| Index |
(From a Correspondent.) Wednesday, December 30, 1846.- Embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board the Lord Auckland, barque, for Port Curtis, North Australia. January 6, 1847.- Ship moved from wharf and went a little way down the stream. 7. Weighed anchor and dropped down to the Heads, but the wind being unfavourable, unable to get out. Put back to Watson's Bay and dropped anchor. 8. Pilot came on board, anchor weighed at 4 p.m., and got outside the Heads of Port Jackson at 5 p.m. ; ship working heavily ; fair wind. 9. Rain and lightning during early part of morning ; ship rolling much and working heavily ; all the females sick, and most of the gentlemen ; many of the cabins flowing with water. 10. Very light winds ; saw Port Stephens, about 90 miles from Sydney, at noon. 11. Fair wind but light. 12. Ditto, ship making nine knots an hour ; rough sea, ship rolling heavily; berths very uncomfortable from water. 13. Fair winds but light ; abreast of Shoal Bay; about half-way to Port Curtis at noon. 14. Fair wind ; at noon 40 miles to southward of Moreton Bay ; put about ship at 8 p.m. : getting too close to land. 15. Wind moderate ; ship rolled very heavily all night. 16. Moderate breeze ; fair ; studding-sails set. 17. Wind contrary ; towards evening fair. 18. Made five miles since yesterday at noon. 19. Head wind ; lost fifteen miles ; off Moreton Bay. 20. Ditto. 21. Fair wind, but moderate ; shark caught seven feet long. made twenty-nine miles. 22. Fair wind. 23. Ditto; making six to nine knots an hour ; ship brought to at 8 p.m., and lay to till 5 next morning ; Indian Island insight 24. Saw Lady Elliott's Island, distant about six miles : afterwards saw the main land and ran abreast of Bustard Bay - kept on the course - lay to all night. 25. Made sail at 10 a.m., abreast of Port Curtis - hovered about for tide to take ship through the channel ; at 2 p.m., at the moment the captain had given orders to let go the anchor, ship struck the ground and remained aground till five next morning, striking violently. Colonel Barney and family and some of the passengers and soldiers immediately went ashore on Facing Island and pitched their tents, lit their fires, &c., &c., and after detaining the boat and crew three hours, they were sent back to the ship. It was then time to try to save the others if the danger was imminent. Ship got off by the exertion of all hands. Again grounded striking the bottom violently at intervals. Long boat got ready and put overboard. 26. Endeavoured to get into deep water - ship striking violently - again settled down in the sand - all hands at work nearly all night ; ship making water ; many of the passengers sent ashore, and all the females and children ; determined to discharge cargo ; came ashore in charge of stores ; boats discharging during the day ; finding that the vessel had not gone to pieces, Colonel Barney ventured on board this morning. 27. Boats discharging cargo ; myself, Mr. Billyard, and others, up to the middle in water helping to discharge. 28. Engaged from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. taking inventory of stores, &c., landed. 29. Engaged as yesterday from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. 30. Same as yesterday ; the superintendent and other officers sworn in on the island. 31. Ship being considerably lightened, sailed to Port Curtis. February 1. Attending stores, and issuing rations. 2 to 8. Ditto ditto. 9. Ditto ditto ; a boat sent from the ship with notice that three blacks had been seen on the island abreast of the ship, in order to prepare ourselves in case of a visit ; three soldiers and a sergeant armed, accompanied by Captain Day, went out to search for them, but returned without discovering any trace of them. Dislike the place exceedingly. Thermometer in the tents 110 degrees, 10. Our tents visited by fourteen native blacks this morning - very friendly - they had crossed from the mainland at low water. 17. A ship seen at a great distance to the northward, thought to be the Thomas Lowry. Preparations made to fire the gun, landed from the Lord Auckland ; towards evening went out of sight and not seen again. 20. Rumoured on the island that Colonel Barney intended on Monday next, (22nd) to send the mechanics to Port Curtis to erect huts, he is now apparently beginning to think of commencing what ought to have been completed by this time ; but strange it is that he does not first ascertain whether Port Curtis is eligible for the settlement. I certainly think the Colonel has assumed a responsibility by far too great for his ability. Not a single move has been made since we landed ; living in misery in our tents, subject to all exposures. Have had heavy rains frequently. 22. Wind thought at head quarters too heavy to proceed to Port Curtis. 23. Winds continue, nothing done. 24. Wind and rain - family much wetted in their bedding. 25. Wind and heavy rain all day and night, and very blustery weather. High tides. Tent in constant danger of being blown down. Several tents blown down during the night. 26. Heavy rain at intervals. 