers. + +But it was not the policy of Mr. Hutt merely to punish the natives +for offences committed against the whites; he was anxious to +substitute the milder spirit of the British law in lieu of their own +barbarous code; and to make them feel, in process of time, that it +was for their own interest to appeal for protection on all occasions +to the dominant power of Government, rather than trust to their own +courage and spears. This was no easy task, and could only be +accomplished by firmness, discrimination, and patience; but in the +course of a few years, considerable progress had been made in +subduing the prejudices and the barbarous customs of the Aborigines. +Although it had been declared by Royal Proclamation that the native +inhabitants were in every respect subjects of the British throne, and +as such entitled to equal privileges with ourselves, and to be judged +on all occasions by the common and statute laws, it proved to be no +easy matter to carry into practice these views of the Home +Government. People in England, who derive their knowledge of savages +from the orations delivered at Exeter Hall, are apt to conceive that +nothing more is requisite than to ensure them protection from +imaginary oppression, and a regular supply of spiritual comforts. +They do not consider that whilst they insist upon these unfortunate +creatures being treated exactly as British subjects, they are placing +a yoke on their own necks too heavy for them to bear in their present +condition. Primitive and simple laws are necessary to a primitive +state of society; and the cumbrous machinery of civilized life is +entirely unsuited to those who in their daily habits and their +intellectual endowments are little superior to the beasts that +perish. By declaring the savages to be in every respect British +subjects, it becomes illegal to treat them otherwise than such. If a +settler surprise a native in the act of stealing a pound of flour, he +of course delivers him over to a constable, by whom he is conveyed +before the nearest magistrate. Now this magistrate, who is an old +settler, and well acquainted with the habits of the natives, is also +a man of humanity; and if he were allowed to exercise a judicious +discretion, would order the culprit to be well flogged and dismissed +to his expectant family. But thanks to Her Majesty's well-meaning +Secretaries of State for the Colonies, who have all successively +judged alike on this point, it is declared most unadvisable to allow +a local magistrate the smallest modicum of discretion. He has only +one course to pursue, and that is, to commit the offender for trial +at the next Quarter Sessions, to be held in the capital of the +colony. Accordingly the poor native, who would rather have been +flayed alive than sent into confinement for two months previous to +trial, whilst his wives are left to their own resources, is heavily +ironed, lest he should escape, and marched down some sixty or seventy +miles to Fremantle gaol, where the denizen of the forest has to +endure those horrors of confinement which only the untamed and +hitherto unfettered savage can possibly know. + +Among savages, the 'Lex talionis' -- the law of retaliation -- is the +law of nature and of right; to abstain from avenging the death of a +relative would be considered, by the tribe of the deceased, an act of +unpardonable neglect. Their own customs, which are to them as laws, +point out the mode of vengeance. The nearest relative of the +deceased must spear his slayer. Nothing is more common among these +people than to steal one another's wives; and this propensity affords +a prolific source of bloodshed. + +They have also a general law, which is never deviated from, and which +requires that whenever a member of a tribe dies, whether from +violence or otherwise, a life must be taken from some other tribe. +This practice may have originated in a desire to preserve the balance +of power; or from a belief, which is very general among them, that a +man never dies a natural death. If he die of some disorder, and not +of a spear-wound, they say he is "quibble gidgied," or speared by +some person a long distance off. The native doctor, or wise man of +the tribe, frequently pretends to know who has caused the death of +the deceased; and the supposed murderer is of course pursued and +murdered in turn. This custom necessarily induces a constant state +of warfare. Now it is very right that all these barbarous and +unchristian practices should be put an end to; but, whilst +endeavouring to suppress them, we ought to remember that they are +part and parcel of the long-established laws of this rude people, and +that it is not possible all at once to make them forego their ancient +institutions and customs. The settlers would gladly see punished all +acts of violence committed among the natives in their neighbourhood. +Were they permitted to inflict such punishments as are best suited to +the limited ideas and moral thraldom of the Aborigines, these, +without cruelty or injustice, might gradually be brought within the +pale of civilization; but when the law declares it to be inevitable +that every British subject who is tried and found guilty of having +speared his enemy shall be hanged without benefit of clergy, the +colonists out of sheer humanity and pity for the ignorance of the +culprit, refrain from bringing him to trial and punishment -- a +proceeding which, by the way, would cost the colony some fifteen or +twenty pounds -- and thus he goes on in his errors, unreproved by +the wisdom or the piety of the whites. Sometimes, however, it +happens that the officers who exercise the calling of Protectors of +the Aborigines, anxious to prove that their post is no sinecure, make +a point of hunting up an occasional law-breaker, who, being brought +to trial, is usually found guilty upon his own evidence -- the +unfortunate culprit, conscious of no guilt in having followed the +customs of his ancestors, generally making a candid statement of his +offence. The sentence decreed by the English law is then passed upon +him, and he would, of course, be duly subjected to the penalty which +justice is supposed to demand, did not the compassionate Governor, in +the exercise of the highest privilege of the Crown, think proper to +step in and commute the sentence to perpetual imprisonment. As it +would have entailed a serious expense upon the colony to have had to +maintain these prisoners in a gaol in the capital, his Excellency +determined to establish a penal settlement at Rottnest; and this he +accordingly accomplished, with very good effect. + +At the time we visited the island, there were about twenty native +prisoners in charge of a superintendent and a few soldiers. + +The prisoners were employed in cultivating a sufficient quantity of +ground to produce their own food. It was they also who had built the +superintendent's residence; and whenever there was nothing else to +do, they were exercised in carrying stone to the top of a high hill, +on which a lighthouse was proposed to be built. + +The Governor has certainly shown very good judgment in the formation +of this penal establishment. It is the dread of the natives +throughout the colony; and those prisoners who are released inspire +among their fellows the greatest horror and dismay by their tales of +the hardships they have suffered. No punishment can be more dreadful +to these savages -- the most indolent race in the world -- than being +compelled to work; and as their idleness brings them occasionally in +contact with the superintendent's lash, their recollections and +accounts of Rottnest are of the most fearful description. Certain, +however, it is, that nothing has tended so much to keep the +Aborigines in good order as the establishment of this place of +punishment. It is maintained at very little expense to the colony, +as the prisoners grow their own vegetables, and might easily be made +to produce flour enough for their own consumption. + +It was a clear, beautiful, sparkling day, and there was a sense of +enjoyment attached to the green foliage, the waving crops, and the +gently heaving sea, that threw over this new world of ours a charm +which filled our hearts with gladness. + +Having returned to our ship, we saw the pilot-boat rapidly +approaching. As it came alongside, and we were hailed by the +steersman, we felt a sensation of wonder at hearing ourselves +addressed in English and by Englishmen, so far, so very far from the +shores of England. With this feeling, too, was mingled something +like pity; we could not help looking upon these poor boatmen, in +their neat costume of blue woollen shirts, canvass trousers, and +straw hats, as fellow-countrymen who had been long exiled from their +native land, and who must now regard us with eyes of interest and +affection, as having only recently left its shores. + +No sooner was the pilot on board than the anchor was weighed, the +sails were set, and we began to beat up into the anchorage off +Fremantle. Night closed upon us ere we reached the spot proposed, and +we passed the interval in walking the deck and noting the stars come +forth upon their watch. The only signs of life and of human +habitation were in the few twinkling lights of the town of Fremantle: +all beside, on the whole length of the coast, seemed to be a desert +of sand, the back-ground of which was occupied with the dark outline +of an illimitable forest. + +It was into this vast solitude that we were destined to penetrate. +It was a picture full of sombre beauty, and it filled us with solemn +thoughts. + +The next morning we were up at daybreak. Certainly it was a +beautiful sight, to watch the sun rise without a cloud from out of +the depths of that dark forest, rapidly dispersing the cold gray +gloom, and giving life, as it seemed, to the sparkling waves, which +just before had been unconsciously heaved by some internal power, and +suffered to fall back helplessly into their graves. + +How differently now they looked, dancing joyously forward towards the +shore! And the sun, that seems to bring happiness to inanimate +things, brought hope and confidence back to the hearts of those who +watched him rise. + +Flights of sea-birds of the cormorant tribe, but generally known as +Shags, were directing their course landward from the rocky islands on +which they had roosted during the night. What long files they form! +-- the solitary leader winging his rapid and undeviating way just +above the level of the waves, whilst his followers, keeping their +regular distances, blindly pursue the course he takes. See! he +enters the mouth of the river; some distant object to his practised +eye betokens danger, and though still maintaining his onward course, +he inclines upwards into the air, and the whole line, as though +actuated by the same impulse, follow his flight. And now they +descend again within a few feet of the river's surface, and now are +lost behind projecting rocks. All day long they fish in the retired +bays and sheltered nooks of the river, happy in the midst of plenty. + +The river Swan issues forth into the sea over a bar of rocks, +affording only a dangerous passage for boats, or vessels drawing from +four to five feet water. Upon the left bank of the river is the town +of Fremantle. The most prominent object from the sea is a circular +building of white limestone, placed on the summit of a black rock at +the mouth of the Swan. This building is the gaol. + +On the other side of the roadstead, about ten or twelve miles distant +from the main, is a chain of islands, of which Rottnest is the most +northern. Then come some large rocks, called the Stragglers, leaving +a passage out from the roadstead by the south of Rottnest; after +these is Carnac, an island abounding with rabbits and mutton-birds; +and still farther south is Garden island. + +Fremantle, the principal port of the colony, is unfortunately +situated, as vessels of any burthen are obliged to anchor at a +considerable distance from the shore. Lower down the coast is a fine +harbour, called Mangles Bay, containing a splendid anchorage, and it +is much to be lamented that this was not originally fixed upon as the +site for the capital of the colony. + +The first impression which the visitor to this settlement receives is +not favourable. The whole country between Fremantle and Perth, a +distance of ten miles, is composed of granitic sand, with which is +mixed a small proportion of vegetable mould. This unfavourable +description of soil is covered with a coarse scrub, and an immense +forest of banksia trees, red gums, and several varieties of the +eucalyptus. The banksia is a paltry tree, about the size of an +apple-tree in an English or French orchard, perfectly useless as +timber, but affording an inexhaustible supply of firewood. Besides +the trees I have mentioned, there is the xanthorea, or grass-tree, a +plant which cannot be intelligibly described to those who have never +seen it. The stem consists of a tough pithy substance, round which +the leaves are formed. These, long and tapering like the rush, are +four-sided, and extremely brittle; the base from which they shoot is +broad and flat, about the size of a thumb-nail, and very resinous in +substance. As the leaves decay annually, others are put forth above +the bases of the old ones, which are thus pressed down by the new +shoots, and a fresh circle is added every year to the growing plant. +Thousands of acres are covered with this singular vegetable +production; and the traveller at his night bivouac is always sure of +a glorious fire from the resinous stem of the grass-tree, and a +comfortable bed from its leaves. + +We landed in a little bay on the southern bank of the river. The +houses appeared to be generally two-storied, and were built of hard +marine limestone. Notwithstanding the sandy character of the soil, +the gardens produced vegetables of every variety, and no part of the +world could boast of finer potatoes or cabbages. Anxious to begin +the primitive life of a settler as speedily as possible, we consulted +a merchant to whom we had brought letters of introduction as to the +best mode of proceeding. He advised us to fix our head-quarters for +a time near to Fremantle, and thence traverse the colony until we +should decide upon a permanent place of abode. In the meantime we +dined and slept at Francisco's Hotel, where we were served with +French dishes in first-rate style, and drank good luck to ourselves +in excellent claret. + +In the early days of the colony, Sir James Stirling, the first +Governor, had fixed upon Fremantle as the seat of government; and the +settlers had begun to build themselves country-houses and elegant +villa residences upon the banks of the river. These, however, were +not completed before it was determined to fix the capital at Perth, +some dozen miles up the river, where the soil was rather better, and +where a communication with the proposed farms in the interior would +be more readily kept up. + +The government officers had now to abandon their half-built stone +villas, and construct new habitations of wood, as there was no stone +to be found in the neighbourhood of Perth, and brick clay had not +then been discovered. + +It was in one of these abandoned houses (called the Cantonment), +situate on the banks of the Swan, about half a mile from Fremantle, +that, by the advice of our friend, we resolved to take up our +quarters. The building was enclosed on three sides by a rough stone +wall, and by a wooden fence, forming a paddock of about three +quarters of an acre in extent. It comprised one large room, of some +forty feet by eighteen, which had a roof of thatch in tolerable +repair. The north side, protected by a verandah, had a door and two +windows, in which a few panes of glass remained, and looked upon the +broad river, from which it was separated by a bank of some twenty +feet in descent, covered with a variety of shrubs, just then +bursting into flower. A few scattered red-gum trees, of +the size of a well-grown ash, gave a park-like appearance to our +paddock, of which we immediately felt extremely proud, and had no +doubt of being very comfortable in our new domain. Besides the large +room I have mentioned, there were two others at the back of it, +which, unfortunately, were in rather a dilapidated condition; and +below these apartments (which were built on the slope of a hill) were +two more, which we immediately allotted to the dogs and sheep. This +side of the building was enclosed by a wall, which formed a small +court-yard. Here was an oven, which only wanted a little repair to +be made ready for immediate use. + +For several days we were occupied in superintending the landing of +our stores, and housing them in a building which we rented in the +town at no trifling sum per week. A light dog-cart, which I had +brought out, being unpacked, proved extremely useful in conveying to +our intended residence such articles as we were likely to be in +immediate want of. + +The two men had already taken up their abode there, together with the +rams and dogs; and at last, leaving our comfortable quarters at the +hotel with something like regret and a feeling of doubt and +bewilderment, we all three marched in state, with our double-barrels +on our shoulders, to take possession of our rural habitation. + + + +CHAPTER 5. + +FIRST ADVENTURES. + +We had providently dined before we took possession; and now, at +sunset, we stood on the bank before our house, looking down upon the +placid river. The blood-hound was chained to one of the posts of the +verandah; Jezebel, the noble mastiff-bitch, lay basking before the +door, perfectly contented with her situation and prospects; and +little Fig was busily hunting among the shrubs, and barking at the +small birds which he disturbed as they were preparing to roost. + +One of the men was sitting on an upturned box beside the fire, +waiting for the gently-humming kettle to boil; whilst the other was +chipping wood outside the house, and from time to time carrying the +logs into the room, and piling them upon the hearth. As we looked +around we felt that we had now indeed commenced a new life. For some +months, at any rate, we were to do without those comforts and +luxuries which Englishmen at home, of every rank above the entirely +destitute, deem so essential to bodily ease and happiness. + +We were to sleep on the floor, to cook our own victuals, and make our +own beds. This was to be our mode of acquiring a settlement in this +land of promise. Still there was an air of independence about it, +and we felt a confidence in our own energies and resources that made +the novelty of our position rather agreeable than otherwise. + +There was something exhilarating in the fresh sea-breeze; there was +something very pleasing in the gay appearance of the shrubs that +surrounded us -- in the broad expanse of the river, with its +occasional sail, and its numerous birds passing rapidly over it on +their way to the islands where they roosted, or soaring leisurely to +and fro, with constant eyes piercing its depths, and then suddenly +darting downwards like streams of light into the flood, and emerging +instantly afterwards with their finny prey. The opposite bank of the +river displayed a sandy country covered with dark scrub; and beyond +this was the sea, with a view of Rottnest and the Straggler rocks. A +few white cottages relieved the sombre and death-like appearance of +that opposite shore. Unpromising as was the aspect of the country, +it yet afforded sufficient verdure to support in good condition a +large herd of cattle, which supplied Fremantle with milk and food. + +Here, then, the reader may behold us for the first time in our +character of settlers. He may behold three individuals in light +shooting coats and cloth caps, standing upon the bank before their +picturesque and half-ruinous house, their dogs at their side, and +their gaze fixed upon the river that rolled beneath them. The same +thoughts probably occupied them all: they were now left in a land +which looked much like a desert, with Heaven for their aid, and no +other resources than a small capital, and their own energies and +truth. The great game of life was now to begin in earnest, and the +question was, how it should be played with success? Individual +activity and exertion were absolutely necessary to ensure good +fortune; and warmly impressed with the consciousness of this, we +turned with one impulse in search of employment. + +Aesculapius began to prepare their supper for the dogs, and Meliboeus +looked after his sheep, which were grazing in the paddock in front of +the dwelling. As for myself, with the ardent mind of a young +settler, I seized upon the axe, and began to chop firewood -- an +exercise, by the way, which I almost immediately renounced. + +And now for supper! + +Our most necessary articles were buried somewhere beneath the heaps +of rubbish with which we had filled the store-room at Fremantle. Our +plates, cups and saucers, etc., were in a crate which was not to be +unpacked until we had removed our property and abode to the inland +station which we designed for our permanent residence. There were, +however, at hand for present use eight or nine pewter plates, and a +goodly sized pannikin a-piece. In one corner of the room was a bag +of flour, in another a bag of sugar, in a third a barrel of pork, and +on the table, composed of a plank upon two empty casks, were a couple +of loaves which Simon had purchased in the town, and a large tea-pot +which he had fortunately discovered in the same cask with the +pannikins. + +The kettle fizzed upon the fire, impatient to be poured out; the +company began to draw round the hospitable board, seating themselves +upon their bedding, or upon empty packing-cases; and, in a word, tea +time had arrived. Hannibal, as we called the younger of our +attendants, from his valiant disposition, had filled one of the +pewter plates with brown sugar from the bag; the doctor made the tea, +and we wanted nothing but spoons to make our equipage complete. +However, every man had his pocket-knife, and so we fell to work. + +Butter being at that time half-a-crown a pound, Simon (our head man) +had prudently refrained from buying any; and as he had forgotten to +boil a piece of the salt pork, we had to sup upon dry bread, which we +did without repining, determined, however, to manage better on the +morrow. + +In the meantime we were nearly driven desperate by most violent +attacks upon our legs, committed by myriads of fleas. They were so +plentiful that we could see them crawling upon the floor; the dogs +almost howled with anguish, and the most sedate among us could not +refrain from bitter and deep execrations. We had none of us ever +before experienced such torment; and really feared that in the course +of the night we should be eaten up entirely. These creatures are +hatched in the sand, and during the rains of winter they take refuge +in empty houses; but they infest every place throughout the country, +during all seasons, more or less, and are only kept down by constant +sweeping from becoming a most tremendous and overwhelming plague, +before which every created being, not indigenous to the soil, would +soon disappear, or be reduced to a bundle of polished bones. The +natives themselves never sleep twice under the same wigwam. + +After tea, the sheep and dogs being carefully disposed of for the +night, we turned out before the house, and comforted ourselves with +cigars; and having whiled away as much time as possible, we spread +out our mattresses on the floor, and in a state of desperation +attempted to find rest. We escaped with our lives, and were thankful +in the morning for so much mercy vouchsafed to us, but we could not +conscientiously return thanks for a night's refreshing rest. + +At the first dawn of day we rolled up our beds, lighted the fire, +swept out the room, let the dogs loose, and drove the rams to pasture +on the margin of the river. After breakfast, which was but a sorry +meal, we determined to make our first attempt at baking. Simon, a +man of dauntless resolution, undertook the task, using a piece of +stale bread as leaven. It was a serious business, and we all helped +or looked on; but the result, notwithstanding the multitude of +councillors, was a lamentable failure. Better success, fortunately, +attended the labours of Hannibal, who boiled a piece of salt pork +with the greatest skill. + +Mutton at this period, 1841, was selling at sixteen-pence per pound +(it is now two-pence), and we therefore resolved to depend upon our +guns for fresh meat. We had brought with us a fishing-net, which we +determined to put in requisition the following day. + +The most prominent idea in the imagination of a settler on his first +arrival at an Australian colony, is on the subject of the natives. +Whilst in England he was, like the rest of his generous-minded +countrymen, sensibly alive to the wrongs of these unhappy beings -- +wrongs which, originating in a great measure in the eloquence of +Exeter Hall, have awakened the sympathies of a humane and unselfish +people throughout the length and breadth of the kingdom. Full of +these noble and ennobling sentiments, the emigrant approaches the +scene of British-colonial cruelty; but no sooner does he land, than a +considerable change takes place in his feelings. He begins to think +that he is about to place his valuable person and property in the +very midst of a nation of savages, who are entirely unrestrained by +any moral or human laws, or any religious scruples, from taking the +most disagreeable liberties with these precious things. + +The refined and amiable philanthropist gradually sinks into the +coarse-minded and selfish settler, who is determined to protect +himself, his family, and effects, by every means in his power -- even +at the risk of outraging the amiable feelings of his brother +philanthropists at home. In Western Australia, the natives generally +are in very good order; they behave peaceably towards the settlers, +eat their flour, and in return occasionally herd or hunt up their +cattle, and keep their larders supplied with kangaroo. + +It is very rarely -- I have never indeed heard of a single +well-authenticated instance -- that any amount of benefits, or the +most unvarying kindness, can awaken the smallest spark of gratitude +in the breasts of these degraded savages. Those who derive their +chief support from the flour and broken meat daily bestowed upon them +by the farm settlers, would send a spear through their benefactors +with as little remorse as through the breast of a stranger. The fear +of punishment alone has any influence over them; and although in this +colony they are never treated with anything like cruelty or +oppression, it is absolutely necessary to personal safety to maintain +a firm and prompt authority over them. + +When we first arrived, we were philanthropists, in the usual sense of +that term, and thought a good deal about the moral and general +destitution of this unfortunate people; but when we first encountered +on the road a party of coffee-coloured savages, with spears in their +hands, and loose kangaroo-skin cloaks (their only garments) on their +shoulders, accompanied by their women similarly clad, and each +carrying in a bag at her back her black-haired offspring, with a face +as filthy as its mother's -- we by no means felt inclined to step +forward and embrace them as brethren. + +I question, indeed, whether the most ardent philanthropist in the +world would not have hesitated before he even held forth his hand to +creatures whose heads and countenances were darkened over with a +compound of grease and red clay, whose persons had never been +submitted to ablution from the hour of their birth, and whose +approach was always heralded by a perfume that would stagger the most +enthusiastic lover of his species. + +But it was not merely disgust that kept us at arm's length. We must +confess we were somewhat appalled at this first view of savage life, +as we looked upon the sharp-pointed spears, wild eyes, and +well-polished teeth of our new acquaintance. Although, in truth, +they were perfectly harmless in their intentions, we could not help +feeling a little nervous as they drew nigh, and saluted us with +shrill cries and exclamations, and childish bursts of wild laughter. +Their principal question was, whether we were "cabra-man?" or seamen, +as we afterwards discovered their meaning to be. After a good deal +of screaming and laughing, they passed on their way, leaving us much +relieved by their absence. They seemed to be, and experience has +proved to us that they are, the most light-hearted, careless, and +happy people in the world. Subsisting upon the wild roots of the +earth, opossums, lizards, snakes, kangaroos, or anything else that is +eatable which happens to fall in their way, they obtain an easy +livelihood, and never trouble themselves with thoughts of the morrow. +They build a new house for themselves every evening; that is, each +family, erects a slight shelter of sticks covered over with bark, or +the tops of the xanthorea, that just keeps off the wind; and with a +small fire at their feet, the master of the family, his wife, or +wives, and children, lie huddled together like a cluster of snakes -- +happier than the tenants of downy beds. Far happier, certainly, than +we had lately been in ours. We had, however, devised a new plan for +the next night. Having each of us a hammock, we suspended them from +the rafters; and thus, after the first difficulty and danger of +getting into bed was overcome, we lay beyond the reach of our +formidable enemies, and contrived to sleep soundly and comfortably. + +The next morning we breakfasted early. My brothers resolved to try +the effect of the fishing-net, and I myself arranged a shooting +excursion with a lad, whose parents rented a house situated about a +quarter of a mile from our own. We were to go to some lakes a few +miles distant, which abounded with wild ducks and other water-fowl. +Preceded by Fig, and more soberly accompanied by Jezebel, we set out +upon our expedition. + +It was the close of the Australian winter, and the temperature was +that of a bright, clear day in England at the end of September. The +air was mild, but elastic and dry; the peppermint and wattle-trees +were gay with white and yellow blossoms; an infinite variety of +flowering shrubs gave to the country the appearance of English +grounds about a goodly mansion; whilst the earth was carpeted with +the liveliest flowers. It was impossible to help being in good +spirits. + +We passed up a valley of white gum-trees, which somewhat resemble the +ash, but are of a much lighter hue. They belong to the eucalyptus +species. + +I shot several beautiful parroquets, the plumage of which was chiefly +green; the heads were black, and some of the pinion feathers yellow. +The country presented very little appearance of grass, though +abounding with green scrub; and frequently we passed over denuded +hills of limestone-rock, from which we beheld the sea on one side, +and on the other the vast forest of banksias and eucalypti, that +overspreads the entire country. The river winding among this mass of +foliage, relieved the eye. + +After a walk of two hours we approached the lakes of which we were in +search, situated in a flat country, and their margins covered with +tall sedges, it was difficult to obtain a view of the water. Now, +then, we prepared for action. Behind those tall sedges was probably +a brood of water-fowl, either sleeping in the heat of the day, or +carefully feeding in the full security of desert solitude. "Fig! you +villain! what are you about? are you going to rush into the water, +and ruin me by your senseless conduct? I have got you now, and here +you must please to remain quiet. No, you rascal! you need not look +up to me with such a beseeching countenance, whilst you tremble with +impatience, eager to have a share in the sport. You must wait till +you hear my gun. I am now shooting for my dinner, and perhaps for +yours also, if you will condescend to eat duck, and I dare not allow +you the pleasure of putting up the game. You understand all this +well enough, and therefore please to be silent; -- or, observe! I'll +murder you." + +Leaving the boy with the dogs, I began to steal towards the lake, +when I heard his muttered exclamation, and turning round, saw him +crouching to the earth and pointing to the sky. Imitating his +caution, I looked in the direction he pointed out, and beheld three +large birds leisurely making towards the spot we occupied. They were +larger than geese, black, with white wings, and sailed heavily along, +whilst I lay breathlessly awaiting their approach. The dogs were +held down by the boy, and we all seemed equally to feel the awfulness +of the moment. The birds came slowly towards us, and then slanted +away to the right; and then wheeling round and round, they alighted +upon the lake. + +Creeping to the sedges, I pushed cautiously through, up to the ankles +in mud and water. How those provoking reeds, three feet higher than +my head, rustled as I gently put them aside! And now I could see +plainly across a lake of several acres in extent. There on the +opposite side, were three black swans sailing about, and occasionally +burying their long necks in the still waters. With gaze riveted upon +that exciting spectacle, I over-looked a myriad of ducks that were +reposing within a few yards of me, and which, having discovered the +lurking danger, began to rise en masse from the lake. + +Never before had I seen such a multitude. Struck with amazement, I +stood idly gaping as they rose before me; and after sweeping round +the lake, with a few quacks of alarm, whirled over the trees and +disappeared. + +The swans seemed for a moment to catch the general apprehension, and +one of them actually rose out of the water, but after skimming along +the surface for a few yards, he sank down again, and his companions +swam to rejoin him. Gently retreating, I got back upon the dry land, +and motioning the boy to remain quiet, hastened round the lake to its +opposite bank. More cautiously than before I entered the grove of +sedges, and soon beheld two of the swans busily fishing at some +distance from the shore. What had become of the third? There he is, +close to the border of the lake, and only about fifty yards from my +position! My first shot at a swan! -- Now then -- present! fire! -- +bang! What a splutter! The shots pepper the water around him. He +tries to rise, He cannot! his wing is broken! Hurrah! hurrah! "Here +Jonathan! Toby! what's your name? here! bring the dogs -- I've hit +him -- I've done for him! + +"Fig, Fig! -- O! here you are; good little dog -- good little fellow! +now then, in with you! there he is!" + +With a cry of delight, little Fig dashed through the reeds. The +water rushed down his open throat and half-choked him; but he did not +care. Shaking the water out of his nose as he swam, he whimpered +with pleasure, and hurried after the swan which was now slowly making +towards the middle of the lake. Its companions had left it to its +fate. We stood in the water watching the chase. Jezebel, excited +out of all propriety, though she could see nothing of what was going +on, gallopped up and down the bank, with her tail stiff out, tumbling +over the broken boughs which lay there, and uttering every now and +then deep barks that awoke the astonished echoes of the woods. +Sometimes she would make a plunge into the water, splashing us all +over, and then she quickly scrambled out again, her ardour +considerably cooled. + +"Well done, Fig! good little dog! at him again! never mind that rap +on the head from his wing." + +Away swam the swan, and Fig after him, incessantly barking. + +Had not the noble bird been grievously wounded he would have defied +the utmost exertions of the little spaniel, but as it was, he could +only get for a moment out of the reach of his pursuer by a violent +effort, which only left him more exhausted. And now they approached +the shore; and the swan, hard pressed, turns round and aims a blow +with its bill at the dog. + +This Fig managed to elude, and in return made a snap at his enemy's +wing, and obtained a mouthful of feathers; but in revenge he received +on his nose a rap from the strong pinion of the bird that made him +turn tail and fairly yelp with anguish. "Never mind, brave Fig! good +dog! at him again! Bravo -- bravo! good little fellow!" There he +is, once more upon him. And now, master Fig, taught a lesson by the +smart blows he had received, endeavours to assail only the wounded +wing of the swan. It was a very fierce combat, but the swan would +probably have had the best of it had not loss of blood rendered him +faint and weak. + +He still fought bravely, but now whenever he missed his adversary, +his bill would remain a moment in the water, as though he had +scarcely strength to raise his head; and as he grew momentarily +weaker and weaker, so Fig waxed more daring and energetic in his +assaults; until at length he fairly seized his exhausted foe by the +neck, and notwithstanding his struggles, and the violent flapping of +his long unwounded wing, began to draw him towards the shore. We +hurried to meet and help him. Jezebel was the first that dashed +breast-high into the water; and seizing a pinion in her strong jaws, +she soon drew both the swan and Fig, who would have died rather than +let go, through the yielding sedges to the land. + +The swan was soon dead; and Fig lay panting on the sand, with his +moth open, and looking up to his master as he wagged his tail, +clearly implying, "Did not I do it well, master?" "Yes, my little +dog, you did it nobly. And now you shall have some of this bread, of +Simon's own baking, which I cannot eat myself; and Jonathan and I +will finish this flask of brandy and water." + +And now we set out on our return home, anxious to display our trophy +to envious eyes. + +As we approached the Cantonment, I discharged my unloaded barrel at a +bird like a thrush in appearance, called a Wattle-bird, from having +two little wattles which project from either side of its head. + +The salute was answered by a similar discharge from the Cantonment, +and soon afterwards Meliboeus came running to meet us, preceded by +the blood-hound at full gallop. The dogs greeted one another with +much apparent satisfaction. Little Fig was evidently anxious to +inform his big friend of all that he had done, but Nero was much too +dignified and important to attend to him, and bestowed all his notice +upon Jezebel. + +The fishermen had succeeded in catching a dozen mullet, which were +all ready for cooking; and the frying-pan being soon put in +requisition, we were speedily placed at table. + +Being still without legitimate knives and forks, the absence of the +latter article was supplied by small forked-sticks, cut from a +neighbouring peppermint tree. Those who did not like cold water +alone were allowed grog; and the entertainment, consisting of fish +and boiled pork (which a few months before we should have considered +an utter abomination), being seasoned with hunger, went off with +tolerable satisfaction. + +The following day we had the swan skinned and roasted, but it +certainly was not nearly so good as a Michaelmas goose. +Nevertheless, it was a change from boiled pork, and we endeavoured to +think it a luxury. Simon had been more successful in his latter +efforts at baking, and, on the whole, things assumed a more +comfortable aspect. + + + +CHAPTER 6. + +PERTH -- COLONIAL JURIES. + +So soon as we were well settled in our new abode, we began to think +of pushing our researches a little farther into the country. We +thought it high time that we visited the capital, and paid our +respects to the Governor. About a mile and a half from our location, +the Fremantle and Perth road crosses the river (which is there about +four hundred yards wide) by a ferry. John-of-the-Ferry, the lessee +of the tolls, the Charon of the passage, is a Pole by birth, who +escaped with difficulty out of the hands of the Russians; and having +the fortune to find an English master, after a series of adventures +entered into the employment of an emigrant, and settled in Western +Australia. He had now become not only the lessee of the ferry, but a +dealer in various small articles, and at the time to which I refer, +was the owner of several Timor ponies. Singular enough for a +horse-dealer and a colonist, John had the reputation of being an +honest man, and his customers always treated him with the utmost +confidence. + +Having learnt his good character, we repaired to his neat, +white-washed cottage on the banks of the river to inspect his stud; +and soon effected a purchase of two of his ponies. These animals, +about thirteen hands high, proved to belong to the swiftest and +hardiest race of ponies in the world. They required no care or +grooming; blessed with excellent appetites, they picked up their food +wherever they could find any, and came night and morning to the door +to receive their rations of barley, oat-meal, bread-crusts, or any +thing that could be spared them. The colony had been supplied with +several cargoes of these ponies from Timor, and they proved extremely +useful so long as there was a scarcity of horses; but afterwards they +became a nuisance, and tended greatly to keep back improvements in +the breed of horses. Pony-stallions suffered to roam at large, +became at length such an evil, that special acts of Council were +passed against them; and as these did not prove of sufficient +efficacy, the animals were sometimes hunted like wild cattle, and +shot with rifles. + +It was some amusement to us to break in our small quadrupeds to draw +my light cart; we had brought out tandem-harness; and in a short time +we got up a very fair team. But, alas! there was no pleasure in +driving in that neighbourhood -- the road being only a track of deep +sand. One bright and tempting morning the doctor and myself mounted +our steeds, and leaving our affairs at the castle in the faithful +charge of Meliboeus, wended our way towards the capital of the +colony. The river at the ferry has a picturesque appearance, +precipitous rocks forming its sides, and two bays, a mile apart, +terminating the view on either hand, where the river winds round +projecting head-lands. + +The old road to Perth was truly a miserable one, being at least six +inches deep in sand the whole way. It was scarcely possible to see +more than fifty yards ahead of you, so thickly grew the banksia +trees. After crossing the ferry, we lost sight of the river for +several miles, and then diverged from the dismal road by a path which +we had been directed by the ferryman to look out for, and which +brought us to a sandy beach at the bottom of a beautiful bay, called +Freshwater Bay. From this point to the opposite side was a stretch of +several miles, and the broad and winding river, or rather estuary, +with its forest banks, presented a beautiful appearance. + +We now ascended from the shore to the high land above. The forest +through which we passed resembled a wild English park; below was the +broad expanse of Melville water, enlivened by the white sails of +several boats on their way from Perth to Fremantle. Farther on, the +mouth of the Canning River opened upon us; and now we could see, deep +below the high and dark hill-side on which we travelled, the narrow +entrance from Melville water into Perth water. At length we obtained +a full view of the picturesquely situated town of Perth. + +It stands on the right bank of a broad and crescent-shaped reach of +the river Swan, in an extremely well-chosen locality. The streets +are broad; and those houses which are placed nearest to the river, +possess, perhaps, the most luxuriant gardens in the world. Every +kind of fruit known in the finest climates is here produced in +perfection. Grapes and figs are in profuse abundance; melons and +peaches are no less plentiful, and bananas and plantains seem to +rejoice in the climate as their own. + +The town has a never-failing supply of fresh water from a chain of +swamps at the back, and the wells fed by them are never dry. Many of +the houses are well built -- brick having long since superseded the +original structure of wood -- and possess all the usual comforts of +English residences. + +In the principal street, most of the houses stand alone, each +proprietor having a garden, or paddock of three quarters of an acre +in extent, about his dwelling. The great misfortune of the town is, +that the upper portion of it is built upon sand, which is many feet +deep. The streets, not being yet paved, are all but impassable; but +happily, each possesses a good foot-path of clay, and it is to be +hoped that the cart-ways will ere long be similarly improved. Sydney +was originally in the state that Perth presents now; but there the +natural unfavourableness of the soil has been entirely overcome. +Increasing wealth and population will ere long do as much for us. + +It is not until we reach Guildford, eight miles farther inland than +Perth, that the stratum of sand ceases, and a cold and marly clay +succeeds, which reaches to the foot of the Darling range of hills, +and extends many miles down the coast. + +The banks of the Swan River, as well as of the Canning and most other +rivers of the colony, contain many miles of rich alluvial soil, +capable of growing wheat sufficient for the support of a large +population. Many of these flats have produced crops of wheat for +sixteen years successively, without the aid of any kind of manure. +It must, however, be owned, that a very slovenly system of farming +has been generally pursued throughout the colony; and, in fact, is +commonly observable in all colonies. The settlers are not only apt +to rely too much upon the natural productiveness of the soil, but +they are in general men whose attention has only lately been turned +to agriculture, and who are almost entirely ignorant of practical +farming in its most important details. The Agricultural Society of +Western Australia has for some years exerted itself to improve this +state of things, and has in some measure succeeded. + +It must be observed that with the exception of the rich flats of the +Swan and Canning rivers, the vast extent of country between the coast +and the Darling Hills is a miserable region, scarcely more valuable +for the purposes of cultivation than the deserts of Africa, except +where occasional swamps appear like oases, and tempt the hardy +settler to found a location. As all the worst land of the colony +lies unfortunately near the coast, those who visit only the port and +capital usually leave the country with a very unfavourable and a very +erroneous impression of its real character. + +It is not until the granite range of the Darling Hills is passed +over, that the principal pastoral and agricultural districts are +found. There are the farm settlements, the flocks, and herds of the +colony. From the Victoria plains north of Toodyay, for hundreds of +miles to the southward, comprising the fertile districts of Northam, +York, Beverley, the Dale and the Hotham, is found a surface of stiff +soil, covered over with straggling herbage, and many varieties of +trees and shrubs. But I am travelling too fast: I must pause for +the present at Perth. + +Circumstances determined me to take up my residence there, instead of +accompanying the rest of my party into the interior, as I had +originally intended. I liked the appearance and situation of the +town; and I liked the people generally. And here I may state, with +many kindly feelings, that never was a more united or cordial society +than that of the town of Perth, with its civil and military officers, +and its handful of merchants. No political or religious differences +have hitherto disturbed its harmony; nor have there yet been +introduced many of those distinctions which may be necessary and +unavoidable in large communities, but which, though generally to be +met with in all societies, are not only lamentable but highly +ridiculous in small out-of-the-way colonies. Such divisions, +however, must be apprehended even here in progress of time, and the +period will come when we shall look back with regret to those days +when we were all friends and associates together, and when each +sympathized with the fortunes of his neighbour. The kindly feeling +which thus held society together, was ever manifested at the death of +one of its members. Then not only the immediate connexions of the +deceased attended his funeral, but every member of his circle, and +many also of the lower classes. It has more than once happened that +a young man has fallen a victim to his rashness and nautical +inexperience, and met with an untimely fate whilst sailing on +Melville water. I myself twice narrowly escaped such a calamity, as +perhaps I may hereafter narrate. Every boat belonging to the place +is immediately engaged in search of the body, and many of the boatmen +freely sacrifice their time and day's wages in the pursuit. And when +at length the object of that melancholy search is discovered, and the +day of the funeral has arrived, the friends, companions, neighbours, +and fellow-townsmen of the deceased assemble at the door of his late +residence, to pay the last testimonies of sympathy and regret for him +who has, in that distant colony, no nearer relative to weep at his +grave. It is a long procession that follows the corpse to its home, +passing with solemn pace through the else deserted streets, and +emerging into the wild forest which seems almost to engulph the town; +and then pursuing the silent and solitary path for a mile until, on +the summit of a hill, surrounded by dark ever-green foliage, appears +the lonesome burial-ground. Ah! how little thought the tenant of +that insensible body, late so full of life and vigour, that here he +should so soon be laid, far from the tombs of his family, far from +the home of his parents, to which his thoughts had so constantly +recurred! I do not think any one ever witnessed the interment in +that solitary place of one whom perhaps he knew but slightly when +living, without feeling in himself a sensation of loneliness, as +though a cold gust from the open grave had blown over him. It is +then we think most of England and home -- and of those who though +living are dead to us. + +But these are only transient emotions; they are idle and unavailing, +so away with them! + +I shall now proceed to give an account of my first appearance before +a colonial public. Some of the crew of our vessel, exasperated by +the conduct of the captain, who refused to allow them any liberty on +shore after their long voyage, and encouraged and even led on by the +chief mate, had broken into the store-room, and consumed a quantity +of spirits and other stores. Now as we had been most shabbily +treated by the miserly and ruffian captain, and as the stores thus +stolen had been paid for by the passengers, and withheld from them +upon the voyage (stolen, in fact, by the captain himself), we were +delighted with the robbery, and extremely sorry to hear that the +chief mate had been committed to prison for trial as the principal +offender. In fact, the captain thought proper to wink at the conduct +of the others, as he could not afford to part with any more of his +crew. The General Quarter Sessions drew nigh, and the day before +they commenced I received a kind of petition from the prisoner, +entreating me to aid him at this pinch, as he had not a friend in +that part of the world, and would inevitably be ruined for what he +considered rather a meritorious action -- taking vengeance on the +stinginess of the captain. Though I did not see exactly of what +benefit I could be to him, I repaired to the court-house on the day +of trial. It was crowded with people, as such places always are when +prisoners are to be tried; and as I had met at dinner most of the +magistrates on the Bench, I did not much like the idea of making my +first public appearance before them as a friend of the gentleman in +the dock, who had improperly appropriated the goods of his employer. + +The amiable desire, however, of paying off old scores due to the +captain, annihilated every other feeling; and when the prisoner, on +being asked whether he was guilty or not guilty of the felony laid to +his charge, instead of answering, cast his imploring eyes upon me, as +though I knew more of the business than himself, I could not refrain +from advancing towards the table occupied by the counsel and +solicitors, and asking permission of the bench to give my valuable +assistance to the prisoner. This being graciously accorded, the +mate, with a most doleful countenance, and a very unassured voice, +made answer to the plain interrogative of the Clerk of Arraigns -- +"Not guilty, my Lord." + +Whilst the prosecutor was being examined by the Advocate General, I +conned over the indictment with a meditative countenance, but without +being able to see my way in the least. The captain, scowling +atrociously at me and my persecuted friend, gave his evidence with +the bitterest animosity. He proved his losses, and the facts of the +store-room door having been broken open, and the prisoner and most of +the sailors being found drunk by him on his repairing one evening to +the vessel. It now became my turn to ask questions, as + +Prisoner's Counsel. Your ship, Captain W., is commonly called a +Temperance ship, is it not? + +Captain (after a ferocious stare). I should think you knew that. + +P. Counsel. And being a temperance ship, you do not allow the men, +at any time, any other liquor than water? + +Captain. No. + +P. Counsel. In temperance ships, I suppose it sometimes happens that +the men contrive to buy liquor for themselves? + +Captain (looking like a bull about to charge a matadore). Boo! + +P. Counsel. Do you remember the day we were off Madeira? + +Captain stares and snorts. + +P. Counsel. Do you remember on that day several of the sailors being +remarkably light-headed -- reeling about the deck? + +Captain (roaring, and striking the table with his hand). Yes! + +P. Counsel. Was this the effect of a 'coup de soleil', do you think? + +Captain. No! + +P. Counsel. Very well. Do you remember, whilst we were on the Line, +the second-mate being in your cabin helping Mrs. W. to stow away some +things in the lazarette, and both being found afterwards extremely +unwell, and obliged to be taken to bed? + +Chairman (interfering). I think the witness need not answer that question. + +Advocate General. I should have made the same objection, Sir, but -- +(aside) I was laughing too much. + +P. Counsel. Very well, Sir. I will not press it if it be +disagreeable. Do you remember at St. Jago the whole of the crew +being every day notoriously drunk -- from eating water-melons? + +Captain (recovering from an apoplectic fit). Ah-h! + +P. Counsel. Do you remember, when off the Cape, the sail-maker and +several others being unable to do their duty, and being pronounced by +the doctor to be in a state of liquor? + +Captain. Yes. + +P. Counsel. Then, as it appears that on board of a temperance ship, +men do occasionally (and in your vessel very often) get drunk, might +not the prisoner at the time of his alleged offence have been +drinking other liquor than that which formed part of your stores? + +Chairman (the Captain being too full of rage to articulate). The +jury will be able to draw their own inference as to that. + +Captain. It was he, gentlemen; it was this -- gentleman (forsooth -- +ha! ha!) who gave the men money on landing in order to make them +drunk. + +P. Counsel. Thank you for that evidence. The intelligent gentlemen +in the box will perceive that it was at my expense that the +unfortunate prisoner got drunk, and not at the captain's. + +The prosecutor was now permitted to retire, which he did growling +like a bear, amid the jeers of the populace, who always sympathize +with misfortune when it appears impersonated in the dock. + +The jury were also evidently in high glee, and cast most friendly +looks at the prisoner, and the 'fidus Achates' who stood up for him +so stoutly. + +The next witness was the sail-maker, who reluctantly owned himself to +have aided the prisoner in drinking some brandy which had come from +the ship's stores. + +P. Counsel. But, Sails, you do not mean to say that the prisoner +told you he had himself taken it from the ship's stores? + +Witness. Oh no, Sir, certainly not. + +P. Counsel. In fact, of your own knowledge, you do not know where +the liquor came from? + +Witness. No, Sir; oh, no, Sir! + +Here the Advocate-General administered such a lecture to the witness, +who was considerably more than half-drunk at the time, that he +entirely lost his wits and memory, and answered so completely at +random, that the jury begged he might not be asked any more questions. + +Advocate General. It is of no importance. I shall call no more +witnesses, as I hold in my hand the prisoner's own confession, made +before the committing magistrate, who was yourself, Mr. Chairman. + +This was a knock-down blow to me, and made the jury look extremely +blank. They gazed on one another in despair. The document was duly +proved, and the case for the prosecution closed. The chairman asked +if I wished to address the jury, but I declined, and observed that +the prisoner must explain for himself what he meant by this +extraordinary confession. Every thing seemed dead against the +prisoner, who hung his head and looked remarkably simple. I read +over the paper, which stated that he, the prisoner, with several +others, on a certain day took a quantity of the captain's brandy, and +got drunk thereupon. + +A ray of hope beamed upon me. I started up, and the jury +instinctively began to brighten; they had given up the prisoner as +lost, and now they were ready to catch at a straw. I addressed the +unfortunate "You state here, that you took the captain's brandy with +certain of the sailors. Do you mean by that, you 'partook' of the +brandy which other sailors were drinking?" + +Prisoner (balbutiant). I -- I -- ye -- ye -- + +P. Counsel. What do you really mean, Sir, by this written document? +Do you mean to say that you yourself took this brandy, or that you +partook of it with others? + +Prisoner. Yes, Sir, -- that I partook of it. + +P. Counsel. Then, gentlemen of the jury, this document does not +convict the unfortunate man at the bar; and what appears like an +admission of guilt is only to be attributed to his imperfect mode of +expressing himself. He admits that he partook of certain brandy +stated to be the captain's, which the captain, himself, however, +would lead you to suppose had been provided by me. The witness who +has been examined throws no further light upon the matter; and though +the prisoner himself has admitted that he partook of liquor which he +believed belonged to the captain, that admission does not convict him +under the present indictment, which charges him with having +"feloniously taken and carried away," etc. + +The jury were evidently delighted with this construction; and the +people in the gallery and body of the court could scarcely be +restrained from giving three cheers. + +The chairman recapitulated the evidence, and left the matter in the +hands of the jury, who jostled one another out of the box, and +retired to "consider their verdict." As they passed through the +ante-room to the apartment in which they usually held their solemn +deliberations, they caught up a bucket of water which the bailiff of +the court generally kept at hand for thirsty counsel or magistrates; +and as soon as they had decently secluded themselves, and indulged in +a genial fit of merriment, the foreman produced a bottle of brandy +from his pocket, and seizing the pannikin which floated in the +bucket, poured forth a good libation, and drank "towards all +present." Each juryman in turn then drank the health of the foreman. +After that, they all drank the prisoner's health; and as one of the +number afterwards assured me, they would have conscientiously toasted +the prisoner's counsel, but the liquor unfortunately failed. + +The foreman then said, "Come, my lads, there's no more left, so we +may as well go back again." So they jostled one another out of the +room, and with composed countenances returned to the court, where +they were ostentatiously conducted to their box by the sheriff's +officer amid loud cries of "Silence in the court! silence there!" + +Their names having been called over, the Clerk of Arraigns asked the +usual question, "Have you considered your verdict, gentlemen?" + +"Not guilty!" interrupted the foreman, as if he feared lest the +prisoner should be convicted in spite of the jury. + +"How say you," continued the clerk, "is the prisoner at the bar +guilty or not guilty?" + +"Not guilty!" cried the whole jury to a man; and amid thunders of +acclamations the prisoner was released from the dock, and turned out +of court, where he was seized upon by a multitude of sympathizers, +and carried in triumph to the next public-house. There he spent the +ensuing four-and-twenty hours, the hero of the day. + +In this slight sketch I am conscious that I have only been able to +convey to the reader a very faint idea of +A COLONIAL JURY. + + + +CHAPTER 7. + +BOATING UP THE RIVER. + +Whilst I was making acquaintances at Perth, my brothers, mounted on +our Timor steeds, were making a tour of inspection beyond the Darling +Hills. They fixed at length upon a farm at York, with about three +thousand acres belonging to it, and having a good farm-house, with +excellent barn and out-buildings attached. This evinced a more +comfortable and luxurious state of things than they had anticipated, +and they returned in high spirits to head-quarters. + +It now became necessary to consider how the various goods and +utensils were to be conveyed to the new settlement, which was seventy +miles distant from Fremantle. We sold most of our flour and pork at +a fair profit, and left by far the greater part of the other articles +which we had brought out with us to be sold by a commission agent, as +opportunity offered. + + From various causes, but chiefly from our own ignorance in selecting +our goods in London, we lost a considerable sum upon the things we +had brought out. Emigrants, unless they are men of great experience, +should bring all their capital to a colony in bills or specie, and +not attempt to increase their property by speculating in goods. On +their arrival, they will most probably find the markets already +glutted, and they will be compelled either to sell at a sacrifice, or +leave their effects in the hands of an agent, who will charge +enormously for warehouse-rent and other expenses, and will take +especial care that the unfortunate emigrant is not the party who +profits most by the sale of his goods. + +We had brought out with us an old artillery waggon; and all hands now +set to work to put it together, which was accomplished after a good +deal of difficulty. We also purchased three pair of bullocks, which +were at that date very dear. One pair -- magnificent animals +certainly -- cost fifty guineas, and the other animals twenty pounds +a-piece. Now, however, the best working bullocks may be obtained for +about fifteen pounds a pair. As the road so far as Guildford was +excessively heavy, we resolved to convey most of our goods by water +to a spot a few miles beyond that town, where a friendly settler had +placed at our disposal a wooden building, consisting of a single +room, situated on the banks of the river, and used occasionally by +himself as a store-house for his own goods on their transit to his +dwelling. The same friend lent us his own whale-boat; and by +determining to convey our effects ourselves we avoided a very heavy +expense. The cost of conveying necessaries from the coast to the +farm settlements in the interior, has been one of the chief drawbacks +to the colony. The boatmen made fortunes, whilst the farmers were +nearly ruined by their charges, and those of the storekeepers in the +towns. + +For fifteen years, at least, the latter have grumbled with violent +indignation unless their goods have realised from two to five hundred +per cent profit. Resolved, therefore, to be our own boatmen, we +moored our vessel at a little wooden jetty below our house, and began +to pack up such articles as were designed to compose the first cargo. + +I remember well the pleasure with which we stood upon that wooden +jetty one summer's evening, looking upon the boat in which we were to +perform our first voyage up the river, as she lightly floated before +us, scarcely giving a strain upon the rope which held her to one of +the posts at the end of the pier. Fig and Jezebel, always intimate +friends, were hunting for bandicoots -- animals less than a +kangaroo-rat -- which abounded in the bank below our dwelling. + +Upon this bank, Hannibal was to be seen cleaning the tandem harness, +suspended from the bough of a tree, and occasionally casting an eye +in the direction of the sheep, for whose safety he was responsible. +By the river side, our bullocks were busily engaged picking the +scanty herbage. The sea-breeze blowing steadily up the river cooled +the air, and seemed to bear health and spirits on its wings. + +The only sound that met the ear was a rushing noise, which every now +and then rose from the water along the shore. It was caused by +myriads of little fish rushing into shoal water to escape from +some pressing foe. + +There are some minds that draw pleasure from things which in no +degree affect others; to such, this was one of those seasons of +tranquil happiness that leave no regrets behind. The consciousness +of independence -- the pleasant nature of our duties -- the cheerful +aspect of all around -- the flattering whispers of Hope, though false +as usual -- all helped to form for the mental eye a picture which it +loved to look upon. + +And now we were busied in loading our boat. What pride we felt! no +shame at being seen performing manual labour; but pride, and +pleasure, and exultation. We had always been fond of boating, and +now that it was about to be an useful employment, it seemed +additionally agreeable. And what a noble scene for this our first +adventurous voyage, upon that broad river or rather arm of the sea! +We had found out the secret of human happiness, long hidden from us +-- business had become our pleasure. I was to be the captain, and my +youngest brother and Simon composed the crew. + +The boat was not loaded until late in the afternoon, and our +departure was therefore postponed until the sea-breeze should set in +on the following day. Still, we could not resist the delight of +making an experimental trip, and so the sprit-sail and jib were set, +and we shoved off into the tide-way. A whale-boat goes very fast +before the wind, but will not beat, nor will she go about well +without using an oar; she is not, therefore the craft best adapted +for nautical evolutions, but we were too happy to find much fault +with her on that occasion; and so we sailed several times across the +river and back again in the very height of enjoyment. Then suddenly +luffing up in the middle of the stream, the anchor was let go, and +the sail brailed up, in order that we might have the pleasure of +sitting still in the very midst of the waters, and rest, as it were, +in the plenitude of our satisfaction; and when the anchor dragged a +few yards over the sand before it held, and then suddenly brought up +the boat with a jerk, it seemed the climax of our pleasure. This, +the sagacious reader, in the depth of his gravity, will consider +extremely boyish. But should we not rejoice and be thankful whenever +we find among the many simple pleasures of our boyhood, a single one +which retains the power of gladdening our maturer years? Alas! one +after another they die down, and are no more to be revived. We are +apt to fancy that when the pleasures of youth have lost their +sweetness, and are no longer desired, it is an evidence of our +increasing wisdom. But it proves only that our tastes, grown more +vitiated, have taken new directions. We have only changed our +follies -- and for the worse.* + + +[footnote] *"'Tis sweet to think we grow more wise +When Radcliffe's page we cease to prize, +And turn to Malthus, and to Hervey, +For tombs, or cradles topsy-turvy; +'Tis sweet to flatter one's dear self, +And altered feelings vaunt, when pelf +Is passion, poetry, romance; -- +And all our faith's in three per cents." + R. R. Madden + + +The breeze! the breeze! the glorious sea-breeze comes stealing +swiftly over the bar; it crosses the first bay. Like a dark shadow +it moves along the face of the river, and now it has reached our +landing-place and gone swiftly forwards, bringing pleasure and +thankfulness on its path. Now, my men, jump in! hand me the grog and +provision basket -- and now loose the sails, and shove off. There, +we are fairly under weigh, and little Fig whimpers his adieu to +Jezebel and Nero, who for some minutes accompany the course of the +boat along the shore; and then finding we are really going, remain +fixed with astonishment, gazing upon their departing friend. Soon, +how soon, vanishes from their breasts every feeling of regret! +Before we have turned the first headland we perceive them playfully +biting each other about the ears and neck: and now Nero scampers off +under the trees in the direction of the house, and Jezebel (type of +her sex!) hurries after him. + +The breeze came rattling up the river, and the boat flew merrily +before it. We had occasionally sailed to Perth in the passage-boats, +and therefore knew something of the channel. Sand-spits frequently +run far out into the river, and those who think only of steering a +straight course, are very sure of running aground several times +during the voyage. + +The distance from Fremantle to Perth, by water, is about twelve +miles, and it is about as many more from Perth to Guildford. After +passing the ferry-reach, the river appeared about a quarter of a mile +broad, having abrupt rocky banks on either side; far a-head was the +wooded bottom of Freshwater Bay. Instead of coasting round this bay, +we passed through a channel cut across the spit into Melville water. +Here is a beautiful site for a house: a sloping lawn, covered with +fine peppermint trees, which in form resemble the weeping willow, and +a great variety of flowering shrubs, down to the water's edge. The +view from the house (lately the seat of Alfred Waylen, Esq.) is +exceedingly pleasing; on one hand is the fine sheet of Melville +water, seven miles in extent, and three or four in breadth, +surrounded by thick woods; in front is the graceful curve of +Freshwater Bay; and on the opposite side of the house from Melville +water, the river sweeps abruptly round through the deep and broad +channel I have already mentioned towards the ferry-reach. + +We passed up Melville water, and in about an hour and a quarter after +starting came abreast of the town of Perth, which we left about +three-quarters of a mile on our larboard side, and continued our +passage up Perth water. We had now a difficult channel to pass +through, where the river is extremely shoal; and in our inexperience +we soon got the boat aground. Jumping into the water, we succeeded +in shoving her again into the channel, and passed by a small island +called Harrison's Island. It was here that a French exploring party +took refuge after they had come so far up the river in spite of many +alarms. These men were some of the crew of Captain Perron, who was +engaged in a survey of this part of the coast of Australia, for the +French Government. During the night they were thrown into a state of +agitation and alarm by hearing incessant noises in the thick woods on +the main land, that were thought by some to be the bellowing of wild +bulls; by many the howling of wolves; and by others the cries of +savages. After a night spent in momentary expectation of attack and +massacre, the Frenchmen got into their boats and hastened down the +river again with the utmost expedition, and scarcely thought +themselves quite safe until they were once more on board their ship. + +This account of the French navigators was uppermost in the minds of +the English settlers on their first arrival, and contributed greatly +to the dread they felt at wandering a few yards from the settlement. +In those days, an orderly scarcely durst take a message from the +Governor to the Surveyor General's tent, within sight, unless +accompanied by a couple of his fellows, with their muskets ready for +action. + +The borders of the river were in many parts, especially on the +present town site of Perth, so entangled with thick brushwood, that +enemies might be lying in swarms, close at hand, without the least +fear of detection. When Sir James Stirling and his party first +passed up the river in boats, they had the accounts of the French +sailors fully in mind, and were very cautious how they landed. They +passed the night in a state of preparation, if not of alarm, and were +kept in constant vigilance by the same fearful noises. + +The woods were now supposed to be filled with wild beasts, and it was +not until some time had elapsed that people became convinced that the +dreadful sounds which assailed their ears at night proceeded from +myriads of frogs. These little creatures swarm in the samphire +marshes near the river, and possess voices far surpassing anything +known in their species in Europe. + +I was once looking out for ducks or coots in a thicket of bulrushes +higher than my head, when I was startled by hearing a loud "bomb!" at +no great distance from me. Having no idea what kind of wild beast +had made its lair in that dense thicket, I got ready to fire both +barrels on the first appearance of danger. Again the same awful +noise! It must be the snorting of a bison, or vast buffalo, seeking +shelter from the sun -- or it may proceed from some kind of +water-dragon, I thought. I looked in every direction, but could see +no living creature; and at last was about to retreat in the quietest +manner possible, when I espied a little frog perched on the top of a +reed, about a yard from my nose, and apparently looking full in my +face, whilst, ever and anon he inflated his cheeks, and uttered the +fearful sounds I had heard. + +But besides the dread of wild beasts, the colonists were long in the +greatest apprehension of losing themselves in the vast wilderness of +forest by which they were on every side enclosed. The country being +extremely level, up to the Darling range of hills, which is seen +trending north and south about twelve or fourteen miles at the back +of Perth, a man once in the woods has no object but the sun by which +to direct his course. Every now and then he comes upon an impassable +swamp, which throws him out of his track, and causes him infinite +difficulty before he can get round it, and then he begins to doubt of +his true direction. This is certainly, an awkward predicament; and +nothing is so easy as for inexperienced bushmen to lose their way. +When once a man begins to doubt whether he is right, he loses all +confidence in himself; he wanders first in one direction and then in +another, in the hope of finding something to guide him; and fears +lest every step should take him farther into the labyrinth of the +forest-wilderness. I have myself been several times lost for a short +period, and know how very unpleasant is the sensation. A common +soldier, sent on a message from Perth to Fremantle, happened to get +off the track. Becoming alarmed, he tried to recover it, but as it +had made a bend, he walked as far as he thought its position ought to +be, without success, and then fancied he must have mistaken the +direction. He therefore diverged at right angles, and after walking +a short time, recollected that he must now be going in the wrong +direction, as he had left the path originally on his left hand. +Accordingly he turned back again, and walked so far without +perceiving any signs of the track that he now fancied he must be +going parallel with it. Had he gone on a few yards father, all would +have been right, but now he really took a parallel course, and after +walking for some time longer, he again turned back, and walked in +another direction. Now this man had the sea on one side of him, and +the river on the other, at most not more than four miles apart; yet +the dread of having walked back into the wilderness behind Perth +overpowered his faculties, and he walked for hours in a circle of +about half a mile in diameter. He might have considered that the +Darling Hills were behind Perth, and must have brought him up, but +reason does not always act freely at these times. At length, +completely exhausted, he sat down at the foot of a tree, where he +remained all night, expecting death from starvation, from the +natives, or some unknown wild beasts. + +The next day he walked again as long as his strength would allow, but +before night sank down in the extremity of despair. It was not until +the third day of his misfortunes that he was tracked up by a party +sent in search of him, and guided by friendly natives, who followed +his many devious steps with unerring eyes. + +Another man, similarly lost in the interior, after vainly trying to +recover the road, determined to make for the coast, which he knew lay +to the west. He was also confident that the sun regularly set in +that quarter, and therefore, he boldly determined to trust himself to +the guidance of the sun, making sure, that if he followed it far +enough, it must lead him to the coast at last. Accordingly, he +marched after the sun till night-fall and then went cheerfully to +sleep, having supped upon some bread and pork, which he carried with +him. The next morning, at sunrise, he started off in the direction +of his guide, perfectly unconscious that he was now retracing his +steps, and journeying eastward. All day, however, he continued to +follow the sun, and when it set, wondered that he had not yet reached +the sea. At night, he finished his bread and pork, and the next +morning set off again on his long and tedious journey; still, at +night, there was no appearance of the ocean, and he fired off his gun +at a black cockatoo, which he killed with his only charge of shot. + +Upon this bird he lived for the next two days, and for two more he +subsisted upon roots. He had now given up all hopes of discovering +the sea, and had lain down to die, when he was found by his master +and a party of natives, who had come in search of him. + +It appeared that he was found upon almost the very spot on which he +had first lost himself. + +When once a man begins to believe that he is lost in the wilderness, +he feels as helpless as one who is blind-folded at the game of +blindman's buff, and who has been twirled round so often, that he has +no idea whereabouts the door or the fire-place is situated. Those +who are used to the bush steer their course with almost unerring +precision by the sun, and a few known objects, but there are numbers +who never acquire this power. The natives appear to know by instinct +the direction of every spot they wish to reach; and many white men +seem to possess the same faculty. + +But I have almost forgotten that we are all this time sailing up the +rive in our whale-boat. It was a very beautiful sail, and we +repeatedly passed cheerful-looking farm-houses on either bank -- +sometimes goodly mansions with park-like enclosures about them. In +the afternoon we dined upon cold wild-duck; and as each man sipped +his grog in his pannikin, we felt so exceedingly cheerful, that Simon +and Meliboeus favoured the public with "Away with melancholy!" and +divers other agreeable ditties. The wind however died away, and +evening set in as we passed Guildford. The banks of the river had +now risen into steep cliffs, which threw a deep gloom over our +course. We had furled the sails, and taken to the oars, and as we +blindly poked our way, we began to think this kind of work was not +quite so agreeable as it had at first appeared. Nothing was now to +be seen but the outlines of the steep sides of the river on which +occasional houses were visible, the light streaming through the +windows, and making us fancy how comfortable every thing must be +within, and how pleasant it would be to be sitting at supper in a +cheerful room, instead of toiling at our oars with blistered hands, +and without the prospect of a good bed at the end of the voyage. + +Romance was gone; the sad reality of life remained. Still we pulled +along, steering by turns, and doubting and wondering every hundred +yards whether we had not gone past the place we sought. Sometimes we +paused on our oars to debate the question, but still we continued to +push on; till at length we found ourselves close abreast of the +wooden building we were so anxiously looking out for, and experienced +a sensation of surprise as well as of delight. + +The boat was soon safely moored, and the door of the building +unlocked; and by the light of a wax taper, which we had brought on +purpose, we found ourselves in a large empty room, without any +fire-place. A heap of dead wood was soon collected at the entrance; +and a glorious fire lighted up the small enclosure which surrounded +the building, and sufficiently illuminated a considerable portion of +the room itself. The kettle being put on, we soon had tea ready, and +managed to get through our rations of bread and pork, not forgetting +to give little Fig his supper, who sat very seriously before the +fire, wondering what it all meant. + +Cigars, and brandy and water, having been duly administered before +bed-time, we next proceeded to litter down coats and cloaks; and +having made ourselves as comfortable as circumstances would admit of, +stretched ourselves on the floor, with a few sighs and thoughts of +home, and slept until day-break. + +The first thing we did next morning was to unload the boat; and then +having breakfasted, and secured the door on our effects, we started +on our homeward trip, and had the satisfaction of pulling the whole +distance to Perth, where we were obliged to sleep the next night, as +it was impossible for us to get down Melville water in the teeth of a +strong sea-breeze. + +When we had to start again with another load of goods, our hearts +were much heavier than on the first excursion. + + + +CHAPTER 8. + +FARMS ON THE RIVER. + +First impressions endure the longest, and are recalled with most +pleasure. Further acquaintance does not always give us a truer idea +of the value of the object, as familiarity frequently makes us +overlook as insignificant that which is constantly before us. It is +not the object that is proved to be really less valuable as we become +better acquainted with it, but our own views which change with our +position. My first impressions on visiting the various farms, or +rather gentlemen's residences, on the banks of the Swan, were +extremely agreeable. I thought nothing could be more delightful than +to live at one of those picturesque and lovely spots. If the romance +of that first feeling be now faded from my heart, it is not because I +have discovered that all which I then saw was an illusion, but +because a more sober state of mind -- that state into which the mind +settles as the excitement of sudden change and unwonted novelty +subsides -- teaches that happiness is not local, and that it is no +more likely to be found in the finest country residence than in the +main street of a town. + +At the first view we are apt to imagine that people who live in one +of these pleasant retreats must needs be happier than ourselves, who +possess nothing but a miserable shilling. + +This is the delusion; and when with increasing knowledge, we recover +from this, we cease to envy and to covet. + +My first ride up the Swan was a most delightful one. No park in +England could be more beautiful than the grounds around some of the +dwellings. + +The ride through the scattered village of Guildford, with a view of +the rich and extensive flats of Woodbridge, the property of Sir James +Stirling, and the frequent bends of the river, is a very agreeable +one. The whole country of the middle and upper Swan resembles a vast +English park. We passed the pretty country church of the Middle +Swan, with its modest parsonage beside it, and then proceeded through +wooded ravines along a pleasant drive to one of the most hospitable +mansions in the colony. Extensive stables, barns and out-buildings +occupied the back of the premises. As it was now too late in the +evening to see much of the surrounding scenery, we entered the house +of Samuel Moore, Esq., and sat down to an excellent dinner. In the +evening we had music -- pianos are as common in Western Australia as +in England. At night I occupied a sofa in the parlour. The +excitement and novelty of my present situation -- so many thousands +of leagues removed from the spot on which, only a few months before, +I had deemed I was to spend my life -- kept me wakeful; and about one +o'clock I arose, and opening the French window, stepped out into the +verandah. How solemn was the scene before me, faintly lighted by the +moon! In front of the house was a pretty sloping garden, and below +this stretched a broad clearing, now waving with corn, amidst which +rose up a number of scattered, lofty, dead trees, which had been +purposely killed by ringing the bark. How mournful they looked in +that gloomy light! + +The river bounded this clearing, and beyond the river stretched its +high bank, covered with forest trees, the advanced lines, as it were, +of the vast wilderness which lay behind. From out the depths of +those woods rose the occasional shrieks of an owl, or other night +bird, and at intervals the long dismal howl of a wild dog -- the only +carnivorous animal indigenous in that country. The air was balmy, +but there was something in the mournful aspect of the scene that +weighed upon the spirits, and made one feel inexpressibly lonely in +the midst of that boundless wilderness of forest. + +Time soon takes off the edge of novelty, and long ago I have learned +to feel perfectly at ease and cheerful, whilst lying in the midst of +much deeper solitude, with no companions but my horse grazing near +me, and the fire at my feet. There is no country in the world so +safe for the traveller as Western Australia. + +The next day we went over the farm of our host. His best land was on +the flats at the river side, but his upland, by judicious +cultivation, is made productive and valuable. A carriage-drive +extends through the grounds and affords beautiful prospects of the +river, and of the estates through which it runs; and on the other +side, of the Darling Hills. The hedge-rows on this property are +planted with olive, almond, and peach trees -- an admirable policy, +which ought to be adopted throughout Australia. In a few years -- +for the olive bears fruit much sooner here than in the south of +Europe -- a valuable traffic in olive-oil may be expected from this +colony. + +The ingenious gentleman who owns this property (which is, in point of +soil, one of the worst farms on the Swan) continues annually to add +to its value by his persevering system of improvement. He has had a +steam-engine constructed on his own premises, and under his personal +superintendence; and he grinds his own flour as well as that of his +neighbours. + +The neighbouring estate of W. L. Brockman, Esq., is a more valuable +property, and equally attractive in possessing a well-cultivated +farm, a beautiful situation, a comfortable residence, and an amiable +family. + +With similar energy and savoir faire, all the beautiful farms on this +river might be made most enviable residences. + +Whilst on the subject of farming, I may mention a reaping-machine +which has been introduced into this colony from South Australia, +where it was invented. It is only adapted to a very dry climate, but +there it is most valuable. A pair of horses push a machine before +them, which consists of a threshing-machine and a set of revolving +combs, some six feet wide. These combs, in their revolutions, catch +up the wheat, and tear off the ears from the stalks, throwing them +back into the threshing-machine. A field of wheat is thus reaped and +threshed as fast as the horses can walk over it. The straw is +afterwards mown. + +The roads are hard and good in this neighbourhood, and some of the +settlers keep their open carriages. + +I doubt whether I have conveyed to the reader a just idea of some of +the pleasantest spots which are to be met with in this colony; but I +would not have him (full of romantic thoughts and agricultural +purposes) rush hastily into the mart and sell his substance in order +to lead a life of tranquil retirement in this distant Eden. It +requires a good deal of philosophy to make a contented settler. Most +colonists leave England full of virtuous resolutions -- with bosoms +glowing with the ardent love of nature; and fully persuaded that they +need nothing to make them happy but a small farm, beautifully +situated, with its cottage ornee, and its spreading vines, and a +noble fig-tree, beneath which they are to sit in the cool of the +evening, with their little ones around them. All this they may +really possess; and for some time they are in raptures at the novel +feeling of being men of landed interest. This is always the first +ambition of a colonist -- to have some property which he may lawfully +call his own. And, indeed, the human heart never expands with more +satisfactory pride than in the breast of him whose territorial +possessions have hitherto been confined to a few flower-pots in his +parlour-window, but who now stands firmly beneath a lofty gum-tree, +and looking round him, murmurs "This is mine!" It is, indeed, a very +pleasant sensation, but, unfortunately, it is very short-lived. + +Men do not come out to a colony to spend an income, but to make a +living. When once their capital is laid out in the acquisition of a +farm, and in the necessary purchase of stock, they have to raise +money out of it to pay their labourers' wages, and find their +households with tea, sugar, clothing, and "sundries." Many things +may be grown upon your farm, but not everything. At first, the +settler is satisfied with finding that he can sell sufficient produce +to enable him to pay his way, provided he practise the utmost +economy, and exhibit a reasonable degree of good management. + +But soon there are extra expenses to be liquidated; a long illness in +his family brings him in debt to the doctor; or his neighbour has +injured him, and he has, thereupon, further injured himself by going +to law and avenging the wrong. He now becomes discontented, and +thinks he is as badly off as he was before he left England; or, +perhaps he may have sustained no losses, and is just able to live on +his property without getting into debt; he forgets, however, the +principles on which he came out to settle; he begins to complain that +he is not making money. It is true he leads an easier life than he +did in England; he is not striving and struggling for existence as he +was there, but he is making no money. His wife asks him daily, in +the pleasantest connubial key, why he brought them all from England, +to bury them there, and see nobody from morn till night? What, she +urges, is to become of their children? Will Jonadab, their +first-born, be a gentleman like his maternal ancestors? -- But how, +indeed should he, with the pursuits of a cow-boy and the hands of a +scavenger? It is very well for one who cares nothing for genteel +society, and whose bearish manners, in fact, unfit him for it, to +lead such a life; but is she to endure this for ever, and see her +daughters married to men who wear long beards and Blucher boots? + +These incessant attacks at length overthrow the ennobling philosophy +of the colonist. He knows not where to procure more than he already +possesses, or he would gladly return to the country of his +fore-fathers; but alas! he sees no prospect of gaining even a bare +livelihood there. Without knowing, then, how or where to improve his +condition, he deplores the penury of his lot, and sighs for wealth +which he has no prospect of ever obtaining. + +My own opinion has ever been that colonists, with few exceptions, +must always be poor men. They may possess large estates and numerous +herds; but the more numerous these herds, the less is their +marketable value: for population and demand can never increase in +equal ratio with the supply. A man, therefore, who possesses the +elements of wealth, may still be poor in the article of money. + +Nor will his estates produce him more income than his herds; for in +most cases the only rent which his tenants can afford to pay is in +kind. 'The only real wealth to a colony is the incessant influx of +immigration, combining capital and labour.' + +There are some of us, happily, who still retain the ancient +philosophy. We have not thought of pecuniary wealth, and are content +to live easily, with those moderate blessings which attach to a +beneficent climate and a simple mode of life. + +So very little is required which money can buy, that men seem to be +annoyed at the fact, and insist upon creating new wants. + +A great deal of discontent and repining generally prevails in a +colony. People who have lived miserably in England, who have long +doubtfully hovered between suicide and highway robbery, determine at +length to adopt the still more melancholy alternative of emigration. +After bequeathing a few tender sighs to the country which they have +hitherto regarded rather as a step-mother than a parent; and having +pathetically solicited the sympathy of those who more readily bestow +upon them a few pounds than a few tears, in the pious hope of never +seeing them more, our emigrants betake themselves to the favoured +land of their adoption, in the full and confident belief that they +have nothing now to do, but live "like gentlemen," though without the +means, or any other qualifications of that class. Their Faith is of +that affecting and unlimited description, as to lead them to suppose +that He who beneficently feeds the ravens will not neglect the rooks +or the drones. + +In a very short time, however, they find that they are no better off +in the new than they were in the old country. The gum-trees do not +produce bread, nor the banksias shoulders of mutton; and, +consequently, their hopes have been miserably disappointed, and they +loudly proclaim their wants and sorrows in the streets. There are +unfortunately in all colonies -- those 'refugia peccatorum' -- many +emigrants of this class, idle and worthless, who have never done +well, and never will succeed in any part of the world. + +A colonial life is not for these men, and we recommend them to pass +on to some other region as quickly as possible. + + + +CHAPTER 9. + +THE MORAL THERMOMETER OF COLONIES. + +In the chief town of every colony, there is always agreeable society +to be found among the resident Government officers, and the other +principal inhabitants. Many estimable individuals are to be met with +in all communities; in that in which I have myself resided for some +years, there are many for whom I entertain the highest regard. I +hope, therefore, it will not be considered that, in the remarks which +I am about to make, I am actuated by any ill or invidious feeling, or +at all allude to individuals. Since I have undertaken the task of +drawing sketches of colonial life, I must not endeavour to conceal +any portion of the truth, nor tacitly allow erroneous conclusions to +be drawn from my remarks. + +I have already observed that a good and kindly feeling towards one +another prevails in this colony among the settlers generally. But I +must qualify this remark by adding -- in all cases in which +individual interests are not concerned. There is less perhaps of the +'spirit of dealing' in this colony than in any other of the British +empire. Ours is not a mercantile community, and the farm-settlers +generally are young men of good birth and gentlemanly spirit. Still, +even here, beyond all question, exists the same odious tendency +(though less apparent) which prevails more or less in all colonies, +to advance self-interest on every possible occasion, without being +deterred by any scruples whatsoever. + +When men become emigrants, they leave behind them their relations, +friends, connexions, and all their old associations, and appear upon +a new theatre of action, where they have no feelings to consult +beyond their own personal wishes and interests. + +They find themselves suddenly emancipated from all those restraints +which formerly acted with a salutary influence upon their natural +inclinations; and having no one near them whose opinion they regard, +or whom they care to conciliate, they fall rapidly into the belief +that they have no one to live for but themselves, and, consequently, +make self the sole guide of all their actions, and sole god of their +idolatry. + +This spirit of 'Yankeeism' is the prevailing spirit of colonies. It +is the natural consequence of the isolated state in which men feel +themselves to exist, when they have no longer those less selfish +motives of action that influenced and regulated their conduct under +other circumstances. The eye of a parent no longer watches over them +with approbation or anxiety; and what has a still more powerful +influence upon their conduct, they are now beyond the observation of +that circle of friends, relations, and acquaintance, to which they +had been known from childhood; which had constituted their world, and +the censure or approbation of which determined their state of +self-reproach or self-satisfaction. Few men may be trusted far who +can say, "I am not known here," for these are always the people who +care least what they do. Good and well-meaning persons will exclaim, +"Colonists can have very little sense of religion, if they allow +themselves to act at a distance differently from what they would do +at home." Those who have more than a theoretical acquaintance with +mankind, and who are used to look upon them in their undisguised +selfishness, know well that their sense of religion is greatly +dependent upon the circumstances in which men find themselves placed. +We are not speaking of what such and such people would do and feel, +but of what is really done and felt by thousands. + +Besides, I have already premised that it is not every colonist who +acts on these principles, but that such is the general tendency to +act in a colony. + +We can now understand the origin of that intense selfishness in the +American character, which has never yet been cast aside, and which, +in fact, is perpetuated by a republican form of government. + +The high and nice sense of honour, the chivalrous generosity, the +frank acknowledgment of superiority, and the ready devotion of self +to the interests of others at the call of duty, constituted the +brightest ornaments of the feudal system, and still glitter (though +with feebler lustre) among the fragments of that system throughout +civilized Europe. + +The Spirit of Trade, which has shattered feudalism, has impaired the +brightness of that principle which was the soul of feudalism. Nor +has religion yet succeeded in supplying the loss. Religion, which is +the bond between Man and his God, has less influence in regulating +his dealings with his fellows than Honour, which is the bond between +man and man.* + + +[footnote] *In making this observation, I refer to the general +conduct of the World; and am far from intending to say, that honour +ought to have more influence with mankind than religion. The truly +religious, a small but sacred band, "do justly, love mercy, and walk +humbly with God." + + +And when the principle of honour loses its purity, you may be sure +that the principle of religion is already decayed or dead. Now the +principle of honour being (so to speak) of human origin, depends +greatly for existence upon the opinions of men; and when we are +emancipated from all great regard for those opinions, it almost +inevitably follows that our sense of honour becomes much impaired; +and having no longer any fear of censure, we no longer have any +feeling of shame. + +In a colony, then, is most apparent the accursed Spirit of Trade -- +that insidious spirit which undermines the truth of the heart, which +destroys its most generous impulses, and sneers at every +manifestation of disinterestedness. The first object of a colonist +is that of a petty shopkeeper, -- to grasp at every thing which is +likely to benefit himself, without regard to justice, religion, or +honour. His own interest is the only guide of his actions, and +becomes the very soul of his existence. He came out to make a +fortune, if possible, and he thinks himself justified in using every +means to this end. Do not suppose that he is a downright villain who +would commit highway robbery. He would be greatly shocked at such an +imputation, for his conscience is still too timid for so flagrant a +crime. He merely follows the golden maxim of 'caveat emptor', and, +like the petty shopkeeper, thinks he is justified in cheating those +who are too stupid to look after their own interests, and too +ignorant or too feeble to enforce their just dues. + +When that nice sense of honour which rules the conduct of the +high-minded gentleman, and makes him scorn to take advantage of the +ignorance or the necessities of another, ceases to influence, the +accursed spirit becomes dominant, and men look with suspicion on all +around them. + +It has become the pride and the boast of colonists, as of +horse-dealers, that they are sharp fellows; that they have cut their +eye-teeth, and are remarkably wide-awake. These honourable +distinctions are acknowledged by the simple-minded with alarm. They +feel like men involved among a mob, and instinctively button up their +pockets. + +The moral thermometer in a colony is lamentably low. + +We do not, however, look upon this state of things as irremediable, +and without hope; on the contrary, we doubt not but the Better Spirit +will in time resume its pre-eminence, and colonists will be respected +for their elevated sentiments and high sense of honour, rather than +for their acuteness in driving a bargain. This evil, which is the +natural consequence of their present condition as isolated atoms, +unconnected together by those bonds of mutual respect which confine +men in older countries, will cease as society becomes re-organized, +and men feel themselves occupying in a colony the same position, as +regards obligations and duties, that they would have filled in the +parent state. As they settle themselves more firmly in their places, +they will come to feel that respect which ever attaches to the +character of HOME; and conscious that example is necessary from men +who occupy prominent positions, a higher tone will insensibly be +assumed, and the Better Spirit again be diffused throughout all the +ramifications of society. But to this end, it is most essential that +every aid should be given that Government has the power to bestow. +Religious instruction, and that good example which, we may assume, is +ever afforded to society by the English clergy, are the principal +instruments to be sought. In Western Australia there are at this +time only six clergymen, who are scattered over a country many +hundred miles in extent. Many districts are, unavoidably, entirely +without the exhortations and offices of a minister. At King George's +Sound, an important post, no clergyman is seen from one year to +another. Human beings are born, married, and buried, without a +minister to baptize, to teach, to bless, or to give consolation in +their extremity. There is no bishop to consecrate, to watch over, or +to reprove.* + + +[footnote] *By the munificence of Miss Burdett Coutts, a bishopric +has been recently founded in South Australia; and the Western Colony +is for the present to be included in the same diocese. But when it +is remembered that there is no over-land communication between the +colonies, and the route by sea occupies about ten days, it must be +evident that this provision is very inadequate to our wants. + +This is a state of things that must be remedied, or moral +improvements cannot be expected. + +The Roman Church has been more thoughtful of her children in this +colony, there being now settled here a bishop, and about a dozen +priests of that persuasion -- reason the more for the active +interference of a Protestant Government to protect the spiritual +welfare of the Protestant community. + +The next most important object is the education of the youth of the +colony. So soon as ever Government can afford the grant of a few +hundreds a year, free-schools ought to be established in various +districts. Such is usually the scarcity of money in a colony, that +parents cannot afford to bestow even the commonest education upon +their children. Of course, I allude only to the general condition of +society; there are individuals who educate their families in a +judicious and sufficient manner; but the great prevailing want is not +the less felt and deplored. Boys, the sons of men who have +themselves been well educated, are early made to supply the place of +labourers and servants. Hardy and manly in appearance, they are +naturally rough and uncouth in manner, and unhappily possess no +mental stores beyond those early principles of gain which have grown +with their growth. In their anxiety that their sons should do well +in the world, the parent's first object is to impress upon them the +necessity of making the most of every thing. Their early powers are +exercised in selling stores, sheep, cattle, or other produce, and +they are applauded in proportion to the hard bargain which they have +driven. If a man, threatened with law proceedings, is compelled to +sell his whole crop of potatoes at a ruinous loss, our keen and +knowing youngster glories in the opportunity of making a bargain by +which he shall profit to the amount of a hundred per cent., though +the seller return to his agitated family writhing with despair. The +malleable intellect of our youth is annealed by the Demon of Gain +upon the anvil of Self-interest. + +National education is one of the first objects of a paternal +government. The course of study ought ever to be adapted to the +circumstances and position of the scholars. In the first years of a +colony, the human mind peculiarly exhibits a downward tendency. Few +men prove themselves in their new condition of life superior or equal +to the character which they had formerly borne, as pious, learned, or +humane. The circumstances which formerly so eminently conduced to +the maintenance of piety, the cultivation of intellect, and the +exercise of benevolence, no longer exist. Solitary and selfish from +position, men of naturally generous temper and good disposition, feel +their hearts contract and shrivel within them. Surrounded by a +sordid and selfish crew, they find no objects for sympathy, no +inducements for the increase or the preservation of knowledge, no +animating impulse to lead them forward in a good cause. Struggling +for a time in the net which is around them, they at length fall from +the edge, down into the seething cauldron, and become fused among the +mass. + +'The tendency of colonization is to deteriorate.' The first object +of Government should therefore be to arrest this impulse, and remedy +the evil so far as may be accomplished. If the original settlers +degenerate in their moral condition, their children sink still lower. +When parents cease to feel the influence of those high and pure +principles in which they were themselves brought up, they naturally +forget to inculcate them in the minds of their offspring. What, +then, are the guides that direct these in their progress through +life? What can they be but Self-interest, relieved perhaps +occasionally by a few touches of Good-nature? + +The young women inevitably grow up mere creatures of impulse. Where +are those high qualities which are necessary to give them their +proper influence over the minds and actions of the other sex? Where +is that powerful sense of the duties of their calling and position, +that is necessary to create confidence in the breast of the lover or +the husband? Where are those unswerving principles which alone can +keep them, through trial and temptation, in the right way? + +Woman, alas! has lost her power, when she ceases to inspire +veneration and command respect. + +It is the interest of every colony, and the duty of every Government, +to raise the moral character and condition of the people. The +necessity of this must be forcibly present in the minds of those to +whom the duties of legislation are intrusted; and as the most obvious +means of improvement lie in the judicious instruction of the young +generation, the attention of Government must soon be directed to this +grand object. + + + +CHAPTER 10. + +COUNTRY LIFE. + +It is most undeniably true, "that there is no place like England," +for men who are in "easy circumstances," and who therefore think no +more of direct or indirect taxation, and of those multitudinous +burthens which highly-civilized life imposes, than a besom-maker's +ass does of the load under which it daily journeys. But how many +thousands are there (children of sad parents -- Toil and Sorrow) who +find their utmost efforts scarcely sufficient to keep them out of the +debtor's prison! Continual gloom fills the chambers of their hearts; +the sun bestows its cheering rays in vain; and all the gay and +beautiful influences of the bright world of Nature fail to inspirit +him whose every energy is directed to the task of raising his family +beyond the threatening grasp of Want. In his few moments of +relaxation, when those whom he loves -- for whom he is toiling unto +death -- hang around him with gentle fondness; in those sweet +moments, when love unutterable beams through the glistening eye, and +tender solicitude watches the care-worn face, seeking to win one +happy smile -- even then, he dare not give himself up to joy. The +thought is never absent from him that life perhaps is ebbing fast; +the very labours to which his only hope of income is attached, are +gradually wearing him down to the grave; and when he is no more, what +shall be the lot of those whose beaming faces smile so sweetly? What +struggles, what miseries are in store for the beloved wife, and those +young and innocent daughters whose hearts are full of him! No! he +dare not give himself up to joy; he smiles in answer to their +endearments -- but it is rather a shadow than a sunbeam that passes +across his countenance. + +How many thousands are there in England so circumstanced, who curse +the artificial state of society in which they are compelled to live! +In their profession or trade they are bound to keep up a certain +degree of appearance, or they are shunned by those whom it is their +chief interest to conciliate. The great bug-bear ever present in the +mind of an Englishman, is the dread of not being thought sufficiently +"respectable." Professional men and tradesmen depend for their +subsistence upon appearances. To be flashy is as bad as to be +shabby; the great object is to appear substantial. If you are rich, +you have less temptation to be dishonest, and may consequently be +trusted. Every man, therefore, who depends upon the opinion of +others, is compelled to assume the appearance of being comfortably +circumstanced in order to inspire confidence. Character is the +life-blood of Englishmen, but character alone will seldom extricate a +man from the slough of Poverty. In our highly artificial state of +society, something more powerful than character alone is required to +place a man in the road to fortune -- call it as you please, tact or +humbug. + +This necessity for keeping up appearances in order to move in that +rank of life which his business requires him to occupy, is the +heaviest tax imposed upon the income of an Englishman. How often +does it draw from him all his profits, leaving him to lament how +little he is enabled to lay by annually for his children! Many times, +without doubt, he wishes he durst retire to a cottage too small to +admit the visits of the heartless acquaintance who form his +"fashionable" world. Does their society afford him or his family any +real happiness? Is it not rather the cause of many heart-burnings to +him and to them? How much happier he feels he should be, had he +never looked abroad for happiness, but sought it only around his own +hearth! To see his daughters elegantly attired, would gratify him +extremely, were it not for the unwelcome reminiscences of expense. +But would they look less lovely to his eyes, or be less dear to his +heart, when moving about him in the useful performance of domestic +duties, clad in homely garments, and thinking more of him and home +than of visiting and display? + +How economically, and how happily too, might he live, were his own +house his world, and his wife and children the only beings for whose +opinion he cared! But alas! these are the persons whose opinion is +of least importance in his pursuit of fortune. He must do as the +world does if he would secure its smiles, and is compelled to think +less of happiness than of gain. + +Is such a man happier, leading such a life, than he would be as a +colonist? Here -- ever blessed be the recollection! -- there is no +necessity for sacrificing peace of mind to appearance. The man whose +conduct proves him to be of gentlemanly mould, is everywhere treated +as an equal; and though his occupation and mode of living be ever so +humble, he loses nothing in the consideration of his +fellow-colonists. The half-pay officer, or gentleman farmer, who +occasionally drives his own cart, or sows the seed which he has +purchased in the market, is not thought less qualified to act as a +magistrate, nor is less respected by the great and small in his +neighbourhood. His cares are all directed towards obtaining +substantial comforts for his family, and not towards making a display +in the eyes of the little world around him. + +Conscious that he is respected only for his character as an upright +man, and that as every one knows he is not wealthy, it would be +ridiculous to affect the appearance of wealth, he wears the coarsest +garments with more pleasure than the finest coat, and draws all his +happiness from domestic sources. His sons and daughters equally +indifferent to show -- though the latter, at least, are always neatly +dressed -- are busied with their different duties, all tending to +promote the general comfort. + +Happy family! -- how pleasantly the evenings pass in your society! +Gladly would I ride many miles to spend such pleasant hours, and +witness happiness so unpretending and real. How cheerful looks that +large room, with its glorious fire of Jarra-wood and black-boys, (for +it is the winter season,) and how lightly those young girls move +about, arranging the tea-table, and preparing for the evening meal! +The kind-hearted mother, relieved of all duties but that of +superintendence, sits by the fire chatting cheerfully with the guest, +whose eyes, nevertheless, wander round the room after a certain light +and dancing shape; the host, a man of eld, but stalwart in +appearance, full of hospitality and noble courtesy, appears in his +easy slippers and an old and well-worn coat, which formerly had seen +service in London ball-rooms. He discourses not only of the crops +and colonial politics, but of literature, and the last news from +England; for like many other colonists he receives the English +papers, and patronizes the 'Quarterly Review'. On the sofa lie the +latest numbers of 'Punch' and 'the Illustrated London News' -- some +four months old, of course -- for the ladies like fun and pictures, +whilst their father laboriously wades through a three months' +accumulation of the 'Times'. + +With what alacrity the old gentleman rises up and welcomes a +traveller, who has unexpectedly arrived, and has just stabled his +horse, and seen him fed before he made his appearance in the parlour! +There is no beating about the bush for a bed, or an invitation to +supper. Of the latter he is certain, and indifferent about the +former; for having slept the last night under a tree, he feels sure +of making himself comfortable on the sofa, or on the hearth-rug +before the fire. And then the girls, who have no affectation or +nonsense about them, crowd round the new-arrived, and ply him with +questions about their young friends in other parts of the colony, +and whether he was at the last ball at Government House, and what +was most worn on that occasion -- until the good man, laughing, +breaks through the circle, declaring he will answer no more +questions till he has had his supper, and, it may be, a glass of +whisky-toddy screeching hot. + +During the evening the girls sing, and happily they sing well; and +they take most pleasure in those songs which papa likes best to hear. +And the poor bachelor-guest, who looks on, feels his heart melting +within him, and reviles himself for the destitution in which he lives +at home. Suddenly, perhaps, horses at a gallop are heard to enter +the yard; and soon afterwards two young fellows, fresh from the +capital, come dashing into the room, full of spirits, and vowing they +have gallopped over on purpose to ascertain whether the ladies were +still living. Here is authority of undoubted value for everything +relating to the ball at Government House; and the merits and +appearance of every person who attended it are soon brought under +discussion. This naturally inspires the young people with a desire +to dance; so the table is pushed aside, and papa being squeezed +nearly into the fire, mamma takes her place at the piano, and bursts +off with the Annen Polka. + +It may seem strange to you, dear reader, who have an idea that +colonists are merely wild beasts, that such things should be. But so +it is; and though people may dance the Cellarius with more gravity in +the saloons of St. James's, I question whether dancing be half the +fun there that our light-hearted colonists seem to think it. There +are no strangers in small colonies -- it is always a family party +dancing together; and consequently, people are as merry as if it were +Christmas-time all the year round. + +Your fashionable people may pity them; but God help them, poor +things! In their dark and degraded state they seem to enjoy +themselves so much, that I should not like them to be put out of +conceit with themselves, or made to repudiate whatever gives them +innocent pleasure. Nor are they entirely insensible to the good +opinion of great people; for when they learnt that the Polka was +thought vulgar at Buckingham Palace, they had serious intentions of +denying it admittance into the ball-rooms of Perth; and I sincerely +believe it would speedily have pined away and died, like a maiden +under the breath of slander, but for a confidently entertained hope +that her Majesty would never hear of the offences of the people of +Perth -- and people will do all kinds of things when they can do them +secretly. So the Polka continues to be danced in Western Australia; +and the courage of the dancers has been much revived of late by +hearing that it is still greatly in vogue at home, notwithstanding +the august censures said to have been passed upon it. + +A country life might always be a happy one, were people possessed of +the smallest competence, and of properly regulated minds. There is +as much unhappiness, or at least discontent, in colonies as +elsewhere; but discontented colonists are the greatest fools in the +world, because they have themselves created the evils, and the +remedies are generally in their own power. The grand object of +man's search is happiness, which he strives to obtain by a thousand +various ways. Wealth he covets, because he fondly believes that it +contains the prize he seeks; but if happiness may be found without +wealth, of what value are riches? Money is not so indispensable a +necessary in a colony. Very little indeed suffices to enable a +proprietor on the banks of the Swan, the Avon, or the Brunswick, to +bring up his family in comfort, and to perform all the rights of a +generous hospitality. The discontent which is so often felt in +colonies arises from two causes: first, it is the natural feeling of +those who emigrate late in life; who, although unsuccessful at home, +have ever been fondly attached to home associations, to the friends +and connexions with whom they have been bound up during many years, +and to the national belief that a man can never be truly happy out of +England. In addition to this, the emigrant of mature years has been +so long accustomed to feel himself living in the very centre of +intelligence, he has so long been accustomed to watch the progress of +political action at home and on the continent, and to drink the fresh +draughts of scientific discovery at the fountain-head, that now, when +far removed from the busy and exciting scenes of the ever-moving +panorama of European life, he feels lost in the wilderness -- a +fragment of drift-wood washed ashore and left far behind by the +fast-progressing waves of Knowledge and Action. + +The second cause of discontent is found in the non-acquisition of money. +Every one goes out to a colony with the full conviction that he shall +make a fortune in a few years, and then return to England and become +a man of landed interest. + +A man has to conquer his first disappointments before he can become a +happy settler; he has to form new and more just ideas of his actual +position. Generally, it is necessary that he should return to +England once more before he can entirely appreciate the advantages +open to him in a colony. He then fully perceives how much more +difficult it is to obtain a bare subsistence in the old country. He +finds that with the utmost economy he cannot supply the numerous +wants of his family, and he longs for his old Australian dwelling +again, and the easy, independent life which he was accustomed to +lead, when his children used to run about in brown holland, and his +wife looked becoming in printed cotton, and thought no beverage so +good as the wine which she had assisted to make. + + + +CHAPTER 11. + +PERSECUTIONS. + +Scepticism is the offspring of ignorance. There are many people +still living who doubt the existence of dragons; who go so far as to +assert that such creatures never did exist upon the face of this +earth, and never did torment and destroy the inhabitants thereof, and +persecute forlorn maidens. They scoff at the records which have +descended to our times, as fabulous legends, composed by idle monks; +who were accustomed to write fictitious histories during the dark +ages. They deny to historical ballads that authority which Mr. +Macaulay attaches to them; and yet the principal fact in the +biography of Andromeda (even before the times of the monks) may have +been true; and the poor people of Wantley may really have been +harassed by the celebrated dragon of that ilk. We speak seriously. + +Geologists have ascertained beyond a doubt that winged monsters of +the size described in ancient legends did really inhabit this earth +at some period or other. Happily they no longer exist of the same +dimensions as formerly; like the descendants of Anak, they have +become 'fined down', as it were, in the course of ages, until their +proportions no longer awaken personal fear, nor do their exploits +engage the attention of historians. Sometimes, however, the ancient +ferocity, the propensity for devastation, still breaks forth, even in +the diminutive descendants of this formidable race, and persecuted +Man feels himself driven to the brink of despair. + +Soon after I had settled at Perth, in a small house, with three +quarters of an acre of ground about it, I began to think of improving +my little territory. I thought it was a duty I owed to society to +set a good example, by bringing my property into a high state of +cultivation. + +I intended to "make the barren desert smile" -- to embower my +dwelling in the midst of blossoming peas, and aspiring kidney beans, +-- to draw around me, as it were, a little luxuriant Eden, which +should be the admiration of a Sunday public, as they stood riveted at +the palings, unable to pass by without a lengthened survey; whilst +the envied possessor, stooping behind his magnificent cabbages, would +listen to their unstudied bursts of rapture with justifiable pride. +Glowing with horticultural fervour, I rose early in the morning, and +dug up the soil with stern resolution, toiling with a Patagonian +pick-axe at the great roots which ran in every direction, until I +thought myself a perfect pattern of a settler. My man also exerted +himself with equal energy and more steady endurance; and in process +of time a considerable portion of ground was got ready for seed. In +order that nothing might be wanting to insure the most unlimited +success, I purchased a quantity of manure, and had it drawn upon the +ground. Then it was that the Evil Genius who (like the wicked +Enchanter that always kept his eye upon Don Quixote,) hath ever +dogged my steps, made his baleful presence manifest by the most +rampant hostility. The day on which the manure arrived, I went out +in my pleasure-boat upon Melville Water, accompanied by my man +Hannibal, to manage the head-sheets. On our return, at dusk, we +found the manure scattered all over the premises, as if it had been +kicked about by a party of dancing demons. + +The traces of talons were clearly discernible on the ground. I knew +not what to make of it. I thought a dragon must have been rampaging +about the premises. Well! the next day the man scratched the manure +together again as well as he could, and we sowed a quantity of seed +-- peas, beans, and divers succulent vegetables. The following +morning Hannibal rose late, having overslept himself, as he alleged. +I was awakened by his sudden appearance at my bed-side, but no sooner +sat up than I fell back again, appalled by the ghastliness of his +visage. + +"The d---ls," said he, "have been again, and have scrat up the earth +far and wide; and (he added using a strong expression,) I'll be +dashed if there's a seed left!" + +Alas! "'twas but owre true." The ground so neatly raked the evening +before, which I had returned again and again to look at with fond +pride, until it was obscured by darkness, was now torn up and defaced +throughout its length and breadth. + +"Well!" I exclaimed, as soon as I could speak, "there are dragons in +the world." + +I could now enter into the feelings of the poor husbandman of the +dark ages, when he got up in the morning, and found a dragon +finishing the last of his highly-prized dairy cows. If I could only +catch him at it! I felt immediately a fit of blood-thirstiness creep +over me. I could have destroyed a dozen dragons with pleasure, might +I only come within reach of them. Calmly, however, I ordered +Hannibal to sow the seeds again, and keep better watch and ward in +future. + +It now became a serious question how my property was to be protected. +Am I to be subject to these incursions without defence? Is there no +safeguard in this country for a man's possessions? + +I finished breakfast hastily, and went to consult the chief +magistrate. To my question as to how I ought to guard my garden and +vegetables from the attacks of the insidious enemy, he replied by +referring me to the 2 Wm. IV. No. 2, a local act, by which people +whose property is trespassed upon, are allowed the privilege of +impounding the trespassers. + +Impound a dragon! I thanked the worthy magistrate, "But," said I, +"the creatures that destroy my substance have wings, and are not to +be caught by men who have none." + +"The law," replied his worship, "is decisive on the subject; you must +follow the law, whether you be able to follow the offender or not." + +"But," said I again, "if the law gives me no protection -- and merely +to authorize me to impound a creature with wings, is a mockery +unworthy of the dignity of the law -- I may surely protect myself? I +will have a file of men on guard, and fire on any creature that +infringes upon the vested rights which I possess in my property. I +will defend myself," said I, growing warm under the oppressive weight +of the law, "and maintain my vested rights." + +"No man," replied the worshipful justice, "as you know very well, has +a right to defend himself, except with the weapons of the law. You +will only get into scrapes if you fight with any other weapons." + +Finding that I was kicking against the pricks, I made my bow, and +went home again in a very ireful mood. + +Hannibal had resown the beds, and was at work upon others. On seeing +me, he stepped up to a fine Nuytsia floribunda, which ornaments my +grounds, and taking up a double-barrelled gun that was leaning +against it, gave a few significant slaps upon the breach, and smiling +complacently, winked his eye. I turned away and entered the house, +filled with a kind of grim satisfaction, as thoughts of vengeance +flitted through my brain. Too much disturbed to sit still, I paced +up and down the room, listening eagerly for sounds which should +announce the hour of slaughter and revenge. + +The milk of human kindness had curdled in my breast; I felt that I +could sympathize with the restless anxiety of Charles IX on the +memorable eve of St. Bartholomew. But the butchery of unarmed +Huguenots was a different affair altogether from a war of +extermination against invading dragons. I looked out of the windows +every moment to see what Hannibal was about; but there he continued +hoeing, and weeding, and raking, and looking as calm and amiable as +the Duke when he awaited the proper moment to attack the French. +Suddenly he paused; I watched him quietly drop his rake, and retire +backwards behind a bush, where he remained crouching down, with the +double-barrelled gun in his hands. + +Unable to remain quiet any longer, I opened the window, and cried in +a fierce whisper, "Kill! kill!" With his hand he motioned me to be +quiet, so I withdrew and paced about the room with feverish anxiety. +The discharge of both barrels made me drop into a chair. Murder had +been committed! Vengeance was satisfied, and remorse arrived as +usual. Remorse, the ill-favoured offspring of Fear! + +"You will get yourself into scrapes," said the chief magistrate, "if +you use any other weapon than the law." I reasoned with Conscience; +I repeated the argument that I had a right to defend my property when +the law failed to afford me protection. Dragons, said I, are 'ferae +naturae'; the people of Perth, it would seem, are in the habit of +keeping them as pets, and thus they come to be considered private +property. But then, let the people of Perth destroy their own +substance, and not mine. If they do not choose to have gardens of +their own, they have no right to prevent the growth of my radishes. +Because they do not like sack, shall we have no more cakes and ale? +Because they can exist without cauliflowers, must I renounce all +hopes of having hyssop in my pottage? + +What! am I to rise up early in the morning and sow the seeds of +carefulness and labour, merely for the sustenance of other people's +harpies? + +To whom am I to look for redress, when I know not to whom the +ruthless creatures belong? -- Creatures that wander far and wide in +search of food; that gain their precarious subsistence by plunder and +rapine; and are intensely hostile to the labours and improvements +of civilization. No wonder the poet looked upon them as hell-born, +and called them a pest and a curse to society: -- + +"------nec saevior ulla +Pestis et ira Deuim Stygiis sese extulit undis." + +I had made these reflections, and received a good deal of comfort +from them, when Hannibal appeared at the door with a pallid +countenance. + +"Two of them, Sir, are done for; one's a big un -- eight pounds, if +he weighs an 'unce. He's a handsome feller, that un; black feathers, +and spurs to his heels six inches long. They'll make a houtcry about +him, I expect." + +"What have you done with the carcases?" + +"Dragged 'em behind the bushes. 'Tan't legal to lift the bodies." + +"Go on with your work, Hannibal, and don't appear at all fluttered or +discomposed. Look as if nothing had happened. If any one calls, I +am not at home." + +An outcry was raised about the death of the dragon. He was the +favourite of a young lady who was a pet of her papa's -- (next to +dragons, children are the most horrid nuisances). -- An accursed dog +(the D---l take all dogs! say I,) had found the body, and dragged it +into the street, where it was recognised by the girl. The papa, +furious at the sight of the favourite's tears, roamed and raged about +the town in search of witnesses. Men of Belial are always to be +found, especially in a colony, and Hannibal was openly accused of the +murder. + +The whole town was in a state of excitement. People seemed to think +that a blow had been struck at the very roots of civil and religious +liberty; and as every one had his favourite dragon, every one felt +alarmed for its safety so long as Hannibal remained unpunished. + +The ladies were especially bitter in their remarks and innuendoes. + +I was told by 'friends', that more than one lady had observed, that +an old bachelor like myself cared nothing about dragons, and +therefore it was just like my selfishness to seek to deprive them of +their innocent pleasures and amusements. + +No one would listen to my plea of self-defence; no one regarded my +losses; I was not looked upon as a sufferer; and instead of sympathy +received only abuse. + +A summons being issued against Hannibal, he appeared before the +tribunal of two of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace, accused of a +grave misdemeanour. + +As every one knew that I was the instigator of the offence, I +magnanimously avowed the fact, and was requested to stand in the +place of Hannibal. + +In vain, however, did I use every argument to justify the deed. The +chief magistrate reminded me that I had been fully advised to proceed +only according to law, under the Act, 2 Wm. IV. No. 2, amended (!!) +by 4 Wm. IV. No. 5; by either of which I was fully authorized to +seize and impound all trespassers -- a limit and license that +included dragons. + +My defence was allowed to be a sensible and rational one; but the law +was opposed to it, and their worships were bound by oath to prefer +the law to common sense. (I doubted myself whether dragons came +within the Law, but the Justices decided that they were poundable +animals.) This being the case, I was under the necessity of paying +the sum of ten shillings damages, and as many more for costs and +expenses incurred by the bailiff, in travelling up and down his +bailiwick in search of the body of John Hannibal Muckthorne (whose +body was all the time sitting quietly in my kitchen) -- rather than +go to Fremantle gaol for a month, and help to draw stones about the +streets in a large cart. + +I need scarcely add, that I returned home a wiser and sadder man. +"Hannibal," said I, "the Spirit of the Age in this colony is opposed +to territorial and to social improvement. My grounds must still +remain a barren waste. Instead of embowering myself in fertility, as +I had intended; instead of creating new beauties which should +transfuse fresh charms into the minds of the peripatetics of Perth; I +must continue to live in a desert, and shall doubtless soon subside +into an ascetic recluse. Hannibal! turn the horses into the garden, +and let them trample over the beds." + +Thus have I reluctantly shown the reader that the dark ages still +cast their shadows over the city of Perth; -- the dawn of a high +state of civilization is still wanting there, where man continues +defenceless from the ravages of noxious monsters peculiar to an early +and uncivilized era.* + + +[footnote] *The laws which colonists make for themselves are often +as absurd as any that the Imperial Parliament thinks proper to enact +for them. To this day, the only legal remedy (except an action and a +shilling damages) against the winged and long-clawed nuisances that +destroy the hopes and break the heart of the horticulturist, is to +impound them. + + + +CHAPTER 12. + +MICHAEL BLAKE, THE IRISH SETTLER.* + +[footnote] *A dry and humorous old man, who I cannot help suspecting +coins a good many of his anecdotes, gave me this account of one of +the early settlers, just as I record it. The fact of Blake's coming +to this colony, solely because he had heard there was an estate in it +called Skibbereen, (after the place of his nativity,) struck me as +being something truly Irish and original. The man's whole history is +given almost in the words of my informant, who professed to have +received it pure from the fountain-head. + +Michael Blake was a native of Skibbereen, a well-known barony in the +"ould country." His parents lived in a hut, "quite handy" to the +road, in the midst of a bit of turf-ground where they managed to rear +their annual crops of potatoes and their sprouts of children with as +little trouble to themselves as possible. Michael, as he said +himself, was the youngest of four, but there were five younger than +he. As soon as he could walk, his mother clothed him in an old coat +of his father's, the tails of which swept the ground far behind him, +as he trotted over the cabin-floor with a stick in his hand to wallop +his favourite companion, the long-legged and long-snouted sow, as she +lay dreaming in the door-way. His father was an upright man, and +dealt equal justice among his children, whom he 'lathered' daily with +the strictest impartiality. This was all the education they had any +reason to expect, as the priest was always in a hurry when he called +at their door, and had not time to dismount from his pony, from whose +back he bestowed his blessing upon the tattered crowd of children as +they pressed around, and gazed upon his Reverence with their wild +grey eyes and open mouths. And their parents could not be expected +to give any other education than they had themselves received. + +Michael grew up, therefore, as might be expected, a hungry, +dirty-faced, unbreeched, long-coated urchin. Although his parents +had done no more for him than to usher him into a life of mud and +misery, Nature had been more compassionate. She had bestowed upon +him a restless imagination, apparently for the purpose of removing +him from this scene of trouble as quickly as possible. It led him, +at an early age, to explore the passes of a neighbouring bog, where +he fell into a deep hole filled with water, and was just on the point +of escaping from the cares of the world, when his eldest brother +unfortunately came by, and fished him out. Their father seized the +opportunity, and lathered them both. + +Michael next travelled in a northerly direction, and reached the +high-road with another brother, who was sent out to beg. Here they +both sat upon a stone and cried for their breakfast, until a +brilliant idea occurred to Michael, which dried his tears. He made a +dirt-pie, and presented it to his brother; and they both passed their +time very pleasantly, until an English carriage appeared coming along +the road. Little Pat ran forward, begging and praying their honours +to give him a halfpenny for the love of the Virgin, as he had been +carefully instructed to do by his dear mother, whilst his father took +measures to impress the lesson upon his mind and person. Michael, on +his part, made a vigorous effort to cross over to the other side, +crying lustily, "Please Sir, a halfpenny!" but his mother, in order +to give him a good appearance in front, had buttoned the old coat +wrong side before, and poor Mike, in his haste and hurry, happening +to put one of his little feet into the remains of a pocket, unhappily +tripped himself up, and rolled before the horses' feet. The post-boy +cleverly turned them aside as quickly as possible, but nothing could +prevent the hind-wheel of the carriage from grazing one of Michael's +shins, and making him squall out in the most dreadful manner. + +A young lady and gentleman descended from the carriage, and showed +the greatest compassion for the sufferer, whom they caused to be +carried by a servant to his father's hovel, whither they accompanied +him, and soon relieved the anxieties of his parents by a present of +five golden guineas. + +Some years elapsed, and things went on in the old way with the Blake +family. Mike had sprouted out into a fine gossoon of a boy, and +exercised his errant disposition by running after the gentlemen when +they went out shooting, and helping the keepers to carry the game. +One day, a gentleman who was shooting in the neighbourhood called at +his father's cabin, and asked for the little boy whom he had run over +in his carriage some seven years before. Mr. Blake, senior, after +blessing his honour for his goodness, and wishing him long life and +every earthly happiness called to the young spalpeen to get out of +that; and why was he not for coming when the gentleman was spaking to +him? Mr. Blake hinted to his visitors that he should correct the +manners of the youth at an early opportunity, and in the meantime +Mike slyly approached with a gun that he was carrying for the keeper +in his hands, and received the compliments of the gentleman on his +good looks. + +The end of it was that the gentleman, who was an officer, took Mike +into his service; and in process of time, when he joined his +regiment, Michael became his constant attendant. Dying, however, +unexpectedly, as most people do, the worthy Mr. Blake, junior, was +left to his own resources; and finding nothing better to do, he +accepted a shilling from a friendly serjeant, and entered Her +Majesty's service as a full private. + +In process of time he married a wife -- a real jewel, from that "gem +of the sea" so dear to poor old England -- and accompanied his +regiment to Van Dieman's Land, en route to India. He was well known +and liked by the officers, having a peculiar talent for blarney; and +nothing pleased him so much as a little conversation with a superior. + +The regiment remained seven years in Van Dieman's Land, and then +passed on to its destination, leaving a number of men, who had +received their discharge, to become settlers in the colony. Among +these was Mr. Michael Blake, who soon established himself on a block +of land, and became a prosperous colonist. But times grew bad, ere +he could retire with a fortune. His wife formed undesirable +acquaintances, and Michael endeavoured to reclaim her by wholesome +correction; but, unhappily, he bestowed so much attention upon her +amendment that he entirely neglected himself, and before he was aware +that he was falling into error, had become an habitual drunkard. + +Everything now went wrong. Mike, hating himself, began to hate +everything about him; he hated the colony; he hated the magistrates, +who now and then imposed a penalty upon him; he hated the laws, and +discovered the difference between law and justice, without being able +to find any traces of the latter. His fences fell into decay; his +pigs and cattle committed trespasses, and the neighbours made him pay +damages. It was the fault of the law, or rather of the lawyers, whom +he condemned to the flames with dreadful imprecations. + +Unable to pay the storekeeper for sugar and tea, judgment was given +against him, and his last surviving cow was seized by the sheriff. +He had the satisfaction of beating the officer nearly to death; but +the cow was sold notwithstanding, and he took a month's exercise on +the treadmill, whilst his wife spent the time with her friend the +excise-officer, and drank to his better health and general +improvement. + +On being released, he complained to the Governor, and presented +petitions to the Legislative Council against the unjust judges who +ruled the land, and crushed the hearts out of the people. + +Soon, however, softer feelings came over him; thoughts returned of +home, so long forgotten in days of prosperity. He wondered whether +his parents were alive, whom, forty years ago, he had left in the +barony of Skibbereen, and had not heard of since. + +He thought of the home of his boyhood; of the antiquated cabin in +which, at the will of his father, he had so often "eaten stick;" of +the long-legged and long-snouted sow, that used to grunt uneasily in +her dreams before the fire; of the potatoes and salt for breakfast +and dinner, of which he never got enough; of the puddle before the +door, in which he used to love to dabble -- all these visions of the +past came back upon him now in the time of his sorrows, and filled +him with a craving for the scenes of his youth. + +Every one in trouble goes to the Governor, who has consequently +plenty of morning-callers. A few words of sympathy from his +Excellency are very consoling, and serve the afflicted for a topic of +conversation for some time to come. "His Excellency, the last time I +saw him, desired me to write to my friends." "His Excellency +particularly wishes me to make it up with Smith, or I'd never have +forgiven him for seizing my cow." "His Excellency swears that he +can't spare me from the colony, or nothing should make me stay +another day in it," etc. etc. + +Mike presented himself at the government-offices, and after waiting a +couple of hours, caught sight of the Governor as he was passing out +through the ante-room. + +"God bless your Honour, it's bould I am to be stopping your Honour +and Excellency this way, and you going out too with the business of +the Nation upon your Honour's shoulders." + +"What do you want, my good friend, what do you want?" + +"It's your Honour and Excellency that's the good friend to me and the +poor, and many's the prayer that's offered up night and morning for +your Excellency, by them that blesses the Good God and the Virgin for +having sent your Honour to reign over us." -- + +"What is it, Mike, what is it? I'm in a hurry." + +"And is it me that's hindering your Honour? sure and I'll walk wid ye +to the world's end and talk all the same. Och, and it's the bad +times that have come upon us all entirely -- and the ould settlers +feels it the most, as is likely. Faith and we'd all die off, out and +out, if it wasn't for your Excellency thinking of us, and schaming to +do us the good turn, when the Council (bad luck to 'em!) raises the +duties." + +"My horse is waiting; I really cannot stay." + +"Arrah, and it's a fine baste that same, and the two of you looks +well together, with the white cockatoo feathers, and the sword all +gould and diamonds." + +Here his Excellency showed signs of mounting his horse, so Mike +hastened to whisper confidentially, + +"Governor, dear, my heart's broken entirely for the ould country, and +the poor father and mother that's looking out for me night and +morning these forty years, to give me their blessing; and the woman +at home, the crathur, kills me day-by-day with her going on; and I'd +like to see ould Ireland once before I die, and Skibbereen, which +your Honour knows is the finest place under God Almighty's blessed +canopy, and I can't die in pace till I see it -- 'deed I can't, +Governor dear; and ther's a Man-of-war, no less than the Shannon +herself, going to sail for the Indies, where I'd get passed on by +Colonel Maxwell (God bless him for the rale gintleman!) only, +Governor dear, spake the good word for me to Captain Widdicombe, and +I'll be took to Calcutty free for nothing; and it's not a +tinpenny-piece that I have in the world, the blessed Virgin pity me!" +-- Here his Excellency, being mounted on horseback, felt himself in +more independent circumstances, and told Mike that he must not think +of leaving the colony without his wife, as it would be most improper +conduct (the Government would have to support her), and that he +himself had no interest with Captain Widdicombe -- His Excellency's +charger, being of an impatient temper, allowed no further time for +parley, but cantered off with his rider, leaving Mike rather at fault. + +The more numerous the difficulties that appeared in the way of Mike's +return to Skibbereen, the more yearning became his desire to lay his +bones there. Every day he appeared at the Government-offices, and +waylaid the Colonial-secretary, or the Attorney-General, or some +other of the officials, entreating them to obtain a free passage for +an old soldier, whose only desire on earth was to die among the bogs +of Skibbereen. + +He talked incessantly of that beautiful spot, and swore that he loved +it better than the Garden of Eden. He pined after Skibbereen as the +melancholy pelican pines for his desert home; but hope gradually +seemed to leave him -- all other friends had long since abandoned +him, and he had fallen helplessly into the power of his arch-enemy +the Rum-bottle, when a fellow-countryman arrived at Hobart Town from +Western Australia. Mr. Denis Maguire listened patiently to Mike's +pathetic lamentation over the lost Skibbereen, and then calmly +replied, "Och, but it's little that I'd disthract myself for a place +like that in the ould country; sure isn't there Skibbereen near the +Swan River, belonging to Mr. O'Driscoll, and isn't it a beautifuller +place entirely than any other Skibbereen in the world?" "What!" +interrupted Mike, "is there Skibbereen at the Swan River, and is it +Mr. O'Driscoll that's living there? Arrah! say that again, my +darling, if you plaze." Maguire repeated the statement; on which +Mike, starting up, began to dance an Irish hornpipe; and then, +stopping short of a sudden swore that he was the happiest boy alive, +and thanked the blessed Saints for all their goodness to him. + +The next day he managed to sell all the remains of his property, and +made a bargain with the owner of a small coasting-vessel to convey +him and his wife (whom he was compelled to take with him) to Swan +River, where he arrived in due course of time, and managed to locate +himself at Skibbereen, where he built a hut, cultivated several acres +of land, and became quite a reformed character. + +Although his landlord, Mr. O'Driscoll, was his countryman, Mike +managed to blarney him so that he did just what he liked, and never +paid any rent either in cash or in kind. His yearning desire had +been to live at Skibbereen, and now that he had attained his object +he was (wonderful to say) contented and happy. + +He frequently came to Perth for the sake of a little chat with the +storekeepers and the gentry, and as he was sure to blarney some one +into giving him a dinner, he always returned home light of heart and +unimpaired in pocket. But alas! poor Mike was not destined to die in +peace at Skibbereen. A large party of the natives had suddenly +attacked the abode of a neighbouring settler, and put the owner to +death. Michael Blake and two of his friends, without waiting for +other assistance, hastened to the rescue, imperfectly armed. They +were overpowered in an instant. Blake and one of his companions fell +pierced with many spears, whilst the other, being on horseback, +escaped, carrying with him four spears fixed in his body. Years +afterwards, one of the natives who had assisted at the slaughter +coolly related the particulars of the death of Michael Blake. + +When he was lying on the ground, said this man, he turned round, and +supporting himself on his arm, entreated for mercy in the most moving +terms. The savages stood round him, looking on, and listening +patiently to his address. + +"Did you show him mercy?" asked my informant. + +"No!" replied the savage, with calm indifference. + +"What did you do?" + +"We cut his tongue out." + +"Wretch! what for?" + +"He wongee (chattered) too much." + +Poor Mike! his blarney could not save him; it had often before done +him good service, but the savages valued it not. + + + +CHAPTER 13. + +WILD CATTLE HUNTING. + +Having received intelligence that a numerous herd of wild cattle had +lately been seen grazing upon some extensive plains a day's journey +south of Perth, I got up a party with the intention of hunting them. + +Our preparations were made the day before starting on the expedition. +A bullock-cart was loaded with fire-arms, kegs of brandy, various +kinds of provisions, and cloaks and blankets. A couple of natives +had been engaged to act as guides, and these, with their wives and +families, spent the greater part of the day lounging about my +premises, idly inspecting the arrangements, and sleeping in the +sunshine, lazy as the pigs, which they surpassed in filth. In the +afternoon, taking with them a supply of flour, they commenced their +journey, intending to sleep upon the road, and leave us to overtake +them on the following day. + +At day-break the next morning we were in our saddles, the +bullock-cart having started during the night. The party +consisted of three, who were all clad in blue hunting-shirts, and had +polished horns hanging at their backs, filled with eau-de-vie, wine +and water, or the simple fluid, according to the taste of the wearer. +As we passed down the silent street at that early hour, one of the +party, an officer, agreeably dispelled the slumbers of the peaceful +inhabitants by a most able performance upon a key-bugle; the others +gave vent to the exuberance of their spirits by loud "tally-ho's!" +and cries of "hark away!" and other encouraging expressions addressed +to imaginary dogs. Then we gave our able steeds the head, and dashed +along with all those happy and exulting thoughts which bubble in the +breast of youth hurrying to the chase. Is there any moment in life +so dear to memory as those we have passed on horseback, in the fine +air of morning, when we hurried along towards the haunt of cunning +Reynard, and expected every instant to see him break cover? Less +exciting by far is hunting in Australia, but still it is hunting, and +we are on horseback, and eager as ever for a gallop. Passing over +two well-built wooden bridges, connected by a causeway, we crossed +the river, and took the road for the Canning. + +Thick woods of banksia, wattle, and eucalypti, closed in the view on +every side; but occasionally we ascended a gentle slope, and then +looking back we could see a beautiful picture before us. In the +still air and misty light of the morning, Perth water lay clear and +tranquil amidst the vast forest by which it is surrounded. The +heights of Mount Eliza looked down into the glittering mirror. On +the right bank were the white houses of the capital; far to the left +we caught glimpses of Melville water. Except the occasional flights +of wild ducks, and the dark gusts which from time to time swept along +the waters, heralding the rising land-wind, all was still and +breathless. One could not help asking oneself how long this scene +had existed as we now beheld it? Was it designed for thousands of +years to be viewed only by savages, mindless as the birds or fishes +that frequented its waters? Had it always existed thus, or been +growing during centuries under the hand of Nature, until it should be +adapted to the habitation of civilized man? And was that period now +arrived, or were we premature in seizing upon our inheritance before +it was thoroughly prepared for our reception? Many times have we +asked ourselves this last question. This singular country appears to +represent the ancient character of the earth in one of the earlier +stages of formation. It represents that epoch when animal life was +first developed in the lowest order of quadrupeds. + +There are a few small exceptions, but it may be laid down as a +general rule, that all the animals indigenous to this country are +marsupial -- from the kangaroo, the largest down to the little +field-mouse. + +The animals not indigenous are Man, the wild cattle, and the wild +dogs. Many speculations have been hazarded as to the origin of the +first: to me it appears there can be little doubt that the first +tribes found their way hither from the eastern islands, having +proceeded originally from India. The language of the natives bears +more traces of the Hindu than of any other. This, I believe, is the +opinion of the Rev. J. Mitchell, M.A., of the Middle Swan, whose long +residence in India, and intimate acquaintance with some of the +languages of that country, give weight to his conjectures. Many of +the words used by the natives of both countries are identical in +sound, and express the same meaning. + +I have also noticed that the Coolies of India and the natives of this +colony manage to understand one another much sooner than is the case +between the latter and the whites. + +The wild cattle have long existed in the interior, as appears from +their remains. Both they and the wild dog have probably descended +from animals cast ashore by shipwreck. The indigenous tribes are +those of the kangaroo, the opossum, and the lizard. It is curious to +observe how the distinguishing features of the first are manifested +in a great variety of animals, of all sizes from the kangaroo +downwards -- the long hind, and short fore legs, the three toes on +the former, the rat-like-head, the warm pouch, betokening the +immature parturition. The opossums also are marsupial. All these +animals seem to belong to an early age of the geological world. Many +of the plants speak the same language -- especially the Zamia. The +rocks, too, of this portion of New Holland are all primary, except +the limestone and sandstone near the coast. Is this country, then, a +portion of the world that has remained in the same state for +thousands, or hundreds of thousands, of years; or is it of +comparatively recent formation, exhibiting that condition which at +one period belonged to the whole surface of the earth? The latter, +of course, must be the case; and if so, we cannot help thinking that +further changes must take place in its geological character before it +shall be permanently occupied by civilized man. At present, however, +it must be admitted there is no sign of volcanic action going on to +effect these changes. Our conjectures are purely speculative, and +will probably meet with no sympathy from the reader, but we throw +them out because the subject is full of wonder and mystery; and those +who have brought personal observation to bear upon it, best know it +to be so. As we wander through the lacustrine valleys which abound +here; valleys once the beds of rivers, but now broad swamps choked up +with lofty reeds -- we feel as though we were in the land and the age +of the Saurians. + +The whole country swarms with lizards, some of which, to the +northward, grow to the size of five feet; but the most common are the +'Iguana', or 'Guana', a creature some ten or twelve inches long, with +a flat head, very wide mouth, and only the stump of a tail. They are +perfectly harmless, and subsist upon frogs and insects. One variety +of this species, found in the district of King George's Sound, was +brought to my notice by my brother. It is usually found in a tuft of +grass, where it lies completely hidden except its tongue, which is +thrust upwards, and bears an exact resemblance to the petal of a +flower, crimson and pink. Flies seem to delight in resting upon this +deceptive flower, which being covered with an adhesive mucous +substance, takes them prisoner, and proves their destruction. + +We have now had a long canter, which has brought us to the +neighbourhood of the Canning River. The country hereabouts resembles +a wild English park. The trees are all of the eucalypti species, +large and dispersed; the surface of the ground is level, affording a +view of the Darling Hills, which appear to be close at hand. +Crossing the river by a rustic bridge, we ascended the opposite bank, +whilst our trumpeter blew a charge that was intended to announce our +approach at a farm-house close at hand. As we rode up to the door, +the proprietor, attended by three stalwart sons, hastened to greet +us. He was a gentleman who had passed a good portion of his life on +the Continent, but having a large family to bring up had resolved to +seek his fortune in the Southern hemisphere. Breakfast was already +set out for us in a large room which served as the baronial hall of +the mansion; whilst our horses, partaking of the prodigal hospitality +of the farmer colonist, were tethered in various parts of a fine +field of clover. + +Breakfast is a famous meal after an early morning ride, and people +have then not only good appetites but good spirits. Half-a-dozen +kangaroo-dogs, attracted by the clatter of knives and the tempting +savour that arose from the large dish of sheep's fry, crowded round +the open door, whilst they seemed to feel keenly the selfishness of +those who appropriated the whole of the feast to themselves. Every +now and then arose a howl of anguish from the group, as one of the +young men would arrive with fresh supplies of coffee or fried bacon, +and kicked a clear passage for himself into the room. One only of +the canine race was allowed to approach the table -- the venerable +Tip, who having formerly, in times of scarcity, earned his master +five pounds a-week by catching kangaroos for the market of Fremantle, +was now entitled to sit at his right hand, where a few morsels were +occasionally bestowed upon him, which he received with becoming +gravity and decorum. + +Breakfast finished, we saddled our horses and proceeded on our way, +accompanied by one of the sons of our host. We pushed along towards +the foot of the hills, over a sandy country covered with scrub, and +trees of various magnitudes. + +The birds that we saw were chiefly fly-catchers and parroquets; and +occasionally the wild turkey, or bustard sailing along in the +distance, made us sigh for a nearer acquaintance. + +After a cheerful ride of several hours, having the hills on our left +hand, we crossed a few small plains; and understanding from our +guide, Tom H-----, that we were now at our destination, we began to +look about us for our bullock-cart, whose track we had noticed from +time to time as we came along. Our "cooeys" were answered by voices +not far distant; and following the sound, we soon came within view of +a column of smoke curling lightly above the trees; and on arriving at +the spot whence it arose, we found our man, assisted by the natives, +busily engaged in erecting a kind of hut, or rather skreen of boughs, +for our night quarters. The bullocks were feeding quietly at a short +distance; the cart was conveniently placed for being unpacked; and a +group of three native women and their children, squatted round a fire +of their own, about a hundred yards from ours, and busily occupied in +baking flour-dampers, signalled our approach by shrill cries of +welcome without rising from their places. + +[sketch of "The Bivouac."] + +Our horses were soon relieved of their saddles, and each man leading +his own steed by the long tether-rope which had been carefully coiled +round its neck, took it to a neighbouring pool to drink, and then +proceeded in search of the best pasture. Our animals having been +attended to, our next thought was of ourselves; and every one took +his bundle of blankets and cloaks out of the cart, and unrolled it +beneath the sloping skreen of boughs, and prepared his bed according +to his particular taste or experience; testing the accommodation from +time to time by flinging himself upon his couch, and ascertaining the +different vents by which the wind would be likely to prove annoying +during the night. These were next stopped up by handfuls of +xanthorea leaves, or by strips of bark from the paper-tree. + +The lodging being pronounced perfect, and the sun being level with +the horizon, we hastened the preparation for our meal; and hampers +and boxes soon gave forth their stores of cold fowls, tongues, hams, +and meat-pies. Sausages are excellent things in bush-campaigns; and +as every man toasts his own on the point of a long stick, a high +degree of nervous excitement is felt by each, lest he should lose his +savoury morsel in the fire. + +The kettle soon boiled, and as we ate our tea-dinner, the sun went +down, and night quickly swallowed up the short twilight, leaving us +to depend entirely on our fire, which presented a goodly pile that +shot forth cheerful flames, making the scenery around us bright with +light. The ground for the space of many yards glittered beneath the +flickering rays; the bowls of the tall trees seemed whiter than +usual; even the brown cheeks of the natives looked less dark, as they +chattered and laughed over their supper. Cold grog, or hot +brandy-and-water, was leisurely sipped by those who lay on their +couches in the full tranquillity of after-dinner ease; and as +digestion proceeded, songs and catches awakened the echoes of the +woods. + +Tired at last, we sank to sleep, having first, however, visited our +horses and changed their tether. During the night I woke up. All +around were fast asleep in different postures; some rolling about +uneasily in their dreams; others still as the dead. I heaped fresh +logs upon the fire, which blazed forth anew. The natives were all +huddled under their wigwams, which are about the size and shape of an +open umbrella resting on its edge. The night was dark throughout the +forest, and overhead; the little circle of light within which I +stood, seemed like a magician's ring, sacred and safe from evil +spirits that filled the air around. It was as the speck of Time amid +the ocean of Eternity -- as Hope, bright and solitary in the midst of +unfathomable darkness. There I felt safe and secure -- but without +-- who might tell what spirits roamed abroad, melancholy and +malignant? Peering into that dark boundary of forest, the eye vainly +endeavoured to pierce the gloom. Fancy peopled its confines with +flitting shapes, and beheld a grinning hobgoblin in the grotesque +stump of many a half-burnt tree, on which the light momentarily +flickered. The ear listened eagerly for sounds in the distant +solitude; and one almost expected to hear shrieks of laughter or of +terror borne upon the night-wind from the recesses of the hills. +Evil spirits seem peculiarly the companions of heathen savages. A +wild, desert, and desolate region, traversed only in the day-time, +and rarely even then, by straggling barbarians whose hearts have +never known a single gentle emotion, seems naturally to be the haunt +of the Spirits of Evil. + +Chingi, the terror of our natives, is often seen by them, as they lie +cowering under their kangaroo skins, and huddled together in the +extremity of fear, stalking giant-like and gloomy along the summits +of the hills, whilst the moon shrinks timidly behind her curtain of +clouds. + +On that night, however, there was no moon, and Chingi was not visible +to me, nor did any sound break in upon the silence of the forest, +save that of our horses eating their food, and giving an occasional +snort as the sand affected their nostrils. Anxious to behold any +spirits that might please to be visible, I walked to the spot +occupied by my quadruped, with the intention of changing his +quarters; but finding him comfortably stretched in repose, I left him +to dream of his own distant manger and two quarterns of oats, and +returned to my couch. The appearance of the bivouac, to one viewing +it from the surrounding darkness, was very picturesque. Every object +was lighted up by the cheerful blaze -- the cart with its packages in +or about it, the sleepers in their blue or red woollen shirts, under +the sloping roof, their guns leaning against the uprights, their +shot-belts and pouches hanging in front -- the kangaroo-dogs lying +round the fire, and as near to it as possible -- the surrounding +trees and shrubs glittering with a silvery light, their evergreen +foliage rustling at the breath of the soft land-breeze -- altogether +formed a striking and peculiar scene. + +Next morning we were up before the sun, and having breakfasted, +proceeded on horseback in search of the herd of wild cattle, which we +knew, from the reports of natives, to be somewhere in the +neighbourhood. We rode down an extensive plain, covered plentifully +with grass, and presenting numerous clumps of trees, which afforded +shelter to bronze-winged pigeons and immense flights of white +cockatoos. The latter screamed fearfully as we drew nigh, but did +not remain long enough to allow us the chance of a shot. Many tracks +of the cattle were visible, traversing these plains in every +direction; but on reaching a small pool, we found such recent traces +as led us to believe the animals could not be far distant. Remaining +stationary for a few moments, we allowed the two natives who +accompanied us to ascertain the direction in which the herd had +wandered, and their signs soon led us to follow in profound silence. +The natives walked rapidly ahead; the tracks were very apparent, and +we were all in high glee, and growing extremely excited. The sun +shone brightly, but as it was in the month of May, the air was mild +and pleasant, without being hot. After proceeding along the plains +for several miles we came to a thick jungle, through which the cattle +had formed a path. The interior presented a rocky area of +considerable extent. Fragments of rock lay jostled together, among +which trees and shrubs appeared, and here and there an open space +afforded room for the herbage which had tempted the cattle into this +rough scene. In parts where grass refused to grow, beautiful purple +flowers raised their heads in clusters -- and ever in the most rugged +and barren spots the gayest flowers are found to bloom. How grateful +do we feel to Nature for bestowing such charms upon the wild desert! +cheering our spirits with a sense of the beautiful, that else would +droop and despond as we journeyed through the lone and dreary waste. + +Although we sometimes proceeded over a surface of bare rock, and at +others over large and loose stones, where no foot-print was visible +to the eye of a white man, the natives never failed to discover the +traces which they sought with unerring sagacity. After a ride of +nearly two hours we observed one of the natives making signs to us to +halt. "There they are!" passed in eager whispers from one to the +other. Before us was a belt of wood, through which we could perceive +about a dozen cattle grazing on a broad plain. + +Already they had a suspicion of danger, and began to look around +them. One of the natives, with my double-barrelled gun loaded with +heavy ball was creeping toward them through the grass upon his hands +and knees, whilst we cautiously drew up at the side of the wood. + +The herd consisted of a huge mouse-coloured bull, with an enormous +hunch on his shoulders, and about a dozen cows, with a few calves. +The bull came slowly towards us, muttering low bellows, and shaking +his fierce head and ponderous neck, on which grew a short, black +mane. From some unexplained cause or other the native fired his gun +before the animal was within range, and the bull, being a beast of +discretion, stopped short, as though extremely surprised, and after a +little hesitation, turned round and rejoined his female friends. The +whole herd then began to trot off at a slow pace across the plain, +which was thereabout a mile broad. We were now all eagerness for the +pursuit; and Tom H-----, the most experienced of the party, calling +on us to follow him, dashed off at right angles from the herd, and +outside the belt of wood, in the belief that he would be able to head +the animals by a little manoeuvring; but at the instant he started +the old bull turned short on his course, and made across the plain in +a new direction. I happened to be the last of our party, and was the +only one who perceived this new disposition of the enemy. Anxious to +be the first in the melee, I allowed my friends to gallop off, and +dashed myself through the wood directly in pursuit of the herd. +Thinking there was no time to lose, I waited not for my gun, but +resolved to trust to the pistols in my holsters. + +The cattle, who had begun their retreat at a steady trot, increased +their speed as they saw me gallopping up to them. I was afraid of +their crossing the plain, and escaping in the thick forest beyond, +and so pushed my good horse to his utmost speed. He seemed to be as +much excited as myself, and in a few minutes I headed the herd, and +tried to turn them back; but they would not deviate from their +course, and would have rushed through a regiment of foot, had it been +in their way: I therefore avoided the old bull, who came charging +along at the head of the phalanx, and found myself in the midst of +the herd. It was a moment of delightful excitement; some skill was +required to avoid the hurtling forest of horns, but I turned round +and gallopped with the mass; and having perfect confidence in my +horse and horsemanship, I felt that I could pick out any of the +animals I pleased. My gun, however, was wanting to bring the huge +bull to his bearings. He looked so enormous as I gallopped alongside +of him, that I despaired of making any impression with a pistol, and +resolved to limit my ambition to the slaughter of one of the cows. +We were now across the plain, the bull had entered the forest, and +the others were in the act of doing the same, when I rode against the +outside cow, in the hope of turning her away from the thick cover, +and keeping her in the open plain. She would not, however, turn +aside, and I fired my first pistol at her eye, and though I only +grazed her cheek, succeeded in separating her from her companions, +and turning her up the long plain. At this moment four +kangaroo-dogs, (a cross between a greyhound and a blood-hound, bold, +powerful, and swift,) that had followed me in the chase, but had only +gallopped alongside of the cattle, finding me seriously engaged with +one of the number, made a simultaneous dash at the unfortunate cow, +and endeavoured to impede her career by barking, and biting at her +nostrils, dew-lap, and flanks. + +It was a fine sight to see these four noble hounds chasing away on +either side of the animal, whilst she, every now and then, stooped +low her head and made a dash at them, without pausing in her career. +Away she went at a slapping pace, keeping me on the gallop. Fearful +of hurting the dogs, I refrained from firing for some time, but at +length got a chance, and aimed a ball behind her shoulders, but it +struck her ribs, and penetrated no deeper than the skin. Loading as +I rode along, I delivered another ball with better success, and she +began to abate her speed. The rest of the party now came up, +cheering and hallooing, but the game had dashed into a swamp in which +the reeds and shrubs were high enough to conceal horses and huntsmen; +nevertheless, we pushed through, and found her on the bank of a muddy +pool, where she stood at bay, whilst the dogs barked cautiously +before her. She was covered with sweat, blood, and dirt, and +perfectly furious; and the moment we approached she made a rush, +trampling over several of the dogs; and darting madly against the +nearest horseman, caught his charger on the flank, and steed and +rider rolled together on the ground. The furious assailant stumbled +over her prostrate foes, and was saluted with a discharge of +fire-arms, which, however, did not prevent her from rushing against +me in return for a ball in the shoulder, but I eluded the assault, +and the animal fell exhausted to the ground. + +All this may sound savage enough to those who read in cold blood, but +it was very exciting at the time; and MAN, when a hunter, becomes for +the moment ruthless and blood-thirsty. This was a very severe chase; +the animal had run full five miles over a rough country at such a +pace as to cover our horses with foam, and they now stood thoroughly +blown, and shaking in every limb. + +We returned to our home after a short rest, taking the tail with us +as a trophy. A party was despatched in the evening with the cart, +and a large portion of the carcase was brought in and skilfully +salted by the experienced hand of Tom H. + +This evening passed away as pleasantly as the last, and as we were +all rather fatigued, we retired early, and slept until awakened by +the sun. + +A native arrived early in the morning with the intelligence that a +herd of wild cattle was now grazing in a ravine of the hills about +four miles distant. As we could not well follow them on horseback in +that locality, we started off on foot armed with our rifles. The +morning as usual was brilliant, but not too warm, and we walked along +in high spirits. We had not proceeded far through the woods when one +of the natives, who was in advance, stopped short on a sudden, and we +all instinctively did the same. Stealing back to us, he took my +rifle out of my hands without any ceremony, and telling us to remain +perfectly still, crept slowly forward, stooping nearly to the ground. +We now perceived a small plain about two hundred yards a-head of us, +on which were six wild turkeys leisurely feeding and walking about. + +The native had dived among the scrub, and we lost all signs of him. +It soon, however, became evident that the turkeys suspected danger; +they erected their tall brown and grey necks, and looked about them +like alarmed sentinels. "They're off!" cried we -- but just as they +were preparing to run, which they do with great rapidity, one of them +was seen to flutter his wings and tumble over, whilst the crack of +the rifle proclaimed the triumph of Migo. We rushed through the +brush-wood, elated as schoolboys who have shot their first throstle +with a horse-pistol, and found the bustard flapping out its last +breath in the hands of the native, whose dark visage gleamed with +triumphant pride. + +Resuming our march, we passed over the side of a hill covered with +inferior Jarra trees, and soon entered the ravine in which we +expected to find the cattle. They were not visible; so we crossed +the valley, and passed up the other side for about half-a-mile, when +we entered another valley, some distance up which we perceived a herd +of cattle quietly grazing, or lying ruminating in the confidence of +perfect security. We endeavoured to creep towards them as quietly as +possible, but their senses of smelling and hearing were so acute that +they became acquainted with their danger too soon for us, and trotted +gently up the valley before we could reach them. We now dispersed in +the hope of heading them. Attaching myself to Migo, who considered +my rifle the most likely to prove successful, as he had killed the +bustard with it, we walked for half an hour across the hill-side +without seeing anything of our game. A rifle-shot and a loud shout +prepared us for something, and in another minute we heard the +crashing of branches and the tread of feet, and soon beheld +half-a-dozen cows and two or three calves making their way up the +hill at a short distance from us. + +"What for you no get behind tree?" said the native in an angry +whisper, and giving me a push that prevented my staring idly any +longer, and sent me into a proper position. + +"Oh! why will they go in that direction? Why will they not come +within range? I will give everything I have on earth for one good +point-blank shot!" + +And sure enough a bouncing bull-calf, turning aside from a thick +clump of trees, came within about a hundred yards of me apparently +wild with fright, and not knowing which way to run. Just as he was +turning off again, I fired, and he fell upon his knees, struck in the +shoulder. + +Migo was upon him in an instant, and felled him to the earth with a +blow of his stone-hammer. I shouted the paean of victory, and was +answered by a loud "cooey" from the valley and the voice of my friend +Mr. B. calling out, "I have killed a splendid cow and dispersed the +herd. The bull and several cows are gone down the valley towards the +plains." + +All the party, with the exception of Tom N., were soon assembled +round the body of B.'s cow, which was black and fine-limbed. She was +evidently in milk, and there was little doubt that the calf slain by +me had belonged to her. + +Every one now asked what had become of Tom, whose assistance was +absolutely necessary in cutting up the carcases. B. had heard his +rifle down the valley, and we now began to "cooey" for him. In a few +moments we heard a faint "cooey" in reply, and started in that +direction. After walking for about ten minutes towards the opening +of the valley we heard distinctly, and at no great distance, the +bellowing of a bull. Proceeding cautiously, with our rifles all +ready, we soon arrived at the spot, and there beheld a huge bull +tearing up the ground with his feet and horns, and bellowing in the +most savage manner. A shout of joy directed our attention among the +boughs of a low banksia tree, where our unfortunate friend Tom sat +painfully perched, only just out of reach of danger. The animal +below every now and then fell upon his knees, crushing and smashing +something which we had great difficulty in recognising as poor Tom's +rifle. + +"He is badly wounded," cried Tom, "pitch into him, and don't be afraid!" + +Without waiting for this exhortation, we let fly a volley, which +brought the animal down upon his knees; and after a few staggering +efforts to run at us, he sank to rise no more; whilst his first +assailant, Tom, slipped down from his perch, and limped towards the +remains of his rifle, execrating the dying bull in a furious manner, +and even venting his wrath in a kick. As Tom wore a red shirt that +only reached to his hips, he had no chance of concealing an enormous +rent in his nether garment, through which protruded the remains of a +shirt, which at the best of times was probably far from presenting +the appearance of virgin purity, but now was stained with blood. As +people in Tom's plight, when not seriously hurt, are usually more +laughed at than pitied, the chagrin of our friend enhanced the +interest with which we listened to his story. + +Knowing that there was no escape for the herd of cattle up the +valleys, as they terminated in steep rocks, and that therefore they +would either cross over the side of the hill, or return down the +first valley towards the plains, Tom hung back, leaving the rest of +the party to head them. After some time had elapsed, he +distinguished the bull and several cows trotting along the hill-side; +and hastening to meet them, he posted himself behind a tree, close to +which he saw they would soon pass. + +Anxious, however, to get a view of the game, he stepped out from his +ambush just as the bull had approached within fifty yards. Each saw +the other at the same moment. The bull stopped short, and Tom felt +rather queer. He did not like to fire at the vast head of the +animal, lest the ball should glance off without effect. The bull, +instead of turning aside, began to bellow and tear up the ground with +his hoofs. The cows stood still, and stared at Tom, who began to +think the state of his affairs looked gloomy; but he knew that his +best policy was to remain stock-still; so he looked at the bull and +the cows, and the bull and the cows looked at Tom. At length the +bull had sufficiently nerved his resolution, and began to advance, +tearing up the ground and bellowing as he came on. Tom took aim +between the shoulder-blade and the neck, and fired; the enemy +staggered, and roared with fury, rushing like a whirlwind upon Tom, +who took to his heels, and began dodging round the trees. But the +bull was in earnest; and savage with rage as a thousand lions, he +tore round the trees more quickly even than Tom, carrying his head +close to the ground, and his tail straight out behind, whilst his +eyes, Tom said, glared with such fury, that our poor friend's heart +froze up within him. Luckily he espied a banksia tree which seemed +easy to ascend; but just as he reached it the bull was upon him. +The bull roared, and Tom, roaring almost as loudly, made a spring +at the tree but slipped down again just upon the horns of the +animal. The next hoist, however, rent his garments, and lacerated a +portion of his person which he had always considered especially +sacred; but as the thrust heaved him upwards at the same time, and +gave a fresh impulse to his agility, he succeeded in scrambling +upon a bough that kept him just out of danger. No one may describe +the pangs of despair by which he was assailed when he beheld the +utter destruction of his only rifle. He threw his cap in the face +of the bull, but he only lost his cap as well as his rifle by this +rash and inconsiderate action, which was the highest proof he could +have given of the extremity of his distress. + +Poor Tom! he had often been made a butt of, but had never been so +butted before. + +The cup went merrily round that evening, and many and jovial were the +songs that were sung, and witty and pleasant were the jokes that +passed freely at the expense of the unfortunate 'tauricide', who, +bereft of his rifle, and dilapidated in reputation and pantaloons, +was heartily glad to be able to hide his sorrows in sleep. + + + +CHAPTER 14. + +WOODMAN'S POINT* + +[footnote] *This is a more sentimental story than that of Michael +Blake, but I owe them both to the same authority. + +There is a pleasant ride along the shore from Fremantle to a little +bay about seven miles distant, one side of which, covered with lofty +trees, runs far into the sea, and is called Woodman's Point. The sea +in this part appears to be only a few miles broad; Garden-island +forming the opposite shore, the southern extremity of which seems +almost to join Cape Perron, and thus presents the appearance of a +vast bay. Not long ago, the blackened remains of a small house, or +hovel, were to be seen on the verge of the wood, facing towards Cape +Perron. Around it might be distinguished the traces of a garden of +considerable extent; a few stunted vines still continued annually to +put forth the appearance of verdure, which served only to tempt the +appetite of the stray cattle that wandered down to this solitary +spot. A large bed of geraniums had extended itself across the path +which used to lead to the door of the house; and their varied and +beautiful flowers, rejoicing in this congenial climate, gave +additional melancholy to the scene. It was evident those plants had +been reared, and tended, and prized for their beauty; they had once +been carefully cultured, pruned, and watered -- now they were left to +bloom or to die, as accident permitted. Near to this bed of +geraniums, but apart and solitary, untouched even by weeds, of which +there were only few in that sandy soil, grew an English rose-tree. +Its long, unpruned boughs straggled wildly on the ground. It looked +the picture of desolation and despair. A few imperfect flowers +occasionally peeped forth, but knew only a short and precarious +existence, for the shrub being no longer sheltered behind the house, +was now exposed to the daily violence of the sea-breeze. + +This widowed rose, deprived of the hand which had tended it so +carefully, and of the heart which its beauty had gladdened, seemed +now in its careless desolation awaiting the hour when it should die. +It really looked, with its drooping boughs, its torn blossoms, and +its brown leaves, rustling and sighing to the breeze, like a sentient +being mourning without hope. Those who have never lived in exile +from their native land, can have no idea of the feelings with which a +lonely colonist, long separated from all the associations of home, +would regard a solitary plant which so peculiarly calls up home +memories. Pardon us, good reader, this appearance of sentiment; you +who will read these lines in Old England -- that land which we must +ever think of with pardonable emotion -- will evince but little +sympathy with us, who necessarily feel some fond regard for the +Mother from whom we are parted, and are naturally drawn towards the +inanimate things by which we are reminded of her. There is in this +colony of western Australia a single daisy root; and never was the +most costly hot-house plant in England so highly prized as this +humble little exile. The fortunate possessor pays it far more +attention than he bestows upon any of the gorgeous flowers that bloom +about it; and those who visit his garden of rare plants find nothing +there that fills them with so profound a feeling of interest as the +meek and lowly flower which recalls to their memories the pleasant +pastures of Old England. + +But to return to the ruins of Woodman's Point. This plot of land, +now so neglected and forlorn, was once the blooming garden of a very +singular old man, who owed his support to the vegetables which it +produced, and to the fish that he caught from the little cobble which +danced at anchor in the bay, whenever the weather permitted the +fisherman to exercise his art. No one knew his history, but his +conversation and deportment told you that he was of gentle birth, and +had been well educated. His manners were particularly amiable and +retiring, and every one who visited the solitary old man came away +impressed with a melancholy interest in his fate. + +He always welcomed a visitor with gentle pleasure, and seemed glad of +the opportunity of showing his crops of vegetables and the flowers in +which he delighted. + +The rose-tree never failed to arrest his steps for a moment. He had +brought it himself from England as a cutting, and there was evidently +some history attached to it; but he never shared his confidence with +any one; and the history of the rose-tree, like his own, was never +revealed. + +There was only one point on which he betrayed any feeling of pride -- +and that was his name. No one else would perhaps have been so proud +of it, but he himself ever seemed to regard it with veneration. + +He called himself Anthony Elisha Simson; and never failed to make you +observe that his patronymic was spelt without a "p". + +Nothing irritated him so much as to receive a note addressed, "A. E. +Simpson, Esq." + +The Simsons, he would assure you, were an old family in the northern +counties of England, and traced back their genealogy to the Conquest; +whereas the Simpsons were of quite a different, and doubtless +inferior origin. Nothing more than this did he ever relate +concerning his family or his personal history. + +He arrived in the colony a few years after its foundation, without +any other effects than what were contained in a portmanteau and +carpet-bag, and with only a few sovereigns in his purse. Without +associating himself with any one, he early fixed upon the spot where +he afterwards built his house, and established his permanent abode. +Here he began to make his garden, and did not disdain to earn a few +shillings occasionally by cutting fire-wood for a man who supplied +Fremantle with that necessary article. It was this occupation that +caused the settlers, who knew nothing more of him, to give him the +title of "The Woodman" -- a name which soon attached to the locality. + +After he had been some time in the colony, Mr. Simson began to +express great impatience for the arrival of letters from England. +Whenever a vessel arrived at the port, he would put on his old +shooting-coat, and walk along the shore to Fremantle, where, after +having inquired in vain at the post-office, he would purchase a pound +of tea, and then return home again. + +Years went by. Every time that a vessel arrived, poor Simson would +hurry to Fremantle. He would watch, with eyes of ill-repressed +eagerness, the mail carried to the post-office in boxes and large +sacks. Surely amid that multitude of letters there must be one for +him! Patiently would he wait for hours at the window, whilst the +post-master and his assistants sorted the letters; and when he had +received the usual answer to his inquiry, he would return to his +abode with down-cast looks. + +As time passed on he grew more fretful and impatient. Receiving no +intelligence from England, he seemed to be anxious to return thither. +He would drop expressions which led his visitors (generally +government officers who called upon him in their rides) to believe he +would depart from the colony were he rich enough to pay his passage, +or were he not restrained by some other powerful motive. + +His mind ran altogether upon the Old Country, and it was with +reluctance that he planted the vegetables and cured the fish which +were essential to his support. + +For many hours during the day he used to be seen standing fixed as a +sentinel on the low rock which formed the extremity of the ridge +called after himself -- the Woodman's Point -- and looking homewards. + +Doubtless, thought was busy within him -- the thought of all he had +left or acted there. None had written to him; none remembered or +perhaps wished to remember him. But home was in his heart, even +whilst he felt there was no longer a home for him. A restless +anxiety preyed upon his mind, and he grew thin and feeble; but still +whenever a sail was seen coming round the north end of Rottnest, and +approaching the port, he would seize his staff, and set out upon his +long journey to Fremantle to inquire if there were, at last, a letter +awaiting him. + +May we imagine the growing despair in the heart of this poor old +exile, as life seemed ebbing away, and yet there came no news, no +hope to him from home? Frequently he wrote himself, but always to +the same address -- that of a broker, it was supposed, in +Throgmorton-street. But no answer was ever returned. Had he no +children -- no friends? + +Naturally weak-minded, he had now grown almost imbecile; but his +manners were still so gentle, and every thing about him seemed to +betoken so amiable and so resigned a spirit, that those who visited +him could scarcely part again without tears. As he grew more feeble +in body, he became more anxious to receive a letter from home; he +expected that every one who approached his dwelling was the bearer of +the intelligence so long hoped for in vain; and he would hasten to +greet him at the gate with eager looks and flushed cheeks -- again +only to be disappointed. + +At length it was with difficulty that he tottered to the Point, to +look for a vessel which might bring him news. Although no ship had +arrived since he last sent to the post-office, he would urge his +visitor, though with hesitating earnestness, to be so good as to call +there on his return, and ascertain if by chance a letter were not +awaiting him. He said he felt that his hour was approaching, but he +could not bear to think of setting out on that long journey without +having once heard from home. Sometimes he muttered, as it were to +himself, that treachery had been practised against him, and he would +go and expose it; but he never allowed himself to indulge long in +this strain. Sometimes he would try to raise money enough by drawing +bills to pay his passage, but no one would advance anything upon them. + +Daily he became more feeble, and men began to talk of sending him a +nurse. The last visitor who beheld him alive, found him seated in +the chair which he had himself constructed, and appearing less +depressed than usual. He said he expected soon to receive news from +home, and smiled with child-like glee. His friend helped him to walk +as far as the rose-tree, which was then putting forth its buds. +"Promise," said the old man, laying his trembling hand upon the +other's arm, "promise that when I am gone you will come and see them +in full blow? Promise! you will make me happy." + +The next day they sent a lad from Fremantle to attend upon him. The +boy found him seated in his chair. He was dead. A mound of earth at +the foot of a mahogany-tree, still marks the spot where he was +buried. Those 'friends' at home who neglected or repulsed him when +living, may by chance meet with this record from the hand of a +stranger -- but it will not move them; nor need it now. + + + +CHAPTER 15. + +HOW THE LAWS OF ENGLAND AFFECT THE NATIVES. + +The native population of our colony are said to be a much more +peaceable and harmless race than those of any other part of +Australia. In the early days of the settlement they caused a good +deal of trouble, and were very destructive to the pigs and sheep of +the colonists; but a little well-timed severity, and a steadily +pursued system of government, soon reduced them into well-conducted +subjects of the British Crown. There appears, however, to be little +hope of civilizing them, and teaching them European arts and habits. +Those of mature age, though indolent, and seldom inclined to be +useful in the smallest degree, are peaceful in their habits; and when +in want of a little flour will exert themselves to earn it, by +carrying letters, shooting wild ducks with a gun lent to them, +driving home cattle, or any other easy pursuit; but they appear to be +incapable of elevation above their original condition. Considerable +pains have been bestowed (especially by the Wesleyans) upon the +native children, many of whom are educated in schools at Perth, +Fremantle, and other places, in the hope of making them eventually +useful servants to the settlers. Most of these, however, betake +themselves to the bush, and resume their hereditary pursuits, just at +the age when it is hoped they will become useful. Very frequently +they die at that age of mesenteric disorders; and very few indeed +become permanently civilized in their habits. + +Nothing could be more anomalous and perplexing than the position of +the Aborigines as British subjects. Our brave and conscientious +Britons, whilst taking possession of their territory, have been most +careful and anxious to make it universally known, that Australia is +not a conquered country; and successive Secretaries of State, who +write to their governors in a tone like that in which men of sour +tempers address their maladroit domestics, have repeatedly commanded +that it must never be forgotten "that our possession of this +territory is based on a right of occupancy." + +A "right of occupancy!" Amiable sophistry! Why not say boldly at +once, the right of power? We have seized upon the country, and shot +down the inhabitants, until the survivors have found it expedient to +submit to our rule. We have acted exactly as Julius Caesar did when +he took possession of Britain. But Caesar was not so hypocritical as +to pretend any moral right to possession. On what grounds can we +possibly claim a right to the occupancy of the land? We are told, +because civilized people are justified in extending themselves over +uncivilized countries. According to this doctrine, were there a +nation in the world superior to ourselves in the arts of life, and of +a different religious faith, it would be equally entitled (had it the +physical power) to the possession of Old England under the "right of +occupancy;" for the sole purpose of our moral and social improvement, +and to make us participants in the supposed truths of a new creed. + +We have a right to our Australian possessions; but it is the right of +Conquest, and we hold them with the grasp of Power. Unless we +proceed on this foundation, our conduct towards the native population +can be considered only as a monstrous absurdity. However Secretaries +of State may choose to phrase the matter, we can have no other right +of occupancy. We resolve to found a colony in a country, the +inhabitants of which are not strong enough to prevent our so doing, +though they evince their repugnance by a thousand acts of hostility. + +We build houses and cultivate the soil, and for our own protection we +find it necessary to declare the native population subject to our +laws. + +This would be an easy and simple matter were it the case of +conquerors dictating to the conquered; but our Secretaries of State, +exhibiting an interesting display of conscientiousness and timidity, +shrink from the responsibility of having sanctioned a conquest over a +nation of miserable savages, protected by the oracles at Exeter Hall, +and reject with sharp cries of anger the scurrilous imputation. +Instead, therefore, of being in possession by right of arms, we +modestly appropriate the land to ourselves, whilst making the most +civil assurances that we take not this liberty as conquerors, but +merely in order to gratify a praiseworthy desire of occupying the +country. We then declare ourselves seised in fee by right of +occupancy. But now comes the difficulty. What right have we to +impose laws upon people whom we profess not to have conquered, and +who have never annexed themselves or their country to the British +Empire by any written or even verbal treaty? + +And if this people and country be not subject to our rule by +conquest, and have never consented or desired (but the contrary) to +accept of our code of laws, and to submit themselves to our +authority, are they really within the jurisdiction of the laws of +England -- 'especially for offences committed inter se?' + +Such is the anomalous position in which the native inhabitants are +placed through the tender consciences of our rulers at home. A +member of a tribe has been speared by one of another tribe, who +happens to be patronized by a farm-settler, and is occasionally +useful in hunting-up stray cattle. The friends of the dead man +proceed to punish the assassin according to their own hereditary +laws; they surprise him suddenly, and spear him. The farmer writes +an account of the fact to the Protector of Natives at Perth; and this +energetic individual, rising hastily from dinner, calls for his +horse, and endowing himself with a blue woollen shirt, and a pair of +dragoon spurs, with a blanket tied round his waist, fearlessly +commits himself to the forest, and repairs to the scene of slaughter. + +He learns from the mouth of the farm-settler, that the facts are +really what he had been already apprised of by letter; and then, +having left word that the offender may be caught as soon as possible, +and forwarded to Fremantle gaol, he hastens back again to his anxious +family; and the next morning delivers a suitable report to his +Excellency the Governor of all that he has performed. In course of +time the native is apprehended -- betrayed by a friend for a pound of +flour -- and brought to the bar of justice. His natural defence +would be that he certainly slew an enemy, as he is accused of having +done, but then it was a meritorious and necessary act; he glories in +it; his own laws required that he should slay the murderer of his +relative; and his own laws, therefore, accuse him not. What are +English customs, prejudices, or laws to him? He is not a British +subject, for he is not the inhabitant of a conquered country (as +English governors tell him), nor has he, or any of his tribe or +complexion, consented or wished to be placed under the protection of +our laws. Why, then, should he be violently dragged from the arms of +his 'wilgied' squaws, and his little pot-bellied piccaninnies, and +required to plead for his life in the midst of a large room filled +with frowning white faces? Much obliged is he to the judge, who +kindly tells him, through the interpreter, that he is not bound to +convict himself, and need not acknowledge anything that may operate +to his disadvantage in the minds of the jury. + +The unfortunate savage disregards the friendly caution, and heeds it +not; he maintains, stoutly, that he 'gidgied' Womera through the +back, because Womera had 'gidgied' Domera through the belly. He +enters into minute details to the gentlemen of the jury of the manner +in which these slaughters were effected, and describes the extent and +direction of the wounds, and every other interesting particular that +occurs to him. The gentlemen of the jury, after duly considering the +case, return (of necessity) a verdict of "Wilful murder," and the +judge pronounces sentence of death -- which is afterwards commuted by +the Governor to transportation for life to the Isle of Rottnest. + +Now if our laws had been imposed upon this people as a conquered +nation, or if they had annexed themselves and their country to our +rule and empire by anything like a treaty, all these proceedings +would be right and proper. But as it is, we are two nations +occupying the same land, and we have no more right to try them by our +laws for offences committed 'inter se', than they have to seize and +spear an Englishman, according to their law, because he has laid +himself open to an action of 'crim. con.' at the suit of his +next-door neighbour. + +Look at the question in another point of view. Is jurisdiction a +necessary incident of sovereignty? Do a people become subject to our +laws by the very act of planting the British standard on the top of a +hill? If so, they have been subject to them from the days of Captain +Cook; and the despatches of Her Majesty's Secretaries of State, +declaring that the natives should be considered amenable to our laws +for all offences which they might commit among themselves, were very +useless compositions. We claim the sovereignty, yet we disclaim +having obtained it by conquest; we acknowledge that it was not by +treaty; we should be very sorry to allow that it was by fraud; and +how, in the name of wonder, then, can we defend our claim? +Secretaries of State have discovered the means, and tell us that Her +Majesty's claim to possession and sovereignty is "based on a right of +occupancy." Jurisdiction, however, is not the necessary incident of +territorial sovereignty, unless that sovereignty were acquired by +conquest or treaty. We question, indeed, whether it is the necessary +consequence even of conquest -- the laws of the conqueror must first +be expressly imposed. The old Saxon laws prevailed among the people +of England after the Conquest, until the Norman forms were expressly +introduced. + +It is well known in colonies, that the laws propounded in certain +despatches are more powerful, and more regarded and reverenced, than +any others, human or divine. A kind of moral gun-cotton, they drive +through the most stupendous difficulties, and rend rocks that +appeared to be insuperable barriers in the eyes of common sense or +common justice. Judges are compelled to yield to their authority, +and do violence to their own consciences whilst they help to lay the +healing unction to those of their lawgivers. + +The most convenient and the most sensible proceeding, on the part of +our rulers at home, would be to consider this country in the light of +a recent conquest. Instead of declaring, as now, that the natives +are to be treated in every way as British subjects -- thus making +them amenable to the English law in all its complexity, whilst their +own laws and habits are so entirely opposite in character -- it would +be better to pass a few simple ordinances, in the nature of military +law, which would be intelligible to the natives themselves, and which +would avoid the difficulty of applying the cumbrous machinery of our +criminal code to the government of savages who can never be made to +comprehend its valuable properties. It is most essential that the +natives who commit offences against the persons or property of the +whites should be brought to punishment. At the same time it is most +difficult to establish the guilt of the party accused, according to +the strict rules of legal evidence. The only witnesses, probably, +were natives, who understand not the nature of an oath, and who lie +like the Prince of Darkness whenever they have wit enough to perceive +it is their interest to do so. In general, the only chance of +obtaining a legal conviction is through the confession of the +prisoner; and as it is most desirable that he should be convicted, +when there is no moral doubt of his guilt, as his acquittal would be +looked upon as a triumph by his fellows, and make them more daring in +their opposition to the law, very little delicacy is used in +obtaining that confession. + +Were the prisoner defended by counsel, who did his duty to his +client, without regard to the interests of the public, the guilty +person would escape in almost every instance. As it is, the law is +outraged, and a trial by jury made an occasion of mockery and gross +absurdity, in order to obtain a conviction which is necessary to the +welfare of the white population. Nothing would be more easy than to +legislate for the proper government of the Aborigines; but you must +begin 'de novo', and throw aside with scorn the morbid sentimentality +that refuses to look upon those as a conquered people, whom, +nevertheless, it subjects to the heavy thraldom of laws which they +are not yet fitted to endure. + + + +CHAPTER 16. + +REMARKS ON THE PHYSICAL ORGANIZATION OF THE NATIVES. + +The native inhabitants of Western Australia are only superior in the +scale of human beings to the Bosjemans of Southern Africa. Their +intellectual capacity appears to be very small, and their physical +structure is extremely feeble. In some respects the Australian +peculiarly assimilates to two of the five varieties of the human +race. In the form of his face and the texture of his hair he +resembles the Malay; in the narrow forehead, the prominent +cheek-bones, and the knees turned in, he approaches towards the +Ethiopian.