Journals Of Two Expeditions Of Discovery In North-West And Western Australia

LONDON: T. AND W. BOONE, 29 NEW BOND STREET. 1841.

2. Sandstone Cave with Paintings near Glenelg River. Drawn on stone by George Barnard from a sketch by Captain George Grey. M. and N. Hanhart, Lithographic Printers, 64 Charlotte Street, Rathbone Place....

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PREFACE.

The following pages contain the results of the author's travels and residence in the western parts of Australia, between the years 1837 and 1840, during which period he traversed extensive regions unknown to the European traveller, and probably never before trodden by the foot of civilized man. It is not alone with gratification of enlightened curiosity that the countries now first brought to notice are likely to be objects of interest. A knowledge of the districts lying between Swan River and S

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CHAPTER 1. COMMENCEMENT OF THE EXPEDITION. TENERIFE.

GENERAL PLAN AND OBJECTS. The Expeditions of which the results are narrated in the following pages took their origin from a proposition made to Government by myself, in conjunction with Lieutenant Lushington,* in the latter part of the year 1836. At that time a large portion of the western coast and interior of the great Australian continent had remained unvisited and unknown; whilst the opinions of the celebrated navigators Captains Dampier and King, connected with other circumstances, led to t

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CHAPTER 2. TO BAHIA AND THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

ATMOSPHERICAL PHENOMENON AT SEA. Nothing important occurred during the voyage from Tenerife to Bahia; but one atmospherical phenomenon I think is worthy at a future day of further enquiry. I remarked constantly, just at sunset, in these latitudes, that the eastern horizon was brilliantly illuminated with a kind of mock sunset. This in a short time disappeared, to be soon succeeded by another similar in character, but more faint. I observed at the same time, in the western horizon, the regular su

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CHAPTER 3. FROM THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE TO HANOVER BAY.

NATURAL HISTORY. FORSTER'S PACHYPTILA (Pachyptila vittata.) October 16. I shot a female petrel; it had a nail planted in the heel, but no thumb; the bill was hooked at the end, the extremity of which seemed to consist of a distinct piece, articulated with the remainder; the nostrils were united, and formed a tube laid on the back of the upper mandible, hence it belonged to the family of Petrels (Procellariae.) Its temperature was 94 degrees. Length from tip to tip of wing, 2 feet 3 inches. Lengt

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CHAPTER 4. HANOVER BAY.

NEW AND DANGEROUS SHOAL. November 29. This morning at twenty minutes after nine, when in latitude 15 degrees 26 minutes 32 seconds and longitude 121 degrees 55 east, we suddenly made the very unpleasant discovery that we were in the midst of shoals, owing to some negligence in our lookout. This was not found out until we were hemmed in between two, one lying not more than fifty fathoms from our larboard quarter, and the other about three times the distance on the starboard beam. I went up to the

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CHAPTER 5. AT HANOVER BAY.

PLAGUE OF FLIES. December 4. To sleep after sunrise was impossible on account of the number of flies which kept buzzing about the face. To open our mouths was dangerous. In they flew, and mysteriously disappeared, to be rapidly ejected again in a violent fit of coughing; and into the eyes, when unclosed, they soon found their way and, by inserting the proboscis and sucking, speedily made them sore; neither were the nostrils safe from their attacks, which were made simultaneously on all points, a

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CHAPTER 6. HANOVER BAY AND ITS VICINITY.

NATIVES SEEN. Sunday December 17. This morning directly after breakfast I read prayers to the men, and then commenced my preparations for the excursion on which I intended to start in the evening. Whilst I was occupied in arranging my papers Mr. Lushington observed two natives sitting on the rocks on the top of the cliffs which overlooked the valley, and gazing down intently on us. The instant that he made friendly signs to them they rose from their seats and began to retreat. Some of the party

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CHAPTER 7. HANOVER BAY AND ITS VICINITY.

OCCUPATION AT THE CAMP. During the absence of the schooner we had our attention fully engaged in forming a garden, collecting specimens, and building sheds for the stores. So difficult and rocky was the country we were in that I was employed for several days in finding a route by which unloaded horses could travel from the beach in Hanover Bay to the point where we were encamped, for the landing-place at the end of the ravine was so rocky as to be impracticable for that purpose. Mr. Walker at le

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CHAPTER 8. TO THE GLENELG RIVER.

