Exploration by F. Miller and W. Dutton

When Surveyor W. G. Harris returned to Adelaide he reported that Messrs. Miller and Dutton had made a hurried exploration north of Denial Bay aud that they had submitted to him the details of their route. This letter of Harris and the plan accompanying it was printed as a parliamentary paper (No, 192 of 1857 and 1858) From this we gather that they went out lightly equipped in 1857 with three horses and a blackfellow. In consequence, their movements were very rapid. F. Miller — who I take to be the overseer for Price Maurice, and also the same who was out with Hack, and of whom Hack wrote so enthusiastically — spoke highly of the grass seen, but pointed out that as far as he could see, there was an entire absence of permanent water after leaving the coast the only water being that in rock holes. Beelemah was said to be a good depot, for any subsequent exploring party.

"It is a large swamp with water anywhere at the depth of a few inches," and further, "The hole opened by Mr. Eyre in 1840 is a spring bubbling over" reported Miller. Walyanibbie, at Smoky Bay, was a well in the sand with its attendant troubles of all wells in sandy; country. The limestone well at the back of Point Brown gave a good supply. There is nothing on Harris's map to indicate which way they went, but Geharty on his plan shows them going to Beelemah first; therefore taking that as correct, Miller and Dutten went inland, according to Harris's plan 45 miles from that water hole, then 50 miles east, which brought them about 70 miles north of Cooeyana. Harris's plan has notes such as, "Belty country." "Scrub with patches of open ground." The plan shows at the north-western corner of their exploration, about 40 miles north-north-east of Fowler's Bay, salt bush and grass with patches of low scrub, large plains of open country stretching beyond the range of vision from the north-north-west to the north-west.

DETAILS QUESTIONED

According to Geharty who more or less followed the track, Miller and Dutton went about 25 miles north east from Beelamah, then returned to the northern part of Murat Bay to a place called Meetie, then keeping about 15 miles from the coast to the centre of Smoky Bay they then followed their outward track back to Cooeyana. Major Warburton expressed grave doubts as to the accuracy of the details supplied by Miller, so he was instructed to send out a police party to investigate. Police Trooper James Geharty was selected to investigate northwards of Streaky Bay, while the Commissioner of Police intended again to explore the Gawler Range and then westward to the debated area.

On Geharty's report becoming public, Frederick Miller under date November 5. 1858, wrote to the South Australian Register. The letter which was published in the issue of December 7, was written from "Kal ca," Streaky Bay, and the writer asserted that the plan submitted by Harris was substantially correct. He stated they were out 11 days, having "started from "Kooeyanna" on Monday and returned the following Thursday week making in all 11 days."

The distance and bearings were taken as correctly as possible, their only instruments being a watch and a pocket compass. Miller said that "the worthy policeman would have been better employed on patrol work than surveying." The lower half of the country travelled over (according to Harris's plan) has been cut up into hundreds signifying that it may be used for agricultural purposes, the upper half is still (1936) open country. There is nothing on the plan to indicate where the good grass land is, except the one note at the north-west corner. Of course accepting Geharty's idea of their route, then all the area explored by Miller and Dutton is now within the hundred area. The north west corner, according to Geharty, was Mondona.

SEASONAL CONDITIONS VARY

It must be remembered that Hack spoke of the grass all through his trip, signifying that it must have been a good year. In the following year (June and July) when Warburton and Geharty were out, the grass had not grown, but was only springing up, according to Warburton. So here, with Miller and Dutton and Geharty's accounts, we are faced with the old tale of two almost diametrically opposite reports of the same country in different years and different seasons. Mrs. Roy Bruce told me that the W. Dutton referred to doubtless would be her father. He was married in 1862, and having the courage of his convictions, he took his bride to Charra, where he formed a station. He had to abandon the place subsequently. We must honor his wife for her courageous act in forming her first home so far away from Port Lincoln. Here let me divert for a time from my account of the exploration of the Gawler Ranges, to enable me to deal with the re-examination of the West Coast, by Capt. Douglas. Hack's very favorable report on the Gawler Range and that of Miller and Dutton north of Denial Bay raised the hopes of the Government for the early settlement of that district, and the Treasurer, the Ministerial head of the Marine Department, felt that they had to be prepared to cope with any shipping as a result of pastoralists and others taking up land there.

SURVEY OF COASTLINE

The Treasurer therefore gave instructions to B. Douglas, the naval officer ( whom in future we will call Capt. Douglas) to proceed in the Government schooner Yatala to make additional surveys of the West Coast. It was over half a century since Flinders and Baudin made their initial surveys. Several captains of boats had tried their hands at surveying the various harbors. Cannan, a land surveyor, had attempted hydrographical surveys and from the report by Douglas, rather unsuccessfully.

Capt. Douglas had previously surveyed part of Kangaroo Island, and the trip contemplated was to complete the examination of the coast line from where he left off, west ward to Point Fowler. The Treasurer was Capt. John Hart, who had been intimately connected with the province even for four years before its inception. He had been in the vicinity of Nuyts Archpelago in 1832, and therefore felt qualified to give the necessary instructions for the work required to be done. His instructions will not be quoted in full, neither will Capt Douglas's report. These will be found in Parliamentary paper No. 120 of 1858, but the principal information in each case will be dealt with. Capt. Hart considered that Fowler's Bay was of great and vital importance, as for 500 miles further west there was no shelter for boats. Miller and Dutton's report had not been disproved, therefore the captain-Treasurer pictured good country out back. The alteration of the coast line from sandhills to the white cliffs towering 300 to 500 ft. high at the head of the Great Australian Bight might reasonably be expected to de note a change in the character of the land in the interior.

INSTRUCTIONS TO DOUGLAS

In addition to the survey Capt Douglas was instructed to collect information as to the nature of the hinterland either from the natives or from personal observations. Where a good anchorage was found a recommendation was to be made as to the best site for a township. The north western side of Denial Bay was pointed out as being superior as a harbor to that of Fowler's Bay. The inland country was not so promising, but the expected good land at the back of Fowler's Bay was not so far distant as to debar carting to a good port at Denial Bay in preference to carting to an inferior one at Fowler's Bay. The advantage of Streaky Bay as a port was emphasised and a good plan greatly desired. From that bay, to Kangaroo Island Capt. Douglas was expected to make as complete an examination of the coastline as possible, surveying and charting any reefs, shoals, islands. He particularly stressed that "the Casuarina Shoal has only been placed on the Admiralty chart (copied from the French); it is a most dangerous reef, and is probably inaccurately laid down. I myself discovered in 1832, as island [Hart Island] to the southward and outside St. Francis Group, which does not appear on the charts, the position of which you are requested to ascertain."

Capt. Douglas was further instructed to prospect for any indications of guano on the islands. The Treasurer expected much, for in his instructions he wrote that. "His Excellency the Governor-in-Chief and his Ministry feel that in committing this important work to your hands, they have entrusted it to one who has not only the ability, but the desire to make this expedition in its results of last ing benefit to the colony."

His Excellency the Governor-in-Chief (Sir Richard MacDonnell) was to accompany the boat, and the Hon. Samuel Davenport was to be a passenger as well. Capt. Douglas reports under date, "Port Adelaide, 21st June 1858." that the Governor and suite having boarded the Yatala at Glenelg on March 23, he sailed the same day and returned to Port, Adelaide on June 12, 1858. I think it most probable that as the Yatala was sailing toward Cape Catastrophe on the homeward journey, Col. Warburton was making his way on horseback from Port Lincoln to Three Lakes police station, and somewhere en route he (Warburton) met S. Davenport, who accompanied him in portion of the explorations.