Excursions in New South Wales, Western Australia, and Van Dieman's Land, during the years 1830, 1831, 1832 and 1833

Front matter

! 2U* §^ EXCURSIONS IN NEW SOUTH WALES WESTERN AUSTRALIA, AND VAN DIEMAN'S LAND, DURING THE YEARS 1S30, 1831, 1832, AND 1833. BY LIEUT. BRETON, R. N. SECOND EDITION REVISED, WITH ADDITIONS. When obliged to have recourse to the superficial remarks of vulgar travellers, sailors, traders, buccaneers, and missionaries, we must often pause, and, comparing detached Jacts, endeavour to discover what they wanted sagacity to observe.— Robertson. LONDON: RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET. 1834. LONDON: SCHULZE AND CO., 13, POLAND STREET.

Preface

TO THE SECOND EDITION. A new Edition of this Work being required, the author has availed himself of the opportunity to correct such errata as were occasioned by his not personally inspecting the proof sheets of the First Edition. Some new facts have also been added which he thinks will increase the interest and use fulness of his Work ; but he has not considered himself authorized to introduce all that he has subsequently heard respecting regions of which such contradictory reports have been published, as his object is to impart information collected by himself and verified by actual observation alone. London, Mat 1834.

PREFACE.

TO THE FIRST EDITION. An inherent propensity to wander, and, not im probably, some slight wish to secure a share in the golden prospects held out to all persons emigrating to the Australian Colonies, induced me, once more to encounter the perils of the deep, and to bid adieu, for a time, to those luxuries and comforts so much prized by all who love a life of tranquillity. A sojourn in the Colonies, however it may have gratified my roving propensities, and afforded much real interest and amusement, has certainly tended to dispel some of the bright il lusions with which the high-flown accounts of not a few writers on the subject had previously possessed my mind. It must be obvious to every impartial person, who has had an opportunity VI

PREFACE.

. of judging from actual observation of the capabili ties of the Colonies, that most of the works hitherto published are calculated to excite in the emigrant expectations which, unless through some singularly lucky circumstance, can never be realized: in addition to which, they certainly convey but little of that practical information so necessary to all who intend establishing them selves in those distant regions. It is with this conviction that I have been induced to offer to the public the substance of my note-book, trusting that it will be found to convey an impartial and correct, though brief and unvarnished account, of the actual state of things in this portion of the globe. I lay no claim to the graces of authorship, nor in a work of this kind, would there have been much opportunity for displaying them ; the only object I have in view is, to convey as accu rate an idea as possible of the nature and resources of the different settlements ; so that, in the event of the emigrant undertaking a voyage of nearly 16,000 miles, he may not find, on his arrival at his destination, that he has been misled by overdrawn accounts or actual mis statements. This, I regret to say, has been the case with many, who, judging from what they had read,

PREFACE.

. VII quitted England with the notion, that the countries to which they were proceeding comprised in them all the delights of a paradise ! It is perfectly natural to believe all that is said of a country by a respectable person who has been there, especially when he has no ap parent motive for making mis-statements ; but some travellers show a most singular aptitude to amplify as much as possible, particularly with respect to the beauties of a country ; seemingly from the supposition, that unless a book be full of high-flown language, it would not be read : others, again, owing to their not having had any opportunities of visiting other regions, can be but little qualified to take a fair and correct view of the relative advantages and disadvan tages of a country. I believe no persons have written on the Colonies who have not been in some way con nected, it may be said identified, with one or other of them ; and it cannot, therefore, excite surprise if they say all they can in favour of that particular colony in which they have esta blished themselves.

I mean not to accuse them of wilful misrepresentation ; but they certainly appear, in too many instances, to have been influenced by that amor patriæ, that devotion to their adopted country, which, lending to every

PREFACE.

. thing an enchantment it possesses not for the casual and indifferent observer, but ill qualifies them for giving a faithful and unbiassed account of it. Having, during my wanderings, visited, and, I trust, not quite unprofitably, many parts of the globe, I may perhaps be allowed to hope, in giving a concise description of regions so little known in England, that I shall be enabled to impart useful information to those who pro pose to emigrate, and also to prove the truth of the observations made by Pliny the elder, "That no book is so bad as not to afford something valuable." London, October 1833. CONTENTS.

