Narrative of a Visit to the Australian Colonies/Chapter 9
CHAPTER IX.
On arriving at Circular Head, we found the Conch, bound for the Isle of France and the Cape of Good Hope, lying at the jetty, where she had taken shelter from adverse winds. On landing, a young man was waiting with assistants, to convey our luggage to a small cottage, which Edward Curr had kindly appropriated to our use, his large family fully occupying his own house: he received us kindly, and invited us to take our meals at his table during our stay here.
Circular Head is a basaltic peninsula, on a flat part of the coast: it takes its name from a large circular bluff, facing the east, and at the south side of which is the anchorage. Portions of the peninsula, which contains about 4,000 acres, are hilly and clothed with wood: much of the soil is good, and notwithstanding some of it is light, it is very productive. On the main land, the coast is sandy, or swampy, and further in, the forest is dense and lofty.
The whole grant of the V. D. Land Company here, is 20,000 acres. The dwellings of persons in their employment, are chiefly on the portion of the peninsula called Highfield Plain, which lies to the north-west of the bluff. We had several meetings with the work-people at this place, generally in the carpenter's shop. Their remote situation excited our sympathy, and we endeavoured to direct them to Christ, the Shepherd and Bishop of souls.—Many of the people who emigrated hither under the auspices of the V. D. Land Company, came out as their indentured servants; but these, finding they had agreed for less wages than they could readily obtain in the Colony, took every opportunity to run away; and the Company having in but few instances, agreed specifically what rations the people should receive, in addition to wages, this also became a fruitful source of dissatisfaction, so that, at present, they have few indentured servants left.
The people here have the advantage of being generally secluded from strong drink, but a Colonial vessel putting in at the jetty, a few of the prisoners, in defiance of admonition, obtained some. I was present when two of these received flagellation, to the amount of twenty-five lashes each, for this offence. Witnessing this punishment tended to confirm me in its inefficiency compared with solitary confinement.
Pelicans and other wild-fowl, resort to the bays adjacent to Circular Head. Eagles also are common here, as well as in other parts of the Island. One day, I saw a large Eagle sallying over my companion, while he was busily occupied in picking up shells. It approached nearer every time it swept over him, until, being afraid he should receive a stroke from its talons, I called to him, and on his resuming an erect posture, it flew away.—On the western shore of Circular Head, there is a remarkable bank of sponges, of several hundred yards long, and more than a yard thick. There are also some others of smaller dimensions. The species are numerous and curious. Sponges, as we see them in England, are merely skeletons. In their living state, those of this coast are filled with a scarlet, crimson, or bright yellow pulp, and covered with a thin skin ; they are of great beauty, when seen in clear water.
Shells are also numerous here, we picked up more than a hundred species. The sand north of the bluff, was sometimes covered with myriads of globular crabs, about the size of a hazel-nut. On going among them, they made a noise like a shower of rain, and by a rotatory motion, in a few seconds, buried themselves in the sand, the surface of which they left covered with pellicles like peas.
Seals are not now frequent on this part of the coast; one of large size was killed on the beach during our stay; in the course of which the weather was occasionally inclement for a few days at a time. Rain was often attended by thunder: previous to it, the Ants were busy raising mounds around their holes, to prevent inundation.
12th mo. 13th. Accompanied by Edward Curr, and three assigned servants of the Company, we set out for the Hampshire Hills: the weather previously had rendered the rivers on the way impassable. We travelled on horseback, and were each equipped with a long bundle, formed by a blanket, containing sundry needful articles, and with a tin pot, and a tether-rope, attached to the fore part of the saddle. We crossed a muddy bay, and rode eight miles along a sandy beach, to the Black River, which we forded without difficulty, the tide being low.—On this river, there is blue slate, of good quality, limestone, and quartz-rock. Continuing on the beach five miles further, we crossed Crayfish River, and in four miles more, came to the Detention River, which we also passed on the bar. Here we halted, on a grassy place, where there was a small spring, and made tea, while the horses grazed; they being relieved from their burdens, and tethered to the bushes. When the horses were a little rested, we ascended the white quartz hills, of Rocky Cape, which were but thinly covered with sandy peat. A species of Xanthorrhaea, or Grass-tree, is scattered over them, having a root-stock of a few inches high, supporting a crest of stiff spreading rushy leaves, from the centre of which rises a stem from 2 to 5 feet high, thickly covered, excepting a few inches at the base, with rough buds, and with flowers resembling little white stars. A beautiful Blandfordia was also scattered in this district: its stems were 1½ ft. high, and supported crests of from 10 to 20 pendulous, red blossoms, margined with yellow, l½ inch long, and ¾ inch wide, at the mouth.
Beyond these hills is a level, upon which, and on some contiguous hills, Banksia serratifolia is the prevailing tree. This, so far as I know, is its only locality in V. D. Land. It is equal to a Pear-tree in size, has leaves 3 or 4 inches long, and ⅝ broad, and strongly toothed: its heads of flowers are 6 inches long, and 12 round; and the seeds are as large as almonds.