* There is a remarkable difference between the jaws and +teeth of the Australian and those of any other existing race. The +incisores are thick and round, not, as usual, flattened into edges, +but resembling truncated cones; the cuspidati are not pointed, but +broad and flat on the masticating surface, like the neighbouring +bicuspides. This may be attributable to mechanical attrition, +depending on the nature of the food which the teeth are employed in +masticating. The upper does not overlap the under jaw, but the teeth +meet at their surfaces. This peculiarity of teeth has been noticed +by Blumenbach as a characteristic of the Egyptian mummy; but he +thinks the nature of the food not sufficient to account for it, and +imagines it to depend on a natural variety. He observes, that +"although it seemed most easy to account for this appearance by +attributing it to the nature of the food used by the Egyptians, yet +the generality of its occurrence in Egyptian mummies, and its absence +in other races, are remarkable; and it affords some probability that +the peculiarity depends upon a natural variety."** A constant +uniformity in the structure and arrangement of the teeth is an +important particular in the identification of species; and if any +human race were found to deviate materially in its dentition from the +rest of mankind, the fact would give rise to a strong suspicion of a +real specific diversity. I have examined the teeth of infants and +children, and found them in every respect similar to those of +Europeans of similar ages. Moreover, the process of degradation may +be traced in natives of different ages up to the teeth worn to the +level of the gums in the old man. I therefore consider it the effect +of attrition; but it becomes an interesting question to determine +what may be the nature of the food which produced the same character +in the ancient Egyptian and the modern Australian. Did the fathers +of science live on barks and roots, like the wretched Australian? +Although attrition may cause this singular appearance of the teeth, +the real question is, why does the lower jaw so perfectly and exactly +meet its fellow? And is this confined to these two examples? + + +[footnote] *The observations in this chapter were contributed by +Henry Landor, Esq., Colonial Surgeon on the Gold Coast, who resided +five years among the natives of Western Australia, and is intimately +acquainted with all their habits and peculiarities. + + +[footnote] **In a former chapter (13.) I have expressed an opinion +that the natives are descended from the old inhabitants of India, +which I think is exceedingly probable. It is interesting to +remember, that the ancient Egyptians are supposed to have originally +come from the same country. + + +There is no fixed law determining invariably the human stature, +although there is a standard, as in other animals, from which +deviations are not very considerable in either direction. Some +varieties exceed, others fall short of, the ordinary stature in a +small degree. The source of these deviations is in the breed; they +are quite independent of external influences. + +In all the five human varieties, some nations are conspicuous for +height and strength, others for lower stature and inferior muscular +power; but in no case is the peculiarity confined to any particular +temperature, climate, or mode of life. The Australians, in general, +are of a moderate stature, with slender limbs, thin arms, and long +taper fingers. Although in general stature there is nothing to +distinguish one variety of man from another, yet in the comparative +length of the different parts of the human frame there are striking +differences. In the highest and most intellectual variety (the +Caucasian) the arm (os humeri) exceeds the fore-arm in length by two +or three inches -- in none less than two inches. In monkeys the +fore-arm and arm are of the same length, and in some monkeys the +fore-arm is the longer. In the Negro, the 'ulna', the longest bone +of the fore-arm, is nearly of the same length as the 'os humeri', the +latter being from one to two inches longer. In a Negro in the +lunatic asylum of Liverpool (says Mr. White) the ulna was twelve and +a half inches, and the humerus only thirteen and a half. In the +Australian, the ulna in some I have measured was ten and a half, +nine, ten, eleven and a half; the humerus was in those individuals +respectively eleven and a half, ten and a half, eleven and a half, +twelve and a half. Thus, in none of the measurements did the humerus +exceed the ulna two inches, which in the Caucasian variety is the +lowest number. In all the black races the arm is longer in +proportion to the stature than in the white. The length of the leg +of the Australian averages thirty-six inches; in one man it was only +thirty-three and a half, and the tibia of that man measured sixteen +and a half, leaving only seventeen to the femur -- a very remarkable +disproportion. + +Thus in the proportion of their limbs, the Australian ranks far below +the European; nay, even below the Negro, and approaches far nearer to +the simiae than any of the other races of mankind. Perron, in his +voyage, made an estimate of the average strength of the arms and +loins of the Australian, and of some French and English; this is the +result in French measures: -- + + ARMS. LOINS. + Kilogrammes. Myriagrammes. +Australian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50.8 . . . . . . . .10.2 +Natives of Timor . . . . . . . . . . . 58.7 . . . . . . . 11.6 +French . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69.2 . . . . . . . .15.2 +English . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71.4 . . . . . . . .16.3 + +Thus in whatever manner the capacity of the race is tested, its +inferiority is strikingly exhibited. We shall find, when examining +the skull, that the coronal suture falls on the temporal instead of +the sphenoid bone, which is one of the strongest marks of the simiae, +and does not occur in other human skulls. + +I have no desire to place the Australian lower in the scale of +intelligence than he is fairly entitled to rank, but I cannot shut my +eyes to facts; and if his organization is in conformity with his +inferiority, there he must rank, in spite of the wishes of his +warmest friends. At the same time I agree with the most enthusiastic +philanthropist that no attempt should be left untried to amend his +condition, and bestow upon him the blessings which Providence has +lavished upon us; but I cannot help fearing the result will be +disappointment. A fair comparative experiment says Mr. Lawrence, has +been made of the white and dark races of North America; and no trial +in natural philosophy has had a more unequivocal result. The native +races have not advanced a single step in 300 years; neither example +nor persuasion has induced them, except in very small numbers and in +few instances, to exchange the precarious supply of hunting, and +fishing for agriculture and the arts of settled life. + +The colour of the skin is chocolate, and resembles the Malay, +although perhaps a little darker. The colour of the skin is, of +course, greatly dependent upon the nature of the climate and the +constant exposure of the surface of the body to the sun; the parts +under the arms are of a brighter colour than those more exposed. We +find in human races, as in vegetation, that every successive level +alters its character; thus indicating that the state of the +temperature of high regions assimilates to high latitudes. If, +therefore, complexions depend upon climate and external conditions, +we should expect to find them varying in reference to elevation of +surface; and if they should be actually found to undergo such +variations, this will be a strong argument in favour of the +supposition that these external characters do in fact depend upon +local conditions. The Swiss in the high mountains above the plains +of Lombardy have sandy or brown hair. What a contrast presents +itself to the traveller in the Milanese, where the peasants have +black hair and almost Oriental features! The Basques, of the tracts +approaching the Pyrenees, says Colonel Napier, are a strikingly +different people from the inhabitants of the low parts around, +whether Spaniards or Biscayans. They are finely made, tall men, with +aquiline noses, fair complexions, light eyes, and flaxen hair; +instead of the swarthy complexion, black hair, and dark eyes of the +Castilian. And in Africa what striking differences of complexion +exist between the Negro of the plains and of the mountains, even +whilst the osteology is the same, therefore I pass over the hair and +skin of the Australian as parts too much subjected to the influence +of climate to afford means of legitimate deduction. It is the general +opinion that these natives are not a long-lived race. The poverty of +their food may account for this, together with the want of shelter +from the vicissitudes of the climate. The care taken by civilized +man to preserve health is, by increasing susceptibility, the +indirect cause of disease; the more rigid is the observance of +regimen, the more pernicious will be the slightest aberration from +it; but a total disregard of all the comforts of regular food, and +efficient shelter, the habit of cramming the stomach when food is +plentiful, and of enduring long abstinence when it cannot be +procured, has a far more baneful effect upon the human constitution +than all the excesses of the white man. As man recedes from one +hastener of destruction, he inevitably approaches another: + + "Gross riot treasures up a wealthy fund + Of plagues, but more immedicable ills + Attend the lean extreme." + +I have observed that the natives mix the gum of certain trees with +the bark, and masticate both together. This is attributed to the +difficulty of masticating the gum alone; but I am persuaded that it +has another cause also, and that it arises from that experience of +the necessity of an additional stimulus to the digestive organ which +has taught the Esquimaux and Ottomacs to add sawdust or clay to their +train-oil. It arises from the fact that (paradoxical as it may +appear) an animal may be starved by giving it continually too simple +and too nutritious food; aliment in such a state of condensation does +not impart the necessary stimulus, which requires to be partly +mechanical and partly chemical, and to be exerted at once on the +irritability of the capillaries of the stomach to promote its +secretions, and on the muscular fibres to promote its +contractions. + +I shall now point out the difference between the Australian skull +and those of some other races, without giving a description of skulls +in general, which would unnecessarily lengthen these observations. +"Of all the peculiarities in the form of the bony fabric, those of +the skull are the most striking and distinguishing. It is in the +head that we find the varieties most strongly characteristic of the +different races. The characters of the countenance, and the shape of +the features depend chiefly on the conformation of the bones of the +head." + +The Australian skull belongs to that variety called the prognathous, +or narrow elongated variety; yet it is not so striking an example of +this variety as the Negro skull. If the skull be held in the hand so +that the observer look upon the vertex, the first point he remarks is +the extreme narrowness of the frontal bone, and a slight bulging +where the parietal and occipital bones unite. He also sees +distinctly through the zygomatic arches on both sides, which in the +European skull is impossible, as the lateral portions of the frontal +bone are more developed. The summit of the head rises in a +longitudinal ridge in the direction of the sagittal suture; so that +from the sagittal suture to that portion of the cranium where the +diameter is greatest the head slopes like the roof of a house. The +forehead is generally flat; the upper jaw rather prominent; the +frontal sinuses large; the occipital bone is flat, and there is a +remarkable receding of the bone from the posterior insertion of the +'occipitofrontalis' muscle to the 'foramen magnum'. It is a peculiar +character of the Australian skull to have a very singular depression +at the junction of the nasal bones with the nasal processes of the +frontal bone. This may be seen in an engraving in Dr. Pritchard's +work. I have before described the teeth, and mentioned the +remarkable junction of the temporal and parietal bones at the coronal +suture, and consequently the complete separation of the sphenoid from +the parietal, which in European skulls meet for the space of nearly +half an inch. Professor Owen has observed this conformation in six +out of seven skulls of young chimpanzees, and Professor Mayo has also +noticed it in the skulls he has examined. But although this is a +peculiarity found in this race alone, it is not constant. I have a +skull in which the sphenoid touches the parietal on one side, whilst +on the other they are separated a sixth of an inch; and in the +engraving, before referred to, the bones are slightly separated, but +by no means to the extent that they are in European skulls. The +super and infra orbital foramina are very large, and the orbits are +broad, with the orbital ridge sharp and prominent. All the foramina +for the transmission of the sensiferous nerves are large, the +auditory particularly so; while the foramen, through which the +carotid artery enters the skull, is small. The mastoid processes are +large, which might be expected, as their hearing is acute. The +styloid process is small; in monkeys it is wanting. The position of +the 'foramen magnum', as in all savage tribes, is more behind the +middle transverse diameter than in Europeans; but this arises in a +great measure, though not entirely, from the prominence of the +alveolar processes of the upper jaw. Owing to constant exposure to +all seasons, the skulls of savages are of greater density, and weigh +heavier than those of Europeans: -- + + Avoirdupois. + lb. oz. +Skull of a Greek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 11 1/2 + " Negro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 + " Mulatto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 10 + " Chinese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 7 1/2 + " Gipsy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 0 + " Australian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 12 1/2 + +Upon an examination of the foregoing points of diversity, it is +unquestionable that the Australian skull is inferior in development +to the European, and the capacity of the cranium of much less. + + + +CHAPTER 17. + +SKETCHES OF LIFE AMONG THE NATIVES. + +The Natives have very few traditions, and most of those which they +relate resemble the disconnected phantasies of a dream rather than +the record of a series of facts. + +They have some indistinct ideas about Chingi, the Evil Spirit, but no +notion whatever of a Supreme God. When first the English arrived, +many of the Aborigines considered them to be the spirits of their +deceased relatives; and some of them fancied they could trace the +features of former friends in the lineaments of individuals among the +whites. One of these natives, still living, has more than once told +me that his late uncle is now a certain eloquent and popular member +of the Legislative Council. The nephew and resuscitated uncle +occasionally meet, when the former never fails to claim the +relationship, which the latter good-humouredly acknowledges; and the +relatives separate with mutual expressions of politeness and +good-will. + +One of their most remarkable and most intelligible traditions was +recorded some time ago in the 'Perth Inquirer', by Mr. Armstrong, +Interpreter to the Natives. + +It is as follows: -- +"The natives assert that they have been told from age to age, that +when man first began to exist, there were two beings, male and +female, named Wal-lyne-up (the father) and Doronop (the mother); that +they had a son called Biu-dir-woor, who received a deadly wound, +which they carefully endeavoured to heal, but without success; +whereupon it was declared by Wal-lyne-up, that all who came after him +should also die in like manner. Could the wound have been healed in +this case, being the first, the natives think death would have had no +power over them. The place where the scene occurred, and where +Bin-dir-woor was buried, the natives imagine to have been on the +southern plains, between Clarence and the Murray; and the instrument +used is said to have been a spear thrown by some unknown being, and +directed by some supernatural power. The tradition goes on to state +that Bin-dir-woor, the son, although deprived of life and buried in +his grave, did not remain there, but arose and went to the west; to +the unknown land of spirits across the sea. The parents followed +after their son, but (as the natives suppose) were unable to prevail +upon him to return, and they have remained with him ever since." + +The following is one of their fables: -- The kangaroo was originally +blind, and could only walk or crawl. The frog seeing it so much at +the mercy of its enemies, took compassion on it, and anointed the +sightless eyeballs of the kangaroo with its saliva, and told it to +hop as he did. The kangaroo did so, and is now become the most +difficult animal in the world to catch. + +Besides Chingi, the evil spirit who haunts the woods, there is +another in the shape of an immense serpent, called Waugul, that +inhabits solitary pools. Snakes that frequent both water and land, +of great size -- twenty feet long, according to some authorities -- +have been occasionally seen, and give a colour to this belief of the +natives. One day, whilst bivouacking at a lonely and romantic spot, +in a valley of rocks, situated some forty miles north of Perth, +called the 'Dooda-mya', or the Abode of Dogs, I desired a native to +lead my horse to a pool, and let him drink. The man, however, +declined with terror, refusing to go near the pool, which was +inhabited by the Waugul. I therefore had to take my horse myself to +the spot, whilst the native stood aloof, fully expecting that the +Waugul would seize him by the nose and pull him under water. + +The natives are polygamists. Each male is entitled to all the +females who are related to him in a certain degree. A newly-born +child is therefore the betrothed spouse of a man who may be thirty +years of age, and who claims her from her parents so soon as she is +marriageable -- when she is twelve years old, or earlier. Some men +have, consequently, four or six wives of various ages, whilst others +have none at all. The latter are therefore continually engaged in +stealing the wives of other people. + +This causes incessant wars among the tribes. When the legitimate +husband recovers his wife, he does not restore her to the full +enjoyment of domestic happiness, until he has punished her for +eloping. This he does by thrusting a spear through the fleshy part +of her leg or thigh. + +The natives are very good-natured to one another; sharing their +provisions and kangaroo-skin cloaks without grudging. The head of a +family takes the half-baked duck, opossum, or wild-dog, from the +fire, and after tearing it in pieces with his teeth, throws the +fragments into the sand for his wives and children to pick up. They +are very fond of rice and sugar; and bake dampers from flour, making +them on a corner of their cloaks. + +Fish and other things are frequently baked in the bark of the paper-tree. + +The following observations have been sent to me by my youngest +brother: "Every tribe possesses a certain tract of country which is +called after the name of the tribe -- as Moenaing Budja -- the +Moenai-men's ground. They are not always very particular about +trespassing on their neighbour's territory. Many of the colonists +say that each tribe has its chief or king; but among all whom I have +seen, I never could discover that they paid any particular respect to +one individual, though they appear to reverence old age; and I have +frequently seen a party of young men, alternately carrying an old +grey-headed patriarch during their excursions from one encampment to +another. + +"They have no religion whatever, but they believe in some kind of an +evil spirit. I have often tried to discover, but could never clearly +understand, whether they believe in only one all-powerful evil +spirit, or whether it is merely the spirits of their departed friends +that they fear; or, (as I am inclined to believe) they fear both; and +for these reasons: -- wherever there is a large encampment of +natives, each family has its own private fire and hut, but you will +always perceive another fire about one hundred yards from the camp, +which apparently belongs to no one; but which the old hags take care +shall never go out during the night; for they will frequently get up +and replenish that fire, when they are too lazy to fetch fuel for +their own. They call that Chingi's fire; and they believe if he +comes in the night he will sit quietly by his own fire and leave them +undisturbed. That they likewise believe in the reappearance of +departed spirits, may be easily proved by the manner and the +formalities with which they bury their dead. In the first place they +cut off the hair and beard; they then break his finger-joints and tie +the thumb and fore-finger of the right hand together; so that if he +rise again, he may not have the power to use a spear and revenge +himself. They then break his spears, throwing-stick, and all his +other implements of war, and throw them into the grave, over which +they build a hut; and a fire is kept lighted for a certain length of +time. It is likewise customary for his wife or nearest relation, if +at any future period they should happen to pass near the grave, to +repair the hut, rekindle the fire, and utter a long rigmarole to the +departed, to induce him to lie still, and not come back and torment +them. Nothing will induce a stranger to go near a new grave, or to +mention the name of the departed for a long time after his death. +They always speak of him as So-and-so's brother, or father. If the +deceased be the father of a family, it is the duty of his eldest son, +or nearest relation, to avenge his death by killing one of the next, +or any other tribe; and this often leads to furious battles or +cold-blooded murders; for they are by no means particular whether it +be man, woman, or child who is the victim; and it is generally the +poor women who suffer on these occasions; the men being too cowardly, +unless under the influence of very strong passion, to attack those of +equal strength with themselves. The women do all the work, such as +building huts, carrying water, digging up roots, and procuring grubs +out of the wattle and grass-trees. I have seen a poor unfortunate +woman marching twenty miles a-day, with (at least) a hundred +pounds'-weight on her back, including the child and all their +effects; whilst the husband has been too lazy to carry even his +cloak. A hunting excursion with a large party of natives is capital +sport. They choose, if possible, a valley, at one end of which they +station ten or twenty of the most expert spearmen; with whom, if you +want any fun, you must station yourself, taking care to remain +concealed. All the juveniles of the party then start off, and make a +circuit of many miles in extent, shouting and hallooing the whole +time. They form a semicircle, and drive all the kangaroos before +them down the valley, to the spot where the old hunters are placed. +Then comes the tug of war, the crashing of bushes, the flying of +spears, and the thump, thump of the kangaroos, as they come tearing +along, sometimes in hundreds, from the old grey grandfather of six +feet high, to the little picanniny of twelve inches, who has tumbled +out of his mother's pouch; and numbers fall victims to the ruthless +arms of the hunters. The evening terminates with a grand feast and a +corrobery." + + +[etching opposite p. 214 "Spearing Kangaroos"] + +Each tribe has its doctor, or wise man, who is supposed to have +supernatural powers of healing wounds, and is the oracle of the +tribe. One of these fellows described to me the mode of his +initiation. He said his father, himself a wise man, took him one +night to the edge of a steep hill, where he left him lying wrapped in +his kangaroo-skin cloak. He was very much frightened, but durst not +stir. During the night Chingi came and tried to throw him down the +hill, and to strangle him, but did not succeed. Chingi was like +something very black. He afterwards came again, and told him a great +many secrets; and thus is was that my informant became a doctor and a +wise man. I think I have heard of people obtaining the power of +second sight in the Isle of Skye by lying on a rock all night, +wrapped in a bull's hide, and receiving a visit from the devil. The +similarity between these initiatory processes struck me forcibly. + + + +CHAPTER 18. + +THE MODEL-KINGDOM. + +A well-governed colony is the Model of a great kingdom. As in the +case of other models, every part of the machinery by which it is +moved is placed at once before the eye of the spectator. In a great +empire, the springs of action are concealed; the public behold only +the results, and can scarcely guess how those results were brought +about. In a colony, every one stands so close to the little machine +of Government, that he can readily discern how it is made to work, +and therefore takes a more lively interest in the working of it. The +model has its representative of a sovereign; its Ministers, who +comprise the Executive Council with the Colonial Secretary as +Premier; its Parliament, the Legislative Assembly; its Bishop of +London, who is represented by the Colonial Chaplain, the dignitary of +the Church in those parts. In the Legislative Assembly there are the +Government party, consisting of the Colonial Secretary and the +Attorney General, who prove their loyalty and devotion by adhering to +His Excellency the Governor on every division, and (according to +general belief) would rather vote against their own measures than +against the representative of their Queen. Then there is the popular +party, consisting of the popular member, who speaks at random on +either side of the debate, but invariably votes against the +Government, in order to maintain inviolate the integrity of his +principles. We have also the Judge, or Lord chancellor, the great +Law officer of the Crown, who sits silently watching the progress of +a Bill, as it steals gently forward towards the close of the second +reading; and then suddenly pounces upon it, to the consternation of +his Excellency, and the delight of the popular member, and tears it +in pieces with his sharp legal teeth, whilst he shows that it is in +its scope and tendency contrary to the Law of England in that case +provided, and is besides impossible to be carried out in the present +circumstances of the Colony. The Model Nation has its national debt +of one thousand pounds, due to the Commissariat chest; and this +burthen of the State costs his Excellency many a sleepless night, +spent in vain conjectures as to the best mode of relieving the +financial embarrassments. + +It is pleasant to learn from the model, how Government patronage is +disposed of in the Parent country. Kindly motives, however, which +never appear in the arrangements of the latter, are always +conspicuous in a colony. A public work is sometimes created for the +sole purpose of saving an unfortunate mechanic from the horrors of +idleness; and a debt due to the State is occasionally discharged by +three months' washing of a Privy Councillor's shirts. + +Then we have the exact fac-simile of a Royal Court, with its levees +and drawing-rooms, where his Excellency displays the utmost extent of +his affability, and his lady of her queenly airs. There may be seen, +in all its original freshness and vigour, the smiling hatred of rival +ladies, followed by their respective trains of admirers; whilst the +full-blown dames of Members of Council elbow their way, with all the +charming confidence of rank, towards the vicinity of her who is the +cynosure of all eyes. The early levees of the first Governor of +Western Australia were held in a dry swamp, near the centre of the +present town of Perth. His Excellency, graciously bowing beneath the +shade of a banksia tree, received with affability those who were +introduced to him, as they stumbled into his presence over tangled +brushwood, and with difficulty avoided the only humiliation that is +scorned by English courtiers -- that of the person. + +Ladies, in struggling through the thorny brake, had sometimes to +labour under the double embarrassment of a ragged reputation and +dress. To appear before the Presence, under such circumstances, with +a smiling countenance, proved the triumph of feminine art, and of +course excited general admiration. But this was in the early days of +the settlement. We have now a handsome Government-house, where +ladies who attend drawing-rooms incur no danger of any kind. + +From the financial difficulties of a small colony you may form some +idea of the troubles of the Chancellor of the Exchequer at home. And +yet there is less financial talent required to raise five hundred +thousand pounds in England than five hundred in an impoverished +colony. In the former country only a few voices, comparatively, are +raised in expostulation; and no one cares about them, if Mr. Hume +could be gagged, and the other patriots in the Commons. But in a +colony! threaten to raise the price of sugar by the imposition of +another half-penny per pound, and the whole land will be heaved as +though by an earthquake. Not only will the newspapers pour forth a +terrific storm of denunciations against a treacherous Government, but +every individual of the public will take up the matter as a personal +injury, and roar out his protest against so monstrous a political +crime. Those who called most loudly for the erection of a necessary +bridge, will be most indignant when asked next year to contribute +towards its cost. + +The Governor of a colony should not only be a good financier, but if +he would avoid the bitter pangs of repentance, must possess great +firmness in resisting the innumerable calls upon the Government purse. + +His Excellency may lay his account to being daily vituperated for not +consenting to the construction of this or that national work, but he +will be still more taken to task when the melancholy duty of paying +for it becomes imperative, and is found to be unavoidable. + +It is the general belief, that in a colony we are altogether out of +the world; but it has always appeared to me, that within the narrow +confines of one of those epitomes of a kingdom we may see more of the +world than when standing on the outer edge of society in England. + +A man thinks himself in the midst of the world in Great Britain, +because he reads the newspapers and knows what is passing and being +enacted around him. But the same newspapers are read with equal +diligence in a colony, and the same knowledge is acquired there, +though some three months later. To read the newspapers, and to hang, +close as a burr, upon the skirts of society, is not to be in the +world. The world is, in truth, the heart of Man; and he knows most +of the World who knows most of his species. And where, alas! may +this knowledge, so painful and so humiliating, be better acquired +than in a colony? There we have the human heart laid open before us +without veil or disguise: there we see it in all its coarseness, its +selfishness, its brutality. + +How many fine natures, cultivated, delicate, and generous, have gone +forth from their native land, full of high resolves, only to perish +in the mephitic atmosphere of a colony! + +There we find whatever there is of good and bad in human nature +brought immediately before our eyes. It is a school of moral +anatomy, in which we study subjects whose outer covering has been +removed, and where the inner machinery (fearful to see!) is left +exposed. + +A knowledge of the world! if we gain it not in a colony, it must ever +remain a sealed book to us. + +We shall leave but a bad impression on the mind of the reader in +concluding this short chapter with these sombre observations; but we +would not leave him without hope. Time will remedy all this. Some +moral evils correct themselves; as the water of the Nile becomes pure +again after it has gone putrid. + + + +CHAPTER 19. + +TRIALS OF A GOVERNOR. + +Except the waiter at a commercial inn, no man has so much upon his +hands, or so many faults to answer for, as the Governor of a colony. +If public affairs go wrong, every voice is raised, requiring him +immediately to rectify them; and as every one has a particular plan +of his own, the Governor is expected instantly to adopt them all. +Nor has he public calamities only to answer for; the private +misfortunes of individuals are, without hesitation, laid at his door. +He is expected to do something, and not a little, for all who are in +trouble; he has to devise expedients for those whose own wits are at +fault: it is among his duties to console, to cheer, to advise, to +redress, to remedy; and, above all, to enrich. + +As men set up a block of wood in a field to become a rubbing-post for +asses; as bachelors take to themselves wives, and elderly spinsters +individuals of the feline race, in order to have something on which +to vent their occasional ill-humours, so is a Governor set up in a +colony, that the settlers may have a proper object or mark set apart, +on which they may satisfactorily discharge their wrongs, sorrows, +wants, troubles, distractions, follies, and unreasonable +expectations. A Governor is the safety-valve of a colony; withdraw +this legitimate object of abuse, and the whole community would be at +loggerheads. A state of anarchy would be the immediate consequence, +and broil and blood-shed would prevail throughout the land. +Sometimes a Governor forgets the purpose for which he was sent out +from home, and placed on high in a colony, as a rubbing-post; he +sometimes lapses into the error of fancying himself a colonial Solon, +and strives to distinguish his reign by the enactment of laws, which +only increase the natural irritability of the settlers, and cause him +to be more rubbed against than ever. On these occasions he is not +always entitled to much sympathy; but when private parties come +crowding round him to have the consequence of their follies averted, +or merely in a state of discontented irritation, to have their backs +scratched, his poor Excellency is much to be compassionated. + +Almost every morning a long-eared crowd assembles around the +Government-offices, where the rubbing-post is set up, and one after +another they are admitted to find what relief they may from this +cheap luxury. It is pleasant to observe that they almost all come +out again with smiling countenances. For a moment, the sense of pain +or discontent has been alleviated by the gentle application. + +Sometimes an honest farmer has ridden fifty miles in order to have +the pleasure of complaining to his Excellency of the +mal-administration of the post-office department, evidenced by the +non-delivery of a letter, which, after a vast deal of investigation +and inquiry, turns out never to have been posted. Sometimes a man +comes for advice as to the propriety of going to law with his +neighbour about a bull which had taken the liberty to eat some of his +turnips. One man wishes to have his Excellency's opinion upon a +disease which has lately broken out among his pigs; another has +mysteriously carried a piece of iron-stone in his pocket for a +hundred miles, and claims the reward for the discovery of a +coal-mine; a third has a plan to propose for fertilizing the +sand-plains around Perth, by manuring them with sperm oil. Some are +desirous that their sons should be made Government clerks, and insist +upon their right to all vacant appointments on the plea of being "old +settlers." Others have suggestions to make the neglect of which +would prove ruinous to the colony: general misery is only to be +averted by the repeal of the duty on tobacco: no more ships need be +expected (this is after a gale and wreck,) unless a break-water be +constructed, which may be done for ninety-five thousand pounds, and +there was a surplus revenue last year over the expenditure of +thirteen shillings and sixpence, the local government being also +indebted to the Commissariat chest in the sum of nine hundred pounds +odd. Some complain of roads and bridges being in a defective state, +and wonder why two thousand pounds extra per annum are not laid out +upon them; these are succeeded by a deputation from the inhabitants +of Rockingham, requesting, as a matter of right, that half that sum +may be applied in ornamenting their principal square with a botanical +garden. Then the Governor has to attend to complaints against public +officers. The Commissioner of the Civil Court has proved himself to +be an unjust judge by deciding for the defendant contrary to the +truth, as proved by the plaintiff; or the Commissioner of the Court +of Requests has received a bribe of three-and-fourpence, and refused +to listen to the complainant's story. The magistrates have granted a +spirit license to a notorious character, and denied one to the +applicant, an unimpeachable householder. The Post-Master General has +embezzled a letter, or the Colonial Secretary has neglected to reply +to one. + +All these things, and a thousand others, the Governor is expected to +listen to, inquire about, remedy, or profit by. + +One day, I remember, I went myself to complain of the absurdity of an +Act of Council which I thought might be advantageously amended by the +aid of a little light which had lately dawned upon me. + +Among those who haunted the ante-room, waiting for admittance to the +rubbing-post was a tall Irish woman, who had seen better days, but +was now reduced to much distress, and was besides not altogether +right in her intellects. + +She was in the frequent habit of attending there, for the purpose of +complaining against the Advocate General, who never paid her proper +attention when she went to lay her grievances before him. This woman +was the terror of the Government officers. She never allowed her +victim to escape when once she had begun her story; -- in vain might +he try to edge away towards the door -- if he were not to be retained +by the fascination of her voice, she would seize him by the coat with +a grasp of iron, and a fly might as well try to escape from a +pot-bellied spider. Whenever she appeared, no public officer was +ever to be found. A general epidemic seemed to have fallen upon the +offices, and exterminated all the inhabitants. The Colonial +Secretary would rush out to luncheon, deaf as an adder to the cries +of female distress that rang in the troubled air behind him. The +Advocate General, hearing the well-known voice inquiring for him in +no friendly key, would hurry away through an opposite door, and dive +into the woods adjoining Government-house, and there gnaw his nails, +in perturbation of spirit until he thought the evil was overpast. +His Excellency himself would sooner have seen the Asiatic cholera +walk into the room than Miss Maria Martin, and invariably turned +paler then his writing-paper, and shuddered with a sudden ague. She +had so many wrongs to complain of, which no human power could +redress, and she required so much to be done for her, and insisted +upon having reiterated promises to that effect, that no wonder she +excited the utmost terror in the minds of all whom she approached. +She was, moreover, a huge, brawny, fierce-looking creature, and +though upwards of fifty years of age, had the strength of an Irish +porter. She was reported on one occasion to have taken a gentleman +of high reputation, and unimpeachable morals, by the collar of his +coat, and pinned him up against the wall, until he had promised to +speak for her to the Governor; and when he subsequently accused her +of this violence, she retorted by saying that it was in self-defence, +as he had attempted improper liberties. The fear of such an +unscrupulous and cruel accusation made Government officers, +especially the married ones, extremely shy of granting a tete-a-tete +conversation to Miss Martin; and as no one was, of course, more +correct in his conduct than his Excellency the Governor, no wonder +that he should feel extremely nervous whenever he was surprised into +an interview with this interesting spinster. + +When I found her in the ante-room I naturally recoiled, and tried to +back out again, smiling blandly all the time, as one does when a +violent-looking dog comes up, and begins sniffing about your legs. +Miss Martin, however, was used to these manoeuvres, and suddenly +getting between me and the door, intercepted my retreat, and insisted +on telling me, for the twentieth time, how villanously the Advocate +General had deceived her. Escape was impossible; I groaned and +sweated with anguish, but listen I must, and had to suffer martyrdom +for an hour, when the Governor's door opened, and he himself looked +out. On seeing the Gorgon he tried to withdraw, but she pounded like +a tigress through the door-way, and slamming the door after her, +secured an audience with his Excellency, which she took care should +not be a short one. I could remain no longer, and therefore owe the +rest of the story to public report. After an hour's tete-a-tete, his +Excellency's voice grew more imperative. The clerks, highly +interested, conceived that he was insisting upon her withdrawing. It +is supposed that he could not possibly escape himself, as she of +course cut off all communication with either the door or the +bell-rope. The lady's voice also waxed higher; at length it rose +into a storm. Nothing more was heard of the poor Governor beyond a +faint, moaning sound; whether he was deprecating the tempest, or +being actually strangled, became a matter of grave speculation. Some +asserted that they heard his kicks upon the floor, others could only +hear convulsive sobs; then all fancied they could distinguish the +sounds of a struggle. The officials debated whether it would be +proper or indelicate to look in upon the interview; but it became so +evident that a scuffle was going on, that the private secretary's +anxiety overcame all other considerations. The door was opened just +as his Excellency, escaping from the grasp of the mad woman, had made +a vault at the railing which ran across the farther end of the +Council Room (to keep back the public on certain days), in hopes of +effecting his escape by the door beyond. Nothing could have been +better conceived than this design; but unhappily the lady had caught +hold of his coat-tail to arrest his flight, and therefore instead of +vaulting clear over the rails, as he had anticipated, his Excellency +was drawn back in his leap, and found himself seated astride upon the +barrier, with a desperate woman tugging at his tail, and trying to +pull him back into the arena. Nothing, we believe, has ever exceeded +the ludicrous misery displayed in his Excellency's visage on finding +himself in this perilous situation. But seeing the private secretary +and a mob of clerks, with their pens in their hands, hastening to his +rescue, he made a desperate effort, and cast himself off on the other +side; and finally succeeded in rushing out of the room, having only +one tail hanging to his coat, with which he escaped into an adjoining +apartment, and was received into the arms of the Surveyor General in +a state of extreme exhaustion. + +Such are some of the troubles and afflictions incident to the +unenviable office of Governor of a colony. Those innocent country +gentlemen who have expended the better part of their property on +contested elections, and now weary heaven and Her Majesty's Principal +Secretaries of State for colonial appointments, little know what they +invoke upon themselves. In my opinion Sancho Panza had a sinecure, +compared with theirs, in his Governorship of the island of Barrataria.* + + +[footnote] *Our love of the ludicrous frequently makes us delighted +to find even the most estimable characters in a ridiculous position. +The above anecdote is perhaps exaggerated, but it is here recorded as +a moral warning to those who yearn like Sancho Panza for a +government, and not from a desire to cast ridicule upon one who was +universally respected and esteemed, for the quiet decorum of his +life, his high principles, his strict impartiality, and the +conscientious discharge of all the duties of his office. + + + +CHAPTER 20. + +MR. SAILS, MY GROOM. -- OVER THE HILLS. -- A SHEEP STATION. + +Soon after I was settled in my residence at Perth I purchased a +couple of young mares unbroke, recently imported from the Cape of +Good Hope. They were the offspring of an Arab horse and Cape mare, +and one of them, a chestnut, was almost the handsomest creature I +ever beheld. They cost me thirty guineas each; but since that period +the value of horses is greatly diminished. + +I was very much pleased with this purchase, which recalled the +memories of boyhood and a long-tailed pony, whenever I found myself +feeding or grooming my stud -- which I often thought proper to do, as +my establishment, though at that time numerous, did not comprise a +well-educated groom. + +Besides my own man, I had two runaway sailors from the ship in which +we had come out, quartered upon me. They expressed so flattering a +regard for me, as the only person whom they knew in this part of the +world, and were so ready to dig the garden and plant potatoes, or do +any other little matter to make themselves useful, that I had not the +heart to refuse them a nook in the kitchen, or a share of our daily +meals. I now called their services into activity by making them +assist at the breaking in of my mares; and whilst I held the +lunging-rein, Mr. Sails would exert himself till he became as black +as a sweep with dust and perspiration, by running round and round in +the rear of the animal, urging her forward with loud cries and +objurgations, accompanied with furious crackings of his whip. These +sailors never did anything quietly. If told to give the horses some +hay, they would both start up from their stools by the kitchen fire, +as if in a state of frantic excitement; thrust their pipes into the +leathern belt which held up their trousers, and jostling each other +through the doorway like a brace of young dogs, tear round the house +to the stable, or rather shed, as though possessed by a legion of +devils. Then, unable to use a fork, they would seize as much hay as +they could clasp in their arms, and littering it all about the +premises, rush to the stalls, where they suddenly grew exceedingly +cautious; for in fact, they felt much greater dread of these horses +than they would have done of a ground shark. Then it was all, "Soh! +my little feller! Soh! my pretty little lass! -- Avast there -- (in +a low tone) you lubber, or I'll rope's end you -- none of that!" +This was whenever the mare, pleased at the sight of the hay, looked +round and whinnied. Unless I superintended the operation myself, the +hay would be thrown under the horse's feet, whilst the men took to +their heels at the same moment, and then turned round to see whether +the animals could reach their fodder. If they could, these worthy +grooms would come cheerfully to me and tell me that the horses were +eating their allowance; but if not, they filled their pipes, and took +a turn out of the way, trusting the hay would all be trampled into +the litter before I happened to see it. Whenever I was present, I +made them get upon the manger and put the hay into the rack, (I never +could teach them to use a fork,) but it was with fear and trembling +that they did this. One day, Sails was standing on the manger, with +the hay in his arms, when the mare, trying to get a mouthful, +happened to rub her nose against the hinder portion of his person. +Sails roared aloud, and let the hay fall upon the mare's head and +neck. + +"What's the matter, man?" said I. + +"By Gad, sir," cried Sails, looking round with a face of terror, and +scrambling down, "he's tuk a bite out of my starn!" + +After the horses had been well lunged it became necessary to mount +them. In vain, however, I tried to persuade Sails or his comrade +Dick to get upon their backs. I therefore mounted first myself, and +after a deal of plunging and knocking about was dismounted again, +with the mare, who had thrown herself down, actually kneeling upon my +body. All this time, Sails stood helplessly looking on open-mouthed, +holding the lunging-rein in his hands; and I had to call to him to +"pull her off" before he made any attempt to give assistance. This +accident effectually prevented my gallant grooms from trusting +themselves on horseback; but they proved more useful in breaking in +the animals to draw the light cart. One would ride whilst the other +drove, and their nautical phrases, and seaman-like style of steering +the craft, as they called it, excited the admiration of the +neighbourhood. But they never could bring themselves to like the +employment of tending horses; and finding that I insisted upon their +making themselves useful in this way, they at last gave me up, and +volunteered as part of the crew of a vessel about to sail for +Sincapore. + +Long after this period I drove the dog-cart over the hills to York +races. My brother had come down to Perth, and we went together, +taking with us our friend the amiable and talented editor of one of +the Perth journals. Attaching another horse to an outrigger, we +drove unicorn, or a team of three. + +It was a splendid October morning, (the commencement of summer,) and +we rattled over the long and handsome wooden bridges that cross the +two streams of the Swan, at a spanking pace, whilst the worthy +editor, exulting in his temporary emancipation from office, made the +wooded banks of the river ring again with the joyous notes of his +key-bugle. + +Half an hour carried us over five miles of road, and brought us to +Mangonah, the beautifully situated dwelling of R. W. Nash, Esq., +barrister at law, the most active-minded and public-spirited man in +the colony. After a short delay, to laugh at one of our friend's +last coined and most facetious anecdotes, and also to visit his +botanical garden, we rattled off again to Guildford; a scattered +hamlet that was made acquainted with our approach by loud strains +from the editor's bugle. Here, however, we paused not, but proceeded +along a hard and good road towards Green Mount, the first hill which +we had to ascend. Green Mount, six miles from Guildford, is famous +for a desperate skirmish which took place some years ago between a +large body of natives and Messrs. Bland and Souper, at the head of a +party escorting provisions from Perth to the infant settlement at +York. Whilst slowly ascending the hill, a thick flight of spears +fell among the party, wounding several of them. No enemy was +visible, and the greatest consternation prevailed among the men, who +hastened to shelter themselves under the carts. This induced the +natives to rush out of their ambush, when they were received with a +shower of balls; and at length driven back, after losing a good many +men. Mr. Souper had several spears sticking in his body, and others +of the English were severely wounded, but none mortally. + +The natives are very tenacious of life, and so are all the birds and +animals indigenous to the country. + +The natives often have spears thrust completely through their bodies, +and without any serious injury, receive wounds that would prove +mortal to the whites. A vagabond who had speared one of those noble +rams of ours, of whom honourable mention has been already made, was +shot by our shepherd whilst in the act of decamping with the carcase. +The ball passed completely through his lungs, and would have made an +end of any white man; but the native recovered in the course of a few +days, and walked a hundred miles heavily ironed, to take his trial +for sheep-stealing at the Quarter Sessions. + +From Guildford to the foot of Green Mount, the country presents a +vast plain of cold clayey soil, unfit for cultivation, and though +covered with scrub, affording very little useful herbage. + +On ascending the hill, we come upon what is generally called the +iron-stone range, which extends nearly to York, a distance of forty +miles. These extensive hills (about fifteen hundred feet above the +level of the sea) are composed almost entirely of granite rocks, with +occasional tracts of quartz; and the surface is generally strewn over +with a hard loose rubble. + +Although the sides and summits of the hills present scarcely any +appearance of soil, vast forests of large Jarra trees, and other +varieties of the eucalyptus, extend in every direction; and flowers +the most beautiful relieve the sombre appearance of the ground. Some +few of the valleys afford a few acres of alluvial soil; and in the +first of these, called Mahogany Creek, six miles from Green Mount, we +found a comfortable way-side house, with good out-buildings, and +other accommodations; and here we halted to lunch, and bait our +horses. + +Many other individuals, bent upon the same journey as ourselves, were +lounging and smoking before the house, or partaking of the +refreshments. Most were travelling on horseback; some in gigs, and +some in light spring-carts. A famous round of cold beef, with +bottled ale and porter, proved extremely agreeable after our drive. + +In the afternoon we proceeded fifteen miles farther, to the half-way +house, where on my first arrival in the colony I had been initiated +into the art of cooking a saddle of kangaroo, and serving it up with +mint-sauce. The road, through a dense forest of evergreen trees, is +excessively dreary, and the quarters for the night were never very +satisfactory; but the traveller might always look forward to a +comfortable sitting-room, kangaroo steaks and pork, with plenty of +fresh eggs and good bread. Since that time the house has been given +up by the energetic landlord; and the Local Government is partly +responsible for the loss of this accommodation, in consequence of +having insisted upon a heavy license being annually taken out. In +good times, when the farm-settlers of the York and Northam districts +brought their wool and other produce down this road to the capital, +they invariably spent a merry evening at the half-way house; but +since money has become scarcer in the colony, they have been +compelled to avoid this place of entertainment, and kindle instead a +fire by the road-side, where they spend their evenings in solitary +meditation, to the advantage doubtless of their minds and purses. In +the morning, full of philosophical thoughts and fried rashers of +pork, they calmly yoke their bullocks to the wain, unafflicted by +those pangs which were often the only acknowledgment rendered to the +hospitality of Mr. Smith -- pangs of mental remorse and a bilious +stomach. And yet the worthy host never suffered a guest whom he +respected to depart without administering to him what he called "a +doctor" -- of which, about five o'clock in the morning, the poor man +usually felt himself much in need; and at that hour, as Aurora +entered at the window, would mine host (equally rosy-cheeked) enter +by the door, and deliver his matutinal salutation. This "doctor," a +character universally esteemed by travellers in those parts, was a +tumbler of milk fresh from the cow, tinctured with brandy. + +The glory had not departed from the half-way house at the period to +which I refer; and as we drove up to the door, amid the liveliest +strains of the editorial bugle, our jovial host welcomed us with his +heartiest greeting. This spot is truly an oasis in the desert, +affording a few acres of tolerable land, and some excellent +garden-ground which, in the season, produces abundance of grapes, +peaches, apples, figs, and various kinds of vegetables. A deep brook +runs at the bottom of the garden which is very well watered; and on +its margin, in the midst of a green plot, protected by palings from +rude encroachment, is the quiet grave of one of Mr. Smith's children. +How different looks the solitary grave of the desert from the crowded +churchyards of England! How much more home it comes to the heart! +Across the brook is a large barley-field, and down the valley are +several other inclosures; all around, beyond these, is the dark, +melancholy, illimitable forest. At one end of the house, which is of +goodly size, stands a huge erection of wood, resembling a gallows, +from which are suspended the bodies of three kangaroos. Not far from +this, a group of natives -- men, women, and children -- are squatted +round a small fire, eating baked opossums, and chattering, and +uttering shrill screams of laughter, with all their might. Half a +dozen large kangaroo dogs are hanging about this group with wistful +eyes, but evidently without any expectations of obtaining a morsel. + +The house, being filled with people on their way to the races, +resounded all the evening with jokes and merriment; and when the +well-disposed retired to bed, and flattered themselves they were just +sinking into repose, a mob of their evil-minded friends, headed by an +Irish barrister and the usually sedate Crown Solicitor, beat down the +door, and pulled them forth again. Then were the four walls of the +room (which contained four beds) made witnesses to a scene exhibiting +all the horrors of war. Dreadful was the conflict: bolsters and +carpet-bags were wielded with fierce animosity; pillows and rolled-up +blankets flew about the room like cannon-shot; and long was the +contest doubtful, until the despair of the besieged at length +overcame the impetuosity of the assailants, and succeeded in driving +them from the apartment. + +The half-way house was often so crowded that some of the guests had +to sleep upon the dining-table, the sofas, and the floor. At early +dawn it was usually cleared of its visitors, who would push on to +breakfast at Mahogany Creek; or if going to York, at St. Roman's +Well, distant some fifteen miles. It was here that we breakfasted, +sitting upon the grass, whilst with our camp-kettle we boiled our +chocolate, and enjoyed our morning meal exceedingly. + +York is a scattered hamlet of good farm-houses. The country is +highly interesting. A lofty hill, or mountain, called Mount Bakewell, +confines the view on one side, and below it is the river Avon, a +broad stream in winter, but in summer consisting only of deep pools +in various parts of its course. The neighbourhood is beautifully +wooded, and has the appearance of a park. In the centre of the +hamlet a modest-looking, white-washed church "rears its meek fane." +Nothing could be more peaceful and serene than the whole aspect of +the place. + +At my brother's farm, comprising 4,000 acres, the property of R. H. +Bland, Esq., Protector of Natives, we found a hearty reception, and a +very pleasant dwelling-house. For several days it was filled with +young men who had come from various parts of the colony to attend the +races. + +These gentlemen were most of them young men of good family, and well +educated, who having only a small patrimony, and having been brought +up to no trade or profession, had come out to a colony in the hope of +acquiring landed estates, and of founding in this part of the world a +family of their own. In the meantime they had to drive their teams, +shear their sheep, thresh their corn, and exhibit their skill in +husbandry; whilst their houses were as ill arranged and uncomfortable +as could be expected from the superintendence of bachelors who +thought more of their stables than of the appearance of their rooms. +They care more about good horses than good cooks, and in most cases +prefer doing without kitchen stuff rather than be troubled with a +garden. + +Freedom of discourse and ease of manner characterize the social +meetings of our bachelor aristocracy "over the hills." + +Dinner is only to be obtained by dint of incessant shouting to the +slave (frequently an Indian Coolie) who presides in the detached +kitchen, and brings in the viands as fast as he "dishes up." The +roast mutton gradually cools upon the table while Mooto is +deliberately forking the potatoes out of the pot, and muttering +curses against his master, who stands at the parlour-door, swearing +he will wring his ears off if he does not despatch. In order to +moderate the anguish of stomach experienced by the guests, the host +endeavours to fill up the time by sending the sherry round. The +dinner is at length placed upon the table, and Mooto scuffles out of +the room whilst his master is busy carving, lest he should be +compelled to wait, an occupation less agreeable than that to which he +returns, and which engages most of his time -- sitting on an upturned +box before the fire, and smoking his pipe. Here, piously thanking +Vishnu and Brama for such good tobacco, he puffs away, heedless of +the shouts of his suzerain, who has just discovered there are only +eight plates for twelve people. One of the guests volunteers a foray +into Mooto's territory, chiefly for the sake of relieving his own +feelings by making that worthy acquainted with the opinion he +entertains of him, and returns to his seat with cold plates and a +tranquillized mind. + +When the villain lacquey has smoked his pipe, he brings in the +cheese, and clears away. No unnecessary feelings of delicacy +restrain the guests from reviling him seriatim as he removes the +platters; and he retires to his own den and the enjoyment of a pound +of boiled rice with undisturbed equanimity, leaving the others to +boil the kettle and concoct egg-flip, which, together with wine, +brandy, cigars, and pipes, enables the party to get through the +afternoon. Some remain at the table, drinking out of wine-glasses, +tumblers, or pannikins (every vessel which the house contains being +put in requisition), and talking loudly about their horses, or making +bets for the next day's races; others having thrown off their coats, +and flung their persons upon a sofa, with their feet on a +window-sill, puff away in meditative silence, only joining +occasionally in the conversation; whilst two or three walk up and +down the verandah, in solemn consultation as to the best mode of +hedging, having unhappily backed a colt for the Margaux Cup that +turns out to be a dunghill. + +I trust my good friends over the hills will not think I am making an +ungrateful return for much hospitality by this rough and imperfect +sketch. Heaven knows they are a worthy, kind-hearted, hospitable set +of good fellows as ever drew a cork or made egg-flip; but I must say +some of the bachelor establishments are rather in a rude and +primitive state at present. + +Those houses which are fortunate enough to possess a presiding genius +in the gentle and attractive form of Woman are very differently +ordered. English neatness and English comforts pervade the +establishment, and the manners and customs of well-regulated society +are never forgotten. + +It is a pleasant sight in the evening to watch the cattle driven into +the stock-yard by the native boy, who has been with them all day in +the bush. Some of the old cows go steadily enough in the right +direction, but others, and especially the young heifers, are +continually bunting one another, and trying to push their next +neighbours into the ditch. Several, tempted by a pleasant field of +barley, have leapt over a broken rail, and are eating and trampling +down all before them. But soon they are perceived by the dusky +herdsman, who incontinently shrieks like one possessed by demons, and +rushing after the stray kine with a bough hastily picked up, chases +and belabours them up and down the field (the gate of which he has +never thought of opening), until he has done as much mischief as +possible to the crop. Somebody then opens the gate for him, and the +cattle are at length secured in the yard. + +Next arrives a flock of two thousand sheep, driven by white +shepherds. On coming to the entrance of the fold-yard, they stop and +hesitate, refusing to enter. All is uncertainty and confusion, the +rearmost urged forward by the shout of the men and the barking of the +dogs, who run from side to side, thrusting their noses into the soft +white fleeces, press into the mass; great is the scuffle, the rush, +and the pattering of feet over the loose pebbles of the yard. At +length, a hardy and determined ram in the vanguard gives a leap of +ten feet through the open gateway, and the others hustle through +after him, every one leaping as he had done, and all congratulating +themselves on having thus cleverly eluded the designs of some unseen +enemy. + +I do not intend to give an account of the races, though they afforded +more amusement probably than is common at Epsom or Ascot. Every one +knew everybody and everybody's horse; and as the horses were +generally ridden by gentlemen, there was no doubt of fair play. +There was an accident, as usual, in the hurdle-race; but not being +fatal, it did not interrupt the sports. Large groups of the natives, +sitting on the ground, or standing leaning on their spears, gave +increased effect to the picturesque scenery. Some clumps of +forest-trees still occupied the centre of the course, and through +these you caught glimpses of coloured jackets and jockey-caps as they +flashed by. The green side of Mount Bakewell was spotted with sheep, +and above them frowned a forest of dark trees. + +A loaf of bread stuck upon a spear was a mark and a prize for native +dexterity. The dusky savages forming a line in front, and clustering +eagerly upon one another behind, took their turns to throw at the +coveted target; and every time that a spear left the womera, or +throwing-stick, and missed the mark, a shrill yell burst +simultaneously from the mass, relieving the excitement which had been +pent up in every breast. But when a successful spear struck down the +loaf, trebly wild and shrill was the yell that rent the air. + +The York and Northam districts afford a vast quantity of land +suitable for all kinds of grain. The sheep and cattle runs are +excellent, but they are now fully stocked, and new settlers must +direct their steps to the southward, the Dale and Hotham districts +affording scope and verge enough for many a flock and herd. Our own +sheep were generally kept at a squatting station on the Hotham, some +sixty or seventy miles south of York. Thither, after the races, we +drove to inspect the flock. There was no road, and only an endless +succession of trees, and of gently rising and falling country. How +my brother and his men used to manage to hit upon the site of the +location is more than I can conjecture. People accustomed to the +bush seem to acquire, like the natives, the faculty of knowing +exactly the direction, position, and distance of the spot they want +to reach. + +On the way, we fell in with one of those extraordinary nests +constructed by that singular bird called by the natives the Now. Mr. +Gould's description of a similar bird in New South Wales, the Brush +Turkey 'Talegalla Lathami' does not exactly tally with that which we +should give of the Now. His description is as follows: -- "For some +weeks previous to laying its eggs, the Brush turkey collects together +an immense mass of vegetable matter, varying from two to four +cart-loads, with which it forms a pyramidal heap; in this heap it +plants its eggs about eighteen inches deep, and from nine to twelve +inches apart. The eggs are always placed with the large ends +upwards, being carefully covered, and are then left to hatch by the +heat engendered by the decomposition of the surrounding matter. The +heaps are formed by the labours of several pairs of birds. The eggs +are white, about three inches and three quarters long by two and a +half in diameter, and have an excellent flavour." + +Of this bird, Professor Owen observes, "On comparing the osteology of +the 'Talegalla' with that of other birds, it exhibits all the +essential modifications which characterize the gallinaceous tribe; +and among the Rasores, it most nearly resembles the genera Penelope +and Crax." + +The Now of Western Australia does not build its nest of vegetable +substances, but collects together an immense heap of earth, sand, and +small stones, into the form of a broad cone, four or five feet high +in the centre, and about ten feet across. Directly in the centre it +either leaves or subsequently hollows out a hole large enough to +admit itself, into which it descends and deposits its eggs. The +powerful summer sun heats the earth sufficiently to hatch the eggs, +and the young birds come forth active and able to provide for +themselves. Not the least astonishing part to me is, how they manage +to scramble out of that deep hole. The natives declare that the hen +frequently visits the nest, and watches the progress of incubation, +and then when the young ones are hatched, they get upon her back, and +she scrambles out with her family about her. + +This bird is about the size of a pheasant, has long legs, and a very +deep breast-bone. It runs fast. Each nest is supposed to be built +by a single bird, but it is believed that other birds may occupy them +in succeeding seasons. + +In the afternoon of the second day after leaving York, we descended +into a broad valley, abounding with grass and scattered gum-trees. A +large flock of sheep were being driven towards the bottom of the +valley, where we could discern signs of human habitation. + +On arriving, we found a hut built of piles or stakes interwoven with +boughs, before the door of which was a fire with a large pot upon it, +from which a powerful steam arose that was evidently very grateful to +a group of natives seated around. Two families seemed to compose +this group, consisting of a couple of men, four women, and five or +six children of various ages. As we drew nigh, the whole party, +without rising, uttered a wild scream of welcome, accompanied by that +loud laughter which always seems to escape so readily from this +light-hearted and empty-headed people. + +On descending from the vehicle, and looking in at the hut door, we +perceived lying in his shirt-sleeves on a couch composed of +grass-tree tops covered with blankets and a rug made of opossum +skins, the illustrious Meliboeus himself, with a short black pipe in +his mouth, and a handsome edition of "Lalla Rookh" in his hand. +Perceiving us, he jumped up, and expressing his loud surprise, +welcomed us to this rustic Castle of Indolence. + +When a large flock of sheep is sent into the bush, and a squatting +station is formed, the shepherds take the sheep out to pasture every +morning, and bring them home at night, whilst one of the party always +remains at the station to protect the provisions from being stolen by +the natives. This person is called the hut-keeper. His duty is to +boil the pork, or kangaroo flesh, and provide supper, etc., for the +shepherds on their return at night. Meliboeus, who superintended +this station, undertook the duties of cooking and guarding the hut +whenever he did not feel disposed to go out kangaroo-hunting, or +shooting wild turkeys or cockatoos. In all things, sports or +labours, the natives were his daily assistants, and in return for +their services were rewarded with the fore-quarters of the kangaroos +killed, and occasionally with a pound or two of flour. There were +some noble dogs at the station, descendants of Jezebel and Nero; and +my brother had a young kangaroo, which hopped in and out with the +utmost confidence, coming up to any one who happened to be eating, +and insisting upon having pieces of bread given to it. Full of fun +and spirits, it would sport about as playfully as a kitten; and it +was very amusing to see how it would tease the dogs, pulling them +about with its sharp claws, and trying to roll them over on the +ground. The dogs, who were in the daily habit of killing kangaroos, +never attempted to bite Minny, who sometimes teased them so heartily, +that they would put their tails between their legs and fairly run +away. + +The great enemies of the sheep in the Australian colonies are the +wild-dogs. At York, and in the other settled districts, they are +very troublesome, and require the shepherd to keep a constant +lookout. We were therefore much surprised to learn that although +wild dogs abounded near this squatting station, they never attempted +to touch our flocks. A sheep was to them a new animal; they had yet +to learn the value of mutton. A cowardly race, they are easily +intimidated, and as they have not the art of jumping or clambering +over a fence, a low sheep-fold will keep them out, provided they +cannot force their way under the palings or hurdles. They cannot +bark, and utter only a melancholy howl. The bitch generally litters +in a hollow tree, and produces four or five puppies at a birth. + +The production of wool -- the careful acquisition of a good flock of +well-bred sheep, and the attainment of the highest degree of +perfection in preparing the fleeces for the English market -- appears +to us to be the proper ambition of an emigrant to the Australian +colonies. When ill-health compelled my steps hither, it was the +intention of myself and brothers to invest our capital entirely in +sheep; and retiring into the bush for some six or seven years, +gradually accumulate a large flock, the produce of which would soon +have afforded a handsome income. It has never, however, appeared to +be the object of either the Home Government or the Local Government +of any colony (though unquestionably the interest of both) to +encourage emigration. Settlers have invariably every possible +difficulty thrown in their way. On arriving in this colony, we found +to our astonishment that squatting was illegal, and that we would not +be allowed, as we had designed to carry our goods into the interior +and form a station upon Government land. No license could at that +time be obtained, and if we bought the smallest section allowed to be +sold, which was 640 acres, for as many pounds, it was ten to one but +we should soon find the district in which it was situated +insufficient for the run of a large flock, and should have to change +our quarters again. The consequence was, that we were compelled to +abandon our project: my brothers took a farm at a high rent, and +wasted their capital upon objects that could never bring in a good +return; whilst I (infelix!), instead of listening to the gentle +bleatings of sheep, and ministering to the early comforts of innocent +lambs, have been compelled to hearken to the angry altercations of +plaintiff and defendant, and decide upon the amount of damages due to +injured innocence when the pot had insulted the kettle. + +Now, however, limited licenses are granted to persons wishing to go +as squatters upon Government land; and even before these were issued, +we were OBLIGED to send our sheep upon Crown lands, and form a +station, for want of room in the settled districts. + +Sheep flocks constitute doubtlessly one of the most profitable +investments for the employment of capital, notwithstanding the many +obstacles and discouragements still thrown by both governments in the +way of the wool-grower. They yield a very large return TO THOSE WHO +ATTEND TO THEM IN PERSON, and who confine their attention entirely to +that pursuit, growing only corn enough for their own consumption. + + + +CHAPTER 21. + +EXTRACTS FROM THE LOG OF A HUT-KEEPER. + +May 10th. -- Felt rather lonely to-day, in the midst of this endless +solitude. Sat before the hut-door thinking of Zimmerman and his +Reflections. Also thought of Brasenose, Oxford, and my narrow escape +from Euclid and Greek plays. Davus sum, non Oedipus. Set to work, +and cooked a kangaroo stew for the three shepherds. + +June 4th. -- We have removed the sheep from the Dale to the Avon. We +go wandering about with our flocks and baggage like the Israelites of +old, from one patch of good grass to another. I wonder how long it +will be before we make our fortunes? + +28th. -- K. arrived from York with a supply of flour, pork, tea and +sugar. Brings no news from England, or anywhere else. Where the +deuce are all the ships gone to, that we get no letters? Moved the +station to Corbeding. + +29th. -- K. returned to York with his bullock-cart. No chance of my +being relieved at present. Went out by myself kangarooing. The pup, +Hector, out of Jezebel, will make a splendid dog. First kangaroo +fought like a devil; Hector, fearing nothing, dashed at him, and got +a severe wound in the throat; but returned to the charge, after +looking on for a few moments. Crossed an immense grassy plain, eight +or nine miles wide, without a tree upon it. Had to carry a kangaroo +more than five miles on my back. Wished it at Hanover, and twice +abandoned it, but returned for it again, being so much in want of +fresh meat. + +30th. -- Spent the day in dreary solitude in the hut. All my books +have been read, re-read, and re-re-read. + +July 1st. -- Went out with the dogs, and caught three kangaroos. +Passed over some splendid country -- wish it were peopled with white +humans. How pleasant to have been able to call at a cottage, and get +a draught of home-brewed! On the contrary, could not find even a +pond, or a pint of water, and was nearly worried to death by +sand-flies. + +2d. -- Some scabby sheep having got among our flock, have played the +deuce with it. The scab has regularly broke out. I had rather it +were the plague or Asiatic cholera, and cleared them all off (my own +sheep are fortunately at York). Dressing lambs all morning -- +beastly work. In the afternoon went out with the sheep, and left +James to mind the hut. Sand-flies infernal. + +3d, Sunday. -- Stayed in the hut all day. Smoked sheep-tobacco,* all +my Turkish being finished. Felt pious, and wrote a short sermon, +choosing the text at random -- Jeremiah ii. 7: "And I brought you +into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness +thereof." Read it at night to the shepherds. James said it was +"slap-up." + + +[footnote] *Coarse pig-tail, used as a decoction for dressing the +diseased sheep. + + +4th. -- Went out kangarooing. Killed an immense fellow: when +standing on his hind legs fighting with me and the dogs, he was a +foot higher than myself. He ran at me, and nearly gave me a +desperate dig with his claw, which tore my only good hunting-shirt +miserably. Smashed his skull for it. + +5th and 6th. -- Dressing sheep all day. Out [band of] York natives, +whom we have hitherto kept with us, are all gone home again, leaving +me and my three men, with only two guns, among a suspicious and +treacherous tribe that cannot understand a word we say to them. Wish +my brothers would come and look after their own sheep. It would do +E.'s health more good than sitting in Court, hearing a set of fools +jabber. Sand-flies eat us alive here, and the mosquitoes polish our +bones. + +7th. -- Muston and myself dressed fifty sheep to-day. John out with +part of the flock. + +8th. -- Heavy rain last night. Cannot go on dressing. Did nothing all day. + +9th. -- Stayed in the hut doing nothing. + +10th, Sunday. -- Ditto. + +11th. -- Tired of doing nothing. Dressed sheep most of the day. +Muston out kangarooing; caught three. + +12th. -- Cooking. Made a "sea-pie," which was generally admired. + +August 1st. -- The Doctor arrived from York, driving tandem in E.'s +trap. He has brought me a parcel of books just come from England. +Blessings on my dear sister for remembering me. I thought myself +forgotten by all the world. Sisters (Heaven for ever bless them!) +are the only people that never forget. News from home! How many +thoughts come flooding upon me! + +2d. -- Last night, I confess, I cried myself to sleep, like a great +big baby. I am very comfortable and contented so long as I receive +no letter from home; and yet I am such a fool as to wish for them; +and when they come I am made miserable for a week afterwards. +Somehow, they make me feel my loneliness more. I feel deserted, +forgotten by all but ONE. She says she is constantly wishing for me +in her rides. They seem to enjoy themselves more at home than they +used to do, now that we are gone -- always picknicking, boating, or +forming riding parties. "Fairy" continues the favourite -- I always +thought she was a good hack. "Light-foot," whom I lamed hunting, was +obliged to be sold. It seems to be a sore subject with the Governor. +I wonder how Juno has turned out; she was a splendid-looking whelp. +I wish they'd enter more into particulars when they write. It's +ridiculous my asking questions, as it will be more than a year before +answers can arrive. They ought to write about EVERY THING. I cannot +bear to think to-day of anything but home. + +3d. -- The Doctor gone back to York -- sulky about the sheep being so +bad. Why does he not send us more tobacco and turpentine? Says we +smoke it all. The Doctor is an ----. Promises to send K. next week +with mercurial ointment; it is therefore useless to waste any more +tobacco on the sheep -- the stock is low enough as it is. + +4th. -- Lay all day on my couch, reading "Rose d'Albret." Wish I had +her here. One wants somebody to sympathize with so desperately in +the bush. + +5th. -- Ditto, ditto. + +6th. -- Reading Punch all morning. In the afternoon made a damper, +baked it, and eat it in company with the others. "Pit a cake, pat a +cake, baker's man!" etc. + +16th. -- Dressing sheep all day with mercurial ointment. Wish this +job was over. Dreadful work bending one's back all day, and rooting +amongst the wool for the diseased places. + +18th. -- Went out with the dogs, and killed two kangaroos. It rained +tremendously all the time, and I wish the kangaroos at the ----. +The natives happened to be hunting in a large party, driving the game +before them; and as I stood in the midst of a large plain which they +had surrounded on three sides, multitudes of kangaroos -- I believe I +might say thousands -- of all sizes, came rushing past me. The dogs +were quite bewildered, and remained at my side aghast; and it was +several minutes before they recovered themselves enough to give +chase. The natives took no notice of me. In the evening fifty of +them came about the hut. We took care to show our guns, and I shot a +green parrot, sixty yards off, just to show them what we could do. +They were quite peaceable, and danced a corrobery at night. + +20th. -- I dressed twenty-five sheep this morning myself. In the +afternoon William came from York with six hundred more sheep (mine +among them), which were found to be scabby. More work! This is +really too bad, thrusting all this cursed business upon me. He had +been four days coming, and had not lost a single sheep. + +21st. -- Went out kangarooing, quite disgusted. Wandered a long +distance, and had to carry a large buck several miles. Could +scarcely find my way back, but at length got home (!!) quite knocked +up, and more and more disgusted with human nature and every thing. + +22d. -- The Doctor is enjoying himself at York, and E. lives on the +fat of the land at Perth, whilst I have never tasted anything but +salt pork and kangaroo for many months, and have nothing to drink but +tea. I have almost forgotten the taste of a potato. We have nothing +here but kangaroo and pork, and unleavened bread, called damper. I +wish I could exchange our bill of fare occasionally with that French +fellow who complained of having "toujours perdrix." He would be the +loser, I take it. I could eat even perdrix aux choux -- a +villanous dish formerly -- but we have no more cabbages than +partridges to thank God for. I have long been obliged to leave off +saying "grace after meat;" it really became an impious mockery, and +was also impolitic and uneconomical, as my stomach used to turn +against it. I consulted John this morning about killing a sheep, as +none of them seemed inclined to die naturally. John caught at the +idea with great quickness. He really is an intelligent fellow; and +both he and the other poor devils are so patient and unrepining, that +the Doctor is little better than a beast not to order them some +mutton occasionally. I consider it absolutely necessary for their +health. We fixed upon one of E.'s sheep, as it looked the fattest; +and he being the richest, and never coming himself to look at his +flock, will not care about a few sheep more or less. I'd kill one of +my own, but they are such a seedy lot. No one is answerable for the +murder of this sheep but myself, as I hereby confess that I killed it +with my own hand, and afterwards held a coroner's inquest on the +body, directing a verdict of "Visitation of Providence" to be +recorded in the accounts relating to the flock. We had the liver for +supper. Excellent! never tasted anything half so good. + +23d. -- Dined on sheep's head and trotters. (Tea to drink, toujours.) + +24th. -- Saddle of mutton. + +25th. -- Leg. + +26th. -- Shoulder. + +27th. -- Leg. + +28th. -- Shoulder. + +29th. -- Finished the sheep, and polished the bones. + +[The rest of the Journal runs on much in the same way. This specimen +will probably be enough for the reader.] + + + +CHAPTER 22. + +PELICAN SHOOTING. -- GALES. -- WRESTLING WITH DEATH. + +The large estuary of the Swan affords ample scope for boating or +sailing in small pleasure-yachts. + +Perth water, on the northern bank of which the capital is built, +extends from two to three miles in length, and about the same +distance in its broadest part, its form being that of a half moon. +It is connected with Melville water by an opening of a quarter of a +mile across. Melville water is some six miles long, and from three +to four broad; a splendid bay, called Freshwater Bay, developes +itself at the western extremity of this fine sheet of water; and the +river, or estuary, here makes a turn at right angles, and pursues its +course towards the sea between high precipitous rocks of marine +limestone, which are from six to seven hundred yards apart. + +My pleasure-boat has enabled me to pass many agreeable hours upon +this estuary. + +At first, especially, it was exceedingly pleasant to make expeditions +for the purpose of exploring the different bays and inlets, which +abounded with ducks, swans, and pelicans. + +My youngest brother and myself would frequently rise at a good hour, +and having supplied our little vessel with a stock of provisions, and +a few bottles of ale or other drinkables, hoist the sails, and bear +away upon a cruise. The warm dry air, tempered by the sea-breeze, +made boating exceedingly pleasant; and as we often touched at gardens +situated at the mouth of the Canning, or on the shores of Melville +water, and procured a basket of grapes, or peaches and melons, we +managed to lunch luxuriously, having first cast anchor and bathed. + +Many readers must have felt the excitement experienced by young +sportsmen when they have the luck to fall in with some bird or +animal not previously known to them. Every one remembers the +delight with which, when a boy, he shot his first wood-pigeon, or +lay in ambush behind a hedge for an old crow. + +When first we beheld a group of huge tall birds, standing lazily in +the sunshine upon a sand-spit which ran far into Melville water, we +could scarcely believe our eyes that these were really live pelicans; +and it was not only with intense interest, but with feelings of +self-reproach, that we drew nigh with hostile intentions to birds +which in the days of our boyhood, when visiting Mr. Wombwell's +menagerie, had filled us with awe and reverence, as creatures that +were wont to evince the depth of parental devotion by feeding their +young with their own blood. + +Our first overt act of hostility against the pelicans was +unsuccessful. The sea-breeze was blowing strong, and we had to beat +out against it close-hauled; just as we made the last board, and were +bearing down upon the enemy, the huge, heavy birds, awakening from +the siesta "with a start," raised their heads and looked about them. +Then the foremost began to flap his long wings, and lift himself on +tip-toe, whilst the others followed his example; and soon they were +all heavily skimming along the surface of the water, trying to launch +themselves fairly into the upward air; and having at length +succeeded, they rose higher and higher in wide gyrations. The leader +seemed resolved to hide himself in the distant blue of the cloudless +heavens; and upward -- up, up, up -- they continued to mount, going +round, and round, and round, in lessening circles -- whilst the +spectator gazed in wonder at the slowly diminishing specks, that were +almost lost in ether; and at length, moving slowly towards the east +-- the unknown, mysterious wilderness -- they altogether faded away. +We have heard of eagles soaring into the sun, but I doubt whether +even they could soar much higher, or look much grander, than the +noble pelican of the desert. + +The sheets were eased off, the long boom of the graceful +sliding-gunter (a kind of latteen) sail, stretched far over the +gun-wale of the boat, which slipped along easily and rapidly through +the water, the rolling waves heaving up her stern, and sending her +forward with a gentle impulse. We were opening the broad mouth of +the Canning, when Meliboeus pointed out two other pelicans fishing +in-shore on the lee-bow. Gently we edged away towards them; +Meliboeus standing before the mast with his double-barrel ready, and +motioning to me how to steer, as the main-sail hid the birds from my +view. + +They perceived us, and began to swim along shore at a rapid rate; the +water was shoaling fast, and we greatly feared they would escape, but +still we held on. The majestic birds rose slowly from the water, one +following the other, and made towards the Canning. "I'll let fly at +them" cried Meliboeus, in an intense whisper, "luff up! -- +hard-a-lee!" The helm was jammed down, and the sheet hauled in; the +boat luffed into the wind, and became stationary, only bobbing upon +the waves, whilst her sails shivered and rattled in the breeze. +Meliboeus fired -- and the hindmost bird declined gradually towards +the water; its long wings became fixed and motionless at their widest +stretch, and slowly it sank down upon its heaving death-bed. Loud +shouted the sportsman; and momentary envy filled the heart of him who +steered. + +Away goes the boat before the freshening breeze, and soon it dashes +past the body of the pelican, which is seized by the ready Meliboeus, +and with great difficulty hauled on board. A shot had penetrated to +its brain and killed it instantaneously. The wind up the Canning was +nearly abeam, and we dashed through the deep and narrow passage +called Hell's Gates, and held on till we came to the foot of a steep +and rounded hill, Mount Henry. The river here turns at right angles, +sweeping round the base of the hill, and leaving a broad and deep bay +called Bull's Creek, to the southward. This is a famous spot for +ducks and swans, and many a pleasant bivouac have I formed near it, +waiting for early morn when the birds are busy feeding. As we +rounded Mount Henry, we observed a large slate-coloured bird lazily +flying across the river ahead of us. The Canning is here about four +hundred yards broad, widening occasionally to a quarter of a mile. +The wind was now right aft, and we soon came upon the line of the +bird, which appeared to be a crested crane. The boom was topped-up +in a moment, the jib-sheet let fly, and the boat's nose ran crashing +through the sedges which in this part fringed the bank. The crane +had alighted on the very summit of a straight and lofty tree, and +there she sat, unconscious of the danger at hand. + +Too much excited to care for any obstacles, and with eyes ever fixed +upon the game, I tore my way through brambles, thickets, water and +mud, until with no little difficulty I arrived at ground free from +underwood. The bird was still sitting patiently on her lofty perch, +and my heart beat anxiously with hope that I should be able to creep +within shot. What a moment of interest! It is still vivid in the +memory, with all its doubts and fears and wildly-beating hopes. The +crane seemed preparing to fly. Death! I felt nearly distracted with +apprehension. The interest and excitement became intense. I crept +from tree to tree, and whenever I thought I was observed, stood +motionless. My eye-balls became dry and hard with incessant gazing. +I feared to wink lest she should be gone. She extended her wings! I +bounded forward. She was just off, and barely within reach, as I +fired; a single number two shot struck her pinion, and down she +tumbled to the ground with a glorious wallop. + +A loud shout from Meliboeus, who had sat in the boat scarcely daring +to breathe, proclaimed the presence of a witness to my triumph. + +Since then I have shot cranes without emotion or much feeling of +interest. + +Boating, as an amusement, ought only to be followed during the summer +months, from the 1st of October to the 1st of April. In the winter +season there are extremely violent gales of wind from the north-west, +that sometimes last for three days together. Their arrival is +generally foretold by the rapid falling of the barometer; and at +Perth it is almost always preceded by the rising of the estuary. A +singular storm visited the district of Australind in the night of the +17th June, 1842. It crossed the Leschenault estuary, and entered the +forest, making a lane through the trees from three to four hundred +yards wide. In this lane, which extended for many miles, nothing was +left standing but the stumps of trees; whilst the trees on either +wide of the land stood up like a wall and were perfectly uninjured. +The storm in its course, which was in a direct line from N.W. to S.E. +levelled the trees in the valleys as well as those on the hills. Its +effects were not like those of a whirlwind, when trees appear twisted +round, and scattered in every direction; in this lane the young +healthy trees, which were generally broken off about two or three +yards from the ground, all lay in the same direction. + +Twice have I nearly paid dearly for my rashness in boating. My boat +was once capsized in a moment in a squall, and Hannibal and myself +were soused in the water before we knew what had happened. I caught +hold of the bilge of the boat, and nearly drowned myself with +laughing at the Son of Amilcar, who was splashing about shrieking +with terror, and swallowing quarts of salt-water, as his open mouth +popped every moment under a wave. In vain I called to him to come to +me, and lay hold of the boat; he could neither see nor hear, and +would have soon joined his illustrious namesake in the Elysian +fields, had I not managed to throw the bight of a rope round his +neck, and towed him within reach, when I held him up by the collar of +his jacket (ducking him under water occasionally to make him cease +from howling) until we were rescued by a fishing-boat. + +One day, the 11th April, 1843, feeling disposed to take my book on +the water and enjoy the calm air, I embarked by myself -- a most +unusual occurrence, as I scarcely ever went out alone. What little +wind there was blew down the estuary, but only gently ruffled the +waters; and my boat glided noiselessly before it. A couple of hours +took me to the farther extremity of Melville water, and here it fell +calm. I now began to feel uncomfortable, for the air was close, and +dark clouds appeared rising in the north-west. The wind began to +blow in gusts; a sudden puff, curling the waters, would strike the +boat and make her heel over until her gunwale kissed the wave, as +with a sudden start she rushed forward under the impulse of the +blast. I was now making homeward. The heavens became black with +angry clouds; the wind first sighed and moaned like a reluctant +Spirit driven forth to fulfil its task of evil, feeling something of +remorse at crimes foreshadowed and inevitable; and then working +itself into fury, as though it would stifle thought, and crush out +the germ of pity, the Wind in its might and rage rushed roaring over +the waters, making the foam fly before it, and tearing up the face of +the estuary into rugged lines of wild tumultuous waves. The little +bark vainly strove to keep her head to the storm, which bore her down +until the water poured over the gunwale. + +It was about six o'clock in the evening, and darkness, hurried on +prematurely by the tempest, spread suddenly around. The waves, as if +trying to leap beyond the reach of some internal agony, rolled high +above my head, as the "Fair Maid of Perth" sank hopelessly in the +deep channel, with rocking mast and shivering sails. But not yet +submerged, she rose again, and fronted the storm, struggling +desperately to reach the northern shore, which was not far distant. +But the skies grew blacker still; the storm became a hurricane; the +wind roared so loud that no voice of human agony or despair might be +heard above its tremendous fury; the waves grew higher and mightier, +and became rushing hills of water, overwhelming, irresistible. To +me, quailing in my frail bark, in all the consciousness of +helplessness and ruin, it seemed as though the winds and the waves +were really sentient beings combining to overwhelm me, and increasing +their efforts the more I struggled. + +This is no fiction that I am relating, but a reality that happened to +myself, and which it would be impossible to exaggerate. Never shall +I forget the last tremendous wave that came down upon me, impelled by +a maddening gust which whirled tearing along through the wild air, +and scooping its deep passage through the waters. In vain was the +jib-sheet let fly; in vain did I luff into the wind. I could not +quit the helm, and therefore was unable to lower the sail which in +that hurricane could not have been got in easily, and in the meantime +the boat, breaking off from the wind, would have been swamped. I was +so near the shore that I hoped still to reach it, the wind being +abeam, in the course of a few minutes. But nothing could withstand +the last wave and blast. The boat lurched, and broke off. Hurled on +her beam-ends, the boom was in the water; the waves rushed over the +side; she struggled bravely, and tried to right herself; but after +staggering forwards a few seconds, the weight of the in-rushing water +bore her down, and she slowly fell over on her side. The sensation +was by no means pleasant. I felt her going, without being able to +prevent it. I glanced around for aid or hope; but there was neither. +I could see nothing but waves, and hear nothing but the roaring +blast. The shore was close to me, but the high waves, and the +darkness of the hurricane, prevented my discerning even the tops of +the trees. As the boat capsized, I kicked off my shoes and threw off +my coat and waistcoat, and seizing the main-sheet, let myself down in +the water, trying to find bottom, but there was none within reach. + +I struck out towards the shore, but the ablest swimmer that ever swam +could have made no progress against that sea, and I could scarcely +swim at all. + +I scrambled back to the boat, which now lay on her side, level with +the surface. On getting upon her, you may conceive -- but no! you +cannot -- the horror of the moment, as I felt her gradually go down +-- sink, sinking beneath me. All now seemed over. My time had +arrived; my last moment was come. I collected my thoughts, and +prepared for it. + +I did not feel so much terror as I should have anticipated in such +a scene. Death seemed inevitable, and I nerved myself, and prayed. +All the past did NOT press upon me at this moment, in this death- +struggle, as some readers may imagine. I thought not of my sins, nor +of my friends, nor of time misspent and work left undone -- my whole +mind was absorbed in the sense of DEATH and FUTURITY. The glances, +rather than the thoughts which shot across my soul, seemed like +revealings of immortality. My sensations were mixed of horror and +hope; the CHANGE from the old to the new Life seemed beginning +within me. It might have been excess of terror, but I did not feel +terrified. I felt that all was over, and there was no room for the +anguish that arises from doubt. All struggling was vain, and though +in tumult and horror, I yet felt resigned. The World of Time was +past, and new being was at hand. + +Such is the memory which I must ever bear of the hour when (yet +vigorous and full of Life) I was held in the arms of Death. + +The boat went down. The waves rushed over me; the enemy held me by +the throat, and seemed to press me into the opening grave. Even as +the light faded from my eyes, and the Spirit waited for that quick, +sharp touch of the dart which should free it from the bonds of mortal +life, I perceived the stem of the boat rising slowly out of the +waves, whilst the stern was borne down by my weight. + +Instinctively I swam forward, and got upon another part of the boat. +Down it went again; and as the water dashed against my face, I saw +the stern now rising up, whilst the stem plunged down into the depths +below. I scrambled amidships; the sea and the wind struck her, and +she rolled heavily over, righting herself for a moment, with her mast +and sail erect; but soon she lay on her larboard side, deep in the +water. I had been washed off her, but clung to the main-sheet, and +so got back again. I now held on to the side with one hand, whilst I +managed to strip off all my clothes except my shirt and flannel +waistcoat, first taking my knife out of my pocket. With this I tried +to cut away the stays which held the mast in its place, hoping that +it would then fall out, and relieve the boat of the sails which +weighed her down so low in the water. Most fortunately I had not +sand-ballast, in tarred bags, as most of our pleasure-boats had, but +water-ballast in breakers, which now proved no additional burthen to +the boat. It was also fortunate that she was built partly of deal, +and had only her lower streaks of jarra wood, which does not float. + +The blade of the knife, which was only a pen-knife, soon broke, and I +was obliged to give up the attempt to remove the sails. Still the +hurricane blew on, wild and terrible as ever; the spray washed over +me like rain; the waves dashed me repeatedly from the boat, which was +whirled and tossed about in a strange manner; sometimes rolling +completely over, sometimes going down head, and sometimes stern +foremost, I had to scramble from part to part, and exercise a good +deal of agility in saving myself from being struck by the gunwale, or +by the boom and sail, as they rose from the water and fell back again. + +And now I could see but small prospect of being eventually saved. +The only chance was that the boat would drift, in the course of time, +across the estuary, here nearly four miles broad. Then I tried, and +for a long time vainly, to ascertain whether she drifted at all. The +anchor, with about five-and-twenty feet of cable, had doubtless +fallen out, and the boat was probably stationary. Night had set in, +and it was too dark to distinguish even the shore with its forest of +trees. These gales sometimes continue three days, and I knew it +would be impossible to exist many hours immersed in water. I dreaded +lest I should become benumbed and unable to hold on to the boat. + +In order to keep up circulation as much as possible, I shouted aloud, +and rubbed my breast and thighs with my disengaged hand. + +Some dark object was on the water near me. It moved; it came quickly +towards me. I could just discern that it was a whale-boat containing +several men. It had no sails or oars, yet it flew before the blast. +I shouted and screamed as it went by, not twenty yards from me; and +the men turned their heads and waved their arms, and doubtless +answered, but the gale roared with unabated fury, the waves +intercepted them from my sight, and I could not hear their voices.* + + +[footnote] *These men were about a mile and a half astern of me, when +the hurricane began, and tried to pull in shore; but just as they +thought to have reached it, one of their oars broke, and being now +helpless, they were obliged to scud before the wind. By good fortune +they were carried up the Canning, where they remained all night. + + +The moon had now risen, and the clouds were partially dispersed, so +that I could at length distinguish the woods on the weather-shore; +and I could see the weary waste of waters over which I must drift +before I could possibly be saved. + +Sometimes the wind blew with lessened violence, and I could sit upon +the submerged bilge of the boat, and consider my state and prospects. +After long observation, I felt assured that the boat did really +drift, but it was very slowly; and I feared that as we approached the +other shore, her anchor must inevitably bring her up in twenty-five +feet water, and that nothing could save me from perishing of cold. +It never occurred to me during this memorable night, that when I set +sail in the afternoon I had shortened the cable to about five feet in +length, in order the more easily to trip the anchor. This was one of +the circumstances, providentially ordered, that tended to save my +life. + +Some miles down the estuary I could distinguish a light in the house +at Point Walter, high placed on a steep bank; there two of my friends +were at that moment carousing, whilst I was being buffetted by waves +and tempest, and fearing that the saturated sails and heavy wood at +length would sink the unfortunate boat to the bottom. I yet could +scarcely hope to escape; my mind was still made up to die, and I +tranquilly awaited the event. + +The moon had now made half of her journey across the heavens; the +wind had moderated, and I redoubled my exertions to keep off the cold +by shouting and rubbing myself. My flannel-shirt was another +instrument of safety to me. It felt warm to my body though the waves +poured continually over it. + +The outline of the forest on the lee side of the estuary was now +distinguishable, and hope would have been rife within me but for the +expectation of finding myself anchored fast at a fatal distance from +the shore. + +Every thing appeared so indistinct in the gloom of the night, that I +could not guess how far I was from land; and it was with surprise, as +well as delight and gratitude, that I felt the boat bump against the +sand. Oh that first bump, which told me of safety and deliverance +after five hours of incessant peril! Shall I ever forget the thrill +of delight which it gave me? I could scarcely credit my senses, and +put down my benumbed feet with doubt; but they rested on the sand -- +real, hard, blessed terra firma! and without delay I waded through +the water to the beach. + +The wind had now fallen, and it began to rain. + +I was on the edge of a thick wilderness of forest, without any house +within reach -- the nearest was some miles distant, and to reach it +in the dark, and without shoes, through swamps and thickets was +almost impossible. + +The Canning River was about half-a-mile from me, and on the farther +side of it was a settler's house; but though I might reach the bank +of the river, I could not hope to make myself heard half a mile off, +amid the howling of the dying storm, and by people fast asleep. +There was nothing for it, therefore, but to make myself as +comfortable as possible, and remain where I was until morning. +Fortunately, I recollected having seen the ruins of a goat-shed not +far distant, when I had landed on this spot with my gun two or three +months before. With some difficulty, and some pain to my feet from +thorns, I discovered this relic of a hovel. Part of the roof was yet +entire, and sheltered me from the wind. + +The door was lying inside, and this I made my bed. Then, having +wrung out my shirt and flannel-waistcoat, and returned thanks to the +Almighty for preserving a life not, perhaps, sufficiently prized by +the owner, I lay down completely exhausted and fell asleep. + +Awaking at daylight, I started off through the woods, stiff and +hoarse with cold, but light of heart; and having reached the Canning, +succeeded at last in making myself heard by the farmer opposite, who +took me across in his boat, breakfasted me, and lent me his clothes, +and finally conveyed me to Perth, where I found my friends preparing +to go in search of my body. + + + +CHAPTER 23. + +THE DESERT OF AUSTRALIA. -- CAUSE OF THE HOT WINDS. -- GEOLOGY. + +I intend in this chapter* to give an explanation of the cause of the +hot-winds of Australia; to throw out a suggestion on the most likely +mode of prosecuting discovery towards the interior; and to conclude +with a slight sketch of the geology of the colony. Before doing this +I shall give a brief account of a journey made by myself and Mr. +Maxwell Lefroy in search of the inland sea so often talked of, and +which a native promised to show to us; so large, he said, that when +he stood on one shore he could not see the other. Although this sea +turned out to be a pure fiction, the journey was not entirely +useless, nor altogether uninteresting. As this sea was probably not +more than 200 miles distant from York, according to the reckoning of +the native, who said it was "ten sleeps off," I judged that one +month's provision would be sufficient. + + +[footnote] *This chapter I owe to Mr. Henry Landor. + + +Accordingly, Mr. Lefroy and myself started on the expedition, on +horseback, taking with us a native boy, and a pack-horse loaded with +flour, tea, and sugar, and other necessaries. It will be sufficient +to state that we pursued a south-east course, crossing the Hotham, +the Williams, and the Arthur rivers, and traversing an indifferent +country, but in many places fit for sheep-grazing, before we came to +the lake, or sea, of which we were in search. When we arrived at it, +we were disappointed to find it not more than six miles long, +although the natives, with their usual amount of exaggeration, had +increased it to an illimitable ocean. Before descending from the +high land to the plain in which the lakes are situated, we caught a +distant glimpse of what appeared to be a grand and broad river, +pursuing a winding course through a magnificently wooded valley, with +its clear bright waters dwindling in the distance to a silvery +thread. A nearer examination, however, dispelled the illusion, and +the beautiful river turned out to be nothing more than a chain of +shallow lakes, situated in a woody valley; and only in very wet +seasons flowing from one to another. + +We determined to follow the chain of lakes eastward, so long as our +provisions should last, or as long as our horses could find food for +themselves. We proceeded east for six days, passing numberless +lakes, and observing that the chain divided, one branch of lakes +running north-east, and the other due east. We followed the latter +until we came to a lake called Dambeling, by far the largest we had +seen, being about fifteen miles long by seven or eight wide, with a +good sheep country on its northern bank, and a river, which we called +the Lefroy, falling into its eastern end. The river was about thirty +yards wide, with a clayey bed, and large fresh-water pools, and +flowed from the east, through the worst country we had seen, it being +an apparently endless desert, and level to the horizon. We went one +day's journey into this inhospitable country, but the want of food +for our horses, and our own unprepared state, prevented us from +penetrating farther. On our return, we went for two or three days +north, on the outskirts of the desert, before we turned westward on +our way back to York. + +The only land we crossed in this expedition was situated on the head +of the Hotham and Williams. The area of this country is undoubtedly +very great, but its average character is below the York district, +although it is well adapted for sheep-grazing. + +But the most interesting feature is the barren and desolate country +to the east of Lake Dambeling, doubtless a continuation of the same +sterile country seen by Mr. Roe, the surveyor-General, east of York +many years previously; and probably from Mr. Eyre's observation, +extending quite down to the southern coast. We had no means of +ascertaining the width of this dreary country, but we did not think +it could be impassably wide because the river Lefroy appeared to come +across it. This river, in a geographical point of view, may be +important, as the character of its bed, without trees, more +water-worn than the other rivers of the colony, its size, and the +direction from which it comes, render it exceedingly interesting to +determine how it is supplied. The sandy nature of the country on its +banks, and for many miles east, and the flatness of the country, +preclude the idea that it receives its supply of water from the +immediately surrounding district. It must either be supplied by a +country of a far better character to the eastward, or it is the +outlet of another and larger lake far in the interior. From the +natives we could learn nothing but that there were no kangaroos, no +opossums, and no water to the east; but as their knowledge never +extends 100 miles, and they would tell any lie to avoid going where +they had no inclination to go, their opinions are worthless. It +might be worth the while of the colony to send forth another +expedition to determine the boundaries of this desolate country, as +it is not improbable that a practicable rout might be discovered to +South Australia by means of the river and lakes. + +The outlet of the lakes is into the river Beaufort, and possibly also +into the Gordon. There is no doubt that in exceedingly wet seasons +the whole valley is one continuous stream, when all the lakes would +be united and present a truly magnificent appearance; but as the area +of evaporation is so large, and the banks of many of the lakes are +high, the quantity of rain must be enormous before the valley becomes +filled with a running river. Lake Barbering, where the valley +divides, has a steep shore, with three distinct marks of former +water-levels. All the lakes have two or more shores, showing either +a decrease of rain or an elevation of the land itself, probably both. +Between the present and ancient shores there is a belt of swamp-oaks +and tea-trees, which show that some length of time has elapsed since +the water left its old levels. + +The water to fill these large reservoirs must come down the river +Lefroy, as the neighbouring country is too sandy to supply it in +sufficient quantities. + +No question in geography has presented a wider field for conjecture +than the much-debated one of the nature of the interior of Australia. +Is it desert, or water, or pasture? inhabited, or destitute alike of +animal and vegetable life? The explorations of Captain Sturt, and +the journey of Mr. Eyre, would incline us to believe that the country +is one vast sterile waste; but the journey of the latter is worth +nothing as an attempt to expose the nature of the interior, since he +never left the coast. It certainly shows how much suffering the +human frame can endure; and whilst, as illustrative of Australian +geography, it is valueless, it is highly creditable to the energies +of the traveller. + +The expedition of Captain Sturt has shown that to the north of South +Australia the country is chiefly desert, totally incapable of +supporting animal life: while the geological specimens of that +traveller prove that the rich mineral strata of South Australia +extend far beyond the pastoral boundaries of the colony. A reference +to the journey of Mr. Lefroy and myself, from York to the south-east, +will show that there exists a low level country running far beyond +our farthest eastern point, which may afford abundance of water and +pasture for any future expedition proceeding in that direction. + +An expedition starting from these lakes in the BEGINNING OF WINTER, +so as to take advantage of the first supplies of water, might advance +far enough into the interior to discover at least the possibility of +proceeding before the succeeding summer would render it impossible to +return; for the lakes alone would not be sufficient to ensure a +supply of good drinkable water during the summer, as they generally +become quite salt long before summer is over. It would be necessary +to find a good deep water-hole for the party to remain at during the +dry season, and from which they could push out small lateral +expeditions as a sort of foundation for the next season's main +advance. Expeditions in Australia require great circumspection. It +is not the most rapid traveller who will get the farthest, but the +most prudent and cautious. I consider it quite possible to get +across the island, either to South Australia or to Port Essington. +Most probably it would be easier to get to the latter than the former. + +From observations made on the rains and winds in Western Australia, +and careful inquiries on the same subjects when I was in South +Australia, and on a comparison of the two, I am inclined to believe +that the climates of the two colonies assimilate. A wet winter in +one is a wet winter in the other. Both receive their rains when the +wind blows from the north-west to south-west. Thus the rains from +South Australia pass from the Indian Ocean over Western Australia, +and the whole island, to South Australia. The hot wind of Western +Australia blows from the north-east; and, in fact, the hot wind of +both colonies comes from the same portion of the great island. That +which is the hot wind in summer in Western Australia is the cold wind +in winter; and the same in South Australia. The reason is obvious. +It is evident, from the fact that South Australia receives its rain +from the Indian Ocean, that there are no mountains in the interior of +sufficient elevation to intercept the clouds; that there are no +mountains in the interior, is shown also by the absence of rivers +emptying themselves into the ocean. From the observation of Mr. +Lefroy and myself, we were led to suppose that the interior consisted +for the most part of immense clay plains; the lower portion of these +plains being hollowed into the large shallow lakes we meet with in +our journey. Where the country is a little more elevated the plains +are sand instead of clay. In winter these plains are covered with +water, as the drifted leaves on the bushes testify; and the marks of +water on the surface are very evident. Now, when the winter winds +pass over these immense masses of water, the great evaporation +renders them intensely cold; and they arrive in the colony laden, (if +I may so unphilosophically express it,) with cold, caused by rapid +evaporation. In summer these very plains are equally the cause of +the hot wind; for when the rains cease, and the sun acquires his +summer power, the water is quickly evaporated, the clay becomes +baked, and the heat is reflected from the hard heated surface quite +sufficiently to raise a thermometer to 110 degrees in the shade. The +wind is now driven towards the colony laden with heat from the +cracked, baked, clay-plains in the interior; and thus it is, that at +different seasons the same country produces such opposite effects. +But although the general state of the interior is barren and +unproductive, as I imagine, I do not suppose that it is entirely so. +I believe there are many cases of good pasture land in the midst of +this sterile country; fertile spots, small when compared with the +vast area of indifferent country around them, but large in +themselves. And these pastoral oases are more cultivated than the +worthless land amid which they are placed. In these patches of good +land there are always water-holes to be found, and water-courses well +marked, conducting the surplus waters to the lakes in the clay +plains. That there are such fertile spots in the Australian deserts +is certain, for I have seen many of them myself, and they are +mentioned also by the South Australian travellers. The similarity in +most respects of vegetation in Western Australia and in South +Australia, and the identity of many plants, proves also a country of +good quality lying between the two colonies; by which such plants +were conveyed from one country to the other. Thus, the so called +white-gum is the same tree in both colonies; the mungat, or +raspberry-jam tree, is common to both; and also to the plains of New +England, in New South Wales, where (I understand) it acquires a +larger size than in Western Australia. The manch is another tree +also common to the two colonies; so is the black-wattle. The grasses +are many of them alike. But this similarity is not confined only to +the vegetable kingdom. The birds and animals are many of them also +alike. The white and the black cockatoo are common to the three +colonies, as are many kinds of the smaller parrots, the kangaroo, and +the kangaroo-rat, the numbat, the opossum, the native cat, and many +others. And this is not only true of animals of great locomotion, or +birds of long flight, as the pigeon or cockatoo, but equally so of +the opossum, the quail, and the wild-turkey. The quail and the +turkey are birds chiefly found in grassy lands, and neither fly to +any great distance: at least the quail never does; the turkey will +when much disturbed, but not otherwise. Also the water animals, as +the tortoise, are to be found in both colonies; but not the platypus, +which is confined to the country east of the great river Murrumbidgee +and its tributary the Darling. + +The natives are also alike in feature and habits, evidently the same +race, with language similar in character, in both countries, with +similar weapons and methods of procuring food; having also similar +customs and laws. + +Now, I infer from these facts, that the population, animal as well as +vegetable, proceeded from one country to the other; and that many +forms of vegetation in the two colonies possess no greater +difference, than the difference of soil and latitude may account for; +and that it may therefore be possible for men to find a route from +one country to the other, by carefully noting and following the lay +of the water-courses, the direction of the oases, and the nature of +the geology of the country; for that no impenetrable desert exists +between the countries, is evident from the passage of vegetables and +animals from the one to the other. What will be the benefit, some +one may ask, when such a route is discovered? Why, independent of +the knowledge gained to geography, there will be the great practical +good of opening the boundless pastures of Western Australia to the +flocks of the already overstocked lands of the other colonies. To +Western Australia the gain would be great; and to South Australia it +would be equally advantageous, as it would maintain the value of +stock there, which will rapidly fall when no more land can be found +fit for occupation. Even with all the rapid increase of population +which the great mineral abundance of that colony will continue to +create, sheep will multiply faster than the population, until they +become of the same low value as in New South Wales, where, if there +be no run sold with them, they are not worth more than the value of +the wool on their backs. + +It is therefore most desirable that attempts should be made to find a +stock route from the western to the eastern coasts. + +Intra-tropical Australia is more abundantly supplied with rivers, and +of a larger magnitude, than any out of the tropics, the Murray alone +excepted; and doubtless a journey across the island within the tropic +would present fewer difficulties than one direct from Perth to +Sydney, or Adelaide; but, excepting for the advancement of +geographical knowledge, there is no object to be gained by such a +journey. The best way is along the valley of the lakes, guided as +the party proceeds, by the nature of the country. + +I earnestly hope that an expedition will be sent to make some effort +to penetrate the great extent of an unknown country, lying east of +Western Australia, as it is an object well worth the attention of the +Government, or of the Geographical Society. + +The geology of Western Australia is not very interesting, as the +country is entirely of primary formation to the east of the Darling +range of hills: the granite every where crowning the summit of the +hills, and the immense plains consisting entirely of granitic sand, +or of hard clay containing nodules of primary rocks. This formation, +which does not in Western Australia consist of the stratified +primary series, as in South Australia, cannot be expected to yield +the abundant mineral riches that the strata of South Australia +exhibit. Probably gold may be met with, and copper and lead may be +found in the Koikunenup Range, which is not entirely a granitic +range, but is, I believe, capped with clay slate. The level country +lying between the Darling hills and the sea is of a much more recent +formation; but has not been sufficiently examined to determine its +age precisely, though I imagine it will be found to belong to the +pliocene tertiary formations. Certainly it contains many shells of +species now living in the neighbouring ocean; and the limestone ridge +running parallel with and close to the coast, and which in the colony +is falsely called magnesian limestone, contains a great proportion of +modern shells. The country lying between the hills and the sea +contains many beds of lignite; one of which, at Nornalup, on the +south coast, is more than two feet thick, and shows itself on the +face of the cliff on the north shore of the estuary. Following the +line of coast in any part of Australia, the geologist cannot fail to +be much struck by the evident marks of a gradual elevation of the +land; he will every where see the marks of the sea on the cliffs, at +a considerable height above its present level. At Cape Chatham, on +the south coast, these sea-marks are visible 300 feet above the +present level of the ocean; and can be seen on the face of the rocks, +in the hills at some distance from the coast. On my journey to +Nornalup, I discovered a lake containing shells in abundance, which +appeared to me, and were also considered by the late Dr. Hinds +(Surgeon, Royal Navy) a skilful conchologist, to be a littoral +species, common to the shores of various parts of the globe. These +shells, of no interest in themselves, become excessively interesting +as evidence of a connexion once existing between this lake and the +ocean, from which it is now at least forty miles distant. This lake +is not more than 100 feet above the present level of the ocean, and +entirely separated from any other lake or river. How, therefore, +could these marine shell-fish be living in a salt lake, unless they +had continued to exist there from the period when it was a portion of +the ocean itself? That many generations of them had lived and died +in this spot, was quite certain, from the abundance of dead shells on +the shores of this very interesting lake. Nor is the evidence of +elevation confined to the coast; all the lakes seen by Mr. Lefroy and +myself have ancient shores much higher than the present waters ever +reach. The same evidence of elevation is to be seen in the harbour +of Sydney, and in Spencer's Gulf, in South Australia. At the head of +the latter the shingle and rolled-stones clearly show that the gulf +has formerly run much farther inland: probably to Lake Torrens, the +superfluous waters of which are now discharged into the head of the +gulf. The whole plain of the Murrumbidgee has been, at not a very +distant date, beneath the ocean; as the Madrepores, and other fossils +in the limestone cliffs of the river testify. Earthquakes have been +felt in South Australia since its settlement. A very intelligent +gentleman there told me that he had noted eleven since his arrival; +quite perceptible enough to leave no doubt as to their character. +Probably the country was elevated at each shock, in a slight degree; +and perhaps before the volcano of Mount Gambier became extinct the +elevatory movements were more rapid. Be that as it may, I am quite +convinced that they are going on at this moment; and it would be well +to make marks on the cliffs in various parts of the coast, at the +present sea-level, in order to determine, after the lapse of years, +the rate of elevation. + + + +CHAPTER 24. + +COLONIAL GOVERNMENT. + +We have already observed that a vast deal of discontent prevails in +colonies. With all the natural advantages of a fruitful soil and a +heavenly climate, colonists are always dissatisfied with their +position; because, in a pecuniary point of view, they are always +poor. And why are they so? The answer is a startling one. The +excess of their abundance is the first cause of their poverty; the +instability of their government, the second. They possess more than +they can dispose of, and are borne down by the weight of their +possessions. Place the markets of England and the labour of Ireland +within their reach, and they would become millionaires were they to +cease to be colonists; but so long as they continue to be colonists, +governed by a Power altogether distinct from that which rules over +Englishmen in their native land, they will continue to be helpless, +oppressed, and poverty-stricken. + +They alone, among British subjects, are living under an absolute +Monarchy; the caprices of which render property insecure and of +uncertain value; neutralizing industry, paralyzing enterprise, and +crushing with fatal authority the energies and the spirits of the +people. + +In the absolute recklessness of colonial rule, no sooner does private +enterprise raise its head, and throw out the first feelers on the way +to wealth, than a watchful government steps forward, and careful only +to secure gain to itself, crushes out (in the first feebleness of +existence,) the germ of vitality. + +In all new countries in which the sources of wealth are imperfectly +developed, the expense of applying the means necessary to their +development is so enormous, as to leave but small profit to the +speculator. Labour is always dear in new countries, where there is +so large an outlet afforded to the labourer to escape from the toils +of servitude, and become himself an occupant or an owner of the soil. +All that he gains by the exchange is an ideal independence; which is, +unhappily, but too attractive to the uneasy spirit of modern +improvement. + +The prosperity of a colony is the aggregate of individual wealth. +the prosperous advance of the colonist, is, therefore, the first duty +of a superintending Government. But the first aim of that watchful +guardian is ever to wring from the settler as much as may be +extracted by pressure. The lowest demand for land, which would be +dear at half-a-crown an acre, is eight times that amount. No sooner +does the settler, by his science or industry, discover some lucrative +opening, than government steps in with its restrictions, its taxes +and duties, and at once cuts down the budding promise. If the design +be to bring to light the mineral wealth of the country, royalties are +immediately imposed; and no chance of profit is left to the +speculator when the rents are raised according to the probabilities +of success. It is the same with all other speculations; no one will +embark, even in a timber-trade, when he knows that he is placing his +capital at the mercy of a grasping and short-sighted Government. + +How much more lucrative, and how much more statesman-like would it +prove, were our rulers to display as much good policy as the peasants +of Norfolk, who do not pluck their geese until they be well +feathered! Colonists, like cabbages, should be allowed to acquire +the necessary strength, and attain the proper dimensions, before they +be seriously operated upon. You might then cut and nick them with +reasonable hope of their sprouting forth anew. + +But the worst evil of an absolute Government arises from the +destruction in the minds of the people of all faith and confidence in +its truth and honour. + +One Secretary of State countermands the edicts of his predecessor; +and as the Executive Government of a colony is composed of the paid +servants of the Crown, and is merely the machine of the Secretary for +the time being, the ordinances which it promulgates are distinguished +by only one uniform feature -- the announcement of broken promises +and betrayed faith. + +The inhabitants of colonies, disappointed and deceived, have no trust +in their rulers, and dare not invest their capital in enterprises +which may be ruined in a moment by an arbitrary edict. At one +period, for instance, they may have been induced, upon the faith of +the Government, to purchase remission tickets, which entitle the +owner to a certain quantity of land wherever he may choose to select +it. A succeeding Government confines this right of selection within +certain narrow limits; whilst another decides that the holder shall +be allowed to purchase with these tickets only land that is entirely +valueless. At one period men are encouraged to attempt the +production of colonial spirits; but no sooner is a large amount of +capital expended, than it is made illegal to distil. Some parties +are permitted to purchase land at a distance from the capital: and +after years of toil and expense are deprived of all protection from +the Government, and allowed no compensation for its withdrawal. + +But it were vain to attempt to enumerate the acts of broken faith on +the part of an absolute Government, from whose decree there is no +appeal, and from whose oppression no redress. The moral evil to +colonies is crushing and fatal. + +The best informed among English statesmen know nothing of colonies: +but their hardihood in legislating for them is, unhappily, equal to +their ignorance. It was only last year (1846) that the bill for the +government of Western Australia was (according to newspaper report) +opposed in the House of Lords by a noble duke, on the ground, as his +grace alleged in an animated and interesting speech, of the +wretchedly immoral state of the colony, arising from the system of +transportation, which so deluged the country with convicts that it +was now a perfect hell upon earth! A noble lord, then +Under-secretary for the Colonies, apologised, with the best grace he +could assume, for this lamentable state of things, and assured the +noble duke that the Government was quite aware of the evil, and was +turning its attention to a remedy for it. Had any one of the noble +lords present known anything at all about the subject of the debate, +he might in a few words have relieved the anxiety of the Government, +by informing it that Western Australia is not, and never has been, a +penal settlement -- that convicts are not sent thither for +punishment; that even a single bush-ranger has never been known +within the territory; and that, in the words of an Adelaide journal, +"it is as free from stain as any of the rural districts of England." + +Another Australian colony (that of Port Phillip) calls for the +attention of Government more imperatively, perhaps, than any other of +these settlements. At present an appendage to Sydney, but situated +at a most inconvenient distance from that capital, it is compelled to +remit thither between fifty and one hundred thousand pounds annually +for rates, taxes, and duties, not a tithe of which ever finds its way +back again. It is deprived of roads, bridges, and all public works +of importance, solely because it is friendless at home, voiceless and +unrepresented. Might Englishmen be made to feel that interest in +colonies which in general they are ever ready to accord to the +unfortunate, they would glow with indignation at the wrongs, the +injustice, and the oppression under which the inhabitants of distant +settlements bend in silence. "If you don't keep your colonies in a +state of dependence," are the memorable words of Lord Stanley, in +May, 1846, "of what use are they?" Such has ever been the +narrow-minded and unstatesman-like policy of the British Government. +And yet even the infant colonies of the empire, though fettered, +cramped, and swathed like the young progeny of the Esquimaux, are +useful still to the Mother Country. They afford the best market for +her produce; and when freed from the pressure of their bonds, like +plants released from the torturing confinement of their earthenware +prison, and allowed to extend their roots abroad in the free soil of +Nature, they will display new strength and viridity, and bring forth +fruit in increased abundance. Her Majesty's present Secretary of +State for the Colonies (Earl Grey) entered upon his office with truly +liberal and right-minded views, which, we trust, will be carried out +into operation wherever found necessary and practicable. "There can +be no doubt," said his Lordship in the House of Lords, shortly before +taking office, "that in our colonial empire we have the advantage of +possessing warm friends and allies in all quarters of the world, who, +commanding great natural resources, are united in heart and soul to +defend our trade and our interests, and to take part with us in all +contests against our enemies. We have garrisons of the cheapest kind +in every quarter of the universe. On the other hand, the colonies +have this inestimable advantage -- they have the glory and security +to be derived from an intimate connexion with the greatest, the most +civilized, and the most powerful nation on the face of the earth. +They have the glory -- and they feel it to be a glory -- of calling +themselves British subjects, and feeling that in defence of their +interests and best rights, the power and might of this country are +ready at any moment to be called forth and exercised in their behalf. +This is a substantial advantage of the most important kind to the +colonies; and they are fully sensible of it. And if with this we +pursue a liberal policy, and extend to them the dearest privilege of +Englishmen -- THE PRIVILEGE OF SELF-GOVERNMENT, AND DO NOT +VEXATIOUSLY INTERMEDDLE WITH THEIR INTERNAL AFFAIRS; in short, if we +pursue a liberal policy towards them, both commercially and +politically, we shall bind them to us with chains which no power on +earth may break, and the connexion between the parent state and those +great dependencies may continue until they far exceed us in +population." + +These are generous sentiments and profound truths, and they have shed +the bright beams of Hope over that vast colonial empire to which they +refer. + +In legislating for colonies, let it not be forgotten that one of the +chief drawbacks to their prosperity is the want of confidence in the +stability and permanency of existing regulations. There can be no +success, and there can be no safety, whilst those regulations and laws +are liable to the influence of peculiar views or individual caprice. +It is the people themselves, for whose government the laws are +intended, who should be allowed to impose, to modify, or to expunge +them. + +The predominating evil in colonies is THE WANT OF CONFIDENCE AND +FAITH IN THE GOVERNMENT. + + + +CHAPTER 25. + +ONE OF THE ERRORS OF GOVERNMENT -- ADVENTURE OF THE BRAMBLE. + +It has ever been considered one of the first principles of good +government, that a frequent and ready communication and intercourse +should be maintained between the ruling power and the possessions +subject to its authority. The first act of Roman sway was ever to +lay down good lines of road through the conquered country; and +nothing has tended so much to maintain the authority of the United +States over the Red Indians of America, as the formation of roads +through the wilderness. The rulers of Great Britain entertain the +opinion that when they have once seized upon a distant country, and +thrown into it a handful of troops and a few of their importunate +friends, with the title of government officers, they have done all +that is required of them. They wait with resignation for any account +that may be brought of the progress of the new colony, by some +wandering merchant-vessel. Despatches, frequently dated twelve +months previously, during which time they have been making the tour +of all the oceans at present known upon the globe, are brought to +Downing Street; and are then thrown aside, or at least are never +attended to, probably because they are too old to be deemed +interesting. No matter how pressing and immediate the wants of +the colony, chance alone affords the opportunity of making their +necessities known at home. Letters and despatches accumulate in the +Post-office; no vessel arrives bringing intelligence from England, or +offering to take away a mail: the Colonial Secretary, having +exhausted every official resource in the way of mental occupation, +looks out at the window, and meditates upon quail-shooting. His +Excellency the Governor, questions the possibility of adding another +despatch to the hundred and fifty already composed in illustration of +the art of making despatches, as Soyer makes soup, out of nothing; +and oppressed by the subject, becomes dormant in his chair of state; +the clerks in the neighbouring offices no longer exhibit the uplifted +countenance which, as justly observed by Sallust, distinguishes man +from all other creatures; nothing is to be seen of them but masses of +hair in wild profusion, and right hands extended on the table, still +mechanically grasping steel-pens, whilst every face lies flattened +upon a paper-case, and sleep and silence, broken only by sighs and +snores, reign throughout the building. Universal stagnation prevails +among government people; and merchants and store-keepers appear to be +much in the same condition. The only person in office who is kept in +a constant state of fever, is the unhappy Post-Master-General, who is +hourly called upon to state when he is going to make up a mail for +England. In vain he apologises for the non-arrival of ships; there +is something radically wrong in his department, for which he is +expected to answer; and dark denunciations are muttered in his ear, +until worn out with anxiety and nervousness, he loses his appetite, +and gradually withers away, like grass in the oven. + +And when at length a vessel arrives accidentally from Van Diemen's +Land, or perhaps from America, the Master at first demurs about +taking a mail, under the idea that it may convey letters giving +information of the state of markets that he desires should be known +only to himself and his employers; but finally consents; and then, +having received the mail on board, carries it about with him from +port to port, until at the conclusion of a long voyage, having +occasion to empty his vessel in order to smoke out the rats, he +discovers the forgotten boxes, and conscientiously sends them ashore. + +But if it be vexatious and inconvenient to have only this uncertain +means of despatching our letters to England, how much more annoying +is it to have no regular and stated time for receiving them from +home! What could be more painful than to have to wait twelve months +before you can receive an answer to an inquiry; and what more +destructive to the interests of commerce? How many fluctuations are +there in the state of the markets during those twelve months! + +It is one of the greatest of evils to have no regular post-office +communication between the Mother Country and her colonies, and the +interests of trade in both greatly suffer by it. + +Much has been said lately of establishing steam communication with +Sydney. A committee of Sydney merchants has been appointed in London +to consider the subject, and the restless and indefatigable Lieut. +Waghorn has written a pamphlet showing how it may be done, provided +the Government will contribute 100,000 pounds per annum towards the +project. He proposes that a branch line of steamers shall be +established, to proceed from Sincapore by the north of New Holland, +touching at Port Essington, and through Torres Straits to Sydney, and +probably on to Van Dieman's Land. But why follow such a route as +this, through the most dangerous channel in the world, where even +steamers would have to lie-to at night (as the Lieutenant admits), +and where light-houses would have to be erected and kept up at an +extravagant cost? Why take such a route, which presents not a single +place to call at, except Port Essington, a miserable spot, intended +only as a kind of refuge for shipwrecked mariners, possessing no +commercial or agricultural inhabitants, and only enjoying the +advantages and the society of a Governor, a handful of soldiers, and +three white women? Why insist upon expending so much public money, +and encountering so many dangers, without conferring a single +additional benefit upon the Australian colonies, when the route by +the south of New Holland is so obvious, so practicable, and so +superior? The projectors talk of making Port Essington a depot for +coal; but why not make this depot in Western Australia? During the +summer months, from 1st October to 1st April, the steamers might +touch at Fremantle; and during the winter months, at Port Gladstone, +fifteen miles to the southward, affording a sheltered harbour where +ships may ride securely within one hundred yards of the shore. Coal +mines will probably soon be at work in the colony, vast beds of that +mineral having been discovered, thus offering every inducement to +steam-vessels to touch here. Nor could anything be more +advantageous, considering the great interests that England now has at +stake in these seas, than to form a general depot in this colony, +where her Majesty's steamers and ships-of-war might refit on +occasion. As there is no other spot in all New Holland, Van Dieman's +Land, or New Zealand, where first-rate ship-timber may be obtained, +and where IRON, COAL, and COPPER, are also procurable in abundance, +this colony offers advantages for the formation of a Government +Dock-yard and depot (at Port Gladstone), that must be acknowledged by +every unprejudiced person. + +Objections may be raised to doubling Cape Lewin during the winter +season; but let the steamers stand well out to sea, and there would +be no difficulty. The time lost would not exceed that spent in +lying-to in Torres Straits during the night. Our colonial schooner, +the Champion, goes round Cape Lewin at all seasons. + +We would propose that the mail steamers, instead of branching off +from Sincapore, as proposed by Lieut. Waghorn, should depart from +Point de Galle, Ceylon, make direct for Swan River, there take in +coal, and pass on to Adelaide, South Australia, and thence to Van +Dieman's Land, where they might put the Melbourne and Sydney mails on +board of the steamer already plying between Van Dieman's Land and +those places. By this route the Sydney people would receive their +letters quite as soon as though their interests alone had been +consulted, according to the desire of the disinterested committee +before alluded to; whilst Van Dieman's Land would gain a few days, +and South Australia and Western Australia would be allowed to share +in the general advantage, from which they would otherwise be entirely +excluded. + +But the Government and the public would also be gainers by the route +which we suggest. It would be much cheaper to them, because it would +be much more profitable to the company that carried it out. The +colony of South Australia is now a populous country, and becomes more +so every year; but the Steam Company would carry no passengers and no +goods for South Australia (perhaps not even for Van Dieman's Land), +if the route to Sydney were to be by Port Essington and Torres +Straits. The two colonies of South and Western Australia deriving no +benefit from such a course, could give no support to the company. +Government hitherto has resisted the efforts of the Sydney merchants, +and refused to sanction the proposal of Mr. Waghorn, but chiefly upon +the ground of expense. And there is no doubt that Ministers would be +guilty of a gross misdemeanour, were they to consent to apply 100,000 +pounds per annum of the public money in furtherance of a scheme +designed for the exclusive benefit of a single colony. It is the +duty of Government to see that any sum which may be granted shall be +so applied as to confer the most extensive benefit upon all the +Australian colonies. That measures ought to be immediately taken to +ensure a regular communication between the home country and every one +of her colonies is a matter of no doubt to us. The want of this has +long appeared to be one of the grand errors of colonial legislation. +Let us hope that the day is not far distant when this crying evil +shall be remedied. Now that steam navigation has come so generally +into use, there is no valid reason why it should not be made the +means of uniting together, as it were, the different outposts of the +empire, drawing them more closely towards their parent country as to +a common centre. It is full time that a greater appearance of +sympathy were exhibited at home for those distant settlements which +have now become the principal markets for British produce, and which, +therefore, deserve something more at the hand of Government than what +they have so long been accustomed to find -- alternate periods of +tyranny and neglect. + +By far the greater portion of English merchant-ships are engaged in +trading to the colonies; our manufactures there find their principal +mart; our surplus population is there cheaply provided with +maintenance and a home. These are the grounds on which the colonies +lay claim to the fostering care of the Mother Country, and we trust +the days are at hand that will see it afforded. + +The first step must be to ensure a regular and frequent intercourse +between the countries, without which there can be no real protection; +without which there is no sufficient encouragement given to trade; +and the parent state can therefore reap but little advantage, +comparatively, from a colony whose powers are only imperfectly +developed. + +Since the above remarks were written, accounts have reached England +of the arrival at Fremantle of her Majesty's surveying vessel +Bramble, Commander Lieutenant Yule, after passing some time in +Torres Straits and on the coast of New Guinea. + +Mr. Yule having kindly placed the notes of his voyage at the disposal +of a friend in the colony, they were partially published in one of +the local journals in the month of January last. The portion +relating to Torres Straits is instructive. The Bramble sailed from +Port Jackson about the end of December 1845, in company with the +Castlereagh tender, Lieut. Aird, Commander. Touching at Moreton +Bay, Mr. Yule visited his old acquaintance, Captain Wickham, R.N., +late in command of H.M.S. Beagle, and now a settler on the +Brisbane. In the words of the journal referred to, "the Bramble +proceeded slowly to the northward, being much delayed by the bad +sailing of the tender." The voyage presents nothing worthy of +notice, until the arrival of the ships in Torres Straits, when it is +impossible to help being struck with the commentary which Mr. Yule +unconsciously affords upon the "perfect safety" of that passage, now +so much vaunted by the advocates of the northern route. While the +Bramble and Castlereagh were lying off Sir Charles Hardy's +Islands, the latter being deficient in ballast, Mr. Aird was +despatched with the boats to look for the "wreck" of the Maid of +Athens and the "wreck" of the Martha Ridgway, with the view of +procuring some; and having failed in discovering the former, and +therefore in procuring a sufficient supply, he was again sent to the +"wreck" of the Sir Archibald Campbell for the same purpose. So +much for Torres Straits! + +Mr. Yule strongly recommends Cairncross Island as the best station +for obtaining wood and water for vessels navigating the straits, +there being abundance of both easily procurable, and even large +timber, if required. On this island they shot four megapodii, and +observed many of their nests, some of which Mr. Yule describes as +being twelve feet high, and upwards of fifty feet in circumference. + +On Friday, the 10th April they made the coast of New Guinea, which +presented a low and thickly-wooded coast-line, backed by mountains of +magnificent height and beauty; the country being apparently very +rich, with many villages, embowered in cocoa-nut trees, scattered +along the shore. While coasting along, in search of a convenient +place to land, they encountered a native vessel of most extraordinary +size and character, which we will allow Mr. Yule to describe in his +own words: -- + +"At daybreak, as the sun was rising, I was very much struck with the +grandeur of some very distant mountains in a south-eastern direction +-- one in particular, the outline of whose summit was only visible +above the intervening clouds; immense ranges of mountains were also +distinctly visible this side of it, extending in a N.W. and S.E. +direction. It is seldom the rising sun has disclosed to my sight so +splendid a view as then presented itself; but in a few minutes, when +the sun's disk appeared, the beautiful scene vanished, leaving only +inferior cloud-topped mountains visible, together with the rich and +undulating foreground. We shortly afterwards saw the strange sail +seen last night. Although she was much nearer, she proved more +unaccountable than before. As there was not sufficient wind to +enable us to weigh, I resolved to send Mr. Pollard in the second gig +to take a nearer view of this extraordinary vessel. I watched the +boat until Mr. Pollard must have gone nearly five miles from us, when +the boat's sails appeared a mere speck when close to the wonderful +stranger. On this officer's return, he informed me he had approached +within bow-shot of the vessel, which proved to be a gigantic double +canoe, which he conceives must have measured fifty or sixty feet +long, kept apart and together by a platform from fifteen to twenty +feet broad, which extended nearly the whole length of the canoes, the +after-end being square with the sterns of the boats; six or eight +feet of this was left clear for the three steersmen, who guided the +vessel with three long paddles over the stern. With the exception of +this part of the platform, the whole was covered by a strong, +well-built house, made of cane, the roof being flat, and about five +or six feet above the platform. This roof answered the purpose of an +upper deck, affording the crew the means of conveniently walking on +it. This extraordinary craft was propelled by two large mat sails, +each spread between two bamboo masts, the heels of which were fixed +in the same step, the mastheads being spread (athwartships) from +twenty to thirty feet asunder, the sail being triangular between +these bamboo masts, which were supported by diagonal shores fore and +aft on either side; besides these two large sails, the canoe had +numerous smaller (square) ones suspended from the principal masts; +there was also a small square sail forward. The whole of the spars +and rigging was ornamented with a sort of flags and streamers. Mr. +Pollard thinks that he saw about forty or fifty people on the roof, +several of whom were in the act of stringing their bows; except this +precaution on the part of the strangers, there was no demonstration +of hostility. After taking a good view of this most extraordinary +canoe, Mr. Pollard returned; and she ultimately was wafted out of +sight. Whence she came, or where bound, still remains to me a +problem. + +"At noon I obtained the latitude, which was 8 degrees 3 minutes S.; +longitude, by chronometer, 145 degrees 28 minutes E. + +"In the afternoon the Castlereagh was visited by two small canoes, +with eight men, who had come off from a village we discovered abreast +of us. The natives brought off a few cocoa-nuts and some bows and +arrows, which they readily bartered for such trifles as were given in +exchange." + +The lofty mountain which so much excited Mr. Yule's admiration, was +named by him Mount Victoria, and between it and the shore were +several ranges of inferior altitude, which gave him "every reason to +believe that the lower regions were well watered and fertile." + +Having fixed upon a favourable spot for commencing his triangulation +behind a promontory which served to conceal them from the view of a +native village which they saw at no great distance, Mr. Yule went +ashore in the first gig with five seamen and one marine, accompanied +by Mr. Sweetman, in the second gig, with three seamen and two +marines, all well armed, and proceeded to hoist the Union Jack and +take possession of the place in the name of her Majesty Queen +Victoria. Having successfully performed this duty, and obtained the +observations he required, Mr. Yule thought it high time to return on +board; but the surf had in the meantime increased so heavily, that in +the attempt the second gig was swamped, and every thing in her, +including the arms, lost, except the quintant and chronometer, the +boat herself being with difficulty saved by being towed outside the +surf by the other gig. The rest of the adventure we shall give in +Mr. Yule's own words: -- + +"At this time I observed the Castlereagh about two miles beyond +Cape Possession, under sail; I therefore made signs to Mr. Wright, in +the first gig, to tow the second gig towards the Castlereagh, which +I concluded would attract Mr. Aird's attention. In this I was not +mistaken, as the Castlereagh was immediately anchored about a mile +and a half off, and her boats sent to the relief of ours. In the +interim I determined that every thing which was washed on shore +should be collected together, after which we all huddled close under +a bush near the beech, whence we could see our boats and be hid from +the view of the natives as much as possible. The Castlereagh's +boats having at length closed with the Bramble's, the second gig was +soon baled out, when all four boats pulled up abreast of us outside +of the surf, which had continued to increase; the Castlereagh at +the same time weighed, which I confess alarmed me much, as I knew +very few persons could be left on board after she had dispatched two +boats' crews; I therefore concluded we were discovered by the natives +beyond Cape Possession. I was in a few moments confirmed in my fears +by seeing Mr. Andrews prepare to push his boat through the surf. I +waved him back, when he energetically pointed towards Cape +Possession. I fully understood his signs (that natives were coming), +but still waved him off, as I knew his gallant attempt to relieve us +would fail, and that he and his boat's crew would be added to those +already in distress on shore; he, however, pushed through the surf, +when, as I expected, this boat was upset, and all his arms, +ammunition, etc. lost. At the same moment we observed crowds of +natives coming round the point of Cape Possession, armed with spears, +clubs, and stone axes. Our arms and ammunition had been all lost or +destroyed; our situation was therefore most defenceless, and, I may +say, our retreat hopeless; those boats at the back being unable to +afford us the least relief. I then thought it best to show no signs +of fear or mistrust, but to make friends with the natives, and amuse +them, until the next tide should enable a boat to back through the +surf. In the interim, Mr. Andrews, with his four men, and assisted +by some others, made three attempts to launch his boat, which failed, +and she was ultimately dashed in pieces against the rocks. I +advanced alone with playful gestures, waving a branch of green +leaves, in token of peace. One man pointed a spear at me, but the +others stared at me with more wonder depicted on their countenances +than ferocity. I then offered them some bits of tobacco, which they +would not approach near enough to take from my hands. This shyness, +unfortunately, did not continue long; for when the main body came up, +amounting to eighty or ninety men, armed, they became troublesome, +and laid their hands on everything they could get hold of that was +lying on the beach. To these robberies I attempted to put a stop, +and made them some presents instead; but the savages must have known +our helpless condition, and became every moment more daring and +rapacious; and, to add to our tribulation, we observed two large +canoes, each containing thirty or forty men, come round Possession +Point, and heave to between the Castlereagh and the boats, as if +with the intention of cutting off the latter. The Castlereagh +could not unfortunately take advantage of her guns by firing grape or +canister, as we were completely intermixed with the natives. At this +critical stage of our anxiety, the second gig, at all hazards, was +veered through the surf, and, to our great joy, four or five men were +drawn off in safety. A second attempt was made, and succeeded. Then +came the awful moment for us who waited for the last trip; for only a +few moments before, I baulked a native when taking a deliberate aim +at one of our last men who embarked. The natives now, seeing our +numbers decrease, laid hands on us in the most violent manner. My +quintant was first wrested from my coxswain, who in a tone of grief +made me known the circumstance. I immediately turned round and +exclaimed 'Oh! don't part with that'; but it was too late; and when I +endeavoured to recover it, I found a club wielded over my head. In +making my escape from this wretch I was secured by four others, who +first took the government micronometer, which was slung round my +neck. I then endeavoured to struggle out of their clutches, and +escape with the pocket chronometer and note-book, but these, AS WELL +AS EVERY ARTICLE OF CLOTHING I HAD ABOUT MY BODY, were stripped off; +when the second gig was opportunely again backed in, and in this +forlorn state Mr. Pollard, the two marines, and I, waded off, and +were dragged into the boat. We then went on board the Castlereagh, +which was at anchor about a mile from the shore; the canoes slowly +made off to the north-westward, after we had embarked. The boats +having been hoisted up and secured, we got the anchor up and +proceeded out to the Bramble, and anchored close to her at 6h. 30m. +p.m. I immediately afterwards returned to the Bramble, truly +thankful for our having escaped with our lives. The loss of +instruments grieved me exceedingly, particularly as the nature of the +coast rendered it next to impossible to effect a safe landing to +attempt their recovery. From the account I heard of the ferocity of +the natives where the Fly had been surveying last year on this +coast, I confess I fully expected death would be my fate in a few +minutes, and thought of the similar position poor Captain Skying was +in when murdered at Cape Roso. If we had been possessed of six or +eight muskets and plenty of ammunition, I think the natives might +easily have been checked, but being defenceless, my only hope was to +dissemble my fears and amuse them, to give us time until we could +effect our escape. These people varied in complexion from black to a +light copper colour; they appeared well made and active; all of them +were ornamented, but some much more so than others; their ear-rings +were made of rings of tortoiseshell, a number of them being fastened +together, and suspended to the lower parts of the ears, in which are +holes stretched so large as to admit a man's thumb being passed +through them; the cartilage dividing the nostrils is perforated in +like manner." + +This adventure of our old friends of the Bramble appears to me +sufficiently interesting to excuse my having wandered through Torres +Straits in order to record it. + + + +CHAPTER 26. + +SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES. -- KANGAROO HUNTING. -- EMUS. -- LOST IN THE +BUSH. + +There can be no doubt as to the truth of the axiom that "facts are +stubborn things." Right or wrong, they seem to persist in a +resolution to force conviction upon a man however reluctant he may +be. + +Sturdy facts are never wanting in support of erroneous views; and +more false conclusions are drawn from them than from the subtlest +arguments of the sophist. + +When your theory is once confirmed by a fact, the question is +considered decided, and no further argument is admissible. I had two +theories not long ago, the pursuit and investigation of which gave me +a good deal of pleasure; they were built upon facts, and therefore +they were indisputable. + +My first theory was upon the amount of evaporation at Perth during +the summer months. + +The excessive dryness of the atmosphere proved that the evaporation +at the end of the rainy, or winter season, must be very great indeed. +My friend, Mr. H., had an hygrometer, which he kept in a small room +adjoining that in which he usually sat; and this hygrometer afforded +the ground-work for our theories. It proved most satisfactorily that +the evaporation exceeded every thing of the kind known in any other +part of the globe. It was clear that our atmosphere was drier than +that of a brick-kiln when burning its best. But the great beauty and +novelty of the theory was, that the evaporation was greater at night +than in the day time. + +This certainly puzzled us a good deal at first; but when once you are +sure of your facts, it is astonishing how soon you come to mould your +theory so as to make it perfectly agree with them, and manage to +reconcile yourself to the most startling contradictions. After +satisfying himself of the truth of the fact -- that the evaporation +was really greater by night than by day -- Mr. H. proceeded to prove +philosophically that nothing could be more reasonable than such a +circumstance. From all that I could make out of his arguments, which +were extremely logical and ingenious, it seemed clear that as every +thing in this country is diametrically opposite to every thing in the +old country, it was perfectly consistent with the regulations of +nature in Australia, that evaporation should be greater at night than +during the day time. Moreover, he placed great reliance upon the +attraction of the moon. + +For my part, seeing that facts were on his side, I embraced his views +with ardour; and went about as an apostle, proclaiming the new +tidings far and wide. It was one of those astonishing truths in +science that come suddenly and unexpectedly upon mankind -- like +those connected with electricity -- that take the reason captive, and +are beyond the reach of human investigation. Men usually appeared +incredulous when the theory was first broached to them; but when +convinced of the fact, as proved indisputably by the hygrometer, they +were compelled to acknowledge the truth, and forthwith looked upon it +as a matter of course. + +As the weather grew warmer -- when the thermometer stood daily at +about 86 degrees in a cool room -- the nocturnal evaporation +increased. At length it grew to such a pitch, that the tube of the +hygrometer containing the water was exhausted in a couple of nights. +Notwithstanding the astonishment of Mr. H., he was enraptured at the +triumphant confirmation of his theory. He devoted every moment he +could spare from public duties, to the compilation of a learned and +voluminous treatise upon the subject. He looked upon himself as +destined to be considered one of the master-philosophers of the age, +the promulgator of a new and wondrous theory, based not only upon +sound argument, but upon long observation and indisputable facts. +When any one ventured to raise a doubt, he would smile with that +ineffable sweetness which distinguishes a man conscious of his +superior knowledge and sources of information. I, his enthusiastic +adherent, picked up the crumbs of instruction that fell from his +table; and dealt forth mysterious hints of the scientific errors +about to be corrected by the observations and treatises of Mr. H., +who was now generally known to have forwarded an account of his +discoveries to some of the learned Societies of London; and the +English papers were perused with avidity, in the hope of finding +that due honour had been paid to his merits. + +As he walked along the streets he was looked upon with additional +reverence. He had raised the renown of Western Australia, and was +now considered to be at once its decus et tutamen. The idlers who +congregated in small knots about luncheon-time at the corners of the +streets, began to talk of a statue in the market-place. + +Suddenly, however, the philosopher secluded himself from the vulgar +gaze. The public wondered, and then became alarmed. The philosopher +had taken to his bed. After some days I was admitted to his +presence, and found him greatly enfeebled for want of rest. It was +evident there was something that weighed upon his mind. After many +ineffectual efforts, many sighs and some blushes, he faltered forth a +confession that he feared our theory, (he seemed now, for the first +time, kindly solicitous to share the merit of the discovery,) of +evaporation being greater at night than in the day-time, was not well +founded. An electric shock, shivering the funny-bones of both +elbows, could not have startled me more. What did he mean? He +continued, that one night whilst engaged upon a new hygrometrical +treatise, he had sat up till a very late hour; the door of the room +which contained the instrument was open, and the light from his lamp +fell directly upon it. Absorbed in profound speculations, his eye +occasionally rested upon the little instrument which stood upon a +table. There it was -- the pillar of his fame. It seemed to dilate +in dimensions until it rivalled the column in the Place Vendome, and +on the top of it was a figure, less sturdy than that of Napoleon. +Suddenly his vision was broken, and his thoughts were recalled from +the future to the present, by seeing a living object move along the +table, and quietly approach the foot of his column. Appalled and +paralyzed, he sat immovable whilst he beheld an actual mouse, +unrestrained by any scientific considerations, place its profane +snout in the bowl of the hygrometer, and drink deliberately until its +thirst was satisfied. It then retired, and other mice soon came +trotting along the table and did the same. + +Mr. H. is a man of great self-control. He did not tear his remaining +locks, or commit any other rash act, but with all the calmness of +despair he set fire to the unfinished treatise, and saw it consumed; +then he retired to bed, a desolate individual, and rose not again for +several days. + +My next theory was entirely my own. I claimed all the merit of it, +and felt the utmost pangs of jealousy when any one ventured to assert +that HE had long ago suspected it. Built upon a solid foundation of +facts, I maintained an opinion entirely at variance with that of +Professor Owen and certain Parisian professors, and satisfied myself, +at least, that the young of the kangaroo, and of other marsupial +animals, is produced, not in the usual way, but from the teat of the +dam. And although this theory is, and must be erroneous, I can even +yet scarcely bring myself to believe it so -- with such fidelity do +we cling to error. There are many men in the colony who have been +for years in the constant, almost daily, habit of killing kangaroos, +and they have consequently had opportunities of observing the young +ones in every stage of development. Females have been killed with +young ones hanging to the nipple, about half an inch long -- the form +not fully developed, a mere foetus, presenting no appearance of +active vitality. The nipple to which it is attached is not merely +placed in the mouth of the foetus, but extends into its stomach, +where it serves the purposes of the umbilical cord in other animals, +whilst the lips grow round it, so that it cannot be removed without +rupturing the skin. A little older, and it becomes evidently +possessed of vitality -- a quickened foetus. The pouch of the doe is +closed up until the birth of the young one; and gradually enlarges to +accommodate the inhabitant. + +There are other marsupial animals, of the size of rabbits, that are +found with eight or ten young ones, or rather small foetuses, +similarly attached to the nipples of the parent. + +Now I could not conceive how creatures with long sharp claws, though +provided with flexible wrists or joints, should be able to take up +the newly produced little lump of inanimate flesh, and thrust a long, +soft, yielding nipple down into the depths of the stomach. I +collected a number of FACTS to prove the contrary -- but the question +is now considered to be set at rest by the observations of French +naturalists, and therefore I have quietly strangled my theory, but am +still occasionally haunted by its ghost. + +I may mention here that male kangaroos are sometimes found provided +with pouches; but these, I conceive, are lusus Naturae. + +This allusion to kangaroos (being good for nothing else) may serve as +an introduction to a hunting excursion. A party of us started from +Perth, equipped in the manner already described in the chapter upon +Wild Cattle. + +We rode to the Canning to breakfast, at the house of the ----s, +where we found the table ready spread with coffee, grilled fowls, +eggs, ham, etc. The room was a good one, having French windows, +looking out upon park-like scenery, among which the Canning River +pursued its lazy course. There was also a piano belonging to the +sister of our hosts, then absent on a visit. One of her brothers +informed us that he had availed himself of her absence to abstract +sundry of the wires from the piano in order to make bell-wires, which +he thought was turning the piano to good account. + +After breakfast we loaded our bullock-cart with our goods, and left +it in charge of a servant whom we appointed to meet us at a certain +spot where we were to bivouac for the night. The only disagreeable +part of travelling in Australia is the scarcity of water, except at +the end of winter, when all the gullies are filled. Unless, +therefore, the ground be well known, it is always advisable to take a +native, who can inform you where the pools or springs are situated. +Four of us set out, well mounted, and attended by a native on foot, +and five kangaroo dogs. These dogs are descended from a cross +between a bloodhound and a greyhound, and combine strength, +fleetness, scent, and sight. As it was the middle of winter (late in +June) the air was cool and pleasant, and the sun bright and joyous, +as he always is here. We were all in high spirits, anticipating +excellent sport, as the country to which we were going abounds with +game of great variety -- kangaroos, emus, quail, and turkeys, or +bustards. A rough coarse scrub, interspersed with small quantities +of grass, overspread the sandy soil. The only animal we saw for some +time was an opossum, which the native discovered in a tree and +climbed up for. I examined its pouch, but there was no young one +within it. At length we caught a glimpse of a kangaroo hopping along +at a distance, and we galloped off in full chase, but he was too far +ahead for the dogs to make anything of it; so we lost him. +Disconcerted and vexed we drew together again after a short run, but +had scarcely done so before we emerged upon an open prairie, where on +our right we beheld three kangaroos hopping away at a gentle pace. +the kangaroo uses only his hind legs in running. The leg presses the +ground from the hock to the toes, and its strong sinews enable the +animal to bound forward with immense leaps; the heavy tail vibrating +behind keeps him steady. Four of the dogs rushed after the game, +followed by all the horsemen, at full gallop, hallooing and shouting +vociferously. A more animated sight could scarcely be conceived; +three graceful kangaroos bounding away in a line, with four large +greyhounds laying well after them, and the hunters chiveying along, +and dashing through brushwood and thickets like whirlwinds. The +kangaroos, however, fairly beat us; they gained a thick wood, dashed +through it and into a swamp beyond, and there we lost sight of them. +We all returned to the side of the wood, and waited for the dogs, who +came back with hanging heads and drooping tail, completely blown. +All returned but one -- the oldest and most sagacious of them. He +had not gone with the four which followed the heels of the kangaroos, +but had made a short cut to the left, so that he was in the wood +almost as soon as the kangaroos, whilst the other dogs were still a +long way behind. We waited patiently for old Tip (of whom honourable +mention has been made before); his master, Tom H., asserting +confidently that he had killed. At length as we were standing +talking together, we suddenly perceived Tip among us. His master +examined his mouth, and declared he had killed; then saying, "Show, +Tip, show!" the dog turned round, and trotted off before us; and +going into the swamp took us to the spot where the kangaroo lay dead. + +It is not all kangaroo dogs that can be taught to show game, and +those that do so are therefore highly prized. It is a very pleasing +sight to observe how proud a dog is of this accomplishment. He will +come quietly back to his master, and oftentimes lay himself down as +if he were afraid the other dogs should suspect he had got something +to tell, and would run off in search of it. And when his master +gives the signal, he deliberately proceeds to lead the way, snarling +at the other dogs whenever they run before him, and seem likely to +arrive first at the spot. Sometimes he tries to deceive them by +going in a wrong direction, and when the others have started off, +full of eagerness, as if they themselves (the senseless fools!) were +inviting people to follow, and were anxious to show them the game, +the old dog will rapidly turn aside, evidently laughing in his +sleeve, and dash forward to the spot where he left the carcase. +There you will find him standing over it; and as you ride up he will +give a faint wag of his tail, as though he were glad that you are +pleased with him, and yet he cannot help feeling that he is not +properly rewarded. His gaunt ribs and melancholy eye speak of his +hungry stomach; he seems to remember that he receives from his rough +master more kicks than caresses, but still he does his duty, and will +do so to the last; and denies himself even a mouthful of the prey, +which but for him, would lie undiscovered in the thicket. I used to +know an old show-dog who displayed so much thought and sagacity, that +I never was in his company without feeling for him a certain degree +of respect. Whenever struck by brutes of lower order than himself, +he did not howl or display his teeth, but slunk aside with a look of +deep sorrow and reproach. + +In the evening we bivouacked near a small pool of water, where the +cart joined us, according to previous arrangement. The horses were +tethered out and fed; a good fire was kindled, and with kangaroo +steaks, cold fowls and ham, and brandy and water, we managed to make +a tolerable supper. A fence against the wind was constructed of +upright sticks, and leaves of the black-boy (Xanthorea, or +grass-tree) resembling rushes, only brittle; and with a good fire at +our feet we were exceedingly warm and comfortable. The wild dogs +uttered their doleful, wailing cries around our camp during the +night, and caused our own frequently to sally forth and give them +chase. + +We had kangaroo curry for breakfast next morning; and having fed our +horses, and sounded to saddle, set out again in pursuit of game. + +Proceeding across some plains, interspersed with swamps and thickets, +we soon perceived a herd of about a dozen kangaroos feeding and +hopping about. Keeping a covert in line before us, we tried to get +near them, but they soon made off, bounding away like a herd of deer, +which they much resemble at a distance. The dogs started after them +at full speed; and with loud halloos and bounding hearts the horsemen +spurred their steeds, and scoured along the plain. There are, +unfortunately, no fences in this country, but there are a thousand +worse obstructions -- fallen trees, thick clumps of black-boys +extending right across the plain, and therefore not to be avoided; +woods through which the game dashes at speed, and where you must +follow at the risk of striking head or limbs against the trunks or +branches of trees, or else you will be thrown out. Then of course +you don't like to be last, and you don't like to allow the gallant +captain, who is spurring at your side, the opportunity of bragging at +mess that he alone kept near the dogs, which you know he would be +delighted to do. So, determined to ride against the captain at any +rate, you keep your horse and yourself well together, and flinch at +nothing; dashing through thickets, tearing over rough ground, +steering between trees, ducking your head under boughs, and twitching +up first one leg and then the other to save them from being smashed +against black-boys or banksias. You clear the wood, and emerge again +upon a plain; the kangaroos are bounding along, some three hundred +yards in advance, the dogs lying well up to them; and now the latter +have fixed upon one of the herd, whom they pursue with resolute +fierceness. The others escape into friendly thickets, but the doomed +one, an old buck, some six feet in height when resting on his +haunches, still holds out, though his enemies are fast gaining upon +him. + +At length, finding escape impossible, he makes for a broad mahogany +tree, where he suddenly comes to bay. The dogs hesitate to rush in +upon him, his eye gleams with such deadly ferocity, whilst he sits +erect upon his haunches, ready to dart the long claw of his hind leg +into the first assailant who comes within reach. + +A kangaroo in this position is no despicable enemy. He has great +power in his limbs; and if he happens to strike a dog with his claw, +he inflicts a grievous wound, and sometimes tears out his entrails, +and kills him on the spot. He rushes at men with the same fury, and +tries to clasp them with his fore-paws whilst he strikes at them with +his hind-legs. I rode up to the animal in question, dismounted, and +struck him a rap on the head with a broken bough, as he rushed +towards me with a fierce hissing noise. As he staggered at the blow, +the dogs darted upon him and quickly despatched him. + +We had several other good runs before luncheon, and then baited our +horses, and allowed them to rest for two or three hours. Whilst +riding towards our bivouac in the afternoon, a native who was walking +at my side, and who had accompanied us all day, stopped suddenly, +and, pointing with his finger, said, "Emu!" About a mile distant +across the prairie were two of those large birds quietly feeding. +The dogs were immediately called together, fresh vigour seemed to +animate the whole party, and we proceeded to give chase in high +spirits. Emus are sometimes shot with the rifle, but the usual mode +of obtaining them is by hunting them with kangaroo dogs. If you +happen to come near enough to them without raising alarm, they may +frequently be detained, and even attracted almost up to your stirrup +by WHISTLING. I have known this to be repeatedly tried with success. +When you begin to whistle, the emu lifts up its head and listens with +attention; soon, delighted with the sound, he walks leisurely in the +direction from which it comes; then, perceiving a human being, he +pauses, seems irresolute, and finally walks round and round you in +circles gradually lessening, until he approaches within a few yards. +If his confidence be not repaid with a bullet, he will, after +gratifying his curiosity by a good stare, quietly walk away through +his native woods. Emus are frequently speared by the natives, who, +by taking care to stand stock-still the moment the creature lifts up +its head, manage to approach within a few yards of them while +feeding. Though the savage may have his hand raised in the act of +throwing the spear, he remains fixed in that attitude whilst the emu +takes a survey of him. Perceiving only an object without motion, the +bird takes him for a tree, and continues to graze, falling a victim, +like other innocent things, to a misplaced confidence in its own +security. + + +[illustration opposite p 336 is "Death of the Kangaroo"] +[illustration on p 338 is untitled - dog chasing emu] + + +The emus ran fast, and gave us a long chase; but at length the +headmost dog caught hold of the extended flapper of one of the birds, +and arrested its progress; the others, coming up, soon pulled him to +the ground, and by the time we reached the spot he was dead. The +feathers from the tail were distributed among the party, and placed +in our caps; and the legs being cut off, the rest of the bird was +abandoned. The legs alone afford any meat, which is by no means a +delicacy, and resembles coarse beef. Whilst the process of cutting +up was going on, my attention was attracted to the movements of old +Tip, who had stolen away from the party, and was now, ventre a +terre, scouring along the edge of a belt of trees about a quarter of +a mile from us. His master in vain tried to recall him, and I set +off to see what he was about. Following him through the wood, I +perceived him at the other side in hot pursuit of half-a-dozen +kangaroos, that were bounding away some hundred yards ahead of him. +It was in vain to attempt to recall him, so I foolishly followed the +chase, though it was leading far away from the direction I wanted to +take. Old Tip held on unflaggingly, as though this were his first +run that day; and for nearly two miles we dashed along through woods +and across prairies, until I began to wish myself back with my +friends. At length we lost the game in a vast swamp, covered with +thick underwood, in which my horse floundered for some time in a +fearful manner. Thinking it worse to return than to push through, we +struggled on, in momentary danger of sinking for ever, and after +great exertions got upon solid ground again. When dismounted, to rest +the horse, who panted and trembled with the efforts he had made, I +called for Tip till the woods rang again, but all in vain. At last I +saw a single kangaroo, a fresh one of immense size, break cover, with +Tip about forty yards in his rear. In the ardour of the chase, all +prudential considerations were given to the winds; and cheering on +the gallant hound, I followed the game more determinedly than ever. +And what a race that villain kangaroo led us! -- through thickets +where my hunting-shirt was torn into strips, my arms and legs covered +with bruises, and my face lacerated with boughs that were not to be +avoided. The villain doubled like a hare, and led us in such various +directions, that I fancied we must have turned upon our steps and +gone past the spot where I had parted from my friends. Unless a man +be very well accustomed to the bush, he is certain to lose himself in +a few minutes. One clump of trees is so like another -- the thick +swamps, the open plains, all bear such a general resemblance to one +another, that you feel quite confounded whilst trying to recollect +whether you have really seen them before, and can form some tolerable +guess as to your position. The kangaroo was now approaching the foot +of the long, even, uninteresting range of the Darling Hills; his pace +was slow, he made his leaps with difficulty, and would soon have been +caught, had not poor Tip been equally dead beat. + +It was evident the old dog could scarcely drag himself along, but +still he refused to give in. My horse, exhausted with floundering in +the swamp, was completely knocked up; and for some time I had only +been able to push him along at a jog-trot. Still I was no more +willing to give up the chase than old Tip. It seemed to have become +a point of honour that I should not desert the hound; and moreover, +feeling myself completely lost, I did not like to part from my +companion; and, above all, it would never do to let the kangaroo +escape after all the trouble he had given us. So we all three +continued to work along as best we could. + +At last my poor horse happened to set his foot in an empty +water-hole, and too weak to recover himself, came down on his +shoulder and side with great violence. I threw myself off as he +fell, but could not save my foot from being crushed beneath the +saddle, and so both horse and man lay extended on the ground. I +could just see the hound and kangaroo still struggling onward, and +almost close together. The horse made no attempt to rise, and I +tried in vain to extricate my foot; at length I managed to flog him +up, and then raised myself with difficulty. I had not suffered much +damage, though bruised, and in some pain, but my poor horse had +sprained his shoulder, and was completely hors de combat. On +looking about for the chase, I fancied I could perceive the dog lying +on a little rising ground, a few hundred yards distant; and leaving +the horse, I hopped after the game. On arriving at the spot, I found +the kangaroo and the dog lying side by side, both alive, but +completely exhausted; the one unable to do any injury, and the other +to get away. Securing the dog with my handkerchief, I sat down, +waiting till he should be able to walk. In a few minutes the +kangaroo lifted up his head, and looked about him; the dog sat up, +panting as though his heart would burst, and took no notice of the +other. The kangaroo, scrambling to its feet, hopped away a few +yards, and then stood still again. "Go along, old fellow!" said I, +"you have done us abundance of mischief, but it would be criminal to +kill you when I cannot carry home even your tail -- so farewell!" +Off he jumped, and was soon lost to view, leaving us alone -- three +miserable cripples, far from any shelter, and (so far as I was +concerned) not knowing at all how to rejoin our friends. Tip being +now able to limp on three legs, and myself upon one, we returned to +the unhappy steed, who remained where I had left him, hanging down +his head, and looking the image of woe. + +In vain I tried to determine the direction I ought to take; trees and +swamps were on all sides of me, and I could not decide whether my +friends were now on my right-hand or my left. I remembered that our +place of rendezvous appeared to be nearly opposite an opening in the +hills, some six or eight miles distant; but there were openings in +the hills on each side of me, and which was the one to be sought I +could not determine. I therefore resolved to retrace the foot-marks +of my horse, if possible; and set out leading the animal, having Tip +limping at my side, and every now and then looking up as though he +felt for the ill plight in which we all appeared. It soon became +evident that the horse must be left behind; and therefore removing +his saddle and bridle, I placed them at the foot of a tree, and gave +him his liberty.* + + +[footnote] *Six months afterwards he was caught among the horses of a +settler on the Serpentine, perfectly sound and in excellent condition. + + +After going some distance, I came within view of an extensive swamp, +which I fancied formed part of that I had so much difficulty in +crossing. Turning to the right, I followed its course for some time, +hoping to get round it, but it seemed to extend towards the hills, +cutting off all farther progress. The sun was now about to set, and +getting desperate, I plunged into the thicket, and tried to push +through the swamp. There was no water, but the immense quantities of +bind-weed, and other thickly-growing plants, quite defied every +attempt, and I was obliged to turn back again. Tip and myself had +now to retrace our steps. It was getting dusk, and the state of +affairs looked uncomfortable. Again we tried in vain to cross the +swamp, which soon afterwards receded farther from the hills, and left +a broad plain before us, which we traversed in the course of half an +hour. + +My foot seemed to get better with exercise, but night had now set in, +and it was useless to attempt making farther progress, when we could +not distinguish an object thirty feet in advance. I now found myself +stumbling up a rising ground covered with trees; and here I lay down, +with Tip at my side, to wait as patiently as possible for morning. +The dog, I imagine, had found some water in the swamp, as he did not +now seem to be suffering from thirst as I was myself. He was soon +asleep, and I envied him, for hours elapsed before I could find +repose. The land-wind, sweeping down from the hill-side, moaned +through the trees; the rising moon shed her sickly and distorting +light upon the bushes around; and bruised and stiff, hungry, thirsty, +and uncomfortable, I felt by no means delighted with my quarters. A +fire would have been agreeable, but there were no means of procuring +one. Sleep at last befriended me, and I did not wake until the sun +began to shed his first rays upon the tops of the trees. + +On rising I found myself exceedingly stiff, and by no means in good +condition for walking, but there was no choice; and when Tip had got +upon his legs, and given himself a good stretch and yawn, and licked +my hand, as much as to say he had no intention of leaving me in the +lurch, we started on our doubtful journey. In vain I tried to +encourage the dog to lead the way; he would not stir from my side. +Only once he darted after a kangaroo-rat, and caught it before it had +gone twenty yards. This afforded a breakfast which I envied him. I +now pushed on towards the coast, but was continually intercepted by +thick swamps impossible to penetrate, and turned from the right +direction. I looked about for water, and found some at length in a +muddy hole. It was most refreshing, and revived my spirits, which +had begun to flag considerably. + +Mid-day was long past, and I was still rambling over plains of coarse +grass, penetrating into woods, and struggling through swamps; worn +almost to death with fatigue and hunger, and the pain of my ankle, +now greatly swollen, I sat down at last at the foot of a +mahogany-tree in order to gain a little rest. + +I knew that the hills were behind me, and the sea must be somewhere +before me, but as to my precise locality, and the distance of the +nearest settler's house, I was quite at a loss. In vain I tried to +satisfy myself as to whether I was much to the south of the bivouac. +I was growing dizzy with hunger and weariness, and no longer felt any +wonder at the confusion of mind which seizes upon those who are lost +in the wilderness. During the day, I had repeatedly cooeyed as +loudly as I could, in the faint hope of attracting the attention of +my friends; but no voice responded. + +It was now nearly five o'clock in the evening, and I had the prospect +before me of spending another night in solitude, and felt some +misgivings as to whether it would not be the last of my existence. + +I tried to struggle on a little farther, as it was possible that I +might be close to some farm on the Serpentine; but it was difficult +to move along. Tip seemed to be getting tired of this slow progress; +he grew fidgety, and I fancied he had formed the base resolution of +leaving me to myself. Suddenly he started off upon our traces, and I +was alone without a friend. + +In a few minutes I heard behind me a distant shout, and immediately +afterwards a loud cooey met my ear. Oh how thankfully I heard it, +and answered it as loudly as I could! And then, having returned +grateful acknowledgments to the Almighty for this seasonable relief, +I began to walk towards the sounds, which were repeated from minute +to minute. Not long afterwards I perceived a party of natives, +followed by men on horseback, emerging from the trees. The latter +galloped towards me, waving their hats, and shouting with friendly +joy. It is due to Tip to state that he reached me first, and gave +his congratulations with warm sincerity. + +My friends had started at day-break with the natives, who had tracked +my footsteps without once losing the trail. They had found the horse +grazing near the place where I had left him, but he was too lame to +be removed; the natives had fully accounted for every trace; they +perceived that the dog and kangaroo had lain side by side, and that +the latter had recovered first, and got away. They found and brought +with them the saddle and bridle, and followed my steps to the swamp, +through which they saw I had not been able to penetrate. And so they +tracked me during the whole of the day, whilst I was only going farther +and farther from my friends. I had wandered much more to the south than +I expected; and now, mounting a horse, we all rode to a house on the +Serpentine, where we were hospitably entertained, and where I continued +until able to return to Perth. + + + +CHAPTER 27. + +THE COMET. -- VITAL STATISTICS. -- METEOROLOGY. + +One evening in March, 1844, whilst standing at my gate enjoying the +pleasant balmy air and the conversation of a friend, our attention +was attracted to a luminous appearance in the sky immediately above +the horizon. We fancied that a large ship must be on fire not a +great distance from the coast. + +The next evening, happening to leave the house at an early hour, my +eye was immediately caught by a grant novelty in the heavens. A +magnificent comet extended itself over an entire fifth of the +firmament. Its tail reached to the belt of Orion, whilst its +nucleus, a ball of fire resembling a star of the fourth magnitude, +was scarcely a degree above the horizon. It looked like a fiery +messenger rushing headlong down from the very presence of GOD, bound +with dread tidings for some distant world. Beautiful, yet terrible +messenger, it seemed to leave its long, fiery trace behind it in its +passage through the heavens. The soul of the spectator was filled +with the sense of its beauty, whilst admiration was sublimed into +awe. Speaking to us strange and wonderful things of the hidden Holy +of Holies which it seemed to have left, it passed on its headlong +journey of billions and trillions of miles with the glad speed of a +love-inspired emanation from the Most High. It left us to wonder at +its transient visit, and to wish in vain for its return.* + + +[footnote] *This comet, having exactly the appearance I have +described, was visible nearly a week, gradually disappearing in the +northern heavens. + + +Whether it had or not any effect upon the season, I cannot say, but +the ensuing six months were the most unhealthy period ever known in +the colony. The natives, who were greatly alarmed by the sudden +appearance of the comet, declared that it would cause many people to +be mendik and die -- so universal is the belief in the portentous +and malign influence of these phenomena. + +In general, as I have before observed, the climate is most +salubrious. "The Comparative Statement of Deaths to the Population" +proves the vast superiority of Western Australia in this respect, not +only over Great Britain, but over neighbouring colonies. I refer to +the able, interesting, and carefully-prepared Reports of G. F. Stone, +Esq. the Colonial Registrar-General of Births, Marriages, and Deaths. +Taking his data from the Parliamentary Reports of 1836, he deduces +the following: + +Comparative Statement of Deaths to the Population. + +Western Australia . . . . . . . . . .1 death in 94 21/41 +Van Dieman's Land . . . . . . . . . .1 " 65 161/220 +Cape of Good Hope . . . . . . . . . .1 " 60 1/3 +England . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 " 46 3/5 +Mauritius . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 " 44 2/5 + +The opinions of medical men, published in different reports, a few of +which happen now to lie before me, may prove interesting to some +readers, and I therefore extract them briefly: -- + +J. M. Johnson, Esq. M.D. Surgeon of H.M.S. Sulphur: -- +"During the three years that H.M.S. Sulphur was employed on that +station (Western Australia) not a single death, and very few +important cases of disease occurred, notwithstanding the very great +exposure of her men. When exploring the country for several days, +and sometimes weeks, they have been exposed to the sun; fatigued in +the evening after a day's excursion, slept in the open air, (and that +repeatedly in wet weather,) and suffered no inconvenience. I have no +hesitation in stating that such a life in any other climate would +have been productive of the most serious sickness." + +William Milligen, Esq. M.D. Surgeon 6th Dragoons: -- +"I have met with several individuals here, who, on leaving England, +were great sufferers from dyspepsia, and diseases of the digestive +organs, who have recovered their health in a wonderful degree since +their arrival. Children thrive remarkably well; and I may add that +every description of live stock, although collected from different +countries -- England, India, America, Africa, etc. -- find here a +congenial temperature." + +Joseph Harris, Esq. Acting Government Surgeon: -- +"Nothing can be more delightful than the climate generally; and its +invigorating influences on the human constitution, especially those +of Europeans, render it more fit for invalids than any other in the +world. Several persons arrived in the colony suffering from +pulmonary and bronchial affections, asthma, phthisis, haemoptysis, or +spitting of blood, hopeless of recovery in England, are now perfectly +restored, or living in comparative health -- measles and small-pox +are unknown." + +W. H. Sholl, Esq. Government Surgeon, pro tempore: -- +"From pulmonary complaints we are happily free; and even when these +have gone to some length in other countries, removal to this climate +has been of the highest possible benefit. Children are exempt from +the diseases common to them in England; -- small-pox, measles, +scarlet-fever, and hooping-cough, are unknown here." + +W. P. Dineley, Esq. Surgeon of Fremantle Gaol: -- +"We have almost a cloudless sky, a clear dry atmosphere, and a +climate unsurpassed by any in the world." + +Dr. Ferguson, of Australind: -- +"We have no fevers or epidemics here." + +By the Registrar-General's Report for 1843, it appears that the +births in Western Australia are about 1 to 24 83/158, which is a very +high rate. Those readers who are fond of statistics will be pleased +to learn the following rather curious fact: -- In the year 1836, +males were in respect to females, as about five to three, but during +the following seven years, females increased 21 per cent. more than +males; and the continued preponderance of female births promises +speedily to adjust the balance of the sexes. + +The Registrar-General in his Report for 1844, makes the following +interesting observations: -- +"Supposing the whole population of the colony were now grown up and +unmarried, out of every 100 males, as many as 67 could find wives. + +"Supposing the total population UNDER TWELVE were now of age, and +wished to marry; out of every 100 males 97 could find wives. + +"Supposing the total population OF PERTH were now grown up, and +unmarried, 87 out of every 100 males could find wives. + +"But supposing the population OF PERTH UNDER TWELVE were grown up, +and wished to marry, out of 100 FEMALES, only 85 could find husbands." + +The temperature of the atmosphere is exceedingly dry, and therefore +the heat is not oppressive, though the thermometer may stand at a +high degree. + +A rainy day in February or March is an extremely rare occurrence at +Perth, though not unusual at Australind, a hundred miles southward. + +In the hottest weather, farm-labourers work all day in the open air, +and feel no more inconvenience than reapers do in England. This is +owing to the dryness and elasticity of the atmosphere. + +I have no recorded observations of a late date, but the following +table is extracted from the journal of an obliging friend, Robert +Dale, Esq., who, when a Lieutenant in the 63d regiment, was stationed +some years in the colony. + +The thermometer was kept in a cool house at Perth, from March, 1830 +to June 1831. + +MONTHS. A B C D E F REMARKS. + 1830 +March . . .28 . . 2 . . 1 . .88 . .71 . .58 +April . . .23 . . 0 . . 7 . .87 . .70 1/2. .54 +May . . . .17 . . 6 . . 8 . .84 . .64 1/2. .45 . .Fine weather at commence- + ment of this month. +June . . . 18 . . 5 . . 2 . .76 . .56 . .40 . .Five days not accounted + for. +July . . . 14 . . 9 . . 8 . .65 . .49 1/2. .30 +August . . 9 . . 8 . . 7 . .76 . .57 . .38 . .Seven days not accounted + for. +September .17 . . 2 . . 4 . .80 . .62 . .44 . . Ditto ditto. +October . .19 . . 5 . . 6 . .78 . .62 . .46 . .One day not accounted for +November . 23 . . 3 . . 4 . .93 . .73 1/2. .54 +December 26 . . - . . 5 . 103 . .82 1/2. .62 The thermometer was lower + than what is marked in + the minimum column. + 1831 +January 28 . . - . . 3 . 106 . .87 . .68 +February 26 . . 1 . . 1 . 102 . .82 . .62 +March 30 . . - . . 1 . 96 . .78 . .60 +April . . .28 . . - . . 2 . .98 . .73 . .48 +May . . . .21 . . 2 . . 8 . .78 . .61 . .44 At this season frequently + a heavy dew during the + night. +June . . . 14 . . 9 . . 7 . .70 . .52 . .38 + +A - No. of Fine Days. +B - No. of Rainy Days. +C - No. of Showers +D - Maximum Height of Thermometer +E - Medium Height of Thermometer +F - Minimum Height of Thermometer + + + +CHAPTER 28. + +THE BOTANY OF THE COLONY. + +Baron Hugel, Dr. Lindley, and Sir William Hooker, have published +lists of Western Australian shrubs and plants, but the most complete +and elaborate work on the botany of Western Australia is the series +of nineteen letters published in the "Inquirer," by Mr. Drummond, of +Hawthornden, in the colony, and from them we shall compile the +present chapter; but, interesting as they are in their fullest and +most minute details to botanists, it is possible that they may be TOO +descriptive and extend too much into detail for general readers, and +we shall therefore abstain from giving a catalogue of the various +indigenous plants, and confine our remarks to the more useful ones.