



Produced by Col Choat










JOURNALS OF TWO EXPEDITIONS INTO THE INTERIOR OF NEW SOUTH WALES,
BY ORDER OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IN THE YEARS 1817-18.
BY JOHN OXLEY,
SURVEYOR GENERAL OF THE TERRITORY AND LIEUTENANT OF THE ROYAL NAVY.
WITH MAPS AND VIEWS OF THE INTERIOR, OR NEWLY DISCOVERED COUNTRY.



Production notes:
* 12 items of errata listed in the book have been corrected in this eBook.
* Illustrations, Maps and Charts have not been included in this eBook.
* Notes included within the text have been included in square
    brackets [] in the text at the point referenced.
* Italics have been converted to upper case.





CONTENTS


PART I

LIST OF PLATES
LIST OF CHARTS
INRODUCTION
JOURNAL OF AN EXPEDITION IN AUSTRALIA PART I.

PART II

PREFACE
JOURNAL OF AN EXPEDITION IN AUSTRALIA PART II.
APPENDIX PART I.
No. I.  Instructions for conducting and leading first expedition.
No. II  Report of tour over Blue Mountains in 1815 by the Governor.
No. III Letter from Oxley to Governor advising of his return from first
        expedition.
APPENDIX PART II.
No. IV  Diary of Mr. Evans, from 8th to 18th of July, 1818.
No. V.  Governor's report  on the return of Oxley from the second
        expedition, together with a letter from Oxley on his arrival
        at Port Stephens..
No. VI. Governor's report on Oxley's discovery of Port Stephens together
        with a letter from Oxley to the Governor on this subject.
A brief abstract of the population of N.S.W in 1815, 1816 and 1817.
A statement  of land in cultivation, quantities of stock, etc. from
        1813 to 1817 inclusive.




LIST OF PLATES (NOT INCLUDED IN THIS EBOOK).

Field Plains from Mount Aymot.
The Grave of a Native of Australia.
Arbuthnot's Range, from the West.
Liverpool Plains. West Prospect from View Hill.
Bathurst's Falls.
A Native Chief of Bathurst.


LIST OF CHARTS (NOT INCLUDED IN THIS EBOOK).

Range of the Thermometer from April 9th to August 30th 1817 by John
Oxley.
A Chart of Part of the Interior of New South Wales, 1817.
     First Expedition.
A Chart of Part of the Interior of New South Wales, 1818.
     Second Expedition.
Reduced Sketch of the Two Expeditions.
A Plan of Port Macquarie Including a Sketch of Part of Hastings River,
     on the East Coast of New South Wales.
A General Statement of the Inhabitants of New South Wales as per General
     Muster commencing 28th September 1818, with an account of same
     at Van Diemmens Land.
A General Statement of the Land in Cultivation etc., the quantities
     of Stock etc., as accounted for at the General Muster, with an
     account of same at Van Diemmens Land..





JOURNAL OF AN EXPEDITION IN AUSTRALIA
Part I.


TO HIS EXCELLENCY LACHLAN MACQUARIE, ESQ.
MAJOR GENERAL IN THE ARMY,
AND CAPTAIN GENERAL AND GOVERNOR IN CHIEF IN AND OVER THE TERRITORY
OF NEW SOUTH WALES AND ITS DEPENDENCIES,
THE FOLLOWING JOURNAL OF AN EXPEDITION,
PERFORMED UNDER HIS ADMINISTRATION AND DIRECTION,
IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED, BY HIS VERY OBEDIENT HUMBLE SERVANT,
JOHN OXLEY.




INTRODUCTION.

The colony had been established many years before any successful attempt
had been made to penetrate into the interior of the country, by crossing
the range of hills, known to the colonists as the Blue Mountains: these
mountains were considered as the boundary of the settlements westward,
the country beyond them being deemed inaccessible.

The year 1813 proving extremely dry, the grass was nearly all destroyed,
and the water failed; the horned cattle suffered severely from this
drought, and died in great numbers. It was at this period that three
gentlemen, Lieutenant Lawson, of the Royal Veteran Company, Messrs.
Blaxland, and William Wentworth, determined upon attempting a passage
across these mountains, in hopes of finding a country which would afford
support to their herds during this trying season.

