27 June 1935

DETERMINED TO GET TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA 

Colonist Who Brought First Trading Vessel From Sydney

Not all South Australia's early colonists came direct from England. One of the most prominent of them, Mr. C. W. Stuart, came from Sydney, and the determination he showed in getting here was characteristic of his subsequent service as an officer of the South Australian Company. 

He left London for New South Wales in September, 1833, arriving at Sydney five months later. After a few weeks there he went to Port Stephens, where he spent two years. While there he received from London a land order entitling him to select land and a town acre in a new colony to be called 'South Australia.' Despite the efforts of his friends to dissuade him, he decided to try his fortune in the new colony. 

He returned to Sydney, and, to his surprise, found that not only had the new colony scarcely been heard of, but also that there was no vessel by which he could get to Nepean Bay, Kangaroo Island, where the colonists were to land. Little was known of Kangaroo Island, although an occasional sealing vessel touched there. 

By all whom he met Mr. Stuart was advised to give up the idea of going to South Australia. It was pointed out that the proposed colony could not prove other than a failure, with land at £1 an acre against land at five shillings an acre and convict labor available, as it was in Sydney. 

Mr. Stuart's mind, however, was firmly made up, and, nothing daunted, he searched round for a means of getting to Kangaroo Island. Seeing a notice at the business place of Mr. Emanuel Solomon that the schooner Truelove was to sail for Swan River, he entered the office and asked whether the vessel could land him at Nepean Bay. Mr. Solomon was greatly astonished, and, believing that Mr. Stuart had been duped, advised him not to go until he was at least certain that other colonists had arrived. 

Mr. Stuart next interviewed the captain of the Truelove, whose advice was similar to Mr. Solomon's; but at the same time he agreed that on the payment of a sufficient amount to cover expenses he would put in at Nepean Bay, and, weather permitting, remain there for 24 hours. Should no other vessels have arrived, and if Mr. Stuart did not care to remain, he could continue the voyage to Swan River and return to Sydney for no extra charge. Mr. Stuart accepted this generous offer, and a few days later went on board the Truelove, taking with him about a ton of stores.

After a pleasant voyage of 14 days, the Truelove encountered a heavy south-west gale. Being near Kangaroo Island, the vessel was hove to for the night. By the following morning the wind had dropped. Shortly after daybreak a brig was seen several miles ahead, evidently steering for Nepean Bay. 

The Truelove followed the brig, which proved to be the John Pirie, belonging to the South Australian Company, returning from a voyage to Hobart Town. On entering Nepean Bay, Mr. Stuart was pleased to see three more vessels lying at anchor These were the ships Cygnet and Africaine and the brig Rapid. 

On going ashore and asking for the Governor, Mr. Stuart was informed that he had not yet arrived, but he was introduced to Mr. Samuel Stephens, manager of the South Australian Company, who invited him to lunch at his tent. When he heard that the Truelove was laden with stores and provisions for a trading venture to Swan River Mr. Stephens asked for an introduction to the captain. 

Mr. Stuart took him on board, and the upshot of the introduction was that Mr. Stephens purchased the whole of the Truelove's cargo and sent her back to Sydney for more. 

In this way Mr. Emanuel Solomon learned of the prospects of the new colony, and shortly afterwards he established a branch of his business in Adelaide, where he lived until his death. Mr. Stuart was therefore instrumental in bringing the first trading vessel from Sydney to South Australia, and also indirectly the means of introducing an enterprising and highly esteemed colonist in the person of Mr. Solomon. 

[Charles William Stuart transferred his belongings to the Emma for the short trip to the town of Adelaide on December 8th, 1836]

Seeing how useful the experience which Mr. Stuart had gained in New South Wales was likely to prove, Mr. Stephens offered him a position in the South Australian Company, which he accepted. 

Early in 1837 the only two horses in the colony broke loose from their tether ropes one night and wandered off into the scrub. A search in the immediate vicinity of the settlement having proved unsuccessful, it was decided to send a party under Mr. Stuart further afield into the country to the south of Adelaide, which had not then been explored, but in which direction it looked as if the horses had strayed. The party consisted of Mr. Stuart, Mr. Allen, who later became manager of Adelaide's first botanical park, Mr. H. Alford, and a sealer from Kangaroo Island known as 'Nat.' [Nathaniel Wallace THOMAS c.1802 -1879.]  

Each man carried a gun, two bottles of water, and rations for three days. The weather being hot, and the men on foot, the supply of water was soon exhausted. 

While searching for further supplies smoke from natives' fires was noticed rising a short distance ahead. Fearing that the natives might prove hostile, the members of the party were discussing the advisability of altering their course, when they suddenly found themselves surrounded by blacks, who set up a great shout and brandished their spears as though daring the whites to approach them. Mr. Allen was greatly alarmed at the natives' threatening actions, and said that they must be prepared to die like men; but Mr. Stuart, who had had a great deal of experience with the natives in New South Wales, had a knowledge of their customs, and was not greatly concerned. 

He stepped to the front of his party and waited for the aborigines to approach. At length eight warriors, still carrying their spears, stepped forward, one of them making a speech in his unknown tongue, while the others stared at the white men in astonishment. During his address the native frequently pointed out to sea, evidently implying that he knew the visitors had come from over the sea. Although they could not understand anything the native had said, the white men tried to reply by signs and to show that they required water by repeating the native word 'cowie,' meaning water. 

