Explorations by McLaren, Flaxman and Morphett (1)

Port Lincoln Times (SA : 1927 - 1965; 1992 - 2002), Thursday 16 May 1940, page 3

In former articles (19/10/1934, 7/6/1935 and February-March, 1939), the details of voyages by Mr. Charles FIaxman to Port Lincoln and Mr. David McLaren and others to Cape Radstock (the nor'-west point of Anxious Bay) could not be told in full, apparently their reports never having been made public. Just recently. Mr. G. C. Morphett deposited in the Public Library Archives some of the papers belonging to Sir John Morphett. Appreciation is expressed for the valuable assistance rendered by the Archivist when searching for details of this ancient history. In those papers we get a short account of the trip made by Flaxman to Port Lincoln, written by Samuel Stephens. This report came into the hands of John Morphett, who on June 17, 1839, sent it to the directors of the Second ary Towns Association in England. At the same time he also enclosed a report of the trip to Cape Radstock. That recently formed association had the reports, with others, printed for circulation among its members as 'private and confidential,' an instruction well observed as far as South Australia is concerned for over 100 years.

In addition to Stephens' account of the Cape Radstock trip, we have two versions written by D. McLaren. When writing up this voyage in July 1935., I should have had one of these, but presumably I asked for Stephens' account and of course the Archivist not knowing what was wanted did not give me McLaren's letter. It will be remembered that on February 21, 1839, Charles Flaxman sailed for Port Lincoln in the Nereus, and later on in the same day David McLaren sailed in the Victoria for the same port. Both of these parties returned to Adelaide on March 2, only to find that the Port Lincoln Special Survey Association, through Smith and Hawson had lodged a claim for the area which Flaxman and McLaren had selected. The Governor took the only reasonable attitude by giving the first applicants the better and southern portion of the land on the western side of Boston Bay ; per force McLaren, on behalf of the South Australian Company and C. Flaxman, had to be content to take the northern portion. Flaxman subsequently transferred his interests to G. F. Angas. McLaren forthwith made a journey along the western shore of Eyre Peninsula, found no suitable land to make a demand for another special survey and returned to Adelaide on April 6, 1839. This article deals with the information of these three trips not previously dealt with. John Morphett wrote on June 17, 1839, to the directors of the Secondary Towns Association, "I have also the satisfaction of forwarding to the directors a journal of two trips to Port Lincoln with which I have (been furnished."

FLAXMAN TO PORT LINCOLN

The first trip was in the Nereus which left Holdfast Bay on February 21, 1839. On board were Messrs. Flaxman and Stephens. The question arises was there someone else. It will be noticed that Stephens refers on the 26th to Mr. F. and M. walking along the shore. Who was Mr. M ? It may have been Mr. Morphett himself, or it may have been Mr. McLaren. On the trip up the western shore on April 11, Stephens refers to a Mr. M. In this case McLaren is no doubt referred to. Certainly two separate trips are recorded. Neither Flaxman nor McLaren refer to meeting each other in Port Lincoln (Proper) or Boston Bay. As this is the first time this diary of Stephens' of Flaxman's trip has been made public, it is reproduced in full.

