Journals of two Expeditions of Discovery in North West and Western Australia, during the years 1837, 38, and 39. With observations on the moral and physical character of the aboriginal inhabitants

Front matter

r NATIVE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA lublislied "trrliVisBocme.IoP-dcll JOURNALS OF TWO EXPEDITIONS OF DISCOVERY IN NORTH-WEST AND WESTERN" AUSTRALIA, DURING THE YEARS 1837, 38, an iJUnbrr tf)t Hutrjovttu of S?tr fHajrStn's' (©oomimntt. DESCR] MANY NEWLY DISCOVERED, IMPORTANT, AND FERTILE DISTRICTS, WITH OBSERVATIONS ON THE MORAL AND PHYSICAL CONDITION OF THE ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS, &c. &c. BY GEORGE GREY, ESQ. GOVERNOR OF SOV1 II AUSTRALIA : Late Captain of the Eighty-third lle^ IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON: T. AND W. BOONE, 29, NEW BOND STREET 11. CONTENTS OF VOLUME II.

Chapter I. From Gantheaume Bay To The Hutt River

FAGIi Wreck of the Seeoiid Boat iu Gantheaume Bay — Explore in its vicinity — Estuary and Scenery about it — Provisions divided — Start for Perth — Geological Remarks — Cross a District of Red Sandstone — Plains abounding in the Warrau Plants — Superior Native 'Paths and Wells— Estuary of the Hutt — Description of the Count: Scenery — Progress opposed bv Natives — The Hutt River — First Hills of the southern Ironstone Formation . . 1

Chapter II. From The Hutt River To Water Peak

Wild Turkeys seen — Difficulty of urging the Party forward — The Bones River — Native Huts — The Victoria Range and District — The Buller River — The Chapman River — Search for a missing Man — Scene with Natives — Return of Party from search — The Man found — The Greenough River— Cross the heads of two Bays — More Native Huts — Australind — The Irwin River — Search for Water — Water- Peak Hill — Benighted in returning to the Party . . 23

Chapter III. From Water Peak To

GAlRDNER's RANGE. Return to the Party — Destruction of useless Baggage— Critical situation — Divide tlie Party, and proceed with the strongest to Perth for assistance— Arrangements at starting — The Arrowsmith River — Natives — Mount Ilorner — Gairdner's Range — Generous conduct of one of the Men . . .44 CONTENTS.

Chapter IV. From Gairdner's Range To Perth

PAGE The Hill River — Discovery of a Native Provision Store — Barren Country— Sufferings from Thirst — Smith's River — Long and utter Destitution of Food and Water — Unsuccessful search for Water with Kaiber — His treacherous intentions — Return to the Men — Distressing symptoms from Thirst— Last efforts — Fortunate discovery of a moist mud-hole — Pangs of Hunger — River of running Water— Native Superstitions — Misery from Rain and Cold — Pass the Moore River — Joyful Interview with a friendly Tribe — Native Hospitality — Superstitions of my Men — Arrival ami reception at . s>3

Chapter V. From Water Peak To Perth

(MR. WALKER'S PARTY.) Party sent in search from Perth — Return with Charles Woods— Second party in search, under Mr. Roe — Arrival of Mr. Walker at Perth — Narrative of their Proceedings from Water Peak — Extreme Distress from Hunger and Thirst — Death of Mr. Smith — Timely discovery of the rest by Mr. Roe — Mr. Roe's Report . . .08

Chapter VI. Summary Of Discoveries

aid Mountain Ranges discovered — Districts of Babbage and Victoria — Mr. Moore's Voyage to Houtman's Abrolhos, and Port Grey — District to the North of Perth . .110

Chapter VII

: HOMEWAHDS. . CONTENTS. V

Chapter VIII. The Overlanders

PACE Class of Persons — Their mode of Life — Sudden accumulation of Wealth— Effects of their Enterprises — Magnitude of their Operations — Rapid increase of Wealth in New Settlements — Spread of Stock Stations — Course of the Overlanders through Australia — Communication between Southern and Western Australia — General conseiiuences of the spread of Commerce and Emigration . . 183

Chapter IX. Native Language

Radically the same throughout the Continent— Causes of a contrary Opinion — Difference of Dialects— Examples — Causes of error in former En,, . . . . 207

Chapter X. Their Traditional Laws

Errors of theoretical Writers regarding the Savage State— Complex Laws of Savage Life — Considerations on their Origin . .217

CHAPTER XL LAWS OF RELATIONSHIP, MARRIAGE, AND INHERITANCE.

