The narrative of a voyage to the Swan River/Appendix section IV
SECTION IV.
Miscellaneous Observations, and Advice to Emigrant, Passenger, and Settler.
The emigrants at the Swan River are reported to be much dissatisfied on their arrival with the Settlement, but not a word is said of the expences and disappointments they experience in this country before their setting out, caused by the vessels in which they have taken their passage not sailing at the appointed time. No mention is made of the waste of the little they have saved from the wreck of a property once sufficient to support them respectably; but which the depreciation, which has affected all kinds of property, has reduced to such an extent as to be totally insufficient to afford them support here. No mention is made of the loss of funds contributed by friends; nor of the situation of a father who has hitherto supported himself and family by honest industry but which, from feeling confident he cannot continue to do with a reduced capital in this country, he determines to emigrate, with the hope of succeeding elsewhere; and what his feelings must be on finding his little property, with which he had hoped to realize this praiseworthy expectation, rapidly decreasing by a prolonged residence in London, occasioned by the vessel, in which he has taken his passage, not sailing at the time positively announced by a public advertisement, and this delay is protracted under repeated assurances, for weeks, and, in some instances, months, until the little cash which he reserved for his expences on his landing in the Colony is exhausted by his protracted residence in town; and the labourers whom he engaged to accompany him become demoralized by their continuance in idleness and exposure to evil company, and perhaps are induced by the high wages which labourers receive in the metropolis, to abandon him at the very moment the vessel is going to sail.
At present all I can advise the emigrant to do is to find a vessel which is chartered by respectable persons, to engage berths for himself and those who are to go out with him. Then let him send all his goods on board and return home, taking the key of his berths, and never mind what the advertisements say, but as soon as he learns that the vessel has really left the docks, then, and not till then, let him and his people set out immediately and join the vessel at Gravesend or Portsmouth, or any other port where she may touch in her way.[1] Any thing is better than to remain in London month after month in idleness and serious expence.
A person about to emigrate will make his purchases of necessaries to much more advantage in London than in the country, if the vessel in which he takes his passage, sails from that port. He will also find his advantage in having his packages made strong, and of good materials; the attempt to save a trifling sum, by putting goods into old decayed boxes and cases, often subjects the owner to loss and damage, equal to ten times the amount of saving between a good package and a bad one: not only so, but in a Settlement of very recent establishment, where a man must first build a store-house before he can secure his goods from the weather and pilferers, he will find the advantage of a good strong chest, made as near water-proof as possible, and so firmly put together, that no part of it shall offer an opportunity to a pilfering knave to introduce a wrench, and thereby abstract part of the contents.
As goods are liable to damage from salt water, or exhalations rising from it, it is worth while to have the boxes or cases lined with tin. By adopting this mode, and taking care to have all things in a thoroughly dry condition when packed, the passenger will have the satisfaction of landing them in good condition, while he who has been less careful and eager to save a trifle in the expence of his packages, will find to his dismay, all of his effects more or less injured, some totally spoiled.
It would be well for him to consider, that on his arrival in the Colony, and for some time after he may not be provided with chairs, tables, and other things, which are considered to contribute to comfort; and to obviate the inconvenience, have his packages of such a shape, as to serve as substitutes; for instance, a strong chest 6 feet by 3 feet,[2] and any height he may consider convenient, and in which he might place his most valuable property, would serve as a temporary table, and should he not be provided with a bedstead, his chest might be made to answer that purpose. So other packages, might serve as substitutes for furniture which at first he cannot obtain. He may have his bedstead in his cabin made of a chest of drawers.
When his purchases are all made and packed, he must number them, and put a mark on each by which they are to be entered in the vessel's books. The usual way is to enclose the letter or letters in a square or triangle thus "[A] No. 1," the next No. 2, and so on to the whole number of packages.
He must then deliver to the Broker to the vessel an account of the number of his packages, and their description, whether chests, cases, casks, trunks, &c., how marked, and a general description of each of their contents, and their value ; which list the Broker will "pass" through the Custom House.
I subjoin a list, which will make it more clearly understood by the reader, who has not met with any other book upon the subject of emigration.
List of Goods belonging to T. A. to be Shipped on board the Lotus for the Swan River.
| £ | s | d | ||
| [A]No. 1. | Chest Ironmongery ... | 17 | 10 | 6 |
| 2. | Case, Drapery ... | 19 | 14 | 9 |
| 3. | Trunk, Wearing Apparel ... | 21 | 11 | 0 |
| 4. | Cask, Provisions ... | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 5. | Ditto, Biscuit ... | 4 | 3 | 6 |
| 6. | Box, Books .... | 15 | 8 | 6 |
| 7. | Ditto, Linen ... | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 8. | Iron Plough ... | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 9. | Truck ... | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 10. | Chest, Drapery & Hosiery ... | 31 | 15 | 6 |
| 11. | Cask, Garden Seeds ... | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 12. | Box, Glass ... | 9 | 17 | 3 |
| 13. | Puncheon of Rum ... | 20 | 19 | 0 |
| ———— | ||||
| £191 | 0 | 0 | ||
It will rest with the person shipping the goods, to insure or not as he may feel disposed. The price of insurance has been 41. 4s. per cent, it possibly may now be less, from the coast off Freemantle being better known, and the danger to vessels going there less.
However necessary it might have been for the first settlers to take out with them every article which they might require on their arrival or location, the emigrant must remember that an ample supply of goods has been brought into the Colony, and consequently he will find it answer his purpose better to keep far the greater part of his money in his pocket, and on his arrival at the Settlement, he can purchase what he wants, and as he wants them. Without a warehouse for the shelter of his goods, and with a great difficulty of carrying them either by land or water to his location, he will find every package an incumbrance.
Let him therefore provide nothing but necessaries, which will absolutely be required upon his arrival, and avoid all speculation whatever, unless it be in a few tierces of beef or pork which, if he cannot sell, he may eat. He should by all means take out a sufficiency of these meats, and of hams and bacon most carefully packed by those who understand it, for the subsistence of himself and party for twelve months. Corn and flour for seed or bread may be obtained in the Colony from the dealers who have imported them. Clothes for two years of strong though light materials, and agricultural and mechanics' tools for the use of the party will be useful.