Chapter I

Page OBSERVATIONS ON THE VOYAGE FROM ENGLAND — MODE OF PRESERVING PLANTS AND SEEDS ST. JAGO DESCRIP- TION OF PORTO PRAYA — APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY DROUGHT — ARRIVAL AT SWAN RIVER GAGE's ROADS COCKBURN SOUND FREEM ANTLE PERTH — ANECDOTE OF THE DOCTOR OF THE L OPINIONS RESPECTING THE SOIL EXCURSION UP THE SWAN, AND CANNING DARLING RANGE OF MOUNTANS ABORIGINES THEIR AD- DICTION TO MIMICRY GARDEN ISLAND CLIMATE CON- FLICTING STATEMENTS CONCERNING THE COLONY AP- PRENTICES RECENT ACCOUNTS OF THE PROGRESS OF THE SETTLEMENT 1

Chapter II

, ARRIVAL AT SYDNEY MODE OF TRAVELLING IN THE " BUSH" WHERE UNLOCATED LAND IS TO BE FOUND — ROUTES IN THE VARIOUS SETTLEMENTS LIVERPOOL CAMPBELL X CONTENTS. Page TOWN COW PASTURES BONG-BONG GOULBOURN PLAINS WOLLONDILLI LAKE GEORGE LAKE BATHURST SHOAL HAVEN GULLIES — PERSONS LOST IN THE WILDS OF NEW HOLLAND — CAVES NEAR THE GULLIES — DESCENT INTO ILLAWARRA WALLOGONG — GREAT SIZE OF THE FISH IN THE SHOAL HAVEN AND OTHER STREAMS COAST SOUTH OF ILLAWARRA — ROUTE OF BATHURST PARAMATTA BLUE MOUNTAINS TOWNSHIP OF BATHURST ASPECT OF THE PLAINS, OR DOWNS ROUTE TO THE HUNTER — HAWKESBURY — SCENERY IN THE BLUE MOUN TAINS FALL IN WITH A PARTY OF NATIVES WOLLOMBI MERTON GAMMON PLAINS SINGULAR APPEARANCE OF THE LAND — MOUNT BOOROOAN CORBORN COMLEROY— REMARKABLE SPRING — BASALTIC COLUMNS — PURSUIT OF THE EMU — LIVERPOOL MOUNTAINS INVERMEEN ST. HILIER's — MAITLAND COUNTRY ON THE HUNTER ENOR MOUS TREE NEWCASTLE PORT STEPHENS PORT MAC QUARRIE — MORETON BAY RIVER NEPEAN COUNTRY ON THE HAWKESBURY 38

Chapter III. General Observations On New Holland Coasts Coral Banks

— 'ACCOUNT OF THEM BY FLINDERS MEL VILLE ISLAND BATHURST ISLAND WEATHER ON THE COASTS — PREVAILING ASPECT OF THE COUNTRY EXTENT OF THE COLONY RIVERS CONSIDERABLE SEA SAID TO HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THE INTERIOR — NORFOLK ISLAND NEW ZEALAND— ISLANDS CONTENTS. XI

Chapter IV

Pago IBORIGINES OF AUSTRALIA OBSERVATION ON THEM BY DAMPIER EXTRAORDINARY INSTANCES OF DELUSION CRUEL TREATMENT OF A SHEPHERD BY A TRIBE UNFEEL- ING CONDUCT OF THE WHITES CUSTOMS OF THE WOL- LOMBI NATIVES SUPERSTITIOUS IMPRESSIONS — WARS NATIVES AT MORETON BAY COWARRWEL BLACKS — THE KABARRAH WEAPONS DIFFICULTY OF RECLAIMING THE NATIVES SAID TO BE CANNIBALS THEIR LANGUAGE ANIMALS OF NEW HOLLAND WONDERFUL TENACITY OF LIFE DISPLAYED BY THE NATIVE DOG — VARIOUS KINDS OF THE KANGAROO REPTILES, BIRDS, INSECTS, VEGETA- TION RAPIDITY OF THE GROWTH OF TREES CLIMATE HOT WINDS DESTRUCTIVE FIRES DROUGHT 164

Chapter V. Iketch Of Sydney Environs

— SOIL PRICES OF PROVI- SIONS — PUBLIC HOUSES POPULATION SOCIETY CON- VICTS RATIONS ALLOWED THEM EXTRACT FROM A LETTER WRITTEN BY ONE — BUSH RANGERS REPORT CON- CERNING A COLONY OF RUNAWAYS EXPORTS — IMPORTS REVENUE — SALARIES OF PERSONS HOLDING SITUATIONS UNDER GOVERNMENT HORSES UNCOMMON INSTINCT SHOWN BY THEM CATTLE CURIOUS DOCILITY OF A BUL- LOCK PRICE OF CATTLE — SHEEP UNACCOUNTABLE CIR- CUMSTANCE RESPECTING A FLOCK CONTENTS.