* +The first to which Mr. Drummond alludes is the blackboy, of which +there are several varieties. The glaucus-leaved York blackboy is, +however, the most important, and grows thirty feet in height without +a branch. It is considered by the settlers the best material for +thatch, and the young and tender leaves are found to be an agreeable +vegetable, and also fodder for horses, goats, sheep, and cattle. The +natives are particularly fond of the blackboy, whilst its sound old +flower-stalks furnish them with the means of obtaining a light by +friction. The native yam, of the class Dioeceae, is stated by Mr. +Drummond to be the finest esculent vegetable the colony produces. +The fungi, or mushrooms, are also palatable to the Aborigines; one +species belonging to this order, and named the Boletus, is +remarkable for possessing the properties of German tinder, when well +dried, and for emitting a radiant light in its natural state. + + +[footnote] *This brief compilation is the work of Alexander Andrews, +Esq. + + +There are seventy species of grasses. The genus stripa has several +varieties, of which the seeds are injurious to sheep, penetrating +into the wool, and sometimes into the carcase and causing death. By +adopting the precaution of shearing before the seeds are ripe, this +mischief is however obviated. Another description is distinguished +as elegantissima, from its beautiful appearance, and is used as a +decoration, and for ornamenting rooms. + +The bulrush of Scripture is found here, and is used by coopers to +stanch their work. A large jointed rush has also been found of great +service, and introduced in the walls of houses to advantage, and some +varieties of the Restiaceae are useful in thatch work; and in his +sixth letter, Mr. Drummond mentions the buttack as very useful in +tyings. A climbing species of the Thysanotus, near the Moore +river, is much used by the natives as food. The Madge and the +Guardine are roots from which the natives extract nutritious food; +the pigs are also fond of them, and besides these there are other +white roots used as food by the natives. + +The oak-leaved Chenopodium is supposed to contain essential oil; it +was formerly used by the settlers as a vegetable, and is proved to +contain carbonate of soda, so that, as Mr. Drummond suggests, "it +would be worth inquiry at what price we could afford barilla as an +export." The Erythraea Australis is, we are informed, a good +substitute, and is used as such, for hops; and one species of tobacco +is indigenous to the colony. The sow-thistle of Swan River was, in +the early days of the settlement, used as a vegetable, but is now +eaten only by the domestic animals, by whom it is much relished. As +a salad, it is said to be scarcely inferior to endive. The +Helicrysum, a biennial of the Vasse district, is a grateful fodder +for horses, and the Morna nitida for goats, sheep, and cattle, as +are also several species of Picris and other shrubs. There is also +a native celery, which forms a poor substitute for that of Europe; +two varieties of this species are mentioned -- the Conna, of which +the roots are eaten by the natives after being peeled, and the +Kukire, the foot of which resembles the carrot in appearance, with +the smell and colour of the parsnip. The wild carrot is also an +excellent vegetable, and from its root rich wine has been extracted. +The order Eryngo has a species of which the roots when candied have +great restorative powers. Of the Hederoma latifolia, Dr. Lindley +remarks, that its half-ripe fruits, if sent to Europe, would give +several original and valuable scents to the perfumer. + +Of the sea-weeds, one particular species, supposed to be the Fucus +amylaeceus, thrown in great quantities upon the coast, is mentioned +as forming when boiled, sweetened, and spiced, a nutritious and +beautiful jelly of a fine rose colour; and as it appears that it may +be dried without injury and preserved for years, it would be of value +as an export. + +The catalogue of indigenous fruits is not very extensive, but one +species, belonging to the order Epacrideae, is reported to bear +very palatable berries. The Vasse apple, of the size of a peach, is +stated when boiled with sugar to be an agreeable sweet-meat. + +Another fruit, of the species Mesembryanthemum, is of a less +pleasing flavour; but one of the same species, resembling the English +gooseberry, is said to be delicious. Mr. Drummond also records the +discovery, southward of the Vasse, of a nondescript shrub of about +five feet in height, and bearing fruit as large as a middle-sized +plum, of a fine purple colour, covered with a rich bloom, and having +a stone similar to the plum. It is reported to have a pleasing +taste. This completes the list of fruits, which Mr. Drummond +acknowledges to be imperfect, as the cultivation of the vine, olive, +currant, and other imported fruits has withdrawn the attention of the +settlers from the native productions; and we shall now pass to the +smaller classes of the Eucalyptus tribe. The Doatta is a species +of this class, and the bark of its root is much relished by the +natives, having a sweet and pleasing taste, as is also the trunk of +the red-gum; and its leaves, washed in water, form an agreeable +beverage. They also collect a description of manna from the leaves +of the York gum, which yields a considerable quantity of saccharine +matter. The common green wattle of the genus of Acacia is found +plentifully on the alluvial flats of the Swan, and the bark is much +used for tanning; and the gum-wattle of the same order produces so +great a quantity of gum as to demand the attention of exporters. +Another shrub of this order is found in the Vasse district, and +produces galls similar to those of the oak, which might also be +collected for exportation. The gum of some of these species is used +by the natives as food, and the seeds, when ground, give them a +tolerable substitute for flour. + +Instead of entering more at large into dry botanical details, I will +transfer to these pages a letter from my respected friend, Mr. James +Drummond, the botanist already alluded to, which perhaps will prove +more acceptable to the general reader. + +This letter was published at the time in the local journals. + +"Dear Sir, -- I send you a few extracts from a journal of observations +which I made in a journey to the north, in company with Mr. Gilbert, +the ornithologist.* My sons had heard from the natives that a +considerable river and lakes of fresh water were to be found about +two days' journey to the north of their station on the Moore River; +and in company with Captain Scully, the Government Resident of this +district, they determined to explore the country in that direction. +Mr. Phillips and some other gentlemen who were to be of the party, as +well as Mr. Gilbert and myself, arrived at the station too late; I +shall therefore principally confine my observations to Mr. Gilbert's +transactions and my own. + + +[footnote] * Mr. Gilbert, an enthusiastic naturalist, and an amiable +and highly respectable man, was treacherously murdered by natives to +the North-East of New Holland, whilst engaged upon a scientific +expedition. + + +"We left Hawthornden on the 22d August, and slept at the residence of +Captain Scully, who had set out some days before to join the +exploring party. On the 23d we proceeded on our journey to the +north, and in about five or six miles we examined some remarkable +masses of granite rocks a little to the right of the road which is +formed by our carts and horses passing to and from the Moore River. +Mr. Gilbert found a small but curious fresh-water shell in some pools +of rain-water on the rocks, and I found two plants which I had not +seen before. In about eleven or twelve miles from Captain Scully's +we reached a permanent spring called Yoolgan, where there is +excellent grass, and where we stopped to dine and feed our horses. +Soon after leaving Yoolgan, we met with Mr. Phillips and Mr. John +Mackie returning; they had arrived at our station a day too late for +the party; we therefore knew that our hurrying on to join them was +useless. In ten or twelve miles from Yoolgan we reached Yeinart, a +tea-tree swamp, where there is grass and water to be had throughout +the year. The night threatened to rain, but we arrived too late to +do much in the house-making way; fortunately, the rain kept off until +daylight, when we soon covered our house with tea-tree bark, and +determined to stop for the day, which I consider the best way, as no +collections can be made when it is raining, and provisions and +everything get spoiled. It cleared up about ten o'clock, and we went +to visit a brushwood swamp, where my son Johnston had shot several +specimens of a beautiful species of kangaroo with a dark-coloured +fur, overtopped with silvery hairs, called Marnine by the natives: +we saw plenty of tracks of the animals, but could not see a single +specimen. On the top of a hill to the north of the swamp I succeeded +in finding two very distinct species of Dryandra, new to me. I +also found a fine species of Eucalyptus in flower, which is +distinguished from the Matilgarring of the natives, the +Eucalyptus macrocarpus of Sir W. T. Hooker, by having lengthened +recurved flower-stalks; the flowers are rose-coloured. + +"On the 25th we proceeded on our journey. I observed two new species +of acacia near Yeinart. We mistook our road, and made our old +station at Badgee-badgee, where we stopped to dine and feed our +horses. I also found some curious aquatic plants in the pools of +water among the rocks at Badgee-badgee. After dinner we succeeded +with difficulty in tracing our road to our present station on the +Mouran pool, the cart tracks being nearly obliterated by the +trampling of the sheep. On arriving, we found that the exploring +party had returned, and that Captain Scully and my son James had +left, on their return, about half an hour before our arrival. The +mutilated specimens of plants brought home by the party, and the +accounts of some which were left behind, determined me to visit the +new river myself, after botanizing a day in the vicinity of the +station, where I found a fine glaucus-leaved Anadenia, and Mr. +Gilbert got specimens of the blue kangaroo, and several small new +quadrupeds -- one of them apparently a true rat, almost as large and +mischievous as the Norway rat. Having got two natives, one of whom +(Cabbinger) had been with the party to the north, we started on the +27th, and slept at a spring called Boorbarna. On the way I found a +species of the common poison which I had not seen before, and a +beautiful Conospermum, with pannicles of blue flowers varying to +white. I was informed, by my son Johnston, that a plant like +horehound, but with scarlet flowers, in tubes about an inch long, +grew on the top of a stony hill to the north of the spring; I went +and found the plant, which belongs to Scrophularinae; I also found +a Manglesia, allied to Tridentifera, but having the leaves more +divided; I also found a beautiful blue climbing plant, a species of +Pronaya, on the top of the same hill. On the 28th, soon after +setting out on our journey, I found two splendid species of +everlasting flower, of which my son Johnston had been the original +discoverer; one, with golden-yellow flowers varying to white, has the +flowers in heads different from anything of the sort I have seen +before, and will, I think, form a new genus of Compositae; and the +other with pink flowers, growing two feet high, something like +Lawrencella rosea, or Rhodanthe Manglesii, but if possible finer +than either. In nine or ten miles to the north of Boorbarna, we +crossed a curious tract of country, covered with what I considered a +variety of quartz, which breaks with a conchoidal fracture, but it +has very much the appearance of flint; in many places the pieces were +large, with sharp angles; my sons complained that it injured their +horses' feet, but by alighting, and leading our horses over the worse +parts, I did not perceive any bad effects from it. This tract of +country produces some interesting plants; a splendid Calathamnus, +with leaves nine inches long, and showy scarlet flowers, was found by +my youngest son, and I got plenty of specimens. + +"With regard to a new Banksia, allied to Aquifolia, which he +found here, I was not so fortunate, and he brought home no specimens. +After crossing several miles of this quartz formation, we came upon +an extensive flat of strong clay, covered with Eucalyptus, and some +curious species of acacia; we crossed a considerable river, or brook, +running strong to the west, and about two miles, after crossing this +brook, we made the river we were in quest of at a place called +Murarino by the natives. Near the river I found a splendid plant, +which had been first observed by my son Johnston; he took it for a +Lasiopetalum, but I expect it will prove to be a species of +Solanum; it grows two or three feet high, with large purple +flowers, with calyxes like brown velvet; the leaves are irregularly +shaped, acuminate, about two inches long, and an inch and a half wide +at their broadest parts; the stems are prickly, and all the leaves +covered with a down as in Lasiopetalum. I am uncertain about the +genus, not having seen the seed-vessels, but whatever that may be, it +is of our finest Australian plants. + +"We stopped to dine on the river, and in about four miles farther to +the north, we reached two fresh-water lakes called Dalarn and +Maradine. Ducks of various sorts were here in thousands, and the +water-hens, or gallinules, which visited the settlements on the Swan +some years ago, were plentiful. Mr. Gilbert shot three or four at a +shot. I found a fine Baechia, which had been first found by my son +James, and a curious new plant belonging to Compositae, but not yet +in flower. The appearance of the country about these lakes, of which +there are several besides those I have named, and the plants which +grow about them, which are generally met with at no great distance +from the sea, seem to prove that the lakes are at no great distance +from it, and that the Darling Range does not extend so far to the +north. No hills of any description appeared to the west; from the +top of a hill to the east, two remarkable hills appeared, apparently +about thirty miles to the north; one of them was observed by my son +to have a remarkable peaked top, and they supposed they might be +Mount Heathcote and Wizard Peak. We saw, as we came along, a high +hill, which the natives called Wangan Catta; they said it was three +days' walk to it; it lay due east of our course. + +"On the 29th, we returned on our track for about seven miles, until +we reached the first running river we met on our journey to the +north. Our guides agreed to take us back by a different route, and +to take us to a hill where a curious species of kangaroo called +Damar by them, would be met with. My son Johnston has shot several +of these animals about a day's walk to the east of our station on the +Moore River. We therefore ascended this river in a course S.E. by E., +and soon after we were upon its banks, we came upon a grassy country; +three or four miles up we stopped to dine and feed the horses, at a +place called Nugadrine; several pairs of beautiful falcons, the +Falco Nypolencus of Gould, were flying over us, and Mr. Gilbert +succeeded in shooting one of them. After dinner, we proceeded in the +same direction for nine or ten miles; we soon crossed the tracks of +Captain Scully and my sons on their return; they had gone up the main +or northern branch of the river, and had found but little grass while +they followed its banks; but they had passed over a great deal of +grassy land in crossing the country from it to the Moore River. + +"We travelled for ten or eleven miles through a splendid grassy +country, and met with a large tribe of natives, several of whom had +never seen white men before; they were very friendly, and offered us +some of their favourite root, the wyrang, which grows abundantly +among these grassy hills. They made so much noise, that we wished to +get some distance from them to sleep, but they all followed us and +encamped near, many of the single men sleeping by our fire. In the +morning of the 30th I went to the top of a hill, near our bivouac, +while Mr. Gilbert was superintending the preparations for breakfast, +and clipping the beards of some of our new friends. After breakfast, +we started direct for our station on the Moore River; the natives who +were with us as guides considering our stock of flour insufficient to +proceed any farther in the direction of the hill where they expected +to find the Damars. For almost the whole of this day we travelled +over the most splendid grassy country I have ever seen in Australia; +the hill-sides, as far as we could see in every direction, were +covered with beautiful grass, and of a golden colour, from the +flowers of the beautiful yellow everlasting flower which I have +described in a former part of this letter, which is only to be found +in the richest soil. After reaching our station, I was a day or two +employed in drying my specimens of plants. My son Johnston pointed +out a most beautiful new Dryandra, which he had discovered on the +top of a hill near the Mouran-pool; I have named the species +Dryandra floribunda, from its numerous blossoms, which almost hide +the leaves; it grows twelve or fifteen feet high, and in such +abundance, that the side of the hill on which it grows actually +appears of a golden colour for several miles. I consider it the most +beautiful species of the genus yet known for cultivation. + +"I am, Sir, +"Your obedient servant, +"James Drummond. + +"P.S. -- Our course generally by compass from Hawthornden to these +lakes has been several points to the west of north. The natives +informed us, when at the lakes, that they could reach the sea-coast +long before sunset. + +"Hawthornden Farm, Toodyay Valley." + + + +CHAPTER 29. + +MISFORTUNES OF THE COLONY. + +Many causes have unhappily united to keep Western Australia from +rising into notice and importance with that rapidity which has marked +the career of the other Australian colonies. The misfortunes of the +first settlers, attributable in a great measure to flagrant +mismanagement, deterred intending emigrants from tempting the like +fate. The man who had the largest grant in the colony allotted to +him -- a monster grant of 250,000 acres -- made so ill an use of the +means at his command, that nothing but misery and misfortune has ever +attended his steps. The funds with which he was intrusted might have +been applied with the happiest effect, both for the advancement of +the colony and of his own personal fortunes. The people whom he +brought out, chiefly mechanics and labourers, to the number of four +hundred or upwards, were sufficient to have formed a settlement of +their own. By an unhappy fatality, the early settlers were landed on +a part of the coast the most unfavourable in the world for their +purposes. The whole country around them was a mere limestone rock. +Here, however, the town-site of Clarence was fixed upon, but scarcely +a yard of land was to be found that afforded space for a garden. No +attempt was made to sow grain, or plant potatoes, to provide for the +wants of the following year. + +The people lived upon the provisions they had brought out with them. +The four hundred workmen being left by their principal without +direction or employment, soon consumed in riotous living the abundant +stores left at their disposal, and too soon found that destitution is +the inevitable consequence of idleness and folly. Many perished +miserably of want and sickness, and many others effected their escape +to Van Dieman's Land, where they gave a melancholy account of the +wretchedness of those who were unable to flee from the scene of their +errors. + +The active intelligence, and unremitting exertions of the Governor, +Sir James Stirling, at length ameliorated the condition of the +unfortunate settlers. He removed the seat of Government to Perth, +and explored the neighbouring country in every direction in the hope +of finding tracts of land sufficient for the support of the people +under his charge. The flats of the Swan River afforded all the +facilities he required; but the settlers were greatly intimidated by +the treacherous attacks of the natives, and were very reluctant to +separate from the main body. In consequence of these fears, many +consumed their capital in their present support, instead of applying +it in the formation of farms, and laying the ground-work of future +prosperity. Provisions being all imported, were sold at high rates, +and the hesitating colonists became unavoidably subservient to the +cupidity of the traders. + +In addition to these misfortunes, no man liked to lay out his money +in building a house upon land which might not eventually be allotted +to him. He lived therefore, with his wife, children, and servants, +miserably under a tent, until the surveyor-general should be able to +point out to him the land which had fallen to his share, in the +general lottery of the Government. In many cases this was not done +for one or two years after the formation of the colony, in +consequence of the lamentably inefficient force placed at the +disposal of the able and indefatigable surveyor-general; and even +then, the boundaries of the different allotments were not permanently +defined. This state of incertitude had the most fatal effect, not +only upon the fortunes, but upon the moral condition of the settlers. +Those who had come out resolutely bent upon cultivating their own +land, and supporting themselves and families by their manual labour, +refused to make the necessary exertions upon property which might +eventually belong to others for whom they had no desire to toil. +Waiting, therefore, in their tents on the shore, until the Government +should determine their respective locations, they passed the time in +idleness, or in drinking and riotous living; and when at length they +obtained their Letters of Allocation, they found themselves without +money or any means of subsistence, except by hiring out their manual +labour to others more prudent, or more fortunate. + +Other accidental circumstances have combined to retard the progress +of the colony. From ignorance of the seasons, many lost their crops, +and were obliged consequently to expend the last remains of their +capital in procuring necessary supplies. From the same cause, +vessels which brought emigrants to the colony were not secured during +the winter season in the safest anchorages, and being exposed to the +fury of the north-west gales, were in too many instances, driven +ashore and completely wrecked. + +Again, too, there has always existed a strong desire on the part of +Western Australia to connect herself with India, conscious that there +are great facilities of communication between the countries, from +favourable trade-winds, and that her own climate is perhaps better +suited to invalids than even that of the Cape. This desire has been +met by several influential gentleman of Calcutta, and on two +occasions, vessels were freighted and despatched from that city to +the colony, in the hope of establishing a mutually advantageous +connexion, and on both occasions the vessels were lost on the voyage. +At length a small establishment was effected near Australind, by the +agents of Mr. W. H. Prinsep, for the purpose of breeding horses for +the Indian market; and we most sincerely hope success will ultimately +attend the enterprising effort. Indian officers have occasionally +visited the colony; but they have naturally received unfavourable +impressions, from being unable to find those accommodations and +luxuries to which they had been accustomed. + +The settlers will not build houses and lay out their money on the +mere speculation of gaining advantage by the visits of Indian +officers, but if once there appeared a reasonable prospect of early +remuneration, every convenience would be provided, and every comfort +ensured to visitors. Living is now extremely cheap, and there is a +profusion of vegetables and fruits of every kind. There are plenty +of good horses and pleasure-boats, and there are the amusements of +fishing, and hunting the Kangaroo and Emu. + +The misconduct of some, and the misfortunes of others of the early +settlers, tended to bring about calamities which were echoed +throughout Great Britain, and for many years had the effect of +turning the stream of emigration away from these shores. Other +causes have also contributed to this end. The Government plan of +giving grants of land to emigrants, proportioned to the capital which +they introduced into the colony, was good to a certain extent, but +the object was perverted, and the boon abused. In almost all +instances, men received a much greater quantity of land than they +were justly entitled to. Every article of provisions, furniture, and +household effects, and even wearing apparel, were taken into account. +The valuations were made by friends and neighbours, who accommodated +one another, and rated the property of the applicant at a most +astounding price. The consequence has been, that large grants of +land have fallen into the hands of those who have never lived upon +them, or spent anything upon their improvement, beyond a fictitious +amount which they were required to specify to the Government before +they could obtain possession of their deeds of grant. These original +grantees have clung to their lands with desperate tenacity, in the +hope that some day their value will be more than nominal. The idea +that all the best portions of the colony are in the hands of a few +great unimproving proprietors, has been one reason why emigrants have +turned away from it. + +But the provision, which has so long been an evil to the colony, may +now be looked upon, thanks to the narrow-minded policy of the Home +Government, as an advantage. These original grants, which have +proved so little beneficial to the owner, and so highly detrimental +to the community, are now far more easily obtainable by the emigrant +than the surrounding crown-lands. The policy of the Government has +entirely changed with regard to the disposal of waste lands in the +Australian colonies; instead of giving them away with a lavish hand, +it has for some years been the practice to throw every obstacle in +the way of intending purchasers. + +They are now valued at one pound per acre, though it is well known, +even at the colonial office, that five acres of Australian land are +requisite to maintain a single sheep; and as the average value of +sheep in all these colonies is six or seven shillings, it scarcely +requires the head of a Secretary of State to calculate that every one +who buys land for the purpose of feeding his flocks upon it, must be +content to purchase it at an irreparable loss of capital. In +consequence of this wise regulation, no purchase of crown-lands are +now made in any of the Australian colonies, except of town +allotments, which have a factitious value, altogether irrespective of +the qualities of the soil. It is now that the holders of large +grants find purchasers, as they are extremely willing to sell at a +much lower rate than the crown. In Western Australia alone, however, +are these grants to be found; and here excellent land may be +purchased at three shillings an acre. Thus the careless profusion of +one government, and the false policy and unhappy cupidity of another, +have proved the means of placing this colony in a better position in +some respects than any other. + +Western Australia has been unfortunate also in having had no powerful +company to support her cause in England. The neighbouring colony of +South Australia, with a much less extensive territory, and without +any natural superiority in the quality of the soil, was immediately +puffed into notice by the exertions of her friends at home. + +But whilst the settlers at Adelaide and their patrons in London, +proclaimed to the world the advantages of the new colony, they +scrupled not to draw comparisons between it and the Western +settlement, that were neither flattering nor just to the latter. Not +content with elevating their own idol with paeans and thanksgiving, +before the gaze of a bedinned public, they persisted in shouting out +their scorn and contempt at the pretensions of their unhappy +neighbour. The public, with its usual discernment, gave implicit +credence to both fables. Western Australia had met its contumelious +detractors with silence; and the false statements were therefore +looked upon as admitted and undeniable. But notwithstanding the +injurious misrepresentations of enemies, and her own injurious +silence, this colony has been quietly and steadily progressing, until +she has laid for herself a foundation that no envious calumny can +shake. The last blow she has received was from the failure of the +settlement at Australind; a subject that I intend to treat of in a +separate chapter. + +So many misfortunes and untoward accidents have combined to prejudice +the emigrating portion of the British public against Western +Australia, that no voice is ever raised in her behalf, and scarcely +any literary journal condescends to acknowledge her existence. And +yet, notwithstanding the veil of darkness that conceals her from +Northern eyes, there is perhaps no spot in the world that contains so +eminently within itself the elements of prosperity and happiness. A +climate more genial, more divine than that of Italy, robs poverty of +its bleakness and its bitterness. Absolute want is never felt, and +those who possess but little, find how little is sufficient in a +climate so productive and so beneficent. + +The purity and elasticity of the atmosphere induce a continual flow +of good spirits. + +To all the fruits of Italy in most abundant profusion, are added the +productions of the East. + +The regularity of the seasons is so certain, that the husbandman +always reckons with confidence upon his crops. No droughts +interfere, AS IN THE OTHER COLONIES, to ruin his hopes. The +vintages, annually increasing and improving, are equally free +from disappointment. + +It must not, however, be denied that there are many natural +disadvantages which can never be overcome without a much larger +population. + +In the first place, the only good harbour on the Western coast has +only just been discovered -- June 1846 -- and is at least thirty-five +miles distant from Perth, the capital. Then, secondly, all the +superior land of the colony is situated about sixty miles back from +the capital, and the farmers therefore have a considerable distance +to convey their produce to the port; and part of that distance the +roads are extremely bad. + +There is another objection to the colony in the opinion of intending +emigrants, which arises from a small plant, or shrub, of the order +leguminosae, a deadly poison to sheep and cattle. This plant grows +over the colony in patches, but is now so well known, that accidents +very seldom occur from it, shepherds being careful not to allow their +flocks to feed in its vicinity. It is however to be observed, that +neither sheep nor cattle will feed upon this plant unless they be +very hungry, and other food be wanting. It is very seldom indeed +that cattle, which are sometimes left to roam at large over the +country, are found to have perished from pasturing upon it. This +plant has no injurious effect upon horses; but these animals have in +several instances been poisoned by eating the leaves of a small plant +described as resembling the ranunculus, which grows in small +quantities in the Southern portion of the colony. A gentleman once +informed me that he was riding up from Australind on a favourite and +very fine horse, which he allowed to feed, during several hours of +rest, on a spot where this plant unfortunately grew. On mounting to +resume his journey, the horse seemed full of spirit; but he had not +proceeded a mile before it stumbled, and was with difficulty kept +from falling. A little farther on, after proceeding with evident +difficulty, it fell, to rise no more, and died in a few hours of +violent inflammation of the kidneys. + +However alarming these drawbacks may seem to people at a distance, +they are only lightly considered in the colony. Fatalities are very +rare among the flocks and herds, and many diseases which prevail in +New South Wales are entirely unknown among us. + + + +CHAPTER 30. + +THE RESOURCES OF THE COLONY: -- HORSES FOR INDIA -- WINE -- DRIED +FRUITS -- COTTON -- COAL -- WOOL -- CORN -- WHALE-OIL -- A WHALE- +HUNT -- CURED FISH -- SHIP TIMBER. + +The geographical position of Western Australia makes it one of the +most desirable colonies of the British empire. The French would be +delighted to possess so advantageous a station in that part of the +world, whence they could sally forth and grievously annoy our +shipping-trade. Vessels bound for China and the Eastern Islands pass +within a few days' sail of the colony. For my part, I confess I +should feel by no means sorry were we to fall into the hands of the +French for a few years, as they would not hesitate to make such +lasting improvements as would materially add to the importance of the +settlement. It requires that Government should be made to feel the +value of this colony as a naval station before it will rise into +anything like consequence. The anchorage of Cockburn Sound, lying +between Garden Island and the main land, presents a splendid harbour, +where hundreds of ships of war might lie throughout all weathers in +perfect safety. Enemy's cruisers passing along the coast cannot come +within Garden Island from the south, and they would scarcely venture +without a pilot from the north, except with a great deal of +deliberation and caution, so that small vessels might readily slip +away and avoid the danger; and numbers of ships might lie so close +under Garden Island, that they never would be perceived by men-of-war +reconnoitring the coast. + +There is no other colony in Australia so admirably situated with +respect to other countries. The Cape of Good Hope is four or five +weeks sail distant; Ceylon about twenty days; Calcutta, Sincapore, +and Batavia are all within easy reach. In exporting live-stock, this +is of vast importance; and in time of war a central position like +this would afford an admirable place for vessels to repair to in +order to refit. With the finest timber in the world for naval +purposes in unlimited profusion; with a soil teeming with various +metals; with harbours and dock-yards almost ready made by the hand of +Nature, all things requisite for the wants of shipping may be +obtained whenever a Government shall see fit to resort to them. + +It must doubtless surprise many that more has not been done in a +colony possessing such natural advantages. The reason is, that the +prejudices which have so long prevailed against this settlement have +retarded the progress of immigration, and the small number of +inhabitants has ever precluded the possibility of any great effort +being made by the colony itself. + +Public opinion in England must turn in its favour before it can rise +from obscurity into importance; but public opinion is never in favour +of the poor and deserted. Time, however, will eventually develope +those resources, which at present lie dormant for want of capital and +opportunity. + +The proximity of this colony to India peculiarly marks it as the most +advantageous spot for the breeding of horses for that market. From +Van Dieman's Land or New South Wales, ships are generally about eight +weeks in reaching an Indian port, and must proceed either by the +north of New Holland, through the dangerous navigation of Torres +Straits, or by the south and west, round Cape Lewin. Either route +presents a long and rough passage, highly detrimental to stock, and +of course increasing the cost of the horses exported. The voyage +from Fremantle may be performed in half the time, and the animals +will therefore arrive at their destination in much finer order, and +with much less loss. + +It is well known that none of these colonies afford better or more +extensive pasture-ground for horses and cattle than ours. Nothing is +wanted but capital and population to produce a thriving traffic in +horse-flesh between this settlement and India. + +There is every reason to believe that Western Australia will one day +become a great wine country. Its vineyards are becoming more +numerous and extensive every year, and the wine produced in them is +of a quality to lead us to believe that when the art of preparing it +is better understood, it will be found of very superior quality. It +will, however, be a new kind of wine; and therefore, before it will +be prized in Europe, prejudices in favour of older wines have to be +overcome. Soil and climate combined, give to different wines their +peculiar flavour. The vines which in Madeira produce the wine of +that name, when brought to another country, even in a corresponding +latitude, and planted in soil that chemically approaches as closely +as possible to that which they have left, will produce a wine +materially different from that called Madeira. So with the vines of +Xeres and Oporto; of Teneriffe or Constantia. Different countries +produce wines peculiar to themselves; and the wine of Western +Australia will be found to be entirely sui generis. All that I +have tasted, though made from the poorest of grapes, the common +sweet-water, have one peculiarity; a good draught, instead of +affecting the head or flushing the face, causes a most delightful +glow to pervade the stomach; and it is of so comforting a nature, +that the labourers in harvest prefer the home-made colonial wine to +any other beverage. Every farm-settler is now adding a vineyard to +his estate. The olive is also being extensively cultivated. In a +few years' time, dried fruits will be exported in large quantities; +but we almost fear that the colonists are giving too much of their +attention to the cultivation of grapes and other fruits. In addition +to exports, on a large scale, of wool, horses, timber, and metals, +these articles of commerce are not undeserving of attention, but they +should not be brought so prominently forward as to form the principal +feature in the trade of the colony. Wine and fruit countries are +always poor countries; let us think of substantials first, and of +wine and fruit only by way of dessert. + +Cotton is a plant that grows extremely well in this colony, and might +be cultivated on a large scale, and doubtless with great success. +Mr. Hutt, the late governor, whose constant anxiety to promote the +interests of the settlers in every way must long endear him to their +memories, always appeared extremely sanguine as to the practicability +of making this a great cotton country. + +But Western Australia contains, perhaps, greater internal wealth than +that which appears on the surface. She abounds in iron, which must +some day come into the Indian market; and as the metal lies close to +the surface, it may be obtained without much expenditure of capital. +There is no doubt, also, that she is equally rich in copper and +platina, but capital is wanting at present to enable the settlers to +work the mines. Soon, however, companies will be formed, and +operations will be carried on rivalling those of South Australia. + +Extensive fields of excellent COAL have lately been discovered, and +will prove the source of vast wealth to the colony. Steam-vessels in +the Indian ocean will be supplied with coal from Western Australia; +and the depots at Sincapore, Point-de-Galle, and perhaps at Aden, +will afford a constant market for this valuable commodity. + +The staple export of the colony is, of course, at present wool. Our +flocks, unfortunately, increase in a much greater ratio than the +inhabitants, and thus the scarcity of labour becomes severely felt. +A large flock becomes an evil, and men are burdened and impoverished +by the very sources of wealth. The expense of maintaining becomes +greater than the returns. The emigrants who are most sure of +improving their condition in a colony, are those men who begin as +shepherds, and having established a good character for themselves, +undertake the care of a flock upon shares; that is, they receive a +certain proportion -- a third, and sometimes even a half -- of the +annual increase and wool, delivering the remainder to the owner at +the seaport, ready packed for shipping. These men, of course, soon +acquire a flock of their own, and then abandon the original employer +to his old embarrassment, leaving him, (a resident probably in the +capital, and already a prey to multitudinous distractions,) to find +out a new shepherd on still more exorbitant terms. As large grants +of land may be obtained by tenants for merely nominal rents, or in +consideration of their erecting stock-yards or farm-buildings in the +course of a term of years, there is every inducement to men of this +class to become settlers. + +The houses in some districts are built of clay, or prepared earth, +rammed down between boards, and thus forming solid walls of twelve or +eighteen inches in thickness, that harden in a short time almost to +the consistency of stone. The windows and doorways are cut out of +the walls. These edifices are built at a very cheap rate; and when +laths or battens are fixed inside of them, may be covered with +plaister, and either whitewashed or painted. + +Besides the extensive sheep-runs of the colony, there is an unlimited +extent of excellent corn-land. The crops in the Northam, Toodyay, +and York districts -- though inferior to those of the midland +counties of England, for want of manure, and a more careful system of +husbandry -- are extremely fine; and there is land enough, if +cultivated, to supply the whole of the southern hemisphere with grain. + +The sea on the western coast of New Holland still abounds with +whales, although the Americans for many years made it one of their +principal stations, and have consequently driven many of the animals +away. The whale is a very suspicious and timid creature, and when it +has been once chased it seldom returns to the same locality. The +Americans tell us that Geographe Bay, about twenty years ago, +abounded with whales at certain seasons. Many of them came there +apparently to die, and the shore was covered with their carcases and +bones. About the month of June, the whales proceed along the coast, +going northward; and then visit the various bays and inlets as they +pass, in pursuit of the shoals of small fish that precede them in +their migration. They generally return towards the south about six +weeks afterwards, and at these times the whale-fishery is eagerly +pursued both by the Americans and the colonists. Bay-whaling is +followed with various success at Fremantle, Bunbury, the Vasse, +Augusta, and King George's Sound. + +At these times swarms of sharks of enormous dimensions infest the +coast. At the Vasse, they were so numerous in 1845, that the men in +the boats became quite cowed by their audacity. Were a whale killed +in the evening, two-thirds of it would be eaten before morning by the +sharks. The monsters (sometimes thirty feet in length) would follow +the whale-boats, and strike against them with their snouts and fins; +until the men were so intimidated that they even refused to go in +pursuit of a whale which otherwise they might easily have captured. +Mr. Robert Viveash, one of the principals at this station, told me, +among other anecdotes, that one day, standing on the deck of a small +schooner, watching the evolutions of an enormous shark, he saw it +seize the rudder with its teeth in a kind of frenzy, or else in mere +sport, and shake it so violently that the tiller, striking against +some heavy object on deck, was actually broken in two pieces. It is +a well-authenticated fact, that some years ago a shark, playing round +a whaling vessel of upwards of 300 tons, whilst lying at anchor +during a calm, got entangled in the buoy-rope of the anchor, and in +its efforts to free itself actually tripped the anchor. The people +on board, perceiving something extraordinary had happened, hove up +the anchor, and brought the struggling shark to the surface. Having +thrown a rope over its head and secured it by a running bowline knot +under the pectoral fins, the fish was boused up to the fore-yard; and +its length was so great, that when its nose touched the yard, its +tail was still lashing the water. + +There is something highly exciting in the chase of the whale. I have +watched the proceedings for hours from Arthur's Head, the high rock +between Fremantle and the sea. A man stationed here on the look out, +perceives a whale spouting about six miles off, between the main-land +and the opposite islands. He immediately hoists a flag, and makes +signals indicating the direction. + +The crews of six whale-boats, which have been lying ready on the +beach, with their lines carefully coiled in a tub, and harpoon and +lances all at hand, assemble like magic. The boats are launched, and +pulling rapidly out of the bay, each with its own particular flag +flying at the bows; the steersman leans forward, and gives additional +force to the stroke-oar by the assistance of his weight and strength; +the men pull strongly and well-together; the boats dance over the +flashing waves, and silence and determination reign among the crews. +The object is to meet the whale, and come down upon him in front; +none but a lubber or a knave would cross his wake; for his eyes are +so placed that he can see laterally and behind better than straight +before him, and the moment he detects a boat in pursuit he begins to +run. The lubber crosses his wake, because he has not steered so as +to be able to avoid doing so; the knave, because either out of spite +to his employer, or because he is bribed by an adverse company, is +desirous that the fish should be lost. If the boats are a long +distance astern when the whale begins to run, pursuit is useless, and +the men return, hoping for better luck another time. + +The boats come round Arthur's Head almost together. The men, knowing +that many hours of severe toil are probably before them, pull +steadily, but not so as to exhaust themselves at the outset. At +length one boat creeps out from the rest; the others gradually drop +into line, and the distance between each widens perceptibly. The +last boat, a heavy sailer, is half-a-mile astern of the first. From +the boats, your eye wanders to the spot where the whale was last seen +to blow. For some time you can discern nothing, and fancy he must be +gone off to sea again. At last a thin white column of vapour is +perceptible; the animal is carelessly sporting about, unconscious of +danger. The first boat draws rapidly down upon him; it approaches +nearer and nearer. The fish has disappeared, but his enemies seem to +know the direction in which he is going, and are ready awaiting him +when he returns to the surface. You now perceive him blowing close +to the first boat, the steersman of which draws in the steer-oar and +runs forward, whilst the men have all peaked their oars, and remain +quiet in their seats. The steersman has seized the harpoon to which +the long line of coiled rope is attached; in a moment he has plunged +it into the animal's side. Starting at the stroke, away it darts; +the line flies out of the tub over the bow of the boat; the men begin +to pull, in order to ease the shock when the line is all run out; and +now away they go, the whale drawing the boat after him at such speed +that the water flies off from the bows in broad flakes. + +After running upwards of a mile, the fish dives down to the bottom; +there he remains some minutes, until compelled to return to the +surface for breath. His reappearance is heralded by a column of +water spouted from his nostrils. + +Two of the boats are able to approach near enough to allow lances to +be thrown at him, which, penetrating through the blubber, pierce his +vitals, and cause him to run again as swiftly as before. Again he +sinks, and again appears on the surface; the column which he now +spouts forth is tinged with red. The boats again approach, the more +lances are driven into his sides, but he is not yet subdued; he +breaks away from the assassins, and tries once more to escape; but, +alas! his strength and his life-blood are fast ebbing away; his +breath begins to fail, and he cannot remain long beneath the surface. + +He comes up suddenly in the very midst of the boats, and, as he rolls +from side to side, he strikes one of them with his fin, staving it in +and making it a wreck upon the water. The drowning men are picked up +by their companions, and the whale is again pursued. He is now in +the death-flurry, spinning round and round, and lashing the sea into +foam with his broad tail. He is still; and now the boats venture to +come close up to the carcase, and fixing grapnels in it, with +tow-lines attached, they form in a line, and commence towing their +conquest to the shore, singing as they row, their measured paeans of +victory. + +When the blubber is cut off and tryed out, it produces from three to +ten tons of oil. + +Besides whales, there are immense quantities of fish upon this coast. +The best kind are called tailors, and have a good deal of the +mackerel flavour; and snappers, which somewhat resemble cod-fish. +The mullets and whitings are better than those on the English coast, +but every other fish is much inferior in flavour to those known in +England. We have nothing to equal salmon, turbot, soles, cod, or +mackerel; nevertheless, a snapper of twenty pounds weight is a very +eatable fish. + +They are caught in great quantities, salted and exported to the +Mauritius, where they are acknowledged to be superior to the fish +imported from the Cape of Good Hope. Snapper-fishing is not bad +sport, as they bite freely. They go in immense shoals, and it is not +an uncommon thing to catch twenty-hundred weight at a single haul. +When H.M.S. Challenger was lying in Cockburn Sound, some of the +men with a very large seine-net, caught two thousand fish at a single +haul -- averaging five pounds a-piece. This is almost incredible, +but it is related on good authority. + +The fresh-water rivers have no fish but a small craw-fish, that +buries itself in the ground when the bed of the stream is dry; and a +flat-headed, tapering fish called a cobbler. This is about twelve +inches long, and has a sharp, serrated bone an inch in length on each +side of its head, that lies flat and perfectly concealed until an +enemy approaches. This bone is hollow, like an adder's tooth, and +contains a virulent poison, which is injected into the wound, and +causes intense pain for several hours. Men are frequently stung by +these wretches, whilst wading through the water. + +There are several valuable kinds of wood in this colony, which do not +exist in South Australia or New South Wales. We may mention the +sandalwood, which now finds a market in Ceylon, where it fetches +about 22 pounds per ton; but if it were sent direct to China, (its +ultimate destination,) it would obtain probably 35 pounds per ton. +Sandal-wood is burnt in large quantities in China, as a kind of +incense. There is another highly-fragrant wood peculiar to this +colony, called by the settlers raspberry jam, from its resembling +that sweet-meat in its scent. A small quantity sent to +Tonbridge-Wells, was worked up into boxes, and highly approved of by +the cabinet-makers, who gave it the name of violet wood. + +One of the most beautiful trees in the colony is called the +peppermint-tree; its leaves, which are very abundant, resemble those +of the willow, and, on being rubbed, smell strongly of peppermint. +It bears a small yellow flower. These is much reason to believe that +this is of the same species as the tree which yields the valuable +Cajeput oil, and it is highly desirable that an endeavour should be +made to distil this oil from the leaves. + +Many of the vegetable productions of Western Australia appear to +correspond with those of Java and others of the Eastern Islands, +modified by the difference of climate. + +The timber adapted to ship-building purposes, extends in vast +quantities down the line of coast, and is of three kinds, all +varieties of the eucalyptus. The tooart in the districts of +Bunbury and the Vasse, and the blue-gum which abounds at Augusta +and Nornalup, are woods of large size, and remarkably hard and +close-grained in texture. It is well adapted for keel-pieces, +stern-posts, capstan-heads, and heavy beams: and its fibres are so +closely matted and interwoven together, that it is scarcely possible +to split it. It grows in lengths of from 30 to 60 feet, and measures +from 15 to 30 inches in diameter. + +But the wood most highly prized and most easily attainable is the +Jarra, which grows upon the entire range of the Darling Hills, +distant from sixteen to twenty miles from the coast, and extends over +a country averaging at least twenty miles in breadth. It was for a +long time erroneously called mahogany by the settlers, as it takes an +excellent polish, and is extremely useful for cabinet purposes. A +small quantity recently sent to England for the purpose of being +worked up with furniture, has been thus reported upon: -- + +"We have just inspected about two tons of wood brought to this town +(Leeds) under the name of Swan River Mahogany. Some of the wood is +firm and close in texture, with a very great abundance of cross +mottle; -- in fact, it is quite crowded with figure. The colour is +something like old Jamaica mahogany, and it bears a strong +resemblance in some of its figures to the wood so celebrated by +Messrs. Collard as Ocean Wood. We are quite firm in our opinion, +that it is NOT mahogany, and do not know why it should be nicknamed. +Why not call it by its proper name? -- for it has sufficiently strong +claims to maintain its own independence. + +"J. Kendell and Co. +"Cabinet Manufacturers, Leeds." + +Mr. Bond, of the firm of Gillows and Co., cabinet manufacturers, 176 +and 177 Oxford-street, London, to whom a small quantity was submitted, +has also made an equally favourable report. Messrs. Chaloner and +Fleming, of Liverpool, whose firm is one of the most extensive +importers of timber in the empire, have reported that they "consider +the specimens submitted to them to be of rich figure, and very fine +quality, although the colour is rather dark. It is quite as fine in +texture as the best Spanish mahogany, and takes the polish remarkably +well." + +It is not, however, as cabinet wood that the Jarra is so highly +valuable. It has been found to be some of the best ship-timber in +the world. It is so extremely durable, that when it is cut in a +healthy state, it is never found to rot, even though it be buried in +the ground for years. For seventeen years it has been constantly +used in the colony for a variety of purposes. As it resists the +white-ant, an insect that destroys oak and every other kind of wood, +and is never subject to the dry-rot, it is invaluable for building +purposes. Boats constructed of it, which have been in the water +during the whole of this period, and entirely unprotected by paint, +are still as sound as they were when first launched. + +It resists the sea-worm; and our colonial vessels, when hove down for +repairs or survey at Sincapore, Launceston, or other ports, have +always excited the admiration of the surveyors, and have been +pronounced not to require to be coppered. This wood is long in the +grain, but very close and tough, and not only makes very good +planking, but excellent beams, keel-pieces, and many other portions +of a ship. Growing without a branch to the height of from fifty to +one hundred feet, and from eighteen inches to three feet and upwards +in diameter, it excites the admiration of all practical men; and as +its properties have been so long tested, and are so generally +admitted in the southern hemisphere, it is matter of no less surprise +than regret that it should be still unknown in the English markets. +Strong prejudice, and the interest of parties connected with the +timber-trade in other countries, have served to keep the +inexhaustible forests of Western Australia in the obscurity which has +hung over them from primeval times. Besides this, although the Jarra +wood exists not in other parts of Australia, and is confined to the +Western coast alone, timber has been imported to England from New +South Wales, and is very little prized there. Timber-merchants, +therefore, who confound all the Australian colonies together, as most +other people in England do, are willing to believe that the Jarra of +Western Australia is the same as the Stringy-bark of New South Wales, +and therefore worth little or nothing for ship-building purposes. +The experience of seventeen years has proved the contrary. Not only +have the valuable qualities of the Jarra been tested in vessels built +in the colony, and employed in trading to the neighbouring ports; but +men-of-war and merchant ships have been frequently repaired with it, +and the wood so employed has always been highly esteemed when +subsequently inspected abroad. + +In the autumn of 1845, the Halifax Packet, a barque of 400 tons, +having parted from her anchor in a gale, and drifted ashore, +underwent repairs at Fremantle, to the extent of about eleven hundred +pounds. On being surveyed at the Port of London on her return home, +the new timber, which had never been previously recognized at +Lloyd's, though many efforts have been made to obtain that sanction, +was allowed to remain in the ship as being perfectly serviceable. +The following memorandum was addressed by the Surveyor of Lloyd's to +A. Andrews, Esq., a gentleman interested in the welfare of the colony: + +"The wood used in the repairs of the Halifax Packet at Swan River, +appears to answer the purpose very well. It is not found necessary +to remove any part thereof. + +"From the samples which I have seen of Swan River timber, I am of +opinion that it will form a very desirable and serviceable wood in +ship-building; but this must be regarded as my private opinion, the +Society of Lloyd's Register, to which I belong, not having as yet +assigned any character to it in their rules. + +(Signed) "P. Courtney, Lloyd's Surveyor. +"Lloyd's, 24th February, 1846." + +This extraordinary timber grows to a size that would appear +incredible to readers in England. It is perhaps only manageable and +remunerative from 40 to 60 feet; but in the southern districts of the +colony -- especially to the back of Nornalup and Wilson's Inlet -- it +is found growing to 120 and 150 feet in height, before the first +branch appears. My brother and his servant, when exploring in that +district, took refuge once from a storm in the hollow of an old Jarra +tree, which not only sheltered themselves but their horses; and the +interior actually measured in diameter three times the length of the +largest horse, an animal sixteen hands high and very long backed. +This may appear an astounding assertion, but the following is not +less so. The same parties found a Jarra tree which had fallen +completely across a broad and deep river (called the Deep River) +running between high precipitous banks, thus forming a natural +bridge, along which a bullock cart might have passed! + +Timber of such large dimensions is perfectly useless; but there are, +of course, trees of every size, growing in boundless profusion. + +As Indian teak and African oak are now scarcely obtainable, we look +upon our colony as a store-house for the British navy; and though we +have hitherto vainly battled against prejudice and private interest +to make this timber known to our rulers, the day will arrive when the +wants of the naval service will compel men in authority to +acknowledge the value of wood, which is most highly prized by all who +have had the opportunity of testing its qualities. + +It is due to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to state, that +on two occasions they have promised to receive a quantity of this +timber, provided it were delivered at one of the royal dockyards, and +to allow a fair price for it. But unfortunately, there is so great a +scarcity of labour and of capital in the colony, that the settlers +have shrunk from the outlay necessary to perform what would be, after +all, only an experiment. + +It cannot be supposed, that timber which has been tested in every way +for seventeen years, and is known throughout Australia to be +indisputably FIRST-RATE for ship-building purposes, should be +condemned at home as unserviceable. But the colonists know how many +prejudices and interested feelings environ the Admiralty; and in +general shrink from the experiment. + + + +CHAPTER 31. + +RISE AND FALL OF A SETTLEMENT. -- THE SEQUEL TO CAPTAIN GREY'S +DISCOVERIES. -- A WORD AT PARTING. + +His Excellency the Governor having kindly invited me to be his +companion on a journey which he proposed to make to the new +settlement of Australind, about a hundred miles south of Perth, I set +about making the necessary preparations. I borrowed a pair of +saddle-bags, and having stuffed my traps into one side of them, +loaded the other with a cold roast fowl, a boiled tongue, a pound of +sausages, a loaf of bread, a flask of brandy, and sundry small +packages of tea, sugar, cigars, etc. + +When I looked at the result of my labours, the swollen sides of the +leathern receptacle, I enjoyed a noble feeling of independence; as +though I were now prepared to ramble through the world, and stood in +no need of friendly welcome, or the doubtful hospitality of an inn. + +Having breakfasted at five o'clock on a December morning (the middle +of summer), and equipped myself in a broad-brimmed straw-hat and +light shooting jacket, I mounted my steed, and sallied forth from my +gate, followed by the sympathizing grins of Hannibal. + +His Excellency, true to the hour, was mounting his horse at the door +of Government House -- and as the appearance of the whole turn-out +was rather unlike anything usually seen in Hyde Park, or even +connected with the morning drives of his Excellency the Viceroy of +Ireland, I may as well describe it. + +The representative of our gracious Sovereign was habited in his bush +costume -- a white hat, bare of beaver, having a green veil twisted +round it, a light shooting coat and plaid trousers, shoes, and jean +gaiters. His illustrious person was seated on a pair of broad +saddle-bags, which went flap, flap against the sides of his charger, +as he jogged steadily along at the usual travelling pace. On the +pummel of his saddle was strapped a roll of blankets for the night +bivouac, and to one of the straps was attached a tin-pannikin, which +bumped incessantly against his horse's mane. Round the animal's neck +was coiled a long tether-rope, which every now and then kept coming +undone, and the caravan had to halt whilst it was being readjusted. + +Behind us rode his Excellency's man, no longer the smug gentleman in +a black suit, with a visage as prim as his neck-cloth, but blazing in +a red woollen shirt, and grinning incessantly with amazement at his +own metamorphosis. Strapped to his waist by a broad belt of leather, +was a large tin-kettle, for the purpose of making his Excellency's +tea in the evening. Huge saddle-bags contained provisions, knives +and forks, plates, and everything necessary for travelling in the +Bush in a style of princely magnificence. No scheik or emir among +the Arabs wanders about the desert half so sumptuously provided. I +could not help laughing (in my sleeve, of course,) at the figure +produced by the tout ensemble of John mounted on his ewe-necked and +pot-bellied steed. + +In excellent spirits we jogged along to the Canning, and then eleven +miles farther, to a muddy pool called Boregarup, where we baited the +horses, and lunched on one of his Excellency's cold meat-pies. The +water in the pool was not very tempting, but we ladled a little out +in our pannikins, and mixing it with brandy, managed to drink it. +The want of water makes travelling in the bush during summer a +serious business. Frequently you find a well, on which your thoughts +and hopes have been fixed for the last twenty miles, completely dried +up; and you have to endure thirst as well as you can for some hours +longer. Sometimes by scraping the bottom of the well, and digging +down with your pannikin, you come to a little moisture, and after +waiting an hour, succeed in obtaining about half-a-pint of yellow +fluid, compounded of mud and water. This you strain through as many +pocket-handkerchiefs as you can command, and are at last enabled to +moisten your baked lips. + +On these occasions the traveller cares less about himself than his +horse, and often have we served the latter out of our pannikin from +holes into which he could not get his nose, whilst denying ourselves +more than a little sip. + +After lying an hour on our blankets in the hot shade, smoking a +cigar, and waging incessant war with myriads of mosquitoes and +sand-flies, we decided that it was impossible to continue any longer +so unequal a conflict; and saddling our horses in haste, we beat a +quick retreat, and felt much cooler and more comfortable whilst in +motion. In the course of the afternoon we passed through a vast dry +swamp many miles long. The reeds on each side of the track +frequently reached to our heads, and prevented our seeing any thing +else on either side of us; and when we did get a glimpse over the +rushes level with our eyes, we could behold nothing but an immense +plain of waving green, like a huge field of unripe wheat, edged in +the distance by the stern outline of the ever-sombre forest of +eucalyptus trees. This swamp is a terrible place to pass through in +winter. It is nevertheless one of the royal post-roads of the +colony; and the bearer of her Majesty's mail from Pinjarra to Perth, +is frequently obliged to swim for his life, with the letter-bag +towing astern, like a jolly-boat behind a Newcastle collier. + +After emerging from the swamp, we passed through an extensive plain, +covered with coarse scrub and thinly-scattered grass, and lined with +forest trees and clumps of black-boys. When about half-way down it, +we came upon a herd of wild cattle grazing at some two hundred yards' +distance from the path. They seemed very much astonished at the +appearance of three such picturesque individuals; and after gazing +for a few moments, lost in wonder, they tossed up their heads, and +trotted along-side of us, keeping their original distance. Having +kept us company for about half-a-mile, they relieved us of their +society, (which was not very agreeable, as we had no firearms) by +coming to a halt, and allowing us to proceed in peace, whilst they +contented themselves with brandishing their horns and tails, and +butting against one another in play. + +That night we slept at the Dandalup, hospitably entertained by F. +Corbet Singleton, Esq., M.C., the owner of a fine estate of twelve +thousand acres, a good deal of it alluvial soil. Were the population +such as it ought to be in this fine country; and the markets +proportioned to the capabilities of the soil, nothing would be more +agreeable than to live on a beautiful property like this, cultivating +your corn lands and multiplying your flocks and herds. But as it is, +unfortunately, a man is soon overdone with his own wealth. He has +more corn than he can find a market for; more cattle than he can +sell; and he is obliged to allow his land to run waste, and his herds +to run wild, rather than be at the expense of farming on a great +scale without adequate remuneration. + +Let me advise emigrants to these colonies to turn their attention +chiefly to the breeding of sheep and horses, which are saleable +things in foreign markets. The growers of wool, and the breeders of +horses for India will make their estates profitable; but large herds +of cattle will produce nothing to the owner in a thinly-populated +country. + +The next day, after inspecting the farm, we proceeded with our host +to Mandurah, crossing an estuary a quarter of a mile broad, but so +shallow that the water did not reach above our saddle-flaps. And now +(having parted from Singleton) we had to swim our horses across the +mouth of the Murray River. After a little delay, a boat was found; +with a couple of men to row it across, and removing the saddles and +other things from the horses' backs, we prepared for the passage. +His Excellency's Arab mare was destined to make the experimental +trip, and the Governor, with many injunctions and misgivings, +committed the end of the tether-rope to the hand of his servant, who +belayed it to the stern of the boat, where he seated himself, to act +as occasion should require. The boatman rowed till the tether-rope +was out at full stretch; his Excellency coaxed and entreated the mare +to enter the water, and "shoo-ed!" and "shaa-ed!" and called her a +stupid creature, whilst I cracked my whip and jumped about, and +rattled my hat, and made as much noise as people usually do on such +occasions. The mare, on her part, reared up, and flung herself back, +and plunged about, and showed so strong a determination not to go +down the broken bank, that we feared we should never get her into the +river. At last, however, we managed to back her into the water, when +she was dragged instantly out of her depth and obliged to swim. The +men pulled so fast that she could not keep up with them, and giving +up the attempt, floated quietly on her side, to the great horror of +her master, who thought he never should bestride her again, until he +was relieved by seeing her start to her feet in shallow water, and +scramble up the bank, dripping like a veritable hippopotamus. + +The other horses behaved better; and when we had ourselves crossed +and remounted, we rode by the side of the river, or rather estuary, a +distance of ten miles, till we came to a picturesque little spot +called Mocha weir -- a high bank, a clump of trees, a brawling brook, +(unusual sight in this country,) and a patch of excellent grass. + +Here we resolved to halt for the night. Each rider attended to his +own horse, which, however, did not get much grooming, and then we +prepared for the great business of life, and kindled a fire, filled +the kettle with limpid water, drew out our various stocks of +provisions, and arranged the dinner-table on the grass, and made +every thing look exceedingly comfortable and inviting. Then we made +tea, and invited each other to eat, and did eat without invitation; +and joked and laughed, and felt considerably more happy and sociable +than if vice-royalty had been real-royalty, and the green canopy of +the trees were the banqueting-hall at Windsor Castle. The man +munched his victuals at a small private bivouac of his own, within +easy call, as he had to jump up every now and then, and bring the +kettle, or wash the plates for the second and third courses. When +the things were removed, we lighted cigars, and pleasantly +discoursed, recumbent before the fire. Our beds were already made of +black-boy tops, and, therefore we had nothing to do but await the +hour of rest. The sun had disappeared, and darkness, closing around +us, drew nigher and more nigh every moment, swallowing up object +after object in its stealthy advance, and seeming about to overwhelm +us in its mysterious obscurity. But John heaped logs of dry wood +upon the fire, and nobly we resisted all the powers of Darkness. In +the midst of that black solitude, our little circle of light +maintained its independence, nor yielded to the invasion which had +swallowed up all around it. Here was our Camp of Refuge, and here we +felt snug, and secure, and at home; whilst all without our magic +circle was comfortless and desolate. + +Sometimes the active-minded John would dive, without apparent dismay, +into the black and hostile-looking regions of Night, which seemed to +close upon him as though for ever; and when we had resignedly given +him up, a prey to the evil spirits that prowled around, he would +reappear with startling suddenness, issuing forth into the light like +some red demon of the woods, and bearing a huge log upon his shoulder +-- the spoils of his "foray-sack" -- which he would fling down upon +the fire, making it blaze up with sudden fierceness, and extending +the circle of light for a few moments to a greater distance around, +so as to give us a transient glimpse of things which were soon +swallowed up again in darkness -- like glimpses of the dead in dreams. + +I must hurry on to Australind, merely mentioning that we passed two +lakes not far from each other, one of which was fresh, and the other +salt -- salt as the Dead Sea. It is usual in this perverse country +(though not so in this instance) to find a salt lake surrounded with +good, and a fresh-water lake with bad land. Here it was bad +altogether. The country, however, improved greatly as we drew +towards Australind; and about ten miles from that place, we came upon +a fine flock of sheep that seemed to be doing extremely well. + +We now passed along the banks of the Leschenault estuary, on which +Australind is situated; and soon we discovered three figures +approaching on horseback. These proved to be M. Waller Clifton, +Esq., the chief Commissioner of the Western Australian Company, to +whom the whole district belongs, attended by a brace of his surveyors +as aides-de-camp -- one mounted on a very tall horse, and the other +on a very small pony. The Chief Commissioner himself bestrode a +meek-looking cart-horse, which, on perceiving us in the distance, he +urged into an exhilarating trot. His Excellency, seeing these +demonstrations of an imposing reception, hastily drew forth his black +silk neck-cloth from his pocket, and re-enveloped his throat +therewith, which, during the heat of the day, he had allowed to be +carelessly exposed. Gathering himself up in his saddle, and assuming +the gravity proper to the representative of his sovereign, he awaited +with as much dignity as his state of perspiration would allow, the +approach of the Chief of Australind. As for myself, I plucked up my +shirt-collar, and tried to look as spicy as possible. + +The first greetings over, the two chieftains rode into the town side +by side, as amicably as Napoleon and Alexander of Russia; whilst I +fell to the share of the aides, and related the most recent news of +Perth, and the last bon mots of Richard Nash, for their +entertainment; receiving in return an account of the arrival of 400 +male and female emigrants at the settlement the day before. + +We were entertained, as every guest invariably is, right hospitably +by Mr. Clifton and his amiable family. + +Australind was then (December 1842) a promising new town. It was +alive with well-dressed young men and women, who were promenading +under the large forest trees which still occupied the intended +squares and most of the streets. They had only landed from the +vessel which had brought them some twenty-four hours before, and they +were evidently variously affected by all they saw. Some appeared to +be struck with the strange circumstance of trees growing in the +streets; some looked aghast at the wooden houses and canvass tents; +one thought everything looked exceedingly green; another fancied that +a town built upon sand could not possibly endure long. And he was +right: for the town has long since been deserted, except by half a +dozen families; and the newly arrived settlers are dispersed over the +colony. This has not been the fault of the Chief Commissioner, nor +is it owing to any inferiority in the soil, but to causes which I +intend briefly to explain, as there are many people in England who +are, or were, interested in the fortunes of this promising young +settlement. + +The Western Australian Company's grant of land at Australind +comprises 100,000 acres, among which there is a large quantity of +excellent pasture and arable land. It is well watered, and generally +well adapted for the site of a new settlement. The flats of the +Brunswick and Collic rivers would supply the whole colony, if +thoroughly peopled, with grain; and there is abundance of feed for +sheep and cattle, even to the summits of the hills. + +A great portion of this grant has been purchased by the Company from +Colonel Lautour, who, however, could not furnish a good title to it. +Having never performed the necessary improvements which would entitle +him to a deed of grant in fee-simple from the crown, his right of +possession became forfeit; and in April, 1840, Governor Hutt, though +much interested in the success of the Company, of which his brother, +the member for Gateshead, was chairman, thought himself obliged, in +the conscientious discharge of his duty, to resume the estate for the +crown. + +This proved to be a most fatal proceeding. The Company's title to +Colonel Lautour's grant had been confirmed by the Home-government in +November 1839, but owing to the non-existence of regular post-office +communication (that grand and inexcusable error, which allows the +British Empire to be composed of a mass of unconnected settlements, +dependent upon chance for intelligence and aid from the mother +country), the news did not reach the colony until May or June +following. + +Accounts of the resumption of the grant by the Governor reached +England, and not only perplexed the Company, but greatly disquieted +the minds of the numerous individuals to whom they had sold land, to +the value of nearly 60,000 pounds. At this very time, too, unhappily, +arrived Captain Grey in England, on his return from the expedition to +the north-western side of New Holland, of which he has since +published a clever and popular narrative. Captain Grey took an early +opportunity of giving a somewhat lamentable account of the Company's +land at Leschenault, or Australind, and a very glowing description of +a district, many miles to the north of Perth, between Gantheaume Bay +and the Arrowsmith River, which he had passed through on his +disastrous return. He also expatiated, in most precise terms, upon a +splendid harbour which he called Port Grey, and of which he made an +elaborate sketch; and on the 26th of October, 1840, addressed to Lord +John Russell "a detailed description of that portion of the western +coast of Australia which lies between Gantheaume Bay and the River +Arrowsmith, as it would be found useful in enabling persons, +intending to occupy that tract of country, to arrive at correct +conclusions regarding its capabilities." In the map of his route, +published by Arrowsmith, Port Grey is laid down as a spacious, +well-sheltered harbour, with a convenient point of land extending a +couple of miles out to sea from its northern extremity, and having a +useful reef of rocks projecting, most happily, to the same distance, +affording altogether a secure shelter for shipping in seven fathoms' +water. + +The Directors of the Western Australian Company, alarmed at the +account related of Australind, perplexed by the proceedings of the +local Government, and captivated by the description of Port Grey, +with its splendid districts of "rich flats," and "fertile downs," +determined to change the site of their settlement. + +Captain Grey describes two "flat-topped ranges," in the neighbourhood +of this port, lying about twenty miles apart; and in his diary of +"Sunday, April 7, 1839," he says: "The country between these two +ranges was an open grassy valley thinly wooded; and IT APPEARED TO BE +ONE OF THE MOST EXTENSIVELY FERTILE portions of country which I had +yet seen in Australia. After travelling for another mile over the +sandy downs, we reached another romantic glen-like valley, bounded to +the north and south by steep limestone cliffs; we descended these +cliffs, and at their base found as in the last valley we had crossed, +EXTENSIVE FLATS, through which wound a water-course. All the hills +I could see in the vicinity consisted of limestone, and for the +whole distance I could see to the eastward (about seven or +eight miles) the country appeared to be of the MOST FERTILE and +picturesque character; the hills were slightly wooded with large +timber, and the valleys were nearly bare of trees and COVERED WITH +GRASS. On ascending the limestone hills to the south of the valley, +we found ourselves once more in open sandy downs; after travelling +three miles across these in a S. by E. direction, we again came to a +valley of the same character as the one above described; it ran from +the same direction; to the eastward we saw a fertile valley. * * * +We halted for some time immediately at the foot of Mount Fairfax. + +"We continued our route in the evening over the sandy downs, which, +at the distance of half a mile from the sea, terminated in cliffs. +* * * After travelling three miles, we halted for the night. + +"Monday 8th. The first three miles of our route lay over sandy +downs, when we found ourselves in grassy, wooded plains, lying +between the flat-topped range, and some dunes which bordered a bay," +etc. + +It is well known that people in the latter stages of starvation have +constantly visions before their eyes of sumptuous entertainments, +rich meats, and delicious wines. Captain Grey, who was then walking +for his life, at a Barclay pace, with a very empty stomach, was +probably labouring under a similar hallucination with respect to the +country over which he passed; beholding flowery meads and fertile +vales in districts which we fear would prove little attractive to a +settler. He beheld fine flowing rivers and sheltered bays, which +have since altogether disappeared, like the scenes beheld on misty +mornings by Sicilian mariners. + +His account of the country determined the Western Australian Company +to change the site of their intended settlement. Calling together +the purchasers of land at Australind, the Directors offered to return +them the amount of their respective purchases, or allow them to take +up new allotments in the very superior district of Port Grey. Almost +all chose to reclaim their cash, and declined further speculation. + +The Company now, towards the close of 1840, sent out Mr. Clifton, +their "Chief Commissioner," with directions to remove the whole of +their establishment then settled at Australind, to the new settlement +of Port Grey. On arriving at Australind, Mr. Clifton was agreeably +surprised to find the country much superior to what he had expected, +after hearing Captain Grey's account of it. So differently do the +same objects appear to different eyes! And perhaps Captain Grey had +only viewed the sandy banks of the inlet, without having passed into +the interior, and seen the flats of the Brunswick, etc. There is a +very great deal more of worthless than of good land at Australind, +which is the case throughout the whole of New Holland, in the very +best districts. The general character throughout all the settled +parts of the island, or continent, is bad, with scattered patches of +good. + +The Chief Commissioner, however, prepared to carry out his +instructions, though with much regret, as he doubted greatly whether +the proposed alteration would prove for the better. These +preparations were put a stop to by a communication from his +Excellency the Governor, informing him that the Government schooner +had recently returned from a survey of the coast and district of the +so-called Port Grey, and that no sufficient harbour could be +discovered along the coast; whilst the country in every direction +appeared barren and incapable of cultivation. Mr. Clifton therefore +remained at Australind with his party, and used every effort and +exerted every energy to found a flourishing colony. But +unfortunately, the change of site to Port Grey, and then the return +to Australind, and the various conflicting accounts promulgated by +the Company themselves, now lauding and now condemning the two places +in turn, operated so unfavourably upon the public mind that no more +sales of land could be effected. It became, therefore, inexpedient to +maintain the expensive establishment of Commissioners, Secretaries, +and Surveyors at Australind, who were accordingly conge'd without +much ceremony; and the Western Australian Company, like the +"unsubstantial pageant," or Port Grey itself, "melted into air, thin +air," leaving "not a rack behind." Yet not exactly so, for it has +left behind, like some stranded wreck by the receding tide, a most +worthy and high-minded family who deserved a brighter fate. + +Such has been the lamentable result of Captain Grey's discoveries in +Western Australia; for whether there be or not a good tract of land +in the neighbourhood of Champion Bay, Captain Grey's denunciation of +Australind, and his strongly urged advice to the Company to change +the site of their settlement, have undoubtedly been the chief causes +of their failure. + +Three expeditions have been sent to the scene of this Australian +Fata Morgana, in the hope of beholding it again, but like the door +of the fairy palace in the rock, it is visible only to Prince Ahmed; +and unless the Governor of New Zealand will himself found a colony +there, it is most likely ever to remain desert and valueless. The +first expedition was that in the Government schooner, in 1840, +already alluded to; the second was made in 1841, by H.M.S. Beagle, +Captain Stokes, accompanied by the Chief Commissioner, Mr. Clifton. +A careful survey was made of the coast as far north as the spot were +Captain Grey was wrecked, and began his march southward, but nothing +was discovered at all resembling the description given of Port Grey. +The only bay in which a ship could lie, and that with very doubtful +security, was Champion Bay; but unfortunately the country in every +direction from this spot is most barren and miserable. Captain Grey +travelled close along the coast-line, according to his journal, but +those who have gone in search of his "fertile valleys" have +penetrated some distance into the interior, without discovering +anything but scrub and desert. + +Captain Stokes, in his published "Letter to the Surveyor General of +Western Australia," detailing his proceedings, mentions having "now +seen and examined an extent of country little short of forty miles, +nearly the whole of which deserved the character of sterility." In +another place, he related the discovery of "the only piece of grass +of a useful nature seen in this route; it was, however, quite +parched, and occupied a space of three or four acres." + +Not being able to find any tolerable shelter along the coast besides +Champion Bay, he concludes that it must be the spot designated as +Port Grey; and after exploring the country behind it, with the effect +just stated, he sailed away one morning towards the north-west and +meeting with a "favourable westerly wind," by afternoon was carried +"past the bight south of Point Moore, sufficiently near to see that +its shores were fronted with many sunken rocks." This also led to +the conclusion that "Champion Bay is the port Captain Grey speaks of +in his journal, placed in Arrowsmith's chart twelve miles south of +its true position." + +Since the date of Captain Stokes's survey, Captain Grey has himself +virtually admitted Champion Bay to be the locality visited by him. +In a letter to that officer dated, "Government House, Adelaide, +January 28, 1842," and published in the South Australian journals, +Captain Grey observes, "I have attentively read your letter to the +Hon. the Surveyor-General of Western Australia; and have also +considered the observations made by you to me, relative to the error +you suppose I have fallen into in mistaking the Wizard Peak of +Captain King for the hill named by him Mount Fairfax, and I find I +have certainly fallen into this error -- a by no means unlikely one, +considering the very similar character of the singular group of hills +called Moresby's Flat-topped Range, and the circumstances under which +I was journeying." + +The hill, therefore, at whose foot Captain Grey halted on the +afternoon of April 7, 1839, was not Mount Fairfax, but the Wizard +Peak, or some other hill "to the north of Mount Fairfax." From +thence the "sandy downs," (mentioned in the extract from his Journal +that I have given above) over which he passed in the evening +continued to within "half a mile of the sea," where "they terminated +in cliffs." To have seen all this he must have been walking at no +very great distance from the shore during that day's marsh. His +object was to reach Perth as quickly as possible; and he steered in +the most direct course -- "south by east." We know, therefore, +exactly the line of country traversed by Captain Grey -- the +"singular group called Moresby's Flat-topped Range" being +unmistakeable. + +In December, 1844, H. M. colonial schooner, Champion, under the +command of Lieutenant Helpman, R.N., accompanied by Mr. J. Harrison, +Civil Engineer, etc., was again despatched by Governor Hutt to make +further observations in the neighbourhood of Gantheaume Bay. +Lieutenant Helpman says in his report, "I coasted close in from +Champion Bay, collecting angles and soundings until in latitude 28 +degrees 10' 30", S. the low ridges of sand along the shore induced me +to land, being then (as I concluded from the latitude given by +Captain Grey) in the immediate vicinity of the estuary." This +estuary is described by Captain Grey in his diary of the FIFTH April, +who states that "for one mile we continued along THE RICH FLATS which +bordered the estuary" ... "we ascended the limestone range, and got +a view of the country to the eastward and found it STILL GRASSY, and +exactly the same character as far as we could see. For the next five +miles we continued along the top of the limestone range, the estuary +still occupying the valley which lay to the west of us." ... "At +the end of a mile in a south by east direction, we found ourselves on +the banks of a river, the Hutt, from forty to fifty yards wide, which +was running strong, and was brackish at its mouth," etc. Such was +the appearance of the estuary and of the Hutt River in the eyes of +Captain Grey. + +Lieutenant Helpman continues his report as follows: -- + +"On reaching the summit of the highest coast hill I found myself +abreast of the centre of the inlet, which was void of water, but +presented the appearance of a continuous sheet of salt as far as the +eye could reach. Passing over the coast ridges, I came down, in +about half a mile, to the edge of the estuary, and followed it in a +southerly direction for about two miles, when I ascended another +hill, from which I could clearly see the south end of it, which was +covered with the same description of incrustration of salt. + +"A gorge at the south-east corner of the estuary is probably where +the Hutt River discharges itself during the rainy season, but there +was no appearance of water in any part of the flat, which was about +two miles wide between the hills and the south-east shore of the +inlet. + +"Observing that the north extremity of the estuary, as seen from the +hill just referred to, presented some slight appearance of water, I +was induced to examine it, and found the sand ridges on the coast +extremely low, nearly destitute of herbage, but giving the idea of +having had water passing over them. This I judged to be the case, +from a few blades of very coarse grass which were laid flat on the +ground, as if from the effects of running water. + +"From the highest point of these ridges, notwithstanding the smoke +from the numerous native fires, the whole north end of the inlet was +plainly seen to be covered with salty incrustations, similar to those +previously referred to. + +"I conceive the point of land near which these latter observations +were made, and where I landed the second time, to be Shoal Point of +the chart; but, except that it is very low, I see no cause for its +name, as the water was deep close to it, and having only a few rocks +close off its extreme west point, within a quarter of a mile of the +shore. + +"Following close in from Shoal Point, the coast is perfectly clear of +dangers; but I observed no opening in the hills indicative of a +river, nor could I discover any bay or place of shelter for shipping +to resort to. + +"Red Point, which is the western entrance of Gantheaume Bay, is a +very bold headland of considerable elevation, it is circular, and +about four miles in extent. I landed at the east end of the red sand +cliffs, taking a specimen of the rock. + +"The land to the northward from this promontory is of a white sandy +appearance, having ridges of sand hills along the coast of moderate +altitude. + +"The low state of the barometer, and the strong northerly winds, +induced me to keep the vessel at a considerable offing. During the +day the breezes were very fresh, and had it not been for the +whale-boat with which I was furnished, I should not have been able to +have effected a landing on any part of the coast which came under my +observation. Under these circumstances, I was compelled most +reluctantly to abandon the idea of spending much time in examining +the interior. + +"The VERY DRY STATE OF THE HUTT AT THIS SEASON seems to indicate that +but little water flows into it at any time; and I am disposed to +fancy, that the lagoon, or estuary, owes its formation to the +breaking in of the sea over the low sand hills during the tempestuous +gales of the winter months, more especially towards the north end of +the inlet, where the sand ridges are lower than in any other part of +the coast in that vicinity." + +Thus the luxuriant country of Captain Grey, like the water-pools seen +in the mirage of the desert, when approached, vanishes from the view +of the traveller. + +It is to be observed, that Captain Stokes and Lieutenant Helpman +surveyed these districts in the early part of the summer season -- +November and December -- when they were more likely to appear fertile +than on the 5th and 7th April, quite at the end of that season, and +just before the commencement of the winter rains. + +Since the above passages were written, I have read an account in the +Perth journals of January, 1847, of the discovery of coal by the +Messrs. Gregory, about forty miles east of Champion Bay. These +gentlemen relate, that in journeying towards the coast, they passed +through a tract of country capable of being settled. This may +possibly be Captain Grey's luxuriant district; and yet the district +which he describes was close upon the coast. It is also stated, that +there is now ascertained to be a corner of Champion Bay in which +small vessels may find a safe anchorage; and this is conjectured to +be that Port Grey whose existence has been so long denied. But, +although a few miles of country may be found in this neighbourhood +capable of supporting a limited number of flocks and herds, it is +certain that there is no such district here as would suffice for the +purposes of a colony of the magnitude contemplated by the Western +Australian Company. The advice, therefore, given them to change the +site of the operations from Australind, or Leschenault, to Champion +Bay, or Port Grey, was the most pernicious that could have been +bestowed. + +But it may certainly be doubted whether the principles on which the +settlement of Australind was founded were in themselves of a sound +and permanent nature. They were those propounded originally by Mr. +Edward Gibbon Wakefield, and applied with extraordinary success to +the formation and to the circumstances of the colony of South +Australia. The most prominent features which they present are, -- +the concentration of population, and the high price of land. + +The land in the immediate neighbourhood of Adelaide is very fine, and +capable of supporting a dense population; it was therefore perhaps, +good policy to divide it into eight-acre sections, valued at one +pound per acre, which supported a body of agriculturalists, who found +a ready and near market for their productions in the rapidly rising +town. But there are few theories that will bear universal +application; and the mistake made in the case of Australind was, in +expecting to obtain the same result from principles which were to be +applied under very different circumstances. + +The land adjoining the town-site of Australind is generally very +indifferent, though the flats of the Brunswick and Collie Rivers +afford perhaps some thousand acres of excellent land, but still not +sufficient to maintain a large and dense population. The Company's +property was divided into farms of 100 acres, and these were valued +at 100 pounds each to the emigrants, who drew lots for the choice of +site. + +When the settlers arrived and took possession of their respective +grants, they soon discovered that if they all produced wheat, there +would certainly be plenty of food in the settlement, but very little +sale for it; whereas, if they intended to become sheep-farmers, and +produce wool for the English market, one hundred acres of land would +not suffice in that country for the keep of fifty sheep. The +sections of one hundred acres were, therefore, far too small for the +wants of the settler, who found that, although he might probably be +able to supply his table with vegetables, he had but small prospect +of ever applying his capers to boiled mutton, or initiating his +family into the mysteries of beef a la mode. Disgusted with the +narrowness of his prospects, and recoiling from the idea of a +vegetable diet, the sturdy settler quickly abandoned the limited +sections of Australind, and wandered away in search of a grant of +some three or four thousand acres, on which he might reasonably hope +to pasture a flock of sheep that would return him good interest for +the capital invested. + +The Western Australian Company gave far too much for their land in +the first instance, and were therefore compelled to set a much higher +value upon it than it would bear. The ministers of the Crown, who +have adopted the principles of Mr. Gibbon Wakefield, require one +pound per acre for waste lands; and the Company, though they +purchased their property from private individuals at a somewhat lower +rate, expected to sell it again at the same price. There is very +little land (in proportion to the vast extent of poor and of entirely +worthless land) throughout the length and breadth of all New Holland, +that is worth twenty shillings an acre. In the more densely +populated parts, arable land is worth that sum, and often much more; +but in the pastoral districts, three shillings an acre is in truth a +high price. + +It has long been acknowledged in New South Wales, as well as in other +parts of Australia, that it takes from three to five acres to support +a single sheep throughout the year. An ewe-sheep is worth about nine +shillings; and if you have to buy three and a half acres of land, at +three shillings, to keep her upon, the amount of capital you invest +will be nineteen shillings and sixpence. The profits on the wool of +this sheep, after paying all expenses of keep, shearing, freight, +commission, etc., will be barely two-pence, or about one per cent +upon the capital invested. But then you have her lamb? True, but +you must buy an additional quantity of land to keep it upon. Still +there is a gain upon the increase; and in process of time the annual +profits amount up to ten and even twenty per cent. But suppose the +three and a half acres of land, instead of 10 shillings and 6 pence +had cost 3 pounds 10 shillings and 6 pence, it would then be +perfectly absurd to think of investing money in sheep. + +The course pursued by the home Government, in fixing the uniform +extravagant price of twenty shillings an acre upon the pastoral lands +of Australia, is probably more the result of ignorance of their real +value than of a desire to check or prevent emigration to that +country. It is an ignorance, however, that refuses to be +enlightened, and has therefore all the guilt of deliberate injury. + +The monstrous demand of twenty shillings an acre for crown-lands, has +not only had the effect of deterring capitalists from embarking in so +hopeless a speculation, but has grievously wronged the existing +land-owners, by raising the price of labour. When land was sold at +five shillings an acre, a fund was accumulated in the hand of the +local Government that served to pay for the introduction of labouring +emigrants. That fund has ceased to exist in New South Wales and in +Western Australia. The value of labour has therefore risen, whilst +the value of agricultural produce, by the increase of the supply +beyond the demand, has grievously diminished. The advocates of the +Wakefield system triumphantly inform us that there never can be a +labour-fund in any colony in which private individuals are able to +sell land at a cheaper rate than the Government. + +They point to South Australia, and bid us note how different is the +state of things there, where land universally is worth a pound an +acre or more. But to us it appears, that the character of the soil +is much the same throughout these countries -- if anything, being +superior in Western Australia, where there are no droughts, and where +the wool produced, though the worst got up, from the want of labour, +is stated by the London brokers to be pre-eminent in quality -- that +colony would most naturally be sought by the emigrant in which the +price of land is the most reasonable. It is not the high price of +land that has caused the prosperity of South Australia. +Every one who is well informed on the subject, is perfectly aware, +that in 1841 and 1842, before the discovery of copper-mines, South +Australia was universally in a state of bankruptcy. Never was a +country so thoroughly smitten with ruin. Almost all the original +settlers sank in the general prostration of the settlement, and +never again held up their heads. The inhabitants slunk away from +the colony in numbers; and property even in Adelaide was almost +worthless. The holders of the eighty-acre sections produced far +more of the necessaries of life than the non-producing population +required; and the neighbouring colonies were deluged with the +farm-produce of the bankrupt agriculturalists of South Australia. +This model colony afforded itself the most signal refutation of the +truth of the Wakefield theories; and the whole world would have been +compelled to acknowledge the falsehood, but for the opportune +discovery of the mineral wealth of the colony. It is to its mines +that South Australia owes its good fortune, its population, and its +riches, and not to any secret of political economy bestowed upon it +by adventurous theorists. According to the opinion of these +philosophers, New South Wales and Western Australia can never again +by any possibility possess a labour-fund, because the private owners +of large grants of land, which they obtained for nominal sums, can +always afford to undersell the Crown. So long as the Crown refuses +to sell for less than a pound an acre, this will certainly be the +case; but the day will doubtless come when our rulers will condescend +to enquire into the necessities of those over whose fortunes they +preside; and will adopt a policy suited to the actual circumstances +of the case, and not vainly endeavour to apply, universally, abstract +opinions which have long been proved to be, in almost all parts of +Australia, totally useless and inapplicable. THE ONLY WAY TO RAISE A +LABOUR-FUND IN THESE COLONIES IS, BY OFFERING CROWN-LANDS TO THE +EMIGRANT AT THE LOWEST MARKET PRICE. The Crown could always afford +to undersell the private land-speculator, and might establish a +permanent fund for the introduction of labour, by selling land at a +low rate, AND RESERVING A RENT-CHARGE, IN THE SHAPE OF A LAND-TAX -- +OF ONE HALF-PENNY PER ACRE. Thus, every grant of five thousand acres +would pay an annual tax to Government of 10 pounds 8 shillings and 4 +pence; and would, therefore, in a very few years, accumulate a fund +sufficient to supply itself with a labouring population. When it is +remembered how very small was the original cost to the owners of most +of the lands in Western Australia, there will not appear much hardship +in imposing this tax upon all the private property of the colony, as +well as upon lands to be hereafter sold by the Crown. This course of +legislation would infuse new vitality into the colony; and at the end +of the short period of five years, the tax might be suspended as +regards all lands purchased by individuals PRIOR TO THE PASSING OF THE +ACT, but continued for ever upon lands purchased under the Act, and in +contemplation of having to bear such a rent-charge. + +This is the only way by which emigration can be insured to the +colonies of New South Wales and Western Australia; and the time will +sooner or later arrive when this suggestion will be adopted, though +it may not be acknowledged. + +Her Majesty's present Secretary of State for the Colonies is the +first really liberal minister we have had; and to him the distant and +struggling settlements of Australia look with reviving hope. THE +OBJECTS MOST EAGERLY SOUGHT BY THOSE COLONIES ARE -- A NEW SYSTEM OF +GOVERNMENT, WITH LESS OF COLONIAL-OFFICE INTERFERENCE; A REGULAR +POST-OFFICE COMMUNICATION WITH ENGLAND; AND A TOTAL REFORM IN THE +EXISTING REGULATIONS FOR THE SALE OF CROWN-LANDS, WITHOUT WHICH, IN +COUNTRIES PURELY PASTORAL AND AGRICULTURAL, THERE CAN NEVER AGAIN +BE FORMED A FUND FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF LABOUR. + +In the hope of making colonial subjects more familiar to the general +reader, and more popular than they are at present, I have perhaps +given to this little work a character so trifling as to make it +appear unworthy of the attention of political philosophers; and yet, +inasmuch as it points out some of the wants of a large body of +British subjects, whose fortunes lie entirely at the mercy of +distant rulers, who have but little sympathy with a condition of +which they possess but a most imperfect knowledge -- it is a work +(inadequate though it be) not altogether undeserving of the +consideration even of Statesmen. + + + +NOTE TO CHAPTER 30. + +I am happy that this work will become the medium of informing the +Colonists of Western Australia of one of the most promising events +that has ever happened to that country. + +The ship-timber of the Colony, a trial cargo of which arrived in +England this month (October, 1847), has just been admitted into the +Royal Navy. A highly favourable report has been made upon it by the +Government surveyors, and it is pronounced admirably adapted for +kelsons, stern-posts, great beams for steam-frigates, and other heavy +work. If a company be formed, on good principles, and under proper +management, a timber trade for the supply of the Navy will be found +most lucrative. + +The principal portion of the labour should be performed by Chinamen, +to be obtained from Sincapore. + +For this great boon, the Colonists are indebted to LORD AUCKLAND, the +First Lord of the Admiralty, for his ready acquiescence in agreeing +to receive the timber, by way of experiment; to Mr. G. H. Ward, the +Secretary, for the kind attention he has paid to every request made +to him on the subject, notwithstanding that he has been sufficiently +pestered to have wearied the patience of the most amiable of mankind; +and, above all, to our late Governor, MR. HUTT, and his brother, the +Honourable Member for Gateshead, who have been indefatigable in their +exertions to promote the weal of the Colony. + +THE END. + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Bushman, by Edward Wilson Landor + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BUSHMAN *** + +***** This file should be named 7181.txt or 7181.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/7/1/8/7181/ + +Produced by Sue Asscher + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + + +Title: The Bushman + Life in a New Country + +Author: Edward Wilson Landor + +Release Date: December, 2004 [EBook #7181] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on March 23, 2003] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BUSHMAN *** + + + + +Produced by Sue Asscher asschers@bigpond.com + + + + + +THE BUSHMAN: LIFE IN A NEW COUNTRY + +BY EDWARD WILSON LANDOR + + + +(ILLUSTRATION: "KANGAROO HUNTING.") + +---------------------------- + + +THE BUSHMAN. + +LIFE IN A NEW COUNTRY + +BY + +EDWARD WILSON LANDOR. + + + + +PREFACE. + +The British Colonies now form so prominent a portion of the Empire, +that the Public will be compelled to acknowledge some interest in +their welfare, and the Government to yield some attention to their +wants. It is a necessity which both the Government and the Public +will obey with reluctance. + +Too remote for sympathy, too powerless for respect, the Colonies, +during ages of existence, have but rarely occupied a passing thought +in the mind of the Nation; as though their insignificance entitled +them only to neglect. But the weakness of childhood is passing away: +the Infant is fast growing into the possession and the consciousness +of strength, whilst the Parent is obliged to acknowledge the +increasing usefulness of her offspring. + +The long-existing and fundamental errors of Government, under which +the Colonies have hitherto groaned in helpless subjection, will soon +become generally known and understood -- and then they will be +remedied. + +In the remarks which will be found scattered through this work on the +subject of Colonial Government, it must be observed, that the system +only is assailed, and not individuals. That it is the system and not +THE MEN who are in fault, is sufficiently proved by the fact that the +most illustrious statesmen and the brightest talents of the Age, have +ever failed to distinguish themselves by good works, whilst directing +the fortunes of the Colonies. Lord John Russell, Lord Stanley, Mr. +Gladstone -- all of them high-minded, scrupulous, and patriotic +statesmen -- all of them men of brilliant genius, extensive +knowledge, and profound thought -- have all of them been but slightly +appreciated as Colonial rulers. + +Their principal success has been in perpetuating a noxious system. +They have all of them conscientiously believed their first duty to +be, in the words of Lord Stanley, to keep the Colonies dependent upon +the Mother Country; and occupied with this belief, they have +legislated for the Mother Country and not for the Colonies. Vain, +selfish, fear-inspired policy! that keeps the Colonies down in the +dust at the feet of the Parent State, and yet is of no value or +advantage to her. To make her Colonies useful to England, they must +be cherished in their infancy, and carefully encouraged to put forth +all the strength of their secret energies. + +It is not whilst held in leading-strings that they can be useful, or +aught but burthensome: rear them kindly to maturity, and allow them +the free exercise of their vast natural strength, and they would be +to the parent country her truest and most valuable friends. + +THE COLONIES OF THE EMPIRE ARE THE ONLY LASTING AND INALIENABLE +MARKETS FOR ITS PRODUCE; and the first aim of the political economist +should be to develop to their utmost extent the vast resources +possessed by Great Britain in these her own peculiar fields of +national wealth. But the policy displayed throughout the history of +her Colonial possessions, has ever been the reverse of this. It was +that grasping and ungenerous policy that called forth a Washington, +and cost her an empire. It is that same miserable and low-born +policy that still recoils upon herself, depriving her of vast +increase of wealth and power in order to keep the chain upon her +hapless children, those ambitious Titans whom she trembles to unbind. + +And yet poor Old England considers herself an excellent parent, and +moans and murmurs over the ingratitude of her troublesome offspring! +Like many other parents, she means to do well and act kindly, but +unhappily the principles on which she proceeds are radically wrong. +Hence, on the one side, heart-burning, irritation, and resentment; on +the other, disappointment, revulsion, and alarm. + +Is she too deeply prejudiced, or too old in error, to attempt a new +system of policy? + +In what single respect has she ever proved herself a good parent to +any of her Colonies? Whilst supplying them with Government Officers, +she has fettered them with unwholesome laws; whilst giving them a +trifling preference over foreign states in their commerce, she has +laid her grasp upon their soil; whilst allowing them to legislate in +a small degree for themselves, she has reserved the prerogative of +annulling all enactments that interfere with her own selfish or +mistaken views; whilst permitting their inhabitants to live under a +lightened pressure of taxation, she has debarred them from wealth, +rank, honours, rewards, hopes -- all those incentives to action that +lead men forward to glory, and stamp nations with greatness. + +What has she done for her Colonies -- this careful and beneficent +parent? She has permitted them to exist, but bound them down in +serf-like dependence; and so she keeps them -- feeble, helpless, and +hopeless. She grants them the sanction of her flag, and the +privilege of boasting of her baneful protection. + +Years -- ages have gone by, and her policy has been the same -- +darkening the heart and crushing the energies of Man in climes where +Nature sparkles with hope and teems with plenty. + +Time, however, too powerful for statesmen, continues his silent but +steady advance in the great work of amelioration. The condition of +the Colonies must be elevated to that of the counties of England. +Absolute rule must cease to prevail in them. Men must be allowed to +win there, as at home, honours and rank. Time, the grand minister of +correction -- Time the Avenger, already has his foot on the threshold +of the COLONIAL OFFICE. + +----------------- + + +CONTENTS. + +CHAPTER. + +1. -- COLONISTS. + +2. -- ST. JAGO. + +3. -- THE MUTINY. + +4. -- THE PRISON-ISLAND. + +5. -- FIRST ADVENTURES. + +6. -- PERTH. -- COLONIAL JURIES. + +7. -- BOATING UP THE RIVER. + +8. -- FARMS ON THE RIVER. + +9. -- THE MORAL THERMOMETER OF COLONIES. + +10. -- COUNTRY LIFE. + +11. -- PERSECUTIONS. + +12. -- MICHAEL BLAKE, THE IRISH SETTLER. + +13. -- WILD CATTLE HUNTING. + +14. -- WOODMAN'S POINT. + +15. -- HOW THE LAWS OF ENGLAND AFFECT THE NATIVES. + +16. -- REMARKS ON THE PHYSICAL ORGANIZATION OF THE NATIVES. + +17. -- SKETCHES OF LIFE AMONG THE NATIVES. + +18. -- THE MODEL KINGDOM. + +19. -- TRIALS OF A GOVERNOR. + +20. -- MR. SAILS, MY GROOM. -- OVER THE HILLS. -- A SHEEP +STATION. + +21. -- EXTRACTS FROM THE LOG OF A HUT-KEEPER. + +22. -- PELICAN SHOOTING. -- GALES. -- WRESTLING WITH DEATH. + +23. -- THE DESERT OF AUSTRALIA. -- CAUSE OF THE HOT WINDS. -- +GEOLOGY. + +24. -- COLONIAL GOVERNMENT. + +25. -- ONE OF THE ERRORS OF GOVERNMENT. -- ADVENTURES OF THE +"BRAMBLE". + +26. -- SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES. -- KANGAROO HUNTING. -- EMUS. -- +LOST IN THE BUSH. + +27. -- THE COMET. -- VITAL STATISTICS. -- METEOROLOGY. + +28. -- THE BOTANY OF THE COLONY. + +29. -- MISFORTUNES OF THE COLONY. + +30. -- RESOURCES OF THE COLONY: -- HORSES FOR INDIA. -- WINE. -- +DRIED FRUITS. -- COTTON. -- COAL. -- WOOL. -- CORN. -- WHALE- +OIL. -- A WHALE HUNT. -- CURED FISH. -- SHIP TIMBER. + +31. -- RISE AND FALL OF A SETTLEMENT. -- THE SEQUEL TO CAPTAIN +GREY'S DISCOVERIES. -- A WORD AT PARTING. + + +(PLATES. + +KANGAROO HUNTING (Frontispiece). +THE BIVOUAC. +SPEARING KANGAROO. +DEATH OF THE KANGAROO. +EMU HUNT (woodcut).) + + +THE BUSHMAN; + +OR, + +LIFE IN A NEW COUNTRY. + + +CHAPTER 1. + +COLONISTS. + +The Spirit of Adventure is the most animating impulse in the human +breast. Man naturally detests inaction; he thirsts after change and +novelty, and the prospect of excitement makes him prefer even danger +to continued repose. + +The love of adventure! how strongly it urges forward the Young! The +Young, who are ever discontented with the Present, and sigh for +opportunities of action which they know not where to seek. Old men +mourn over the folly and recklessness of the Young, who, in the fresh +and balmy spring-time of life, recoil from the confinement of the +desk or the study, and long for active occupation, in which all their +beating energies may find employment. Subjection is the consequence +of civilized life; and self-sacrifice is necessary in those who are +born to toil, before they may partake of its enjoyments. But though +the Young are conscious that this is so, they repine not the less; +they feel that the freshness and verdure of life must first die away; +that the promised recompense will probably come too late to the +exhausted frame; that the blessings which would now be received with +prostrate gratitude will cease to be felt as boons; and that although +the wishes and wants of the heart will take new directions in the +progress of years, the consciousness that the spring-time of life -- +that peculiar season of happiness which can never be known again -- +has been consumed in futile desires and aspirations, in vain hopes +and bitter experiences, must ever remain deepening the gloom of +Memory. + +Anxious to possess immediate independence, young men, full of +adventurous spirit, proceed in search of new fields of labour, where +they may reap at once the enjoyments of domestic life, whilst they +industriously work out the curse that hangs over the Sons of Adam. + +They who thus become emigrants from the ardent spirit of adventure, +and from a desire to experience a simpler and less artificial manner +of living than that which has become the essential characteristic of +European civilization, form a large and useful body of colonists. +These men, notwithstanding the pity which will be bestowed upon them +by those whose limited experience of life leads to the belief that +happiness or contentment can only be found in the atmosphere of +England, are entitled to some consideration and respect. + +To have dared to deviate from the beaten track which was before them +in the outset of life; to have perceived at so vast a distance +advantages which others, if they had seen, would have shrunk from +aiming at; to have persevered in their resolution, notwithstanding +the expostulations of Age, the regrets of Friendship, and the sighs +of Affection -- all this betokens originality and strength of +character. + +Does it also betoken indifference to the wishes of others? Perhaps +it does; and it marks one of the broadest and least amiable features +in the character of a colonist. + +The next class of emigrants are those who depart from their native +shores with reluctance and tears. Children of misfortune and sorrow, +they would yet remain to weep on the bosom from which they have drawn +no sustenance. But the strong blasts of necessity drive them from +the homes which even Grief has not rendered less dear. Their future +has never yet responded to the voice of Hope, and now, worn and +broken in spirit, imagination paints nothing cheering in another +land. They go solely because they may not remain -- because they +know not where else to look for a resting place; and Necessity, with +her iron whip, drives them forth to some distant colony. + +But there is still a third class, the most numerous perhaps of all, +that helps to compose the population of a colony. This is made up of +young men who are the wasterels of the World; who have never done, +and never will do themselves any good, and are a curse instead of a +benefit to others. These are they who think themselves fine, jovial, +spirited fellows, who disdain to work, and bear themselves as if life +were merely a game which ought to be played out amid coarse laughter +and wild riot. + +These go to a colony because their relatives will not support them in +idleness at home. They feel no despair at the circumstance, for +their pockets have been refilled, though (they are assured) for the +last time; and they rejoice at the prospect of spending their capital +far from the observation of intrusive guardians. + +Disgusted at authority which has never proved sufficient to restrain +or improve them, they become enamoured with the idea of absolute +license, and are far too high-spirited to entertain any apprehensions +of future poverty. These gallant-minded and truly enviable fellows +betake themselves, on their arrival, to the zealous cultivation of +field-sports instead of field produce. They leave with disdain the +exercise of the useful arts to low-bred and beggarly-minded people, +who have not spirit enough for anything better; whilst they +themselves enthusiastically strive to realize again those glorious +times,-- + +"When wild in woods the noble savage ran." + +In the intervals of relaxation from these fatigues, when they return +to a town life, they endeavour to prove the activity of their +energies and the benevolence of their characters, by getting up balls +and pic-nics, solely to promote the happiness of the ladies. But +notwithstanding this appearance of devotion to the fair sex, their +best affections are never withdrawn from the companion of their +hearts -- the brandy flask. They evince their generous hospitality +by hailing every one who passes their door, with "How are you, old +fellow? Come in, and take a nip." Somehow or other they are always +liked, even by those who pity and despise them. + +The women only laugh at their irregularities -- they are such +"good-hearted creatures!" And so they go easily and rapidly down +that sloping path which leads to ruin and despair. What is their +end? Many of them literally kill themselves by drinking; and those +who get through the seasoning, which is the fatal period, are either +compelled to become labourers in the fields for any one who will +provide them with food; or else succeed in exciting the compassion of +their friends at home, by their dismal accounts of the impossibility +of earning a livelihood in a ruined and worthless colony; and having +thus obtained money enough to enable them to return to England, they +hasten to throw themselves and their sorrows into the arms of their +sympathizing relatives. + +Nothing can be more absurd than to imagine that a fortune may be made +in a colony by those who have neither in them nor about them any of +the elements or qualities by which fortunes are gained at home. + +There are, unfortunately, few sources of wealth peculiar to a colony. +The only advantage which the emigrant may reasonably calculate upon +enjoying, is the diminution of competition. In England the crowd is +so dense that men smother one another. + +It is only by opening up the same channels of wealth under more +favourable circumstances, that the emigrant has any right to +calculate upon success. Without a profession, without any legitimate +calling in which his early years have been properly instructed; +without any knowledge or any habits of business, a man has no better +prospect of making a fortune in a colony than at home. None, +however, so circumstanced, entertains this belief; on the contrary, +he enters upon his new career without any misgivings, and with the +courage and enthusiasm of a newly enlisted recruit. + +Alas! the disappointment which so soon and so inevitably succeeds, +brings a crowd of vices and miseries in its train. + + + +CHAPTER 2. + +ST. JAGO. + +The reader may naturally expect to be informed of the reasons that +have induced me thus to seek his acquaintance. In one word -- I am a +colonist. In England, a great deal is said every day about colonies +and colonists, but very little is known about them. A great deal is +projected; but whatever is done, is unfortunately to their prejudice. +Secretaries of State know much more about the distant settlements of +Great Britain than the inhabitants themselves; and, consequently, the +latter are seldom able to appreciate the ordinances which (for their +own good) they are compelled to submit to. + +My own experience is chiefly confined to one of the most +insignificant of our colonies, -- insignificant in point of +population, but extremely important as to its geographical position, +and its prospects of future greatness, -- but the same principle of +government applies to all the British settlements. + +A few years ago, I was the victim of medical skill; and being +sentenced to death in my own country by three eminent physicians, was +comparatively happy in having that sentence commuted to banishment. +A wealthy man would have gone to Naples, to Malta, or to Madeira; but +a poor one has no resource save in a colony, unless he will +condescend to live upon others, rather than support himself by his +own exertions. + +The climate of Western Australia was recommended; and I may be +grateful for the alternative allowed me. + +As I shall have occasion hereafter to allude to them incidentally, I +may mention that my two brothers accompanied me on this distant +voyage. + +The elder, a disciple of Aesculapius, was not only anxious to gratify +his fraternal solicitude and his professional tastes by watching my +case, but was desirous of realizing the pleasures of rural life in +Australia. + +My younger brother (whose pursuits entitle him to be called +Meliboeus) was a youth not eighteen, originally designed for the +Church, and intended to cut a figure at Oxford; but modestly +conceiving that the figure he was likely to cut would not tend to the +advancement of his worldly interests, and moreover, having no +admiration for Virgil beyond the Bucolics, he fitted himself out with +a Lowland plaid and a set of Pandaean pipes, and solemnly dedicated +himself to the duties of a shepherd. + +Thus it was that we were all embarked in the same boat; or rather, we +found ourselves in the month of April, 1841, on board of a certain +ill-appointed barque bound for Western Australia. + +We had with us a couple of servants, four rams with curling horns -- +a purchase from the late Lord Western; a noble blood-hound, the gift +of a noble Lord famous for the breed; a real old English +mastiff-bitch, from the stock at Lyme Park; and a handsome spaniel +cocker. Besides this collection of quadrupeds, we had a vast +assortment of useless lumber, which had cost us many hundred pounds. +Being most darkly ignorant of every thing relating to the country to +which we were going, but having a notion that it was very much of the +same character with that so long inhabited by Robinson Crusoe, we had +prudently provided ourselves with all the necessaries and even +non-necessaries of life in such a region. Our tool chests would have +suited an army of pioneers; several distinguished ironmongers of the +city of London had cleared their warehouses in our favour of all the +rubbish which had lain on hand during the last quarter of a century; +we had hinges, bolts, screws, door-latches, staples, nails of all +dimensions -- from the tenpenny, downwards -- and every other +requisite to have completely built a modern village of reasonable +extent. We had tents, Macintosh bags, swimming-belts, several sets +of sauce-pans in graduated scale, (we had here a distant eye to +kangaroo and cockatoo stews,) cleavers, meat-saws, iron skewers, and +a general apparatus of kitchen utensils that would have satisfied the +desires of Monsieur Soyer himself. Then we had double and +single-barrelled guns, rifles, pistols, six barrels of Pigou and +Wilkes' gunpowder; an immense assortment of shot, and two hundred +weight of lead for bullets. + +Besides the several articles already enumerated, we had provided +ourselves with eighteen months' provisions, in pork and flour, +calculating that by the time this quantity was consumed, we should +have raised enough to support our establishment out of the soil by +the sweat of our brows. And thus from sheer ignorance of colonial +life, we had laid out a considerable portion of our capital in the +purchase of useless articles, and of things which might have been +procured more cheaply in the colony itself. Nor were we the only +green-horns that have gone out as colonists: on the contrary, +nine-tenths of those who emigrate, do so in perfect ignorance of the +country they are about to visit and the life they are destined to +lead. The fact is, Englishmen, as a body know nothing and care +nothing about colonies. My own was merely the national ignorance. +An Englishman's idea of a colony (he classes them altogether) is, +that it is some miserable place -- the Black-hole of the British +empire -- where no one would live if he were allowed a choice; and +where the exiled spirits of the nation are incessantly sighing for a +glimpse of the white cliffs of Albion, and a taste of the old +familiar green-and-yellow fog of the capital of the world. +Experience alone can convince him that there are in other regions of +the world climes as delightful, suns as beneficent, and creditors as +confiding, as those of Old England. + +The voyage, of course, was tedious enough; but some portion of it was +spent very pleasantly in calculating the annual profits which our +flocks were likely to produce. + +The four noble rams, with their curly horns, grew daily more valuable +in our estimation. By the sailors, no doubt, they were rated no +higher than the miserable tenants of the long-boat, that formed part +of the cuddy provisions. But with us it was very different. As we +looked, every bright and balmy morning, into the pen which they +occupied, we were enabled to picture more vividly those Arcadian +prospects which seemed now brought almost within reach. In these +grave and respectable animals we recognised the patriarchs of a vast +and invaluable progeny; and it was impossible to help feeling a kind +of veneration for the sires of that fleecy multitude which was to +prove the means of justifying our modest expectations of happiness +and wealth. + +Our dogs also afforded us the most pleasing subjects for speculation. +With the blood-hound we were to track the footsteps of the midnight +marauder, who should invade the sanctity of our fold. The spaniel +was to aid in procuring a supply of game for the table; and I +bestowed so much pains upon his education during the voyage, that +before we landed he was perfectly au fait in the article of +"down-charge!" and used to flush the cat in the steward's pantry with +the greatest certainty and satisfaction. + +Jezebel, the mastiff-birch, was expected to assist in guarding our +castle, -- an honourable duty which her courage and fidelity amply +warranted us in confiding to her. Of the former quality, I shall +mention an instance that occurred during the voyage. We had one day +caught a shark, twelve feet long; and no sooner was he hauled on deck +than Jezebel, wild with fury, rushed through the circle of eager +sailors and spectators, and flew directly at the nose of the +struggling monster. It was with difficulty that she was dragged away +by the admiring seamen, who were compelled to admit that there was a +creature on board more reckless and daring than themselves. + +We were now approaching the Cape Verd Islands. I daresay it has been +frequently mentioned, that there is in these latitudes a vast bed of +loose sea-weed, floating about, which has existed there from time +immemorial, and which is only found in this one spot of the ocean; as +though it were here compelled to remain under the influence of some +magic spell. Some navigators are of opinion that it grows on the +rocks at the bottom of the sea, beneath the surface on which it +floats. Others maintain that it has been drifted across the +Atlantic, having issued from the Gulf of Mexico. Here, however, it +is doomed to drift about hopelessly, for ever lost in the wilderness +of waters; on the surface of which it now vegetates, affording +shelter to small crabs, and many curious kinds of fishes. + +One of the latter which we caught, about an inch in length, had a +spike on his back, and four legs, with which he crawled about the +sea-weed. + +We approached the Island of St. Jago, sailing unconsciously close to +a sunken rock, on which (as we afterwards learnt) the "Charlotte" had +struck about six weeks before whilst under full sail, and had gone +down in a few minutes, barely allowing time for the crew to escape in +their boat. + +Notwithstanding we had been five weeks at sea when we dropped anchor +in Porto Praya roads, the appearance of the land was by no means +inviting to the eyes. A high and extremely barren hill, or large +heap of dry earth, with a good many stones about it, seemed to +compose the Island. Close to us was the town, a collection of white +houses that looked very dazzling in the summer sun. Beside, and +running behind it, was a greenish valley, containing a clump of +cocoa-nut trees. This was the spot we longed to visit; so, getting +into the captain's boat, we approached the shore, where a number of +nearly naked negroes rushing into the sea (there being no pier or +jetty) presented their slimy backs at the gun-wale, and carried us in +triumph to the beach. The town boasted of one hotel, in the only +sitting-room of which we found some Portuguese officers smoking pipes +as dirty as themselves, and drinking a beverage which had much the +appearance of rum and water. There was no one who could speak a word +of English; but at length a French waiter appeared, who seemed +ravished with delight at the jargon with which we feebly reminded him +of his own lively language "when at home." Having ordered dinner, we +wandered off in search of the coca-nut valley, and purchased bananas +for the first time in our lives, and oranges, the finest in the world. + +Those who have been long at sea know how pleasant it is to walk once +more upon the land. It is one of the brightest of the Everlasting +flowers in the garland of Memory. + +We walked along the sea-beach, as people so circumstanced must ever +do, full of gladsome fancies. There was delight for us in the varied +shells at our feet; in the curious skeletons of small fishes, +untimely deceased; in the fantastic forms of the drifted sea-weed; in +the gentle ripple of the companionable waves by our side. And little +Fig, the spaniel, was no less pleased then ourselves. He ran before +us rejoicing in his fleetness; and he ran back again in a moment to +tell us how glad he was. Then as a wave more incursive than its +predecessor unexpectedly wetted his feet, he would droop his tail and +run faster with alarm, until the sight of some bush or bough, left +high and dry by the last tide, awakened his nervous suspicions, and +dreading an ambuscade, he would stop suddenly and bark at the +dreadful object, until we arrived at his side, when, wagging his tail +and looking slyly up with his joyous eyes, he would scamper away +again as though he would have us believe he had been all the time +only in fun. + +What profound satisfaction is there in the freedom of land after so +long a confinement! The sunshine that makes joyous every object +around us finds its way into the deeps of the heart. + +And now we determined to bathe. So we crossed over a jutting rock, +on the other side of which was a beautiful and secluded little bay, +so sheltered that the waves scarcely rippled as they came to kiss the +shell-covered beach. Here we soon unrobed; and I was the first to +rush at full speed into the inviting waters. Before I got up to my +middle, however, I saw something before me that looked like a dark +rock just below the surface. I made towards it, intending to get +upon it, and dive off on the other side; but lo! as I approached, it +stirred; then it darted like a flash of lightning towards one side of +the bay, whilst I, after standing motionless for a moment, retreated +with the utmost expedition. + +It was a ground-shark, of which there are numbers on that coast. + +We lost no time in putting on our clothes again, and returned in +rather a fluttered state to the inn. + + + +CHAPTER 3. + +THE MUTINY. + +We remained a week at St. Jago, the captain being busily engaged in +taking in water, and quarrelling with his crew. One day, at the +instigation of our friend, the French waiter, we made a trip of seven +miles into the interior of the island, to visit a beautiful valley +called Trinidad. Mounted on donkeys, and attended by two ragged, +copper-coloured youths, we proceeded in gallant style up the main +street, and, leaving the town, crossed the valley beyond it, and +emerged into the open country. It was a rough, stony, and hilly +road, through a barren waste, where there scarcely appeared a stray +blade of grass for the goats which rambled over it in anxious +search of herbage. + +At length, after a wearisome ride of several hours, we descended +suddenly into the most fertile and luxuriant valley I ever beheld, +and which seemed to extend a distance of some miles. A mountain +brook flowed down the midst, on the banks of which numerous scattered +and picturesque cottages appeared. On either side the ground was +covered with the green carpet of Nature in the spring of the year. +Everywhere, except in this smiling valley, we saw nothing but the +aridity of summer, and the desolation caused by a scorching tropical +sun. But here -- how very different! How sudden, how magical was +the change! Every species of vegetable grew here in finest +luxuriance. Melons of every variety, pine-apples, sweet potatoes, +plantains, and bananas, with their broad and drooping leaves of +freshest green and rich purple flower, and ripe yellow fruit. +Orange-trees, cocoa-nut trees, limes -- the fig, the vine, the +citron, the pomegranate, and numerous others, grateful to the weary +sight, and bearing precious stores amid their branches, combined to +give the appearance of wealth and plenty to this happy valley. It +was not, however, destined to be entered by us without a fierce +combat for precedence between two of our steeds. The animal whom it +was the evil lot of Meliboeus to bestride, suddenly threw back its +ears, and darted madly upon the doctor's quadruped, which, on its +side, manifested no reluctance to the fight. + +Dreadful was the scene; the furious donkeys nearing and striking with +their fore-feet, and biting each other about the head and neck +without the smallest feeling of compunction or remorse; the two +guides shrieking and swearing in Portuguese at the donkeys and each +other, and striking right and left with their long staves, perfectly +indifferent as to whom they hit; the unhappy riders, furious with +fright and chagrin, shouting in English to the belligerents of both +classes to "keep off!" The screams of two women, who were carrying +water in the neighbourhood, enhanced by the barking of a terrified +cur, that ran blindly hither and thither with its tail between its +legs, in a state of frantic excitement -- altogether produced a +tableau of the most spirited description. Peace was at length +restored, and we all dismounted from our saddles with fully as much +satisfaction as we had experienced when vaulting into them. + +There is little more to say about the valley of Trinidad. The +cottagers who supply the town of Porto Praya with fruits and +vegetables are extremely poor, and very uncleanly and untidy in their +houses and habits. We had intended to spend the night with them, but +the appearance of the accommodations determined us to return to our +inn, in spite of the friendly and disinterested advice of our guides. + +St. Jago abounds with soldiers and priests; the former of whom are +chiefly convicts from Lisbon, condemned to serve here in the ranks. + +The day for sailing arrived, and we were all on board and ready. Our +barque was a temperance ship; that is, she belonged to owners who +refused to allow their sailors the old measure of a wine-glass of rum +in the morning, and another in the afternoon, but liberally +substituted an extra pint of water instead. + +There is always one thing remarkable about these temperance ships, +that when they arrive in harbour, their crews, excited to madness by +long abstinence from their favourite liquor, and suffering in +consequence all the excruciating torments of thirst, run into violent +excesses the moment they get on shore. St. Jago is famous for a kind +of liquid fire, called aguadente, which is smuggled on board ship +in the shape of pumpkins and watermelons. These are sold to the +sailors for shirts and clothing; there being nothing so eagerly +sought for by the inhabitants of St. Jago as linen and calico. + +Our crew, being thoroughly disgusted with their captain, as indeed +they had some reason to be, and their valour being wondrously excited +by their passionate fondness for water-melons, came to a stern +resolution of spending the remainder of their lives on this agreeable +island; at any rate, they determined to sail no farther in our +company. The captain was ashore, settling his accounts and receiving +his papers; the chief-mate had given orders to loose the fore-topsail +and weigh anchor; and we were all in the cuddy, quietly sipping our +wine, when we heard three cheers and a violent scuffling on deck. In +a few moments down rushed the mate in a state of delirious +excitement, vociferating that the men were in open mutiny, and +calling upon us, in the name of the Queen, to assist the officers of +the ship in bringing them to order. Starting up at the call of our +Sovereign, we rushed to our cabins in a state of nervous +bewilderment, and loading our pistols in a manner that ensured their +not going off, we valiantly hurried on deck in the rear of the +exasperated officer. On reaching the raised quarter-deck of the +vessel, we found the crew clustered together near the mainmast, armed +with hand-spikes, boat-oars, crow-bars, and a miscellaneous +assortment of other weapons, and listening to an harangue which the +carpenter was in the act of delivering to them. They were all +intoxicated; but the carpenter, a ferocious, determined villain, was +the least so. + +At one of the quarter-deck gangways stood the captain's lady, a lean +and wizened Hecate, as famous for her love of rum as any of the crew, +but more openly rejoicing in the no less objectionable spirit of +ultra-methodism. Screaming at the top of her voice, whilst her +unshawled and dusky shoulders, as well as the soiled ribands of her +dirty cap, were gently fanned by the sea-breeze, she commanded the +men to return to their duty, in a volume of vociferation that seemed +perfectly inexhaustible. Fearing that the quarter-deck would be +carried by storm, we divided our party, consisting of the two mates, +three passengers with their servants, and Mungo the black servant, +into two divisions, each occupying one of the gang-ways. + +In a few moments the carpenter ceased his oration; the men cheered +and danced about the deck, brandishing their weapons, and urging one +another to "come on." Then with a rush, or rather a stagger, they +assailed our position, hoping to carry it in an instant by storm. +The mate shouted to us to fire, and pick out three or four of the +most desperate; but perceiving the intoxicated state of the men we +refused to shed blood, except in the last extremity of self-defence; +and determined to maintain our post, if possible, by means of our +pistol-butts, or our fists alone. In the general melee which ensued, +the captain's lady, who fought in the van, and looked like a lean +Helen MacGregor, or the mythological Ate, was captured by the +assailants, and dragged to the deck below. Then it was that +combining our forces, and inspired with all the ardour which is +naturally excited by the appearance of beauty in distress, we made a +desperate sally, and after a fearful skirmish, succeeded in rescuing +the lady, and replacing her on the quarter-deck, with the loss only +of her cap and gown, and a few handfuls of hair. + +After this exploit, both parties seemed inclined to pause and take +breath, and in the interval we made an harangue to the sailors, +expressive of our regret that they should act in so disgraceful a +manner. + +The gallant (or rather ungallant) fellows replied that they were +determined to be no longer commanded by a she-captain, as they called +the lady, and therefore would sail no farther in such company. + +I really believe that most of them had no serious intention whatever +in their proceedings, but the officers of the ship were firmly +convinced that the carpenter and one or two others had resolved to +get possession of the vessel, dispose of the passengers and mates +somehow or other, and then slip the cable, and wreck and sell the +ship and cargo on the coast of South America. + +Whilst the truce lasted, the second mate had been busily engaged +making signals of distress, by repeatedly hoisting and lowering the +ensign reversed, from the mizen-peak. This was soon observed from +the deck of a small Portuguese schooner of war, which lay at anchor +about half a mile from us, having arrived a few hours previously, +bringing the Bishop of some-where-or-other on a visitation to the +island. The attention of the officer of the watch had been +previously attracted towards us by the noise we had made, and the +violent scuffle which he had been observing through his glass. No +sooner, therefore, was the flag reversed, than a boat was lowered +from the quarter-davits, filled with marines, and pulled towards our +vessel with the utmost rapidity. The mutineers, whose attention was +directed entirely to the quarter-deck, did not perceive this +manoeuvre, which, however, was evident enough to us, who exerted +ourselves to the utmost to prolong the parley until our allies should +arrive. + +The carpenter now decided upon renewing the assault, having laid +aside his handspike and armed himself with an axe; but just at this +moment the man-of-war's boat ran alongside, and several files of +marines, with fixed bayonets, clambering on to the deck, effected a +speedy change in the aspect of affairs. Perceiving at once how +matters stood, the officer in command, without asking a single +question, ordered a charge against the astonished sailors, who, after +a short resistance, and a few violent blows given and received, were +captured and disarmed. + +There was a boy among the party called Shiny Bill, some fifteen years +of age, who managed to escape to the fore-shrouds, and giving the +marine who pursued him a violent kick in the face, succeeded in +reaching the fore-top, where he coiled himself up like a ball. Two +or three marines, exasperated by the scuffle, and by several smart +raps on the head which they had received, hastened up the shrouds +after the fugitive, who, however, ascended to the fore-top-mast +cross-trees, whither his enemies, after some hesitation, pursued. +Finding this post also untenable, he proceeded to swarm up the +fore-top-gallant-mast shrouds, and at last seated himself on the +royal yard, where he calmly awaited the approach of the enemy. +These, however, feeling that the position was too strong to be +successfully assailed by marines, deliberately commenced their +retreat, and arrived on deck, whilst their officer was hailing the +immovable Bill in Portuguese, and swearing he would shoot him unless +he instantly descended. + +Disdaining, however, to pay the least attention to these threats, +Shiny William continued to occupy his post with the greatest +tranquillity; and the officer, giving up the attempt in despair, +proceeded to inquire from us in Portuguese-French the history of this +outbreak. The scene concluded with the removal of the mutineers in +one of the ship's boats to the man-of-war, where, in a few moments, +several dozen lashes were administered to every man in detail, and +the whole party were then sent on shore, and committed to a dungeon +darker and dirtier than the worst among them had ever before been +acquainted with. But before all this was done, and when the boats +had pulled about a hundred yards from the vessel, Shiny Bill began to +descend from his post. He slipped down unobserved by any one, and +the first notice we had of his intentions was from perceiving him run +across the deck to the starboard bow, whence he threw himself, +without hesitation, into the sea, and began to swim lustily after his +captive friends. Our shouts -- for, remembering the abundance of +sharks, we were very much alarmed for the poor fellow -- attracted +the attention of the officer in the boat, to whom we pointed out the +figure of Bill, who seemed as eager now to make a voluntary +surrender, and share the fate of his comrades, as he had previously +been opposed to a violent seizure. The swimmer was soon picked up, +and, to our regret, received in due season the same number of stripes +as fell to the lot of his friends captured in battle. + +The prisoners remained several days in their dungeon, where they were +hospitably regaled with bread and water by the Portuguese Government; +and at the end of this period (so unworthy did they prove of the +handsome treatment they received) the British spirit was humbled +within them, and they entreated with tears to be allowed to return to +their duty. The mates, however, refused to sail in the same vessel +with the carpenter, and it was accordingly settled that he should +remain in custody until the arrival of a British man-of-war, and then +be returned to his country, passage free. + + + +CHAPTER 4. + +THE PRISON-ISLAND. + +It was nearly the end of August when we approached the conclusion of +our voyage. The wind was fair, the sun shone brightly, and every +heart was gay with the hope of once more being upon land. We drew +nigh to the Island of Rottnest, about sixteen miles from the mouth of +the river Swan, and anchored to the north of it, waiting for a pilot +from Fremantle. + +And there we had the first view of our future home. Beyond that low +line of sand-hills, which stretched away north and south, far as the +eye could reach, we were to begin life again, and earn for ourselves +a fortune and an honourable name. No friendly voice would welcome us +on landing, but numberless sharpers, eager to prey upon the +inexperienced Griffin, and take advantage of his unavoidable +ignorance and confiding innocence. There was nothing very cheering +in the prospect; but supported by the confidence and ambition of +youth, we experienced no feelings of dismay. + +In order to wile away the time, we landed on the island, and, passing +through a thick wood of cypresses, came to a goodly-sized and +comfortable-looking dwelling-house, with numerous out-buildings about +it, all built of marine lime-stone. + +As the particulars which I then learned respecting this island were +afterwards confirmed by experience and more extended information, I +may as well enter upon its history at once. + +The gentleman who was then Governor of Western Australia, was Mr. +John Hutt, a man of enlightened mind, firm, sagacious, and +benevolent. From the first, he adopted an admirable policy with +regard to the native inhabitants. + +Exhibiting on all occasions a friendly interest in their welfare, he +yet maintained a strict authority over them, which they soon learned +to respect and fear. The Aborigines were easily brought to feel that +their surest protection lay in the Government; that every act of +violence committed upon them by individual settlers was sure to be +avenged by the whites themselves; and that, as certainly, any +aggression on the part of the natives would call down the utmost +severity of punishment upon the offenders. By this firm +administration of equal justice the Aboriginal population, instead of +being, as formerly, a hostile, treacherous, and troublesome race, had +become harmless, docile, and in some degree useful to the settlers. + +But it was not the policy of Mr. Hutt merely to punish the natives +for offences committed against the whites; he was anxious to +substitute the milder spirit of the British law in lieu of their own +barbarous code; and to make them feel, in process of time, that it +was for their own interest to appeal for protection on all occasions +to the dominant power of Government, rather than trust to their own +courage and spears. This was no easy task, and could only be +accomplished by firmness, discrimination, and patience; but in the +course of a few years, considerable progress had been made in +subduing the prejudices and the barbarous customs of the Aborigines. +Although it had been declared by Royal Proclamation that the native +inhabitants were in every respect subjects of the British throne, and +as such entitled to equal privileges with ourselves, and to be judged +on all occasions by the common and statute laws, it proved to be no +easy matter to carry into practice these views of the Home +Government. People in England, who derive their knowledge of savages +from the orations delivered at Exeter Hall, are apt to conceive that +nothing more is requisite than to ensure them protection from +imaginary oppression, and a regular supply of spiritual comforts. +They do not consider that whilst they insist upon these unfortunate +creatures being treated exactly as British subjects, they are placing +a yoke on their own necks too heavy for them to bear in their present +condition. Primitive and simple laws are necessary to a primitive +state of society; and the cumbrous machinery of civilized life is +entirely unsuited to those who in their daily habits and their +intellectual endowments are little superior to the beasts that +perish. By declaring the savages to be in every respect British +subjects, it becomes illegal to treat them otherwise than such. If a +settler surprise a native in the act of stealing a pound of flour, he +of course delivers him over to a constable, by whom he is conveyed +before the nearest magistrate. Now this magistrate, who is an old +settler, and well acquainted with the habits of the natives, is also +a man of humanity; and if he were allowed to exercise a judicious +discretion, would order the culprit to be well flogged and dismissed +to his expectant family. But thanks to Her Majesty's well-meaning +Secretaries of State for the Colonies, who have all successively +judged alike on this point, it is declared most unadvisable to allow +a local magistrate the smallest modicum of discretion. He has only +one course to pursue, and that is, to commit the offender for trial +at the next Quarter Sessions, to be held in the capital of the +colony. Accordingly the poor native, who would rather have been +flayed alive than sent into confinement for two months previous to +trial, whilst his wives are left to their own resources, is heavily +ironed, lest he should escape, and marched down some sixty or seventy +miles to Fremantle gaol, where the denizen of the forest has to +endure those horrors of confinement which only the untamed and +hitherto unfettered savage can possibly know. + +Among savages, the 'Lex talionis' -- the law of retaliation -- is the +law of nature and of right; to abstain from avenging the death of a +relative would be considered, by the tribe of the deceased, an act of +unpardonable neglect. Their own customs, which are to them as laws, +point out the mode of vengeance. The nearest relative of the +deceased must spear his slayer. Nothing is more common among these +people than to steal one another's wives; and this propensity affords +a prolific source of bloodshed. + +They have also a general law, which is never deviated from, and which +requires that whenever a member of a tribe dies, whether from +violence or otherwise, a life must be taken from some other tribe. +This practice may have originated in a desire to preserve the balance +of power; or from a belief, which is very general among them, that a +man never dies a natural death. If he die of some disorder, and not +of a spear-wound, they say he is "quibble gidgied," or speared by +some person a long distance off. The native doctor, or wise man of +the tribe, frequently pretends to know who has caused the death of +the deceased; and the supposed murderer is of course pursued and +murdered in turn. This custom necessarily induces a constant state +of warfare. Now it is very right that all these barbarous and +unchristian practices should be put an end to; but, whilst +endeavouring to suppress them, we ought to remember that they are +part and parcel of the long-established laws of this rude people, and +that it is not possible all at once to make them forego their ancient +institutions and customs. The settlers would gladly see punished all +acts of violence committed among the natives in their neighbourhood. +Were they permitted to inflict such punishments as are best suited to +the limited ideas and moral thraldom of the Aborigines, these, +without cruelty or injustice, might gradually be brought within the +pale of civilization; but when the law declares it to be inevitable +that every British subject who is tried and found guilty of having +speared his enemy shall be hanged without benefit of clergy, the +colonists out of sheer humanity and pity for the ignorance of the +culprit, refrain from bringing him to trial and punishment -- a +proceeding which, by the way, would cost the colony some fifteen or +twenty pounds -- and thus he goes on in his errors, unreproved by +the wisdom or the piety of the whites. Sometimes, however, it +happens that the officers who exercise the calling of Protectors of +the Aborigines, anxious to prove that their post is no sinecure, make +a point of hunting up an occasional law-breaker, who, being brought +to trial, is usually found guilty upon his own evidence -- the +unfortunate culprit, conscious of no guilt in having followed the +customs of his ancestors, generally making a candid statement of his +offence. The sentence decreed by the English law is then passed upon +him, and he would, of course, be duly subjected to the penalty which +justice is supposed to demand, did not the compassionate Governor, in +the exercise of the highest privilege of the Crown, think proper to +step in and commute the sentence to perpetual imprisonment. As it +would have entailed a serious expense upon the colony to have had to +maintain these prisoners in a gaol in the capital, his Excellency +determined to establish a penal settlement at Rottnest; and this he +accordingly accomplished, with very good effect. + +At the time we visited the island, there were about twenty native +prisoners in charge of a superintendent and a few soldiers. + +The prisoners were employed in cultivating a sufficient quantity of +ground to produce their own food. It was they also who had built the +superintendent's residence; and whenever there was nothing else to +do, they were exercised in carrying stone to the top of a high hill, +on which a lighthouse was proposed to be built. + +The Governor has certainly shown very good judgment in the formation +of this penal establishment. It is the dread of the natives +throughout the colony; and those prisoners who are released inspire +among their fellows the greatest horror and dismay by their tales of +the hardships they have suffered. No punishment can be more dreadful +to these savages -- the most indolent race in the world -- than being +compelled to work; and as their idleness brings them occasionally in +contact with the superintendent's lash, their recollections and +accounts of Rottnest are of the most fearful description. Certain, +however, it is, that nothing has tended so much to keep the +Aborigines in good order as the establishment of this place of +punishment. It is maintained at very little expense to the colony, +as the prisoners grow their own vegetables, and might easily be made +to produce flour enough for their own consumption. + +It was a clear, beautiful, sparkling day, and there was a sense of +enjoyment attached to the green foliage, the waving crops, and the +gently heaving sea, that threw over this new world of ours a charm +which filled our hearts with gladness. + +Having returned to our ship, we saw the pilot-boat rapidly +approaching. As it came alongside, and we were hailed by the +steersman, we felt a sensation of wonder at hearing ourselves +addressed in English and by Englishmen, so far, so very far from the +shores of England. With this feeling, too, was mingled something +like pity; we could not help looking upon these poor boatmen, in +their neat costume of blue woollen shirts, canvass trousers, and +straw hats, as fellow-countrymen who had been long exiled from their +native land, and who must now regard us with eyes of interest and +affection, as having only recently left its shores. + +No sooner was the pilot on board than the anchor was weighed, the +sails were set, and we began to beat up into the anchorage off +Fremantle. Night closed upon us ere we reached the spot proposed, and +we passed the interval in walking the deck and noting the stars come +forth upon their watch. The only signs of life and of human +habitation were in the few twinkling lights of the town of Fremantle: +all beside, on the whole length of the coast, seemed to be a desert +of sand, the back-ground of which was occupied with the dark outline +of an illimitable forest. + +It was into this vast solitude that we were destined to penetrate. +It was a picture full of sombre beauty, and it filled us with solemn +thoughts. + +The next morning we were up at daybreak. Certainly it was a +beautiful sight, to watch the sun rise without a cloud from out of +the depths of that dark forest, rapidly dispersing the cold gray +gloom, and giving life, as it seemed, to the sparkling waves, which +just before had been unconsciously heaved by some internal power, and +suffered to fall back helplessly into their graves. + +How differently now they looked, dancing joyously forward towards the +shore! And the sun, that seems to bring happiness to inanimate +things, brought hope and confidence back to the hearts of those who +watched him rise. + +Flights of sea-birds of the cormorant tribe, but generally known as +Shags, were directing their course landward from the rocky islands on +which they had roosted during the night. What long files they form! +-- the solitary leader winging his rapid and undeviating way just +above the level of the waves, whilst his followers, keeping their +regular distances, blindly pursue the course he takes. See! he +enters the mouth of the river; some distant object to his practised +eye betokens danger, and though still maintaining his onward course, +he inclines upwards into the air, and the whole line, as though +actuated by the same impulse, follow his flight. And now they +descend again within a few feet of the river's surface, and now are +lost behind projecting rocks. All day long they fish in the retired +bays and sheltered nooks of the river, happy in the midst of plenty. + +The river Swan issues forth into the sea over a bar of rocks, +affording only a dangerous passage for boats, or vessels drawing from +four to five feet water. Upon the left bank of the river is the town +of Fremantle. The most prominent object from the sea is a circular +building of white limestone, placed on the summit of a black rock at +the mouth of the Swan. This building is the gaol. + +On the other side of the roadstead, about ten or twelve miles distant +from the main, is a chain of islands, of which Rottnest is the most +northern. Then come some large rocks, called the Stragglers, leaving +a passage out from the roadstead by the south of Rottnest; after +these is Carnac, an island abounding with rabbits and mutton-birds; +and still farther south is Garden island. + +Fremantle, the principal port of the colony, is unfortunately +situated, as vessels of any burthen are obliged to anchor at a +considerable distance from the shore. Lower down the coast is a fine +harbour, called Mangles Bay, containing a splendid anchorage, and it +is much to be lamented that this was not originally fixed upon as the +site for the capital of the colony. + +The first impression which the visitor to this settlement receives is +not favourable. The whole country between Fremantle and Perth, a +distance of ten miles, is composed of granitic sand, with which is +mixed a small proportion of vegetable mould. This unfavourable +description of soil is covered with a coarse scrub, and an immense +forest of banksia trees, red gums, and several varieties of the +eucalyptus. The banksia is a paltry tree, about the size of an +apple-tree in an English or French orchard, perfectly useless as +timber, but affording an inexhaustible supply of firewood. Besides +the trees I have mentioned, there is the xanthorea, or grass-tree, a +plant which cannot be intelligibly described to those who have never +seen it. The stem consists of a tough pithy substance, round which +the leaves are formed. These, long and tapering like the rush, are +four-sided, and extremely brittle; the base from which they shoot is +broad and flat, about the size of a thumb-nail, and very resinous in +substance. As the leaves decay annually, others are put forth above +the bases of the old ones, which are thus pressed down by the new +shoots, and a fresh circle is added every year to the growing plant. +Thousands of acres are covered with this singular vegetable +production; and the traveller at his night bivouac is always sure of +a glorious fire from the resinous stem of the grass-tree, and a +comfortable bed from its leaves. + +We landed in a little bay on the southern bank of the river. The +houses appeared to be generally two-storied, and were built of hard +marine limestone. Notwithstanding the sandy character of the soil, +the gardens produced vegetables of every variety, and no part of the +world could boast of finer potatoes or cabbages. Anxious to begin +the primitive life of a settler as speedily as possible, we consulted +a merchant to whom we had brought letters of introduction as to the +best mode of proceeding. He advised us to fix our head-quarters for +a time near to Fremantle, and thence traverse the colony until we +should decide upon a permanent place of abode. In the meantime we +dined and slept at Francisco's Hotel, where we were served with +French dishes in first-rate style, and drank good luck to ourselves +in excellent claret. + +In the early days of the colony, Sir James Stirling, the first +Governor, had fixed upon Fremantle as the seat of government; and the +settlers had begun to build themselves country-houses and elegant +villa residences upon the banks of the river. These, however, were +not completed before it was determined to fix the capital at Perth, +some dozen miles up the river, where the soil was rather better, and +where a communication with the proposed farms in the interior would +be more readily kept up. + +The government officers had now to abandon their half-built stone +villas, and construct new habitations of wood, as there was no stone +to be found in the neighbourhood of Perth, and brick clay had not +then been discovered. + +It was in one of these abandoned houses (called the Cantonment), +situate on the banks of the Swan, about half a mile from Fremantle, +that, by the advice of our friend, we resolved to take up our +quarters. The building was enclosed on three sides by a rough stone +wall, and by a wooden fence, forming a paddock of about three +quarters of an acre in extent. It comprised one large room, of some +forty feet by eighteen, which had a roof of thatch in tolerable +repair. The north side, protected by a verandah, had a door and two +windows, in which a few panes of glass remained, and looked upon the +broad river, from which it was separated by a bank of some twenty +feet in descent, covered with a variety of shrubs, just then +bursting into flower. A few scattered red-gum trees, of +the size of a well-grown ash, gave a park-like appearance to our +paddock, of which we immediately felt extremely proud, and had no +doubt of being very comfortable in our new domain. Besides the large +room I have mentioned, there were two others at the back of it, +which, unfortunately, were in rather a dilapidated condition; and +below these apartments (which were built on the slope of a hill) were +two more, which we immediately allotted to the dogs and sheep. This +side of the building was enclosed by a wall, which formed a small +court-yard. Here was an oven, which only wanted a little repair to +be made ready for immediate use. + +For several days we were occupied in superintending the landing of +our stores, and housing them in a building which we rented in the +town at no trifling sum per week. A light dog-cart, which I had +brought out, being unpacked, proved extremely useful in conveying to +our intended residence such articles as we were likely to be in +immediate want of. + +The two men had already taken up their abode there, together with the +rams and dogs; and at last, leaving our comfortable quarters at the +hotel with something like regret and a feeling of doubt and +bewilderment, we all three marched in state, with our double-barrels +on our shoulders, to take possession of our rural habitation. + + + +CHAPTER 5. + +FIRST ADVENTURES. + +We had providently dined before we took possession; and now, at +sunset, we stood on the bank before our house, looking down upon the +placid river. The blood-hound was chained to one of the posts of the +verandah; Jezebel, the noble mastiff-bitch, lay basking before the +door, perfectly contented with her situation and prospects; and +little Fig was busily hunting among the shrubs, and barking at the +small birds which he disturbed as they were preparing to roost. + +One of the men was sitting on an upturned box beside the fire, +waiting for the gently-humming kettle to boil; whilst the other was +chipping wood outside the house, and from time to time carrying the +logs into the room, and piling them upon the hearth. As we looked +around we felt that we had now indeed commenced a new life. For some +months, at any rate, we were to do without those comforts and +luxuries which Englishmen at home, of every rank above the entirely +destitute, deem so essential to bodily ease and happiness. + +We were to sleep on the floor, to cook our own victuals, and make our +own beds. This was to be our mode of acquiring a settlement in this +land of promise. Still there was an air of independence about it, +and we felt a confidence in our own energies and resources that made +the novelty of our position rather agreeable than otherwise. + +There was something exhilarating in the fresh sea-breeze; there was +something very pleasing in the gay appearance of the shrubs that +surrounded us -- in the broad expanse of the river, with its +occasional sail, and its numerous birds passing rapidly over it on +their way to the islands where they roosted, or soaring leisurely to +and fro, with constant eyes piercing its depths, and then suddenly +darting downwards like streams of light into the flood, and emerging +instantly afterwards with their finny prey. The opposite bank of the +river displayed a sandy country covered with dark scrub; and beyond +this was the sea, with a view of Rottnest and the Straggler rocks. A +few white cottages relieved the sombre and death-like appearance of +that opposite shore. Unpromising as was the aspect of the country, +it yet afforded sufficient verdure to support in good condition a +large herd of cattle, which supplied Fremantle with milk and food. + +Here, then, the reader may behold us for the first time in our +character of settlers. He may behold three individuals in light +shooting coats and cloth caps, standing upon the bank before their +picturesque and half-ruinous house, their dogs at their side, and +their gaze fixed upon the river that rolled beneath them. The same +thoughts probably occupied them all: they were now left in a land +which looked much like a desert, with Heaven for their aid, and no +other resources than a small capital, and their own energies and +truth. The great game of life was now to begin in earnest, and the +question was, how it should be played with success? Individual +activity and exertion were absolutely necessary to ensure good +fortune; and warmly impressed with the consciousness of this, we +turned with one impulse in search of employment. + +Aesculapius began to prepare their supper for the dogs, and Meliboeus +looked after his sheep, which were grazing in the paddock in front of +the dwelling. As for myself, with the ardent mind of a young +settler, I seized upon the axe, and began to chop firewood -- an +exercise, by the way, which I almost immediately renounced. + +And now for supper! + +Our most necessary articles were buried somewhere beneath the heaps +of rubbish with which we had filled the store-room at Fremantle. Our +plates, cups and saucers, etc., were in a crate which was not to be +unpacked until we had removed our property and abode to the inland +station which we designed for our permanent residence. There were, +however, at hand for present use eight or nine pewter plates, and a +goodly sized pannikin a-piece. In one corner of the room was a bag +of flour, in another a bag of sugar, in a third a barrel of pork, and +on the table, composed of a plank upon two empty casks, were a couple +of loaves which Simon had purchased in the town, and a large tea-pot +which he had fortunately discovered in the same cask with the +pannikins. + +The kettle fizzed upon the fire, impatient to be poured out; the +company began to draw round the hospitable board, seating themselves +upon their bedding, or upon empty packing-cases; and, in a word, tea +time had arrived. Hannibal, as we called the younger of our +attendants, from his valiant disposition, had filled one of the +pewter plates with brown sugar from the bag; the doctor made the tea, +and we wanted nothing but spoons to make our equipage complete. +However, every man had his pocket-knife, and so we fell to work. + +Butter being at that time half-a-crown a pound, Simon (our head man) +had prudently refrained from buying any; and as he had forgotten to +boil a piece of the salt pork, we had to sup upon dry bread, which we +did without repining, determined, however, to manage better on the +morrow. + +In the meantime we were nearly driven desperate by most violent +attacks upon our legs, committed by myriads of fleas. They were so +plentiful that we could see them crawling upon the floor; the dogs +almost howled with anguish, and the most sedate among us could not +refrain from bitter and deep execrations. We had none of us ever +before experienced such torment; and really feared that in the course +of the night we should be eaten up entirely. These creatures are +hatched in the sand, and during the rains of winter they take refuge +in empty houses; but they infest every place throughout the country, +during all seasons, more or less, and are only kept down by constant +sweeping from becoming a most tremendous and overwhelming plague, +before which every created being, not indigenous to the soil, would +soon disappear, or be reduced to a bundle of polished bones. The +natives themselves never sleep twice under the same wigwam. + +After tea, the sheep and dogs being carefully disposed of for the +night, we turned out before the house, and comforted ourselves with +cigars; and having whiled away as much time as possible, we spread +out our mattresses on the floor, and in a state of desperation +attempted to find rest. We escaped with our lives, and were thankful +in the morning for so much mercy vouchsafed to us, but we could not +conscientiously return thanks for a night's refreshing rest. + +At the first dawn of day we rolled up our beds, lighted the fire, +swept out the room, let the dogs loose, and drove the rams to pasture +on the margin of the river. After breakfast, which was but a sorry +meal, we determined to make our first attempt at baking. Simon, a +man of dauntless resolution, undertook the task, using a piece of +stale bread as leaven. It was a serious business, and we all helped +or looked on; but the result, notwithstanding the multitude of +councillors, was a lamentable failure. Better success, fortunately, +attended the labours of Hannibal, who boiled a piece of salt pork +with the greatest skill. + +Mutton at this period, 1841, was selling at sixteen-pence per pound +(it is now two-pence), and we therefore resolved to depend upon our +guns for fresh meat. We had brought with us a fishing-net, which we +determined to put in requisition the following day. + +The most prominent idea in the imagination of a settler on his first +arrival at an Australian colony, is on the subject of the natives. +Whilst in England he was, like the rest of his generous-minded +countrymen, sensibly alive to the wrongs of these unhappy beings -- +wrongs which, originating in a great measure in the eloquence of +Exeter Hall, have awakened the sympathies of a humane and unselfish +people throughout the length and breadth of the kingdom. Full of +these noble and ennobling sentiments, the emigrant approaches the +scene of British-colonial cruelty; but no sooner does he land, than a +considerable change takes place in his feelings. He begins to think +that he is about to place his valuable person and property in the +very midst of a nation of savages, who are entirely unrestrained by +any moral or human laws, or any religious scruples, from taking the +most disagreeable liberties with these precious things. + +The refined and amiable philanthropist gradually sinks into the +coarse-minded and selfish settler, who is determined to protect +himself, his family, and effects, by every means in his power -- even +at the risk of outraging the amiable feelings of his brother +philanthropists at home. In Western Australia, the natives generally +are in very good order; they behave peaceably towards the settlers, +eat their flour, and in return occasionally herd or hunt up their +cattle, and keep their larders supplied with kangaroo. + +It is very rarely -- I have never indeed heard of a single +well-authenticated instance -- that any amount of benefits, or the +most unvarying kindness, can awaken the smallest spark of gratitude +in the breasts of these degraded savages. Those who derive their +chief support from the flour and broken meat daily bestowed upon them +by the farm settlers, would send a spear through their benefactors +with as little remorse as through the breast of a stranger. The fear +of punishment alone has any influence over them; and although in this +colony they are never treated with anything like cruelty or +oppression, it is absolutely necessary to personal safety to maintain +a firm and prompt authority over them. + +When we first arrived, we were philanthropists, in the usual sense of +that term, and thought a good deal about the moral and general +destitution of this unfortunate people; but when we first encountered +on the road a party of coffee-coloured savages, with spears in their +hands, and loose kangaroo-skin cloaks (their only garments) on their +shoulders, accompanied by their women similarly clad, and each +carrying in a bag at her back her black-haired offspring, with a face +as filthy as its mother's -- we by no means felt inclined to step +forward and embrace them as brethren. + +I question, indeed, whether the most ardent philanthropist in the +world would not have hesitated before he even held forth his hand to +creatures whose heads and countenances were darkened over with a +compound of grease and red clay, whose persons had never been +submitted to ablution from the hour of their birth, and whose +approach was always heralded by a perfume that would stagger the most +enthusiastic lover of his species. + +But it was not merely disgust that kept us at arm's length. We must +confess we were somewhat appalled at this first view of savage life, +as we looked upon the sharp-pointed spears, wild eyes, and +well-polished teeth of our new acquaintance. Although, in truth, +they were perfectly harmless in their intentions, we could not help +feeling a little nervous as they drew nigh, and saluted us with +shrill cries and exclamations, and childish bursts of wild laughter. +Their principal question was, whether we were "cabra-man?" or seamen, +as we afterwards discovered their meaning to be. After a good deal +of screaming and laughing, they passed on their way, leaving us much +relieved by their absence. They seemed to be, and experience has +proved to us that they are, the most light-hearted, careless, and +happy people in the world. Subsisting upon the wild roots of the +earth, opossums, lizards, snakes, kangaroos, or anything else that is +eatable which happens to fall in their way, they obtain an easy +livelihood, and never trouble themselves with thoughts of the morrow. +They build a new house for themselves every evening; that is, each +family, erects a slight shelter of sticks covered over with bark, or +the tops of the xanthorea, that just keeps off the wind; and with a +small fire at their feet, the master of the family, his wife, or +wives, and children, lie huddled together like a cluster of snakes -- +happier than the tenants of downy beds. Far happier, certainly, than +we had lately been in ours. We had, however, devised a new plan for +the next night. Having each of us a hammock, we suspended them from +the rafters; and thus, after the first difficulty and danger of +getting into bed was overcome, we lay beyond the reach of our +formidable enemies, and contrived to sleep soundly and comfortably. + +The next morning we breakfasted early. My brothers resolved to try +the effect of the fishing-net, and I myself arranged a shooting +excursion with a lad, whose parents rented a house situated about a +quarter of a mile from our own. We were to go to some lakes a few +miles distant, which abounded with wild ducks and other water-fowl. +Preceded by Fig, and more soberly accompanied by Jezebel, we set out +upon our expedition. + +It was the close of the Australian winter, and the temperature was +that of a bright, clear day in England at the end of September. The +air was mild, but elastic and dry; the peppermint and wattle-trees +were gay with white and yellow blossoms; an infinite variety of +flowering shrubs gave to the country the appearance of English +grounds about a goodly mansion; whilst the earth was carpeted with +the liveliest flowers. It was impossible to help being in good +spirits. + +We passed up a valley of white gum-trees, which somewhat resemble the +ash, but are of a much lighter hue. They belong to the eucalyptus +species. + +I shot several beautiful parroquets, the plumage of which was chiefly +green; the heads were black, and some of the pinion feathers yellow. +The country presented very little appearance of grass, though +abounding with green scrub; and frequently we passed over denuded +hills of limestone-rock, from which we beheld the sea on one side, +and on the other the vast forest of banksias and eucalypti, that +overspreads the entire country. The river winding among this mass of +foliage, relieved the eye. + +After a walk of two hours we approached the lakes of which we were in +search, situated in a flat country, and their margins covered with +tall sedges, it was difficult to obtain a view of the water. Now, +then, we prepared for action. Behind those tall sedges was probably +a brood of water-fowl, either sleeping in the heat of the day, or +carefully feeding in the full security of desert solitude. "Fig! you +villain! what are you about? are you going to rush into the water, +and ruin me by your senseless conduct? I have got you now, and here +you must please to remain quiet. No, you rascal! you need not look +up to me with such a beseeching countenance, whilst you tremble with +impatience, eager to have a share in the sport. You must wait till +you hear my gun. I am now shooting for my dinner, and perhaps for +yours also, if you will condescend to eat duck, and I dare not allow +you the pleasure of putting up the game. You understand all this +well enough, and therefore please to be silent; -- or, observe! I'll +murder you." + +Leaving the boy with the dogs, I began to steal towards the lake, +when I heard his muttered exclamation, and turning round, saw him +crouching to the earth and pointing to the sky. Imitating his +caution, I looked in the direction he pointed out, and beheld three +large birds leisurely making towards the spot we occupied. They were +larger than geese, black, with white wings, and sailed heavily along, +whilst I lay breathlessly awaiting their approach. The dogs were +held down by the boy, and we all seemed equally to feel the awfulness +of the moment. The birds came slowly towards us, and then slanted +away to the right; and then wheeling round and round, they alighted +upon the lake. + +Creeping to the sedges, I pushed cautiously through, up to the ankles +in mud and water. How those provoking reeds, three feet higher than +my head, rustled as I gently put them aside! And now I could see +plainly across a lake of several acres in extent. There on the +opposite side, were three black swans sailing about, and occasionally +burying their long necks in the still waters. With gaze riveted upon +that exciting spectacle, I over-looked a myriad of ducks that were +reposing within a few yards of me, and which, having discovered the +lurking danger, began to rise en masse from the lake. + +Never before had I seen such a multitude. Struck with amazement, I +stood idly gaping as they rose before me; and after sweeping round +the lake, with a few quacks of alarm, whirled over the trees and +disappeared. + +The swans seemed for a moment to catch the general apprehension, and +one of them actually rose out of the water, but after skimming along +the surface for a few yards, he sank down again, and his companions +swam to rejoin him. Gently retreating, I got back upon the dry land, +and motioning the boy to remain quiet, hastened round the lake to its +opposite bank. More cautiously than before I entered the grove of +sedges, and soon beheld two of the swans busily fishing at some +distance from the shore. What had become of the third? There he is, +close to the border of the lake, and only about fifty yards from my +position! My first shot at a swan! -- Now then -- present! fire! -- +bang! What a splutter! The shots pepper the water around him. He +tries to rise, He cannot! his wing is broken! Hurrah! hurrah! "Here +Jonathan! Toby! what's your name? here! bring the dogs -- I've hit +him -- I've done for him! + +"Fig, Fig! -- O! here you are; good little dog -- good little fellow! +now then, in with you! there he is!" + +With a cry of delight, little Fig dashed through the reeds. The +water rushed down his open throat and half-choked him; but he did not +care. Shaking the water out of his nose as he swam, he whimpered +with pleasure, and hurried after the swan which was now slowly making +towards the middle of the lake. Its companions had left it to its +fate. We stood in the water watching the chase. Jezebel, excited +out of all propriety, though she could see nothing of what was going +on, gallopped up and down the bank, with her tail stiff out, tumbling +over the broken boughs which lay there, and uttering every now and +then deep barks that awoke the astonished echoes of the woods. +Sometimes she would make a plunge into the water, splashing us all +over, and then she quickly scrambled out again, her ardour +considerably cooled. + +"Well done, Fig! good little dog! at him again! never mind that rap +on the head from his wing." + +Away swam the swan, and Fig after him, incessantly barking. + +Had not the noble bird been grievously wounded he would have defied +the utmost exertions of the little spaniel, but as it was, he could +only get for a moment out of the reach of his pursuer by a violent +effort, which only left him more exhausted. And now they approached +the shore; and the swan, hard pressed, turns round and aims a blow +with its bill at the dog. + +This Fig managed to elude, and in return made a snap at his enemy's +wing, and obtained a mouthful of feathers; but in revenge he received +on his nose a rap from the strong pinion of the bird that made him +turn tail and fairly yelp with anguish. "Never mind, brave Fig! good +dog! at him again! Bravo -- bravo! good little fellow!" There he +is, once more upon him. And now, master Fig, taught a lesson by the +smart blows he had received, endeavours to assail only the wounded +wing of the swan. It was a very fierce combat, but the swan would +probably have had the best of it had not loss of blood rendered him +faint and weak. + +He still fought bravely, but now whenever he missed his adversary, +his bill would remain a moment in the water, as though he had +scarcely strength to raise his head; and as he grew momentarily +weaker and weaker, so Fig waxed more daring and energetic in his +assaults; until at length he fairly seized his exhausted foe by the +neck, and notwithstanding his struggles, and the violent flapping of +his long unwounded wing, began to draw him towards the shore. We +hurried to meet and help him. Jezebel was the first that dashed +breast-high into the water; and seizing a pinion in her strong jaws, +she soon drew both the swan and Fig, who would have died rather than +let go, through the yielding sedges to the land. + +The swan was soon dead; and Fig lay panting on the sand, with his +moth open, and looking up to his master as he wagged his tail, +clearly implying, "Did not I do it well, master?" "Yes, my little +dog, you did it nobly. And now you shall have some of this bread, of +Simon's own baking, which I cannot eat myself; and Jonathan and I +will finish this flask of brandy and water." + +And now we set out on our return home, anxious to display our trophy +to envious eyes. + +As we approached the Cantonment, I discharged my unloaded barrel at a +bird like a thrush in appearance, called a Wattle-bird, from having +two little wattles which project from either side of its head. + +The salute was answered by a similar discharge from the Cantonment, +and soon afterwards Meliboeus came running to meet us, preceded by +the blood-hound at full gallop. The dogs greeted one another with +much apparent satisfaction. Little Fig was evidently anxious to +inform his big friend of all that he had done, but Nero was much too +dignified and important to attend to him, and bestowed all his notice +upon Jezebel. + +The fishermen had succeeded in catching a dozen mullet, which were +all ready for cooking; and the frying-pan being soon put in +requisition, we were speedily placed at table. + +Being still without legitimate knives and forks, the absence of the +latter article was supplied by small forked-sticks, cut from a +neighbouring peppermint tree. Those who did not like cold water +alone were allowed grog; and the entertainment, consisting of fish +and boiled pork (which a few months before we should have considered +an utter abomination), being seasoned with hunger, went off with +tolerable satisfaction. + +The following day we had the swan skinned and roasted, but it +certainly was not nearly so good as a Michaelmas goose. +Nevertheless, it was a change from boiled pork, and we endeavoured to +think it a luxury. Simon had been more successful in his latter +efforts at baking, and, on the whole, things assumed a more +comfortable aspect. + + + +CHAPTER 6. + +PERTH -- COLONIAL JURIES. + +So soon as we were well settled in our new abode, we began to think +of pushing our researches a little farther into the country. We +thought it high time that we visited the capital, and paid our +respects to the Governor. About a mile and a half from our location, +the Fremantle and Perth road crosses the river (which is there about +four hundred yards wide) by a ferry. John-of-the-Ferry, the lessee +of the tolls, the Charon of the passage, is a Pole by birth, who +escaped with difficulty out of the hands of the Russians; and having +the fortune to find an English master, after a series of adventures +entered into the employment of an emigrant, and settled in Western +Australia. He had now become not only the lessee of the ferry, but a +dealer in various small articles, and at the time to which I refer, +was the owner of several Timor ponies. Singular enough for a +horse-dealer and a colonist, John had the reputation of being an +honest man, and his customers always treated him with the utmost +confidence. + +Having learnt his good character, we repaired to his neat, +white-washed cottage on the banks of the river to inspect his stud; +and soon effected a purchase of two of his ponies. These animals, +about thirteen hands high, proved to belong to the swiftest and +hardiest race of ponies in the world. They required no care or +grooming; blessed with excellent appetites, they picked up their food +wherever they could find any, and came night and morning to the door +to receive their rations of barley, oat-meal, bread-crusts, or any +thing that could be spared them. The colony had been supplied with +several cargoes of these ponies from Timor, and they proved extremely +useful so long as there was a scarcity of horses; but afterwards they +became a nuisance, and tended greatly to keep back improvements in +the breed of horses. Pony-stallions suffered to roam at large, +became at length such an evil, that special acts of Council were +passed against them; and as these did not prove of sufficient +efficacy, the animals were sometimes hunted like wild cattle, and +shot with rifles. + +It was some amusement to us to break in our small quadrupeds to draw +my light cart; we had brought out tandem-harness; and in a short time +we got up a very fair team. But, alas! there was no pleasure in +driving in that neighbourhood -- the road being only a track of deep +sand. One bright and tempting morning the doctor and myself mounted +our steeds, and leaving our affairs at the castle in the faithful +charge of Meliboeus, wended our way towards the capital of the +colony. The river at the ferry has a picturesque appearance, +precipitous rocks forming its sides, and two bays, a mile apart, +terminating the view on either hand, where the river winds round +projecting head-lands. + +The old road to Perth was truly a miserable one, being at least six +inches deep in sand the whole way. It was scarcely possible to see +more than fifty yards ahead of you, so thickly grew the banksia +trees. After crossing the ferry, we lost sight of the river for +several miles, and then diverged from the dismal road by a path which +we had been directed by the ferryman to look out for, and which +brought us to a sandy beach at the bottom of a beautiful bay, called +Freshwater Bay. From this point to the opposite side was a stretch of +several miles, and the broad and winding river, or rather estuary, +with its forest banks, presented a beautiful appearance. + +We now ascended from the shore to the high land above. The forest +through which we passed resembled a wild English park; below was the +broad expanse of Melville water, enlivened by the white sails of +several boats on their way from Perth to Fremantle. Farther on, the +mouth of the Canning River opened upon us; and now we could see, deep +below the high and dark hill-side on which we travelled, the narrow +entrance from Melville water into Perth water. At length we obtained +a full view of the picturesquely situated town of Perth. + +It stands on the right bank of a broad and crescent-shaped reach of +the river Swan, in an extremely well-chosen locality. The streets +are broad; and those houses which are placed nearest to the river, +possess, perhaps, the most luxuriant gardens in the world. Every +kind of fruit known in the finest climates is here produced in +perfection. Grapes and figs are in profuse abundance; melons and +peaches are no less plentiful, and bananas and plantains seem to +rejoice in the climate as their own. + +The town has a never-failing supply of fresh water from a chain of +swamps at the back, and the wells fed by them are never dry. Many of +the houses are well built -- brick having long since superseded the +original structure of wood -- and possess all the usual comforts of +English residences. + +In the principal street, most of the houses stand alone, each +proprietor having a garden, or paddock of three quarters of an acre +in extent, about his dwelling. The great misfortune of the town is, +that the upper portion of it is built upon sand, which is many feet +deep. The streets, not being yet paved, are all but impassable; but +happily, each possesses a good foot-path of clay, and it is to be +hoped that the cart-ways will ere long be similarly improved. Sydney +was originally in the state that Perth presents now; but there the +natural unfavourableness of the soil has been entirely overcome. +Increasing wealth and population will ere long do as much for us. + +It is not until we reach Guildford, eight miles farther inland than +Perth, that the stratum of sand ceases, and a cold and marly clay +succeeds, which reaches to the foot of the Darling range of hills, +and extends many miles down the coast. + +The banks of the Swan River, as well as of the Canning and most other +rivers of the colony, contain many miles of rich alluvial soil, +capable of growing wheat sufficient for the support of a large +population. Many of these flats have produced crops of wheat for +sixteen years successively, without the aid of any kind of manure. +It must, however, be owned, that a very slovenly system of farming +has been generally pursued throughout the colony; and, in fact, is +commonly observable in all colonies. The settlers are not only apt +to rely too much upon the natural productiveness of the soil, but +they are in general men whose attention has only lately been turned +to agriculture, and who are almost entirely ignorant of practical +farming in its most important details. The Agricultural Society of +Western Australia has for some years exerted itself to improve this +state of things, and has in some measure succeeded. + +It must be observed that with the exception of the rich flats of the +Swan and Canning rivers, the vast extent of country between the coast +and the Darling Hills is a miserable region, scarcely more valuable +for the purposes of cultivation than the deserts of Africa, except +where occasional swamps appear like oases, and tempt the hardy +settler to found a location. As all the worst land of the colony +lies unfortunately near the coast, those who visit only the port and +capital usually leave the country with a very unfavourable and a very +erroneous impression of its real character. + +It is not until the granite range of the Darling Hills is passed +over, that the principal pastoral and agricultural districts are +found. There are the farm settlements, the flocks, and herds of the +colony. From the Victoria plains north of Toodyay, for hundreds of +miles to the southward, comprising the fertile districts of Northam, +York, Beverley, the Dale and the Hotham, is found a surface of stiff +soil, covered over with straggling herbage, and many varieties of +trees and shrubs. But I am travelling too fast: I must pause for +the present at Perth. + +Circumstances determined me to take up my residence there, instead of +accompanying the rest of my party into the interior, as I had +originally intended. I liked the appearance and situation of the +town; and I liked the people generally. And here I may state, with +many kindly feelings, that never was a more united or cordial society +than that of the town of Perth, with its civil and military officers, +and its handful of merchants. No political or religious differences +have hitherto disturbed its harmony; nor have there yet been +introduced many of those distinctions which may be necessary and +unavoidable in large communities, but which, though generally to be +met with in all societies, are not only lamentable but highly +ridiculous in small out-of-the-way colonies. Such divisions, +however, must be apprehended even here in progress of time, and the +period will come when we shall look back with regret to those days +when we were all friends and associates together, and when each +sympathized with the fortunes of his neighbour. The kindly feeling +which thus held society together, was ever manifested at the death of +one of its members. Then not only the immediate connexions of the +deceased attended his funeral, but every member of his circle, and +many also of the lower classes. It has more than once happened that +a young man has fallen a victim to his rashness and nautical +inexperience, and met with an untimely fate whilst sailing on +Melville water. I myself twice narrowly escaped such a calamity, as +perhaps I may hereafter narrate. Every boat belonging to the place +is immediately engaged in search of the body, and many of the boatmen +freely sacrifice their time and day's wages in the pursuit. And when +at length the object of that melancholy search is discovered, and the +day of the funeral has arrived, the friends, companions, neighbours, +and fellow-townsmen of the deceased assemble at the door of his late +residence, to pay the last testimonies of sympathy and regret for him +who has, in that distant colony, no nearer relative to weep at his +grave. It is a long procession that follows the corpse to its home, +passing with solemn pace through the else deserted streets, and +emerging into the wild forest which seems almost to engulph the town; +and then pursuing the silent and solitary path for a mile until, on +the summit of a hill, surrounded by dark ever-green foliage, appears +the lonesome burial-ground. Ah! how little thought the tenant of +that insensible body, late so full of life and vigour, that here he +should so soon be laid, far from the tombs of his family, far from +the home of his parents, to which his thoughts had so constantly +recurred! I do not think any one ever witnessed the interment in +that solitary place of one whom perhaps he knew but slightly when +living, without feeling in himself a sensation of loneliness, as +though a cold gust from the open grave had blown over him. It is +then we think most of England and home -- and of those who though +living are dead to us. + +But these are only transient emotions; they are idle and unavailing, +so away with them! + +I shall now proceed to give an account of my first appearance before +a colonial public. Some of the crew of our vessel, exasperated by +the conduct of the captain, who refused to allow them any liberty on +shore after their long voyage, and encouraged and even led on by the +chief mate, had broken into the store-room, and consumed a quantity +of spirits and other stores. Now as we had been most shabbily +treated by the miserly and ruffian captain, and as the stores thus +stolen had been paid for by the passengers, and withheld from them +upon the voyage (stolen, in fact, by the captain himself), we were +delighted with the robbery, and extremely sorry to hear that the +chief mate had been committed to prison for trial as the principal +offender. In fact, the captain thought proper to wink at the conduct +of the others, as he could not afford to part with any more of his +crew. The General Quarter Sessions drew nigh, and the day before +they commenced I received a kind of petition from the prisoner, +entreating me to aid him at this pinch, as he had not a friend in +that part of the world, and would inevitably be ruined for what he +considered rather a meritorious action -- taking vengeance on the +stinginess of the captain. Though I did not see exactly of what +benefit I could be to him, I repaired to the court-house on the day +of trial. It was crowded with people, as such places always are when +prisoners are to be tried; and as I had met at dinner most of the +magistrates on the Bench, I did not much like the idea of making my +first public appearance before them as a friend of the gentleman in +the dock, who had improperly appropriated the goods of his employer. + +The amiable desire, however, of paying off old scores due to the +captain, annihilated every other feeling; and when the prisoner, on +being asked whether he was guilty or not guilty of the felony laid to +his charge, instead of answering, cast his imploring eyes upon me, as +though I knew more of the business than himself, I could not refrain +from advancing towards the table occupied by the counsel and +solicitors, and asking permission of the bench to give my valuable +assistance to the prisoner. This being graciously accorded, the +mate, with a most doleful countenance, and a very unassured voice, +made answer to the plain interrogative of the Clerk of Arraigns -- +"Not guilty, my Lord." + +Whilst the prosecutor was being examined by the Advocate General, I +conned over the indictment with a meditative countenance, but without +being able to see my way in the least. The captain, scowling +atrociously at me and my persecuted friend, gave his evidence with +the bitterest animosity. He proved his losses, and the facts of the +store-room door having been broken open, and the prisoner and most of +the sailors being found drunk by him on his repairing one evening to +the vessel. It now became my turn to ask questions, as + +Prisoner's Counsel. Your ship, Captain W., is commonly called a +Temperance ship, is it not? + +Captain (after a ferocious stare). I should think you knew that. + +P. Counsel. And being a temperance ship, you do not allow the men, +at any time, any other liquor than water? + +Captain. No. + +P. Counsel. In temperance ships, I suppose it sometimes happens that +the men contrive to buy liquor for themselves? + +Captain (looking like a bull about to charge a matadore). Boo! + +P. Counsel. Do you remember the day we were off Madeira? + +Captain stares and snorts. + +P. Counsel. Do you remember on that day several of the sailors being +remarkably light-headed -- reeling about the deck? + +Captain (roaring, and striking the table with his hand). Yes! + +P. Counsel. Was this the effect of a 'coup de soleil', do you think? + +Captain. No! + +P. Counsel. Very well. Do you remember, whilst we were on the Line, +the second-mate being in your cabin helping Mrs. W. to stow away some +things in the lazarette, and both being found afterwards extremely +unwell, and obliged to be taken to bed? + +Chairman (interfering). I think the witness need not answer that question. + +Advocate General. I should have made the same objection, Sir, but -- +(aside) I was laughing too much. + +P. Counsel. Very well, Sir. I will not press it if it be +disagreeable. Do you remember at St. Jago the whole of the crew +being every day notoriously drunk -- from eating water-melons? + +Captain (recovering from an apoplectic fit). Ah-h! + +P. Counsel. Do you remember, when off the Cape, the sail-maker and +several others being unable to do their duty, and being pronounced by +the doctor to be in a state of liquor? + +Captain. Yes. + +P. Counsel. Then, as it appears that on board of a temperance ship, +men do occasionally (and in your vessel very often) get drunk, might +not the prisoner at the time of his alleged offence have been +drinking other liquor than that which formed part of your stores? + +Chairman (the Captain being too full of rage to articulate). The +jury will be able to draw their own inference as to that. + +Captain. It was he, gentlemen; it was this -- gentleman (forsooth -- +ha! ha!) who gave the men money on landing in order to make them +drunk. + +P. Counsel. Thank you for that evidence. The intelligent gentlemen +in the box will perceive that it was at my expense that the +unfortunate prisoner got drunk, and not at the captain's. + +The prosecutor was now permitted to retire, which he did growling +like a bear, amid the jeers of the populace, who always sympathize +with misfortune when it appears impersonated in the dock. + +The jury were also evidently in high glee, and cast most friendly +looks at the prisoner, and the 'fidus Achates' who stood up for him +so stoutly. + +The next witness was the sail-maker, who reluctantly owned himself to +have aided the prisoner in drinking some brandy which had come from +the ship's stores. + +P. Counsel. But, Sails, you do not mean to say that the prisoner +told you he had himself taken it from the ship's stores? + +Witness. Oh no, Sir, certainly not. + +P. Counsel. In fact, of your own knowledge, you do not know where +the liquor came from? + +Witness. No, Sir; oh, no, Sir! + +Here the Advocate-General administered such a lecture to the witness, +who was considerably more than half-drunk at the time, that he +entirely lost his wits and memory, and answered so completely at +random, that the jury begged he might not be asked any more questions. + +Advocate General. It is of no importance. I shall call no more +witnesses, as I hold in my hand the prisoner's own confession, made +before the committing magistrate, who was yourself, Mr. Chairman. + +This was a knock-down blow to me, and made the jury look extremely +blank. They gazed on one another in despair. The document was duly +proved, and the case for the prosecution closed. The chairman asked +if I wished to address the jury, but I declined, and observed that +the prisoner must explain for himself what he meant by this +extraordinary confession. Every thing seemed dead against the +prisoner, who hung his head and looked remarkably simple. I read +over the paper, which stated that he, the prisoner, with several +others, on a certain day took a quantity of the captain's brandy, and +got drunk thereupon. + +A ray of hope beamed upon me. I started up, and the jury +instinctively began to brighten; they had given up the prisoner as +lost, and now they were ready to catch at a straw. I addressed the +unfortunate "You state here, that you took the captain's brandy with +certain of the sailors. Do you mean by that, you 'partook' of the +brandy which other sailors were drinking?" + +Prisoner (balbutiant). I -- I -- ye -- ye -- + +P. Counsel. What do you really mean, Sir, by this written document? +Do you mean to say that you yourself took this brandy, or that you +partook of it with others? + +Prisoner. Yes, Sir, -- that I partook of it. + +P. Counsel. Then, gentlemen of the jury, this document does not +convict the unfortunate man at the bar; and what appears like an +admission of guilt is only to be attributed to his imperfect mode of +expressing himself. He admits that he partook of certain brandy +stated to be the captain's, which the captain, himself, however, +would lead you to suppose had been provided by me. The witness who +has been examined throws no further light upon the matter; and though +the prisoner himself has admitted that he partook of liquor which he +believed belonged to the captain, that admission does not convict him +under the present indictment, which charges him with having +"feloniously taken and carried away," etc. + +The jury were evidently delighted with this construction; and the +people in the gallery and body of the court could scarcely be +restrained from giving three cheers. + +The chairman recapitulated the evidence, and left the matter in the +hands of the jury, who jostled one another out of the box, and +retired to "consider their verdict." As they passed through the +ante-room to the apartment in which they usually held their solemn +deliberations, they caught up a bucket of water which the bailiff of +the court generally kept at hand for thirsty counsel or magistrates; +and as soon as they had decently secluded themselves, and indulged in +a genial fit of merriment, the foreman produced a bottle of brandy +from his pocket, and seizing the pannikin which floated in the +bucket, poured forth a good libation, and drank "towards all +present." Each juryman in turn then drank the health of the foreman. +After that, they all drank the prisoner's health; and as one of the +number afterwards assured me, they would have conscientiously toasted +the prisoner's counsel, but the liquor unfortunately failed. + +The foreman then said, "Come, my lads, there's no more left, so we +may as well go back again." So they jostled one another out of the +room, and with composed countenances returned to the court, where +they were ostentatiously conducted to their box by the sheriff's +officer amid loud cries of "Silence in the court! silence there!" + +Their names having been called over, the Clerk of Arraigns asked the +usual question, "Have you considered your verdict, gentlemen?" + +"Not guilty!" interrupted the foreman, as if he feared lest the +prisoner should be convicted in spite of the jury. + +"How say you," continued the clerk, "is the prisoner at the bar +guilty or not guilty?" + +"Not guilty!" cried the whole jury to a man; and amid thunders of +acclamations the prisoner was released from the dock, and turned out +of court, where he was seized upon by a multitude of sympathizers, +and carried in triumph to the next public-house. There he spent the +ensuing four-and-twenty hours, the hero of the day. + +In this slight sketch I am conscious that I have only been able to +convey to the reader a very faint idea of +A COLONIAL JURY. + + + +CHAPTER 7. + +BOATING UP THE RIVER. + +Whilst I was making acquaintances at Perth, my brothers, mounted on +our Timor steeds, were making a tour of inspection beyond the Darling +Hills. They fixed at length upon a farm at York, with about three +thousand acres belonging to it, and having a good farm-house, with +excellent barn and out-buildings attached. This evinced a more +comfortable and luxurious state of things than they had anticipated, +and they returned in high spirits to head-quarters. + +It now became necessary to consider how the various goods and +utensils were to be conveyed to the new settlement, which was seventy +miles distant from Fremantle. We sold most of our flour and pork at +a fair profit, and left by far the greater part of the other articles +which we had brought out with us to be sold by a commission agent, as +opportunity offered. + + From various causes, but chiefly from our own ignorance in selecting +our goods in London, we lost a considerable sum upon the things we +had brought out. Emigrants, unless they are men of great experience, +should bring all their capital to a colony in bills or specie, and +not attempt to increase their property by speculating in goods. On +their arrival, they will most probably find the markets already +glutted, and they will be compelled either to sell at a sacrifice, or +leave their effects in the hands of an agent, who will charge +enormously for warehouse-rent and other expenses, and will take +especial care that the unfortunate emigrant is not the party who +profits most by the sale of his goods. + +We had brought out with us an old artillery waggon; and all hands now +set to work to put it together, which was accomplished after a good +deal of difficulty. We also purchased three pair of bullocks, which +were at that date very dear. One pair -- magnificent animals +certainly -- cost fifty guineas, and the other animals twenty pounds +a-piece. Now, however, the best working bullocks may be obtained for +about fifteen pounds a pair. As the road so far as Guildford was +excessively heavy, we resolved to convey most of our goods by water +to a spot a few miles beyond that town, where a friendly settler had +placed at our disposal a wooden building, consisting of a single +room, situated on the banks of the river, and used occasionally by +himself as a store-house for his own goods on their transit to his +dwelling. The same friend lent us his own whale-boat; and by +determining to convey our effects ourselves we avoided a very heavy +expense. The cost of conveying necessaries from the coast to the +farm settlements in the interior, has been one of the chief drawbacks +to the colony. The boatmen made fortunes, whilst the farmers were +nearly ruined by their charges, and those of the storekeepers in the +towns. + +For fifteen years, at least, the latter have grumbled with violent +indignation unless their goods have realised from two to five hundred +per cent profit. Resolved, therefore, to be our own boatmen, we +moored our vessel at a little wooden jetty below our house, and began +to pack up such articles as were designed to compose the first cargo. + +I remember well the pleasure with which we stood upon that wooden +jetty one summer's evening, looking upon the boat in which we were to +perform our first voyage up the river, as she lightly floated before +us, scarcely giving a strain upon the rope which held her to one of +the posts at the end of the pier. Fig and Jezebel, always intimate +friends, were hunting for bandicoots -- animals less than a +kangaroo-rat -- which abounded in the bank below our dwelling. + +Upon this bank, Hannibal was to be seen cleaning the tandem harness, +suspended from the bough of a tree, and occasionally casting an eye +in the direction of the sheep, for whose safety he was responsible. +By the river side, our bullocks were busily engaged picking the +scanty herbage. The sea-breeze blowing steadily up the river cooled +the air, and seemed to bear health and spirits on its wings. + +The only sound that met the ear was a rushing noise, which every now +and then rose from the water along the shore. It was caused by +myriads of little fish rushing into shoal water to escape from +some pressing foe. + +There are some minds that draw pleasure from things which in no +degree affect others; to such, this was one of those seasons of +tranquil happiness that leave no regrets behind. The consciousness +of independence -- the pleasant nature of our duties -- the cheerful +aspect of all around -- the flattering whispers of Hope, though false +as usual -- all helped to form for the mental eye a picture which it +loved to look upon. + +And now we were busied in loading our boat. What pride we felt! no +shame at being seen performing manual labour; but pride, and +pleasure, and exultation. We had always been fond of boating, and +now that it was about to be an useful employment, it seemed +additionally agreeable. And what a noble scene for this our first +adventurous voyage, upon that broad river or rather arm of the sea! +We had found out the secret of human happiness, long hidden from us +-- business had become our pleasure. I was to be the captain, and my +youngest brother and Simon composed the crew. + +The boat was not loaded until late in the afternoon, and our +departure was therefore postponed until the sea-breeze should set in +on the following day. Still, we could not resist the delight of +making an experimental trip, and so the sprit-sail and jib were set, +and we shoved off into the tide-way. A whale-boat goes very fast +before the wind, but will not beat, nor will she go about well +without using an oar; she is not, therefore the craft best adapted +for nautical evolutions, but we were too happy to find much fault +with her on that occasion; and so we sailed several times across the +river and back again in the very height of enjoyment. Then suddenly +luffing up in the middle of the stream, the anchor was let go, and +the sail brailed up, in order that we might have the pleasure of +sitting still in the very midst of the waters, and rest, as it were, +in the plenitude of our satisfaction; and when the anchor dragged a +few yards over the sand before it held, and then suddenly brought up +the boat with a jerk, it seemed the climax of our pleasure. This, +the sagacious reader, in the depth of his gravity, will consider +extremely boyish. But should we not rejoice and be thankful whenever +we find among the many simple pleasures of our boyhood, a single one +which retains the power of gladdening our maturer years? Alas! one +after another they die down, and are no more to be revived. We are +apt to fancy that when the pleasures of youth have lost their +sweetness, and are no longer desired, it is an evidence of our +increasing wisdom. But it proves only that our tastes, grown more +vitiated, have taken new directions. We have only changed our +follies -- and for the worse.