Mr. Allen, forgetting that the natives could no more understand him than he could understand them, made a lengthy speech, in which he said that they had landed to introduce Mr. Wakefield's principles of colonisation, and that they begged to apologise for the intrusion on the natives' country. 

The native spokesman, not under standing the polite speech, and becoming impatient, stepped forward and removed Mr. Stuart's hat to examine his hair. He then opened Mr. Stuart's shirt front, evidently to ascertain whether he was the same color under his clothing. After this he lifted Mr. Stuart's foot and looked at his boot. Each member of the party was similarly examined. Mr. Allen was extremely annoyed, and declared that he had never been forced to submit to such treatment before. 

The natives then examined the rations, but did not take anything other than a little sugar and some fat pork, which they devoured on the spot. They were also interested in the guns, and, in order to demonstrate what they could do, Mr. Stuart placed his to his shoulder and fired into the air. This greatly astonished the natives, and their leader immediately pressed the gun to his own shoulder, obviously expecting it to go off as it had before. After having satisfied their curiosity, the natives said 'Cowie,' and led the white men to one of their native wells, where they left them. 

As the place was well sheltered, and the day far advanced, they decided to camp for the night. As they were preparing a meal from their diminished provisions, two old women approached and presented them with a supply of cooked fish, which they carried on bark. The addition to their fare was gladly accepted. 

Shortly after dark a large blaze shot up in the nearby blacks' camp. At the same time the noise of much yelling and the beating of sticks rose on the still night air. Mr. Allen and Mr. Alford were much alarmed. Mr. Allen, who, despite the friendly advances of the natives, had kept repeating that he believed them to be cannibals, now thought that the end was at hand. However, as Mr. Stuart laughingly pointed out, the commotion portended nothing more terrible than the commencement of a corroboree. 

On the following morning Mr. Stuart shot two swans and a number of ducks, a share of which he gave to the natives. When members of the party resumed their search a number of the natives accompanied them. 

After following the Onkaparinga River for some hours they came across freshly made horse tracks. On these being pointed out to the natives, one of them got down on all fours and tried to imitate the galloping of a horse. He then pointed over the hills to the eastward to show that the horses had gone in that direction. 

Deciding that it was unlikely that the horses could be overtaken on foot, Mr. Stuart decided to postpone further search until the arrival of more horses which were expected by the next vessel from Launceston. Most of the natives who had accompanied the whites decided to return with them to learn more about the strange people who had come to their land. 

On reaching the hills overlooking the plains, the Buffalo and several other vessels could be seen lying at anchor in Holdfast Bay. The surprised black men gave vent to their astonishment by yells and dancing. When they reached the settlement some of the natives hung back as though in doubt as to what sort of a reception they were likely to receive. 

Governor Hindmarsh greeted the members of the party and was greatly relieved at their safe return, as much anxiety had been felt regarding their welfare. His Excellency, however, was somewhat shocked at Mr. Stuart's action in bringing the naked black men among the tents of the settlers. He ordered that they should be given a supply of clothing from the Government stores. Several of the sailors from the Buffalo undertook to show the natives how to dress themselves. They also gave them tastes of grog and tobacco, but the black men had not acquired a taste for these things and much preferred the fat pork and sugar. Of all the strange things that met their gaze the one that moved them most profoundly was a wax doll with moving eyes. At this they could not hide their admiration.

It soon became evident that the natives were far from comfortable in their unaccustomed clothing. On Governor Hindmarsh's attention being drawn to this, he ordered that the clothing should be exchanged for blankets. The black men were highly pleased at the exchange, and still wrapped in their blankets they returned to their families. — 'Memo.' 

Are Marriages Made In Heaven? 

Marriages, we are told, are made in Heaven, and those that turn out happily probably are. But what of the other sort? If they are made there they often degenerate into a veritable hell on earth for those concerned. With most persons marriage is a very serious step, but others enter into it light heartedly enough, as the following story shows. 

In the early days of Mount Gambier, before there were any churches in the district, marriages were celebrated in private houses. Often it happened that the couple being married were neither relations nor connections of the occupants of the house used for the ceremony, but no one worried about that. 

On one occasion a young man and his fiancee were about to be married, and he had borrowed a friend's house for the occasion. The minister arrived, and, looking round the room at the persons who had assembled, asked the couple to be married to come forward. The man did so, but the woman, tilting her nose in the air, walked straight through the door. 

Thinking that she was indisposed, some of her friends followed her to see if she were ill. On being asked, she said that she was not, but was not going to be married, as she had changed her mind. Nothing they could say or do could induce her to alter her decision, and after a little while the gathering dispersed. 

For the next few days the incident was a general topic of conversation, among those who discussed it being a gardener and a housemaid employed by the late Dr. McDonald. The gardener said that he thought the prospective bridegroom had been badly treated. The girl agreed with him, and, although the man concerned was a total stranger to her, said, 'I think so, too, and sooner than see the fellow stuck, I would marry him myself.' 

The gardener laughed, thinking it a good joke. So much so that he told his friends, and soon the story reached the ears of the rejected bride groom himself. As soon as he heard it, he went round to the doctor's house and saw the housemaid. 

With out any beating about the bush he told her what he had heard, and asked her to marry him. She agreed, and he promptly went round to the parson's and arranged for the wedding. Soon afterwards they were married, and strange to relate, lived happily together for many yeas. — 'Tanta Tyga.'