In introducing a number on the settlement of Port Lincoln, put of place as to date, it is necessary to explain that I have waited for full information as to the ''experiences'', of the first settlers, in this district of the colony, which I have at length obtained from two gentlemen who were in the party which first arrived there to form the settlement, and were amongst the most active in that work.

From them and others I have obtained descriptions of the first trials endured, and of a sad accident which occurred at the opening scene, as well as accounts of the many murders by the blacks of settlers and their servants, in their attempts to establish stations, at first within short distances of the township, and at subsequent periods on more distant stations.

I commence with the visit and inspection by Colonel Light of the unsurpassed natural harbor of Boston Bay and neighboring anchorages.

On August 20, 1836, Colonel Light, Surveyor-General, arrived from England at Kangaroo Island in the brig Rapid, and anchored in Nepean Bay. Although he found the harbor a first-class one, as far as safe and extensive anchorage was concerned, he without hesitation decided that the Island was not the place to fix on as the site for the capital of the colony.

He remained till the 7th September to refresh and water, and to examine and survey the bay, and then sailed up Gulf St. Vincent ; and after calling at a small bay, which was named Rapid Bay, continued on his course, and landed at the mouth of the Fifteen Mile Creek, now called Port Adelaide, the entrance to which is honored with the name of Light's Passage.

Being delighted with the appearance of the country, he decided the neighborhood would be likely to afford a suitable spot on which to place the capital. To carry out the instructions of the Commissioners, he left Mr. Kingston, Mr. Finniss, and other members of the survey party, to carry on a more extended examination of the adjacent country.

He then sailed in the Rapid for Port Lincoln, of which navigators had published such favorable and, as he found, correct accounts, i.e., as to the beauty and capacity of the harbor ; but of the adjacent country no information was extant. Arrived in Boston Bay, he found all published accounts of the bay itself fully warranted, and other anchorages all that could be desired ; and if the harbors had been backed up by such a country as he had seen on the eastern side of Gulf St. Vincent, no doubt he would there have fixed Adelaide as the capital ; but from every point of vantage as an elevation from which to view the interior, the picture was so unfavorable that he quickly made his decision in favor of the eastern side of Gulf St. Vincent.

The account I shall give in this number of the first experiences of the pioneers in settling the Port Lincoln district, and I may say the history of the settlement, if continued through the 37 subsequent years, is sufficient to prove the correctness of Colonel Light's first and hastily formed decision, that the country between the Mount Lofty ranges and Gulf St. Vincent held out an ample prospect to a numerous population of rich, well-watered lands ; while the anticipations founded on the reports of navigators of Nepean Bay and Port Lincoln as to fine and extensive harbors were not likely to be realized, those harbors not being in connection with open and suitable land for agricultural settlement.

I now pass to the year 1839, and commence by giving the narrations of Captain Hawson, Mr. T. N. Mitchell, and others, taken down from their lips. Mr. Mitchell was one of the passengers by the Abeona, Captain Hawson, and also on board were Messrs. C. Fenn, R. Todd, W. Williams, J. M. Phillipson, and others, whose names may appear in the course of this narrative.

The landing was made in March, 1839, in Boston Harbor, at Happy Valley. By the captain and passengers it was arranged that those on shore should fire a volley and hoist the British flag, and that after a certain interval of time, the mate, named James Hunter, should answer by firing the one and only carronade on board. The volley on shore having been fired, the first discharge of the gun on board took place, and shortly after they were surprised by a second discharge of the gun on deck contrary to orders, and also by witnessing a splash in the water following the report.

It was evident an accident had occurred, and Captain Hawson, with Mr. T. N. Mitchell, immediately pushed off in the boat. On arriving on board they were horrified at finding one of the seamen lying in a pool of blood on the steerage deck. He was begging to be thrown overboard, his eyes were literally blown out, one of his cheeks was lacerated, his hands shattered, and his body otherwise injured.

Mr. Mitchell, having previously operated on animals, and having fortunately with his luggage a medicine chest and a case of surgical instruments, in the absence of any surgeon amputated part of one hand and dressed his face and wounds in the best way he could. The captain at the same time set about the discharge of passengers' luggage and cargo, so as to lose no time in returning to Adelaide, and placing him, if then surviving, under professional treatment. It was ascertained that poor Hunter had most improperly, in ramming down the powder, used an iron bar, and thus the powder had exploded, the splash seen by the captain and others on shore being the iron bar striking the water.

The running up of the British flag, part of the introductory ceremony, occurring almost at the same moment as this accident, the unfortunate occurrence was looked upon as a sad opening of the settlement.

The brig was soon under way, and made a quick and comfortable passage to Holdfast Bay, and conveyed the sufferer to Adelaide. Mr. Mitchell accompanied Hunter to attend to him, and to alleviate his agonies as much as possible. The patient was conveyed to the Adelaide Hospital alive, much to the surprise of Dr. Wyatt and other medical gentlemen, who were soon in attendance. The building then used as the public Hospital was situated near the Black Swan, on North-terrace, and was a small thatched hut. The maimed man recovered, and survived some years. Such was the first experience of the inhabitants of Port Lincoln town and settlement.