MEETING AND ENCOUNTER WITH THE NATIVES. February 11. The stores we had left behind yesterday were so necessary to us that I was fearful they might be injured or destroyed if left exposed in the bush beyond today, and therefore despatched a party under Mr. Lushington for them. Some time after they were gone I started from the encampment on foot, with the intention of choosing a track for our route next day, as well as of endeavouring to fall in with my former track in this direction; for by so do

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CHAPTER 9. TO THE UPPER GLENELG.

WORKS OF NATIVE INDUSTRY. March 11. The country we traversed this morning was still marshy, and intersected by deep streams. The party had yesterday fixed upon a point for us to encamp at; but, a sudden inundation having taken place, we could not cross a stream which lay between us and the spot selected, so that we were compelled about noon to halt at a position very ill adapted for our purpose. VARIOUS TRACES OF NATIVES. Close to our camp was a large mass of basaltic rocks, on which the natives

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CHAPTER 10. RETURN TO HANOVER BAY.

UNSUCCESSFUL SEARCH FOR A PASS. March 31. This day at dawn I sent out a party under Mr. Lushington and Mr. Walker to try if any pass through the mountains could be found, but they returned in four or five hours to report that it was utterly impossible for horses to proceed further in the direction we desired. During their absence I had made a careful examination of the stores and found that, even at our reduced allowance, we had only provisions left for twenty days; our horses were also reduced

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CHAPTER 11. NATURAL HISTORY. CLIMATE. ABORIGINES.

NATURAL HISTORY. North-Western Australia seems to be peculiarly prolific in birds, reptiles, and insects, who dwell here nearly unmolested, mutually preying upon each other, and thus, by a wise provision, setting the necessary check to their own multiplication. DISTRIBUTION OF ANIMALS. Of quadrupeds there are but few species, and of these the individuals, considered in proportion to the surface they roam over, are rare. The only species I observed during a residence of five months were four of k

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CHAPTER 12. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. COMMERCIAL PROSPECTS.

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. MOUNTAIN RANGES. The most remarkable geographical feature in North-Western Australia is a high range of mountains running north-north-east and south-south-west, named by me Stephen's Range after James Stephen, Esquire, Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies. From this primary range several branches are thrown off: 1. One between Roe's River on the north and Prince Regent's River on the south. 2. Macdonald's Range that throws off streams to Prince Regent's River on the nort

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CHAPTER 13. AT SWAN RIVER.

PLAN FOR RETURNING TO THE NORTH-WEST COAST. WHY ABANDONED. On arriving at the Mauritius I found that my stay would be unavoidably protracted from the state of my wound, which the want of rest and attention had prevented from healing during the expedition, whilst my men were still suffering under the effects of the hardships and privations they had recently been subjected to; my first step therefore was to discharge the Lynher, and the next to consider a plan for future operations. The rivers Fit

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CHAPTER 14. FROM SWAN RIVER TO THE SHORES OF SHARK BAY.

PLAN OF EXPEDITION. At length, in the middle of February, after a mortifying delay of nearly five months, an opportunity occurred which held out every prospect of enabling me to complete the examination of the most interesting portion of the north coast, together with the country lying behind it. Three whale-boats having been procured, an engagement was made with Captain Long of the American whaler Russel, of New Bedford, to convey my party and the boats to some point to the northward of Shark B

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CHAPTER 15. THE GASCOYNE RIVER.

REACH AND ENTER A MANGROVE CREEK. March 4. Early in the morning I had a good lookout kept for the other boat, which I was very anxious to see in order that I might have a sufficiently numerous party for the purpose of landing and looking for water; as I always held it to be better, upon first appearing amongst natives who had never before seen Europeans, to show such strength as might impress them with a certainty that we were well able to resist any attack which they might naturally feel inclin

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CHAPTER 16. TO KOLAINA AND BACK TO THE GASCOYNE.