Chapter VI

Page ARRIVAL AT HOBART TOWN EXCURSIONS INTO THE INTE- RIOR LAUNCESTON STORM BAY SKETCH OF THE CAPI- TAL POPULATION SOCIETY CONVICTS ANECDOTES OF THEM — EXPORTS — HORSES — CATTLE SHEEP PRICES OF PROVISIONS — GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON VAN DIEMAn's LAND RIVERS ABORIGINES EXPEDITION AGAINST THEM ANIMALS FISH WHALES VEGETATION CLIMATE MEDICAL TOPOGRAPHY 300

Chapter VII. General Observations On The Colonies Public Works Schools Land Regulations

VARIOUS MODES OF CLEARING LAND EXPENSE OF DITTO SQUATTERS CA- PITAL REQUIRED DESCRIPTION OF PERSONS LIKELY TO SUCCEED IN THE COLONIES DIFFICULTY OF PROCURING STEADY SERVANTS WAGES OF MECHANICS — DISTRESS OF THE SETTLERS, HOW CAUSED COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF THE COLONIES OBJECTIONS TO SETTLING THERE INDUCEMENTS — CONCLUSION. . . .371 DIRECTIONS TO THE BINDER. Regent Villa Frontispiece. Native Arms To face page 206. TOUR IN AUSTRALIA.

Chapter I. Observations On The Voyage From England

— MODE OF PRE SERVING PLANTS AND SEEDS ST. JAGO DESCRIPTION OF PORTO PRAYA — APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY DROUGHT ARRIVAL AT SWAN RIVER — GAGE'S ROADS — COCKBURN SOUND FREKMANTLE PERTH — ANECDOTE OF THE DOCTOR OF THE L OPINIONS RESPECTING THE SOIL — EXCURSION UP THE SWAN, AND CANNING DARLING RANGE OF MOUNTANS ABO RIGINES THEIR ADDICTION TO MIMICRY GARDEN ISLAND CLIMATE CONFLICTING STATEMENTS CONCERNING THE COLONY APPRENTICES RECENT ACCOUNTS OF THE PROGRESS OF THE SETTLEMENT. Ships bound to the Australian colonies sail at all times of the year ; but it is by no means an easy matter to ascertain the precise period fixed for their departure ; for such is the anxiety of the agents to secure passengers, that they will not hesitate to state a positive time, although well aware that the vessel may not sail for many weeks afterwards.

B NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS. It is therefore advisable to withhold the passage money until the vessel is in a state of forwardness for sea, which can only be ascertained by a person going himself on board, and finding out what por tion of the cargo is shipped : if he cannot do so per sonally, he should employ a friend to act for him. Without taking this precaution, the emigrant may be detained in London, at very great expense, and during a considerable time : indeed I know of one instance in which a family were induced, through the misrepresentations of an agent, to go from Aberdeen to London, where, after having made their arrangements and paid their passage-money, they were detained three months. The amount of the passage-money varies greatly, but the following may be taken as the average Cabin, from 80/, to 90L Stern Cabin 40Z. to 50Z. extra.

Steerage 201. to SOt. The freight for baggage, &c. taken in the hold, is from 21. 15s. to 31. per ton. The average passage to Sydney and Hobart Town is about four months, and to Swan River about three weeks less. Previous to securing his passage, the emigrant will do well to ascertain that the ship is commanded by a person of known credit and responsibility ; he will thus be secure against those disputes respect- RECREATIONS ON BOARD. ing fare, etc. etc., which add so much to the inevitably numerous inconveniences of such a long voyage. Some persons consider the passage-money to be extravagant, but they do not reflect that the style of living will most probably be greatly superior to that to which they have been accustomed on shore ; many also imagine, that on board ship, the time must of necessity pass very heavily, which is altogether a mistake ; for it is really inconceivable with what rapidity weeks, nay months, seem to disappear during a voyage, especially if a person be moderately partial to literary pursuits.

The very re gularity, or, as it is termed, monotony, of the life one leads, tends to make the days appear short ; and when it is considered how many sources of re creation are supplied by reading, chess, etc., it is but seldom that any one, save the mere idler, will find the day too long. If there should be any per son, who, instead of employing his time rationally, thinks of nothing but eating and drinking, no un common circumstance, he may expect to feel enough of the tædium vitœ to make him wish him self on shore again. Not a few are alarmed at the supposed dangers of the voyage : it might possibly instil some degree of courage into the most timid, if they would but take into consideration the small size and badly b SAFETY OF THE VOYAGE. found condition of the vessels in which the early navigators encountered the storms of which they speak* .