Since writing the foregoing pages I am informed that implements adapted for colonial agriculture are made at Sydney and Hobart Town, and of course are among the exports to Freemantle. If he prefers articles of English manufacture, he can purchase plenty in the Colony from the "green-horns" who have brought them out, and know not how to use them.
Garden seeds should be taken out perfectly dry, and not stowed in the damp hold of the vessel, but in the passengers' cabin, in which I would recommend him to put every article he may require upon his voyage, for when packages are once put in the hold it will be a matter of difficulty to get at them, even if it were permitted to attempt it.
Passengers in general blame the Captain on every cause of complaint, but they ought not; all he has to do is to take charge of the vessel and convey it to its destination according to the direction of the owners; and if the allowance of water or provisions be shortened, or the vessel does not proceed on her voyage on the appointed day, the Captain is no more to blame than a stage coachman is deserving of censure for the badness of the horses. The ship's steward is the person who has the charge of provisions and water, the owners, not the Captain, keep the vessel in the docks.
As the berth of a passenger is so small, he should make the most of it by packing every thing in the smallest possible compass. If he should have any vacancy, he might fill it up with a few ginger-beer bottles of water, (with a piece of charcoal in each) and vinegar, which he will find very refreshing while the ship is in the Torrid Zone. Let him take also plenty of carbonate of soda and tartaric acid closely corked in proper bottles.
He ought by all means provide an ample supply of medicines of the simplest and safest kind, and the proper doses and disorders for which they are efficacious written down by some medical man who knows his constitution, and is of long experience in his profession.
A lamp with plenty of oil for it, will be very useful during the voyage.
Books, of course, upon the best and most instructive subjects should not be forgotten, and among other religious works, I would decidedly recommend "Doddridge's Family Expositor," in one large vol. 8vo. published at 1l. 1s. but sold by most booksellers for less.
There is a newly-invented lanthorn now sold on reasonable terms for common use, its sides instead of being made of horn are of wire, platted closely together; it gives a better light than the common horn lanthorn, and it is not near so liable to be injured by accidents. This the Settler would find as useful upon his arrival at his allotment, as the pewter plates and dishes he ought to provide.
Tents are generally recommended to emigrants ; they look very pretty in a shop, and a pretty price is charged for them, but they are very far inferior to a good tarpaulin, and of a large size too. The tent is useless to the Settler as soon as he has built his house. The tarpaulin for many years (with care) will be useful for a variety of purposes.
A cast net (and if it can be afforded, a draught net) with plenty of twine to mend it, must by no means be forgotten. Fishing-tackle will be of little use to those who ought to be better employed, than to waste their time in angling, when important work is to be done—but a few hooks for night lines may be of service.
On the subject of guns I have not the vanity to offer any opinion to professed sportsmen, but to those who may not have much experience therein. Gunsmiths may pretend what they please, but in a general way, a gun of two feet four inches in the barrel will hot kill so far as one of two feet eight or ten inches, unless the bore be less than a fourteen. Guns for the length of the barrel should always be in proportion to the bore, so says Col. Hawker. Light guns, with short barrels and small bores, may do very well in covers, or in well stocked preserves, but there is no doubt that at the Swan River they will be found far inferior to stout guns that will carry a large charge and bring down at a long shot. By the way, great mistakes prevail about the "charge" of a gun, and its shooting ; some use from two to two ounces and a half of shot in a common gun, fancying that by a greater number of pellets they do more execution; but the reverse is the fact, a gun when over-shotted can never shoot so strong as when the weight of shot is in just proportion to the powder, but if there be a heavy charge of powder, to give the proper impulse to the additional weight of shot, the recoil will be severe, and the discharge perhaps attended with danger. But it is not the number of shot which kills the bird, but the force with which they are driven; and for want of this consideration it is, that the inexperienced are taken in, by those who are "up" to selling a gun. They will shew a sheet of paper cullenderized with shot thrown fifty or sixty yards, taking care to put a little oil to the shot before charging the gun with it. But when you go to buy a gun, have it shot against twelve sheets of brown paper, and instead of amusing yourself with counting the number of pellets which have perforated the first sheet, take the trouble to count those that have pierced the twelfth; for one shot driven with force enough to go through the twelfth sheet will have more effect than six that have only hit the first, these six would probably only wound the bird-—the one would bring him down. Take care that the vendor, while pretending to count the holes in the paper, does not add to the number with an awl which he quite accidentally may have in his hand.
But why not order a gun at once from a respectable maker? because a gun equally good (perhaps of his make) may be bought at half the price in a second-hand shop. There are many very respectable dealers in London, who have an extensive stock in hand, and good guns may be purchased from them at moderate prices. Many of those who have second-hand guris upon sale have places where they may be tried ; and will send any one which may be approved of to the maker, to satisfy the purchaser that it is not one of the many spurious guns, which have the names of "Manton," "Purdy," or "Mortimer."
But however excellent the guns of these farfamed makers may be, I would not recommend the emigrant to buy one, even if he can spare an extra ten pounds, for the pleasure of having a London built gun. For common purposes, one safe hard shooting gun is as good as another, and when he is upon his allotment, he will have matters of more consequence to attend to than to clean his Joe Manton every day that he shoots. A common gun will answer his purpose as well as the most highly finished, and for the same reason a flint will be much better than a percussion; the latter requires cleaning much oftener than the former, and not only so, but in case the caps should be all used, or damaged by the voyage, that gun is useless. When you meet with a gun that pleases you in every respect, before purchasing it, have the breeches taken out, though it is certified that Mr. Manton made it himself; for since he sold it, rust may have made many flaws in the barrel, though it may be beautifully bronzed without, and if the inside of the breech and barrel be as smooth as glass and as bright as silver it will do. If you do not know a good lock from a bad one, by all means make the purchase under the advice of some experienced friend; but, if it can be avoided, never send him to purchase one for you ; for in the choice of a gun or a wife, every one will be more satisfied to choose for himself.
A duck-gun should not be less than three feet in the barrel and of ten guage, and as it will have to carry not less than from two to three ounces of shot, and powder in proportion, it is needless to say that it ought to be heavy, or both cheek and shoulder will suffer from the recoil.