EXAMINE THE COAST TO THE NORTH OF THE GASCOYNE. March 7. When we got outside the mouth of the Gascoyne a fresh breeze was blowing from the south-east. We ran along the shore west by north, keeping about a quarter of a mile from it; and after having made about three miles and a half we reached the southern extremity of the other mouth of the river. The mean depth in our course along Babbage Island had been from two and a half fathoms to three fathoms; and this opening had a bar which we then conc

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CHAPTER 17. FROM THE GASCOYNE TO GANTHEAUME BAY.

SAIL FROM THE GASCOYNE. March 20. When we pulled out of the Gascoyne this morning the first streak of dawn had not lit up the eastern horizon, we however managed by creeping along the southern shore to get out to sea, and there anchored until it was light enough to see the compass. I found a very heavy sea running outside and a strong breeze blowing from the southward; at this time however there was nothing which in my opinion rendered it too hazardous to risk the passage, more especially being

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LONDON: T. AND W. BOONE, 29 NEW BOND STREET. 1841.

1. Native of Western Australia. Captain Grey, delt. G. Foggo, Lithographer. M. and N. Hanhart, Lithographic Printers....

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CHAPTER 1. FROM GANTHEAUME BAY TO THE HUTT RIVER.

WRECK OF THE SECOND BOAT IN GANTHEAUME BAY. A few moments were sufficient to enable us all to recollect ourselves: two men endeavoured to keep the boat's stern on to the sea, whilst the rest of us lightened her by carrying everything we could on shore, after which we hauled her up. The custom had always been for the other boat to lie off until I made the signal for them to run in, and it accordingly was now waiting outside the breakers. Her crew had not seen our misfortunes owing to the height o

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CHAPTER 2. FROM THE HUTT RIVER TO WATER PEAK.

WILD TURKEYS SEEN. April 6. We moved off this morning on a course of 180 degrees. The first mile of our journey was over low scrubby ironstone hills. We then came down upon rich flats through which the main branch of the Hutt ran; and followed the course of this branch for about two miles. It was not running but there were many pools with water in its bed: the flats were rich and grassy and on the hills to the westward (the Menai Hills) we descried wild turkeys, being the farthest point north at

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CHAPTER 3. FROM WATER PEAK TO GAIRDNER'S RANGE.

RETURN TO THE PARTY. April 10. The morning's dawn found us in the vicinity of our comrades, and, just as the thick grey mists began heavily to ascend from the low plains on which I had left the party, we emerged from the bush upon the native path down which we had travelled the preceding evening; here I turned northward, and a few minutes more placed the party in our view. Some of them were missing. I felt alarmed lest a new misfortune had happened and, hurrying on, eagerly asked where they were

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CHAPTER 4. FROM GAIRDNER'S RANGE TO PERTH.

THE HILL RIVER. Sunday April 14. We travelled about fourteen miles due south over a range of high ironstone hills which were occasionally clothed with grass-trees. The scrub was however still thick, prickly, and very difficult to penetrate; the heat was intense and the whole party were getting very weak. About noon, and when we had just gained a commanding summit, I looked back at Mount Perron, now several miles in our rear; from this point we began to descend into an extensive valley, and at th

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CHAPTER 5. FROM WATER PEAK TO PERTH.

(MR. WALKER'S PARTY.) PARTY SENT IN SEARCH FROM PERTH. I arrived at Perth on the 21st of April and not a moment was lost in preparing a party to go in search of the men I had left with Mr. Walker, and who, it will be recollected, were instructed to proceed along the coast until they made the Moore River, where assistance was to be sent out to them from Perth. SEARCH FOR THE OTHER PARTY. Accordingly on the 23rd of April Lieutenant Mortimer of the 21st regiment and Mr. Spofforth, with four soldier

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CHAPTER 6. SUMMARY OF DISCOVERIES.

RIVERS AND MOUNTAIN RANGES DISCOVERED. Having now brought the narrative of my expedition along the western shores of Australia to a close I shall here retrace in a brief summary the principal geographical discoveries to which it led. The country examined during this expedition lies between Cape Cuvier and Swan River, having for its longitudinal limits the parallel of 24 degrees and that of 32 degrees south latitude, and the expedition combined two objects: the examination and nautical survey of

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CHAPTER 7. VOYAGE HOMEWARDS.