The ascent of some of the hills was as steep as a horse could climb, and in some places, little but bare rocks. Some whitening, human bones lay by the side of one of the paths through this dreadful country, in a situation likely for a person exhausted by fatigue, to sink down and die.—Sometimes, we had to lay hold of the manes of the horses, to retain our seats, sometimes to leap over logs, in awkward situations, and sometimes it was impracticable to ride. In some places, the scrub, of Acacia verticellata, was so thick that we could not see each other, and when we came upon Table Cape, a fern, Pteris esculenta, was so deep as to obscure us from the view of each other.
In the evening, we descended a steep place, at the foot of which, on the coast, there was a grassy level, watered by a clear spring. Here we took up our abode for the night, and formed beds of dry fern and branches, under the shelter of a tarpawling, and a Honey-suckle-tree; and after another meal, of which tea formed a refreshing part, retired to rest, two of our attendants having previously returned to Circular Head with some cattle.
14th. Early in the morning we mended our fire, and supplied ourselves with water for breakfast, from the roof of a cave, in compact silicious rock, imbedding a variety of shells, of similar species to the recent ones on the strand below. We made a hasty meal of tea with beef-pasties, which we took while walking about in the rain, and listening to loud peals of thunder. Lotus australis, a bushy plant with pretty, pink, pea-flowers, which also occurs at Cape Grim, was growing here.—The bones of a person supposed to have been a soldier, and some of his fishing tackle, &c. were some time since, found among the fern, by the sea side, at this place, by one of the Company's servants.
After ascending to the top of Table Cape, we passed over some rich, red loam, clothed with luxuriant vegetation. Fern, Prickly Acacia, and Musky Aster, were so thick as to be passed with difficulty. Tree-ferns were numerous, and many lofty shrubs were overrun with Macquarie Harbour Vine and White Clematis. Above the shrubs, rose stately Stringy-barks and White Gums, attaining to about 200 feet in height. Here and there, a tree had fallen across the path, which was but indistinctly traced in places, and when left was not easy to find again.—Leaving Table Cape, we crossed the Inglis and Camm Rivers, upon the beach, on which we rode most of the way to Emu Bay; where the Company have a store, for the supply of their establishment, at the Hampshire and Surrey Hills. Goods are landed at this place, on the basaltic rocks, which rise perpendicularly out of the sea in pentagonal columns.
After a short rest, we set out for the Hampshire Hills, distant 20½ miles, through one of the most magnificent of forests. For a few miles from the sea, it consists chiefly of White Gum and Stringy-bark, of about 200 feet in height, with straight trunks, clear of branches for from 100 to 150 feet; and resembling an assemblage of elegant columns, so irregularly placed as to intercept the view, at the distance of a few hundred yards. These are elegantly crowned with branching tops, of light, willow-like foliage, but at an elevation too great to allow the form of the leaves to be distinguished, yet throwing a gentle shade on the ground below, which is covered with splendid tree-ferns and large shrubs, and carpeted with smaller ferns. Some of the larger Stringy-barks exceed 200 feet, and rise nearly as high as "the Monument" before branching. Their trunks also will bear a comparison with that stately column, both in circumference and straightness.—The bark of these trees is brown and cracked: that of the White Gums is french-grey, and smooth.
The prostrate trunks of these sylvan giants, in various stages of decay, add greatly to the interest of the scene. Some of them, lately fallen, have vast masses of the rich red earth in which they grew, still clinging to their roots; others, that have been in a state of decay before they fell, present singular ruins of shattered limbs and broken boughs; others, that seem to have been in a state of decomposition for ages, have become overgrown with various ferns and shrubs.
As the distance from the sea increases, the Australian Myrtle and Sasafras, of dark dense foliage, become the prevailing trees. In these denser forests, tree-ferns form nearly the sole undergrowth, except the small, starry ferns, of low stature, of the genus Lomaria, that cover the ground thinly. Some of the tree-ferns have trunks 20 feet high. Their leaves are from 8 to 12 feet long, and the new ones, now forming, rise in the centre like elegant croziers.
This forest is an ascending, undulating ground, and is interrupted by a very few, small, grassy plains. One of these had recently been burnt by a few Aborigines still remaining in this neighbourhood. They burn off the old grass, in order that the Kangaroos may resort to that which springs up green and tender.
The road which has been cut through this forest, is so much shaded as to be kept constantly moist. It is impassable, except for pack-horses, for several months in the year; and many parts of it may be termed sloughs filled with tangled roots. Several brooks that pass through it, are crossed on bridges, formed of poles laid closely together, so as to make a compact platform.
On arriving at the Hampshire Hills, we received a warm greeting from G. W. Walker's relations, George and Mary Robson; who were rejoiced to see their relative in this sequestered spot, so far from their native land.