The splendid harbor has not up to this time (unsurpassed as it is in its accommodation for a large number of ships of any size) been much used, the back country being deficient in agricultural land and abounding in large scrubs, with a scarcity of water, and in consequence grazing stations have been few and far between.

Captain Hawson returned with his ship and passenger, Mr. Mitchell, and anchored again in Boston Bay. No time was lost by the few arrivals in organising an exploring party to view the country and discover its capabilities, Captain Hawson being leader, with about nine men all on foot, an overlander called Yorky carrying the bulk of the provisions. The direction first taken was about south-west.

After passing over a barren and sandy country, after travelling three days they made Coffin's Bay, where a little fresh water was found, but not sufficient to satisfy the wants of the party. They then turned in a north-west direction to reach a range of hills in sight, on arriving at which it was decided that the bulk of the party should rest, and remain at a certain spot, while the leader (Captain Hawson), Mr. Mitchell, one other member of the party, and Yorky, with his load, should surmount the range.

This was carried out, and the active party struggled up the steep and rocky range, which was named by them the Marble Range, from finding large masses of quartz, and what was taken to be marble. The prospect not being promising in any direction from the summit, no open country being in view, it was decided to continue N.E.; and unfortunately for the lot, by some accident Yorky, the bearer of the main portion of the provisions, separated from the descending party, and was no more seen until they returned to the encampment at Happy Valley.

The party had now to depend entirely on their return journey on the small quantity of provisions which they had in their wallets, and on brackish water, until a black was caught, who was induced to point out some of their watering places in the direction of the new settlement, and the party had to subsist for four or five days on a few small birds.

On arriving at the settlement at Happy Valley, as they had called it (but where they had not yet "experienced" much of that feeling), they found their provision-carrier had arrived before them, but without much inconvenience to himself. The black, who may be said to have saved the lives of the explorers by pointing out good water, remained with them a short time, and for a time his friendship was secured.

The first water shown by this black-fellow was on a rise near a hill, which they named Mount Gawler ; and here the first sheep-station was afterwards formed, by Mr. Jno. Brown, from Shields, who soon afterwards was killed by the blacks, as was also a Mr. Biddle, who subsequently formed a station about five miles from Brown's place, with some others employed on these first stations.

Full particulars will be given in a future number, as well as of the slaughter of young Francis Hawson, twelve years of age, which was the first murder committed by the blacks in this part of the province, and which took place at a small outstation, about seven miles from the first settlement at Happy Valley, when he had happened to be left alone, his elder brother having gone into the settlement.

It was not long before the inhabitants of the small settlement were cheered by the arrival of Captain Porter, with his brig, Porter, named after himself. His cargo was chiefly provisions, of which the inhabitants had run short, and, much to their inconvenience, he refused to sell.

His brig Dorset, which he had sold at Port Adelaide to Messrs. Smith & Shane, also soon after arrived, with a number of Van Dieman's Land laborers — old lags — under engagement to them.

The Special Survey No. 1 had been taken up in the name of Smith & Hawson, to cover which an Association had been formed as co-partners in laying out the township and country (the latter in 20-acre blocks) on the 4,000 acres to be selected out of the 15,000 embraced in the Special Survey, which was conveyed to Mr. Osmond Gilles and Dr. Knott, in trust, by Smith and Hawson, as trustees to represent the parties who had contributed to aid them in the £4,000 purchase-money, Mr. Winter, surveyor, being employed to lay out the allotments.

The next unfortunate circumstance which occurred was the pecuniary difficulties in which Messrs. Smith and Shane shortly found themselves at the commencement of the general crisis, when they could not continue to employ the rough characters whom they had introduced into the infant settlement ; nor could they complete their bargain for the ship Dorset, which then fell into the hands of Mr. Emanuel Solomon, of Adelaide, who employed her to the great benefit of the older settlement of Adelaide, as will be reported in another article.

The rough characters who were thus thrown out of work by the difficulties of their employers commenced to supply their own wants by committing robberies on the small stocks of the already needy settlers, who, few in number, and not altogether in harmony, did not combine together to resist the depredators, who carried on their actions with impunity, helping themselves frequently in open daylight. At this time no police had been provided or sent by the Government.

The Government were appealed to for protection, and Mr. Matthew Smith (some years afterwards Commissioner of Insolvency) was sent as Resident Magistrate with Mr. John Irving Barnard as clerk ; also a body of police, with Sergeant McEllister (who subsequently rose to the dignity of M.L.C.), and four policemen.

After this disorders were quelled, and the settlement went on in a quiet jog-trot way until the inhabitants were aroused and delighted by the arrival of a French whaler, the Recovery, Captain Latham, who remained to water and refresh, and, having given and received hospitalities, continued his cruise after the monsters of the deep, promising to return. He soon fulfilled his promise ; and to the joy of the settlers soon after he dropped anchor, two more whalers arrived, all foreigners, and took up their stations and anchored without the aid of pilots.