Of rifles (which are much prized at the Swan River) I can say but little, except that in consequence of their being scarcely ever used in this country, they are not commonly met with, and therefore are selling in the shops at much more than the fowling pieces. The best rifles (it is said) are made in America and Germany; one of them will be a desirable acquisition if it can be met with, but then it ought to have an English lock for in this article none equal the English mechanic. Mr. Riviere, of Oxford Street, is a celebrated maker, and doubtless can supply a purchaser with English or foreign rifles, which will neither disgrace his name nor his recommendation.
GUNPOWDER.
This essential article, without which guns will be useless, and by which the new settler may obtain animals and fowls, which will contribute considerably to his support, must be purchased of the best sort, and secured with particular care from taking damage on the voyage, and in such packages as on its arrival at its destination may secure it from damp, which must be carefully attended to.
Tin cases containing a pound each and made air tight, will answer the best purpose, and as it is the usual mode of selling the powder, it will be easily obtained, and the cost of the cases ample compensation to the purchaser by the good condition of his powder on its arrival; and the cases may also be of use to keep small garden seeds in, or to make into drinking cups.
The emigrant should take with him a few bullet moulds to correspond with the bore of his guns, and as few of them are made so smooth inside as they should be, to remedy this defect hold each cup over the flame of a candle for a minute, taking care that no particle of grease touches the cup, the smoke from the candle will fill up every inequality, and the bullet will be turned out of the mould perfectly smooth.
SHOT
for common guns ought to be No. 4 or 5; for the duck gun No. 2 or 3.
WADDING
is of more importance in shooting than is generally supposed: it ought to be of substance in proportion to the bore of the gun; and in common guns I would not recommend it to be thinner than a half-crown: in duck guns it ought to be considerably more. Paste-board and leather answer very well, but there is a superior wadding now sold upon reasonable terms punched out of felt, of various sizes, to suit all kinds of guns.
The "Saints," who pretend that it is a sin to kill game, but give evident proofs that it is none to enjoy its flavour, and those who either from want of qualification, opportunity, or inclination never take out a gun, may lift up their hands in holy indignation that a clergyman should think of guns, and with all pharisaic humility and meekness condemn him for writing about them.
But, when "tea and bible" ladies accept the office of Treasuress and Patroness, and Secretary on the express condition that their names are not published in Periodical and " Report;" and when lay and clerical gentlemen attend religious societies some thirty miles off, on the positive assurance that they will not be noticed in the Newspapers' account of the meeting, and will consent to speak a few words on the extorted promise that no clapping of hands or thumping of umbrellas shall excite their vanity or tickle their pride, I will assuredly take care that the next edition of this work shall leave the emigrant to choose his gun from the " Instructions" of Col. Hawker.
Having explained the causes of the misrepresentations of the state of the Colony, and described the persons and motives from whence they proceed, it is right to point out the natural advantages which it possesses. They are submitted to the judgment of the reader, who is neither biassed by prejudice nor led away by report.
If we look at the map of the world, we shall at once perceive how admirably this part of Western Australia is adapted to become the focus of the commerce of the Southern hemisphere. "I subjoin an estimate of the passage which would probably be made by a fast-sailing vessel, between Cockburn Sound and various parts of the World.
"FROM COCKBURN SOUND TO
| "Place | "Distance | "Winds | "Time |
| "Tisnor | 1500 | S.E. | 12days. |
| "Java | 1700 | —— | 13 |
| "Madras | 3400 | —— | 13 |
| "Ceylon | 3100 | —— | 13 |
| "Mauritius | 3400 | —— | 13 |
| "Cape of Good Hope | 5000 | —— | 13 |
| "England, the passage may be made in | 84 | ||
| "Van Dieman's Land | 2200 | S.W. | 42 |
| "Port Jackson | 2500 | —— | 50 |
| Captain Stirling's Report. | |||
"Nautical men know how to appreciate this important document, as to the eligible geographic position of Cockburn Sound. The only remark we would suggest to a commercial person is, that Captain Stirling alludes to a fast-sailing vessel; therefore an allowance should be made between such a one and a fair-sailing merchant ship."—About four months is the length of the voyage in a trader from London to Cockburn Sound.
As a considerable and increasing[3] trade is carried on with the ports of New South Wales and Van Dieman's Land, is there not reasonable ground for the conviction that in a short time the merchant will find ample encouragement and opportunities for embarking in business at Freemantle? The situation of this port is more favourable for commercial purposes than any in the convict settlements; because it is six weeks nearer to England than even Hobart Town. It may be added also, that the same articles of export and import, in all our Australian Colonies, will be nearly the same.
Admitting that the report of the soil being unfit for the growth of corn, and that upon the sandy land the heat of the sun destroys vegetation, still there is ample encouragement for the investment of capital upon it: there are extensive tracts of land in most countries which, though they are rejected by the farmer, the grazier will prize.
Flocks of sheep are depastured upon the sunburnt plains of Southern Africa, much nearer to the Torrid Zone than any part of this Colony, and as the flocks in our other settlements in the Southern hemisphere have rapidly increased[4], who can deny that, under proper management, the sheep will be as profitable as the plough? Though the graziers, on the opposite side of New Holland, neither possessed the capital nor the facility of introducing many of the best bred sheep into the country; and though their management of cattle may be presumed to be careless and defective, the Australian wool is now selling in the London market at two shillings and sixpence per pound, and some of the finest sort for considerably more.
The emigrant may consider how far it might answer his purpose to form an arrangement with some person in London, previous to his departure, to whom his wool may be consigned, and whom he could direct to purchase with the proceeds any articles he might require. Indeed, when cultivation has a little extended, and capital increased, it will be well worth the attention of the settler to import some of the very finest-woolled sheep he can procure, and to pay them that particular attention, without which the sheep will degenerate and their wool become coarse. It may be added, that while foreign wool pays a duty, Australian wool is admitted duty free.