27, 28. High wind and tides. March 1. High wind and tides. Nothing done on the island towards our future settlement, although five weeks here. Many conjectures as to the cause of the detention of the Thomas Lowry, and murmurings in consequence of the Colonel's inactivity, or rather his utter listlessness. 3. Colonel Barney and party of mechanics proceed to Port Curtis, and after a survey of three hours return in the afternoon under the impression that it is fit for the settlement. Oh, Colonel why were not these three hours expended five weeks ago, and if so easily explored, what a heavy responsibility lies on your shoulders, that up to this moment not a slab is cut for the huts, the tools not even ready. 8. The mechanics and a guard of three soldiers and a corporal were to be sent to Port Curtis, but the arrival this day of the Secret with timber, from Moreton Bay, alters this arrangement for the present. 11. The greater part of the provision remaining on shore sent on board - the iron bedsteads, &c., having been sent yesterday, and during early part of week. 13. The mechanics, four soldiers, and a corporal, Colonel Barney, and others, proceed to Port Curtis ; the soldiers and mechanics taking a week's provisions. 14. The barque Thomas Lowry arrived. Port Curtis, North Australia. (From the Moreton Bay Courier.) Port Curtis is of considerable size, being twenty-five miles in length, and varying in breadth from two miles to fifteen. It is easy of access, well sheltered, and with good holding ground. Of its excellencies Oxley must have been unaware, as he did not venture further in his vessel than the anchorage at the entrance under Gatcombe Head. It is formed by a deep indentation of the coast, and by Curtis and Facing Islands. At high tide it is connected with Kepple Bay, by a passage between Curtis Island and the main, which is in places dry at low water. It may be entered on either side of Facing Island ; the principal channel, however, is that to the southward, lying close to Gatcombe Head. The only difficulty attending this latter is a sandspit, about three miles from the head, to avoid which vessels in approaching the port are compelled to bear up slightly north of the entrance. From ignorance or forgetfulness of this obstacle, which is clearly laid down in Flinders' chart, the Lord Auckland grounded, and sustained much injury:
Rise and fall of tide 12 to 14 feet ; causing a rapid current, which, during " the springs," at the commencement of ebb, falls little short of four miles per hour. Prevailing winds N.E. , E , and S.E.; the last. which are the most violent, and to which the port lies most exposed, creates, with an ebb ride, to use Oxley's expression, a " considerable sea" at the open anchorage under Gatcombe Head. Facing Island, which occupies the same position with regard to Port Curtis as Moreton Island to Moreton Bay is about ten miles long, and varies in breadth from half a mile to three miles. Its soil is sandy, with occasional patches that in a wet season might be moderately productive, and which are now thickly covered with the rushy coarse grasses common to the poorer soils of this district. Its timber is small and worthless. Slate, quartz, and trap rocks crop out from the surface; the strata in some places are almost vertical. There are also a poor kind of limestone, and a sandstone impregnated with iron. "Indicators of copper and tin." to which Oxley alludes, have not yet been discovered. To the south, Facing Island terminates in a bold hill, Gatcombe Head ; to the north it gradually sinks, until it ends apparently in low mangrove shores. Here is the northern and lesser channel already alluded to, through which the cutter Harriet, drawing eight feet water, entered the port. It is, however, narrow, and much inferior to the southern. Curtis Island is much larger than Facing Island, being ___miles in length, and from to ___miles in breadth ; it is also more elevated, and its timber superior. It separates, and in a great measure forms, Port Curtis and Kepple Bay. Several small and highly picturesque islands rise in bold and graceful outlines from the surface of the port. On these the soil is moderately good, thickly grassed, and timbered with gum, stringy bark, mangrove, and some beautiful tropical accacias unknown in New South Wales. The rocks are of quartz, trap, and ironstone ; and on the surface are lumps of metallic scoria. These islands afford good shelter for small vessels. The shores of the main land are lined with a narrow belt of mangroves, behind which lies an open forest country, broken into stony ranges and valleys of poor clay - a description of country which appears to prevail as far as the coast range, the blue outline of which is visible at an apparent distance of about twenty miles. From Gatcombe Head the courses of Oxley's " Boyne" and two other small streams can be discerned to the south and south-east. To the west, a narrow ridge of land juts into the port, and forms a small bay. The line of mangroves is here broken. Here Colonel Barney proposes to form a town, in the event of Post Curtis becoming the place of settlement. The bay, however, is exposed to the strongest action of the tide, and to S.E. winds ; and a mud flat renders the shore inaccessible at low tide. Two miles further, is South Shore Head, immediately under and on the west side of which