Before quitting the Mauritius, in August 1838, I had written to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, reporting my intention to proceed to the Swan River, and then, as circumstances might guide me, either to return from thence at once to the north-west coast, or, should that not be feasible, to await further instructions from England; adding that, in the latter event, I should attempt in the meantime to pass the range to the north-east of the Swan, and endeavour to ascertain in what direction

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CHAPTER 9. NATIVE LANGUAGE.

RADICAL UNITY OF THE AUSTRALIAN LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT THE CONTINENT. In the preceding narrative of my Expeditions I have occasionally introduced some casual incidents relating to the manners and social condition of the natives of Australia, a race generally considered to occupy too low a position in the scale of humanity to be worthy of any peculiar regard. In the following pages I shall bring together such observations as my intercourse with them enabled me to collect; arranging my remarks under

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CHAPTER 10. THEIR TRADITIONAL LAWS.

ERRORS OF THEORETICAL WRITERS REGARDING THE SAVAGE STATE. No question has, in as far as I can apprehend the subject, been so utterly misunderstood and misrepresented as the one relating to the customs and traditional laws of savage races. Deistical writers and philosophers of great note but small experience have built up whole theories, and have either overturned or striven to overturn ancient faiths and wholesome laws by arguments deduced, in the first instance, from the consideration of man in

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CHAPTER 11. LAWS OF RELATIONSHIP, MARRIAGE, AND INHERITANCE.

RELATIONSHIP AND MARRIAGE. DIVISION OF FAMILIES. Traditional Laws of Relationship and Marriage. One of the most remarkable facts connected with the natives is that they are divided into certain great families, all the members of which bear the same names, as a family, or second name: the principal branches of these families, so far as I have been able to ascertain, are the: Ballaroke Tdondarup Ngotak Nagarnook Nogonyuk Mongalung Narrangur. But in different districts the members of these families

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CHAPTER 12. CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS.

Laws relative to Deaths and Punishments. SUPERSTITIOUS REVENGE OF NATURAL DEATH. The natives do not allow that there is such a thing as a death from natural causes; they believe that were it not for murderers or the malignity of sorcerers they might live for ever: hence: When a native dies from the effect of an accident or from some natural cause they use a variety of superstitious ceremonies to ascertain in what direction the sorcerer lives, whose evil practices have brought about the death of

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CHAPTER 13. SOCIAL CONDITION AND DOMESTIC HABITS.

POPULATION. Several writers have given calculations as to the number of native inhabitants to each square mile in Australia. Now, although I have done my utmost to draw up tables which might even convey an approximate result, I have found the number of inhabitants to a square mile to vary so much from district to district, from season to season, and to depend upon so great a variety of local circumstances, that I am unable to give any computation which I believe would even nearly approach the tr

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CHAPTER 14. FOOD AND HUNTING.

ERRORS REGARDING SCARCITY OF FOOD OF NATIVES. The mistake very commonly made with regard to the natives of Australia is to imagine that they have small means of subsistence, or are at times greatly pressed for want of food: I could produce many almost humorous instances of the errors which travellers have fallen into upon this point. They lament in their journals that the unfortunate Aborigines should be reduced by famine to the miserable necessity of subsisting on certain sorts of food which th

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CHAPTER 15. SONGS AND POETRY.

GENERAL PRACTICE OF SINGING. TRADITIONAL SONGS. Like all other savage races the natives of Western Australia are very fond of singing and dancing: to a sulky old native his song is what a quid of tobacco is to a sailor; is he angry, he sings; is he glad, he sings; is he hungry, he sings; if he is full, provided he is not so full as to be in a state of stupor, he sings more lustily than ever; and it is the peculiar character of their songs which renders them under all circumstances so solacing to

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CHAPTER 16. FUNERAL CEREMONIES, SUPERSTITIONS, AND REMARKABLE CUSTOMS.

DEATH AND BURIAL OF A NATIVE NEAR PERTH. Friday June 14 1839. Yenna came to me this afternoon to tell me that Mulligo was now so ill there was but little chance of his living for many hours longer, and further to request that I would accompany him to see the sufferer. Nearly two months had elapsed since Mulligo had severely injured his spine by a fall from a tree; and immediately after the occurrence of this accident he had completely lost the use of his lower extremities, and had day by day dec

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CHAPTER 17. CHARACTERISTIC ANECDOTES.