Under existing circumstances, I would by all means caution the emigrant not to take out any species of live stock from England. Let not the vanity of introducing a superior breed of cattle or sheep induce him to sink any portion of his capital in the purchase of animals which, after all, may not thrive in the Settlement, or may soon degenerate far below their present excellence. If he is not deterred by the charge of 60l. for the passage of a horse, and from three to five guineas for a sheep, let him consider the probability of their surviving a voyage of four months. In the ship in which our adventurer sailed, there were eight horses and one hundred and one sheep, and only four horses and forty-eight sheep were landed in the Colony, though no blame can be attached to those who had the care of them. Mr. Henty (who has a very extensive grant) took out with him several blood and draught horses, yet, of the latter, one only survived. At all events, animals of every description must be injured both in health and condition by the voyage, and therefore will be of no use to their owners for some time after they are landed. They will be a fruitful source of dispute during the voyage with the passengers and sailors, who are annoyed by their incumbrance and stench; and after all, if these creatures are taken out, it ought to be by those who are well accustomed to the management of them on board-ship, and not by persons who never trod a deck but in St. Katherine's Docks, and neither know the sort or quantity of provisions best adapted for their sustenance during the voyage, nor the medicines or treatment they require when seized with any of the distempers so common among cattle in a ship. Even supposing that they are all landed alive and well, and that both climate and pasturage agree with them, still the necessary avocations of a settler on his taking up his allotment, will prevent his paying proper attention to these animals which (including their freight) have cost him a considerable sum. Till a field is properly fenced in (a work of time and labour, when trees are to be felled and posts and rails cleft and put down) it will unquestionably require one person to attend them, and his time, according to the usual wages of the Colony, is worth five shillings per day. Let the settler first erect a hut to dwell in; let him next sow corn for the subsistence of his family, and when he has enclosed some fields, if he must stock them with English cattle, let him purchase them from those who, having more money than experience, have brought them to the Settlement. But if he is wise, he will content himself with purchasing those animals which are imported from Cape and Hobart Town, and which are sold on as reasonable terms as stock is at home. He may in the course of time improve their breed by crossing them with others of superior "blood" as opportunity may occur.—As yet the settlers are too much occupied in clearing the ground, and providing the means of support, to spare time for the cultivation of what is not necessary to existence. But as soon as the clearance of land invites superior culture, and abundant crops afford the means of speculation, the husbandry of the Colony will become extensive. Tobacco will be planted; and coffee and the sugar cane be made the subject of experiment. If the former herb has been introduced in Ireland with success, are we assuming too much in expecting that it will flourish in a climate so much more congenial to its growth? The temperature at Freemantle is the temperature of Virginia, equally celebrated for the excellence of its tobacco and the disasters of its first settlement. "Three of the companies of adventurers which emigrated thither perished through hunger and diseases, or were cut off by the Indians. The fourth was reduced almost to the same situation—and being dwindled to a feeble remainder, had set sail for England in despair. But in the mouth of Chesapeak Bay they were met by Lord Delaware, with a squadron loaded with provisions, and with every thing necessary for their relief and defence. At his persuasion they returned; by his advice, prudence, and winning behaviour," they were stimulated to renewed efforts, and raised the Colony, from the lowest state of distress and despondency, to permanent prosperity. And now the Norfolk of Virginia is as celebrated for its opulence as the once-barren Norfolk of England, is for the size of its farms and the excellence of its husbandry.
It is commonly reported that the corn which has been hitherto sown in the Colony has not arrived at maturity, being scorched by the sun in its earliest growth. It is fully admitted that ninetenths of the settlers already arrived, knew very little of the farming of this country,[5] still less did they know the proper time and management necessary for the cultivation of corn in a climate and latitude very different from their native land. Can we wonder, then, that corn sown by strangers to the soil, and strangers to cultivation, should fail of success. The corn which was reported to be burnt up by the sun was sown in the midst of the Australian Summer, and I would ask the farmer whether wheat sown in June in England would produce a crop? The settlers appear to have made no calculation of the difference of soil or climate. But unless they and every other occupier sow at the proper period, their labours will be in vain. Time and experience will point out the month best adapted for the sowing of every seed, and till then we can form no idea whether this Colony is adapted to the growth of European produce or not. As crops of wheat are obtained at Sydney, and in abundance at Hobart Town, we may reasonably suppose that they may be grown in Western Australia. If wheat should not succeed to the extent expected, a most valuable substitute may be found in Indian corn, which produces great crops at Sydney, and in all warm climates. This grain will make excellent flour; is good for all kinds of cattle, and its leaves will supply them with forage.
The Swan River is in the same latitude with the Cape of Good Hope; as at the latter place vines are cultivated with great success, there is reason to believe they would flourish in the neighbourhood of Freemantle. If the soil be as dry as it be represented, we may infer that it is adapted to the growth of the grape. In the event of wine being made in the Colony, we may be sure that Government will, perhaps by a bonus, but certainly by a lenient duty, give encouragement for its exportation to England; and I doubt not this wine, under proper management, will be of far better quality than "Cape ;" for the African winepresser is said to be not very particular as to the ripeness or rottenness of the grapes he indiscriminately mashes, and hence the Cape wines are so much inferior to the sherries of Spain.
Even among those who form the most favourable opinion of the Colony, there are few who are aware that it affords the means of establishing a whale fishery with the certainty of success, and, comparatively speaking, small capital. The fishery in the North Seas requires the stoutest ships and the most able seamen. The length of time employed by the outward and homeward voyage and whale cruise is attended with a great consumption of provisions and stores. But these expences will not be necessary here. The whales may be caught at the very mouth of the harbour. Boats may tow them in, and the blubber can be cut up and boiled upon the beach. The oil and whale-bone may be sent to England by homewardbound vessels. Nor are those too sanguine in their expectations who look forward to the Colony's becoming, in a few years, a favourite resort of invalids from India. The healthiness of the climate, the bracing atmosphere of night and morn, will recruit the shattered nerves and invigorate the debilitated constitution. Chalybeate springs have been already discovered, and hotels and lodging-houses will be erected as fast as the want of accommodation excites enterprize. And many who can neither spare the time or afford the expense of a voyage to England will gladly take a trip to Freemantle for the recovery of their health, or to place their children in an eligible school. But Freemantle will not only become a Cheltenham or a Leamington to the invalid of a certain class. It is also well adapted for the refreshment of those who are exhausted by naval or military service. Cockburn Sound, and even Gage's Roads, are safe and commodious harbours for six months in the year. Towns are rapidly increasing, and barracks and hospitals may, as required, be erected for soldiers or crews of ships. In all probability, whenever a detachment or a ship's company suffers from hard service or exposure to an unhealthy climate, it will be sent to recruit at Freemantle, and an equal force may be detached from thence to supply its place. Should this plan be adopted, and naval and military stations be formed here, it is impossible to calculate the immense saving of lives, stores, and other expences which will accrue to the Mother Country.