I have been twice to New Holland (and a friend of mine four times) without having experienced aught resembling a gale of wind ! Even off Cape Horn, when returning to England, at the com mencement of the winter, the weather was truly delightfulf . Previous to our reaching the Cape the weather had been thick and gloomy, so that for thirteen days we never saw the moon, and very little of the sun ; but old ocean, during that period, was so un commonly smooth, that we were almost led to be lieve ourselves close under the lee of the land, in stead of being at some distance from it, with some times a fresh breeze blowing right on shore. We * When Diaz discovered the Cape of Good Hope, he had only two vessels, 50 tons each; this was in 1446 ! Those of De Ga ma, who discovered India, were 120, 100, and 90 tons.

In Drake's voyage round the world, he had with him one vessel of 100, one of 80, one of 50, one of 30, and a pinnace of 15 tons !! Candish or Cavendish, in his voyage round the world, had three vessels of the respective burdens of 140, 60, and 40 tons ! Co lumbus' fleet consisted of three carracks, each of 100 tons, and sundry vessels of much smaller size. f It is not to be inferred from this that we had not, during the voyage an occasional strong breeze, but then it was commonly fa vourable : at all events we were not prevented from making some progress. TIME OF SAILING. 5 were quite unable to account for this ; there was just such a ripple as is frequently observed on the surface of a lake, but not the slightest perceptible swell. This was fortunate, as we sailed nearly five hundred miles amongst ice islands, the first of which was seen in latitude 55° 13' south, longitude 115° 45' west.

They were mostly at a distance of several miles from each other, with small broken fragments between them : the greatest number seen at one time exceeded twenty, and the most consi derable may have been half a mile in length, and two hundred feet, or upwards, in height. The principal danger, when amongst ice. arises from the small pieces, which, during a dense fog, are not perceived until the vessel is nearly upon them : the larger masses or islands, may generally be distin guished by the " blink." Those who wish to touch at Rio Janeiro, on their way to the Colonies, will do well to sail early in April : but if they prefer the Cape of Good Hope, about the middle or end of August, as there will then be a greater probability of their making a good passage ; besides which, they will arrive at the Cape in the fine season, a point of great consequence in such a boisterous region.

Ships appear, however, to touch more commonly at the Cape Verd Islands : on my first voyage, we passed a couple of days at the Island of Mayo, and PRESERVATION OF SEEDS. on my second we put into Porto Praya ; at the former we procured nothing but water and salt, and at the latter various fruits, and some poultry. If the emigrant has any articles of value at all liable to become damaged, they should be in cases lined with tin ; and in order to keep his trunks, etc. free from damp, he had better place them on stands, so as to raise them a few inches from the deck ; they can afterwards be secured in the usual manner. Seeds are put up in several ways ; some persons enclose them in cannisters, or boxes of coarse su gar ; others in tin soldered up. From experience, 1 consider it a good plan to pack them in brown paper, and then to suspend them in the cabin.

I had heard that it was necessary to exclude the air entirely, and therefore tried the experiment ; yet most of the seeds failed. Cuttings can be carried in boxes in the following manner : first put in a layer of mould, then one of cuttings, and so on alternately, until the box is filled ; nail it down tight, and keep it from wet. Bulbous roots may be hung up in paper bags ; and all the care that they require, is to be occasion ally cleared of any insects that may be on them. Plants are often packed in moss, as cuttings are in mould ; and I have seen them brought out in this manner, and succeed perfectly well. But the TREES AND PLANTS. more usual mode is to have boxes fitted on purpose, in which case the glass should be protected by a wire grating. In spite, however, of all the trouble that may have been expended upon the plants, many of them will perish before the expiration of the voyage ; but many will also reach their des tination in excellent condition.

They frequently die in consequence of the box not being closed in stormy weather, so that the plants are destroyed by the spray. They must not be watered too often. There is not a tree or plant that will grow in Eu rope that will not also thrive well in one or other of the three colonies ; and such, likewise, is the case with a great number of exotics. The emigrant ought certainly to take out both cuttings and seeds of every description. In a country like New Hol land, every deciduous tree, in particular, is valuable. He will perhaps say he has already enough to at tend to, without hampering himself with so many packages ; but he may rest assured, that the trouble and expense are so trifling, . as not to be worth mentioning. He will most probably, on his arrival, have no place in which to put his plants, etc., in this case, he can give them to the botanical garden, and the superintendent will at any time supply him with those he may require when on his location.