Now Boston Bay presented an interesting and unusually lively appearance. The next arrival was a most remarkable one, namely, a large whale, come in, as it were, to offer sport and voluntary sacrifice of a body burdened with a superfluity of fat or blubber. Boats from all the vessels were soon in chase. Although the bays are spacious enough to shelter and accommodate the largest fleet ever afloat, the space afforded for the sport of fastening on to a full grown whale, and keeping hold till death of the game, was found to be limited by the monster, which after staining with its blood the waters, was at length made fast to the side of the whaler Nile, the boats of which ship were successful in the race.

The whale was longer than the ship to which it was lashed, and the affair was a sight the inhabitants were gratified with, and such as seldom, if ever, has been afforded to landsmen on shore. The carcase yielded about 50 tuns of oil, as was reported; the crew would not be likely again to have the same work to perform under such favorable circumstances.

It is somewhat remarkable that before the whalers left their anchorage, two more whales were sighted but escaped. Before the settlement of South Australia was made the southern sandy beaches and sheltered coves were favorite places of resort for the female mammals to visit once a year ; but now, with the numerous ships, especially the steamers, which are so constantly passing to and fro, the whalers have to visit other seas, and such profitable visitors are not now caught in our province, and only occasionally a stray one may be seen off Encounter Bay, or to the south of the great Australian Bight.

I give an extract from the South Australian Magazine of November, 1841, (long defunct) furnished by the late Mr. Bentham Neales, who was one of the first supporters of the settlement at Port Lincoln, as he was of the general business of the colony. The extract is as follows : —

''I have as yet taken my stand on solid land, and have said nothing of the open sea. Look at the map and you will see from this part (meaning from Port Lincoln) to the westermost extremity of the province, barren sandhills. Says the traveller, these in fact are universal. True, so are the bays, coves, and inlets universal, literally teeming with live oil, which the prevailing winds, with the requisite amount of human industry, would at once bring up to the headquarters provided by nature — Boston Bay. Last year (1840) four French whalers and one American fished between this place and Fowler's Bay, and this year at least six foreigners are on the fishing-ground, taking away the riches which we neglect. A small branch of the Adelaide Fishing Company, at Sleaford's Bay, is all that has been yet attempted ; although it is well known that no less than 32 whales have been seen in Boston Bay this year. Should a larger Company be formed, as several excellent spots can be pointed out, it appears quite evident that the whale fishery will be ere long one of the principal sources of the wealth of the Port Lincoln settlers."

The most interesting visitor with whom the inhabitants were afterwards favored was Lady Franklin, who, with her daughter, arrived in the brigantine Abeona, from Hobart Town, commanded by Captain Blackburn. This amiable lady and devoted wife had undertaken the duty of paying this visit, and to encounter in her own person at this early period of the settlement, when no suitable accommodation for herself could be afforded her, or means to aid her in her toilsome work, the difficult search for the spot on Stamford Hill from the highest part of which Captain Flinders, under whom her gallant husband was an officer, had taken his observation when on his visit some time before he was engaged on a marine survey in the ship Investigator.

On the spot, when found, Lady Franklin's determination was to cause to be erected a suitable work as a memorial to commemorate Captain Flinders' visit and its accomplished object. Captain Blackburn with some of the inhabitants accompanied Lady Franklin and her daughter on foot to fulfil this arduous duty. When reached, the steep and rocky range had to be climbed, and on the summit being attained the exact spot had to be worked out and discovered by observations until a correspondence with Captain Flinders' record was obtained.

The range was found to have so large an amount of metallic ore in its body that it was necessary to work the instrument placed upon the bent back of one man, resting, to give steadiness, on another. The person on whose back was placed the instrument was Mr. T. N. Mitchell ; his support one of the Hawsons.

After many trials a correspondence was obtained, and then the spot was marked, where the contractor (Mr. Kellet, of Adelaide), afterwards, erected a monument dedicated to Captain Flinders. Anything I can write to record this devoted action of the gallant wife of a gallant sailor, whose life was afterwards lost, as is so universally known, in command of the party sent to seek the North-west Passage, will very inadequately record Lady Franklin's virtue in this instance, which is in keeping with her untiring and self-sacrificing actions in sending out naval expeditions to discover the remains of her lost husband. Never was there a nobler man than Sir John Franklin, or blessed with a worthier wife.

In continuing the "experiences" of Port Lincoln settlers. I shall have a deplorable record to furnish in a succeeding number of a long succession of murders occurring in this part of the province, much later than in any other district of the colony, the inhabitants being few in proportion to the extent of country occupied.

Although some of the black murderers who had been caught, and convicted at the Criminal Sittings in Adelaide, had been sent back and hung in their own country and in the presence of some of their tribe, it will be seen that such examples failed to produce an immediate effect.

By the kindness of Mr. J. Howell, Keeper of Her Majesty's Gaol, Adelaide, I am enabled to give a list of the number of natives hung in the Port Lincoln district : — In 1849, three ; in 1856, three ; in 1860, one ; in 1861, four ; in 1863, one. It is to be noted that the natives who committed the earliest murders were not caught, nor is it known or probable that the settlers retaliated, or some deterring effects would have been in all probability the results. (To be continued)