And let the emigrant be determined to take out none but persons of approved good character. He is going to a country which at present is very thinly inhabited, where the seat of justice may be far from his residence, and the means of access to it weary and tedious; under such circumstances, the punishment of offences cannot be conveniently obtained, and the criminal will frequently escape the penalty of the law he has violated, except in those cases of great magnitude which demand more than common exertion. Bars, bolts, and keys will be of little use at the Swan River, where walls are yet to be built, and the property of the Settler, for some time at least after he takes up his grant, will be more than partially exposed to depredation.
If, when obliged to leave his property, even for a short time, in the hands of a servant, it will be a great relief to the Settler to reflect that it is in the charge of a person of acknowledged integrity, in whom he can place confidence unalloyed by suspicion.
Although no sincere Christian would wish to impose any religious opinions against the conscience of another, or cherish any ill-feeling against any one whose creed differed from his own, it is much to be wished that the emigrant would as much as possible select his attendants from those who are of his own persuasion, otherwise much discussion and strife may arise from conflicting tenets.
As an allusion has been already made to the expediency of taking out the natives of Ireland or Scotland in preference to Englishmen, it may be observed that the latter have always been accustomed to a certain degree of comfort which they feel bitterly if they are deprived of:—when unable to obtain work, they apply to the overseer for subsistence and obtain it with little exertion. However honest and faithful in their engagements they may be, they will by no means submit to any alterations of the system to which they have been brought up without great trouble, altercation, and complaints of the injustice with which they are treated. Now, either from forgetfulness or miscalculation, the settler may not have laid in provisions to maintain his party till he raises subsistence from his farm, and the remote distance which he may be situated from a market, and more than all, the want of cash, may prevent his obtaining a supply. In such cases the party must be maintained by the net and gun, and any wholesome substitutes for bread and meat which they can procure.
But when the beef-barrel is empty, will the English labourer willingly submit to live for a month upon fish and kangaroos? When biscuit and flour are exhausted, will he good humouredly satisfy his hunger with rice? Will he who for his whole life has slept in a bed, and had a house to shelter him, contentedly lay down to rest on the ground with a tarpaulin to shelter him from rain and wind? I know my countrymen well, and honour them for their many good qualities, but cannot deny that they are by no means calculated either by habit or inclination to submit to inconvenience or any change of system when in the service of another. On the other hand, the Irish and Highland labourer, are perfectly contented with a hut hastily composed of turf and sticks, because it is as comfortable as the cabins they have lived in. They are well pleased to live upon rice and fish, who for months together have been supported by potatoes and oatmeal. The poverty as well as the habits of the lower order of Irish and Scotch have created in them those feelings of respect and submission to their employers which the English labourer never feels.[6]
May the hand be paralyzed which would pen any suggestion for the crushing of the dependent, or the imposition of harsh or unfair burthen upon the poor, but it must be admitted that the English are most unwilling to work for a moment after hours, or to forego, but upon the most lucrative reasons, their privileges and customs for a day. But, when the Settler commences his residence upon a spot where all is in a state of nature, and every thing is to be done—where valuable property is exposed to the open air—where there is not even a shed to lie down in—it will not do for the hireling, when desired to perform some trifling office, to reply—" this is not my work," or " it is six o'clock, and I will not do a stroke after hours, unless I am paid for it."
On the other hand, the Irish and Scotch, having been accustomed to consider their Chiefs will as law, will instantly execute any reasonable order which may at any time be given. Let us hope that a cheerful obedience on one hand, will always be met with kindness and forbearance on the other, and that those who patiently submit to the yoke,• may never receive a greater burthen than justice consents they should bear.
Having merely suggested these observations, the emigrant must allow me to assume a higher tone in giving my advice as to the sort of persons whom he should take out with him.
There are many who think of emigrating and say " I wish that man would accompany me, none can throw or cast a net better, few can bring down a long shot like him !" If, reader, you are going to take possession of an extensive estate with deer parks, fisheries and preserves, an individual with these qualifications will be the very man whom you ought to engage at any price; but if it be your intention to emigrate as a farmer, and take out persons to assist you in your labours, common sense will suggest that this man is the very last whom you ought to engage. His acuteness will enable him more successfully to defraud his master, and yet escape detection; that skill in the destruction of game which appears to enhance his value, will tempt him to throw down the axe or spade when his master is out of the way, and amuse himself with the gun and the trammel. And in all probability his conviction of being able to maintain himself by his poaching practices will induce him to give his employer a few days chace in the woods to the rear of his estate, in grateful acknowledgment of his kindness in conveying him to a countiy where there is no gamekeeper to watch, and no constable within a day's ride. Those whom it would be most advisable to take out, are plain honest men, who, being of good principles, are willing to do a fair days work, and are not above being told how to perform it. Such persons are cheap at any wages ; the saucy, idle rascal is dear at his maintenance. The emigrant should by all means engage none but persons of approved good character, and tempt such with liberal offers, otherwise he will scarely prevail upon them to accompany him, for a respectable man finds employment at home, and as the daily wages of a labourer in the Colony are five shillings a day, and his maintenance, it needs no argument to prove the necessity of taking out as many of this class as the means of the employer will allow. A carpenter should be among them by all means, and a bricklayer, if a dozen men be taken out.
