Journals Of Two Expeditions Of Discovery In North West And Western Australia Volume 1 (Of 2) by George Grey (read book txt) 📕

Volume 1 Preface Pg 1

The Following Pages Contain The Results Of The Author's Travels And

Residence In The Western Parts Of Australia,  Between The Years 1837 And

1840,  During Which Period He Traversed Extensive Regions Unknown To The

European Traveller,  And Probably Never Before Trodden By The Foot Of

Civilized Man.

 

It Is Not Alone With Gratification Of Enlightened Curiosity That The

Countries Now First Brought To Notice Are Likely To Be Objects Of

Interest. A Knowledge Of The Districts Lying Between Swan River And Shark

Bay Cannot But Be Of Importance To Future Colonists,  Whilst The

Intertropical Provinces Of The North-West Coasts,  Distinguished As They

Are By Important Peculiarities Both Of Character And Position,  Are

Equally Calculated To Draw The Attention Of The Literary And Enterprising

Enquirer.

 

It Only Remains To State In A Few Words The Circumstances Under Which

This Work Is Given To The Public.

 

The Author Arrived In England In September,  1840,  And Was Engaged In

Preparing His Notes For Publication When He Was Unexpectedly Honoured

With An Appointment Which Re-Called Him To Australia In The Month Of

December Following.

 

Avocations Both Of A Public And Private Nature Arising Out Of That

Appointment Prevented Him From Carrying His Work Through The Press During

The Short Period Of His Residence In This Country,  And Consequently The

Final Arrangement Of The Impression And The Duties Of Typographical

Revision Devolved On Others.

 

Although No Pains Have Been Spared To Render These Volumes Worthy Of The

Public Eye,  The Circumstances Under Which They Appear Will Naturally

Occasion Them To Be Marked By Defects Which,  Doubtless,  Would Not Have

Escaped The Author's Notice And Correction Had He Been Present.

 

It Would Be An Act Of Injustice Not To Express Here The Obligations The

Author Is Under To Mr. J.E. Gray Of The British Museum For His Valuable

Assistance In Whatever Relates To Natural History In The Body Of The

Work,  As Well As For The Contributions In The Same Branch Of Science

Which Will Be Found In The Appendix; Nor Are His Thanks Less Due To Mr.

Adam White For An Interesting Paper On The Entomology Of Australia; And

To Mr. Gould,  Who Has Lately Visited That Country,  For His List Of The

Birds Of The Western Coast.

 

Volume 1 Chapter 1 (Commencement Of The Expedition Tenerife) Pg 2

 

General Plan And Objects.

 

The Expeditions Of Which The Results Are Narrated In The Following Pages

Took Their Origin From A Proposition Made To Government By Myself,  In

Conjunction With Lieutenant Lushington,* In The Latter Part Of The Year

1836.

 

At That Time A Large Portion Of The Western Coast And Interior Of The

Great Australian Continent Had Remained Unvisited And Unknown; Whilst The

Opinions Of The Celebrated Navigators Captains Dampier And King,

Connected With Other Circumstances,  Led To The Inference,  Or At Least The

Hope,  That A Great River,  Or Water Inlet,  Might Be Found To Open Out At

Some Point On Its Western Or North-Western Side; Which Had Then Been Only

Partially Surveyed From Seaward.

 

Design Of The Expedition.

 

Anxious To Solve This Interesting Geographical Problem,  We Addressed A

Letter To Lord Glenelg,  The Secretary Of State For The Colonies,  Wherein

We Offered Our Services To Conduct An Exploration From The Swan River To

The Northward,  Having Regard To The Direction Of The Coast,  So As To

Intersect Any Considerable Body Of Water Connecting It With The Interior;

And,  In The Event Of Such Being Discovered,  To Extend Our Examination Of

It As Far As Circumstances Might Admit.

 

The Letter Containing This Offer Also Enumerated Several Secondary

Objects,  To Which We Proposed To Direct Our Attention,  And Which Were

Ultimately Comprehended In Our Instructions.

 

The Offer And Suggestions Were Favourably Entertained By Lord Glenelg,

And Further Communications Invited; And,  The Project Having Been Favoured

By The Support Of The Royal Geographical Society,  Our Services Were

Finally Accepted By The Government.

 

Instructions.

 

More Mature Consideration However Led To A Material Alteration In The

First Plan; For Whilst Our Principal Object,  Namely,  The Search For A

Great River Or Interior Inlet,  Remained The Same,  It Was Considered,  For

Several Reasons,  More Advisable That The Exploration Should Commence From

The Vicinity Of Prince Regent's River,  On The North-West Coast,  And Be

Directed Towards The Swan. I Shall Pass Over The Various Points Of Detail

Which Occupied Our Time And Attention Until The Moment Of Departure,  As

They Offer No Matters Of General Interest. It Will Be Sufficient To Say

Volume 1 Chapter 1 (Footnote) Pg 3

(*Footnote. Now Captain Lushington Of The 9th Foot.)