Relationship and Marriage — Division of Families — Law of Marriage — Coincident Institutions amongst the North American Indians — Origin of Family Names — Second Coincidence — Betrothments — Widows — Obligations of Relationship — Difficulty of pursuing the ■ iiry— Property vested in Individuals — Universality of this torn — Line of Inheritance — Certain Laws regarding Food . . 225

Chapter XII. Crimes And Punishments

Superstitious Revenge of Natural Death — Murder— Stealing a Wife — Breach of Marriage Laws — Implication of a Murderer's Family in his Crime— Ordeal and Punishment for other Transgressions . . VI CONTENTS.

Chapter XIII. Social Condition And Domestic Habits

PAGE Population— Term of Life— Condition of Old Age,— and of Young Women — Average proportion of Births — Idiots and Lunatics — Influence of Polygamy on Social Habits — Mode of Conversational Intercourse — Consequences of Jealousy — Dances — Ceremonies on meeting . ... 246

Chapter XIV. Food And Hunting

Errors regarding scarcity of their Food— Varieties of it in different Latitudes — Causes of occasional Want — List of Edible articles — Implements for destroying Animals — Contents of a Native Woman's Bag — Different methods of catching Kangaroos — Cooking a Kangaroo — Methods of taking and cooking Fish — Feasting on a stranded Whale — Killing Wild Dogs — Turlle —Birds— Opossums— Frogs — Shell-fish — Grubs, and Wallobies — Edible Roots and Seeds — Mode of cooking and preparing them — Fungi — Gums— Common rights in certain Food . ... 259

Chapter XV. Songs And Poetry

General practice of Singing — Song of an Old Man in Wrath — Poets- Traditional Songs — N ative opinion of European singing — Examples of Songs for various occasions — Influence of Songs in rousing the angry Passions of the Men . . . 300

Chapter XVI. Funeral Ceremonies, Superstitions, And Remarkable Customs

Death and Burial of a Native near Perth — Burial of a Native in the Leschenault District — Custom of lacerating themselves, and watching among the Graves — The Boyl-yas or Native Sorcerers — Kaiber's account of them— Their opinion of the Night-mare — Veneration for Crystal Stones — Circumcision — Other Customs . CONTENTS VII

Chapter XVII. Characteristic

AjNECDOTES. PAGE Miago's imaginary Speech as Governor — Warrup's account of his Journey with Mr. Roe — Transactions with the Natives in a case of Potatoe Stealing — Judicial case of Assault . . . 345

Chapter XVIII. Influencf Of Europeans On The Natives

Causes why it has not hitherto been beneficial — Wretched state of the Native Population — Prejudices against them — Evil effects from their ferocious Customs remaining unchecked — Plan for promoting their Civilization. . . . 3G5

Appendix

. -Genealogical List, to shew the manner in which a native family becomes divided . . . 391 (B.)— Mount Fairfax, the Wizard Hills, and Champion Bay . . 304 (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., &c. &c, in a letter addressed to the Author. 397 (D.) — A List of the Birds of the Western coast, furnished by Mr. Gould. 415 (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 Johu Edward Gray, F.R.S., &c. &c, in a note to the author . . . 422 (F.) — Notes on some Insects from King George's Sound, collected and presented to the British Museum, by Captain George Grey, by Adam White, Esq., British Museum, addressed in a letter to the author. . JOURNALS OF EXPEDITIONS OF DISCOVERY.