* + + +[footnote] *"'Tis sweet to think we grow more wise +When Radcliffe's page we cease to prize, +And turn to Malthus, and to Hervey, +For tombs, or cradles topsy-turvy; +'Tis sweet to flatter one's dear self, +And altered feelings vaunt, when pelf +Is passion, poetry, romance; -- +And all our faith's in three per cents." + R. R. Madden + + +The breeze! the breeze! the glorious sea-breeze comes stealing +swiftly over the bar; it crosses the first bay. Like a dark shadow +it moves along the face of the river, and now it has reached our +landing-place and gone swiftly forwards, bringing pleasure and +thankfulness on its path. Now, my men, jump in! hand me the grog and +provision basket -- and now loose the sails, and shove off. There, +we are fairly under weigh, and little Fig whimpers his adieu to +Jezebel and Nero, who for some minutes accompany the course of the +boat along the shore; and then finding we are really going, remain +fixed with astonishment, gazing upon their departing friend. Soon, +how soon, vanishes from their breasts every feeling of regret! +Before we have turned the first headland we perceive them playfully +biting each other about the ears and neck: and now Nero scampers off +under the trees in the direction of the house, and Jezebel (type of +her sex!) hurries after him. + +The breeze came rattling up the river, and the boat flew merrily +before it. We had occasionally sailed to Perth in the passage-boats, +and therefore knew something of the channel. Sand-spits frequently +run far out into the river, and those who think only of steering a +straight course, are very sure of running aground several times +during the voyage. + +The distance from Fremantle to Perth, by water, is about twelve +miles, and it is about as many more from Perth to Guildford. After +passing the ferry-reach, the river appeared about a quarter of a mile +broad, having abrupt rocky banks on either side; far a-head was the +wooded bottom of Freshwater Bay. Instead of coasting round this bay, +we passed through a channel cut across the spit into Melville water. +Here is a beautiful site for a house: a sloping lawn, covered with +fine peppermint trees, which in form resemble the weeping willow, and +a great variety of flowering shrubs, down to the water's edge. The +view from the house (lately the seat of Alfred Waylen, Esq.) is +exceedingly pleasing; on one hand is the fine sheet of Melville +water, seven miles in extent, and three or four in breadth, +surrounded by thick woods; in front is the graceful curve of +Freshwater Bay; and on the opposite side of the house from Melville +water, the river sweeps abruptly round through the deep and broad +channel I have already mentioned towards the ferry-reach. + +We passed up Melville water, and in about an hour and a quarter after +starting came abreast of the town of Perth, which we left about +three-quarters of a mile on our larboard side, and continued our +passage up Perth water. We had now a difficult channel to pass +through, where the river is extremely shoal; and in our inexperience +we soon got the boat aground. Jumping into the water, we succeeded +in shoving her again into the channel, and passed by a small island +called Harrison's Island. It was here that a French exploring party +took refuge after they had come so far up the river in spite of many +alarms. These men were some of the crew of Captain Perron, who was +engaged in a survey of this part of the coast of Australia, for the +French Government. During the night they were thrown into a state of +agitation and alarm by hearing incessant noises in the thick woods on +the main land, that were thought by some to be the bellowing of wild +bulls; by many the howling of wolves; and by others the cries of +savages. After a night spent in momentary expectation of attack and +massacre, the Frenchmen got into their boats and hastened down the +river again with the utmost expedition, and scarcely thought +themselves quite safe until they were once more on board their ship. + +This account of the French navigators was uppermost in the minds of +the English settlers on their first arrival, and contributed greatly +to the dread they felt at wandering a few yards from the settlement. +In those days, an orderly scarcely durst take a message from the +Governor to the Surveyor General's tent, within sight, unless +accompanied by a couple of his fellows, with their muskets ready for +action. + +The borders of the river were in many parts, especially on the +present town site of Perth, so entangled with thick brushwood, that +enemies might be lying in swarms, close at hand, without the least +fear of detection. When Sir James Stirling and his party first +passed up the river in boats, they had the accounts of the French +sailors fully in mind, and were very cautious how they landed. They +passed the night in a state of preparation, if not of alarm, and were +kept in constant vigilance by the same fearful noises. + +The woods were now supposed to be filled with wild beasts, and it was +not until some time had elapsed that people became convinced that the +dreadful sounds which assailed their ears at night proceeded from +myriads of frogs. These little creatures swarm in the samphire +marshes near the river, and possess voices far surpassing anything +known in their species in Europe. + +I was once looking out for ducks or coots in a thicket of bulrushes +higher than my head, when I was startled by hearing a loud "bomb!" at +no great distance from me. Having no idea what kind of wild beast +had made its lair in that dense thicket, I got ready to fire both +barrels on the first appearance of danger. Again the same awful +noise! It must be the snorting of a bison, or vast buffalo, seeking +shelter from the sun -- or it may proceed from some kind of +water-dragon, I thought. I looked in every direction, but could see +no living creature; and at last was about to retreat in the quietest +manner possible, when I espied a little frog perched on the top of a +reed, about a yard from my nose, and apparently looking full in my +face, whilst, ever and anon he inflated his cheeks, and uttered the +fearful sounds I had heard. + +But besides the dread of wild beasts, the colonists were long in the +greatest apprehension of losing themselves in the vast wilderness of +forest by which they were on every side enclosed. The country being +extremely level, up to the Darling range of hills, which is seen +trending north and south about twelve or fourteen miles at the back +of Perth, a man once in the woods has no object but the sun by which +to direct his course. Every now and then he comes upon an impassable +swamp, which throws him out of his track, and causes him infinite +difficulty before he can get round it, and then he begins to doubt of +his true direction. This is certainly, an awkward predicament; and +nothing is so easy as for inexperienced bushmen to lose their way. +When once a man begins to doubt whether he is right, he loses all +confidence in himself; he wanders first in one direction and then in +another, in the hope of finding something to guide him; and fears +lest every step should take him farther into the labyrinth of the +forest-wilderness. I have myself been several times lost for a short +period, and know how very unpleasant is the sensation. A common +soldier, sent on a message from Perth to Fremantle, happened to get +off the track. Becoming alarmed, he tried to recover it, but as it +had made a bend, he walked as far as he thought its position ought to +be, without success, and then fancied he must have mistaken the +direction. He therefore diverged at right angles, and after walking +a short time, recollected that he must now be going in the wrong +direction, as he had left the path originally on his left hand. +Accordingly he turned back again, and walked so far without +perceiving any signs of the track that he now fancied he must be +going parallel with it. Had he gone on a few yards father, all would +have been right, but now he really took a parallel course, and after +walking for some time longer, he again turned back, and walked in +another direction. Now this man had the sea on one side of him, and +the river on the other, at most not more than four miles apart; yet +the dread of having walked back into the wilderness behind Perth +overpowered his faculties, and he walked for hours in a circle of +about half a mile in diameter. He might have considered that the +Darling Hills were behind Perth, and must have brought him up, but +reason does not always act freely at these times. At length, +completely exhausted, he sat down at the foot of a tree, where he +remained all night, expecting death from starvation, from the +natives, or some unknown wild beasts. + +The next day he walked again as long as his strength would allow, but +before night sank down in the extremity of despair. It was not until +the third day of his misfortunes that he was tracked up by a party +sent in search of him, and guided by friendly natives, who followed +his many devious steps with unerring eyes. + +Another man, similarly lost in the interior, after vainly trying to +recover the road, determined to make for the coast, which he knew lay +to the west. He was also confident that the sun regularly set in +that quarter, and therefore, he boldly determined to trust himself to +the guidance of the sun, making sure, that if he followed it far +enough, it must lead him to the coast at last. Accordingly, he +marched after the sun till night-fall and then went cheerfully to +sleep, having supped upon some bread and pork, which he carried with +him. The next morning, at sunrise, he started off in the direction +of his guide, perfectly unconscious that he was now retracing his +steps, and journeying eastward. All day, however, he continued to +follow the sun, and when it set, wondered that he had not yet reached +the sea. At night, he finished his bread and pork, and the next +morning set off again on his long and tedious journey; still, at +night, there was no appearance of the ocean, and he fired off his gun +at a black cockatoo, which he killed with his only charge of shot. + +Upon this bird he lived for the next two days, and for two more he +subsisted upon roots. He had now given up all hopes of discovering +the sea, and had lain down to die, when he was found by his master +and a party of natives, who had come in search of him. + +It appeared that he was found upon almost the very spot on which he +had first lost himself. + +When once a man begins to believe that he is lost in the wilderness, +he feels as helpless as one who is blind-folded at the game of +blindman's buff, and who has been twirled round so often, that he has +no idea whereabouts the door or the fire-place is situated. Those +who are used to the bush steer their course with almost unerring +precision by the sun, and a few known objects, but there are numbers +who never acquire this power. The natives appear to know by instinct +the direction of every spot they wish to reach; and many white men +seem to possess the same faculty. + +But I have almost forgotten that we are all this time sailing up the +rive in our whale-boat. It was a very beautiful sail, and we +repeatedly passed cheerful-looking farm-houses on either bank -- +sometimes goodly mansions with park-like enclosures about them. In +the afternoon we dined upon cold wild-duck; and as each man sipped +his grog in his pannikin, we felt so exceedingly cheerful, that Simon +and Meliboeus favoured the public with "Away with melancholy!" and +divers other agreeable ditties. The wind however died away, and +evening set in as we passed Guildford. The banks of the river had +now risen into steep cliffs, which threw a deep gloom over our +course. We had furled the sails, and taken to the oars, and as we +blindly poked our way, we began to think this kind of work was not +quite so agreeable as it had at first appeared. Nothing was now to +be seen but the outlines of the steep sides of the river on which +occasional houses were visible, the light streaming through the +windows, and making us fancy how comfortable every thing must be +within, and how pleasant it would be to be sitting at supper in a +cheerful room, instead of toiling at our oars with blistered hands, +and without the prospect of a good bed at the end of the voyage. + +Romance was gone; the sad reality of life remained. Still we pulled +along, steering by turns, and doubting and wondering every hundred +yards whether we had not gone past the place we sought. Sometimes we +paused on our oars to debate the question, but still we continued to +push on; till at length we found ourselves close abreast of the +wooden building we were so anxiously looking out for, and experienced +a sensation of surprise as well as of delight. + +The boat was soon safely moored, and the door of the building +unlocked; and by the light of a wax taper, which we had brought on +purpose, we found ourselves in a large empty room, without any +fire-place. A heap of dead wood was soon collected at the entrance; +and a glorious fire lighted up the small enclosure which surrounded +the building, and sufficiently illuminated a considerable portion of +the room itself. The kettle being put on, we soon had tea ready, and +managed to get through our rations of bread and pork, not forgetting +to give little Fig his supper, who sat very seriously before the +fire, wondering what it all meant. + +Cigars, and brandy and water, having been duly administered before +bed-time, we next proceeded to litter down coats and cloaks; and +having made ourselves as comfortable as circumstances would admit of, +stretched ourselves on the floor, with a few sighs and thoughts of +home, and slept until day-break. + +The first thing we did next morning was to unload the boat; and then +having breakfasted, and secured the door on our effects, we started +on our homeward trip, and had the satisfaction of pulling the whole +distance to Perth, where we were obliged to sleep the next night, as +it was impossible for us to get down Melville water in the teeth of a +strong sea-breeze. + +When we had to start again with another load of goods, our hearts +were much heavier than on the first excursion. + + + +CHAPTER 8. + +FARMS ON THE RIVER. + +First impressions endure the longest, and are recalled with most +pleasure. Further acquaintance does not always give us a truer idea +of the value of the object, as familiarity frequently makes us +overlook as insignificant that which is constantly before us. It is +not the object that is proved to be really less valuable as we become +better acquainted with it, but our own views which change with our +position. My first impressions on visiting the various farms, or +rather gentlemen's residences, on the banks of the Swan, were +extremely agreeable. I thought nothing could be more delightful than +to live at one of those picturesque and lovely spots. If the romance +of that first feeling be now faded from my heart, it is not because I +have discovered that all which I then saw was an illusion, but +because a more sober state of mind -- that state into which the mind +settles as the excitement of sudden change and unwonted novelty +subsides -- teaches that happiness is not local, and that it is no +more likely to be found in the finest country residence than in the +main street of a town. + +At the first view we are apt to imagine that people who live in one +of these pleasant retreats must needs be happier than ourselves, who +possess nothing but a miserable shilling. + +This is the delusion; and when with increasing knowledge, we recover +from this, we cease to envy and to covet. + +My first ride up the Swan was a most delightful one. No park in +England could be more beautiful than the grounds around some of the +dwellings. + +The ride through the scattered village of Guildford, with a view of +the rich and extensive flats of Woodbridge, the property of Sir James +Stirling, and the frequent bends of the river, is a very agreeable +one. The whole country of the middle and upper Swan resembles a vast +English park. We passed the pretty country church of the Middle +Swan, with its modest parsonage beside it, and then proceeded through +wooded ravines along a pleasant drive to one of the most hospitable +mansions in the colony. Extensive stables, barns and out-buildings +occupied the back of the premises. As it was now too late in the +evening to see much of the surrounding scenery, we entered the house +of Samuel Moore, Esq., and sat down to an excellent dinner. In the +evening we had music -- pianos are as common in Western Australia as +in England. At night I occupied a sofa in the parlour. The +excitement and novelty of my present situation -- so many thousands +of leagues removed from the spot on which, only a few months before, +I had deemed I was to spend my life -- kept me wakeful; and about one +o'clock I arose, and opening the French window, stepped out into the +verandah. How solemn was the scene before me, faintly lighted by the +moon! In front of the house was a pretty sloping garden, and below +this stretched a broad clearing, now waving with corn, amidst which +rose up a number of scattered, lofty, dead trees, which had been +purposely killed by ringing the bark. How mournful they looked in +that gloomy light! + +The river bounded this clearing, and beyond the river stretched its +high bank, covered with forest trees, the advanced lines, as it were, +of the vast wilderness which lay behind. From out the depths of +those woods rose the occasional shrieks of an owl, or other night +bird, and at intervals the long dismal howl of a wild dog -- the only +carnivorous animal indigenous in that country. The air was balmy, +but there was something in the mournful aspect of the scene that +weighed upon the spirits, and made one feel inexpressibly lonely in +the midst of that boundless wilderness of forest. + +Time soon takes off the edge of novelty, and long ago I have learned +to feel perfectly at ease and cheerful, whilst lying in the midst of +much deeper solitude, with no companions but my horse grazing near +me, and the fire at my feet. There is no country in the world so +safe for the traveller as Western Australia. + +The next day we went over the farm of our host. His best land was on +the flats at the river side, but his upland, by judicious +cultivation, is made productive and valuable. A carriage-drive +extends through the grounds and affords beautiful prospects of the +river, and of the estates through which it runs; and on the other +side, of the Darling Hills. The hedge-rows on this property are +planted with olive, almond, and peach trees -- an admirable policy, +which ought to be adopted throughout Australia. In a few years -- +for the olive bears fruit much sooner here than in the south of +Europe -- a valuable traffic in olive-oil may be expected from this +colony. + +The ingenious gentleman who owns this property (which is, in point of +soil, one of the worst farms on the Swan) continues annually to add +to its value by his persevering system of improvement. He has had a +steam-engine constructed on his own premises, and under his personal +superintendence; and he grinds his own flour as well as that of his +neighbours. + +The neighbouring estate of W. L. Brockman, Esq., is a more valuable +property, and equally attractive in possessing a well-cultivated +farm, a beautiful situation, a comfortable residence, and an amiable +family. + +With similar energy and savoir faire, all the beautiful farms on this +river might be made most enviable residences. + +Whilst on the subject of farming, I may mention a reaping-machine +which has been introduced into this colony from South Australia, +where it was invented. It is only adapted to a very dry climate, but +there it is most valuable. A pair of horses push a machine before +them, which consists of a threshing-machine and a set of revolving +combs, some six feet wide. These combs, in their revolutions, catch +up the wheat, and tear off the ears from the stalks, throwing them +back into the threshing-machine. A field of wheat is thus reaped and +threshed as fast as the horses can walk over it. The straw is +afterwards mown. + +The roads are hard and good in this neighbourhood, and some of the +settlers keep their open carriages. + +I doubt whether I have conveyed to the reader a just idea of some of +the pleasantest spots which are to be met with in this colony; but I +would not have him (full of romantic thoughts and agricultural +purposes) rush hastily into the mart and sell his substance in order +to lead a life of tranquil retirement in this distant Eden. It +requires a good deal of philosophy to make a contented settler. Most +colonists leave England full of virtuous resolutions -- with bosoms +glowing with the ardent love of nature; and fully persuaded that they +need nothing to make them happy but a small farm, beautifully +situated, with its cottage ornee, and its spreading vines, and a +noble fig-tree, beneath which they are to sit in the cool of the +evening, with their little ones around them. All this they may +really possess; and for some time they are in raptures at the novel +feeling of being men of landed interest. This is always the first +ambition of a colonist -- to have some property which he may lawfully +call his own. And, indeed, the human heart never expands with more +satisfactory pride than in the breast of him whose territorial +possessions have hitherto been confined to a few flower-pots in his +parlour-window, but who now stands firmly beneath a lofty gum-tree, +and looking round him, murmurs "This is mine!" It is, indeed, a very +pleasant sensation, but, unfortunately, it is very short-lived. + +Men do not come out to a colony to spend an income, but to make a +living. When once their capital is laid out in the acquisition of a +farm, and in the necessary purchase of stock, they have to raise +money out of it to pay their labourers' wages, and find their +households with tea, sugar, clothing, and "sundries." Many things +may be grown upon your farm, but not everything. At first, the +settler is satisfied with finding that he can sell sufficient produce +to enable him to pay his way, provided he practise the utmost +economy, and exhibit a reasonable degree of good management. + +But soon there are extra expenses to be liquidated; a long illness in +his family brings him in debt to the doctor; or his neighbour has +injured him, and he has, thereupon, further injured himself by going +to law and avenging the wrong. He now becomes discontented, and +thinks he is as badly off as he was before he left England; or, +perhaps he may have sustained no losses, and is just able to live on +his property without getting into debt; he forgets, however, the +principles on which he came out to settle; he begins to complain that +he is not making money. It is true he leads an easier life than he +did in England; he is not striving and struggling for existence as he +was there, but he is making no money. His wife asks him daily, in +the pleasantest connubial key, why he brought them all from England, +to bury them there, and see nobody from morn till night? What, she +urges, is to become of their children? Will Jonadab, their +first-born, be a gentleman like his maternal ancestors? -- But how, +indeed should he, with the pursuits of a cow-boy and the hands of a +scavenger? It is very well for one who cares nothing for genteel +society, and whose bearish manners, in fact, unfit him for it, to +lead such a life; but is she to endure this for ever, and see her +daughters married to men who wear long beards and Blucher boots? + +These incessant attacks at length overthrow the ennobling philosophy +of the colonist. He knows not where to procure more than he already +possesses, or he would gladly return to the country of his +fore-fathers; but alas! he sees no prospect of gaining even a bare +livelihood there. Without knowing, then, how or where to improve his +condition, he deplores the penury of his lot, and sighs for wealth +which he has no prospect of ever obtaining. + +My own opinion has ever been that colonists, with few exceptions, +must always be poor men. They may possess large estates and numerous +herds; but the more numerous these herds, the less is their +marketable value: for population and demand can never increase in +equal ratio with the supply. A man, therefore, who possesses the +elements of wealth, may still be poor in the article of money. + +Nor will his estates produce him more income than his herds; for in +most cases the only rent which his tenants can afford to pay is in +kind. 'The only real wealth to a colony is the incessant influx of +immigration, combining capital and labour.' + +There are some of us, happily, who still retain the ancient +philosophy. We have not thought of pecuniary wealth, and are content +to live easily, with those moderate blessings which attach to a +beneficent climate and a simple mode of life. + +So very little is required which money can buy, that men seem to be +annoyed at the fact, and insist upon creating new wants. + +A great deal of discontent and repining generally prevails in a +colony. People who have lived miserably in England, who have long +doubtfully hovered between suicide and highway robbery, determine at +length to adopt the still more melancholy alternative of emigration. +After bequeathing a few tender sighs to the country which they have +hitherto regarded rather as a step-mother than a parent; and having +pathetically solicited the sympathy of those who more readily bestow +upon them a few pounds than a few tears, in the pious hope of never +seeing them more, our emigrants betake themselves to the favoured +land of their adoption, in the full and confident belief that they +have nothing now to do, but live "like gentlemen," though without the +means, or any other qualifications of that class. Their Faith is of +that affecting and unlimited description, as to lead them to suppose +that He who beneficently feeds the ravens will not neglect the rooks +or the drones. + +In a very short time, however, they find that they are no better off +in the new than they were in the old country. The gum-trees do not +produce bread, nor the banksias shoulders of mutton; and, +consequently, their hopes have been miserably disappointed, and they +loudly proclaim their wants and sorrows in the streets. There are +unfortunately in all colonies -- those 'refugia peccatorum' -- many +emigrants of this class, idle and worthless, who have never done +well, and never will succeed in any part of the world. + +A colonial life is not for these men, and we recommend them to pass +on to some other region as quickly as possible. + + + +CHAPTER 9. + +THE MORAL THERMOMETER OF COLONIES. + +In the chief town of every colony, there is always agreeable society +to be found among the resident Government officers, and the other +principal inhabitants. Many estimable individuals are to be met with +in all communities; in that in which I have myself resided for some +years, there are many for whom I entertain the highest regard. I +hope, therefore, it will not be considered that, in the remarks which +I am about to make, I am actuated by any ill or invidious feeling, or +at all allude to individuals. Since I have undertaken the task of +drawing sketches of colonial life, I must not endeavour to conceal +any portion of the truth, nor tacitly allow erroneous conclusions to +be drawn from my remarks. + +I have already observed that a good and kindly feeling towards one +another prevails in this colony among the settlers generally. But I +must qualify this remark by adding -- in all cases in which +individual interests are not concerned. There is less perhaps of the +'spirit of dealing' in this colony than in any other of the British +empire. Ours is not a mercantile community, and the farm-settlers +generally are young men of good birth and gentlemanly spirit. Still, +even here, beyond all question, exists the same odious tendency +(though less apparent) which prevails more or less in all colonies, +to advance self-interest on every possible occasion, without being +deterred by any scruples whatsoever. + +When men become emigrants, they leave behind them their relations, +friends, connexions, and all their old associations, and appear upon +a new theatre of action, where they have no feelings to consult +beyond their own personal wishes and interests. + +They find themselves suddenly emancipated from all those restraints +which formerly acted with a salutary influence upon their natural +inclinations; and having no one near them whose opinion they regard, +or whom they care to conciliate, they fall rapidly into the belief +that they have no one to live for but themselves, and, consequently, +make self the sole guide of all their actions, and sole god of their +idolatry. + +This spirit of 'Yankeeism' is the prevailing spirit of colonies. It +is the natural consequence of the isolated state in which men feel +themselves to exist, when they have no longer those less selfish +motives of action that influenced and regulated their conduct under +other circumstances. The eye of a parent no longer watches over them +with approbation or anxiety; and what has a still more powerful +influence upon their conduct, they are now beyond the observation of +that circle of friends, relations, and acquaintance, to which they +had been known from childhood; which had constituted their world, and +the censure or approbation of which determined their state of +self-reproach or self-satisfaction. Few men may be trusted far who +can say, "I am not known here," for these are always the people who +care least what they do. Good and well-meaning persons will exclaim, +"Colonists can have very little sense of religion, if they allow +themselves to act at a distance differently from what they would do +at home." Those who have more than a theoretical acquaintance with +mankind, and who are used to look upon them in their undisguised +selfishness, know well that their sense of religion is greatly +dependent upon the circumstances in which men find themselves placed. +We are not speaking of what such and such people would do and feel, +but of what is really done and felt by thousands. + +Besides, I have already premised that it is not every colonist who +acts on these principles, but that such is the general tendency to +act in a colony. + +We can now understand the origin of that intense selfishness in the +American character, which has never yet been cast aside, and which, +in fact, is perpetuated by a republican form of government. + +The high and nice sense of honour, the chivalrous generosity, the +frank acknowledgment of superiority, and the ready devotion of self +to the interests of others at the call of duty, constituted the +brightest ornaments of the feudal system, and still glitter (though +with feebler lustre) among the fragments of that system throughout +civilized Europe. + +The Spirit of Trade, which has shattered feudalism, has impaired the +brightness of that principle which was the soul of feudalism. Nor +has religion yet succeeded in supplying the loss. Religion, which is +the bond between Man and his God, has less influence in regulating +his dealings with his fellows than Honour, which is the bond between +man and man.* + + +[footnote] *In making this observation, I refer to the general +conduct of the World; and am far from intending to say, that honour +ought to have more influence with mankind than religion. The truly +religious, a small but sacred band, "do justly, love mercy, and walk +humbly with God." + + +And when the principle of honour loses its purity, you may be sure +that the principle of religion is already decayed or dead. Now the +principle of honour being (so to speak) of human origin, depends +greatly for existence upon the opinions of men; and when we are +emancipated from all great regard for those opinions, it almost +inevitably follows that our sense of honour becomes much impaired; +and having no longer any fear of censure, we no longer have any +feeling of shame. + +In a colony, then, is most apparent the accursed Spirit of Trade -- +that insidious spirit which undermines the truth of the heart, which +destroys its most generous impulses, and sneers at every +manifestation of disinterestedness. The first object of a colonist +is that of a petty shopkeeper, -- to grasp at every thing which is +likely to benefit himself, without regard to justice, religion, or +honour. His own interest is the only guide of his actions, and +becomes the very soul of his existence. He came out to make a +fortune, if possible, and he thinks himself justified in using every +means to this end. Do not suppose that he is a downright villain who +would commit highway robbery. He would be greatly shocked at such an +imputation, for his conscience is still too timid for so flagrant a +crime. He merely follows the golden maxim of 'caveat emptor', and, +like the petty shopkeeper, thinks he is justified in cheating those +who are too stupid to look after their own interests, and too +ignorant or too feeble to enforce their just dues. + +When that nice sense of honour which rules the conduct of the +high-minded gentleman, and makes him scorn to take advantage of the +ignorance or the necessities of another, ceases to influence, the +accursed spirit becomes dominant, and men look with suspicion on all +around them. + +It has become the pride and the boast of colonists, as of +horse-dealers, that they are sharp fellows; that they have cut their +eye-teeth, and are remarkably wide-awake. These honourable +distinctions are acknowledged by the simple-minded with alarm. They +feel like men involved among a mob, and instinctively button up their +pockets. + +The moral thermometer in a colony is lamentably low. + +We do not, however, look upon this state of things as irremediable, +and without hope; on the contrary, we doubt not but the Better Spirit +will in time resume its pre-eminence, and colonists will be respected +for their elevated sentiments and high sense of honour, rather than +for their acuteness in driving a bargain. This evil, which is the +natural consequence of their present condition as isolated atoms, +unconnected together by those bonds of mutual respect which confine +men in older countries, will cease as society becomes re-organized, +and men feel themselves occupying in a colony the same position, as +regards obligations and duties, that they would have filled in the +parent state. As they settle themselves more firmly in their places, +they will come to feel that respect which ever attaches to the +character of HOME; and conscious that example is necessary from men +who occupy prominent positions, a higher tone will insensibly be +assumed, and the Better Spirit again be diffused throughout all the +ramifications of society. But to this end, it is most essential that +every aid should be given that Government has the power to bestow. +Religious instruction, and that good example which, we may assume, is +ever afforded to society by the English clergy, are the principal +instruments to be sought. In Western Australia there are at this +time only six clergymen, who are scattered over a country many +hundred miles in extent. Many districts are, unavoidably, entirely +without the exhortations and offices of a minister. At King George's +Sound, an important post, no clergyman is seen from one year to +another. Human beings are born, married, and buried, without a +minister to baptize, to teach, to bless, or to give consolation in +their extremity. There is no bishop to consecrate, to watch over, or +to reprove.* + + +[footnote] *By the munificence of Miss Burdett Coutts, a bishopric +has been recently founded in South Australia; and the Western Colony +is for the present to be included in the same diocese. But when it +is remembered that there is no over-land communication between the +colonies, and the route by sea occupies about ten days, it must be +evident that this provision is very inadequate to our wants. + +This is a state of things that must be remedied, or moral +improvements cannot be expected. + +The Roman Church has been more thoughtful of her children in this +colony, there being now settled here a bishop, and about a dozen +priests of that persuasion -- reason the more for the active +interference of a Protestant Government to protect the spiritual +welfare of the Protestant community. + +The next most important object is the education of the youth of the +colony. So soon as ever Government can afford the grant of a few +hundreds a year, free-schools ought to be established in various +districts. Such is usually the scarcity of money in a colony, that +parents cannot afford to bestow even the commonest education upon +their children. Of course, I allude only to the general condition of +society; there are individuals who educate their families in a +judicious and sufficient manner; but the great prevailing want is not +the less felt and deplored. Boys, the sons of men who have +themselves been well educated, are early made to supply the place of +labourers and servants. Hardy and manly in appearance, they are +naturally rough and uncouth in manner, and unhappily possess no +mental stores beyond those early principles of gain which have grown +with their growth. In their anxiety that their sons should do well +in the world, the parent's first object is to impress upon them the +necessity of making the most of every thing. Their early powers are +exercised in selling stores, sheep, cattle, or other produce, and +they are applauded in proportion to the hard bargain which they have +driven. If a man, threatened with law proceedings, is compelled to +sell his whole crop of potatoes at a ruinous loss, our keen and +knowing youngster glories in the opportunity of making a bargain by +which he shall profit to the amount of a hundred per cent., though +the seller return to his agitated family writhing with despair. The +malleable intellect of our youth is annealed by the Demon of Gain +upon the anvil of Self-interest. + +National education is one of the first objects of a paternal +government. The course of study ought ever to be adapted to the +circumstances and position of the scholars. In the first years of a +colony, the human mind peculiarly exhibits a downward tendency. Few +men prove themselves in their new condition of life superior or equal +to the character which they had formerly borne, as pious, learned, or +humane. The circumstances which formerly so eminently conduced to +the maintenance of piety, the cultivation of intellect, and the +exercise of benevolence, no longer exist. Solitary and selfish from +position, men of naturally generous temper and good disposition, feel +their hearts contract and shrivel within them. Surrounded by a +sordid and selfish crew, they find no objects for sympathy, no +inducements for the increase or the preservation of knowledge, no +animating impulse to lead them forward in a good cause. Struggling +for a time in the net which is around them, they at length fall from +the edge, down into the seething cauldron, and become fused among the +mass. + +'The tendency of colonization is to deteriorate.' The first object +of Government should therefore be to arrest this impulse, and remedy +the evil so far as may be accomplished. If the original settlers +degenerate in their moral condition, their children sink still lower. +When parents cease to feel the influence of those high and pure +principles in which they were themselves brought up, they naturally +forget to inculcate them in the minds of their offspring. What, +then, are the guides that direct these in their progress through +life? What can they be but Self-interest, relieved perhaps +occasionally by a few touches of Good-nature? + +The young women inevitably grow up mere creatures of impulse. Where +are those high qualities which are necessary to give them their +proper influence over the minds and actions of the other sex? Where +is that powerful sense of the duties of their calling and position, +that is necessary to create confidence in the breast of the lover or +the husband? Where are those unswerving principles which alone can +keep them, through trial and temptation, in the right way? + +Woman, alas! has lost her power, when she ceases to inspire +veneration and command respect. + +It is the interest of every colony, and the duty of every Government, +to raise the moral character and condition of the people. The +necessity of this must be forcibly present in the minds of those to +whom the duties of legislation are intrusted; and as the most obvious +means of improvement lie in the judicious instruction of the young +generation, the attention of Government must soon be directed to this +grand object. + + + +CHAPTER 10. + +COUNTRY LIFE. + +It is most undeniably true, "that there is no place like England," +for men who are in "easy circumstances," and who therefore think no +more of direct or indirect taxation, and of those multitudinous +burthens which highly-civilized life imposes, than a besom-maker's +ass does of the load under which it daily journeys. But how many +thousands are there (children of sad parents -- Toil and Sorrow) who +find their utmost efforts scarcely sufficient to keep them out of the +debtor's prison! Continual gloom fills the chambers of their hearts; +the sun bestows its cheering rays in vain; and all the gay and +beautiful influences of the bright world of Nature fail to inspirit +him whose every energy is directed to the task of raising his family +beyond the threatening grasp of Want. In his few moments of +relaxation, when those whom he loves -- for whom he is toiling unto +death -- hang around him with gentle fondness; in those sweet +moments, when love unutterable beams through the glistening eye, and +tender solicitude watches the care-worn face, seeking to win one +happy smile -- even then, he dare not give himself up to joy. The +thought is never absent from him that life perhaps is ebbing fast; +the very labours to which his only hope of income is attached, are +gradually wearing him down to the grave; and when he is no more, what +shall be the lot of those whose beaming faces smile so sweetly? What +struggles, what miseries are in store for the beloved wife, and those +young and innocent daughters whose hearts are full of him! No! he +dare not give himself up to joy; he smiles in answer to their +endearments -- but it is rather a shadow than a sunbeam that passes +across his countenance. + +How many thousands are there in England so circumstanced, who curse +the artificial state of society in which they are compelled to live! +In their profession or trade they are bound to keep up a certain +degree of appearance, or they are shunned by those whom it is their +chief interest to conciliate. The great bug-bear ever present in the +mind of an Englishman, is the dread of not being thought sufficiently +"respectable." Professional men and tradesmen depend for their +subsistence upon appearances. To be flashy is as bad as to be +shabby; the great object is to appear substantial. If you are rich, +you have less temptation to be dishonest, and may consequently be +trusted. Every man, therefore, who depends upon the opinion of +others, is compelled to assume the appearance of being comfortably +circumstanced in order to inspire confidence. Character is the +life-blood of Englishmen, but character alone will seldom extricate a +man from the slough of Poverty. In our highly artificial state of +society, something more powerful than character alone is required to +place a man in the road to fortune -- call it as you please, tact or +humbug. + +This necessity for keeping up appearances in order to move in that +rank of life which his business requires him to occupy, is the +heaviest tax imposed upon the income of an Englishman. How often +does it draw from him all his profits, leaving him to lament how +little he is enabled to lay by annually for his children! Many times, +without doubt, he wishes he durst retire to a cottage too small to +admit the visits of the heartless acquaintance who form his +"fashionable" world. Does their society afford him or his family any +real happiness? Is it not rather the cause of many heart-burnings to +him and to them? How much happier he feels he should be, had he +never looked abroad for happiness, but sought it only around his own +hearth! To see his daughters elegantly attired, would gratify him +extremely, were it not for the unwelcome reminiscences of expense. +But would they look less lovely to his eyes, or be less dear to his +heart, when moving about him in the useful performance of domestic +duties, clad in homely garments, and thinking more of him and home +than of visiting and display? + +How economically, and how happily too, might he live, were his own +house his world, and his wife and children the only beings for whose +opinion he cared! But alas! these are the persons whose opinion is +of least importance in his pursuit of fortune. He must do as the +world does if he would secure its smiles, and is compelled to think +less of happiness than of gain. + +Is such a man happier, leading such a life, than he would be as a +colonist? Here -- ever blessed be the recollection! -- there is no +necessity for sacrificing peace of mind to appearance. The man whose +conduct proves him to be of gentlemanly mould, is everywhere treated +as an equal; and though his occupation and mode of living be ever so +humble, he loses nothing in the consideration of his +fellow-colonists. The half-pay officer, or gentleman farmer, who +occasionally drives his own cart, or sows the seed which he has +purchased in the market, is not thought less qualified to act as a +magistrate, nor is less respected by the great and small in his +neighbourhood. His cares are all directed towards obtaining +substantial comforts for his family, and not towards making a display +in the eyes of the little world around him. + +Conscious that he is respected only for his character as an upright +man, and that as every one knows he is not wealthy, it would be +ridiculous to affect the appearance of wealth, he wears the coarsest +garments with more pleasure than the finest coat, and draws all his +happiness from domestic sources. His sons and daughters equally +indifferent to show -- though the latter, at least, are always neatly +dressed -- are busied with their different duties, all tending to +promote the general comfort. + +Happy family! -- how pleasantly the evenings pass in your society! +Gladly would I ride many miles to spend such pleasant hours, and +witness happiness so unpretending and real. How cheerful looks that +large room, with its glorious fire of Jarra-wood and black-boys, (for +it is the winter season,) and how lightly those young girls move +about, arranging the tea-table, and preparing for the evening meal! +The kind-hearted mother, relieved of all duties but that of +superintendence, sits by the fire chatting cheerfully with the guest, +whose eyes, nevertheless, wander round the room after a certain light +and dancing shape; the host, a man of eld, but stalwart in +appearance, full of hospitality and noble courtesy, appears in his +easy slippers and an old and well-worn coat, which formerly had seen +service in London ball-rooms. He discourses not only of the crops +and colonial politics, but of literature, and the last news from +England; for like many other colonists he receives the English +papers, and patronizes the 'Quarterly Review'. On the sofa lie the +latest numbers of 'Punch' and 'the Illustrated London News' -- some +four months old, of course -- for the ladies like fun and pictures, +whilst their father laboriously wades through a three months' +accumulation of the 'Times'. + +With what alacrity the old gentleman rises up and welcomes a +traveller, who has unexpectedly arrived, and has just stabled his +horse, and seen him fed before he made his appearance in the parlour! +There is no beating about the bush for a bed, or an invitation to +supper. Of the latter he is certain, and indifferent about the +former; for having slept the last night under a tree, he feels sure +of making himself comfortable on the sofa, or on the hearth-rug +before the fire. And then the girls, who have no affectation or +nonsense about them, crowd round the new-arrived, and ply him with +questions about their young friends in other parts of the colony, +and whether he was at the last ball at Government House, and what +was most worn on that occasion -- until the good man, laughing, +breaks through the circle, declaring he will answer no more +questions till he has had his supper, and, it may be, a glass of +whisky-toddy screeching hot. + +During the evening the girls sing, and happily they sing well; and +they take most pleasure in those songs which papa likes best to hear. +And the poor bachelor-guest, who looks on, feels his heart melting +within him, and reviles himself for the destitution in which he lives +at home. Suddenly, perhaps, horses at a gallop are heard to enter +the yard; and soon afterwards two young fellows, fresh from the +capital, come dashing into the room, full of spirits, and vowing they +have gallopped over on purpose to ascertain whether the ladies were +still living. Here is authority of undoubted value for everything +relating to the ball at Government House; and the merits and +appearance of every person who attended it are soon brought under +discussion. This naturally inspires the young people with a desire +to dance; so the table is pushed aside, and papa being squeezed +nearly into the fire, mamma takes her place at the piano, and bursts +off with the Annen Polka. + +It may seem strange to you, dear reader, who have an idea that +colonists are merely wild beasts, that such things should be. But so +it is; and though people may dance the Cellarius with more gravity in +the saloons of St. James's, I question whether dancing be half the +fun there that our light-hearted colonists seem to think it. There +are no strangers in small colonies -- it is always a family party +dancing together; and consequently, people are as merry as if it were +Christmas-time all the year round. + +Your fashionable people may pity them; but God help them, poor +things! In their dark and degraded state they seem to enjoy +themselves so much, that I should not like them to be put out of +conceit with themselves, or made to repudiate whatever gives them +innocent pleasure. Nor are they entirely insensible to the good +opinion of great people; for when they learnt that the Polka was +thought vulgar at Buckingham Palace, they had serious intentions of +denying it admittance into the ball-rooms of Perth; and I sincerely +believe it would speedily have pined away and died, like a maiden +under the breath of slander, but for a confidently entertained hope +that her Majesty would never hear of the offences of the people of +Perth -- and people will do all kinds of things when they can do them +secretly. So the Polka continues to be danced in Western Australia; +and the courage of the dancers has been much revived of late by +hearing that it is still greatly in vogue at home, notwithstanding +the august censures said to have been passed upon it. + +A country life might always be a happy one, were people possessed of +the smallest competence, and of properly regulated minds. There is +as much unhappiness, or at least discontent, in colonies as +elsewhere; but discontented colonists are the greatest fools in the +world, because they have themselves created the evils, and the +remedies are generally in their own power. The grand object of +man's search is happiness, which he strives to obtain by a thousand +various ways. Wealth he covets, because he fondly believes that it +contains the prize he seeks; but if happiness may be found without +wealth, of what value are riches? Money is not so indispensable a +necessary in a colony. Very little indeed suffices to enable a +proprietor on the banks of the Swan, the Avon, or the Brunswick, to +bring up his family in comfort, and to perform all the rights of a +generous hospitality. The discontent which is so often felt in +colonies arises from two causes: first, it is the natural feeling of +those who emigrate late in life; who, although unsuccessful at home, +have ever been fondly attached to home associations, to the friends +and connexions with whom they have been bound up during many years, +and to the national belief that a man can never be truly happy out of +England. In addition to this, the emigrant of mature years has been +so long accustomed to feel himself living in the very centre of +intelligence, he has so long been accustomed to watch the progress of +political action at home and on the continent, and to drink the fresh +draughts of scientific discovery at the fountain-head, that now, when +far removed from the busy and exciting scenes of the ever-moving +panorama of European life, he feels lost in the wilderness -- a +fragment of drift-wood washed ashore and left far behind by the +fast-progressing waves of Knowledge and Action. + +The second cause of discontent is found in the non-acquisition of money. +Every one goes out to a colony with the full conviction that he shall +make a fortune in a few years, and then return to England and become +a man of landed interest. + +A man has to conquer his first disappointments before he can become a +happy settler; he has to form new and more just ideas of his actual +position. Generally, it is necessary that he should return to +England once more before he can entirely appreciate the advantages +open to him in a colony. He then fully perceives how much more +difficult it is to obtain a bare subsistence in the old country. He +finds that with the utmost economy he cannot supply the numerous +wants of his family, and he longs for his old Australian dwelling +again, and the easy, independent life which he was accustomed to +lead, when his children used to run about in brown holland, and his +wife looked becoming in printed cotton, and thought no beverage so +good as the wine which she had assisted to make. + + + +CHAPTER 11. + +PERSECUTIONS. + +Scepticism is the offspring of ignorance. There are many people +still living who doubt the existence of dragons; who go so far as to +assert that such creatures never did exist upon the face of this +earth, and never did torment and destroy the inhabitants thereof, and +persecute forlorn maidens. They scoff at the records which have +descended to our times, as fabulous legends, composed by idle monks; +who were accustomed to write fictitious histories during the dark +ages. They deny to historical ballads that authority which Mr. +Macaulay attaches to them; and yet the principal fact in the +biography of Andromeda (even before the times of the monks) may have +been true; and the poor people of Wantley may really have been +harassed by the celebrated dragon of that ilk. We speak seriously. + +Geologists have ascertained beyond a doubt that winged monsters of +the size described in ancient legends did really inhabit this earth +at some period or other. Happily they no longer exist of the same +dimensions as formerly; like the descendants of Anak, they have +become 'fined down', as it were, in the course of ages, until their +proportions no longer awaken personal fear, nor do their exploits +engage the attention of historians. Sometimes, however, the ancient +ferocity, the propensity for devastation, still breaks forth, even in +the diminutive descendants of this formidable race, and persecuted +Man feels himself driven to the brink of despair. + +Soon after I had settled at Perth, in a small house, with three +quarters of an acre of ground about it, I began to think of improving +my little territory. I thought it was a duty I owed to society to +set a good example, by bringing my property into a high state of +cultivation. + +I intended to "make the barren desert smile" -- to embower my +dwelling in the midst of blossoming peas, and aspiring kidney beans, +-- to draw around me, as it were, a little luxuriant Eden, which +should be the admiration of a Sunday public, as they stood riveted at +the palings, unable to pass by without a lengthened survey; whilst +the envied possessor, stooping behind his magnificent cabbages, would +listen to their unstudied bursts of rapture with justifiable pride. +Glowing with horticultural fervour, I rose early in the morning, and +dug up the soil with stern resolution, toiling with a Patagonian +pick-axe at the great roots which ran in every direction, until I +thought myself a perfect pattern of a settler. My man also exerted +himself with equal energy and more steady endurance; and in process +of time a considerable portion of ground was got ready for seed. In +order that nothing might be wanting to insure the most unlimited +success, I purchased a quantity of manure, and had it drawn upon the +ground. Then it was that the Evil Genius who (like the wicked +Enchanter that always kept his eye upon Don Quixote,) hath ever +dogged my steps, made his baleful presence manifest by the most +rampant hostility. The day on which the manure arrived, I went out +in my pleasure-boat upon Melville Water, accompanied by my man +Hannibal, to manage the head-sheets. On our return, at dusk, we +found the manure scattered all over the premises, as if it had been +kicked about by a party of dancing demons. + +The traces of talons were clearly discernible on the ground. I knew +not what to make of it. I thought a dragon must have been rampaging +about the premises. Well! the next day the man scratched the manure +together again as well as he could, and we sowed a quantity of seed +-- peas, beans, and divers succulent vegetables. The following +morning Hannibal rose late, having overslept himself, as he alleged. +I was awakened by his sudden appearance at my bed-side, but no sooner +sat up than I fell back again, appalled by the ghastliness of his +visage. + +"The d---ls," said he, "have been again, and have scrat up the earth +far and wide; and (he added using a strong expression,) I'll be +dashed if there's a seed left!" + +Alas! "'twas but owre true." The ground so neatly raked the evening +before, which I had returned again and again to look at with fond +pride, until it was obscured by darkness, was now torn up and defaced +throughout its length and breadth. + +"Well!" I exclaimed, as soon as I could speak, "there are dragons in +the world." + +I could now enter into the feelings of the poor husbandman of the +dark ages, when he got up in the morning, and found a dragon +finishing the last of his highly-prized dairy cows. If I could only +catch him at it! I felt immediately a fit of blood-thirstiness creep +over me. I could have destroyed a dozen dragons with pleasure, might +I only come within reach of them. Calmly, however, I ordered +Hannibal to sow the seeds again, and keep better watch and ward in +future. + +It now became a serious question how my property was to be protected. +Am I to be subject to these incursions without defence? Is there no +safeguard in this country for a man's possessions? + +I finished breakfast hastily, and went to consult the chief +magistrate. To my question as to how I ought to guard my garden and +vegetables from the attacks of the insidious enemy, he replied by +referring me to the 2 Wm. IV. No. 2, a local act, by which people +whose property is trespassed upon, are allowed the privilege of +impounding the trespassers. + +Impound a dragon! I thanked the worthy magistrate, "But," said I, +"the creatures that destroy my substance have wings, and are not to +be caught by men who have none." + +"The law," replied his worship, "is decisive on the subject; you must +follow the law, whether you be able to follow the offender or not." + +"But," said I again, "if the law gives me no protection -- and merely +to authorize me to impound a creature with wings, is a mockery +unworthy of the dignity of the law -- I may surely protect myself? I +will have a file of men on guard, and fire on any creature that +infringes upon the vested rights which I possess in my property. I +will defend myself," said I, growing warm under the oppressive weight +of the law, "and maintain my vested rights." + +"No man," replied the worshipful justice, "as you know very well, has +a right to defend himself, except with the weapons of the law. You +will only get into scrapes if you fight with any other weapons." + +Finding that I was kicking against the pricks, I made my bow, and +went home again in a very ireful mood. + +Hannibal had resown the beds, and was at work upon others. On seeing +me, he stepped up to a fine Nuytsia floribunda, which ornaments my +grounds, and taking up a double-barrelled gun that was leaning +against it, gave a few significant slaps upon the breach, and smiling +complacently, winked his eye. I turned away and entered the house, +filled with a kind of grim satisfaction, as thoughts of vengeance +flitted through my brain. Too much disturbed to sit still, I paced +up and down the room, listening eagerly for sounds which should +announce the hour of slaughter and revenge. + +The milk of human kindness had curdled in my breast; I felt that I +could sympathize with the restless anxiety of Charles IX on the +memorable eve of St. Bartholomew. But the butchery of unarmed +Huguenots was a different affair altogether from a war of +extermination against invading dragons. I looked out of the windows +every moment to see what Hannibal was about; but there he continued +hoeing, and weeding, and raking, and looking as calm and amiable as +the Duke when he awaited the proper moment to attack the French. +Suddenly he paused; I watched him quietly drop his rake, and retire +backwards behind a bush, where he remained crouching down, with the +double-barrelled gun in his hands. + +Unable to remain quiet any longer, I opened the window, and cried in +a fierce whisper, "Kill! kill!" With his hand he motioned me to be +quiet, so I withdrew and paced about the room with feverish anxiety. +The discharge of both barrels made me drop into a chair. Murder had +been committed! Vengeance was satisfied, and remorse arrived as +usual. Remorse, the ill-favoured offspring of Fear! + +"You will get yourself into scrapes," said the chief magistrate, "if +you use any other weapon than the law." I reasoned with Conscience; +I repeated the argument that I had a right to defend my property when +the law failed to afford me protection. Dragons, said I, are 'ferae +naturae'; the people of Perth, it would seem, are in the habit of +keeping them as pets, and thus they come to be considered private +property. But then, let the people of Perth destroy their own +substance, and not mine. If they do not choose to have gardens of +their own, they have no right to prevent the growth of my radishes. +Because they do not like sack, shall we have no more cakes and ale? +Because they can exist without cauliflowers, must I renounce all +hopes of having hyssop in my pottage? + +What! am I to rise up early in the morning and sow the seeds of +carefulness and labour, merely for the sustenance of other people's +harpies? + +To whom am I to look for redress, when I know not to whom the +ruthless creatures belong? -- Creatures that wander far and wide in +search of food; that gain their precarious subsistence by plunder and +rapine; and are intensely hostile to the labours and improvements +of civilization. No wonder the poet looked upon them as hell-born, +and called them a pest and a curse to society: -- + +"------nec saevior ulla +Pestis et ira Deuim Stygiis sese extulit undis." + +I had made these reflections, and received a good deal of comfort +from them, when Hannibal appeared at the door with a pallid +countenance. + +"Two of them, Sir, are done for; one's a big un -- eight pounds, if +he weighs an 'unce. He's a handsome feller, that un; black feathers, +and spurs to his heels six inches long. They'll make a houtcry about +him, I expect." + +"What have you done with the carcases?" + +"Dragged 'em behind the bushes. 'Tan't legal to lift the bodies." + +"Go on with your work, Hannibal, and don't appear at all fluttered or +discomposed. Look as if nothing had happened. If any one calls, I +am not at home." + +An outcry was raised about the death of the dragon. He was the +favourite of a young lady who was a pet of her papa's -- (next to +dragons, children are the most horrid nuisances). -- An accursed dog +(the D---l take all dogs! say I,) had found the body, and dragged it +into the street, where it was recognised by the girl. The papa, +furious at the sight of the favourite's tears, roamed and raged about +the town in search of witnesses. Men of Belial are always to be +found, especially in a colony, and Hannibal was openly accused of the +murder. + +The whole town was in a state of excitement. People seemed to think +that a blow had been struck at the very roots of civil and religious +liberty; and as every one had his favourite dragon, every one felt +alarmed for its safety so long as Hannibal remained unpunished. + +The ladies were especially bitter in their remarks and innuendoes. + +I was told by 'friends', that more than one lady had observed, that +an old bachelor like myself cared nothing about dragons, and +therefore it was just like my selfishness to seek to deprive them of +their innocent pleasures and amusements. + +No one would listen to my plea of self-defence; no one regarded my +losses; I was not looked upon as a sufferer; and instead of sympathy +received only abuse. + +A summons being issued against Hannibal, he appeared before the +tribunal of two of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace, accused of a +grave misdemeanour. + +As every one knew that I was the instigator of the offence, I +magnanimously avowed the fact, and was requested to stand in the +place of Hannibal. + +In vain, however, did I use every argument to justify the deed. The +chief magistrate reminded me that I had been fully advised to proceed +only according to law, under the Act, 2 Wm. IV. No. 2, amended (!!) +by 4 Wm. IV. No. 5; by either of which I was fully authorized to +seize and impound all trespassers -- a limit and license that +included dragons. + +My defence was allowed to be a sensible and rational one; but the law +was opposed to it, and their worships were bound by oath to prefer +the law to common sense. (I doubted myself whether dragons came +within the Law, but the Justices decided that they were poundable +animals.) This being the case, I was under the necessity of paying +the sum of ten shillings damages, and as many more for costs and +expenses incurred by the bailiff, in travelling up and down his +bailiwick in search of the body of John Hannibal Muckthorne (whose +body was all the time sitting quietly in my kitchen) -- rather than +go to Fremantle gaol for a month, and help to draw stones about the +streets in a large cart. + +I need scarcely add, that I returned home a wiser and sadder man. +"Hannibal," said I, "the Spirit of the Age in this colony is opposed +to territorial and to social improvement. My grounds must still +remain a barren waste. Instead of embowering myself in fertility, as +I had intended; instead of creating new beauties which should +transfuse fresh charms into the minds of the peripatetics of Perth; I +must continue to live in a desert, and shall doubtless soon subside +into an ascetic recluse. Hannibal! turn the horses into the garden, +and let them trample over the beds." + +Thus have I reluctantly shown the reader that the dark ages still +cast their shadows over the city of Perth; -- the dawn of a high +state of civilization is still wanting there, where man continues +defenceless from the ravages of noxious monsters peculiar to an early +and uncivilized era.* + + +[footnote] *The laws which colonists make for themselves are often +as absurd as any that the Imperial Parliament thinks proper to enact +for them. To this day, the only legal remedy (except an action and a +shilling damages) against the winged and long-clawed nuisances that +destroy the hopes and break the heart of the horticulturist, is to +impound them. + + + +CHAPTER 12. + +MICHAEL BLAKE, THE IRISH SETTLER.* + +[footnote] *A dry and humorous old man, who I cannot help suspecting +coins a good many of his anecdotes, gave me this account of one of +the early settlers, just as I record it. The fact of Blake's coming +to this colony, solely because he had heard there was an estate in it +called Skibbereen, (after the place of his nativity,) struck me as +being something truly Irish and original. The man's whole history is +given almost in the words of my informant, who professed to have +received it pure from the fountain-head. + +Michael Blake was a native of Skibbereen, a well-known barony in the +"ould country." His parents lived in a hut, "quite handy" to the +road, in the midst of a bit of turf-ground where they managed to rear +their annual crops of potatoes and their sprouts of children with as +little trouble to themselves as possible. Michael, as he said +himself, was the youngest of four, but there were five younger than +he. As soon as he could walk, his mother clothed him in an old coat +of his father's, the tails of which swept the ground far behind him, +as he trotted over the cabin-floor with a stick in his hand to wallop +his favourite companion, the long-legged and long-snouted sow, as she +lay dreaming in the door-way. His father was an upright man, and +dealt equal justice among his children, whom he 'lathered' daily with +the strictest impartiality. This was all the education they had any +reason to expect, as the priest was always in a hurry when he called +at their door, and had not time to dismount from his pony, from whose +back he bestowed his blessing upon the tattered crowd of children as +they pressed around, and gazed upon his Reverence with their wild +grey eyes and open mouths. And their parents could not be expected +to give any other education than they had themselves received. + +Michael grew up, therefore, as might be expected, a hungry, +dirty-faced, unbreeched, long-coated urchin. Although his parents +had done no more for him than to usher him into a life of mud and +misery, Nature had been more compassionate. She had bestowed upon +him a restless imagination, apparently for the purpose of removing +him from this scene of trouble as quickly as possible. It led him, +at an early age, to explore the passes of a neighbouring bog, where +he fell into a deep hole filled with water, and was just on the point +of escaping from the cares of the world, when his eldest brother +unfortunately came by, and fished him out. Their father seized the +opportunity, and lathered them both. + +Michael next travelled in a northerly direction, and reached the +high-road with another brother, who was sent out to beg. Here they +both sat upon a stone and cried for their breakfast, until a +brilliant idea occurred to Michael, which dried his tears. He made a +dirt-pie, and presented it to his brother; and they both passed their +time very pleasantly, until an English carriage appeared coming along +the road. Little Pat ran forward, begging and praying their honours +to give him a halfpenny for the love of the Virgin, as he had been +carefully instructed to do by his dear mother, whilst his father took +measures to impress the lesson upon his mind and person. Michael, on +his part, made a vigorous effort to cross over to the other side, +crying lustily, "Please Sir, a halfpenny!" but his mother, in order +to give him a good appearance in front, had buttoned the old coat +wrong side before, and poor Mike, in his haste and hurry, happening +to put one of his little feet into the remains of a pocket, unhappily +tripped himself up, and rolled before the horses' feet. The post-boy +cleverly turned them aside as quickly as possible, but nothing could +prevent the hind-wheel of the carriage from grazing one of Michael's +shins, and making him squall out in the most dreadful manner. + +A young lady and gentleman descended from the carriage, and showed +the greatest compassion for the sufferer, whom they caused to be +carried by a servant to his father's hovel, whither they accompanied +him, and soon relieved the anxieties of his parents by a present of +five golden guineas. + +Some years elapsed, and things went on in the old way with the Blake +family. Mike had sprouted out into a fine gossoon of a boy, and +exercised his errant disposition by running after the gentlemen when +they went out shooting, and helping the keepers to carry the game. +One day, a gentleman who was shooting in the neighbourhood called at +his father's cabin, and asked for the little boy whom he had run over +in his carriage some seven years before. Mr. Blake, senior, after +blessing his honour for his goodness, and wishing him long life and +every earthly happiness called to the young spalpeen to get out of +that; and why was he not for coming when the gentleman was spaking to +him? Mr. Blake hinted to his visitors that he should correct the +manners of the youth at an early opportunity, and in the meantime +Mike slyly approached with a gun that he was carrying for the keeper +in his hands, and received the compliments of the gentleman on his +good looks. + +The end of it was that the gentleman, who was an officer, took Mike +into his service; and in process of time, when he joined his +regiment, Michael became his constant attendant. Dying, however, +unexpectedly, as most people do, the worthy Mr. Blake, junior, was +left to his own resources; and finding nothing better to do, he +accepted a shilling from a friendly serjeant, and entered Her +Majesty's service as a full private. + +In process of time he married a wife -- a real jewel, from that "gem +of the sea" so dear to poor old England -- and accompanied his +regiment to Van Dieman's Land, en route to India. He was well known +and liked by the officers, having a peculiar talent for blarney; and +nothing pleased him so much as a little conversation with a superior. + +The regiment remained seven years in Van Dieman's Land, and then +passed on to its destination, leaving a number of men, who had +received their discharge, to become settlers in the colony. Among +these was Mr. Michael Blake, who soon established himself on a block +of land, and became a prosperous colonist. But times grew bad, ere +he could retire with a fortune. His wife formed undesirable +acquaintances, and Michael endeavoured to reclaim her by wholesome +correction; but, unhappily, he bestowed so much attention upon her +amendment that he entirely neglected himself, and before he was aware +that he was falling into error, had become an habitual drunkard. + +Everything now went wrong. Mike, hating himself, began to hate +everything about him; he hated the colony; he hated the magistrates, +who now and then imposed a penalty upon him; he hated the laws, and +discovered the difference between law and justice, without being able +to find any traces of the latter. His fences fell into decay; his +pigs and cattle committed trespasses, and the neighbours made him pay +damages. It was the fault of the law, or rather of the lawyers, whom +he condemned to the flames with dreadful imprecations. + +Unable to pay the storekeeper for sugar and tea, judgment was given +against him, and his last surviving cow was seized by the sheriff. +He had the satisfaction of beating the officer nearly to death; but +the cow was sold notwithstanding, and he took a month's exercise on +the treadmill, whilst his wife spent the time with her friend the +excise-officer, and drank to his better health and general +improvement. + +On being released, he complained to the Governor, and presented +petitions to the Legislative Council against the unjust judges who +ruled the land, and crushed the hearts out of the people. + +Soon, however, softer feelings came over him; thoughts returned of +home, so long forgotten in days of prosperity. He wondered whether +his parents were alive, whom, forty years ago, he had left in the +barony of Skibbereen, and had not heard of since. + +He thought of the home of his boyhood; of the antiquated cabin in +which, at the will of his father, he had so often "eaten stick;" of +the long-legged and long-snouted sow, that used to grunt uneasily in +her dreams before the fire; of the potatoes and salt for breakfast +and dinner, of which he never got enough; of the puddle before the +door, in which he used to love to dabble -- all these visions of the +past came back upon him now in the time of his sorrows, and filled +him with a craving for the scenes of his youth. + +Every one in trouble goes to the Governor, who has consequently +plenty of morning-callers. A few words of sympathy from his +Excellency are very consoling, and serve the afflicted for a topic of +conversation for some time to come. "His Excellency, the last time I +saw him, desired me to write to my friends." "His Excellency +particularly wishes me to make it up with Smith, or I'd never have +forgiven him for seizing my cow." "His Excellency swears that he +can't spare me from the colony, or nothing should make me stay +another day in it," etc. etc. + +Mike presented himself at the government-offices, and after waiting a +couple of hours, caught sight of the Governor as he was passing out +through the ante-room. + +"God bless your Honour, it's bould I am to be stopping your Honour +and Excellency this way, and you going out too with the business of +the Nation upon your Honour's shoulders." + +"What do you want, my good friend, what do you want?" + +"It's your Honour and Excellency that's the good friend to me and the +poor, and many's the prayer that's offered up night and morning for +your Excellency, by them that blesses the Good God and the Virgin for +having sent your Honour to reign over us." -- + +"What is it, Mike, what is it? I'm in a hurry." + +"And is it me that's hindering your Honour? sure and I'll walk wid ye +to the world's end and talk all the same. Och, and it's the bad +times that have come upon us all entirely -- and the ould settlers +feels it the most, as is likely. Faith and we'd all die off, out and +out, if it wasn't for your Excellency thinking of us, and schaming to +do us the good turn, when the Council (bad luck to 'em!) raises the +duties." + +"My horse is waiting; I really cannot stay." + +"Arrah, and it's a fine baste that same, and the two of you looks +well together, with the white cockatoo feathers, and the sword all +gould and diamonds." + +Here his Excellency showed signs of mounting his horse, so Mike +hastened to whisper confidentially, + +"Governor, dear, my heart's broken entirely for the ould country, and +the poor father and mother that's looking out for me night and +morning these forty years, to give me their blessing; and the woman +at home, the crathur, kills me day-by-day with her going on; and I'd +like to see ould Ireland once before I die, and Skibbereen, which +your Honour knows is the finest place under God Almighty's blessed +canopy, and I can't die in pace till I see it -- 'deed I can't, +Governor dear; and ther's a Man-of-war, no less than the Shannon +herself, going to sail for the Indies, where I'd get passed on by +Colonel Maxwell (God bless him for the rale gintleman!) only, +Governor dear, spake the good word for me to Captain Widdicombe, and +I'll be took to Calcutty free for nothing; and it's not a +tinpenny-piece that I have in the world, the blessed Virgin pity me!" +-- Here his Excellency, being mounted on horseback, felt himself in +more independent circumstances, and told Mike that he must not think +of leaving the colony without his wife, as it would be most improper +conduct (the Government would have to support her), and that he +himself had no interest with Captain Widdicombe -- His Excellency's +charger, being of an impatient temper, allowed no further time for +parley, but cantered off with his rider, leaving Mike rather at fault. + +The more numerous the difficulties that appeared in the way of Mike's +return to Skibbereen, the more yearning became his desire to lay his +bones there. Every day he appeared at the Government-offices, and +waylaid the Colonial-secretary, or the Attorney-General, or some +other of the officials, entreating them to obtain a free passage for +an old soldier, whose only desire on earth was to die among the bogs +of Skibbereen. + +He talked incessantly of that beautiful spot, and swore that he loved +it better than the Garden of Eden. He pined after Skibbereen as the +melancholy pelican pines for his desert home; but hope gradually +seemed to leave him -- all other friends had long since abandoned +him, and he had fallen helplessly into the power of his arch-enemy +the Rum-bottle, when a fellow-countryman arrived at Hobart Town from +Western Australia. Mr. Denis Maguire listened patiently to Mike's +pathetic lamentation over the lost Skibbereen, and then calmly +replied, "Och, but it's little that I'd disthract myself for a place +like that in the ould country; sure isn't there Skibbereen near the +Swan River, belonging to Mr. O'Driscoll, and isn't it a beautifuller +place entirely than any other Skibbereen in the world?" "What!" +interrupted Mike, "is there Skibbereen at the Swan River, and is it +Mr. O'Driscoll that's living there? Arrah! say that again, my +darling, if you plaze." Maguire repeated the statement; on which +Mike, starting up, began to dance an Irish hornpipe; and then, +stopping short of a sudden swore that he was the happiest boy alive, +and thanked the blessed Saints for all their goodness to him. + +The next day he managed to sell all the remains of his property, and +made a bargain with the owner of a small coasting-vessel to convey +him and his wife (whom he was compelled to take with him) to Swan +River, where he arrived in due course of time, and managed to locate +himself at Skibbereen, where he built a hut, cultivated several acres +of land, and became quite a reformed character. + +Although his landlord, Mr. O'Driscoll, was his countryman, Mike +managed to blarney him so that he did just what he liked, and never +paid any rent either in cash or in kind. His yearning desire had +been to live at Skibbereen, and now that he had attained his object +he was (wonderful to say) contented and happy. + +He frequently came to Perth for the sake of a little chat with the +storekeepers and the gentry, and as he was sure to blarney some one +into giving him a dinner, he always returned home light of heart and +unimpaired in pocket. But alas! poor Mike was not destined to die in +peace at Skibbereen. A large party of the natives had suddenly +attacked the abode of a neighbouring settler, and put the owner to +death. Michael Blake and two of his friends, without waiting for +other assistance, hastened to the rescue, imperfectly armed. They +were overpowered in an instant. Blake and one of his companions fell +pierced with many spears, whilst the other, being on horseback, +escaped, carrying with him four spears fixed in his body. Years +afterwards, one of the natives who had assisted at the slaughter +coolly related the particulars of the death of Michael Blake. + +When he was lying on the ground, said this man, he turned round, and +supporting himself on his arm, entreated for mercy in the most moving +terms. The savages stood round him, looking on, and listening +patiently to his address. + +"Did you show him mercy?" asked my informant. + +"No!" replied the savage, with calm indifference. + +"What did you do?" + +"We cut his tongue out." + +"Wretch! what for?" + +"He wongee (chattered) too much." + +Poor Mike! his blarney could not save him; it had often before done +him good service, but the savages valued it not. + + + +CHAPTER 13. + +WILD CATTLE HUNTING. + +Having received intelligence that a numerous herd of wild cattle had +lately been seen grazing upon some extensive plains a day's journey +south of Perth, I got up a party with the intention of hunting them. + +Our preparations were made the day before starting on the expedition. +A bullock-cart was loaded with fire-arms, kegs of brandy, various +kinds of provisions, and cloaks and blankets. A couple of natives +had been engaged to act as guides, and these, with their wives and +families, spent the greater part of the day lounging about my +premises, idly inspecting the arrangements, and sleeping in the +sunshine, lazy as the pigs, which they surpassed in filth. In the +afternoon, taking with them a supply of flour, they commenced their +journey, intending to sleep upon the road, and leave us to overtake +them on the following day. + +At day-break the next morning we were in our saddles, the +bullock-cart having started during the night. The party +consisted of three, who were all clad in blue hunting-shirts, and had +polished horns hanging at their backs, filled with eau-de-vie, wine +and water, or the simple fluid, according to the taste of the wearer. +As we passed down the silent street at that early hour, one of the +party, an officer, agreeably dispelled the slumbers of the peaceful +inhabitants by a most able performance upon a key-bugle; the others +gave vent to the exuberance of their spirits by loud "tally-ho's!" +and cries of "hark away!" and other encouraging expressions addressed +to imaginary dogs. Then we gave our able steeds the head, and dashed +along with all those happy and exulting thoughts which bubble in the +breast of youth hurrying to the chase. Is there any moment in life +so dear to memory as those we have passed on horseback, in the fine +air of morning, when we hurried along towards the haunt of cunning +Reynard, and expected every instant to see him break cover? Less +exciting by far is hunting in Australia, but still it is hunting, and +we are on horseback, and eager as ever for a gallop. Passing over +two well-built wooden bridges, connected by a causeway, we crossed +the river, and took the road for the Canning. + +Thick woods of banksia, wattle, and eucalypti, closed in the view on +every side; but occasionally we ascended a gentle slope, and then +looking back we could see a beautiful picture before us. In the +still air and misty light of the morning, Perth water lay clear and +tranquil amidst the vast forest by which it is surrounded. The +heights of Mount Eliza looked down into the glittering mirror. On +the right bank were the white houses of the capital; far to the left +we caught glimpses of Melville water. Except the occasional flights +of wild ducks, and the dark gusts which from time to time swept along +the waters, heralding the rising land-wind, all was still and +breathless. One could not help asking oneself how long this scene +had existed as we now beheld it? Was it designed for thousands of +years to be viewed only by savages, mindless as the birds or fishes +that frequented its waters? Had it always existed thus, or been +growing during centuries under the hand of Nature, until it should be +adapted to the habitation of civilized man? And was that period now +arrived, or were we premature in seizing upon our inheritance before +it was thoroughly prepared for our reception? Many times have we +asked ourselves this last question. This singular country appears to +represent the ancient character of the earth in one of the earlier +stages of formation. It represents that epoch when animal life was +first developed in the lowest order of quadrupeds. + +There are a few small exceptions, but it may be laid down as a +general rule, that all the animals indigenous to this country are +marsupial -- from the kangaroo, the largest down to the little +field-mouse. + +The animals not indigenous are Man, the wild cattle, and the wild +dogs. Many speculations have been hazarded as to the origin of the +first: to me it appears there can be little doubt that the first +tribes found their way hither from the eastern islands, having +proceeded originally from India. The language of the natives bears +more traces of the Hindu than of any other. This, I believe, is the +opinion of the Rev. J. Mitchell, M.A., of the Middle Swan, whose long +residence in India, and intimate acquaintance with some of the +languages of that country, give weight to his conjectures. Many of +the words used by the natives of both countries are identical in +sound, and express the same meaning. + +I have also noticed that the Coolies of India and the natives of this +colony manage to understand one another much sooner than is the case +between the latter and the whites. + +The wild cattle have long existed in the interior, as appears from +their remains. Both they and the wild dog have probably descended +from animals cast ashore by shipwreck. The indigenous tribes are +those of the kangaroo, the opossum, and the lizard. It is curious to +observe how the distinguishing features of the first are manifested +in a great variety of animals, of all sizes from the kangaroo +downwards -- the long hind, and short fore legs, the three toes on +the former, the rat-like-head, the warm pouch, betokening the +immature parturition. The opossums also are marsupial. All these +animals seem to belong to an early age of the geological world. Many +of the plants speak the same language -- especially the Zamia. The +rocks, too, of this portion of New Holland are all primary, except +the limestone and sandstone near the coast. Is this country, then, a +portion of the world that has remained in the same state for +thousands, or hundreds of thousands, of years; or is it of +comparatively recent formation, exhibiting that condition which at +one period belonged to the whole surface of the earth? The latter, +of course, must be the case; and if so, we cannot help thinking that +further changes must take place in its geological character before it +shall be permanently occupied by civilized man. At present, however, +it must be admitted there is no sign of volcanic action going on to +effect these changes. Our conjectures are purely speculative, and +will probably meet with no sympathy from the reader, but we throw +them out because the subject is full of wonder and mystery; and those +who have brought personal observation to bear upon it, best know it +to be so. As we wander through the lacustrine valleys which abound +here; valleys once the beds of rivers, but now broad swamps choked up +with lofty reeds -- we feel as though we were in the land and the age +of the Saurians. + +The whole country swarms with lizards, some of which, to the +northward, grow to the size of five feet; but the most common are the +'Iguana', or 'Guana', a creature some ten or twelve inches long, with +a flat head, very wide mouth, and only the stump of a tail. They are +perfectly harmless, and subsist upon frogs and insects. One variety +of this species, found in the district of King George's Sound, was +brought to my notice by my brother. It is usually found in a tuft of +grass, where it lies completely hidden except its tongue, which is +thrust upwards, and bears an exact resemblance to the petal of a +flower, crimson and pink. Flies seem to delight in resting upon this +deceptive flower, which being covered with an adhesive mucous +substance, takes them prisoner, and proves their destruction. + +We have now had a long canter, which has brought us to the +neighbourhood of the Canning River. The country hereabouts resembles +a wild English park. The trees are all of the eucalypti species, +large and dispersed; the surface of the ground is level, affording a +view of the Darling Hills, which appear to be close at hand. +Crossing the river by a rustic bridge, we ascended the opposite bank, +whilst our trumpeter blew a charge that was intended to announce our +approach at a farm-house close at hand. As we rode up to the door, +the proprietor, attended by three stalwart sons, hastened to greet +us. He was a gentleman who had passed a good portion of his life on +the Continent, but having a large family to bring up had resolved to +seek his fortune in the Southern hemisphere. Breakfast was already +set out for us in a large room which served as the baronial hall of +the mansion; whilst our horses, partaking of the prodigal hospitality +of the farmer colonist, were tethered in various parts of a fine +field of clover. + +Breakfast is a famous meal after an early morning ride, and people +have then not only good appetites but good spirits. Half-a-dozen +kangaroo-dogs, attracted by the clatter of knives and the tempting +savour that arose from the large dish of sheep's fry, crowded round +the open door, whilst they seemed to feel keenly the selfishness of +those who appropriated the whole of the feast to themselves. Every +now and then arose a howl of anguish from the group, as one of the +young men would arrive with fresh supplies of coffee or fried bacon, +and kicked a clear passage for himself into the room. One only of +the canine race was allowed to approach the table -- the venerable +Tip, who having formerly, in times of scarcity, earned his master +five pounds a-week by catching kangaroos for the market of Fremantle, +was now entitled to sit at his right hand, where a few morsels were +occasionally bestowed upon him, which he received with becoming +gravity and decorum. + +Breakfast finished, we saddled our horses and proceeded on our way, +accompanied by one of the sons of our host. We pushed along towards +the foot of the hills, over a sandy country covered with scrub, and +trees of various magnitudes. + +The birds that we saw were chiefly fly-catchers and parroquets; and +occasionally the wild turkey, or bustard sailing along in the +distance, made us sigh for a nearer acquaintance. + +After a cheerful ride of several hours, having the hills on our left +hand, we crossed a few small plains; and understanding from our +guide, Tom H-----, that we were now at our destination, we began to +look about us for our bullock-cart, whose track we had noticed from +time to time as we came along. Our "cooeys" were answered by voices +not far distant; and following the sound, we soon came within view of +a column of smoke curling lightly above the trees; and on arriving at +the spot whence it arose, we found our man, assisted by the natives, +busily engaged in erecting a kind of hut, or rather skreen of boughs, +for our night quarters. The bullocks were feeding quietly at a short +distance; the cart was conveniently placed for being unpacked; and a +group of three native women and their children, squatted round a fire +of their own, about a hundred yards from ours, and busily occupied in +baking flour-dampers, signalled our approach by shrill cries of +welcome without rising from their places. + +[sketch of "The Bivouac."] + +Our horses were soon relieved of their saddles, and each man leading +his own steed by the long tether-rope which had been carefully coiled +round its neck, took it to a neighbouring pool to drink, and then +proceeded in search of the best pasture. Our animals having been +attended to, our next thought was of ourselves; and every one took +his bundle of blankets and cloaks out of the cart, and unrolled it +beneath the sloping skreen of boughs, and prepared his bed according +to his particular taste or experience; testing the accommodation from +time to time by flinging himself upon his couch, and ascertaining the +different vents by which the wind would be likely to prove annoying +during the night. These were next stopped up by handfuls of +xanthorea leaves, or by strips of bark from the paper-tree. + +The lodging being pronounced perfect, and the sun being level with +the horizon, we hastened the preparation for our meal; and hampers +and boxes soon gave forth their stores of cold fowls, tongues, hams, +and meat-pies. Sausages are excellent things in bush-campaigns; and +as every man toasts his own on the point of a long stick, a high +degree of nervous excitement is felt by each, lest he should lose his +savoury morsel in the fire. + +The kettle soon boiled, and as we ate our tea-dinner, the sun went +down, and night quickly swallowed up the short twilight, leaving us +to depend entirely on our fire, which presented a goodly pile that +shot forth cheerful flames, making the scenery around us bright with +light. The ground for the space of many yards glittered beneath the +flickering rays; the bowls of the tall trees seemed whiter than +usual; even the brown cheeks of the natives looked less dark, as they +chattered and laughed over their supper. Cold grog, or hot +brandy-and-water, was leisurely sipped by those who lay on their +couches in the full tranquillity of after-dinner ease; and as +digestion proceeded, songs and catches awakened the echoes of the +woods. + +Tired at last, we sank to sleep, having first, however, visited our +horses and changed their tether. During the night I woke up. All +around were fast asleep in different postures; some rolling about +uneasily in their dreams; others still as the dead. I heaped fresh +logs upon the fire, which blazed forth anew. The natives were all +huddled under their wigwams, which are about the size and shape of an +open umbrella resting on its edge. The night was dark throughout the +forest, and overhead; the little circle of light within which I +stood, seemed like a magician's ring, sacred and safe from evil +spirits that filled the air around. It was as the speck of Time amid +the ocean of Eternity -- as Hope, bright and solitary in the midst of +unfathomable darkness. There I felt safe and secure -- but without +-- who might tell what spirits roamed abroad, melancholy and +malignant? Peering into that dark boundary of forest, the eye vainly +endeavoured to pierce the gloom. Fancy peopled its confines with +flitting shapes, and beheld a grinning hobgoblin in the grotesque +stump of many a half-burnt tree, on which the light momentarily +flickered. The ear listened eagerly for sounds in the distant +solitude; and one almost expected to hear shrieks of laughter or of +terror borne upon the night-wind from the recesses of the hills. +Evil spirits seem peculiarly the companions of heathen savages. A +wild, desert, and desolate region, traversed only in the day-time, +and rarely even then, by straggling barbarians whose hearts have +never known a single gentle emotion, seems naturally to be the haunt +of the Spirits of Evil. + +Chingi, the terror of our natives, is often seen by them, as they lie +cowering under their kangaroo skins, and huddled together in the +extremity of fear, stalking giant-like and gloomy along the summits +of the hills, whilst the moon shrinks timidly behind her curtain of +clouds. + +On that night, however, there was no moon, and Chingi was not visible +to me, nor did any sound break in upon the silence of the forest, +save that of our horses eating their food, and giving an occasional +snort as the sand affected their nostrils. Anxious to behold any +spirits that might please to be visible, I walked to the spot +occupied by my quadruped, with the intention of changing his +quarters; but finding him comfortably stretched in repose, I left him +to dream of his own distant manger and two quarterns of oats, and +returned to my couch. The appearance of the bivouac, to one viewing +it from the surrounding darkness, was very picturesque. Every object +was lighted up by the cheerful blaze -- the cart with its packages in +or about it, the sleepers in their blue or red woollen shirts, under +the sloping roof, their guns leaning against the uprights, their +shot-belts and pouches hanging in front -- the kangaroo-dogs lying +round the fire, and as near to it as possible -- the surrounding +trees and shrubs glittering with a silvery light, their evergreen +foliage rustling at the breath of the soft land-breeze -- altogether +formed a striking and peculiar scene. + +Next morning we were up before the sun, and having breakfasted, +proceeded on horseback in search of the herd of wild cattle, which we +knew, from the reports of natives, to be somewhere in the +neighbourhood. We rode down an extensive plain, covered plentifully +with grass, and presenting numerous clumps of trees, which afforded +shelter to bronze-winged pigeons and immense flights of white +cockatoos. The latter screamed fearfully as we drew nigh, but did +not remain long enough to allow us the chance of a shot. Many tracks +of the cattle were visible, traversing these plains in every +direction; but on reaching a small pool, we found such recent traces +as led us to believe the animals could not be far distant. Remaining +stationary for a few moments, we allowed the two natives who +accompanied us to ascertain the direction in which the herd had +wandered, and their signs soon led us to follow in profound silence. +The natives walked rapidly ahead; the tracks were very apparent, and +we were all in high glee, and growing extremely excited. The sun +shone brightly, but as it was in the month of May, the air was mild +and pleasant, without being hot. After proceeding along the plains +for several miles we came to a thick jungle, through which the cattle +had formed a path. The interior presented a rocky area of +considerable extent. Fragments of rock lay jostled together, among +which trees and shrubs appeared, and here and there an open space +afforded room for the herbage which had tempted the cattle into this +rough scene. In parts where grass refused to grow, beautiful purple +flowers raised their heads in clusters -- and ever in the most rugged +and barren spots the gayest flowers are found to bloom. How grateful +do we feel to Nature for bestowing such charms upon the wild desert! +cheering our spirits with a sense of the beautiful, that else would +droop and despond as we journeyed through the lone and dreary waste. + +Although we sometimes proceeded over a surface of bare rock, and at +others over large and loose stones, where no foot-print was visible +to the eye of a white man, the natives never failed to discover the +traces which they sought with unerring sagacity. After a ride of +nearly two hours we observed one of the natives making signs to us to +halt. "There they are!" passed in eager whispers from one to the +other. Before us was a belt of wood, through which we could perceive +about a dozen cattle grazing on a broad plain. + +Already they had a suspicion of danger, and began to look around +them. One of the natives, with my double-barrelled gun loaded with +heavy ball was creeping toward them through the grass upon his hands +and knees, whilst we cautiously drew up at the side of the wood. + +The herd consisted of a huge mouse-coloured bull, with an enormous +hunch on his shoulders, and about a dozen cows, with a few calves. +The bull came slowly towards us, muttering low bellows, and shaking +his fierce head and ponderous neck, on which grew a short, black +mane. From some unexplained cause or other the native fired his gun +before the animal was within range, and the bull, being a beast of +discretion, stopped short, as though extremely surprised, and after a +little hesitation, turned round and rejoined his female friends. The +whole herd then began to trot off at a slow pace across the plain, +which was thereabout a mile broad. We were now all eagerness for the +pursuit; and Tom H-----, the most experienced of the party, calling +on us to follow him, dashed off at right angles from the herd, and +outside the belt of wood, in the belief that he would be able to head +the animals by a little manoeuvring; but at the instant he started +the old bull turned short on his course, and made across the plain in +a new direction. I happened to be the last of our party, and was the +only one who perceived this new disposition of the enemy. Anxious to +be the first in the melee, I allowed my friends to gallop off, and +dashed myself through the wood directly in pursuit of the herd. +Thinking there was no time to lose, I waited not for my gun, but +resolved to trust to the pistols in my holsters. + +The cattle, who had begun their retreat at a steady trot, increased +their speed as they saw me gallopping up to them. I was afraid of +their crossing the plain, and escaping in the thick forest beyond, +and so pushed my good horse to his utmost speed. He seemed to be as +much excited as myself, and in a few minutes I headed the herd, and +tried to turn them back; but they would not deviate from their +course, and would have rushed through a regiment of foot, had it been +in their way: I therefore avoided the old bull, who came charging +along at the head of the phalanx, and found myself in the midst of +the herd. It was a moment of delightful excitement; some skill was +required to avoid the hurtling forest of horns, but I turned round +and gallopped with the mass; and having perfect confidence in my +horse and horsemanship, I felt that I could pick out any of the +animals I pleased. My gun, however, was wanting to bring the huge +bull to his bearings. He looked so enormous as I gallopped alongside +of him, that I despaired of making any impression with a pistol, and +resolved to limit my ambition to the slaughter of one of the cows. +We were now across the plain, the bull had entered the forest, and +the others were in the act of doing the same, when I rode against the +outside cow, in the hope of turning her away from the thick cover, +and keeping her in the open plain. She would not, however, turn +aside, and I fired my first pistol at her eye, and though I only +grazed her cheek, succeeded in separating her from her companions, +and turning her up the long plain. At this moment four +kangaroo-dogs, (a cross between a greyhound and a blood-hound, bold, +powerful, and swift,) that had followed me in the chase, but had only +gallopped alongside of the cattle, finding me seriously engaged with +one of the number, made a simultaneous dash at the unfortunate cow, +and endeavoured to impede her career by barking, and biting at her +nostrils, dew-lap, and flanks. + +It was a fine sight to see these four noble hounds chasing away on +either side of the animal, whilst she, every now and then, stooped +low her head and made a dash at them, without pausing in her career. +Away she went at a slapping pace, keeping me on the gallop. Fearful +of hurting the dogs, I refrained from firing for some time, but at +length got a chance, and aimed a ball behind her shoulders, but it +struck her ribs, and penetrated no deeper than the skin. Loading as +I rode along, I delivered another ball with better success, and she +began to abate her speed. The rest of the party now came up, +cheering and hallooing, but the game had dashed into a swamp in which +the reeds and shrubs were high enough to conceal horses and huntsmen; +nevertheless, we pushed through, and found her on the bank of a muddy +pool, where she stood at bay, whilst the dogs barked cautiously +before her. She was covered with sweat, blood, and dirt, and +perfectly furious; and the moment we approached she made a rush, +trampling over several of the dogs; and darting madly against the +nearest horseman, caught his charger on the flank, and steed and +rider rolled together on the ground. The furious assailant stumbled +over her prostrate foes, and was saluted with a discharge of +fire-arms, which, however, did not prevent her from rushing against +me in return for a ball in the shoulder, but I eluded the assault, +and the animal fell exhausted to the ground. + +All this may sound savage enough to those who read in cold blood, but +it was very exciting at the time; and MAN, when a hunter, becomes for +the moment ruthless and blood-thirsty. This was a very severe chase; +the animal had run full five miles over a rough country at such a +pace as to cover our horses with foam, and they now stood thoroughly +blown, and shaking in every limb. + +We returned to our home after a short rest, taking the tail with us +as a trophy. A party was despatched in the evening with the cart, +and a large portion of the carcase was brought in and skilfully +salted by the experienced hand of Tom H. + +This evening passed away as pleasantly as the last, and as we were +all rather fatigued, we retired early, and slept until awakened by +the sun. + +A native arrived early in the morning with the intelligence that a +herd of wild cattle was now grazing in a ravine of the hills about +four miles distant. As we could not well follow them on horseback in +that locality, we started off on foot armed with our rifles. The +morning as usual was brilliant, but not too warm, and we walked along +in high spirits. We had not proceeded far through the woods when one +of the natives, who was in advance, stopped short on a sudden, and we +all instinctively did the same. Stealing back to us, he took my +rifle out of my hands without any ceremony, and telling us to remain +perfectly still, crept slowly forward, stooping nearly to the ground. +We now perceived a small plain about two hundred yards a-head of us, +on which were six wild turkeys leisurely feeding and walking about. + +The native had dived among the scrub, and we lost all signs of him. +It soon, however, became evident that the turkeys suspected danger; +they erected their tall brown and grey necks, and looked about them +like alarmed sentinels. "They're off!" cried we -- but just as they +were preparing to run, which they do with great rapidity, one of them +was seen to flutter his wings and tumble over, whilst the crack of +the rifle proclaimed the triumph of Migo. We rushed through the +brush-wood, elated as schoolboys who have shot their first throstle +with a horse-pistol, and found the bustard flapping out its last +breath in the hands of the native, whose dark visage gleamed with +triumphant pride. + +Resuming our march, we passed over the side of a hill covered with +inferior Jarra trees, and soon entered the ravine in which we +expected to find the cattle. They were not visible; so we crossed +the valley, and passed up the other side for about half-a-mile, when +we entered another valley, some distance up which we perceived a herd +of cattle quietly grazing, or lying ruminating in the confidence of +perfect security. We endeavoured to creep towards them as quietly as +possible, but their senses of smelling and hearing were so acute that +they became acquainted with their danger too soon for us, and trotted +gently up the valley before we could reach them. We now dispersed in +the hope of heading them. Attaching myself to Migo, who considered +my rifle the most likely to prove successful, as he had killed the +bustard with it, we walked for half an hour across the hill-side +without seeing anything of our game. A rifle-shot and a loud shout +prepared us for something, and in another minute we heard the +crashing of branches and the tread of feet, and soon beheld +half-a-dozen cows and two or three calves making their way up the +hill at a short distance from us. + +"What for you no get behind tree?" said the native in an angry +whisper, and giving me a push that prevented my staring idly any +longer, and sent me into a proper position. + +"Oh! why will they go in that direction? Why will they not come +within range? I will give everything I have on earth for one good +point-blank shot!" + +And sure enough a bouncing bull-calf, turning aside from a thick +clump of trees, came within about a hundred yards of me apparently +wild with fright, and not knowing which way to run. Just as he was +turning off again, I fired, and he fell upon his knees, struck in the +shoulder. + +Migo was upon him in an instant, and felled him to the earth with a +blow of his stone-hammer. I shouted the paean of victory, and was +answered by a loud "cooey" from the valley and the voice of my friend +Mr. B. calling out, "I have killed a splendid cow and dispersed the +herd. The bull and several cows are gone down the valley towards the +plains." + +All the party, with the exception of Tom N., were soon assembled +round the body of B.'s cow, which was black and fine-limbed. She was +evidently in milk, and there was little doubt that the calf slain by +me had belonged to her. + +Every one now asked what had become of Tom, whose assistance was +absolutely necessary in cutting up the carcases. B. had heard his +rifle down the valley, and we now began to "cooey" for him. In a few +moments we heard a faint "cooey" in reply, and started in that +direction. After walking for about ten minutes towards the opening +of the valley we heard distinctly, and at no great distance, the +bellowing of a bull. Proceeding cautiously, with our rifles all +ready, we soon arrived at the spot, and there beheld a huge bull +tearing up the ground with his feet and horns, and bellowing in the +most savage manner. A shout of joy directed our attention among the +boughs of a low banksia tree, where our unfortunate friend Tom sat +painfully perched, only just out of reach of danger. The animal +below every now and then fell upon his knees, crushing and smashing +something which we had great difficulty in recognising as poor Tom's +rifle. + +"He is badly wounded," cried Tom, "pitch into him, and don't be afraid!" + +Without waiting for this exhortation, we let fly a volley, which +brought the animal down upon his knees; and after a few staggering +efforts to run at us, he sank to rise no more; whilst his first +assailant, Tom, slipped down from his perch, and limped towards the +remains of his rifle, execrating the dying bull in a furious manner, +and even venting his wrath in a kick. As Tom wore a red shirt that +only reached to his hips, he had no chance of concealing an enormous +rent in his nether garment, through which protruded the remains of a +shirt, which at the best of times was probably far from presenting +the appearance of virgin purity, but now was stained with blood. As +people in Tom's plight, when not seriously hurt, are usually more +laughed at than pitied, the chagrin of our friend enhanced the +interest with which we listened to his story. + +Knowing that there was no escape for the herd of cattle up the +valleys, as they terminated in steep rocks, and that therefore they +would either cross over the side of the hill, or return down the +first valley towards the plains, Tom hung back, leaving the rest of +the party to head them. After some time had elapsed, he +distinguished the bull and several cows trotting along the hill-side; +and hastening to meet them, he posted himself behind a tree, close to +which he saw they would soon pass. + +Anxious, however, to get a view of the game, he stepped out from his +ambush just as the bull had approached within fifty yards. Each saw +the other at the same moment. The bull stopped short, and Tom felt +rather queer. He did not like to fire at the vast head of the +animal, lest the ball should glance off without effect. The bull, +instead of turning aside, began to bellow and tear up the ground with +his hoofs. The cows stood still, and stared at Tom, who began to +think the state of his affairs looked gloomy; but he knew that his +best policy was to remain stock-still; so he looked at the bull and +the cows, and the bull and the cows looked at Tom. At length the +bull had sufficiently nerved his resolution, and began to advance, +tearing up the ground and bellowing as he came on. Tom took aim +between the shoulder-blade and the neck, and fired; the enemy +staggered, and roared with fury, rushing like a whirlwind upon Tom, +who took to his heels, and began dodging round the trees. But the +bull was in earnest; and savage with rage as a thousand lions, he +tore round the trees more quickly even than Tom, carrying his head +close to the ground, and his tail straight out behind, whilst his +eyes, Tom said, glared with such fury, that our poor friend's heart +froze up within him. Luckily he espied a banksia tree which seemed +easy to ascend; but just as he reached it the bull was upon him. +The bull roared, and Tom, roaring almost as loudly, made a spring +at the tree but slipped down again just upon the horns of the +animal. The next hoist, however, rent his garments, and lacerated a +portion of his person which he had always considered especially +sacred; but as the thrust heaved him upwards at the same time, and +gave a fresh impulse to his agility, he succeeded in scrambling +upon a bough that kept him just out of danger. No one may describe +the pangs of despair by which he was assailed when he beheld the +utter destruction of his only rifle. He threw his cap in the face +of the bull, but he only lost his cap as well as his rifle by this +rash and inconsiderate action, which was the highest proof he could +have given of the extremity of his distress. + +Poor Tom! he had often been made a butt of, but had never been so +butted before. + +The cup went merrily round that evening, and many and jovial were the +songs that were sung, and witty and pleasant were the jokes that +passed freely at the expense of the unfortunate 'tauricide', who, +bereft of his rifle, and dilapidated in reputation and pantaloons, +was heartily glad to be able to hide his sorrows in sleep. + + + +CHAPTER 14. + +WOODMAN'S POINT* + +[footnote] *This is a more sentimental story than that of Michael +Blake, but I owe them both to the same authority. + +There is a pleasant ride along the shore from Fremantle to a little +bay about seven miles distant, one side of which, covered with lofty +trees, runs far into the sea, and is called Woodman's Point. The sea +in this part appears to be only a few miles broad; Garden-island +forming the opposite shore, the southern extremity of which seems +almost to join Cape Perron, and thus presents the appearance of a +vast bay. Not long ago, the blackened remains of a small house, or +hovel, were to be seen on the verge of the wood, facing towards Cape +Perron. Around it might be distinguished the traces of a garden of +considerable extent; a few stunted vines still continued annually to +put forth the appearance of verdure, which served only to tempt the +appetite of the stray cattle that wandered down to this solitary +spot. A large bed of geraniums had extended itself across the path +which used to lead to the door of the house; and their varied and +beautiful flowers, rejoicing in this congenial climate, gave +additional melancholy to the scene. It was evident those plants had +been reared, and tended, and prized for their beauty; they had once +been carefully cultured, pruned, and watered -- now they were left to +bloom or to die, as accident permitted. Near to this bed of +geraniums, but apart and solitary, untouched even by weeds, of which +there were only few in that sandy soil, grew an English rose-tree. +Its long, unpruned boughs straggled wildly on the ground. It looked +the picture of desolation and despair. A few imperfect flowers +occasionally peeped forth, but knew only a short and precarious +existence, for the shrub being no longer sheltered behind the house, +was now exposed to the daily violence of the sea-breeze. + +This widowed rose, deprived of the hand which had tended it so +carefully, and of the heart which its beauty had gladdened, seemed +now in its careless desolation awaiting the hour when it should die. +It really looked, with its drooping boughs, its torn blossoms, and +its brown leaves, rustling and sighing to the breeze, like a sentient +being mourning without hope. Those who have never lived in exile +from their native land, can have no idea of the feelings with which a +lonely colonist, long separated from all the associations of home, +would regard a solitary plant which so peculiarly calls up home +memories. Pardon us, good reader, this appearance of sentiment; you +who will read these lines in Old England -- that land which we must +ever think of with pardonable emotion -- will evince but little +sympathy with us, who necessarily feel some fond regard for the +Mother from whom we are parted, and are naturally drawn towards the +inanimate things by which we are reminded of her. There is in this +colony of western Australia a single daisy root; and never was the +most costly hot-house plant in England so highly prized as this +humble little exile. The fortunate possessor pays it far more +attention than he bestows upon any of the gorgeous flowers that bloom +about it; and those who visit his garden of rare plants find nothing +there that fills them with so profound a feeling of interest as the +meek and lowly flower which recalls to their memories the pleasant +pastures of Old England. + +But to return to the ruins of Woodman's Point. This plot of land, +now so neglected and forlorn, was once the blooming garden of a very +singular old man, who owed his support to the vegetables which it +produced, and to the fish that he caught from the little cobble which +danced at anchor in the bay, whenever the weather permitted the +fisherman to exercise his art. No one knew his history, but his +conversation and deportment told you that he was of gentle birth, and +had been well educated. His manners were particularly amiable and +retiring, and every one who visited the solitary old man came away +impressed with a melancholy interest in his fate. + +He always welcomed a visitor with gentle pleasure, and seemed glad of +the opportunity of showing his crops of vegetables and the flowers in +which he delighted. + +The rose-tree never failed to arrest his steps for a moment. He had +brought it himself from England as a cutting, and there was evidently +some history attached to it; but he never shared his confidence with +any one; and the history of the rose-tree, like his own, was never +revealed. + +There was only one point on which he betrayed any feeling of pride -- +and that was his name. No one else would perhaps have been so proud +of it, but he himself ever seemed to regard it with veneration. + +He called himself Anthony Elisha Simson; and never failed to make you +observe that his patronymic was spelt without a "p". + +Nothing irritated him so much as to receive a note addressed, "A. E. +Simpson, Esq." + +The Simsons, he would assure you, were an old family in the northern +counties of England, and traced back their genealogy to the Conquest; +whereas the Simpsons were of quite a different, and doubtless +inferior origin. Nothing more than this did he ever relate +concerning his family or his personal history. + +He arrived in the colony a few years after its foundation, without +any other effects than what were contained in a portmanteau and +carpet-bag, and with only a few sovereigns in his purse. Without +associating himself with any one, he early fixed upon the spot where +he afterwards built his house, and established his permanent abode. +Here he began to make his garden, and did not disdain to earn a few +shillings occasionally by cutting fire-wood for a man who supplied +Fremantle with that necessary article. It was this occupation that +caused the settlers, who knew nothing more of him, to give him the +title of "The Woodman" -- a name which soon attached to the locality. + +After he had been some time in the colony, Mr. Simson began to +express great impatience for the arrival of letters from England. +Whenever a vessel arrived at the port, he would put on his old +shooting-coat, and walk along the shore to Fremantle, where, after +having inquired in vain at the post-office, he would purchase a pound +of tea, and then return home again. + +Years went by. Every time that a vessel arrived, poor Simson would +hurry to Fremantle. He would watch, with eyes of ill-repressed +eagerness, the mail carried to the post-office in boxes and large +sacks. Surely amid that multitude of letters there must be one for +him! Patiently would he wait for hours at the window, whilst the +post-master and his assistants sorted the letters; and when he had +received the usual answer to his inquiry, he would return to his +abode with down-cast looks. + +As time passed on he grew more fretful and impatient. Receiving no +intelligence from England, he seemed to be anxious to return thither. +He would drop expressions which led his visitors (generally +government officers who called upon him in their rides) to believe he +would depart from the colony were he rich enough to pay his passage, +or were he not restrained by some other powerful motive. + +His mind ran altogether upon the Old Country, and it was with +reluctance that he planted the vegetables and cured the fish which +were essential to his support. + +For many hours during the day he used to be seen standing fixed as a +sentinel on the low rock which formed the extremity of the ridge +called after himself -- the Woodman's Point -- and looking homewards. + +Doubtless, thought was busy within him -- the thought of all he had +left or acted there. None had written to him; none remembered or +perhaps wished to remember him. But home was in his heart, even +whilst he felt there was no longer a home for him. A restless +anxiety preyed upon his mind, and he grew thin and feeble; but still +whenever a sail was seen coming round the north end of Rottnest, and +approaching the port, he would seize his staff, and set out upon his +long journey to Fremantle to inquire if there were, at last, a letter +awaiting him. + +May we imagine the growing despair in the heart of this poor old +exile, as life seemed ebbing away, and yet there came no news, no +hope to him from home? Frequently he wrote himself, but always to +the same address -- that of a broker, it was supposed, in +Throgmorton-street. But no answer was ever returned. Had he no +children -- no friends? + +Naturally weak-minded, he had now grown almost imbecile; but his +manners were still so gentle, and every thing about him seemed to +betoken so amiable and so resigned a spirit, that those who visited +him could scarcely part again without tears. As he grew more feeble +in body, he became more anxious to receive a letter from home; he +expected that every one who approached his dwelling was the bearer of +the intelligence so long hoped for in vain; and he would hasten to +greet him at the gate with eager looks and flushed cheeks -- again +only to be disappointed. + +At length it was with difficulty that he tottered to the Point, to +look for a vessel which might bring him news. Although no ship had +arrived since he last sent to the post-office, he would urge his +visitor, though with hesitating earnestness, to be so good as to call +there on his return, and ascertain if by chance a letter were not +awaiting him. He said he felt that his hour was approaching, but he +could not bear to think of setting out on that long journey without +having once heard from home. Sometimes he muttered, as it were to +himself, that treachery had been practised against him, and he would +go and expose it; but he never allowed himself to indulge long in +this strain. Sometimes he would try to raise money enough by drawing +bills to pay his passage, but no one would advance anything upon them. + +Daily he became more feeble, and men began to talk of sending him a +nurse. The last visitor who beheld him alive, found him seated in +the chair which he had himself constructed, and appearing less +depressed than usual. He said he expected soon to receive news from +home, and smiled with child-like glee. His friend helped him to walk +as far as the rose-tree, which was then putting forth its buds. +"Promise," said the old man, laying his trembling hand upon the +other's arm, "promise that when I am gone you will come and see them +in full blow? Promise! you will make me happy." + +The next day they sent a lad from Fremantle to attend upon him. The +boy found him seated in his chair. He was dead. A mound of earth at +the foot of a mahogany-tree, still marks the spot where he was +buried. Those 'friends' at home who neglected or repulsed him when +living, may by chance meet with this record from the hand of a +stranger -- but it will not move them; nor need it now. + + + +CHAPTER 15. + +HOW THE LAWS OF ENGLAND AFFECT THE NATIVES. + +The native population of our colony are said to be a much more +peaceable and harmless race than those of any other part of +Australia. In the early days of the settlement they caused a good +deal of trouble, and were very destructive to the pigs and sheep of +the colonists; but a little well-timed severity, and a steadily +pursued system of government, soon reduced them into well-conducted +subjects of the British Crown. There appears, however, to be little +hope of civilizing them, and teaching them European arts and habits. +Those of mature age, though indolent, and seldom inclined to be +useful in the smallest degree, are peaceful in their habits; and when +in want of a little flour will exert themselves to earn it, by +carrying letters, shooting wild ducks with a gun lent to them, +driving home cattle, or any other easy pursuit; but they appear to be +incapable of elevation above their original condition. Considerable +pains have been bestowed (especially by the Wesleyans) upon the +native children, many of whom are educated in schools at Perth, +Fremantle, and other places, in the hope of making them eventually +useful servants to the settlers. Most of these, however, betake +themselves to the bush, and resume their hereditary pursuits, just at +the age when it is hoped they will become useful. Very frequently +they die at that age of mesenteric disorders; and very few indeed +become permanently civilized in their habits. + +Nothing could be more anomalous and perplexing than the position of +the Aborigines as British subjects. Our brave and conscientious +Britons, whilst taking possession of their territory, have been most +careful and anxious to make it universally known, that Australia is +not a conquered country; and successive Secretaries of State, who +write to their governors in a tone like that in which men of sour +tempers address their maladroit domestics, have repeatedly commanded +that it must never be forgotten "that our possession of this +territory is based on a right of occupancy." + +A "right of occupancy!" Amiable sophistry! Why not say boldly at +once, the right of power? We have seized upon the country, and shot +down the inhabitants, until the survivors have found it expedient to +submit to our rule. We have acted exactly as Julius Caesar did when +he took possession of Britain. But Caesar was not so hypocritical as +to pretend any moral right to possession. On what grounds can we +possibly claim a right to the occupancy of the land? We are told, +because civilized people are justified in extending themselves over +uncivilized countries. According to this doctrine, were there a +nation in the world superior to ourselves in the arts of life, and of +a different religious faith, it would be equally entitled (had it the +physical power) to the possession of Old England under the "right of +occupancy;" for the sole purpose of our moral and social improvement, +and to make us participants in the supposed truths of a new creed. + +We have a right to our Australian possessions; but it is the right of +Conquest, and we hold them with the grasp of Power. Unless we +proceed on this foundation, our conduct towards the native population +can be considered only as a monstrous absurdity. However Secretaries +of State may choose to phrase the matter, we can have no other right +of occupancy. We resolve to found a colony in a country, the +inhabitants of which are not strong enough to prevent our so doing, +though they evince their repugnance by a thousand acts of hostility. + +We build houses and cultivate the soil, and for our own protection we +find it necessary to declare the native population subject to our +laws. + +This would be an easy and simple matter were it the case of +conquerors dictating to the conquered; but our Secretaries of State, +exhibiting an interesting display of conscientiousness and timidity, +shrink from the responsibility of having sanctioned a conquest over a +nation of miserable savages, protected by the oracles at Exeter Hall, +and reject with sharp cries of anger the scurrilous imputation. +Instead, therefore, of being in possession by right of arms, we +modestly appropriate the land to ourselves, whilst making the most +civil assurances that we take not this liberty as conquerors, but +merely in order to gratify a praiseworthy desire of occupying the +country. We then declare ourselves seised in fee by right of +occupancy. But now comes the difficulty. What right have we to +impose laws upon people whom we profess not to have conquered, and +who have never annexed themselves or their country to the British +Empire by any written or even verbal treaty? + +And if this people and country be not subject to our rule by +conquest, and have never consented or desired (but the contrary) to +accept of our code of laws, and to submit themselves to our +authority, are they really within the jurisdiction of the laws of +England -- 'especially for offences committed inter se?' + +Such is the anomalous position in which the native inhabitants are +placed through the tender consciences of our rulers at home. A +member of a tribe has been speared by one of another tribe, who +happens to be patronized by a farm-settler, and is occasionally +useful in hunting-up stray cattle. The friends of the dead man +proceed to punish the assassin according to their own hereditary +laws; they surprise him suddenly, and spear him. The farmer writes +an account of the fact to the Protector of Natives at Perth; and this +energetic individual, rising hastily from dinner, calls for his +horse, and endowing himself with a blue woollen shirt, and a pair of +dragoon spurs, with a blanket tied round his waist, fearlessly +commits himself to the forest, and repairs to the scene of slaughter. + +He learns from the mouth of the farm-settler, that the facts are +really what he had been already apprised of by letter; and then, +having left word that the offender may be caught as soon as possible, +and forwarded to Fremantle gaol, he hastens back again to his anxious +family; and the next morning delivers a suitable report to his +Excellency the Governor of all that he has performed. In course of +time the native is apprehended -- betrayed by a friend for a pound of +flour -- and brought to the bar of justice. His natural defence +would be that he certainly slew an enemy, as he is accused of having +done, but then it was a meritorious and necessary act; he glories in +it; his own laws required that he should slay the murderer of his +relative; and his own laws, therefore, accuse him not. What are +English customs, prejudices, or laws to him? He is not a British +subject, for he is not the inhabitant of a conquered country (as +English governors tell him), nor has he, or any of his tribe or +complexion, consented or wished to be placed under the protection of +our laws. Why, then, should he be violently dragged from the arms of +his 'wilgied' squaws, and his little pot-bellied piccaninnies, and +required to plead for his life in the midst of a large room filled +with frowning white faces? Much obliged is he to the judge, who +kindly tells him, through the interpreter, that he is not bound to +convict himself, and need not acknowledge anything that may operate +to his disadvantage in the minds of the jury. + +The unfortunate savage disregards the friendly caution, and heeds it +not; he maintains, stoutly, that he 'gidgied' Womera through the +back, because Womera had 'gidgied' Domera through the belly. He +enters into minute details to the gentlemen of the jury of the manner +in which these slaughters were effected, and describes the extent and +direction of the wounds, and every other interesting particular that +occurs to him. The gentlemen of the jury, after duly considering the +case, return (of necessity) a verdict of "Wilful murder," and the +judge pronounces sentence of death -- which is afterwards commuted by +the Governor to transportation for life to the Isle of Rottnest. + +Now if our laws had been imposed upon this people as a conquered +nation, or if they had annexed themselves and their country to our +rule and empire by anything like a treaty, all these proceedings +would be right and proper. But as it is, we are two nations +occupying the same land, and we have no more right to try them by our +laws for offences committed 'inter se', than they have to seize and +spear an Englishman, according to their law, because he has laid +himself open to an action of 'crim. con.' at the suit of his +next-door neighbour. + +Look at the question in another point of view. Is jurisdiction a +necessary incident of sovereignty? Do a people become subject to our +laws by the very act of planting the British standard on the top of a +hill? If so, they have been subject to them from the days of Captain +Cook; and the despatches of Her Majesty's Secretaries of State, +declaring that the natives should be considered amenable to our laws +for all offences which they might commit among themselves, were very +useless compositions. We claim the sovereignty, yet we disclaim +having obtained it by conquest; we acknowledge that it was not by +treaty; we should be very sorry to allow that it was by fraud; and +how, in the name of wonder, then, can we defend our claim? +Secretaries of State have discovered the means, and tell us that Her +Majesty's claim to possession and sovereignty is "based on a right of +occupancy." Jurisdiction, however, is not the necessary incident of +territorial sovereignty, unless that sovereignty were acquired by +conquest or treaty. We question, indeed, whether it is the necessary +consequence even of conquest -- the laws of the conqueror must first +be expressly imposed. The old Saxon laws prevailed among the people +of England after the Conquest, until the Norman forms were expressly +introduced. + +It is well known in colonies, that the laws propounded in certain +despatches are more powerful, and more regarded and reverenced, than +any others, human or divine. A kind of moral gun-cotton, they drive +through the most stupendous difficulties, and rend rocks that +appeared to be insuperable barriers in the eyes of common sense or +common justice. Judges are compelled to yield to their authority, +and do violence to their own consciences whilst they help to lay the +healing unction to those of their lawgivers. + +The most convenient and the most sensible proceeding, on the part of +our rulers at home, would be to consider this country in the light of +a recent conquest. Instead of declaring, as now, that the natives +are to be treated in every way as British subjects -- thus making +them amenable to the English law in all its complexity, whilst their +own laws and habits are so entirely opposite in character -- it would +be better to pass a few simple ordinances, in the nature of military +law, which would be intelligible to the natives themselves, and which +would avoid the difficulty of applying the cumbrous machinery of our +criminal code to the government of savages who can never be made to +comprehend its valuable properties. It is most essential that the +natives who commit offences against the persons or property of the +whites should be brought to punishment. At the same time it is most +difficult to establish the guilt of the party accused, according to +the strict rules of legal evidence. The only witnesses, probably, +were natives, who understand not the nature of an oath, and who lie +like the Prince of Darkness whenever they have wit enough to perceive +it is their interest to do so. In general, the only chance of +obtaining a legal conviction is through the confession of the +prisoner; and as it is most desirable that he should be convicted, +when there is no moral doubt of his guilt, as his acquittal would be +looked upon as a triumph by his fellows, and make them more daring in +their opposition to the law, very little delicacy is used in +obtaining that confession. + +Were the prisoner defended by counsel, who did his duty to his +client, without regard to the interests of the public, the guilty +person would escape in almost every instance. As it is, the law is +outraged, and a trial by jury made an occasion of mockery and gross +absurdity, in order to obtain a conviction which is necessary to the +welfare of the white population. Nothing would be more easy than to +legislate for the proper government of the Aborigines; but you must +begin 'de novo', and throw aside with scorn the morbid sentimentality +that refuses to look upon those as a conquered people, whom, +nevertheless, it subjects to the heavy thraldom of laws which they +are not yet fitted to endure. + + + +CHAPTER 16. + +REMARKS ON THE PHYSICAL ORGANIZATION OF THE NATIVES. + +The native inhabitants of Western Australia are only superior in the +scale of human beings to the Bosjemans of Southern Africa. Their +intellectual capacity appears to be very small, and their physical +structure is extremely feeble. In some respects the Australian +peculiarly assimilates to two of the five varieties of the human +race. In the form of his face and the texture of his hair he +resembles the Malay; in the narrow forehead, the prominent +cheek-bones, and the knees turned in, he approaches towards the +Ethiopian.* There is a remarkable difference between the jaws and +teeth of the Australian and those of any other existing race. The +incisores are thick and round, not, as usual, flattened into edges, +but resembling truncated cones; the cuspidati are not pointed, but +broad and flat on the masticating surface, like the neighbouring +bicuspides. This may be attributable to mechanical attrition, +depending on the nature of the food which the teeth are employed in +masticating. The upper does not overlap the under jaw, but the teeth +meet at their surfaces. This peculiarity of teeth has been noticed +by Blumenbach as a characteristic of the Egyptian mummy; but he +thinks the nature of the food not sufficient to account for it, and +imagines it to depend on a natural variety. He observes, that +"although it seemed most easy to account for this appearance by +attributing it to the nature of the food used by the Egyptians, yet +the generality of its occurrence in Egyptian mummies, and its absence +in other races, are remarkable; and it affords some probability that +the peculiarity depends upon a natural variety."** A constant +uniformity in the structure and arrangement of the teeth is an +important particular in the identification of species; and if any +human race were found to deviate materially in its dentition from the +rest of mankind, the fact would give rise to a strong suspicion of a +real specific diversity. I have examined the teeth of infants and +children, and found them in every respect similar to those of +Europeans of similar ages. Moreover, the process of degradation may +be traced in natives of different ages up to the teeth worn to the +level of the gums in the old man. I therefore consider it the effect +of attrition; but it becomes an interesting question to determine +what may be the nature of the food which produced the same character +in the ancient Egyptian and the modern Australian. Did the fathers +of science live on barks and roots, like the wretched Australian? +Although attrition may cause this singular appearance of the teeth, +the real question is, why does the lower jaw so perfectly and exactly +meet its fellow? And is this confined to these two examples? + + +[footnote] *The observations in this chapter were contributed by +Henry Landor, Esq., Colonial Surgeon on the Gold Coast, who resided +five years among the natives of Western Australia, and is intimately +acquainted with all their habits and peculiarities. + + +[footnote] **In a former chapter (13.) I have expressed an opinion +that the natives are descended from the old inhabitants of India, +which I think is exceedingly probable. It is interesting to +remember, that the ancient Egyptians are supposed to have originally +come from the same country. + + +There is no fixed law determining invariably the human stature, +although there is a standard, as in other animals, from which +deviations are not very considerable in either direction. Some +varieties exceed, others fall short of, the ordinary stature in a +small degree. The source of these deviations is in the breed; they +are quite independent of external influences. + +In all the five human varieties, some nations are conspicuous for +height and strength, others for lower stature and inferior muscular +power; but in no case is the peculiarity confined to any particular +temperature, climate, or mode of life. The Australians, in general, +are of a moderate stature, with slender limbs, thin arms, and long +taper fingers. Although in general stature there is nothing to +distinguish one variety of man from another, yet in the comparative +length of the different parts of the human frame there are striking +differences. In the highest and most intellectual variety (the +Caucasian) the arm (os humeri) exceeds the fore-arm in length by two +or three inches -- in none less than two inches. In monkeys the +fore-arm and arm are of the same length, and in some monkeys the +fore-arm is the longer. In the Negro, the 'ulna', the longest bone +of the fore-arm, is nearly of the same length as the 'os humeri', the +latter being from one to two inches longer. In a Negro in the +lunatic asylum of Liverpool (says Mr. White) the ulna was twelve and +a half inches, and the humerus only thirteen and a half. In the +Australian, the ulna in some I have measured was ten and a half, +nine, ten, eleven and a half; the humerus was in those individuals +respectively eleven and a half, ten and a half, eleven and a half, +twelve and a half. Thus, in none of the measurements did the humerus +exceed the ulna two inches, which in the Caucasian variety is the +lowest number. In all the black races the arm is longer in +proportion to the stature than in the white. The length of the leg +of the Australian averages thirty-six inches; in one man it was only +thirty-three and a half, and the tibia of that man measured sixteen +and a half, leaving only seventeen to the femur -- a very remarkable +disproportion. + +Thus in the proportion of their limbs, the Australian ranks far below +the European; nay, even below the Negro, and approaches far nearer to +the simiae than any of the other races of mankind. Perron, in his +voyage, made an estimate of the average strength of the arms and +loins of the Australian, and of some French and English; this is the +result in French measures: -- + + ARMS. LOINS. + Kilogrammes. Myriagrammes. +Australian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50.8 . . . . . . . .10.2 +Natives of Timor . . . . . . . . . . . 58.7 . . . . . . . 11.6 +French . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69.2 . . . . . . . .15.2 +English . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71.4 . . . . . . . .16.3 + +Thus in whatever manner the capacity of the race is tested, its +inferiority is strikingly exhibited. We shall find, when examining +the skull, that the coronal suture falls on the temporal instead of +the sphenoid bone, which is one of the strongest marks of the simiae, +and does not occur in other human skulls. + +I have no desire to place the Australian lower in the scale of +intelligence than he is fairly entitled to rank, but I cannot shut my +eyes to facts; and if his organization is in conformity with his +inferiority, there he must rank, in spite of the wishes of his +warmest friends. At the same time I agree with the most enthusiastic +philanthropist that no attempt should be left untried to amend his +condition, and bestow upon him the blessings which Providence has +lavished upon us; but I cannot help fearing the result will be +disappointment. A fair comparative experiment says Mr. Lawrence, has +been made of the white and dark races of North America; and no trial +in natural philosophy has had a more unequivocal result. The native +races have not advanced a single step in 300 years; neither example +nor persuasion has induced them, except in very small numbers and in +few instances, to exchange the precarious supply of hunting, and +fishing for agriculture and the arts of settled life. + +The colour of the skin is chocolate, and resembles the Malay, +although perhaps a little darker. The colour of the skin is, of +course, greatly dependent upon the nature of the climate and the +constant exposure of the surface of the body to the sun; the parts +under the arms are of a brighter colour than those more exposed. We +find in human races, as in vegetation, that every successive level +alters its character; thus indicating that the state of the +temperature of high regions assimilates to high latitudes. If, +therefore, complexions depend upon climate and external conditions, +we should expect to find them varying in reference to elevation of +surface; and if they should be actually found to undergo such +variations, this will be a strong argument in favour of the +supposition that these external characters do in fact depend upon +local conditions. The Swiss in the high mountains above the plains +of Lombardy have sandy or brown hair. What a contrast presents +itself to the traveller in the Milanese, where the peasants have +black hair and almost Oriental features! The Basques, of the tracts +approaching the Pyrenees, says Colonel Napier, are a strikingly +different people from the inhabitants of the low parts around, +whether Spaniards or Biscayans. They are finely made, tall men, with +aquiline noses, fair complexions, light eyes, and flaxen hair; +instead of the swarthy complexion, black hair, and dark eyes of the +Castilian. And in Africa what striking differences of complexion +exist between the Negro of the plains and of the mountains, even +whilst the osteology is the same, therefore I pass over the hair and +skin of the Australian as parts too much subjected to the influence +of climate to afford means of legitimate deduction. It is the general +opinion that these natives are not a long-lived race. The poverty of +their food may account for this, together with the want of shelter +from the vicissitudes of the climate. The care taken by civilized +man to preserve health is, by increasing susceptibility, the +indirect cause of disease; the more rigid is the observance of +regimen, the more pernicious will be the slightest aberration from +it; but a total disregard of all the comforts of regular food, and +efficient shelter, the habit of cramming the stomach when food is +plentiful, and of enduring long abstinence when it cannot be +procured, has a far more baneful effect upon the human constitution +than all the excesses of the white man. As man recedes from one +hastener of destruction, he inevitably approaches another: + + "Gross riot treasures up a wealthy fund + Of plagues, but more immedicable ills + Attend the lean extreme." + +I have observed that the natives mix the gum of certain trees with +the bark, and masticate both together. This is attributed to the +difficulty of masticating the gum alone; but I am persuaded that it +has another cause also, and that it arises from that experience of +the necessity of an additional stimulus to the digestive organ which +has taught the Esquimaux and Ottomacs to add sawdust or clay to their +train-oil. It arises from the fact that (paradoxical as it may +appear) an animal may be starved by giving it continually too simple +and too nutritious food; aliment in such a state of condensation does +not impart the necessary stimulus, which requires to be partly +mechanical and partly chemical, and to be exerted at once on the +irritability of the capillaries of the stomach to promote its +secretions, and on the muscular fibres to promote its +contractions. + +I shall now point out the difference between the Australian skull +and those of some other races, without giving a description of skulls +in general, which would unnecessarily lengthen these observations. +"Of all the peculiarities in the form of the bony fabric, those of +the skull are the most striking and distinguishing. It is in the +head that we find the varieties most strongly characteristic of the +different races. The characters of the countenance, and the shape of +the features depend chiefly on the conformation of the bones of the +head." + +The Australian skull belongs to that variety called the prognathous, +or narrow elongated variety; yet it is not so striking an example of +this variety as the Negro skull. If the skull be held in the hand so +that the observer look upon the vertex, the first point he remarks is +the extreme narrowness of the frontal bone, and a slight bulging +where the parietal and occipital bones unite. He also sees +distinctly through the zygomatic arches on both sides, which in the +European skull is impossible, as the lateral portions of the frontal +bone are more developed. The summit of the head rises in a +longitudinal ridge in the direction of the sagittal suture; so that +from the sagittal suture to that portion of the cranium where the +diameter is greatest the head slopes like the roof of a house. The +forehead is generally flat; the upper jaw rather prominent; the +frontal sinuses large; the occipital bone is flat, and there is a +remarkable receding of the bone from the posterior insertion of the +'occipitofrontalis' muscle to the 'foramen magnum'. It is a peculiar +character of the Australian skull to have a very singular depression +at the junction of the nasal bones with the nasal processes of the +frontal bone. This may be seen in an engraving in Dr. Pritchard's +work. I have before described the teeth, and mentioned the +remarkable junction of the temporal and parietal bones at the coronal +suture, and consequently the complete separation of the sphenoid from +the parietal, which in European skulls meet for the space of nearly +half an inch. Professor Owen has observed this conformation in six +out of seven skulls of young chimpanzees, and Professor Mayo has also +noticed it in the skulls he has examined. But although this is a +peculiarity found in this race alone, it is not constant. I have a +skull in which the sphenoid touches the parietal on one side, whilst +on the other they are separated a sixth of an inch; and in the +engraving, before referred to, the bones are slightly separated, but +by no means to the extent that they are in European skulls. The +super and infra orbital foramina are very large, and the orbits are +broad, with the orbital ridge sharp and prominent. All the foramina +for the transmission of the sensiferous nerves are large, the +auditory particularly so; while the foramen, through which the +carotid artery enters the skull, is small. The mastoid processes are +large, which might be expected, as their hearing is acute. The +styloid process is small; in monkeys it is wanting. The position of +the 'foramen magnum', as in all savage tribes, is more behind the +middle transverse diameter than in Europeans; but this arises in a +great measure, though not entirely, from the prominence of the +alveolar processes of the upper jaw. Owing to constant exposure to +all seasons, the skulls of savages are of greater density, and weigh +heavier than those of Europeans: -- + + Avoirdupois. + lb. oz. +Skull of a Greek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 11 1/2 + " Negro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 + " Mulatto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 10 + " Chinese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 7 1/2 + " Gipsy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 0 + " Australian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 12 1/2 + +Upon an examination of the foregoing points of diversity, it is +unquestionable that the Australian skull is inferior in development +to the European, and the capacity of the cranium of much less. + + + +CHAPTER 17. + +SKETCHES OF LIFE AMONG THE NATIVES. + +The Natives have very few traditions, and most of those which they +relate resemble the disconnected phantasies of a dream rather than +the record of a series of facts. + +They have some indistinct ideas about Chingi, the Evil Spirit, but no +notion whatever of a Supreme God. When first the English arrived, +many of the Aborigines considered them to be the spirits of their +deceased relatives; and some of them fancied they could trace the +features of former friends in the lineaments of individuals among the +whites. One of these natives, still living, has more than once told +me that his late uncle is now a certain eloquent and popular member +of the Legislative Council. The nephew and resuscitated uncle +occasionally meet, when the former never fails to claim the +relationship, which the latter good-humouredly acknowledges; and the +relatives separate with mutual expressions of politeness and +good-will. + +One of their most remarkable and most intelligible traditions was +recorded some time ago in the 'Perth Inquirer', by Mr. Armstrong, +Interpreter to the Natives. + +It is as follows: -- +"The natives assert that they have been told from age to age, that +when man first began to exist, there were two beings, male and +female, named Wal-lyne-up (the father) and Doronop (the mother); that +they had a son called Biu-dir-woor, who received a deadly wound, +which they carefully endeavoured to heal, but without success; +whereupon it was declared by Wal-lyne-up, that all who came after him +should also die in like manner. Could the wound have been healed in +this case, being the first, the natives think death would have had no +power over them. The place where the scene occurred, and where +Bin-dir-woor was buried, the natives imagine to have been on the +southern plains, between Clarence and the Murray; and the instrument +used is said to have been a spear thrown by some unknown being, and +directed by some supernatural power. The tradition goes on to state +that Bin-dir-woor, the son, although deprived of life and buried in +his grave, did not remain there, but arose and went to the west; to +the unknown land of spirits across the sea. The parents followed +after their son, but (as the natives suppose) were unable to prevail +upon him to return, and they have remained with him ever since." + +The following is one of their fables: -- The kangaroo was originally +blind, and could only walk or crawl. The frog seeing it so much at +the mercy of its enemies, took compassion on it, and anointed the +sightless eyeballs of the kangaroo with its saliva, and told it to +hop as he did. The kangaroo did so, and is now become the most +difficult animal in the world to catch. + +Besides Chingi, the evil spirit who haunts the woods, there is +another in the shape of an immense serpent, called Waugul, that +inhabits solitary pools. Snakes that frequent both water and land, +of great size -- twenty feet long, according to some authorities -- +have been occasionally seen, and give a colour to this belief of the +natives. One day, whilst bivouacking at a lonely and romantic spot, +in a valley of rocks, situated some forty miles north of Perth, +called the 'Dooda-mya', or the Abode of Dogs, I desired a native to +lead my horse to a pool, and let him drink. The man, however, +declined with terror, refusing to go near the pool, which was +inhabited by the Waugul. I therefore had to take my horse myself to +the spot, whilst the native stood aloof, fully expecting that the +Waugul would seize him by the nose and pull him under water. + +The natives are polygamists. Each male is entitled to all the +females who are related to him in a certain degree. A newly-born +child is therefore the betrothed spouse of a man who may be thirty +years of age, and who claims her from her parents so soon as she is +marriageable -- when she is twelve years old, or earlier. Some men +have, consequently, four or six wives of various ages, whilst others +have none at all. The latter are therefore continually engaged in +stealing the wives of other people. + +This causes incessant wars among the tribes. When the legitimate +husband recovers his wife, he does not restore her to the full +enjoyment of domestic happiness, until he has punished her for +eloping. This he does by thrusting a spear through the fleshy part +of her leg or thigh. + +The natives are very good-natured to one another; sharing their +provisions and kangaroo-skin cloaks without grudging. The head of a +family takes the half-baked duck, opossum, or wild-dog, from the +fire, and after tearing it in pieces with his teeth, throws the +fragments into the sand for his wives and children to pick up. They +are very fond of rice and sugar; and bake dampers from flour, making +them on a corner of their cloaks. + +Fish and other things are frequently baked in the bark of the paper-tree. + +The following observations have been sent to me by my youngest +brother: "Every tribe possesses a certain tract of country which is +called after the name of the tribe -- as Moenaing Budja -- the +Moenai-men's ground. They are not always very particular about +trespassing on their neighbour's territory. Many of the colonists +say that each tribe has its chief or king; but among all whom I have +seen, I never could discover that they paid any particular respect to +one individual, though they appear to reverence old age; and I have +frequently seen a party of young men, alternately carrying an old +grey-headed patriarch during their excursions from one encampment to +another. + +"They have no religion whatever, but they believe in some kind of an +evil spirit. I have often tried to discover, but could never clearly +understand, whether they believe in only one all-powerful evil +spirit, or whether it is merely the spirits of their departed friends +that they fear; or, (as I am inclined to believe) they fear both; and +for these reasons: -- wherever there is a large encampment of +natives, each family has its own private fire and hut, but you will +always perceive another fire about one hundred yards from the camp, +which apparently belongs to no one; but which the old hags take care +shall never go out during the night; for they will frequently get up +and replenish that fire, when they are too lazy to fetch fuel for +their own. They call that Chingi's fire; and they believe if he +comes in the night he will sit quietly by his own fire and leave them +undisturbed. That they likewise believe in the reappearance of +departed spirits, may be easily proved by the manner and the +formalities with which they bury their dead. In the first place they +cut off the hair and beard; they then break his finger-joints and tie +the thumb and fore-finger of the right hand together; so that if he +rise again, he may not have the power to use a spear and revenge +himself. They then break his spears, throwing-stick, and all his +other implements of war, and throw them into the grave, over which +they build a hut; and a fire is kept lighted for a certain length of +time. It is likewise customary for his wife or nearest relation, if +at any future period they should happen to pass near the grave, to +repair the hut, rekindle the fire, and utter a long rigmarole to the +departed, to induce him to lie still, and not come back and torment +them. Nothing will induce a stranger to go near a new grave, or to +mention the name of the departed for a long time after his death. +They always speak of him as So-and-so's brother, or father. If the +deceased be the father of a family, it is the duty of his eldest son, +or nearest relation, to avenge his death by killing one of the next, +or any other tribe; and this often leads to furious battles or +cold-blooded murders; for they are by no means particular whether it +be man, woman, or child who is the victim; and it is generally the +poor women who suffer on these occasions; the men being too cowardly, +unless under the influence of very strong passion, to attack those of +equal strength with themselves. The women do all the work, such as +building huts, carrying water, digging up roots, and procuring grubs +out of the wattle and grass-trees. I have seen a poor unfortunate +woman marching twenty miles a-day, with (at least) a hundred +pounds'-weight on her back, including the child and all their +effects; whilst the husband has been too lazy to carry even his +cloak. A hunting excursion with a large party of natives is capital +sport. They choose, if possible, a valley, at one end of which they +station ten or twenty of the most expert spearmen; with whom, if you +want any fun, you must station yourself, taking care to remain +concealed. All the juveniles of the party then start off, and make a +circuit of many miles in extent, shouting and hallooing the whole +time. They form a semicircle, and drive all the kangaroos before +them down the valley, to the spot where the old hunters are placed. +Then comes the tug of war, the crashing of bushes, the flying of +spears, and the thump, thump of the kangaroos, as they come tearing +along, sometimes in hundreds, from the old grey grandfather of six +feet high, to the little picanniny of twelve inches, who has tumbled +out of his mother's pouch; and numbers fall victims to the ruthless +arms of the hunters. The evening terminates with a grand feast and a +corrobery." + + +[etching opposite p. 214 "Spearing Kangaroos"] + +Each tribe has its doctor, or wise man, who is supposed to have +supernatural powers of healing wounds, and is the oracle of the +tribe. One of these fellows described to me the mode of his +initiation. He said his father, himself a wise man, took him one +night to the edge of a steep hill, where he left him lying wrapped in +his kangaroo-skin cloak. He was very much frightened, but durst not +stir. During the night Chingi came and tried to throw him down the +hill, and to strangle him, but did not succeed. Chingi was like +something very black. He afterwards came again, and told him a great +many secrets; and thus is was that my informant became a doctor and a +wise man. I think I have heard of people obtaining the power of +second sight in the Isle of Skye by lying on a rock all night, +wrapped in a bull's hide, and receiving a visit from the devil. The +similarity between these initiatory processes struck me forcibly. + + + +CHAPTER 18. + +THE MODEL-KINGDOM. + +A well-governed colony is the Model of a great kingdom. As in the +case of other models, every part of the machinery by which it is +moved is placed at once before the eye of the spectator. In a great +empire, the springs of action are concealed; the public behold only +the results, and can scarcely guess how those results were brought +about. In a colony, every one stands so close to the little machine +of Government, that he can readily discern how it is made to work, +and therefore takes a more lively interest in the working of it. The +model has its representative of a sovereign; its Ministers, who +comprise the Executive Council with the Colonial Secretary as +Premier; its Parliament, the Legislative Assembly; its Bishop of +London, who is represented by the Colonial Chaplain, the dignitary of +the Church in those parts. In the Legislative Assembly there are the +Government party, consisting of the Colonial Secretary and the +Attorney General, who prove their loyalty and devotion by adhering to +His Excellency the Governor on every division, and (according to +general belief) would rather vote against their own measures than +against the representative of their Queen. Then there is the popular +party, consisting of the popular member, who speaks at random on +either side of the debate, but invariably votes against the +Government, in order to maintain inviolate the integrity of his +principles. We have also the Judge, or Lord chancellor, the great +Law officer of the Crown, who sits silently watching the progress of +a Bill, as it steals gently forward towards the close of the second +reading; and then suddenly pounces upon it, to the consternation of +his Excellency, and the delight of the popular member, and tears it +in pieces with his sharp legal teeth, whilst he shows that it is in +its scope and tendency contrary to the Law of England in that case +provided, and is besides impossible to be carried out in the present +circumstances of the Colony. The Model Nation has its national debt +of one thousand pounds, due to the Commissariat chest; and this +burthen of the State costs his Excellency many a sleepless night, +spent in vain conjectures as to the best mode of relieving the +financial embarrassments. + +It is pleasant to learn from the model, how Government patronage is +disposed of in the Parent country. Kindly motives, however, which +never appear in the arrangements of the latter, are always +conspicuous in a colony. A public work is sometimes created for the +sole purpose of saving an unfortunate mechanic from the horrors of +idleness; and a debt due to the State is occasionally discharged by +three months' washing of a Privy Councillor's shirts. + +Then we have the exact fac-simile of a Royal Court, with its levees +and drawing-rooms, where his Excellency displays the utmost extent of +his affability, and his lady of her queenly airs. There may be seen, +in all its original freshness and vigour, the smiling hatred of rival +ladies, followed by their respective trains of admirers; whilst the +full-blown dames of Members of Council elbow their way, with all the +charming confidence of rank, towards the vicinity of her who is the +cynosure of all eyes. The early levees of the first Governor of +Western Australia were held in a dry swamp, near the centre of the +present town of Perth. His Excellency, graciously bowing beneath the +shade of a banksia tree, received with affability those who were +introduced to him, as they stumbled into his presence over tangled +brushwood, and with difficulty avoided the only humiliation that is +scorned by English courtiers -- that of the person. + +Ladies, in struggling through the thorny brake, had sometimes to +labour under the double embarrassment of a ragged reputation and +dress. To appear before the Presence, under such circumstances, with +a smiling countenance, proved the triumph of feminine art, and of +course excited general admiration. But this was in the early days of +the settlement. We have now a handsome Government-house, where +ladies who attend drawing-rooms incur no danger of any kind. + +From the financial difficulties of a small colony you may form some +idea of the troubles of the Chancellor of the Exchequer at home. And +yet there is less financial talent required to raise five hundred +thousand pounds in England than five hundred in an impoverished +colony. In the former country only a few voices, comparatively, are +raised in expostulation; and no one cares about them, if Mr. Hume +could be gagged, and the other patriots in the Commons. But in a +colony! threaten to raise the price of sugar by the imposition of +another half-penny per pound, and the whole land will be heaved as +though by an earthquake. Not only will the newspapers pour forth a +terrific storm of denunciations against a treacherous Government, but +every individual of the public will take up the matter as a personal +injury, and roar out his protest against so monstrous a political +crime. Those who called most loudly for the erection of a necessary +bridge, will be most indignant when asked next year to contribute +towards its cost. + +The Governor of a colony should not only be a good financier, but if +he would avoid the bitter pangs of repentance, must possess great +firmness in resisting the innumerable calls upon the Government purse. + +His Excellency may lay his account to being daily vituperated for not +consenting to the construction of this or that national work, but he +will be still more taken to task when the melancholy duty of paying +for it becomes imperative, and is found to be unavoidable. + +It is the general belief, that in a colony we are altogether out of +the world; but it has always appeared to me, that within the narrow +confines of one of those epitomes of a kingdom we may see more of the +world than when standing on the outer edge of society in England. + +A man thinks himself in the midst of the world in Great Britain, +because he reads the newspapers and knows what is passing and being +enacted around him. But the same newspapers are read with equal +diligence in a colony, and the same knowledge is acquired there, +though some three months later. To read the newspapers, and to hang, +close as a burr, upon the skirts of society, is not to be in the +world. The world is, in truth, the heart of Man; and he knows most +of the World who knows most of his species. And where, alas! may +this knowledge, so painful and so humiliating, be better acquired +than in a colony? There we have the human heart laid open before us +without veil or disguise: there we see it in all its coarseness, its +selfishness, its brutality. + +How many fine natures, cultivated, delicate, and generous, have gone +forth from their native land, full of high resolves, only to perish +in the mephitic atmosphere of a colony! + +There we find whatever there is of good and bad in human nature +brought immediately before our eyes. It is a school of moral +anatomy, in which we study subjects whose outer covering has been +removed, and where the inner machinery (fearful to see!) is left +exposed. + +A knowledge of the world! if we gain it not in a colony, it must ever +remain a sealed book to us. + +We shall leave but a bad impression on the mind of the reader in +concluding this short chapter with these sombre observations; but we +would not leave him without hope. Time will remedy all this. Some +moral evils correct themselves; as the water of the Nile becomes pure +again after it has gone putrid. + + + +CHAPTER 19. + +TRIALS OF A GOVERNOR. + +Except the waiter at a commercial inn, no man has so much upon his +hands, or so many faults to answer for, as the Governor of a colony. +If public affairs go wrong, every voice is raised, requiring him +immediately to rectify them; and as every one has a particular plan +of his own, the Governor is expected instantly to adopt them all. +Nor has he public calamities only to answer for; the private +misfortunes of individuals are, without hesitation, laid at his door. +He is expected to do something, and not a little, for all who are in +trouble; he has to devise expedients for those whose own wits are at +fault: it is among his duties to console, to cheer, to advise, to +redress, to remedy; and, above all, to enrich. + +As men set up a block of wood in a field to become a rubbing-post for +asses; as bachelors take to themselves wives, and elderly spinsters +individuals of the feline race, in order to have something on which +to vent their occasional ill-humours, so is a Governor set up in a +colony, that the settlers may have a proper object or mark set apart, +on which they may satisfactorily discharge their wrongs, sorrows, +wants, troubles, distractions, follies, and unreasonable +expectations. A Governor is the safety-valve of a colony; withdraw +this legitimate object of abuse, and the whole community would be at +loggerheads. A state of anarchy would be the immediate consequence, +and broil and blood-shed would prevail throughout the land. +Sometimes a Governor forgets the purpose for which he was sent out +from home, and placed on high in a colony, as a rubbing-post; he +sometimes lapses into the error of fancying himself a colonial Solon, +and strives to distinguish his reign by the enactment of laws, which +only increase the natural irritability of the settlers, and cause him +to be more rubbed against than ever. On these occasions he is not +always entitled to much sympathy; but when private parties come +crowding round him to have the consequence of their follies averted, +or merely in a state of discontented irritation, to have their backs +scratched, his poor Excellency is much to be compassionated. + +Almost every morning a long-eared crowd assembles around the +Government-offices, where the rubbing-post is set up, and one after +another they are admitted to find what relief they may from this +cheap luxury. It is pleasant to observe that they almost all come +out again with smiling countenances. For a moment, the sense of pain +or discontent has been alleviated by the gentle application. + +Sometimes an honest farmer has ridden fifty miles in order to have +the pleasure of complaining to his Excellency of the +mal-administration of the post-office department, evidenced by the +non-delivery of a letter, which, after a vast deal of investigation +and inquiry, turns out never to have been posted. Sometimes a man +comes for advice as to the propriety of going to law with his +neighbour about a bull which had taken the liberty to eat some of his +turnips. One man wishes to have his Excellency's opinion upon a +disease which has lately broken out among his pigs; another has +mysteriously carried a piece of iron-stone in his pocket for a +hundred miles, and claims the reward for the discovery of a +coal-mine; a third has a plan to propose for fertilizing the +sand-plains around Perth, by manuring them with sperm oil. Some are +desirous that their sons should be made Government clerks, and insist +upon their right to all vacant appointments on the plea of being "old +settlers." Others have suggestions to make the neglect of which +would prove ruinous to the colony: general misery is only to be +averted by the repeal of the duty on tobacco: no more ships need be +expected (this is after a gale and wreck,) unless a break-water be +constructed, which may be done for ninety-five thousand pounds, and +there was a surplus revenue last year over the expenditure of +thirteen shillings and sixpence, the local government being also +indebted to the Commissariat chest in the sum of nine hundred pounds +odd. Some complain of roads and bridges being in a defective state, +and wonder why two thousand pounds extra per annum are not laid out +upon them; these are succeeded by a deputation from the inhabitants +of Rockingham, requesting, as a matter of right, that half that sum +may be applied in ornamenting their principal square with a botanical +garden. Then the Governor has to attend to complaints against public +officers. The Commissioner of the Civil Court has proved himself to +be an unjust judge by deciding for the defendant contrary to the +truth, as proved by the plaintiff; or the Commissioner of the Court +of Requests has received a bribe of three-and-fourpence, and refused +to listen to the complainant's story. The magistrates have granted a +spirit license to a notorious character, and denied one to the +applicant, an unimpeachable householder. The Post-Master General has +embezzled a letter, or the Colonial Secretary has neglected to reply +to one. + +All these things, and a thousand others, the Governor is expected to +listen to, inquire about, remedy, or profit by. + +One day, I remember, I went myself to complain of the absurdity of an +Act of Council which I thought might be advantageously amended by the +aid of a little light which had lately dawned upon me. + +Among those who haunted the ante-room, waiting for admittance to the +rubbing-post was a tall Irish woman, who had seen better days, but +was now reduced to much distress, and was besides not altogether +right in her intellects. + +She was in the frequent habit of attending there, for the purpose of +complaining against the Advocate General, who never paid her proper +attention when she went to lay her grievances before him. This woman +was the terror of the Government officers. She never allowed her +victim to escape when once she had begun her story; -- in vain might +he try to edge away towards the door -- if he were not to be retained +by the fascination of her voice, she would seize him by the coat with +a grasp of iron, and a fly might as well try to escape from a +pot-bellied spider. Whenever she appeared, no public officer was +ever to be found. A general epidemic seemed to have fallen upon the +offices, and exterminated all the inhabitants. The Colonial +Secretary would rush out to luncheon, deaf as an adder to the cries +of female distress that rang in the troubled air behind him. The +Advocate General, hearing the well-known voice inquiring for him in +no friendly key, would hurry away through an opposite door, and dive +into the woods adjoining Government-house, and there gnaw his nails, +in perturbation of spirit until he thought the evil was overpast. +His Excellency himself would sooner have seen the Asiatic cholera +walk into the room than Miss Maria Martin, and invariably turned +paler then his writing-paper, and shuddered with a sudden ague. She +had so many wrongs to complain of, which no human power could +redress, and she required so much to be done for her, and insisted +upon having reiterated promises to that effect, that no wonder she +excited the utmost terror in the minds of all whom she approached. +She was, moreover, a huge, brawny, fierce-looking creature, and +though upwards of fifty years of age, had the strength of an Irish +porter. She was reported on one occasion to have taken a gentleman +of high reputation, and unimpeachable morals, by the collar of his +coat, and pinned him up against the wall, until he had promised to +speak for her to the Governor; and when he subsequently accused her +of this violence, she retorted by saying that it was in self-defence, +as he had attempted improper liberties. The fear of such an +unscrupulous and cruel accusation made Government officers, +especially the married ones, extremely shy of granting a tete-a-tete +conversation to Miss Martin; and as no one was, of course, more +correct in his conduct than his Excellency the Governor, no wonder +that he should feel extremely nervous whenever he was surprised into +an interview with this interesting spinster. + +When I found her in the ante-room I naturally recoiled, and tried to +back out again, smiling blandly all the time, as one does when a +violent-looking dog comes up, and begins sniffing about your legs. +Miss Martin, however, was used to these manoeuvres, and suddenly +getting between me and the door, intercepted my retreat, and insisted +on telling me, for the twentieth time, how villanously the Advocate +General had deceived her. Escape was impossible; I groaned and +sweated with anguish, but listen I must, and had to suffer martyrdom +for an hour, when the Governor's door opened, and he himself looked +out. On seeing the Gorgon he tried to withdraw, but she pounded like +a tigress through the door-way, and slamming the door after her, +secured an audience with his Excellency, which she took care should +not be a short one. I could remain no longer, and therefore owe the +rest of the story to public report. After an hour's tete-a-tete, his +Excellency's voice grew more imperative. The clerks, highly +interested, conceived that he was insisting upon her withdrawing. It +is supposed that he could not possibly escape himself, as she of +course cut off all communication with either the door or the +bell-rope. The lady's voice also waxed higher; at length it rose +into a storm. Nothing more was heard of the poor Governor beyond a +faint, moaning sound; whether he was deprecating the tempest, or +being actually strangled, became a matter of grave speculation. Some +asserted that they heard his kicks upon the floor, others could only +hear convulsive sobs; then all fancied they could distinguish the +sounds of a struggle. The officials debated whether it would be +proper or indelicate to look in upon the interview; but it became so +evident that a scuffle was going on, that the private secretary's +anxiety overcame all other considerations. The door was opened just +as his Excellency, escaping from the grasp of the mad woman, had made +a vault at the railing which ran across the farther end of the +Council Room (to keep back the public on certain days), in hopes of +effecting his escape by the door beyond. Nothing could have been +better conceived than this design; but unhappily the lady had caught +hold of his coat-tail to arrest his flight, and therefore instead of +vaulting clear over the rails, as he had anticipated, his Excellency +was drawn back in his leap, and found himself seated astride upon the +barrier, with a desperate woman tugging at his tail, and trying to +pull him back into the arena. Nothing, we believe, has ever exceeded +the ludicrous misery displayed in his Excellency's visage on finding +himself in this perilous situation. But seeing the private secretary +and a mob of clerks, with their pens in their hands, hastening to his +rescue, he made a desperate effort, and cast himself off on the other +side; and finally succeeded in rushing out of the room, having only +one tail hanging to his coat, with which he escaped into an adjoining +apartment, and was received into the arms of the Surveyor General in +a state of extreme exhaustion. + +Such are some of the troubles and afflictions incident to the +unenviable office of Governor of a colony. Those innocent country +gentlemen who have expended the better part of their property on +contested elections, and now weary heaven and Her Majesty's Principal +Secretaries of State for colonial appointments, little know what they +invoke upon themselves. In my opinion Sancho Panza had a sinecure, +compared with theirs, in his Governorship of the island of Barrataria.