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Blue Mountains, and which have been known to swell the waters nearly a hundred feet above their usual level; and as these floods are uncertain, and often destructive of the growing crops, I once thought that Government (if it is to farm at all) had better have kept the whole of this precarious garden in its own hands; since it is only public foresight that would provide against the loss of a harvest, and only public wealth that could support it. After the flood of February, 1817, the Government ration was reduced from eleven and a half to three pounds of wheat per week; but since that period, so much wheat has been grown in the fine districts of Appin and Airds, and in the island of Van Diemen's Land, that the colony is now almost independent of these floodfarmers; and they are yearly going out of fashion for the benefit of the state. Nothing can be more uncertain than the heavy rains of the climate. Sometimes (but not of late years) the country is worse afflicted with long droughts, in which the woods take fire and consume the grass, and the cattle have perished for want of water. Often do the rains descend, and the floods come, when the Hawkesbury corn is in the ground; and the colony has sometimes suffered from the improvidence of these farmers, in not building their wheat-stacks out of the reach of the devouring waters. The extraordinary fertility of these flooded lands, which have borne a crop of wheat and a crop of maize in each year, for the last 25 years, has naturally induced their tenants to rely too much upon this lubber-land sort of farming, just as the inhabitants of Vesuvius cannot be induced to abandon that mountain, after a lava-flood from its volcano, and see nothing in present ruin but the prospect of future riches. "So the Ohio, (says Mr. Birkbeck) with its annual overflowings, is unable to wash away the inhabitants of Shawnee Town." But it is surely impolitic to grant away such precarious and hot-bed lands. In so indifferent a general soil as that of New South Wales, a better system of agriculture should be taught; and what encouragement is given to the

general farmer to bedew his land with the sweat of his brow, when he sees that of his idle neighbour on the banks of the river irrigated by the flood, and producing as good a crop, with no other labour than that of hoeing and strewing? It is only upon the chance of the flood's devouring instead of feeding, that the general farmer can calculate for occasional remuneration; and when this calamity happens, the river-farmer, whose rapid gains induce him as rapidly to spend, is found entirely unprovided, and his whole district is reduced to subscription and beggary. This, in itself, is not one of the least political evils of such a system. It is an encouragement to future improvidence, and fosters a disposition too literally to take no thought for the morrow, but to consider and imitate the gigantic lily (doryanthes excelsa); a disposition which must be supposed to be already too natural among the small settlers, who have emerged from the condition of convicts. Another good reason against granting away this land, and suffering it to be cleared, is, that the floods wash the fallen timber into the channel of the river, and obstruct the navigation. The removal of the trees from its banks has also not only contributed to choak the river by their falling in, but has occasioned derelictions on one side, and alluvions on the other.

But we shall never get our cart up Lapstone Hill at this rate; and it is so steep and long, that we were obliged to shift our baggage twice in ascending it, notwithstanding Governor Macquarie's Government and General Order of the 10th of June, 1815, says, that "the facility of the ascent to Spring Wood excited surprise, and is certainly not well calculated to give the traveller a just idea of the difficulties he has afterwards to encounter." I found Lapstone Hill as difficult as any in the journey, except Mount York, and we did not reach Spring Wood (124 miles from the river) where alone there is space enough in the forest to encamp upon, till after nine o'clock at night. There is little or no grass here, and the timber consists principally of those species of eucalyptus, called by the colonists stringy, and

*Notes on a Journey in America, p. 113.

iron bark. Here is stationed an acting corporal's party, of the 48th regiment, in a small barrack.

Tuesday, Oct. 8.-Set forward at half an hour after nine o'clock, a. m., and halted on a mossy sand-hill, above Jamison's Valley, two miles beyond the King's Table Land, at five o'clock, p. m., having travelled 16 miles this day. This station is now called The Burnt Weatherboarded Hut, and was Governor Macquarie's second depôt for making the road. The timber now became more dwarf, and we were actually crossing the Blue Mountains. We found the pass very Alpine and difficult-rocky— sandy-stony-flowery. The views were very grand. The night was stormy, but little rainy. All in the sublime.