is a small inlet (Oxley's "salt-water creek") about fifty yards broad, with a depth of three and a half fathoms at the entrance, gradually deepening to five. This inlet or creek is completely landlocked, and vessels can lie as snugly as in our own noble Brisbane. Here the mangrove belt again commences, and runs as far as the eye can trace, backed by hilly forest country. Further to the west is Mount Larcom, the most remarkable feature in the landscape, about eight hundred feet high, sinking into low broken spurs to the north and south. On the whole, Oxley's description is correct. Not an acre has yet been seen which will repay the expense of cultivation, It must be borne in mind that he visited Port Curtis in the driest season of the year, previous to the summer rains, when the vegetation was scant, the grass almost wholly withered - when even the best soils of New Holland are bare and seemingly sterile. Owing to copious rains and an almost vertical sun, the lands of the port are now thickly clothed with grass - a striking proof of what the combined forces of heat and moisture may effect. He who glances casually at the surface may deem the soil of considerable fertility ; but he who will closely examine it will find that it is either a poor clay or a light sand ; the clay without sand, the sand without clay ; giving abundant warranty to Oxley's assertion. It was required by the artizans engaged by Colonel Barney is Sydney, that they should be able to quarry stone. No stone fit for building purposes has been discovered. The timber too, is poor - unfit for anything save the simplest building purposes. It is but right to mention, that His Honor is of opinion that there is freestone in abundance. His proposed plan of finding it is rather novel ; it is, to bore deep into the trap rock of the hills. and endeavour by blasting to arrive at the freestone, which he is firmly convinced lies underneath. We are indebted to the kind attention of Dr. Robertson for the valuable table subjoined. The Doctor keeps his thermometer in a teat; so that his observations can only be said to approximate to the real temperature of Facing Island.
Remarks We felt the heat of the climate on first landing on this island very oppressive, but now have become assimilated to the climate, and do not experience the slightest inconvenience from the heat. The climate is exceedingly healthy, from the circumstance of no disease having taken place amongst us, and all seem to enjoy the best of health. Thomas Robertson. Facing Island, North Australia. (From a Correspondent.) Facing Island, North Australia, 22nd March. 1846.- My last letter up to the 16th instant, was posted on that day, as it was given out that the mail per schooner Secret would close on the following morning. Notice having been sent, however, from the Lord Auckland, that she was again making a great deal of water, the schooner was detained with the intention, I believe. of taking her cargo out, but the high winds which had prevailed for some days previously, having abated, and which, by driving the ship about, and washing the sand out of her seams, had opened the leak afresh, the cargo was not disturbed. On the same day, notice was sent from the Thomas Lowry that our mechanics (consisting of three 1I well sinkers and a mason) had been attacked two days previously by the blacks, with stones thrown from slings, &c. It appears that while the men were engaged at their work, six or eight of the blacks came upon them, and remained with them in a friendly manner for an hour or two, but that on leaving, one of their number took an axe with which the men had been working. They then chased the blacks. who ran with all their speed into the bush, and procured their spears, which they threatened to throw at their pursuers, who then retired amidst a volley of stones thrown from slings. On the day following, the blacks returned to the number of nearly 200 men, armed with spears, some of which they discharged at the small band, consisting only of the four mechanics and five soldiers. The soldiers fired two or three shots in terrore when the blacks immediately cantered off. In the course of the evening they again made their appearance, and threw several spears at the men standing at their bush fire, one of which whizzed close by the face of one of the party. Two shots were fired into the bush, on which the innocent children of nature again retired. Having shown these unequivocal symptoms of hostility, the officer in command of the detachment here at once ordered thirty-two rank and file of the 99th to disembark from the Thomas Lowry, and it has been considered necessary to impress upon our small guard here, of fifteen men, to keep the strictest watch, and four of them are constantly on duty is case of a visit. It is notoriously known that the natives of these parts are of a most treacherous and savage nature, and too much care cannot be taken to prevent them getting amongst us unawares. They appear a cowardly race of wretches when opposed manfully. We had some of the black devils on this island last night, but they have not yet shown their faces at our camp. We are all anxiety for the arrival of the steamer Kangaroo. many of us hoping that she may bring