Epochal Journey by Whalers

Up to the year 1843, no attention had been given to the outside country ; settlers were content with the good land in the immediate surroundings of the township of Port Lincoln. The disabilities under which the Peninsula suffered were detrimental to a rapid extension of settlement. The scrub, sand and stone over the major part of the district as then known did not tend to encourage farming. The reputed wild nature of the natives, more especially for a landholder in an isolated situation had been a great drawback, but the worst of all, the separation from the larger settlement by the two gulfs, was an almost insuperable barrier to progress.

Eyre's explorations of 1839-1840 also tended to deter pastoralists from seeking new land on the Peninsula. He mentioned some good land in patches, here and there, but these remarks were completely overshadowed by his general condemnation of the district.

It is remarkable that the tales told by two sailors, should, by a glowing account of their trip in 1843, revolutionise the opinion then held by the people generally of the West Coast of Eyre Peninsula. These sailors made light of the scrub country passed through and the hardships they must have suffered — by scarcely mentioning the one and not the other — so that their report of the final stage of their walk stands out prominently, catching the eye and taking the fancy of the public almost immediately. Further, I imagine, these sailors travelled from Port Lincoln to Adelaide in the same boat as Matthew Smith and party. It is just possible that they may have been fellow passengers from Point Drummond.

Matthew Smith was one of the earliest to be interested in the Port Lincoln Special Survey Association, and was subsequently Resident Magistrate at Port Lincoln. Consequently he would be ready to receive, and make the most of any report, that would be for the advancement of Port Lincoln and its surrounding country. The colonists on the Adelaide side were beginning to think that all the good land on their side had been taken up, and there was need for the exploration of new districts, so they were ready to receive and act upon any favorable report of good land being discovered. The murders and the loss of Dutton, of 18 months previously, were by this time apparently almost forgotten, except by those intimately connected with them.

SAILORS' LONG JOURNEY

So the stage was set for an epoch-making journey which came about quite unconsciously and accidentally, when two sailors, Richard Harris and George Cummings, employed on a whaling vessel at Fowler's Bay, either ran away or left the ship, with the idea of walking to Port Lincoln. There were whaling stations at St. Peter's Isle and Streaky Bay as well. These three stations were occupied by parties from "Hobart Town." The two men mentioned above also came from the same town. The arrival of these two venturesome men at Port Lincoln was notified in the "Register" of December 9, 1843. Accounts of their journey, with press comments appeared in the "Register" of December 16 and 20, and in the "Southern Australian " of December 15 and 22. There are two accounts of the trip, one by Harris, who after his arrival in Adelaide found employment in the Survey Office. He narrated their experiences to the editor of the "Southern Australian." The other account, by Cummings, was given to Matthew Smith, who wrote a letter to the "Register," embodying the particulars. Unfortunately the two accounts do not coincide in many details. The editor of the "Southern Australian" thought they were complementary one to the other. Accepting such to be the case, the two accounts will be woven into one, as well as possible.

One of the men was a mate, the other presumably would be a sailor. Cummings was thought to have travelled with scientific men, and therefore was more observant than Harris. The newspaper said Harris was the silent man of the party, and it was only by diligent questioning that his tale was told. The paper, more or less apologising for the meagre details supplied by Harris, said he became lame on the journey and was unable to keep his mind on the work of observing the country they passed through, as he might have done otherwise.

These two men left Fowler's Bay in August, 1843, with 10 days' provisions, and expected to get further supplies at St. Peter's Island and Streaky Bay, the other whaling stations. At St. Peter's Isle they got a chart of the coast, enabling them to find the route they were taking. From the sandhills at the north side of Streaky Bay, they saw apparently open country running from the east end of the bay. Arriving there, they left Eyre's tracks, which were still distinctly visible, and took a south easterly course, which brought them to Mount Cooper, a distance of 50 miles, through open grass country without any signs of water. At Mount Cooper they fell in with several streams, enabling them to fill their water bags. One feels rather doubtful about accepting the statement that they reached Mount Cooper.

EYRE'S TRACKS MET

It will be remembered that John Hill in 1839, whose description of the country corresponds with that of the whalers, thought to get a better view from a hill inland but travelled only about 10 miles inland when he was compelled to return. Seeing that Hill, with a ship with supplies in port, would only risk that distance, it is scarcely likely that two men would venture so far from the coast line, without water and without any likelihood of setting supplies in the interior. Nothing was said about the men obtaining food at St. Peter's Island or Streaky Bay. From the mount they proceeded to Lake Newland, there meeting Eyre's tracks again. Four natives were seen. Two ran away, but the other two showed them a spring of fresh water, probably the same as the one referred to by Eyre.