Wednesday, Oct. 9.-Moved at 8 a. m. and arrived at the bottom of Cox's Pass, down Mount York at 5 p. m. (21 miles). The ridge of mountains (or rather rocks), along which this passage could alone be effected, is very difficult and desolate. The trees (still eucalyptus) are stunted and burnt, with the exception of one light species, called the ash, of which good white cooper's work might be made, and perhaps ships smaller spars. The King's Table Land, is as anarchical and untabular as any his Majesty possesses. Jamison's valley we found by no means a happy one. Blackheath is a wretched misnomer. Not to mention its awful contrast to the beautiful place of that name in England, heath it is none: black it may be when the shrubs are burnt, as they often are. Pitt's Amphitheatre disappointed me. The hills are thrown together in a monotonous manner, and their clothing is very unpicturesque; a mere sea of harsh trees; but good enough for Mr. Pitt, who was no particular connoisseur either in mountain scenery or in amphitheatres. Mount York (as Governor Macquarie named it) redeems the journey across the Blue Mountains; for it leads you to the first green valley. The earliest burst of the Christian transalpine country from the beginning of this mountain is very beautiful. The sight of grass again is lovely. The view from the commencement of Cox's Pass down to it is finer still. This Big Hill, as it is alone called,

should have been named Mount Pisgah; for it affords the first view of the promised land of Australia, after the wilderness of the Blue Mountains. After three days' starving among them, your cattle now get plenty of green grass. Encamp then at the first bite; for there is water enough, and the station under Mount York is very picturesque into the bargain, que ne gâte rien. This valley, which leads to Cox's River, is called the Vale of Clwydd, but (like all colonial Windsors and Richmonds) does not at all resemble its godmother in Old North Wales.

Thursday, Oct.10.--Did not proceed till half past nine o'clock, a. m.; but performed 21 miles this day, and encamped on the banks of the Fish River at 7 o'clock, p. m. This is the first stream that flows westerly, Cox's River falling into the Nepean. The journey to-day was all beautiful. Cox's River (five miles from his pass down Mount York, which might be avoided by an easier and shorter road to the north of it) is worth going to spend a few days at, of itself. It is a pretty stream, and rich in the botanical and picturesque. Here the first granite is seen, though (I am told) there is granite at the Five Islands; and here I saw four new and beautiful grevilleæ, viz. the cinerea, rosmarinifolia, acanthifolia, and sulphurea. From the overhanging rocks of Cox's Pass, I had before gathered an entirely red variety of the epacris grandiflora, and an elegant flower, called leucopogon lanceolatus.

Here we met a few Indian natives of Bathurst. They resembled the natives of the coast in appearance, but did not speak the same language. They seem, however, to have advanced towards civilization one degree further than the poor forked animals of the warmer climate, inasmuch as they possess the art of very neatly sewing together, with the sinews of the kangaroo and emu, cloaks of skins, the hide of which they also carve in the inside with a world of figures. They use these cloaks for the sole purpose of keeping themselves warm, and have as little sense of decency as the natives around Sydney; for in the middle of the day, when the weather is warm, they throw back their cloaks across their

shoulders. They appear to be a harmless race, with nothing ferocious in their manners or countenance. They are perfectly cheerful, laughing at every thing they see, and repeating every thing they hear. For the rest, little can be added to Colonel Collins's account of the natives of New South Wales. Their numbers are diminishing. Not that they retreat before the settlements of Europeans this they cannot do: the different tribes (few as their numbers are) would resist the invasion of each other's territory. Thirty or forty miles will reach the circumference of each family's peregrinations. The tribes about our first settlements are as ignorant of the country beyond the mountains as the colonists were; and such is the sterility of the greater part of Mr. Oxley's first interior route, that he met with only twentytwo Indians in a journey of five months. Of the persons of the natives of New South Wales, I think Colonel Collins has given too unfavourable a picture. Their faces have generally (in my opinion) too much good-nature to be absolutely hideous, and (to my taste) they do not imitate humanity so abominably as the African negro. Their hair is not woolly; their heads are not dog-like; nor are their legs baboonish. The

