16 February 1933

Was Eyre Forestalled On Great Trek?

STRANGE STORY OF NEWELL AND MANNING

History credits Eyre with being the first man to cross from South to Western Australia by way of the Great Australian Bight. But was he? He made the journey in 1841. It seems probable, however, that two youths, Newell and Manning, made it in 1835 — before South Australia was born. Here is the story.

PROBABLY Eyre was preceded in his epic trek round the Australian Bight by two English lads— James Newell and James Manning. In 1833, George Meredith, the son of a well-known Tasmanian merchant, left Sydney on a sealing expedition. Losing his schooner on Cape Howe Island, Meredith made for Kangaroo Island in a whaleboat. He had with him a Dutchman, Jacob Seaman, Newell, Manning, and 'Sal,' a lubra. They were five months doing the journey.

Meredith is said to have made mischief with the blacks at Westernport (Vic), for which misdemeanor George Stewart, a magistrate at Sydney, was sent to investigate. He arrived in 1836. But meanwhile Meredith had reached Western River (K.I.) in February, 1834, and before 1836 was murdered by his black boys at Yankalilla.

The white lad's dates, as given to Major Lockyer, commander at King George's Sound, were confusing. It seems they joined two black men, Anderson and Bathurst, at Long Island, near Port Lincoln, in November, 1834.

In June the following year, at their earnest desire, Anderson landed them on the mainland, but would not give them provisions. On August 9, 1835, seven weeks later, Newell and Manning struggled into Henty (W.A) just walking skeletons. They were hardly able to speak. They claimed to have walked from Port Lincoln. They said they had found no dearth of water, but their food had been principally limpets and grass roots, and days at a time nothing to eat at all.

According to local tradition, Meredith buried £400 at Western River. It has never been found. Jacob Seaman made his home at Morrison's Point. The stone remains of his hut can still be seen on the bank of the gully, perpetuating his Christian name, a few yards above high water mark. 'Sal' was probably a Victorian, and not Tasmanian aborigine, as Meredith is known to have stolen a lubra from Western-port, and he reached Kangaroo Island with one— presumably the same gin.— 'Yacko,' Point Morrison, K.I.

The Hopes of Clare.

— As a reader much interested in the articles, 'Towns, People, and Things We Ought to Know,' I was sorry to see that, in the page dealing with Clare, no reference was made to the Hope family, the founder of which was another Irishman.

He settled at Clare only a year after Gleeson. The whole of the town east of Main street was laid out as building sites by John Hope, and he made his home at Wolta Wolta, still in the possession of the family. In 1864 he presented the Presbyterian Church with seven acres of land as a glebe, and a year later laid the foundation stone of the manse and subscribed liberally to the building fund.

The writer also made no mention of the flourmill which once was a landmark in the centre of the 'village,' as Clare used to be called.

I may add that J. W. Gleeson, a son of 'Paddy' Gleeson, was for a time caretaker of Coralbignie station, west of Port Augusta. He died in Port Augusta hospital in 1888.— W. Gray, Westbourne Park.

Sinister Coastline.

— Probably the strip of coastline between Capes de Coudie and Borda, on the west of Kangaroo Island, has seen more tragedies than any other piece of shore of equal distance.

One case was that of some sealers of Kangaroo Island, who had murdered the crew of an American whaler. As grog wag apt to loosen the tongue of one of the murderers, a brown man called 'Abyssinia,' his comrades took the first opportunity of 'passing him on.' One day, after killing all the seals in sight on the rocks at Coudie, 'Abyssinia' was hauled half-way up the cliffs. Then the leader of the gang cut the rope.

A similar tragedy was alleged to have occurred at the Althorpes. In that instance the gang leader and a mulatto called Antonio were the prime actors.

Another case was that of the child of a lighthouse keeper at Borda. It was reported missing, and some time later the little one's body was found half-way down the cliffs. The lubra nurse-girl was suspected of throwing the child over.

West Bay, between the two capes, has been the scene of several shocking wrecks. The most severe was the loss of the Emily Smith in 1877, Her crew of 35, most of them lascars, were, with one exception, all drowned.

A few months later an island resident, then a youth of 17, arriving at his hut after a long absence, was startled to find a corpse sitting on a stool, leaning against the table. A huge head of empty shells alongside showed that the poor wretch had struggled to exist for some time. He was, presumably, one of the victims of this wreck. The loss of the Loch Sloy and her sister ship, the Loch Vennachar, also occurred in this locality.— 'Yacko,' Port Morrison.

More About The Dingo.

— When the late Mr. F. L. Grand owned Watchanaril the dingoes were bad. Mr. Grund had a mob of young calves— about 17. At night it was almost impossible to get rest owing to the howling of the dingoes. After one of these 'concerts' the children, out hunting, came across 14 of the big calves, some with their legs broken and parts of the flesh eaten out of the back, but still alive. Others were dead and almost eaten up. The teeth marks on all parts of their bodies gave one an idea of the savagery and cruelty of these dogs.