Chapter I. From Gantheaume Bay To The Hutt River

WRECK OF THE SECOND BOAT IN GANTHEAUME BAY EX PLORE IN ITS VICINITY ESTUARY AND SCENERY ABOUT IT PROVISIONS DIVIDED START FOR PERTH GEOLOGICAL REMARKS — CROSS A DISTRICT OF RED SANDSTONE — PLAINS ABOUNDING IN THE WAREAN PLANT — SUPERIOR NATIVE PATHS AND WELLS ESTUARY OF THE HUTT DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY AND SCENERY PROGRESS OPPOSED BY NATIVES — THE HUTT RIVER FIRST HILLS OF THE SOUTHERN IRONSTONE FORMATION. 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 every thing 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 crewhad not seen our misfortunes, owing to the height of the surf, which, when we were under it, shut us out from their view, and now perceiving that we were on shore, and the boat hauled up, they concluded all VOL. II. B WRECK OF THE SECOND BOAT. was right; and, notwithstanding I made every possible sign to them not to beach, running as far as I could venture into the sea, and shouting out to them, — my voice was drowned by the roar of the surge, and I saw them bounding on to, what I thought, certain destruction. We, of course, were all turned to render assistance. They, fortunately, kept rather to the south of the spot on which we had beached, and where it was much less rocky, so that the danger they incurred in reaching the shore was slight in comparison to ours ; yet some of the planks of this boat were split throughout their entire length.

Whilst all hands were employed in endeavouring to repair damages, I ascended a hill to reconnoitre our present position, and found we were in a country of a pleasing and romantic appearance, and although the land was not good, the nature of the soil made me aware that we were most probably in the vicinity of a large tract of better quality ; indeed, this was the only part of South-west Australia in which I had met with the ancient red sandstone of the North west coast ; immediately behind the sand-hills on which I stood was a thick Casuarina scrub, which sloped down into a deep valley, and beyond this rose lofty and fantastic hills. After I had for some time looked round on this scene, I returned to the party and received the report of the carpenters, who, having examined the boats, stated their inability to render either of them fit for sea.

To this I had already made up my mind ; and even if the boats had been uninjured, I doubt whether we could ever COUNTRY ABOUT GANTHEAUME BAY. have got them off again through the tremendous surf which was breaking on this part of the shore ; whilst to have moved them to any distance would, in our present weak and enfeebled state, have been utterly impossible. No resource was now left to us but to endeavour (o reach Perth by walking ; yet when I looked at the sickly faces of some of the party, and saw their wasted forms, I much doubted if they retained strength to execute such a task ; but they themselves were in high spirits, and talked of the undertaking as a mere trifle. I gave orders for the necessary preparations to be made, and then started with two or three hands to search for water. On reaching the valley I have before-mentioned we found a small stream, and fol lowing this to the northward for about a mile, came out upon one of the most romantic and picturesque' looking estuaries I had yet seen : its shores abounded with springs, and were bordered by native paths, whilst the drooping foliage of several large sorts of Casuarina, the number of wild swans on its placid bosom, and the natives fishing in the distance, unconscious of our presence, imparted to the whole scene a quiet and a charm which was deeply felt by those who had now for so many days been either tossed about by the winds and waves, or had long been wandering over barren and inhospitable shores.

We did not, indeed, find much good land about this estuary, but there were rich flats upon each side of it, whilst the nature of the rocks, and the lofty and peculiar character of the distant hills, gave promise of the ESTUARY AND LANDING-PLACE. most fertile region I had yet seen in extra-tropical Australia. We followed the shores of the estuary to the northward and eastward until we saw a point, where it appeared to separate into two branches. The natives decamped as soon as they observed us coming, and Kaiber, who watched them with the most intense interest, indulged in various speculations as to the number they would bring back when they returned. We joined the party and traced the shores of the estuary to its mouth, which turned out to be the opening we saw in the morning : this mouth is completely sheltered by a line of breakers and reefs, which, although they present a most formidable appearance from the sea, can be doubled by keeping pretty close along the shore in approaching the mouth of the river.