news that the settlement is to be abandoned. The Lord Auckland. - A letter from Capt. Brown to his agents is Sydney reports, that while steering to for Port Curtis on the 25th January, keeping in the channel recommended to him from the Cornubia's survey, with various depths from 11 to 19 fathoms, and leads constantly going both sides, the vessel suddenly took the ground on a shoal which did not then exhibit any signs of danger. Everything was done to lighten her, and get her off, for three days without success, and during this time she bumped very severely is a heavy swell, which set in with strong squally winds, making two feet of water per hour, and requiring all hands at the pumps to keep her clear. Having at last succeeded in getting off. Captain Brown entered Port Curtis, and moored securely, although the vessel continued to make mach water, and large portions of her copper and sheathing had been knocked off. Captain Brown reports, that it would be absolutely necessary to heave down, and effect large repairs before attempting to bring the vessel back to Sydney, and from many local difficulties, including chiefly the hostility of the natives, (who had twice attacked a party of upwards of forty troops he does not consider it possible to do so. He considers the passage very imperfectly known, it being in several places only two ships' lengths wide, and very tortuous and rig-rag. Where he was told to expect a bar he found ten fathoms. The Lowry had arrived on the 14th March, and she narrowly escaped getting on shore, by Captain Brown sending has chief officer and boats to warn her of danger. Fortunately she entered in safety. Port Curtis The following is a description of the harbour of Port Curtis, as given by Captain Boyle, who had proceeded there with the intention of becoming a regular trader between that and Moreton Bay :- "Port Curtis is a fine harbour, although the Lord Auckland grounded going in. By getting Gatcombe Head to bear W. by S., and steering W. by S. � S., (there is no danger whatever if taken on the flood tide) carrying from five to six fathoms all the way in, and on rounding Gatcombe Head you get from nine to fourteen fathoms, with a much broader channel, but it should not be taken on the ebb, as at the springs the tide runs from three to four knots." SG & SGTL ; Vol 4 ; Page 109-110. The Lord AucklandThis vessel, which arrived on Monday afternoon from North Australia, has been absent from Sydney now upwards of eight months, during which time she has been beset with great difficulties and misfortunes. It will be remembered that in going into Port Curtis in January last, she struck on a shoal, and thereby sustained considerable damage. Having discharged the Government stores, and undergone some repairs, she left Port Curtis again in June for Sydney, but was compelled to put back owing to her making so much water. The agents in Sydney having been informed of the circumstance, despatched a number of shipwrights to her in the cutter George, and on their arrival she was hove down in a creek, and was repaired as well as she possibly could be with the means afforded. Captain Brown gives a very unfavourable account of the port. The channel, he states, is of a very zig-zag nature, with three to five fathoms water ; and in his opinion, is rendered more dangerous by the shifting of the sands in and out, with strong easterly or westerly winds. Little or no fresh water is to be obtained there, and the natives are exceedingly treacherous. On the 3rd August, whilst the Lord Auckland was taking in ballast at the creek, a party of them made an appearance within a hundred yards of the vessel when they were sent bread and water, but within five minutes after, one of the men was attacked by them. This, however, being observed by the party on shore, they levelled their pieces at them, and a strong boat's crew immediately landing, they then fled. Fortunately for those on board the Lord Auckland, the French whaling barque Enterprise put into Port Curtis in July, and supplied them with sixteen hundred gallons of sweet water. She left there again in company with the former vessel, intending to cruise to Sydney. The cutter George also sailed for Sydney via the Tweed River, in company with the Lord Auckland. SG & SGTL ; Vol 4 ; Page 257. 25 Sep 1847. 2 Oct 1847 To the Editors of the Shipping Gazette. Gentlemen.- "The above remarks, made by Captain Brown, I consider to be perfectly correct." James William Usher, Chief Officer of the Lord Auckland, September 21st, 1847. The Sea Nymph struck in drawing ten and a-half feet, aid I have every reason to believe the Thomas Lowry would have been on shore had not our boat been on board of her. The French ship was obliged to let go her anchor, but had no room to give her cable from a shoal of eight feet, whilst he run her kedge out ; she was drawing tea and a-half feet water. I was pricking my way by Flinder's chart, with additions by Captain Blackwood, up to 1844, with a hand in each chain, when we struck : this only canoe out shortly before I left London. I am, Gentlemen, P.S. When the Lord Auckland was going into Port Curtis, she drew seventeen feet water. ^ back to top ^ |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