It was a common sight to see them in mobs in the day time. They would follow anyone on horseback for miles. On one occasion Mr. Louis Grund was coming home on horseback from what is now Kimba. When about 15 miles from home he missed his cattle dog. After waiting some time he went back about a mile and came upon his dog almost dead with a number of dingoes still biting him. At the sight of the rider the dingoes rushed into the scrub.

He dismounted and lifted his half-dead dog to his horse and took him home. The poor animal lay between life and death for days. Its throat was so badly bitten that it was unable to drink or eat. But with careful nursing it recovered.

One man wished to prove his theory that dingoes would attack a sick man. He saw a dingo at a distance and lay down on the ground still. After a time he saw his dingo close, and felt it was time to walk. Imagine his surprise when, on getting up, he saw three more behind him. He did not stop to look for more, but got back to his hut in all haste for his gun. — 'Wilana,' Kimba.

Menace Of The Wings.

— Forty-five years ago Mr. John Bailes was boring for water on the Nullabor Plain, 50 miles cast of Eucla. His plant was a large diamond bore, which took about nine men to work, in two shifts.

One of the men, a young German, was taken suddenly ill with what was thought to be inflammation of the bowels. There was no telephone, and Eucla telegraph station was 50 miles away, with nothing faster than a riding camel to take a telegram to a doctor, asking for advice. Before the reply came back the man died. He was buried close to the camp.

After the bore was finished and the plant taken away, a great number of wild dogs invaded the plain. They came from the north, starving, and hunting in packs. They cleaned up every living animal they met, and then started eating one another.

I happened to be riding one day in the vicinity of the bore and thought I would have a look at the young German's grave. Judge my surprise when I found that the dogs had dug down six feet to his coffin and had broken through it.

That evening I met a cattle buyer who was coming east to lift some cattle. During our conversation he told me of a thrilling experience he had that morning. He and his black boy went out to get their horses, when they were attacked by five hungry wild dogs. They had great difficulty in beating them off. They managed to kill one dog, which the other four started to devour. He assured me it was the killing of that dog which saved him and his boy from being badly mauled. I can vouch for the voracity of wild dogs. When driven by hunger they will tackle anything.— 'M.J.A.,' Coorabie.

Fate And John Henry.

— John Henry S-- was the only child of a poor, hard working widow. He had lately gone to work at a local marble quarry. He was the proud possessor of beautiful teeth, but had been having trouble with them.

One morning his mother called him as usual to go to his work, but he did not rise. Calling him again, he said he did not want to go; his tooth was aching. "John Henry," she said, "you must go to your work today; then tomorrow you can go to the city and have the teeth seen to." He pleaded hard to stay at home, but she was adamant. So he went to work.

Before dinner word was brought into the town that a dreadful accident had occurred soon after the men had started work. Two men had been killed. Poor John Henry was one of them. His mother survived him for years, a lonely and tragic figure.— 'G.B.G.,' Adelaide.

Tragic Thunderstorm.

— At a lonely farmhouse in the lower north years ago, a mother, one afternoon, was anxiously awaiting her children's return from school. Living some miles from the little township, the brother and sister always made the journey on horseback. A severe thunderstorm had occurred just at the time they should have returned home, and they failed to arrive.

Looking out from a window to see if they were in sight the mother saw something blowing along the ground. On going to investigate, she found it was a hat, worn that day by one of the children. Summoning some other members of the family, they immediately went down the track leading on to the main road, and there near to the slip panels they found both children and horses lying dead. As the lightning had struck them the horses had fallen outwards, and the children were together in the centre.— 'G.B.G.,' Adelaide.

Getting Rid Of The Parson.

— Some of the early settlers of Kangaroo Island had a quaint sense of humor. One day two whalers were watching for whales at Alec's Lookout (Hog Bay). The whales would not spout and so announce their presence. Tired of the inactivity, one fellow seized a shovel, and poured red hot coals into the baggy pants of his mate, yelling, "There she spouts!" Exit mate.

An early settler's daughter visiting a neighbor, watched her prepare a plum duff for dinner. She returned home and made one of goanna, sand and similar ingredients. This concoction was placed in a cloth and substituted in the pot for the original. The change was not noticed till the 'dish' was served.

The parson was thoroughly enjoying cups of tea, and large wedges of fresh cake. There seemed no end to the reverend gentleman's capacity. Eventually the man of the house lost all patience. The parson turned to his host and asked, "What has become of that fine yellow dog you had?" "Oh," said Mr. S., "he died. That's his fat in the cake." The parson left hurriedly.— 'Yacko,' K.I.

Real Life Stories Of South Australia (1933, February 16). Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), p. 16. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90897140