They followed the coast for two days through scrub or over sandhills to the south-east point of Anxious Bay, where they took an easterly course into the interior, which in two or three days brought them to what must have been Mount Wedge. Harris called it a conical hill, whereas Cummings described it as a wedge, a high bluff to the south-east and gradually falling away in the opposite direction. Harris did not tell of any incursion to Mount Cooper, but only said on arriving at Lake Newland "having got tired of keeping to the coast," they struck a direct, east course for two days over sandhills and scrubby country, when the conical hill was reached "with good grass on it and good soil."

When at the coast, the hill seemed quite close, but it took them two days to walk the distance, which, according to Harris, was 50 miles. It seemed a pity to prick this pretty bubble of Harris, but it is only 15 miles from the coast to Mount Wedge. Fifty miles would have taken them to where the railway now runs, say at McLachlan. The country passed through between Anxious Bay and Mount Wedge, Cummings described as "fine open country, with high grass and well watered." At intervals granite rocks with water were seen. Harris said they encamped near a stream of considerable size which ran to the south west ; while Cummings said they camped at the junction of three or four small streams, which took their rise on the south-west side of the mount. At the base of the mount they saw pines of a large size. In all directions around the mount the country had the same appearance of open grass country lightly timbered. From the hill they saw the bluff near Waldegrave Isles, and becoming alarmed at losing themselves if they went further inland, they returned to the coast, anticipating to cross the Peninsula from Coffin's Bay to Port Lincoln.

RICH, GRASSY PLAIN

Leaving the mount they came to a plain which extended in breadth "as far as the eye could reach," covered with green grass, like unto a fine grazing farm in England. The sward was very close and the grass reached half way up Harris's leg. They frequently broke into expressions of delight with the scenery. It took two days' travelling to get through this good country, which was all equally good, with very few trees, but a great many pools or lagoons of fresh water, which were large, deep and apparently permanent. Cummings said the country was undulating, grassy and well watered with few sheoaks and " he frequently expressed to his fellow traveller his surprise that such beautiful country was unoccupied."

Harris said they saw only seven natives, two of them before they came to Mount Wedge. He considered after leaving the mount that they walked at the rate of 25 miles for two days, in a straight line, taking their course from the sun, when they came to a belt of scrub, with grassy spots here and there, which continued to the sea. Eventually they came to Point Drummond, where providentially the vessel Governor Gawler was anchored, and on her they sailed to Port Lincoln. Matthew Smith, in his letter to the " Register," wrote , that " they discerned an excellent country of great extent, grassy and well watered and thus, I trust, will be the means of inducing the Government to send a party to explore, and make charts of, a country doubtlessly good, very little known and very much required": while the " Southern Australian" said " it is remarkable that after all the explorations that have been made and all that has been said about Port Lincoln, so little in reality is known of that large district westward of it, and southward of the Gawler Range"; and a country it further said "about 13,000 square miles in extent, which has never been penetrated except by these adventurous whalers."

The "Register " was rather sceptical about the accuracy of the account, for it was referred to as the "alleged discovery," but it was recognised that in a new country such discoveries were liable to be made, or there must be a number of fertile and well-watered districts scattered about not yet discovered. But where one was found, the newspaper said it was "of the utmost importance that as soon as any clue is found to the existence of one of these districts, it should be followed up with the least possible delay." It was pointed out that it was desirable to open up new districts, as an inducement for the investment of new capital, and also it would be the means of creating a profitable coasting trade with in the limit of the province.

PENINSULA'S POTENTIALITIES

While the "Register" regarded it as an "alleged discovery," the "Southern Australian's " opinion was rather the reverse, for remarking on the two different accounts, they were convinced that "the discrepancy tells in no degree against the creditibility of either of the travellers on the main facts."

A map of the route the travellers took was exhibited at the''Register'' office. It would help considerably if this map could be found or reproduced. Readers of the original accounts of this marvellous journey, with comments as published in the newspapers of 92 years ago, are warned that they must exercise great care, before accepting the facts or data recorded. The writers of those articles were very much astray in their information as regards latitude, longitude and references to Eyre's route, as well as the miles travelled by the whalers.

Whether the details of the journey are correct or not, or whether the whole journey was ever performed, is now immaterial, but, what was the most important at the time, it directed the attention of the colonists to Eyre Peninsula ; it helped to remove the prevailing impression that the country was bad and not suitable for habitation. The few enthusiasts had been hammering away at the potentiality of the district with but little success, until this fortuitous journey by the whalers, which gave a Colony-wide recognition of the Peninsula. Soon a party under John Charles Darke was sent out to explore the interior, and if possible confirm the statements made. It was not long before the pastoralists were invading the country ; there to meet with a repetition of the blacks' murders in the Port Lincoln district, the solitary and isolated stations and huts, with supplies of food, offering too great a temptation to the blacks and one which they could not resist. The story of those murders will be dealt with in a future article. The next article will deal with some official accounts of the Brown and Biddle murders.