Owing to this reef there are no breakers on the bar, but its mouth is very narrow, and so shoal that I doubt if a boat could be got in at any other time than high water : some of the sailors with me, however, thought other wise ; but there is, at all events, convenient landing at this point under the shelter of the reef. April 2. — The men not having quite completed their preparations for starting, I moved off at dawn to resume the survey of Gantheaume Bay and its vicinity. The estuary appeared this morning even more lovely than yesterday, and as the heavy morning mists arose, unfolding its beauties to our view, all those feelings came thrilling through my mind which explorers alone can know ; flowering shrubs FERTILE COUNTRY. and trees, drooping foliage, a wide and placid ex panse of water met the view ; trickling springs and fertile flats were passed over by us ; there was much barren land visible in the distance, though many a sign and token might lead the practical explorer to hope, that he was about to enter upon a tract of an extent and fertility yet unknown in s.w. Australia.

A total change had taken place in the geological for mation of the land : a rock, as yet unobserved in the s.w. portion of the continent, occupied the principal place here ; and with this rock was associated limestone; thespringshad astrongsulphureous smell, and the lofty broken character of the distant mountains had an almost grand appearance, to those who had so long wandered through low and level countries. Each step I took rendered my spirits more buoy ant and elastic, and each hill, the position of which I fixed, gave me, from its appearance, renewed hopes. Under such agreeable circumstances the morning wore rapidly away, and having rendered my survey as complete as I could, we returned to the boats. We were now all ready to commence our toil some journey ; the provisions had been shared out ; twenty pounds of flour and one pound of salt provisions per man, being all that was left.

What I have here designated by the name of flour was quite unworthy of being so called, it was of a dark yellowish brown colour, and had such a sour fer mented taste, that nothing but absolute necessity could induce any one to eat it. The party, however, were in high spirits ; they talked of a walk of three VOL. II. c COMMENCE THE MARCH TO PERTH. hundred miles in a direct line through the country (without taking hills, valleys, and necessary deviations into account), as a trifle, and in imagination were already feasting at home, and taking their ease after the toils they had undergone. I gave them all warning of the many difficulties they had yet to encounter, and did this, not with the intention of damping their ardour, but in the hope of inducing them to abandon some portion of the loads they intended to carry.

I entrusted a small pocket chronometer to Mr. Walker, and another to Corporals Coles and Auger ; and to Ruston I gave charge of a pocket-sextant, which belonged to the Surveyor-General at Perth. Coles and Auger also undertook to carry a large sextant, turn about ; all my own papers, such charts as I thought necessary, and some smaller instruments I bore myself; but Kaiber, in order to relieve me, took charge of my gun, and some other articles. Mr. Smith carried his sketch book and box of colours. I ought here to state, that in all the difficulties which beset those individuals to whom I entrusted anything, they never, except on one occasion, and by my orders, abandoned it : indeed, I do not believe that there is a stronger instance of fidelity and perseverance than was evinced by some of the party, in retaining, under every difficulty, possession of that which they had promised to preserve for me.

Our loads having been hoisted on our shoulders, away we moved. I had before chosen my line of route, and the plan I had resolved to adopt was to PICTURESQUE HALTING PLACE. walk on slowly but continuously for an hour, and then to halt for ten minutes ; during which interval of time the men could rest, and relieve themselves from the weight of their burdens, whilst I could enter what notes and bearings I had taken during the preceding hour. We were embarrassed for the first portion of our journey, this afternoon, by a thick scrub, through which we could only make our way with great difficulty, but on coming to a water-course, running into the southern part of Gantheaume Bay from the south-east I turned up its bed, and we were then able to move along with tolerable facility. This water course ran at the bottom of a red sandstone ravine, resembling the old red sandstone of England ; and the remainder of the evening was spent in clamber ing about the rocks, and endeavouring to avoid such natural obstacles as impeded our route.

Our progress was slow, and just before night-fall, I turned up a branch ravine trending to the south ward, when we soon found ourselves at the foot of a lofty cascade, down which a little water was slowly dropping ; and on climbing to its summit, it appeared to be so well adapted for -a halting place for the night, that I determined to remain here. The men made themselves comfortable near the water-holes, and Mr. Smith and myself crept into a little cave, which occasionally served as a resting-place for the natives, the remains of whose fires were scattered about. A wild woodland and rocky scenery was around us ; and when the c NATIVE PATH AND WELL. moon rose, and shed her pale light over ali, I sat with Mr. Smith on the edge of the waterfall, gazing alternately into the dim woody abyss below, and at the red fires and picturesque groups of men, than which fancy could scarcely image a wilder scene.