* + + +[footnote] *Our love of the ludicrous frequently makes us delighted +to find even the most estimable characters in a ridiculous position. +The above anecdote is perhaps exaggerated, but it is here recorded as +a moral warning to those who yearn like Sancho Panza for a +government, and not from a desire to cast ridicule upon one who was +universally respected and esteemed, for the quiet decorum of his +life, his high principles, his strict impartiality, and the +conscientious discharge of all the duties of his office. + + + +CHAPTER 20. + +MR. SAILS, MY GROOM. -- OVER THE HILLS. -- A SHEEP STATION. + +Soon after I was settled in my residence at Perth I purchased a +couple of young mares unbroke, recently imported from the Cape of +Good Hope. They were the offspring of an Arab horse and Cape mare, +and one of them, a chestnut, was almost the handsomest creature I +ever beheld. They cost me thirty guineas each; but since that period +the value of horses is greatly diminished. + +I was very much pleased with this purchase, which recalled the +memories of boyhood and a long-tailed pony, whenever I found myself +feeding or grooming my stud -- which I often thought proper to do, as +my establishment, though at that time numerous, did not comprise a +well-educated groom. + +Besides my own man, I had two runaway sailors from the ship in which +we had come out, quartered upon me. They expressed so flattering a +regard for me, as the only person whom they knew in this part of the +world, and were so ready to dig the garden and plant potatoes, or do +any other little matter to make themselves useful, that I had not the +heart to refuse them a nook in the kitchen, or a share of our daily +meals. I now called their services into activity by making them +assist at the breaking in of my mares; and whilst I held the +lunging-rein, Mr. Sails would exert himself till he became as black +as a sweep with dust and perspiration, by running round and round in +the rear of the animal, urging her forward with loud cries and +objurgations, accompanied with furious crackings of his whip. These +sailors never did anything quietly. If told to give the horses some +hay, they would both start up from their stools by the kitchen fire, +as if in a state of frantic excitement; thrust their pipes into the +leathern belt which held up their trousers, and jostling each other +through the doorway like a brace of young dogs, tear round the house +to the stable, or rather shed, as though possessed by a legion of +devils. Then, unable to use a fork, they would seize as much hay as +they could clasp in their arms, and littering it all about the +premises, rush to the stalls, where they suddenly grew exceedingly +cautious; for in fact, they felt much greater dread of these horses +than they would have done of a ground shark. Then it was all, "Soh! +my little feller! Soh! my pretty little lass! -- Avast there -- (in +a low tone) you lubber, or I'll rope's end you -- none of that!" +This was whenever the mare, pleased at the sight of the hay, looked +round and whinnied. Unless I superintended the operation myself, the +hay would be thrown under the horse's feet, whilst the men took to +their heels at the same moment, and then turned round to see whether +the animals could reach their fodder. If they could, these worthy +grooms would come cheerfully to me and tell me that the horses were +eating their allowance; but if not, they filled their pipes, and took +a turn out of the way, trusting the hay would all be trampled into +the litter before I happened to see it. Whenever I was present, I +made them get upon the manger and put the hay into the rack, (I never +could teach them to use a fork,) but it was with fear and trembling +that they did this. One day, Sails was standing on the manger, with +the hay in his arms, when the mare, trying to get a mouthful, +happened to rub her nose against the hinder portion of his person. +Sails roared aloud, and let the hay fall upon the mare's head and +neck. + +"What's the matter, man?" said I. + +"By Gad, sir," cried Sails, looking round with a face of terror, and +scrambling down, "he's tuk a bite out of my starn!" + +After the horses had been well lunged it became necessary to mount +them. In vain, however, I tried to persuade Sails or his comrade +Dick to get upon their backs. I therefore mounted first myself, and +after a deal of plunging and knocking about was dismounted again, +with the mare, who had thrown herself down, actually kneeling upon my +body. All this time, Sails stood helplessly looking on open-mouthed, +holding the lunging-rein in his hands; and I had to call to him to +"pull her off" before he made any attempt to give assistance. This +accident effectually prevented my gallant grooms from trusting +themselves on horseback; but they proved more useful in breaking in +the animals to draw the light cart. One would ride whilst the other +drove, and their nautical phrases, and seaman-like style of steering +the craft, as they called it, excited the admiration of the +neighbourhood. But they never could bring themselves to like the +employment of tending horses; and finding that I insisted upon their +making themselves useful in this way, they at last gave me up, and +volunteered as part of the crew of a vessel about to sail for +Sincapore. + +Long after this period I drove the dog-cart over the hills to York +races. My brother had come down to Perth, and we went together, +taking with us our friend the amiable and talented editor of one of +the Perth journals. Attaching another horse to an outrigger, we +drove unicorn, or a team of three. + +It was a splendid October morning, (the commencement of summer,) and +we rattled over the long and handsome wooden bridges that cross the +two streams of the Swan, at a spanking pace, whilst the worthy +editor, exulting in his temporary emancipation from office, made the +wooded banks of the river ring again with the joyous notes of his +key-bugle. + +Half an hour carried us over five miles of road, and brought us to +Mangonah, the beautifully situated dwelling of R. W. Nash, Esq., +barrister at law, the most active-minded and public-spirited man in +the colony. After a short delay, to laugh at one of our friend's +last coined and most facetious anecdotes, and also to visit his +botanical garden, we rattled off again to Guildford; a scattered +hamlet that was made acquainted with our approach by loud strains +from the editor's bugle. Here, however, we paused not, but proceeded +along a hard and good road towards Green Mount, the first hill which +we had to ascend. Green Mount, six miles from Guildford, is famous +for a desperate skirmish which took place some years ago between a +large body of natives and Messrs. Bland and Souper, at the head of a +party escorting provisions from Perth to the infant settlement at +York. Whilst slowly ascending the hill, a thick flight of spears +fell among the party, wounding several of them. No enemy was +visible, and the greatest consternation prevailed among the men, who +hastened to shelter themselves under the carts. This induced the +natives to rush out of their ambush, when they were received with a +shower of balls; and at length driven back, after losing a good many +men. Mr. Souper had several spears sticking in his body, and others +of the English were severely wounded, but none mortally. + +The natives are very tenacious of life, and so are all the birds and +animals indigenous to the country. + +The natives often have spears thrust completely through their bodies, +and without any serious injury, receive wounds that would prove +mortal to the whites. A vagabond who had speared one of those noble +rams of ours, of whom honourable mention has been already made, was +shot by our shepherd whilst in the act of decamping with the carcase. +The ball passed completely through his lungs, and would have made an +end of any white man; but the native recovered in the course of a few +days, and walked a hundred miles heavily ironed, to take his trial +for sheep-stealing at the Quarter Sessions. + +From Guildford to the foot of Green Mount, the country presents a +vast plain of cold clayey soil, unfit for cultivation, and though +covered with scrub, affording very little useful herbage. + +On ascending the hill, we come upon what is generally called the +iron-stone range, which extends nearly to York, a distance of forty +miles. These extensive hills (about fifteen hundred feet above the +level of the sea) are composed almost entirely of granite rocks, with +occasional tracts of quartz; and the surface is generally strewn over +with a hard loose rubble. + +Although the sides and summits of the hills present scarcely any +appearance of soil, vast forests of large Jarra trees, and other +varieties of the eucalyptus, extend in every direction; and flowers +the most beautiful relieve the sombre appearance of the ground. Some +few of the valleys afford a few acres of alluvial soil; and in the +first of these, called Mahogany Creek, six miles from Green Mount, we +found a comfortable way-side house, with good out-buildings, and +other accommodations; and here we halted to lunch, and bait our +horses. + +Many other individuals, bent upon the same journey as ourselves, were +lounging and smoking before the house, or partaking of the +refreshments. Most were travelling on horseback; some in gigs, and +some in light spring-carts. A famous round of cold beef, with +bottled ale and porter, proved extremely agreeable after our drive. + +In the afternoon we proceeded fifteen miles farther, to the half-way +house, where on my first arrival in the colony I had been initiated +into the art of cooking a saddle of kangaroo, and serving it up with +mint-sauce. The road, through a dense forest of evergreen trees, is +excessively dreary, and the quarters for the night were never very +satisfactory; but the traveller might always look forward to a +comfortable sitting-room, kangaroo steaks and pork, with plenty of +fresh eggs and good bread. Since that time the house has been given +up by the energetic landlord; and the Local Government is partly +responsible for the loss of this accommodation, in consequence of +having insisted upon a heavy license being annually taken out. In +good times, when the farm-settlers of the York and Northam districts +brought their wool and other produce down this road to the capital, +they invariably spent a merry evening at the half-way house; but +since money has become scarcer in the colony, they have been +compelled to avoid this place of entertainment, and kindle instead a +fire by the road-side, where they spend their evenings in solitary +meditation, to the advantage doubtless of their minds and purses. In +the morning, full of philosophical thoughts and fried rashers of +pork, they calmly yoke their bullocks to the wain, unafflicted by +those pangs which were often the only acknowledgment rendered to the +hospitality of Mr. Smith -- pangs of mental remorse and a bilious +stomach. And yet the worthy host never suffered a guest whom he +respected to depart without administering to him what he called "a +doctor" -- of which, about five o'clock in the morning, the poor man +usually felt himself much in need; and at that hour, as Aurora +entered at the window, would mine host (equally rosy-cheeked) enter +by the door, and deliver his matutinal salutation. This "doctor," a +character universally esteemed by travellers in those parts, was a +tumbler of milk fresh from the cow, tinctured with brandy. + +The glory had not departed from the half-way house at the period to +which I refer; and as we drove up to the door, amid the liveliest +strains of the editorial bugle, our jovial host welcomed us with his +heartiest greeting. This spot is truly an oasis in the desert, +affording a few acres of tolerable land, and some excellent +garden-ground which, in the season, produces abundance of grapes, +peaches, apples, figs, and various kinds of vegetables. A deep brook +runs at the bottom of the garden which is very well watered; and on +its margin, in the midst of a green plot, protected by palings from +rude encroachment, is the quiet grave of one of Mr. Smith's children. +How different looks the solitary grave of the desert from the crowded +churchyards of England! How much more home it comes to the heart! +Across the brook is a large barley-field, and down the valley are +several other inclosures; all around, beyond these, is the dark, +melancholy, illimitable forest. At one end of the house, which is of +goodly size, stands a huge erection of wood, resembling a gallows, +from which are suspended the bodies of three kangaroos. Not far from +this, a group of natives -- men, women, and children -- are squatted +round a small fire, eating baked opossums, and chattering, and +uttering shrill screams of laughter, with all their might. Half a +dozen large kangaroo dogs are hanging about this group with wistful +eyes, but evidently without any expectations of obtaining a morsel. + +The house, being filled with people on their way to the races, +resounded all the evening with jokes and merriment; and when the +well-disposed retired to bed, and flattered themselves they were just +sinking into repose, a mob of their evil-minded friends, headed by an +Irish barrister and the usually sedate Crown Solicitor, beat down the +door, and pulled them forth again. Then were the four walls of the +room (which contained four beds) made witnesses to a scene exhibiting +all the horrors of war. Dreadful was the conflict: bolsters and +carpet-bags were wielded with fierce animosity; pillows and rolled-up +blankets flew about the room like cannon-shot; and long was the +contest doubtful, until the despair of the besieged at length +overcame the impetuosity of the assailants, and succeeded in driving +them from the apartment. + +The half-way house was often so crowded that some of the guests had +to sleep upon the dining-table, the sofas, and the floor. At early +dawn it was usually cleared of its visitors, who would push on to +breakfast at Mahogany Creek; or if going to York, at St. Roman's +Well, distant some fifteen miles. It was here that we breakfasted, +sitting upon the grass, whilst with our camp-kettle we boiled our +chocolate, and enjoyed our morning meal exceedingly. + +York is a scattered hamlet of good farm-houses. The country is +highly interesting. A lofty hill, or mountain, called Mount Bakewell, +confines the view on one side, and below it is the river Avon, a +broad stream in winter, but in summer consisting only of deep pools +in various parts of its course. The neighbourhood is beautifully +wooded, and has the appearance of a park. In the centre of the +hamlet a modest-looking, white-washed church "rears its meek fane." +Nothing could be more peaceful and serene than the whole aspect of +the place. + +At my brother's farm, comprising 4,000 acres, the property of R. H. +Bland, Esq., Protector of Natives, we found a hearty reception, and a +very pleasant dwelling-house. For several days it was filled with +young men who had come from various parts of the colony to attend the +races. + +These gentlemen were most of them young men of good family, and well +educated, who having only a small patrimony, and having been brought +up to no trade or profession, had come out to a colony in the hope of +acquiring landed estates, and of founding in this part of the world a +family of their own. In the meantime they had to drive their teams, +shear their sheep, thresh their corn, and exhibit their skill in +husbandry; whilst their houses were as ill arranged and uncomfortable +as could be expected from the superintendence of bachelors who +thought more of their stables than of the appearance of their rooms. +They care more about good horses than good cooks, and in most cases +prefer doing without kitchen stuff rather than be troubled with a +garden. + +Freedom of discourse and ease of manner characterize the social +meetings of our bachelor aristocracy "over the hills." + +Dinner is only to be obtained by dint of incessant shouting to the +slave (frequently an Indian Coolie) who presides in the detached +kitchen, and brings in the viands as fast as he "dishes up." The +roast mutton gradually cools upon the table while Mooto is +deliberately forking the potatoes out of the pot, and muttering +curses against his master, who stands at the parlour-door, swearing +he will wring his ears off if he does not despatch. In order to +moderate the anguish of stomach experienced by the guests, the host +endeavours to fill up the time by sending the sherry round. The +dinner is at length placed upon the table, and Mooto scuffles out of +the room whilst his master is busy carving, lest he should be +compelled to wait, an occupation less agreeable than that to which he +returns, and which engages most of his time -- sitting on an upturned +box before the fire, and smoking his pipe. Here, piously thanking +Vishnu and Brama for such good tobacco, he puffs away, heedless of +the shouts of his suzerain, who has just discovered there are only +eight plates for twelve people. One of the guests volunteers a foray +into Mooto's territory, chiefly for the sake of relieving his own +feelings by making that worthy acquainted with the opinion he +entertains of him, and returns to his seat with cold plates and a +tranquillized mind. + +When the villain lacquey has smoked his pipe, he brings in the +cheese, and clears away. No unnecessary feelings of delicacy +restrain the guests from reviling him seriatim as he removes the +platters; and he retires to his own den and the enjoyment of a pound +of boiled rice with undisturbed equanimity, leaving the others to +boil the kettle and concoct egg-flip, which, together with wine, +brandy, cigars, and pipes, enables the party to get through the +afternoon. Some remain at the table, drinking out of wine-glasses, +tumblers, or pannikins (every vessel which the house contains being +put in requisition), and talking loudly about their horses, or making +bets for the next day's races; others having thrown off their coats, +and flung their persons upon a sofa, with their feet on a +window-sill, puff away in meditative silence, only joining +occasionally in the conversation; whilst two or three walk up and +down the verandah, in solemn consultation as to the best mode of +hedging, having unhappily backed a colt for the Margaux Cup that +turns out to be a dunghill. + +I trust my good friends over the hills will not think I am making an +ungrateful return for much hospitality by this rough and imperfect +sketch. Heaven knows they are a worthy, kind-hearted, hospitable set +of good fellows as ever drew a cork or made egg-flip; but I must say +some of the bachelor establishments are rather in a rude and +primitive state at present. + +Those houses which are fortunate enough to possess a presiding genius +in the gentle and attractive form of Woman are very differently +ordered. English neatness and English comforts pervade the +establishment, and the manners and customs of well-regulated society +are never forgotten. + +It is a pleasant sight in the evening to watch the cattle driven into +the stock-yard by the native boy, who has been with them all day in +the bush. Some of the old cows go steadily enough in the right +direction, but others, and especially the young heifers, are +continually bunting one another, and trying to push their next +neighbours into the ditch. Several, tempted by a pleasant field of +barley, have leapt over a broken rail, and are eating and trampling +down all before them. But soon they are perceived by the dusky +herdsman, who incontinently shrieks like one possessed by demons, and +rushing after the stray kine with a bough hastily picked up, chases +and belabours them up and down the field (the gate of which he has +never thought of opening), until he has done as much mischief as +possible to the crop. Somebody then opens the gate for him, and the +cattle are at length secured in the yard. + +Next arrives a flock of two thousand sheep, driven by white +shepherds. On coming to the entrance of the fold-yard, they stop and +hesitate, refusing to enter. All is uncertainty and confusion, the +rearmost urged forward by the shout of the men and the barking of the +dogs, who run from side to side, thrusting their noses into the soft +white fleeces, press into the mass; great is the scuffle, the rush, +and the pattering of feet over the loose pebbles of the yard. At +length, a hardy and determined ram in the vanguard gives a leap of +ten feet through the open gateway, and the others hustle through +after him, every one leaping as he had done, and all congratulating +themselves on having thus cleverly eluded the designs of some unseen +enemy. + +I do not intend to give an account of the races, though they afforded +more amusement probably than is common at Epsom or Ascot. Every one +knew everybody and everybody's horse; and as the horses were +generally ridden by gentlemen, there was no doubt of fair play. +There was an accident, as usual, in the hurdle-race; but not being +fatal, it did not interrupt the sports. Large groups of the natives, +sitting on the ground, or standing leaning on their spears, gave +increased effect to the picturesque scenery. Some clumps of +forest-trees still occupied the centre of the course, and through +these you caught glimpses of coloured jackets and jockey-caps as they +flashed by. The green side of Mount Bakewell was spotted with sheep, +and above them frowned a forest of dark trees. + +A loaf of bread stuck upon a spear was a mark and a prize for native +dexterity. The dusky savages forming a line in front, and clustering +eagerly upon one another behind, took their turns to throw at the +coveted target; and every time that a spear left the womera, or +throwing-stick, and missed the mark, a shrill yell burst +simultaneously from the mass, relieving the excitement which had been +pent up in every breast. But when a successful spear struck down the +loaf, trebly wild and shrill was the yell that rent the air. + +The York and Northam districts afford a vast quantity of land +suitable for all kinds of grain. The sheep and cattle runs are +excellent, but they are now fully stocked, and new settlers must +direct their steps to the southward, the Dale and Hotham districts +affording scope and verge enough for many a flock and herd. Our own +sheep were generally kept at a squatting station on the Hotham, some +sixty or seventy miles south of York. Thither, after the races, we +drove to inspect the flock. There was no road, and only an endless +succession of trees, and of gently rising and falling country. How +my brother and his men used to manage to hit upon the site of the +location is more than I can conjecture. People accustomed to the +bush seem to acquire, like the natives, the faculty of knowing +exactly the direction, position, and distance of the spot they want +to reach. + +On the way, we fell in with one of those extraordinary nests +constructed by that singular bird called by the natives the Now. Mr. +Gould's description of a similar bird in New South Wales, the Brush +Turkey 'Talegalla Lathami' does not exactly tally with that which we +should give of the Now. His description is as follows: -- "For some +weeks previous to laying its eggs, the Brush turkey collects together +an immense mass of vegetable matter, varying from two to four +cart-loads, with which it forms a pyramidal heap; in this heap it +plants its eggs about eighteen inches deep, and from nine to twelve +inches apart. The eggs are always placed with the large ends +upwards, being carefully covered, and are then left to hatch by the +heat engendered by the decomposition of the surrounding matter. The +heaps are formed by the labours of several pairs of birds. The eggs +are white, about three inches and three quarters long by two and a +half in diameter, and have an excellent flavour." + +Of this bird, Professor Owen observes, "On comparing the osteology of +the 'Talegalla' with that of other birds, it exhibits all the +essential modifications which characterize the gallinaceous tribe; +and among the Rasores, it most nearly resembles the genera Penelope +and Crax." + +The Now of Western Australia does not build its nest of vegetable +substances, but collects together an immense heap of earth, sand, and +small stones, into the form of a broad cone, four or five feet high +in the centre, and about ten feet across. Directly in the centre it +either leaves or subsequently hollows out a hole large enough to +admit itself, into which it descends and deposits its eggs. The +powerful summer sun heats the earth sufficiently to hatch the eggs, +and the young birds come forth active and able to provide for +themselves. Not the least astonishing part to me is, how they manage +to scramble out of that deep hole. The natives declare that the hen +frequently visits the nest, and watches the progress of incubation, +and then when the young ones are hatched, they get upon her back, and +she scrambles out with her family about her. + +This bird is about the size of a pheasant, has long legs, and a very +deep breast-bone. It runs fast. Each nest is supposed to be built +by a single bird, but it is believed that other birds may occupy them +in succeeding seasons. + +In the afternoon of the second day after leaving York, we descended +into a broad valley, abounding with grass and scattered gum-trees. A +large flock of sheep were being driven towards the bottom of the +valley, where we could discern signs of human habitation. + +On arriving, we found a hut built of piles or stakes interwoven with +boughs, before the door of which was a fire with a large pot upon it, +from which a powerful steam arose that was evidently very grateful to +a group of natives seated around. Two families seemed to compose +this group, consisting of a couple of men, four women, and five or +six children of various ages. As we drew nigh, the whole party, +without rising, uttered a wild scream of welcome, accompanied by that +loud laughter which always seems to escape so readily from this +light-hearted and empty-headed people. + +On descending from the vehicle, and looking in at the hut door, we +perceived lying in his shirt-sleeves on a couch composed of +grass-tree tops covered with blankets and a rug made of opossum +skins, the illustrious Meliboeus himself, with a short black pipe in +his mouth, and a handsome edition of "Lalla Rookh" in his hand. +Perceiving us, he jumped up, and expressing his loud surprise, +welcomed us to this rustic Castle of Indolence. + +When a large flock of sheep is sent into the bush, and a squatting +station is formed, the shepherds take the sheep out to pasture every +morning, and bring them home at night, whilst one of the party always +remains at the station to protect the provisions from being stolen by +the natives. This person is called the hut-keeper. His duty is to +boil the pork, or kangaroo flesh, and provide supper, etc., for the +shepherds on their return at night. Meliboeus, who superintended +this station, undertook the duties of cooking and guarding the hut +whenever he did not feel disposed to go out kangaroo-hunting, or +shooting wild turkeys or cockatoos. In all things, sports or +labours, the natives were his daily assistants, and in return for +their services were rewarded with the fore-quarters of the kangaroos +killed, and occasionally with a pound or two of flour. There were +some noble dogs at the station, descendants of Jezebel and Nero; and +my brother had a young kangaroo, which hopped in and out with the +utmost confidence, coming up to any one who happened to be eating, +and insisting upon having pieces of bread given to it. Full of fun +and spirits, it would sport about as playfully as a kitten; and it +was very amusing to see how it would tease the dogs, pulling them +about with its sharp claws, and trying to roll them over on the +ground. The dogs, who were in the daily habit of killing kangaroos, +never attempted to bite Minny, who sometimes teased them so heartily, +that they would put their tails between their legs and fairly run +away. + +The great enemies of the sheep in the Australian colonies are the +wild-dogs. At York, and in the other settled districts, they are +very troublesome, and require the shepherd to keep a constant +lookout. We were therefore much surprised to learn that although +wild dogs abounded near this squatting station, they never attempted +to touch our flocks. A sheep was to them a new animal; they had yet +to learn the value of mutton. A cowardly race, they are easily +intimidated, and as they have not the art of jumping or clambering +over a fence, a low sheep-fold will keep them out, provided they +cannot force their way under the palings or hurdles. They cannot +bark, and utter only a melancholy howl. The bitch generally litters +in a hollow tree, and produces four or five puppies at a birth. + +The production of wool -- the careful acquisition of a good flock of +well-bred sheep, and the attainment of the highest degree of +perfection in preparing the fleeces for the English market -- appears +to us to be the proper ambition of an emigrant to the Australian +colonies. When ill-health compelled my steps hither, it was the +intention of myself and brothers to invest our capital entirely in +sheep; and retiring into the bush for some six or seven years, +gradually accumulate a large flock, the produce of which would soon +have afforded a handsome income. It has never, however, appeared to +be the object of either the Home Government or the Local Government +of any colony (though unquestionably the interest of both) to +encourage emigration. Settlers have invariably every possible +difficulty thrown in their way. On arriving in this colony, we found +to our astonishment that squatting was illegal, and that we would not +be allowed, as we had designed to carry our goods into the interior +and form a station upon Government land. No license could at that +time be obtained, and if we bought the smallest section allowed to be +sold, which was 640 acres, for as many pounds, it was ten to one but +we should soon find the district in which it was situated +insufficient for the run of a large flock, and should have to change +our quarters again. The consequence was, that we were compelled to +abandon our project: my brothers took a farm at a high rent, and +wasted their capital upon objects that could never bring in a good +return; whilst I (infelix!), instead of listening to the gentle +bleatings of sheep, and ministering to the early comforts of innocent +lambs, have been compelled to hearken to the angry altercations of +plaintiff and defendant, and decide upon the amount of damages due to +injured innocence when the pot had insulted the kettle. + +Now, however, limited licenses are granted to persons wishing to go +as squatters upon Government land; and even before these were issued, +we were OBLIGED to send our sheep upon Crown lands, and form a +station, for want of room in the settled districts. + +Sheep flocks constitute doubtlessly one of the most profitable +investments for the employment of capital, notwithstanding the many +obstacles and discouragements still thrown by both governments in the +way of the wool-grower. They yield a very large return TO THOSE WHO +ATTEND TO THEM IN PERSON, and who confine their attention entirely to +that pursuit, growing only corn enough for their own consumption. + + + +CHAPTER 21. + +EXTRACTS FROM THE LOG OF A HUT-KEEPER. + +May 10th. -- Felt rather lonely to-day, in the midst of this endless +solitude. Sat before the hut-door thinking of Zimmerman and his +Reflections. Also thought of Brasenose, Oxford, and my narrow escape +from Euclid and Greek plays. Davus sum, non Oedipus. Set to work, +and cooked a kangaroo stew for the three shepherds. + +June 4th. -- We have removed the sheep from the Dale to the Avon. We +go wandering about with our flocks and baggage like the Israelites of +old, from one patch of good grass to another. I wonder how long it +will be before we make our fortunes? + +28th. -- K. arrived from York with a supply of flour, pork, tea and +sugar. Brings no news from England, or anywhere else. Where the +deuce are all the ships gone to, that we get no letters? Moved the +station to Corbeding. + +29th. -- K. returned to York with his bullock-cart. No chance of my +being relieved at present. Went out by myself kangarooing. The pup, +Hector, out of Jezebel, will make a splendid dog. First kangaroo +fought like a devil; Hector, fearing nothing, dashed at him, and got +a severe wound in the throat; but returned to the charge, after +looking on for a few moments. Crossed an immense grassy plain, eight +or nine miles wide, without a tree upon it. Had to carry a kangaroo +more than five miles on my back. Wished it at Hanover, and twice +abandoned it, but returned for it again, being so much in want of +fresh meat. + +30th. -- Spent the day in dreary solitude in the hut. All my books +have been read, re-read, and re-re-read. + +July 1st. -- Went out with the dogs, and caught three kangaroos. +Passed over some splendid country -- wish it were peopled with white +humans. How pleasant to have been able to call at a cottage, and get +a draught of home-brewed! On the contrary, could not find even a +pond, or a pint of water, and was nearly worried to death by +sand-flies. + +2d. -- Some scabby sheep having got among our flock, have played the +deuce with it. The scab has regularly broke out. I had rather it +were the plague or Asiatic cholera, and cleared them all off (my own +sheep are fortunately at York). Dressing lambs all morning -- +beastly work. In the afternoon went out with the sheep, and left +James to mind the hut. Sand-flies infernal. + +3d, Sunday. -- Stayed in the hut all day. Smoked sheep-tobacco,* all +my Turkish being finished. Felt pious, and wrote a short sermon, +choosing the text at random -- Jeremiah ii. 7: "And I brought you +into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness +thereof." Read it at night to the shepherds. James said it was +"slap-up." + + +[footnote] *Coarse pig-tail, used as a decoction for dressing the +diseased sheep. + + +4th. -- Went out kangarooing. Killed an immense fellow: when +standing on his hind legs fighting with me and the dogs, he was a +foot higher than myself. He ran at me, and nearly gave me a +desperate dig with his claw, which tore my only good hunting-shirt +miserably. Smashed his skull for it. + +5th and 6th. -- Dressing sheep all day. Out [band of] York natives, +whom we have hitherto kept with us, are all gone home again, leaving +me and my three men, with only two guns, among a suspicious and +treacherous tribe that cannot understand a word we say to them. Wish +my brothers would come and look after their own sheep. It would do +E.'s health more good than sitting in Court, hearing a set of fools +jabber. Sand-flies eat us alive here, and the mosquitoes polish our +bones. + +7th. -- Muston and myself dressed fifty sheep to-day. John out with +part of the flock. + +8th. -- Heavy rain last night. Cannot go on dressing. Did nothing all day. + +9th. -- Stayed in the hut doing nothing. + +10th, Sunday. -- Ditto. + +11th. -- Tired of doing nothing. Dressed sheep most of the day. +Muston out kangarooing; caught three. + +12th. -- Cooking. Made a "sea-pie," which was generally admired. + +August 1st. -- The Doctor arrived from York, driving tandem in E.'s +trap. He has brought me a parcel of books just come from England. +Blessings on my dear sister for remembering me. I thought myself +forgotten by all the world. Sisters (Heaven for ever bless them!) +are the only people that never forget. News from home! How many +thoughts come flooding upon me! + +2d. -- Last night, I confess, I cried myself to sleep, like a great +big baby. I am very comfortable and contented so long as I receive +no letter from home; and yet I am such a fool as to wish for them; +and when they come I am made miserable for a week afterwards. +Somehow, they make me feel my loneliness more. I feel deserted, +forgotten by all but ONE. She says she is constantly wishing for me +in her rides. They seem to enjoy themselves more at home than they +used to do, now that we are gone -- always picknicking, boating, or +forming riding parties. "Fairy" continues the favourite -- I always +thought she was a good hack. "Light-foot," whom I lamed hunting, was +obliged to be sold. It seems to be a sore subject with the Governor. +I wonder how Juno has turned out; she was a splendid-looking whelp. +I wish they'd enter more into particulars when they write. It's +ridiculous my asking questions, as it will be more than a year before +answers can arrive. They ought to write about EVERY THING. I cannot +bear to think to-day of anything but home. + +3d. -- The Doctor gone back to York -- sulky about the sheep being so +bad. Why does he not send us more tobacco and turpentine? Says we +smoke it all. The Doctor is an ----. Promises to send K. next week +with mercurial ointment; it is therefore useless to waste any more +tobacco on the sheep -- the stock is low enough as it is. + +4th. -- Lay all day on my couch, reading "Rose d'Albret." Wish I had +her here. One wants somebody to sympathize with so desperately in +the bush. + +5th. -- Ditto, ditto. + +6th. -- Reading Punch all morning. In the afternoon made a damper, +baked it, and eat it in company with the others. "Pit a cake, pat a +cake, baker's man!" etc. + +16th. -- Dressing sheep all day with mercurial ointment. Wish this +job was over. Dreadful work bending one's back all day, and rooting +amongst the wool for the diseased places. + +18th. -- Went out with the dogs, and killed two kangaroos. It rained +tremendously all the time, and I wish the kangaroos at the ----. +The natives happened to be hunting in a large party, driving the game +before them; and as I stood in the midst of a large plain which they +had surrounded on three sides, multitudes of kangaroos -- I believe I +might say thousands -- of all sizes, came rushing past me. The dogs +were quite bewildered, and remained at my side aghast; and it was +several minutes before they recovered themselves enough to give +chase. The natives took no notice of me. In the evening fifty of +them came about the hut. We took care to show our guns, and I shot a +green parrot, sixty yards off, just to show them what we could do. +They were quite peaceable, and danced a corrobery at night. + +20th. -- I dressed twenty-five sheep this morning myself. In the +afternoon William came from York with six hundred more sheep (mine +among them), which were found to be scabby. More work! This is +really too bad, thrusting all this cursed business upon me. He had +been four days coming, and had not lost a single sheep. + +21st. -- Went out kangarooing, quite disgusted. Wandered a long +distance, and had to carry a large buck several miles. Could +scarcely find my way back, but at length got home (!!) quite knocked +up, and more and more disgusted with human nature and every thing. + +22d. -- The Doctor is enjoying himself at York, and E. lives on the +fat of the land at Perth, whilst I have never tasted anything but +salt pork and kangaroo for many months, and have nothing to drink but +tea. I have almost forgotten the taste of a potato. We have nothing +here but kangaroo and pork, and unleavened bread, called damper. I +wish I could exchange our bill of fare occasionally with that French +fellow who complained of having "toujours perdrix." He would be the +loser, I take it. I could eat even perdrix aux choux -- a +villanous dish formerly -- but we have no more cabbages than +partridges to thank God for. I have long been obliged to leave off +saying "grace after meat;" it really became an impious mockery, and +was also impolitic and uneconomical, as my stomach used to turn +against it. I consulted John this morning about killing a sheep, as +none of them seemed inclined to die naturally. John caught at the +idea with great quickness. He really is an intelligent fellow; and +both he and the other poor devils are so patient and unrepining, that +the Doctor is little better than a beast not to order them some +mutton occasionally. I consider it absolutely necessary for their +health. We fixed upon one of E.'s sheep, as it looked the fattest; +and he being the richest, and never coming himself to look at his +flock, will not care about a few sheep more or less. I'd kill one of +my own, but they are such a seedy lot. No one is answerable for the +murder of this sheep but myself, as I hereby confess that I killed it +with my own hand, and afterwards held a coroner's inquest on the +body, directing a verdict of "Visitation of Providence" to be +recorded in the accounts relating to the flock. We had the liver for +supper. Excellent! never tasted anything half so good. + +23d. -- Dined on sheep's head and trotters. (Tea to drink, toujours.) + +24th. -- Saddle of mutton. + +25th. -- Leg. + +26th. -- Shoulder. + +27th. -- Leg. + +28th. -- Shoulder. + +29th. -- Finished the sheep, and polished the bones. + +[The rest of the Journal runs on much in the same way. This specimen +will probably be enough for the reader.] + + + +CHAPTER 22. + +PELICAN SHOOTING. -- GALES. -- WRESTLING WITH DEATH. + +The large estuary of the Swan affords ample scope for boating or +sailing in small pleasure-yachts. + +Perth water, on the northern bank of which the capital is built, +extends from two to three miles in length, and about the same +distance in its broadest part, its form being that of a half moon. +It is connected with Melville water by an opening of a quarter of a +mile across. Melville water is some six miles long, and from three +to four broad; a splendid bay, called Freshwater Bay, developes +itself at the western extremity of this fine sheet of water; and the +river, or estuary, here makes a turn at right angles, and pursues its +course towards the sea between high precipitous rocks of marine +limestone, which are from six to seven hundred yards apart. + +My pleasure-boat has enabled me to pass many agreeable hours upon +this estuary. + +At first, especially, it was exceedingly pleasant to make expeditions +for the purpose of exploring the different bays and inlets, which +abounded with ducks, swans, and pelicans. + +My youngest brother and myself would frequently rise at a good hour, +and having supplied our little vessel with a stock of provisions, and +a few bottles of ale or other drinkables, hoist the sails, and bear +away upon a cruise. The warm dry air, tempered by the sea-breeze, +made boating exceedingly pleasant; and as we often touched at gardens +situated at the mouth of the Canning, or on the shores of Melville +water, and procured a basket of grapes, or peaches and melons, we +managed to lunch luxuriously, having first cast anchor and bathed. + +Many readers must have felt the excitement experienced by young +sportsmen when they have the luck to fall in with some bird or +animal not previously known to them. Every one remembers the +delight with which, when a boy, he shot his first wood-pigeon, or +lay in ambush behind a hedge for an old crow. + +When first we beheld a group of huge tall birds, standing lazily in +the sunshine upon a sand-spit which ran far into Melville water, we +could scarcely believe our eyes that these were really live pelicans; +and it was not only with intense interest, but with feelings of +self-reproach, that we drew nigh with hostile intentions to birds +which in the days of our boyhood, when visiting Mr. Wombwell's +menagerie, had filled us with awe and reverence, as creatures that +were wont to evince the depth of parental devotion by feeding their +young with their own blood. + +Our first overt act of hostility against the pelicans was +unsuccessful. The sea-breeze was blowing strong, and we had to beat +out against it close-hauled; just as we made the last board, and were +bearing down upon the enemy, the huge, heavy birds, awakening from +the siesta "with a start," raised their heads and looked about them. +Then the foremost began to flap his long wings, and lift himself on +tip-toe, whilst the others followed his example; and soon they were +all heavily skimming along the surface of the water, trying to launch +themselves fairly into the upward air; and having at length +succeeded, they rose higher and higher in wide gyrations. The leader +seemed resolved to hide himself in the distant blue of the cloudless +heavens; and upward -- up, up, up -- they continued to mount, going +round, and round, and round, in lessening circles -- whilst the +spectator gazed in wonder at the slowly diminishing specks, that were +almost lost in ether; and at length, moving slowly towards the east +-- the unknown, mysterious wilderness -- they altogether faded away. +We have heard of eagles soaring into the sun, but I doubt whether +even they could soar much higher, or look much grander, than the +noble pelican of the desert. + +The sheets were eased off, the long boom of the graceful +sliding-gunter (a kind of latteen) sail, stretched far over the +gun-wale of the boat, which slipped along easily and rapidly through +the water, the rolling waves heaving up her stern, and sending her +forward with a gentle impulse. We were opening the broad mouth of +the Canning, when Meliboeus pointed out two other pelicans fishing +in-shore on the lee-bow. Gently we edged away towards them; +Meliboeus standing before the mast with his double-barrel ready, and +motioning to me how to steer, as the main-sail hid the birds from my +view. + +They perceived us, and began to swim along shore at a rapid rate; the +water was shoaling fast, and we greatly feared they would escape, but +still we held on. The majestic birds rose slowly from the water, one +following the other, and made towards the Canning. "I'll let fly at +them" cried Meliboeus, in an intense whisper, "luff up! -- +hard-a-lee!" The helm was jammed down, and the sheet hauled in; the +boat luffed into the wind, and became stationary, only bobbing upon +the waves, whilst her sails shivered and rattled in the breeze. +Meliboeus fired -- and the hindmost bird declined gradually towards +the water; its long wings became fixed and motionless at their widest +stretch, and slowly it sank down upon its heaving death-bed. Loud +shouted the sportsman; and momentary envy filled the heart of him who +steered. + +Away goes the boat before the freshening breeze, and soon it dashes +past the body of the pelican, which is seized by the ready Meliboeus, +and with great difficulty hauled on board. A shot had penetrated to +its brain and killed it instantaneously. The wind up the Canning was +nearly abeam, and we dashed through the deep and narrow passage +called Hell's Gates, and held on till we came to the foot of a steep +and rounded hill, Mount Henry. The river here turns at right angles, +sweeping round the base of the hill, and leaving a broad and deep bay +called Bull's Creek, to the southward. This is a famous spot for +ducks and swans, and many a pleasant bivouac have I formed near it, +waiting for early morn when the birds are busy feeding. As we +rounded Mount Henry, we observed a large slate-coloured bird lazily +flying across the river ahead of us. The Canning is here about four +hundred yards broad, widening occasionally to a quarter of a mile. +The wind was now right aft, and we soon came upon the line of the +bird, which appeared to be a crested crane. The boom was topped-up +in a moment, the jib-sheet let fly, and the boat's nose ran crashing +through the sedges which in this part fringed the bank. The crane +had alighted on the very summit of a straight and lofty tree, and +there she sat, unconscious of the danger at hand. + +Too much excited to care for any obstacles, and with eyes ever fixed +upon the game, I tore my way through brambles, thickets, water and +mud, until with no little difficulty I arrived at ground free from +underwood. The bird was still sitting patiently on her lofty perch, +and my heart beat anxiously with hope that I should be able to creep +within shot. What a moment of interest! It is still vivid in the +memory, with all its doubts and fears and wildly-beating hopes. The +crane seemed preparing to fly. Death! I felt nearly distracted with +apprehension. The interest and excitement became intense. I crept +from tree to tree, and whenever I thought I was observed, stood +motionless. My eye-balls became dry and hard with incessant gazing. +I feared to wink lest she should be gone. She extended her wings! I +bounded forward. She was just off, and barely within reach, as I +fired; a single number two shot struck her pinion, and down she +tumbled to the ground with a glorious wallop. + +A loud shout from Meliboeus, who had sat in the boat scarcely daring +to breathe, proclaimed the presence of a witness to my triumph. + +Since then I have shot cranes without emotion or much feeling of +interest. + +Boating, as an amusement, ought only to be followed during the summer +months, from the 1st of October to the 1st of April. In the winter +season there are extremely violent gales of wind from the north-west, +that sometimes last for three days together. Their arrival is +generally foretold by the rapid falling of the barometer; and at +Perth it is almost always preceded by the rising of the estuary. A +singular storm visited the district of Australind in the night of the +17th June, 1842. It crossed the Leschenault estuary, and entered the +forest, making a lane through the trees from three to four hundred +yards wide. In this lane, which extended for many miles, nothing was +left standing but the stumps of trees; whilst the trees on either +wide of the land stood up like a wall and were perfectly uninjured. +The storm in its course, which was in a direct line from N.W. to S.E. +levelled the trees in the valleys as well as those on the hills. Its +effects were not like those of a whirlwind, when trees appear twisted +round, and scattered in every direction; in this lane the young +healthy trees, which were generally broken off about two or three +yards from the ground, all lay in the same direction. + +Twice have I nearly paid dearly for my rashness in boating. My boat +was once capsized in a moment in a squall, and Hannibal and myself +were soused in the water before we knew what had happened. I caught +hold of the bilge of the boat, and nearly drowned myself with +laughing at the Son of Amilcar, who was splashing about shrieking +with terror, and swallowing quarts of salt-water, as his open mouth +popped every moment under a wave. In vain I called to him to come to +me, and lay hold of the boat; he could neither see nor hear, and +would have soon joined his illustrious namesake in the Elysian +fields, had I not managed to throw the bight of a rope round his +neck, and towed him within reach, when I held him up by the collar of +his jacket (ducking him under water occasionally to make him cease +from howling) until we were rescued by a fishing-boat. + +One day, the 11th April, 1843, feeling disposed to take my book on +the water and enjoy the calm air, I embarked by myself -- a most +unusual occurrence, as I scarcely ever went out alone. What little +wind there was blew down the estuary, but only gently ruffled the +waters; and my boat glided noiselessly before it. A couple of hours +took me to the farther extremity of Melville water, and here it fell +calm. I now began to feel uncomfortable, for the air was close, and +dark clouds appeared rising in the north-west. The wind began to +blow in gusts; a sudden puff, curling the waters, would strike the +boat and make her heel over until her gunwale kissed the wave, as +with a sudden start she rushed forward under the impulse of the +blast. I was now making homeward. The heavens became black with +angry clouds; the wind first sighed and moaned like a reluctant +Spirit driven forth to fulfil its task of evil, feeling something of +remorse at crimes foreshadowed and inevitable; and then working +itself into fury, as though it would stifle thought, and crush out +the germ of pity, the Wind in its might and rage rushed roaring over +the waters, making the foam fly before it, and tearing up the face of +the estuary into rugged lines of wild tumultuous waves. The little +bark vainly strove to keep her head to the storm, which bore her down +until the water poured over the gunwale. + +It was about six o'clock in the evening, and darkness, hurried on +prematurely by the tempest, spread suddenly around. The waves, as if +trying to leap beyond the reach of some internal agony, rolled high +above my head, as the "Fair Maid of Perth" sank hopelessly in the +deep channel, with rocking mast and shivering sails. But not yet +submerged, she rose again, and fronted the storm, struggling +desperately to reach the northern shore, which was not far distant. +But the skies grew blacker still; the storm became a hurricane; the +wind roared so loud that no voice of human agony or despair might be +heard above its tremendous fury; the waves grew higher and mightier, +and became rushing hills of water, overwhelming, irresistible. To +me, quailing in my frail bark, in all the consciousness of +helplessness and ruin, it seemed as though the winds and the waves +were really sentient beings combining to overwhelm me, and increasing +their efforts the more I struggled. + +This is no fiction that I am relating, but a reality that happened to +myself, and which it would be impossible to exaggerate. Never shall +I forget the last tremendous wave that came down upon me, impelled by +a maddening gust which whirled tearing along through the wild air, +and scooping its deep passage through the waters. In vain was the +jib-sheet let fly; in vain did I luff into the wind. I could not +quit the helm, and therefore was unable to lower the sail which in +that hurricane could not have been got in easily, and in the meantime +the boat, breaking off from the wind, would have been swamped. I was +so near the shore that I hoped still to reach it, the wind being +abeam, in the course of a few minutes. But nothing could withstand +the last wave and blast. The boat lurched, and broke off. Hurled on +her beam-ends, the boom was in the water; the waves rushed over the +side; she struggled bravely, and tried to right herself; but after +staggering forwards a few seconds, the weight of the in-rushing water +bore her down, and she slowly fell over on her side. The sensation +was by no means pleasant. I felt her going, without being able to +prevent it. I glanced around for aid or hope; but there was neither. +I could see nothing but waves, and hear nothing but the roaring +blast. The shore was close to me, but the high waves, and the +darkness of the hurricane, prevented my discerning even the tops of +the trees. As the boat capsized, I kicked off my shoes and threw off +my coat and waistcoat, and seizing the main-sheet, let myself down in +the water, trying to find bottom, but there was none within reach. + +I struck out towards the shore, but the ablest swimmer that ever swam +could have made no progress against that sea, and I could scarcely +swim at all. + +I scrambled back to the boat, which now lay on her side, level with +the surface. On getting upon her, you may conceive -- but no! you +cannot -- the horror of the moment, as I felt her gradually go down +-- sink, sinking beneath me. All now seemed over. My time had +arrived; my last moment was come. I collected my thoughts, and +prepared for it. + +I did not feel so much terror as I should have anticipated in such +a scene. Death seemed inevitable, and I nerved myself, and prayed. +All the past did NOT press upon me at this moment, in this death- +struggle, as some readers may imagine. I thought not of my sins, nor +of my friends, nor of time misspent and work left undone -- my whole +mind was absorbed in the sense of DEATH and FUTURITY. The glances, +rather than the thoughts which shot across my soul, seemed like +revealings of immortality. My sensations were mixed of horror and +hope; the CHANGE from the old to the new Life seemed beginning +within me. It might have been excess of terror, but I did not feel +terrified. I felt that all was over, and there was no room for the +anguish that arises from doubt. All struggling was vain, and though +in tumult and horror, I yet felt resigned. The World of Time was +past, and new being was at hand. + +Such is the memory which I must ever bear of the hour when (yet +vigorous and full of Life) I was held in the arms of Death. + +The boat went down. The waves rushed over me; the enemy held me by +the throat, and seemed to press me into the opening grave. Even as +the light faded from my eyes, and the Spirit waited for that quick, +sharp touch of the dart which should free it from the bonds of mortal +life, I perceived the stem of the boat rising slowly out of the +waves, whilst the stern was borne down by my weight. + +Instinctively I swam forward, and got upon another part of the boat. +Down it went again; and as the water dashed against my face, I saw +the stern now rising up, whilst the stem plunged down into the depths +below. I scrambled amidships; the sea and the wind struck her, and +she rolled heavily over, righting herself for a moment, with her mast +and sail erect; but soon she lay on her larboard side, deep in the +water. I had been washed off her, but clung to the main-sheet, and +so got back again. I now held on to the side with one hand, whilst I +managed to strip off all my clothes except my shirt and flannel +waistcoat, first taking my knife out of my pocket. With this I tried +to cut away the stays which held the mast in its place, hoping that +it would then fall out, and relieve the boat of the sails which +weighed her down so low in the water. Most fortunately I had not +sand-ballast, in tarred bags, as most of our pleasure-boats had, but +water-ballast in breakers, which now proved no additional burthen to +the boat. It was also fortunate that she was built partly of deal, +and had only her lower streaks of jarra wood, which does not float. + +The blade of the knife, which was only a pen-knife, soon broke, and I +was obliged to give up the attempt to remove the sails. Still the +hurricane blew on, wild and terrible as ever; the spray washed over +me like rain; the waves dashed me repeatedly from the boat, which was +whirled and tossed about in a strange manner; sometimes rolling +completely over, sometimes going down head, and sometimes stern +foremost, I had to scramble from part to part, and exercise a good +deal of agility in saving myself from being struck by the gunwale, or +by the boom and sail, as they rose from the water and fell back again. + +And now I could see but small prospect of being eventually saved. +The only chance was that the boat would drift, in the course of time, +across the estuary, here nearly four miles broad. Then I tried, and +for a long time vainly, to ascertain whether she drifted at all. The +anchor, with about five-and-twenty feet of cable, had doubtless +fallen out, and the boat was probably stationary. Night had set in, +and it was too dark to distinguish even the shore with its forest of +trees. These gales sometimes continue three days, and I knew it +would be impossible to exist many hours immersed in water. I dreaded +lest I should become benumbed and unable to hold on to the boat. + +In order to keep up circulation as much as possible, I shouted aloud, +and rubbed my breast and thighs with my disengaged hand. + +Some dark object was on the water near me. It moved; it came quickly +towards me. I could just discern that it was a whale-boat containing +several men. It had no sails or oars, yet it flew before the blast. +I shouted and screamed as it went by, not twenty yards from me; and +the men turned their heads and waved their arms, and doubtless +answered, but the gale roared with unabated fury, the waves +intercepted them from my sight, and I could not hear their voices.* + + +[footnote] *These men were about a mile and a half astern of me, when +the hurricane began, and tried to pull in shore; but just as they +thought to have reached it, one of their oars broke, and being now +helpless, they were obliged to scud before the wind. By good fortune +they were carried up the Canning, where they remained all night. + + +The moon had now risen, and the clouds were partially dispersed, so +that I could at length distinguish the woods on the weather-shore; +and I could see the weary waste of waters over which I must drift +before I could possibly be saved. + +Sometimes the wind blew with lessened violence, and I could sit upon +the submerged bilge of the boat, and consider my state and prospects. +After long observation, I felt assured that the boat did really +drift, but it was very slowly; and I feared that as we approached the +other shore, her anchor must inevitably bring her up in twenty-five +feet water, and that nothing could save me from perishing of cold. +It never occurred to me during this memorable night, that when I set +sail in the afternoon I had shortened the cable to about five feet in +length, in order the more easily to trip the anchor. This was one of +the circumstances, providentially ordered, that tended to save my +life. + +Some miles down the estuary I could distinguish a light in the house +at Point Walter, high placed on a steep bank; there two of my friends +were at that moment carousing, whilst I was being buffetted by waves +and tempest, and fearing that the saturated sails and heavy wood at +length would sink the unfortunate boat to the bottom. I yet could +scarcely hope to escape; my mind was still made up to die, and I +tranquilly awaited the event. + +The moon had now made half of her journey across the heavens; the +wind had moderated, and I redoubled my exertions to keep off the cold +by shouting and rubbing myself. My flannel-shirt was another +instrument of safety to me. It felt warm to my body though the waves +poured continually over it. + +The outline of the forest on the lee side of the estuary was now +distinguishable, and hope would have been rife within me but for the +expectation of finding myself anchored fast at a fatal distance from +the shore. + +Every thing appeared so indistinct in the gloom of the night, that I +could not guess how far I was from land; and it was with surprise, as +well as delight and gratitude, that I felt the boat bump against the +sand. Oh that first bump, which told me of safety and deliverance +after five hours of incessant peril! Shall I ever forget the thrill +of delight which it gave me? I could scarcely credit my senses, and +put down my benumbed feet with doubt; but they rested on the sand -- +real, hard, blessed terra firma! and without delay I waded through +the water to the beach. + +The wind had now fallen, and it began to rain. + +I was on the edge of a thick wilderness of forest, without any house +within reach -- the nearest was some miles distant, and to reach it +in the dark, and without shoes, through swamps and thickets was +almost impossible. + +The Canning River was about half-a-mile from me, and on the farther +side of it was a settler's house; but though I might reach the bank +of the river, I could not hope to make myself heard half a mile off, +amid the howling of the dying storm, and by people fast asleep. +There was nothing for it, therefore, but to make myself as +comfortable as possible, and remain where I was until morning. +Fortunately, I recollected having seen the ruins of a goat-shed not +far distant, when I had landed on this spot with my gun two or three +months before. With some difficulty, and some pain to my feet from +thorns, I discovered this relic of a hovel. Part of the roof was yet +entire, and sheltered me from the wind. + +The door was lying inside, and this I made my bed. Then, having +wrung out my shirt and flannel-waistcoat, and returned thanks to the +Almighty for preserving a life not, perhaps, sufficiently prized by +the owner, I lay down completely exhausted and fell asleep. + +Awaking at daylight, I started off through the woods, stiff and +hoarse with cold, but light of heart; and having reached the Canning, +succeeded at last in making myself heard by the farmer opposite, who +took me across in his boat, breakfasted me, and lent me his clothes, +and finally conveyed me to Perth, where I found my friends preparing +to go in search of my body. + + + +CHAPTER 23. + +THE DESERT OF AUSTRALIA. -- CAUSE OF THE HOT WINDS. -- GEOLOGY. + +I intend in this chapter* to give an explanation of the cause of the +hot-winds of Australia; to throw out a suggestion on the most likely +mode of prosecuting discovery towards the interior; and to conclude +with a slight sketch of the geology of the colony. Before doing this +I shall give a brief account of a journey made by myself and Mr. +Maxwell Lefroy in search of the inland sea so often talked of, and +which a native promised to show to us; so large, he said, that when +he stood on one shore he could not see the other. Although this sea +turned out to be a pure fiction, the journey was not entirely +useless, nor altogether uninteresting. As this sea was probably not +more than 200 miles distant from York, according to the reckoning of +the native, who said it was "ten sleeps off," I judged that one +month's provision would be sufficient. + + +[footnote] *This chapter I owe to Mr. Henry Landor. + + +Accordingly, Mr. Lefroy and myself started on the expedition, on +horseback, taking with us a native boy, and a pack-horse loaded with +flour, tea, and sugar, and other necessaries. It will be sufficient +to state that we pursued a south-east course, crossing the Hotham, +the Williams, and the Arthur rivers, and traversing an indifferent +country, but in many places fit for sheep-grazing, before we came to +the lake, or sea, of which we were in search. When we arrived at it, +we were disappointed to find it not more than six miles long, +although the natives, with their usual amount of exaggeration, had +increased it to an illimitable ocean. Before descending from the +high land to the plain in which the lakes are situated, we caught a +distant glimpse of what appeared to be a grand and broad river, +pursuing a winding course through a magnificently wooded valley, with +its clear bright waters dwindling in the distance to a silvery +thread. A nearer examination, however, dispelled the illusion, and +the beautiful river turned out to be nothing more than a chain of +shallow lakes, situated in a woody valley; and only in very wet +seasons flowing from one to another. + +We determined to follow the chain of lakes eastward, so long as our +provisions should last, or as long as our horses could find food for +themselves. We proceeded east for six days, passing numberless +lakes, and observing that the chain divided, one branch of lakes +running north-east, and the other due east. We followed the latter +until we came to a lake called Dambeling, by far the largest we had +seen, being about fifteen miles long by seven or eight wide, with a +good sheep country on its northern bank, and a river, which we called +the Lefroy, falling into its eastern end. The river was about thirty +yards wide, with a clayey bed, and large fresh-water pools, and +flowed from the east, through the worst country we had seen, it being +an apparently endless desert, and level to the horizon. We went one +day's journey into this inhospitable country, but the want of food +for our horses, and our own unprepared state, prevented us from +penetrating farther. On our return, we went for two or three days +north, on the outskirts of the desert, before we turned westward on +our way back to York. + +The only land we crossed in this expedition was situated on the head +of the Hotham and Williams. The area of this country is undoubtedly +very great, but its average character is below the York district, +although it is well adapted for sheep-grazing. + +But the most interesting feature is the barren and desolate country +to the east of Lake Dambeling, doubtless a continuation of the same +sterile country seen by Mr. Roe, the surveyor-General, east of York +many years previously; and probably from Mr. Eyre's observation, +extending quite down to the southern coast. We had no means of +ascertaining the width of this dreary country, but we did not think +it could be impassably wide because the river Lefroy appeared to come +across it. This river, in a geographical point of view, may be +important, as the character of its bed, without trees, more +water-worn than the other rivers of the colony, its size, and the +direction from which it comes, render it exceedingly interesting to +determine how it is supplied. The sandy nature of the country on its +banks, and for many miles east, and the flatness of the country, +preclude the idea that it receives its supply of water from the +immediately surrounding district. It must either be supplied by a +country of a far better character to the eastward, or it is the +outlet of another and larger lake far in the interior. From the +natives we could learn nothing but that there were no kangaroos, no +opossums, and no water to the east; but as their knowledge never +extends 100 miles, and they would tell any lie to avoid going where +they had no inclination to go, their opinions are worthless. It +might be worth the while of the colony to send forth another +expedition to determine the boundaries of this desolate country, as +it is not improbable that a practicable rout might be discovered to +South Australia by means of the river and lakes. + +The outlet of the lakes is into the river Beaufort, and possibly also +into the Gordon. There is no doubt that in exceedingly wet seasons +the whole valley is one continuous stream, when all the lakes would +be united and present a truly magnificent appearance; but as the area +of evaporation is so large, and the banks of many of the lakes are +high, the quantity of rain must be enormous before the valley becomes +filled with a running river. Lake Barbering, where the valley +divides, has a steep shore, with three distinct marks of former +water-levels. All the lakes have two or more shores, showing either +a decrease of rain or an elevation of the land itself, probably both. +Between the present and ancient shores there is a belt of swamp-oaks +and tea-trees, which show that some length of time has elapsed since +the water left its old levels. + +The water to fill these large reservoirs must come down the river +Lefroy, as the neighbouring country is too sandy to supply it in +sufficient quantities. + +No question in geography has presented a wider field for conjecture +than the much-debated one of the nature of the interior of Australia. +Is it desert, or water, or pasture? inhabited, or destitute alike of +animal and vegetable life? The explorations of Captain Sturt, and +the journey of Mr. Eyre, would incline us to believe that the country +is one vast sterile waste; but the journey of the latter is worth +nothing as an attempt to expose the nature of the interior, since he +never left the coast. It certainly shows how much suffering the +human frame can endure; and whilst, as illustrative of Australian +geography, it is valueless, it is highly creditable to the energies +of the traveller. + +The expedition of Captain Sturt has shown that to the north of South +Australia the country is chiefly desert, totally incapable of +supporting animal life: while the geological specimens of that +traveller prove that the rich mineral strata of South Australia +extend far beyond the pastoral boundaries of the colony. A reference +to the journey of Mr. Lefroy and myself, from York to the south-east, +will show that there exists a low level country running far beyond +our farthest eastern point, which may afford abundance of water and +pasture for any future expedition proceeding in that direction. + +An expedition starting from these lakes in the BEGINNING OF WINTER, +so as to take advantage of the first supplies of water, might advance +far enough into the interior to discover at least the possibility of +proceeding before the succeeding summer would render it impossible to +return; for the lakes alone would not be sufficient to ensure a +supply of good drinkable water during the summer, as they generally +become quite salt long before summer is over. It would be necessary +to find a good deep water-hole for the party to remain at during the +dry season, and from which they could push out small lateral +expeditions as a sort of foundation for the next season's main +advance. Expeditions in Australia require great circumspection. It +is not the most rapid traveller who will get the farthest, but the +most prudent and cautious. I consider it quite possible to get +across the island, either to South Australia or to Port Essington. +Most probably it would be easier to get to the latter than the former. + +From observations made on the rains and winds in Western Australia, +and careful inquiries on the same subjects when I was in South +Australia, and on a comparison of the two, I am inclined to believe +that the climates of the two colonies assimilate. A wet winter in +one is a wet winter in the other. Both receive their rains when the +wind blows from the north-west to south-west. Thus the rains from +South Australia pass from the Indian Ocean over Western Australia, +and the whole island, to South Australia. The hot wind of Western +Australia blows from the north-east; and, in fact, the hot wind of +both colonies comes from the same portion of the great island. That +which is the hot wind in summer in Western Australia is the cold wind +in winter; and the same in South Australia. The reason is obvious. +It is evident, from the fact that South Australia receives its rain +from the Indian Ocean, that there are no mountains in the interior of +sufficient elevation to intercept the clouds; that there are no +mountains in the interior, is shown also by the absence of rivers +emptying themselves into the ocean. From the observation of Mr. +Lefroy and myself, we were led to suppose that the interior consisted +for the most part of immense clay plains; the lower portion of these +plains being hollowed into the large shallow lakes we meet with in +our journey. Where the country is a little more elevated the plains +are sand instead of clay. In winter these plains are covered with +water, as the drifted leaves on the bushes testify; and the marks of +water on the surface are very evident. Now, when the winter winds +pass over these immense masses of water, the great evaporation +renders them intensely cold; and they arrive in the colony laden, (if +I may so unphilosophically express it,) with cold, caused by rapid +evaporation. In summer these very plains are equally the cause of +the hot wind; for when the rains cease, and the sun acquires his +summer power, the water is quickly evaporated, the clay becomes +baked, and the heat is reflected from the hard heated surface quite +sufficiently to raise a thermometer to 110 degrees in the shade. The +wind is now driven towards the colony laden with heat from the +cracked, baked, clay-plains in the interior; and thus it is, that at +different seasons the same country produces such opposite effects. +But although the general state of the interior is barren and +unproductive, as I imagine, I do not suppose that it is entirely so. +I believe there are many cases of good pasture land in the midst of +this sterile country; fertile spots, small when compared with the +vast area of indifferent country around them, but large in +themselves. And these pastoral oases are more cultivated than the +worthless land amid which they are placed. In these patches of good +land there are always water-holes to be found, and water-courses well +marked, conducting the surplus waters to the lakes in the clay +plains. That there are such fertile spots in the Australian deserts +is certain, for I have seen many of them myself, and they are +mentioned also by the South Australian travellers. The similarity in +most respects of vegetation in Western Australia and in South +Australia, and the identity of many plants, proves also a country of +good quality lying between the two colonies; by which such plants +were conveyed from one country to the other. Thus, the so called +white-gum is the same tree in both colonies; the mungat, or +raspberry-jam tree, is common to both; and also to the plains of New +England, in New South Wales, where (I understand) it acquires a +larger size than in Western Australia. The manch is another tree +also common to the two colonies; so is the black-wattle. The grasses +are many of them alike. But this similarity is not confined only to +the vegetable kingdom. The birds and animals are many of them also +alike. The white and the black cockatoo are common to the three +colonies, as are many kinds of the smaller parrots, the kangaroo, and +the kangaroo-rat, the numbat, the opossum, the native cat, and many +others. And this is not only true of animals of great locomotion, or +birds of long flight, as the pigeon or cockatoo, but equally so of +the opossum, the quail, and the wild-turkey. The quail and the +turkey are birds chiefly found in grassy lands, and neither fly to +any great distance: at least the quail never does; the turkey will +when much disturbed, but not otherwise. Also the water animals, as +the tortoise, are to be found in both colonies; but not the platypus, +which is confined to the country east of the great river Murrumbidgee +and its tributary the Darling. + +The natives are also alike in feature and habits, evidently the same +race, with language similar in character, in both countries, with +similar weapons and methods of procuring food; having also similar +customs and laws. + +Now, I infer from these facts, that the population, animal as well as +vegetable, proceeded from one country to the other; and that many +forms of vegetation in the two colonies possess no greater +difference, than the difference of soil and latitude may account for; +and that it may therefore be possible for men to find a route from +one country to the other, by carefully noting and following the lay +of the water-courses, the direction of the oases, and the nature of +the geology of the country; for that no impenetrable desert exists +between the countries, is evident from the passage of vegetables and +animals from the one to the other. What will be the benefit, some +one may ask, when such a route is discovered? Why, independent of +the knowledge gained to geography, there will be the great practical +good of opening the boundless pastures of Western Australia to the +flocks of the already overstocked lands of the other colonies. To +Western Australia the gain would be great; and to South Australia it +would be equally advantageous, as it would maintain the value of +stock there, which will rapidly fall when no more land can be found +fit for occupation. Even with all the rapid increase of population +which the great mineral abundance of that colony will continue to +create, sheep will multiply faster than the population, until they +become of the same low value as in New South Wales, where, if there +be no run sold with them, they are not worth more than the value of +the wool on their backs. + +It is therefore most desirable that attempts should be made to find a +stock route from the western to the eastern coasts. + +Intra-tropical Australia is more abundantly supplied with rivers, and +of a larger magnitude, than any out of the tropics, the Murray alone +excepted; and doubtless a journey across the island within the tropic +would present fewer difficulties than one direct from Perth to +Sydney, or Adelaide; but, excepting for the advancement of +geographical knowledge, there is no object to be gained by such a +journey. The best way is along the valley of the lakes, guided as +the party proceeds, by the nature of the country. + +I earnestly hope that an expedition will be sent to make some effort +to penetrate the great extent of an unknown country, lying east of +Western Australia, as it is an object well worth the attention of the +Government, or of the Geographical Society. + +The geology of Western Australia is not very interesting, as the +country is entirely of primary formation to the east of the Darling +range of hills: the granite every where crowning the summit of the +hills, and the immense plains consisting entirely of granitic sand, +or of hard clay containing nodules of primary rocks. This formation, +which does not in Western Australia consist of the stratified +primary series, as in South Australia, cannot be expected to yield +the abundant mineral riches that the strata of South Australia +exhibit. Probably gold may be met with, and copper and lead may be +found in the Koikunenup Range, which is not entirely a granitic +range, but is, I believe, capped with clay slate. The level country +lying between the Darling hills and the sea is of a much more recent +formation; but has not been sufficiently examined to determine its +age precisely, though I imagine it will be found to belong to the +pliocene tertiary formations. Certainly it contains many shells of +species now living in the neighbouring ocean; and the limestone ridge +running parallel with and close to the coast, and which in the colony +is falsely called magnesian limestone, contains a great proportion of +modern shells. The country lying between the hills and the sea +contains many beds of lignite; one of which, at Nornalup, on the +south coast, is more than two feet thick, and shows itself on the +face of the cliff on the north shore of the estuary. Following the +line of coast in any part of Australia, the geologist cannot fail to +be much struck by the evident marks of a gradual elevation of the +land; he will every where see the marks of the sea on the cliffs, at +a considerable height above its present level. At Cape Chatham, on +the south coast, these sea-marks are visible 300 feet above the +present level of the ocean; and can be seen on the face of the rocks, +in the hills at some distance from the coast. On my journey to +Nornalup, I discovered a lake containing shells in abundance, which +appeared to me, and were also considered by the late Dr. Hinds +(Surgeon, Royal Navy) a skilful conchologist, to be a littoral +species, common to the shores of various parts of the globe. These +shells, of no interest in themselves, become excessively interesting +as evidence of a connexion once existing between this lake and the +ocean, from which it is now at least forty miles distant. This lake +is not more than 100 feet above the present level of the ocean, and +entirely separated from any other lake or river. How, therefore, +could these marine shell-fish be living in a salt lake, unless they +had continued to exist there from the period when it was a portion of +the ocean itself? That many generations of them had lived and died +in this spot, was quite certain, from the abundance of dead shells on +the shores of this very interesting lake. Nor is the evidence of +elevation confined to the coast; all the lakes seen by Mr. Lefroy and +myself have ancient shores much higher than the present waters ever +reach. The same evidence of elevation is to be seen in the harbour +of Sydney, and in Spencer's Gulf, in South Australia. At the head of +the latter the shingle and rolled-stones clearly show that the gulf +has formerly run much farther inland: probably to Lake Torrens, the +superfluous waters of which are now discharged into the head of the +gulf. The whole plain of the Murrumbidgee has been, at not a very +distant date, beneath the ocean; as the Madrepores, and other fossils +in the limestone cliffs of the river testify. Earthquakes have been +felt in South Australia since its settlement. A very intelligent +gentleman there told me that he had noted eleven since his arrival; +quite perceptible enough to leave no doubt as to their character. +Probably the country was elevated at each shock, in a slight degree; +and perhaps before the volcano of Mount Gambier became extinct the +elevatory movements were more rapid. Be that as it may, I am quite +convinced that they are going on at this moment; and it would be well +to make marks on the cliffs in various parts of the coast, at the +present sea-level, in order to determine, after the lapse of years, +the rate of elevation. + + + +CHAPTER 24. + +COLONIAL GOVERNMENT. + +We have already observed that a vast deal of discontent prevails in +colonies. With all the natural advantages of a fruitful soil and a +heavenly climate, colonists are always dissatisfied with their +position; because, in a pecuniary point of view, they are always +poor. And why are they so? The answer is a startling one. The +excess of their abundance is the first cause of their poverty; the +instability of their government, the second. They possess more than +they can dispose of, and are borne down by the weight of their +possessions. Place the markets of England and the labour of Ireland +within their reach, and they would become millionaires were they to +cease to be colonists; but so long as they continue to be colonists, +governed by a Power altogether distinct from that which rules over +Englishmen in their native land, they will continue to be helpless, +oppressed, and poverty-stricken. + +They alone, among British subjects, are living under an absolute +Monarchy; the caprices of which render property insecure and of +uncertain value; neutralizing industry, paralyzing enterprise, and +crushing with fatal authority the energies and the spirits of the +people. + +In the absolute recklessness of colonial rule, no sooner does private +enterprise raise its head, and throw out the first feelers on the way +to wealth, than a watchful government steps forward, and careful only +to secure gain to itself, crushes out (in the first feebleness of +existence,) the germ of vitality. + +In all new countries in which the sources of wealth are imperfectly +developed, the expense of applying the means necessary to their +development is so enormous, as to leave but small profit to the +speculator. Labour is always dear in new countries, where there is +so large an outlet afforded to the labourer to escape from the toils +of servitude, and become himself an occupant or an owner of the soil. +All that he gains by the exchange is an ideal independence; which is, +unhappily, but too attractive to the uneasy spirit of modern +improvement. + +The prosperity of a colony is the aggregate of individual wealth. +the prosperous advance of the colonist, is, therefore, the first duty +of a superintending Government. But the first aim of that watchful +guardian is ever to wring from the settler as much as may be +extracted by pressure. The lowest demand for land, which would be +dear at half-a-crown an acre, is eight times that amount. No sooner +does the settler, by his science or industry, discover some lucrative +opening, than government steps in with its restrictions, its taxes +and duties, and at once cuts down the budding promise. If the design +be to bring to light the mineral wealth of the country, royalties are +immediately imposed; and no chance of profit is left to the +speculator when the rents are raised according to the probabilities +of success. It is the same with all other speculations; no one will +embark, even in a timber-trade, when he knows that he is placing his +capital at the mercy of a grasping and short-sighted Government. + +How much more lucrative, and how much more statesman-like would it +prove, were our rulers to display as much good policy as the peasants +of Norfolk, who do not pluck their geese until they be well +feathered! Colonists, like cabbages, should be allowed to acquire +the necessary strength, and attain the proper dimensions, before they +be seriously operated upon. You might then cut and nick them with +reasonable hope of their sprouting forth anew. + +But the worst evil of an absolute Government arises from the +destruction in the minds of the people of all faith and confidence in +its truth and honour. + +One Secretary of State countermands the edicts of his predecessor; +and as the Executive Government of a colony is composed of the paid +servants of the Crown, and is merely the machine of the Secretary for +the time being, the ordinances which it promulgates are distinguished +by only one uniform feature -- the announcement of broken promises +and betrayed faith. + +The inhabitants of colonies, disappointed and deceived, have no trust +in their rulers, and dare not invest their capital in enterprises +which may be ruined in a moment by an arbitrary edict. At one +period, for instance, they may have been induced, upon the faith of +the Government, to purchase remission tickets, which entitle the +owner to a certain quantity of land wherever he may choose to select +it. A succeeding Government confines this right of selection within +certain narrow limits; whilst another decides that the holder shall +be allowed to purchase with these tickets only land that is entirely +valueless. At one period men are encouraged to attempt the +production of colonial spirits; but no sooner is a large amount of +capital expended, than it is made illegal to distil. Some parties +are permitted to purchase land at a distance from the capital: and +after years of toil and expense are deprived of all protection from +the Government, and allowed no compensation for its withdrawal. + +But it were vain to attempt to enumerate the acts of broken faith on +the part of an absolute Government, from whose decree there is no +appeal, and from whose oppression no redress. The moral evil to +colonies is crushing and fatal. + +The best informed among English statesmen know nothing of colonies: +but their hardihood in legislating for them is, unhappily, equal to +their ignorance. It was only last year (1846) that the bill for the +government of Western Australia was (according to newspaper report) +opposed in the House of Lords by a noble duke, on the ground, as his +grace alleged in an animated and interesting speech, of the +wretchedly immoral state of the colony, arising from the system of +transportation, which so deluged the country with convicts that it +was now a perfect hell upon earth! A noble lord, then +Under-secretary for the Colonies, apologised, with the best grace he +could assume, for this lamentable state of things, and assured the +noble duke that the Government was quite aware of the evil, and was +turning its attention to a remedy for it. Had any one of the noble +lords present known anything at all about the subject of the debate, +he might in a few words have relieved the anxiety of the Government, +by informing it that Western Australia is not, and never has been, a +penal settlement -- that convicts are not sent thither for +punishment; that even a single bush-ranger has never been known +within the territory; and that, in the words of an Adelaide journal, +"it is as free from stain as any of the rural districts of England." + +Another Australian colony (that of Port Phillip) calls for the +attention of Government more imperatively, perhaps, than any other of +these settlements. At present an appendage to Sydney, but situated +at a most inconvenient distance from that capital, it is compelled to +remit thither between fifty and one hundred thousand pounds annually +for rates, taxes, and duties, not a tithe of which ever finds its way +back again. It is deprived of roads, bridges, and all public works +of importance, solely because it is friendless at home, voiceless and +unrepresented. Might Englishmen be made to feel that interest in +colonies which in general they are ever ready to accord to the +unfortunate, they would glow with indignation at the wrongs, the +injustice, and the oppression under which the inhabitants of distant +settlements bend in silence. "If you don't keep your colonies in a +state of dependence," are the memorable words of Lord Stanley, in +May, 1846, "of what use are they?" Such has ever been the +narrow-minded and unstatesman-like policy of the British Government. +And yet even the infant colonies of the empire, though fettered, +cramped, and swathed like the young progeny of the Esquimaux, are +useful still to the Mother Country. They afford the best market for +her produce; and when freed from the pressure of their bonds, like +plants released from the torturing confinement of their earthenware +prison, and allowed to extend their roots abroad in the free soil of +Nature, they will display new strength and viridity, and bring forth +fruit in increased abundance. Her Majesty's present Secretary of +State for the Colonies (Earl Grey) entered upon his office with truly +liberal and right-minded views, which, we trust, will be carried out +into operation wherever found necessary and practicable. "There can +be no doubt," said his Lordship in the House of Lords, shortly before +taking office, "that in our colonial empire we have the advantage of +possessing warm friends and allies in all quarters of the world, who, +commanding great natural resources, are united in heart and soul to +defend our trade and our interests, and to take part with us in all +contests against our enemies. We have garrisons of the cheapest kind +in every quarter of the universe. On the other hand, the colonies +have this inestimable advantage -- they have the glory and security +to be derived from an intimate connexion with the greatest, the most +civilized, and the most powerful nation on the face of the earth. +They have the glory -- and they feel it to be a glory -- of calling +themselves British subjects, and feeling that in defence of their +interests and best rights, the power and might of this country are +ready at any moment to be called forth and exercised in their behalf. +This is a substantial advantage of the most important kind to the +colonies; and they are fully sensible of it. And if with this we +pursue a liberal policy, and extend to them the dearest privilege of +Englishmen -- THE PRIVILEGE OF SELF-GOVERNMENT, AND DO NOT +VEXATIOUSLY INTERMEDDLE WITH THEIR INTERNAL AFFAIRS; in short, if we +pursue a liberal policy towards them, both commercially and +politically, we shall bind them to us with chains which no power on +earth may break, and the connexion between the parent state and those +great dependencies may continue until they far exceed us in +population." + +These are generous sentiments and profound truths, and they have shed +the bright beams of Hope over that vast colonial empire to which they +refer. + +In legislating for colonies, let it not be forgotten that one of the +chief drawbacks to their prosperity is the want of confidence in the +stability and permanency of existing regulations. There can be no +success, and there can be no safety, whilst those regulations and laws +are liable to the influence of peculiar views or individual caprice. +It is the people themselves, for whose government the laws are +intended, who should be allowed to impose, to modify, or to expunge +them. + +The predominating evil in colonies is THE WANT OF CONFIDENCE AND +FAITH IN THE GOVERNMENT. + + + +CHAPTER 25. + +ONE OF THE ERRORS OF GOVERNMENT -- ADVENTURE OF THE BRAMBLE. + +It has ever been considered one of the first principles of good +government, that a frequent and ready communication and intercourse +should be maintained between the ruling power and the possessions +subject to its authority. The first act of Roman sway was ever to +lay down good lines of road through the conquered country; and +nothing has tended so much to maintain the authority of the United +States over the Red Indians of America, as the formation of roads +through the wilderness. The rulers of Great Britain entertain the +opinion that when they have once seized upon a distant country, and +thrown into it a handful of troops and a few of their importunate +friends, with the title of government officers, they have done all +that is required of them. They wait with resignation for any account +that may be brought of the progress of the new colony, by some +wandering merchant-vessel. Despatches, frequently dated twelve +months previously, during which time they have been making the tour +of all the oceans at present known upon the globe, are brought to +Downing Street; and are then thrown aside, or at least are never +attended to, probably because they are too old to be deemed +interesting. No matter how pressing and immediate the wants of +the colony, chance alone affords the opportunity of making their +necessities known at home. Letters and despatches accumulate in the +Post-office; no vessel arrives bringing intelligence from England, or +offering to take away a mail: the Colonial Secretary, having +exhausted every official resource in the way of mental occupation, +looks out at the window, and meditates upon quail-shooting. His +Excellency the Governor, questions the possibility of adding another +despatch to the hundred and fifty already composed in illustration of +the art of making despatches, as Soyer makes soup, out of nothing; +and oppressed by the subject, becomes dormant in his chair of state; +the clerks in the neighbouring offices no longer exhibit the uplifted +countenance which, as justly observed by Sallust, distinguishes man +from all other creatures; nothing is to be seen of them but masses of +hair in wild profusion, and right hands extended on the table, still +mechanically grasping steel-pens, whilst every face lies flattened +upon a paper-case, and sleep and silence, broken only by sighs and +snores, reign throughout the building. Universal stagnation prevails +among government people; and merchants and store-keepers appear to be +much in the same condition. The only person in office who is kept in +a constant state of fever, is the unhappy Post-Master-General, who is +hourly called upon to state when he is going to make up a mail for +England. In vain he apologises for the non-arrival of ships; there +is something radically wrong in his department, for which he is +expected to answer; and dark denunciations are muttered in his ear, +until worn out with anxiety and nervousness, he loses his appetite, +and gradually withers away, like grass in the oven. + +And when at length a vessel arrives accidentally from Van Diemen's +Land, or perhaps from America, the Master at first demurs about +taking a mail, under the idea that it may convey letters giving +information of the state of markets that he desires should be known +only to himself and his employers; but finally consents; and then, +having received the mail on board, carries it about with him from +port to port, until at the conclusion of a long voyage, having +occasion to empty his vessel in order to smoke out the rats, he +discovers the forgotten boxes, and conscientiously sends them ashore. + +But if it be vexatious and inconvenient to have only this uncertain +means of despatching our letters to England, how much more annoying +is it to have no regular and stated time for receiving them from +home! What could be more painful than to have to wait twelve months +before you can receive an answer to an inquiry; and what more +destructive to the interests of commerce? How many fluctuations are +there in the state of the markets during those twelve months! + +It is one of the greatest of evils to have no regular post-office +communication between the Mother Country and her colonies, and the +interests of trade in both greatly suffer by it. + +Much has been said lately of establishing steam communication with +Sydney. A committee of Sydney merchants has been appointed in London +to consider the subject, and the restless and indefatigable Lieut. +Waghorn has written a pamphlet showing how it may be done, provided +the Government will contribute 100,000 pounds per annum towards the +project. He proposes that a branch line of steamers shall be +established, to proceed from Sincapore by the north of New Holland, +touching at Port Essington, and through Torres Straits to Sydney, and +probably on to Van Dieman's Land. But why follow such a route as +this, through the most dangerous channel in the world, where even +steamers would have to lie-to at night (as the Lieutenant admits), +and where light-houses would have to be erected and kept up at an +extravagant cost? Why take such a route, which presents not a single +place to call at, except Port Essington, a miserable spot, intended +only as a kind of refuge for shipwrecked mariners, possessing no +commercial or agricultural inhabitants, and only enjoying the +advantages and the society of a Governor, a handful of soldiers, and +three white women? Why insist upon expending so much public money, +and encountering so many dangers, without conferring a single +additional benefit upon the Australian colonies, when the route by +the south of New Holland is so obvious, so practicable, and so +superior? The projectors talk of making Port Essington a depot for +coal; but why not make this depot in Western Australia? During the +summer months, from 1st October to 1st April, the steamers might +touch at Fremantle; and during the winter months, at Port Gladstone, +fifteen miles to the southward, affording a sheltered harbour where +ships may ride securely within one hundred yards of the shore. Coal +mines will probably soon be at work in the colony, vast beds of that +mineral having been discovered, thus offering every inducement to +steam-vessels to touch here. Nor could anything be more +advantageous, considering the great interests that England now has at +stake in these seas, than to form a general depot in this colony, +where her Majesty's steamers and ships-of-war might refit on +occasion. As there is no other spot in all New Holland, Van Dieman's +Land, or New Zealand, where first-rate ship-timber may be obtained, +and where IRON, COAL, and COPPER, are also procurable in abundance, +this colony offers advantages for the formation of a Government +Dock-yard and depot (at Port Gladstone), that must be acknowledged by +every unprejudiced person. + +Objections may be raised to doubling Cape Lewin during the winter +season; but let the steamers stand well out to sea, and there would +be no difficulty. The time lost would not exceed that spent in +lying-to in Torres Straits during the night. Our colonial schooner, +the Champion, goes round Cape Lewin at all seasons. + +We would propose that the mail steamers, instead of branching off +from Sincapore, as proposed by Lieut. Waghorn, should depart from +Point de Galle, Ceylon, make direct for Swan River, there take in +coal, and pass on to Adelaide, South Australia, and thence to Van +Dieman's Land, where they might put the Melbourne and Sydney mails on +board of the steamer already plying between Van Dieman's Land and +those places. By this route the Sydney people would receive their +letters quite as soon as though their interests alone had been +consulted, according to the desire of the disinterested committee +before alluded to; whilst Van Dieman's Land would gain a few days, +and South Australia and Western Australia would be allowed to share +in the general advantage, from which they would otherwise be entirely +excluded. + +But the Government and the public would also be gainers by the route +which we suggest. It would be much cheaper to them, because it would +be much more profitable to the company that carried it out. The +colony of South Australia is now a populous country, and becomes more +so every year; but the Steam Company would carry no passengers and no +goods for South Australia (perhaps not even for Van Dieman's Land), +if the route to Sydney were to be by Port Essington and Torres +Straits. The two colonies of South and Western Australia deriving no +benefit from such a course, could give no support to the company. +Government hitherto has resisted the efforts of the Sydney merchants, +and refused to sanction the proposal of Mr. Waghorn, but chiefly upon +the ground of expense. And there is no doubt that Ministers would be +guilty of a gross misdemeanour, were they to consent to apply 100,000 +pounds per annum of the public money in furtherance of a scheme +designed for the exclusive benefit of a single colony. It is the +duty of Government to see that any sum which may be granted shall be +so applied as to confer the most extensive benefit upon all the +Australian colonies. That measures ought to be immediately taken to +ensure a regular communication between the home country and every one +of her colonies is a matter of no doubt to us. The want of this has +long appeared to be one of the grand errors of colonial legislation. +Let us hope that the day is not far distant when this crying evil +shall be remedied. Now that steam navigation has come so generally +into use, there is no valid reason why it should not be made the +means of uniting together, as it were, the different outposts of the +empire, drawing them more closely towards their parent country as to +a common centre. It is full time that a greater appearance of +sympathy were exhibited at home for those distant settlements which +have now become the principal markets for British produce, and which, +therefore, deserve something more at the hand of Government than what +they have so long been accustomed to find -- alternate periods of +tyranny and neglect. + +By far the greater portion of English merchant-ships are engaged in +trading to the colonies; our manufactures there find their principal +mart; our surplus population is there cheaply provided with +maintenance and a home. These are the grounds on which the colonies +lay claim to the fostering care of the Mother Country, and we trust +the days are at hand that will see it afforded. + +The first step must be to ensure a regular and frequent intercourse +between the countries, without which there can be no real protection; +without which there is no sufficient encouragement given to trade; +and the parent state can therefore reap but little advantage, +comparatively, from a colony whose powers are only imperfectly +developed. + +Since the above remarks were written, accounts have reached England +of the arrival at Fremantle of her Majesty's surveying vessel +Bramble, Commander Lieutenant Yule, after passing some time in +Torres Straits and on the coast of New Guinea. + +Mr. Yule having kindly placed the notes of his voyage at the disposal +of a friend in the colony, they were partially published in one of +the local journals in the month of January last. The portion +relating to Torres Straits is instructive. The Bramble sailed from +Port Jackson about the end of December 1845, in company with the +Castlereagh tender, Lieut. Aird, Commander. Touching at Moreton +Bay, Mr. Yule visited his old acquaintance, Captain Wickham, R.N., +late in command of H.M.S. Beagle, and now a settler on the +Brisbane. In the words of the journal referred to, "the Bramble +proceeded slowly to the northward, being much delayed by the bad +sailing of the tender." The voyage presents nothing worthy of +notice, until the arrival of the ships in Torres Straits, when it is +impossible to help being struck with the commentary which Mr. Yule +unconsciously affords upon the "perfect safety" of that passage, now +so much vaunted by the advocates of the northern route. While the +Bramble and Castlereagh were lying off Sir Charles Hardy's +Islands, the latter being deficient in ballast, Mr. Aird was +despatched with the boats to look for the "wreck" of the Maid of +Athens and the "wreck" of the Martha Ridgway, with the view of +procuring some; and having failed in discovering the former, and +therefore in procuring a sufficient supply, he was again sent to the +"wreck" of the Sir Archibald Campbell for the same purpose. So +much for Torres Straits! + +Mr. Yule strongly recommends Cairncross Island as the best station +for obtaining wood and water for vessels navigating the straits, +there being abundance of both easily procurable, and even large +timber, if required. On this island they shot four megapodii, and +observed many of their nests, some of which Mr. Yule describes as +being twelve feet high, and upwards of fifty feet in circumference. + +On Friday, the 10th April they made the coast of New Guinea, which +presented a low and thickly-wooded coast-line, backed by mountains of +magnificent height and beauty; the country being apparently very +rich, with many villages, embowered in cocoa-nut trees, scattered +along the shore. While coasting along, in search of a convenient +place to land, they encountered a native vessel of most extraordinary +size and character, which we will allow Mr. Yule to describe in his +own words: -- + +"At daybreak, as the sun was rising, I was very much struck with the +grandeur of some very distant mountains in a south-eastern direction +-- one in particular, the outline of whose summit was only visible +above the intervening clouds; immense ranges of mountains were also +distinctly visible this side of it, extending in a N.W. and S.E. +direction. It is seldom the rising sun has disclosed to my sight so +splendid a view as then presented itself; but in a few minutes, when +the sun's disk appeared, the beautiful scene vanished, leaving only +inferior cloud-topped mountains visible, together with the rich and +undulating foreground. We shortly afterwards saw the strange sail +seen last night. Although she was much nearer, she proved more +unaccountable than before. As there was not sufficient wind to +enable us to weigh, I resolved to send Mr. Pollard in the second gig +to take a nearer view of this extraordinary vessel. I watched the +boat until Mr. Pollard must have gone nearly five miles from us, when +the boat's sails appeared a mere speck when close to the wonderful +stranger. On this officer's return, he informed me he had approached +within bow-shot of the vessel, which proved to be a gigantic double +canoe, which he conceives must have measured fifty or sixty feet +long, kept apart and together by a platform from fifteen to twenty +feet broad, which extended nearly the whole length of the canoes, the +after-end being square with the sterns of the boats; six or eight +feet of this was left clear for the three steersmen, who guided the +vessel with three long paddles over the stern. With the exception of +this part of the platform, the whole was covered by a strong, +well-built house, made of cane, the roof being flat, and about five +or six feet above the platform. This roof answered the purpose of an +upper deck, affording the crew the means of conveniently walking on +it. This extraordinary craft was propelled by two large mat sails, +each spread between two bamboo masts, the heels of which were fixed +in the same step, the mastheads being spread (athwartships) from +twenty to thirty feet asunder, the sail being triangular between +these bamboo masts, which were supported by diagonal shores fore and +aft on either side; besides these two large sails, the canoe had +numerous smaller (square) ones suspended from the principal masts; +there was also a small square sail forward. The whole of the spars +and rigging was ornamented with a sort of flags and streamers. Mr. +Pollard thinks that he saw about forty or fifty people on the roof, +several of whom were in the act of stringing their bows; except this +precaution on the part of the strangers, there was no demonstration +of hostility. After taking a good view of this most extraordinary +canoe, Mr. Pollard returned; and she ultimately was wafted out of +sight. Whence she came, or where bound, still remains to me a +problem. + +"At noon I obtained the latitude, which was 8 degrees 3 minutes S.; +longitude, by chronometer, 145 degrees 28 minutes E. + +"In the afternoon the Castlereagh was visited by two small canoes, +with eight men, who had come off from a village we discovered abreast +of us. The natives brought off a few cocoa-nuts and some bows and +arrows, which they readily bartered for such trifles as were given in +exchange." + +The lofty mountain which so much excited Mr. Yule's admiration, was +named by him Mount Victoria, and between it and the shore were +several ranges of inferior altitude, which gave him "every reason to +believe that the lower regions were well watered and fertile." + +Having fixed upon a favourable spot for commencing his triangulation +behind a promontory which served to conceal them from the view of a +native village which they saw at no great distance, Mr. Yule went +ashore in the first gig with five seamen and one marine, accompanied +by Mr. Sweetman, in the second gig, with three seamen and two +marines, all well armed, and proceeded to hoist the Union Jack and +take possession of the place in the name of her Majesty Queen +Victoria. Having successfully performed this duty, and obtained the +observations he required, Mr. Yule thought it high time to return on +board; but the surf had in the meantime increased so heavily, that in +the attempt the second gig was swamped, and every thing in her, +including the arms, lost, except the quintant and chronometer, the +boat herself being with difficulty saved by being towed outside the +surf by the other gig. The rest of the adventure we shall give in +Mr. Yule's own words: -- + +"At this time I observed the Castlereagh about two miles beyond +Cape Possession, under sail; I therefore made signs to Mr. Wright, in +the first gig, to tow the second gig towards the Castlereagh, which +I concluded would attract Mr. Aird's attention. In this I was not +mistaken, as the Castlereagh was immediately anchored about a mile +and a half off, and her boats sent to the relief of ours. In the +interim I determined that every thing which was washed on shore +should be collected together, after which we all huddled close under +a bush near the beech, whence we could see our boats and be hid from +the view of the natives as much as possible. The Castlereagh's +boats having at length closed with the Bramble's, the second gig was +soon baled out, when all four boats pulled up abreast of us outside +of the surf, which had continued to increase; the Castlereagh at +the same time weighed, which I confess alarmed me much, as I knew +very few persons could be left on board after she had dispatched two +boats' crews; I therefore concluded we were discovered by the natives +beyond Cape Possession. I was in a few moments confirmed in my fears +by seeing Mr. Andrews prepare to push his boat through the surf. I +waved him back, when he energetically pointed towards Cape +Possession. I fully understood his signs (that natives were coming), +but still waved him off, as I knew his gallant attempt to relieve us +would fail, and that he and his boat's crew would be added to those +already in distress on shore; he, however, pushed through the surf, +when, as I expected, this boat was upset, and all his arms, +ammunition, etc. lost. At the same moment we observed crowds of +natives coming round the point of Cape Possession, armed with spears, +clubs, and stone axes. Our arms and ammunition had been all lost or +destroyed; our situation was therefore most defenceless, and, I may +say, our retreat hopeless; those boats at the back being unable to +afford us the least relief. I then thought it best to show no signs +of fear or mistrust, but to make friends with the natives, and amuse +them, until the next tide should enable a boat to back through the +surf. In the interim, Mr. Andrews, with his four men, and assisted +by some others, made three attempts to launch his boat, which failed, +and she was ultimately dashed in pieces against the rocks. I +advanced alone with playful gestures, waving a branch of green +leaves, in token of peace. One man pointed a spear at me, but the +others stared at me with more wonder depicted on their countenances +than ferocity. I then offered them some bits of tobacco, which they +would not approach near enough to take from my hands. This shyness, +unfortunately, did not continue long; for when the main body came up, +amounting to eighty or ninety men, armed, they became troublesome, +and laid their hands on everything they could get hold of that was +lying on the beach. To these robberies I attempted to put a stop, +and made them some presents instead; but the savages must have known +our helpless condition, and became every moment more daring and +rapacious; and, to add to our tribulation, we observed two large +canoes, each containing thirty or forty men, come round Possession +Point, and heave to between the Castlereagh and the boats, as if +with the intention of cutting off the latter. The Castlereagh +could not unfortunately take advantage of her guns by firing grape or +canister, as we were completely intermixed with the natives. At this +critical stage of our anxiety, the second gig, at all hazards, was +veered through the surf, and, to our great joy, four or five men were +drawn off in safety. A second attempt was made, and succeeded. Then +came the awful moment for us who waited for the last trip; for only a +few moments before, I baulked a native when taking a deliberate aim +at one of our last men who embarked. The natives now, seeing our +numbers decrease, laid hands on us in the most violent manner. My +quintant was first wrested from my coxswain, who in a tone of grief +made me known the circumstance. I immediately turned round and +exclaimed 'Oh! don't part with that'; but it was too late; and when I +endeavoured to recover it, I found a club wielded over my head. In +making my escape from this wretch I was secured by four others, who +first took the government micronometer, which was slung round my +neck. I then endeavoured to struggle out of their clutches, and +escape with the pocket chronometer and note-book, but these, AS WELL +AS EVERY ARTICLE OF CLOTHING I HAD ABOUT MY BODY, were stripped off; +when the second gig was opportunely again backed in, and in this +forlorn state Mr. Pollard, the two marines, and I, waded off, and +were dragged into the boat. We then went on board the Castlereagh, +which was at anchor about a mile from the shore; the canoes slowly +made off to the north-westward, after we had embarked. The boats +having been hoisted up and secured, we got the anchor up and +proceeded out to the Bramble, and anchored close to her at 6h. 30m. +p.m. I immediately afterwards returned to the Bramble, truly +thankful for our having escaped with our lives. The loss of +instruments grieved me exceedingly, particularly as the nature of the +coast rendered it next to impossible to effect a safe landing to +attempt their recovery. From the account I heard of the ferocity of +the natives where the Fly had been surveying last year on this +coast, I confess I fully expected death would be my fate in a few +minutes, and thought of the similar position poor Captain Skying was +in when murdered at Cape Roso. If we had been possessed of six or +eight muskets and plenty of ammunition, I think the natives might +easily have been checked, but being defenceless, my only hope was to +dissemble my fears and amuse them, to give us time until we could +effect our escape. These people varied in complexion from black to a +light copper colour; they appeared well made and active; all of them +were ornamented, but some much more so than others; their ear-rings +were made of rings of tortoiseshell, a number of them being fastened +together, and suspended to the lower parts of the ears, in which are +holes stretched so large as to admit a man's thumb being passed +through them; the cartilage dividing the nostrils is perforated in +like manner." + +This adventure of our old friends of the Bramble appears to me +sufficiently interesting to excuse my having wandered through Torres +Straits in order to record it. + + + +CHAPTER 26. + +SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES. -- KANGAROO HUNTING. -- EMUS. -- LOST IN THE +BUSH. + +There can be no doubt as to the truth of the axiom that "facts are +stubborn things." Right or wrong, they seem to persist in a +resolution to force conviction upon a man however reluctant he may +be. + +Sturdy facts are never wanting in support of erroneous views; and +more false conclusions are drawn from them than from the subtlest +arguments of the sophist. + +When your theory is once confirmed by a fact, the question is +considered decided, and no further argument is admissible. I had two +theories not long ago, the pursuit and investigation of which gave me +a good deal of pleasure; they were built upon facts, and therefore +they were indisputable. + +My first theory was upon the amount of evaporation at Perth during +the summer months. + +The excessive dryness of the atmosphere proved that the evaporation +at the end of the rainy, or winter season, must be very great indeed. +My friend, Mr. H., had an hygrometer, which he kept in a small room +adjoining that in which he usually sat; and this hygrometer afforded +the ground-work for our theories. It proved most satisfactorily that +the evaporation exceeded every thing of the kind known in any other +part of the globe. It was clear that our atmosphere was drier than +that of a brick-kiln when burning its best. But the great beauty and +novelty of the theory was, that the evaporation was greater at night +than in the day time. + +This certainly puzzled us a good deal at first; but when once you are +sure of your facts, it is astonishing how soon you come to mould your +theory so as to make it perfectly agree with them, and manage to +reconcile yourself to the most startling contradictions. After +satisfying himself of the truth of the fact -- that the evaporation +was really greater by night than by day -- Mr. H. proceeded to prove +philosophically that nothing could be more reasonable than such a +circumstance. From all that I could make out of his arguments, which +were extremely logical and ingenious, it seemed clear that as every +thing in this country is diametrically opposite to every thing in the +old country, it was perfectly consistent with the regulations of +nature in Australia, that evaporation should be greater at night than +during the day time. Moreover, he placed great reliance upon the +attraction of the moon. + +For my part, seeing that facts were on his side, I embraced his views +with ardour; and went about as an apostle, proclaiming the new +tidings far and wide. It was one of those astonishing truths in +science that come suddenly and unexpectedly upon mankind -- like +those connected with electricity -- that take the reason captive, and +are beyond the reach of human investigation. Men usually appeared +incredulous when the theory was first broached to them; but when +convinced of the fact, as proved indisputably by the hygrometer, they +were compelled to acknowledge the truth, and forthwith looked upon it +as a matter of course. + +As the weather grew warmer -- when the thermometer stood daily at +about 86 degrees in a cool room -- the nocturnal evaporation +increased. At length it grew to such a pitch, that the tube of the +hygrometer containing the water was exhausted in a couple of nights. +Notwithstanding the astonishment of Mr. H., he was enraptured at the +triumphant confirmation of his theory. He devoted every moment he +could spare from public duties, to the compilation of a learned and +voluminous treatise upon the subject. He looked upon himself as +destined to be considered one of the master-philosophers of the age, +the promulgator of a new and wondrous theory, based not only upon +sound argument, but upon long observation and indisputable facts. +When any one ventured to raise a doubt, he would smile with that +ineffable sweetness which distinguishes a man conscious of his +superior knowledge and sources of information. I, his enthusiastic +adherent, picked up the crumbs of instruction that fell from his +table; and dealt forth mysterious hints of the scientific errors +about to be corrected by the observations and treatises of Mr. H., +who was now generally known to have forwarded an account of his +discoveries to some of the learned Societies of London; and the +English papers were perused with avidity, in the hope of finding +that due honour had been paid to his merits. + +As he walked along the streets he was looked upon with additional +reverence. He had raised the renown of Western Australia, and was +now considered to be at once its decus et tutamen. The idlers who +congregated in small knots about luncheon-time at the corners of the +streets, began to talk of a statue in the market-place. + +Suddenly, however, the philosopher secluded himself from the vulgar +gaze. The public wondered, and then became alarmed. The philosopher +had taken to his bed. After some days I was admitted to his +presence, and found him greatly enfeebled for want of rest. It was +evident there was something that weighed upon his mind. After many +ineffectual efforts, many sighs and some blushes, he faltered forth a +confession that he feared our theory, (he seemed now, for the first +time, kindly solicitous to share the merit of the discovery,) of +evaporation being greater at night than in the day-time, was not well +founded. An electric shock, shivering the funny-bones of both +elbows, could not have startled me more. What did he mean? He +continued, that one night whilst engaged upon a new hygrometrical +treatise, he had sat up till a very late hour; the door of the room +which contained the instrument was open, and the light from his lamp +fell directly upon it. Absorbed in profound speculations, his eye +occasionally rested upon the little instrument which stood upon a +table. There it was -- the pillar of his fame. It seemed to dilate +in dimensions until it rivalled the column in the Place Vendome, and +on the top of it was a figure, less sturdy than that of Napoleon. +Suddenly his vision was broken, and his thoughts were recalled from +the future to the present, by seeing a living object move along the +table, and quietly approach the foot of his column. Appalled and +paralyzed, he sat immovable whilst he beheld an actual mouse, +unrestrained by any scientific considerations, place its profane +snout in the bowl of the hygrometer, and drink deliberately until its +thirst was satisfied. It then retired, and other mice soon came +trotting along the table and did the same. + +Mr. H. is a man of great self-control. He did not tear his remaining +locks, or commit any other rash act, but with all the calmness of +despair he set fire to the unfinished treatise, and saw it consumed; +then he retired to bed, a desolate individual, and rose not again for +several days. + +My next theory was entirely my own. I claimed all the merit of it, +and felt the utmost pangs of jealousy when any one ventured to assert +that HE had long ago suspected it. Built upon a solid foundation of +facts, I maintained an opinion entirely at variance with that of +Professor Owen and certain Parisian professors, and satisfied myself, +at least, that the young of the kangaroo, and of other marsupial +animals, is produced, not in the usual way, but from the teat of the +dam. And although this theory is, and must be erroneous, I can even +yet scarcely bring myself to believe it so -- with such fidelity do +we cling to error. There are many men in the colony who have been +for years in the constant, almost daily, habit of killing kangaroos, +and they have consequently had opportunities of observing the young +ones in every stage of development. Females have been killed with +young ones hanging to the nipple, about half an inch long -- the form +not fully developed, a mere foetus, presenting no appearance of +active vitality. The nipple to which it is attached is not merely +placed in the mouth of the foetus, but extends into its stomach, +where it serves the purposes of the umbilical cord in other animals, +whilst the lips grow round it, so that it cannot be removed without +rupturing the skin. A little older, and it becomes evidently +possessed of vitality -- a quickened foetus. The pouch of the doe is +closed up until the birth of the young one; and gradually enlarges to +accommodate the inhabitant. + +There are other marsupial animals, of the size of rabbits, that are +found with eight or ten young ones, or rather small foetuses, +similarly attached to the nipples of the parent. + +Now I could not conceive how creatures with long sharp claws, though +provided with flexible wrists or joints, should be able to take up +the newly produced little lump of inanimate flesh, and thrust a long, +soft, yielding nipple down into the depths of the stomach. I +collected a number of FACTS to prove the contrary -- but the question +is now considered to be set at rest by the observations of French +naturalists, and therefore I have quietly strangled my theory, but am +still occasionally haunted by its ghost. + +I may mention here that male kangaroos are sometimes found provided +with pouches; but these, I conceive, are lusus Naturae. + +This allusion to kangaroos (being good for nothing else) may serve as +an introduction to a hunting excursion. A party of us started from +Perth, equipped in the manner already described in the chapter upon +Wild Cattle. + +We rode to the Canning to breakfast, at the house of the ----s, +where we found the table ready spread with coffee, grilled fowls, +eggs, ham, etc. The room was a good one, having French windows, +looking out upon park-like scenery, among which the Canning River +pursued its lazy course. There was also a piano belonging to the +sister of our hosts, then absent on a visit. One of her brothers +informed us that he had availed himself of her absence to abstract +sundry of the wires from the piano in order to make bell-wires, which +he thought was turning the piano to good account. + +After breakfast we loaded our bullock-cart with our goods, and left +it in charge of a servant whom we appointed to meet us at a certain +spot where we were to bivouac for the night. The only disagreeable +part of travelling in Australia is the scarcity of water, except at +the end of winter, when all the gullies are filled. Unless, +therefore, the ground be well known, it is always advisable to take a +native, who can inform you where the pools or springs are situated. +Four of us set out, well mounted, and attended by a native on foot, +and five kangaroo dogs. These dogs are descended from a cross +between a bloodhound and a greyhound, and combine strength, +fleetness, scent, and sight. As it was the middle of winter (late in +June) the air was cool and pleasant, and the sun bright and joyous, +as he always is here. We were all in high spirits, anticipating +excellent sport, as the country to which we were going abounds with +game of great variety -- kangaroos, emus, quail, and turkeys, or +bustards. A rough coarse scrub, interspersed with small quantities +of grass, overspread the sandy soil. The only animal we saw for some +time was an opossum, which the native discovered in a tree and +climbed up for. I examined its pouch, but there was no young one +within it. At length we caught a glimpse of a kangaroo hopping along +at a distance, and we galloped off in full chase, but he was too far +ahead for the dogs to make anything of it; so we lost him. +Disconcerted and vexed we drew together again after a short run, but +had scarcely done so before we emerged upon an open prairie, where on +our right we beheld three kangaroos hopping away at a gentle pace. +the kangaroo uses only his hind legs in running. The leg presses the +ground from the hock to the toes, and its strong sinews enable the +animal to bound forward with immense leaps; the heavy tail vibrating +behind keeps him steady. Four of the dogs rushed after the game, +followed by all the horsemen, at full gallop, hallooing and shouting +vociferously. A more animated sight could scarcely be conceived; +three graceful kangaroos bounding away in a line, with four large +greyhounds laying well after them, and the hunters chiveying along, +and dashing through brushwood and thickets like whirlwinds. The +kangaroos, however, fairly beat us; they gained a thick wood, dashed +through it and into a swamp beyond, and there we lost sight of them. +We all returned to the side of the wood, and waited for the dogs, who +came back with hanging heads and drooping tail, completely blown. +All returned but one -- the oldest and most sagacious of them. He +had not gone with the four which followed the heels of the kangaroos, +but had made a short cut to the left, so that he was in the wood +almost as soon as the kangaroos, whilst the other dogs were still a +long way behind. We waited patiently for old Tip (of whom honourable +mention has been made before); his master, Tom H., asserting +confidently that he had killed. At length as we were standing +talking together, we suddenly perceived Tip among us. His master +examined his mouth, and declared he had killed; then saying, "Show, +Tip, show!" the dog turned round, and trotted off before us; and +going into the swamp took us to the spot where the kangaroo lay dead. + +It is not all kangaroo dogs that can be taught to show game, and +those that do so are therefore highly prized. It is a very pleasing +sight to observe how proud a dog is of this accomplishment. He will +come quietly back to his master, and oftentimes lay himself down as +if he were afraid the other dogs should suspect he had got something +to tell, and would run off in search of it. And when his master +gives the signal, he deliberately proceeds to lead the way, snarling +at the other dogs whenever they run before him, and seem likely to +arrive first at the spot. Sometimes he tries to deceive them by +going in a wrong direction, and when the others have started off, +full of eagerness, as if they themselves (the senseless fools!) were +inviting people to follow, and were anxious to show them the game, +the old dog will rapidly turn aside, evidently laughing in his +sleeve, and dash forward to the spot where he left the carcase. +There you will find him standing over it; and as you ride up he will +give a faint wag of his tail, as though he were glad that you are +pleased with him, and yet he cannot help feeling that he is not +properly rewarded. His gaunt ribs and melancholy eye speak of his +hungry stomach; he seems to remember that he receives from his rough +master more kicks than caresses, but still he does his duty, and will +do so to the last; and denies himself even a mouthful of the prey, +which but for him, would lie undiscovered in the thicket. I used to +know an old show-dog who displayed so much thought and sagacity, that +I never was in his company without feeling for him a certain degree +of respect. Whenever struck by brutes of lower order than himself, +he did not howl or display his teeth, but slunk aside with a look of +deep sorrow and reproach. + +In the evening we bivouacked near a small pool of water, where the +cart joined us, according to previous arrangement. The horses were +tethered out and fed; a good fire was kindled, and with kangaroo +steaks, cold fowls and ham, and brandy and water, we managed to make +a tolerable supper. A fence against the wind was constructed of +upright sticks, and leaves of the black-boy (Xanthorea, or +grass-tree) resembling rushes, only brittle; and with a good fire at +our feet we were exceedingly warm and comfortable. The wild dogs +uttered their doleful, wailing cries around our camp during the +night, and caused our own frequently to sally forth and give them +chase. + +We had kangaroo curry for breakfast next morning; and having fed our +horses, and sounded to saddle, set out again in pursuit of game. + +Proceeding across some plains, interspersed with swamps and thickets, +we soon perceived a herd of about a dozen kangaroos feeding and +hopping about. Keeping a covert in line before us, we tried to get +near them, but they soon made off, bounding away like a herd of deer, +which they much resemble at a distance. The dogs started after them +at full speed; and with loud halloos and bounding hearts the horsemen +spurred their steeds, and scoured along the plain. There are, +unfortunately, no fences in this country, but there are a thousand +worse obstructions -- fallen trees, thick clumps of black-boys +extending right across the plain, and therefore not to be avoided; +woods through which the game dashes at speed, and where you must +follow at the risk of striking head or limbs against the trunks or +branches of trees, or else you will be thrown out. Then of course +you don't like to be last, and you don't like to allow the gallant +captain, who is spurring at your side, the opportunity of bragging at +mess that he alone kept near the dogs, which you know he would be +delighted to do. So, determined to ride against the captain at any +rate, you keep your horse and yourself well together, and flinch at +nothing; dashing through thickets, tearing over rough ground, +steering between trees, ducking your head under boughs, and twitching +up first one leg and then the other to save them from being smashed +against black-boys or banksias. You clear the wood, and emerge again +upon a plain; the kangaroos are bounding along, some three hundred +yards in advance, the dogs lying well up to them; and now the latter +have fixed upon one of the herd, whom they pursue with resolute +fierceness. The others escape into friendly thickets, but the doomed +one, an old buck, some six feet in height when resting on his +haunches, still holds out, though his enemies are fast gaining upon +him. + +At length, finding escape impossible, he makes for a broad mahogany +tree, where he suddenly comes to bay. The dogs hesitate to rush in +upon him, his eye gleams with such deadly ferocity, whilst he sits +erect upon his haunches, ready to dart the long claw of his hind leg +into the first assailant who comes within reach. + +A kangaroo in this position is no despicable enemy. He has great +power in his limbs; and if he happens to strike a dog with his claw, +he inflicts a grievous wound, and sometimes tears out his entrails, +and kills him on the spot. He rushes at men with the same fury, and +tries to clasp them with his fore-paws whilst he strikes at them with +his hind-legs. I rode up to the animal in question, dismounted, and +struck him a rap on the head with a broken bough, as he rushed +towards me with a fierce hissing noise. As he staggered at the blow, +the dogs darted upon him and quickly despatched him. + +We had several other good runs before luncheon, and then baited our +horses, and allowed them to rest for two or three hours. Whilst +riding towards our bivouac in the afternoon, a native who was walking +at my side, and who had accompanied us all day, stopped suddenly, +and, pointing with his finger, said, "Emu!" About a mile distant +across the prairie were two of those large birds quietly feeding. +The dogs were immediately called together, fresh vigour seemed to +animate the whole party, and we proceeded to give chase in high +spirits. Emus are sometimes shot with the rifle, but the usual mode +of obtaining them is by hunting them with kangaroo dogs. If you +happen to come near enough to them without raising alarm, they may +frequently be detained, and even attracted almost up to your stirrup +by WHISTLING. I have known this to be repeatedly tried with success. +When you begin to whistle, the emu lifts up its head and listens with +attention; soon, delighted with the sound, he walks leisurely in the +direction from which it comes; then, perceiving a human being, he +pauses, seems irresolute, and finally walks round and round you in +circles gradually lessening, until he approaches within a few yards. +If his confidence be not repaid with a bullet, he will, after +gratifying his curiosity by a good stare, quietly walk away through +his native woods. Emus are frequently speared by the natives, who, +by taking care to stand stock-still the moment the creature lifts up +its head, manage to approach within a few yards of them while +feeding. Though the savage may have his hand raised in the act of +throwing the spear, he remains fixed in that attitude whilst the emu +takes a survey of him. Perceiving only an object without motion, the +bird takes him for a tree, and continues to graze, falling a victim, +like other innocent things, to a misplaced confidence in its own +security. + + +[illustration opposite p 336 is "Death of the Kangaroo"] +[illustration on p 338 is untitled - dog chasing emu] + + +The emus ran fast, and gave us a long chase; but at length the +headmost dog caught hold of the extended flapper of one of the birds, +and arrested its progress; the others, coming up, soon pulled him to +the ground, and by the time we reached the spot he was dead. The +feathers from the tail were distributed among the party, and placed +in our caps; and the legs being cut off, the rest of the bird was +abandoned. The legs alone afford any meat, which is by no means a +delicacy, and resembles coarse beef. Whilst the process of cutting +up was going on, my attention was attracted to the movements of old +Tip, who had stolen away from the party, and was now, ventre a +terre, scouring along the edge of a belt of trees about a quarter of +a mile from us. His master in vain tried to recall him, and I set +off to see what he was about. Following him through the wood, I +perceived him at the other side in hot pursuit of half-a-dozen +kangaroos, that were bounding away some hundred yards ahead of him. +It was in vain to attempt to recall him, so I foolishly followed the +chase, though it was leading far away from the direction I wanted to +take. Old Tip held on unflaggingly, as though this were his first +run that day; and for nearly two miles we dashed along through woods +and across prairies, until I began to wish myself back with my +friends. At length we lost the game in a vast swamp, covered with +thick underwood, in which my horse floundered for some time in a +fearful manner. Thinking it worse to return than to push through, we +struggled on, in momentary danger of sinking for ever, and after +great exertions got upon solid ground again. When dismounted, to rest +the horse, who panted and trembled with the efforts he had made, I +called for Tip till the woods rang again, but all in vain. At last I +saw a single kangaroo, a fresh one of immense size, break cover, with +Tip about forty yards in his rear. In the ardour of the chase, all +prudential considerations were given to the winds; and cheering on +the gallant hound, I followed the game more determinedly than ever. +And what a race that villain kangaroo led us! -- through thickets +where my hunting-shirt was torn into strips, my arms and legs covered +with bruises, and my face lacerated with boughs that were not to be +avoided. The villain doubled like a hare, and led us in such various +directions, that I fancied we must have turned upon our steps and +gone past the spot where I had parted from my friends. Unless a man +be very well accustomed to the bush, he is certain to lose himself in +a few minutes. One clump of trees is so like another -- the thick +swamps, the open plains, all bear such a general resemblance to one +another, that you feel quite confounded whilst trying to recollect +whether you have really seen them before, and can form some tolerable +guess as to your position. The kangaroo was now approaching the foot +of the long, even, uninteresting range of the Darling Hills; his pace +was slow, he made his leaps with difficulty, and would soon have been +caught, had not poor Tip been equally dead beat. + +It was evident the old dog could scarcely drag himself along, but +still he refused to give in. My horse, exhausted with floundering in +the swamp, was completely knocked up; and for some time I had only +been able to push him along at a jog-trot. Still I was no more +willing to give up the chase than old Tip. It seemed to have become +a point of honour that I should not desert the hound; and moreover, +feeling myself completely lost, I did not like to part from my +companion; and, above all, it would never do to let the kangaroo +escape after all the trouble he had given us. So we all three +continued to work along as best we could. + +At last my poor horse happened to set his foot in an empty +water-hole, and too weak to recover himself, came down on his +shoulder and side with great violence. I threw myself off as he +fell, but could not save my foot from being crushed beneath the +saddle, and so both horse and man lay extended on the ground. I +could just see the hound and kangaroo still struggling onward, and +almost close together. The horse made no attempt to rise, and I +tried in vain to extricate my foot; at length I managed to flog him +up, and then raised myself with difficulty. I had not suffered much +damage, though bruised, and in some pain, but my poor horse had +sprained his shoulder, and was completely hors de combat. On +looking about for the chase, I fancied I could perceive the dog lying +on a little rising ground, a few hundred yards distant; and leaving +the horse, I hopped after the game. On arriving at the spot, I found +the kangaroo and the dog lying side by side, both alive, but +completely exhausted; the one unable to do any injury, and the other +to get away. Securing the dog with my handkerchief, I sat down, +waiting till he should be able to walk. In a few minutes the +kangaroo lifted up his head, and looked about him; the dog sat up, +panting as though his heart would burst, and took no notice of the +other. The kangaroo, scrambling to its feet, hopped away a few +yards, and then stood still again. "Go along, old fellow!" said I, +"you have done us abundance of mischief, but it would be criminal to +kill you when I cannot carry home even your tail -- so farewell!" +Off he jumped, and was soon lost to view, leaving us alone -- three +miserable cripples, far from any shelter, and (so far as I was +concerned) not knowing at all how to rejoin our friends. Tip being +now able to limp on three legs, and myself upon one, we returned to +the unhappy steed, who remained where I had left him, hanging down +his head, and looking the image of woe. + +In vain I tried to determine the direction I ought to take; trees and +swamps were on all sides of me, and I could not decide whether my +friends were now on my right-hand or my left. I remembered that our +place of rendezvous appeared to be nearly opposite an opening in the +hills, some six or eight miles distant; but there were openings in +the hills on each side of me, and which was the one to be sought I +could not determine. I therefore resolved to retrace the foot-marks +of my horse, if possible; and set out leading the animal, having Tip +limping at my side, and every now and then looking up as though he +felt for the ill plight in which we all appeared. It soon became +evident that the horse must be left behind; and therefore removing +his saddle and bridle, I placed them at the foot of a tree, and gave +him his liberty.* + + +[footnote] *Six months afterwards he was caught among the horses of a +settler on the Serpentine, perfectly sound and in excellent condition. + + +After going some distance, I came within view of an extensive swamp, +which I fancied formed part of that I had so much difficulty in +crossing. Turning to the right, I followed its course for some time, +hoping to get round it, but it seemed to extend towards the hills, +cutting off all farther progress. The sun was now about to set, and +getting desperate, I plunged into the thicket, and tried to push +through the swamp. There was no water, but the immense quantities of +bind-weed, and other thickly-growing plants, quite defied every +attempt, and I was obliged to turn back again. Tip and myself had +now to retrace our steps. It was getting dusk, and the state of +affairs looked uncomfortable. Again we tried in vain to cross the +swamp, which soon afterwards receded farther from the hills, and left +a broad plain before us, which we traversed in the course of half an +hour. + +My foot seemed to get better with exercise, but night had now set in, +and it was useless to attempt making farther progress, when we could +not distinguish an object thirty feet in advance. I now found myself +stumbling up a rising ground covered with trees; and here I lay down, +with Tip at my side, to wait as patiently as possible for morning. +The dog, I imagine, had found some water in the swamp, as he did not +now seem to be suffering from thirst as I was myself. He was soon +asleep, and I envied him, for hours elapsed before I could find +repose. The land-wind, sweeping down from the hill-side, moaned +through the trees; the rising moon shed her sickly and distorting +light upon the bushes around; and bruised and stiff, hungry, thirsty, +and uncomfortable, I felt by no means delighted with my quarters. A +fire would have been agreeable, but there were no means of procuring +one. Sleep at last befriended me, and I did not wake until the sun +began to shed his first rays upon the tops of the trees. + +On rising I found myself exceedingly stiff, and by no means in good +condition for walking, but there was no choice; and when Tip had got +upon his legs, and given himself a good stretch and yawn, and licked +my hand, as much as to say he had no intention of leaving me in the +lurch, we started on our doubtful journey. In vain I tried to +encourage the dog to lead the way; he would not stir from my side. +Only once he darted after a kangaroo-rat, and caught it before it had +gone twenty yards. This afforded a breakfast which I envied him. I +now pushed on towards the coast, but was continually intercepted by +thick swamps impossible to penetrate, and turned from the right +direction. I looked about for water, and found some at length in a +muddy hole. It was most refreshing, and revived my spirits, which +had begun to flag considerably. + +Mid-day was long past, and I was still rambling over plains of coarse +grass, penetrating into woods, and struggling through swamps; worn +almost to death with fatigue and hunger, and the pain of my ankle, +now greatly swollen, I sat down at last at the foot of a +mahogany-tree in order to gain a little rest. + +I knew that the hills were behind me, and the sea must be somewhere +before me, but as to my precise locality, and the distance of the +nearest settler's house, I was quite at a loss. In vain I tried to +satisfy myself as to whether I was much to the south of the bivouac. +I was growing dizzy with hunger and weariness, and no longer felt any +wonder at the confusion of mind which seizes upon those who are lost +in the wilderness. During the day, I had repeatedly cooeyed as +loudly as I could, in the faint hope of attracting the attention of +my friends; but no voice responded. + +It was now nearly five o'clock in the evening, and I had the prospect +before me of spending another night in solitude, and felt some +misgivings as to whether it would not be the last of my existence. + +I tried to struggle on a little farther, as it was possible that I +might be close to some farm on the Serpentine; but it was difficult +to move along. Tip seemed to be getting tired of this slow progress; +he grew fidgety, and I fancied he had formed the base resolution of +leaving me to myself. Suddenly he started off upon our traces, and I +was alone without a friend. + +In a few minutes I heard behind me a distant shout, and immediately +afterwards a loud cooey met my ear. Oh how thankfully I heard it, +and answered it as loudly as I could! And then, having returned +grateful acknowledgments to the Almighty for this seasonable relief, +I began to walk towards the sounds, which were repeated from minute +to minute. Not long afterwards I perceived a party of natives, +followed by men on horseback, emerging from the trees. The latter +galloped towards me, waving their hats, and shouting with friendly +joy. It is due to Tip to state that he reached me first, and gave +his congratulations with warm sincerity. + +My friends had started at day-break with the natives, who had tracked +my footsteps without once losing the trail. They had found the horse +grazing near the place where I had left him, but he was too lame to +be removed; the natives had fully accounted for every trace; they +perceived that the dog and kangaroo had lain side by side, and that +the latter had recovered first, and got away. They found and brought +with them the saddle and bridle, and followed my steps to the swamp, +through which they saw I had not been able to penetrate. And so they +tracked me during the whole of the day, whilst I was only going farther +and farther from my friends. I had wandered much more to the south than +I expected; and now, mounting a horse, we all rode to a house on the +Serpentine, where we were hospitably entertained, and where I continued +until able to return to Perth. + + + +CHAPTER 27. + +THE COMET. -- VITAL STATISTICS. -- METEOROLOGY. + +One evening in March, 1844, whilst standing at my gate enjoying the +pleasant balmy air and the conversation of a friend, our attention +was attracted to a luminous appearance in the sky immediately above +the horizon. We fancied that a large ship must be on fire not a +great distance from the coast. + +The next evening, happening to leave the house at an early hour, my +eye was immediately caught by a grant novelty in the heavens. A +magnificent comet extended itself over an entire fifth of the +firmament. Its tail reached to the belt of Orion, whilst its +nucleus, a ball of fire resembling a star of the fourth magnitude, +was scarcely a degree above the horizon. It looked like a fiery +messenger rushing headlong down from the very presence of GOD, bound +with dread tidings for some distant world. Beautiful, yet terrible +messenger, it seemed to leave its long, fiery trace behind it in its +passage through the heavens. The soul of the spectator was filled +with the sense of its beauty, whilst admiration was sublimed into +awe. Speaking to us strange and wonderful things of the hidden Holy +of Holies which it seemed to have left, it passed on its headlong +journey of billions and trillions of miles with the glad speed of a +love-inspired emanation from the Most High. It left us to wonder at +its transient visit, and to wish in vain for its return.* + + +[footnote] *This comet, having exactly the appearance I have +described, was visible nearly a week, gradually disappearing in the +northern heavens. + + +Whether it had or not any effect upon the season, I cannot say, but +the ensuing six months were the most unhealthy period ever known in +the colony. The natives, who were greatly alarmed by the sudden +appearance of the comet, declared that it would cause many people to +be mendik and die -- so universal is the belief in the portentous +and malign influence of these phenomena. + +In general, as I have before observed, the climate is most +salubrious. "The Comparative Statement of Deaths to the Population" +proves the vast superiority of Western Australia in this respect, not +only over Great Britain, but over neighbouring colonies. I refer to +the able, interesting, and carefully-prepared Reports of G. F. Stone, +Esq. the Colonial Registrar-General of Births, Marriages, and Deaths. +Taking his data from the Parliamentary Reports of 1836, he deduces +the following: + +Comparative Statement of Deaths to the Population. + +Western Australia . . . . . . . . . .1 death in 94 21/41 +Van Dieman's Land . . . . . . . . . .1 " 65 161/220 +Cape of Good Hope . . . . . . . . . .1 " 60 1/3 +England . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 " 46 3/5 +Mauritius . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 " 44 2/5 + +The opinions of medical men, published in different reports, a few of +which happen now to lie before me, may prove interesting to some +readers, and I therefore extract them briefly: -- + +J. M. Johnson, Esq. M.D. Surgeon of H.M.S. Sulphur: -- +"During the three years that H.M.S. Sulphur was employed on that +station (Western Australia) not a single death, and very few +important cases of disease occurred, notwithstanding the very great +exposure of her men. When exploring the country for several days, +and sometimes weeks, they have been exposed to the sun; fatigued in +the evening after a day's excursion, slept in the open air, (and that +repeatedly in wet weather,) and suffered no inconvenience. I have no +hesitation in stating that such a life in any other climate would +have been productive of the most serious sickness." + +William Milligen, Esq. M.D. Surgeon 6th Dragoons: -- +"I have met with several individuals here, who, on leaving England, +were great sufferers from dyspepsia, and diseases of the digestive +organs, who have recovered their health in a wonderful degree since +their arrival. Children thrive remarkably well; and I may add that +every description of live stock, although collected from different +countries -- England, India, America, Africa, etc. -- find here a +congenial temperature." + +Joseph Harris, Esq. Acting Government Surgeon: -- +"Nothing can be more delightful than the climate generally; and its +invigorating influences on the human constitution, especially those +of Europeans, render it more fit for invalids than any other in the +world. Several persons arrived in the colony suffering from +pulmonary and bronchial affections, asthma, phthisis, haemoptysis, or +spitting of blood, hopeless of recovery in England, are now perfectly +restored, or living in comparative health -- measles and small-pox +are unknown." + +W. H. Sholl, Esq. Government Surgeon, pro tempore: -- +"From pulmonary complaints we are happily free; and even when these +have gone to some length in other countries, removal to this climate +has been of the highest possible benefit. Children are exempt from +the diseases common to them in England; -- small-pox, measles, +scarlet-fever, and hooping-cough, are unknown here." + +W. P. Dineley, Esq. Surgeon of Fremantle Gaol: -- +"We have almost a cloudless sky, a clear dry atmosphere, and a +climate unsurpassed by any in the world." + +Dr. Ferguson, of Australind: -- +"We have no fevers or epidemics here." + +By the Registrar-General's Report for 1843, it appears that the +births in Western Australia are about 1 to 24 83/158, which is a very +high rate. Those readers who are fond of statistics will be pleased +to learn the following rather curious fact: -- In the year 1836, +males were in respect to females, as about five to three, but during +the following seven years, females increased 21 per cent. more than +males; and the continued preponderance of female births promises +speedily to adjust the balance of the sexes. + +The Registrar-General in his Report for 1844, makes the following +interesting observations: -- +"Supposing the whole population of the colony were now grown up and +unmarried, out of every 100 males, as many as 67 could find wives. + +"Supposing the total population UNDER TWELVE were now of age, and +wished to marry; out of every 100 males 97 could find wives. + +"Supposing the total population OF PERTH were now grown up, and +unmarried, 87 out of every 100 males could find wives. + +"But supposing the population OF PERTH UNDER TWELVE were grown up, +and wished to marry, out of 100 FEMALES, only 85 could find husbands." + +The temperature of the atmosphere is exceedingly dry, and therefore +the heat is not oppressive, though the thermometer may stand at a +high degree. + +A rainy day in February or March is an extremely rare occurrence at +Perth, though not unusual at Australind, a hundred miles southward. + +In the hottest weather, farm-labourers work all day in the open air, +and feel no more inconvenience than reapers do in England. This is +owing to the dryness and elasticity of the atmosphere. + +I have no recorded observations of a late date, but the following +table is extracted from the journal of an obliging friend, Robert +Dale, Esq., who, when a Lieutenant in the 63d regiment, was stationed +some years in the colony. + +The thermometer was kept in a cool house at Perth, from March, 1830 +to June 1831. + +MONTHS. A B C D E F REMARKS. + 1830 +March . . .28 . . 2 . . 1 . .88 . .71 . .58 +April . . .23 . . 0 . . 7 . .87 . .70 1/2. .54 +May . . . .17 . . 6 . . 8 . .84 . .64 1/2. .45 . .Fine weather at commence- + ment of this month. +June . . . 18 . . 5 . . 2 . .76 . .56 . .40 . .Five days not accounted + for. +July . . . 14 . . 9 . . 8 . .65 . .49 1/2. .30 +August . . 9 . . 8 . . 7 . .76 . .57 . .38 . .Seven days not accounted + for. +September .17 . . 2 . . 4 . .80 . .62 . .44 . . Ditto ditto. +October . .19 . . 5 . . 6 . .78 . .62 . .46 . .One day not accounted for +November . 23 . . 3 . . 4 . .93 . .73 1/2. .54 +December 26 . . - . . 5 . 103 . .82 1/2. .62 The thermometer was lower + than what is marked in + the minimum column. + 1831 +January 28 . . - . . 3 . 106 . .87 . .68 +February 26 . . 1 . . 1 . 102 . .82 . .62 +March 30 . . - . . 1 . 96 . .78 . .60 +April . . .28 . . - . . 2 . .98 . .73 . .48 +May . . . .21 . . 2 . . 8 . .78 . .61 . .44 At this season frequently + a heavy dew during the + night. +June . . . 14 . . 9 . . 7 . .70 . .52 . .38 + +A - No. of Fine Days. +B - No. of Rainy Days. +C - No. of Showers +D - Maximum Height of Thermometer +E - Medium Height of Thermometer +F - Minimum Height of Thermometer + + + +CHAPTER 28. + +THE BOTANY OF THE COLONY. + +Baron Hugel, Dr. Lindley, and Sir William Hooker, have published +lists of Western Australian shrubs and plants, but the most complete +and elaborate work on the botany of Western Australia is the series +of nineteen letters published in the "Inquirer," by Mr. Drummond, of +Hawthornden, in the colony, and from them we shall compile the +present chapter; but, interesting as they are in their fullest and +most minute details to botanists, it is possible that they may be TOO +descriptive and extend too much into detail for general readers, and +we shall therefore abstain from giving a catalogue of the various +indigenous plants, and confine our remarks to the more useful ones.* +The first to which Mr. Drummond alludes is the blackboy, of which +there are several varieties. The glaucus-leaved York blackboy is, +however, the most important, and grows thirty feet in height without +a branch. It is considered by the settlers the best material for +thatch, and the young and tender leaves are found to be an agreeable +vegetable, and also fodder for horses, goats, sheep, and cattle. The +natives are particularly fond of the blackboy, whilst its sound old +flower-stalks furnish them with the means of obtaining a light by +friction. The native yam, of the class Dioeceae, is stated by Mr. +Drummond to be the finest esculent vegetable the colony produces. +The fungi, or mushrooms, are also palatable to the Aborigines; one +species belonging to this order, and named the Boletus, is +remarkable for possessing the properties of German tinder, when well +dried, and for emitting a radiant light in its natural state. + + +[footnote] *This brief compilation is the work of Alexander Andrews, +Esq. + + +There are seventy species of grasses. The genus stripa has several +varieties, of which the seeds are injurious to sheep, penetrating +into the wool, and sometimes into the carcase and causing death. By +adopting the precaution of shearing before the seeds are ripe, this +mischief is however obviated. Another description is distinguished +as elegantissima, from its beautiful appearance, and is used as a +decoration, and for ornamenting rooms. + +The bulrush of Scripture is found here, and is used by coopers to +stanch their work. A large jointed rush has also been found of great +service, and introduced in the walls of houses to advantage, and some +varieties of the Restiaceae are useful in thatch work; and in his +sixth letter, Mr. Drummond mentions the buttack as very useful in +tyings. A climbing species of the Thysanotus, near the Moore +river, is much used by the natives as food. The Madge and the +Guardine are roots from which the natives extract nutritious food; +the pigs are also fond of them, and besides these there are other +white roots used as food by the natives. + +The oak-leaved Chenopodium is supposed to contain essential oil; it +was formerly used by the settlers as a vegetable, and is proved to +contain carbonate of soda, so that, as Mr. Drummond suggests, "it +would be worth inquiry at what price we could afford barilla as an +export." The Erythraea Australis is, we are informed, a good +substitute, and is used as such, for hops; and one species of tobacco +is indigenous to the colony. The sow-thistle of Swan River was, in +the early days of the settlement, used as a vegetable, but is now +eaten only by the domestic animals, by whom it is much relished. As +a salad, it is said to be scarcely inferior to endive. The +Helicrysum, a biennial of the Vasse district, is a grateful fodder +for horses, and the Morna nitida for goats, sheep, and cattle, as +are also several species of Picris and other shrubs. There is also +a native celery, which forms a poor substitute for that of Europe; +two varieties of this species are mentioned -- the Conna, of which +the roots are eaten by the natives after being peeled, and the +Kukire, the foot of which resembles the carrot in appearance, with +the smell and colour of the parsnip. The wild carrot is also an +excellent vegetable, and from its root rich wine has been extracted. +The order Eryngo has a species of which the roots when candied have +great restorative powers. Of the Hederoma latifolia, Dr. Lindley +remarks, that its half-ripe fruits, if sent to Europe, would give +several original and valuable scents to the perfumer. + +Of the sea-weeds, one particular species, supposed to be the Fucus +amylaeceus, thrown in great quantities upon the coast, is mentioned +as forming when boiled, sweetened, and spiced, a nutritious and +beautiful jelly of a fine rose colour; and as it appears that it may +be dried without injury and preserved for years, it would be of value +as an export. + +The catalogue of indigenous fruits is not very extensive, but one +species, belonging to the order Epacrideae, is reported to bear +very palatable berries. The Vasse apple, of the size of a peach, is +stated when boiled with sugar to be an agreeable sweet-meat. + +Another fruit, of the species Mesembryanthemum, is of a less +pleasing flavour; but one of the same species, resembling the English +gooseberry, is said to be delicious. Mr. Drummond also records the +discovery, southward of the Vasse, of a nondescript shrub of about +five feet in height, and bearing fruit as large as a middle-sized +plum, of a fine purple colour, covered with a rich bloom, and having +a stone similar to the plum. It is reported to have a pleasing +taste. This completes the list of fruits, which Mr. Drummond +acknowledges to be imperfect, as the cultivation of the vine, olive, +currant, and other imported fruits has withdrawn the attention of the +settlers from the native productions; and we shall now pass to the +smaller classes of the Eucalyptus tribe. The Doatta is a species +of this class, and the bark of its root is much relished by the +natives, having a sweet and pleasing taste, as is also the trunk of +the red-gum; and its leaves, washed in water, form an agreeable +beverage. They also collect a description of manna from the leaves +of the York gum, which yields a considerable quantity of saccharine +matter. The common green wattle of the genus of Acacia is found +plentifully on the alluvial flats of the Swan, and the bark is much +used for tanning; and the gum-wattle of the same order produces so +great a quantity of gum as to demand the attention of exporters. +Another shrub of this order is found in the Vasse district, and +produces galls similar to those of the oak, which might also be +collected for exportation. The gum of some of these species is used +by the natives as food, and the seeds, when ground, give them a +tolerable substitute for flour. + +Instead of entering more at large into dry botanical details, I will +transfer to these pages a letter from my respected friend, Mr. James +Drummond, the botanist already alluded to, which perhaps will prove +more acceptable to the general reader. + +This letter was published at the time in the local journals. + +"Dear Sir, -- I send you a few extracts from a journal of observations +which I made in a journey to the north, in company with Mr. Gilbert, +the ornithologist.* My sons had heard from the natives that a +considerable river and lakes of fresh water were to be found about +two days' journey to the north of their station on the Moore River; +and in company with Captain Scully, the Government Resident of this +district, they determined to explore the country in that direction. +Mr. Phillips and some other gentlemen who were to be of the party, as +well as Mr. Gilbert and myself, arrived at the station too late; I +shall therefore principally confine my observations to Mr. Gilbert's +transactions and my own. + + +[footnote] * Mr. Gilbert, an enthusiastic naturalist, and an amiable +and highly respectable man, was treacherously murdered by natives to +the North-East of New Holland, whilst engaged upon a scientific +expedition. + + +"We left Hawthornden on the 22d August, and slept at the residence of +Captain Scully, who had set out some days before to join the +exploring party. On the 23d we proceeded on our journey to the +north, and in about five or six miles we examined some remarkable +masses of granite rocks a little to the right of the road which is +formed by our carts and horses passing to and from the Moore River. +Mr. Gilbert found a small but curious fresh-water shell in some pools +of rain-water on the rocks, and I found two plants which I had not +seen before. In about eleven or twelve miles from Captain Scully's +we reached a permanent spring called Yoolgan, where there is +excellent grass, and where we stopped to dine and feed our horses. +Soon after leaving Yoolgan, we met with Mr. Phillips and Mr. John +Mackie returning; they had arrived at our station a day too late for +the party; we therefore knew that our hurrying on to join them was +useless. In ten or twelve miles from Yoolgan we reached Yeinart, a +tea-tree swamp, where there is grass and water to be had throughout +the year. The night threatened to rain, but we arrived too late to +do much in the house-making way; fortunately, the rain kept off until +daylight, when we soon covered our house with tea-tree bark, and +determined to stop for the day, which I consider the best way, as no +collections can be made when it is raining, and provisions and +everything get spoiled. It cleared up about ten o'clock, and we went +to visit a brushwood swamp, where my son Johnston had shot several +specimens of a beautiful species of kangaroo with a dark-coloured +fur, overtopped with silvery hairs, called Marnine by the natives: +we saw plenty of tracks of the animals, but could not see a single +specimen. On the top of a hill to the north of the swamp I succeeded +in finding two very distinct species of Dryandra, new to me. I +also found a fine species of Eucalyptus in flower, which is +distinguished from the Matilgarring of the natives, the +Eucalyptus macrocarpus of Sir W. T. Hooker, by having lengthened +recurved flower-stalks; the flowers are rose-coloured. + +"On the 25th we proceeded on our journey. I observed two new species +of acacia near Yeinart. We mistook our road, and made our old +station at Badgee-badgee, where we stopped to dine and feed our +horses. I also found some curious aquatic plants in the pools of +water among the rocks at Badgee-badgee. After dinner we succeeded +with difficulty in tracing our road to our present station on the +Mouran pool, the cart tracks being nearly obliterated by the +trampling of the sheep. On arriving, we found that the exploring +party had returned, and that Captain Scully and my son James had +left, on their return, about half an hour before our arrival. The +mutilated specimens of plants brought home by the party, and the +accounts of some which were left behind, determined me to visit the +new river myself, after botanizing a day in the vicinity of the +station, where I found a fine glaucus-leaved Anadenia, and Mr. +Gilbert got specimens of the blue kangaroo, and several small new +quadrupeds -- one of them apparently a true rat, almost as large and +mischievous as the Norway rat. Having got two natives, one of whom +(Cabbinger) had been with the party to the north, we started on the +27th, and slept at a spring called Boorbarna. On the way I found a +species of the common poison which I had not seen before, and a +beautiful Conospermum, with pannicles of blue flowers varying to +white. I was informed, by my son Johnston, that a plant like +horehound, but with scarlet flowers, in tubes about an inch long, +grew on the top of a stony hill to the north of the spring; I went +and found the plant, which belongs to Scrophularinae; I also found +a Manglesia, allied to Tridentifera, but having the leaves more +divided; I also found a beautiful blue climbing plant, a species of +Pronaya, on the top of the same hill. On the 28th, soon after +setting out on our journey, I found two splendid species of +everlasting flower, of which my son Johnston had been the original +discoverer; one, with golden-yellow flowers varying to white, has the +flowers in heads different from anything of the sort I have seen +before, and will, I think, form a new genus of Compositae; and the +other with pink flowers, growing two feet high, something like +Lawrencella rosea, or Rhodanthe Manglesii, but if possible finer +than either. In nine or ten miles to the north of Boorbarna, we +crossed a curious tract of country, covered with what I considered a +variety of quartz, which breaks with a conchoidal fracture, but it +has very much the appearance of flint; in many places the pieces were +large, with sharp angles; my sons complained that it injured their +horses' feet, but by alighting, and leading our horses over the worse +parts, I did not perceive any bad effects from it. This tract of +country produces some interesting plants; a splendid Calathamnus, +with leaves nine inches long, and showy scarlet flowers, was found by +my youngest son, and I got plenty of specimens. + +"With regard to a new Banksia, allied to Aquifolia, which he +found here, I was not so fortunate, and he brought home no specimens. +After crossing several miles of this quartz formation, we came upon +an extensive flat of strong clay, covered with Eucalyptus, and some +curious species of acacia; we crossed a considerable river, or brook, +running strong to the west, and about two miles, after crossing this +brook, we made the river we were in quest of at a place called +Murarino by the natives. Near the river I found a splendid plant, +which had been first observed by my son Johnston; he took it for a +Lasiopetalum, but I expect it will prove to be a species of +Solanum; it grows two or three feet high, with large purple +flowers, with calyxes like brown velvet; the leaves are irregularly +shaped, acuminate, about two inches long, and an inch and a half wide +at their broadest parts; the stems are prickly, and all the leaves +covered with a down as in Lasiopetalum. I am uncertain about the +genus, not having seen the seed-vessels, but whatever that may be, it +is of our finest Australian plants. + +"We stopped to dine on the river, and in about four miles farther to +the north, we reached two fresh-water lakes called Dalarn and +Maradine. Ducks of various sorts were here in thousands, and the +water-hens, or gallinules, which visited the settlements on the Swan +some years ago, were plentiful. Mr. Gilbert shot three or four at a +shot. I found a fine Baechia, which had been first found by my son +James, and a curious new plant belonging to Compositae, but not yet +in flower. The appearance of the country about these lakes, of which +there are several besides those I have named, and the plants which +grow about them, which are generally met with at no great distance +from the sea, seem to prove that the lakes are at no great distance +from it, and that the Darling Range does not extend so far to the +north. No hills of any description appeared to the west; from the +top of a hill to the east, two remarkable hills appeared, apparently +about thirty miles to the north; one of them was observed by my son +to have a remarkable peaked top, and they supposed they might be +Mount Heathcote and Wizard Peak. We saw, as we came along, a high +hill, which the natives called Wangan Catta; they said it was three +days' walk to it; it lay due east of our course. + +"On the 29th, we returned on our track for about seven miles, until +we reached the first running river we met on our journey to the +north. Our guides agreed to take us back by a different route, and +to take us to a hill where a curious species of kangaroo called +Damar by them, would be met with. My son Johnston has shot several +of these animals about a day's walk to the east of our station on the +Moore River. We therefore ascended this river in a course S.E. by E., +and soon after we were upon its banks, we came upon a grassy country; +three or four miles up we stopped to dine and feed the horses, at a +place called Nugadrine; several pairs of beautiful falcons, the +Falco Nypolencus of Gould, were flying over us, and Mr. Gilbert +succeeded in shooting one of them. After dinner, we proceeded in the +same direction for nine or ten miles; we soon crossed the tracks of +Captain Scully and my sons on their return; they had gone up the main +or northern branch of the river, and had found but little grass while +they followed its banks; but they had passed over a great deal of +grassy land in crossing the country from it to the Moore River. + +"We travelled for ten or eleven miles through a splendid grassy +country, and met with a large tribe of natives, several of whom had +never seen white men before; they were very friendly, and offered us +some of their favourite root, the wyrang, which grows abundantly +among these grassy hills. They made so much noise, that we wished to +get some distance from them to sleep, but they all followed us and +encamped near, many of the single men sleeping by our fire. In the +morning of the 30th I went to the top of a hill, near our bivouac, +while Mr. Gilbert was superintending the preparations for breakfast, +and clipping the beards of some of our new friends. After breakfast, +we started direct for our station on the Moore River; the natives who +were with us as guides considering our stock of flour insufficient to +proceed any farther in the direction of the hill where they expected +to find the Damars. For almost the whole of this day we travelled +over the most splendid grassy country I have ever seen in Australia; +the hill-sides, as far as we could see in every direction, were +covered with beautiful grass, and of a golden colour, from the +flowers of the beautiful yellow everlasting flower which I have +described in a former part of this letter, which is only to be found +in the richest soil. After reaching our station, I was a day or two +employed in drying my specimens of plants. My son Johnston pointed +out a most beautiful new Dryandra, which he had discovered on the +top of a hill near the Mouran-pool; I have named the species +Dryandra floribunda, from its numerous blossoms, which almost hide +the leaves; it grows twelve or fifteen feet high, and in such +abundance, that the side of the hill on which it grows actually +appears of a golden colour for several miles. I consider it the most +beautiful species of the genus yet known for cultivation. + +"I am, Sir, +"Your obedient servant, +"James Drummond. + +"P.S. -- Our course generally by compass from Hawthornden to these +lakes has been several points to the west of north. The natives +informed us, when at the lakes, that they could reach the sea-coast +long before sunset. + +"Hawthornden Farm, Toodyay Valley." + + + +CHAPTER 29. + +MISFORTUNES OF THE COLONY. + +Many causes have unhappily united to keep Western Australia from +rising into notice and importance with that rapidity which has marked +the career of the other Australian colonies. The misfortunes of the +first settlers, attributable in a great measure to flagrant +mismanagement, deterred intending emigrants from tempting the like +fate. The man who had the largest grant in the colony allotted to +him -- a monster grant of 250,000 acres -- made so ill an use of the +means at his command, that nothing but misery and misfortune has ever +attended his steps. The funds with which he was intrusted might have +been applied with the happiest effect, both for the advancement of +the colony and of his own personal fortunes. The people whom he +brought out, chiefly mechanics and labourers, to the number of four +hundred or upwards, were sufficient to have formed a settlement of +their own. By an unhappy fatality, the early settlers were landed on +a part of the coast the most unfavourable in the world for their +purposes. The whole country around them was a mere limestone rock. +Here, however, the town-site of Clarence was fixed upon, but scarcely +a yard of land was to be found that afforded space for a garden. No +attempt was made to sow grain, or plant potatoes, to provide for the +wants of the following year. + +The people lived upon the provisions they had brought out with them. +The four hundred workmen being left by their principal without +direction or employment, soon consumed in riotous living the abundant +stores left at their disposal, and too soon found that destitution is +the inevitable consequence of idleness and folly. Many perished +miserably of want and sickness, and many others effected their escape +to Van Dieman's Land, where they gave a melancholy account of the +wretchedness of those who were unable to flee from the scene of their +errors. + +The active intelligence, and unremitting exertions of the Governor, +Sir James Stirling, at length ameliorated the condition of the +unfortunate settlers. He removed the seat of Government to Perth, +and explored the neighbouring country in every direction in the hope +of finding tracts of land sufficient for the support of the people +under his charge. The flats of the Swan River afforded all the +facilities he required; but the settlers were greatly intimidated by +the treacherous attacks of the natives, and were very reluctant to +separate from the main body. In consequence of these fears, many +consumed their capital in their present support, instead of applying +it in the formation of farms, and laying the ground-work of future +prosperity. Provisions being all imported, were sold at high rates, +and the hesitating colonists became unavoidably subservient to the +cupidity of the traders. + +In addition to these misfortunes, no man liked to lay out his money +in building a house upon land which might not eventually be allotted +to him. He lived therefore, with his wife, children, and servants, +miserably under a tent, until the surveyor-general should be able to +point out to him the land which had fallen to his share, in the +general lottery of the Government. In many cases this was not done +for one or two years after the formation of the colony, in +consequence of the lamentably inefficient force placed at the +disposal of the able and indefatigable surveyor-general; and even +then, the boundaries of the different allotments were not permanently +defined. This state of incertitude had the most fatal effect, not +only upon the fortunes, but upon the moral condition of the settlers. +Those who had come out resolutely bent upon cultivating their own +land, and supporting themselves and families by their manual labour, +refused to make the necessary exertions upon property which might +eventually belong to others for whom they had no desire to toil. +Waiting, therefore, in their tents on the shore, until the Government +should determine their respective locations, they passed the time in +idleness, or in drinking and riotous living; and when at length they +obtained their Letters of Allocation, they found themselves without +money or any means of subsistence, except by hiring out their manual +labour to others more prudent, or more fortunate. + +Other accidental circumstances have combined to retard the progress +of the colony. From ignorance of the seasons, many lost their crops, +and were obliged consequently to expend the last remains of their +capital in procuring necessary supplies. From the same cause, +vessels which brought emigrants to the colony were not secured during +the winter season in the safest anchorages, and being exposed to the +fury of the north-west gales, were in too many instances, driven +ashore and completely wrecked. + +Again, too, there has always existed a strong desire on the part of +Western Australia to connect herself with India, conscious that there +are great facilities of communication between the countries, from +favourable trade-winds, and that her own climate is perhaps better +suited to invalids than even that of the Cape. This desire has been +met by several influential gentleman of Calcutta, and on two +occasions, vessels were freighted and despatched from that city to +the colony, in the hope of establishing a mutually advantageous +connexion, and on both occasions the vessels were lost on the voyage. +At length a small establishment was effected near Australind, by the +agents of Mr. W. H. Prinsep, for the purpose of breeding horses for +the Indian market; and we most sincerely hope success will ultimately +attend the enterprising effort. Indian officers have occasionally +visited the colony; but they have naturally received unfavourable +impressions, from being unable to find those accommodations and +luxuries to which they had been accustomed. + +The settlers will not build houses and lay out their money on the +mere speculation of gaining advantage by the visits of Indian +officers, but if once there appeared a reasonable prospect of early +remuneration, every convenience would be provided, and every comfort +ensured to visitors. Living is now extremely cheap, and there is a +profusion of vegetables and fruits of every kind. There are plenty +of good horses and pleasure-boats, and there are the amusements of +fishing, and hunting the Kangaroo and Emu. + +The misconduct of some, and the misfortunes of others of the early +settlers, tended to bring about calamities which were echoed +throughout Great Britain, and for many years had the effect of +turning the stream of emigration away from these shores. Other +causes have also contributed to this end. The Government plan of +giving grants of land to emigrants, proportioned to the capital which +they introduced into the colony, was good to a certain extent, but +the object was perverted, and the boon abused. In almost all +instances, men received a much greater quantity of land than they +were justly entitled to. Every article of provisions, furniture, and +household effects, and even wearing apparel, were taken into account. +The valuations were made by friends and neighbours, who accommodated +one another, and rated the property of the applicant at a most +astounding price. The consequence has been, that large grants of +land have fallen into the hands of those who have never lived upon +them, or spent anything upon their improvement, beyond a fictitious +amount which they were required to specify to the Government before +they could obtain possession of their deeds of grant. These original +grantees have clung to their lands with desperate tenacity, in the +hope that some day their value will be more than nominal. The idea +that all the best portions of the colony are in the hands of a few +great unimproving proprietors, has been one reason why emigrants have +turned away from it. + +But the provision, which has so long been an evil to the colony, may +now be looked upon, thanks to the narrow-minded policy of the Home +Government, as an advantage. These original grants, which have +proved so little beneficial to the owner, and so highly detrimental +to the community, are now far more easily obtainable by the emigrant +than the surrounding crown-lands. The policy of the Government has +entirely changed with regard to the disposal of waste lands in the +Australian colonies; instead of giving them away with a lavish hand, +it has for some years been the practice to throw every obstacle in +the way of intending purchasers. + +They are now valued at one pound per acre, though it is well known, +even at the colonial office, that five acres of Australian land are +requisite to maintain a single sheep; and as the average value of +sheep in all these colonies is six or seven shillings, it scarcely +requires the head of a Secretary of State to calculate that every one +who buys land for the purpose of feeding his flocks upon it, must be +content to purchase it at an irreparable loss of capital. In +consequence of this wise regulation, no purchase of crown-lands are +now made in any of the Australian colonies, except of town +allotments, which have a factitious value, altogether irrespective of +the qualities of the soil. It is now that the holders of large +grants find purchasers, as they are extremely willing to sell at a +much lower rate than the crown. In Western Australia alone, however, +are these grants to be found; and here excellent land may be +purchased at three shillings an acre. Thus the careless profusion of +one government, and the false policy and unhappy cupidity of another, +have proved the means of placing this colony in a better position in +some respects than any other. + +Western Australia has been unfortunate also in having had no powerful +company to support her cause in England. The neighbouring colony of +South Australia, with a much less extensive territory, and without +any natural superiority in the quality of the soil, was immediately +puffed into notice by the exertions of her friends at home. + +But whilst the settlers at Adelaide and their patrons in London, +proclaimed to the world the advantages of the new colony, they +scrupled not to draw comparisons between it and the Western +settlement, that were neither flattering nor just to the latter. Not +content with elevating their own idol with paeans and thanksgiving, +before the gaze of a bedinned public, they persisted in shouting out +their scorn and contempt at the pretensions of their unhappy +neighbour. The public, with its usual discernment, gave implicit +credence to both fables. Western Australia had met its contumelious +detractors with silence; and the false statements were therefore +looked upon as admitted and undeniable. But notwithstanding the +injurious misrepresentations of enemies, and her own injurious +silence, this colony has been quietly and steadily progressing, until +she has laid for herself a foundation that no envious calumny can +shake. The last blow she has received was from the failure of the +settlement at Australind; a subject that I intend to treat of in a +separate chapter. + +So many misfortunes and untoward accidents have combined to prejudice +the emigrating portion of the British public against Western +Australia, that no voice is ever raised in her behalf, and scarcely +any literary journal condescends to acknowledge her existence. And +yet, notwithstanding the veil of darkness that conceals her from +Northern eyes, there is perhaps no spot in the world that contains so +eminently within itself the elements of prosperity and happiness. A +climate more genial, more divine than that of Italy, robs poverty of +its bleakness and its bitterness. Absolute want is never felt, and +those who possess but little, find how little is sufficient in a +climate so productive and so beneficent. + +The purity and elasticity of the atmosphere induce a continual flow +of good spirits. + +To all the fruits of Italy in most abundant profusion, are added the +productions of the East. + +The regularity of the seasons is so certain, that the husbandman +always reckons with confidence upon his crops. No droughts +interfere, AS IN THE OTHER COLONIES, to ruin his hopes. The +vintages, annually increasing and improving, are equally free +from disappointment. + +It must not, however, be denied that there are many natural +disadvantages which can never be overcome without a much larger +population. + +In the first place, the only good harbour on the Western coast has +only just been discovered -- June 1846 -- and is at least thirty-five +miles distant from Perth, the capital. Then, secondly, all the +superior land of the colony is situated about sixty miles back from +the capital, and the farmers therefore have a considerable distance +to convey their produce to the port; and part of that distance the +roads are extremely bad. + +There is another objection to the colony in the opinion of intending +emigrants, which arises from a small plant, or shrub, of the order +leguminosae, a deadly poison to sheep and cattle. This plant grows +over the colony in patches, but is now so well known, that accidents +very seldom occur from it, shepherds being careful not to allow their +flocks to feed in its vicinity. It is however to be observed, that +neither sheep nor cattle will feed upon this plant unless they be +very hungry, and other food be wanting. It is very seldom indeed +that cattle, which are sometimes left to roam at large over the +country, are found to have perished from pasturing upon it. This +plant has no injurious effect upon horses; but these animals have in +several instances been poisoned by eating the leaves of a small plant +described as resembling the ranunculus, which grows in small +quantities in the Southern portion of the colony. A gentleman once +informed me that he was riding up from Australind on a favourite and +very fine horse, which he allowed to feed, during several hours of +rest, on a spot where this plant unfortunately grew. On mounting to +resume his journey, the horse seemed full of spirit; but he had not +proceeded a mile before it stumbled, and was with difficulty kept +from falling. A little farther on, after proceeding with evident +difficulty, it fell, to rise no more, and died in a few hours of +violent inflammation of the kidneys. + +However alarming these drawbacks may seem to people at a distance, +they are only lightly considered in the colony. Fatalities are very +rare among the flocks and herds, and many diseases which prevail in +New South Wales are entirely unknown among us. + + + +CHAPTER 30. + +THE RESOURCES OF THE COLONY: -- HORSES FOR INDIA -- WINE -- DRIED +FRUITS -- COTTON -- COAL -- WOOL -- CORN -- WHALE-OIL -- A WHALE- +HUNT -- CURED FISH -- SHIP TIMBER. + +The geographical position of Western Australia makes it one of the +most desirable colonies of the British empire. The French would be +delighted to possess so advantageous a station in that part of the +world, whence they could sally forth and grievously annoy our +shipping-trade. Vessels bound for China and the Eastern Islands pass +within a few days' sail of the colony. For my part, I confess I +should feel by no means sorry were we to fall into the hands of the +French for a few years, as they would not hesitate to make such +lasting improvements as would materially add to the importance of the +settlement. It requires that Government should be made to feel the +value of this colony as a naval station before it will rise into +anything like consequence. The anchorage of Cockburn Sound, lying +between Garden Island and the main land, presents a splendid harbour, +where hundreds of ships of war might lie throughout all weathers in +perfect safety. Enemy's cruisers passing along the coast cannot come +within Garden Island from the south, and they would scarcely venture +without a pilot from the north, except with a great deal of +deliberation and caution, so that small vessels might readily slip +away and avoid the danger; and numbers of ships might lie so close +under Garden Island, that they never would be perceived by men-of-war +reconnoitring the coast. + +There is no other colony in Australia so admirably situated with +respect to other countries. The Cape of Good Hope is four or five +weeks sail distant; Ceylon about twenty days; Calcutta, Sincapore, +and Batavia are all within easy reach. In exporting live-stock, this +is of vast importance; and in time of war a central position like +this would afford an admirable place for vessels to repair to in +order to refit. With the finest timber in the world for naval +purposes in unlimited profusion; with a soil teeming with various +metals; with harbours and dock-yards almost ready made by the hand of +Nature, all things requisite for the wants of shipping may be +obtained whenever a Government shall see fit to resort to them. + +It must doubtless surprise many that more has not been done in a +colony possessing such natural advantages. The reason is, that the +prejudices which have so long prevailed against this settlement have +retarded the progress of immigration, and the small number of +inhabitants has ever precluded the possibility of any great effort +being made by the colony itself. + +Public opinion in England must turn in its favour before it can rise +from obscurity into importance; but public opinion is never in favour +of the poor and deserted. Time, however, will eventually develope +those resources, which at present lie dormant for want of capital and +opportunity. + +The proximity of this colony to India peculiarly marks it as the most +advantageous spot for the breeding of horses for that market. From +Van Dieman's Land or New South Wales, ships are generally about eight +weeks in reaching an Indian port, and must proceed either by the +north of New Holland, through the dangerous navigation of Torres +Straits, or by the south and west, round Cape Lewin. Either route +presents a long and rough passage, highly detrimental to stock, and +of course increasing the cost of the horses exported. The voyage +from Fremantle may be performed in half the time, and the animals +will therefore arrive at their destination in much finer order, and +with much less loss. + +It is well known that none of these colonies afford better or more +extensive pasture-ground for horses and cattle than ours. Nothing is +wanted but capital and population to produce a thriving traffic in +horse-flesh between this settlement and India. + +There is every reason to believe that Western Australia will one day +become a great wine country. Its vineyards are becoming more +numerous and extensive every year, and the wine produced in them is +of a quality to lead us to believe that when the art of preparing it +is better understood, it will be found of very superior quality. It +will, however, be a new kind of wine; and therefore, before it will +be prized in Europe, prejudices in favour of older wines have to be +overcome. Soil and climate combined, give to different wines their +peculiar flavour. The vines which in Madeira produce the wine of +that name, when brought to another country, even in a corresponding +latitude, and planted in soil that chemically approaches as closely +as possible to that which they have left, will produce a wine +materially different from that called Madeira. So with the vines of +Xeres and Oporto; of Teneriffe or Constantia. Different countries +produce wines peculiar to themselves; and the wine of Western +Australia will be found to be entirely sui generis. All that I +have tasted, though made from the poorest of grapes, the common +sweet-water, have one peculiarity; a good draught, instead of +affecting the head or flushing the face, causes a most delightful +glow to pervade the stomach; and it is of so comforting a nature, +that the labourers in harvest prefer the home-made colonial wine to +any other beverage. Every farm-settler is now adding a vineyard to +his estate. The olive is also being extensively cultivated. In a +few years' time, dried fruits will be exported in large quantities; +but we almost fear that the colonists are giving too much of their +attention to the cultivation of grapes and other fruits. In addition +to exports, on a large scale, of wool, horses, timber, and metals, +these articles of commerce are not undeserving of attention, but they +should not be brought so prominently forward as to form the principal +feature in the trade of the colony. Wine and fruit countries are +always poor countries; let us think of substantials first, and of +wine and fruit only by way of dessert. + +Cotton is a plant that grows extremely well in this colony, and might +be cultivated on a large scale, and doubtless with great success. +Mr. Hutt, the late governor, whose constant anxiety to promote the +interests of the settlers in every way must long endear him to their +memories, always appeared extremely sanguine as to the practicability +of making this a great cotton country. + +But Western Australia contains, perhaps, greater internal wealth than +that which appears on the surface. She abounds in iron, which must +some day come into the Indian market; and as the metal lies close to +the surface, it may be obtained without much expenditure of capital. +There is no doubt, also, that she is equally rich in copper and +platina, but capital is wanting at present to enable the settlers to +work the mines. Soon, however, companies will be formed, and +operations will be carried on rivalling those of South Australia. + +Extensive fields of excellent COAL have lately been discovered, and +will prove the source of vast wealth to the colony. Steam-vessels in +the Indian ocean will be supplied with coal from Western Australia; +and the depots at Sincapore, Point-de-Galle, and perhaps at Aden, +will afford a constant market for this valuable commodity. + +The staple export of the colony is, of course, at present wool. Our +flocks, unfortunately, increase in a much greater ratio than the +inhabitants, and thus the scarcity of labour becomes severely felt. +A large flock becomes an evil, and men are burdened and impoverished +by the very sources of wealth. The expense of maintaining becomes +greater than the returns. The emigrants who are most sure of +improving their condition in a colony, are those men who begin as +shepherds, and having established a good character for themselves, +undertake the care of a flock upon shares; that is, they receive a +certain proportion -- a third, and sometimes even a half -- of the +annual increase and wool, delivering the remainder to the owner at +the seaport, ready packed for shipping. These men, of course, soon +acquire a flock of their own, and then abandon the original employer +to his old embarrassment, leaving him, (a resident probably in the +capital, and already a prey to multitudinous distractions,) to find +out a new shepherd on still more exorbitant terms. As large grants +of land may be obtained by tenants for merely nominal rents, or in +consideration of their erecting stock-yards or farm-buildings in the +course of a term of years, there is every inducement to men of this +class to become settlers. + +The houses in some districts are built of clay, or prepared earth, +rammed down between boards, and thus forming solid walls of twelve or +eighteen inches in thickness, that harden in a short time almost to +the consistency of stone. The windows and doorways are cut out of +the walls. These edifices are built at a very cheap rate; and when +laths or battens are fixed inside of them, may be covered with +plaister, and either whitewashed or painted. + +Besides the extensive sheep-runs of the colony, there is an unlimited +extent of excellent corn-land. The crops in the Northam, Toodyay, +and York districts -- though inferior to those of the midland +counties of England, for want of manure, and a more careful system of +husbandry -- are extremely fine; and there is land enough, if +cultivated, to supply the whole of the southern hemisphere with grain. + +The sea on the western coast of New Holland still abounds with +whales, although the Americans for many years made it one of their +principal stations, and have consequently driven many of the animals +away. The whale is a very suspicious and timid creature, and when it +has been once chased it seldom returns to the same locality. The +Americans tell us that Geographe Bay, about twenty years ago, +abounded with whales at certain seasons. Many of them came there +apparently to die, and the shore was covered with their carcases and +bones. About the month of June, the whales proceed along the coast, +going northward; and then visit the various bays and inlets as they +pass, in pursuit of the shoals of small fish that precede them in +their migration. They generally return towards the south about six +weeks afterwards, and at these times the whale-fishery is eagerly +pursued both by the Americans and the colonists. Bay-whaling is +followed with various success at Fremantle, Bunbury, the Vasse, +Augusta, and King George's Sound. + +At these times swarms of sharks of enormous dimensions infest the +coast. At the Vasse, they were so numerous in 1845, that the men in +the boats became quite cowed by their audacity. Were a whale killed +in the evening, two-thirds of it would be eaten before morning by the +sharks. The monsters (sometimes thirty feet in length) would follow +the whale-boats, and strike against them with their snouts and fins; +until the men were so intimidated that they even refused to go in +pursuit of a whale which otherwise they might easily have captured. +Mr. Robert Viveash, one of the principals at this station, told me, +among other anecdotes, that one day, standing on the deck of a small +schooner, watching the evolutions of an enormous shark, he saw it +seize the rudder with its teeth in a kind of frenzy, or else in mere +sport, and shake it so violently that the tiller, striking against +some heavy object on deck, was actually broken in two pieces. It is +a well-authenticated fact, that some years ago a shark, playing round +a whaling vessel of upwards of 300 tons, whilst lying at anchor +during a calm, got entangled in the buoy-rope of the anchor, and in +its efforts to free itself actually tripped the anchor. The people +on board, perceiving something extraordinary had happened, hove up +the anchor, and brought the struggling shark to the surface. Having +thrown a rope over its head and secured it by a running bowline knot +under the pectoral fins, the fish was boused up to the fore-yard; and +its length was so great, that when its nose touched the yard, its +tail was still lashing the water. + +There is something highly exciting in the chase of the whale. I have +watched the proceedings for hours from Arthur's Head, the high rock +between Fremantle and the sea. A man stationed here on the look out, +perceives a whale spouting about six miles off, between the main-land +and the opposite islands. He immediately hoists a flag, and makes +signals indicating the direction. + +The crews of six whale-boats, which have been lying ready on the +beach, with their lines carefully coiled in a tub, and harpoon and +lances all at hand, assemble like magic. The boats are launched, and +pulling rapidly out of the bay, each with its own particular flag +flying at the bows; the steersman leans forward, and gives additional +force to the stroke-oar by the assistance of his weight and strength; +the men pull strongly and well-together; the boats dance over the +flashing waves, and silence and determination reign among the crews. +The object is to meet the whale, and come down upon him in front; +none but a lubber or a knave would cross his wake; for his eyes are +so placed that he can see laterally and behind better than straight +before him, and the moment he detects a boat in pursuit he begins to +run. The lubber crosses his wake, because he has not steered so as +to be able to avoid doing so; the knave, because either out of spite +to his employer, or because he is bribed by an adverse company, is +desirous that the fish should be lost. If the boats are a long +distance astern when the whale begins to run, pursuit is useless, and +the men return, hoping for better luck another time. + +The boats come round Arthur's Head almost together. The men, knowing +that many hours of severe toil are probably before them, pull +steadily, but not so as to exhaust themselves at the outset. At +length one boat creeps out from the rest; the others gradually drop +into line, and the distance between each widens perceptibly. The +last boat, a heavy sailer, is half-a-mile astern of the first. From +the boats, your eye wanders to the spot where the whale was last seen +to blow. For some time you can discern nothing, and fancy he must be +gone off to sea again. At last a thin white column of vapour is +perceptible; the animal is carelessly sporting about, unconscious of +danger. The first boat draws rapidly down upon him; it approaches +nearer and nearer. The fish has disappeared, but his enemies seem to +know the direction in which he is going, and are ready awaiting him +when he returns to the surface. You now perceive him blowing close +to the first boat, the steersman of which draws in the steer-oar and +runs forward, whilst the men have all peaked their oars, and remain +quiet in their seats. The steersman has seized the harpoon to which +the long line of coiled rope is attached; in a moment he has plunged +it into the animal's side. Starting at the stroke, away it darts; +the line flies out of the tub over the bow of the boat; the men begin +to pull, in order to ease the shock when the line is all run out; and +now away they go, the whale drawing the boat after him at such speed +that the water flies off from the bows in broad flakes. + +After running upwards of a mile, the fish dives down to the bottom; +there he remains some minutes, until compelled to return to the +surface for breath. His reappearance is heralded by a column of +water spouted from his nostrils. + +Two of the boats are able to approach near enough to allow lances to +be thrown at him, which, penetrating through the blubber, pierce his +vitals, and cause him to run again as swiftly as before. Again he +sinks, and again appears on the surface; the column which he now +spouts forth is tinged with red. The boats again approach, the more +lances are driven into his sides, but he is not yet subdued; he +breaks away from the assassins, and tries once more to escape; but, +alas! his strength and his life-blood are fast ebbing away; his +breath begins to fail, and he cannot remain long beneath the surface. + +He comes up suddenly in the very midst of the boats, and, as he rolls +from side to side, he strikes one of them with his fin, staving it in +and making it a wreck upon the water. The drowning men are picked up +by their companions, and the whale is again pursued. He is now in +the death-flurry, spinning round and round, and lashing the sea into +foam with his broad tail. He is still; and now the boats venture to +come close up to the carcase, and fixing grapnels in it, with +tow-lines attached, they form in a line, and commence towing their +conquest to the shore, singing as they row, their measured paeans of +victory. + +When the blubber is cut off and tryed out, it produces from three to +ten tons of oil. + +Besides whales, there are immense quantities of fish upon this coast. +The best kind are called tailors, and have a good deal of the +mackerel flavour; and snappers, which somewhat resemble cod-fish. +The mullets and whitings are better than those on the English coast, +but every other fish is much inferior in flavour to those known in +England. We have nothing to equal salmon, turbot, soles, cod, or +mackerel; nevertheless, a snapper of twenty pounds weight is a very +eatable fish. + +They are caught in great quantities, salted and exported to the +Mauritius, where they are acknowledged to be superior to the fish +imported from the Cape of Good Hope. Snapper-fishing is not bad +sport, as they bite freely. They go in immense shoals, and it is not +an uncommon thing to catch twenty-hundred weight at a single haul. +When H.M.S. Challenger was lying in Cockburn Sound, some of the +men with a very large seine-net, caught two thousand fish at a single +haul -- averaging five pounds a-piece. This is almost incredible, +but it is related on good authority. + +The fresh-water rivers have no fish but a small craw-fish, that +buries itself in the ground when the bed of the stream is dry; and a +flat-headed, tapering fish called a cobbler. This is about twelve +inches long, and has a sharp, serrated bone an inch in length on each +side of its head, that lies flat and perfectly concealed until an +enemy approaches. This bone is hollow, like an adder's tooth, and +contains a virulent poison, which is injected into the wound, and +causes intense pain for several hours. Men are frequently stung by +these wretches, whilst wading through the water. + +There are several valuable kinds of wood in this colony, which do not +exist in South Australia or New South Wales. We may mention the +sandalwood, which now finds a market in Ceylon, where it fetches +about 22 pounds per ton; but if it were sent direct to China, (its +ultimate destination,) it would obtain probably 35 pounds per ton. +Sandal-wood is burnt in large quantities in China, as a kind of +incense. There is another highly-fragrant wood peculiar to this +colony, called by the settlers raspberry jam, from its resembling +that sweet-meat in its scent. A small quantity sent to +Tonbridge-Wells, was worked up into boxes, and highly approved of by +the cabinet-makers, who gave it the name of violet wood. + +One of the most beautiful trees in the colony is called the +peppermint-tree; its leaves, which are very abundant, resemble those +of the willow, and, on being rubbed, smell strongly of peppermint. +It bears a small yellow flower. These is much reason to believe that +this is of the same species as the tree which yields the valuable +Cajeput oil, and it is highly desirable that an endeavour should be +made to distil this oil from the leaves. + +Many of the vegetable productions of Western Australia appear to +correspond with those of Java and others of the Eastern Islands, +modified by the difference of climate. + +The timber adapted to ship-building purposes, extends in vast +quantities down the line of coast, and is of three kinds, all +varieties of the eucalyptus. The tooart in the districts of +Bunbury and the Vasse, and the blue-gum which abounds at Augusta +and Nornalup, are woods of large size, and remarkably hard and +close-grained in texture. It is well adapted for keel-pieces, +stern-posts, capstan-heads, and heavy beams: and its fibres are so +closely matted and interwoven together, that it is scarcely possible +to split it. It grows in lengths of from 30 to 60 feet, and measures +from 15 to 30 inches in diameter. + +But the wood most highly prized and most easily attainable is the +Jarra, which grows upon the entire range of the Darling Hills, +distant from sixteen to twenty miles from the coast, and extends over +a country averaging at least twenty miles in breadth. It was for a +long time erroneously called mahogany by the settlers, as it takes an +excellent polish, and is extremely useful for cabinet purposes. A +small quantity recently sent to England for the purpose of being +worked up with furniture, has been thus reported upon: -- + +"We have just inspected about two tons of wood brought to this town +(Leeds) under the name of Swan River Mahogany. Some of the wood is +firm and close in texture, with a very great abundance of cross +mottle; -- in fact, it is quite crowded with figure. The colour is +something like old Jamaica mahogany, and it bears a strong +resemblance in some of its figures to the wood so celebrated by +Messrs. Collard as Ocean Wood. We are quite firm in our opinion, +that it is NOT mahogany, and do not know why it should be nicknamed. +Why not call it by its proper name? -- for it has sufficiently strong +claims to maintain its own independence. + +"J. Kendell and Co. +"Cabinet Manufacturers, Leeds." + +Mr. Bond, of the firm of Gillows and Co., cabinet manufacturers, 176 +and 177 Oxford-street, London, to whom a small quantity was submitted, +has also made an equally favourable report. Messrs. Chaloner and +Fleming, of Liverpool, whose firm is one of the most extensive +importers of timber in the empire, have reported that they "consider +the specimens submitted to them to be of rich figure, and very fine +quality, although the colour is rather dark. It is quite as fine in +texture as the best Spanish mahogany, and takes the polish remarkably +well." + +It is not, however, as cabinet wood that the Jarra is so highly +valuable. It has been found to be some of the best ship-timber in +the world. It is so extremely durable, that when it is cut in a +healthy state, it is never found to rot, even though it be buried in +the ground for years. For seventeen years it has been constantly +used in the colony for a variety of purposes. As it resists the +white-ant, an insect that destroys oak and every other kind of wood, +and is never subject to the dry-rot, it is invaluable for building +purposes. Boats constructed of it, which have been in the water +during the whole of this period, and entirely unprotected by paint, +are still as sound as they were when first launched. + +It resists the sea-worm; and our colonial vessels, when hove down for +repairs or survey at Sincapore, Launceston, or other ports, have +always excited the admiration of the surveyors, and have been +pronounced not to require to be coppered. This wood is long in the +grain, but very close and tough, and not only makes very good +planking, but excellent beams, keel-pieces, and many other portions +of a ship. Growing without a branch to the height of from fifty to +one hundred feet, and from eighteen inches to three feet and upwards +in diameter, it excites the admiration of all practical men; and as +its properties have been so long tested, and are so generally +admitted in the southern hemisphere, it is matter of no less surprise +than regret that it should be still unknown in the English markets. +Strong prejudice, and the interest of parties connected with the +timber-trade in other countries, have served to keep the +inexhaustible forests of Western Australia in the obscurity which has +hung over them from primeval times. Besides this, although the Jarra +wood exists not in other parts of Australia, and is confined to the +Western coast alone, timber has been imported to England from New +South Wales, and is very little prized there. Timber-merchants, +therefore, who confound all the Australian colonies together, as most +other people in England do, are willing to believe that the Jarra of +Western Australia is the same as the Stringy-bark of New South Wales, +and therefore worth little or nothing for ship-building purposes. +The experience of seventeen years has proved the contrary. Not only +have the valuable qualities of the Jarra been tested in vessels built +in the colony, and employed in trading to the neighbouring ports; but +men-of-war and merchant ships have been frequently repaired with it, +and the wood so employed has always been highly esteemed when +subsequently inspected abroad. + +In the autumn of 1845, the Halifax Packet, a barque of 400 tons, +having parted from her anchor in a gale, and drifted ashore, +underwent repairs at Fremantle, to the extent of about eleven hundred +pounds. On being surveyed at the Port of London on her return home, +the new timber, which had never been previously recognized at +Lloyd's, though many efforts have been made to obtain that sanction, +was allowed to remain in the ship as being perfectly serviceable. +The following memorandum was addressed by the Surveyor of Lloyd's to +A. Andrews, Esq., a gentleman interested in the welfare of the colony: + +"The wood used in the repairs of the Halifax Packet at Swan River, +appears to answer the purpose very well. It is not found necessary +to remove any part thereof. + +"From the samples which I have seen of Swan River timber, I am of +opinion that it will form a very desirable and serviceable wood in +ship-building; but this must be regarded as my private opinion, the +Society of Lloyd's Register, to which I belong, not having as yet +assigned any character to it in their rules. + +(Signed) "P. Courtney, Lloyd's Surveyor. +"Lloyd's, 24th February, 1846." + +This extraordinary timber grows to a size that would appear +incredible to readers in England. It is perhaps only manageable and +remunerative from 40 to 60 feet; but in the southern districts of the +colony -- especially to the back of Nornalup and Wilson's Inlet -- it +is found growing to 120 and 150 feet in height, before the first +branch appears. My brother and his servant, when exploring in that +district, took refuge once from a storm in the hollow of an old Jarra +tree, which not only sheltered themselves but their horses; and the +interior actually measured in diameter three times the length of the +largest horse, an animal sixteen hands high and very long backed. +This may appear an astounding assertion, but the following is not +less so. The same parties found a Jarra tree which had fallen +completely across a broad and deep river (called the Deep River) +running between high precipitous banks, thus forming a natural +bridge, along which a bullock cart might have passed! + +Timber of such large dimensions is perfectly useless; but there are, +of course, trees of every size, growing in boundless profusion. + +As Indian teak and African oak are now scarcely obtainable, we look +upon our colony as a store-house for the British navy; and though we +have hitherto vainly battled against prejudice and private interest +to make this timber known to our rulers, the day will arrive when the +wants of the naval service