NOTES OF TRIP TO PORT LINCOLN IN SEARCH OF LAND FOR SPECIAL SURVEYS

February, 1839. Thursday, 21st. February. — At daylight weighed anchor from Holdfast Bay, with a light air from the east ; soon after calm, and then wind at S.W. ; head down the gulf, and at night were off Yankalilla.
Friday, 22nd. — Wind various, but moderate. At night off Althorp Island.
Saturday, 23rd.— Wind various, and at 8 p.m. anchored in Spalding Cove, just round the Head, at about eight fathoms, one mile from the shore. Much delighted with the passage and entrance to the harbor, nothing can be finer.
Sunday, 24th. — Rained in the morning sharply, which prevented our moving so soon as we had intended. About 10 a.m. lowered the whale boat with the intention of examining the anchorage in Boston Bay, but it again came on to rain so heavily that we were compelled to return to the ship. In the afternoon it moderated a little, and we went ashore at the first bay (of which there are three) on the east side of Spalding Cove. A ship can lay close in here land-locked. About three-fourths of a mile from shore the water shoals, and has a beautiful sandy bottom. It is the most completely suited for a bathing place of any I have seen on the coast. The base of the headland is granite, above which is limestone. The land is a very light sandy mould, covered with a variety of low scrub, and with loose pieces of limestone on the surface, much similar to many parts of Kangaroo Island. Spalding Cove is a splendid outer anchorage, and the high land, with the various beautiful slopes and sandy bays which surround it, give scenery, whether from the deck of a vessel or from the shore, a very picturesque appearance.
Monday, 25th. — It rained a good deal last night, but cleared, off towards morning, and the wind moderated. About 6 a.m. we got under weigh, and took the ship round the south point of Boston Island, where we anchored in a little bay close in shore in eight and a half fathoms. Bottom mud and sand, the water perfectly still, and the ship quite land locked. We breakfasted, and had just handed our things into the whale boat, when we noticed the schooner Victoria standing in. She ran down to nearly the head of Port Lincoln. We went ashore in a beautiful bay to the S.E. of the ship, and walked from thence to the top of "North Side Hill" where we mounted the top of a round granite rock, a sort of pillar, and had a fine view of Port Lincoln, Sleaford Mere, and the country for ten miles seaward, i.e., parallel to Port Lincoln. We then descended to the beach, and crossed the point of land which forms a peninsula, dividing Port Lincoln from Boston Bay; reached our boat, and returned to the ship. Where we landed we found tolerably good light earth, with lime stone under, and granite as the base ; continuing towards "North Side Hill," the land gradually got worse, till we had only a vile red earth, covered with small bits of iron stone. We found fresh water in a gully as we went on. From "North Side Hill" the view showed only barren and scrubby land, much of it covered with water occasionally. Descending, we only passed over worse stuff (hilly) than we had seen before, amply covered with granite and lime-stone ; the swamp marked on the chart is really such, and salt two feet under water. On the whole we were disappointed ; and as soon as we reached the ship we took to the boat, and went ashore much more to the north of the bay, at a gully, which we thought was the one Mitchell watered at ; found a gully of salt water, but further up fresh; land light sandy mould ; trees, the oak ; granite rocks further up. Slept there.
Tuesday, 26th. — Before starting from our tent this morning, Mr. M. found a spring of water at a spot deep on the N. side of the gully on a side hill, a little above where we encamped. After breakfast Mr. F. and M. walked (with servants) along the shore, towards the northern end of the bay, and crossed several deep gullies on their way. The land similar to that on which we had encamped, and sloping down to the bay all along, as also in gentle rises to the north and south. The captain and myself went on in the boat, and landed opposite to the opening between Boston Island and the peninsula dividing Boston Bay from Bolingbroke Bay, on a beautiful gravel beach. The tide was nearly high, but it seemed to us that a strong fresh water spring ran out of the sand, and mixed with the salt water. The peninsula is much longer than is laid down on the chart. We walked across to a deep ravine, about three and a half miles to the north, and found fresh water pools, which some little way lower down ended in a broad salt water stream, fully as large as the Encounter Bay rivers are at their mouth. This stream runs into the south end of Bolingbroke Bay, and we suppose it would there he tolerably large, but did not go closer to its mouth. The peninsula, and indeed all the northern boundary of Boston Bay, appeared to be (and were when we crossed in returning) only a vile red earth, covered with gum tree, scrub, and such like rubbish, but the land on the side hills all along is much the same, and on the banks of the river rather better than the rest we had seen in the bay. Upon the whole, Boston Bay is a splendid bay and full of separate coves and anchorages. No doubt of excellent fresh water. Natural wharfs in some places, where ships can lay a cable's length and discharge, and a long line of coast sheltered from all winds, where at three-fourths of a mile from the shore they can lay in three and a half to four fathoms. Holding ground, sand and mud. Boston Island has four or five places for anchorage, but it is by no means so covered with grass as I expected. "

Two items should be particularly noticed. Stephens records-: — (a) Seeing the Victoria arriving at Port Lincoln (McLaren does not mention seeing the Nereus at Port Lincoln, except probably at the time of de parture) ; (b) the finding of 'a deep ravine.' This latter must have been the stream to which the Tod exploring party gave the name ' River Tod,' thinking they were the. discoverers. It is not clear whether the whole party went to the river, or only the captain and Stephens. They must have encountered the river about a mile or even less south-west of the headquarters of the Poonindie Native Institution formed by Archdeacon Hale some 11 years later, and not far from the site of the new aerodrome now being constructed.

Stephens' diary ends on February 26th. No mention is made of further movements and so does not give any account of the meeting on 'the high seas ' as reported by McLaren. (To be continued.)