I have several times, to my no small astonish- CARGO OF BIRDS. ment, met with persons who were going to Aus tralasia professedly with the view of becoming settlers, and who, nevertheless, had not supplied themselves with a plant or seed of any kind. This must have been through idleness or carelessness, neither of which is very creditable. I tried to in troduce the goldfinch and sky lark ; and Dr. F., who, in each of his voyages has exerted himself greatly to introduce both birds and plants, took on board, when he last went out, two dozen lin nets, and three dozen goldfinches ; he landed three of the latter, and I saved two larks, but both males. Here we both committed a mistake, in having too many birds in one cage ; for I had four teen goldfinches in the same cage, and the Doctor thirty-six.

In flying about they destroyed each other, and they also fought most desperately. The proper, and in fact the only way, is to have a large wicker cage divided into compartments, and to keep two birds, male and female, in each, but with one general slide, so as to avoid the necessity of cleaning each cage or compartment separately. Singing birds, provided they are not of the kind which destroy grain or young fruit, (and even if they did, the loss would be trifling) would be a great acquisition to the Colonies, as they would tend to break, during a portion of the year, the horrid silence which so often reigns in the PORTO PRAY A. vast forests of New Holland and Van Dieman's Land. Our voyage to St. Jago, one of the Cape Verd Islands, was tolerably rapid, and we found there two ships which had sailed from England ten days before us, and yet had only arrived one day sooner.

We anchored at Porto Praya, the principal town of the island, and a party of us immediately went on shore. The landing is always indifferent, frequently very bad, and even dangerous. On my former visit to this place in a frigate, one of our boats was upset, and some of the crew were nearly drowned. On landing we had to walk along a sandy beach, and across a valley which extends to the port, and contains a few wretched looking trees ; then ascending a steep acclivity by a bad road cut out of the rock, we found ourselves in the town. It consists of a large square, one rather wide street, and a few lateral streets of a miserable appearance, and stands upon a bold rocky projection, elevated considerably above the sea, with a valley on each side, and bare hills and barren valleys behind. From it, with the exception of the above mentioned trees on the one side, and a few acres of garden ground and thick wood in the valley on the other, the eye looks over a region as bare and desolate as can possibly be imagined ; in short, no spot I ever saw can, in apparent A FERTILE RAVINE. sterility be compared to it.

Most of the inhabitants are blacks. From the town we walked a mile and a half to inspect some springs, and found there a good garden belonging to one of the merchants, and also a copious supply of excellent water, which flowed from beneath a rock. It is from hence that the government propose laying down pipes, in order to supply the shipping, and also the town, so as not to be under the necessity of depending, as is the case at present, on a well, inconve niently situated in a valley three quarters of a mile from the beach. Quitting the springs, we continued our walk, over loose lava without a blade of grass, and scarcely a plant of any kind, to a ravine called Trinidad. Here, however, the vegetation was truly luxuriant, and fruit of various kinds, particularly oranges, lemons, grapes, bananas, and cocoa-nuts, together with sugar canes, coffee, etc., were ex tremely abundant.

We saw also the tree com monly called, in Western Africa, the monkey fruit, the adansonia of botanists ; one which we measufed was forty-two feet in girth. The ravine, for it can hardly be termed a valley, is really a beautiful spot ; but it will bear no comparison with another called St. Domingo, CATTLE AND BIRDS. some miles beyond it, which I visited at a for mer period. The last is nine miles from the town ; and on our way to it we passed occasionally the bed of a mountain stream, but found not one drop of water. The ravine is rendered highly romantic and interesting, as it is of some extent, and enclosed by lofty rocks of a bold and picturesque appearance ; the effect of which (together with the cultivation) is greatly heightened by the contrast with the gloomy and unpromising aspect of the country around.

St. Jago is ten miles long and five wide. From July, 1830, to the time of my visit — that is to say, twenty-two months — not more than half an inch of rain had fallen in St. Jago ; and this had also been the case in some of the other islands of this group. The consequences have been highly disastrous, and many of the inhabitants have perished through want. During our little excursion, we remarked several large herds of cattle, and numerous goats, but were unable to discover upon what they subsisted ; of course their owners must supply them with food and water at night, though as these are scarce articles, it is not improbable that great numbers of the unfortunate animals perish. Guinea fowl and quail abound in every part of the island, and afford good shooting ; if a per- ISLAND OF MAYO. son wishes to procure the former, he must set off at daylight.