will compel men in authority to +acknowledge the value of wood, which is most highly prized by all who +have had the opportunity of testing its qualities. + +It is due to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to state, that +on two occasions they have promised to receive a quantity of this +timber, provided it were delivered at one of the royal dockyards, and +to allow a fair price for it. But unfortunately, there is so great a +scarcity of labour and of capital in the colony, that the settlers +have shrunk from the outlay necessary to perform what would be, after +all, only an experiment. + +It cannot be supposed, that timber which has been tested in every way +for seventeen years, and is known throughout Australia to be +indisputably FIRST-RATE for ship-building purposes, should be +condemned at home as unserviceable. But the colonists know how many +prejudices and interested feelings environ the Admiralty; and in +general shrink from the experiment. + + + +CHAPTER 31. + +RISE AND FALL OF A SETTLEMENT. -- THE SEQUEL TO CAPTAIN GREY'S +DISCOVERIES. -- A WORD AT PARTING. + +His Excellency the Governor having kindly invited me to be his +companion on a journey which he proposed to make to the new +settlement of Australind, about a hundred miles south of Perth, I set +about making the necessary preparations. I borrowed a pair of +saddle-bags, and having stuffed my traps into one side of them, +loaded the other with a cold roast fowl, a boiled tongue, a pound of +sausages, a loaf of bread, a flask of brandy, and sundry small +packages of tea, sugar, cigars, etc. + +When I looked at the result of my labours, the swollen sides of the +leathern receptacle, I enjoyed a noble feeling of independence; as +though I were now prepared to ramble through the world, and stood in +no need of friendly welcome, or the doubtful hospitality of an inn. + +Having breakfasted at five o'clock on a December morning (the middle +of summer), and equipped myself in a broad-brimmed straw-hat and +light shooting jacket, I mounted my steed, and sallied forth from my +gate, followed by the sympathizing grins of Hannibal. + +His Excellency, true to the hour, was mounting his horse at the door +of Government House -- and as the appearance of the whole turn-out +was rather unlike anything usually seen in Hyde Park, or even +connected with the morning drives of his Excellency the Viceroy of +Ireland, I may as well describe it. + +The representative of our gracious Sovereign was habited in his bush +costume -- a white hat, bare of beaver, having a green veil twisted +round it, a light shooting coat and plaid trousers, shoes, and jean +gaiters. His illustrious person was seated on a pair of broad +saddle-bags, which went flap, flap against the sides of his charger, +as he jogged steadily along at the usual travelling pace. On the +pummel of his saddle was strapped a roll of blankets for the night +bivouac, and to one of the straps was attached a tin-pannikin, which +bumped incessantly against his horse's mane. Round the animal's neck +was coiled a long tether-rope, which every now and then kept coming +undone, and the caravan had to halt whilst it was being readjusted. + +Behind us rode his Excellency's man, no longer the smug gentleman in +a black suit, with a visage as prim as his neck-cloth, but blazing in +a red woollen shirt, and grinning incessantly with amazement at his +own metamorphosis. Strapped to his waist by a broad belt of leather, +was a large tin-kettle, for the purpose of making his Excellency's +tea in the evening. Huge saddle-bags contained provisions, knives +and forks, plates, and everything necessary for travelling in the +Bush in a style of princely magnificence. No scheik or emir among +the Arabs wanders about the desert half so sumptuously provided. I +could not help laughing (in my sleeve, of course,) at the figure +produced by the tout ensemble of John mounted on his ewe-necked and +pot-bellied steed. + +In excellent spirits we jogged along to the Canning, and then eleven +miles farther, to a muddy pool called Boregarup, where we baited the +horses, and lunched on one of his Excellency's cold meat-pies. The +water in the pool was not very tempting, but we ladled a little out +in our pannikins, and mixing it with brandy, managed to drink it. +The want of water makes travelling in the bush during summer a +serious business. Frequently you find a well, on which your thoughts +and hopes have been fixed for the last twenty miles, completely dried +up; and you have to endure thirst as well as you can for some hours +longer. Sometimes by scraping the bottom of the well, and digging +down with your pannikin, you come to a little moisture, and after +waiting an hour, succeed in obtaining about half-a-pint of yellow +fluid, compounded of mud and water. This you strain through as many +pocket-handkerchiefs as you can command, and are at last enabled to +moisten your baked lips. + +On these occasions the traveller cares less about himself than his +horse, and often have we served the latter out of our pannikin from +holes into which he could not get his nose, whilst denying ourselves +more than a little sip. + +After lying an hour on our blankets in the hot shade, smoking a +cigar, and waging incessant war with myriads of mosquitoes and +sand-flies, we decided that it was impossible to continue any longer +so unequal a conflict; and saddling our horses in haste, we beat a +quick retreat, and felt much cooler and more comfortable whilst in +motion. In the course of the afternoon we passed through a vast dry +swamp many miles long. The reeds on each side of the track +frequently reached to our heads, and prevented our seeing any thing +else on either side of us; and when we did get a glimpse over the +rushes level with our eyes, we could behold nothing but an immense +plain of waving green, like a huge field of unripe wheat, edged in +the distance by the stern outline of the ever-sombre forest of +eucalyptus trees. This swamp is a terrible place to pass through in +winter. It is nevertheless one of the royal post-roads of the +colony; and the bearer of her Majesty's mail from Pinjarra to Perth, +is frequently obliged to swim for his life, with the letter-bag +towing astern, like a jolly-boat behind a Newcastle collier. + +After emerging from the swamp, we passed through an extensive plain, +covered with coarse scrub and thinly-scattered grass, and lined with +forest trees and clumps of black-boys. When about half-way down it, +we came upon a herd of wild cattle grazing at some two hundred yards' +distance from the path. They seemed very much astonished at the +appearance of three such picturesque individuals; and after gazing +for a few moments, lost in wonder, they tossed up their heads, and +trotted along-side of us, keeping their original distance. Having +kept us company for about half-a-mile, they relieved us of their +society, (which was not very agreeable, as we had no firearms) by +coming to a halt, and allowing us to proceed in peace, whilst they +contented themselves with brandishing their horns and tails, and +butting against one another in play. + +That night we slept at the Dandalup, hospitably entertained by F. +Corbet Singleton, Esq., M.C., the owner of a fine estate of twelve +thousand acres, a good deal of it alluvial soil. Were the population +such as it ought to be in this fine country; and the markets +proportioned to the capabilities of the soil, nothing would be more +agreeable than to live on a beautiful property like this, cultivating +your corn lands and multiplying your flocks and herds. But as it is, +unfortunately, a man is soon overdone with his own wealth. He has +more corn than he can find a market for; more cattle than he can +sell; and he is obliged to allow his land to run waste, and his herds +to run wild, rather than be at the expense of farming on a great +scale without adequate remuneration. + +Let me advise emigrants to these colonies to turn their attention +chiefly to the breeding of sheep and horses, which are saleable +things in foreign markets. The growers of wool, and the breeders of +horses for India will make their estates profitable; but large herds +of cattle will produce nothing to the owner in a thinly-populated +country. + +The next day, after inspecting the farm, we proceeded with our host +to Mandurah, crossing an estuary a quarter of a mile broad, but so +shallow that the water did not reach above our saddle-flaps. And now +(having parted from Singleton) we had to swim our horses across the +mouth of the Murray River. After a little delay, a boat was found; +with a couple of men to row it across, and removing the saddles and +other things from the horses' backs, we prepared for the passage. +His Excellency's Arab mare was destined to make the experimental +trip, and the Governor, with many injunctions and misgivings, +committed the end of the tether-rope to the hand of his servant, who +belayed it to the stern of the boat, where he seated himself, to act +as occasion should require. The boatman rowed till the tether-rope +was out at full stretch; his Excellency coaxed and entreated the mare +to enter the water, and "shoo-ed!" and "shaa-ed!" and called her a +stupid creature, whilst I cracked my whip and jumped about, and +rattled my hat, and made as much noise as people usually do on such +occasions. The mare, on her part, reared up, and flung herself back, +and plunged about, and showed so strong a determination not to go +down the broken bank, that we feared we should never get her into the +river. At last, however, we managed to back her into the water, when +she was dragged instantly out of her depth and obliged to swim. The +men pulled so fast that she could not keep up with them, and giving +up the attempt, floated quietly on her side, to the great horror of +her master, who thought he never should bestride her again, until he +was relieved by seeing her start to her feet in shallow water, and +scramble up the bank, dripping like a veritable hippopotamus. + +The other horses behaved better; and when we had ourselves crossed +and remounted, we rode by the side of the river, or rather estuary, a +distance of ten miles, till we came to a picturesque little spot +called Mocha weir -- a high bank, a clump of trees, a brawling brook, +(unusual sight in this country,) and a patch of excellent grass. + +Here we resolved to halt for the night. Each rider attended to his +own horse, which, however, did not get much grooming, and then we +prepared for the great business of life, and kindled a fire, filled +the kettle with limpid water, drew out our various stocks of +provisions, and arranged the dinner-table on the grass, and made +every thing look exceedingly comfortable and inviting. Then we made +tea, and invited each other to eat, and did eat without invitation; +and joked and laughed, and felt considerably more happy and sociable +than if vice-royalty had been real-royalty, and the green canopy of +the trees were the banqueting-hall at Windsor Castle. The man +munched his victuals at a small private bivouac of his own, within +easy call, as he had to jump up every now and then, and bring the +kettle, or wash the plates for the second and third courses. When +the things were removed, we lighted cigars, and pleasantly +discoursed, recumbent before the fire. Our beds were already made of +black-boy tops, and, therefore we had nothing to do but await the +hour of rest. The sun had disappeared, and darkness, closing around +us, drew nigher and more nigh every moment, swallowing up object +after object in its stealthy advance, and seeming about to overwhelm +us in its mysterious obscurity. But John heaped logs of dry wood +upon the fire, and nobly we resisted all the powers of Darkness. In +the midst of that black solitude, our little circle of light +maintained its independence, nor yielded to the invasion which had +swallowed up all around it. Here was our Camp of Refuge, and here we +felt snug, and secure, and at home; whilst all without our magic +circle was comfortless and desolate. + +Sometimes the active-minded John would dive, without apparent dismay, +into the black and hostile-looking regions of Night, which seemed to +close upon him as though for ever; and when we had resignedly given +him up, a prey to the evil spirits that prowled around, he would +reappear with startling suddenness, issuing forth into the light like +some red demon of the woods, and bearing a huge log upon his shoulder +-- the spoils of his "foray-sack" -- which he would fling down upon +the fire, making it blaze up with sudden fierceness, and extending +the circle of light for a few moments to a greater distance around, +so as to give us a transient glimpse of things which were soon +swallowed up again in darkness -- like glimpses of the dead in dreams. + +I must hurry on to Australind, merely mentioning that we passed two +lakes not far from each other, one of which was fresh, and the other +salt -- salt as the Dead Sea. It is usual in this perverse country +(though not so in this instance) to find a salt lake surrounded with +good, and a fresh-water lake with bad land. Here it was bad +altogether. The country, however, improved greatly as we drew +towards Australind; and about ten miles from that place, we came upon +a fine flock of sheep that seemed to be doing extremely well. + +We now passed along the banks of the Leschenault estuary, on which +Australind is situated; and soon we discovered three figures +approaching on horseback. These proved to be M. Waller Clifton, +Esq., the chief Commissioner of the Western Australian Company, to +whom the whole district belongs, attended by a brace of his surveyors +as aides-de-camp -- one mounted on a very tall horse, and the other +on a very small pony. The Chief Commissioner himself bestrode a +meek-looking cart-horse, which, on perceiving us in the distance, he +urged into an exhilarating trot. His Excellency, seeing these +demonstrations of an imposing reception, hastily drew forth his black +silk neck-cloth from his pocket, and re-enveloped his throat +therewith, which, during the heat of the day, he had allowed to be +carelessly exposed. Gathering himself up in his saddle, and assuming +the gravity proper to the representative of his sovereign, he awaited +with as much dignity as his state of perspiration would allow, the +approach of the Chief of Australind. As for myself, I plucked up my +shirt-collar, and tried to look as spicy as possible. + +The first greetings over, the two chieftains rode into the town side +by side, as amicably as Napoleon and Alexander of Russia; whilst I +fell to the share of the aides, and related the most recent news of +Perth, and the last bon mots of Richard Nash, for their +entertainment; receiving in return an account of the arrival of 400 +male and female emigrants at the settlement the day before. + +We were entertained, as every guest invariably is, right hospitably +by Mr. Clifton and his amiable family. + +Australind was then (December 1842) a promising new town. It was +alive with well-dressed young men and women, who were promenading +under the large forest trees which still occupied the intended +squares and most of the streets. They had only landed from the +vessel which had brought them some twenty-four hours before, and they +were evidently variously affected by all they saw. Some appeared to +be struck with the strange circumstance of trees growing in the +streets; some looked aghast at the wooden houses and canvass tents; +one thought everything looked exceedingly green; another fancied that +a town built upon sand could not possibly endure long. And he was +right: for the town has long since been deserted, except by half a +dozen families; and the newly arrived settlers are dispersed over the +colony. This has not been the fault of the Chief Commissioner, nor +is it owing to any inferiority in the soil, but to causes which I +intend briefly to explain, as there are many people in England who +are, or were, interested in the fortunes of this promising young +settlement. + +The Western Australian Company's grant of land at Australind +comprises 100,000 acres, among which there is a large quantity of +excellent pasture and arable land. It is well watered, and generally +well adapted for the site of a new settlement. The flats of the +Brunswick and Collic rivers would supply the whole colony, if +thoroughly peopled, with grain; and there is abundance of feed for +sheep and cattle, even to the summits of the hills. + +A great portion of this grant has been purchased by the Company from +Colonel Lautour, who, however, could not furnish a good title to it. +Having never performed the necessary improvements which would entitle +him to a deed of grant in fee-simple from the crown, his right of +possession became forfeit; and in April, 1840, Governor Hutt, though +much interested in the success of the Company, of which his brother, +the member for Gateshead, was chairman, thought himself obliged, in +the conscientious discharge of his duty, to resume the estate for the +crown. + +This proved to be a most fatal proceeding. The Company's title to +Colonel Lautour's grant had been confirmed by the Home-government in +November 1839, but owing to the non-existence of regular post-office +communication (that grand and inexcusable error, which allows the +British Empire to be composed of a mass of unconnected settlements, +dependent upon chance for intelligence and aid from the mother +country), the news did not reach the colony until May or June +following. + +Accounts of the resumption of the grant by the Governor reached +England, and not only perplexed the Company, but greatly disquieted +the minds of the numerous individuals to whom they had sold land, to +the value of nearly 60,000 pounds. At this very time, too, unhappily, +arrived Captain Grey in England, on his return from the expedition to +the north-western side of New Holland, of which he has since +published a clever and popular narrative. Captain Grey took an early +opportunity of giving a somewhat lamentable account of the Company's +land at Leschenault, or Australind, and a very glowing description of +a district, many miles to the north of Perth, between Gantheaume Bay +and the Arrowsmith River, which he had passed through on his +disastrous return. He also expatiated, in most precise terms, upon a +splendid harbour which he called Port Grey, and of which he made an +elaborate sketch; and on the 26th of October, 1840, addressed to Lord +John Russell "a detailed description of that portion of the western +coast of Australia which lies between Gantheaume Bay and the River +Arrowsmith, as it would be found useful in enabling persons, +intending to occupy that tract of country, to arrive at correct +conclusions regarding its capabilities." In the map of his route, +published by Arrowsmith, Port Grey is laid down as a spacious, +well-sheltered harbour, with a convenient point of land extending a +couple of miles out to sea from its northern extremity, and having a +useful reef of rocks projecting, most happily, to the same distance, +affording altogether a secure shelter for shipping in seven fathoms' +water. + +The Directors of the Western Australian Company, alarmed at the +account related of Australind, perplexed by the proceedings of the +local Government, and captivated by the description of Port Grey, +with its splendid districts of "rich flats," and "fertile downs," +determined to change the site of their settlement. + +Captain Grey describes two "flat-topped ranges," in the neighbourhood +of this port, lying about twenty miles apart; and in his diary of +"Sunday, April 7, 1839," he says: "The country between these two +ranges was an open grassy valley thinly wooded; and IT APPEARED TO BE +ONE OF THE MOST EXTENSIVELY FERTILE portions of country which I had +yet seen in Australia. After travelling for another mile over the +sandy downs, we reached another romantic glen-like valley, bounded to +the north and south by steep limestone cliffs; we descended these +cliffs, and at their base found as in the last valley we had crossed, +EXTENSIVE FLATS, through which wound a water-course. All the hills +I could see in the vicinity consisted of limestone, and for the +whole distance I could see to the eastward (about seven or +eight miles) the country appeared to be of the MOST FERTILE and +picturesque character; the hills were slightly wooded with large +timber, and the valleys were nearly bare of trees and COVERED WITH +GRASS. On ascending the limestone hills to the south of the valley, +we found ourselves once more in open sandy downs; after travelling +three miles across these in a S. by E. direction, we again came to a +valley of the same character as the one above described; it ran from +the same direction; to the eastward we saw a fertile valley. * * * +We halted for some time immediately at the foot of Mount Fairfax. + +"We continued our route in the evening over the sandy downs, which, +at the distance of half a mile from the sea, terminated in cliffs. +* * * After travelling three miles, we halted for the night. + +"Monday 8th. The first three miles of our route lay over sandy +downs, when we found ourselves in grassy, wooded plains, lying +between the flat-topped range, and some dunes which bordered a bay," +etc. + +It is well known that people in the latter stages of starvation have +constantly visions before their eyes of sumptuous entertainments, +rich meats, and delicious wines. Captain Grey, who was then walking +for his life, at a Barclay pace, with a very empty stomach, was +probably labouring under a similar hallucination with respect to the +country over which he passed; beholding flowery meads and fertile +vales in districts which we fear would prove little attractive to a +settler. He beheld fine flowing rivers and sheltered bays, which +have since altogether disappeared, like the scenes beheld on misty +mornings by Sicilian mariners. + +His account of the country determined the Western Australian Company +to change the site of their intended settlement. Calling together +the purchasers of land at Australind, the Directors offered to return +them the amount of their respective purchases, or allow them to take +up new allotments in the very superior district of Port Grey. Almost +all chose to reclaim their cash, and declined further speculation. + +The Company now, towards the close of 1840, sent out Mr. Clifton, +their "Chief Commissioner," with directions to remove the whole of +their establishment then settled at Australind, to the new settlement +of Port Grey. On arriving at Australind, Mr. Clifton was agreeably +surprised to find the country much superior to what he had expected, +after hearing Captain Grey's account of it. So differently do the +same objects appear to different eyes! And perhaps Captain Grey had +only viewed the sandy banks of the inlet, without having passed into +the interior, and seen the flats of the Brunswick, etc. There is a +very great deal more of worthless than of good land at Australind, +which is the case throughout the whole of New Holland, in the very +best districts. The general character throughout all the settled +parts of the island, or continent, is bad, with scattered patches of +good. + +The Chief Commissioner, however, prepared to carry out his +instructions, though with much regret, as he doubted greatly whether +the proposed alteration would prove for the better. These +preparations were put a stop to by a communication from his +Excellency the Governor, informing him that the Government schooner +had recently returned from a survey of the coast and district of the +so-called Port Grey, and that no sufficient harbour could be +discovered along the coast; whilst the country in every direction +appeared barren and incapable of cultivation. Mr. Clifton therefore +remained at Australind with his party, and used every effort and +exerted every energy to found a flourishing colony. But +unfortunately, the change of site to Port Grey, and then the return +to Australind, and the various conflicting accounts promulgated by +the Company themselves, now lauding and now condemning the two places +in turn, operated so unfavourably upon the public mind that no more +sales of land could be effected. It became, therefore, inexpedient to +maintain the expensive establishment of Commissioners, Secretaries, +and Surveyors at Australind, who were accordingly conge'd without +much ceremony; and the Western Australian Company, like the +"unsubstantial pageant," or Port Grey itself, "melted into air, thin +air," leaving "not a rack behind." Yet not exactly so, for it has +left behind, like some stranded wreck by the receding tide, a most +worthy and high-minded family who deserved a brighter fate. + +Such has been the lamentable result of Captain Grey's discoveries in +Western Australia; for whether there be or not a good tract of land +in the neighbourhood of Champion Bay, Captain Grey's denunciation of +Australind, and his strongly urged advice to the Company to change +the site of their settlement, have undoubtedly been the chief causes +of their failure. + +Three expeditions have been sent to the scene of this Australian +Fata Morgana, in the hope of beholding it again, but like the door +of the fairy palace in the rock, it is visible only to Prince Ahmed; +and unless the Governor of New Zealand will himself found a colony +there, it is most likely ever to remain desert and valueless. The +first expedition was that in the Government schooner, in 1840, +already alluded to; the second was made in 1841, by H.M.S. Beagle, +Captain Stokes, accompanied by the Chief Commissioner, Mr. Clifton. +A careful survey was made of the coast as far north as the spot were +Captain Grey was wrecked, and began his march southward, but nothing +was discovered at all resembling the description given of Port Grey. +The only bay in which a ship could lie, and that with very doubtful +security, was Champion Bay; but unfortunately the country in every +direction from this spot is most barren and miserable. Captain Grey +travelled close along the coast-line, according to his journal, but +those who have gone in search of his "fertile valleys" have +penetrated some distance into the interior, without discovering +anything but scrub and desert. + +Captain Stokes, in his published "Letter to the Surveyor General of +Western Australia," detailing his proceedings, mentions having "now +seen and examined an extent of country little short of forty miles, +nearly the whole of which deserved the character of sterility." In +another place, he related the discovery of "the only piece of grass +of a useful nature seen in this route; it was, however, quite +parched, and occupied a space of three or four acres." + +Not being able to find any tolerable shelter along the coast besides +Champion Bay, he concludes that it must be the spot designated as +Port Grey; and after exploring the country behind it, with the effect +just stated, he sailed away one morning towards the north-west and +meeting with a "favourable westerly wind," by afternoon was carried +"past the bight south of Point Moore, sufficiently near to see that +its shores were fronted with many sunken rocks." This also led to +the conclusion that "Champion Bay is the port Captain Grey speaks of +in his journal, placed in Arrowsmith's chart twelve miles south of +its true position." + +Since the date of Captain Stokes's survey, Captain Grey has himself +virtually admitted Champion Bay to be the locality visited by him. +In a letter to that officer dated, "Government House, Adelaide, +January 28, 1842," and published in the South Australian journals, +Captain Grey observes, "I have attentively read your letter to the +Hon. the Surveyor-General of Western Australia; and have also +considered the observations made by you to me, relative to the error +you suppose I have fallen into in mistaking the Wizard Peak of +Captain King for the hill named by him Mount Fairfax, and I find I +have certainly fallen into this error -- a by no means unlikely one, +considering the very similar character of the singular group of hills +called Moresby's Flat-topped Range, and the circumstances under which +I was journeying." + +The hill, therefore, at whose foot Captain Grey halted on the +afternoon of April 7, 1839, was not Mount Fairfax, but the Wizard +Peak, or some other hill "to the north of Mount Fairfax." From +thence the "sandy downs," (mentioned in the extract from his Journal +that I have given above) over which he passed in the evening +continued to within "half a mile of the sea," where "they terminated +in cliffs." To have seen all this he must have been walking at no +very great distance from the shore during that day's marsh. His +object was to reach Perth as quickly as possible; and he steered in +the most direct course -- "south by east." We know, therefore, +exactly the line of country traversed by Captain Grey -- the +"singular group called Moresby's Flat-topped Range" being +unmistakeable. + +In December, 1844, H. M. colonial schooner, Champion, under the +command of Lieutenant Helpman, R.N., accompanied by Mr. J. Harrison, +Civil Engineer, etc., was again despatched by Governor Hutt to make +further observations in the neighbourhood of Gantheaume Bay. +Lieutenant Helpman says in his report, "I coasted close in from +Champion Bay, collecting angles and soundings until in latitude 28 +degrees 10' 30", S. the low ridges of sand along the shore induced me +to land, being then (as I concluded from the latitude given by +Captain Grey) in the immediate vicinity of the estuary." This +estuary is described by Captain Grey in his diary of the FIFTH April, +who states that "for one mile we continued along THE RICH FLATS which +bordered the estuary" ... "we ascended the limestone range, and got +a view of the country to the eastward and found it STILL GRASSY, and +exactly the same character as far as we could see. For the next five +miles we continued along the top of the limestone range, the estuary +still occupying the valley which lay to the west of us." ... "At +the end of a mile in a south by east direction, we found ourselves on +the banks of a river, the Hutt, from forty to fifty yards wide, which +was running strong, and was brackish at its mouth," etc. Such was +the appearance of the estuary and of the Hutt River in the eyes of +Captain Grey. + +Lieutenant Helpman continues his report as follows: -- + +"On reaching the summit of the highest coast hill I found myself +abreast of the centre of the inlet, which was void of water, but +presented the appearance of a continuous sheet of salt as far as the +eye could reach. Passing over the coast ridges, I came down, in +about half a mile, to the edge of the estuary, and followed it in a +southerly direction for about two miles, when I ascended another +hill, from which I could clearly see the south end of it, which was +covered with the same description of incrustration of salt. + +"A gorge at the south-east corner of the estuary is probably where +the Hutt River discharges itself during the rainy season, but there +was no appearance of water in any part of the flat, which was about +two miles wide between the hills and the south-east shore of the +inlet. + +"Observing that the north extremity of the estuary, as seen from the +hill just referred to, presented some slight appearance of water, I +was induced to examine it, and found the sand ridges on the coast +extremely low, nearly destitute of herbage, but giving the idea of +having had water passing over them. This I judged to be the case, +from a few blades of very coarse grass which were laid flat on the +ground, as if from the effects of running water. + +"From the highest point of these ridges, notwithstanding the smoke +from the numerous native fires, the whole north end of the inlet was +plainly seen to be covered with salty incrustations, similar to those +previously referred to. + +"I conceive the point of land near which these latter observations +were made, and where I landed the second time, to be Shoal Point of +the chart; but, except that it is very low, I see no cause for its +name, as the water was deep close to it, and having only a few rocks +close off its extreme west point, within a quarter of a mile of the +shore. + +"Following close in from Shoal Point, the coast is perfectly clear of +dangers; but I observed no opening in the hills indicative of a +river, nor could I discover any bay or place of shelter for shipping +to resort to. + +"Red Point, which is the western entrance of Gantheaume Bay, is a +very bold headland of considerable elevation, it is circular, and +about four miles in extent. I landed at the east end of the red sand +cliffs, taking a specimen of the rock. + +"The land to the northward from this promontory is of a white sandy +appearance, having ridges of sand hills along the coast of moderate +altitude. + +"The low state of the barometer, and the strong northerly winds, +induced me to keep the vessel at a considerable offing. During the +day the breezes were very fresh, and had it not been for the +whale-boat with which I was furnished, I should not have been able to +have effected a landing on any part of the coast which came under my +observation. Under these circumstances, I was compelled most +reluctantly to abandon the idea of spending much time in examining +the interior. + +"The VERY DRY STATE OF THE HUTT AT THIS SEASON seems to indicate that +but little water flows into it at any time; and I am disposed to +fancy, that the lagoon, or estuary, owes its formation to the +breaking in of the sea over the low sand hills during the tempestuous +gales of the winter months, more especially towards the north end of +the inlet, where the sand ridges are lower than in any other part of +the coast in that vicinity." + +Thus the luxuriant country of Captain Grey, like the water-pools seen +in the mirage of the desert, when approached, vanishes from the view +of the traveller. + +It is to be observed, that Captain Stokes and Lieutenant Helpman +surveyed these districts in the early part of the summer season -- +November and December -- when they were more likely to appear fertile +than on the 5th and 7th April, quite at the end of that season, and +just before the commencement of the winter rains. + +Since the above passages were written, I have read an account in the +Perth journals of January, 1847, of the discovery of coal by the +Messrs. Gregory, about forty miles east of Champion Bay. These +gentlemen relate, that in journeying towards the coast, they passed +through a tract of country capable of being settled. This may +possibly be Captain Grey's luxuriant district; and yet the district +which he describes was close upon the coast. It is also stated, that +there is now ascertained to be a corner of Champion Bay in which +small vessels may find a safe anchorage; and this is conjectured to +be that Port Grey whose existence has been so long denied. But, +although a few miles of country may be found in this neighbourhood +capable of supporting a limited number of flocks and herds, it is +certain that there is no such district here as would suffice for the +purposes of a colony of the magnitude contemplated by the Western +Australian Company. The advice, therefore, given them to change the +site of the operations from Australind, or Leschenault, to Champion +Bay, or Port Grey, was the most pernicious that could have been +bestowed. + +But it may certainly be doubted whether the principles on which the +settlement of Australind was founded were in themselves of a sound +and permanent nature. They were those propounded originally by Mr. +Edward Gibbon Wakefield, and applied with extraordinary success to +the formation and to the circumstances of the colony of South +Australia. The most prominent features which they present are, -- +the concentration of population, and the high price of land. + +The land in the immediate neighbourhood of Adelaide is very fine, and +capable of supporting a dense population; it was therefore perhaps, +good policy to divide it into eight-acre sections, valued at one +pound per acre, which supported a body of agriculturalists, who found +a ready and near market for their productions in the rapidly rising +town. But there are few theories that will bear universal +application; and the mistake made in the case of Australind was, in +expecting to obtain the same result from principles which were to be +applied under very different circumstances. + +The land adjoining the town-site of Australind is generally very +indifferent, though the flats of the Brunswick and Collie Rivers +afford perhaps some thousand acres of excellent land, but still not +sufficient to maintain a large and dense population. The Company's +property was divided into farms of 100 acres, and these were valued +at 100 pounds each to the emigrants, who drew lots for the choice of +site. + +When the settlers arrived and took possession of their respective +grants, they soon discovered that if they all produced wheat, there +would certainly be plenty of food in the settlement, but very little +sale for it; whereas, if they intended to become sheep-farmers, and +produce wool for the English market, one hundred acres of land would +not suffice in that country for the keep of fifty sheep. The +sections of one hundred acres were, therefore, far too small for the +wants of the settler, who found that, although he might probably be +able to supply his table with vegetables, he had but small prospect +of ever applying his capers to boiled mutton, or initiating his +family into the mysteries of beef a la mode. Disgusted with the +narrowness of his prospects, and recoiling from the idea of a +vegetable diet, the sturdy settler quickly abandoned the limited +sections of Australind, and wandered away in search of a grant of +some three or four thousand acres, on which he might reasonably hope +to pasture a flock of sheep that would return him good interest for +the capital invested. + +The Western Australian Company gave far too much for their land in +the first instance, and were therefore compelled to set a much higher +value upon it than it would bear. The ministers of the Crown, who +have adopted the principles of Mr. Gibbon Wakefield, require one +pound per acre for waste lands; and the Company, though they +purchased their property from private individuals at a somewhat lower +rate, expected to sell it again at the same price. There is very +little land (in proportion to the vast extent of poor and of entirely +worthless land) throughout the length and breadth of all New Holland, +that is worth twenty shillings an acre. In the more densely +populated parts, arable land is worth that sum, and often much more; +but in the pastoral districts, three shillings an acre is in truth a +high price. + +It has long been acknowledged in New South Wales, as well as in other +parts of Australia, that it takes from three to five acres to support +a single sheep throughout the year. An ewe-sheep is worth about nine +shillings; and if you have to buy three and a half acres of land, at +three shillings, to keep her upon, the amount of capital you invest +will be nineteen shillings and sixpence. The profits on the wool of +this sheep, after paying all expenses of keep, shearing, freight, +commission, etc., will be barely two-pence, or about one per cent +upon the capital invested. But then you have her lamb? True, but +you must buy an additional quantity of land to keep it upon. Still +there is a gain upon the increase; and in process of time the annual +profits amount up to ten and even twenty per cent. But suppose the +three and a half acres of land, instead of 10 shillings and 6 pence +had cost 3 pounds 10 shillings and 6 pence, it would then be +perfectly absurd to think of investing money in sheep. + +The course pursued by the home Government, in fixing the uniform +extravagant price of twenty shillings an acre upon the pastoral lands +of Australia, is probably more the result of ignorance of their real +value than of a desire to check or prevent emigration to that +country. It is an ignorance, however, that refuses to be +enlightened, and has therefore all the guilt of deliberate injury. + +The monstrous demand of twenty shillings an acre for crown-lands, has +not only had the effect of deterring capitalists from embarking in so +hopeless a speculation, but has grievously wronged the existing +land-owners, by raising the price of labour. When land was sold at +five shillings an acre, a fund was accumulated in the hand of the +local Government that served to pay for the introduction of labouring +emigrants. That fund has ceased to exist in New South Wales and in +Western Australia. The value of labour has therefore risen, whilst +the value of agricultural produce, by the increase of the supply +beyond the demand, has grievously diminished. The advocates of the +Wakefield system triumphantly inform us that there never can be a +labour-fund in any colony in which private individuals are able to +sell land at a cheaper rate than the Government. + +They point to South Australia, and bid us note how different is the +state of things there, where land universally is worth a pound an +acre or more. But to us it appears, that the character of the soil +is much the same throughout these countries -- if anything, being +superior in Western Australia, where there are no droughts, and where +the wool produced, though the worst got up, from the want of labour, +is stated by the London brokers to be pre-eminent in quality -- that +colony would most naturally be sought by the emigrant in which the +price of land is the most reasonable. It is not the high price of +land that has caused the prosperity of South Australia. +Every one who is well informed on the subject, is perfectly aware, +that in 1841 and 1842, before the discovery of copper-mines, South +Australia was universally in a state of bankruptcy. Never was a +country so thoroughly smitten with ruin. Almost all the original +settlers sank in the general prostration of the settlement, and +never again held up their heads. The inhabitants slunk away from +the colony in numbers; and property even in Adelaide was almost +worthless. The holders of the eighty-acre sections produced far +more of the necessaries of life than the non-producing population +required; and the neighbouring colonies were deluged with the +farm-produce of the bankrupt agriculturalists of South Australia. +This model colony afforded itself the most signal refutation of the +truth of the Wakefield theories; and the whole world would have been +compelled to acknowledge the falsehood, but for the opportune +discovery of the mineral wealth of the colony. It is to its mines +that South Australia owes its good fortune, its population, and its +riches, and not to any secret of political economy bestowed upon it +by adventurous theorists. According to the opinion of these +philosophers, New South Wales and Western Australia can never again +by any possibility possess a labour-fund, because the private owners +of large grants of land, which they obtained for nominal sums, can +always afford to undersell the Crown. So long as the Crown refuses +to sell for less than a pound an acre, this will certainly be the +case; but the day will doubtless come when our rulers will condescend +to enquire into the necessities of those over whose fortunes they +preside; and will adopt a policy suited to the actual circumstances +of the case, and not vainly endeavour to apply, universally, abstract +opinions which have long been proved to be, in almost all parts of +Australia, totally useless and inapplicable. THE ONLY WAY TO RAISE A +LABOUR-FUND IN THESE COLONIES IS, BY OFFERING CROWN-LANDS TO THE +EMIGRANT AT THE LOWEST MARKET PRICE. The Crown could always afford +to undersell the private land-speculator, and might establish a +permanent fund for the introduction of labour, by selling land at a +low rate, AND RESERVING A RENT-CHARGE, IN THE SHAPE OF A LAND-TAX -- +OF ONE HALF-PENNY PER ACRE. Thus, every grant of five thousand acres +would pay an annual tax to Government of 10 pounds 8 shillings and 4 +pence; and would, therefore, in a very few years, accumulate a fund +sufficient to supply itself with a labouring population. When it is +remembered how very small was the original cost to the owners of most +of the lands in Western Australia, there will not appear much hardship +in imposing this tax upon all the private property of the colony, as +well as upon lands to be hereafter sold by the Crown. This course of +legislation would infuse new vitality into the colony; and at the end +of the short period of five years, the tax might be suspended as +regards all lands purchased by individuals PRIOR TO THE PASSING OF THE +ACT, but continued for ever upon lands purchased under the Act, and in +contemplation of having to bear such a rent-charge. + +This is the only way by which emigration can be insured to the +colonies of New South Wales and Western Australia; and the time will +sooner or later arrive when this suggestion will be adopted, though +it may not be acknowledged. + +Her Majesty's present Secretary of State for the Colonies is the +first really liberal minister we have had; and to him the distant and +struggling settlements of Australia look with reviving hope. THE +OBJECTS MOST EAGERLY SOUGHT BY THOSE COLONIES ARE -- A NEW SYSTEM OF +GOVERNMENT, WITH LESS OF COLONIAL-OFFICE INTERFERENCE; A REGULAR +POST-OFFICE COMMUNICATION WITH ENGLAND; AND A TOTAL REFORM IN THE +EXISTING REGULATIONS FOR THE SALE OF CROWN-LANDS, WITHOUT WHICH, IN +COUNTRIES PURELY PASTORAL AND AGRICULTURAL, THERE CAN NEVER AGAIN +BE FORMED A FUND FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF LABOUR. + +In the hope of making colonial subjects more familiar to the general +reader, and more popular than they are at present, I have perhaps +given to this little work a character so trifling as to make it +appear unworthy of the attention of political philosophers; and yet, +inasmuch as it points out some of the wants of a large body of +British subjects, whose fortunes lie entirely at the mercy of +distant rulers, who have but little sympathy with a condition of +which they possess but a most imperfect knowledge -- it is a work +(inadequate though it be) not altogether undeserving of the +consideration even of Statesmen. + + + +NOTE TO CHAPTER 30. + +I am happy that this work will become the medium of informing the +Colonists of Western Australia of one of the most promising events +that has ever happened to that country. + +The ship-timber of the Colony, a trial cargo of which arrived in +England this month (October, 1847), has just been admitted into the +Royal Navy. A highly favourable report has been made upon it by the +Government surveyors, and it is pronounced admirably adapted for +kelsons, stern-posts, great beams for steam-frigates, and other heavy +work. If a company be formed, on good principles, and under proper +management, a timber trade for the supply of the Navy will be found +most lucrative. + +The principal portion of the labour should be performed by Chinamen, +to be obtained from Sincapore. + +For this great boon, the Colonists are indebted to LORD AUCKLAND, the +First Lord of the Admiralty, for his ready acquiescence in agreeing +to receive the timber, by way of experiment; to Mr. G. H. Ward, the +Secretary, for the kind attention he has paid to every request made +to him on the subject, notwithstanding that he has been sufficiently +pestered to have wearied the patience of the most amiable of mankind; +and, above all, to our late Governor, MR. HUTT, and his brother, the +Honourable Member for Gateshead, who have been indefatigable in their +exertions to promote the weal of the Colony. + +THE END. + + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Bushman, by Edward Wilson Landor + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BUSHMAN *** + +This file should be named bshmn10.txt or bshmn10.zip +Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks get a new NUMBER, bshmn11.txt +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, bshmn10a.txt + +Produced by Sue Asscher asschers@bigpond.com + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. 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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN EBOOKS*Ver.02/11/02*END* + diff --git a/old/2004-12-bshmn10.zip b/old/2004-12-bshmn10.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..c6d6753 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/2004-12-bshmn10.zip diff --git a/old/2004-12-bshmn10h.htm b/old/2004-12-bshmn10h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..67ca46a --- /dev/null +++ b/old/2004-12-bshmn10h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,10914 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<HTML> +<HEAD> +<TITLE>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Bushman, by Edward Wilson Landor</TITLE> +<META HTTP-EQUIV="content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> +<style type="text/css"> +<!-- +body {background:lightyellow; margin:10%; text-align:justify} +h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 {color:green; text-align:center} +blockquote {font:smaller} +p.poem {text-align:center} +p.external {font:bold} +--> +</style> +</HEAD> +<BODY> +<H1>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Bushman, by Edward Wilson Landor</H1> + +<PRE> +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + + +Title: The Bushman + +Author: Edward Wilson Landor + +Release Date: December, 2004 [EBook #7181] +[This file was first posted on April 28, 2003] +[Most recently updated: May 4, 2003] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO Latin-1 + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE BUSHMAN *** + + + + +</PRE> +<pre> +</pre> + +<h3>THE BUSHMAN.</h3> + +<h3>LIFE IN A NEW COUNTRY</h3> + +<h3>BY</h3> + +<h3>EDWARD WILSON LANDOR.</h3> + +<p> </p> + +<p><a name="f001"><img alt="" src="Landor_f001.jpg" width="500" height= +"350"></a></p> + +<center><b>"Kangaroo Hunting"</b></center> + +<br> +<br> + +<h4>PREFACE.</h4> + +<p>The British Colonies now form so prominent a portion of the +Empire, that the Public will be compelled to acknowledge some +interest in their welfare, and the Government to yield some +attention to their wants. It is a necessity which both the +Government and the Public will obey with reluctance.</p> + +<p>Too remote for sympathy, too powerless for respect, the +Colonies, during ages of existence, have but rarely occupied a +passing thought in the mind of the Nation; as though their +insignificance entitled them only to neglect. But the weakness of +childhood is passing away: the Infant is fast growing into the +possession and the consciousness of strength, whilst the Parent +is obliged to acknowledge the increasing usefulness of her +offspring.</p> + +<p>The long-existing and fundamental errors of Government, under +which the Colonies have hitherto groaned in helpless subjection, +will soon become generally known and understood--and then they +will be remedied.</p> + +<p>In the remarks which will be found scattered through this work +on the subject of Colonial Government, it must be observed, that +the system only is assailed, and not individuals. That it is the +system and not <i>The Men</i> who are in fault, is sufficiently +proved by the fact that the most illustrious statesmen and the +brightest talents of the Age, have ever failed to distinguish +themselves by good works, whilst directing the fortunes of the +Colonies. Lord John Russell, Lord Stanley, Mr. Gladstone--all of +them high-minded, scrupulous, and patriotic statesmen--all of +them men of brilliant genius, extensive knowledge, and profound +thought--have all of them been but slightly appreciated as +Colonial rulers.</p> + +<p>Their principal success has been in perpetuating a noxious +system. They have all of them conscientiously believed their +first duty to be, in the words of Lord Stanley, to keep the +Colonies dependent upon the Mother Country; and occupied with +this belief, they have legislated for the Mother Country and not +for the Colonies. Vain, selfish, fear-inspired policy! that keeps +the Colonies down in the dust at the feet of the Parent State, +and yet is of no value or advantage to her. To make her Colonies +useful to England, they must be cherished in their infancy, and +carefully encouraged to put forth all the strength of their +secret energies.</p> + +<p>It is not whilst held in leading-strings that they can be +useful, or aught but burthensome: rear them kindly to maturity, +and allow them the free exercise of their vast natural strength, +and they would be to the parent country her truest and most +valuable friends.</p> + +<p><i>The colonies of the Empire are the only lasting and +inalienable markets for its produce</i>; and the first aim of the +political economist should be to develop to their utmost extent +the vast resources possessed by Great Britain in these her own +peculiar fields of national wealth. But the policy displayed +throughout the history of her Colonial possessions, has ever been +the reverse of this. It was that grasping and ungenerous policy +that called forth a Washington, and cost her an empire. It is +that same miserable and low-born policy that still recoils upon +herself, depriving her of vast increase of wealth and power in +order to keep the chain upon her hapless children, those +ambitious Titans whom she trembles to unbind.</p> + +<p>And yet poor Old England considers herself an excellent +parent, and moans and murmurs over the ingratitude of her +troublesome offspring! Like many other parents, she means to do +well and act kindly, but unhappily the principles on which she +proceeds are radically wrong. Hence, on the one side, +heart-burning, irritation, and resentment; on the other, +disappointment, revulsion, and alarm.</p> + +<p>Is she too deeply prejudiced, or too old in error, to attempt +a new system of policy?</p> + +<p>In what single respect has she ever proved herself a good +parent to any of her Colonies? Whilst supplying them with +Government Officers, she has fettered them with unwholesome laws; +whilst giving them a trifling preference over foreign states in +their commerce, she has laid her grasp upon their soil; whilst +allowing them to legislate in a small degree for themselves, she +has reserved the prerogative of annulling all enactments that +interfere with her own selfish or mistaken views; whilst +permitting their inhabitants to live under a lightened pressure +of taxation, she has debarred them from wealth, rank, honours, +rewards, hopes--all those incentives to action that lead men +forward to glory, and stamp nations with greatness.</p> + +<p>What has she done for her Colonies--this careful and +beneficent parent? She has permitted them to exist, but bound +them down in serf-like dependence; and so she keeps them--feeble, +helpless, and hopeless. She grants them the sanction of her flag, +and the privilege of boasting of her baneful protection.</p> + +<p>Years--ages have gone by, and her policy has been the same-- +darkening the heart and crushing the energies of Man in climes +where Nature sparkles with hope and teems with plenty.</p> + +<p>Time, however, too powerful for statesmen, continues his +silent but steady advance in the great work of amelioration. The +condition of the Colonies must be elevated to that of the +counties of England. Absolute rule must cease to prevail in them. +Men must be allowed to win there, as at home, honours and rank. +Time, the grand minister of correction--Time the Avenger, already +has his foot on the threshold of the COLONIAL OFFICE.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr> +<p> </p> + +<h3>CONTENTS.</h3> + +<p><b>CHAPTER.</b></p> + +1.--COLONISTS.<br> +2.--ST. JAGO.<br> +3.--THE MUTINY.<br> +4.--THE PRISON-ISLAND.<br> +5.--FIRST ADVENTURES.<br> +6.--PERTH.--COLONIAL JURIES.<br> +7.--BOATING UP THE RIVER.<br> +8.--FARMS ON THE RIVER.<br> +9.--THE MORAL THERMOMETER OF COLONIES.<br> +10.--COUNTRY LIFE.<br> +11.--PERSECUTIONS.<br> +12.--MICHAEL BLAKE, THE IRISH SETTLER.<br> +13.--WILD CATTLE HUNTING.<br> +14.--WOODMAN'S POINT.<br> +15.--HOW THE LAWS OF ENGLAND AFFECT THE NATIVES.<br> +16.--REMARKS ON THE PHYSICAL ORGANIZATION OF THE NATIVES.<br> +17.--SKETCHES OF LIFE AMONG THE NATIVES.<br> +18.--THE MODEL KINGDOM.<br> +19.--TRIALS OF A GOVERNOR.<br> +20.--MR. SAILS, MY GROOM.--OVER THE HILLS.--A SHEEP STATION.<br> +21.--EXTRACTS FROM THE LOG OF A HUT-KEEPER.<br> +22.--PELICAN SHOOTING.--GALES.--WRESTLING WITH DEATH.<br> +23.--THE DESERT OF AUSTRALIA.--CAUSE OF THE HOT +WINDS.--GEOLOGY.<br> +24.--COLONIAL GOVERNMENT.<br> +25.--ONE OF THE ERRORS OF GOVERNMENT.--ADVENTURES OF THE +"BRAMBLE".<br> +26.--SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES.--KANGAROO HUNTING.--EMUS.--LOST IN +THE BUSH.<br> +27.--THE COMET.--VITAL STATISTICS.--METEOROLOGY.<br> +28.--THE BOTANY OF THE COLONY.<br> +29.--MISFORTUNES OF THE COLONY.<br> +30.--RESOURCES OF THE COLONY:--HORSES FOR INDIA.--WINE.--<br> +DRIED FRUITS.--COTTON.--COAL.--WOOL.--CORN.--WHALE-OIL.--A WHALE +HUNT.--CURED FISH.--SHIP TIMBER.<br> +31.--RISE AND FALL OF A SETTLEMENT.--THE SEQUEL TO CAPTAIN GREY'S +DISCOVERIES.--A WORD AT PARTING.<br> +<br> + + +<p><b>PLATES.</b></p> + +<p><a href="#f001">KANGAROO HUNTING (Frontispiece).</a><br> +<a href="#f160">THE BIVOUAC.</a><br> +<a href="#f214">SPEARING KANGAROO</a><br> +<a href="#f336">DEATH OF THE KANGAROO.</a><br> +<a href="#f339">EMU HUNT (woodcut).</a></p> + +<p><b>THE BUSHMAN; OR, LIFE IN A NEW COUNTRY.</b></p> + +<p> </p> + +<p> </p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 1.</h3> + +<h4>COLONISTS.</h4> + +<p>The Spirit of Adventure is the most animating impulse in the +human breast. Man naturally detests inaction; he thirsts after +change and novelty, and the prospect of excitement makes him +prefer even danger to continued repose.</p> + +<p>The love of adventure! how strongly it urges forward the +Young! The Young, who are ever discontented with the Present, and +sigh for opportunities of action which they know not where to +seek. Old men mourn over the folly and recklessness of the Young, +who, in the fresh and balmy spring-time of life, recoil from the +confinement of the desk or the study, and long for active +occupation, in which all their beating energies may find +employment. Subjection is the consequence of civilized life; and +self-sacrifice is necessary in those who are born to toil, before +they may partake of its enjoyments. But though the Young are +conscious that this is so, they repine not the less; they feel +that the freshness and verdure of life must first die away; that +the promised recompense will probably come too late to the +exhausted frame; that the blessings which would now be received +with prostrate gratitude will cease to be felt as boons; and that +although the wishes and wants of the heart will take new +directions in the progress of years, the consciousness that the +spring-time of life-- that peculiar season of happiness which can +never be known again-- has been consumed in futile desires and +aspirations, in vain hopes and bitter experiences, must ever +remain deepening the gloom of Memory.</p> + +<p>Anxious to possess immediate independence, young men, full of +adventurous spirit, proceed in search of new fields of labour, +where they may reap at once the enjoyments of domestic life, +whilst they industriously work out the curse that hangs over the +Sons of Adam.</p> + +<p>They who thus become emigrants from the ardent spirit of +adventure, and from a desire to experience a simpler and less +artificial manner of living than that which has become the +essential characteristic of European civilization, form a large +and useful body of colonists. These men, notwithstanding the pity +which will be bestowed upon them by those whose limited +experience of life leads to the belief that happiness or +contentment can only be found in the atmosphere of England, are +entitled to some consideration and respect.</p> + +<p>To have dared to deviate from the beaten track which was +before them in the outset of life; to have perceived at so vast a +distance advantages which others, if they had seen, would have +shrunk from aiming at; to have persevered in their resolution, +notwithstanding the expostulations of Age, the regrets of +Friendship, and the sighs of Affection--all this betokens +originality and strength of character.</p> + +<p>Does it also betoken indifference to the wishes of others? +Perhaps it does; and it marks one of the broadest and least +amiable features in the character of a colonist.</p> + +<p>The next class of emigrants are those who depart from their +native shores with reluctance and tears. Children of misfortune +and sorrow, they would yet remain to weep on the bosom from which +they have drawn no sustenance. But the strong blasts of necessity +drive them from the homes which even Grief has not rendered less +dear. Their future has never yet responded to the voice of Hope, +and now, worn and broken in spirit, imagination paints nothing +cheering in another land. They go solely because they may not +remain--because they know not where else to look for a resting +place; and Necessity, with her iron whip, drives them forth to +some distant colony.</p> + +<p>But there is still a third class, the most numerous perhaps of +all, that helps to compose the population of a colony. This is +made up of young men who are the wasterels of the World; who have +never done, and never will do themselves any good, and are a +curse instead of a benefit to others. These are they who think +themselves fine, jovial, spirited fellows, who disdain to work, +and bear themselves as if life were merely a game which ought to +be played out amid coarse laughter and wild riot.</p> + +<p>These go to a colony because their relatives will not support +them in idleness at home. They feel no despair at the +circumstance, for their pockets have been refilled, though (they +are assured) for the last time; and they rejoice at the prospect +of spending their capital far from the observation of intrusive +guardians.</p> + +<p>Disgusted at authority which has never proved sufficient to +restrain or improve them, they become enamoured with the idea of +absolute license, and are far too high-spirited to entertain any +apprehensions of future poverty. These gallant-minded and truly +enviable fellows betake themselves, on their arrival, to the +zealous cultivation of field-sports instead of field produce. +They leave with disdain the exercise of the useful arts to +low-bred and beggarly-minded people, who have not spirit enough +for anything better; whilst they themselves enthusiastically +strive to realize again those glorious times,--</p> + +<p>"When wild in woods the noble savage ran."</p> + +<p>In the intervals of relaxation from these fatigues, when they +return to a town life, they endeavour to prove the activity of +their energies and the benevolence of their characters, by +getting up balls and pic-nics, solely to promote the happiness of +the ladies. But notwithstanding this appearance of devotion to +the fair sex, their best affections are never withdrawn from the +companion of their hearts--the brandy flask. They evince their +generous hospitality by hailing every one who passes their door, +with "How are you, old fellow? Come in, and take a nip." Somehow +or other they are always liked, even by those who pity and +despise them.</p> + +<p>The women only laugh at their irregularities--they are such +"good-hearted creatures!" And so they go easily and rapidly down +that sloping path which leads to ruin and despair. What is their +end? Many of them literally kill themselves by drinking; and +those who get through the seasoning, which is the fatal period, +are either compelled to become labourers in the fields for any +one who will provide them with food; or else succeed in exciting +the compassion of their friends at home, by their dismal accounts +of the impossibility of earning a livelihood in a ruined and +worthless colony; and having thus obtained money enough to enable +them to return to England, they hasten to throw themselves and +their sorrows into the arms of their sympathizing relatives.</p> + +<p>Nothing can be more absurd than to imagine that a fortune may +be made in a colony by those who have neither in them nor about +them any of the elements or qualities by which fortunes are +gained at home.</p> + +<p>There are, unfortunately, few sources of wealth peculiar to a +colony. The only advantage which the emigrant may reasonably +calculate upon enjoying, is the diminution of competition. In +England the crowd is so dense that men smother one another.</p> + +<p>It is only by opening up the same channels of wealth under +more favourable circumstances, that the emigrant has any right to +calculate upon success. Without a profession, without any +legitimate calling in which his early years have been properly +instructed; without any knowledge or any habits of business, a +man has no better prospect of making a fortune in a colony than +at home. None, however, so circumstanced, entertains this belief; +on the contrary, he enters upon his new career without any +misgivings, and with the courage and enthusiasm of a newly +enlisted recruit.</p> + +<p>Alas! the disappointment which so soon and so inevitably +succeeds, brings a crowd of vices and miseries in its train.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 2.</h3> + +<h4>ST. JAGO.</h4> + +<p>The reader may naturally expect to be informed of the reasons +that have induced me thus to seek his acquaintance. In one +word--I am a colonist. In England, a great deal is said every day +about colonies and colonists, but very little is known about +them. A great deal is projected; but whatever is done, is +unfortunately to their prejudice. Secretaries of State know much +more about the distant settlements of Great Britain than the +inhabitants themselves; and, consequently, the latter are seldom +able to appreciate the ordinances which (for their own good) they +are compelled to submit to.</p> + +<p>My own experience is chiefly confined to one of the most +insignificant of our colonies,--insignificant in point of +population, but extremely important as to its geographical +position, and its prospects of future greatness,--but the same +principle of government applies to all the British +settlements.</p> + +<p>A few years ago, I was the victim of medical skill; and being +sentenced to death in my own country by three eminent physicians, +was comparatively happy in having that sentence commuted to +banishment. A wealthy man would have gone to Naples, to Malta, or +to Madeira; but a poor one has no resource save in a colony, +unless he will condescend to live upon others, rather than +support himself by his own exertions.</p> + +<p>The climate of Western Australia was recommended; and I may be +grateful for the alternative allowed me.</p> + +<p>As I shall have occasion hereafter to allude to them +incidentally, I may mention that my two brothers accompanied me +on this distant voyage.</p> + +<p>The elder, a disciple of Aesculapius, was not only anxious to +gratify his fraternal solicitude and his professional tastes by +watching my case, but was desirous of realizing the pleasures of +rural life in Australia.</p> + +<p>My younger brother (whose pursuits entitle him to be called +Meliboeus) was a youth not eighteen, originally designed for the +Church, and intended to cut a figure at Oxford; but modestly +conceiving that the figure he was likely to cut would not tend to +the advancement of his worldly interests, and moreover, having no +admiration for Virgil beyond the Bucolics, he fitted himself out +with a Lowland plaid and a set of Pandaean pipes, and solemnly +dedicated himself to the duties of a shepherd.</p> + +<p>Thus it was that we were all embarked in the same boat; or +rather, we found ourselves in the month of April, 1841, on board +of a certain ill-appointed barque bound for Western +Australia.</p> + +<p>We had with us a couple of servants, four rams with curling +horns-- a purchase from the late Lord Western; a noble +blood-hound, the gift of a noble Lord famous for the breed; a +real old English mastiff-bitch, from the stock at Lyme Park; and +a handsome spaniel cocker. Besides this collection of quadrupeds, +we had a vast assortment of useless lumber, which had cost us +many hundred pounds. Being most darkly ignorant of every thing +relating to the country to which we were going, but having a +notion that it was very much of the same character with that so +long inhabited by Robinson Crusoe, we had prudently provided +ourselves with all the necessaries and even non-necessaries of +life in such a region. Our tool chests would have suited an army +of pioneers; several distinguished ironmongers of the city of +London had cleared their warehouses in our favour of all the +rubbish which had lain on hand during the last quarter of a +century; we had hinges, bolts, screws, door-latches, staples, +nails of all dimensions--from the tenpenny, downwards--and every +other requisite to have completely built a modern village of +reasonable extent. We had tents, Macintosh bags, swimming-belts, +several sets of sauce-pans in graduated scale, (we had here a +distant eye to kangaroo and cockatoo stews,) cleavers, meat-saws, +iron skewers, and a general apparatus of kitchen utensils that +would have satisfied the desires of Monsieur Soyer himself. Then +we had double and single-barrelled guns, rifles, pistols, six +barrels of Pigou and Wilkes' gunpowder; an immense assortment of +shot, and two hundred weight of lead for bullets.</p> + +<p>Besides the several articles already enumerated, we had +provided ourselves with eighteen months' provisions, in pork and +flour, calculating that by the time this quantity was consumed, +we should have raised enough to support our establishment out of +the soil by the sweat of our brows. And thus from sheer ignorance +of colonial life, we had laid out a considerable portion of our +capital in the purchase of useless articles, and of things which +might have been procured more cheaply in the colony itself. Nor +were we the only green-horns that have gone out as colonists: on +the contrary, nine-tenths of those who emigrate, do so in perfect +ignorance of the country they are about to visit and the life +they are destined to lead. The fact is, Englishmen, as a body +know nothing and care nothing about colonies. My own was merely +the national ignorance. An Englishman's idea of a colony (he +classes them altogether) is, that it is some miserable place--the +Black-hole of the British empire--where no one would live if he +were allowed a choice; and where the exiled spirits of the nation +are incessantly sighing for a glimpse of the white cliffs of +Albion, and a taste of the old familiar green-and-yellow fog of +the capital of the world. Experience alone can convince him that +there are in other regions of the world climes as delightful, +suns as beneficent, and creditors as confiding, as those of Old +England.</p> + +<p>The voyage, of course, was tedious enough; but some portion of +it was spent very pleasantly in calculating the annual profits +which our flocks were likely to produce.</p> + +<p>The four noble rams, with their curly horns, grew daily more +valuable in our estimation. By the sailors, no doubt, they were +rated no higher than the miserable tenants of the long-boat, that +formed part of the cuddy provisions. But with us it was very +different. As we looked, every bright and balmy morning, into the +pen which they occupied, we were enabled to picture more vividly +those Arcadian prospects which seemed now brought almost within +reach. In these grave and respectable animals we recognised the +patriarchs of a vast and invaluable progeny; and it was +impossible to help feeling a kind of veneration for the sires of +that fleecy multitude which was to prove the means of justifying +our modest expectations of happiness and wealth.</p> + +<p>Our dogs also afforded us the most pleasing subjects for +speculation. With the blood-hound we were to track the footsteps +of the midnight marauder, who should invade the sanctity of our +fold. The spaniel was to aid in procuring a supply of game for +the table; and I bestowed so much pains upon his education during +the voyage, that before we landed he was perfectly au fait in the +article of "down-charge!" and used to flush the cat in the +steward's pantry with the greatest certainty and +satisfaction.</p> + +<p>Jezebel, the mastiff-birch, was expected to assist in guarding +our castle,--an honourable duty which her courage and fidelity +amply warranted us in confiding to her. Of the former quality, I +shall mention an instance that occurred during the voyage. We had +one day caught a shark, twelve feet long; and no sooner was he +hauled on deck than Jezebel, wild with fury, rushed through the +circle of eager sailors and spectators, and flew directly at the +nose of the struggling monster. It was with difficulty that she +was dragged away by the admiring seamen, who were compelled to +admit that there was a creature on board more reckless and daring +than themselves.</p> + +<p>We were now approaching the Cape Verd Islands. I daresay it +has been frequently mentioned, that there is in these latitudes a +vast bed of loose sea-weed, floating about, which has existed +there from time immemorial, and which is only found in this one +spot of the ocean; as though it were here compelled to remain +under the influence of some magic spell. Some navigators are of +opinion that it grows on the rocks at the bottom of the sea, +beneath the surface on which it floats. Others maintain that it +has been drifted across the Atlantic, having issued from the Gulf +of Mexico. Here, however, it is doomed to drift about hopelessly, +for ever lost in the wilderness of waters; on the surface of +which it now vegetates, affording shelter to small crabs, and +many curious kinds of fishes.</p> + +<p>One of the latter which we caught, about an inch in length, +had a spike on his back, and four legs, with which he crawled +about the sea-weed.</p> + +<p>We approached the Island of St. Jago, sailing unconsciously +close to a sunken rock, on which (as we afterwards learnt) the +"Charlotte" had struck about six weeks before whilst under full +sail, and had gone down in a few minutes, barely allowing time +for the crew to escape in their boat.</p> + +<p>Notwithstanding we had been five weeks at sea when we dropped +anchor in Porto Praya roads, the appearance of the land was by no +means inviting to the eyes. A high and extremely barren hill, or +large heap of dry earth, with a good many stones about it, seemed +to compose the Island. Close to us was the town, a collection of +white houses that looked very dazzling in the summer sun. Beside, +and running behind it, was a greenish valley, containing a clump +of cocoa-nut trees. This was the spot we longed to visit; so, +getting into the captain's boat, we approached the shore, where a +number of nearly naked negroes rushing into the sea (there being +no pier or jetty) presented their slimy backs at the gun-wale, +and carried us in triumph to the beach. The town boasted of one +hotel, in the only sitting-room of which we found some Portuguese +officers smoking pipes as dirty as themselves, and drinking a +beverage which had much the appearance of rum and water. There +was no one who could speak a word of English; but at length a +French waiter appeared, who seemed ravished with delight at the +jargon with which we feebly reminded him of his own lively +language "when at home." Having ordered dinner, we wandered off +in search of the coca-nut valley, and purchased bananas for the +first time in our lives, and oranges, the finest in the +world.</p> + +<p>Those who have been long at sea know how pleasant it is to +walk once more upon the land. It is one of the brightest of the +Everlasting flowers in the garland of Memory.</p> + +<p>We walked along the sea-beach, as people so circumstanced must +ever do, full of gladsome fancies. There was delight for us in +the varied shells at our feet; in the curious skeletons of small +fishes, untimely deceased; in the fantastic forms of the drifted +sea-weed; in the gentle ripple of the companionable waves by our +side. And little Fig, the spaniel, was no less pleased then +ourselves. He ran before us rejoicing in his fleetness; and he +ran back again in a moment to tell us how glad he was. Then as a +wave more incursive than its predecessor unexpectedly wetted his +feet, he would droop his tail and run faster with alarm, until +the sight of some bush or bough, left high and dry by the last +tide, awakened his nervous suspicions, and dreading an ambuscade, +he would stop suddenly and bark at the dreadful object, until we +arrived at his side, when, wagging his tail and looking slyly up +with his joyous eyes, he would scamper away again as though he +would have us believe he had been all the time only in fun.</p> + +<p>What profound satisfaction is there in the freedom of land +after so long a confinement! The sunshine that makes joyous every +object around us finds its way into the deeps of the heart.</p> + +<p>And now we determined to bathe. So we crossed over a jutting +rock, on the other side of which was a beautiful and secluded +little bay, so sheltered that the waves scarcely rippled as they +came to kiss the shell-covered beach. Here we soon unrobed; and I +was the first to rush at full speed into the inviting waters. +Before I got up to my middle, however, I saw something before me +that looked like a dark rock just below the surface. I made +towards it, intending to get upon it, and dive off on the other +side; but lo! as I approached, it stirred; then it darted like a +flash of lightning towards one side of the bay, whilst I, after +standing motionless for a moment, retreated with the utmost +expedition.</p> + +<p>It was a ground-shark, of which there are numbers on that +coast.</p> + +<p>We lost no time in putting on our clothes again, and returned +in rather a fluttered state to the inn.</p> + + +<h3>CHAPTER 3.</h3> + +<h4>THE MUTINY.</h4> + +<p>We remained a week at St. Jago, the captain being busily +engaged in taking in water, and quarrelling with his crew. One +day, at the instigation of our friend, the French waiter, we made +a trip of seven miles into the interior of the island, to visit a +beautiful valley called Trinidad. Mounted on donkeys, and +attended by two ragged, copper-coloured youths, we proceeded in +gallant style up the main street, and, leaving the town, crossed +the valley beyond it, and emerged into the open country. It was a +rough, stony, and hilly road, through a barren waste, where there +scarcely appeared a stray blade of grass for the goats which +rambled over it in anxious search of herbage.</p> + +<p>At length, after a wearisome ride of several hours, we +descended suddenly into the most fertile and luxuriant valley I +ever beheld, and which seemed to extend a distance of some miles. +A mountain brook flowed down the midst, on the banks of which +numerous scattered and picturesque cottages appeared. On either +side the ground was covered with the green carpet of Nature in +the spring of the year. Everywhere, except in this smiling +valley, we saw nothing but the aridity of summer, and the +desolation caused by a scorching tropical sun. But here--how very +different! How sudden, how magical was the change! Every species +of vegetable grew here in finest luxuriance. Melons of every +variety, pine-apples, sweet potatoes, plantains, and bananas, +with their broad and drooping leaves of freshest green and rich +purple flower, and ripe yellow fruit. Orange-trees, cocoa-nut +trees, limes--the fig, the vine, the citron, the pomegranate, and +numerous others, grateful to the weary sight, and bearing +precious stores amid their branches, combined to give the +appearance of wealth and plenty to this happy valley. It was not, +however, destined to be entered by us without a fierce combat for +precedence between two of our steeds. The animal whom it was the +evil lot of Meliboeus to bestride, suddenly threw back its ears, +and darted madly upon the doctor's quadruped, which, on its side, +manifested no reluctance to the fight.</p> + +<p>Dreadful was the scene; the furious donkeys nearing and +striking with their fore-feet, and biting each other about the +head and neck without the smallest feeling of compunction or +remorse; the two guides shrieking and swearing in Portuguese at +the donkeys and each other, and striking right and left with +their long staves, perfectly indifferent as to whom they hit; the +unhappy riders, furious with fright and chagrin, shouting in +English to the belligerents of both classes to "keep off!" The +screams of two women, who were carrying water in the +neighbourhood, enhanced by the barking of a terrified cur, that +ran blindly hither and thither with its tail between its legs, in +a state of frantic excitement--altogether produced a tableau of +the most spirited description. Peace was at length restored, and +we all dismounted from our saddles with fully as much +satisfaction as we had experienced when vaulting into them.</p> + +<p>There is little more to say about the valley of Trinidad. The +cottagers who supply the town of Porto Praya with fruits and +vegetables are extremely poor, and very uncleanly and untidy in +their houses and habits. We had intended to spend the night with +them, but the appearance of the accommodations determined us to +return to our inn, in spite of the friendly and disinterested +advice of our guides.</p> + +<p>St. Jago abounds with soldiers and priests; the former of whom +are chiefly convicts from Lisbon, condemned to serve here in the +ranks.</p> + +<p>The day for sailing arrived, and we were all on board and +ready. Our barque was a temperance ship; that is, she belonged to +owners who refused to allow their sailors the old measure of a +wine-glass of rum in the morning, and another in the afternoon, +but liberally substituted an extra pint of water instead.</p> + +<p>There is always one thing remarkable about these temperance +ships, that when they arrive in harbour, their crews, excited to +madness by long abstinence from their favourite liquor, and +suffering in consequence all the excruciating torments of thirst, +run into violent excesses the moment they get on shore. St. Jago +is famous for a kind of liquid fire, called aguadente, which is +smuggled on board ship in the shape of pumpkins and watermelons. +These are sold to the sailors for shirts and clothing; there +being nothing so eagerly sought for by the inhabitants of St. +Jago as linen and calico.</p> + +<p>Our crew, being thoroughly disgusted with their captain, as +indeed they had some reason to be, and their valour being +wondrously excited by their passionate fondness for water-melons, +came to a stern resolution of spending the remainder of their +lives on this agreeable island; at any rate, they determined to +sail no farther in our company. The captain was ashore, settling +his accounts and receiving his papers; the chief-mate had given +orders to loose the fore-topsail and weigh anchor; and we were +all in the cuddy, quietly sipping our wine, when we heard three +cheers and a violent scuffling on deck. In a few moments down +rushed the mate in a state of delirious excitement, vociferating +that the men were in open mutiny, and calling upon us, in the +name of the Queen, to assist the officers of the ship in bringing +them to order. Starting up at the call of our Sovereign, we +rushed to our cabins in a state of nervous bewilderment, and +loading our pistols in a manner that ensured their not going off, +we valiantly hurried on deck in the rear of the exasperated +officer. On reaching the raised quarter-deck of the vessel, we +found the crew clustered together near the mainmast, armed with +hand-spikes, boat-oars, crow-bars, and a miscellaneous assortment +of other weapons, and listening to an harangue which the +carpenter was in the act of delivering to them. They were all +intoxicated; but the carpenter, a ferocious, determined villain, +was the least so.</p> + +<p>At one of the quarter-deck gangways stood the captain's lady, +a lean and wizened Hecate, as famous for her love of rum as any +of the crew, but more openly rejoicing in the no less +objectionable spirit of ultra-methodism. Screaming at the top of +her voice, whilst her unshawled and dusky shoulders, as well as +the soiled ribands of her dirty cap, were gently fanned by the +sea-breeze, she commanded the men to return to their duty, in a +volume of vociferation that seemed perfectly inexhaustible. +Fearing that the quarter-deck would be carried by storm, we +divided our party, consisting of the two mates, three passengers +with their servants, and Mungo the black servant, into two +divisions, each occupying one of the gang-ways.</p> + +<p>In a few moments the carpenter ceased his oration; the men +cheered and danced about the deck, brandishing their weapons, and +urging one another to "come on." Then with a rush, or rather a +stagger, they assailed our position, hoping to carry it in an +instant by storm. The mate shouted to us to fire, and pick out +three or four of the most desperate; but perceiving the +intoxicated state of the men we refused to shed blood, except in +the last extremity of self-defence; and determined to maintain +our post, if possible, by means of our pistol-butts, or our fists +alone. In the general melee which ensued, the captain's lady, who +fought in the van, and looked like a lean Helen MacGregor, or the +mythological Ate, was captured by the assailants, and dragged to +the deck below. Then it was that combining our forces, and +inspired with all the ardour which is naturally excited by the +appearance of beauty in distress, we made a desperate sally, and +after a fearful skirmish, succeeded in rescuing the lady, and +replacing her on the quarter-deck, with the loss only of her cap +and gown, and a few handfuls of hair.</p> + +<p>After this exploit, both parties seemed inclined to pause and +take breath, and in the interval we made an harangue to the +sailors, expressive of our regret that they should act in so +disgraceful a manner.</p> + +<p>The gallant (or rather ungallant) fellows replied that they +were determined to be no longer commanded by a she-captain, as +they called the lady, and therefore would sail no farther in such +company.</p> + +<p>I really believe that most of them had no serious intention +whatever in their proceedings, but the officers of the ship were +firmly convinced that the carpenter and one or two others had +resolved to get possession of the vessel, dispose of the +passengers and mates somehow or other, and then slip the cable, +and wreck and sell the ship and cargo on the coast of South +America.</p> + +<p>Whilst the truce lasted, the second mate had been busily +engaged making signals of distress, by repeatedly hoisting and +lowering the ensign reversed, from the mizen-peak. This was soon +observed from the deck of a small Portuguese schooner of war, +which lay at anchor about half a mile from us, having arrived a +few hours previously, bringing the Bishop of some-where-or-other +on a visitation to the island. The attention of the officer of +the watch had been previously attracted towards us by the noise +we had made, and the violent scuffle which he had been observing +through his glass. No sooner, therefore, was the flag reversed, +than a boat was lowered from the quarter-davits, filled with +marines, and pulled towards our vessel with the utmost rapidity. +The mutineers, whose attention was directed entirely to the +quarter-deck, did not perceive this manoeuvre, which, however, +was evident enough to us, who exerted ourselves to the utmost to +prolong the parley until our allies should arrive.</p> + +<p>The carpenter now decided upon renewing the assault, having +laid aside his handspike and armed himself with an axe; but just +at this moment the man-of-war's boat ran alongside, and several +files of marines, with fixed bayonets, clambering on to the deck, +effected a speedy change in the aspect of affairs. Perceiving at +once how matters stood, the officer in command, without asking a +single question, ordered a charge against the astonished sailors, +who, after a short resistance, and a few violent blows given and +received, were captured and disarmed.</p> + +<p>There was a boy among the party called Shiny Bill, some +fifteen years of age, who managed to escape to the fore-shrouds, +and giving the marine who pursued him a violent kick in the face, +succeeded in reaching the fore-top, where he coiled himself up +like a ball. Two or three marines, exasperated by the scuffle, +and by several smart raps on the head which they had received, +hastened up the shrouds after the fugitive, who, however, +ascended to the fore-top-mast cross-trees, whither his enemies, +after some hesitation, pursued. Finding this post also untenable, +he proceeded to swarm up the fore-top-gallant-mast shrouds, and +at last seated himself on the royal yard, where he calmly awaited +the approach of the enemy. These, however, feeling that the +position was too strong to be successfully assailed by marines, +deliberately commenced their retreat, and arrived on deck, whilst +their officer was hailing the immovable Bill in Portuguese, and +swearing he would shoot him unless he instantly descended.</p> + +<p>Disdaining, however, to pay the least attention to these +threats, Shiny William continued to occupy his post with the +greatest tranquillity; and the officer, giving up the attempt in +despair, proceeded to inquire from us in Portuguese-French the +history of this outbreak. The scene concluded with the removal of +the mutineers in one of the ship's boats to the man-of-war, +where, in a few moments, several dozen lashes were administered +to every man in detail, and the whole party were then sent on +shore, and committed to a dungeon darker and dirtier than the +worst among them had ever before been acquainted with. But before +all this was done, and when the boats had pulled about a hundred +yards from the vessel, Shiny Bill began to descend from his post. +He slipped down unobserved by any one, and the first notice we +had of his intentions was from perceiving him run across the deck +to the starboard bow, whence he threw himself, without +hesitation, into the sea, and began to swim lustily after his +captive friends. Our shouts--for, remembering the abundance of +sharks, we were very much alarmed for the poor fellow--attracted +the attention of the officer in the boat, to whom we pointed out +the figure of Bill, who seemed as eager now to make a voluntary +surrender, and share the fate of his comrades, as he had +previously been opposed to a violent seizure. The swimmer was +soon picked up, and, to our regret, received in due season the +same number of stripes as fell to the lot of his friends captured +in battle.</p> + +<p>The prisoners remained several days in their dungeon, where +they were hospitably regaled with bread and water by the +Portuguese Government; and at the end of this period (so unworthy +did they prove of the handsome treatment they received) the +British spirit was humbled within them, and they entreated with +tears to be allowed to return to their duty. The mates, however, +refused to sail in the same vessel with the carpenter, and it was +accordingly settled that he should remain in custody until the +arrival of a British man-of-war, and then be returned to his +country, passage free.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 4.</h3> + +<h4>THE PRISON-ISLAND.</h4> + +<p>It was nearly the end of August when we approached the +conclusion of our voyage. The wind was fair, the sun shone +brightly, and every heart was gay with the hope of once more +being upon land. We drew nigh to the Island of Rottnest, about +sixteen miles from the mouth of the river Swan, and anchored to +the north of it, waiting for a pilot from Fremantle.</p> + +<p>And there we had the first view of our future home. Beyond +that low line of sand-hills, which stretched away north and +south, far as the eye could reach, we were to begin life again, +and earn for ourselves a fortune and an honourable name. No +friendly voice would welcome us on landing, but numberless +sharpers, eager to prey upon the inexperienced Griffin, and take +advantage of his unavoidable ignorance and confiding innocence. +There was nothing very cheering in the prospect; but supported by +the confidence and ambition of youth, we experienced no feelings +of dismay.</p> + +<p>In order to wile away the time, we landed on the island, and, +passing through a thick wood of cypresses, came to a goodly-sized +and comfortable-looking dwelling-house, with numerous +out-buildings about it, all built of marine lime-stone.</p> + +<p>As the particulars which I then learned respecting this island +were afterwards confirmed by experience and more extended +information, I may as well enter upon its history at once.</p> + +<p>The gentleman who was then Governor of Western Australia, was +Mr. John Hutt, a man of enlightened mind, firm, sagacious, and +benevolent. From the first, he adopted an admirable policy with +regard to the native inhabitants.</p> + +<p>Exhibiting on all occasions a friendly interest in their +welfare, he yet maintained a strict authority over them, which +they soon learned to respect and fear. The Aborigines were easily +brought to feel that their surest protection lay in the +Government; that every act of violence committed upon them by +individual settlers was sure to be avenged by the whites +themselves; and that, as certainly, any aggression on the part of +the natives would call down the utmost severity of punishment +upon the offenders. By this firm administration of equal justice +the Aboriginal population, instead of being, as formerly, a +hostile, treacherous, and troublesome race, had become harmless, +docile, and in some degree useful to the settlers.</p> + +<p>But it was not the policy of Mr. Hutt merely to punish the +natives for offences committed against the whites; he was anxious +to substitute the milder spirit of the British law in lieu of +their own barbarous code; and to make them feel, in process of +time, that it was for their own interest to appeal for protection +on all occasions to the dominant power of Government, rather than +trust to their own courage and spears. This was no easy task, and +could only be accomplished by firmness, discrimination, and +patience; but in the course of a few years, considerable progress +had been made in subduing the prejudices and the barbarous +customs of the Aborigines. Although it had been declared by Royal +Proclamation that the native inhabitants were in every respect +subjects of the British throne, and as such entitled to equal +privileges with ourselves, and to be judged on all occasions by +the common and statute laws, it proved to be no easy matter to +carry into practice these views of the Home Government. People in +England, who derive their knowledge of savages from the orations +delivered at Exeter Hall, are apt to conceive that nothing more +is requisite than to ensure them protection from imaginary +oppression, and a regular supply of spiritual comforts. They do +not consider that whilst they insist upon these unfortunate +creatures being treated exactly as British subjects, they are +placing a yoke on their own necks too heavy for them to bear in +their present condition. Primitive and simple laws are necessary +to a primitive state of society; and the cumbrous machinery of +civilized life is entirely unsuited to those who in their daily +habits and their intellectual endowments are little superior to +the beasts that perish. By declaring the savages to be in every +respect British subjects, it becomes illegal to treat them +otherwise than such. If a settler surprise a native in the act of +stealing a pound of flour, he of course delivers him over to a +constable, by whom he is conveyed before the nearest magistrate. +Now this magistrate, who is an old settler, and well acquainted +with the habits of the natives, is also a man of humanity; and if +he were allowed to exercise a judicious discretion, would order +the culprit to be well flogged and dismissed to his expectant +family. But thanks to Her Majesty's well-meaning Secretaries of +State for the Colonies, who have all successively judged alike on +this point, it is declared most unadvisable to allow a local +magistrate the smallest modicum of discretion. He has only one +course to pursue, and that is, to commit the offender for trial +at the next Quarter Sessions, to be held in the capital of the +colony. Accordingly the poor native, who would rather have been +flayed alive than sent into confinement for two months previous +to trial, whilst his wives are left to their own resources, is +heavily ironed, lest he should escape, and marched down some +sixty or seventy miles to Fremantle gaol, where the denizen of +the forest has to endure those horrors of confinement which only +the untamed and hitherto unfettered savage can possibly know.</p> + +<p>Among savages, the 'Lex talionis'--the law of retaliation--is +the law of nature and of right; to abstain from avenging the +death of a relative would be considered, by the tribe of the +deceased, an act of unpardonable neglect. Their own customs, +which are to them as laws, point out the mode of vengeance. The +nearest relative of the deceased must spear his slayer. Nothing +is more common among these people than to steal one another's +wives; and this propensity affords a prolific source of +bloodshed.</p> + +<p>They have also a general law, which is never deviated from, +and which requires that whenever a member of a tribe dies, +whether from violence or otherwise, a life must be taken from +some other tribe. This practice may have originated in a desire +to preserve the balance of power; or from a belief, which is very +general among them, that a man never dies a natural death. If he +die of some disorder, and not of a spear-wound, they say he is +"quibble gidgied," or speared by some person a long distance off. +The native doctor, or wise man of the tribe, frequently pretends +to know who has caused the death of the deceased; and the +supposed murderer is of course pursued and murdered in turn. This +custom necessarily induces a constant state of warfare. Now it is +very right that all these barbarous and unchristian practices +should be put an end to; but, whilst endeavouring to suppress +them, we ought to remember that they are part and parcel of the +long-established laws of this rude people, and that it is not +possible all at once to make them forego their ancient +institutions and customs. The settlers would gladly see punished +all acts of violence committed among the natives in their +neighbourhood. Were they permitted to inflict such punishments as +are best suited to the limited ideas and moral thraldom of the +Aborigines, these, without cruelty or injustice, might gradually +be brought within the pale of civilization; but when the law +declares it to be inevitable that every British subject who is +tried and found guilty of having speared his enemy shall be +hanged without benefit of clergy, the colonists out of sheer +humanity and pity for the ignorance of the culprit, refrain from +bringing him to trial and punishment--a proceeding which, by the +way, would cost the colony some fifteen or twenty pounds--and +thus he goes on in his errors, unreproved by the wisdom or the +piety of the whites. Sometimes, however, it happens that the +officers who exercise the calling of Protectors of the +Aborigines, anxious to prove that their post is no sinecure, make +a point of hunting up an occasional law-breaker, who, being +brought to trial, is usually found guilty upon his own +evidence--the unfortunate culprit, conscious of no guilt in +having followed the customs of his ancestors, generally making a +candid statement of his offence. The sentence decreed by the +English law is then passed upon him, and he would, of course, be +duly subjected to the penalty which justice is supposed to +demand, did not the compassionate Governor, in the exercise of +the highest privilege of the Crown, think proper to step in and +commute the sentence to perpetual imprisonment. As it would have +entailed a serious expense upon the colony to have had to +maintain these prisoners in a gaol in the capital, his Excellency +determined to establish a penal settlement at Rottnest; and this +he accordingly accomplished, with very good effect.</p> + +<p>At the time we visited the island, there were about twenty +native prisoners in charge of a superintendent and a few +soldiers.</p> + +<p>The prisoners were employed in cultivating a sufficient +quantity of ground to produce their own food. It was they also +who had built the superintendent's residence; and whenever there +was nothing else to do, they were exercised in carrying stone to +the top of a high hill, on which a lighthouse was proposed to be +built.</p> + +<p>The Governor has certainly shown very good judgment in the +formation of this penal establishment. It is the dread of the +natives throughout the colony; and those prisoners who are +released inspire among their fellows the greatest horror and +dismay by their tales of the hardships they have suffered. No +punishment can be more dreadful to these savages--the most +indolent race in the world--than being compelled to work; and as +their idleness brings them occasionally in contact with the +superintendent's lash, their recollections and accounts of +Rottnest are of the most fearful description. Certain, however, +it is, that nothing has tended so much to keep the Aborigines in +good order as the establishment of this place of punishment. It +is maintained at very little expense to the colony, as the +prisoners grow their own vegetables, and might easily be made to +produce flour enough for their own consumption.</p> + +<p>It was a clear, beautiful, sparkling day, and there was a +sense of enjoyment attached to the green foliage, the waving +crops, and the gently heaving sea, that threw over this new world +of ours a charm which filled our hearts with gladness.</p> + +<p>Having returned to our ship, we saw the pilot-boat rapidly +approaching. As it came alongside, and we were hailed by the +steersman, we felt a sensation of wonder at hearing ourselves +addressed in English and by Englishmen, so far, so very far from +the shores of England. With this feeling, too, was mingled +something like pity; we could not help looking upon these poor +boatmen, in their neat costume of blue woollen shirts, canvass +trousers, and straw hats, as fellow-countrymen who had been long +exiled from their native land, and who must now regard us with +eyes of interest and affection, as having only recently left its +shores.</p> + +<p>No sooner was the pilot on board than the anchor was weighed, +the sails were set, and we began to beat up into the anchorage +off Fremantle. Night closed upon us ere we reached the spot +proposed, and we passed the interval in walking the deck and +noting the stars come forth upon their watch. The only signs of +life and of human habitation were in the few twinkling lights of +the town of Fremantle: all beside, on the whole length of the +coast, seemed to be a desert of sand, the back-ground of which +was occupied with the dark outline of an illimitable forest.</p> + +<p>It was into this vast solitude that we were destined to +penetrate. It was a picture full of sombre beauty, and it filled +us with solemn thoughts.</p> + +<p>The next morning we were up at daybreak. Certainly it was a +beautiful sight, to watch the sun rise without a cloud from out +of the depths of that dark forest, rapidly dispersing the cold +gray gloom, and giving life, as it seemed, to the sparkling +waves, which just before had been unconsciously heaved by some +internal power, and suffered to fall back helplessly into their +graves.</p> + +<p>How differently now they looked, dancing joyously forward +towards the shore! And the sun, that seems to bring happiness to +inanimate things, brought hope and confidence back to the hearts +of those who watched him rise.</p> + +<p>Flights of sea-birds of the cormorant tribe, but generally +known as Shags, were directing their course landward from the +rocky islands on which they had roosted during the night. What +long files they form! --the solitary leader winging his rapid and +undeviating way just above the level of the waves, whilst his +followers, keeping their regular distances, blindly pursue the +course he takes. See! he enters the mouth of the river; some +distant object to his practised eye betokens danger, and though +still maintaining his onward course, he inclines upwards into the +air, and the whole line, as though actuated by the same impulse, +follow his flight. And now they descend again within a few feet +of the river's surface, and now are lost behind projecting rocks. +All day long they fish in the retired bays and sheltered nooks of +the river, happy in the midst of plenty.</p> + +<p>The river Swan issues forth into the sea over a bar of rocks, +affording only a dangerous passage for boats, or vessels drawing +from four to five feet water. Upon the left bank of the river is +the town of Fremantle. The most prominent object from the sea is +a circular building of white limestone, placed on the summit of a +black rock at the mouth of the Swan. This building is the +gaol.</p> + +<p>On the other side of the roadstead, about ten or twelve miles +distant from the main, is a chain of islands, of which Rottnest +is the most northern. Then come some large rocks, called the +Stragglers, leaving a passage out from the roadstead by the south +of Rottnest; after these is Carnac, an island abounding with +rabbits and mutton-birds; and still farther south is Garden +island.</p> + +<p>Fremantle, the principal port of the colony, is unfortunately +situated, as vessels of any burthen are obliged to anchor at a +considerable distance from the shore. Lower down the coast is a +fine harbour, called Mangles Bay, containing a splendid +anchorage, and it is much to be lamented that this was not +originally fixed upon as the site for the capital of the +colony.</p> + +<p>The first impression which the visitor to this settlement +receives is not favourable. The whole country between Fremantle +and Perth, a distance of ten miles, is composed of granitic sand, +with which is mixed a small proportion of vegetable mould. This +unfavourable description of soil is covered with a coarse scrub, +and an immense forest of banksia trees, red gums, and several +varieties of the eucalyptus. The banksia is a paltry tree, about +the size of an apple-tree in an English or French orchard, +perfectly useless as timber, but affording an inexhaustible +supply of firewood. Besides the trees I have mentioned, there is +the xanthorea, or grass-tree, a plant which cannot be +intelligibly described to those who have never seen it. The stem +consists of a tough pithy substance, round which the leaves are +formed. These, long and tapering like the rush, are four-sided, +and extremely brittle; the base from which they shoot is broad +and flat, about the size of a thumb-nail, and very resinous in +substance. As the leaves decay annually, others are put forth +above the bases of the old ones, which are thus pressed down by +the new shoots, and a fresh circle is added every year to the +growing plant. Thousands of acres are covered with this singular +vegetable production; and the traveller at his night bivouac is +always sure of a glorious fire from the resinous stem of the +grass-tree, and a comfortable bed from its leaves.</p> + +<p>We landed in a little bay on the southern bank of the river. +The houses appeared to be generally two-storied, and were built +of hard marine limestone. Notwithstanding the sandy character of +the soil, the gardens produced vegetables of every variety, and +no part of the world could boast of finer potatoes or cabbages. +Anxious to begin the primitive life of a settler as speedily as +possible, we consulted a merchant to whom we had brought letters +of introduction as to the best mode of proceeding. He advised us +to fix our head-quarters for a time near to Fremantle, and thence +traverse the colony until we should decide upon a permanent place +of abode. In the meantime we dined and slept at Francisco's +Hotel, where we were served with French dishes in first-rate +style, and drank good luck to ourselves in excellent claret.</p> + +<p>In the early days of the colony, Sir James Stirling, the first +Governor, had fixed upon Fremantle as the seat of government; and +the settlers had begun to build themselves country-houses and +elegant villa residences upon the banks of the river. These, +however, were not completed before it was determined to fix the +capital at Perth, some dozen miles up the river, where the soil +was rather better, and where a communication with the proposed +farms in the interior would be more readily kept up.</p> + +<p>The government officers had now to abandon their half-built +stone villas, and construct new habitations of wood, as there was +no stone to be found in the neighbourhood of Perth, and brick +clay had not then been discovered.</p> + +<p>It was in one of these abandoned houses (called the +Cantonment), situate on the banks of the Swan, about half a mile +from Fremantle, that, by the advice of our friend, we resolved to +take up our quarters. The building was enclosed on three sides by +a rough stone wall, and by a wooden fence, forming a paddock of +about three quarters of an acre in extent. It comprised one large +room, of some forty feet by eighteen, which had a roof of thatch +in tolerable repair. The north side, protected by a verandah, had +a door and two windows, in which a few panes of glass remained, +and looked upon the broad river, from which it was separated by a +bank of some twenty feet in descent, covered with a variety of +shrubs, just then bursting into flower. A few scattered red-gum +trees, of the size of a well-grown ash, gave a park-like +appearance to our paddock, of which we immediately felt extremely +proud, and had no doubt of being very comfortable in our new +domain. Besides the large room I have mentioned, there were two +others at the back of it, which, unfortunately, were in rather a +dilapidated condition; and below these apartments (which were +built on the slope of a hill) were two more, which we immediately +allotted to the dogs and sheep. This side of the building was +enclosed by a wall, which formed a small court-yard. Here was an +oven, which only wanted a little repair to be made ready for +immediate use.</p> + +<p>For several days we were occupied in superintending the +landing of our stores, and housing them in a building which we +rented in the town at no trifling sum per week. A light dog-cart, +which I had brought out, being unpacked, proved extremely useful +in conveying to our intended residence such articles as we were +likely to be in immediate want of.</p> + +<p>The two men had already taken up their abode there, together +with the rams and dogs; and at last, leaving our comfortable +quarters at the hotel with something like regret and a feeling of +doubt and bewilderment, we all three marched in state, with our +double-barrels on our shoulders, to take possession of our rural +habitation.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 5.</h3> + +<h4>FIRST ADVENTURES.</h4> + +<p>We had providently dined before we took possession; and now, +at sunset, we stood on the bank before our house, looking down +upon the placid river. The blood-hound was chained to one of the +posts of the verandah; Jezebel, the noble mastiff-bitch, lay +basking before the door, perfectly contented with her situation +and prospects; and little Fig was busily hunting among the +shrubs, and barking at the small birds which he disturbed as they +were preparing to roost.</p> + +<p>One of the men was sitting on an upturned box beside the fire, +waiting for the gently-humming kettle to boil; whilst the other +was chipping wood outside the house, and from time to time +carrying the logs into the room, and piling them upon the hearth. +As we looked around we felt that we had now indeed commenced a +new life. For some months, at any rate, we were to do without +those comforts and luxuries which Englishmen at home, of every +rank above the entirely destitute, deem so essential to bodily +ease and happiness.</p> + +<p>We were to sleep on the floor, to cook our own victuals, and +make our own beds. This was to be our mode of acquiring a +settlement in this land of promise. Still there was an air of +independence about it, and we felt a confidence in our own +energies and resources that made the novelty of our position +rather agreeable than otherwise.</p> + +<p>There was something exhilarating in the fresh sea-breeze; +there was something very pleasing in the gay appearance of the +shrubs that surrounded us--in the broad expanse of the river, +with its occasional sail, and its numerous birds passing rapidly +over it on their way to the islands where they roosted, or +soaring leisurely to and fro, with constant eyes piercing its +depths, and then suddenly darting downwards like streams of light +into the flood, and emerging instantly afterwards with their +finny prey. The opposite bank of the river displayed a sandy +country covered with dark scrub; and beyond this was the sea, +with a view of Rottnest and the Straggler rocks. A few white +cottages relieved the sombre and death-like appearance of that +opposite shore. Unpromising as was the aspect of the country, it +yet afforded sufficient verdure to support in good condition a +large herd of cattle, which supplied Fremantle with milk and +food.</p> + +<p>Here, then, the reader may behold us for the first time in our +character of settlers. He may behold three individuals in light +shooting coats and cloth caps, standing upon the bank before +their picturesque and half-ruinous house, their dogs at their +side, and their gaze fixed upon the river that rolled beneath +them. The same thoughts probably occupied them all: they were now +left in a land which looked much like a desert, with Heaven for +their aid, and no other resources than a small capital, and their +own energies and truth. The great game of life was now to begin +in earnest, and the question was, how it should be played with +success? Individual activity and exertion were absolutely +necessary to ensure good fortune; and warmly impressed with the +consciousness of this, we turned with one impulse in search of +employment.</p> + +<p>Aesculapius began to prepare their supper for the dogs, and +Meliboeus looked after his sheep, which were grazing in the +paddock in front of the dwelling. As for myself, with the ardent +mind of a young settler, I seized upon the axe, and began to chop +firewood--an exercise, by the way, which I almost immediately +renounced.</p> + +<p>And now for supper!</p> + +<p>Our most necessary articles were buried somewhere beneath the +heaps of rubbish with which we had filled the store-room at +Fremantle. Our plates, cups and saucers, etc., were in a crate +which was not to be unpacked until we had removed our property +and abode to the inland station which we designed for our +permanent residence. There were, however, at hand for present use +eight or nine pewter plates, and a goodly sized pannikin a-piece. +In one corner of the room was a bag of flour, in another a bag of +sugar, in a third a barrel of pork, and on the table, composed of +a plank upon two empty casks, were a couple of loaves which Simon +had purchased in the town, and a large tea-pot which he had +fortunately discovered in the same cask with the pannikins.</p> + +<p>The kettle fizzed upon the fire, impatient to be poured out; +the company began to draw round the hospitable board, seating +themselves upon their bedding, or upon empty packing-cases; and, +in a word, tea time had arrived. Hannibal, as we called the +younger of our attendants, from his valiant disposition, had +filled one of the pewter plates with brown sugar from the bag; +the doctor made the tea, and we wanted nothing but spoons to make +our equipage complete. However, every man had his pocket-knife, +and so we fell to work.</p> + +<p>Butter being at that time half-a-crown a pound, Simon (our +head man) had prudently refrained from buying any; and as he had +forgotten to boil a piece of the salt pork, we had to sup upon +dry bread, which we did without repining, determined, however, to +manage better on the morrow.</p> + +<p>In the meantime we were nearly driven desperate by most +violent attacks upon our legs, committed by myriads of fleas. +They were so plentiful that we could see them crawling upon the +floor; the dogs almost howled with anguish, and the most sedate +among us could not refrain from bitter and deep execrations. We +had none of us ever before experienced such torment; and really +feared that in the course of the night we should be eaten up +entirely. These creatures are hatched in the sand, and during the +rains of winter they take refuge in empty houses; but they infest +every place throughout the country, during all seasons, more or +less, and are only kept down by constant sweeping from becoming a +most tremendous and overwhelming plague, before which every +created being, not indigenous to the soil, would soon disappear, +or be reduced to a bundle of polished bones. The natives +themselves never sleep twice under the same wigwam.</p> + +<p>After tea, the sheep and dogs being carefully disposed of for +the night, we turned out before the house, and comforted +ourselves with cigars; and having whiled away as much time as +possible, we spread out our mattresses on the floor, and in a +state of desperation attempted to find rest. We escaped with our +lives, and were thankful in the morning for so much mercy +vouchsafed to us, but we could not conscientiously return thanks +for a night's refreshing rest.</p> + +<p>At the first dawn of day we rolled up our beds, lighted the +fire, swept out the room, let the dogs loose, and drove the rams +to pasture on the margin of the river. After breakfast, which was +but a sorry meal, we determined to make our first attempt at +baking. Simon, a man of dauntless resolution, undertook the task, +using a piece of stale bread as leaven. It was a serious +business, and we all helped or looked on; but the result, +notwithstanding the multitude of councillors, was a lamentable +failure. Better success, fortunately, attended the labours of +Hannibal, who boiled a piece of salt pork with the greatest +skill.</p> + +<p>Mutton at this period, 1841, was selling at sixteen-pence per +pound (it is now two-pence), and we therefore resolved to depend +upon our guns for fresh meat. We had brought with us a +fishing-net, which we determined to put in requisition the +following day.</p> + +<p>The most prominent idea in the imagination of a settler on his +first arrival at an Australian colony, is on the subject of the +natives. Whilst in England he was, like the rest of his +generous-minded countrymen, sensibly alive to the wrongs of these +unhappy beings-- wrongs which, originating in a great measure in +the eloquence of Exeter Hall, have awakened the sympathies of a +humane and unselfish people throughout the length and breadth of +the kingdom. Full of these noble and ennobling sentiments, the +emigrant approaches the scene of British-colonial cruelty; but no +sooner does he land, than a considerable change takes place in +his feelings. He begins to think that he is about to place his +valuable person and property in the very midst of a nation of +savages, who are entirely unrestrained by any moral or human +laws, or any religious scruples, from taking the most +disagreeable liberties with these precious things.</p> + +<p>The refined and amiable philanthropist gradually sinks into +the coarse-minded and selfish settler, who is determined to +protect himself, his family, and effects, by every means in his +power--even at the risk of outraging the amiable feelings of his +brother philanthropists at home. In Western Australia, the +natives generally are in very good order; they behave peaceably +towards the settlers, eat their flour, and in return occasionally +herd or hunt up their cattle, and keep their larders supplied +with kangaroo.</p> + +<p>It is very rarely--I have never indeed heard of a single +well-authenticated instance--that any amount of benefits, or the +most unvarying kindness, can awaken the smallest spark of +gratitude in the breasts of these degraded savages. Those who +derive their chief support from the flour and broken meat daily +bestowed upon them by the farm settlers, would send a spear +through their benefactors with as little remorse as through the +breast of a stranger. The fear of punishment alone has any +influence over them; and although in this colony they are never +treated with anything like cruelty or oppression, it is +absolutely necessary to personal safety to maintain a firm and +prompt authority over them.</p> + +<p>When we first arrived, we were philanthropists, in the usual +sense of that term, and thought a good deal about the moral and +general destitution of this unfortunate people; but when we first +encountered on the road a party of coffee-coloured savages, with +spears in their hands, and loose kangaroo-skin cloaks (their only +garments) on their shoulders, accompanied by their women +similarly clad, and each carrying in a bag at her back her +black-haired offspring, with a face as filthy as its mother's--we +by no means felt inclined to step forward and embrace them as +brethren.</p> + +<p>I question, indeed, whether the most ardent philanthropist in +the world would not have hesitated before he even held forth his +hand to creatures whose heads and countenances were darkened over +with a compound of grease and red clay, whose persons had never +been submitted to ablution from the hour of their birth, and +whose approach was always heralded by a perfume that would +stagger the most enthusiastic lover of his species.</p> + +<p>But it was not merely disgust that kept us at arm's length. We +must confess we were somewhat appalled at this first view of +savage life, as we looked upon the sharp-pointed spears, wild +eyes, and well-polished teeth of our new acquaintance. Although, +in truth, they were perfectly harmless in their intentions, we +could not help feeling a little nervous as they drew nigh, and +saluted us with shrill cries and exclamations, and childish +bursts of wild laughter. Their principal question was, whether we +were "cabra-man?" or seamen, as we afterwards discovered their +meaning to be. After a good deal of screaming and laughing, they +passed on their way, leaving us much relieved by their absence. +They seemed to be, and experience has proved to us that they are, +the most light-hearted, careless, and happy people in the world. +Subsisting upon the wild roots of the earth, opossums, lizards, +snakes, kangaroos, or anything else that is eatable which happens +to fall in their way, they obtain an easy livelihood, and never +trouble themselves with thoughts of the morrow. They build a new +house for themselves every evening; that is, each family, erects +a slight shelter of sticks covered over with bark, or the tops of +the xanthorea, that just keeps off the wind; and with a small +fire at their feet, the master of the family, his wife, or wives, +and children, lie huddled together like a cluster of snakes-- +happier than the tenants of downy beds. Far happier, certainly, +than we had lately been in ours. We had, however, devised a new +plan for the next night. Having each of us a hammock, we +suspended them from the rafters; and thus, after the first +difficulty and danger of getting into bed was overcome, we lay +beyond the reach of our formidable enemies, and contrived to +sleep soundly and comfortably.</p> + +<p>The next morning we breakfasted early. My brothers resolved to +try the effect of the fishing-net, and I myself arranged a +shooting excursion with a lad, whose parents rented a house +situated about a quarter of a mile from our own. We were to go to +some lakes a few miles distant, which abounded with wild ducks +and other water-fowl. Preceded by Fig, and more soberly +accompanied by Jezebel, we set out upon our expedition.</p> + +<p>It was the close of the Australian winter, and the temperature +was that of a bright, clear day in England at the end of +September. The air was mild, but elastic and dry; the peppermint +and wattle-trees were gay with white and yellow blossoms; an +infinite variety of flowering shrubs gave to the country the +appearance of English grounds about a goodly mansion; whilst the +earth was carpeted with the liveliest flowers. It was impossible +to help being in good spirits.</p> + +<p>We passed up a valley of white gum-trees, which somewhat +resemble the ash, but are of a much lighter hue. They belong to +the eucalyptus species.</p> + +<p>I shot several beautiful parroquets, the plumage of which was +chiefly green; the heads were black, and some of the pinion +feathers yellow. The country presented very little appearance of +grass, though abounding with green scrub; and frequently we +passed over denuded hills of limestone-rock, from which we beheld +the sea on one side, and on the other the vast forest of banksias +and eucalypti, that overspreads the entire country. The river +winding among this mass of foliage, relieved the eye.</p> + +<p>After a walk of two hours we approached the lakes of which we +were in search. situated in a flat country, and their margins +covered with tall sedges, it was difficult to obtain a view of +the water. Now, then, we prepared for action. Behind those tall +sedges was probably a brood of water-fowl, either sleeping in the +heat of the day, or carefully feeding in the full security of +desert solitude. "Fig! you villain! what are you about? are you +going to rush into the water, and ruin me by your senseless +conduct? I have got you now, and here you must please to remain +quiet. No, you rascal! you need not look up to me with such a +beseeching countenance, whilst you tremble with impatience, eager +to have a share in the sport. You must wait till you hear my gun. +I am now shooting for my dinner, and perhaps for yours also, if +you will condescend to eat duck, and I dare not allow you the +pleasure of putting up the game. You understand all this well +enough, and therefore please to be silent;--or, observe! I'll +murder you."</p> + +<p>Leaving the boy with the dogs, I began to steal towards the +lake, when I heard his muttered exclamation, and turning round, +saw him crouching to the earth and pointing to the sky. Imitating +his caution, I looked in the direction he pointed out, and beheld +three large birds leisurely making towards the spot we occupied. +They were larger than geese, black, with white wings, and sailed +heavily along, whilst I lay breathlessly awaiting their approach. +The dogs were held down by the boy, and we all seemed equally to +feel the awfulness of the moment. The birds came slowly towards +us, and then slanted away to the right; and then wheeling round +and round, they alighted upon the lake.</p> + +<p>Creeping to the sedges, I pushed cautiously through, up to the +ankles in mud and water. How those provoking reeds, three feet +higher than my head, rustled as I gently put them aside! And now +I could see plainly across a lake of several acres in extent. +There on the opposite side, were three black swans sailing about, +and occasionally burying their long necks in the still waters. +With gaze riveted upon that exciting spectacle, I over-looked a +myriad of ducks that were reposing within a few yards of me, and +which, having discovered the lurking danger, began to rise en +masse from the lake.</p> + +<p>Never before had I seen such a multitude. Struck with +amazement, I stood idly gaping as they rose before me; and after +sweeping round the lake, with a few quacks of alarm, whirled over +the trees and disappeared.</p> + +<p>The swans seemed for a moment to catch the general +apprehension, and one of them actually rose out of the water, but +after skimming along the surface for a few yards, he sank down +again, and his companions swam to rejoin him. Gently retreating, +I got back upon the dry land, and motioning the boy to remain +quiet, hastened round the lake to its opposite bank. More +cautiously than before I entered the grove of sedges, and soon +beheld two of the swans busily fishing at some distance from the +shore. What had become of the third? There he is, close to the +border of the lake, and only about fifty yards from my position! +My first shot at a swan!--Now then--present! fire!-- bang! What a +splutter! The shots pepper the water around him. He tries to +rise, He cannot! his wing is broken! Hurrah! hurrah! "Here +Jonathan! Toby! what's your name? here! bring the dogs--I've hit +him--I've done for him!</p> + +<p>"Fig, Fig!--O! here you are; good little dog--good little +fellow! now then, in with you! there he is!"</p> + +<p>With a cry of delight, little Fig dashed through the reeds. +The water rushed down his open throat and half-choked him; but he +did not care. Shaking the water out of his nose as he swam, he +whimpered with pleasure, and hurried after the swan which was now +slowly making towards the middle of the lake. Its companions had +left it to its fate. We stood in the water watching the chase. +Jezebel, excited out of all propriety, though she could see +nothing of what was going on, gallopped up and down the bank, +with her tail stiff out, tumbling over the broken boughs which +lay there, and uttering every now and then deep barks that awoke +the astonished echoes of the woods. Sometimes she would make a +plunge into the water, splashing us all over, and then she +quickly scrambled out again, her ardour considerably cooled.</p> + +<p>"Well done, Fig! good little dog! at him again! never mind +that rap on the head from his wing."</p> + +<p>Away swam the swan, and Fig after him, incessantly +barking.</p> + +<p>Had not the noble bird been grievously wounded he would have +defied the utmost exertions of the little spaniel, but as it was, +he could only get for a moment out of the reach of his pursuer by +a violent effort, which only left him more exhausted. And now +they approached the shore; and the swan, hard pressed, turns +round and aims a blow with its bill at the dog.</p> + +<p>This Fig managed to elude, and in return made a snap at his +enemy's wing, and obtained a mouthful of feathers; but in revenge +he received on his nose a rap from the strong pinion of the bird +that made him turn tail and fairly yelp with anguish. "Never +mind, brave Fig! good dog! at him again! Bravo--bravo! good +little fellow!" There he is, once more upon him. And now, master +Fig, taught a lesson by the smart blows he had received, +endeavours to assail only the wounded wing of the swan. It was a +very fierce combat, but the swan would probably have had the best +of it had not loss of blood rendered him faint and weak.</p> + +<p>He still fought bravely, but now whenever he missed his +adversary, his bill would remain a moment in the water, as though +he had scarcely strength to raise his head; and as he grew +momentarily weaker and weaker, so Fig waxed more daring and +energetic in his assaults; until at length he fairly seized his +exhausted foe by the neck, and notwithstanding his struggles, and +the violent flapping of his long unwounded wing, began to draw +him towards the shore. We hurried to meet and help him. Jezebel +was the first that dashed breast-high into the water; and seizing +a pinion in her strong jaws, she soon drew both the swan and Fig, +who would have died rather than let go, through the yielding +sedges to the land.</p> + +<p>The swan was soon dead; and Fig lay panting on the sand, with +his moth open, and looking up to his master as he wagged his +tail, clearly implying, "Did not I do it well, master?" "Yes, my +little dog, you did it nobly. And now you shall have some of this +bread, of Simon's own baking, which I cannot eat myself; and +Jonathan and I will finish this flask of brandy and water."</p> + +<p>And now we set out on our return home, anxious to display our +trophy to envious eyes.</p> + +<p>As we approached the Cantonment, I discharged my unloaded +barrel at a bird like a thrush in appearance, called a +Wattle-bird, from having two little wattles which project from +either side of its head.</p> + +<p>The salute was answered by a similar discharge from the +Cantonment, and soon afterwards Meliboeus came running to meet +us, preceded by the blood-hound at full gallop. The dogs greeted +one another with much apparent satisfaction. Little Fig was +evidently anxious to inform his big friend of all that he had +done, but Nero was much too dignified and important to attend to +him, and bestowed all his notice upon Jezebel.</p> + +<p>The fishermen had succeeded in catching a dozen mullet, which +were all ready for cooking; and the frying-pan being soon put in +requisition, we were speedily placed at table.</p> + +<p>Being still without legitimate knives and forks, the absence +of the latter article was supplied by small forked-sticks, cut +from a neighbouring peppermint tree. Those who did not like cold +water alone were allowed grog; and the entertainment, consisting +of fish and boiled pork (which a few months before we should have +considered an utter abomination), being seasoned with hunger, +went off with tolerable satisfaction.</p> + +<p>The following day we had the swan skinned and roasted, but it +certainly was not nearly so good as a Michaelmas goose. +Nevertheless, it was a change from boiled pork, and we +endeavoured to think it a luxury. Simon had been more successful +in his latter efforts at baking, and, on the whole, things +assumed a more comfortable aspect.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 6.</h3> + +<h4>PERTH--COLONIAL JURIES.</h4> + +<p>So soon as we were well settled in our new abode, we began to +think of pushing our researches a little farther into the +country. We thought it high time that we visited the capital, and +paid our respects to the Governor. About a mile and a half from +our location, the Fremantle and Perth road crosses the river +(which is there about four hundred yards wide) by a ferry. +John-of-the-Ferry, the lessee of the tolls, the Charon of the +passage, is a Pole by birth, who escaped with difficulty out of +the hands of the Russians; and having the fortune to find an +English master, after a series of adventures entered into the +employment of an emigrant, and settled in Western Australia. He +had now become not only the lessee of the ferry, but a dealer in +various small articles, and at the time to which I refer, was the +owner of several Timor ponies. Singular enough for a horse-dealer +and a colonist, John had the reputation of being an honest man, +and his customers always treated him with the utmost +confidence.</p> + +<p>Having learnt his good character, we repaired to his neat, +white-washed cottage on the banks of the river to inspect his +stud; and soon effected a purchase of two of his ponies. These +animals, about thirteen hands high, proved to belong to the +swiftest and hardiest race of ponies in the world. They required +no care or grooming; blessed with excellent appetites, they +picked up their food wherever they could find any, and came night +and morning to the door to receive their rations of barley, +oat-meal, bread-crusts, or any thing that could be spared them. +The colony had been supplied with several cargoes of these ponies +from Timor, and they proved extremely useful so long as there was +a scarcity of horses; but afterwards they became a nuisance, and +tended greatly to keep back improvements in the breed of horses. +Pony-stallions suffered to roam at large, became at length such +an evil, that special acts of Council were passed against them; +and as these did not prove of sufficient efficacy, the animals +were sometimes hunted like wild cattle, and shot with rifles.</p> + +<p>It was some amusement to us to break in our small quadrupeds +to draw my light cart; we had brought out tandem-harness; and in +a short time we got up a very fair team. But, alas! there was no +pleasure in driving in that neighbourhood--the road being only a +track of deep sand. One bright and tempting morning the doctor +and myself mounted our steeds, and leaving our affairs at the +castle in the faithful charge of Meliboeus, wended our way +towards the capital of the colony. The river at the ferry has a +picturesque appearance, precipitous rocks forming its sides, and +two bays, a mile apart, terminating the view on either hand, +where the river winds round projecting head-lands.</p> + +<p>The old road to Perth was truly a miserable one, being at +least six inches deep in sand the whole way. It was scarcely +possible to see more than fifty yards ahead of you, so thickly +grew the banksia trees. After crossing the ferry, we lost sight +of the river for several miles, and then diverged from the dismal +road by a path which we had been directed by the ferryman to look +out for, and which brought us to a sandy beach at the bottom of a +beautiful bay, called Freshwater Bay. From this point to the +opposite side was a stretch of several miles, and the broad and +winding river, or rather estuary, with its forest banks, +presented a beautiful appearance.</p> + +<p>We now ascended from the shore to the high land above. The +forest through which we passed resembled a wild English park; +below was the broad expanse of Melville water, enlivened by the +white sails of several boats on their way from Perth to +Fremantle. Farther on, the mouth of the Canning River opened upon +us; and now we could see, deep below the high and dark hill-side +on which we travelled, the narrow entrance from Melville water +into Perth water. At length we obtained a full view of the +picturesquely situated town of Perth.</p> + +<p>It stands on the right bank of a broad and crescent-shaped +reach of the river Swan, in an extremely well-chosen locality. +The streets are broad; and those houses which are placed nearest +to the river, possess, perhaps, the most luxuriant gardens in the +world. Every kind of fruit known in the finest climates is here +produced in perfection. Grapes and figs are in profuse abundance; +melons and peaches are no less plentiful, and bananas and +plantains seem to rejoice in the climate as their own.</p> + +<p>The town has a never-failing supply of fresh water from a +chain of swamps at the back, and the wells fed by them are never +dry. Many of the houses are well built--brick having long since +superseded the original structure of wood--and possess all the +usual comforts of English residences.</p> + +<p>In the principal street, most of the houses stand alone, each +proprietor having a garden, or paddock of three quarters of an +acre in extent, about his dwelling. The great misfortune of the +town is, that the upper portion of it is built upon sand, which +is many feet deep. The streets, not being yet paved, are all but +impassable; but happily, each possesses a good foot-path of clay, +and it is to be hoped that the cart-ways will ere long be +similarly improved. Sydney was originally in the state that Perth +presents now; but there the natural unfavourableness of the soil +has been entirely overcome. Increasing wealth and population will +ere long do as much for us.</p> + +<p>It is not until we reach Guildford, eight miles farther inland +than Perth, that the stratum of sand ceases, and a cold and marly +clay succeeds, which reaches to the foot of the Darling range of +hills, and extends many miles down the coast.</p> + +<p>The banks of the Swan River, as well as of the Canning and +most other rivers of the colony, contain many miles of rich +alluvial soil, capable of growing wheat sufficient for the +support of a large population. Many of these flats have produced +crops of wheat for sixteen years successively, without the aid of +any kind of manure. It must, however, be owned, that a very +slovenly system of farming has been generally pursued throughout +the colony; and, in fact, is commonly observable in all colonies. +The settlers are not only apt to rely too much upon the natural +productiveness of the soil, but they are in general men whose +attention has only lately been turned to agriculture, and who are +almost entirely ignorant of practical farming in its most +important details. The Agricultural Society of Western Australia +has for some years exerted itself to improve this state of +things, and has in some measure succeeded.</p> + +<p>It must be observed that with the exception of the rich flats +of the Swan and Canning rivers, the vast extent of country +between the coast and the Darling Hills is a miserable region, +scarcely more valuable for the purposes of cultivation than the +deserts of Africa, except where occasional swamps appear like +oases, and tempt the hardy settler to found a location. As all +the worst land of the colony lies unfortunately near the coast, +those who visit only the port and capital usually leave the +country with a very unfavourable and a very erroneous impression +of its real character.</p> + +<p>It is not until the granite range of the Darling Hills is +passed over, that the principal pastoral and agricultural +districts are found. There are the farm settlements, the flocks, +and herds of the colony. From the Victoria plains north of +Toodyay, for hundreds of miles to the southward, comprising the +fertile districts of Northam, York, Beverley, the Dale and the +Hotham, is found a surface of stiff soil, covered over with +straggling herbage, and many varieties of trees and shrubs. But I +am travelling too fast: I must pause for the present at +Perth.</p> + +<p>Circumstances determined me to take up my residence there, +instead of accompanying the rest of my party into the interior, +as I had originally intended. I liked the appearance and +situation of the town; and I liked the people generally. And here +I may state, with many kindly feelings, that never was a more +united or cordial society than that of the town of Perth, with +its civil and military officers, and its handful of merchants. No +political or religious differences have hitherto disturbed its +harmony; nor have there yet been introduced many of those +distinctions which may be necessary and unavoidable in large +communities, but which, though generally to be met with in all +societies, are not only lamentable but highly ridiculous in small +out-of-the-way colonies. Such divisions, however, must be +apprehended even here in progress of time, and the period will +come when we shall look back with regret to those days when we +were all friends and associates together, and when each +sympathized with the fortunes of his neighbour. The kindly +feeling which thus held society together, was ever manifested at +the death of one of its members. Then not only the immediate +connexions of the deceased attended his funeral, but every member +of his circle, and many also of the lower classes. It has more +than once happened that a young man has fallen a victim to his +rashness and nautical inexperience, and met with an untimely fate +whilst sailing on Melville water. I myself twice narrowly escaped +such a calamity, as perhaps I may hereafter narrate. Every boat +belonging to the place is immediately engaged in search of the +body, and many of the boatmen freely sacrifice their time and +day's wages in the pursuit. And when at length the object of that +melancholy search is discovered, and the day of the funeral has +arrived, the friends, companions, neighbours, and fellow-townsmen +of the deceased assemble at the door of his late residence, to +pay the last testimonies of sympathy and regret for him who has, +in that distant colony, no nearer relative to weep at his grave. +It is a long procession that follows the corpse to its home, +passing with solemn pace through the else deserted streets, and +emerging into the wild forest which seems almost to engulph the +town; and then pursuing the silent and solitary path for a mile +until, on the summit of a hill, surrounded by dark ever-green +foliage, appears the lonesome burial-ground. Ah! how little +thought the tenant of that insensible body, late so full of life +and vigour, that here he should so soon be laid, far from the +tombs of his family, far from the home of his parents, to which +his thoughts had so constantly recurred! I do not think any one +ever witnessed the interment in that solitary place of one whom +perhaps he knew but slightly when living, without feeling in +himself a sensation of loneliness, as though a cold gust from the +open grave had blown over him. It is then we think most of +England and home--and of those who though living are dead to +us.</p> + +<p>But these are only transient emotions; they are idle and +unavailing, so away with them!</p> + +<p>I shall now proceed to give an account of my first appearance +before a colonial public. Some of the crew of our vessel, +exasperated by the conduct of the captain, who refused to allow +them any liberty on shore after their long voyage, and encouraged +and even led on by the chief mate, had broken into the +store-room, and consumed a quantity of spirits and other stores. +Now as we had been most shabbily treated by the miserly and +ruffian captain, and as the stores thus stolen had been paid for +by the passengers, and withheld from them upon the voyage +(stolen, in fact, by the captain himself), we were delighted with +the robbery, and extremely sorry to hear that the chief mate had +been committed to prison for trial as the principal offender. In +fact, the captain thought proper to wink at the conduct of the +others, as he could not afford to part with any more of his crew. +The General Quarter Sessions drew nigh, and the day before they +commenced I received a kind of petition from the prisoner, +entreating me to aid him at this pinch, as he had not a friend in +that part of the world, and would inevitably be ruined for what +he considered rather a meritorious action--taking vengeance on +the stinginess of the captain. Though I did not see exactly of +what benefit I could be to him, I repaired to the court-house on +the day of trial. It was crowded with people, as such places +always are when prisoners are to be tried; and as I had met at +dinner most of the magistrates on the Bench, I did not much like +the idea of making my first public appearance before them as a +friend of the gentleman in the dock, who had improperly +appropriated the goods of his employer.</p> + +<p>The amiable desire, however, of paying off old scores due to +the captain, annihilated every other feeling; and when the +prisoner, on being asked whether he was guilty or not guilty of +the felony laid to his charge, instead of answering, cast his +imploring eyes upon me, as though I knew more of the business +than himself, I could not refrain from advancing towards the +table occupied by the counsel and solicitors, and asking +permission of the bench to give my valuable assistance to the +prisoner. This being graciously accorded, the mate, with a most +doleful countenance, and a very unassured voice, made answer to +the plain interrogative of the Clerk of Arraigns-- "Not guilty, +my Lord."</p> + +<p>Whilst the prosecutor was being examined by the Advocate +General, I conned over the indictment with a meditative +countenance, but without being able to see my way in the least. +The captain, scowling atrociously at me and my persecuted friend, +gave his evidence with the bitterest animosity. He proved his +losses, and the facts of the store-room door having been broken +open, and the prisoner and most of the sailors being found drunk +by him on his repairing one evening to the vessel. It now became +my turn to ask questions, as</p> + +<p>Prisoner's Counsel. Your ship, Captain W., is commonly called +a Temperance ship, is it not?</p> + +<p>Captain (after a ferocious stare). I should think you knew +that.</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. And being a temperance ship, you do not allow the +men, at any time, any other liquor than water?</p> + +<p>Captain. No.</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. In temperance ships, I suppose it sometimes +happens that the men contrive to buy liquor for themselves?</p> + +<p>Captain (looking like a bull about to charge a matadore). +Boo!</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. Do you remember the day we were off Madeira?</p> + +<p>Captain stares and snorts.</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. Do you remember on that day several of the sailors +being remarkably light-headed--reeling about the deck?</p> + +<p>Captain (roaring, and striking the table with his hand). +Yes!</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. Was this the effect of a 'coup de soleil', do you +think?</p> + +<p>Captain. No!</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. Very well. Do you remember, whilst we were on the +Line, the second-mate being in your cabin helping Mrs. W. to stow +away some things in the lazarette, and both being found +afterwards extremely unwell, and obliged to be taken to bed?</p> + +<p>Chairman (interfering). I think the witness need not answer +that question.</p> + +<p>Advocate General. I should have made the same objection, Sir, +but-- (aside) I was laughing too much.</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. Very well, Sir. I will not press it if it be +disagreeable. Do you remember at St. Jago the whole of the crew +being every day notoriously drunk--from eating water-melons?</p> + +<p>Captain (recovering from an apoplectic fit). Ah-h!</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. Do you remember, when off the Cape, the sail-maker +and several others being unable to do their duty, and being +pronounced by the doctor to be in a state of liquor?</p> + +<p>Captain. Yes.</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. Then, as it appears that on board of a temperance +ship, men do occasionally (and in your vessel very often) get +drunk, might not the prisoner at the time of his alleged offence +have been drinking other liquor than that which formed part of +your stores?</p> + +<p>Chairman (the Captain being too full of rage to articulate). +The jury will be able to draw their own inference as to that.</p> + +<p>Captain. It was he, gentlemen; it was this--gentleman +(forsooth-- ha! ha!) who gave the men money on landing in order +to make them drunk.</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. Thank you for that evidence. The intelligent +gentlemen in the box will perceive that it was at my expense that +the unfortunate prisoner got drunk, and not at the captain's.</p> + +<p>The prosecutor was now permitted to retire, which he did +growling like a bear, amid the jeers of the populace, who always +sympathize with misfortune when it appears impersonated in the +dock.</p> + +<p>The jury were also evidently in high glee, and cast most +friendly looks at the prisoner, and the 'fidus Achates' who stood +up for him so stoutly.</p> + +<p>The next witness was the sail-maker, who reluctantly owned +himself to have aided the prisoner in drinking some brandy which +had come from the ship's stores.</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. But, Sails, you do not mean to say that the +prisoner told you he had himself taken it from the ship's +stores?</p> + +<p>Witness. Oh no, Sir, certainly not.</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. In fact, of your own knowledge, you do not know +where the liquor came from?</p> + +<p>Witness. No, Sir; oh, no, Sir!</p> + +<p>Here the Advocate-General administered such a lecture to the +witness, who was considerably more than half-drunk at the time, +that he entirely lost his wits and memory, and answered so +completely at random, that the jury begged he might not be asked +any more questions.</p> + +<p>Advocate General. It is of no importance. I shall call no more +witnesses, as I hold in my hand the prisoner's own confession, +made before the committing magistrate, who was yourself, Mr. +Chairman.</p> + +<p>This was a knock-down blow to me, and made the jury look +extremely blank. They gazed on one another in despair. The +document was duly proved, and the case for the prosecution +closed. The chairman asked if I wished to address the jury, but I +declined, and observed that the prisoner must explain for himself +what he meant by this extraordinary confession. Every thing +seemed dead against the prisoner, who hung his head and looked +remarkably simple. I read over the paper, which stated that he, +the prisoner, with several others, on a certain day took a +quantity of the captain's brandy, and got drunk thereupon.</p> + +<p>A ray of hope beamed upon me. I started up, and the jury +instinctively began to brighten; they had given up the prisoner +as lost, and now they were ready to catch at a straw. I addressed +the unfortunate "You state here, that you took the captain's +brandy with certain of the sailors. Do you mean by that, you +'partook' of the brandy which other sailors were drinking?"</p> + +<p>Prisoner (balbutiant). I--I--ye--ye--</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. What do you really mean, Sir, by this written +document? Do you mean to say that you yourself took this brandy, +or that you partook of it with others?</p> + +<p>Prisoner. Yes, Sir,--that I partook of it.</p> + +<p>P. Counsel. Then, gentlemen of the jury, this document does +not convict the unfortunate man at the bar; and what appears like +an admission of guilt is only to be attributed to his imperfect +mode of expressing himself. He admits that he partook of certain +brandy stated to be the captain's, which the captain, himself, +however, would lead you to suppose had been provided by me. The +witness who has been examined throws no further light upon the +matter; and though the prisoner himself has admitted that he +partook of liquor which he believed belonged to the captain, that +admission does not convict him under the present indictment, +which charges him with having "feloniously taken and carried +away," etc.</p> + +<p>The jury were evidently delighted with this construction; and +the people in the gallery and body of the court could scarcely be +restrained from giving three cheers.</p> + +<p>The chairman recapitulated the evidence, and left the matter +in the hands of the jury, who jostled one another out of the box, +and retired to "consider their verdict." As they passed through +the ante-room to the apartment in which they usually held their +solemn deliberations, they caught up a bucket of water which the +bailiff of the court generally kept at hand for thirsty counsel +or magistrates; and as soon as they had decently secluded +themselves, and indulged in a genial fit of merriment, the +foreman produced a bottle of brandy from his pocket, and seizing +the pannikin which floated in the bucket, poured forth a good +libation, and drank "towards all present." Each juryman in turn +then drank the health of the foreman. After that, they all drank +the prisoner's health; and as one of the number afterwards +assured me, they would have conscientiously toasted the +prisoner's counsel, but the liquor unfortunately failed.</p> + +<p>The foreman then said, "Come, my lads, there's no more left, +so we may as well go back again." So they jostled one another out +of the room, and with composed countenances returned to the +court, where they were ostentatiously conducted to their box by +the sheriff's officer amid loud cries of "Silence in the court! +silence there!"</p> + +<p>Their names having been called over, the Clerk of Arraigns +asked the usual question, "Have you considered your verdict, +gentlemen?"</p> + +<p>"Not guilty!" interrupted the foreman, as if he feared lest +the prisoner should be convicted in spite of the jury.</p> + +<p>"How say you," continued the clerk, "is the prisoner at the +bar guilty or not guilty?"</p> + +<p>"Not guilty!" cried the whole jury to a man; and amid thunders +of acclamations the prisoner was released from the dock, and +turned out of court, where he was seized upon by a multitude of +sympathizers, and carried in triumph to the next public-house. +There he spent the ensuing four-and-twenty hours, the hero of the +day.</p> + +<p>In this slight sketch I am conscious that I have only been +able to convey to the reader a very faint idea of A COLONIAL +JURY.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 7.</h3> + +<h4>BOATING UP THE RIVER.</h4> + +<p>Whilst I was making acquaintances at Perth, my brothers, +mounted on our Timor steeds, were making a tour of inspection +beyond the Darling Hills. They fixed at length upon a farm at +York, with about three thousand acres belonging to it, and having +a good farm-house, with excellent barn and out-buildings +attached. This evinced a more comfortable and luxurious state of +things than they had anticipated, and they returned in high +spirits to head-quarters.</p> + +<p>It now became necessary to consider how the various goods and +utensils were to be conveyed to the new settlement, which was +seventy miles distant from Fremantle. We sold most of our flour +and pork at a fair profit, and left by far the greater part of +the other articles which we had brought out with us to be sold by +a commission agent, as opportunity offered.</p> + +<p>From various causes, but chiefly from our own ignorance in +selecting our goods in London, we lost a considerable sum upon +the things we had brought out. Emigrants, unless they are men of +great experience, should bring all their capital to a colony in +bills or specie, and not attempt to increase their property by +speculating in goods. On their arrival, they will most probably +find the markets already glutted, and they will be compelled +either to sell at a sacrifice, or leave their effects in the +hands of an agent, who will charge enormously for warehouse-rent +and other expenses, and will take especial care that the +unfortunate emigrant is not the party who profits most by the +sale of his goods.</p> + +<p>We had brought out with us an old artillery waggon; and all +hands now set to work to put it together, which was accomplished +after a good deal of difficulty. We also purchased three pair of +bullocks, which were at that date very dear. One +pair--magnificent animals certainly--cost fifty guineas, and the +other animals twenty pounds a-piece. Now, however, the best +working bullocks may be obtained for about fifteen pounds a pair. +As the road so far as Guildford was excessively heavy, we +resolved to convey most of our goods by water to a spot a few +miles beyond that town, where a friendly settler had placed at +our disposal a wooden building, consisting of a single room, +situated on the banks of the river, and used occasionally by +himself as a store-house for his own goods on their transit to +his dwelling. The same friend lent us his own whale-boat; and by +determining to convey our effects ourselves we avoided a very +heavy expense. The cost of conveying necessaries from the coast +to the farm settlements in the interior, has been one of the +chief drawbacks to the colony. The boatmen made fortunes, whilst +the farmers were nearly ruined by their charges, and those of the +storekeepers in the towns.</p> + +<p>For fifteen years, at least, the latter have grumbled with +violent indignation unless their goods have realised from two to +five hundred per cent profit. Resolved, therefore, to be our own +boatmen, we moored our vessel at a little wooden jetty below our +house, and began to pack up such articles as were designed to +compose the first cargo.</p> + +<p>I remember well the pleasure with which we stood upon that +wooden jetty one summer's evening, looking upon the boat in which +we were to perform our first voyage up the river, as she lightly +floated before us, scarcely giving a strain upon the rope which +held her to one of the posts at the end of the pier. Fig and +Jezebel, always intimate friends, were hunting for +bandicoots--animals less than a kangaroo-rat--which abounded in +the bank below our dwelling.</p> + +<p>Upon this bank, Hannibal was to be seen cleaning the tandem +harness, suspended from the bough of a tree, and occasionally +casting an eye in the direction of the sheep, for whose safety he +was responsible. By the river side, our bullocks were busily +engaged picking the scanty herbage. The sea-breeze blowing +steadily up the river cooled the air, and seemed to bear health +and spirits on its wings.</p> + +<p>The only sound that met the ear was a rushing noise, which +every now and then rose from the water along the shore. It was +caused by myriads of little fish rushing into shoal water to +escape from some pressing foe.</p> + +<p>There are some minds that draw pleasure from things which in +no degree affect others; to such, this was one of those seasons +of tranquil happiness that leave no regrets behind. The +consciousness of independence--the pleasant nature of our +duties--the cheerful aspect of all around--the flattering +whispers of Hope, though false as usual--all helped to form for +the mental eye a picture which it loved to look upon.</p> + +<p>And now we were busied in loading our boat. What pride we +felt! no shame at being seen performing manual labour; but pride, +and pleasure, and exultation. We had always been fond of boating, +and now that it was about to be an useful employment, it seemed +additionally agreeable. And what a noble scene for this our first +adventurous voyage, upon that broad river or rather arm of the +sea! We had found out the secret of human happiness, long hidden +from us --business had become our pleasure. I was to be the +captain, and my youngest brother and Simon composed the crew.</p> + +<p>The boat was not loaded until late in the afternoon, and our +departure was therefore postponed until the sea-breeze should set +in on the following day. Still, we could not resist the delight +of making an experimental trip, and so the sprit-sail and jib +were set, and we shoved off into the tide-way. A whale-boat goes +very fast before the wind, but will not beat, nor will she go +about well without using an oar; she is not, therefore the craft +best adapted for nautical evolutions, but we were too happy to +find much fault with her on that occasion; and so we sailed +several times across the river and back again in the very height +of enjoyment. Then suddenly luffing up in the middle of the +stream, the anchor was let go, and the sail brailed up, in order +that we might have the pleasure of sitting still in the very +midst of the waters, and rest, as it were, in the plenitude of +our satisfaction; and when the anchor dragged a few yards over +the sand before it held, and then suddenly brought up the boat +with a jerk, it seemed the climax of our pleasure. This, the +sagacious reader, in the depth of his gravity, will consider +extremely boyish. But should we not rejoice and be thankful +whenever we find among the many simple pleasures of our boyhood, +a single one which retains the power of gladdening our maturer +years? Alas! one after another they die down, and are no more to +be revived. We are apt to fancy that when the pleasures of youth +have lost their sweetness, and are no longer desired, it is an +evidence of our increasing wisdom. But it proves only that our +tastes, grown more vitiated, have taken new directions. We have +only changed our follies--and for the worse.*</p> + +<p>[footnote] *"'Tis sweet to think we grow more wise When +Radcliffe's page we cease to prize, And turn to Malthus, and to +Hervey, For tombs, or cradles topsy-turvy; 'Tis sweet to flatter +one's dear self, And altered feelings vaunt, when pelf Is +passion, poetry, romance;-- And all our faith's in three per +cents." R. R. Madden</p> + +<p>The breeze! the breeze! the glorious sea-breeze comes stealing +swiftly over the bar; it crosses the first bay. Like a dark +shadow it moves along the face of the river, and now it has +reached our landing-place and gone swiftly forwards, bringing +pleasure and thankfulness on its path. Now, my men, jump in! hand +me the grog and provision basket--and now loose the sails, and +shove off. There, we are fairly under weigh, and little Fig +whimpers his adieu to Jezebel and Nero, who for some minutes +accompany the course of the boat along the shore; and then +finding we are really going, remain fixed with astonishment, +gazing upon their departing friend. Soon, how soon, vanishes from +their breasts every feeling of regret! Before we have turned the +first headland we perceive them playfully biting each other about +the ears and neck: and now Nero scampers off under the trees in +the direction of the house, and Jezebel (type of her sex!) +hurries after him.</p> + +<p>The breeze came rattling up the river, and the boat flew +merrily before it. We had occasionally sailed to Perth in the +passage-boats, and therefore knew something of the channel. +Sand-spits frequently run far out into the river, and those who +think only of steering a straight course, are very sure of +running aground several times during the voyage.</p> + +<p>The distance from Fremantle to Perth, by water, is about +twelve miles, and it is about as many more from Perth to +Guildford. After passing the ferry-reach, the river appeared +about a quarter of a mile broad, having abrupt rocky banks on +either side; far a-head was the wooded bottom of Freshwater Bay. +Instead of coasting round this bay, we passed through a channel +cut across the spit into Melville water. Here is a beautiful site +for a house: a sloping lawn, covered with fine peppermint trees, +which in form resemble the weeping willow, and a great variety of +flowering shrubs, down to the water's edge. The view from the +house (lately the seat of Alfred Waylen, Esq.) is exceedingly +pleasing; on one hand is the fine sheet of Melville water, seven +miles in extent, and three or four in breadth, surrounded by +thick woods; in front is the graceful curve of Freshwater Bay; +and on the opposite side of the house from Melville water, the +river sweeps abruptly round through the deep and broad channel I +have already mentioned towards the ferry-reach.</p> + +<p>We passed up Melville water, and in about an hour and a +quarter after starting came abreast of the town of Perth, which +we left about three-quarters of a mile on our larboard side, and +continued our passage up Perth water. We had now a difficult +channel to pass through, where the river is extremely shoal; and +in our inexperience we soon got the boat aground. Jumping into +the water, we succeeded in shoving her again into the channel, +and passed by a small island called Harrison's Island. It was +here that a French exploring party took refuge after they had +come so far up the river in spite of many alarms. These men were +some of the crew of Captain Perron, who was engaged in a survey +of this part of the coast of Australia, for the French +Government. During the night they were thrown into a state of +agitation and alarm by hearing incessant noises in the thick +woods on the main land, that were thought by some to be the +bellowing of wild bulls; by many the howling of wolves; and by +others the cries of savages. After a night spent in momentary +expectation of attack and massacre, the Frenchmen got into their +boats and hastened down the river again with the utmost +expedition, and scarcely thought themselves quite safe until they +were once more on board their ship.</p> + +<p>This account of the French navigators was uppermost in the +minds of the English settlers on their first arrival, and +contributed greatly to the dread they felt at wandering a few +yards from the settlement. In those days, an orderly scarcely +durst take a message from the Governor to the Surveyor General's +tent, within sight, unless accompanied by a couple of his +fellows, with their muskets ready for action.</p> + +<p>The borders of the river were in many parts, especially on the +present town site of Perth, so entangled with thick brushwood, +that enemies might be lying in swarms, close at hand, without the +least fear of detection. When Sir James Stirling and his party +first passed up the river in boats, they had the accounts of the +French sailors fully in mind, and were very cautious how they +landed. They passed the night in a state of preparation, if not +of alarm, and were kept in constant vigilance by the same fearful +noises.</p> + +<p>The woods were now supposed to be filled with wild beasts, and +it was not until some time had elapsed that people became +convinced that the dreadful sounds which assailed their ears at +night proceeded from myriads of frogs. These little creatures +swarm in the samphire marshes near the river, and possess voices +far surpassing anything known in their species in Europe.</p> + +<p>I was once looking out for ducks or coots in a thicket of +bulrushes higher than my head, when I was startled by hearing a +loud "bomb!" at no great distance from me. Having no idea what +kind of wild beast had made its lair in that dense thicket, I got +ready to fire both barrels on the first appearance of danger. +Again the same awful noise! It must be the snorting of a bison, +or vast buffalo, seeking shelter from the sun--or it may proceed +from some kind of water-dragon, I thought. I looked in every +direction, but could see no living creature; and at last was +about to retreat in the quietest manner possible, when I espied a +little frog perched on the top of a reed, about a yard from my +nose, and apparently looking full in my face, whilst, ever and +anon he inflated his cheeks, and uttered the fearful sounds I had +heard.</p> + +<p>But besides the dread of wild beasts, the colonists were long +in the greatest apprehension of losing themselves in the vast +wilderness of forest by which they were on every side enclosed. +The country being extremely level, up to the Darling range of +hills, which is seen trending north and south about twelve or +fourteen miles at the back of Perth, a man once in the woods has +no object but the sun by which to direct his course. Every now +and then he comes upon an impassable swamp, which throws him out +of his track, and causes him infinite difficulty before he can +get round it, and then he begins to doubt of his true direction. +This is certainly, an awkward predicament; and nothing is so easy +as for inexperienced bushmen to lose their way. When once a man +begins to doubt whether he is right, he loses all confidence in +himself; he wanders first in one direction and then in another, +in the hope of finding something to guide him; and fears lest +every step should take him farther into the labyrinth of the +forest-wilderness. I have myself been several times lost for a +short period, and know how very unpleasant is the sensation. A +common soldier, sent on a message from Perth to Fremantle, +happened to get off the track. Becoming alarmed, he tried to +recover it, but as it had made a bend, he walked as far as he +thought its position ought to be, without success, and then +fancied he must have mistaken the direction. He therefore +diverged at right angles, and after walking a short time, +recollected that he must now be going in the wrong direction, as +he had left the path originally on his left hand. Accordingly he +turned back again, and walked so far without perceiving any signs +of the track that he now fancied he must be going parallel with +it. Had he gone on a few yards father, all would have been right, +but now he really took a parallel course, and after walking for +some time longer, he again turned back, and walked in another +direction. Now this man had the sea on one side of him, and the +river on the other, at most not more than four miles apart; yet +the dread of having walked back into the wilderness behind Perth +overpowered his faculties, and he walked for hours in a circle of +about half a mile in diameter. He might have considered that the +Darling Hills were behind Perth, and must have brought him up, +but reason does not always act freely at these times. At length, +completely exhausted, he sat down at the foot of a tree, where he +remained all night, expecting death from starvation, from the +natives, or some unknown wild beasts.</p> + +<p>The next day he walked again as long as his strength would +allow, but before night sank down in the extremity of despair. It +was not until the third day of his misfortunes that he was +tracked up by a party sent in search of him, and guided by +friendly natives, who followed his many devious steps with +unerring eyes.</p> + +<p>Another man, similarly lost in the interior, after vainly +trying to recover the road, determined to make for the coast, +which he knew lay to the west. He was also confident that the sun +regularly set in that quarter, and therefore, he boldly +determined to trust himself to the guidance of the sun, making +sure, that if he followed it far enough, it must lead him to the +coast at last. Accordingly, he marched after the sun till +night-fall and then went cheerfully to sleep, having supped upon +some bread and pork, which he carried with him. The next morning, +at sunrise, he started off in the direction of his guide, +perfectly unconscious that he was now retracing his steps, and +journeying eastward. All day, however, he continued to follow the +sun, and when it set, wondered that he had not yet reached the +sea. At night, he finished his bread and pork, and the next +morning set off again on his long and tedious journey; still, at +night, there was no appearance of the ocean, and he fired off his +gun at a black cockatoo, which he killed with his only charge of +shot.</p> + +<p>Upon this bird he lived for the next two days, and for two +more he subsisted upon roots. He had now given up all hopes of +discovering the sea, and had lain down to die, when he was found +by his master and a party of natives, who had come in search of +him.</p> + +<p>It appeared that he was found upon almost the very spot on +which he had first lost himself.</p> + +<p>When once a man begins to believe that he is lost in the +wilderness, he feels as helpless as one who is blind-folded at +the game of blindman's buff, and who has been twirled round so +often, that he has no idea whereabouts the door or the fire-place +is situated. Those who are used to the bush steer their course +with almost unerring precision by the sun, and a few known +objects, but there are numbers who never acquire this power. the +natives appear to know by instinct the direction of every spot +they wish to reach; and many white men seem to possess the same +faculty.</p> + +<p>But I have almost forgotten that we are all this time sailing +up the rive in our whale-boat. It was a very beautiful sail, and +we repeatedly passed cheerful-looking farm-houses on either +bank-- sometimes goodly mansions with park-like enclosures about +them. In the afternoon we dined upon cold wild-duck; and as each +man sipped his grog in his pannikin, we felt so exceedingly +cheerful, that Simon and Meliboeus favoured the public with "Away +with melancholy!" and divers other agreeable ditties. The wind +however died away, and evening set in as we passed Guildford. The +banks of the river had now risen into steep cliffs, which threw a +deep gloom over our course. We had furled the sails, and taken to +the oars, and as we blindly poked our way, we began to think this +kind of work was not quite so agreeable as it had at first +appeared. Nothing was now to be seen but the outlines of the +steep sides of the river on which occasional houses were visible, +the light streaming through the windows, and making us fancy how +comfortable every thing must be within, and how pleasant it would +be to be sitting at supper in a cheerful room, instead of toiling +at our oars with blistered hands, and without the prospect of a +good bed at the end of the voyage.</p> + +<p>Romance was gone; the sad reality of life remained. Still we +pulled along, steering by turns, and doubting and wondering every +hundred yards whether we had not gone past the place we sought. +Sometimes we paused on our oars to debate the question, but still +we continued to push on; till at length we found ourselves close +abreast of the wooden building we were so anxiously looking out +for, and experienced a sensation of surprise as well as of +delight.</p> + +<p>The boat was soon safely moored, and the door of the building +unlocked; and by the light of a wax taper, which we had brought +on purpose, we found ourselves in a large empty room, without any +fire-place. A heap of dead wood was soon collected at the +entrance; and a glorious fire lighted up the small enclosure +which surrounded the building, and sufficiently illuminated a +considerable portion of the room itself. The kettle being put on, +we soon had tea ready, and managed to get through our rations of +bread and pork, not forgetting to give little Fig his supper, who +sat very seriously before the fire, wondering what it all +meant.</p> + +<p>Cigars, and brandy and water, having been duly administered +before bed-time, we next proceeded to litter down coats and +cloaks; and having made ourselves as comfortable as circumstances +would admit of, stretched ourselves on the floor, with a few +sighs and thoughts of home, and slept until day-break.</p> + +<p>The first thing we did next morning was to unload the boat; +and then having breakfasted, and secured the door on our effects, +we started on our homeward trip, and had the satisfaction of +pulling the whole distance to Perth, where we were obliged to +sleep the next night, as it was impossible for us to get down +Melville water in the teeth of a strong sea-breeze.</p> + +<p>When we had to start again with another load of goods, our +hearts were much heavier than on the first excursion.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 8.</h3> + +<h4>FARMS ON THE RIVER.</h4> + +<p>First impressions endure the longest, and are recalled with +most pleasure. Further acquaintance does not always give us a +truer idea of the value of the object, as familiarity frequently +makes us overlook as insignificant that which is constantly +before us. It is not the object that is proved to be really less +valuable as we become better acquainted with it, but our own +views which change with our position. My first impressions on +visiting the various farms, or rather gentlemen's residences, on +the banks of the Swan, were extremely agreeable. I thought +nothing could be more delightful than to live at one of those +picturesque and lovely spots. If the romance of that first +feeling be now faded from my heart, it is not because I have +discovered that all which I then saw was an illusion, but because +a more sober state of mind--that state into which the mind +settles as the excitement of sudden change and unwonted novelty +subsides--teaches that happiness is not local, and that it is no +more likely to be found in the finest country residence than in +the main street of a town.</p> + +<p>At the first view we are apt to imagine that people who live +in one of these pleasant retreats must needs be happier than +ourselves, who possess nothing but a miserable shilling.</p> + +<p>This is the delusion; and when with increasing knowledge, we +recover from this, we cease to envy and to covet.</p> + +<p>My first ride up the Swan was a most delightful one. No park +in England could be more beautiful than the grounds around some +of the dwellings.</p> + +<p>The ride through the scattered village of Guildford, with a +view of the rich and extensive flats of Woodbridge, the property +of Sir James Stirling, and the frequent bends of the river, is a +very agreeable one. The whole country of the middle and upper +Swan resembles a vast English park. We passed the pretty country +church of the Middle Swan, with its modest parsonage beside it, +and then proceeded through wooded ravines along a pleasant drive +to one of the most hospitable mansions in the colony. Extensive +stables, barns and out-buildings occupied the back of the +premises. As it was now too late in the evening to see much of +the surrounding scenery, we entered the house of Samuel Moore, +Esq., and sat down to an excellent dinner. In the evening we had +music--pianos are as common in Western Australia as in England. +At night I occupied a sofa in the parlour. The excitement and +novelty of my present situation--so many thousands of leagues +removed from the spot on which, only a few months before, I had +deemed I was to spend my life--kept me wakeful; and about one +o'clock I arose, and opening the French window, stepped out into +the verandah. How solemn was the scene before me, faintly lighted +by the moon! In front of the house was a pretty sloping garden, +and below this stretched a broad clearing, now waving with corn, +amidst which rose up a number of scattered, lofty, dead trees, +which had been purposely killed by ringing the bark. How mournful +they looked in that gloomy light!</p> + +<p>The river bounded this clearing, and beyond the river +stretched its high bank, covered with forest trees, the advanced +lines, as it were, of the vast wilderness which lay behind. From +out the depths of those woods rose the occasional shrieks of an +owl, or other night bird, and at intervals the long dismal howl +of a wild dog--the only carnivorous animal indigenous in that +country. The air was balmy, but there was something in the +mournful aspect of the scene that weighed upon the spirits, and +made one feel inexpressibly lonely in the midst of that boundless +wilderness of forest.</p> + +<p>Time soon takes off the edge of novelty, and long ago I have +learned to feel perfectly at ease and cheerful, whilst lying in +the midst of much deeper solitude, with no companions but my +horse grazing near me, and the fire at my feet. There is no +country in the world so safe for the traveller as Western +Australia.</p> + +<p>The next day we went over the farm of our host. His best land +was on the flats at the river side, but his upland, by judicious +cultivation, is made productive and valuable. A carriage-drive +extends through the grounds and affords beautiful prospects of +the river, and of the estates through which it runs; and on the +other side, of the Darling Hills. The hedge-rows on this property +are planted with olive, almond, and peach trees--an admirable +policy, which ought to be adopted throughout Australia. In a few +years-- for the olive bears fruit much sooner here than in the +south of Europe--a valuable traffic in olive-oil may be expected +from this colony.</p> + +<p>The ingenious gentleman who owns this property (which is, in +point of soil, one of the worst farms on the Swan) continues +annually to add to its value by his persevering system of +improvement. He has had a steam-engine constructed on his own +premises, and under his personal superintendence; and he grinds +his own flour as well as that of his neighbours.</p> + +<p>The neighbouring estate of W. L. Brockman, Esq., is a more +valuable property, and equally attractive in possessing a +well-cultivated farm, a beautiful situation, a comfortable +residence, and an amiable family.</p> + +<p>With similar energy and savoir faire, all the beautiful farms +on this river might be made most enviable residences.</p> + +<p>Whilst on the subject of farming, I may mention a +reaping-machine which has been introduced into this colony from +South Australia, where it was invented. It is only adapted to a +very dry climate, but there it is most valuable. A pair of horses +push a machine before them, which consists of a threshing-machine +and a set of revolving combs, some six feet wide. These combs, in +their revolutions, catch up the wheat, and tear off the ears from +the stalks, throwing them back into the threshing-machine. A +field of wheat is thus reaped and threshed as fast as the horses +can walk over it. The straw is afterwards mown.</p> + +<p>The roads are hard and good in this neighbourhood, and some of +the settlers keep their open carriages.</p> + +<p>I doubt whether I have conveyed to the reader a just idea of +some of the pleasantest spots which are to be met with in this +colony; but I would not have him (full of romantic thoughts and +agricultural purposes) rush hastily into the mart and sell his +substance in order to lead a life of tranquil retirement in this +distant Eden. It requires a good deal of philosophy to make a +contented settler. Most colonists leave England full of virtuous +resolutions--with bosoms glowing with the ardent love of nature; +and fully persuaded that they need nothing to make them happy but +a small farm, beautifully situated, with its cottage ornee, and +its spreading vines, and a noble fig-tree, beneath which they are +to sit in the cool of the evening, with their little ones around +them. All this they may really possess; and for some time they +are in raptures at the novel feeling of being men of landed +interest. This is always the first ambition of a colonist--to +have some property which he may lawfully call his own. And, +indeed, the human heart never expands with more satisfactory +pride than in the breast of him whose territorial possessions +have hitherto been confined to a few flower-pots in his +parlour-window, but who now stands firmly beneath a lofty +gum-tree, and looking round him, murmurs "This is mine!" It is, +indeed, a very pleasant sensation, but, unfortunately, it is very +short-lived.</p> + +<p>Men do not come out to a colony to spend an income, but to +make a living. When once their capital is laid out in the +acquisition of a farm, and in the necessary purchase of stock, +they have to raise money out of it to pay their labourers' wages, +and find their households with tea, sugar, clothing, and +"sundries." Many things may be grown upon your farm, but not +everything. At first, the settler is satisfied with finding that +he can sell sufficient produce to enable him to pay his way, +provided he practise the utmost economy, and exhibit a reasonable +degree of good management.</p> + +<p>But soon there are extra expenses to be liquidated; a long +illness in his family brings him in debt to the doctor; or his +neighbour has injured him, and he has, thereupon, further injured +himself by going to law and avenging the wrong. He now becomes +discontented, and thinks he is as badly off as he was before he +left England; or, perhaps he may have sustained no losses, and is +just able to live on his property without getting into debt; he +forgets, however, the principles on which he came out to settle; +he begins to complain that he is not making money. It is true he +leads an easier life than he did in England; he is not striving +and struggling for existence as he was there, but he is making no +money. His wife asks him daily, in the pleasantest connubial key, +why he brought them all from England, to bury them there, and see +nobody from morn till night? What, she urges, is to become of +their children? Will Jonadab, their first-born, be a gentleman +like his maternal ancestors?--But how, indeed should he, with the +pursuits of a cow-boy and the hands of a scavenger? It is very +well for one who cares nothing for genteel society, and whose +bearish manners, in fact, unfit him for it, to lead such a life; +but is she to endure this for ever, and see her daughters married +to men who wear long beards and Blucher boots?</p> + +<p>These incessant attacks at length overthrow the ennobling +philosophy of the colonist. He knows not where to procure more +than he already possesses, or he would gladly return to the +country of his fore-fathers; but alas! he sees no prospect of +gaining even a bare livelihood there. Without knowing, then, how +or where to improve his condition, he deplores the penury of his +lot, and sighs for wealth which he has no prospect of ever +obtaining.</p> + +<p>My own opinion has ever been that colonists, with few +exceptions, must always be poor men. They may possess large +estates and numerous herds; but the more numerous these herds, +the less is their marketable value: for population and demand can +never increase in equal ratio with the supply. A man, therefore, +who possesses the elements of wealth, may still be poor in the +article of money.</p> + +<p>Nor will his estates produce him more income than his herds; +for in most cases the only rent which his tenants can afford to +pay is in kind. 'The only real wealth to a colony is the +incessant influx of immigration, combining capital and +labour.'</p> + +<p>There are some of us, happily, who still retain the ancient +philosophy. We have not thought of pecuniary wealth, and are +content to live easily, with those moderate blessings which +attach to a beneficent climate and a simple mode of life.</p> + +<p>So very little is required which money can buy, that men seem +to be annoyed at the fact, and insist upon creating new +wants.</p> + +<p>A great deal of discontent and repining generally prevails in +a colony. People who have lived miserably in England, who have +long doubtfully hovered between suicide and highway robbery, +determine at length to adopt the still more melancholy +alternative of emigration. After bequeathing a few tender sighs +to the country which they have hitherto regarded rather as a +step-mother than a parent; and having pathetically solicited the +sympathy of those who more readily bestow upon them a few pounds +than a few tears, in the pious hope of never seeing them more, +our emigrants betake themselves to the favoured land of their +adoption, in the full and confident belief that they have nothing +now to do, but live "like gentlemen," though without the means, +or any other qualifications of that class. Their Faith is of that +affecting and unlimited description, as to lead them to suppose +that He who beneficently feeds the ravens will not neglect the +rooks or the drones.</p> + +<p>In a very short time, however, they find that they are no +better off in the new than they were in the old country. The +gum-trees do not produce bread, nor the banksias shoulders of +mutton; and, consequently, their hopes have been miserably +disappointed, and they loudly proclaim their wants and sorrows in +the streets. There are unfortunately in all colonies--those +'refugia peccatorum'--many emigrants of this class, idle and +worthless, who have never done well, and never will succeed in +any part of the world.</p> + +<p>A colonial life is not for these men, and we recommend them to +pass on to some other region as quickly as possible.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 9.</h3> + +<h4>THE MORAL THERMOMETER OF COLONIES.</h4> + +<p>In the chief town of every colony, there is always agreeable +society to be found among the resident Government officers, and +the other principal inhabitants. Many estimable individuals are +to be met with in all communities; in that in which I have myself +resided for some years, there are many for whom I entertain the +highest regard. I hope, therefore, it will not be considered +that, in the remarks which I am about to make, I am actuated by +any ill or invidious feeling, or at all allude to individuals. +Since I have undertaken the task of drawing sketches of colonial +life, I must not endeavour to conceal any portion of the truth, +nor tacitly allow erroneous conclusions to be drawn from my +remarks.</p> + +<p>I have already observed that a good and kindly feeling towards +one another prevails in this colony among the settlers generally. +But I must qualify this remark by adding--in all cases in which +individual interests are not concerned. There is less perhaps of +the 'spirit of dealing' in this colony than in any other of the +British empire. Ours is not a mercantile community, and the +farm-settlers generally are young men of good birth and +gentlemanly spirit. Still, even here, beyond all question, exists +the same odious tendency (though less apparent) which prevails +more or less in all colonies, to advance self-interest on every +possible occasion, without being deterred by any scruples +whatsoever.</p> + +<p>When men become emigrants, they leave behind them their +relations, friends, connexions, and all their old associations, +and appear upon a new theatre of action, where they have no +feelings to consult beyond their own personal wishes and +interests.</p> + +<p>They find themselves suddenly emancipated from all those +restraints which formerly acted with a salutary influence upon +their natural inclinations; and having no one near them whose +opinion they regard, or whom they care to conciliate, they fall +rapidly into the belief that they have no one to live for but +themselves, and, consequently, make self the sole guide of all +their actions, and sole god of their idolatry.</p> + +<p>This spirit of 'Yankeeism' is the prevailing spirit of +colonies. It is the natural consequence of the isolated state in +which men feel themselves to exist, when they have no longer +those less selfish motives of action that influenced and +regulated their conduct under other circumstances. The eye of a +parent no longer watches over them with approbation or anxiety; +and what has a still more powerful influence upon their conduct, +they are now beyond the observation of that circle of friends, +relations, and acquaintance, to which they had been known from +childhood; which had constituted their world, and the censure or +approbation of which determined their state of self-reproach or +self-satisfaction. Few men may be trusted far who can say, "I am +not known here," for these are always the people who care least +what they do. Good and well-meaning persons will exclaim, +"Colonists can have very little sense of religion, if they allow +themselves to act at a distance differently from what they would +do at home." Those who have more than a theoretical acquaintance +with mankind, and who are used to look upon them in their +undisguised selfishness, know well that their sense of religion +is greatly dependent upon the circumstances in which men find +themselves placed. We are not speaking of what such and such +people would do and feel, but of what is really done and felt by +thousands.</p> + +<p>Besides, I have already premised that it is not every colonist +who acts on these principles, but that such is the general +tendency to act in a colony.</p> + +<p>We can now understand the origin of that intense selfishness +in the American character, which has never yet been cast aside, +and which, in fact, is perpetuated by a republican form of +government.</p> + +<p>The high and nice sense of honour, the chivalrous generosity, +the frank acknowledgment of superiority, and the ready devotion +of self to the interests of others at the call of duty, +constituted the brightest ornaments of the feudal system, and +still glitter (though with feebler lustre) among the fragments of +that system throughout civilized Europe.</p> + +<p>The Spirit of Trade, which has shattered feudalism, has +impaired the brightness of that principle which was the soul of +feudalism. Nor has religion yet succeeded in supplying the loss. +Religion, which is the bond between Man and his God, has less +influence in regulating his dealings with his fellows than +Honour, which is the bond between man and man.*</p> + +<p>[footnote] *In making this observation, I refer to the general +conduct of the World; and am far from intending to say, that +honour ought to have more influence with mankind than religion. +The truly religious, a small but sacred band, "do justly, love +mercy, and walk humbly with God."</p> + +<p>And when the principle of honour loses its purity, you may be +sure that the principle of religion is already decayed or dead. +Now the principle of honour being (so to speak) of human origin, +depends greatly for existence upon the opinions of men; and when +we are emancipated from all great regard for those opinions, it +almost inevitably follows that our sense of honour becomes much +impaired; and having no longer any fear of censure, we no longer +have any feeling of shame.</p> + +<p>In a colony, then, is most apparent the accursed Spirit of +Trade-- that insidious spirit which undermines the truth of the +heart, which destroys its most generous impulses, and sneers at +every manifestation of disinterestedness. The first object of a +colonist is that of a petty shopkeeper,--to grasp at every thing +which is likely to benefit himself, without regard to justice, +religion, or honour. His own interest is the only guide of his +actions, and becomes the very soul of his existence. He came out +to make a fortune, if possible, and he thinks himself justified +in using every means to this end. Do not suppose that he is a +downright villain who would commit highway robbery. He would be +greatly shocked at such an imputation, for his conscience is +still too timid for so flagrant a crime. He merely follows the +golden maxim of 'caveat emptor', and, like the petty shopkeeper, +thinks he is justified in cheating those who are too stupid to +look after their own interests, and too ignorant or too feeble to +enforce their just dues.</p> + +<p>When that nice sense of honour which rules the conduct of the +high-minded gentleman, and makes him scorn to take advantage of +the ignorance or the necessities of another, ceases to influence, +the accursed spirit becomes dominant, and men look with suspicion +on all around them.</p> + +<p>It has become the pride and the boast of colonists, as of +horse-dealers, that they are sharp fellows; that they have cut +their eye-teeth, and are remarkably wide-awake. These honourable +distinctions are acknowledged by the simple-minded with alarm. +They feel like men involved among a mob, and instinctively button +up their pockets.</p> + +<p>The moral thermometer in a colony is lamentably low.</p> + +<p>We do not, however, look upon this state of things as +irremediable, and without hope; on the contrary, we doubt not but +the Better Spirit will in time resume its pre-eminence, and +colonists will be respected for their elevated sentiments and +high sense of honour, rather than for their acuteness in driving +a bargain. This evil, which is the natural consequence of their +present condition as isolated atoms, unconnected together by +those bonds of mutual respect which confine men in older +countries, will cease as society becomes re-organized, and men +feel themselves occupying in a colony the same position, as +regards obligations and duties, that they would have filled in +the parent state. As they settle themselves more firmly in their +places, they will come to feel that respect which ever attaches +to the character of HOME; and conscious that example is necessary +from men who occupy prominent positions, a higher tone will +insensibly be assumed, and the Better Spirit again be diffused +throughout all the ramifications of society. But to this end, it +is most essential that every aid should be given that Government +has the power to bestow. Religious instruction, and that good +example which, we may assume, is ever afforded to society by the +English clergy, are the principal instruments to be sought. In +Western Australia there are at this time only six clergymen, who +are scattered over a country many hundred miles in extent. Many +districts are, unavoidably, entirely without the exhortations and +offices of a minister. At King George's Sound, an important post, +no clergyman is seen from one year to another. Human beings are +born, married, and buried, without a minister to baptize, to +teach, to bless, or to give consolation in their extremity. There +is no bishop to consecrate, to watch over, or to reprove.*</p> + +<p>[footnote] *By the munificence of Miss Burdett Coutts, a +bishopric has been recently founded in South Australia; and the +Western Colony is for the present to be included in the same +diocese. But when it is remembered that there is no over-land +communication between the colonies, and the route by sea occupies +about ten days, it must be evident that this provision is very +inadequate to our wants.</p> + +<p>This is a state of things that must be remedied, or moral +improvements cannot be expected.</p> + +<p>The Roman Church has been more thoughtful of her children in +this colony, there being now settled here a bishop, and about a +dozen priests of that persuasion--reason the more for the active +interference of a Protestant Government to protect the spiritual +welfare of the Protestant community.</p> + +<p>The next most important object is the education of the youth +of the colony. So soon as ever Government can afford the grant of +a few hundreds a year, free-schools ought to be established in +various districts. Such is usually the scarcity of money in a +colony, that parents cannot afford to bestow even the commonest +education upon their children. Of course, I allude only to the +general condition of society; there are individuals who educate +their families in a judicious and sufficient manner; but the +great prevailing want is not the less felt and deplored. Boys, +the sons of men who have themselves been well educated, are early +made to supply the place of labourers and servants. Hardy and +manly in appearance, they are naturally rough and uncouth in +manner, and unhappily possess no mental stores beyond those early +principles of gain which have grown with their growth. In their +anxiety that their sons should do well in the world, the parent's +first object is to impress upon them the necessity of making the +most of every thing. Their early powers are exercised in selling +stores, sheep, cattle, or other produce, and they are applauded +in proportion to the hard bargain which they have driven. If a +man, threatened with law proceedings, is compelled to sell his +whole crop of potatoes at a ruinous loss, our keen and knowing +youngster glories in the opportunity of making a bargain by which +he shall profit to the amount of a hundred per cent., though the +seller return to his agitated family writhing with despair. The +malleable intellect of our youth is annealed by the Demon of Gain +upon the anvil of Self-interest.</p> + +<p>National education is one of the first objects of a paternal +government. The course of study ought ever to be adapted to the +circumstances and position of the scholars. In the first years of +a colony, the human mind peculiarly exhibits a downward tendency. +Few men prove themselves in their new condition of life superior +or equal to the character which they had formerly borne, as +pious, learned, or humane. The circumstances which formerly so +eminently conduced to the maintenance of piety, the cultivation +of intellect, and the exercise of benevolence, no longer exist. +Solitary and selfish from position, men of naturally generous +temper and good disposition, feel their hearts contract and +shrivel within them. Surrounded by a sordid and selfish crew, +they find no objects for sympathy, no inducements for the +increase or the preservation of knowledge, no animating impulse +to lead them forward in a good cause. Struggling for a time in +the net which is around them, they at length fall from the edge, +down into the seething cauldron, and become fused among the +mass.</p> + +<p>'The tendency of colonization is to deteriorate.' The first +object of Government should therefore be to arrest this impulse, +and remedy the evil so far as may be accomplished. If the +original settlers degenerate in their moral condition, their +children sink still lower. When parents cease to feel the +influence of those high and pure principles in which they were +themselves brought up, they naturally forget to inculcate them in +the minds of their offspring. What, then, are the guides that +direct these in their progress through life? What can they be but +Self-interest, relieved perhaps occasionally by a few touches of +Good-nature?</p> + +<p>The young women inevitably grow up mere creatures of impulse. +Where are those high qualities which are necessary to give them +their proper influence over the minds and actions of the other +sex? Where is that powerful sense of the duties of their calling +and position, that is necessary to create confidence in the +breast of the lover or the husband? Where are those unswerving +principles which alone can keep them, through trial and +temptation, in the right way?</p> + +<p>Woman, alas! has lost her power, when she ceases to inspire +veneration and command respect.</p> + +<p>It is the interest of every colony, and the duty of every +Government, to raise the moral character and condition of the +people. The necessity of this must be forcibly present in the +minds of those to whom the duties of legislation are intrusted; +and as the most obvious means of improvement lie in the judicious +instruction of the young generation, the attention of Government +must soon be directed to this grand object.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 10.</h3> + +<h4>COUNTRY LIFE.</h4> + +<p>It is most undeniably true, "that there is no place like +England," for men who are in "easy circumstances," and who +therefore think no more of direct or indirect taxation, and of +those multitudinous burthens which highly-civilized life imposes, +than a besom-maker's ass does of the load under which it daily +journeys. But how many thousands are there (children of sad +parents--Toil and Sorrow) who find their utmost efforts scarcely +sufficient to keep them out of the debtor's prison! Continual +gloom fills the chambers of their hearts; the sun bestows its +cheering rays in vain; and all the gay and beautiful influences +of the bright world of Nature fail to inspirit him whose every +energy is directed to the task of raising his family beyond the +threatening grasp of Want. In his few moments of relaxation, when +those whom he loves--for whom he is toiling unto death--hang +around him with gentle fondness; in those sweet moments, when +love unutterable beams through the glistening eye, and tender +solicitude watches the care-worn face, seeking to win one happy +smile--even then, he dare not give himself up to joy. The thought +is never absent from him that life perhaps is ebbing fast; the +very labours to which his only hope of income is attached, are +gradually wearing him down to the grave; and when he is no more, +what shall be the lot of those whose beaming faces smile so +sweetly? What struggles, what miseries are in store for the +beloved wife, and those young and innocent daughters whose hearts +are full of him! No! he dare not give himself up to joy; he +smiles in answer to their endearments--but it is rather a shadow +than a sunbeam that passes across his countenance.</p> + +<p>How many thousands are there in England so circumstanced, who +curse the artificial state of society in which they are compelled +to live! In their profession or trade they are bound to keep up a +certain degree of appearance, or they are shunned by those whom +it is their chief interest to conciliate. The great bug-bear ever +present in the mind of an Englishman, is the dread of not being +thought sufficiently "respectable." Professional men and +tradesmen depend for their subsistence upon appearances. To be +flashy is as bad as to be shabby; the great object is to appear +substantial. If you are rich, you have less temptation to be +dishonest, and may consequently be trusted. Every man, therefore, +who depends upon the opinion of others, is compelled to assume +the appearance of being comfortably circumstanced in order to +inspire confidence. Character is the life-blood of Englishmen, +but character alone will seldom extricate a man from the slough +of Poverty. In our highly artificial state of society, something +more powerful than character alone is required to place a man in +the road to fortune--call it as you please, tact or humbug.