April 3. — Before the day had fully dawned, we were under weigh. Our course for the first mile or two was embarrassed by ravines and scrub, similar to that we had yesterday met with ; our progress was therefore very slow, but we at length emerged on elevated sandy downs, thickly clothed with banksia trees, and across these we came upon a well-beaten native path, running to the s. by e. which was exactly our line of route. We had not followed this path for more than four miles, when we found a most romantically-situated native well, surrounded by shrubs and graceful wattle trees, and of a depth and size such as we had never before observed. Here, then, we seated ourselves, and, upon such scanty fare as we had, made a spar ing breakfast. This, however, but very insuffi ciently supplied our wants ; and as we sat at this little well, thus surrounded with such fairy scenery, a variety of philosophic reflections crossed our minds, and found vent in words.

Nothing could be more delightfully romantic than our present position. Both as regarded danger, scenery, savages, and unknown lands, we were in precisely the situation in which Mr. Cooper and other novelists delight to depict their travellers, with HEAVY LOADS CARRIED BY THE MEN. this one woeful difference,— our wallets were empty. It was in vain I fumbled about in mine ; I could neither find the remains of a venison pasty, a fat buffalo's hump, or any other delicacy : indeed I had not the means of keeping life and soul together for many days longer. Deeply did we regret that we were not favoured, for a few days, with the com pany of Mr. Cooper, that he might, in our present difficulties, fully initiate us into the mysterious, — nay, almost miraculous means by which his travellers, even in the most dreary wilds, always contrived to draw forth from their stock of provender such dainties that the bare recollection of them made our mouths water ; but the necessities of the mo ment would not permit me, for more than a few minutes, to indulge in these speculations, and we turned therefore from seductive travels of the ima gination to the more stringent ones of reality.

I now entreated the men to disencumber them selves of a portion of the loads which they were attempting to carry. Urged by a miscalculating desire of gain, when the boats were abandoned they had laid hands upon canvass and what else they thought would sell at Perth, and some of them appeared to be resolved rather to risk their lives than the booty they were bending under. The more tractable threw away the articles 1 told them to get rid of; but neither entreaties nor menaces prevailed with the others. For the next three miles we still followed the native path, which continued to run s. by e. The DIFFICULT SCRUB. whole of this distance was over open sandy downs, abounding in kangaroos ; but we now suddenly emerged into a rich limestone country, of gently sloping hills and valleys, affording, even at this season of the year, fair feed for sheep or cattle, and we found springs of water at every few hundred yards, generally situated at the edge of a large clump of trees.

After having for some time rested here, I quitted the native path, which trended too much to the eastward, and leaving also the direction of the limestone country which ran inland, we continued a s. by e. course, over a gravelly table-land, in places covered with beds of clay on which rested ponds of water. The country here was perfectly open, with clumps of trees to the eastward. Emus and kangaroos were wandering about the plains. Two miles more brought us to an almost impene trable belt of scrub, which lay east and west, directly athwart our path, so that we were obliged to face it ; and in two hours and a half I had forced my way throw it. The others followed, slowly emerging from the bush after me, and as we were all totally exhausted, as well as dreadfully torn and bruised, we halted at its edge for the night, and lighting our fires lay down to court that repose we had so fairly earned.

We had, however, only walked fifteen and a half miles to-day. April 4. — I again this morning used every effort to induce some more of the men to abandon a por tion of their loads. I represented to them their SUPERIOR NATIVE PATH AND WELLS. 11 weak state, the small supply of provisions they had with them, and the difficulty they already found in keeping up with the party ; but all these arguments and every other I could make use of were unavail ing ; the tenacity with which they clung to a worthless property, even at the risk of their lives, is almost incredible, and it is to be borne in mind that this property was not their own, but what they had taken from the wreck of the boats. Did I even induce one to throw anything away, another avari cious fellow would pick it up ; and their thoughts and conversation, instead of running upon making the best of their way home and saving their lives, consisted in conjectures as to what they would realize from their ill-gotten and embarrassing booty.