figure of many of them is very good; and as for their leanness, how can they wax fat in so poor a country? From the neighbourhood of our settlements, we have scared the kangaroo and the emu, and left these poor lords of the creation no created food, but a few opossums, and a tenancy in common with us of fish. Together with their numbers, their customs and manners are in a state of decay. The ceremony of extracting the right upper front tooth from the jaw of adults (so fully described and pictured by Colonel Collins) is nearly obsolete in the neighbourhood of our settlements; and the custom is by no means universal in the island. But the corrobory, or night-dance, still obtains. This festivity is performed in very good time and not unpleasing tune. The song is sung by a few males and females, who take no part in the dance. One of the band beats time by knocking one stick against another. The music begins with a high note, and gradually sinks to the octave, whence it rises again immediately to the top. I took down the following Australian National Melody from Harry, who married Carang-arang, the sister of the celebrated Bennillong; and I believe it to be the first that was ever reduced to writing :

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I ah, i-ab, i ab, i-ah, i- ah, i-ah, i-ah, i-ah,

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gumbery jah, jingun velah, gumbery jah

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ah, i- ab, i - ah, i- ah, i ah,

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ah, i - ab, i - ah, &c. The dancers breathe in chorus like paviours, and the general step consists in opening the knees with a convulsive shake to the music; but oc

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casionally they thrid the mazes of one another without any confusion. They stripe themselves down the waist, and paint their faces with

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white clay and red ochre; and in everybody; and understand the na.

7 compliment to European delicacy, ture of everybody's business, alwear boughs round their loins. The though they have none of their own glare of large fires gives a pic- , -but this. They give a locality to turesque effect to the savage scene, the land ; and their honest naked and the dance works up the pere simplicity affords a relief to the eye formers to a sublime enthusiasm. I from the hypocritical lour of the yelhave been thus minute, because in a low-clad convict. The warlike fea. few years perhaps even the corrobory tures of the tribes which surround will be no more, so sophisticated do our settlements are now quite effaced: they become from their pernicious the savages are forbidden to enter association with the convicts, who the towns with their spears, and they $ow the seeds of drunkenness in the cheerfully comply with this requisie prolific soil of savage indolence. A tion. They have a bowing acquaintrum or even sugar cask, filled with ance with everybody, and scatter water, furnishes these poor creatures their hou d'ye do's with an air of with an intoxicating liquor; and the friendliness and equality, and with a invasions of civilization are reproach- perfect English accent, undebased by ed with the introduction of a new the massas, and misses, and me-ro's, vice, which operates as an inflamer of West-Indian slavery. They have of all their old ones. It is a melan- been tried to be brought up from incholy sight to witness the drunken fancy as servants; but they have alquarrels and fightings of the simple ways run away to the woods. Our natives of Australia in the streets government has also instituted a of Sydney,--a people to whom civi- small school for the education of lization can never bring the comforts native black children. Some of their of food, raiment, and shelter, and the parents (particularly of half-casts) blessings of religion, as an atone- have no objection to their being ment for the vice and disease, which clothed, and fed, and taught; but it necessarily carries along with it. they cannot endure the thoughts of That these unfortunate beings were their being made servants. The comparatively ignorant of the crime children learn as readily as Euroof evil speaking, before we came peans; but their parents steal them among them, is proved by the broken away when they grow up; and they English words of scurrility and exe- will not willingly return among us: cration, with which they pollute their a few pairs have been married and native tongue.

The effect of this housed out of the school, but they would be ludicrous, were not the will not settle: their instinctive relish cause pitiable. Truly, Botany Bay for the vermin and range of the is a bad school for them; but they woods cannot be eradicated. “Sir," have not learnt of the convicts to lie said Dr. Johnson, holding up a slice or to steal. Perhaps it is better that from a quartern loaf, “this is better their name should pass away from than the bread-fruit;" but the sathe earth. They will not serve; vages of Australia, although exand they are too indolent and poor in tremely fond of bread, will never lose spirit to become masters. They their more exquisite relish for a fine would always be drones in the hive fat grub. “ Poor Tom! that eats the of an industrious colony. Neverthe- swimming frog, the toad, the tadless, they are not without the stamp pole, the wall-newt and the water; of their Maker's image, cut in ebony swallows the old rat and the ditch (as old Fuller says) instead of ivory. dog; drinks the green mantle of the They bear themselves erect, and ad- standing pool. But let us talk with dress you with confidence; always this philosopher." If he is the most with good humour and often with independent, who has the fewest grace. They are not common beg, wants, the houseless Australian is gars, although they accept of our certainly our superior: “ he owes carnal things, in return for the fish the worm no silk, the beast no hide, and oysters, which are almost all the sheep no wool, the cat no perwe have left them for their support. fume:" he looks upon us as They are the Will Wimbles of the phisticated;” but he always treats colony; the carriers of news and our persons with respect, although fish; the gossips of the town; the he holds our servants very cheap; Loungers on the quay. They know and looks down with a kind of stoical