</p> + +<p>This necessity for keeping up appearances in order to move in +that rank of life which his business requires him to occupy, is +the heaviest tax imposed upon the income of an Englishman. How +often does it draw from him all his profits, leaving him to +lament how little he is enabled to lay by annually for his +children! Many times, without doubt, he wishes he durst retire to +a cottage too small to admit the visits of the heartless +acquaintance who form his "fashionable" world. Does their society +afford him or his family any real happiness? Is it not rather the +cause of many heart-burnings to him and to them? How much happier +he feels he should be, had he never looked abroad for happiness, +but sought it only around his own hearth! To see his daughters +elegantly attired, would gratify him extremely, were it not for +the unwelcome reminiscences of expense. But would they look less +lovely to his eyes, or be less dear to his heart, when moving +about him in the useful performance of domestic duties, clad in +homely garments, and thinking more of him and home than of +visiting and display?</p> + +<p>How economically, and how happily too, might he live, were his +own house his world, and his wife and children the only beings +for whose opinion he cared! But alas! these are the persons whose +opinion is of least importance in his pursuit of fortune. He must +do as the world does if he would secure its smiles, and is +compelled to think less of happiness than of gain.</p> + +<p>Is such a man happier, leading such a life, than he would be +as a colonist? Here--ever blessed be the recollection!--there is +no necessity for sacrificing peace of mind to appearance. The man +whose conduct proves him to be of gentlemanly mould, is +everywhere treated as an equal; and though his occupation and +mode of living be ever so humble, he loses nothing in the +consideration of his fellow-colonists. The half-pay officer, or +gentleman farmer, who occasionally drives his own cart, or sows +the seed which he has purchased in the market, is not thought +less qualified to act as a magistrate, nor is less respected by +the great and small in his neighbourhood. His cares are all +directed towards obtaining substantial comforts for his family, +and not towards making a display in the eyes of the little world +around him.</p> + +<p>Conscious that he is respected only for his character as an +upright man, and that as every one knows he is not wealthy, it +would be ridiculous to affect the appearance of wealth, he wears +the coarsest garments with more pleasure than the finest coat, +and draws all his happiness from domestic sources. His sons and +daughters equally indifferent to show--though the latter, at +least, are always neatly dressed--are busied with their different +duties, all tending to promote the general comfort.</p> + +<p>Happy family!--how pleasantly the evenings pass in your +society! Gladly would I ride many miles to spend such pleasant +hours, and witness happiness so unpretending and real. How +cheerful looks that large room, with its glorious fire of +Jarra-wood and black-boys, (for it is the winter season,) and how +lightly those young girls move about, arranging the tea-table, +and preparing for the evening meal! The kind-hearted mother, +relieved of all duties but that of superintendence, sits by the +fire chatting cheerfully with the guest, whose eyes, +nevertheless, wander round the room after a certain light and +dancing shape; the host, a man of eld, but stalwart in +appearance, full of hospitality and noble courtesy, appears in +his easy slippers and an old and well-worn coat, which formerly +had seen service in London ball-rooms. He discourses not only of +the crops and colonial politics, but of literature, and the last +news from England; for like many other colonists he receives the +English papers, and patronizes the 'Quarterly Review'. On the +sofa lie the latest numbers of 'Punch' and 'the Illustrated +London News'--some four months old, of course--for the ladies +like fun and pictures, whilst their father laboriously wades +through a three months' accumulation of the 'Times'.</p> + +<p>With what alacrity the old gentleman rises up and welcomes a +traveller, who has unexpectedly arrived, and has just stabled his +horse, and seen him fed before he made his appearance in the +parlour! There is no beating about the bush for a bed, or an +invitation to supper. Of the latter he is certain, and +indifferent about the former; for having slept the last night +under a tree, he feels sure of making himself comfortable on the +sofa, or on the hearth-rug before the fire. And then the girls, +who have no affectation or nonsense about them, crowd round the +new-arrived, and ply him with questions about their young friends +in other parts of the colony, and whether he was at the last ball +at Government House, and what was most worn on that +occasion--until the good man, laughing, breaks through the +circle, declaring he will answer no more questions till he has +had his supper, and, it may be, a glass of whisky-toddy +screeching hot.</p> + +<p>During the evening the girls sing, and happily they sing well; +and they take most pleasure in those songs which papa likes best +to hear. And the poor bachelor-guest, who looks on, feels his +heart melting within him, and reviles himself for the destitution +in which he lives at home. Suddenly, perhaps, horses at a gallop +are heard to enter the yard; and soon afterwards two young +fellows, fresh from the capital, come dashing into the room, full +of spirits, and vowing they have gallopped over on purpose to +ascertain whether the ladies were still living. Here is authority +of undoubted value for everything relating to the ball at +Government House; and the merits and appearance of every person +who attended it are soon brought under discussion. This naturally +inspires the young people with a desire to dance; so the table is +pushed aside, and papa being squeezed nearly into the fire, mamma +takes her place at the piano, and bursts off with the Annen +Polka.</p> + +<p>It may seem strange to you, dear reader, who have an idea that +colonists are merely wild beasts, that such things should be. But +so it is; and though people may dance the Cellarius with more +gravity in the saloons of St. James's, I question whether dancing +be half the fun there that our light-hearted colonists seem to +think it. There are no strangers in small colonies--it is always +a family party dancing together; and consequently, people are as +merry as if it were Christmas-time all the year round.</p> + +<p>Your fashionable people may pity them; but God help them, poor +things! In their dark and degraded state they seem to enjoy +themselves so much, that I should not like them to be put out of +conceit with themselves, or made to repudiate whatever gives them +innocent pleasure. Nor are they entirely insensible to the good +opinion of great people; for when they learnt that the Polka was +thought vulgar at Buckingham Palace, they had serious intentions +of denying it admittance into the ball-rooms of Perth; and I +sincerely believe it would speedily have pined away and died, +like a maiden under the breath of slander, but for a confidently +entertained hope that her Majesty would never hear of the +offences of the people of Perth--and people will do all kinds of +things when they can do them secretly. So the Polka continues to +be danced in Western Australia; and the courage of the dancers +has been much revived of late by hearing that it is still greatly +in vogue at home, notwithstanding the august censures said to +have been passed upon it.</p> + +<p>A country life might always be a happy one, were people +possessed of the smallest competence, and of properly regulated +minds. There is as much unhappiness, or at least discontent, in +colonies as elsewhere; but discontented colonists are the +greatest fools in the world, because they have themselves created +the evils, and the remedies are generally in their own power. The +grand object of man's search is happiness, which he strives to +obtain by a thousand various ways. Wealth he covets, because he +fondly believes that it contains the prize he seeks; but if +happiness may be found without wealth, of what value are riches? +Money is not so indispensable a necessary in a colony. Very +little indeed suffices to enable a proprietor on the banks of the +Swan, the Avon, or the Brunswick, to bring up his family in +comfort, and to perform all the rights of a generous hospitality. +The discontent which is so often felt in colonies arises from two +causes: first, it is the natural feeling of those who emigrate +late in life; who, although unsuccessful at home, have ever been +fondly attached to home associations, to the friends and +connexions with whom they have been bound up during many years, +and to the national belief that a man can never be truly happy +out of England. In addition to this, the emigrant of mature years +has been so long accustomed to feel himself living in the very +centre of intelligence, he has so long been accustomed to watch +the progress of political action at home and on the continent, +and to drink the fresh draughts of scientific discovery at the +fountain-head, that now, when far removed from the busy and +exciting scenes of the ever-moving panorama of European life, he +feels lost in the wilderness--a fragment of drift-wood washed +ashore and left far behind by the fast-progressing waves of +Knowledge and Action.</p> + +<p>The second cause of discontent is found in the non-acquisition +of money. Every one goes out to a colony with the full conviction +that he shall make a fortune in a few years, and then return to +England and become a man of landed interest.</p> + +<p>A man has to conquer his first disappointments before he can +become a happy settler; he has to form new and more just ideas of +his actual position. Generally, it is necessary that he should +return to England once more before he can entirely appreciate the +advantages open to him in a colony. He then fully perceives how +much more difficult it is to obtain a bare subsistence in the old +country. He finds that with the utmost economy he cannot supply +the numerous wants of his family, and he longs for his old +Australian dwelling again, and the easy, independent life which +he was accustomed to lead, when his children used to run about in +brown holland, and his wife looked becoming in printed cotton, +and thought no beverage so good as the wine which she had +assisted to make.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 11.</h3> + +<h4>PERSECUTIONS.</h4> + +<p>Scepticism is the offspring of ignorance. There are many +people still living who doubt the existence of dragons; who go so +far as to assert that such creatures never did exist upon the +face of this earth, and never did torment and destroy the +inhabitants thereof, and persecute forlorn maidens. They scoff at +the records which have descended to our times, as fabulous +legends, composed by idle monks; who were accustomed to write +fictitious histories during the dark ages. They deny to +historical ballads that authority which Mr. Macaulay attaches to +them; and yet the principal fact in the biography of Andromeda +(even before the times of the monks) may have been true; and the +poor people of Wantley may really have been harassed by the +celebrated dragon of that ilk. We speak seriously.</p> + +<p>Geologists have ascertained beyond a doubt that winged +monsters of the size described in ancient legends did really +inhabit this earth at some period or other. Happily they no +longer exist of the same dimensions as formerly; like the +descendants of Anak, they have become 'fined down', as it were, +in the course of ages, until their proportions no longer awaken +personal fear, nor do their exploits engage the attention of +historians. Sometimes, however, the ancient ferocity, the +propensity for devastation, still breaks forth, even in the +diminutive descendants of this formidable race, and persecuted +Man feels himself driven to the brink of despair.</p> + +<p>Soon after I had settled at Perth, in a small house, with +three quarters of an acre of ground about it, I began to think of +improving my little territory. I thought it was a duty I owed to +society to set a good example, by bringing my property into a +high state of cultivation.</p> + +<p>I intended to "make the barren desert smile"--to embower my +dwelling in the midst of blossoming peas, and aspiring kidney +beans, --to draw around me, as it were, a little luxuriant Eden, +which should be the admiration of a Sunday public, as they stood +riveted at the palings, unable to pass by without a lengthened +survey; whilst the envied possessor, stooping behind his +magnificent cabbages, would listen to their unstudied bursts of +rapture with justifiable pride. Glowing with horticultural +fervour, I rose early in the morning, and dug up the soil with +stern resolution, toiling with a Patagonian pick-axe at the great +roots which ran in every direction, until I thought myself a +perfect pattern of a settler. My man also exerted himself with +equal energy and more steady endurance; and in process of time a +considerable portion of ground was got ready for seed. In order +that nothing might be wanting to insure the most unlimited +success, I purchased a quantity of manure, and had it drawn upon +the ground. Then it was that the Evil Genius who (like the wicked +Enchanter that always kept his eye upon Don Quixote,) hath ever +dogged my steps, made his baleful presence manifest by the most +rampant hostility. The day on which the manure arrived, I went +out in my pleasure-boat upon Melville Water, accompanied by my +man Hannibal, to manage the head-sheets. On our return, at dusk, +we found the manure scattered all over the premises, as if it had +been kicked about by a party of dancing demons.</p> + +<p>The traces of talons were clearly discernible on the ground. I +knew not what to make of it. I thought a dragon must have been +rampaging about the premises. Well! the next day the man +scratched the manure together again as well as he could, and we +sowed a quantity of seed --peas, beans, and divers succulent +vegetables. The following morning Hannibal rose late, having +overslept himself, as he alleged. I was awakened by his sudden +appearance at my bed-side, but no sooner sat up than I fell back +again, appalled by the ghastliness of his visage.</p> + +<p>"The d--ls," said he, "have been again, and have scrat up the +earth far and wide; and (he added using a strong expression,) +I'll be dashed if there's a seed left!"</p> + +<p>Alas! "'twas but owre true." The ground so neatly raked the +evening before, which I had returned again and again to look at +with fond pride, until it was obscured by darkness, was now torn +up and defaced throughout its length and breadth.</p> + +<p>"Well!" I exclaimed, as soon as I could speak, "there are +dragons in the world."</p> + +<p>I could now enter into the feelings of the poor husbandman of +the dark ages, when he got up in the morning, and found a dragon +finishing the last of his highly-prized dairy cows. If I could +only catch him at it! I felt immediately a fit of +blood-thirstiness creep over me. I could have destroyed a dozen +dragons with pleasure, might I only come within reach of them. +Calmly, however, I ordered Hannibal to sow the seeds again, and +keep better watch and ward in future.</p> + +<p>It now became a serious question how my property was to be +protected. Am I to be subject to these incursions without +defence? Is there no safeguard in this country for a man's +possessions?</p> + +<p>I finished breakfast hastily, and went to consult the chief +magistrate. To my question as to how I ought to guard my garden +and vegetables from the attacks of the insidious enemy, he +replied by referring me to the 2 Wm. IV. No. 2, a local act, by +which people whose property is trespassed upon, are allowed the +privilege of impounding the trespassers.</p> + +<p>Impound a dragon! I thanked the worthy magistrate, "But," said +I, "the creatures that destroy my substance have wings, and are +not to be caught by men who have none."</p> + +<p>"The law," replied his worship, "is decisive on the subject; +you must follow the law, whether you be able to follow the +offender or not."</p> + +<p>"But," said I again, "if the law gives me no protection--and +merely to authorize me to impound a creature with wings, is a +mockery unworthy of the dignity of the law--I may surely protect +myself? I will have a file of men on guard, and fire on any +creature that infringes upon the vested rights which I possess in +my property. I will defend myself," said I, growing warm under +the oppressive weight of the law, "and maintain my vested +rights."</p> + +<p>"No man," replied the worshipful justice, "as you know very +well, has a right to defend himself, except with the weapons of +the law. You will only get into scrapes if you fight with any +other weapons."</p> + +<p>Finding that I was kicking against the pricks, I made my bow, +and went home again in a very ireful mood.</p> + +<p>Hannibal had resown the beds, and was at work upon others. On +seeing me, he stepped up to a fine Nuytsia floribunda, which +ornaments my grounds, and taking up a double-barrelled gun that +was leaning against it, gave a few significant slaps upon the +breach, and smiling complacently, winked his eye. I turned away +and entered the house, filled with a kind of grim satisfaction, +as thoughts of vengeance flitted through my brain. Too much +disturbed to sit still, I paced up and down the room, listening +eagerly for sounds which should announce the hour of slaughter +and revenge.</p> + +<p>The milk of human kindness had curdled in my breast; I felt +that I could sympathize with the restless anxiety of Charles IX +on the memorable eve of St. Bartholomew. But the butchery of +unarmed Huguenots was a different affair altogether from a war of +extermination against invading dragons. I looked out of the +windows every moment to see what Hannibal was about; but there he +continued hoeing, and weeding, and raking, and looking as calm +and amiable as the Duke when he awaited the proper moment to +attack the French. Suddenly he paused; I watched him quietly drop +his rake, and retire backwards behind a bush, where he remained +crouching down, with the double-barrelled gun in his hands.</p> + +<p>Unable to remain quiet any longer, I opened the window, and +cried in a fierce whisper, "Kill! kill!" With his hand he +motioned me to be quiet, so I withdrew and paced about the room +with feverish anxiety. The discharge of both barrels made me drop +into a chair. Murder had been committed! Vengeance was satisfied, +and remorse arrived as usual. Remorse, the ill-favoured offspring +of Fear!</p> + +<p>"You will get yourself into scrapes," said the chief +magistrate, "if you use any other weapon than the law." I +reasoned with Conscience; I repeated the argument that I had a +right to defend my property when the law failed to afford me +protection. Dragons, said I, are 'ferae naturae'; the people of +Perth, it would seem, are in the habit of keeping them as pets, +and thus they come to be considered private property. But then, +let the people of Perth destroy their own substance, and not +mine. If they do not choose to have gardens of their own, they +have no right to prevent the growth of my radishes. Because they +do not like sack, shall we have no more cakes and ale? Because +they can exist without cauliflowers, must I renounce all hopes of +having hyssop in my pottage?</p> + +<p>What! am I to rise up early in the morning and sow the seeds +of carefulness and labour, merely for the sustenance of other +people's harpies?</p> + +<p>To whom am I to look for redress, when I know not to whom the +ruthless creatures belong?--Creatures that wander far and wide in +search of food; that gain their precarious subsistence by plunder +and rapine; and are intensely hostile to the labours and +improvements of civilization. No wonder the poet looked upon them +as hell-born, and called them a pest and a curse to +society:--</p> + +<p>"------nec saevior ulla Pestis et ira Deuim Stygiis sese +extulit undis."</p> + +<p>I had made these reflections, and received a good deal of +comfort from them, when Hannibal appeared at the door with a +pallid countenance.</p> + +<p>"Two of them, Sir, are done for; one's a big un--eight pounds, +if he weighs an 'unce. He's a handsome feller, that un; black +feathers, and spurs to his heels six inches long. They'll make a +houtcry about him, I expect."</p> + +<p>"What have you done with the carcases?"</p> + +<p>"Dragged 'em behind the bushes. 'Tan't legal to lift the +bodies."</p> + +<p>"Go on with your work, Hannibal, and don't appear at all +fluttered or discomposed. Look as if nothing had happened. If any +one calls, I am not at home."</p> + +<p>An outcry was raised about the death of the dragon. He was the +favourite of a young lady who was a pet of her papa's--(next to +dragons, children are the most horrid nuisances).--An accursed +dog (the D---l take all dogs! say I,) had found the body, and +dragged it into the street, where it was recognised by the girl. +The papa, furious at the sight of the favourite's tears, roamed +and raged about the town in search of witnesses. Men of Belial +are always to be found, especially in a colony, and Hannibal was +openly accused of the murder.</p> + +<p>The whole town was in a state of excitement. People seemed to +think that a blow had been struck at the very roots of civil and +religious liberty; and as every one had his favourite dragon, +every one felt alarmed for its safety so long as Hannibal +remained unpunished.</p> + +<p>The ladies were especially bitter in their remarks and +innuendoes.</p> + +<p>I was told by 'friends', that more than one lady had observed, +that an old bachelor like myself cared nothing about dragons, and +therefore it was just like my selfishness to seek to deprive them +of their innocent pleasures and amusements.</p> + +<p>No one would listen to my plea of self-defence; no one +regarded my losses; I was not looked upon as a sufferer; and +instead of sympathy received only abuse.</p> + +<p>A summons being issued against Hannibal, he appeared before +the tribunal of two of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace, +accused of a grave misdemeanour.</p> + +<p>As every one knew that I was the instigator of the offence, I +magnanimously avowed the fact, and was requested to stand in the +place of Hannibal.</p> + +<p>In vain, however, did I use every argument to justify the +deed. The chief magistrate reminded me that I had been fully +advised to proceed only according to law, under the Act, 2 Wm. +IV. No. 2, amended (!!) by 4 Wm. IV. No. 5; by either of which I +was fully authorized to seize and impound all trespassers--a +limit and license that included dragons.</p> + +<p>My defence was allowed to be a sensible and rational one; but +the law was opposed to it, and their worships were bound by oath +to prefer the law to common sense. (I doubted myself whether +dragons came within the Law, but the Justices decided that they +were poundable animals.) This being the case, I was under the +necessity of paying the sum of ten shillings damages, and as many +more for costs and expenses incurred by the bailiff, in +travelling up and down his bailiwick in search of the body of +John Hannibal Muckthorne (whose body was all the time sitting +quietly in my kitchen)--rather than go to Fremantle gaol for a +month, and help to draw stones about the streets in a large +cart.</p> + +<p>I need scarcely add, that I returned home a wiser and sadder +man. "Hannibal," said I, "the Spirit of the Age in this colony is +opposed to territorial and to social improvement. My grounds must +still remain a barren waste. Instead of embowering myself in +fertility, as I had intended; instead of creating new beauties +which should transfuse fresh charms into the minds of the +peripatetics of Perth; I must continue to live in a desert, and +shall doubtless soon subside into an ascetic recluse. Hannibal! +turn the horses into the garden, and let them trample over the +beds."</p> + +<p>Thus have I reluctantly shown the reader that the dark ages +still cast their shadows over the city of Perth;--the dawn of a +high state of civilization is still wanting there, where man +continues defenceless from the ravages of noxious monsters +peculiar to an early and uncivilized era.*</p> + +<p>[footnote] *The laws which colonists make for themselves are +often as absurd as any that the Imperial Parliament thinks proper +to enact for them. To this day, the only legal remedy (except an +action and a shilling damages) against the winged and long-clawed +nuisances that destroy the hopes and break the heart of the +horticulturist, is to impound them.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 12.</h3> + +<h4>MICHAEL BLAKE, THE IRISH SETTLER.*</h4> + +<p>[footnote] *A dry and humorous old man, who I cannot help +suspecting coins a good many of his anecdotes, gave me this +account of one of the early settlers, just as I record it. The +fact of Blake's coming to this colony, solely because he had +heard there was an estate in it called Skibbereen, (after the +place of his nativity,) struck me as being something truly Irish +and original. The man's whole history is given almost in the +words of my informant, who professed to have received it pure +from the fountain-head.</p> + +<p>Michael Blake was a native of Skibbereen, a well-known barony +in the "ould country." His parents lived in a hut, "quite handy" +to the road, in the midst of a bit of turf-ground where they +managed to rear their annual crops of potatoes and their sprouts +of children with as little trouble to themselves as possible. +Michael, as he said himself, was the youngest of four, but there +were five younger than he. As soon as he could walk, his mother +clothed him in an old coat of his father's, the tails of which +swept the ground far behind him, as he trotted over the +cabin-floor with a stick in his hand to wallop his favourite +companion, the long-legged and long-snouted sow, as she lay +dreaming in the door-way. His father was an upright man, and +dealt equal justice among his children, whom he 'lathered' daily +with the strictest impartiality. This was all the education they +had any reason to expect, as the priest was always in a hurry +when he called at their door, and had not time to dismount from +his pony, from whose back he bestowed his blessing upon the +tattered crowd of children as they pressed around, and gazed upon +his Reverence with their wild grey eyes and open mouths. And +their parents could not be expected to give any other education +than they had themselves received.</p> + +<p>Michael grew up, therefore, as might be expected, a hungry, +dirty-faced, unbreeched, long-coated urchin. Although his parents +had done no more for him than to usher him into a life of mud and +misery, Nature had been more compassionate. She had bestowed upon +him a restless imagination, apparently for the purpose of +removing him from this scene of trouble as quickly as possible. +It led him, at an early age, to explore the passes of a +neighbouring bog, where he fell into a deep hole filled with +water, and was just on the point of escaping from the cares of +the world, when his eldest brother unfortunately came by, and +fished him out. Their father seized the opportunity, and lathered +them both.</p> + +<p>Michael next travelled in a northerly direction, and reached +the high-road with another brother, who was sent out to beg. Here +they both sat upon a stone and cried for their breakfast, until a +brilliant idea occurred to Michael, which dried his tears. He +made a dirt-pie, and presented it to his brother; and they both +passed their time very pleasantly, until an English carriage +appeared coming along the road. Little Pat ran forward, begging +and praying their honours to give him a halfpenny for the love of +the Virgin, as he had been carefully instructed to do by his dear +mother, whilst his father took measures to impress the lesson +upon his mind and person. Michael, on his part, made a vigorous +effort to cross over to the other side, crying lustily, "Please +Sir, a halfpenny!" but his mother, in order to give him a good +appearance in front, had buttoned the old coat wrong side before, +and poor Mike, in his haste and hurry, happening to put one of +his little feet into the remains of a pocket, unhappily tripped +himself up, and rolled before the horses' feet. The post-boy +cleverly turned them aside as quickly as possible, but nothing +could prevent the hind-wheel of the carriage from grazing one of +Michael's shins, and making him squall out in the most dreadful +manner.</p> + +<p>A young lady and gentleman descended from the carriage, and +showed the greatest compassion for the sufferer, whom they caused +to be carried by a servant to his father's hovel, whither they +accompanied him, and soon relieved the anxieties of his parents +by a present of five golden guineas.</p> + +<p>Some years elapsed, and things went on in the old way with the +Blake family. Mike had sprouted out into a fine gossoon of a boy, +and exercised his errant disposition by running after the +gentlemen when they went out shooting, and helping the keepers to +carry the game. One day, a gentleman who was shooting in the +neighbourhood called at his father's cabin, and asked for the +little boy whom he had run over in his carriage some seven years +before. Mr. Blake, senior, after blessing his honour for his +goodness, and wishing him long life and every earthly happiness +called to the young spalpeen to get out of that; and why was he +not for coming when the gentleman was spaking to him? Mr. Blake +hinted to his visitors that he should correct the manners of the +youth at an early opportunity, and in the meantime Mike slyly +approached with a gun that he was carrying for the keeper in his +hands, and received the compliments of the gentleman on his good +looks.</p> + +<p>The end of it was that the gentleman, who was an officer, took +Mike into his service; and in process of time, when he joined his +regiment, Michael became his constant attendant. Dying, however, +unexpectedly, as most people do, the worthy Mr. Blake, junior, +was left to his own resources; and finding nothing better to do, +he accepted a shilling from a friendly serjeant, and entered Her +Majesty's service as a full private.</p> + +<p>In process of time he married a wife--a real jewel, from that +"gem of the sea" so dear to poor old England--and accompanied his +regiment to Van Dieman's Land, en route to India. He was well +known and liked by the officers, having a peculiar talent for +blarney; and nothing pleased him so much as a little conversation +with a superior.</p> + +<p>The regiment remained seven years in Van Dieman's Land, and +then passed on to its destination, leaving a number of men, who +had received their discharge, to become settlers in the colony. +Among these was Mr. Michael Blake, who soon established himself +on a block of land, and became a prosperous colonist. But times +grew bad, ere he could retire with a fortune. His wife formed +undesirable acquaintances, and Michael endeavoured to reclaim her +by wholesome correction; but, unhappily, he bestowed so much +attention upon her amendment that he entirely neglected himself, +and before he was aware that he was falling into error, had +become an habitual drunkard.</p> + +<p>Everything now went wrong. Mike, hating himself, began to hate +everything about him; he hated the colony; he hated the +magistrates, who now and then imposed a penalty upon him; he +hated the laws, and discovered the difference between law and +justice, without being able to find any traces of the latter. His +fences fell into decay; his pigs and cattle committed trespasses, +and the neighbours made him pay damages. It was the fault of the +law, or rather of the lawyers, whom he condemned to the flames +with dreadful imprecations.</p> + +<p>Unable to pay the storekeeper for sugar and tea, judgment was +given against him, and his last surviving cow was seized by the +sheriff. He had the satisfaction of beating the officer nearly to +death; but the cow was sold notwithstanding, and he took a +month's exercise on the treadmill, whilst his wife spent the time +with her friend the excise-officer, and drank to his better +health and general improvement.</p> + +<p>On being released, he complained to the Governor, and +presented petitions to the Legislative Council against the unjust +judges who ruled the land, and crushed the hearts out of the +people.</p> + +<p>Soon, however, softer feelings came over him; thoughts +returned of home, so long forgotten in days of prosperity. He +wondered whether his parents were alive, whom, forty years ago, +he had left in the barony of Skibbereen, and had not heard of +since.</p> + +<p>He thought of the home of his boyhood; of the antiquated cabin +in which, at the will of his father, he had so often "eaten +stick;" of the long-legged and long-snouted sow, that used to +grunt uneasily in her dreams before the fire; of the potatoes and +salt for breakfast and dinner, of which he never got enough; of +the puddle before the door, in which he used to love to +dabble--all these visions of the past came back upon him now in +the time of his sorrows, and filled him with a craving for the +scenes of his youth.</p> + +<p>Every one in trouble goes to the Governor, who has +consequently plenty of morning-callers. A few words of sympathy +from his Excellency are very consoling, and serve the afflicted +for a topic of conversation for some time to come. "His +Excellency, the last time I saw him, desired me to write to my +friends." "His Excellency particularly wishes me to make it up +with Smith, or I'd never have forgiven him for seizing my cow." +"His Excellency swears that he can't spare me from the colony, or +nothing should make me stay another day in it," etc. etc.</p> + +<p>Mike presented himself at the government-offices, and after +waiting a couple of hours, caught sight of the Governor as he was +passing out through the ante-room.</p> + +<p>"God bless your Honour, it's bould I am to be stopping your +Honour and Excellency this way, and you going out too with the +business of the Nation upon your Honour's shoulders."</p> + +<p>"What do you want, my good friend, what do you want?"</p> + +<p>"It's your Honour and Excellency that's the good friend to me +and the poor, and many's the prayer that's offered up night and +morning for your Excellency, by them that blesses the Good God +and the Virgin for having sent your Honour to reign over +us."--</p> + +<p>"What is it, Mike, what is it? I'm in a hurry."</p> + +<p>"And is it me that's hindering your Honour? sure and I'll walk +wid ye to the world's end and talk all the same. Och, and it's +the bad times that have come upon us all entirely--and the ould +settlers feels it the most, as is likely. Faith and we'd all die +off, out and out, if it wasn't for your Excellency thinking of +us, and schaming to do us the good turn, when the Council (bad +luck to 'em!) raises the duties."</p> + +<p>"My horse is waiting; I really cannot stay."</p> + +<p>"Arrah, and it's a fine baste that same, and the two of you +looks well together, with the white cockatoo feathers, and the +sword all gould and diamonds."</p> + +<p>Here his Excellency showed signs of mounting his horse, so +Mike hastened to whisper confidentially,</p> + +<p>"Governor, dear, my heart's broken entirely for the ould +country, and the poor father and mother that's looking out for me +night and morning these forty years, to give me their blessing; +and the woman at home, the crathur, kills me day-by-day with her +going on; and I'd like to see ould Ireland once before I die, and +Skibbereen, which your Honour knows is the finest place under God +Almighty's blessed canopy, and I can't die in pace till I see +it--'deed I can't, Governor dear; and ther's a Man-of-war, no +less than the Shannon herself, going to sail for the Indies, +where I'd get passed on by Colonel Maxwell (God bless him for the +rale gintleman!) only, Governor dear, spake the good word for me +to Captain Widdicombe, and I'll be took to Calcutty free for +nothing; and it's not a tinpenny-piece that I have in the world, +the blessed Virgin pity me!" --Here his Excellency, being mounted +on horseback, felt himself in more independent circumstances, and +told Mike that he must not think of leaving the colony without +his wife, as it would be most improper conduct (the Government +would have to support her), and that he himself had no interest +with Captain Widdicombe--His Excellency's charger, being of an +impatient temper, allowed no further time for parley, but +cantered off with his rider, leaving Mike rather at fault.</p> + +<p>The more numerous the difficulties that appeared in the way of +Mike's return to Skibbereen, the more yearning became his desire +to lay his bones there. Every day he appeared at the +Government-offices, and waylaid the Colonial-secretary, or the +Attorney-General, or some other of the officials, entreating them +to obtain a free passage for an old soldier, whose only desire on +earth was to die among the bogs of Skibbereen.</p> + +<p>He talked incessantly of that beautiful spot, and swore that +he loved it better than the Garden of Eden. He pined after +Skibbereen as the melancholy pelican pines for his desert home; +but hope gradually seemed to leave him--all other friends had +long since abandoned him, and he had fallen helplessly into the +power of his arch-enemy the Rum-bottle, when a fellow-countryman +arrived at Hobart Town from Western Australia. Mr. Denis Maguire +listened patiently to Mike's pathetic lamentation over the lost +Skibbereen, and then calmly replied, "Och, but it's little that +I'd disthract myself for a place like that in the ould country; +sure isn't there Skibbereen near the Swan River, belonging to Mr. +O'Driscoll, and isn't it a beautifuller place entirely than any +other Skibbereen in the world?" "What!" interrupted Mike, "is +there Skibbereen at the Swan River, and is it Mr. O'Driscoll +that's living there? Arrah! say that again, my darling, if you +plaze." Maguire repeated the statement; on which Mike, starting +up, began to dance an Irish hornpipe; and then, stopping short of +a sudden swore that he was the happiest boy alive, and thanked +the blessed Saints for all their goodness to him.</p> + +<p>The next day he managed to sell all the remains of his +property, and made a bargain with the owner of a small +coasting-vessel to convey him and his wife (whom he was compelled +to take with him) to Swan River, where he arrived in due course +of time, and managed to locate himself at Skibbereen, where he +built a hut, cultivated several acres of land, and became quite a +reformed character.</p> + +<p>Although his landlord, Mr. O'Driscoll, was his countryman, +Mike managed to blarney him so that he did just what he liked, +and never paid any rent either in cash or in kind. His yearning +desire had been to live at Skibbereen, and now that he had +attained his object he was (wonderful to say) contented and +happy.</p> + +<p>He frequently came to Perth for the sake of a little chat with +the storekeepers and the gentry, and as he was sure to blarney +some one into giving him a dinner, he always returned home light +of heart and unimpaired in pocket. But alas! poor Mike was not +destined to die in peace at Skibbereen. A large party of the +natives had suddenly attacked the abode of a neighbouring +settler, and put the owner to death. Michael Blake and two of his +friends, without waiting for other assistance, hastened to the +rescue, imperfectly armed. They were overpowered in an instant. +Blake and one of his companions fell pierced with many spears, +whilst the other, being on horseback, escaped, carrying with him +four spears fixed in his body. Years afterwards, one of the +natives who had assisted at the slaughter coolly related the +particulars of the death of Michael Blake.</p> + +<p>When he was lying on the ground, said this man, he turned +round, and supporting himself on his arm, entreated for mercy in +the most moving terms. The savages stood round him, looking on, +and listening patiently to his address.</p> + +<p>"Did you show him mercy?" asked my informant.</p> + +<p>"No!" replied the savage, with calm indifference.</p> + +<p>"What did you do?"</p> + +<p>"We cut his tongue out."</p> + +<p>"Wretch! what for?"</p> + +<p>"He wongee (chattered) too much."</p> + +<p>Poor Mike! his blarney could not save him; it had often before +done him good service, but the savages valued it not.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 13.</h3> + +<h4>WILD CATTLE HUNTING.</h4> + +<p>Having received intelligence that a numerous herd of wild +cattle had lately been seen grazing upon some extensive plains a +day's journey south of Perth, I got up a party with the intention +of hunting them.</p> + +<p>Our preparations were made the day before starting on the +expedition. A bullock-cart was loaded with fire-arms, kegs of +brandy, various kinds of provisions, and cloaks and blankets. A +couple of natives had been engaged to act as guides, and these, +with their wives and families, spent the greater part of the day +lounging about my premises, idly inspecting the arrangements, and +sleeping in the sunshine, lazy as the pigs, which they surpassed +in filth. In the afternoon, taking with them a supply of flour, +they commenced their journey, intending to sleep upon the road, +and leave us to overtake them on the following day.</p> + +<p>At day-break the next morning we were in our saddles, the +bullock-cart having started during the night. The party consisted +of three, who were all clad in blue hunting-shirts, and had +polished horns hanging at their backs, filled with eau-de-vie, +wine and water, or the simple fluid, according to the taste of +the wearer. As we passed down the silent street at that early +hour, one of the party, an officer, agreeably dispelled the +slumbers of the peaceful inhabitants by a most able performance +upon a key-bugle; the others gave vent to the exuberance of their +spirits by loud "tally-ho's!" and cries of "hark away!" and other +encouraging expressions addressed to imaginary dogs. Then we gave +our able steeds the head, and dashed along with all those happy +and exulting thoughts which bubble in the breast of youth +hurrying to the chase. Is there any moment in life so dear to +memory as those we have passed on horseback, in the fine air of +morning, when we hurried along towards the haunt of cunning +Reynard, and expected every instant to see him break cover? Less +exciting by far is hunting in Australia, but still it is hunting, +and we are on horseback, and eager as ever for a gallop. Passing +over two well-built wooden bridges, connected by a causeway, we +crossed the river, and took the road for the Canning.</p> + +<p>Thick woods of banksia, wattle, and eucalypti, closed in the +view on every side; but occasionally we ascended a gentle slope, +and then looking back we could see a beautiful picture before us. +In the still air and misty light of the morning, Perth water lay +clear and tranquil amidst the vast forest by which it is +surrounded. The heights of Mount Eliza looked down into the +glittering mirror. On the right bank were the white houses of the +capital; far to the left we caught glimpses of Melville water. +Except the occasional flights of wild ducks, and the dark gusts +which from time to time swept along the waters, heralding the +rising land-wind, all was still and breathless. One could not +help asking oneself how long this scene had existed as we now +beheld it? Was it designed for thousands of years to be viewed +only by savages, mindless as the birds or fishes that frequented +its waters? Had it always existed thus, or been growing during +centuries under the hand of Nature, until it should be adapted to +the habitation of civilized man? And was that period now arrived, +or were we premature in seizing upon our inheritance before it +was thoroughly prepared for our reception? Many times have we +asked ourselves this last question. This singular country appears +to represent the ancient character of the earth in one of the +earlier stages of formation. It represents that epoch when animal +life was first developed in the lowest order of quadrupeds.</p> + +<p>There are a few small exceptions, but it may be laid down as a +general rule, that all the animals indigenous to this country are +marsupial--from the kangaroo, the largest down to the little +field-mouse.</p> + +<p>The animals not indigenous are Man, the wild cattle, and the +wild dogs. Many speculations have been hazarded as to the origin +of the first: to me it appears there can be little doubt that the +first tribes found their way hither from the eastern islands, +having proceeded originally from India. The language of the +natives bears more traces of the Hindu than of any other. This, I +believe, is the opinion of the Rev. J. Mitchell, M.A., of the +Middle Swan, whose long residence in India, and intimate +acquaintance with some of the languages of that country, give +weight to his conjectures. Many of the words used by the natives +of both countries are identical in sound, and express the same +meaning.</p> + +<p>I have also noticed that the Coolies of India and the natives +of this colony manage to understand one another much sooner than +is the case between the latter and the whites.</p> + +<p>The wild cattle have long existed in the interior, as appears +from their remains. Both they and the wild dog have probably +descended from animals cast ashore by shipwreck. The indigenous +tribes are those of the kangaroo, the opossum, and the lizard. It +is curious to observe how the distinguishing features of the +first are manifested in a great variety of animals, of all sizes +from the kangaroo downwards--the long hind, and short fore legs, +the three toes on the former, the rat-like-head, the warm pouch, +betokening the immature parturition. The opossums also are +marsupial. All these animals seem to belong to an early age of +the geological world. Many of the plants speak the same +language--especially the Zamia. The rocks, too, of this portion +of New Holland are all primary, except the limestone and +sandstone near the coast. Is this country, then, a portion of the +world that has remained in the same state for thousands, or +hundreds of thousands, of years; or is it of comparatively recent +formation, exhibiting that condition which at one period belonged +to the whole surface of the earth? The latter, of course, must be +the case; and if so, we cannot help thinking that further changes +must take place in its geological character before it shall be +permanently occupied by civilized man. At present, however, it +must be admitted there is no sign of volcanic action going on to +effect these changes. Our conjectures are purely speculative, and +will probably meet with no sympathy from the reader, but we throw +them out because the subject is full of wonder and mystery; and +those who have brought personal observation to bear upon it, best +know it to be so. As we wander through the lacustrine valleys +which abound here; valleys once the beds of rivers, but now broad +swamps choked up with lofty reeds--we feel as though we were in +the land and the age of the Saurians.</p> + +<p>The whole country swarms with lizards, some of which, to the +northward, grow to the size of five feet; but the most common are +the 'Iguana', or 'Guana', a creature some ten or twelve inches +long, with a flat head, very wide mouth, and only the stump of a +tail. they are perfectly harmless, and subsist upon frogs and +insects. One variety of this species, found in the district of +King George's Sound, was brought to my notice by my brother. It +is usually found in a tuft of grass, where it lies completely +hidden except its tongue, which is thrust upwards, and bears an +exact resemblance to the petal of a flower, crimson and pink. +Flies seem to delight in resting upon this deceptive flower, +which being covered with an adhesive mucous substance, takes them +prisoner, and proves their destruction.</p> + +<p>We have now had a long canter, which has brought us to the +neighbourhood of the Canning River. The country hereabouts +resembles a wild English park. The trees are all of the eucalypti +species, large and dispersed; the surface of the ground is level, +affording a view of the Darling Hills, which appear to be close +at hand. Crossing the river by a rustic bridge, we ascended the +opposite bank, whilst our trumpeter blew a charge that was +intended to announce our approach at a farm-house close at hand. +As we rode up to the door, the proprietor, attended by three +stalwart sons, hastened to greet us. He was a gentleman who had +passed a good portion of his life on the Continent, but having a +large family to bring up had resolved to seek his fortune in the +Southern hemisphere. Breakfast was already set out for us in a +large room which served as the baronial hall of the mansion; +whilst our horses, partaking of the prodigal hospitality of the +farmer colonist, were tethered in various parts of a fine field +of clover.</p> + +<p>Breakfast is a famous meal after an early morning ride, and +people have then not only good appetites but good spirits. +Half-a-dozen kangaroo-dogs, attracted by the clatter of knives +and the tempting savour that arose from the large dish of sheep's +fry, crowded round the open door, whilst they seemed to feel +keenly the selfishness of those who appropriated the whole of the +feast to themselves. Every now and then arose a howl of anguish +from the group, as one of the young men would arrive with fresh +supplies of coffee or fried bacon, and kicked a clear passage for +himself into the room. One only of the canine race was allowed to +approach the table--the venerable Tip, who having formerly, in +times of scarcity, earned his master five pounds a-week by +catching kangaroos for the market of Fremantle, was now entitled +to sit at his right hand, where a few morsels were occasionally +bestowed upon him, which he received with becoming gravity and +decorum.</p> + +<p>Breakfast finished, we saddled our horses and proceeded on our +way, accompanied by one of the sons of our host. We pushed along +towards the foot of the hills, over a sandy country covered with +scrub, and trees of various magnitudes.</p> + +<p>The birds that we saw were chiefly fly-catchers and +parroquets; and occasionally the wild turkey, or bustard sailing +along in the distance, made us sigh for a nearer +acquaintance.</p> + +<p>After a cheerful ride of several hours, having the hills on +our left hand, we crossed a few small plains; and understanding +from our guide, Tom H-----, that we were now at our destination, +we began to look about us for our bullock-cart, whose track we +had noticed from time to time as we came along. Our "cooeys" were +answered by voices not far distant; and following the sound, we +soon came within view of a column of smoke curling lightly above +the trees; and on arriving at the spot whence it arose, we found +our man, assisted by the natives, busily engaged in erecting a +kind of hut, or rather skreen of boughs, for our night quarters. +The bullocks were feeding quietly at a short distance; the cart +was conveniently placed for being unpacked; and a group of three +native women and their children, squatted round a fire of their +own, about a hundred yards from ours, and busily occupied in +baking flour-dampers, signalled our approach by shrill cries of +welcome without rising from their places.</p> + +<p><a name="f160"><img alt="" src="Landor_f160.jpg" width="500" height= +"350"></a></p> + +<center><b>Sketch of "The Bivouac"</b></center> + +<br> +<br> + + +<p> </p> + +<p>Our horses were soon relieved of their saddles, and each man +leading his own steed by the long tether-rope which had been +carefully coiled round its neck, took it to a neighbouring pool +to drink, and then proceeded in search of the best pasture. Our +animals having been attended to, our next thought was of +ourselves; and every one took his bundle of blankets and cloaks +out of the cart, and unrolled it beneath the sloping skreen of +boughs, and prepared his bed according to his particular taste or +experience; testing the accommodation from time to time by +flinging himself upon his couch, and ascertaining the different +vents by which the wind would be likely to prove annoying during +the night. These were next stopped up by handfuls of xanthorea +leaves, or by strips of bark from the paper-tree.</p> + +<p>The lodging being pronounced perfect, and the sun being level +with the horizon, we hastened the preparation for our meal; and +hampers and boxes soon gave forth their stores of cold fowls, +tongues, hams, and meat-pies. Sausages are excellent things in +bush-campaigns; and as every man toasts his own on the point of a +long stick, a high degree of nervous excitement is felt by each, +lest he should lose his savoury morsel in the fire.</p> + +<p>The kettle soon boiled, and as we ate our tea-dinner, the sun +went down, and night quickly swallowed up the short twilight, +leaving us to depend entirely on our fire, which presented a +goodly pile that shot forth cheerful flames, making the scenery +around us bright with light. The ground for the space of many +yards glittered beneath the flickering rays; the bowls of the +tall trees seemed whiter than usual; even the brown cheeks of the +natives looked less dark, as they chattered and laughed over +their supper. Cold grog, or hot brandy-and-water, was leisurely +sipped by those who lay on their couches in the full tranquillity +of after-dinner ease; and as digestion proceeded, songs and +catches awakened the echoes of the woods.</p> + +<p>Tired at last, we sank to sleep, having first, however, +visited our horses and changed their tether. During the night I +woke up. All around were fast asleep in different postures; some +rolling about uneasily in their dreams; others still as the dead. +I heaped fresh logs upon the fire, which blazed forth anew. The +natives were all huddled under their wigwams, which are about the +size and shape of an open umbrella resting on its edge. The night +was dark throughout the forest, and overhead; the little circle +of light within which I stood, seemed like a magician's ring, +sacred and safe from evil spirits that filled the air around. It +was as the speck of Time amid the ocean of Eternity--as Hope, +bright and solitary in the midst of unfathomable darkness. There +I felt safe and secure--but without --who might tell what spirits +roamed abroad, melancholy and malignant? Peering into that dark +boundary of forest, the eye vainly endeavoured to pierce the +gloom. Fancy peopled its confines with flitting shapes, and +beheld a grinning hobgoblin in the grotesque stump of many a +half-burnt tree, on which the light momentarily flickered. The +ear listened eagerly for sounds in the distant solitude; and one +almost expected to hear shrieks of laughter or of terror borne +upon the night-wind from the recesses of the hills. Evil spirits +seem peculiarly the companions of heathen savages. A wild, +desert, and desolate region, traversed only in the day-time, and +rarely even then, by straggling barbarians whose hearts have +never known a single gentle emotion, seems naturally to be the +haunt of the Spirits of Evil.</p> + +<p>Chingi, the terror of our natives, is often seen by them, as +they lie cowering under their kangaroo skins, and huddled +together in the extremity of fear, stalking giant-like and gloomy +along the summits of the hills, whilst the moon shrinks timidly +behind her curtain of clouds.</p> + +<p>On that night, however, there was no moon, and Chingi was not +visible to me, nor did any sound break in upon the silence of the +forest, save that of our horses eating their food, and giving an +occasional snort as the sand affected their nostrils. Anxious to +behold any spirits that might please to be visible, I walked to +the spot occupied by my quadruped, with the intention of changing +his quarters; but finding him comfortably stretched in repose, I +left him to dream of his own distant manger and two quarterns of +oats, and returned to my couch. The appearance of the bivouac, to +one viewing it from the surrounding darkness, was very +picturesque. Every object was lighted up by the cheerful +blaze--the cart with its packages in or about it, the sleepers in +their blue or red woollen shirts, under the sloping roof, their +guns leaning against the uprights, their shot-belts and pouches +hanging in front--the kangaroo-dogs lying round the fire, and as +near to it as possible--the surrounding trees and shrubs +glittering with a silvery light, their evergreen foliage rustling +at the breath of the soft land-breeze--altogether formed a +striking and peculiar scene.</p> + +<p>Next morning we were up before the sun, and having +breakfasted, proceeded on horseback in search of the herd of wild +cattle, which we knew, from the reports of natives, to be +somewhere in the neighbourhood. We rode down an extensive plain, +covered plentifully with grass, and presenting numerous clumps of +trees, which afforded shelter to bronze-winged pigeons and +immense flights of white cockatoos. The latter screamed fearfully +as we drew nigh, but did not remain long enough to allow us the +chance of a shot. Many tracks of the cattle were visible, +traversing these plains in every direction; but on reaching a +small pool, we found such recent traces as led us to believe the +animals could not be far distant. Remaining stationary for a few +moments, we allowed the two natives who accompanied us to +ascertain the direction in which the herd had wandered, and their +signs soon led us to follow in profound silence. The natives +walked rapidly ahead; the tracks were very apparent, and we were +all in high glee, and growing extremely excited. The sun shone +brightly, but as it was in the month of May, the air was mild and +pleasant, without being hot. After proceeding along the plains +for several miles we came to a thick jungle, through which the +cattle had formed a path. The interior presented a rocky area of +considerable extent. Fragments of rock lay jostled together, +among which trees and shrubs appeared, and here and there an open +space afforded room for the herbage which had tempted the cattle +into this rough scene. In parts where grass refused to grow, +beautiful purple flowers raised their heads in clusters--and ever +in the most rugged and barren spots the gayest flowers are found +to bloom. How grateful do we feel to Nature for bestowing such +charms upon the wild desert! cheering our spirits with a sense of +the beautiful, that else would droop and despond as we journeyed +through the lone and dreary waste.</p> + +<p>Although we sometimes proceeded over a surface of bare rock, +and at others over large and loose stones, where no foot-print +was visible to the eye of a white man, the natives never failed +to discover the traces which they sought with unerring sagacity. +After a ride of nearly two hours we observed one of the natives +making signs to us to halt. "There they are!" passed in eager +whispers from one to the other. Before us was a belt of wood, +through which we could perceive about a dozen cattle grazing on a +broad plain.</p> + +<p>Already they had a suspicion of danger, and began to look +around them. One of the natives, with my double-barrelled gun +loaded with heavy ball was creeping toward them through the grass +upon his hands and knees, whilst we cautiously drew up at the +side of the wood.</p> + +<p>The herd consisted of a huge mouse-coloured bull, with an +enormous hunch on his shoulders, and about a dozen cows, with a +few calves. The bull came slowly towards us, muttering low +bellows, and shaking his fierce head and ponderous neck, on which +grew a short, black mane. From some unexplained cause or other +the native fired his gun before the animal was within range, and +the bull, being a beast of discretion, stopped short, as though +extremely surprised, and after a little hesitation, turned round +and rejoined his female friends. The whole herd then began to +trot off at a slow pace across the plain, which was thereabout a +mile broad. We were now all eagerness for the pursuit; and Tom +H-----, the most experienced of the party, calling on us to +follow him, dashed off at right angles from the herd, and outside +the belt of wood, in the belief that he would be able to head the +animals by a little manoeuvring; but at the instant he started +the old bull turned short on his course, and made across the +plain in a new direction. I happened to be the last of our party, +and was the only one who perceived this new disposition of the +enemy. Anxious to be the first in the melee, I allowed my friends +to gallop off, and dashed myself through the wood directly in +pursuit of the herd. Thinking there was no time to lose, I waited +not for my gun, but resolved to trust to the pistols in my +holsters.</p> + +<p>The cattle, who had begun their retreat at a steady trot, +increased their speed as they saw me gallopping up to them. I was +afraid of their crossing the plain, and escaping in the thick +forest beyond, and so pushed my good horse to his utmost speed. +He seemed to be as much excited as myself, and in a few minutes I +headed the herd, and tried to turn them back; but they would not +deviate from their course, and would have rushed through a +regiment of foot, had it been in their way: I therefore avoided +the old bull, who came charging along at the head of the phalanx, +and found myself in the midst of the herd. It was a moment of +delightful excitement; some skill was required to avoid the +hurtling forest of horns, but I turned round and gallopped with +the mass; and having perfect confidence in my horse and +horsemanship, I felt that I could pick out any of the animals I +pleased. My gun, however, was wanting to bring the huge bull to +his bearings. He looked so enormous as I gallopped alongside of +him, that I despaired of making any impression with a pistol, and +resolved to limit my ambition to the slaughter of one of the +cows. We were now across the plain, the bull had entered the +forest, and the others were in the act of doing the same, when I +rode against the outside cow, in the hope of turning her away +from the thick cover, and keeping her in the open plain. She +would not, however, turn aside, and I fired my first pistol at +her eye, and though I only grazed her cheek, succeeded in +separating her from her companions, and turning her up the long +plain. At this moment four kangaroo-dogs, (a cross between a +greyhound and a blood-hound, bold, powerful, and swift,) that had +followed me in the chase, but had only gallopped alongside of the +cattle, finding me seriously engaged with one of the number, made +a simultaneous dash at the unfortunate cow, and endeavoured to +impede her career by barking, and biting at her nostrils, +dew-lap, and flanks.</p> + +<p>It was a fine sight to see these four noble hounds chasing +away on either side of the animal, whilst she, every now and +then, stooped low her head and made a dash at them, without +pausing in her career. Away she went at a slapping pace, keeping +me on the gallop. Fearful of hurting the dogs, I refrained from +firing for some time, but at length got a chance, and aimed a +ball behind her shoulders, but it struck her ribs, and penetrated +no deeper than the skin. Loading as I rode along, I delivered +another ball with better success, and she began to abate her +speed. The rest of the party now came up, cheering and hallooing, +but the game had dashed into a swamp in which the reeds and +shrubs were high enough to conceal horses and huntsmen; +nevertheless, we pushed through, and found her on the bank of a +muddy pool, where she stood at bay, whilst the dogs barked +cautiously before her. She was covered with sweat, blood, and +dirt, and perfectly furious; and the moment we approached she +made a rush, trampling over several of the dogs; and darting +madly against the nearest horseman, caught his charger on the +flank, and steed and rider rolled together on the ground. The +furious assailant stumbled over her prostrate foes, and was +saluted with a discharge of fire-arms, which, however, did not +prevent her from rushing against me in return for a ball in the +shoulder, but I eluded the assault, and the animal fell exhausted +to the ground.</p> + +<p>All this may sound savage enough to those who read in cold +blood, but it was very exciting at the time; and MAN, when a +hunter, becomes for the moment ruthless and blood-thirsty. This +was a very severe chase; the animal had run full five miles over +a rough country at such a pace as to cover our horses with foam, +and they now stood thoroughly blown, and shaking in every +limb.</p> + +<p>We returned to our home after a short rest, taking the tail +with us as a trophy. A party was despatched in the evening with +the cart, and a large portion of the carcase was brought in and +skilfully salted by the experienced hand of Tom H.</p> + +<p>This evening passed away as pleasantly as the last, and as we +were all rather fatigued, we retired early, and slept until +awakened by the sun.</p> + +<p>A native arrived early in the morning with the intelligence +that a herd of wild cattle was now grazing in a ravine of the +hills about four miles distant. As we could not well follow them +on horseback in that locality, we started off on foot armed with +our rifles. The morning as usual was brilliant, but not too warm, +and we walked along in high spirits. We had not proceeded far +through the woods when one of the natives, who was in advance, +stopped short on a sudden, and we all instinctively did the same. +Stealing back to us, he took my rifle out of my hands without any +ceremony, and telling us to remain perfectly still, crept slowly +forward, stooping nearly to the ground. We now perceived a small +plain about two hundred yards a-head of us, on which were six +wild turkeys leisurely feeding and walking about.</p> + +<p>The native had dived among the scrub, and we lost all signs of +him. It soon, however, became evident that the turkeys suspected +danger; they erected their tall brown and grey necks, and looked +about them like alarmed sentinels. "They're off!" cried we--but +just as they were preparing to run, which they do with great +rapidity, one of them was seen to flutter his wings and tumble +over, whilst the crack of the rifle proclaimed the triumph of +Migo. We rushed through the brush-wood, elated as schoolboys who +have shot their first throstle with a horse-pistol, and found the +bustard flapping out its last breath in the hands of the native, +whose dark visage gleamed with triumphant pride.</p> + +<p>Resuming our march, we passed over the side of a hill covered +with inferior Jarra trees, and soon entered the ravine in which +we expected to find the cattle. They were not visible; so we +crossed the valley, and passed up the other side for about +half-a-mile, when we entered another valley, some distance up +which we perceived a herd of cattle quietly grazing, or lying +ruminating in the confidence of perfect security. We endeavoured +to creep towards them as quietly as possible, but their senses of +smelling and hearing were so acute that they became acquainted +with their danger too soon for us, and trotted gently up the +valley before we could reach them. We now dispersed in the hope +of heading them. Attaching myself to Migo, who considered my +rifle the most likely to prove successful, as he had killed the +bustard with it, we walked for half an hour across the hill-side +without seeing anything of our game. A rifle-shot and a loud +shout prepared us for something, and in another minute we heard +the crashing of branches and the tread of feet, and soon beheld +half-a-dozen cows and two or three calves making their way up the +hill at a short distance from us.</p> + +<p>"What for you no get behind tree?" said the native in an angry +whisper, and giving me a push that prevented my staring idly any +longer, and sent me into a proper position.</p> + +<p>"Oh! why will they go in that direction? Why will they not +come within range? I will give everything I have on earth for one +good point-blank shot!"</p> + +<p>And sure enough a bouncing bull-calf, turning aside from a +thick clump of trees, came within about a hundred yards of me +apparently wild with fright, and not knowing which way to run. +Just as he was turning off again, I fired, and he fell upon his +knees, struck in the shoulder.</p> + +<p>Migo was upon him in an instant, and felled him to the earth +with a blow of his stone-hammer. I shouted the paean of victory, +and was answered by a loud "cooey" from the valley and the voice +of my friend Mr. B. calling out, "I have killed a splendid cow +and dispersed the herd. The bull and several cows are gone down +the valley towards the plains."</p> + +<p>All the party, with the exception of Tom N., were soon +assembled round the body of B.'s cow, which was black and +fine-limbed. She was evidently in milk, and there was little +doubt that the calf slain by me had belonged to her.</p> + +<p>Every one now asked what had become of Tom, whose assistance +was absolutely necessary in cutting up the carcases. B. had heard +his rifle down the valley, and we now began to "cooey" for him. +In a few moments we heard a faint "cooey" in reply, and started +in that direction. After walking for about ten minutes towards +the opening of the valley we heard distinctly, and at no great +distance, the bellowing of a bull. Proceeding cautiously, with +our rifles all ready, we soon arrived at the spot, and there +beheld a huge bull tearing up the ground with his feet and horns, +and bellowing in the most savage manner. A shout of joy directed +our attention among the boughs of a low banksia tree, where our +unfortunate friend Tom sat painfully perched, only just out of +reach of danger. The animal below every now and then fell upon +his knees, crushing and smashing something which we had great +difficulty in recognising as poor Tom's rifle.</p> + +<p>"He is badly wounded," cried Tom, "pitch into him, and don't +be afraid!"</p> + +<p>Without waiting for this exhortation, we let fly a volley, +which brought the animal down upon his knees; and after a few +staggering efforts to run at us, he sank to rise no more; whilst +his first assailant, Tom, slipped down from his perch, and limped +towards the remains of his rifle, execrating the dying bull in a +furious manner, and even venting his wrath in a kick. As Tom wore +a red shirt that only reached to his hips, he had no chance of +concealing an enormous rent in his nether garment, through which +protruded the remains of a shirt, which at the best of times was +probably far from presenting the appearance of virgin purity, but +now was stained with blood. As people in Tom's plight, when not +seriously hurt, are usually more laughed at than pitied, the +chagrin of our friend enhanced the interest with which we +listened to his story.</p> + +<p>Knowing that there was no escape for the herd of cattle up the +valleys, as they terminated in steep rocks, and that therefore +they would either cross over the side of the hill, or return down +the first valley towards the plains, Tom hung back, leaving the +rest of the party to head them. After some time had elapsed, he +distinguished the bull and several cows trotting along the +hill-side; and hastening to meet them, he posted himself behind a +tree, close to which he saw they would soon pass.</p> + +<p>Anxious, however, to get a view of the game, he stepped out +from his ambush just as the bull had approached within fifty +yards. Each saw the other at the same moment. The bull stopped +short, and Tom felt rather queer. He did not like to fire at the +vast head of the animal, lest the ball should glance off without +effect. The bull, instead of turning aside, began to bellow and +tear up the ground with his hoofs. The cows stood still, and +stared at Tom, who began to think the state of his affairs looked +gloomy; but he knew that his best policy was to remain +stock-still; so he looked at the bull and the cows, and the bull +and the cows looked at Tom. At length the bull had sufficiently +nerved his resolution, and began to advance, tearing up the +ground and bellowing as he came on. Tom took aim between the +shoulder-blade and the neck, and fired; the enemy staggered, and +roared with fury, rushing like a whirlwind upon Tom, who took to +his heels, and began dodging round the trees. But the bull was in +earnest; and savage with rage as a thousand lions, he tore round +the trees more quickly even than Tom, carrying his head close to +the ground, and his tail straight out behind, whilst his eyes, +Tom said, glared with such fury, that our poor friend's heart +froze up within him. Luckily he espied a banksia tree which +seemed easy to ascend; but just as he reached it the bull was +upon him. The bull roared, and Tom, roaring almost as loudly, +made a spring at the tree but slipped down again just upon the +horns of the animal. The next hoist, however, rent his garments, +and lacerated a portion of his person which he had always +considered especially sacred; but as the thrust heaved him +upwards at the same time, and gave a fresh impulse to his +agility, he succeeded in scrambling upon a bough that kept him +just out of danger. No one may describe the pangs of despair by +which he was assailed when he beheld the utter destruction of his +only rifle. He threw his cap in the face of the bull, but he only +lost his cap as well as his rifle by this rash and inconsiderate +action, which was the highest proof he could have given of the +extremity of his distress.</p> + +<p>Poor Tom! he had often been made a butt of, but had never been +so butted before.</p> + +<p>The cup went merrily round that evening, and many and jovial +were the songs that were sung, and witty and pleasant were the +jokes that passed freely at the expense of the unfortunate +'tauricide', who, bereft of his rifle, and dilapidated in +reputation and pantaloons, was heartily glad to be able to hide +his sorrows in sleep.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 14.</h3> + +<h4>WOODMAN'S POINT*</h4> + +<p>[footnote] *This is a more sentimental story than that of +Michael Blake, but I owe them both to the same authority.</p> + +<p>There is a pleasant ride along the shore from Fremantle to a +little bay about seven miles distant, one side of which, covered +with lofty trees, runs far into the sea, and is called Woodman's +Point. The sea in this part appears to be only a few miles broad; +Garden-island forming the opposite shore, the southern extremity +of which seems almost to join Cape Perron, and thus presents the +appearance of a vast bay. Not long ago, the blackened remains of +a small house, or hovel, were to be seen on the verge of the +wood, facing towards Cape Perron. Around it might be +distinguished the traces of a garden of considerable extent; a +few stunted vines still continued annually to put forth the +appearance of verdure, which served only to tempt the appetite of +the stray cattle that wandered down to this solitary spot. A +large bed of geraniums had extended itself across the path which +used to lead to the door of the house; and their varied and +beautiful flowers, rejoicing in this congenial climate, gave +additional melancholy to the scene. It was evident those plants +had been reared, and tended, and prized for their beauty; they +had once been carefully cultured, pruned, and watered--now they +were left to bloom or to die, as accident permitted. Near to this +bed of geraniums, but apart and solitary, untouched even by +weeds, of which there were only few in that sandy soil, grew an +English rose-tree. Its long, unpruned boughs straggled wildly on +the ground. It looked the picture of desolation and despair. A +few imperfect flowers occasionally peeped forth, but knew only a +short and precarious existence, for the shrub being no longer +sheltered behind the house, was now exposed to the daily violence +of the sea-breeze.</p> + +<p>This widowed rose, deprived of the hand which had tended it so +carefully, and of the heart which its beauty had gladdened, +seemed now in its careless desolation awaiting the hour when it +should die. It really looked, with its drooping boughs, its torn +blossoms, and its brown leaves, rustling and sighing to the +breeze, like a sentient being mourning without hope. Those who +have never lived in exile from their native land, can have no +idea of the feelings with which a lonely colonist, long separated +from all the associations of home, would regard a solitary plant +which so peculiarly calls up home memories. Pardon us, good +reader, this appearance of sentiment; you who will read these +lines in Old England--that land which we must ever think of with +pardonable emotion--will evince but little sympathy with us, who +necessarily feel some fond regard for the Mother from whom we are +parted, and are naturally drawn towards the inanimate things by +which we are reminded of her. There is in this colony of western +Australia a single daisy root; and never was the most costly +hot-house plant in England so highly prized as this humble little +exile. The fortunate possessor pays it far more attention than he +bestows upon any of the gorgeous flowers that bloom about it; and +those who visit his garden of rare plants find nothing there that +fills them with so profound a feeling of interest as the meek and +lowly flower which recalls to their memories the pleasant +pastures of Old England.</p> + +<p>But to return to the ruins of Woodman's Point. This plot of +land, now so neglected and forlorn, was once the blooming garden +of a very singular old man, who owed his support to the +vegetables which it produced, and to the fish that he caught from +the little cobble which danced at anchor in the bay, whenever the +weather permitted the fisherman to exercise his art. No one knew +his history, but his conversation and deportment told you that he +was of gentle birth, and had been well educated. His manners were +particularly amiable and retiring, and every one who visited the +solitary old man came away impressed with a melancholy interest +in his fate.</p> + +<p>He always welcomed a visitor with gentle pleasure, and seemed +glad of the opportunity of showing his crops of vegetables and +the flowers in which he delighted.</p> + +<p>The rose-tree never failed to arrest his steps for a moment. +He had brought it himself from England as a cutting, and there +was evidently some history attached to it; but he never shared +his confidence with any one; and the history of the rose-tree, +like his own, was never revealed.</p> + +<p>There was only one point on which he betrayed any feeling of +pride-- and that was his name. No one else would perhaps have +been so proud of it, but he himself ever seemed to regard it with +veneration.</p> + +<p>He called himself Anthony Elisha Simson; and never failed to +make you observe that his patronymic was spelt without a "p".</p> + +<p>Nothing irritated him so much as to receive a note addressed, +"A. E. Simpson, Esq."</p> + +<p>The Simsons, he would assure you, were an old family in the +northern counties of England, and traced back their genealogy to +the Conquest; whereas the Simpsons were of quite a different, and +doubtless inferior origin. Nothing more than this did he ever +relate concerning his family or his personal history.</p> + +<p>He arrived in the colony a few years after its foundation, +without any other effects than what were contained in a +portmanteau and carpet-bag, and with only a few sovereigns in his +purse. Without associating himself with any one, he early fixed +upon the spot where he afterwards built his house, and +established his permanent abode. Here he began to make his +garden, and did not disdain to earn a few shillings occasionally +by cutting fire-wood for a man who supplied Fremantle with that +necessary article. It was this occupation that caused the +settlers, who knew nothing more of him, to give him the title of +"The Woodman"--a name which soon attached to the locality.</p> + +<p>After he had been some time in the colony, Mr. Simson began to +express great impatience for the arrival of letters from England. +Whenever a vessel arrived at the port, he would put on his old +shooting-coat, and walk along the shore to Fremantle, where, +after having inquired in vain at the post-office, he would +purchase a pound of tea, and then return home again.</p> + +<p>Years went by. Every time that a vessel arrived, poor Simson +would hurry to Fremantle. He would watch, with eyes of +ill-repressed eagerness, the mail carried to the post-office in +boxes and large sacks. Surely amid that multitude of letters +there must be one for him! Patiently would he wait for hours at +the window, whilst the post-master and his assistants sorted the +letters; and when he had received the usual answer to his +inquiry, he would return to his abode with down-cast looks.</p> + +<p>As time passed on he grew more fretful and impatient. +Receiving no intelligence from England, he seemed to be anxious +to return thither. He would drop expressions which led his +visitors (generally government officers who called upon him in +their rides) to believe he would depart from the colony were he +rich enough to pay his passage, or were he not restrained by some +other powerful motive.</p> + +<p>His mind ran altogether upon the Old Country, and it was with +reluctance that he planted the vegetables and cured the fish +which were essential to his support.</p> + +<p>For many hours during the day he used to be seen standing +fixed as a sentinel on the low rock which formed the extremity of +the ridge called after himself--the Woodman's Point--and looking +homewards.</p> + +<p>Doubtless, thought was busy within him--the thought of all he +had left or acted there. None had written to him; none remembered +or perhaps wished to remember him. But home was in his heart, +even whilst he felt there was no longer a home for him. A +restless anxiety preyed upon his mind, and he grew thin and +feeble; but still whenever a sail was seen coming round the north +end of Rottnest, and approaching the port, he would seize his +staff, and set out upon his long journey to Fremantle to inquire +if there were, at last, a letter awaiting him.</p> + +<p>May we imagine the growing despair in the heart of this poor +old exile, as life seemed ebbing away, and yet there came no +news, no hope to him from home? Frequently he wrote himself, but +always to the same address--that of a broker, it was supposed, in +Throgmorton-street. But no answer was ever returned. Had he no +children--no friends?</p> + +<p>Naturally weak-minded, he had now grown almost imbecile; but +his manners were still so gentle, and every thing about him +seemed to betoken so amiable and so resigned a spirit, that those +who visited him could scarcely part again without tears. As he +grew more feeble in body, he became more anxious to receive a +letter from home; he expected that every one who approached his +dwelling was the bearer of the intelligence so long hoped for in +vain; and he would hasten to greet him at the gate with eager +looks and flushed cheeks--again only to be disappointed.</p> + +<p>At length it was with difficulty that he tottered to the +Point, to look for a vessel which might bring him news. Although +no ship had arrived since he last sent to the post-office, he +would urge his visitor, though with hesitating earnestness, to be +so good as to call there on his return, and ascertain if by +chance a letter were not awaiting him. He said he felt that his +hour was approaching, but he could not bear to think of setting +out on that long journey without having once heard from home. +Sometimes he muttered, as it were to himself, that treachery had +been practised against him, and he would go and expose it; but he +never allowed himself to indulge long in this strain. Sometimes +he would try to raise money enough by drawing bills to pay his +passage, but no one would advance anything upon them.</p> + +<p>Daily he became more feeble, and men began to talk of sending +him a nurse. The last visitor who beheld him alive, found him +seated in the chair which he had himself constructed, and +appearing less depressed than usual. He said he expected soon to +receive news from home, and smiled with child-like glee. His +friend helped him to walk as far as the rose-tree, which was then +putting forth its buds. "Promise," said the old man, laying his +trembling hand upon the other's arm, "promise that when I am gone +you will come and see them in full blow? Promise! you will make +me happy."</p> + +<p>The next day they sent a lad from Fremantle to attend upon +him. The boy found him seated in his chair. He was dead. A mound +of earth at the foot of a mahogany-tree, still marks the spot +where he was buried. Those 'friends' at home who neglected or +repulsed him when living, may by chance meet with this record +from the hand of a stranger--but it will not move them; nor need +it now.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 15.</h3> + +<h4>HOW THE LAWS OF ENGLAND AFFECT THE NATIVES.</h4> + +<p>The native population of our colony are said to be a much more +peaceable and harmless race than those of any other part of +Australia. In the early days of the settlement they caused a good +deal of trouble, and were very destructive to the pigs and sheep +of the colonists; but a little well-timed severity, and a +steadily pursued system of government, soon reduced them into +well-conducted subjects of the British Crown. There appears, +however, to be little hope of civilizing them, and teaching them +European arts and habits. Those of mature age, though indolent, +and seldom inclined to be useful in the smallest degree, are +peaceful in their habits; and when in want of a little flour will +exert themselves to earn it, by carrying letters, shooting wild +ducks with a gun lent to them, driving home cattle, or any other +easy pursuit; but they appear to be incapable of elevation above +their original condition. Considerable pains have been bestowed +(especially by the Wesleyans) upon the native children, many of +whom are educated in schools at Perth, Fremantle, and other +places, in the hope of making them eventually useful servants to +the settlers. Most of these, however, betake themselves to the +bush, and resume their hereditary pursuits, just at the age when +it is hoped they will become useful. Very frequently they die at +that age of mesenteric disorders; and very few indeed become +permanently civilized in their habits.</p> + +<p>Nothing could be more anomalous and perplexing than the +position of the Aborigines as British subjects. Our brave and +conscientious Britons, whilst taking possession of their +territory, have been most careful and anxious to make it +universally known, that Australia is not a conquered country; and +successive Secretaries of State, who write to their governors in +a tone like that in which men of sour tempers address their +maladroit domestics, have repeatedly commanded that it must never +be forgotten "that our possession of this territory is based on a +right of occupancy."</p> + +<p>A "right of occupancy!" Amiable sophistry! Why not say boldly +at once, the right of power? We have seized upon the country, and +shot down the inhabitants, until the survivors have found it +expedient to submit to our rule. We have acted exactly as Julius +Caesar did when he took possession of Britain. But Caesar was not +so hypocritical as to pretend any moral right to possession. On +what grounds can we possibly claim a right to the occupancy of +the land? We are told, because civilized people are justified in +extending themselves over uncivilized countries. According to +this doctrine, were there a nation in the world superior to +ourselves in the arts of life, and of a different religious +faith, it would be equally entitled (had it the physical power) +to the possession of Old England under the "right of occupancy;" +for the sole purpose of our moral and social improvement, and to +make us participants in the supposed truths of a new creed.</p> + +<p>We have a right to our Australian possessions; but it is the +right of Conquest, and we hold them with the grasp of Power. +Unless we proceed on this foundation, our conduct towards the +native population can be considered only as a monstrous +absurdity. However Secretaries of State may choose to phrase the +matter, we can have no other right of occupancy. We resolve to +found a colony in a country, the inhabitants of which are not +strong enough to prevent our so doing, though they evince their +repugnance by a thousand acts of hostility.</p> + +<p>We build houses and cultivate the soil, and for our own +protection we find it necessary to declare the native population +subject to our laws.</p> + +<p>This would be an easy and simple matter were it the case of +conquerors dictating to the conquered; but our Secretaries of +State, exhibiting an interesting display of conscientiousness and +timidity, shrink from the responsibility of having sanctioned a +conquest over a nation of miserable savages, protected by the +oracles at Exeter Hall, and reject with sharp cries of anger the +scurrilous imputation. Instead, therefore, of being in possession +by right of arms, we modestly appropriate the land to ourselves, +whilst making the most civil assurances that we take not this +liberty as conquerors, but merely in order to gratify a +praiseworthy desire of occupying the country. We then declare +ourselves seised in fee by right of occupancy. But now comes the +difficulty. What right have we to impose laws upon people whom we +profess not to have conquered, and who have never annexed +themselves or their country to the British Empire by any written +or even verbal treaty?</p> + +<p>And if this people and country be not subject to our rule by +conquest, and have never consented or desired (but the contrary) +to accept of our code of laws, and to submit themselves to our +authority, are they really within the jurisdiction of the laws of +England--'especially for offences committed inter se?'</p> + +<p>Such is the anomalous position in which the native inhabitants +are placed through the tender consciences of our rulers at home. +A member of a tribe has been speared by one of another tribe, who +happens to be patronized by a farm-settler, and is occasionally +useful in hunting-up stray cattle. The friends of the dead man +proceed to punish the assassin according to their own hereditary +laws; they surprise him suddenly, and spear him. The farmer +writes an account of the fact to the Protector of Natives at +Perth; and this energetic individual, rising hastily from dinner, +calls for his horse, and endowing himself with a blue woollen +shirt, and a pair of dragoon spurs, with a blanket tied round his +waist, fearlessly commits himself to the forest, and repairs to +the scene of slaughter.</p> + +<p>He learns from the mouth of the farm-settler, that the facts +are really what he had been already apprised of by letter; and +then, having left word that the offender may be caught as soon as +possible, and forwarded to Fremantle gaol, he hastens back again +to his anxious family; and the next morning delivers a suitable +report to his Excellency the Governor of all that he has +performed. In course of time the native is apprehended--betrayed +by a friend for a pound of flour--and brought to the bar of +justice. His natural defence would be that he certainly slew an +enemy, as he is accused of having done, but then it was a +meritorious and necessary act; he glories in it; his own laws +required that he should slay the murderer of his relative; and +his own laws, therefore, accuse him not. What are English +customs, prejudices, or laws to him? He is not a British subject, +for he is not the inhabitant of a conquered country (as English +governors tell him), nor has he, or any of his tribe or +complexion, consented or wished to be placed under the protection +of our laws. Why, then, should he be violently dragged from the +arms of his 'wilgied' squaws, and his little pot-bellied +piccaninnies, and required to plead for his life in the midst of +a large room filled with frowning white faces? Much obliged is he +to the judge, who kindly tells him, through the interpreter, that +he is not bound to convict himself, and need not acknowledge +anything that may operate to his disadvantage in the minds of the +jury.</p> + +<p>The unfortunate savage disregards the friendly caution, and +heeds it not; he maintains, stoutly, that he 'gidgied' Womera +through the back, because Womera had 'gidgied' Domera through the +belly. He enters into minute details to the gentlemen of the jury +of the manner in which these slaughters were effected, and +describes the extent and direction of the wounds, and every other +interesting particular that occurs to him. The gentlemen of the +jury, after duly considering the case, return (of necessity) a +verdict of "Wilful murder," and the judge pronounces sentence of +death--which is afterwards commuted by the Governor to +transportation for life to the Isle of Rottnest.</p> + +<p>Now if our laws had been imposed upon this people as a +conquered nation, or if they had annexed themselves and their +country to our rule and empire by anything like a treaty, all +these proceedings would be right and proper. But as it is, we are +two nations occupying the same land, and we have no more right to +try them by our laws for offences committed 'inter se', than they +have to seize and spear an Englishman, according to their law, +because he has laid himself open to an action of 'crim. con.' at +the suit of his next-door neighbour.</p> + +<p>Look at the question in another point of view. Is jurisdiction +a necessary incident of sovereignty? Do a people become subject +to our laws by the very act of planting the British standard on +the top of a hill? If so, they have been subject to them from the +days of Captain Cook; and the despatches of Her Majesty's +Secretaries of State, declaring that the natives should be +considered amenable to our laws for all offences which they might +commit among themselves, were very useless compositions. We claim +the sovereignty, yet we disclaim having obtained it by conquest; +we acknowledge that it was not by treaty; we should be very sorry +to allow that it was by fraud; and how, in the name of wonder, +then, can we defend our claim? Secretaries of State have +discovered the means, and tell us that Her Majesty's claim to +possession and sovereignty is "based on a right of occupancy." +Jurisdiction, however, is not the necessary incident of +territorial sovereignty, unless that sovereignty were acquired by +conquest or treaty. We question, indeed, whether it is the +necessary consequence even of conquest--the laws of the conqueror +must first be expressly imposed. The old Saxon laws prevailed +among the people of England after the Conquest, until the Norman +forms were expressly introduced.</p> + +<p>It is well known in colonies, that the laws propounded in +certain despatches are more powerful, and more regarded and +reverenced, than any others, human or divine. A kind of moral +gun-cotton, they drive through the most stupendous difficulties, +and rend rocks that appeared to be insuperable barriers in the +eyes of common sense or common justice. Judges are compelled to +yield to their authority, and do violence to their own +consciences whilst they help to lay the healing unction to those +of their lawgivers.</p> + +<p>The most convenient and the most sensible proceeding, on the +part of our rulers at home, would be to consider this country in +the light of a recent conquest. Instead of declaring, as now, +that the natives are to be treated in every way as British +subjects--thus making them amenable to the English law in all its +complexity, whilst their own laws and habits are so entirely +opposite in character--it would be better to pass a few simple +ordinances, in the nature of military law, which would be +intelligible to the natives themselves, and which would avoid the +difficulty of applying the cumbrous machinery of our criminal +code to the government of savages who can never be made to +comprehend its valuable properties. It is most essential that the +natives who commit offences against the persons or property of +the whites should be brought to punishment. At the same time it +is most difficult to establish the guilt of the party accused, +according to the strict rules of legal evidence. The only +witnesses, probably, were natives, who understand not the nature +of an oath, and who lie like the Prince of Darkness whenever they +have wit enough to perceive it is their interest to do so. In +general, the only chance of obtaining a legal conviction is +through the confession of the prisoner; and as it is most +desirable that he should be convicted, when there is no moral +doubt of his guilt, as his acquittal would be looked upon as a +triumph by his fellows, and make them more daring in their +opposition to the law, very little delicacy is used in obtaining +that confession.</p> + +<p>Were the prisoner defended by counsel, who did his duty to his +client, without regard to the interests of the public, the guilty +person would escape in almost every instance. As it is, the law +is outraged, and a trial by jury made an occasion of mockery and +gross absurdity, in order to obtain a conviction which is +necessary to the welfare of the white population. Nothing would +be more easy than to legislate for the proper government of the +Aborigines; but you must begin 'de novo', and throw aside with +scorn the morbid sentimentality that refuses to look upon those +as a conquered people, whom, nevertheless, it subjects to the +heavy thraldom of laws which they are not yet fitted to +endure.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 16.</h3> + +<h4>REMARKS ON THE PHYSICAL ORGANIZATION OF THE NATIVES.</h4> + +<p>The native inhabitants of Western Australia are only superior +in the scale of human beings to the Bosjemans of Southern Africa. +Their intellectual capacity appears to be very small, and their +physical structure is extremely feeble. In some respects the +Australian peculiarly assimilates to two of the five varieties of +the human race. In the form of his face and the texture of his +hair he resembles the Malay; in the narrow forehead, the +prominent cheek-bones, and the knees turned in, he approaches +towards the Ethiopian.* There is a remarkable difference between +the jaws and teeth of the Australian and those of any other +existing race. The incisores are thick and round, not, as usual, +flattened into edges, but resembling truncated cones; the +cuspidati are not pointed, but broad and flat on the masticating +surface, like the neighbouring bicuspides. This may be +attributable to mechanical attrition, depending on the nature of +the food which the teeth are employed in masticating. The upper +does not overlap the under jaw, but the teeth meet at their +surfaces. This peculiarity of teeth has been noticed by +Blumenbach as a characteristic of the Egyptian mummy; but he +thinks the nature of the food not sufficient to account for it, +and imagines it to depend on a natural variety. He observes, that +"although it seemed most easy to account for this appearance by +attributing it to the nature of the food used by the Egyptians, +yet the generality of its occurrence in Egyptian mummies, and its +absence in other races, are remarkable; and it affords some +probability that the peculiarity depends upon a natural +variety."** A constant uniformity in the structure and +arrangement of the teeth is an important particular in the +identification of species; and if any human race were found to +deviate materially in its dentition from the rest of mankind, the +fact would give rise to a strong suspicion of a real specific +diversity. I have examined the teeth of infants and children, and +found them in every respect similar to those of Europeans of +similar ages. Moreover, the process of degradation may be traced +in natives of different ages up to the teeth worn to the level of +the gums in the old man. I therefore consider it the effect of +attrition; but it becomes an interesting question to determine +what may be the nature of the food which produced the same +character in the ancient Egyptian and the modern Australian. Did +the fathers of science live on barks and roots, like the wretched +Australian? Although attrition may cause this singular appearance +of the teeth, the real question is, why does the lower jaw so +perfectly and exactly meet its fellow? And is this confined to +these two examples?</p> + +<p>[footnote] *The observations in this chapter were contributed +by Henry Landor, Esq., Colonial Surgeon on the Gold Coast, who +resided five years among the natives of Western Australia, and is +intimately acquainted with all their habits and +peculiarities.</p> + +<p>[footnote] **In a former chapter (13.) I have expressed an +opinion that the natives are descended from the old inhabitants +of India, which I think is exceedingly probable. It is +interesting to remember, that the ancient Egyptians are supposed +to have originally come from the same country.</p> + +<p>There is no fixed law determining invariably the human +stature, although there is a standard, as in other animals, from +which deviations are not very considerable in either direction. +Some varieties exceed, others fall short of, the ordinary stature +in a small degree. The source of these deviations is in the +breed; they are quite independent of external influences.</p> + +<p>In all the five human varieties, some nations are conspicuous +for height and strength, others for lower stature and inferior +muscular power; but in no case is the peculiarity confined to any +particular temperature, climate, or mode of life. The +Australians, in general, are of a moderate stature, with slender +limbs, thin arms, and long taper fingers. Although in general +stature there is nothing to distinguish one variety of man from +another, yet in the comparative length of the different parts of +the human frame there are striking differences. In the highest +and most intellectual variety (the Caucasian) the arm (os humeri) +exceeds the fore-arm in length by two or three inches--in none +less than two inches. In monkeys the fore-arm and arm are of the +same length, and in some monkeys the fore-arm is the longer. In +the Negro, the 'ulna', the longest bone of the fore-arm, is +nearly of the same length as the 'os humeri', the latter being +from one to two inches longer. In a Negro in the lunatic asylum +of Liverpool (says Mr. White) the ulna was twelve and a half +inches, and the humerus only thirteen and a half. In the +Australian, the ulna in some I have measured was ten and a half, +nine, ten, eleven and a half; the humerus was in those +individuals respectively eleven and a half, ten and a half, +eleven and a half, twelve and a half. Thus, in none of the +measurements did the humerus exceed the ulna two inches, which in +the Caucasian variety is the lowest number. In all the black +races the arm is longer in proportion to the stature than in the +white. The length of the leg of the Australian averages +thirty-six inches; in one man it was only thirty-three and a +half, and the tibia of that man measured sixteen and a half, +leaving only seventeen to the femur--a very remarkable +disproportion.</p> + +<p>Thus in the proportion of their limbs, the Australian ranks +far below the European; nay, even below the Negro, and approaches +far nearer to the simiae than any of the other races of mankind. +Perron, in his voyage, made an estimate of the average strength +of the arms and loins of the Australian, and of some French and +English; this is the result in French measures:--</p> + +<pre> + ARMS. LOINS. + Kilogrammes. Myriagrammes. +Australian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50.8 . . . . . . . .10.2 +Natives of Timor . . . . . . . . . . . 58.7 . . . . . . . 11.6 +French . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69.2 . . . . . . . .15.2 +English . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71.4 . . . . . . . .16.3 +</pre> + +<p>Thus in whatever manner the capacity of the race is tested, +its inferiority is strikingly exhibited. We shall find, when +examining the skull, that the coronal suture falls on the +temporal instead of the sphenoid bone, which is one of the +strongest marks of the simiae, and does not occur in other human +skulls.</p> + +<p>I have no desire to place the Australian lower in the scale of +intelligence than he is fairly entitled to rank, but I cannot +shut my eyes to facts; and if his organization is in conformity +with his inferiority, there he must rank, in spite of the wishes +of his warmest friends. At the same time I agree with the most +enthusiastic philanthropist that no attempt should be left +untried to amend his condition, and bestow upon him the blessings +which Providence has lavished upon us; but I cannot help fearing +the result will be disappointment. A fair comparative experiment +says Mr. Lawrence, has been made of the white and dark races of +North America; and no trial in natural philosophy has had a more +unequivocal result. The native races have not advanced a single +step in 300 years; neither example nor persuasion has induced +them, except in very small numbers and in few instances, to +exchange the precarious supply of hunting, and fishing for +agriculture and the arts of settled life.</p> + +<p>The colour of the skin is chocolate, and resembles the Malay, +although perhaps a little darker. The colour of the skin is, of +course, greatly dependent upon the nature of the climate and the +constant exposure of the surface of the body to the sun; the +parts under the arms are of a brighter colour than those more +exposed. We find in human races, as in vegetation, that every +successive level alters its character; thus indicating that the +state of the temperature of high regions assimilates to high +latitudes. If, therefore, complexions depend upon climate and +external conditions, we should expect to find them varying in +reference to elevation of surface; and if they should be actually +found to undergo such variations, this will be a strong argument +in favour of the supposition that these external characters do in +fact depend upon local conditions. The Swiss in the high +mountains above the plains of Lombardy have sandy or brown hair. +What a contrast presents itself to the traveller in the Milanese, +where the peasants have black hair and almost Oriental features! +The Basques, of the tracts approaching the Pyrenees, says Colonel +Napier, are a strikingly different people from the inhabitants of +the low parts around, whether Spaniards or Biscayans. They are +finely made, tall men, with aquiline noses, fair complexions, +light eyes, and flaxen hair; instead of the swarthy complexion, +black hair, and dark eyes of the Castilian. And in Africa what +striking differences of complexion exist between the Negro of the +plains and of the mountains, even whilst the osteology is the +same, therefore I pass over the hair and skin of the Australian +as parts too much subjected to the influence of climate to afford +means of legitimate deduction. It is the general opinion that +these natives are not a long-lived race. The poverty of their +food may account for this, together with the want of shelter from +the vicissitudes of the climate. The care taken by civilized man +to preserve health is, by increasing susceptibility, the indirect +cause of disease; the more rigid is the observance of regimen, +the more pernicious will be the slightest aberration from it; but +a total disregard of all the comforts of regular food, and +efficient shelter, the habit of cramming the stomach when food is +plentiful, and of enduring long abstinence when it cannot be +procured, has a far more baneful effect upon the human +constitution than all the excesses of the white man. As man +recedes from one hastener of destruction, he inevitably +approaches another: "Gross riot treasures up a wealthy fund Of +plagues, but more immedicable ills Attend the lean extreme."</p> + +<p>I have observed that the natives mix the gum of certain trees +with the bark, and masticate both together. This is attributed to +the difficulty of masticating the gum alone; but I am persuaded +that it has another cause also, and that it arises from that +experience of the necessity of an additional stimulus to the +digestive organ which has taught the Esquimaux and Ottomacs to +add sawdust or clay to their train-oil. It arises from the fact +that (paradoxical as it may appear) an animal may be starved by +giving it continually too simple and too nutritious food; aliment +in such a state of condensation does not impart the necessary +stimulus, which requires to be partly mechanical and partly +chemical, and to be exerted at once on the irritability of the +capillaries of the stomach to promote its secretions, and on the +muscular fibres to promote its contractions.</p> + +<p>I shall now point out the difference between the Australian +skull and those of some other races, without giving a description +of skulls in general, which would unnecessarily lengthen these +observations. "Of all the peculiarities in the form of the bony +fabric, those of the skull are the most striking and +distinguishing. It is in the head that we find the varieties most +strongly characteristic of the different races. The characters of +the countenance, and the shape of the features depend chiefly on +the conformation of the bones of the head."</p> + +<p>The Australian skull belongs to that variety called the +prognathous, or narrow elongated variety; yet it is not so +striking an example of this variety as the Negro skull. If the +skull be held in the hand so that the observer look upon the +vertex, the first point he remarks is the extreme narrowness of +the frontal bone, and a slight bulging where the parietal and +occipital bones unite. He also sees distinctly through the +zygomatic arches on both sides, which in the European skull is +impossible, as the lateral portions of the frontal bone are more +developed. The summit of the head rises in a longitudinal ridge +in the direction of the sagittal suture; so that from the +sagittal suture to that portion of the cranium where the diameter +is greatest the head slopes like the roof of a house. The +forehead is generally flat; the upper jaw rather prominent; the +frontal sinuses large; the occipital bone is flat, and there is a +remarkable receding of the bone from the posterior insertion of +the 'occipitofrontalis' muscle to the 'foramen magnum'. It is a +peculiar character of the Australian skull to have a very +singular depression at the junction of the nasal bones with the +nasal processes of the frontal bone. This may be seen in an +engraving in Dr. Pritchard's work. I have before described the +teeth, and mentioned the remarkable junction of the temporal and +parietal bones at the coronal suture, and consequently the +complete separation of the sphenoid from the parietal, which in +European skulls meet for the space of nearly half an inch. +Professor Owen has observed this conformation in six out of seven +skulls of young chimpanzees, and Professor Mayo has also noticed +it in the skulls he has examined. But although this is a +peculiarity found in this race alone, it is not constant. I have +a skull in which the sphenoid touches the parietal on one side, +whilst on the other they are separated a sixth of an inch; and in +the engraving, before referred to, the bones are slightly +separated, but by no means to the extent that they are in +European skulls. The super and infra orbital foramina are very +large, and the orbits are broad, with the orbital ridge sharp and +prominent. All the foramina for the transmission of the +sensiferous nerves are large, the auditory particularly so; while +the foramen, through which the carotid artery enters the skull, +is small. The mastoid processes are large, which might be +expected, as their hearing is acute. The styloid process is +small; in monkeys it is wanting. The position of the 'foramen +magnum', as in all savage tribes, is more behind the middle +transverse diameter than in Europeans; but this arises in a great +measure, though not entirely, from the prominence of the alveolar +processes of the upper jaw. Owing to constant exposure to all +seasons, the skulls of savages are of greater density, and weigh +heavier than those of Europeans:--</p> + +<pre> + Avoirdupois. + lb. oz. +Skull of a Greek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 11 1/2 + " Negro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 + " Mulatto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 10 + " Chinese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7 1/2 + " Gipsy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 + " Australian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 12 1/2 +</pre> + +<p>Upon an examination of the foregoing points of diversity, it +is unquestionable that the Australian skull is inferior in +development to the European, and the capacity of the cranium of +much less.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 17.</h3> + +<h4>SKETCHES OF LIFE AMONG THE NATIVES.</h4> + +<p>The Natives have very few traditions, and most of those which +they relate resemble the disconnected phantasies of a dream +rather than the record of a series of facts.</p> + +<p>They have some indistinct ideas about Chingi, the Evil Spirit, +but no notion whatever of a Supreme God. When first the English +arrived, many of the Aborigines considered them to be the spirits +of their deceased relatives; and some of them fancied they could +trace the features of former friends in the lineaments of +individuals among the whites. One of these natives, still living, +has more than once told me that his late uncle is now a certain +eloquent and popular member of the Legislative Council. The +nephew and resuscitated uncle occasionally meet, when the former +never fails to claim the relationship, which the latter +good-humouredly acknowledges; and the relatives separate with +mutual expressions of politeness and good-will.</p> + +<p>One of their most remarkable and most intelligible traditions +was recorded some time ago in the 'Perth Inquirer', by Mr. +Armstrong, Interpreter to the Natives.</p> + +<p>It is as follows:-- "The natives assert that they have been +told from age to age, that when man first began to exist, there +were two beings, male and female, named Wal-lyne-up (the father) +and Doronop (the mother); that they had a son called +Biu-dir-woor, who received a deadly wound, which they carefully +endeavoured to heal, but without success; whereupon it was +declared by Wal-lyne-up, that all who came after him should also +die in like manner. Could the wound have been healed in this +case, being the first, the natives think death would have had no +power over them. The place where the scene occurred, and where +Bin-dir-woor was buried, the natives imagine to have been on the +southern plains, between Clarence and the Murray; and the +instrument used is said to have been a spear thrown by some +unknown being, and directed by some supernatural power. The +tradition goes on to state that Bin-dir-woor, the son, although +deprived of life and buried in his grave, did not remain there, +but arose and went to the west; to the unknown land of spirits +across the sea. The parents followed after their son, but (as the +natives suppose) were unable to prevail upon him to return, and +they have remained with him ever since."</p> + +<p>The following is one of their fables:--The kangaroo was +originally blind, and could only walk or crawl. The frog seeing +it so much at the mercy of its enemies, took compassion on it, +and anointed the sightless eyeballs of the kangaroo with its +saliva, and told it to hop as he did. The kangaroo did so, and is +now become the most difficult animal in the world to catch.</p> + +<p>Besides Chingi, the evil spirit who haunts the woods, there is +another in the shape of an immense serpent, called Waugul, that +inhabits solitary pools. Snakes that frequent both water and +land, of great size--twenty feet long, according to some +authorities-- have been occasionally seen, and give a colour to +this belief of the natives. One day, whilst bivouacking at a +lonely and romantic spot, in a valley of rocks, situated some +forty miles north of Perth, called the 'Dooda-mya', or the Abode +of Dogs, I desired a native to lead my horse to a pool, and let +him drink. The man, however, declined with terror, refusing to go +near the pool, which was inhabited by the Waugul. I therefore had +to take my horse myself to the spot, whilst the native stood +aloof, fully expecting that the Waugul would seize him by the +nose and pull him under water.</p> + +<p>The natives are polygamists. Each male is entitled to all the +females who are related to him in a certain degree. A newly-born +child is therefore the betrothed spouse of a man who may be +thirty years of age, and who claims her from her parents so soon +as she is marriageable--when she is twelve years old, or earlier. +Some men have, consequently, four or six wives of various ages, +whilst others have none at all. The latter are therefore +continually engaged in stealing the wives of other people.</p> + +<p>This causes incessant wars among the tribes. When the +legitimate husband recovers his wife, he does not restore her to +the full enjoyment of domestic happiness, until he has punished +her for eloping. This he does by thrusting a spear through the +fleshy part of her leg or thigh.</p> + +<p>The natives are very good-natured to one another; sharing +their provisions and kangaroo-skin cloaks without grudging. The +head of a family takes the half-baked duck, opossum, or wild-dog, +from the fire, and after tearing it in pieces with his teeth, +throws the fragments into the sand for his wives and children to +pick up. They are very fond of rice and sugar; and bake dampers +from flour, making them on a corner of their cloaks.</p> + +<p>Fish and other things are frequently baked in the bark of the +paper-tree.</p> + +<p>The following observations have been sent to me by my youngest +brother: "Every tribe possesses a certain tract of country which +is called after the name of the tribe--as Moenaing Budja--the +Moenai-men's ground. They are not always very particular about +trespassing on their neighbour's territory. Many of the colonists +say that each tribe has its chief or king; but among all whom I +have seen, I never could discover that they paid any particular +respect to one individual, though they appear to reverence old +age; and I have frequently seen a party of young men, alternately +carrying an old grey-headed patriarch during their excursions +from one encampment to another.</p> + +<p>"They have no religion whatever, but they believe in some kind +of an evil spirit. I have often tried to discover, but could +never clearly understand, whether they believe in only one +all-powerful evil spirit, or whether it is merely the spirits of +their departed friends that they fear; or, (as I am inclined to +believe) they fear both; and for these reasons:--wherever there +is a large encampment of natives, each family has its own private +fire and hut, but you will always perceive another fire about one +hundred yards from the camp, which apparently belongs to no one; +but which the old hags take care shall never go out during the +night; for they will frequently get up and replenish that fire, +when they are too lazy to fetch fuel for their own. They call +that Chingi's fire; and they believe if he comes in the night he +will sit quietly by his own fire and leave them undisturbed. That +they likewise believe in the reappearance of departed spirits, +may be easily proved by the manner and the formalities with which +they bury their dead. In the first place they cut off the hair +and beard; they then break his finger-joints and tie the thumb +and fore-finger of the right hand together; so that if he rise +again, he may not have the power to use a spear and revenge +himself. They then break his spears, throwing-stick, and all his +other implements of war, and throw them into the grave, over +which they build a hut; and a fire is kept lighted for a certain +length of time. It is likewise customary for his wife or nearest +relation, if at any future period they should happen to pass near +the grave, to repair the hut, rekindle the fire, and utter a long +rigmarole to the departed, to induce him to lie still, and not +come back and torment them. Nothing will induce a stranger to go +near a new grave, or to mention the name of the departed for a +long time after his death. They always speak of him as +So-and-so's brother, or father. If the deceased be the father of +a family, it is the duty of his eldest son, or nearest relation, +to avenge his death by killing one of the next, or any other +tribe; and this often leads to furious battles or cold-blooded +murders; for they are by no means particular whether it be man, +woman, or child who is the victim; and it is generally the poor +women who suffer on these occasions; the men being too cowardly, +unless under the influence of very strong passion, to attack +those of equal strength with themselves. The women do all the +work, such as building huts, carrying water, digging up roots, +and procuring grubs out of the wattle and grass-trees. I have +seen a poor unfortunate woman marching twenty miles a-day, with +(at least) a hundred pounds'-weight on her back, including the +child and all their effects; whilst the husband has been too lazy +to carry even his cloak. A hunting excursion with a large party +of natives is capital sport. They choose, if possible, a valley, +at one end of which they station ten or twenty of the most expert +spearmen; with whom, if you want any fun, you must station +yourself, taking care to remain concealed. All the juveniles of +the party then start off, and make a circuit of many miles in +extent, shouting and hallooing the whole time. They form a +semicircle, and drive all the kangaroos before them down the +valley, to the spot where the old hunters are placed. Then comes +the tug of war, the crashing of bushes, the flying of spears, and +the thump, thump of the kangaroos, as they come tearing along, +sometimes in hundreds, from the old grey grandfather of six feet +high, to the little picanniny of twelve inches, who has tumbled +out of his mother's pouch; and numbers fall victims to the +ruthless arms of the hunters. The evening terminates with a grand +feast and a corrobery."</p> + +<p><a name="f214"><img alt="" src="Landor_f214.jpg" width="500" height= +"350"></a></p> + +<center><b>"Spearing Kangaroos"</b></center> + +<br> +<br> + + +<p> </p> + +<p>Each tribe has its doctor, or wise man, who is supposed to +have supernatural powers of healing wounds, and is the oracle of +the tribe. One of these fellows described to me the mode of his +initiation. He said his father, himself a wise man, took him one +night to the edge of a steep hill, where he left him lying +wrapped in his kangaroo-skin cloak. He was very much frightened, +but durst not stir. During the night Chingi came and tried to +throw him down the hill, and to strangle him, but did not +succeed. Chingi was like something very black. He afterwards came +again, and told him a great many secrets; and thus is was that my +informant became a doctor and a wise man. I think I have heard of +people obtaining the power of second sight in the Isle of Skye by +lying on a rock all night, wrapped in a bull's hide, and +receiving a visit from the devil. The similarity between these +initiatory processes struck me forcibly.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 18.</h3> + +<h4>THE MODEL-KINGDOM.</h4> + +<p>A well-governed colony is the Model of a great kingdom. As in +the case of other models, every part of the machinery by which it +is moved is placed at once before the eye of the spectator. In a +great empire, the springs of action are concealed; the public +behold only the results, and can scarcely guess how those results +were brought about. In a colony, every one stands so close to the +little machine of Government, that he can readily discern how it +is made to work, and therefore takes a more lively interest in +the working of it. The model has its representative of a +sovereign; its Ministers, who comprise the Executive Council with +the Colonial Secretary as Premier; its Parliament, the +Legislative Assembly; its Bishop of London, who is represented by +the Colonial Chaplain, the dignitary of the Church in those +parts. In the Legislative Assembly there are the Government +party, consisting of the Colonial Secretary and the Attorney +General, who prove their loyalty and devotion by adhering to His +Excellency the Governor on every division, and (according to +general belief) would rather vote against their own measures than +against the representative of their Queen. Then there is the +popular party, consisting of the popular member, who speaks at +random on either side of the debate, but invariably votes against +the Government, in order to maintain inviolate the integrity of +his principles. We have also the Judge, or Lord chancellor, the +great Law officer of the Crown, who sits silently watching the +progress of a Bill, as it steals gently forward towards the close +of the second reading; and then suddenly pounces upon it, to the +consternation of his Excellency, and the delight of the popular +member, and tears it in pieces with his sharp legal teeth, whilst +he shows that it is in its scope and tendency contrary to the Law +of England in that case provided, and is besides impossible to be +carried out in the present circumstances of the Colony. The Model +Nation has its national debt of one thousand pounds, due to the +Commissariat chest; and this burthen of the State costs his +Excellency many a sleepless night, spent in vain conjectures as +to the best mode of relieving the financial embarrassments.</p> + +<p>It is pleasant to learn from the model, how Government +patronage is disposed of in the Parent country. Kindly motives, +however, which never appear in the arrangements of the latter, +are always conspicuous in a colony. A public work is sometimes +created for the sole purpose of saving an unfortunate mechanic +from the horrors of idleness; and a debt due to the State is +occasionally discharged by three months' washing of a Privy +Councillor's shirts.</p> + +<p>Then we have the exact fac-simile of a Royal Court, with its +levees and drawing-rooms, where his Excellency displays the +utmost extent of his affability, and his lady of her queenly +airs. There may be seen, in all its original freshness and +vigour, the smiling hatred of rival ladies, followed by their +respective trains of admirers; whilst the full-blown dames of +Members of Council elbow their way, with all the charming +confidence of rank, towards the vicinity of her who is the +cynosure of all eyes. The early levees of the first Governor of +Western Australia were held in a dry swamp, near the centre of +the present town of Perth. His Excellency, graciously bowing +beneath the shade of a banksia tree, received with affability +those who were introduced to him, as they stumbled into his +presence over tangled brushwood, and with difficulty avoided the +only humiliation that is scorned by English courtiers--that of +the person.</p> + +<p>Ladies, in struggling through the thorny brake, had sometimes +to labour under the double embarrassment of a ragged reputation +and dress. To appear before the Presence, under such +circumstances, with a smiling countenance, proved the triumph of +feminine art, and of course excited general admiration. But this +was in the early days of the settlement. We have now a handsome +Government-house, where ladies who attend drawing-rooms incur no +danger of any kind.</p> + +<p>From the financial difficulties of a small colony you may form +some idea of the troubles of the Chancellor of the Exchequer at +home. And yet there is less financial talent required to raise +five hundred thousand pounds in England than five hundred in an +impoverished colony. In the former country only a few voices, +comparatively, are raised in expostulation; and no one cares +about them, if Mr. Hume could be gagged, and the other patriots +in the Commons. But in a colony! threaten to raise the price of +sugar by the imposition of another half-penny per pound, and the +whole land will be heaved as though by an earthquake. Not only +will the newspapers pour forth a terrific storm of denunciations +against a treacherous Government, but every individual of the +public will take up the matter as a personal injury, and roar out +his protest against so monstrous a political crime. Those who +called most loudly for the erection of a necessary bridge, will +be most indignant when asked next year to contribute towards its +cost.</p> + +<p>The Governor of a colony should not only be a good financier, +but if he would avoid the bitter pangs of repentance, must +possess great firmness in resisting the innumerable calls upon +the Government purse.</p> + +<p>His Excellency may lay his account to being daily vituperated +for not consenting to the construction of this or that national +work, but he will be still more taken to task when the melancholy +duty of paying for it becomes imperative, and is found to be +unavoidable.</p> + +<p>It is the general belief, that in a colony we are altogether +out of the world; but it has always appeared to me, that within +the narrow confines of one of those epitomes of a kingdom we may +see more of the world than when standing on the outer edge of +society in England.</p> + +<p>A man thinks himself in the midst of the world in Great +Britain, because he reads the newspapers and knows what is +passing and being enacted around him. But the same newspapers are +read with equal diligence in a colony, and the same knowledge is +acquired there, though some three months later. To read the +newspapers, and to hang, close as a burr, upon the skirts of +society, is not to be in the world. The world is, in truth, the +heart of Man; and he knows most of the World who knows most of +his species. And where, alas! may this knowledge, so painful and +so humiliating, be better acquired than in a colony? There we +have the human heart laid open before us without veil or +disguise: there we see it in all its coarseness, its selfishness, +its brutality.</p> + +<p>How many fine natures, cultivated, delicate, and generous, +have gone forth from their native land, full of high resolves, +only to perish in the mephitic atmosphere of a colony!</p> + +<p>There we find whatever there is of good and bad in human +nature brought immediately before our eyes. It is a school of +moral anatomy, in which we study subjects whose outer covering +has been removed, and where the inner machinery (fearful to see!) +is left exposed.</p> + +<p>A knowledge of the world! if we gain it not in a colony, it +must ever remain a sealed book to us.</p> + +<p>We shall leave but a bad impression on the mind of the reader +in concluding this short chapter with these sombre observations; +but we would not leave him without hope. Time will remedy all +this. Some moral evils correct themselves; as the water of the +Nile becomes pure again after it has gone putrid.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 19.</h3> + +<h4>TRIALS OF A GOVERNOR.</h4> + +<p>Except the waiter at a commercial inn, no man has so much upon +his hands, or so many faults to answer for, as the Governor of a +colony. If public affairs go wrong, every voice is raised, +requiring him immediately to rectify them; and as every one has a +particular plan of his own, the Governor is expected instantly to +adopt them all. Nor has he public calamities only to answer for; +the private misfortunes of individuals are, without hesitation, +laid at his door. He is expected to do something, and not a +little, for all who are in trouble; he has to devise expedients +for those whose own wits are at fault: it is among his duties to +console, to cheer, to advise, to redress, to remedy; and, above +all, to enrich.</p> + +<p>As men set up a block of wood in a field to become a +rubbing-post for asses; as bachelors take to themselves wives, +and elderly spinsters individuals of the feline race, in order to +have something on which to vent their occasional ill-humours, so +is a Governor set up in a colony, that the settlers may have a +proper object or mark set apart, on which they may satisfactorily +discharge their wrongs, sorrows, wants, troubles, distractions, +follies, and unreasonable expectations. A Governor is the +safety-valve of a colony; withdraw this legitimate object of +abuse, and the whole community would be at loggerheads. A state +of anarchy would be the immediate consequence, and broil and +blood-shed would prevail throughout the land. Sometimes a +Governor forgets the purpose for which he was sent out from home, +and placed on high in a colony, as a rubbing-post; he sometimes +lapses into the error of fancying himself a colonial Solon, and +strives to distinguish his reign by the enactment of laws, which +only increase the natural irritability of the settlers, and cause +him to be more rubbed against than ever. On these occasions he is +not always entitled to much sympathy; but when private parties +come crowding round him to have the consequence of their follies +averted, or merely in a state of discontented irritation, to have +their backs scratched, his poor Excellency is much to be +compassionated.</p> + +<p>Almost every morning a long-eared crowd assembles around the +Government-offices, where the rubbing-post is set up, and one +after another they are admitted to find what relief they may from +this cheap luxury. It is pleasant to observe that they almost all +come out again with smiling countenances. For a moment, the sense +of pain or discontent has been alleviated by the gentle +application.</p> + +<p>Sometimes an honest farmer has ridden fifty miles in order to +have the pleasure of complaining to his Excellency of the +mal-administration of the post-office department, evidenced by +the non-delivery of a letter, which, after a vast deal of +investigation and inquiry, turns out never to have been posted. +Sometimes a man comes for advice as to the propriety of going to +law with his neighbour about a bull which had taken the liberty +to eat some of his turnips. One man wishes to have his +Excellency's opinion upon a disease which has lately broken out +among his pigs; another has mysteriously carried a piece of +iron-stone in his pocket for a hundred miles, and claims the +reward for the discovery of a coal-mine; a third has a plan to +propose for fertilizing the sand-plains around Perth, by manuring +them with sperm oil. Some are desirous that their sons should be +made Government clerks, and insist upon their right to all vacant +appointments on the plea of being "old settlers." Others have +suggestions to make the neglect of which would prove ruinous to +the colony: general misery is only to be averted by the repeal of +the duty on tobacco: no more ships need be expected (this is +after a gale and wreck,) unless a break-water be constructed, +which may be done for ninety-five thousand pounds, and there was +a surplus revenue last year over the expenditure of thirteen +shillings and sixpence, the local government being also indebted +to the Commissariat chest in the sum of nine hundred pounds odd. +Some complain of roads and bridges being in a defective state, +and wonder why two thousand pounds extra per annum are not laid +out upon them; these are succeeded by a deputation from the +inhabitants of Rockingham, requesting, as a matter of right, that +half that sum may be applied in ornamenting their principal +square with a botanical garden. Then the Governor has to attend +to complaints against public officers. The Commissioner of the +Civil Court has proved himself to be an unjust judge by deciding +for the defendant contrary to the truth, as proved by the +plaintiff; or the Commissioner of the Court of Requests has +received a bribe of three-and-fourpence, and refused to listen to +the complainant's story. The magistrates have granted a spirit +license to a notorious character, and denied one to the +applicant, an unimpeachable householder. The Post-Master General +has embezzled a letter, or the Colonial Secretary has neglected +to reply to one.</p> + +<p>All these things, and a thousand others, the Governor is +expected to listen to, inquire about, remedy, or profit by.</p> + +<p>One day, I remember, I went myself to complain of the +absurdity of an Act of Council which I thought might be +advantageously amended by the aid of a little light which had +lately dawned upon me.</p> + +<p>Among those who haunted the ante-room, waiting for admittance +to the rubbing-post was a tall Irish woman, who had seen better +days, but was now reduced to much distress, and was besides not +altogether right in her intellects.</p> + +<p>She was in the frequent habit of attending there, for the +purpose of complaining against the Advocate General, who never +paid her proper attention when she went to lay her grievances +before him. This woman was the terror of the Government officers. +She never allowed her victim to escape when once she had begun +her story;--in vain might he try to edge away towards the +door--if he were not to be retained by the fascination of her +voice, she would seize him by the coat with a grasp of iron, and +a fly might as well try to escape from a pot-bellied spider. +Whenever she appeared, no public officer was ever to be found. A +general epidemic seemed to have fallen upon the offices, and +exterminated all the inhabitants. The Colonial Secretary would +rush out to luncheon, deaf as an adder to the cries of female +distress that rang in the troubled air behind him. The Advocate +General, hearing the well-known voice inquiring for him in no +friendly key, would hurry away through an opposite door, and dive +into the woods adjoining Government-house, and there gnaw his +nails, in perturbation of spirit until he thought the evil was +overpast. His Excellency himself would sooner have seen the +Asiatic cholera walk into the room than Miss Maria Martin, and +invariably turned paler then his writing-paper, and shuddered +with a sudden ague. She had so many wrongs to complain of, which +no human power could redress, and she required so much to be done +for her, and insisted upon having reiterated promises to that +effect, that no wonder she excited the utmost terror in the minds +of all whom she approached. She was, moreover, a huge, brawny, +fierce-looking creature, and though upwards of fifty years of +age, had the strength of an Irish porter. She was reported on one +occasion to have taken a gentleman of high reputation, and +unimpeachable morals, by the collar of his coat, and pinned him +up against the wall, until he had promised to speak for her to +the Governor; and when he subsequently accused her of this +violence, she retorted by saying that it was in self-defence, as +he had attempted improper liberties. The fear of such an +unscrupulous and cruel accusation made Government officers, +especially the married ones, extremely shy of granting a +tete-a-tete conversation to Miss Martin; and as no one was, of +course, more correct in his conduct than his Excellency the +Governor, no wonder that he should feel extremely nervous +whenever he was surprised into an interview with this interesting +spinster.</p> + +<p>When I found her in the ante-room I naturally recoiled, and +tried to back out again, smiling blandly all the time, as one +does when a violent-looking dog comes up. and begins sniffing +about your legs. Miss Martin, however, was used to these +manoeuvres, and suddenly getting between me and the door, +intercepted my retreat, and insisted on telling me, for the +twentieth time, how villanously the Advocate General had deceived +her. Escape was impossible; I groaned and sweated with anguish, +but listen I must, and had to suffer martyrdom for an hour, when +the Governor's door opened, and he himself looked out. On seeing +the Gorgon he tried to withdraw, but she pounded like a tigress +through the door-way, and slamming the door after her, secured an +audience with his Excellency, which she took care should not be a +short one. I could remain no longer, and therefore owe the rest +of the story to public report. After an hour's tete-a-tete, his +Excellency's voice grew more imperative. The clerks, highly +interested, conceived that he was insisting upon her withdrawing. +It is supposed that he could not possibly escape himself, as she +of course cut off all communication with either the door or the +bell-rope. The lady's voice also waxed higher; at length it rose +into a storm. Nothing more was heard of the poor Governor beyond +a faint, moaning sound; whether he was deprecating the tempest, +or being actually strangled, became a matter of grave +speculation. Some asserted that they heard his kicks upon the +floor, others could only hear convulsive sobs; then all fancied +they could distinguish the sounds of a struggle. The officials +debated whether it would be proper or indelicate to look in upon +the interview; but it became so evident that a scuffle was going +on, that the private secretary's anxiety overcame all other +considerations. The door was opened just as his Excellency, +escaping from the grasp of the mad woman, had made a vault at the +railing which ran across the farther end of the Council Room (to +keep back the public on certain days), in hopes of effecting his +escape by the door beyond. Nothing could have been better +conceived than this design; but unhappily the lady had caught +hold of his coat-tail to arrest his flight, and therefore instead +of vaulting clear over the rails, as he had anticipated, his +Excellency was drawn back in his leap, and found himself seated +astride upon the barrier, with a desperate woman tugging at his +tail, and trying to pull him back into the arena. Nothing, we +believe, has ever exceeded the ludicrous misery displayed in his +Excellency's visage on finding himself in this perilous +situation. But seeing the private secretary and a mob of clerks, +with their pens in their hands, hastening to his rescue, he made +a desperate effort, and cast himself off on the other side; and +finally succeeded in rushing out of the room, having only one +tail hanging to his coat, with which he escaped into an adjoining +apartment, and was received into the arms of the Surveyor General +in a state of extreme exhaustion.</p> + +<p>Such are some of the troubles and afflictions incident to the +unenviable office of Governor of a colony. Those innocent country +gentlemen who have expended the better part of their property on +contested elections, and now weary heaven and Her Majesty's +Principal Secretaries of State for colonial appointments, little +know what they invoke upon themselves. In my opinion Sancho Panza +had a sinecure, compared with theirs, in his Governorship of the +island of Barrataria.*</p> + +<p>[footnote] *Our love of the ludicrous frequently makes us +delighted to find even the most estimable characters in a +ridiculous position. The above anecdote is perhaps exaggerated, +but it is here recorded as a moral warning to those who yearn +like Sancho Panza for a government, and not from a desire to cast +ridicule upon one who was universally respected and esteemed, for +the quiet decorum of his life, his high principles, his strict +impartiality, and the conscientious discharge of all the duties +of his office.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 20.</h3> + +<h4>MR. SAILS, MY GROOM.--OVER THE HILLS.--A SHEEP STATION.</h4> + +<p>Soon after I was settled in my residence at Perth I purchased +a couple of young mares unbroke, recently imported from the Cape +of Good Hope. They were the offspring of an Arab horse and Cape +mare, and one of them, a chestnut, was almost the handsomest +creature I ever beheld. They cost me thirty guineas each; but +since that period the value of horses is greatly diminished.</p> + +<p>I was very much pleased with this purchase, which recalled the +memories of boyhood and a long-tailed pony, whenever I found +myself feeding or grooming my stud--which I often thought proper +to do, as my establishment, though at that time numerous, did not +comprise a well-educated groom.</p> + +<p>Besides my own man, I had two runaway sailors from the ship in +which we had come out, quartered upon me. They expressed so +flattering a regard for me, as the only person whom they knew in +this part of the world, and were so ready to dig the garden and +plant potatoes, or do any other little matter to make themselves +useful, that I had not the heart to refuse them a nook in the +kitchen, or a share of our daily meals. I now called their +services into activity by making them assist at the breaking in +of my mares; and whilst I held the lunging-rein, Mr. Sails would +exert himself till he became as black as a sweep with dust and +perspiration, by running round and round in the rear of the +animal, urging her forward with loud cries and objurgations, +accompanied with furious crackings of his whip. These sailors +never did anything quietly. If told to give the horses some hay, +they would both start up from their stools by the kitchen fire, +as if in a state of frantic excitement; thrust their pipes into +the leathern belt which held up their trousers, and jostling each +other through the doorway like a brace of young dogs, tear round +the house to the stable, or rather shed, as though possessed by a +legion of devils. Then, unable to use a fork, they would seize as +much hay as they could clasp in their arms, and littering it all +about the premises, rush to the stalls, where they suddenly grew +exceedingly cautious; for in fact, they felt much greater dread +of these horses than they would have done of a ground shark. Then +it was all, "Soh! my little feller! Soh! my pretty little +lass!--Avast there--(in a low tone) you lubber, or I'll rope's +end you--none of that!" This was whenever the mare, pleased at +the sight of the hay, looked round and whinnied. Unless I +superintended the operation myself, the hay would be thrown under +the horse's feet, whilst the men took to their heels at the same +moment, and then turned round to see whether the animals could +reach their fodder. If they could, these worthy grooms would come +cheerfully to me and tell me that the horses were eating their +allowance; but if not, they filled their pipes, and took a turn +out of the way, trusting the hay would all be trampled into the +litter before I happened to see it. Whenever I was present, I +made them get upon the manger and put the hay into the rack, (I +never could teach them to use a fork,) but it was with fear and +trembling that they did this. One day, Sails was standing on the +manger, with the hay in his arms, when the mare, trying to get a +mouthful, happened to rub her nose against the hinder portion of +his person. Sails roared aloud, and let the hay fall upon the +mare's head and neck.</p> + +<p>"What's the matter, man?" said I.</p> + +<p>"By Gad, sir," cried Sails, looking round with a face of +terror, and scrambling down, "he's tuk a bite out of my +starn!"</p> + +<p>After the horses had been well lunged it became necessary to +mount them. In vain, however, I tried to persuade Sails or his +comrade Dick to get upon their backs. I therefore mounted first +myself, and after a deal of plunging and knocking about was +dismounted again, with the mare, who had thrown herself down, +actually kneeling upon my body. All this time, Sails stood +helplessly looking on open-mouthed, holding the lunging-rein in +his hands; and I had to call to him to "pull her off" before he +made any attempt to give assistance. This accident effectually +prevented my gallant grooms from trusting themselves on +horseback; but they proved more useful in breaking in the animals +to draw the light cart. One would ride whilst the other drove, +and their nautical phrases, and seaman-like style of steering the +craft, as they called it, excited the admiration of the +neighbourhood. But they never could bring themselves to like the +employment of tending horses; and finding that I insisted upon +their making themselves useful in this way, they at last gave me +up, and volunteered as part of the crew of a vessel about to sail +for Sincapore.</p> + +<p>Long after this period I drove the dog-cart over the hills to +York races. My brother had come down to Perth, and we went +together, taking with us our friend the amiable and talented +editor of one of the Perth journals. Attaching another horse to +an outrigger, we drove unicorn, or a team of three.</p> + +<p>It was a splendid October morning, (the commencement of +summer,) and we rattled over the long and handsome wooden bridges +that cross the two streams of the Swan, at a spanking pace, +whilst the worthy editor, exulting in his temporary emancipation +from office, made the wooded banks of the river ring again with +the joyous notes of his key-bugle.</p> + +<p>Half an hour carried us over five miles of road, and brought +us to Mangonah, the beautifully situated dwelling of R. W. Nash, +Esq., barrister at law, the most active-minded and +public-spirited man in the colony. After a short delay, to laugh +at one of our friend's last coined and most facetious anecdotes, +and also to visit his botanical garden, we rattled off again to +Guildford; a scattered hamlet that was made acquainted with our +approach by loud strains from the editor's bugle. Here, however, +we paused not, but proceeded along a hard and good road towards +Green Mount, the first hill which we had to ascend. Green Mount, +six miles from Guildford, is famous for a desperate skirmish +which took place some years ago between a large body of natives +and Messrs. Bland and Souper, at the head of a party escorting +provisions from Perth to the infant settlement at York. Whilst +slowly ascending the hill, a thick flight of spears fell among +the party, wounding several of them. No enemy was visible, and +the greatest consternation prevailed among the men, who hastened +to shelter themselves under the carts. This induced the natives +to rush out of their ambush, when they were received with a +shower of balls; and at length driven back, after losing a good +many men. Mr. Souper had several spears sticking in his body, and +others of the English were severely wounded, but none +mortally.</p> + +<p>The natives are very tenacious of life, and so are all the +birds and animals indigenous to the country.</p> + +<p>The natives often have spears thrust completely through their +bodies, and without any serious injury, receive wounds that would +prove mortal to the whites. A vagabond who had speared one of +those noble rams of ours, of whom honourable mention has been +already made, was shot by our shepherd whilst in the act of +decamping with the carcase. The ball passed completely through +his lungs, and would have made an end of any white man; but the +native recovered in the course of a few days, and walked a +hundred miles heavily ironed, to take his trial for +sheep-stealing at the Quarter Sessions.</p> + +<p>From Guildford to the foot of Green Mount, the country +presents a vast plain of cold clayey soil, unfit for cultivation, +and though covered with scrub, affording very little useful +herbage.</p> + +<p>On ascending the hill, we come upon what is generally called +the iron-stone range, which extends nearly to York, a distance of +forty miles. These extensive hills (about fifteen hundred feet +above the level of the sea) are composed almost entirely of +granite rocks, with occasional tracts of quartz; and the surface +is generally strewn over with a hard loose rubble.</p> + +<p>Although the sides and summits of the hills present scarcely +any appearance of soil, vast forests of large Jarra trees, and +other varieties of the eucalyptus, extend in every direction; and +flowers the most beautiful relieve the sombre appearance of the +ground. Some few of the valleys afford a few acres of alluvial +soil; and in the first of these, called Mahogany Creek, six miles +from Green Mount, we found a comfortable way-side house, with +good out-buildings, and other accommodations; and here we halted +to lunch, and bait our horses.</p> + +<p>Many other individuals, bent upon the same journey as +ourselves, were lounging and smoking before the house, or +partaking of the refreshments. Most were travelling on horseback; +some in gigs, and some in light spring-carts. A famous round of +cold beef, with bottled ale and porter, proved extremely +agreeable after our drive.</p> + +<p>In the afternoon we proceeded fifteen miles farther, to the +half-way house, where on my first arrival in the colony I had +been initiated into the art of cooking a saddle of kangaroo, and +serving it up with mint-sauce. The road, through a dense forest +of evergreen trees, is excessively dreary, and the quarters for +the night were never very satisfactory; but the traveller might +always look forward to a comfortable sitting-room, kangaroo +steaks and pork, with plenty of fresh eggs and good bread. Since +that time the house has been given up by the energetic landlord; +and the Local Government is partly responsible for the loss of +this accommodation, in consequence of having insisted upon a +heavy license being annually taken out. In good times, when the +farm-settlers of the York and Northam districts brought their +wool and other produce down this road to the capital, they +invariably spent a merry evening at the half-way house; but since +money has become scarcer in the colony, they have been compelled +to avoid this place of entertainment, and kindle instead a fire +by the road-side, where they spend their evenings in solitary +meditation, to the advantage doubtless of their minds and purses. +In the morning, full of philosophical thoughts and fried rashers +of pork, they calmly yoke their bullocks to the wain, unafflicted +by those pangs which were often the only acknowledgment rendered +to the hospitality of Mr. Smith--pangs of mental remorse and a +bilious stomach. And yet the worthy host never suffered a guest +whom he respected to depart without administering to him what he +called "a doctor"--of which, about five o'clock in the morning, +the poor man usually felt himself much in need; and at that hour, +as Aurora entered at the window, would mine host (equally +rosy-cheeked) enter by the door, and deliver his matutinal +salutation. This "doctor," a character universally esteemed by +travellers in those parts, was a tumbler of milk fresh from the +cow, tinctured with brandy.</p> + +<p>The glory had not departed from the half-way house at the +period to which I refer; and as we drove up to the door, amid the +liveliest strains of the editorial bugle, our jovial host +welcomed us with his heartiest greeting. This spot is truly an +oasis in the desert, affording a few acres of tolerable land, and +some excellent garden-ground which, in the season, produces +abundance of grapes, peaches, apples, figs, and various kinds of +vegetables. A deep brook runs at the bottom of the garden which +is very well watered; and on its margin, in the midst of a green +plot, protected by palings from rude encroachment, is the quiet +grave of one of Mr. Smith's children. How different looks the +solitary grave of the desert from the crowded churchyards of +England! How much more home it comes to the heart! Across the +brook is a large barley-field, and down the valley are several +other inclosures; all around, beyond these, is the dark, +melancholy, illimitable forest. At one end of the house, which is +of goodly size, stands a huge erection of wood, resembling a +gallows, from which are suspended the bodies of three kangaroos. +Not far from this, a group of natives--men, women, and +children--are squatted round a small fire, eating baked opossums, +and chattering, and uttering shrill screams of laughter, with all +their might. Half a dozen large kangaroo dogs are hanging about +this group with wistful eyes, but evidently without any +expectations of obtaining a morsel.</p> + +<p>The house, being filled with people on their way to the races, +resounded all the evening with jokes and merriment; and when the +well-disposed retired to bed, and flattered themselves they were +just sinking into repose, a mob of their evil-minded friends, +headed by an Irish barrister and the usually sedate Crown +Solicitor, beat down the door, and pulled them forth again. Then +were the four walls of the room (which contained four beds) made +witnesses to a scene exhibiting all the horrors of war. Dreadful +was the conflict: bolsters and carpet-bags were wielded with +fierce animosity; pillows and rolled-up blankets flew about the +room like cannon-shot; and long was the contest doubtful, until +the despair of the besieged at length overcame the impetuosity of +the assailants, and succeeded in driving them from the +apartment.</p> + +<p>The half-way house was often so crowded that some of the +guests had to sleep upon the dining-table, the sofas, and the +floor. At early dawn it was usually cleared of its visitors, who +would push on to breakfast at Mahogany Creek; or if going to +York, at St. Roman's Well, distant some fifteen miles. It was +here that we breakfasted, sitting upon the grass, whilst with our +camp-kettle we boiled our chocolate, and enjoyed our morning meal +exceedingly.</p> + +<p>York is a scattered hamlet of good farm-houses. The country is +highly interesting. A lofty hill, or mountain, called Mount +Bakewell, confines the view on one side, and below it is the +river Avon, a broad stream in winter, but in summer consisting +only of deep pools in various parts of its course. The +neighbourhood is beautifully wooded, and has the appearance of a +park. In the centre of the hamlet a modest-looking, white-washed +church "rears its meek fane." Nothing could be more peaceful and +serene than the whole aspect of the place.</p> + +<p>At my brother's farm, comprising 4,000 acres, the property of +R. H. Bland, Esq., Protector of Natives, we found a hearty +reception, and a very pleasant dwelling-house. For several days +it was filled with young men who had come from various parts of +the colony to attend the races.</p> + +<p>These gentlemen were most of them young men of good family, +and well educated, who having only a small patrimony, and having +been brought up to no trade or profession, had come out to a +colony in the hope of acquiring landed estates, and of founding +in this part of the world a family of their own. In the meantime +they had to drive their teams, shear their sheep, thresh their +corn, and exhibit their skill in husbandry; whilst their houses +were as ill arranged and uncomfortable as could be expected from +the superintendence of bachelors who thought more of their +stables than of the appearance of their rooms. They care more +about good horses than good cooks, and in most cases prefer doing +without kitchen stuff rather than be troubled with a garden.</p> + +<p>Freedom of discourse and ease of manner characterize the +social meetings of our bachelor aristocracy "over the hills."</p> + +<p>Dinner is only to be obtained by dint of incessant shouting to +the slave (frequently an Indian Coolie) who presides in the +detached kitchen, and brings in the viands as fast as he "dishes +up." The roast mutton gradually cools upon the table while Mooto +is deliberately forking the potatoes out of the pot, and +muttering curses against his master, who stands at the +parlour-door, swearing he will wring his ears off if he does not +despatch. In order to moderate the anguish of stomach experienced +by the guests, the host endeavours to fill up the time by sending +the sherry round. The dinner is at length placed upon the table, +and Mooto scuffles out of the room whilst his master is busy +carving, lest he should be compelled to wait, an occupation less +agreeable than that to which he returns, and which engages most +of his time--sitting on an upturned box before the fire, and +smoking his pipe. Here, piously thanking Vishnu and Brama for +such good tobacco, he puffs away, heedless of the shouts of his +suzerain, who has just discovered there are only eight plates for +twelve people. One of the guests volunteers a foray into Mooto's +territory, chiefly for the sake of relieving his own feelings by +making that worthy acquainted with the opinion he entertains of +him, and returns to his seat with cold plates and a tranquillized +mind.</p> + +<p>When the villain lacquey has smoked his pipe, he brings in the +cheese, and clears away. No unnecessary feelings of delicacy +restrain the guests from reviling him seriatim as he removes the +platters; and he retires to his own den and the enjoyment of a +pound of boiled rice with undisturbed equanimity, leaving the +others to boil the kettle and concoct egg-flip, which, together +with wine, brandy, cigars, and pipes, enables the party to get +through the afternoon. Some remain at the table, drinking out of +wine-glasses, tumblers, or pannikins (every vessel which the +house contains being put in requisition), and talking loudly +about their horses, or making bets for the next day's races; +others having thrown off their coats, and flung their persons +upon a sofa, with their feet on a window-sill, puff away in +meditative silence, only joining occasionally in the +conversation; whilst two or three walk up and down the verandah, +in solemn consultation as to the best mode of hedging, having +unhappily backed a colt for the Margaux Cup that turns out to be +a dunghill.</p> + +<p>I trust my good friends over the hills will not think I am +making an ungrateful return for much hospitality by this rough +and imperfect sketch. Heaven knows they are a worthy, +kind-hearted, hospitable set of good fellows as ever drew a cork +or made egg-flip; but I must say some of the bachelor +establishments are rather in a rude and primitive state at +present.</p> + +<p>Those houses which are fortunate enough to possess a presiding +genius in the gentle and attractive form of Woman are very +differently ordered. English neatness and English comforts +pervade the establishment, and the manners and customs of +well-regulated society are never forgotten.</p> + +<p>It is a pleasant sight in the evening to watch the cattle +driven into the stock-yard by the native boy, who has been with +them all day in the bush. Some of the old cows go steadily enough +in the right direction, but others, and especially the young +heifers, are continually bunting one another, and trying to push +their next neighbours into the ditch. Several, tempted by a +pleasant field of barley, have leapt over a broken rail, and are +eating and trampling down all before them. But soon they are +perceived by the dusky herdsman, who incontinently shrieks like +one possessed by demons, and rushing after the stray kine with a +bough hastily picked up, chases and belabours them up and down +the field (the gate of which he has never thought of opening), +until he has done as much mischief as possible to the crop. +Somebody then opens the gate for him, and the cattle are at +length secured in the yard.</p> + +<p>Next arrives a flock of two thousand sheep, driven by white +shepherds. On coming to the entrance of the fold-yard, they stop +and hesitate, refusing to enter. All is uncertainty and +confusion, the rearmost urged forward by the shout of the men and +the barking of the dogs, who run from side to side, thrusting +their noses into the soft white fleeces, press into the mass; +great is the scuffle, the rush, and the pattering of feet over +the loose pebbles of the yard. At length, a hardy and determined +ram in the vanguard gives a leap of ten feet through the open +gateway, and the others hustle through after him, every one +leaping as he had done, and all congratulating themselves on +having thus cleverly eluded the designs of some unseen enemy.</p> + +<p>I do not intend to give an account of the races, though they +afforded more amusement probably than is common at Epsom or +Ascot. Every one knew everybody and everybody's horse; and as the +horses were generally ridden by gentlemen, there was no doubt of +fair play. There was an accident, as usual, in the hurdle-race; +but not being fatal, it did not interrupt the sports. Large +groups of the natives, sitting on the ground, or standing leaning +on their spears, gave increased effect to the picturesque +scenery. Some clumps of forest-trees still occupied the centre of +the course, and through these you caught glimpses of coloured +jackets and jockey-caps as they flashed by. The green side of +Mount Bakewell was spotted with sheep, and above them frowned a +forest of dark trees.</p> + +<p>A loaf of bread stuck upon a spear was a mark and a prize for +native dexterity. The dusky savages forming a line in front, and +clustering eagerly upon one another behind, took their turns to +throw at the coveted target; and every time that a spear left the +womera, or throwing-stick, and missed the mark, a shrill yell +burst simultaneously from the mass, relieving the excitement +which had been pent up in every breast. But when a successful +spear struck down the loaf, trebly wild and shrill was the yell +that rent the air.</p> + +<p>The York and Northam districts afford a vast quantity of land +suitable for all kinds of grain. The sheep and cattle runs are +excellent, but they are now fully stocked, and new settlers must +direct their steps to the southward, the Dale and Hotham +districts affording scope and verge enough for many a flock and +herd. Our own sheep were generally kept at a squatting station on +the Hotham, some sixty or seventy miles south of York. Thither, +after the races, we drove to inspect the flock. There was no +road, and only an endless succession of trees, and of gently +rising and falling country. How my brother and his men used to +manage to hit upon the site of the location is more than I can +conjecture. People accustomed to the bush seem to acquire, like +the natives, the faculty of knowing exactly the direction, +position, and distance of the spot they want to reach.</p> + +<p>On the way, we fell in with one of those extraordinary nests +constructed by that singular bird called by the natives the Now. +Mr. Gould's description of a similar bird in New South Wales, the +Brush Turkey 'Talegalla Lathami' does not exactly tally with that +which we should give of the Now. His description is as +follows:--"For some weeks previous to laying its eggs, the Brush +turkey collects together an immense mass of vegetable matter, +varying from two to four cart-loads, with which it forms a +pyramidal heap; in this heap it plants its eggs about eighteen +inches deep, and from nine to twelve inches apart. The eggs are +always placed with the large ends upwards, being carefully +covered, and are then left to hatch by the heat engendered by the +decomposition of the surrounding matter. The heaps are formed by +the labours of several pairs of birds. The eggs are white, about +three inches and three quarters long by two and a half in +diameter, and have an excellent flavour."</p> + +<p>Of this bird, Professor Owen observes, "On comparing the +osteology of the 'Talegalla' with that of other birds, it +exhibits all the essential modifications which characterize the +gallinaceous tribe; and among the Rasores, it most nearly +resembles the genera Penelope and Crax."</p> + +<p>The Now of Western Australia does not build its nest of +vegetable substances, but collects together an immense heap of +earth, sand, and small stones, into the form of a broad cone, +four or five feet high in the centre, and about ten feet across. +Directly in the centre it either leaves or subsequently hollows +out a hole large enough to admit itself, into which it descends +and deposits its eggs. The powerful summer sun heats the earth +sufficiently to hatch the eggs, and the young birds come forth +active and able to provide for themselves. Not the least +astonishing part to me is, how they manage to scramble out of +that deep hole. The natives declare that the hen frequently +visits the nest, and watches the progress of incubation, and then +when the young ones are hatched, they get upon her back, and she +scrambles out with her family about her.</p> + +<p>This bird is about the size of a pheasant, has long legs, and +a very deep breast-bone. It runs fast. Each nest is supposed to +be built by a single bird, but it is believed that other birds +may occupy them in succeeding seasons.</p> + +<p>In the afternoon of the second day after leaving York, we +descended into a broad valley, abounding with grass and scattered +gum-trees. A large flock of sheep were being driven towards the +bottom of the valley, where we could discern signs of human +habitation.</p> + +<p>On arriving, we found a hut built of piles or stakes +interwoven with boughs, before the door of which was a fire with +a large pot upon it, from which a powerful steam arose that was +evidently very grateful to a group of natives seated around. Two +families seemed to compose this group, consisting of a couple of +men, four women, and five or six children of various ages. As we +drew nigh, the whole party, without rising, uttered a wild scream +of welcome, accompanied by that loud laughter which always seems +to escape so readily from this light-hearted and empty-headed +people.</p> + +<p>On descending from the vehicle, and looking in at the hut +door, we perceived lying in his shirt-sleeves on a couch composed +of grass-tree tops covered with blankets and a rug made of +opossum skins, the illustrious Meliboeus himself, with a short +black pipe in his mouth, and a handsome edition of "Lalla Rookh" +in his hand. Perceiving us, he jumped up, and expressing his loud +surprise, welcomed us to this rustic Castle of Indolence.</p> + +<p>When a large flock of sheep is sent into the bush, and a +squatting station is formed, the shepherds take the sheep out to +pasture every morning, and bring them home at night, whilst one +of the party always remains at the station to protect the +provisions from being stolen by the natives. This person is +called the hut-keeper. His duty is to boil the pork, or kangaroo +flesh, and provide supper, etc., for the shepherds on their +return at night. Meliboeus, who superintended this station, +undertook the duties of cooking and guarding the hut whenever he +did not feel disposed to go out kangaroo-hunting, or shooting +wild turkeys or cockatoos. In all things, sports or labours, the +natives were his daily assistants, and in return for their +services were rewarded with the fore-quarters of the kangaroos +killed, and occasionally with a pound or two of flour. There were +some noble dogs at the station, descendants of Jezebel and Nero; +and my brother had a young kangaroo, which hopped in and out with +the utmost confidence, coming up to any one who happened to be +eating, and insisting upon having pieces of bread given to it. +Full of fun and spirits, it would sport about as playfully as a +kitten; and it was very amusing to see how it would tease the +dogs, pulling them about with its sharp claws, and trying to roll +them over on the ground. The dogs, who were in the daily habit of +killing kangaroos, never attempted to bite Minny, who sometimes +teased them so heartily, that they would put their tails between +their legs and fairly run away.</p> + +<p>The great enemies of the sheep in the Australian colonies are +the wild-dogs. At York, and in the other settled districts, they +are very troublesome, and require the shepherd to keep a constant +lookout. We were therefore much surprised to learn that although +wild dogs abounded near this squatting station, they never +attempted to touch our flocks. A sheep was to them a new animal; +they had yet to learn the value of mutton. A cowardly race, they +are easily intimidated, and as they have not the art of jumping +or clambering over a fence, a low sheep-fold will keep them out, +provided they cannot force their way under the palings or +hurdles. They cannot bark, and utter only a melancholy howl. The +bitch generally litters in a hollow tree, and produces four or +five puppies at a birth.</p> + +<p>The production of wool--the careful acquisition of a good +flock of well-bred sheep, and the attainment of the highest +degree of perfection in preparing the fleeces for the English +market--appears to us to be the proper ambition of an emigrant to +the Australian colonies. When ill-health compelled my steps +hither, it was the intention of myself and brothers to invest our +capital entirely in sheep; and retiring into the bush for some +six or seven years, gradually accumulate a large flock, the +produce of which would soon have afforded a handsome income. It +has never, however, appeared to be the object of either the Home +Government or the Local Government of any colony (though +unquestionably the interest of both) to encourage emigration. +Settlers have invariably every possible difficulty thrown in +their way. On arriving in this colony, we found to our +astonishment that squatting was illegal, and that we would not be +allowed, as we had designed to carry our goods into the interior +and form a station upon Government land. No license could at that +time be obtained, and if we bought the smallest section allowed +to be sold, which was 640 acres, for as many pounds, it was ten +to one but we should soon find the district in which it was +situated insufficient for the run of a large flock, and should +have to change our quarters again. The consequence was, that we +were compelled to abandon our project: my brothers took a farm at +a high rent, and wasted their capital upon objects that could +never bring in a good return; whilst I (infelix!), instead of +listening to the gentle bleatings of sheep, and ministering to +the early comforts of innocent lambs, have been compelled to +hearken to the angry altercations of plaintiff and defendant, and +decide upon the amount of damages due to injured innocence when +the pot had insulted the kettle.</p> + +<p>Now, however, limited licenses are granted to persons wishing +to go as squatters upon Government land; and even before these +were issued, we were OBLIGED to send our sheep upon Crown lands, +and form a station, for want of room in the settled +districts.</p> + +<p>Sheep flocks constitute doubtlessly one of the most profitable +investments for the employment of capital, notwithstanding the +many obstacles and discouragements still thrown by both +governments in the way of the wool-grower. They yield a very +large return TO THOSE WHO ATTEND TO THEM IN PERSON, and who +confine their attention entirely to that pursuit, growing only +corn enough for their own consumption.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 21.</h3> + +<h4>EXTRACTS FROM THE LOG OF A HUT-KEEPER.</h4> + +<p>May 10th.--Felt rather lonely to-day, in the midst of this +endless solitude. Sat before the hut-door thinking of Zimmerman +and his Reflections. Also thought of Brasenose, Oxford, and my +narrow escape from Euclid and Greek plays. Davus sum, non +Oedipus. Set to work, and cooked a kangaroo stew for the three +shepherds.</p> + +<p>June 4th.--We have removed the sheep from the Dale to the +Avon. We go wandering about with our flocks and baggage like the +Israelites of old, from one patch of good grass to another. I +wonder how long it will be before we make our fortunes?</p> + +<p>28th.--K. arrived from York with a supply of flour, pork, tea +and sugar. Brings no news from England, or anywhere else. Where +the deuce are all the ships gone to, that we get no letters? +Moved the station to Corbeding.</p> + +<p>29th.--K. returned to York with his bullock-cart. No chance of +my being relieved at present. Went out by myself kangarooing. The +pup, Hector, out of Jezebel, will make a splendid dog. First +kangaroo fought like a devil; Hector, fearing nothing, dashed at +him, and got a severe wound in the throat; but returned to the +charge, after looking on for a few moments. Crossed an immense +grassy plain, eight or nine miles wide, without a tree upon it. +Had to carry a kangaroo more than five miles on my back. Wished +it at Hanover, and twice abandoned it, but returned for it again, +being so much in want of fresh meat.</p> + +<p>30th.--Spent the day in dreary solitude in the hut. All my +books have been read, re-read, and re-re-read.</p> + +<p>July 1st.--Went out with the dogs, and caught three kangaroos. +Passed over some splendid country--wish it were peopled with +white humans. How pleasant to have been able to call at a +cottage, and get a draught of home-brewed! On the contrary, could +not find even a pond, or a pint of water, and was nearly worried +to death by sand-flies.</p> + +<p>2d.--Some scabby sheep having got among our flock, have played +the deuce with it. The scab has regularly broke out. I had rather +it were the plague or Asiatic cholera, and cleared them all off +(my own sheep are fortunately at York). Dressing lambs all +morning-- beastly work. In the afternoon went out with the sheep, +and left James to mind the hut. Sand-flies infernal.</p> + +<p>3d, Sunday.--Stayed in the hut all day. Smoked sheep-tobacco,* +all my Turkish being finished. Felt pious, and wrote a short +sermon, choosing the text at random--Jeremiah ii. 7: "And I +brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof +and the goodness thereof." Read it at night to the shepherds. +James said it was "slap-up."</p> + +<p>[footnote] *Coarse pig-tail, used as a decoction for dressing +the diseased sheep.</p> + +<p>4th.--Went out kangarooing. Killed an immense fellow: when +standing on his hind legs fighting with me and the dogs, he was a +foot higher than myself. He ran at me, and nearly gave me a +desperate dig with his claw, which tore my only good +hunting-shirt miserably. Smashed his skull for it.</p> + +<p>5th and 6th.--Dressing sheep all day. Out [band of] York +natives, whom we have hitherto kept with us, are all gone home +again, leaving me and my three men, with only two guns, among a +suspicious and treacherous tribe that cannot understand a word we +say to them. Wish my brothers would come and look after their own +sheep. It would do E.'s health more good than sitting in Court, +hearing a set of fools jabber. Sand-flies eat us alive here, and +the mosquitoes polish our bones.</p> + +<p>7th.--Muston and myself dressed fifty sheep to-day. John out +with part of the flock.</p> + +<p>8th.--Heavy rain last night. Cannot go on dressing. Did +nothing all day.</p> + +<p>9th.--Stayed in the hut doing nothing.</p> + +<p>10th, Sunday.--Ditto.</p> + +<p>11th.--Tired of doing nothing. Dressed sheep most of the day. +Muston out kangarooing; caught three.</p> + +<p>12th.--Cooking. Made a "sea-pie," which was generally +admired.</p> + +<p>August 1st.--The Doctor arrived from York, driving tandem in +E.'s trap. He has brought me a parcel of books just come from +England. Blessings on my dear sister for remembering me. I +thought myself forgotten by all the world. Sisters (Heaven for +ever bless them!) are the only people that never forget. News +from home! How many thoughts come flooding upon me!</p> + +<p>2d.--Last night, I confess, I cried myself to sleep, like a +great big baby. I am very comfortable and contented so long as I +receive no letter from home; and yet I am such a fool as to wish +for them; and when they come I am made miserable for a week +afterwards. Somehow, they make me feel my loneliness more. I feel +deserted, forgotten by all but ONE. She says she is constantly +wishing for me in her rides. They seem to enjoy themselves more +at home than they used to do, now that we are gone--always +picknicking, boating, or forming riding parties. "Fairy" +continues the favourite--I always thought she was a good hack. +"Light-foot," whom I lamed hunting, was obliged to be sold. It +seems to be a sore subject with the Governor. I wonder how Juno +has turned out; she was a splendid-looking whelp. I wish they'd +enter more into particulars when they write. It's ridiculous my +asking questions, as it will be more than a year before answers +can arrive. They ought to write about EVERY THING. I cannot bear +to think to-day of anything but home.</p> + +<p>3d.--The Doctor gone back to York--sulky about the sheep being +so bad. Why does he not send us more tobacco and turpentine? Says +we smoke it all. The Doctor is an----. Promises to send K. next +week with mercurial ointment; it is therefore useless to waste +any more tobacco on the sheep--the stock is low enough as it +is.</p> + +<p>4th.--Lay all day on my couch, reading "Rose d'Albret." Wish I +had her here. One wants somebody to sympathize with so +desperately in the bush.</p> + +<p>5th.--Ditto, ditto.</p> + +<p>6th.--Reading Punch all morning. In the afternoon made a +damper, baked it, and eat it in company with the others. "Pit a +cake, pat a cake, baker's man!" etc.</p> + +<p>16th.--Dressing sheep all day with mercurial ointment. Wish +this job was over. Dreadful work bending one's back all day, and +rooting amongst the wool for the diseased places.</p> + +<p>18th.--Went out with the dogs, and killed two kangaroos. It +rained tremendously all the time, and I wish the kangaroos at +the----. The natives happened to be hunting in a large party, +driving the game before them; and as I stood in the midst of a +large plain which they had surrounded on three sides, multitudes +of kangaroos--I believe I might say thousands--of all sizes, came +rushing past me. The dogs were quite bewildered, and remained at +my side aghast; and it was several minutes before they recovered +themselves enough to give chase. The natives took no notice of +me. In the evening fifty of them came about the hut. We took care +to show our guns, and I shot a green parrot, sixty yards off, +just to show them what we could do. They were quite peaceable, +and danced a corrobery at night.</p> + +<p>20th.--I dressed twenty-five sheep this morning myself. In the +afternoon William came from York with six hundred more sheep +(mine among them), which were found to be scabby. More work! This +is really too bad, thrusting all this cursed business upon me. He +had been four days coming, and had not lost a single sheep.</p> + +<p>21st.--Went out kangarooing, quite disgusted. Wandered a long +distance, and had to carry a large buck several miles. Could +scarcely find my way back, but at length got home (!!) quite +knocked up, and more and more disgusted with human nature and +every thing.</p> + +<p>22d.--The Doctor is enjoying himself at York, and E. lives on +the fat of the land at Perth, whilst I have never tasted anything +but salt pork and kangaroo for many months, and have nothing to +drink but tea. I have almost forgotten the taste of a potato. We +have nothing here but kangaroo and pork, and unleavened bread, +called damper. I wish I could exchange our bill of fare +occasionally with that French fellow who complained of having +"toujours perdrix." He would be the loser, I take it. I could eat +even perdrix aux choux--a villanous dish formerly--but we have no +more cabbages than partridges to thank God for. I have long been +obliged to leave off saying "grace after meat;" it really became +an impious mockery, and was also impolitic and uneconomical, as +my stomach used to turn against it. I consulted John this morning +about killing a sheep, as none of them seemed inclined to die +naturally. John caught at the idea with great quickness. He +really is an intelligent fellow; and both he and the other poor +devils are so patient and unrepining, that the Doctor is little +better than a beast not to order them some mutton occasionally. I +consider it absolutely necessary for their health. We fixed upon +one of E.'s sheep, as it looked the fattest; and he being the +richest, and never coming himself to look at his flock, will not +care about a few sheep more or less. I'd kill one of my own, but +they are such a seedy lot. No one is answerable for the murder of +this sheep but myself, as I hereby confess that I killed it with +my own hand, and afterwards held a coroner's inquest on the body, +directing a verdict of "Visitation of Providence" to be recorded +in the accounts relating to the flock. We had the liver for +supper. Excellent! never tasted anything half so good.</p> + +<p>23d.--Dined on sheep's head and trotters. (Tea to drink, +toujours.)</p> + +<p>24th.--Saddle of mutton.</p> + +<p>25th.--Leg.</p> + +<p>26th.--Shoulder.</p> + +<p>27th.--Leg.</p> + +<p>28th.--Shoulder.</p> + +<p>29th.--Finished the sheep, and polished the bones.</p> + +<p>[The rest of the Journal runs on much in the same way. This +specimen will probably be enough for the reader.]</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 22.</h3> + +<h4>PELICAN SHOOTING.--GALES.--WRESTLING WITH DEATH.</h4> + +<p>The large estuary of the Swan affords ample scope for boating +or sailing in small pleasure-yachts.</p> + +<p>Perth water, on the northern bank of which the capital is +built, extends from two to three miles in length, and about the +same distance in its broadest part, its form being that of a half +moon. It is connected with Melville water by an opening of a +quarter of a mile across. Melville water is some six miles long, +and from three to four broad; a splendid bay, called Freshwater +Bay, developes itself at the western extremity of this fine sheet +of water; and the river, or estuary, here makes a turn at right +angles, and pursues its course towards the sea between high +precipitous rocks of marine limestone, which are from six to +seven hundred yards apart.</p> + +<p>My pleasure-boat has enabled me to pass many agreeable hours +upon this estuary.</p> + +<p>At first, especially, it was exceedingly pleasant to make +expeditions for the purpose of exploring the different bays and +inlets, which abounded with ducks, swans, and pelicans.</p> + +<p>My youngest brother and myself would frequently rise at a good +hour, and having supplied our little vessel with a stock of +provisions, and a few bottles of ale or other drinkables, hoist +the sails, and bear away upon a cruise. The warm dry air, +tempered by the sea-breeze, made boating exceedingly pleasant; +and as we often touched at gardens situated at the mouth of the +Canning, or on the shores of Melville water, and procured a +basket of grapes, or peaches and melons, we managed to lunch +luxuriously, having first cast anchor and bathed.</p> + +<p>Many readers must have felt the excitement experienced by +young sportsmen when they have the luck to fall in with some bird +or animal not previously known to them. Every one remembers the +delight with which, when a boy, he shot his first wood-pigeon, or +lay in ambush behind a hedge for an old crow.</p> + +<p>When first we beheld a group of huge tall birds, standing +lazily in the sunshine upon a sand-spit which ran far into +Melville water, we could scarcely believe our eyes that these +were really live pelicans; and it was not only with intense +interest, but with feelings of self-reproach, that we drew nigh +with hostile intentions to birds which in the days of our +boyhood, when visiting Mr. Wombwell's menagerie, had filled us +with awe and reverence, as creatures that were wont to evince the +depth of parental devotion by feeding their young with their own +blood.</p> + +<p>Our first overt act of hostility against the pelicans was +unsuccessful. The sea-breeze was blowing strong, and we had to +beat out against it close-hauled; just as we made the last board, +and were bearing down upon the enemy, the huge, heavy birds, +awakening from the siesta "with a start," raised their heads and +looked about them. Then the foremost began to flap his long +wings, and lift himself on tip-toe, whilst the others followed +his example; and soon they were all heavily skimming along the +surface of the water, trying to launch themselves fairly into the +upward air; and having at length succeeded, they rose higher and +higher in wide gyrations. The leader seemed resolved to hide +himself in the distant blue of the cloudless heavens; and +upward--up, up, up--they continued to mount, going round, and +round, and round, in lessening circles--whilst the spectator +gazed in wonder at the slowly diminishing specks, that were +almost lost in ether; and at length, moving slowly towards the +east --the unknown, mysterious wilderness--they altogether faded +away. We have heard of eagles soaring into the sun, but I doubt +whether even they could soar much higher, or look much grander, +than the noble pelican of the desert.</p> + +<p>The sheets were eased off, the long boom of the graceful +sliding-gunter (a kind of latteen) sail, stretched far over the +gun-wale of the boat, which slipped along easily and rapidly +through the water, the rolling waves heaving up her stern, and +sending her forward with a gentle impulse. We were opening the +broad mouth of the Canning, when Meliboeus pointed out two other +pelicans fishing in-shore on the lee-bow. Gently we edged away +towards them; Meliboeus standing before the mast with his +double-barrel ready, and motioning to me how to steer, as the +main-sail hid the birds from my view.</p> + +<p>They perceived us, and began to swim along shore at a rapid +rate; the water was shoaling fast, and we greatly feared they +would escape, but still we held on. The majestic birds rose +slowly from the water, one following the other, and made towards +the Canning. "I'll let fly at them" cried Meliboeus, in an +intense whisper, "luff up!-- hard-a-lee!" The helm was jammed +down, and the sheet hauled in; the boat luffed into the wind, and +became stationary, only bobbing upon the waves, whilst her sails +shivered and rattled in the breeze. Meliboeus fired--and the +hindmost bird declined gradually towards the water; its long +wings became fixed and motionless at their widest stretch, and +slowly it sank down upon its heaving death-bed. Loud shouted the +sportsman; and momentary envy filled the heart of him who +steered.</p> + +<p>Away goes the boat before the freshening breeze, and soon it +dashes past the body of the pelican, which is seized by the ready +Meliboeus, and with great difficulty hauled on board. A shot had +penetrated to its brain and killed it instantaneously. The wind +up the Canning was nearly abeam, and we dashed through the deep +and narrow passage called Hell's Gates, and held on till we came +to the foot of a steep and rounded hill, Mount Henry. The river +here turns at right angles, sweeping round the base of the hill, +and leaving a broad and deep bay called Bull's Creek, to the +southward. This is a famous spot for ducks and swans, and many a +pleasant bivouac have I formed near it, waiting for early morn +when the birds are busy feeding. As we rounded Mount Henry, we +observed a large slate-coloured bird lazily flying across the +river ahead of us. The Canning is here about four hundred yards +broad, widening occasionally to a quarter of a mile. The wind was +now right aft, and we soon came upon the line of the bird, which +appeared to be a crested crane. The boom was topped-up in a +moment, the jib-sheet let fly, and the boat's nose ran crashing +through the sedges which in this part fringed the bank. The crane +had alighted on the very summit of a straight and lofty tree, and +there she sat, unconscious of the danger at hand.</p> + +<p>Too much excited to care for any obstacles, and with eyes ever +fixed upon the game, I tore my way through brambles, thickets, +water and mud, until with no little difficulty I arrived at +ground free from underwood. The bird was still sitting patiently +on her lofty perch, and my heart beat anxiously with hope that I +should be able to creep within shot. What a moment of interest! +It is still vivid in the memory, with all its doubts and fears +and wildly-beating hopes. The crane seemed preparing to fly. +Death! I felt nearly distracted with apprehension. The interest +and excitement became intense. I crept from tree to tree, and +whenever I thought I was observed, stood motionless. My eye-balls +became dry and hard with incessant gazing. I feared to wink lest +she should be gone. She extended her wings! I bounded forward. +She was just off, and barely within reach, as I fired; a single +number two shot struck her pinion, and down she tumbled to the +ground with a glorious wallop.</p> + +<p>A loud shout from Meliboeus, who had sat in the boat scarcely +daring to breathe, proclaimed the presence of a witness to my +triumph.</p> + +<p>Since then I have shot cranes without emotion or much feeling +of interest.</p> + +<p>Boating, as an amusement, ought only to be followed during the +summer months, from the 1st of October to the 1st of April. In +the winter season there are extremely violent gales of wind from +the north-west, that sometimes last for three days together. +Their arrival is generally foretold by the rapid falling of the +barometer; and at Perth it is almost always preceded by the +rising of the estuary. A singular storm visited the district of +Australind in the night of the 17th June, 1842. It crossed the +Leschenault estuary, and entered the forest, making a lane +through the trees from three to four hundred yards wide. In this +lane, which extended for many miles, nothing was left standing +but the stumps of trees; whilst the trees on either wide of the +land stood up like a wall and were perfectly uninjured. The storm +in its course, which was in a direct line from N.W. to S.E. +levelled the trees in the valleys as well as those on the hills. +Its effects were not like those of a whirlwind, when trees appear +twisted round, and scattered in every direction; in this lane the +young healthy trees, which were generally broken off about two or +three yards from the ground, all lay in the same direction.</p> + +<p>Twice have I nearly paid dearly for my rashness in boating. My +boat was once capsized in a moment in a squall, and Hannibal and +myself were soused in the water before we knew what had happened. +I caught hold of the bilge of the boat, and nearly drowned myself +with laughing at the Son of Amilcar, who was splashing about +shrieking with terror, and swallowing quarts of salt-water, as +his open mouth popped every moment under a wave. In vain I called +to him to come to me, and lay hold of the boat; he could neither +see nor hear, and would have soon joined his illustrious namesake +in the Elysian fields, had I not managed to throw the bight of a +rope round his neck, and towed him within reach, when I held him +up by the collar of his jacket (ducking him under water +occasionally to make him cease from howling) until we were +rescued by a fishing-boat.</p> + +<p>One day, the 11th April, 1843, feeling disposed to take my +book on the water and enjoy the calm air, I embarked by myself--a +most unusual occurrence, as I scarcely ever went out alone. What +little wind there was blew down the estuary, but only gently +ruffled the waters; and my boat glided noiselessly before it. A +couple of hours took me to the farther extremity of Melville +water, and here it fell calm. I now began to feel uncomfortable, +for the air was close, and dark clouds appeared rising in the +north-west. The wind began to blow in gusts; a sudden puff, +curling the waters, would strike the boat and make her heel over +until her gunwale kissed the wave, as with a sudden start she +rushed forward under the impulse of the blast. I was now making +homeward. The heavens became black with angry clouds; the wind +first sighed and moaned like a reluctant Spirit driven forth to +fulfil its task of evil, feeling something of remorse at crimes +foreshadowed and inevitable; and then working itself into fury, +as though it would stifle thought, and crush out the germ of +pity, the Wind in its might and rage rushed roaring over the +waters, making the foam fly before it, and tearing up the face of +the estuary into rugged lines of wild tumultuous waves. The +little bark vainly strove to keep her head to the storm, which +bore her down until the water poured over the gunwale.</p> + +<p>It was about six o'clock in the evening, and darkness, hurried +on prematurely by the tempest, spread suddenly around. The waves, +as if trying to leap beyond the reach of some internal agony, +rolled high above my head, as the "Fair Maid of Perth" sank +hopelessly in the deep channel, with rocking mast and shivering +sails. But not yet submerged, she rose again, and fronted the +storm, struggling desperately to reach the northern shore, which +was not far distant. But the skies grew blacker still; the storm +became a hurricane; the wind roared so loud that no voice of +human agony or despair might be heard above its tremendous fury; +the waves grew higher and mightier, and became rushing hills of +water, overwhelming, irresistible. To me, quailing in my frail +bark, in all the consciousness of helplessness and ruin, it +seemed as though the winds and the waves were really sentient +beings combining to overwhelm me, and increasing their efforts +the more I struggled.</p> + +<p>This is no fiction that I am relating, but a reality that +happened to myself, and which it would be impossible to +exaggerate. Never shall I forget the last tremendous wave that +came down upon me, impelled by a maddening gust which whirled +tearing along through the wild air, and scooping its deep passage +through the waters. In vain was the jib-sheet let fly; in vain +did I luff into the wind. I could not quit the helm, and +therefore was unable to lower the sail which in that hurricane +could not have been got in easily, and in the meantime the boat, +breaking off from the wind, would have been swamped. I was so +near the shore that I hoped still to reach it, the wind being +abeam, in the course of a few minutes. But nothing could +withstand the last wave and blast. The boat lurched, and broke +off. Hurled on her beam-ends, the boom was in the water; the +waves rushed over the side; she struggled bravely, and tried to +right herself; but after staggering forwards a few seconds, the +weight of the in-rushing water bore her down, and she slowly fell +over on her side. The sensation was by no means pleasant. I felt +her going, without being able to prevent it. I glanced around for +aid or hope; but there was neither. I could see nothing but +waves, and hear nothing but the roaring blast. The shore was +close to me, but the high waves, and the darkness of the +hurricane, prevented my discerning even the tops of the trees. As +the boat capsized, I kicked off my shoes and threw off my coat +and waistcoat, and seizing the main-sheet, let myself down in the +water, trying to find bottom, but there was none within +reach.</p> + +<p>I struck out towards the shore, but the ablest swimmer that +ever swam could have made no progress against that sea, and I +could scarcely swim at all.</p> + +<p>I scrambled back to the boat, which now lay on her side, level +with the surface. On getting upon her, you may conceive--but no! +you cannot--the horror of the moment, as I felt her gradually go +down --sink, sinking beneath me. All now seemed over. My time had +arrived; my last moment was come. I collected my thoughts, and +prepared for it.</p> + +<p>I did not feel so much terror as I should have anticipated in +such a scene. Death seemed inevitable, and I nerved myself, and +prayed. All the past did NOT press upon me at this moment, in +this death- struggle, as some readers may imagine. I thought not +of my sins, nor of my friends, nor of time misspent and work left +undone--my whole mind was absorbed in the sense of DEATH and +FUTURITY. The glances, rather than the thoughts which shot across +my soul, seemed like revealings of immortality. My sensations +were mixed of horror and hope; the CHANGE from the old to the new +Life seemed beginning within me. It might have been excess of +terror, but I did not feel terrified. I felt that all was over, +and there was no room for the anguish that arises from doubt. All +struggling was vain, and though in tumult and horror, I yet felt +resigned. The World of Time was past, and new being was at +hand.</p> + +<p>Such is the memory which I must ever bear of the hour when +(yet vigorous and full of Life) I was held in the arms of +Death.</p> + +<p>The boat went down. The waves rushed over me; the enemy held +me by the throat, and seemed to press me into the opening grave. +Even as the light faded from my eyes, and the Spirit waited for +that quick, sharp touch of the dart which should free it from the +bonds of mortal life, I perceived the stem of the boat rising +slowly out of the waves, whilst the stern was borne down by my +weight.</p> + +<p>Instinctively I swam forward, and got upon another part of the +boat. Down it went again; and as the water dashed against my +face, I saw the stern now rising up, whilst the stem plunged down +into the depths below. I scrambled amidships; the sea and the +wind struck her, and she rolled heavily over, righting herself +for a moment, with her mast and sail erect; but soon she lay on +her larboard side, deep in the water. I had been washed off her, +but clung to the main-sheet, and so got back again. I now held on +to the side with one hand, whilst I managed to strip off all my +clothes except my shirt and flannel waistcoat, first taking my +knife out of my pocket. With this I tried to cut away the stays +which held the mast in its place, hoping that it would then fall +out, and relieve the boat of the sails which weighed her down so +low in the water. Most fortunately I had not sand-ballast, in +tarred bags, as most of our pleasure-boats had, but water-ballast +in breakers, which now proved no additional burthen to the boat. +It was also fortunate that she was built partly of deal, and had +only her lower streaks of jarra wood, which does not float.</p> + +<p>The blade of the knife, which was only a pen-knife, soon +broke, and I was obliged to give up the attempt to remove the +sails. Still the hurricane blew on, wild and terrible as ever; +the spray washed over me like rain; the waves dashed me +repeatedly from the boat, which was whirled and tossed about in a +strange manner; sometimes rolling completely over, sometimes +going down head, and sometimes stern foremost, I had to scramble +from part to part, and exercise a good deal of agility in saving +myself from being struck by the gunwale, or by the boom and sail, +as they rose from the water and fell back again.</p> + +<p>And now I could see but small prospect of being eventually +saved. The only chance was that the boat would drift, in the +course of time, across the estuary, here nearly four miles broad. +Then I tried, and for a long time vainly, to ascertain whether +she drifted at all. The anchor, with about five-and-twenty feet +of cable, had doubtless fallen out, and the boat was probably +stationary. Night had set in, and it was too dark to distinguish +even the shore with its forest of trees. These gales sometimes +continue three days, and I knew it would be impossible to exist +many hours immersed in water. I dreaded lest I should become +benumbed and unable to hold on to the boat.</p> + +<p>In order to keep up circulation as much as possible, I shouted +aloud, and rubbed my breast and thighs with my disengaged +hand.</p> + +<p>Some dark object was on the water near me. It moved; it came +quickly towards me. I could just discern that it was a whale-boat +containing several men. It had no sails or oars, yet it flew +before the blast. I shouted and screamed as it went by, not +twenty yards from me; and the men turned their heads and waved +their arms, and doubtless answered, but the gale roared with +unabated fury, the waves intercepted them from my sight, and I +could not hear their voices.*</p> + +<p>[footnote] *These men were about a mile and a half astern of +me, when the hurricane began, and tried to pull in shore; but +just as they thought to have reached it, one of their oars broke, +and being now helpless, they were obliged to scud before the +wind. By good fortune they were carried up the Canning, where +they remained all night.</p> + +<p>The moon had now risen, and the clouds were partially +dispersed, so that I could at length distinguish the woods on the +weather-shore; and I could see the weary waste of waters over +which I must drift before I could possibly be saved.</p> + +<p>Sometimes the wind blew with lessened violence, and I could +sit upon the submerged bilge of the boat, and consider my state +and prospects. After long observation, I felt assured that the +boat did really drift, but it was very slowly; and I feared that +as we approached the other shore, her anchor must inevitably +bring her up in twenty-five feet water, and that nothing could +save me from perishing of cold. It never occurred to me during +this memorable night, that when I set sail in the afternoon I had +shortened the cable to about five feet in length, in order the +more easily to trip the anchor. This was one of the +circumstances, providentially ordered, that tended to save my +life.</p> + +<p>Some miles down the estuary I could distinguish a light in the +house at Point Walter, high placed on a steep bank; there two of +my friends were at that moment carousing, whilst I was being +buffetted by waves and tempest, and fearing that the saturated +sails and heavy wood at length would sink the unfortunate boat to +the bottom. I yet could scarcely hope to escape; my mind was +still made up to die, and I tranquilly awaited the event.</p> + +<p>The moon had now made half of her journey across the heavens; +the wind had moderated, and I redoubled my exertions to keep off +the cold by shouting and rubbing myself. My flannel-shirt was +another instrument of safety to me. It felt warm to my body +though the waves poured continually over it.</p> + +<p>The outline of the forest on the lee side of the estuary was +now distinguishable, and hope would have been rife within me but +for the expectation of finding myself anchored fast at a fatal +distance from the shore.</p> + +<p>Every thing appeared so indistinct in the gloom of the night, +that I could not guess how far I was from land; and it was with +surprise, as well as delight and gratitude, that I felt the boat +bump against the sand. Oh that first bump, which told me of +safety and deliverance after five hours of incessant peril! Shall +I ever forget the thrill of delight which it gave me? I could +scarcely credit my senses, and put down my benumbed feet with +doubt; but they rested on the sand-- real, hard, blessed terra +firma! and without delay I waded through the water to the +beach.</p> + +<p>The wind had now fallen, and it began to rain.</p> + +<p>I was on the edge of a thick wilderness of forest, without any +house within reach--the nearest was some miles distant, and to +reach it in the dark, and without shoes, through swamps and +thickets was almost impossible.</p> + +<p>The Canning River was about half-a-mile from me, and on the +farther side of it was a settler's house; but though I might +reach the bank of the river, I could not hope to make myself +heard half a mile off, amid the howling of the dying storm, and +by people fast asleep. There was nothing for it, therefore, but +to make myself as comfortable as possible, and remain where I was +until morning. Fortunately, I recollected having seen the ruins +of a goat-shed not far distant, when I had landed on this spot +with my gun two or three months before. With some difficulty, and +some pain to my feet from thorns, I discovered this relic of a +hovel. Part of the roof was yet entire, and sheltered me from the +wind.</p> + +<p>The door was lying inside, and this I made my bed. Then, +having wrung out my shirt and flannel-waistcoat, and returned +thanks to the Almighty for preserving a life not, perhaps, +sufficiently prized by the owner, I lay down completely exhausted +and fell asleep.