Volume 1 Chapter 1 (Commencement Of The Expedition Tenerife) Pg 4

That Everything Suggested As Likely To Be Conducive To The Success And

Utility Of The Expedition Was Most Liberally Granted And Supplied; And,

When All Was Prepared,  A Letter Of Instructions Dated The 16th June 1837

Was Addressed By Lord Glenelg To Myself And Lieutenant Lushington

Conjointly; Which Embraced The Following Points:

 

1. We Were To Embark In H.M. Sloop Of War The Beagle,  Then Fitting Out

For A Survey Of The Coasts And Seas Of Australia,  Under The Command Of

Captain Wickham,  R.N.; And To Proceed In That Vessel Either To The Cape

Of Good Hope Or To Swan River,  As Might Ultimately Appear Best Suited To

Forward The Objects Of The Expedition.

 

2. On Our Arrival At Either Of The Foregoing Places,  We Were Directed To

Procure A Small Vessel To Convey The Party And Stores To The Most

Convenient Point In The Vicinity Of Prince Regent's River.

 

3. After Due Examination Of The Country About Prince Regent's River We

Were Instructed To Take Such A Course As Would Lead Us In The Direction

Of The Great Opening Behind Dampier's Land. From The Moment Of Our

Arrival At This Point Our Subsequent Proceedings Were Left More

Discretionary; But The Instructions Continued: "You Will Use The Utmost

Exertions To Penetrate From Thence To The Swan River; As,  By Adopting

This Course,  You Will Proceed In A Direction Parallel To The Unknown

Coast,  And Must Necessarily Cross Every Large River That Flows From The

Interior Towards That Side Of The Continent."

 

4. That We Might Have An Opportunity,  In The Event Of Any Unforeseen

Difficulties Occurring,  Of Falling Back Upon The Vessel Conveying The

Party,  She Was Not To Quit The Place Where She Might Have Been Left By It

Until Such A Time Had Elapsed,  From The Departure Of The Expedition For

The Interior,  As Should Be Agreed Upon; And,  To Ensure The Observance Of

This Condition,  We Were Instructed To Act By The Advice Of The Local

Authorities Of The Colony Where She Might Be Engaged In Drawing Up The

Agreement,  As Well As In Procuring Guarantees For Its Fulfilment.

 

5. The Main Objects Of The Expedition Were Then Specified To Be: To Gain

Information As To The Real State Of North-Western Australia,  Its

Resources,  And The Course And Direction Of Its Rivers And Mountain

Ranges; To Familiarize The Natives With The British Name And Character;

To Search For And Record All Information Regarding The Natural

Productions Of The Country,  And All Details That Might Bear Upon Its

Capabilities For Colonization Or The Reverse; And To Collect Specimens Of

Its Natural History.

 

6. It Was Directed That Strict Discipline Should Be Observed,  And The

Regulations By Which Our Intercourse With The Natives Was To Be Governed

Were Laid Down; After Which The Instructions Concluded With The Following

Paragraphs:

 

No Further Detail Has Been Given You In These Instructions,  For,  As You

Have Been Made Aware Of The Motives Which Have Induced His Majesty's

Government To Send Out The Expedition,  It Is Supposed Each Individual

Volume 1 Chapter 1 (Commencement Of The Expedition Tenerife) Pg 5

Will Do His Utmost In His Situation To Carry These Objects Out,  Either By

Obtaining All Possible Information Or By Such Other Means As May Be In

His Power.

 

Although The Instructions Regarding The Expedition Are Addressed To You

Conjointly As Conductors Of It,  It Is Necessary That The Principal

Authority And Direction Should Be Vested In One Individual,  On Whom The

Chief Responsibility Would Rest.

 

It Is To Be Understood That Lieutenant Grey,  The Senior Military Officer,

Is Considered As Commanding The Party And The Person By Whose Orders And

Instructions All Individuals Composing The Party Will Be Guided And

Conform.

 

...

 

1837.

 

All Our Preparations Being Completed,  There Embarked In The Beagle,

Besides Myself And Mr. Lushington,  Mr. Walker,  A Surgeon And Naturalist,

And Corporals Coles And Auger,  Royal Sappers And Miners,  Who Had

Volunteered Their Services; And We Sailed From Plymouth On The 5th July

1837.

 

Tenerife. Aqueduct At Santa Cruz.

 

The Usual Incidents Of A Sea Voyage Brought Us To Santa Cruz In Tenerife,

Where I Landed On Wednesday 19th July 1837,  About 2 O'clock In The

Afternoon. There Was A Sort Of Table D'hote At 3 O'clock At An Hotel Kept

By An Englishman,  At Which I Dined,  And Was Fortunate In So Doing As I

Met There A German And Several English Merchants Who Were Principally

Engaged In The Trade Of The Country. There Was Also A Gentleman Who Had

Been From His Earliest Years In The African Trade For Gums,  Etc.; And He

Gave Me Many Interesting Particulars Of The Wild Life The Individuals So

Occupied Are Compelled To Lead. In The Afternoon I Made A Set Of Magnetic

Observations And Then Walked Out To See The Aqueduct; Which At About

Three-Quarters Of A Mile To The North-East Of The Town Approaches It By A

Passage Cut Through A Mountain. The Execution Of This Work Must Have Been

Attended With Immense Labour,  For,  Although The Design Is Grand And

Noble,  The Actual Plan Upon Which It