There are also hawks, king-fishers, and one or two other birds : of animals, I met with a few monkies, but doubt much if any person who had once seen one of these singular creatures asleep, would wantonly kill them ; and certainly a semi-cannibal alone would eat of one. The island is, at particular seasons, extremely unhealthy, and, taking into consideration the badness of the landing, the great fatigue expe rienced in walking even a few miles in a place so hot, and so entirely destitute of shade, and also how little there is to compensate any person for the trouble, it is scarcely worth the while of any one, save the sportsman, to go on shore : at all events, I would advise no female to land un less the water be more tranquil than it generally is. I have said that we touched, on a former voyage, at Mayo.

This island is of no great extent, and its sterility is even more apparent than that of St. Jago : the only signs of vegetation which we were enabled to discover, being observed on the sides of two mountains, of con siderable elevation. We landed at some steps cut out in the rock, and a worse landing place I have rarely seen ; for the sea beats with no little violence against the precipitous sides of the cliff, ARRIVAL AT SWAN RIVER. so that it requires great care and attention to prevent the boat from being stove or upset. The town, as it is termed, is a collection of miserable huts, inhabited by about 1500 Portu guese blacks ; and not far from it are the salt pans, where a large quantity of salt is annually made, forming the sole produce of this delecta ble spot. During the rains, the island is said to be covered with grass, but when a drought occurs, the condition of the natives, as also of the cattle and asses, must be dreadful.

We procured water by digging holes in the sand, and then placing casks, into which the water was allowed to drain ; a tedious process. That which we got, however, although soft and vapid, was by no means bad. I would recommend no one to touch at this most wretched island. The only land made, after leaving St. Jago, until we reached New Holland, was the Island of St. Paul, by all accounts a most singular spot ; but we were not near enough to make any obser vations concerning it. After a voyage of sixteen weeks, with no inci dents or events of any kind worth relating, we finally arrived at Swan River ; and it may be imagined how much our curiosity was excited to see, with our own eyes, a spot of which such a variety of accounts had been published. ARRIVAL AT SWAN RIVER This place was known to the French long before the English thought of colonising it : they seem to have entertained no very high opinion of its beauties cr capabilities*.

The coast, to some distance on each side of the entrance to the river, has a most wretched appearance, nothing being visible save barren rocks, or a sandy beach, with a dreary looking country beyond ; in short, a more inhospitable spot is rarely to be found ; and a vessel driven upon the rocks, formed an object which did not conduce to animate the scene. The port, or road-stead, called Gage's Roads, is partially sheltered by Garden Island, and two other islands named Rotten Nest and Pulo Carnac, but it is greatly exposed to the north-west winds, which often blow with considerable violence. The best anchorage is in Cockburn Sound, formed by Garden Island and the main, with the disadvantage, however, of being nine miles from the landing-place at Freemantle ; so that it will always be highly inconvenient for the boats of the merchant -vessels, besides causing a serious delay in discharging the cargoes of the latter.

Gag's Roads are said to be perfectly safe from October to April, as land and sea-breezes prevail regularly during that season. * Swan River was discovered in 1696 by Vlaming, but he gives no account of it. FREEMANTLE. Freemantle, at the time of my arrival — (in October 1829) — was a mere encampment, every person being either in a tent or temporary hut : its site is a level spot, consisting entirely of sand, and the "bush" or forest, extends to within a very short distance of it. Water was easily pro cured by digging holes a few feet in depth, but it was not particularly good ; and that which we took on board, at our departure, was not drink able ; I understand, however, that a plentiful supply has been found since, and of a good de scription. The only spring, near the place, was about a mile distant, and it fell into the river only a few yards from its source.

Some accounts state that Freemantle has been almost deserted, the colonists having removed to Perth, or to their grants ; others that it is in a flourishing condition ! Be this as it may, if the site alone be considered, a worse spot for a town could hardly have been selected ! Situated as it is upon a bed of sand, and exposed to a glare that is almost insupportable, it holds out but little in ducement for any person to fix his residence there, unless compelled by circumstances.* * Subsequent to writing this I have been informed, by one gentleman, that there were five hundred houses at Freemantle : and, bv another, that the number was very small : yet both had recently been there ! AN INCIPIENT TOWN. It was not a little curious to observe the in cipient town during the first few months after its commencement.