The following casual anecdotes, though trivial in themselves, will assist in illustrating some of the peculiarities of the native mind and character. MIAGO'S IMAGINARY SPEECH AS GOVERNOR. Speech that the native Miago would have addressed to the aborigines of Perth if he had landed as Governor instead of His Excellency Mr. Hutt. He came into my room directly after the Governor had landed, and made this imaginary address. Yiee, nap yongar Perth bak-ad-jee yuado--Moon-dee Moondee gurrang, gurrang b

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CHAPTER 18. INFLUENCE OF EUROPEANS ON THE NATIVES.

CAUSES WHY IT HAS NOT HITHERTO BEEN BENEFICIAL. INFLUENCE OF EUROPEANS ON THE NATIVES. After reviewing the condition of the Aborigines of Australia as it appears to have existed from time immemorial it will not be irrelevant to examine what change or melioration of their social state is likely to arise from the settlement of a civilised European race among them. The colony of Swan River differing materially in the elements of its population from those established in the eastern parts of this con

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APPENDIX A.

GENEALOGICAL LIST TO SHOW THE MANNER IN WHICH A NATIVE FAMILY BECOMES DIVIDED. Nar-doo-itch or Mo-rel-li, a Ballar-oke, born about A.D. 1735, had two wives, Kan-dow-ree, a Ngotak, and Bol-ye-ree, a No-go-nyuk. Kan-dow-ree, had the following children: Yin-dee-ree, female. Wun-ya-ree, female. Kag-a-ree, female. Yung-al, male. Wal-luk-wur, male. These were all Ngotaks. Three of these children, Yin-dee-ree, Wun-ya-ree, and Kag-a-ree, were by Nar-doo-itch's brother, her former husband. Bol-ye-ree's c

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APPENDIX B.

MOUNT FAIRFAX, THE WIZARD HILLS, AND CHAMPION BAY. (From the Nautical Magazine for July 1841 page 443.) The only part of the West coast (to the northward of Swan River) that has been visited by the Beagle is that part immediately to the eastward of the Abrolhos, and it is remarkable from being under the high tableland of Moresby's Flat-topped Range, which is a considerable elevation, and in clear weather is visible from a ship's mast-head at the Abrolhos. This range of hills extends north-north-

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APPENDIX C.

CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE MAMMALIA OF AUSTRALIA, WITH NOTES ON SOME RECENTLY DISCOVERED SPECIES, BY J.E. GRAY, F.R.S., ETC. ETC., IN A LETTER ADDRESSED TO THE AUTHOR. British Museum, 10th July 1841. MY DEAR SIR, The very little attention which has hitherto been paid to the distribution of the animals of Australia, and the very incorrect manner in which the habitats of the different species are given in collections and systematic works, have induced me to send you

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APPENDIX D.

Mr. Gould, who is now engaged in a work upon the Ornithology of Australia, having been solicited to furnish a list of the Birds of the Western coast, has kindly forwarded the following enumeration of the species which have come under his notice as inhabiting that part of the country. The list, although necessarily incomplete, is the most perfect that has yet been published, and will doubtless be of considerable interest to the scientific as well as the general reader. ORDER RAPTORES. Aquila fuco

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APPENDIX E.

A Catalogue of the Species of Reptiles and Amphibia hitherto described as inhabiting Australia, with a description of some New Species from Western Australia, and some remarks on their geographical distribution, by JOHN EDWARD GRAY, F.R.S. etc. etc. in a note to the author. Order 1. SAURI. Family MONITORIDAE. 1. Odatria punctata, Gray Annals of Natural History 1 394. Grey olive, with narrow black reticulated lines, leaving large hexagonal spots. Head, limbs, and tail blackish, with a few pale sp

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APPENDIX F.

Notes on some Insects from King George's Sound, collected and presented to the British Museum by CAPTAIN GEORGE GREY, by ADAM WHITE, Esquire, British Museum, in a letter addressed to the author. DEAR SIR, Fabricius was the first, or among the earliest, Entomologists who described the Annulose animals of New Holland, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. At the time he published his Systema Entomologiae (1775) these parts of the world had been visited by but few persons, and I believe that all th

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