As labour, from the scarcity of workmen, is so extravagantly paid in this Colony, " labouring persons" who are taken out will be tempted to leave their masters, when they find that they can obtain much higher wages than he agreed to pay them. It is therefore highly necessary that every person who is taken out should be bound by an agreement for years, drawn up and signed by both parties previous to their embarkation. The labourer ought to be bound to serve his employer and his assigns, for the settler may be very glad to raise a little money, by sending the man to work for another settler. The labourer is to receive his wages either in money or provisions as the contracting parties may stipulate. If he is married he will of course prefer the former. It is usual for the employer to bind himself to grant the labourer a farm, say 100 acres, at the expiration of their agreement, for his life. The master is to lend the stock, corn, &c. which the man may require and actually employ in the cultivation of his farm on receiving his promissory note for the value of the same, without interest; but at the same time binding himself to pay a third of the annual produce of the farm as rent, into which the interest of the stock advanced will merge.
It is suggested that the most favourable result would ensue to both parties, if the labourer, during his servitude, were permitted to lay out any little money he might save in the purchase of live stock. The animals might be depastured upon his master's estate, without any loss to the latter. The labourer would consequently become a partner in the " concern;" he would carefully guard his master's flock, when his own few sheep were among them. In fact, in every instance, he would watch over the property of his master to protect his own. Arrangements might be made for preventing the possibility of dispute, and it may be remarked, that the more numerous the stock thus encreasing to the tenant (to be), so much the better will it be to the landlord. It is an object to him that every farm should be occupied by persons of as much capital as possible. Although the maintenance of stock belonging to the labourer will cost nothing to the proprietor on whose land they are kept, still a remuneration could be paid him which he might honourably receive, and the labourer well afford to give. For instance, if he buys a breeding mare, the master might work her, except when she was suckling her colts. If he purchases a few sheep, the master might be allowed the fleeces and the wether lambs, or part of them, as might be agreed upon.
The more this is considered, the more evident the advantage of both parties will appear. In fact, the proprietor will be improving his pasture by the grazing of the other man's stock, and the labourer himself will be accumulating a property with which he may commence business at the expiration of his servitude.
The sanguine settler is impatient to take up his allotment as soon as possible. But experience proves, that a hasty choice is most injudicious. With little inquiry, and almost without deliberation, the first settlers fixed upon Garden Island as the scene of their operations, but in twelve weeks they abandoned it; their loss of time and labour failed to urge them to search diligently for a more fertile soil, and better situation; they merely crossed the harbour to Freeman tie, and, after finding the soil there little better that at Garden Island, they proceeded up the Swan and Canning Rivers.
The land upon their banks is ascertained to be tolerably good, yet there are other parts of the Colony lately discovered which are much more eligible, from situation and natural fertility.
Under these circumstances, I would decidedly recommend every person who may be entitled to land, to take up at first only a small grant, or even hire twenty acres on his first arrival—(any settler would joyfully set his land for cultivation at a nominal rent)—then to sow as much corn and vegetables as he will require for the first twelve months, and during that period let him explore the country in all directions, without regard to prejudice or report. He will find a small borer of invaluable service in ascertaining the depth of the soil, and the nature of the substratum which may afford him the means of improving that land which is considered at present of very inferior quality, which, from its situation and contiguity either to river or town, may speedily become more valuable than the estates of those persons who have fixed upon land naturally more fertile, but deficient in the advantage of situation.
Although it is very desirable that a river should be the boundary of an estate, great care must be taken not to erect any buildings nor sow corn near its banks. Immense damage was sustained in New South Wales soon after its colonization, in consequence of the sudden overflowing of a river to an unexpected height. In those districts where the art and labour of man have not deepened the channels of rivers, and removed those impediments which obstruct the current, the water will in the rainy season overflow the banks far above the expectations of the stranger, and, perhaps, to his irretrievable loss.
The reader will pardon the introduction of these remarks, some of which may be considered out of place, or perhaps foreign to the subject altogether; but as this book is not like Peter Pindar's razors—"made to sell;" but published with the sincere intention of affording useful information to the emigrant, it is believed that these hints, penned nearly as they occur to the writer, may prove as essentially useful as if they followed each other in regular succession.
When the Settler arrives on his allotment, his first task will be to erect a temporary habitation, which he must complete with the utmost dispatch, that he may perform those other operations which houses have lately been manufactured in London for the use of those emigrants who are proceeding to uninhabited districts. They are so constructed that they can be taken to pieces and screwed together again in a few hours. Now, however pleasing these buildings may be in theory, I fear they will be found very expensive and inconvenient in practice. The emigrant must be reminded of the heavy charge of freight, and that the owners of vessels have the option of charging either by the ton weight or measurement.[7] The cost of one of these houses is no inconsiderable sum; what the freight of it would be I cannot imagine. But of this we may be assured, that two men would build a stout "log hut" of double the size, with timber growing upon the spot, in half the time which must be employed in conveying this ready-made house twenty miles up a river, the navigation of which is impeded by trees and shoals—to say nothing of the labour of lugging it piece by piece from the river to the location. The settler will have full employment in conveying real necessaries from the sea-side to his grant, without encumbering himself with what he does not absolutely want. Assuming that he may require some information relative to the best and most expeditious method of constructing a dwelling with any timber which he may find upon the spot; the following quotation from "Ellis's Polynesian Researches" merits his attention, and will doubtless induce him to adopt it for his model. "The timber being prepared, they planted the long posts which support the ridge pole, about three feet deep. The piece forming the ridge was nearly triangular, flat underneath, but raised along the centre on the upper side, and about nine inches wide. In the top of each post, a groove about six inches deep, and an inch and a half wide, was cut: in this was fixed a strong board, eight or nine inches broad, bevelled on the upper edge, forming a kind of wall-plate along the side of the house.[8] The rafters were put on next. The foot of the rafter is partially sharpened, and about eighteen inches from the end a deep notch is cut, which receives the bevelled edge of the wall-plate, while the upper extremity rests upon the ridge. The rafters are generally ranged along on one side three feet apart, with parallel rafters on the opposite side, which cross each other at the top of the ridge where they are firmly tied together."