The course I pursued was one of 180°, and we soon fell in with the native path which we had quitted yesterday ; but it now became wide, well beaten, and differing altogether, by its permanent character, from any I had seen in the southern por tion of this continent. For the first five miles we traversed scrubby stony hills, thickly wooded with banksia trees ; but the limestone here again cropped out, and we entered a very fertile valley, runningnorth and south, and terminating in a larger one, which drained the country from east to west. This valley is remarkable as containing one Xanthorrhea (grass tree) ; being the farthest point to the north at which I have found this tree. In it also was a gigantic ant's nest, being the most southerly one I had yet seen. All these circumstances convinced me that we* were NATIVE WARRAN GROUND. about to enter a very interesting region.

And as we wound along the native path my wonder aug* mented ; the path increased in breadth and in its beaten appearance, whilst along the side of it we found frequent wells, some of which were ten and twelve feet deep, and were altogether executed in a superior manner. We now crossed the dry bed of a stream, and from that emerged upon a tract of light fertile soil, quite overrun with warran plants,* the root of which is a favourite article of food with the natives. This was the first time we had yet seen this plant on our journey, and now for three and a half consecutive miles we traversed a fertile piece of land, literally per forated with the holes the natives had made to dig this root ; indeed we could with difficulty walk across it on that account, whilst this tract extended east and west as far as we could see.

It was now evident that we had entered the most thickly-populated district of Australia that I had yet observed, and moreover one which must have been inhabited for a long series of years, for more had here been done to secure a provision from the ground by hard manual labour than I could have believed it*in the power of uncivilised man to accom plish. After crossing a low limestone-range, we came down upon another equally fertile warran ground, bounded eastward by a high range of rocky * The Warran is a species of Dioscorea, a sort of yam like the sweet potatoe. It is known by the same name both on the east and west side of the continent. DANGERS OF DELAY. limestone hills, luxuriantly grassed, and westward by a low range of similar formation. The native path, about two miles further on, crossed this latter range, and we found ourselves in a grassy valley, about four miles wide, bounded seawards by sandy downs.

Along its centre lay a chain of reedy fresh water swamps, and native paths ran in from all quarters, to one main line of communication leading to the southward. In these swamps we first found the yun-jid, or flag (a species of typhd), and the sow-thistle of the southern districts ; one we came to was a thick tea tree swamp, extremely picturesque, and producing abundance of these plants, some of which were collected by the men to eat in the evening. To my surprise Mr. Walker here came up to me, and asked if I did not think it would be better to halt for a day or two at places of this kind, to allow the men to refresh themselves. The idea of men halting, and wasting their strength and energies in searching for native food, whilst they had so fearful a journey before them, and no supplies, appeared to me to be preposterous in the extreme : to obtain a sufficiency of food, even for a native, requires in Australia a great degree of skill and knowledge of tlfe productions of the country ; but for a European, utterly unaccustomed to this species of labour, and totally unacquainted with the productions of the land, to obtain enough to support life for any period, whilst, at the same time, he has to search for water, is quite impossible.

Even Kaiber, from his ignorance of PICTURESQUE ESTUARY. the roots, declared that he should starve in this country. I saw, therefore, that did I adopt the proposed plan of travelling only a few miles a day, and occasionally halting for a day or two to refresh ourselves upon some thistles and periwinkles, I should infallibly sacrifice the lives of the whole party ; and under this impression I declined to accede to the suggestion. Amongst indolent and worn-out men, however, it subsequently became an extremely popular notion, and, as future events clearly shewed, a fatally erroneous one. I from the first opposed it both by my words and example ; and in this instance, as soon as I conceived that the men were sufficiently rested, I moved on. After travelling another mile we found ourselves at the head of a large and picturesque estuary, which lay north and south ; the native path ran along its shores, which were of great richness and beauty, and the estuary itself lay to our west, and was about two miles across ; on the east a series of rich undercliff limestone hills, gradually rose into lofty, and precipitate ranges, between which and the estuary, was the fertile valley, along which we wound our weary way ; while groups of graceful acacias with their airy and delicate foliage, gave a great charm to this beautiful spot. — We moved slowly along, and ere we had made two miles more the shades of night begun to fall, and I halted the party.