They crossed the Nepean River at Emu Plains, and ascending the first
range of mountains, were entangled among gullies and deep ravines for a
considerable time, insomuch that they began to despair of ultimate
success. At length they were fortunate enough to find a main dividing
range, along the ridge of which they travelled, observing that it led
them westward. After suffering many hardships, their distinguished
perseverance was at length rewarded by the view of a country, which at
first sight promised them all they could wish.

Into this Land of Promise they descended by a steep mountain, which
Governor Macquarie has since named Mount York [Note: This mountain was
found to be 795 feet in perpendicular height above the vale of Clwydd.].
The valley [Note: Named by Governor Macquarie the Vale of Clwydd.] to
which it gave them access was covered with grass, and well watered by a
small stream running easterly, and which was subsequently found to fall
into the Nepean River. From Mount York they proceeded westerly eight or
ten miles, passing during the latter part of the way through an open
country, but broken into steep hills. Seeing that the stream before
mentioned as watering the valley ran easterly, it was evident they had
not yet crossed the ranges which it was supposed would give source to
waters falling westerly; they had however proceeded sufficiently far for
their purpose, and ascertained that no serious obstacles existed to a
farther progress westward.

Their provisions being nearly expended, they returned to Sydney, after
an absence of little more than a month; and the report of their
discoveries opened new prospects to the colonists, who had began to fear
that their narrow and confined limits would not long afford pasture and
subsistence for their greatly increasing flocks and herds.

His Excellency Governor Macquarie, with that promptitude which
distinguishes his character, resolved not to let slip so favourable an
opportunity of obtaining a farther knowledge of the interior. Mr. Evans,
the deputy surveyor, was directed to proceed With a party, and follow up
the discoveries already made. He crossed the Nepean River on the 20th of
November, 1813, and on the 26th arrived at the termination of Messrs.
Lawson, Blaxland, and Wentworth's journey. Proceeding westward, he
crossed a mountainous [Note: Since named Clarence Hilly Range.] broken
country, the grass of which was good, and the valleys well-watered, until
the 30th, when he came to a small stream, running westerly; this stream,
called by him the Fish River, he continued to trace until the 7th of
December, passing through a very fine country, adapted to every purpose
either of agriculture or grazing; when he met another stream coming from
the southward: this latter stream he named Campbell River, and when
joined with the Fish River, the united streams received the name of the
Macquarie River, in honour of his excellency the present governor of
New South Wales.

Mr. Evans continued to trace the Macquarie River until December the
18th, passing over rich tracts clear of timber, well-watered, and
offering every advantage which a country in its natural state can be
supposed to afford. During this excursion, Mr. Evans fell in with
abundance of kangaroos and emus, and the river abounded with fine
fish: he saw only six natives during the whole time of his absence,
viz. two women and four children, although on his return he observed many
fires in the neighbourhood of the mountains. On the 8th of January, 1814,
he returned to Emu Plains, having gone in the whole near one hundred
miles
in a direct line due west from the Nepean River.

From the report of Mr. Evans, Governor Macquarie was induced to believe
that a road might be opened for the whole distance already surveyed, and
was most anxious that the colony should reap as soon as possible the
advantages, which the discovery of such extensive and fertile tracts
seemed to open.

The ample means afforded for this purpose enabled Mr. Cox, to whose
superintendence this work was entrusted, to complete a road passable for
loaded carriages early in 1815. This road extended in length upwards of
one hundred miles, the first fifty of which passed along a narrow ridge
of the Blue Mountains, bounded on each side by deep ravines, and
precipitous rocks. The road which was cut down Mount York was a work of
considerable labour and magnitude, and reflected the highest credit
upon all employed in it. This important task being finished, the
governor resolved in person to visit a country of which so much had been
said, and to judge from actual observation how far the sanguine hopes
which had been entertained were likely to be realized; his excellency
therefore, accompanied by Mrs. Macquarie and his suite, set out from Emu
Plains on the 26th of April, 1815, and arrived on the 4th of May at a
small encampment (the site of which had been previously selected), on
Bathurst Plains, near the termination of Mr. Evans's journey. Governor
Macquarie having been pleased to publish for the information of the
colonists such observations on the country as he deemed necessary, I
shall not presume to add any thing to an account, which so clearly and
accurately describes all that could be interesting or beneficial to the
colonist and general inquirer.

I have therefore inserted in the Appendix the account published by the
Governor in the Sydney Gazette, of the 10th of June, 1815, as affording
the best and most authentic