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pity upon the various articles of com- the body which may be exposed, and fort, to which we have made our. bare those which modesty commands selves slaves. He has no notion of to be concealed. This is precisely that inferiority to us, the oppression the consequence of giving clothes to of which feeling reduces the New the Australians: they think themZealanders and South Sea Islanders selves fastidiously dressed when they almost to despair; and he despises have got a jacket or an old coat on; the comforts of civilization, although and twenty years' daily commerce he has nothing of his own but his with European ladies and gentlemen “ hollow tree and liberty," without fails to shame them. The women, even the “ crust of bread." What however, (adds Martin Dobrizhoffer) then must be his opinion of our ser- of both nations wear that degree of vants ?-men and women, who sa- clothing which modesty requires. crifice their liberty and independ- Now in Australia they are both ence for the second-rate comforts of naked, the man and his wife, and are civilization, which they earn by sub- not ashamed; and it is therefore I mitting to perform menial offices for say that these savages will never be those who enjoy the first-rate, and other than they are. An intelligent by ministering to their artificial and experienced member of the comwants; for all which first-rate com- mittee of the native institution of forts the naked native has a contempt. New South Wales (the Rev. R. CartWith us masters, all he contends for wright) feels this impediment to their nevertheless is equality: he acknow. civilization so strongly that he would ledges the British Government, and compel them not to come into our even accepts from the Governor towns naked; but I doubt the grants of his own patrimonial land. practicability both of the means and Some of the Indians have also serie the end. Modesty is an innate feelously applied to be allowed convict- ing, that no human power can incul labourers, as the settlers are, although cate: they have not patience to remain in the huts, which our government have

Yet deem not this man useless ; built for them, till the maize and But let him pass :-a blessing on his head! cabbages, that have been planted to And while in that society, to which their hands, are fit to gather. We The tide of things has led him, he appears have now lived among them more

To breathe and live but for himself alone, than thirty years, and yet, like the The good which the benignant law of

Unblamed, uninjured, let him bear about North American Indians, they have

Heaven adopted none of our arts of life, with Has hung around him; and while life is the exception of exchanging their his, stone hatchets and shell fish-hooks Still let him prompt the liberal Colonist for our iron ones. They will never To tender offices and pensive thoughts. become builders or cultivators, or Then let him pass :- blessing on his mechanics, or mariners, like the New head! Zealanders or the South Sea Islanders; And long as he can wander, let him breathe nor indeed, till they cease to be at all, The freshness of the woods. will they ever be other than they are. May never we pretend to civilize They are the only savages in the Let him be free of mountain solitudes;

And make him only captive ! world, who cannot feel that they are

And let him, where and when he will, sit naked; and we are taught in the down, Scriptures, that the eyes of man can: Beneath the trees, and with his faithful dog not be opened to what we call a Share his chance-gather'd meal; and, civilized or artificial life, knowing finally, good and evil, till he acquires a sense As in the eye of Nature he has lived, of (perhaps false) shame, or “ fear," So in the eye of Nature let him die! as it is called in the Bible. The Payaguas and Albayas are abominat- When all thy simple race is ex. ed by the other South American In- tinct, thy name, gentle and welldians, because they are unacquainted bred Harry! shall be recorded at with modesty. They have plenty of least in the pages of this journal. clothes; but they make a bad use of Our courtiers say, all's savage but them (says the historian of the Abi- at court; but of this, at least, I am pones); for they cover those parts of sure, that thou wert the most courtes

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