</p> + +<p>Awaking at daylight, I started off through the woods, stiff +and hoarse with cold, but light of heart; and having reached the +Canning, succeeded at last in making myself heard by the farmer +opposite, who took me across in his boat, breakfasted me, and +lent me his clothes, and finally conveyed me to Perth, where I +found my friends preparing to go in search of my body.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 23.</h3> + +<h4>THE DESERT OF AUSTRALIA.--CAUSE OF THE HOT +WINDS.--GEOLOGY.</h4> + +<p>I intend in this chapter* to give an explanation of the cause +of the hot-winds of Australia; to throw out a suggestion on the +most likely mode of prosecuting discovery towards the interior; +and to conclude with a slight sketch of the geology of the +colony. Before doing this I shall give a brief account of a +journey made by myself and Mr. Maxwell Lefroy in search of the +inland sea so often talked of, and which a native promised to +show to us; so large, he said, that when he stood on one shore he +could not see the other. Although this sea turned out to be a +pure fiction, the journey was not entirely useless, nor +altogether uninteresting. As this sea was probably not more than +200 miles distant from York, according to the reckoning of the +native, who said it was "ten sleeps off," I judged that one +month's provision would be sufficient.</p> + +<p>[footnote] *This chapter I owe to Mr. Henry Landor.</p> + +<p>Accordingly, Mr. Lefroy and myself started on the expedition, +on horseback, taking with us a native boy, and a pack-horse +loaded with flour, tea, and sugar, and other necessaries. It will +be sufficient to state that we pursued a south-east course, +crossing the Hotham, the Williams, and the Arthur rivers, and +traversing an indifferent country, but in many places fit for +sheep-grazing, before we came to the lake, or sea, of which we +were in search. When we arrived at it, we were disappointed to +find it not more than six miles long, although the natives, with +their usual amount of exaggeration, had increased it to an +illimitable ocean. Before descending from the high land to the +plain in which the lakes are situated, we caught a distant +glimpse of what appeared to be a grand and broad river, pursuing +a winding course through a magnificently wooded valley, with its +clear bright waters dwindling in the distance to a silvery +thread. A nearer examination, however, dispelled the illusion, +and the beautiful river turned out to be nothing more than a +chain of shallow lakes, situated in a woody valley; and only in +very wet seasons flowing from one to another.</p> + +<p>We determined to follow the chain of lakes eastward, so long +as our provisions should last, or as long as our horses could +find food for themselves. We proceeded east for six days, passing +numberless lakes, and observing that the chain divided, one +branch of lakes running north-east, and the other due east. We +followed the latter until we came to a lake called Dambeling, by +far the largest we had seen, being about fifteen miles long by +seven or eight wide, with a good sheep country on its northern +bank, and a river, which we called the Lefroy, falling into its +eastern end. The river was about thirty yards wide, with a clayey +bed, and large fresh-water pools, and flowed from the east, +through the worst country we had seen, it being an apparently +endless desert, and level to the horizon. We went one day's +journey into this inhospitable country, but the want of food for +our horses, and our own unprepared state, prevented us from +penetrating farther. On our return, we went for two or three days +north, on the outskirts of the desert, before we turned westward +on our way back to York.</p> + +<p>The only land we crossed in this expedition was situated on +the head of the Hotham and Williams. The area of this country is +undoubtedly very great, but its average character is below the +York district, although it is well adapted for sheep-grazing.</p> + +<p>But the most interesting feature is the barren and desolate +country to the east of Lake Dambeling, doubtless a continuation +of the same sterile country seen by Mr. Roe, the +surveyor-General, east of York many years previously; and +probably from Mr. Eyre's observation, extending quite down to the +southern coast. We had no means of ascertaining the width of this +dreary country, but we did not think it could be impassably wide +because the river Lefroy appeared to come across it. This river, +in a geographical point of view, may be important, as the +character of its bed, without trees, more water-worn than the +other rivers of the colony, its size, and the direction from +which it comes, render it exceedingly interesting to determine +how it is supplied. The sandy nature of the country on its banks, +and for many miles east, and the flatness of the country, +preclude the idea that it receives its supply of water from the +immediately surrounding district. It must either be supplied by a +country of a far better character to the eastward, or it is the +outlet of another and larger lake far in the interior. From the +natives we could learn nothing but that there were no kangaroos, +no opossums, and no water to the east; but as their knowledge +never extends 100 miles, and they would tell any lie to avoid +going where they had no inclination to go, their opinions are +worthless. It might be worth the while of the colony to send +forth another expedition to determine the boundaries of this +desolate country, as it is not improbable that a practicable rout +might be discovered to South Australia by means of the river and +lakes.</p> + +<p>The outlet of the lakes is into the river Beaufort, and +possibly also into the Gordon. There is no doubt that in +exceedingly wet seasons the whole valley is one continuous +stream, when all the lakes would be united and present a truly +magnificent appearance; but as the area of evaporation is so +large, and the banks of many of the lakes are high, the quantity +of rain must be enormous before the valley becomes filled with a +running river. Lake Barbering, where the valley divides, has a +steep shore, with three distinct marks of former water-levels. +All the lakes have two or more shores, showing either a decrease +of rain or an elevation of the land itself, probably both. +Between the present and ancient shores there is a belt of +swamp-oaks and tea-trees, which show that some length of time has +elapsed since the water left its old levels.</p> + +<p>The water to fill these large reservoirs must come down the +river Lefroy, as the neighbouring country is too sandy to supply +it in sufficient quantities.</p> + +<p>No question in geography has presented a wider field for +conjecture than the much-debated one of the nature of the +interior of Australia. Is it desert, or water, or pasture? +inhabited, or destitute alike of animal and vegetable life? The +explorations of Captain Sturt, and the journey of Mr. Eyre, would +incline us to believe that the country is one vast sterile waste; +but the journey of the latter is worth nothing as an attempt to +expose the nature of the interior, since he never left the coast. +It certainly shows how much suffering the human frame can endure; +and whilst, as illustrative of Australian geography, it is +valueless, it is highly creditable to the energies of the +traveller.</p> + +<p>The expedition of Captain Sturt has shown that to the north of +South Australia the country is chiefly desert, totally incapable +of supporting animal life: while the geological specimens of that +traveller prove that the rich mineral strata of South Australia +extend far beyond the pastoral boundaries of the colony. A +reference to the journey of Mr. Lefroy and myself, from York to +the south-east, will show that there exists a low level country +running far beyond our farthest eastern point, which may afford +abundance of water and pasture for any future expedition +proceeding in that direction.</p> + +<p>An expedition starting from these lakes in the BEGINNING OF +WINTER, so as to take advantage of the first supplies of water, +might advance far enough into the interior to discover at least +the possibility of proceeding before the succeeding summer would +render it impossible to return; for the lakes alone would not be +sufficient to ensure a supply of good drinkable water during the +summer, as they generally become quite salt long before summer is +over. It would be necessary to find a good deep water-hole for +the party to remain at during the dry season, and from which they +could push out small lateral expeditions as a sort of foundation +for the next season's main advance. Expeditions in Australia +require great circumspection. It is not the most rapid traveller +who will get the farthest, but the most prudent and cautious. I +consider it quite possible to get across the island, either to +South Australia or to Port Essington. Most probably it would be +easier to get to the latter than the former.</p> + +<p>From observations made on the rains and winds in Western +Australia, and careful inquiries on the same subjects when I was +in South Australia, and on a comparison of the two, I am inclined +to believe that the climates of the two colonies assimilate. A +wet winter in one is a wet winter in the other. Both receive +their rains when the wind blows from the north-west to +south-west. Thus the rains from South Australia pass from the +Indian Ocean over Western Australia, and the whole island, to +South Australia. The hot wind of Western Australia blows from the +north-east; and, in fact, the hot wind of both colonies comes +from the same portion of the great island. That which is the hot +wind in summer in Western Australia is the cold wind in winter; +and the same in South Australia. The reason is obvious. It is +evident, from the fact that South Australia receives its rain +from the Indian Ocean, that there are no mountains in the +interior of sufficient elevation to intercept the clouds; that +there are no mountains in the interior, is shown also by the +absence of rivers emptying themselves into the ocean. From the +observation of Mr. Lefroy and myself, we were led to suppose that +the interior consisted for the most part of immense clay plains; +the lower portion of these plains being hollowed into the large +shallow lakes we meet with in our journey. Where the country is a +little more elevated the plains are sand instead of clay. In +winter these plains are covered with water, as the drifted leaves +on the bushes testify; and the marks of water on the surface are +very evident. Now, when the winter winds pass over these immense +masses of water, the great evaporation renders them intensely +cold; and they arrive in the colony laden, (if I may so +unphilosophically express it,) with cold, caused by rapid +evaporation. In summer these very plains are equally the cause of +the hot wind; for when the rains cease, and the sun acquires his +summer power, the water is quickly evaporated, the clay becomes +baked, and the heat is reflected from the hard heated surface +quite sufficiently to raise a thermometer to 110 degrees in the +shade. The wind is now driven towards the colony laden with heat +from the cracked, baked, clay-plains in the interior; and thus it +is, that at different seasons the same country produces such +opposite effects. But although the general state of the interior +is barren and unproductive, as I imagine, I do not suppose that +it is entirely so. I believe there are many cases of good pasture +land in the midst of this sterile country; fertile spots, small +when compared with the vast area of indifferent country around +them, but large in themselves. And these pastoral oases are more +cultivated than the worthless land amid which they are placed. In +these patches of good land there are always water-holes to be +found, and water-courses well marked, conducting the surplus +waters to the lakes in the clay plains. That there are such +fertile spots in the Australian deserts is certain, for I have +seen many of them myself, and they are mentioned also by the +South Australian travellers. The similarity in most respects of +vegetation in Western Australia and in South Australia, and the +identity of many plants, proves also a country of good quality +lying between the two colonies; by which such plants were +conveyed from one country to the other. Thus, the so called +white-gum is the same tree in both colonies; the mungat, or +raspberry-jam tree, is common to both; and also to the plains of +New England, in New South Wales, where (I understand) it acquires +a larger size than in Western Australia. The manch is another +tree also common to the two colonies; so is the black-wattle. The +grasses are many of them alike. But this similarity is not +confined only to the vegetable kingdom. The birds and animals are +many of them also alike. The white and the black cockatoo are +common to the three colonies, as are many kinds of the smaller +parrots, the kangaroo, and the kangaroo-rat, the numbat, the +opossum, the native cat, and many others. And this is not only +true of animals of great locomotion, or birds of long flight, as +the pigeon or cockatoo, but equally so of the opossum, the quail, +and the wild-turkey. The quail and the turkey are birds chiefly +found in grassy lands, and neither fly to any great distance: at +least the quail never does; the turkey will when much disturbed, +but not otherwise. Also the water animals, as the tortoise, are +to be found in both colonies; but not the platypus, which is +confined to the country east of the great river Murrumbidgee and +its tributary the Darling.</p> + +<p>The natives are also alike in feature and habits, evidently +the same race, with language similar in character, in both +countries, with similar weapons and methods of procuring food; +having also similar customs and laws.</p> + +<p>Now, I infer from these facts, that the population, animal as +well as vegetable, proceeded from one country to the other; and +that many forms of vegetation in the two colonies possess no +greater difference, than the difference of soil and latitude may +account for; and that it may therefore be possible for men to +find a route from one country to the other, by carefully noting +and following the lay of the water-courses, the direction of the +oases, and the nature of the geology of the country; for that no +impenetrable desert exists between the countries, is evident from +the passage of vegetables and animals from the one to the other. +What will be the benefit, some one may ask, when such a route is +discovered? Why, independent of the knowledge gained to +geography, there will be the great practical good of opening the +boundless pastures of Western Australia to the flocks of the +already overstocked lands of the other colonies. To Western +Australia the gain would be great; and to South Australia it +would be equally advantageous, as it would maintain the value of +stock there, which will rapidly fall when no more land can be +found fit for occupation. Even with all the rapid increase of +population which the great mineral abundance of that colony will +continue to create, sheep will multiply faster than the +population, until they become of the same low value as in New +South Wales, where, if there be no run sold with them, they are +not worth more than the value of the wool on their backs.</p> + +<p>It is therefore most desirable that attempts should be made to +find a stock route from the western to the eastern coasts.</p> + +<p>Intra-tropical Australia is more abundantly supplied with +rivers, and of a larger magnitude, than any out of the tropics, +the Murray alone excepted; and doubtless a journey across the +island within the tropic would present fewer difficulties than +one direct from Perth to Sydney, or Adelaide; but, excepting for +the advancement of geographical knowledge, there is no object to +be gained by such a journey. The best way is along the valley of +the lakes, guided as the party proceeds, by the nature of the +country.</p> + +<p>I earnestly hope that an expedition will be sent to make some +effort to penetrate the great extent of an unknown country, lying +east of Western Australia, as it is an object well worth the +attention of the Government, or of the Geographical Society.</p> + +<p>The geology of Western Australia is not very interesting, as +the country is entirely of primary formation to the east of the +Darling range of hills: the granite every where crowning the +summit of the hills, and the immense plains consisting entirely +of granitic sand, or of hard clay containing nodules of primary +rocks. This formation, which does not in Western Australia +consist of the stratified primary series, as in South Australia, +cannot be expected to yield the abundant mineral riches that the +strata of South Australia exhibit. Probably gold may be met with, +and copper and lead may be found in the Koikunenup Range, which +is not entirely a granitic range, but is, I believe, capped with +clay slate. The level country lying between the Darling hills and +the sea is of a much more recent formation; but has not been +sufficiently examined to determine its age precisely, though I +imagine it will be found to belong to the pliocene tertiary +formations. Certainly it contains many shells of species now +living in the neighbouring ocean; and the limestone ridge running +parallel with and close to the coast, and which in the colony is +falsely called magnesian limestone, contains a great proportion +of modern shells. The country lying between the hills and the sea +contains many beds of lignite; one of which, at Nornalup, on the +south coast, is more than two feet thick, and shows itself on the +face of the cliff on the north shore of the estuary. Following +the line of coast in any part of Australia, the geologist cannot +fail to be much struck by the evident marks of a gradual +elevation of the land; he will every where see the marks of the +sea on the cliffs, at a considerable height above its present +level. At Cape Chatham, on the south coast, these sea-marks are +visible 300 feet above the present level of the ocean; and can be +seen on the face of the rocks, in the hills at some distance from +the coast. On my journey to Nornalup, I discovered a lake +containing shells in abundance, which appeared to me, and were +also considered by the late Dr. Hinds (Surgeon, Royal Navy) a +skilful conchologist, to be a littoral species, common to the +shores of various parts of the globe. These shells, of no +interest in themselves, become excessively interesting as +evidence of a connexion once existing between this lake and the +ocean, from which it is now at least forty miles distant. This +lake is not more than 100 feet above the present level of the +ocean, and entirely separated from any other lake or river. How, +therefore, could these marine shell-fish be living in a salt +lake, unless they had continued to exist there from the period +when it was a portion of the ocean itself? That many generations +of them had lived and died in this spot, was quite certain, from +the abundance of dead shells on the shores of this very +interesting lake. Nor is the evidence of elevation confined to +the coast; all the lakes seen by Mr. Lefroy and myself have +ancient shores much higher than the present waters ever reach. +The same evidence of elevation is to be seen in the harbour of +Sydney, and in Spencer's Gulf, in South Australia. At the head of +the latter the shingle and rolled-stones clearly show that the +gulf has formerly run much farther inland: probably to Lake +Torrens, the superfluous waters of which are now discharged into +the head of the gulf. The whole plain of the Murrumbidgee has +been, at not a very distant date, beneath the ocean; as the +Madrepores, and other fossils in the limestone cliffs of the +river testify. Earthquakes have been felt in South Australia +since its settlement. A very intelligent gentleman there told me +that he had noted eleven since his arrival; quite perceptible +enough to leave no doubt as to their character. Probably the +country was elevated at each shock, in a slight degree; and +perhaps before the volcano of Mount Gambier became extinct the +elevatory movements were more rapid. Be that as it may, I am +quite convinced that they are going on at this moment; and it +would be well to make marks on the cliffs in various parts of the +coast, at the present sea-level, in order to determine, after the +lapse of years, the rate of elevation.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 24.</h3> + +<h4>COLONIAL GOVERNMENT.</h4> + +<p>We have already observed that a vast deal of discontent +prevails in colonies. With all the natural advantages of a +fruitful soil and a heavenly climate, colonists are always +dissatisfied with their position; because, in a pecuniary point +of view, they are always poor. And why are they so? The answer is +a startling one. The excess of their abundance is the first cause +of their poverty; the instability of their government, the +second. They possess more than they can dispose of, and are borne +down by the weight of their possessions. Place the markets of +England and the labour of Ireland within their reach, and they +would become millionaires were they to cease to be colonists; but +so long as they continue to be colonists, governed by a Power +altogether distinct from that which rules over Englishmen in +their native land, they will continue to be helpless, oppressed, +and poverty-stricken.</p> + +<p>They alone, among British subjects, are living under an +absolute Monarchy; the caprices of which render property insecure +and of uncertain value; neutralizing industry, paralyzing +enterprise, and crushing with fatal authority the energies and +the spirits of the people.</p> + +<p>In the absolute recklessness of colonial rule, no sooner does +private enterprise raise its head, and throw out the first +feelers on the way to wealth, than a watchful government steps +forward, and careful only to secure gain to itself, crushes out +(in the first feebleness of existence,) the germ of vitality.</p> + +<p>In all new countries in which the sources of wealth are +imperfectly developed, the expense of applying the means +necessary to their development is so enormous, as to leave but +small profit to the speculator. Labour is always dear in new +countries, where there is so large an outlet afforded to the +labourer to escape from the toils of servitude, and become +himself an occupant or an owner of the soil. All that he gains by +the exchange is an ideal independence; which is, unhappily, but +too attractive to the uneasy spirit of modern improvement.</p> + +<p>The prosperity of a colony is the aggregate of individual +wealth. the prosperous advance of the colonist, is, therefore, +the first duty of a superintending Government. But the first aim +of that watchful guardian is ever to wring from the settler as +much as may be extracted by pressure. The lowest demand for land, +which would be dear at half-a-crown an acre, is eight times that +amount. No sooner does the settler, by his science or industry, +discover some lucrative opening, than government steps in with +its restrictions, its taxes and duties, and at once cuts down the +budding promise. If the design be to bring to light the mineral +wealth of the country, royalties are immediately imposed; and no +chance of profit is left to the speculator when the rents are +raised according to the probabilities of success. It is the same +with all other speculations; no one will embark, even in a +timber-trade, when he knows that he is placing his capital at the +mercy of a grasping and short-sighted Government.</p> + +<p>How much more lucrative, and how much more statesman-like +would it prove, were our rulers to display as much good policy as +the peasants of Norfolk, who do not pluck their geese until they +be well feathered! Colonists, like cabbages, should be allowed to +acquire the necessary strength, and attain the proper dimensions, +before they be seriously operated upon. You might then cut and +nick them with reasonable hope of their sprouting forth anew.</p> + +<p>But the worst evil of an absolute Government arises from the +destruction in the minds of the people of all faith and +confidence in its truth and honour.</p> + +<p>One Secretary of State countermands the edicts of his +predecessor; and as the Executive Government of a colony is +composed of the paid servants of the Crown, and is merely the +machine of the Secretary for the time being, the ordinances which +it promulgates are distinguished by only one uniform feature--the +announcement of broken promises and betrayed faith.</p> + +<p>The inhabitants of colonies, disappointed and deceived, have +no trust in their rulers, and dare not invest their capital in +enterprises which may be ruined in a moment by an arbitrary +edict. At one period, for instance, they may have been induced, +upon the faith of the Government, to purchase remission tickets, +which entitle the owner to a certain quantity of land wherever he +may choose to select it. A succeeding Government confines this +right of selection within certain narrow limits; whilst another +decides that the holder shall be allowed to purchase with these +tickets only land that is entirely valueless. At one period men +are encouraged to attempt the production of colonial spirits; but +no sooner is a large amount of capital expended, than it is made +illegal to distil. Some parties are permitted to purchase land at +a distance from the capital: and after years of toil and expense +are deprived of all protection from the Government, and allowed +no compensation for its withdrawal.</p> + +<p>But it were vain to attempt to enumerate the acts of broken +faith on the part of an absolute Government, from whose decree +there is no appeal, and from whose oppression no redress. The +moral evil to colonies is crushing and fatal.</p> + +<p>The best informed among English statesmen know nothing of +colonies: but their hardihood in legislating for them is, +unhappily, equal to their ignorance. It was only last year (1846) +that the bill for the government of Western Australia was +(according to newspaper report) opposed in the House of Lords by +a noble duke, on the ground, as his grace alleged in an animated +and interesting speech, of the wretchedly immoral state of the +colony, arising from the system of transportation, which so +deluged the country with convicts that it was now a perfect hell +upon earth! A noble lord, then Under-secretary for the Colonies, +apologised, with the best grace he could assume, for this +lamentable state of things, and assured the noble duke that the +Government was quite aware of the evil, and was turning its +attention to a remedy for it. Had any one of the noble lords +present known anything at all about the subject of the debate, he +might in a few words have relieved the anxiety of the Government, +by informing it that Western Australia is not, and never has +been, a penal settlement--that convicts are not sent thither for +punishment; that even a single bush-ranger has never been known +within the territory; and that, in the words of an Adelaide +journal, "it is as free from stain as any of the rural districts +of England."</p> + +<p>Another Australian colony (that of Port Phillip) calls for the +attention of Government more imperatively, perhaps, than any +other of these settlements. At present an appendage to Sydney, +but situated at a most inconvenient distance from that capital, +it is compelled to remit thither between fifty and one hundred +thousand pounds annually for rates, taxes, and duties, not a +tithe of which ever finds its way back again. It is deprived of +roads, bridges, and all public works of importance, solely +because it is friendless at home, voiceless and unrepresented. +Might Englishmen be made to feel that interest in colonies which +in general they are ever ready to accord to the unfortunate, they +would glow with indignation at the wrongs, the injustice, and the +oppression under which the inhabitants of distant settlements +bend in silence. "If you don't keep your colonies in a state of +dependence," are the memorable words of Lord Stanley, in May, +1846, "of what use are they?" Such has ever been the +narrow-minded and unstatesman-like policy of the British +Government. And yet even the infant colonies of the empire, +though fettered, cramped, and swathed like the young progeny of +the Esquimaux, are useful still to the Mother Country. They +afford the best market for her produce; and when freed from the +pressure of their bonds, like plants released from the torturing +confinement of their earthenware prison, and allowed to extend +their roots abroad in the free soil of Nature, they will display +new strength and viridity, and bring forth fruit in increased +abundance. Her Majesty's present Secretary of State for the +Colonies (Earl Grey) entered upon his office with truly liberal +and right-minded views, which, we trust, will be carried out into +operation wherever found necessary and practicable. "There can be +no doubt," said his Lordship in the House of Lords, shortly +before taking office, "that in our colonial empire we have the +advantage of possessing warm friends and allies in all quarters +of the world, who, commanding great natural resources, are united +in heart and soul to defend our trade and our interests, and to +take part with us in all contests against our enemies. We have +garrisons of the cheapest kind in every quarter of the universe. +On the other hand, the colonies have this inestimable +advantage--they have the glory and security to be derived from an +intimate connexion with the greatest, the most civilized, and the +most powerful nation on the face of the earth. They have the +glory--and they feel it to be a glory--of calling themselves +British subjects, and feeling that in defence of their interests +and best rights, the power and might of this country are ready at +any moment to be called forth and exercised in their behalf. This +is a substantial advantage of the most important kind to the +colonies; and they are fully sensible of it. And if with this we +pursue a liberal policy, and extend to them the dearest privilege +of Englishmen--THE PRIVILEGE OF SELF-GOVERNMENT, AND DO NOT +VEXATIOUSLY INTERMEDDLE WITH THEIR INTERNAL AFFAIRS; in short, if +we pursue a liberal policy towards them, both commercially and +politically, we shall bind them to us with chains which no power +on earth may break, and the connexion between the parent state +and those great dependencies may continue until they far exceed +us in population."</p> + +<p>These are generous sentiments and profound truths, and they +have shed the bright beams of Hope over that vast colonial empire +to which they refer.</p> + +<p>In legislating for colonies, let it not be forgotten that one +of the chief drawbacks to their prosperity is the want of +confidence in the stability and permanency of existing +regulations. There can be no success, and there can be no safety, +whilst those regulations and laws are liable to the influence of +peculiar views or individual caprice. It is the people +themselves, for whose government the laws are intended, who +should be allowed to impose, to modify, or to expunge them.</p> + +<p>The predominating evil in colonies is THE WANT OF CONFIDENCE +AND FAITH IN THE GOVERNMENT.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 25.</h3> + +<h4>ONE OF THE ERRORS OF GOVERNMENT--ADVENTURE OF THE +BRAMBLE.</h4> + +<p>It has ever been considered one of the first principles of +good government, that a frequent and ready communication and +intercourse should be maintained between the ruling power and the +possessions subject to its authority. The first act of Roman sway +was ever to lay down good lines of road through the conquered +country; and nothing has tended so much to maintain the authority +of the United States over the Red Indians of America, as the +formation of roads through the wilderness. The rulers of Great +Britain entertain the opinion that when they have once seized +upon a distant country, and thrown into it a handful of troops +and a few of their importunate friends, with the title of +government officers, they have done all that is required of them. +They wait with resignation for any account that may be brought of +the progress of the new colony, by some wandering +merchant-vessel. Despatches, frequently dated twelve months +previously, during which time they have been making the tour of +all the oceans at present known upon the globe, are brought to +Downing Street; and are then thrown aside, or at least are never +attended to, probably because they are too old to be deemed +interesting. No matter how pressing and immediate the wants of +the colony, chance alone affords the opportunity of making their +necessities known at home. Letters and despatches accumulate in +the Post-office; no vessel arrives bringing intelligence from +England, or offering to take away a mail: the Colonial Secretary, +having exhausted every official resource in the way of mental +occupation, looks out at the window, and meditates upon +quail-shooting. His Excellency the Governor, questions the +possibility of adding another despatch to the hundred and fifty +already composed in illustration of the art of making despatches, +as Soyer makes soup, out of nothing; and oppressed by the +subject, becomes dormant in his chair of state; the clerks in the +neighbouring offices no longer exhibit the uplifted countenance +which, as justly observed by Sallust, distinguishes man from all +other creatures; nothing is to be seen of them but masses of hair +in wild profusion, and right hands extended on the table, still +mechanically grasping steel-pens, whilst every face lies +flattened upon a paper-case, and sleep and silence, broken only +by sighs and snores, reign throughout the building. Universal +stagnation prevails among government people; and merchants and +store-keepers appear to be much in the same condition. The only +person in office who is kept in a constant state of fever, is the +unhappy Post-Master-General, who is hourly called upon to state +when he is going to make up a mail for England. In vain he +apologises for the non-arrival of ships; there is something +radically wrong in his department, for which he is expected to +answer; and dark denunciations are muttered in his ear, until +worn out with anxiety and nervousness, he loses his appetite, and +gradually withers away, like grass in the oven.</p> + +<p>And when at length a vessel arrives accidentally from Van +Diemen's Land, or perhaps from America, the Master at first +demurs about taking a mail, under the idea that it may convey +letters giving information of the state of markets that he +desires should be known only to himself and his employers; but +finally consents; and then, having received the mail on board, +carries it about with him from port to port, until at the +conclusion of a long voyage, having occasion to empty his vessel +in order to smoke out the rats, he discovers the forgotten boxes, +and conscientiously sends them ashore.</p> + +<p>But if it be vexatious and inconvenient to have only this +uncertain means of despatching our letters to England, how much +more annoying is it to have no regular and stated time for +receiving them from home! What could be more painful than to have +to wait twelve months before you can receive an answer to an +inquiry; and what more destructive to the interests of commerce? +How many fluctuations are there in the state of the markets +during those twelve months!</p> + +<p>It is one of the greatest of evils to have no regular +post-office communication between the Mother Country and her +colonies, and the interests of trade in both greatly suffer by +it.</p> + +<p>Much has been said lately of establishing steam communication +with Sydney. A committee of Sydney merchants has been appointed +in London to consider the subject, and the restless and +indefatigable Lieut. Waghorn has written a pamphlet showing how +it may be done, provided the Government will contribute 100,000 +pounds per annum towards the project. He proposes that a branch +line of steamers shall be established, to proceed from Sincapore +by the north of New Holland, touching at Port Essington, and +through Torres Straits to Sydney, and probably on to Van Dieman's +Land. But why follow such a route as this, through the most +dangerous channel in the world, where even steamers would have to +lie-to at night (as the Lieutenant admits), and where +light-houses would have to be erected and kept up at an +extravagant cost? Why take such a route, which presents not a +single place to call at, except Port Essington, a miserable spot, +intended only as a kind of refuge for shipwrecked mariners, +possessing no commercial or agricultural inhabitants, and only +enjoying the advantages and the society of a Governor, a handful +of soldiers, and three white women? Why insist upon expending so +much public money, and encountering so many dangers, without +conferring a single additional benefit upon the Australian +colonies, when the route by the south of New Holland is so +obvious, so practicable, and so superior? The projectors talk of +making Port Essington a depot for coal; but why not make this +depot in Western Australia? During the summer months, from 1st +October to 1st April, the steamers might touch at Fremantle; and +during the winter months, at Port Gladstone, fifteen miles to the +southward, affording a sheltered harbour where ships may ride +securely within one hundred yards of the shore. Coal mines will +probably soon be at work in the colony, vast beds of that mineral +having been discovered, thus offering every inducement to +steam-vessels to touch here. Nor could anything be more +advantageous, considering the great interests that England now +has at stake in these seas, than to form a general depot in this +colony, where her Majesty's steamers and ships-of-war might refit +on occasion. As there is no other spot in all New Holland, Van +Dieman's Land, or New Zealand, where first-rate ship-timber may +be obtained, and where IRON, COAL, and COPPER, are also +procurable in abundance, this colony offers advantages for the +formation of a Government Dock-yard and depot (at Port +Gladstone), that must be acknowledged by every unprejudiced +person.</p> + +<p>Objections may be raised to doubling Cape Lewin during the +winter season; but let the steamers stand well out to sea, and +there would be no difficulty. The time lost would not exceed that +spent in lying-to in Torres Straits during the night. Our +colonial schooner, the Champion, goes round Cape Lewin at all +seasons.</p> + +<p>We would propose that the mail steamers, instead of branching +off from Sincapore, as proposed by Lieut. Waghorn, should depart +from Point de Galle, Ceylon, make direct for Swan River, there +take in coal, and pass on to Adelaide, South Australia, and +thence to Van Dieman's Land, where they might put the Melbourne +and Sydney mails on board of the steamer already plying between +Van Dieman's Land and those places. By this route the Sydney +people would receive their letters quite as soon as though their +interests alone had been consulted, according to the desire of +the disinterested committee before alluded to; whilst Van +Dieman's Land would gain a few days, and South Australia and +Western Australia would be allowed to share in the general +advantage, from which they would otherwise be entirely +excluded.</p> + +<p>But the Government and the public would also be gainers by the +route which we suggest. It would be much cheaper to them, because +it would be much more profitable to the company that carried it +out. The colony of South Australia is now a populous country, and +becomes more so every year; but the Steam Company would carry no +passengers and no goods for South Australia (perhaps not even for +Van Dieman's Land), if the route to Sydney were to be by Port +Essington and Torres Straits. The two colonies of South and +Western Australia deriving no benefit from such a course, could +give no support to the company. Government hitherto has resisted +the efforts of the Sydney merchants, and refused to sanction the +proposal of Mr. Waghorn, but chiefly upon the ground of expense. +And there is no doubt that Ministers would be guilty of a gross +misdemeanour, were they to consent to apply 100,000 pounds per +annum of the public money in furtherance of a scheme designed for +the exclusive benefit of a single colony. It is the duty of +Government to see that any sum which may be granted shall be so +applied as to confer the most extensive benefit upon all the +Australian colonies. That measures ought to be immediately taken +to ensure a regular communication between the home country and +every one of her colonies is a matter of no doubt to us. The want +of this has long appeared to be one of the grand errors of +colonial legislation. Let us hope that the day is not far distant +when this crying evil shall be remedied. Now that steam +navigation has come so generally into use, there is no valid +reason why it should not be made the means of uniting together, +as it were, the different outposts of the empire, drawing them +more closely towards their parent country as to a common centre. +It is full time that a greater appearance of sympathy were +exhibited at home for those distant settlements which have now +become the principal markets for British produce, and which, +therefore, deserve something more at the hand of Government than +what they have so long been accustomed to find--alternate periods +of tyranny and neglect.</p> + +<p>By far the greater portion of English merchant-ships are +engaged in trading to the colonies; our manufactures there find +their principal mart; our surplus population is there cheaply +provided with maintenance and a home. These are the grounds on +which the colonies lay claim to the fostering care of the Mother +Country, and we trust the days are at hand that will see it +afforded.</p> + +<p>The first step must be to ensure a regular and frequent +intercourse between the countries, without which there can be no +real protection; without which there is no sufficient +encouragement given to trade; and the parent state can therefore +reap but little advantage, comparatively, from a colony whose +powers are only imperfectly developed.</p> + +<p>Since the above remarks were written, accounts have reached +England of the arrival at Fremantle of her Majesty's surveying +vessel Bramble, Commander Lieutenant Yule, after passing some +time in Torres Straits and on the coast of New Guinea.</p> + +<p>Mr. Yule having kindly placed the notes of his voyage at the +disposal of a friend in the colony, they were partially published +in one of the local journals in the month of January last. The +portion relating to Torres Straits is instructive. The Bramble +sailed from Port Jackson about the end of December 1845, in +company with the Castlereagh tender, Lieut. Aird, Commander. +Touching at Moreton Bay, Mr. Yule visited his old acquaintance, +Captain Wickham, R.N., late in command of H.M.S. Beagle, and now +a settler on the Brisbane. In the words of the journal referred +to, "the Bramble proceeded slowly to the northward, being much +delayed by the bad sailing of the tender." The voyage presents +nothing worthy of notice, until the arrival of the ships in +Torres Straits, when it is impossible to help being struck with +the commentary which Mr. Yule unconsciously affords upon the +"perfect safety" of that passage, now so much vaunted by the +advocates of the northern route. While the Bramble and +Castlereagh were lying off Sir Charles Hardy's Islands, the +latter being deficient in ballast, Mr. Aird was despatched with +the boats to look for the "wreck" of the Maid of Athens and the +"wreck" of the Martha Ridgway, with the view of procuring some; +and having failed in discovering the former, and therefore in +procuring a sufficient supply, he was again sent to the "wreck" +of the Sir Archibald Campbell for the same purpose. So much for +Torres Straits!</p> + +<p>Mr. Yule strongly recommends Cairncross Island as the best +station for obtaining wood and water for vessels navigating the +straits, there being abundance of both easily procurable, and +even large timber, if required. On this island they shot four +megapodii, and observed many of their nests, some of which Mr. +Yule describes as being twelve feet high, and upwards of fifty +feet in circumference.</p> + +<p>On Friday, the 10th April they made the coast of New Guinea, +which presented a low and thickly-wooded coast-line, backed by +mountains of magnificent height and beauty; the country being +apparently very rich, with many villages, embowered in cocoa-nut +trees, scattered along the shore. While coasting along, in search +of a convenient place to land, they encountered a native vessel +of most extraordinary size and character, which we will allow Mr. +Yule to describe in his own words:--</p> + +<p>"At daybreak, as the sun was rising, I was very much struck +with the grandeur of some very distant mountains in a +south-eastern direction --one in particular, the outline of whose +summit was only visible above the intervening clouds; immense +ranges of mountains were also distinctly visible this side of it, +extending in a N.W. and S.E. direction. It is seldom the rising +sun has disclosed to my sight so splendid a view as then +presented itself; but in a few minutes, when the sun's disk +appeared, the beautiful scene vanished, leaving only inferior +cloud-topped mountains visible, together with the rich and +undulating foreground. We shortly afterwards saw the strange sail +seen last night. Although she was much nearer, she proved more +unaccountable than before. As there was not sufficient wind to +enable us to weigh, I resolved to send Mr. Pollard in the second +gig to take a nearer view of this extraordinary vessel. I watched +the boat until Mr. Pollard must have gone nearly five miles from +us, when the boat's sails appeared a mere speck when close to the +wonderful stranger. On this officer's return, he informed me he +had approached within bow-shot of the vessel, which proved to be +a gigantic double canoe, which he conceives must have measured +fifty or sixty feet long, kept apart and together by a platform +from fifteen to twenty feet broad, which extended nearly the +whole length of the canoes, the after-end being square with the +sterns of the boats; six or eight feet of this was left clear for +the three steersmen, who guided the vessel with three long +paddles over the stern. With the exception of this part of the +platform, the whole was covered by a strong, well-built house, +made of cane, the roof being flat, and about five or six feet +above the platform. This roof answered the purpose of an upper +deck, affording the crew the means of conveniently walking on it. +This extraordinary craft was propelled by two large mat sails, +each spread between two bamboo masts, the heels of which were +fixed in the same step, the mastheads being spread (athwartships) +from twenty to thirty feet asunder, the sail being triangular +between these bamboo masts, which were supported by diagonal +shores fore and aft on either side; besides these two large +sails, the canoe had numerous smaller (square) ones suspended +from the principal masts; there was also a small square sail +forward. The whole of the spars and rigging was ornamented with a +sort of flags and streamers. Mr. Pollard thinks that he saw about +forty or fifty people on the roof, several of whom were in the +act of stringing their bows; except this precaution on the part +of the strangers, there was no demonstration of hostility. After +taking a good view of this most extraordinary canoe, Mr. Pollard +returned; and she ultimately was wafted out of sight. Whence she +came, or where bound, still remains to me a problem.</p> + +<p>"At noon I obtained the latitude, which was 8 degrees 3 +minutes S.; longitude, by chronometer, 145 degrees 28 minutes +E.</p> + +<p>"In the afternoon the Castlereagh was visited by two small +canoes, with eight men, who had come off from a village we +discovered abreast of us. The natives brought off a few +cocoa-nuts and some bows and arrows, which they readily bartered +for such trifles as were given in exchange."</p> + +<p>The lofty mountain which so much excited Mr. Yule's +admiration, was named by him Mount Victoria, and between it and +the shore were several ranges of inferior altitude, which gave +him "every reason to believe that the lower regions were well +watered and fertile."</p> + +<p>Having fixed upon a favourable spot for commencing his +triangulation behind a promontory which served to conceal them +from the view of a native village which they saw at no great +distance, Mr. Yule went ashore in the first gig with five seamen +and one marine, accompanied by Mr. Sweetman, in the second gig, +with three seamen and two marines, all well armed, and proceeded +to hoist the Union Jack and take possession of the place in the +name of her Majesty Queen Victoria. Having successfully performed +this duty, and obtained the observations he required, Mr. Yule +thought it high time to return on board; but the surf had in the +meantime increased so heavily, that in the attempt the second gig +was swamped, and every thing in her, including the arms, lost, +except the quintant and chronometer, the boat herself being with +difficulty saved by being towed outside the surf by the other +gig. The rest of the adventure we shall give in Mr. Yule's own +words:--</p> + +<p>"At this time I observed the Castlereagh about two miles +beyond Cape Possession, under sail; I therefore made signs to Mr. +Wright, in the first gig, to tow the second gig towards the +Castlereagh, which I concluded would attract Mr. Aird's +attention. In this I was not mistaken, as the Castlereagh was +immediately anchored about a mile and a half off, and her boats +sent to the relief of ours. In the interim I determined that +every thing which was washed on shore should be collected +together, after which we all huddled close under a bush near the +beech, whence we could see our boats and be hid from the view of +the natives as much as possible. The Castlereagh's boats having +at length closed with the Bramble's, the second gig was soon +baled out, when all four boats pulled up abreast of us outside of +the surf, which had continued to increase; the Castlereagh at the +same time weighed, which I confess alarmed me much, as I knew +very few persons could be left on board after she had dispatched +two boats' crews; I therefore concluded we were discovered by the +natives beyond Cape Possession. I was in a few moments confirmed +in my fears by seeing Mr. Andrews prepare to push his boat +through the surf. I waved him back, when he energetically pointed +towards Cape Possession. I fully understood his signs (that +natives were coming), but still waved him off, as I knew his +gallant attempt to relieve us would fail, and that he and his +boat's crew would be added to those already in distress on shore; +he, however, pushed through the surf, when, as I expected, this +boat was upset, and all his arms, ammunition, etc. lost. At the +same moment we observed crowds of natives coming round the point +of Cape Possession, armed with spears, clubs, and stone axes. Our +arms and ammunition had been all lost or destroyed; our situation +was therefore most defenceless, and, I may say, our retreat +hopeless; those boats at the back being unable to afford us the +least relief. I then thought it best to show no signs of fear or +mistrust, but to make friends with the natives, and amuse them, +until the next tide should enable a boat to back through the +surf. In the interim, Mr. Andrews, with his four men, and +assisted by some others, made three attempts to launch his boat, +which failed, and she was ultimately dashed in pieces against the +rocks. I advanced alone with playful gestures, waving a branch of +green leaves, in token of peace. One man pointed a spear at me, +but the others stared at me with more wonder depicted on their +countenances than ferocity. I then offered them some bits of +tobacco, which they would not approach near enough to take from +my hands. This shyness, unfortunately, did not continue long; for +when the main body came up, amounting to eighty or ninety men, +armed, they became troublesome, and laid their hands on +everything they could get hold of that was lying on the beach. To +these robberies I attempted to put a stop, and made them some +presents instead; but the savages must have known our helpless +condition, and became every moment more daring and rapacious; +and, to add to our tribulation, we observed two large canoes, +each containing thirty or forty men, come round Possession Point, +and heave to between the Castlereagh and the boats, as if with +the intention of cutting off the latter. The Castlereagh could +not unfortunately take advantage of her guns by firing grape or +canister, as we were completely intermixed with the natives. At +this critical stage of our anxiety, the second gig, at all +hazards, was veered through the surf, and, to our great joy, four +or five men were drawn off in safety. A second attempt was made, +and succeeded. Then came the awful moment for us who waited for +the last trip; for only a few moments before, I baulked a native +when taking a deliberate aim at one of our last men who embarked. +The natives now, seeing our numbers decrease, laid hands on us in +the most violent manner. My quintant was first wrested from my +coxswain, who in a tone of grief made me known the circumstance. +I immediately turned round and exclaimed 'Oh! don't part with +that'; but it was too late; and when I endeavoured to recover it, +I found a club wielded over my head. In making my escape from +this wretch I was secured by four others, who first took the +government micronometer, which was slung round my neck. I then +endeavoured to struggle out of their clutches, and escape with +the pocket chronometer and note-book, but these, AS WELL AS EVERY +ARTICLE OF CLOTHING I HAD ABOUT MY BODY, were stripped off; when +the second gig was opportunely again backed in, and in this +forlorn state Mr. Pollard, the two marines, and I, waded off, and +were dragged into the boat. We then went on board the +Castlereagh, which was at anchor about a mile from the shore; the +canoes slowly made off to the north-westward, after we had +embarked. The boats having been hoisted up and secured, we got +the anchor up and proceeded out to the Bramble, and anchored +close to her at 6h. 30m. p.m. I immediately afterwards returned +to the Bramble, truly thankful for our having escaped with our +lives. The loss of instruments grieved me exceedingly, +particularly as the nature of the coast rendered it next to +impossible to effect a safe landing to attempt their recovery. +From the account I heard of the ferocity of the natives where the +Fly had been surveying last year on this coast, I confess I fully +expected death would be my fate in a few minutes, and thought of +the similar position poor Captain Skying was in when murdered at +Cape Roso. If we had been possessed of six or eight muskets and +plenty of ammunition, I think the natives might easily have been +checked, but being defenceless, my only hope was to dissemble my +fears and amuse them, to give us time until we could effect our +escape. These people varied in complexion from black to a light +copper colour; they appeared well made and active; all of them +were ornamented, but some much more so than others; their +ear-rings were made of rings of tortoiseshell, a number of them +being fastened together, and suspended to the lower parts of the +ears, in which are holes stretched so large as to admit a man's +thumb being passed through them; the cartilage dividing the +nostrils is perforated in like manner."</p> + +<p>This adventure of our old friends of the Bramble appears to me +sufficiently interesting to excuse my having wandered through +Torres Straits in order to record it.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 26.</h3> + +<h4>SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES.--KANGAROO HUNTING.--EMUS.--LOST IN +THE BUSH.</h4> + +<p>There can be no doubt as to the truth of the axiom that "facts +are stubborn things." Right or wrong, they seem to persist in a +resolution to force conviction upon a man however reluctant he +may be.</p> + +<p>Sturdy facts are never wanting in support of erroneous views; +and more false conclusions are drawn from them than from the +subtlest arguments of the sophist.</p> + +<p>When your theory is once confirmed by a fact, the question is +considered decided, and no further argument is admissible. I had +two theories not long ago, the pursuit and investigation of which +gave me a good deal of pleasure; they were built upon facts, and +therefore they were indisputable.</p> + +<p>My first theory was upon the amount of evaporation at Perth +during the summer months.</p> + +<p>The excessive dryness of the atmosphere proved that the +evaporation at the end of the rainy, or winter season, must be +very great indeed. My friend, Mr. H., had an hygrometer, which he +kept in a small room adjoining that in which he usually sat; and +this hygrometer afforded the ground-work for our theories. It +proved most satisfactorily that the evaporation exceeded every +thing of the kind known in any other part of the globe. It was +clear that our atmosphere was drier than that of a brick-kiln +when burning its best. But the great beauty and novelty of the +theory was, that the evaporation was greater at night than in the +day time.</p> + +<p>This certainly puzzled us a good deal at first; but when once +you are sure of your facts, it is astonishing how soon you come +to mould your theory so as to make it perfectly agree with them, +and manage to reconcile yourself to the most startling +contradictions. After satisfying himself of the truth of the +fact--that the evaporation was really greater by night than by +day--Mr. H. proceeded to prove philosophically that nothing could +be more reasonable than such a circumstance. From all that I +could make out of his arguments, which were extremely logical and +ingenious, it seemed clear that as every thing in this country is +diametrically opposite to every thing in the old country, it was +perfectly consistent with the regulations of nature in Australia, +that evaporation should be greater at night than during the day +time. Moreover, he placed great reliance upon the attraction of +the moon.</p> + +<p>For my part, seeing that facts were on his side, I embraced +his views with ardour; and went about as an apostle, proclaiming +the new tidings far and wide. It was one of those astonishing +truths in science that come suddenly and unexpectedly upon +mankind--like those connected with electricity--that take the +reason captive, and are beyond the reach of human investigation. +Men usually appeared incredulous when the theory was first +broached to them; but when convinced of the fact, as proved +indisputably by the hygrometer, they were compelled to +acknowledge the truth, and forthwith looked upon it as a matter +of course.</p> + +<p>As the weather grew warmer--when the thermometer stood daily +at about 86 degrees in a cool room--the nocturnal evaporation +increased. At length it grew to such a pitch, that the tube of +the hygrometer containing the water was exhausted in a couple of +nights. Notwithstanding the astonishment of Mr. H., he was +enraptured at the triumphant confirmation of his theory. He +devoted every moment he could spare from public duties, to the +compilation of a learned and voluminous treatise upon the +subject. He looked upon himself as destined to be considered one +of the master-philosophers of the age, the promulgator of a new +and wondrous theory, based not only upon sound argument, but upon +long observation and indisputable facts. When any one ventured to +raise a doubt, he would smile with that ineffable sweetness which +distinguishes a man conscious of his superior knowledge and +sources of information. I, his enthusiastic adherent, picked up +the crumbs of instruction that fell from his table; and dealt +forth mysterious hints of the scientific errors about to be +corrected by the observations and treatises of Mr. H., who was +now generally known to have forwarded an account of his +discoveries to some of the learned Societies of London; and the +English papers were perused with avidity, in the hope of finding +that due honour had been paid to his merits.</p> + +<p>As he walked along the streets he was looked upon with +additional reverence. He had raised the renown of Western +Australia, and was now considered to be at once its decus et +tutamen. The idlers who congregated in small knots about +luncheon-time at the corners of the streets, began to talk of a +statue in the market-place.</p> + +<p>Suddenly, however, the philosopher secluded himself from the +vulgar gaze. The public wondered, and then became alarmed. The +philosopher had taken to his bed. After some days I was admitted +to his presence, and found him greatly enfeebled for want of +rest. It was evident there was something that weighed upon his +mind. After many ineffectual efforts, many sighs and some +blushes, he faltered forth a confession that he feared our +theory, (he seemed now, for the first time, kindly solicitous to +share the merit of the discovery,) of evaporation being greater +at night than in the day-time, was not well founded. An electric +shock, shivering the funny-bones of both elbows, could not have +startled me more. What did he mean? He continued, that one night +whilst engaged upon a new hygrometrical treatise, he had sat up +till a very late hour; the door of the room which contained the +instrument was open, and the light from his lamp fell directly +upon it. Absorbed in profound speculations, his eye occasionally +rested upon the little instrument which stood upon a table. There +it was--the pillar of his fame. It seemed to dilate in dimensions +until it rivalled the column in the Place Vendome, and on the top +of it was a figure, less sturdy than that of Napoleon. Suddenly +his vision was broken, and his thoughts were recalled from the +future to the present, by seeing a living object move along the +table, and quietly approach the foot of his column. Appalled and +paralyzed, he sat immovable whilst he beheld an actual mouse, +unrestrained by any scientific considerations, place its profane +snout in the bowl of the hygrometer, and drink deliberately until +its thirst was satisfied. It then retired, and other mice soon +came trotting along the table and did the same.</p> + +<p>Mr. H. is a man of great self-control. He did not tear his +remaining locks, or commit any other rash act, but with all the +calmness of despair he set fire to the unfinished treatise, and +saw it consumed; then he retired to bed, a desolate individual, +and rose not again for several days.</p> + +<p>My next theory was entirely my own. I claimed all the merit of +it, and felt the utmost pangs of jealousy when any one ventured +to assert that HE had long ago suspected it. Built upon a solid +foundation of facts, I maintained an opinion entirely at variance +with that of Professor Owen and certain Parisian professors, and +satisfied myself, at least, that the young of the kangaroo, and +of other marsupial animals, is produced, not in the usual way, +but from the teat of the dam. And although this theory is, and +must be erroneous, I can even yet scarcely bring myself to +believe it so--with such fidelity do we cling to error. There are +many men in the colony who have been for years in the constant, +almost daily, habit of killing kangaroos, and they have +consequently had opportunities of observing the young ones in +every stage of development. Females have been killed with young +ones hanging to the nipple, about half an inch long--the form not +fully developed, a mere foetus, presenting no appearance of +active vitality. The nipple to which it is attached is not merely +placed in the mouth of the foetus, but extends into its stomach, +where it serves the purposes of the umbilical cord in other +animals, whilst the lips grow round it, so that it cannot be +removed without rupturing the skin. A little older, and it +becomes evidently possessed of vitality--a quickened foetus. The +pouch of the doe is closed up until the birth of the young one; +and gradually enlarges to accommodate the inhabitant.</p> + +<p>There are other marsupial animals, of the size of rabbits, +that are found with eight or ten young ones, or rather small +foetuses, similarly attached to the nipples of the parent.</p> + +<p>Now I could not conceive how creatures with long sharp claws, +though provided with flexible wrists or joints, should be able to +take up the newly produced little lump of inanimate flesh, and +thrust a long, soft, yielding nipple down into the depths of the +stomach. I collected a number of FACTS to prove the contrary--but +the question is now considered to be set at rest by the +observations of French naturalists, and therefore I have quietly +strangled my theory, but am still occasionally haunted by its +ghost.</p> + +<p>I may mention here that male kangaroos are sometimes found +provided with pouches; but these, I conceive, are lusus +Naturae.</p> + +<p>This allusion to kangaroos (being good for nothing else) may +serve as an introduction to a hunting excursion. A party of us +started from Perth, equipped in the manner already described in +the chapter upon Wild Cattle.</p> + +<p>We rode to the Canning to breakfast, at the house of the----s, +where we found the table ready spread with coffee, grilled fowls, +eggs, ham, etc. The room was a good one, having French windows, +looking out upon park-like scenery, among which the Canning River +pursued its lazy course. There was also a piano belonging to the +sister of our hosts, then absent on a visit. One of her brothers +informed us that he had availed himself of her absence to +abstract sundry of the wires from the piano in order to make +bell-wires, which he thought was turning the piano to good +account.</p> + +<p>After breakfast we loaded our bullock-cart with our goods, and +left it in charge of a servant whom we appointed to meet us at a +certain spot where we were to bivouac for the night. The only +disagreeable part of travelling in Australia is the scarcity of +water, except at the end of winter, when all the gullies are +filled. Unless, therefore, the ground be well known, it is always +advisable to take a native, who can inform you where the pools or +springs are situated. Four of us set out, well mounted, and +attended by a native on foot, and five kangaroo dogs. These dogs +are descended from a cross between a bloodhound and a greyhound, +and combine strength, fleetness, scent, and sight. As it was the +middle of winter (late in June) the air was cool and pleasant, +and the sun bright and joyous, as he always is here. We were all +in high spirits, anticipating excellent sport, as the country to +which we were going abounds with game of great +variety--kangaroos, emus, quail, and turkeys, or bustards. A +rough coarse scrub, interspersed with small quantities of grass, +overspread the sandy soil. The only animal we saw for some time +was an opossum, which the native discovered in a tree and climbed +up for. I examined its pouch, but there was no young one within +it. At length we caught a glimpse of a kangaroo hopping along at +a distance, and we galloped off in full chase, but he was too far +ahead for the dogs to make anything of it; so we lost him. +Disconcerted and vexed we drew together again after a short run, +but had scarcely done so before we emerged upon an open prairie, +where on our right we beheld three kangaroos hopping away at a +gentle pace. the kangaroo uses only his hind legs in running. The +leg presses the ground from the hock to the toes, and its strong +sinews enable the animal to bound forward with immense leaps; the +heavy tail vibrating behind keeps him steady. Four of the dogs +rushed after the game, followed by all the horsemen, at full +gallop, hallooing and shouting vociferously. A more animated +sight could scarcely be conceived; three graceful kangaroos +bounding away in a line, with four large greyhounds laying well +after them, and the hunters chiveying along, and dashing through +brushwood and thickets like whirlwinds. The kangaroos, however, +fairly beat us; they gained a thick wood, dashed through it and +into a swamp beyond, and there we lost sight of them. We all +returned to the side of the wood, and waited for the dogs, who +came back with hanging heads and drooping tail, completely blown. +All returned but one--the oldest and most sagacious of them. He +had not gone with the four which followed the heels of the +kangaroos, but had made a short cut to the left, so that he was +in the wood almost as soon as the kangaroos, whilst the other +dogs were still a long way behind. We waited patiently for old +Tip (of whom honourable mention has been made before); his +master, Tom H., asserting confidently that he had killed. At +length as we were standing talking together, we suddenly +perceived Tip among us. His master examined his mouth, and +declared he had killed; then saying, "Show, Tip, show!" the dog +turned round, and trotted off before us; and going into the swamp +took us to the spot where the kangaroo lay dead.</p> + +<p>It is not all kangaroo dogs that can be taught to show game, +and those that do so are therefore highly prized. It is a very +pleasing sight to observe how proud a dog is of this +accomplishment. He will come quietly back to his master, and +oftentimes lay himself down as if he were afraid the other dogs +should suspect he had got something to tell, and would run off in +search of it. And when his master gives the signal, he +deliberately proceeds to lead the way, snarling at the other dogs +whenever they run before him, and seem likely to arrive first at +the spot. Sometimes he tries to deceive them by going in a wrong +direction, and when the others have started off, full of +eagerness, as if they themselves (the senseless fools!) were +inviting people to follow, and were anxious to show them the +game, the old dog will rapidly turn aside, evidently laughing in +his sleeve, and dash forward to the spot where he left the +carcase. There you will find him standing over it; and as you +ride up he will give a faint wag of his tail, as though he were +glad that you are pleased with him, and yet he cannot help +feeling that he is not properly rewarded. His gaunt ribs and +melancholy eye speak of his hungry stomach; he seems to remember +that he receives from his rough master more kicks than caresses, +but still he does his duty, and will do so to the last; and +denies himself even a mouthful of the prey, which but for him, +would lie undiscovered in the thicket. I used to know an old +show-dog who displayed so much thought and sagacity, that I never +was in his company without feeling for him a certain degree of +respect. Whenever struck by brutes of lower order than himself, +he did not howl or display his teeth, but slunk aside with a look +of deep sorrow and reproach.</p> + +<p>In the evening we bivouacked near a small pool of water, where +the cart joined us, according to previous arrangement. The horses +were tethered out and fed; a good fire was kindled, and with +kangaroo steaks, cold fowls and ham, and brandy and water, we +managed to make a tolerable supper. A fence against the wind was +constructed of upright sticks, and leaves of the black-boy +(Xanthorea, or grass-tree) resembling rushes, only brittle; and +with a good fire at our feet we were exceedingly warm and +comfortable. The wild dogs uttered their doleful, wailing cries +around our camp during the night, and caused our own frequently +to sally forth and give them chase.</p> + +<p>We had kangaroo curry for breakfast next morning; and having +fed our horses, and sounded to saddle, set out again in pursuit +of game.</p> + +<p>Proceeding across some plains, interspersed with swamps and +thickets, we soon perceived a herd of about a dozen kangaroos +feeding and hopping about. Keeping a covert in line before us, we +tried to get near them, but they soon made off, bounding away +like a herd of deer, which they much resemble at a distance. The +dogs started after them at full speed; and with loud halloos and +bounding hearts the horsemen spurred their steeds, and scoured +along the plain. There are, unfortunately, no fences in this +country, but there are a thousand worse obstructions--fallen +trees, thick clumps of black-boys extending right across the +plain, and therefore not to be avoided; woods through which the +game dashes at speed, and where you must follow at the risk of +striking head or limbs against the trunks or branches of trees, +or else you will be thrown out. Then of course you don't like to +be last, and you don't like to allow the gallant captain, who is +spurring at your side, the opportunity of bragging at mess that +he alone kept near the dogs, which you know he would be delighted +to do. So, determined to ride against the captain at any rate, +you keep your horse and yourself well together, and flinch at +nothing; dashing through thickets, tearing over rough ground, +steering between trees, ducking your head under boughs, and +twitching up first one leg and then the other to save them from +being smashed against black-boys or banksias. You clear the wood, +and emerge again upon a plain; the kangaroos are bounding along, +some three hundred yards in advance, the dogs lying well up to +them; and now the latter have fixed upon one of the herd, whom +they pursue with resolute fierceness. The others escape into +friendly thickets, but the doomed one, an old buck, some six feet +in height when resting on his haunches, still holds out, though +his enemies are fast gaining upon him.</p> + +<p>At length, finding escape impossible, he makes for a broad +mahogany tree, where he suddenly comes to bay. The dogs hesitate +to rush in upon him, his eye gleams with such deadly ferocity, +whilst he sits erect upon his haunches, ready to dart the long +claw of his hind leg into the first assailant who comes within +reach.</p> + +<p>A kangaroo in this position is no despicable enemy. He has +great power in his limbs; and if he happens to strike a dog with +his claw, he inflicts a grievous wound, and sometimes tears out +his entrails, and kills him on the spot. He rushes at men with +the same fury, and tries to clasp them with his fore-paws whilst +he strikes at them with his hind-legs. I rode up to the animal in +question, dismounted, and struck him a rap on the head with a +broken bough, as he rushed towards me with a fierce hissing +noise. As he staggered at the blow, the dogs darted upon him and +quickly despatched him.</p> + +<p>We had several other good runs before luncheon, and then +baited our horses, and allowed them to rest for two or three +hours. Whilst riding towards our bivouac in the afternoon, a +native who was walking at my side, and who had accompanied us all +day, stopped suddenly, and, pointing with his finger, said, +"Emu!" About a mile distant across the prairie were two of those +large birds quietly feeding. The dogs were immediately called +together, fresh vigour seemed to animate the whole party, and we +proceeded to give chase in high spirits. Emus are sometimes shot +with the rifle, but the usual mode of obtaining them is by +hunting them with kangaroo dogs. If you happen to come near +enough to them without raising alarm, they may frequently be +detained, and even attracted almost up to your stirrup by +WHISTLING. I have known this to be repeatedly tried with success. +When you begin to whistle, the emu lifts up its head and listens +with attention; soon, delighted with the sound, he walks +leisurely in the direction from which it comes; then, perceiving +a human being, he pauses, seems irresolute, and finally walks +round and round you in circles gradually lessening, until he +approaches within a few yards. If his confidence be not repaid +with a bullet, he will, after gratifying his curiosity by a good +stare, quietly walk away through his native woods. Emus are +frequently speared by the natives, who, by taking care to stand +stock-still the moment the creature lifts up its head, manage to +approach within a few yards of them while feeding. Though the +savage may have his hand raised in the act of throwing the spear, +he remains fixed in that attitude whilst the emu takes a survey +of him. Perceiving only an object without motion, the bird takes +him for a tree, and continues to graze, falling a victim, like +other innocent things, to a misplaced confidence in its own +security.</p> + +<p><a name="f336"><img alt="" src="Landor_f336.jpg" width="500" height= +"350"></a></p> + +<h4>"Death of the Kangaroo"</h4> + +<p><a name="f339"><img alt="" src="Landor_f339.jpg" width="500" height= +"350"></a></p> + +<h4>Emu Hunt</h4> + +<p>The emus ran fast, and gave us a long chase; but at length the +headmost dog caught hold of the extended flapper of one of the +birds, and arrested its progress; the others, coming up, soon +pulled him to the ground, and by the time we reached the spot he +was dead. The feathers from the tail were distributed among the +party, and placed in our caps; and the legs being cut off, the +rest of the bird was abandoned. The legs alone afford any meat, +which is by no means a delicacy, and resembles coarse beef. +Whilst the process of cutting up was going on, my attention was +attracted to the movements of old Tip, who had stolen away from +the party, and was now, ventre a terre, scouring along the edge +of a belt of trees about a quarter of a mile from us. His master +in vain tried to recall him, and I set off to see what he was +about. Following him through the wood, I perceived him at the +other side in hot pursuit of half-a-dozen kangaroos, that were +bounding away some hundred yards ahead of him. It was in vain to +attempt to recall him, so I foolishly followed the chase, though +it was leading far away from the direction I wanted to take. Old +Tip held on unflaggingly, as though this were his first run that +day; and for nearly two miles we dashed along through woods and +across prairies, until I began to wish myself back with my +friends. At length we lost the game in a vast swamp, covered with +thick underwood, in which my horse floundered for some time in a +fearful manner. Thinking it worse to return than to push through, +we struggled on, in momentary danger of sinking for ever, and +after great exertions got upon solid ground again. When +dismounted, to rest the horse, who panted and trembled with the +efforts he had made, I called for Tip till the woods rang again, +but all in vain. At last I saw a single kangaroo, a fresh one of +immense size, break cover, with Tip about forty yards in his +rear. In the ardour of the chase, all prudential considerations +were given to the winds; and cheering on the gallant hound, I +followed the game more determinedly than ever. And what a race +that villain kangaroo led us!--through thickets where my +hunting-shirt was torn into strips, my arms and legs covered with +bruises, and my face lacerated with boughs that were not to be +avoided. The villain doubled like a hare, and led us in such +various directions, that I fancied we must have turned upon our +steps and gone past the spot where I had parted from my friends. +Unless a man be very well accustomed to the bush, he is certain +to lose himself in a few minutes. One clump of trees is so like +another--the thick swamps, the open plains, all bear such a +general resemblance to one another, that you feel quite +confounded whilst trying to recollect whether you have really +seen them before, and can form some tolerable guess as to your +position. The kangaroo was now approaching the foot of the long, +even, uninteresting range of the Darling Hills; his pace was +slow, he made his leaps with difficulty, and would soon have been +caught, had not poor Tip been equally dead beat.</p> + +<p>It was evident the old dog could scarcely drag himself along, +but still he refused to give in. My horse, exhausted with +floundering in the swamp, was completely knocked up; and for some +time I had only been able to push him along at a jog-trot. Still +I was no more willing to give up the chase than old Tip. It +seemed to have become a point of honour that I should not desert +the hound; and moreover, feeling myself completely lost, I did +not like to part from my companion; and, above all, it would +never do to let the kangaroo escape after all the trouble he had +given us. So we all three continued to work along as best we +could.</p> + +<p>At last my poor horse happened to set his foot in an empty +water-hole, and too weak to recover himself, came down on his +shoulder and side with great violence. I threw myself off as he +fell, but could not save my foot from being crushed beneath the +saddle, and so both horse and man lay extended on the ground. I +could just see the hound and kangaroo still struggling onward, +and almost close together. The horse made no attempt to rise, and +I tried in vain to extricate my foot; at length I managed to flog +him up, and then raised myself with difficulty. I had not +suffered much damage, though bruised, and in some pain, but my +poor horse had sprained his shoulder, and was completely hors de +combat. On looking about for the chase, I fancied I could +perceive the dog lying on a little rising ground, a few hundred +yards distant; and leaving the horse, I hopped after the game. On +arriving at the spot, I found the kangaroo and the dog lying side +by side, both alive, but completely exhausted; the one unable to +do any injury, and the other to get away. Securing the dog with +my handkerchief, I sat down, waiting till he should be able to +walk. In a few minutes the kangaroo lifted up his head, and +looked about him; the dog sat up, panting as though his heart +would burst, and took no notice of the other. The kangaroo, +scrambling to its feet, hopped away a few yards, and then stood +still again. "Go along, old fellow!" said I, "you have done us +abundance of mischief, but it would be criminal to kill you when +I cannot carry home even your tail--so farewell!" Off he jumped, +and was soon lost to view, leaving us alone--three miserable +cripples, far from any shelter, and (so far as I was concerned) +not knowing at all how to rejoin our friends. Tip being now able +to limp on three legs, and myself upon one, we returned to the +unhappy steed, who remained where I had left him, hanging down +his head, and looking the image of woe.</p> + +<p>In vain I tried to determine the direction I ought to take; +trees and swamps were on all sides of me, and I could not decide +whether my friends were now on my right-hand or my left. I +remembered that our place of rendezvous appeared to be nearly +opposite an opening in the hills, some six or eight miles +distant; but there were openings in the hills on each side of me, +and which was the one to be sought I could not determine. I +therefore resolved to retrace the foot-marks of my horse, if +possible; and set out leading the animal, having Tip limping at +my side, and every now and then looking up as though he felt for +the ill plight in which we all appeared. It soon became evident +that the horse must be left behind; and therefore removing his +saddle and bridle, I placed them at the foot of a tree, and gave +him his liberty.*</p> + +<p>[footnote] *Six months afterwards he was caught among the +horses of a settler on the Serpentine, perfectly sound and in +excellent condition.</p> + +<p>After going some distance, I came within view of an extensive +swamp, which I fancied formed part of that I had so much +difficulty in crossing. Turning to the right, I followed its +course for some time, hoping to get round it, but it seemed to +extend towards the hills, cutting off all farther progress. The +sun was now about to set, and getting desperate, I plunged into +the thicket, and tried to push through the swamp. There was no +water, but the immense quantities of bind-weed, and other +thickly-growing plants, quite defied every attempt, and I was +obliged to turn back again. Tip and myself had now to retrace our +steps. It was getting dusk, and the state of affairs looked +uncomfortable. Again we tried in vain to cross the swamp, which +soon afterwards receded farther from the hills, and left a broad +plain before us, which we traversed in the course of half an +hour.</p> + +<p>My foot seemed to get better with exercise, but night had now +set in, and it was useless to attempt making farther progress, +when we could not distinguish an object thirty feet in advance. I +now found myself stumbling up a rising ground covered with trees; +and here I lay down, with Tip at my side, to wait as patiently as +possible for morning. The dog, I imagine, had found some water in +the swamp, as he did not now seem to be suffering from thirst as +I was myself. He was soon asleep, and I envied him, for hours +elapsed before I could find repose. The land-wind, sweeping down +from the hill-side, moaned through the trees; the rising moon +shed her sickly and distorting light upon the bushes around; and +bruised and stiff, hungry, thirsty, and uncomfortable, I felt by +no means delighted with my quarters. A fire would have been +agreeable, but there were no means of procuring one. Sleep at +last befriended me, and I did not wake until the sun began to +shed his first rays upon the tops of the trees.</p> + +<p>On rising I found myself exceedingly stiff, and by no means in +good condition for walking, but there was no choice; and when Tip +had got upon his legs, and given himself a good stretch and yawn, +and licked my hand, as much as to say he had no intention of +leaving me in the lurch, we started on our doubtful journey. In +vain I tried to encourage the dog to lead the way; he would not +stir from my side. Only once he darted after a kangaroo-rat, and +caught it before it had gone twenty yards. This afforded a +breakfast which I envied him. I now pushed on towards the coast, +but was continually intercepted by thick swamps impossible to +penetrate, and turned from the right direction. I looked about +for water, and found some at length in a muddy hole. It was most +refreshing, and revived my spirits, which had begun to flag +considerably.</p> + +<p>Mid-day was long past, and I was still rambling over plains of +coarse grass, penetrating into woods, and struggling through +swamps; worn almost to death with fatigue and hunger, and the +pain of my ankle, now greatly swollen, I sat down at last at the +foot of a mahogany-tree in order to gain a little rest.</p> + +<p>I knew that the hills were behind me, and the sea must be +somewhere before me, but as to my precise locality, and the +distance of the nearest settler's house, I was quite at a loss. +In vain I tried to satisfy myself as to whether I was much to the +south of the bivouac. I was growing dizzy with hunger and +weariness, and no longer felt any wonder at the confusion of mind +which seizes upon those who are lost in the wilderness. During +the day, I had repeatedly cooeyed as loudly as I could, in the +faint hope of attracting the attention of my friends; but no +voice responded.</p> + +<p>It was now nearly five o'clock in the evening, and I had the +prospect before me of spending another night in solitude, and +felt some misgivings as to whether it would not be the last of my +existence.</p> + +<p>I tried to struggle on a little farther, as it was possible +that I might be close to some farm on the Serpentine; but it was +difficult to move along. Tip seemed to be getting tired of this +slow progress; he grew fidgety, and I fancied he had formed the +base resolution of leaving me to myself. Suddenly he started off +upon our traces, and I was alone without a friend.</p> + +<p>In a few minutes I heard behind me a distant shout, and +immediately afterwards a loud cooey met my ear. Oh how thankfully +I heard it, and answered it as loudly as I could! And then, +having returned grateful acknowledgments to the Almighty for this +seasonable relief, I began to walk towards the sounds, which were +repeated from minute to minute. Not long afterwards I perceived a +party of natives, followed by men on horseback, emerging from the +trees. The latter galloped towards me, waving their hats, and +shouting with friendly joy. It is due to Tip to state that he +reached me first, and gave his congratulations with warm +sincerity.</p> + +<p>My friends had started at day-break with the natives, who had +tracked my footsteps without once losing the trail. They had +found the horse grazing near the place where I had left him, but +he was too lame to be removed; the natives had fully accounted +for every trace; they perceived that the dog and kangaroo had +lain side by side, and that the latter had recovered first, and +got away. They found and brought with them the saddle and bridle, +and followed my steps to the swamp, through which they saw I had +not been able to penetrate. And so they tracked me during the +whole of the day, whilst I was only going farther and farther +from my friends. I had wandered much more to the south than I +expected; and now, mounting a horse, we all rode to a house on +the Serpentine, where we were hospitably entertained, and where I +continued until able to return to Perth.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 27.</h3> + +<h4>THE COMET.--VITAL STATISTICS.--METEOROLOGY.</h4> + +<p>One evening in March, 1844, whilst standing at my gate +enjoying the pleasant balmy air and the conversation of a friend, +our attention was attracted to a luminous appearance in the sky +immediately above the horizon. We fancied that a large ship must +be on fire not a great distance from the coast.</p> + +<p>The next evening, happening to leave the house at an early +hour, my eye was immediately caught by a grant novelty in the +heavens. A magnificent comet extended itself over an entire fifth +of the firmament. Its tail reached to the belt of Orion, whilst +its nucleus, a ball of fire resembling a star of the fourth +magnitude, was scarcely a degree above the horizon. It looked +like a fiery messenger rushing headlong down from the very +presence of GOD, bound with dread tidings for some distant world. +Beautiful, yet terrible messenger, it seemed to leave its long, +fiery trace behind it in its passage through the heavens. The +soul of the spectator was filled with the sense of its beauty, +whilst admiration was sublimed into awe. Speaking to us strange +and wonderful things of the hidden Holy of Holies which it seemed +to have left, it passed on its headlong journey of billions and +trillions of miles with the glad speed of a love-inspired +emanation from the Most High. It left us to wonder at its +transient visit, and to wish in vain for its return.*</p> + +<p>[footnote] *This comet, having exactly the appearance I have +described, was visible nearly a week, gradually disappearing in +the northern heavens.</p> + +<p>Whether it had or not any effect upon the season, I cannot +say, but the ensuing six months were the most unhealthy period +ever known in the colony. The natives, who were greatly alarmed +by the sudden appearance of the comet, declared that it would +cause many people to be mendik and die--so universal is the +belief in the portentous and malign influence of these +phenomena.</p> + +<p>In general, as I have before observed, the climate is most +salubrious. "The Comparative Statement of Deaths to the +Population" proves the vast superiority of Western Australia in +this respect, not only over Great Britain, but over neighbouring +colonies. I refer to the able, interesting, and +carefully-prepared Reports of G. F. Stone, Esq. the Colonial +Registrar-General of Births, Marriages, and Deaths. Taking his +data from the Parliamentary Reports of 1836, he deduces the +following:</p> + +<p>Comparative Statement of Deaths to the Population.</p> + +<pre> +Western Australia . . . . . . . . . .1 death in 94 21/41 +Van Dieman's Land . . . . . . . . . .1 " 65 161/220 +Cape of Good Hope . . . . . . . . . .1 " 60 1/3 +England . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 " 46 3/5 +Mauritius . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 " 44 2/5 +</pre> + +<p>The opinions of medical men, published in different reports, a +few of which happen now to lie before me, may prove interesting +to some readers, and I therefore extract them briefly:--</p> + +<p>J. M. Johnson, Esq. M.D. Surgeon of H.M.S. Sulphur:-- "During +the three years that H.M.S. Sulphur was employed on that station +(Western Australia) not a single death, and very few important +cases of disease occurred, notwithstanding the very great +exposure of her men. When exploring the country for several days, +and sometimes weeks, they have been exposed to the sun; fatigued +in the evening after a day's excursion, slept in the open air, +(and that repeatedly in wet weather,) and suffered no +inconvenience. I have no hesitation in stating that such a life +in any other climate would have been productive of the most +serious sickness."</p> + +<p>William Milligen, Esq. M.D. Surgeon 6th Dragoons:-- "I have +met with several individuals here, who, on leaving England, were +great sufferers from dyspepsia, and diseases of the digestive +organs, who have recovered their health in a wonderful degree +since their arrival. Children thrive remarkably well; and I may +add that every description of live stock, although collected from +different countries--England, India, America, Africa, etc.--find +here a congenial temperature."</p> + +<p>Joseph Harris, Esq. Acting Government Surgeon:-- "Nothing can +be more delightful than the climate generally; and its +invigorating influences on the human constitution, especially +those of Europeans, render it more fit for invalids than any +other in the world. Several persons arrived in the colony +suffering from pulmonary and bronchial affections, asthma, +phthisis, haemoptysis, or spitting of blood, hopeless of recovery +in England, are now perfectly restored, or living in comparative +health--measles and small-pox are unknown."</p> + +<p>W. H. Sholl, Esq. Government Surgeon, pro tempore:-- "From +pulmonary complaints we are happily free; and even when these +have gone to some length in other countries, removal to this +climate has been of the highest possible benefit. Children are +exempt from the diseases common to them in England;--small-pox, +measles, scarlet-fever, and hooping-cough, are unknown here."</p> + +<p>W. P. Dineley, Esq. Surgeon of Fremantle Gaol:-- "We have +almost a cloudless sky, a clear dry atmosphere, and a climate +unsurpassed by any in the world."</p> + +<p>Dr. Ferguson, of Australind:-- "We have no fevers or epidemics +here."</p> + +<p>By the Registrar-General's Report for 1843, it appears that +the births in Western Australia are about 1 to 24 83/158, which +is a very high rate. Those readers who are fond of statistics +will be pleased to learn the following rather curious fact:--In +the year 1836, males were in respect to females, as about five to +three, but during the following seven years, females increased 21 +per cent. more than males; and the continued preponderance of +female births promises speedily to adjust the balance of the +sexes.</p> + +<p>The Registrar-General in his Report for 1844, makes the +following interesting observations:-- "Supposing the whole +population of the colony were now grown up and unmarried, out of +every 100 males, as many as 67 could find wives.</p> + +<p>"Supposing the total population UNDER TWELVE were now of age, +and wished to marry; out of every 100 males 97 could find +wives.</p> + +<p>"Supposing the total population OF PERTH were now grown up, +and unmarried, 87 out of every 100 males could find wives.</p> + +<p>"But supposing the population OF PERTH UNDER TWELVE were grown +up, and wished to marry, out of 100 FEMALES, only 85 could find +husbands."</p> + +<p>The temperature of the atmosphere is exceedingly dry, and +therefore the heat is not oppressive, though the thermometer may +stand at a high degree.</p> + +<p>A rainy day in February or March is an extremely rare +occurrence at Perth, though not unusual at Australind, a hundred +miles southward.</p> + +<p>In the hottest weather, farm-labourers work all day in the +open air, and feel no more inconvenience than reapers do in +England. This is owing to the dryness and elasticity of the +atmosphere.</p> + +<p>I have no recorded observations of a late date, but the +following table is extracted from the journal of an obliging +friend, Robert Dale, Esq., who, when a Lieutenant in the 63d +regiment, was stationed some years in the colony.</p> + +<p>The thermometer was kept in a cool house at Perth, from March, +1830 to June 1831.</p> + +<pre> +MONTHS. A B C D E F REMARKS. + 1830 +March . . .28 . . 2 . . 1 . .88 . .71 . .58 +April . . .23 . . 0 . . 7 . .87 . .70 1/2. .54 +May . . . .17 . . 6 . . 8 . .84 . .64 1/2. .45 . .Fine weather at commence- + ment of this month. +June . . . 18 . . 5 . . 2 . .76 . .56 . .40 . .Five days not accounted + for. +July . . . 14 . . 9 . . 8 . .65 . .49 1/2. .30 +August . . 9 . . 8 . . 7 . .76 . .57 . .38 . .Seven days not accounted + for. +September .17 . . 2 . . 4 . .80 . .62 . .44 . . Ditto ditto. +October . .19 . . 5 . . 6 . .78 . .62 . .46 . .One day not accounted for +November . 23 . . 3 . . 4 . .93 . .73 1/2. .54 +December 26 . . - . . 5 . 103 . .82 1/2. .62 The thermometer was lower + than what is marked in + the minimum column. + 1831 +January 28 . . - . . 3 . 106 . .87 . .68 +February 26 . . 1 . . 1 . 102 . .82 . .62 +March 30 . . - . . 1 . 96 . .78 . .60 +April . . .28 . . - . . 2 . .98 . .73 . .48 +May . . . .21 . . 2 . . 8 . .78 . .61 . .44 At this season frequently + a heavy dew during the + night. +June . . . 14 . . 9 . . 7 . .70 . .52 . .38 + +A - No. of Fine Days. +B - No. of Rainy Days. +C - No. of Showers +D - Maximum Height of Thermometer +E - Medium Height of Thermometer +F - Minimum Height of Thermometer + +</pre> + +<h3>CHAPTER 28.</h3> + +<h4>THE BOTANY OF THE COLONY.</h4> + +<p>Baron Hugel, Dr. Lindley, and Sir William Hooker, have +published lists of Western Australian shrubs and plants, but the +most complete and elaborate work on the botany of Western +Australia is the series of nineteen letters published in the +"Inquirer," by Mr. Drummond, of Hawthornden, in the colony, and +from them we shall compile the present chapter; but, interesting +as they are in their fullest and most minute details to +botanists, it is possible that they may be TOO descriptive and +extend too much into detail for general readers, and we shall +therefore abstain from giving a catalogue of the various +indigenous plants, and confine our remarks to the more useful +ones.* The first to which Mr. Drummond alludes is the blackboy, +of which there are several varieties. The glaucus-leaved York +blackboy is, however, the most important, and grows thirty feet +in height without a branch. It is considered by the settlers the +best material for thatch, and the young and tender leaves are +found to be an agreeable vegetable, and also fodder for horses, +goats, sheep, and cattle. The natives are particularly fond of +the blackboy, whilst its sound old flower-stalks furnish them +with the means of obtaining a light by friction. the native yam, +of the class Dioeceae, is stated by Mr. Drummond to be the finest +esculent vegetable the colony produces. The fungi, or mushrooms, +are also palatable to the Aborigines; one species belonging to +this order, and named the Boletus, is remarkable for possessing +the properties of German tinder, when well dried, and for +emitting a radiant light in its natural state.</p> + +<p>[footnote] *This brief compilation is the work of Alexander +Andrews, Esq.</p> + +<p>There are seventy species of grasses. The genus stripa has +several varieties, of which the seeds are injurious to sheep, +penetrating into the wool, and sometimes into the carcase and +causing death. By adopting the precaution of shearing before the +seeds are ripe, this mischief is however obviated. Another +description is distinguished as elegantissima, from its beautiful +appearance, and is used as a decoration, and for ornamenting +rooms.</p> + +<p>The bulrush of Scripture is found here, and is used by coopers +to stanch their work. A large jointed rush has also been found of +great service, and introduced in the walls of houses to +advantage, and some varieties of the Restiaceae are useful in +thatch work; and in his sixth letter, Mr. Drummond mentions the +buttack as very useful in tyings. A climbing species of the +Thysanotus, near the Moore river, is much used by the natives as +food. The Madge and the Guardine are roots from which the natives +extract nutritious food; the pigs are also fond of them, and +besides these there are other white roots used as food by the +natives.</p> + +<p>The oak-leaved Chenopodium is supposed to contain essential +oil; it was formerly used by the settlers as a vegetable, and is +proved to contain carbonate of soda, so that, as Mr. Drummond +suggests, "it would be worth inquiry at what price we could +afford barilla as an export." The Erythraea Australis is, we are +informed, a good substitute, and is used as such, for hops; and +one species of tobacco is indigenous to the colony. The +sow-thistle of Swan River was, in the early days of the +settlement, used as a vegetable, but is now eaten only by the +domestic animals, by whom it is much relished. As a salad, it is +said to be scarcely inferior to endive. The Helicrysum, a +biennial of the Vasse district, is a grateful fodder for horses, +and the Morna nitida for goats, sheep, and cattle, as are also +several species of Picris and other shrubs. There is also a +native celery, which forms a poor substitute for that of Europe; +two varieties of this species are mentioned--the Conna, of which +the roots are eaten by the natives after being peeled, and the +Kukire, the foot of which resembles the carrot in appearance, +with the smell and colour of the parsnip. The wild carrot is also +an excellent vegetable, and from its root rich wine has been +extracted. The order Eryngo has a species of which the roots when +candied have great restorative powers. Of the Hederoma latifolia, +Dr. Lindley remarks, that its half-ripe fruits, if sent to +Europe, would give several original and valuable scents to the +perfumer.</p> + +<p>Of the sea-weeds, one particular species, supposed to be the +Fucus amylaeceus, thrown in great quantities upon the coast, is +mentioned as forming when boiled, sweetened, and spiced, a +nutritious and beautiful jelly of a fine rose colour; and as it +appears that it may be dried without injury and preserved for +years, it would be of value as an export.</p> + +<p>The catalogue of indigenous fruits is not very extensive, but +one species, belonging to the order Epacrideae, is reported to +bear very palatable berries. The Vasse apple, of the size of a +peach, is stated when boiled with sugar to be an agreeable +sweet-meat.</p> + +<p>Another fruit, of the species Mesembryanthemum, is of a less +pleasing flavour; but one of the same species, resembling the +English gooseberry, is said to be delicious. Mr. Drummond also +records the discovery, southward of the Vasse, of a nondescript +shrub of about five feet in height, and bearing fruit as large as +a middle-sized plum, of a fine purple colour, covered with a rich +bloom, and having a stone similar to the plum. It is reported to +have a pleasing taste. This completes the list of fruits, which +Mr. Drummond acknowledges to be imperfect, as the cultivation of +the vine, olive, currant, and other imported fruits has withdrawn +the attention of the settlers from the native productions; and we +shall now pass to the smaller classes of the Eucalyptus tribe. +The Doatta is a species of this class, and the bark of its root +is much relished by the natives, having a sweet and pleasing +taste, as is also the trunk of the red-gum; and its leaves, +washed in water, form an agreeable beverage. They also collect a +description of manna from the leaves of the York gum, which +yields a considerable quantity of saccharine matter. The common +green wattle of the genus of Acacia is found plentifully on the +alluvial flats of the Swan, and the bark is much used for +tanning; and the gum-wattle of the same order produces so great a +quantity of gum as to demand the attention of exporters. Another +shrub of this order is found in the Vasse district, and produces +galls similar to those of the oak, which might also be collected +for exportation. The gum of some of these species is used by the +natives as food, and the seeds, when ground, give them a +tolerable substitute for flour.</p> + +<p>Instead of entering more at large into dry botanical details, +I will transfer to these pages a letter from my respected friend, +Mr. James Drummond, the botanist already alluded to, which +perhaps will prove more acceptable to the general reader.</p> + +<p>This letter was published at the time in the local +journals.</p> + +<p>"Dear Sir,--I send you a few extracts from a journal of +observations which I made in a journey to the north, in company +with Mr. Gilbert, the ornithologist.* My sons had heard from the +natives that a considerable river and lakes of fresh water were +to be found about two days' journey to the north of their station +on the Moore River; and in company with Captain Scully, the +Government Resident of this district, they determined to explore +the country in that direction. Mr. Phillips and some other +gentlemen who were to be of the party, as well as Mr. Gilbert and +myself, arrived at the station too late; I shall therefore +principally confine my observations to Mr. Gilbert's transactions +and my own.</p> + +<p>[footnote] * Mr. Gilbert, an enthusiastic naturalist, and an +amiable and highly respectable man, was treacherously murdered by +natives to the North-East of New Holland, whilst engaged upon a +scientific expedition.</p> + +<p>"We left Hawthornden on the 22d August, and slept at the +residence of Captain Scully, who had set out some days before to +join the exploring party. On the 23d we proceeded on our journey +to the north, and in about five or six miles we examined some +remarkable masses of granite rocks a little to the right of the +road which is formed by our carts and horses passing to and from +the Moore River. Mr. Gilbert found a small but curious +fresh-water shell in some pools of rain-water on the rocks, and I +found two plants which I had not seen before. In about eleven or +twelve miles from Captain Scully's we reached a permanent spring +called Yoolgan, where there is excellent grass, and where we +stopped to dine and feed our horses. Soon after leaving Yoolgan, +we met with Mr. Phillips and Mr. John Mackie returning; they had +arrived at our station a day too late for the party; we therefore +knew that our hurrying on to join them was useless. In ten or +twelve miles from Yoolgan we reached Yeinart, a tea-tree swamp, +where there is grass and water to be had throughout the year. The +night threatened to rain, but we arrived too late to do much in +the house-making way; fortunately, the rain kept off until +daylight, when we soon covered our house with tea-tree bark, and +determined to stop for the day, which I consider the best way, as +no collections can be made when it is raining, and provisions and +everything get spoiled. It cleared up about ten o'clock, and we +went to visit a brushwood swamp, where my son Johnston had shot +several specimens of a beautiful species of kangaroo with a +dark-coloured fur, overtopped with silvery hairs, called Marnine +by the natives: we saw plenty of tracks of the animals, but could +not see a single specimen. On the top of a hill to the north of +the swamp I succeeded in finding two very distinct species of +Dryandra, new to me. I also found a fine species of Eucalyptus in +flower, which is distinguished from the Matilgarring of the +natives, the Eucalyptus macrocarpus of Sir W. T. Hooker, by +having lengthened recurved flower-stalks; the flowers are +rose-coloured.</p> + +<p>"On the 25th we proceeded on our journey. I observed two new +species of acacia near Yeinart. We mistook our road, and made our +old station at Badgee-badgee, where we stopped to dine and feed +our horses. I also found some curious aquatic plants in the pools +of water among the rocks at Badgee-badgee. After dinner we +succeeded with difficulty in tracing our road to our present +station on the Mouran pool, the cart tracks being nearly +obliterated by the trampling of the sheep. On arriving, we found +that the exploring party had returned, and that Captain Scully +and my son James had left, on their return, about half an hour +before our arrival. The mutilated specimens of plants brought +home by the party, and the accounts of some which were left +behind, determined me to visit the new river myself, after +botanizing a day in the vicinity of the station, where I found a +fine glaucus-leaved Anadenia, and Mr. Gilbert got specimens of +the blue kangaroo, and several small new quadrupeds--one of them +apparently a true rat, almost as large and mischievous as the +Norway rat. Having got two natives, one of whom (Cabbinger) had +been with the party to the north, we started on the 27th, and +slept at a spring called Boorbarna. On the way I found a species +of the common poison which I had not seen before, and a beautiful +Conospermum, with pannicles of blue flowers varying to white. I +was informed, by my son Johnston, that a plant like horehound, +but with scarlet flowers, in tubes about an inch long, grew on +the top of a stony hill to the north of the spring; I went and +found the plant, which belongs to Scrophularinae; I also found a +Manglesia, allied to Tridentifera, but having the leaves more +divided; I also found a beautiful blue climbing plant, a species +of Pronaya, on the top of the same hill. On the 28th, soon after +setting out on our journey, I found two splendid species of +everlasting flower, of which my son Johnston had been the +original discoverer; one, with golden-yellow flowers varying to +white, has the flowers in heads different from anything of the +sort I have seen before, and will, I think, form a new genus of +Compositae; and the other with pink flowers, growing two feet +high, something like Lawrencella rosea, or Rhodanthe Manglesii, +but if possible finer than either. In nine or ten miles to the +north of Boorbarna, we crossed a curious tract of country, +covered with what I considered a variety of quartz, which breaks +with a conchoidal fracture, but it has very much the appearance +of flint; in many places the pieces were large, with sharp +angles; my sons complained that it injured their horses' feet, +but by alighting, and leading our horses over the worse parts, I +did not perceive any bad effects from it. This tract of country +produces some interesting plants; a splendid Calathamnus, with +leaves nine inches long, and showy scarlet flowers, was found by +my youngest son, and I got plenty of specimens.</p> + +<p>"With regard to a new Banksia, allied to Aquifolia, which he +found here, I was not so fortunate, and he brought home no +specimens. After crossing several miles of this quartz formation, +we came upon an extensive flat of strong clay, covered with +Eucalyptus, and some curious species of acacia; we crossed a +considerable river, or brook, running strong to the west, and +about two miles, after crossing this brook, we made the river we +were in quest of at a place called Murarino by the natives. Near +the river I found a splendid plant, which had been first observed +by my son Johnston; he took it for a Lasiopetalum, but I expect +it will prove to be a species of Solanum; it grows two or three +feet high, with large purple flowers, with calyxes like brown +velvet; the leaves are irregularly shaped, acuminate, about two +inches long, and an inch and a half wide at their broadest parts; +the stems are prickly, and all the leaves covered with a down as +in Lasiopetalum. I am uncertain about the genus, not having seen +the seed-vessels, but whatever that may be, it is of our finest +Australian plants.</p> + +<p>"We stopped to dine on the river, and in about four miles +farther to the north, we reached two fresh-water lakes called +Dalarn and Maradine. Ducks of various sorts were here in +thousands, and the water-hens, or gallinules, which visited the +settlements on the Swan some years ago, were plentiful. Mr. +Gilbert shot three or four at a shot. I found a fine Baechia, +which had been first found by my son James, and a curious new +plant belonging to Compositae, but not yet in flower. The +appearance of the country about these lakes, of which there are +several besides those I have named, and the plants which grow +about them, which are generally met with at no great distance +from the sea, seem to prove that the lakes are at no great +distance from it, and that the Darling Range does not extend so +far to the north. No hills of any description appeared to the +west; from the top of a hill to the east, two remarkable hills +appeared, apparently about thirty miles to the north; one of them +was observed by my son to have a remarkable peaked top, and they +supposed they might be Mount Heathcote and Wizard Peak. We saw, +as we came along, a high hill, which the natives called Wangan +Catta; they said it was three days' walk to it; it lay due east +of our course.</p> + +<p>"On the 29th, we returned on our track for about seven miles, +until we reached the first running river we met on our journey to +the north. Our guides agreed to take us back by a different +route, and to take us to a hill where a curious species of +kangaroo called Damar by them, would be met with. My son Johnston +has shot several of these animals about a day's walk to the east +of our station on the Moore River. We therefore ascended this +river in a course S.E. by E., and soon after we were upon its +banks, we came upon a grassy country; three or four miles up we +stopped to dine and feed the horses, at a place called Nugadrine; +several pairs of beautiful falcons, the Falco Nypolencus of +Gould, were flying over us, and Mr. Gilbert succeeded in shooting +one of them. After dinner, we proceeded in the same direction for +nine or ten miles; we soon crossed the tracks of Captain Scully +and my sons on their return; they had gone up the main or +northern branch of the river, and had found but little grass +while they followed its banks; but they had passed over a great +deal of grassy land in crossing the country from it to the Moore +River.</p> + +<p>"We travelled for ten or eleven miles through a splendid +grassy country, and met with a large tribe of natives, several of +whom had never seen white men before; they were very friendly, +and offered us some of their favourite root, the wyrang, which +grows abundantly among these grassy hills. They made so much +noise, that we wished to get some distance from them to sleep, +but they all followed us and encamped near, many of the single +men sleeping by our fire. In the morning of the 30th I went to +the top of a hill, near our bivouac, while Mr. Gilbert was +superintending the preparations for breakfast, and clipping the +beards of some of our new friends. After breakfast, we started +direct for our station on the Moore River; the natives who were +with us as guides considering our stock of flour insufficient to +proceed any farther in the direction of the hill where they +expected to find the Damars. For almost the whole of this day we +travelled over the most splendid grassy country I have ever seen +in Australia; the hill-sides, as far as we could see in every +direction, were covered with beautiful grass, and of a golden +colour, from the flowers of the beautiful yellow everlasting +flower which I have described in a former part of this letter, +which is only to be found in the richest soil. After reaching our +station, I was a day or two employed in drying my specimens of +plants. My son Johnston pointed out a most beautiful new +Dryandra, which he had discovered on the top of a hill near the +Mouran-pool; I have named the species Dryandra floribunda, from +its numerous blossoms, which almost hide the leaves; it grows +twelve or fifteen feet high, and in such abundance, that the side +of the hill on which it grows actually appears of a golden colour +for several miles. I consider it the most beautiful species of +the genus yet known for cultivation.</p> + +<p>"I am, Sir, "Your obedient servant, "James Drummond.</p> + +<p>"P.S.--Our course generally by compass from Hawthornden to +these lakes has been several points to the west of north. The +natives informed us, when at the lakes, that they could reach the +sea-coast long before sunset.</p> + +<p>"Hawthornden Farm, Toodyay Valley."</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 29.</h3> + +<h4>MISFORTUNES OF THE COLONY.</h4> + +<p>Many causes have unhappily united to keep Western Australia +from rising into notice and importance with that rapidity which +has marked the career of the other Australian colonies. The +misfortunes of the first settlers, attributable in a great +measure to flagrant mismanagement, deterred intending emigrants +from tempting the like fate. The man who had the largest grant in +the colony allotted to him--a monster grant of 250,000 +acres--made so ill an use of the means at his command, that +nothing but misery and misfortune has ever attended his steps. +The funds with which he was intrusted might have been applied +with the happiest effect, both for the advancement of the colony +and of his own personal fortunes. The people whom he brought out, +chiefly mechanics and labourers, to the number of four hundred or +upwards, were sufficient to have formed a settlement of their +own. By an unhappy fatality, the early settlers were landed on a +part of the coast the most unfavourable in the world for their +purposes. The whole country around them was a mere limestone +rock. Here, however, the town-site of Clarence was fixed upon, +but scarcely a yard of land was to be found that afforded space +for a garden. No attempt was made to sow grain, or plant +potatoes, to provide for the wants of the following year.</p> + +<p>The people lived upon the provisions they had brought out with +them. The four hundred workmen being left by their principal +without direction or employment, soon consumed in riotous living +the abundant stores left at their disposal, and too soon found +that destitution is the inevitable consequence of idleness and +folly. Many perished miserably of want and sickness, and many +others effected their escape to Van Dieman's Land, where they +gave a melancholy account of the wretchedness of those who were +unable to flee from the scene of their errors.</p> + +<p>The active intelligence, and unremitting exertions of the +Governor, Sir James Stirling, at length ameliorated the condition +of the unfortunate settlers. He removed the seat of Government to +Perth, and explored the neighbouring country in every direction +in the hope of finding tracts of land sufficient for the support +of the people under his charge. The flats of the Swan River +afforded all the facilities he required; but the settlers were +greatly intimidated by the treacherous attacks of the natives, +and were very reluctant to separate from the main body. In +consequence of these fears, many consumed their capital in their +present support, instead of applying it in the formation of +farms, and laying the ground-work of future prosperity. +Provisions being all imported, were sold at high rates, and the +hesitating colonists became unavoidably subservient to the +cupidity of the traders.</p> + +<p>In addition to these misfortunes, no man liked to lay out his +money in building a house upon land which might not eventually be +allotted to him. He lived therefore, with his wife, children, and +servants, miserably under a tent, until the surveyor-general +should be able to point out to him the land which had fallen to +his share, in the general lottery of the Government. In many +cases this was not done for one or two years after the formation +of the colony, in consequence of the lamentably inefficient force +placed at the disposal of the able and indefatigable +surveyor-general; and even then, the boundaries of the different +allotments were not permanently defined. This state of +incertitude had the most fatal effect, not only upon the +fortunes, but upon the moral condition of the settlers. Those who +had come out resolutely bent upon cultivating their own land, and +supporting themselves and families by their manual labour, +refused to make the necessary exertions upon property which might +eventually belong to others for whom they had no desire to toil. +Waiting, therefore, in their tents on the shore, until the +Government should determine their respective locations, they +passed the time in idleness, or in drinking and riotous living; +and when at length they obtained their Letters of Allocation, +they found themselves without money or any means of subsistence, +except by hiring out their manual labour to others more prudent, +or more fortunate.</p> + +<p>Other accidental circumstances have combined to retard the +progress of the colony. From ignorance of the seasons, many lost +their crops, and were obliged consequently to expend the last +remains of their capital in procuring necessary supplies. From +the same cause, vessels which brought emigrants to the colony +were not secured during the winter season in the safest +anchorages, and being exposed to the fury of the north-west +gales, were in too many instances, driven ashore and completely +wrecked.</p> + +<p>Again, too, there has always existed a strong desire on the +part of Western Australia to connect herself with India, +conscious that there are great facilities of communication +between the countries, from favourable trade-winds, and that her +own climate is perhaps better suited to invalids than even that +of the Cape. This desire has been met by several influential +gentleman of Calcutta, and on two occasions, vessels were +freighted and despatched from that city to the colony, in the +hope of establishing a mutually advantageous connexion, and on +both occasions the vessels were lost on the voyage. At length a +small establishment was effected near Australind, by the agents +of Mr. W. H. Prinsep, for the purpose of breeding horses for the +Indian market; and we most sincerely hope success will ultimately +attend the enterprising effort. Indian officers have occasionally +visited the colony; but they have naturally received unfavourable +impressions, from being unable to find those accommodations and +luxuries to which they had been accustomed.</p> + +<p>The settlers will not build houses and lay out their money on +the mere speculation of gaining advantage by the visits of Indian +officers, but if once there appeared a reasonable prospect of +early remuneration, every convenience would be provided, and +every comfort ensured to visitors. Living is now extremely cheap, +and there is a profusion of vegetables and fruits of every kind. +There are plenty of good horses and pleasure-boats, and there are +the amusements of fishing, and hunting the Kangaroo and Emu.</p> + +<p>The misconduct of some, and the misfortunes of others of the +early settlers, tended to bring about calamities which were +echoed throughout Great Britain, and for many years had the +effect of turning the stream of emigration away from these +shores. Other causes have also contributed to this end. The +Government plan of giving grants of land to emigrants, +proportioned to the capital which they introduced into the +colony, was good to a certain extent, but the object was +perverted, and the boon abused. In almost all instances, men +received a much greater quantity of land than they were justly +entitled to. Every article of provisions, furniture, and +household effects, and even wearing apparel, were taken into +account. The valuations were made by friends and neighbours, who +accommodated one another, and rated the property of the applicant +at a most astounding price. The consequence has been, that large +grants of land have fallen into the hands of those who have never +lived upon them, or spent anything upon their improvement, beyond +a fictitious amount which they were required to specify to the +Government before they could obtain possession of their deeds of +grant. These original grantees have clung to their lands with +desperate tenacity, in the hope that some day their value will be +more than nominal. The idea that all the best portions of the +colony are in the hands of a few great unimproving proprietors, +has been one reason why emigrants have turned away from it.</p> + +<p>But the provision, which has so long been an evil to the +colony, may now be looked upon, thanks to the narrow-minded +policy of the Home Government, as an advantage. These original +grants, which have proved so little beneficial to the owner, and +so highly detrimental to the community, are now far more easily +obtainable by the emigrant than the surrounding crown-lands. The +policy of the Government has entirely changed with regard to the +disposal of waste lands in the Australian colonies; instead of +giving them away with a lavish hand, it has for some years been +the practice to throw every obstacle in the way of intending +purchasers.</p> + +<p>They are now valued at one pound per acre, though it is well +known, even at the colonial office, that five acres of Australian +land are requisite to maintain a single sheep; and as the average +value of sheep in all these colonies is six or seven shillings, +it scarcely requires the head of a Secretary of State to +calculate that every one who buys land for the purpose of feeding +his flocks upon it, must be content to purchase it at an +irreparable loss of capital. In consequence of this wise +regulation, no purchase of crown-lands are now made in any of the +Australian colonies, except of town allotments, which have a +factitious value, altogether irrespective of the qualities of the +soil. It is now that the holders of large grants find purchasers, +as they are extremely willing to sell at a much lower rate than +the crown. In Western Australia alone, however, are these grants +to be found; and here excellent land may be purchased at three +shillings an acre. Thus the careless profusion of one government, +and the false policy and unhappy cupidity of another, have proved +the means of placing this colony in a better position in some +respects than any other.</p> + +<p>Western Australia has been unfortunate also in having had no +powerful company to support her cause in England. The +neighbouring colony of South Australia, with a much less +extensive territory, and without any natural superiority in the +quality of the soil, was immediately puffed into notice by the +exertions of her friends at home.</p> + +<p>But whilst the settlers at Adelaide and their patrons in +London, proclaimed to the world the advantages of the new colony, +they scrupled not to draw comparisons between it and the Western +settlement, that were neither flattering nor just to the latter. +Not content with elevating their own idol with paeans and +thanksgiving, before the gaze of a bedinned public, they +persisted in shouting out their scorn and contempt at the +pretensions of their unhappy neighbour. The public, with its +usual discernment, gave implicit credence to both fables. Western +Australia had met its contumelious detractors with silence; and +the false statements were therefore looked upon as admitted and +undeniable. But notwithstanding the injurious misrepresentations +of enemies, and her own injurious silence, this colony has been +quietly and steadily progressing, until she has laid for herself +a foundation that no envious calumny can shake. The last blow she +has received was from the failure of the settlement at +Australind; a subject that I intend to treat of in a separate +chapter.</p> + +<p>So many misfortunes and untoward accidents have combined to +prejudice the emigrating portion of the British public against +Western Australia, that no voice is ever raised in her behalf, +and scarcely any literary journal condescends to acknowledge her +existence. And yet, notwithstanding the veil of darkness that +conceals her from Northern eyes, there is perhaps no spot in the +world that contains so eminently within itself the elements of +prosperity and happiness. A climate more genial, more divine than +that of Italy, robs poverty of its bleakness and its bitterness. +Absolute want is never felt, and those who possess but little, +find how little is sufficient in a climate so productive and so +beneficent.</p> + +<p>The purity and elasticity of the atmosphere induce a continual +flow of good spirits.</p> + +<p>To all the fruits of Italy in most abundant profusion, are +added the productions of the East.</p> + +<p>The regularity of the seasons is so certain, that the +husbandman always reckons with confidence upon his crops. No +droughts interfere, AS IN THE OTHER COLONIES, to ruin his hopes. +the vintages, annually increasing and improving, are equally free +from disappointment.</p> + +<p>It must not, however, be denied that there are many natural +disadvantages which can never be overcome without a much larger +population.</p> + +<p>In the first place, the only good harbour on the Western coast +has only just been discovered--June 1846--and is at least +thirty-five miles distant from Perth, the capital. Then, +secondly, all the superior land of the colony is situated about +sixty miles back from the capital, and the farmers therefore have +a considerable distance to convey their produce to the port; and +part of that distance the roads are extremely bad.</p> + +<p>There is another objection to the colony in the opinion of +intending emigrants, which arises from a small plant, or shrub, +of the order leguminosae, a deadly poison to sheep and cattle. +This plant grows over the colony in patches, but is now so well +known, that accidents very seldom occur from it, shepherds being +careful not to allow their flocks to feed in its vicinity. It is +however to be observed, that neither sheep nor cattle will feed +upon this plant unless they be very hungry, and other food be +wanting. It is very seldom indeed that cattle, which are +sometimes left to roam at large over the country, are found to +have perished from pasturing upon it. This plant has no injurious +effect upon horses; but these animals have in several instances +been poisoned by eating the leaves of a small plant described as +resembling the ranunculus, which grows in small quantities in the +Southern portion of the colony. A gentleman once informed me that +he was riding up from Australind on a favourite and very fine +horse, which he allowed to feed, during several hours of rest, on +a spot where this plant unfortunately grew. On mounting to resume +his journey, the horse seemed full of spirit; but he had not +proceeded a mile before it stumbled, and was with difficulty kept +from falling. A little farther on, after proceeding with evident +difficulty, it fell, to rise no more, and died in a few hours of +violent inflammation of the kidneys.</p> + +<p>However alarming these drawbacks may seem to people at a +distance, they are only lightly considered in the colony. +Fatalities are very rare among the flocks and herds, and many +diseases which prevail in New South Wales are entirely unknown +among us.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 30.</h3> + +<h4>THE RESOURCES OF THE COLONY:--HORSES FOR INDIA--WINE--DRIED +FRUITS--COTTON--COAL--WOOL--CORN--WHALE-OIL--A WHALE-HUNT--CURED +FISH--SHIP TIMBER.</h4> + +<p>The geographical position of Western Australia makes it one of +the most desirable colonies of the British empire. The French +would be delighted to possess so advantageous a station in that +part of the world, whence they could sally forth and grievously +annoy our shipping-trade. Vessels bound for China and the Eastern +Islands pass within a few days' sail of the colony. For my part, +I confess I should feel by no means sorry were we to fall into +the hands of the French for a few years, as they would not +hesitate to make such lasting improvements as would materially +add to the importance of the settlement. It requires that +Government should be made to feel the value of this colony as a +naval station before it will rise into anything like consequence. +The anchorage of Cockburn Sound, lying between Garden Island and +the main land, presents a splendid harbour, where hundreds of +ships of war might lie throughout all weathers in perfect safety. +Enemy's cruisers passing along the coast cannot come within +Garden Island from the south, and they would scarcely venture +without a pilot from the north, except with a great deal of +deliberation and caution, so that small vessels might readily +slip away and avoid the danger; and numbers of ships might lie so +close under Garden Island, that they never would be perceived by +men-of-war reconnoitring the coast.</p> + +<p>There is no other colony in Australia so admirably situated +with respect to other countries. The Cape of Good Hope is four or +five weeks sail distant; Ceylon about twenty days; Calcutta, +Sincapore, and Batavia are all within easy reach. In exporting +live-stock, this is of vast importance; and in time of war a +central position like this would afford an admirable place for +vessels to repair to in order to refit. With the finest timber in +the world for naval purposes in unlimited profusion; with a soil +teeming with various metals; with harbours and dock-yards almost +ready made by the hand of Nature, all things requisite for the +wants of shipping may be obtained whenever a Government shall see +fit to resort to them.</p> + +<p>It must doubtless surprise many that more has not been done in +a colony possessing such natural advantages. The reason is, that +the prejudices which have so long prevailed against this +settlement have retarded the progress of immigration, and the +small number of inhabitants has ever precluded the possibility of +any great effort being made by the colony itself.</p> + +<p>Public opinion in England must turn in its favour before it +can rise from obscurity into importance; but public opinion is +never in favour of the poor and deserted. Time, however, will +eventually develope those resources, which at present lie dormant +for want of capital and opportunity.</p> + +<p>The proximity of this colony to India peculiarly marks it as +the most advantageous spot for the breeding of horses for that +market. From Van Dieman's Land or New South Wales, ships are +generally about eight weeks in reaching an Indian port, and must +proceed either by the north of New Holland, through the dangerous +navigation of Torres Straits, or by the south and west, round +Cape Lewin. Either route presents a long and rough passage, +highly detrimental to stock, and of course increasing the cost of +the horses exported. The voyage from Fremantle may be performed +in half the time, and the animals will therefore arrive at their +destination in much finer order, and with much less loss.</p> + +<p>It is well known that none of these colonies afford better or +more extensive pasture-ground for horses and cattle than ours. +Nothing is wanted but capital and population to produce a +thriving traffic in horse-flesh between this settlement and +India.</p> + +<p>There is every reason to believe that Western Australia will +one day become a great wine country. Its vineyards are becoming +more numerous and extensive every year, and the wine produced in +them is of a quality to lead us to believe that when the art of +preparing it is better understood, it will be found of very +superior quality. It will, however, be a new kind of wine; and +therefore, before it will be prized in Europe, prejudices in +favour of older wines have to be overcome. Soil and climate +combined, give to different wines their peculiar flavour. The +vines which in Madeira produce the wine of that name, when +brought to another country, even in a corresponding latitude, and +planted in soil that chemically approaches as closely as possible +to that which they have left, will produce a wine materially +different from that called Madeira. So with the vines of Xeres +and Oporto; of Teneriffe or Constantia. Different countries +produce wines peculiar to themselves; and the wine of Western +Australia will be found to be entirely sui generis. All that I +have tasted, though made from the poorest of grapes, the common +sweet-water, have one peculiarity; a good draught, instead of +affecting the head or flushing the face, causes a most delightful +glow to pervade the stomach; and it is of so comforting a nature, +that the labourers in harvest prefer the home-made colonial wine +to any other beverage. Every farm-settler is now adding a +vineyard to his estate. The olive is also being extensively +cultivated. In a few years' time, dried fruits will be exported +in large quantities; but we almost fear that the colonists are +giving too much of their attention to the cultivation of grapes +and other fruits. In addition to exports, on a large scale, of +wool, horses, timber, and metals, these articles of commerce are +not undeserving of attention, but they should not be brought so +prominently forward as to form the principal feature in the trade +of the colony. Wine and fruit countries are always poor +countries; let us think of substantials first, and of wine and +fruit only by way of dessert.</p> + +<p>Cotton is a plant that grows extremely well in this colony, +and might be cultivated on a large scale, and doubtless with +great success. Mr. Hutt, the late governor, whose constant +anxiety to promote the interests of the settlers in every way +must long endear him to their memories, always appeared extremely +sanguine as to the practicability of making this a great cotton +country.</p> + +<p>But Western Australia contains, perhaps, greater internal +wealth than that which appears on the surface. She abounds in +iron, which must some day come into the Indian market; and as the +metal lies close to the surface, it may be obtained without much +expenditure of capital. There is no doubt, also, that she is +equally rich in copper and platina, but capital is wanting at +present to enable the settlers to work the mines. Soon, however, +companies will be formed, and operations will be carried on +rivalling those of South Australia.</p> + +<p>Extensive fields of excellent COAL have lately been +discovered, and will prove the source of vast wealth to the +colony. Steam-vessels in the Indian ocean will be supplied with +coal from Western Australia; and the depots at Sincapore, +Point-de-Galle, and perhaps at Aden, will afford a constant +market for this valuable commodity.</p> + +<p>The staple export of the colony is, of course, at present +wool. Our flocks, unfortunately, increase in a much greater ratio +than the inhabitants, and thus the scarcity of labour becomes +severely felt. A large flock becomes an evil, and men are +burdened and impoverished by the very sources of wealth. The +expense of maintaining becomes greater than the returns. The +emigrants who are most sure of improving their condition in a +colony, are those men who begin as shepherds, and having +established a good character for themselves, undertake the care +of a flock upon shares; that is, they receive a certain +proportion--a third, and sometimes even a half--of the annual +increase and wool, delivering the remainder to the owner at the +seaport, ready packed for shipping. These men, of course, soon +acquire a flock of their own, and then abandon the original +employer to his old embarrassment, leaving him, (a resident +probably in the capital, and already a prey to multitudinous +distractions,) to find out a new shepherd on still more +exorbitant terms. As large grants of land may be obtained by +tenants for merely nominal rents, or in consideration of their +erecting stock-yards or farm-buildings in the course of a term of +years, there is every inducement to men of this class to become +settlers.</p> + +<p>The houses in some districts are built of clay, or prepared +earth, rammed down between boards, and thus forming solid walls +of twelve or eighteen inches in thickness, that harden in a short +time almost to the consistency of stone. The windows and doorways +are cut out of the walls. These edifices are built at a very +cheap rate; and when laths or battens are fixed inside of them, +may be covered with plaister, and either whitewashed or +painted.</p> + +<p>Besides the extensive sheep-runs of the colony, there is an +unlimited extent of excellent corn-land. The crops in the +Northam, Toodyay, and York districts--though inferior to those of +the midland counties of England, for want of manure, and a more +careful system of husbandry--are extremely fine; and there is +land enough, if cultivated, to supply the whole of the southern +hemisphere with grain.</p> + +<p>The sea on the western coast of New Holland still abounds with +whales, although the Americans for many years made it one of +their principal stations, and have consequently driven many of +the animals away. The whale is a very suspicious and timid +creature, and when it has been once chased it seldom returns to +the same locality. The Americans tell us that Geographe Bay, +about twenty years ago, abounded with whales at certain seasons. +Many of them came there apparently to die, and the shore was +covered with their carcases and bones. About the month of June, +the whales proceed along the coast, going northward; and then +visit the various bays and inlets as they pass, in pursuit of the +shoals of small fish that precede them in their migration. They +generally return towards the south about six weeks afterwards, +and at these times the whale-fishery is eagerly pursued both by +the Americans and the colonists. Bay-whaling is followed with +various success at Fremantle, Bunbury, the Vasse, Augusta, and +King George's Sound.</p> + +<p>At these times swarms of sharks of enormous dimensions infest +the coast. At the Vasse, they were so numerous in 1845, that the +men in the boats became quite cowed by their audacity. Were a +whale killed in the evening, two-thirds of it would be eaten +before morning by the sharks. The monsters (sometimes thirty feet +in length) would follow the whale-boats, and strike against them +with their snouts and fins; until the men were so intimidated +that they even refused to go in pursuit of a whale which +otherwise they might easily have captured. Mr. Robert Viveash, +one of the principals at this station, told me, among other +anecdotes, that one day, standing on the deck of a small +schooner, watching the evolutions of an enormous shark, he saw it +seize the rudder with its teeth in a kind of frenzy, or else in +mere sport, and shake it so violently that the tiller, striking +against some heavy object on deck, was actually broken in two +pieces. It is a well-authenticated fact, that some years ago a +shark, playing round a whaling vessel of upwards of 300 tons, +whilst lying at anchor during a calm, got entangled in the +buoy-rope of the anchor, and in its efforts to free itself +actually tripped the anchor. The people on board, perceiving +something extraordinary had happened, hove up the anchor, and +brought the struggling shark to the surface. Having thrown a rope +over its head and secured it by a running bowline knot under the +pectoral fins, the fish was boused up to the fore-yard; and its +length was so great, that when its nose touched the yard, its +tail was still lashing the water.</p> + +<p>There is something highly exciting in the chase of the whale. +I have watched the proceedings for hours from Arthur's Head, the +high rock between Fremantle and the sea. A man stationed here on +the look out, perceives a whale spouting about six miles off, +between the main-land and the opposite islands. He immediately +hoists a flag, and makes signals indicating the direction.</p> + +<p>The crews of six whale-boats, which have been lying ready on +the beach, with their lines carefully coiled in a tub, and +harpoon and lances all at hand, assemble like magic. The boats +are launched, and pulling rapidly out of the bay, each with its +own particular flag flying at the bows; the steersman leans +forward, and gives additional force to the stroke-oar by the +assistance of his weight and strength; the men pull strongly and +well-together; the boats dance over the flashing waves, and +silence and determination reign among the crews. The object is to +meet the whale, and come down upon him in front; none but a +lubber or a knave would cross his wake; for his eyes are so +placed that he can see laterally and behind better than straight +before him, and the moment he detects a boat in pursuit he begins +to run. The lubber crosses his wake, because he has not steered +so as to be able to avoid doing so; the knave, because either out +of spite to his employer, or because he is bribed by an adverse +company, is desirous that the fish should be lost. If the boats +are a long distance astern when the whale begins to run, pursuit +is useless, and the men return, hoping for better luck another +time.</p> + +<p>The boats come round Arthur's Head almost together. The men, +knowing that many hours of severe toil are probably before them, +pull steadily, but not so as to exhaust themselves at the outset. +At length one boat creeps out from the rest; the others gradually +drop into line, and the distance between each widens perceptibly. +The last boat, a heavy sailer, is half-a-mile astern of the +first. From the boats, your eye wanders to the spot where the +whale was last seen to blow. For some time you can discern +nothing, and fancy he must be gone off to sea again. At last a +thin white column of vapour is perceptible; the animal is +carelessly sporting about, unconscious of danger. The first boat +draws rapidly down upon him; it approaches nearer and nearer. The +fish has disappeared, but his enemies seem to know the direction +in which he is going, and are ready awaiting him when he returns +to the surface. You now perceive him blowing close to the first +boat, the steersman of which draws in the steer-oar and runs +forward, whilst the men have all peaked their oars, and remain +quiet in their seats. The steersman has seized the harpoon to +which the long line of coiled rope is attached; in a moment he +has plunged it into the animal's side. Starting at the stroke, +away it darts; the line flies out of the tub over the bow of the +boat; the men begin to pull, in order to ease the shock when the +line is all run out; and now away they go, the whale drawing the +boat after him at such speed that the water flies off from the +bows in broad flakes.</p> + +<p>After running upwards of a mile, the fish dives down to the +bottom; there he remains some minutes, until compelled to return +to the surface for breath. His reappearance is heralded by a +column of water spouted from his nostrils.</p> + +<p>Two of the boats are able to approach near enough to allow +lances to be thrown at him, which, penetrating through the +blubber, pierce his vitals, and cause him to run again as swiftly +as before. Again he sinks, and again appears on the surface; the +column which he now spouts forth is tinged with red. The boats +again approach, the more lances are driven into his sides, but he +is not yet subdued; he breaks away from the assassins, and tries +once more to escape; but, alas! his strength and his life-blood +are fast ebbing away; his breath begins to fail, and he cannot +remain long beneath the surface.</p> + +<p>He comes up suddenly in the very midst of the boats, and, as +he rolls from side to side, he strikes one of them with his fin, +staving it in and making it a wreck upon the water. The drowning +men are picked up by their companions, and the whale is again +pursued. He is now in the death-flurry, spinning round and round, +and lashing the sea into foam with his broad tail. He is still; +and now the boats venture to come close up to the carcase, and +fixing grapnels in it, with tow-lines attached, they form in a +line, and commence towing their conquest to the shore, singing as +they row, their measured paeans of victory.</p> + +<p>When the blubber is cut off and tryed out, it produces from +three to ten tons of oil.</p> + +<p>Besides whales, there are immense quantities of fish upon this +coast. The best kind are called tailors, and have a good deal of +the mackerel flavour; and snappers, which somewhat resemble +cod-fish. The mullets and whitings are better than those on the +English coast, but every other fish is much inferior in flavour +to those known in England. We have nothing to equal salmon, +turbot, soles, cod, or mackerel; nevertheless, a snapper of +twenty pounds weight is a very eatable fish.</p> + +<p>They are caught in great quantities, salted and exported to +the Mauritius, where they are acknowledged to be superior to the +fish imported from the Cape of Good Hope. Snapper-fishing is not +bad sport, as they bite freely. They go in immense shoals, and it +is not an uncommon thing to catch twenty-hundred weight at a +single haul. When H.M.S. Challenger was lying in Cockburn Sound, +some of the men with a very large seine-net, caught two thousand +fish at a single haul--averaging five pounds a-piece. This is +almost incredible, but it is related on good authority.</p> + +<p>The fresh-water rivers have no fish but a small craw-fish, +that buries itself in the ground when the bed of the stream is +dry; and a flat-headed, tapering fish called a cobbler. This is +about twelve inches long, and has a sharp, serrated bone an inch +in length on each side of its head, that lies flat and perfectly +concealed until an enemy approaches. This bone is hollow, like an +adder's tooth, and contains a virulent poison, which is injected +into the wound, and causes intense pain for several hours. Men +are frequently stung by these wretches, whilst wading through the +water.</p> + +<p>There are several valuable kinds of wood in this colony, which +do not exist in South Australia or New South Wales. We may +mention the sandalwood, which now finds a market in Ceylon, where +it fetches about 22 pounds per ton; but if it were sent direct to +China, (its ultimate destination,) it would obtain probably 35 +pounds per ton. Sandal-wood is burnt in large quantities in +China, as a kind of incense. There is another highly-fragrant +wood peculiar to this colony, called by the settlers raspberry +jam, from its resembling that sweet-meat in its scent. A small +quantity sent to Tonbridge-Wells, was worked up into boxes, and +highly approved of by the cabinet-makers, who gave it the name of +violet wood.</p> + +<p>One of the most beautiful trees in the colony is called the +peppermint-tree; its leaves, which are very abundant, resemble +those of the willow, and, on being rubbed, smell strongly of +peppermint. It bears a small yellow flower. These is much reason +to believe that this is of the same species as the tree which +yields the valuable Cajeput oil, and it is highly desirable that +an endeavour should be made to distil this oil from the +leaves.</p> + +<p>Many of the vegetable productions of Western Australia appear +to correspond with those of Java and others of the Eastern +Islands, modified by the difference of climate.</p> + +<p>The timber adapted to ship-building purposes, extends in vast +quantities down the line of coast, and is of three kinds, all +varieties of the eucalyptus. The tooart in the districts of +Bunbury and the Vasse, and the blue-gum which abounds at Augusta +and Nornalup, are woods of large size, and remarkably hard and +close-grained in texture. It is well adapted for keel-pieces, +stern-posts, capstan-heads, and heavy beams: and its fibres are +so closely matted and interwoven together, that it is scarcely +possible to split it. It grows in lengths of from 30 to 60 feet, +and measures from 15 to 30 inches in diameter.</p> + +<p>But the wood most highly prized and most easily attainable is +the Jarra, which grows upon the entire range of the Darling +Hills, distant from sixteen to twenty miles from the coast, and +extends over a country averaging at least twenty miles in +breadth. It was for a long time erroneously called mahogany by +the settlers, as it takes an excellent polish, and is extremely +useful for cabinet purposes. A small quantity recently sent to +England for the purpose of being worked up with furniture, has +been thus reported upon:--</p> + +<p>"We have just inspected about two tons of wood brought to this +town (Leeds) under the name of Swan River Mahogany. Some of the +wood is firm and close in texture, with a very great abundance of +cross mottle;--in fact, it is quite crowded with figure. The +colour is something like old Jamaica mahogany, and it bears a +strong resemblance in some of its figures to the wood so +celebrated by Messrs. Collard as Ocean Wood. We are quite firm in +our opinion, that it is NOT mahogany, and do not know why it +should be nicknamed. Why not call it by its proper name?--for it +has sufficiently strong claims to maintain its own +independence.</p> + +<p>"J. Kendell and Co. "Cabinet Manufacturers, Leeds."</p> + +<p>Mr. Bond, of the firm of Gillows and Co., cabinet +manufacturers, 176 and 177 Oxford-street, London, to whom a small +quantity was submitted, has also made an equally favourable +report. Messrs. Chaloner and Fleming, of Liverpool, whose firm is +one of the most extensive importers of timber in the empire, have +reported that they "consider the specimens submitted to them to +be of rich figure, and very fine quality, although the colour is +rather dark. It is quite as fine in texture as the best Spanish +mahogany, and takes the polish remarkably well."</p> + +<p>It is not, however, as cabinet wood that the Jarra is so +highly valuable. It has been found to be some of the best +ship-timber in the world. It is so extremely durable, that when +it is cut in a healthy state, it is never found to rot, even +though it be buried in the ground for years. For seventeen years +it has been constantly used in the colony for a variety of +purposes. As it resists the white-ant, an insect that destroys +oak and every other kind of wood, and is never subject to the +dry-rot, it is invaluable for building purposes. Boats +constructed of it, which have been in the water during the whole +of this period, and entirely unprotected by paint, are still as +sound as they were when first launched.</p> + +<p>It resists the sea-worm; and our colonial vessels, when hove +down for repairs or survey at Sincapore, Launceston, or other +ports, have always excited the admiration of the surveyors, and +have been pronounced not to require to be coppered. This wood is +long in the grain, but very close and tough, and not only makes +very good planking, but excellent beams, keel-pieces, and many +other portions of a ship. Growing without a branch to the height +of from fifty to one hundred feet, and from eighteen inches to +three feet and upwards in diameter, it excites the admiration of +all practical men; and as its properties have been so long +tested, and are so generally admitted in the southern hemisphere, +it is matter of no less surprise than regret that it should be +still unknown in the English markets. Strong prejudice, and the +interest of parties connected with the timber-trade in other +countries, have served to keep the inexhaustible forests of +Western Australia in the obscurity which has hung over them from +primeval times. Besides this, although the Jarra wood exists not +in other parts of Australia, and is confined to the Western coast +alone, timber has been imported to England from New South Wales, +and is very little prized there. Timber-merchants, therefore, who +confound all the Australian colonies together, as most other +people in England do, are willing to believe that the Jarra of +Western Australia is the same as the Stringy-bark of New South +Wales, and therefore worth little or nothing for ship-building +purposes. The experience of seventeen years has proved the +contrary. Not only have the valuable qualities of the Jarra been +tested in vessels built in the colony, and employed in trading to +the neighbouring ports; but men-of-war and merchant ships have +been frequently repaired with it, and the wood so employed has +always been highly esteemed when subsequently inspected +abroad.</p> + +<p>In the autumn of 1845, the Halifax Packet, a barque of 400 +tons, having parted from her anchor in a gale, and drifted +ashore, underwent repairs at Fremantle, to the extent of about +eleven hundred pounds. On being surveyed at the Port of London on +her return home, the new timber, which had never been previously +recognized at Lloyd's, though many efforts have been made to +obtain that sanction, was allowed to remain in the ship as being +perfectly serviceable. The following memorandum was addressed by +the Surveyor of Lloyd's to A. Andrews, Esq., a gentleman +interested in the welfare of the colony:</p> + +<p>"The wood used in the repairs of the Halifax Packet at Swan +River, appears to answer the purpose very well. It is not found +necessary to remove any part thereof.</p> + +<p>"From the samples which I have seen of Swan River timber, I am +of opinion that it will form a very desirable and serviceable +wood in ship-building; but this must be regarded as my private +opinion, the Society of Lloyd's Register, to which I belong, not +having as yet assigned any character to it in their rules.</p> + +<p>(Signed) "P. Courtney, Lloyd's Surveyor. "Lloyd's, 24th +February, 1846."</p> + +<p>This extraordinary timber grows to a size that would appear +incredible to readers in England. It is perhaps only manageable +and remunerative from 40 to 60 feet; but in the southern +districts of the colony--especially to the back of Nornalup and +Wilson's Inlet--it is found growing to 120 and 150 feet in +height, before the first branch appears. My brother and his +servant, when exploring in that district, took refuge once from a +storm in the hollow of an old Jarra tree, which not only +sheltered themselves but their horses; and the interior actually +measured in diameter three times the length of the largest horse, +an animal sixteen hands high and very long backed. This may +appear an astounding assertion, but the following is not less so. +The same parties found a Jarra tree which had fallen completely +across a broad and deep river (called the Deep River) running +between high precipitous banks, thus forming a natural bridge, +along which a bullock cart might have passed!</p> + +<p>Timber of such large dimensions is perfectly useless; but +there are, of course, trees of every size, growing in boundless +profusion.</p> + +<p>As Indian teak and African oak are now scarcely obtainable, we +look upon our colony as a store-house for the British navy; and +though we have hitherto vainly battled against prejudice and +private interest to make this timber known to our rulers, the day +will arrive when the wants of the naval service will compel men +in authority to acknowledge the value of wood, which is most +highly prized by all who have had the opportunity of testing its +qualities.</p> + +<p>It is due to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to +state, that on two occasions they have promised to receive a +quantity of this timber, provided it were delivered at one of the +royal dockyards, and to allow a fair price for it. But +unfortunately, there is so great a scarcity of labour and of +capital in the colony, that the settlers have shrunk from the +outlay necessary to perform what would be, after all, only an +experiment.</p> + +<p>It cannot be supposed, that timber which has been tested in +every way for seventeen years, and is known throughout Australia +to be indisputably FIRST-RATE for ship-building purposes, should +be condemned at home as unserviceable. But the colonists know how +many prejudices and interested feelings environ the Admiralty; +and in general shrink from the experiment.</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER 31.</h3> + +<h4>RISE AND FALL OF A SETTLEMENT.--THE SEQUEL TO CAPTAIN GREY'S +DISCOVERIES.--A WORD AT PARTING.</h4> + +<p>His Excellency the Governor having kindly invited me to be his +companion on a journey which he proposed to make to the new +settlement of Australind, about a hundred miles south of Perth, I +set about making the necessary preparations. I borrowed a pair of +saddle-bags, and having stuffed my traps into one side of them, +loaded the other with a cold roast fowl, a boiled tongue, a pound +of sausages, a loaf of bread, a flask of brandy, and sundry small +packages of tea, sugar, cigars, etc.</p> + +<p>When I looked at the result of my labours, the swollen sides +of the leathern receptacle, I enjoyed a noble feeling of +independence; as though I were now prepared to ramble through the +world, and stood in no need of friendly welcome, or the doubtful +hospitality of an inn.</p> + +<p>Having breakfasted at five o'clock on a December morning (the +middle of summer), and equipped myself in a broad-brimmed +straw-hat and light shooting jacket, I mounted my steed, and +sallied forth from my gate, followed by the sympathizing grins of +Hannibal.</p> + +<p>His Excellency, true to the hour, was mounting his horse at +the door of Government House--and as the appearance of the whole +turn-out was rather unlike anything usually seen in Hyde Park, or +even connected with the morning drives of his Excellency the +Viceroy of Ireland, I may as well describe it.</p> + +<p>The representative of our gracious Sovereign was habited in +his bush costume--a white hat, bare of beaver, having a green +veil twisted round it, a light shooting coat and plaid trousers, +shoes, and jean gaiters. His illustrious person was seated on a +pair of broad saddle-bags, which went flap, flap against the +sides of his charger, as he jogged steadily along at the usual +travelling pace. On the pummel of his saddle was strapped a roll +of blankets for the night bivouac, and to one of the straps was +attached a tin-pannikin, which bumped incessantly against his +horse's mane. Round the animal's neck was coiled a long +tether-rope, which every now and then kept coming undone, and the +caravan had to halt whilst it was being readjusted.</p> + +<p>Behind us rode his Excellency's man, no longer the smug +gentleman in a black suit, with a visage as prim as his +neck-cloth, but blazing in a red woollen shirt, and grinning +incessantly with amazement at his own metamorphosis. Strapped to +his waist by a broad belt of leather, was a large tin-kettle, for +the purpose of making his Excellency's tea in the evening. Huge +saddle-bags contained provisions, knives and forks, plates, and +everything necessary for travelling in the Bush in a style of +princely magnificence. No scheik or emir among the Arabs wanders +about the desert half so sumptuously provided. I could not help +laughing (in my sleeve, of course,) at the figure produced by the +tout ensemble of John mounted on his ewe-necked and pot-bellied +steed.</p> + +<p>In excellent spirits we jogged along to the Canning, and then +eleven miles farther, to a muddy pool called Boregarup, where we +baited the horses, and lunched on one of his Excellency's cold +meat-pies. The water in the pool was not very tempting, but we +ladled a little out in our pannikins, and mixing it with brandy, +managed to drink it. The want of water makes travelling in the +bush during summer a serious business. Frequently you find a +well, on which your thoughts and hopes have been fixed for the +last twenty miles, completely dried up; and you have to endure +thirst as well as you can for some hours longer. Sometimes by +scraping the bottom of the well, and digging down with your +pannikin, you come to a little moisture, and after waiting an +hour, succeed in obtaining about half-a-pint of yellow fluid, +compounded of mud and water. This you strain through as many +pocket-handkerchiefs as you can command, and are at last enabled +to moisten your baked lips.</p> + +<p>On these occasions the traveller cares less about himself than +his horse, and often have we served the latter out of our +pannikin from holes into which he could not get his nose, whilst +denying ourselves more than a little sip.</p> + +<p>After lying an hour on our blankets in the hot shade, smoking +a cigar, and waging incessant war with myriads of mosquitoes and +sand-flies, we decided that it was impossible to continue any +longer so unequal a conflict; and saddling our horses in haste, +we beat a quick retreat, and felt much cooler and more +comfortable whilst in motion. In the course of the afternoon we +passed through a vast dry swamp many miles long. The reeds on +each side of the track frequently reached to our heads, and +prevented our seeing any thing else on either side of us; and +when we did get a glimpse over the rushes level with our eyes, we +could behold nothing but an immense plain of waving green, like a +huge field of unripe wheat, edged in the distance by the stern +outline of the ever-sombre forest of eucalyptus trees. This swamp +is a terrible place to pass through in winter. It is nevertheless +one of the royal post-roads of the colony; and the bearer of her +Majesty's mail from Pinjarra to Perth, is frequently obliged to +swim for his life, with the letter-bag towing astern, like a +jolly-boat behind a Newcastle collier.</p> + +<p>After emerging from the swamp, we passed through an extensive +plain, covered with coarse scrub and thinly-scattered grass, and +lined with forest trees and clumps of black-boys. When about +half-way down it, we came upon a herd of wild cattle grazing at +some two hundred yards' distance from the path. They seemed very +much astonished at the appearance of three such picturesque +individuals; and after gazing for a few moments, lost in wonder, +they tossed up their heads, and trotted along-side of us, keeping +their original distance. Having kept us company for about +half-a-mile, they relieved us of their society, (which was not +very agreeable, as we had no firearms) by coming to a halt, and +allowing us to proceed in peace, whilst they contented themselves +with brandishing their horns and tails, and butting against one +another in play.</p> + +<p>That night we slept at the Dandalup, hospitably entertained by +F. Corbet Singleton, Esq., M.C., the owner of a fine estate of +twelve thousand acres, a good deal of it alluvial soil. Were the +population such as it ought to be in this fine country; and the +markets proportioned to the capabilities of the soil, nothing +would be more agreeable than to live on a beautiful property like +this, cultivating your corn lands and multiplying your flocks and +herds. But as it is, unfortunately, a man is soon overdone with +his own wealth. He has more corn than he can find a market for; +more cattle than he can sell; and he is obliged to allow his land +to run waste, and his herds to run wild, rather than be at the +expense of farming on a great scale without adequate +remuneration.</p> + +<p>Let me advise emigrants to these colonies to turn their +attention chiefly to the breeding of sheep and horses, which are +saleable things in foreign markets. The growers of wool, and the +breeders of horses for India will make their estates profitable; +but large herds of cattle will produce nothing to the owner in a +thinly-populated country.</p> + +<p>The next day, after inspecting the farm, we proceeded with our +host to Mandurah, crossing an estuary a quarter of a mile broad, +but so shallow that the water did not reach above our +saddle-flaps. And now (having parted from Singleton) we had to +swim our horses across the mouth of the Murray River. After a +little delay, a boat was found; with a couple of men to row it +across, and removing the saddles and other things from the +horses' backs, we prepared for the passage. His Excellency's Arab +mare was destined to make the experimental trip, and the +Governor, with many injunctions and misgivings, committed the end +of the tether-rope to the hand of his servant, who belayed it to +the stern of the boat, where he seated himself, to act as +occasion should require. The boatman rowed till the tether-rope +was out at full stretch; his Excellency coaxed and entreated the +mare to enter the water, and "shoo-ed!" and "shaa-ed!" and called +her a stupid creature, whilst I cracked my whip and jumped about, +and rattled my hat, and made as much noise as people usually do +on such occasions. The mare, on her part, reared up, and flung +herself back, and plunged about, and showed so strong a +determination not to go down the broken bank, that we feared we +should never get her into the river. At last, however, we managed +to back her into the water, when she was dragged instantly out of +her depth and obliged to swim. The men pulled so fast that she +could not keep up with them, and giving up the attempt, floated +quietly on her side, to the great horror of her master, who +thought he never should bestride her again, until he was relieved +by seeing her start to her feet in shallow water, and scramble up +the bank, dripping like a veritable hippopotamus.</p> + +<p>The other horses behaved better; and when we had ourselves +crossed and remounted, we rode by the side of the river, or +rather estuary, a distance of ten miles, till we came to a +picturesque little spot called Mocha weir--a high bank, a clump +of trees, a brawling brook, (unusual sight in this country,) and +a patch of excellent grass.</p> + +<p>Here we resolved to halt for the night. Each rider attended to +his own horse, which, however, did not get much grooming, and +then we prepared for the great business of life, and kindled a +fire, filled the kettle with limpid water, drew out our various +stocks of provisions, and arranged the dinner-table on the grass, +and made every thing look exceedingly comfortable and inviting. +Then we made tea, and invited each other to eat, and did eat +without invitation; and joked and laughed, and felt considerably +more happy and sociable than if vice-royalty had been +real-royalty, and the green canopy of the trees were the +banqueting-hall at Windsor Castle. The man munched his victuals +at a small private bivouac of his own, within easy call, as he +had to jump up every now and then, and bring the kettle, or wash +the plates for the second and third courses. When the things were +removed, we lighted cigars, and pleasantly discoursed, recumbent +before the fire. Our beds were already made of black-boy tops, +and, therefore we had nothing to do but await the hour of rest. +The sun had disappeared, and darkness, closing around us, drew +nigher and more nigh every moment, swallowing up object after +object in its stealthy advance, and seeming about to overwhelm us +in its mysterious obscurity. But John heaped logs of dry wood +upon the fire, and nobly we resisted all the powers of Darkness. +In the midst of that black solitude, our little circle of light +maintained its independence, nor yielded to the invasion which +had swallowed up all around it. Here was our Camp of Refuge, and +here we felt snug, and secure, and at home; whilst all without +our magic circle was comfortless and desolate.</p> + +<p>Sometimes the active-minded John would dive, without apparent +dismay, into the black and hostile-looking regions of Night, +which seemed to close upon him as though for ever; and when we +had resignedly given him up, a prey to the evil spirits that +prowled around, he would reappear with startling suddenness, +issuing forth into the light like some red demon of the woods, +and bearing a huge log upon his shoulder --the spoils of his +"foray-sack"--which he would fling down upon the fire, making it +blaze up with sudden fierceness, and extending the circle of +light for a few moments to a greater distance around, so as to +give us a transient glimpse of things which were soon swallowed +up again in darkness--like glimpses of the dead in dreams.</p> + +<p>I must hurry on to Australind, merely mentioning that we +passed two lakes not far from each other, one of which was fresh, +and the other salt--salt as the Dead Sea. It is usual in this +perverse country (though not so in this instance) to find a salt +lake surrounded with good, and a fresh-water lake with bad land. +Here it was bad altogether. The country, however, improved +greatly as we drew towards Australind; and about ten miles from +that place, we came upon a fine flock of sheep that seemed to be +doing extremely well.</p> + +<p>We now passed along the banks of the Leschenault estuary, on +which Australind is situated; and soon we discovered three +figures approaching on horseback. these proved to be M. Waller +Clifton, Esq., the chief Commissioner of the Western Australian +Company, to whom the whole district belongs, attended by a brace +of his surveyors as aides-de-camp--one mounted on a very tall +horse, and the other on a very small pony. The Chief Commissioner +himself bestrode a meek-looking cart-horse, which, on perceiving +us in the distance, he urged into an exhilarating trot. His +Excellency, seeing these demonstrations of an imposing reception, +hastily drew forth his black silk neck-cloth from his pocket, and +re-enveloped his throat therewith, which, during the heat of the +day, he had allowed to be carelessly exposed. Gathering himself +up in his saddle, and assuming the gravity proper to the +representative of his sovereign, he awaited with as much dignity +as his state of perspiration would allow, the approach of the +Chief of Australind. As for myself, I plucked up my shirt-collar, +and tried to look as spicy as possible.</p> + +<p>The first greetings over, the two chieftains rode into the +town side by side, as amicably as Napoleon and Alexander of +Russia; whilst I fell to the share of the aides, and related the +most recent news of Perth, and the last bon mots of Richard Nash, +for their entertainment; receiving in return an account of the +arrival of 400 male and female emigrants at the settlement the +day before.</p> + +<p>We were entertained, as every guest invariably is, right +hospitably by Mr. Clifton and his amiable family.</p> + +<p>Australind was then (December 1842) a promising new town. It +was alive with well-dressed young men and women, who were +promenading under the large forest trees which still occupied the +intended squares and most of the streets. They had only landed +from the vessel which had brought them some twenty-four hours +before, and they were evidently variously affected by all they +saw. Some appeared to be struck with the strange circumstance of +trees growing in the streets; some looked aghast at the wooden +houses and canvass tents; one thought everything looked +exceedingly green; another fancied that a town built upon sand +could not possibly endure long. And he was right: for the town +has long since been deserted, except by half a dozen families; +and the newly arrived settlers are dispersed over the colony. +This has not been the fault of the Chief Commissioner, nor is it +owing to any inferiority in the soil, but to causes which I +intend briefly to explain, as there are many people in England +who are, or were, interested in the fortunes of this promising +young settlement.</p> + +<p>The Western Australian Company's grant of land at Australind +comprises 100,000 acres, among which there is a large quantity of +excellent pasture and arable land. It is well watered, and +generally well adapted for the site of a new settlement. The +flats of the Brunswick and Collic rivers would supply the whole +colony, if thoroughly peopled, with grain; and there is abundance +of feed for sheep and cattle, even to the summits of the +hills.</p> + +<p>A great portion of this grant has been purchased by the +Company from Colonel Lautour, who, however, could not furnish a +good title to it. Having never performed the necessary +improvements which would entitle him to a deed of grant in +fee-simple from the crown, his right of possession became +forfeit; and in April, 1840, Governor Hutt, though much +interested in the success of the Company, of which his brother, +the member for Gateshead, was chairman, thought himself obliged, +in the conscientious discharge of his duty, to resume the estate +for the crown.</p> + +<p>This proved to be a most fatal proceeding. The Company's title +to Colonel Lautour's grant had been confirmed by the +Home-government in November 1839, but owing to the non-existence +of regular post-office communication (that grand and inexcusable +error, which allows the British Empire to be composed of a mass +of unconnected settlements, dependent upon chance for +intelligence and aid from the mother country), the news did not +reach the colony until May or June following.</p> + +<p>Accounts of the resumption of the grant by the Governor +reached England, and not only perplexed the Company, but greatly +disquieted the minds of the numerous individuals to whom they had +sold land, to the value of nearly 60,000 pounds. At this very +time, too, unhappily, arrived Captain Grey in England, on his +return from the expedition to the north-western side of New +Holland, of which he has since published a clever and popular +narrative. Captain Grey took an early opportunity of giving a +somewhat lamentable account of the Company's land at Leschenault, +or Australind, and a very glowing description of a district, many +miles to the north of Perth, between Gantheaume Bay and the +Arrowsmith River, which he had passed through on his disastrous +return. He also expatiated, in most precise terms, upon a +splendid harbour which he called Port Grey, and of which he made +an elaborate sketch; and on the 26th of October, 1840, addressed +to Lord John Russell "a detailed description of that portion of +the western coast of Australia which lies between Gantheaume Bay +and the River Arrowsmith, as it would be found useful in enabling +persons, intending to occupy that tract of country, to arrive at +correct conclusions regarding its capabilities." In the map of +his route, published by Arrowsmith, Port Grey is laid down as a +spacious, well-sheltered harbour, with a convenient point of land +extending a couple of miles out to sea from its northern +extremity, and having a useful reef of rocks projecting, most +happily, to the same distance, affording altogether a secure +shelter for shipping in seven fathoms' water.</p> + +<p>The Directors of the Western Australian Company, alarmed at +the account related of Australind, perplexed by the proceedings +of the local Government, and captivated by the description of +Port Grey, with its splendid districts of "rich flats," and +"fertile downs," determined to change the site of their +settlement.</p> + +<p>Captain Grey describes two "flat-topped ranges," in the +neighbourhood of this port, lying about twenty miles apart; and +in his diary of "Sunday, April 7, 1839," he says: "The country +between these two ranges was an open grassy valley thinly wooded; +and IT APPEARED TO BE ONE OF THE MOST EXTENSIVELY FERTILE +portions of country which I had yet seen in Australia. After +travelling for another mile over the sandy downs, we reached +another romantic glen-like valley, bounded to the north and south +by steep limestone cliffs; we descended these cliffs, and at +their base found as in the last valley we had crossed, EXTENSIVE +FLATS, through which wound a water-course. All the hills I could +see in the vicinity consisted of limestone, and for the whole +distance I could see to the eastward (about seven or eight miles) +the country appeared to be of the MOST FERTILE and picturesque +character; the hills were slightly wooded with large timber, and +the valleys were nearly bare of trees and COVERED WITH GRASS. On +ascending the limestone hills to the south of the valley, we +found ourselves once more in open sandy downs; after travelling +three miles across these in a S. by E. direction, we again came +to a valley of the same character as the one above described; it +ran from the same direction; to the eastward we saw a fertile +valley. * * * We halted for some time immediately at the foot of +Mount Fairfax.</p> + +<p>"We continued our route in the evening over the sandy downs, +which, at the distance of half a mile from the sea, terminated in +cliffs. * * * After travelling three miles, we halted for the +night.</p> + +<p>"Monday 8th. The first three miles of our route lay over sandy +downs, when we found ourselves in grassy, wooded plains, lying +between the flat-topped range, and some dunes which bordered a +bay," etc.</p> + +<p>It is well known that people in the latter stages of +starvation have constantly visions before their eyes of sumptuous +entertainments, rich meats, and delicious wines. Captain Grey, +who was then walking for his life, at a Barclay pace, with a very +empty stomach, was probably labouring under a similar +hallucination with respect to the country over which he passed; +beholding flowery meads and fertile vales in districts which we +fear would prove little attractive to a settler. He beheld fine +flowing rivers and sheltered bays, which have since altogether +disappeared, like the scenes beheld on misty mornings by Sicilian +mariners.</p> + +<p>His account of the country determined the Western Australian +Company to change the site of their intended settlement. Calling +together the purchasers of land at Australind, the Directors +offered to return them the amount of their respective purchases, +or allow them to take up new allotments in the very superior +district of Port Grey. Almost all chose to reclaim their cash, +and declined further speculation.</p> + +<p>The Company now, towards the close of 1840, sent out Mr. +Clifton, their "Chief Commissioner," with directions to remove +the whole of their establishment then settled at Australind, to +the new settlement of Port Grey. On arriving at Australind, Mr. +Clifton was agreeably surprised to find the country much superior +to what he had expected, after hearing Captain Grey's account of +it. So differently do the same objects appear to different eyes! +And perhaps Captain Grey had only viewed the sandy banks of the +inlet, without having passed into the interior, and seen the +flats of the Brunswick, etc. There is a very great deal more of +worthless than of good land at Australind, which is the case +throughout the whole of New Holland, in the very best districts. +The general character throughout all the settled parts of the +island, or continent, is bad, with scattered patches of good.</p> + +<p>The Chief Commissioner, however, prepared to carry out his +instructions, though with much regret, as he doubted greatly +whether the proposed alteration would prove for the better. These +preparations were put a stop to by a communication from his +Excellency the Governor, informing him that the Government +schooner had recently returned from a survey of the coast and +district of the so-called Port Grey, and that no sufficient +harbour could be discovered along the coast; whilst the country +in every direction appeared barren and incapable of cultivation. +Mr. Clifton therefore remained at Australind with his party, and +used every effort and exerted every energy to found a flourishing +colony. But unfortunately, the change of site to Port Grey, and +then the return to Australind, and the various conflicting +accounts promulgated by the Company themselves, now lauding and +now condemning the two places in turn, operated so unfavourably +upon the public mind that no more sales of land could be +effected. It became, therefore, inexpedient to maintain the +expensive establishment of Commissioners, Secretaries, and +Surveyors at Australind, who were accordingly conge'd without +much ceremony; and the Western Australian Company, like the +"unsubstantial pageant," or Port Grey itself, "melted into air, +thin air," leaving "not a rack behind." Yet not exactly so, for +it has left behind, like some stranded wreck by the receding +tide, a most worthy and high-minded family who deserved a +brighter fate.</p> + +<p>Such has been the lamentable result of Captain Grey's +discoveries in Western Australia; for whether there be or not a +good tract of land in the neighbourhood of Champion Bay, Captain +Grey's denunciation of Australind, and his strongly urged advice +to the Company to change the site of their settlement, have +undoubtedly been the chief causes of their failure.</p> + +<p>Three expeditions have been sent to the scene of this +Australian Fata Morgana, in the hope of beholding it again, but +like the door of the fairy palace in the rock, it is visible only +to Prince Ahmed; and unless the Governor of New Zealand will +himself found a colony there, it is most likely ever to remain +desert and valueless. The first expedition was that in the +Government schooner, in 1840, already alluded to; the second was +made in 1841, by H.M.S. Beagle, Captain Stokes, accompanied by +the Chief Commissioner, Mr. Clifton. A careful survey was made of +the coast as far north as the spot were Captain Grey was wrecked, +and began his march southward, but nothing was discovered at all +resembling the description given of Port Grey. The only bay in +which a ship could lie, and that with very doubtful security, was +Champion Bay; but unfortunately the country in every direction +from this spot is most barren and miserable. Captain Grey +travelled close along the coast-line, according to his journal, +but those who have gone in search of his "fertile valleys" have +penetrated some distance into the interior, without discovering +anything but scrub and desert.</p> + +<p>Captain Stokes, in his published "Letter to the Surveyor +General of Western Australia," detailing his proceedings, +mentions having "now seen and examined an extent of country +little short of forty miles, nearly the whole of which deserved +the character of sterility." In another place, he related the +discovery of "the only piece of grass of a useful nature seen in +this route; it was, however, quite parched, and occupied a space +of three or four acres."</p> + +<p>Not being able to find any tolerable shelter along the coast +besides Champion Bay, he concludes that it must be the spot +designated as Port Grey; and after exploring the country behind +it, with the effect just stated, he sailed away one morning +towards the north-west and meeting with a "favourable westerly +wind," by afternoon was carried "past the bight south of Point +Moore, sufficiently near to see that its shores were fronted with +many sunken rocks." This also led to the conclusion that +"Champion Bay is the port Captain Grey speaks of in his journal, +placed in Arrowsmith's chart twelve miles south of its true +position."</p> + +<p>Since the date of Captain Stokes's survey, Captain Grey has +himself virtually admitted Champion Bay to be the locality +visited by him. In a letter to that officer dated, "Government +House, Adelaide, January 28, 1842," and published in the South +Australian journals, Captain Grey observes, "I have attentively +read your letter to the Hon. the Surveyor-General of Western +Australia; and have also considered the observations made by you +to me, relative to the error you suppose I have fallen into in +mistaking the Wizard Peak of Captain King for the hill named by +him Mount Fairfax, and I find I have certainly fallen into this +error--a by no means unlikely one, considering the very similar +character of the singular group of hills called Moresby's +Flat-topped Range, and the circumstances under which I was +journeying."</p> + +<p>The hill, therefore, at whose foot Captain Grey halted on the +afternoon of April 7, 1839, was not Mount Fairfax, but the Wizard +Peak, or some other hill "to the north of Mount Fairfax." From +thence the "sandy downs," (mentioned in the extract from his +Journal that I have given above) over which he passed in the +evening continued to within "half a mile of the sea," where "they +terminated in cliffs." To have seen all this he must have been +walking at no very great distance from the shore during that +day's marsh. His object was to reach Perth as quickly as +possible; and he steered in the most direct course--"south by +east." We know, therefore, exactly the line of country traversed +by Captain Grey--the "singular group called Moresby's Flat-topped +Range" being unmistakeable.</p> + +<p>In December, 1844, H. M. colonial schooner, Champion, under +the command of Lieutenant Helpman, R.N., accompanied by Mr. J. +Harrison, Civil Engineer, etc., was again despatched by Governor +Hutt to make further observations in the neighbourhood of +Gantheaume Bay. Lieutenant Helpman says in his report, "I coasted +close in from Champion Bay, collecting angles and soundings until +in latitude 28 degrees 10' 30", S. the low ridges of sand along +the shore induced me to land, being then (as I concluded from the +latitude given by Captain Grey) in the immediate vicinity of the +estuary." This estuary is described by Captain Grey in his diary +of the FIFTH April, who states that "for one mile we continued +along THE RICH FLATS which bordered the estuary" ... "we ascended +the limestone range, and got a view of the country to the +eastward and found it STILL GRASSY, and exactly the same +character as far as we could see. For the next five miles we +continued along the top of the limestone range, the estuary still +occupying the valley which lay to the west of us." ... "At the +end of a mile in a south by east direction, we found ourselves on +the banks of a river, the Hutt, from forty to fifty yards wide, +which was running strong, and was brackish at its mouth," etc. +Such was the appearance of the estuary and of the Hutt River in +the eyes of Captain Grey.</p> + +<p>Lieutenant Helpman continues his report as follows:--</p> + +<p>"On reaching the summit of the highest coast hill I found +myself abreast of the centre of the inlet, which was void of +water, but presented the appearance of a continuous sheet of salt +as far as the eye could reach. Passing over the coast ridges, I +came down, in about half a mile, to the edge of the estuary, and +followed it in a southerly direction for about two miles, when I +ascended another hill, from which I could clearly see the south +end of it, which was covered with the same description of +incrustration of salt.</p> + +<p>"A gorge at the south-east corner of the estuary is probably +where the Hutt River discharges itself during the rainy season, +but there was no appearance of water in any part of the flat, +which was about two miles wide between the hills and the +south-east shore of the inlet.</p> + +<p>"Observing that the north extremity of the estuary, as seen +from the hill just referred to, presented some slight appearance +of water, I was induced to examine it, and found the sand ridges +on the coast extremely low, nearly destitute of herbage, but +giving the idea of having had water passing over them. This I +judged to be the case, from a few blades of very coarse grass +which were laid flat on the ground, as if from the effects of +running water.</p> + +<p>"From the highest point of these ridges, notwithstanding the +smoke from the numerous native fires, the whole north end of the +inlet was plainly seen to be covered with salty incrustations, +similar to those previously referred to.</p> + +<p>"I conceive the point of land near which these latter +observations were made, and where I landed the second time, to be +Shoal Point of the chart; but, except that it is very low, I see +no cause for its name, as the water was deep close to it, and +having only a few rocks close off its extreme west point, within +a quarter of a mile of the shore.</p> + +<p>"Following close in from Shoal Point, the coast is perfectly +clear of dangers; but I observed no opening in the hills +indicative of a river, nor could I discover any bay or place of +shelter for shipping to resort to.</p> + +<p>"Red Point, which is the western entrance of Gantheaume Bay, +is a very bold headland of considerable elevation, it is +circular, and about four miles in extent. I landed at the east +end of the red sand cliffs, taking a specimen of the rock.</p> + +<p>"The land to the northward from this promontory is of a white +sandy appearance, having ridges of sand hills along the coast of +moderate altitude.</p> + +<p>"The low state of the barometer, and the strong northerly +winds, induced me to keep the vessel at a considerable offing. +During the day the breezes were very fresh, and had it not been +for the whale-boat with which I was furnished, I should not have +been able to have effected a landing on any part of the coast +which came under my observation. Under these circumstances, I was +compelled most reluctantly to abandon the idea of spending much +time in examining the interior.</p> + +<p>"The VERY DRY STATE OF THE HUTT AT THIS SEASON seems to +indicate that but little water flows into it at any time; and I +am disposed to fancy, that the lagoon, or estuary, owes its +formation to the breaking in of the sea over the low sand hills +during the tempestuous gales of the winter months, more +especially towards the north end of the inlet, where the sand +ridges are lower than in any other part of the coast in that +vicinity."</p> + +<p>Thus the luxuriant country of Captain Grey, like the +water-pools seen in the mirage of the desert, when approached, +vanishes from the view of the traveller.</p> + +<p>It is to be observed, that Captain Stokes and Lieutenant +Helpman surveyed these districts in the early part of the summer +season-- November and December--when they were more likely to +appear fertile than on the 5th and 7th April, quite at the end of +that season, and just before the commencement of the winter +rains.</p> + +<p>Since the above passages were written, I have read an account +in the Perth journals of January, 1847, of the discovery of coal +by the Messrs. Gregory, about forty miles east of Champion Bay. +These gentlemen relate, that in journeying towards the coast, +they passed through a tract of country capable of being settled. +This may possibly be Captain Grey's luxuriant district; and yet +the district which he describes was close upon the coast. It is +also stated, that there is now ascertained to be a corner of +Champion Bay in which small vessels may find a safe anchorage; +and this is conjectured to be that Port Grey whose existence has +been so long denied. But, although a few miles of country may be +found in this neighbourhood capable of supporting a limited +number of flocks and herds, it is certain that there is no such +district here as would suffice for the purposes of a colony of +the magnitude contemplated by the Western Australian Company. The +advice, therefore, given them to change the site of the +operations from Australind, or Leschenault, to Champion Bay, or +Port Grey, was the most pernicious that could have been +bestowed.</p> + +<p>But it may certainly be doubted whether the principles on +which the settlement of Australind was founded were in themselves +of a sound and permanent nature. They were those propounded +originally by Mr. Edward Gibbon Wakefield, and applied with +extraordinary success to the formation and to the circumstances +of the colony of South Australia. The most prominent features +which they present are,-- the concentration of population, and +the high price of land.</p> + +<p>The land in the immediate neighbourhood of Adelaide is very +fine, and capable of supporting a dense population; it was +therefore perhaps, good policy to divide it into eight-acre +sections, valued at one pound per acre, which supported a body of +agriculturalists, who found a ready and near market for their +productions in the rapidly rising town. But there are few +theories that will bear universal application; and the mistake +made in the case of Australind was, in expecting to obtain the +same result from principles which were to be applied under very +different circumstances.</p> + +<p>The land adjoining the town-site of Australind is generally +very indifferent, though the flats of the Brunswick and Collie +Rivers afford perhaps some thousand acres of excellent land, but +still not sufficient to maintain a large and dense population. +The Company's property was divided into farms of 100 acres, and +these were valued at 100 pounds each to the emigrants, who drew +lots for the choice of site.</p> + +<p>When the settlers arrived and took possession of their +respective grants, they soon discovered that if they all produced +wheat, there would certainly be plenty of food in the settlement, +but very little sale for it; whereas, if they intended to become +sheep-farmers, and produce wool for the English market, one +hundred acres of land would not suffice in that country for the +keep of fifty sheep. The sections of one hundred acres were, +therefore, far too small for the wants of the settler, who found +that, although he might probably be able to supply his table with +vegetables, he had but small prospect of ever applying his capers +to boiled mutton, or initiating his family into the mysteries of +beef a la mode. Disgusted with the narrowness of his prospects, +and recoiling from the idea of a vegetable diet, the sturdy +settler quickly abandoned the limited sections of Australind, and +wandered away in search of a grant of some three or four thousand +acres, on which he might reasonably hope to pasture a flock of +sheep that would return him good interest for the capital +invested.</p> + +<p>The Western Australian Company gave far too much for their +land in the first instance, and were therefore compelled to set a +much higher value upon it than it would bear. The ministers of +the Crown, who have adopted the principles of Mr. Gibbon +Wakefield, require one pound per acre for waste lands; and the +Company, though they purchased their property from private +individuals at a somewhat lower rate, expected to sell it again +at the same price. There is very little land (in proportion to +the vast extent of poor and of entirely worthless land) +throughout the length and breadth of all New Holland, that is +worth twenty shillings an acre. In the more densely populated +parts, arable land is worth that sum, and often much more; but in +the pastoral districts, three shillings an acre is in truth a +high price.</p> + +<p>It has long been acknowledged in New South Wales, as well as +in other parts of Australia, that it takes from three to five +acres to support a single sheep throughout the year. An ewe-sheep +is worth about nine shillings; and if you have to buy three and a +half acres of land, at three shillings, to keep her upon, the +amount of capital you invest will be nineteen shillings and +sixpence. The profits on the wool of this sheep, after paying all +expenses of keep, shearing, freight, commission, etc., will be +barely two-pence, or about one per cent upon the capital +invested. But then you have her lamb? True, but you must buy an +additional quantity of land to keep it upon. Still there is a +gain upon the increase; and in process of time the annual profits +amount up to ten and even twenty per cent. But suppose the three +and a half acres of land, instead of 10 shillings and 6 pence had +cost 3 pounds 10 shillings and 6 pence, it would then be +perfectly absurd to think of investing money in sheep.</p> + +<p>The course pursued by the home Government, in fixing the +uniform extravagant price of twenty shillings an acre upon the +pastoral lands of Australia, is probably more the result of +ignorance of their real value than of a desire to check or +prevent emigration to that country. It is an ignorance, however, +that refuses to be enlightened, and has therefore all the guilt +of deliberate injury.</p> + +<p>The monstrous demand of twenty shillings an acre for +crown-lands, has not only had the effect of deterring capitalists +from embarking in so hopeless a speculation, but has grievously +wronged the existing land-owners, by raising the price of labour. +When land was sold at five shillings an acre, a fund was +accumulated in the hand of the local Government that served to +pay for the introduction of labouring emigrants. That fund has +ceased to exist in New South Wales and in Western Australia. The +value of labour has therefore risen, whilst the value of +agricultural produce, by the increase of the supply beyond the +demand, has grievously diminished. The advocates of the Wakefield +system triumphantly inform us that there never can be a +labour-fund in any colony in which private individuals are able +to sell land at a cheaper rate than the Government.</p> + +<p>They point to South Australia, and bid us note how different +is the state of things there, where land universally is worth a +pound an acre or more. But to us it appears, that the character +of the soil is much the same throughout these countries--if +anything, being superior in Western Australia, where there are no +droughts, and where the wool produced, though the worst got up, +from the want of labour, is stated by the London brokers to be +pre-eminent in quality--that colony would most naturally be +sought by the emigrant in which the price of land is the most +reasonable. It is not the high price of land that has caused the +prosperity of South Australia. Every one who is well informed on +the subject, is perfectly aware, that in 1841 and 1842, before +the discovery of copper-mines, South Australia was universally in +a state of bankruptcy. Never was a country so thoroughly smitten +with ruin. Almost all the original settlers sank in the general +prostration of the settlement, and never again held up their +heads. The inhabitants slunk away from the colony in numbers; and +property even in Adelaide was almost worthless. The holders of +the eighty-acre sections produced far more of the necessaries of +life than the non-producing population required; and the +neighbouring colonies were deluged with the farm-produce of the +bankrupt agriculturalists of South Australia. This model colony +afforded itself the most signal refutation of the truth of the +Wakefield theories; and the whole world would have been compelled +to acknowledge the falsehood, but for the opportune discovery of +the mineral wealth of the colony. It is to its mines that South +Australia owes its good fortune, its population, and its riches, +and not to any secret of political economy bestowed upon it by +adventurous theorists. According to the opinion of these +philosophers, New South Wales and Western Australia can never +again by any possibility possess a labour-fund, because the +private owners of large grants of land, which they obtained for +nominal sums, can always afford to undersell the Crown. So long +as the Crown refuses to sell for less than a pound an acre, this +will certainly be the case; but the day will doubtless come when +our rulers will condescend to enquire into the necessities of +those over whose fortunes they preside; and will adopt a policy +suited to the actual circumstances of the case, and not vainly +endeavour to apply, universally, abstract opinions which have +long been proved to be, in almost all parts of Australia, totally +useless and inapplicable. THE ONLY WAY TO RAISE A LABOUR-FUND IN +THESE COLONIES IS, BY OFFERING CROWN-LANDS TO THE EMIGRANT AT THE +LOWEST MARKET PRICE. The Crown could always afford to undersell +the private land-speculator, and might establish a permanent fund +for the introduction of labour, by selling land at a low rate, +AND RESERVING A RENT-CHARGE, IN THE SHAPE OF A LAND-TAX-- OF ONE +HALF-PENNY PER ACRE. Thus, every grant of five thousand acres +would pay an annual tax to Government of 10 pounds 8 shillings +and 4 pence; and would, therefore, in a very few years, +accumulate a fund sufficient to supply itself with a labouring +population. When it is remembered how very small was the original +cost to the owners of most of the lands in Western Australia, +there will not appear much hardship in imposing this tax upon all +the private property of the colony, as well as upon lands to be +hereafter sold by the Crown. This course of legislation would +infuse new vitality into the colony; and at the end of the short +period of five years, the tax might be suspended as regards all +lands purchased by individuals PRIOR TO THE PASSING OF THE ACT, +but continued for ever upon lands purchased under the Act, and in +contemplation of having to bear such a rent-charge.</p> + +<p>This is the only way by which emigration can be insured to the +colonies of New South Wales and Western Australia; and the time +will sooner or later arrive when this suggestion will be adopted, +though it may not be acknowledged.</p> + +<p>Her Majesty's present Secretary of State for the Colonies is +the first really liberal minister we have had; and to him the +distant and struggling settlements of Australia look with +reviving hope. THE OBJECTS MOST EAGERLY SOUGHT BY THOSE COLONIES +ARE--A NEW SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT, WITH LESS OF COLONIAL-OFFICE +INTERFERENCE; A REGULAR POST-OFFICE COMMUNICATION WITH ENGLAND; +AND A TOTAL REFORM IN THE EXISTING REGULATIONS FOR THE SALE OF +CROWN-LANDS, WITHOUT WHICH, IN COUNTRIES PURELY PASTORAL AND +AGRICULTURAL, THERE CAN NEVER AGAIN BE FORMED A FUND FOR THE +INTRODUCTION OF LABOUR.</p> + +<p>In the hope of making colonial subjects more familiar to the +general reader, and more popular than they are at present, I have +perhaps given to this little work a character so trifling as to +make it appear unworthy of the attention of political +philosophers; and yet, inasmuch as it points out some of the +wants of a large body of British subjects, whose fortunes lie +entirely at the mercy of distant rulers, who have but little +sympathy with a condition of which they possess but a most +imperfect knowledge--it is a work (inadequate though it be) not +altogether undeserving of the consideration even of +Statesmen.</p> + +<h4>NOTE TO CHAPTER 30.</h4> + +<p>I am happy that this work will become the medium of informing +the Colonists of Western Australia of one of the most promising +events that has ever happened to that country.</p> + +<p>The ship-timber of the Colony, a trial cargo of which arrived +in England this month (October, 1847), has just been admitted +into the Royal Navy. A highly favourable report has been made +upon it by the Government surveyors, and it is pronounced +admirably adapted for kelsons, stern-posts, great beams for +steam-frigates, and other heavy work. If a company be formed, on +good principles, and under proper management, a timber trade for +the supply of the Navy will be found most lucrative.</p> + +<p>The principal portion of the labour should be performed by +Chinamen, to be obtained from Sincapore.</p> + +<p>For this great boon, the Colonists are indebted to LORD +AUCKLAND, the First Lord of the Admiralty, for his ready +acquiescence in agreeing to receive the timber, by way of +experiment; to Mr. G. H. Ward, the Secretary, for the kind +attention he has paid to every request made to him on the +subject, notwithstanding that he has been sufficiently pestered +to have wearied the patience of the most amiable of mankind; and, +above all, to our late Governor, MR. HUTT, and his brother, the +Honourable Member for Gateshead, who have been indefatigable in +their exertions to promote the weal of the Colony.</p> + +<p>THE END.</p> + +<p>End of this Project Gutenberg Etext of The Bushman by Edward +Wilson Landor</p> + +<BR> +<BR> +<BR> +<BR> +<PRE> +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE BUSHMAN *** + +This file should be named bshmn10h.htm or bshmn10h.zip +Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks get a new NUMBER, bshmn11h.htm +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, bshmn10ah.htm + + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. 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