The walls of the house can be speedily constructed, with pieces of wood like rails fixed to the posts, having the interstices plastered, within and without, with clay mortar, in which there is a considerable quantity of chopped grass—women can perform this part of the work very well. If clay cannot be conveniently procured, moss or grass, forced into the crevices, will answer the purpose for the present. The back-woodsmen of America use neither nails nor pegs in the walls of their huts; they cut a deep notch near the end of each log, and let the other lay upon it, and thus the two cross, and lock each other on the outside of the post. If the Settler intends to have .a fire in his hut, he must be very careful to build his chimney of stone for fear of fire, or if stone and lime cannot be obtained without considerable labour and expence, let that part of the fire-place and chimney which are exposed to the heat be built of stone, and the upper part of the chimney can be made of clay and grass like the mud walls in England.
I would particularly impress upon the mind of the Settler, that "time is money." Every hour which he wastes in idleness, or in unnecessary delay will inevitably be attended with loss, and certainly in many cases with privation and serious inconvenience, if his labours are retarded, or the sowing of his seed postponed to an unseasonable period. Let him be diligent, prudent, and frugal, at first, and in a little time he will be enabled to " rest upon his oars" with the pleasing reflection that he has acquired a competency, and can bequeath an estate to his children, daily increasing in value, which has been made what it is by his own honest and laudable industry.
I hope that, in his prosperity, he will cherish a heart-felt gratitude to God, "who hath done such great things for him." I trust he will not be unmindful of his obligations to those friends who assisted him in his out-fit, and to the Government, under which the Colony was established and upheld. And when the increased strength and opulence of the Colony enable it to contribute to the exigencies of the State, let him cheerfully pay his share of the duties which may be justly imposed upon him—it is a pepper-corn rent for the land he possesses. If he should be unwilling to "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's"—if he be unwilling to contribute his portion of the necessary expences of the Government, which exists as much for his protection as for any other of His Majesty's subjects, let him at the same time be consistent, and resign to the Crown the large estate it so liberally gave him.
Let him above all things remember, that without God's blessing he cannot prosper. He may be permitted to acquire wealth—"to add house to house and field to field"—"to call the land after his own name," and "to have man servants and maid servants, and very much cattle ;"but whose shall all these things be when his soul is required of him? What will it avail him to be an Abraham in herds and dependents, if he have not the faith and the piety of Abraham? What will it avail him to be a Job in riches, if he be not a Job in patience and resignation to the will of God. Let him be industrious as a man, but let him seek after righteousness also. While his temporal labours are attended with success, let him also strive, and pray that he may be enabled fl to lay up treasures in Heaven;" that the Spirit of God may enable him to abound in every good word and work, to assist him in the performance of every moral and religious duty—to increase his faith in Christ his Saviour, and to make his repentance sincere; and then, and not till then, may he descend into the grave, full of years and full of comfort.
In conclusion—as I have endeavoured to mislead none, but to afford some useful information to those into whose hands this book may fall, so I have stated nothing with a wish to give pain to the feelings of another. Like the great and good King George, "born and educated in this country, I glory in the name of Briton"—firmly attached to the institutions of the Empire from principle, I love my church and honour my king, and cannot therefore, look with approbation upon those who are anxious to cry down all that is venerable, pious, and excellent amongst us. I cannot listen in silence to those whose idleness and extravagance have reduced them to embarrassment, and now endeavour, by finding fault with their country, and railing against its administration and its laws, to excuse their own bad management and to conceal their imprudence and their vice.
While I have ridiculed such persons as undeserving of grave argument, and exposed the persons and the motives of those who, from pique or disappointed selfishness, represent the Colony in the most gloomy colours—I hope that no expression of mine has hurt the feelings of the honest man who has suffered from misfortune, or the frustration of good intentions. Still less would I give pain to the unhappy tenant of a rapacious landlord, who for years has been compelled to pay an exorbitant rent, not from the produce of the farm he has the misfortune to hold, but from his annually-decreasing capital. His industry and management may entitle him to praise, but they cannot enable him to contend against low prices and heavy payments. In vain does he look to his landlord for justice and compassion ; he is too anxious to keep up his own petty grandeur in the sight of the county—too desirous of vying with others of three times his income, to listen to the voice of conscience, or reflect that his luxuries are provided by the capital of his tenant, and not from a share of his profits. And why does the tenant continue in the occupation of the farm to his serious and, perhaps, irretrievable loss? Because the farmer is of all others the least adapted, by previous habits and experience, to embark in any business but his own. And, in consequence of the extent of the population which is fast increasing, though the acre-age of England remains the same, it is a matter of extreme difficulty to find another farm (except either out of condition or at an enormous rent), especially as his annual loss of property may excite the supposition that he no longer possesses the means of cultivating the farm to which he might wish to remove. Though he sees his capital yearly decreasing, can we wonder that this man is the slave of circumstances and is fettered by necessity? If such a man should wish to make one effort to extricate himself from encreasing embarrassment and final beggary ; if he should look to Western Australia, not like some in the hope of becoming a fine gentleman, but, with the wreck of his capital, to transport himself thither, and by his own industry to acquire the present means of supporting his family, and of eventually bequeathing them an inheritance, acquired by his bodily exertion:—to such a man, I say—Count the cost, weigh well the hardships, privations, and inconveniences attendant upon the four months voyage to the settlement, and your first year's residence in it, of which at present you can only form a figurative idea. You will leave your country, your friends, your neighbours,—you will abandon the haunts of your childhood, and, what is harder still, the hearthstone of your fathers, in all human probability never to behold them again. Consider also that the courses of crops, and mode of cultivation to which you have been accustomed, will be out of place, and perhaps impracticable in a climate and upon a soil very different from that of your own country. Instead of growing turnips, you must turn your attention to Indian corn ; instead of planting cabbages you must cultivate tobacco. At first, you must expect that, with all your industry, your ignorance of seed time and the nature of the crop may produce serious loss; but experience will slowly yet surely enable you to retrieve the loss occasioned by failures, and to sow almost upon a certainty of reaping an abundant return. Think of these things,—look upon the dark as well as the bright side of the prospect, and if you are still desirous to emigrate to Western Australia, go; and may the blessing of God go with you. If any information contained in these pages has corrected one error of opinion or practice,—if it leads the emigrant to provide himself with one little comfort, which otherwise he might have forgotten,—if it lessens the fears of those who have dear friends now settled in Western Australia as to their ultimate success, "the labour which has been bestowed" in the composition of this volume, "will not have been bestowed in vain."
In this publication "I have not been able to satisfy myself neither can I hope to satisfy you. I have done as well as I could, and know not that it will be in my power to do better—more extensive ideas rise before me, but planning and executing are very different things; accept such as I can give, and pardon errors and imperfections," and take the will for the deed.
The following Regulations have been recently published for the Disposal of Crown Lands in New South Wales and Van Diemans Land.
It has been determined by His Majesty's Government, that no land shall in future be disposed of in New South Wales or Van Dieman's Land, otherwise than by public sale; and it has therefore been deemed expedient to prepare, for the information of the settlers, the following summary of the Rules, which it has been thought fit to lay down for regulating the sales of land in those Colonies:—
"1. A division of the whole Territory into Counties, Hundreds, and Parishes is in progress. When that division shall be completed, each parish will comprise an area of about twenty-three square miles.
"2. All the lands in the Colony, not hitherto granted, and not appropriated for public purposes, will be put up to sale. The price will of course depend upon the quality of the land, and its local situation, but no land will be sold below the rate of five shillings per acre.
"3. All persons proposing to purchase lands not advertised for sale, must transmit a written application to the Governor in a certain prescribed form, which will be delivered at the Surveyor General's Office to all persons applying, on payment of the requisite fee of 2s. 6d.
"4. Those persons who are desirous of purchasing will be allowed to select, within certain defined limits, such portions of land as they may wish to acquire in that manner. These portions of land will be advertised for sale for three calendar months, and will then be sold to the highest bidder, provided that such bidding shall at least amount to the price fixed by Article 2.
"5. A deposit of ten per cent, upon the whole value of the purchase must be paid down at the time of sale, and the remainder must be paid within one calendar month from the day of sale, previous to which the purchaser will not be put in possession of the land; and, in case of payment not being made within the prescribed period, the sale will be considered void, and the deposit forfeited.
"6. On payment of the money, a grant will be made in fee simple to the purchaser, at the nominal quit rent of a pepper-corn. Previous to the delivery of such grant, a fee of forty shillings will be payable to the Colonial Secretary, for preparing the grant, and another fee of five shillings to the Registrar of the Supreme Court for enrolling it.
"7. The land will generally be put up to sell in lots of one square mile, or 640 acres, but smaller lots than 640 acres may, under particular circumstances, be purchased on making application to the Governor in writing, with full explanation of the reasons for which the parties wish to purchase a smaller quantity.
"8. The Crown reserves to itself the right of making and constructing such roads and bridges as may be necessary for public purposes in all lands purchased as above, and also to such indigenous timber, stone, and other materials, the produce of the land, as may be required for making and keeping the said roads and bridges in repair, and for any other public works. The Crown further reserves to itself all mines of precious metals.
"Colonial Office, Jan. 20, 1831."
Let the reader compare these Rules with those issued from the Colonial Office "for the information of Settlers proceeding to the New Colony on the Swan River." Let him give them that attentive consideration which they both deserve, and then let him judge whether it will be most to his advantage to purchase land (for ready money) under the competition of auction, or receive it as a free gift. Whether he would rather live among banished convicts than among free men. Whether he would prefer continual exposure to the depredations and atrocities of the bush ranger, to a residence in a Colony as yet unpolluted by murder and violation.
These new Regulations will promote the interest of the Western Australian Colony, more than grant after grant from the Treasury, for the improvement of harbours, and the removal of shoals. They will induce many to emigrate thither who intended to proceed to the convict settlements. The adventurers who are now at the Swan River, thus have the value of their land greatly increased, and receive a great and unexpected encouragement for their industry and perseverance. Although they were disappointed at finding that the reports of Governor Stirling and Mr. Frazer, made from an inspection of the country at one period of the year only, were in some respects unavoidably erroneous; yet experience proves that, though these reports were rather highcoloured, the correct information they contained was enough, and more than enough, to justify their expectations, that the ultimate success of the Colony was not doubtful, and that it will form a very valuable appendage to the Mother Country.
FINIS.
- ↑ The usual charge for a cabin passenger is £60.; for a man and his wife, £110, who mess at the captain's table, and have a liberal allowance of wine and spirits. For a steerage passenger £25, who have the same rations as the crew. Children are taken at half price.—A considerable reduction will be made if several persons engage their berths together, or if one takes out a party.—Full information may be obtained from the Brokers who advertise for freight and passengers.
- ↑ Packing cases should, if practicable, be six feet long and three wide, because the sides are ready-made doors, when the chest is taken to pieces.
- ↑ Exports of New South Wales, in 1827, amounted to £76,314; in 1828, to £90,050; increase in one year, £13,736.
- ↑ The stock of New South Wales, in 1819, consisted of 3,572 horses, 42,789 horned cattle, and 75,369 sheep;—in 1828, we find them multiplied to the astonishing number of 12,479 horses, 262,860 horned cattle, and 536,391 sheep.
- ↑ A letter was received by a resident of Canterbury, from a gentleman of property, who went out with some of the earliest settlers. He complained bitterly of the badness of the soil; for although the wheat he had sown grew luxuriantly! yet the produce was nothing but smutty corn. The farmers of England will be greatly obliged to this gentleman for his important discovery that the smut is occasioned by the ill quality of the soil, and not from any defect in the grain with which it is sown.
- ↑ If the emigrant is really desirous of taking out Irish or Scotch labourers, he should search the files of newspapers, published in the ports of Ireland and Scotland, to learn if a vessel is chartered from any of them to the Settlement. If so, he had better send his goods by some vessel in St. Katherine's Docks, directed to himself at Freemantle. He need not be afraid she will arrive there before him. Then let him, by a newspaper agent, advertise for the persons he wants, and a few days afterwards arrive at the port, he may then bargain with those whom he may approve of, and he will find it cheaper to live at this port till the vessel sails than in London.
- ↑ The ton by measurement is forty cubic feet.
- ↑ Instead of a board, which may not be easily obtained, I would recommend the wall plates to be made of a straight young tree, split in two, and fastened to the top of every post with spike nails, or long and stout wooden pegs, and the ends of the rafters might be fastened upon them in the same manner.—Editor.