Visit of Stephens and Hill in 1839

The investigation made by the party on the Nereus in March and April, 1839, was apparently not conclusive, so the association, on whose behalf they went, decided on another search, and so we are advised on the return of the boat to the Adelaide side, that the brig Rapid (Capt. Hart) had returned — a few days before September 28, 1839 — from an exploratory trip along the coast to the western limit of the province (then 132 degrees longitude).

The trip had been made on behalf of an association prepared to take several special surveys, if suitable sites could be found. Messrs. Samuel Stephens and John Hill, who were on board, were the representatives of the association.

Summarised, the results of the journey were that several safe harbors had been found, but there was not sufficient fertile land to warrant any action being taken, while on shore at Streaky Bay fresh tracks of two horses were seen, evidently those of Edward John Eyre. Whales were also in great abundance. Eyre who returned to Adelaide on October 15, in his report of his trip dated October 19, mentions having seen recent traces of Europeans at Streaky and Denial Bays, and afterwards he learned they were made by the party belonging to the Rapid. The tracks seen by the ship's party were those of Eyre on his westward trip, while Eyre saw the ship's party's track on his return journey eastward. This seems to indicate that Baxter in his examination eastward must have taken the balance of the party with him, for it is not reasonable to think that the Rapid could have been in Streaky Bay without being seen by any one in the depot.

Both Stephens and Hill submitted reports, but one by Capt. Hart has not been found. As mentioned before the Rapid returned to the Adelaide side, late in September 1839, and on October 12, 1839— three days before E. J. Eyre's return to Adelaide — Samuel Stephens wrote to Mr. John Morphett an account of the trip, evidently written for publication, for he said that Mr. Morphett had the journal of the trip, as also that of a trip made in company with Mr. McLaren in February and March to near Point Westall. (No trace of this report can be found.) Therefore S. Stephens considered it unnecessary to write at any length of his opinion of the coast between Cape Catastrophe and Point Bell.

RUGGED COASTLINE

Whatever may have been the intention, he has given us a long account of the trip. The coast was said to be a wild one, and the shores generally bluff and dangerous of approach. Islands were numerous, but for the most part, well above water level, and as the coast was bold, there was no special danger for good vessels, properly officered and manned. The harbors were Coffin's Bay, Streaky Bay and Denial Bay. Capt. Hart made charts of the two latter bays and Capt. Lees had made one of Coffin's Bay. It was said that Coffin's Bay had not been sufficiently examined to state its capabilities, but if three fathoms of water would suit, then a whole fleet might lay in comfort in the inner harbor. Streaky Bay was said to have a really beautiful harbor, and ships any size and number could lay there in perfect safety. A few buoys were required to mark the channel. Denial Bay was also a good harbor, but is was said not to equal Streaky Bay. Sleaford and Avoid Bays provided good shelter in some winds, but were unsafe in others, and could not be called harbors. Good temporary shelter could be had under Flinders and Waldegraves Islands, the Isle of St. Francis and the small Isle of St. Peter. Flinders Island and Isle of St. Peter had good wells of water, but the islands themselves were barren and comparatively worthless.

I don't know what Mr. W. Bascomb will have to say about these remarks of Samuel Stephen, for in a recent paper it was said that on Flinders' Island he runs 5,000 sheep on the 10,000 acres and is free from the coast disease. I suppose in addition to the sheep he will run other stock as well. Stephens's description of the country on the mainland is disheartening, for he said, "I think it almost useless to us at present." In the neighborhood of Coffin's Bay there seemed to be a small patch of tolerably good soil, timbered with sheoak and plenty of fresh water, and in his opinion, "quite an exception to the general character of that line of country. As far as the examination extended at Streaky and Denial Bays, nothing but scrub was found and no signs of any immediate improvement. Towards the interior water was scarce, and timber not to be seen."

POOR OPINION OF COUNTRY

The coast generally from Cape Catastrophe was barren, with occasional patches of grassy land, but not in sufficient quantity to support stock. As the party did not make any excursion inland, it could not be said to what distance the strip of barren country extended, but the natives were "an exceedingly slender and miserable race, and certainly by no means such as I suppose inhabit a rich country," said Samuel Stephens. The absence of high land in the interior and of any large outlet for water was against any suggestion for improvement, but an actual examination was necessary to determine the point, was his opinion. Stephens was decided that there was no river between Cape Catastrophe, and Point Bell, except possibly one at Streaky Bay or a small creek at the lagoon at Point Weyland or at Streaky Bay. E. J. Eyre definitely solved the problem, and found that there was no river running into the sea all along the coast from Hall's Bay westward.

Summarising, Stephens wrote : "Upon the whole, I have seen nothing which I should recommend as suited for the site of a secondary town, nor indeed anything which at present presents sufficient advantage to induce us to locate to the west of Cape Catastrophe, although if an extensive tract of good country be here after found inland, some very valuable settlements may be formed in a few years, notwithstanding the intervention of a belt of scrub of even 60 or 100 miles wide."

Whales were very abundant in Streaky Bay, and whaling stations might be formed with every prospect of success, was Stephens's opinion. John Hill, writing five days before E. J. Eyre's return to Adelaide, in his report to John Morphett, which is dated North Adelaide, October 10, 1839, says that " as Mr. Stephens has furnished you with the minute particulars of our late excursion to the westward, I will not trouble you with a repetition of them, but simply give you my opinion of the country we travelled over, and my ideas as to the probability of a good country for location in that direction."

TEDIOUS PASSAGE

Evidently this was his first trip ; Samuel Stephens, had the advantage of having been along the coast previously. It would appear that Streaky Bay was the first port of call for the Rapid, and was reached after a tedious passage. It will be remembered that Stephens, with Capt. Lees in the Nereus, had examined the coast as far as Point Westall in the previous March and April. The Rapid was anchored under Point Brown. The green undulating land held out promises, but an inspection showed how deceptive the appearance was. The grass was thinly spread, and was of a coarse and wiry kind, unsuitable for any but starving cattle. The scrub was about one or two miles back, but approaching the coast near the centre of the bay. The Cape Bauer end was some what similar. The cape is now called Woudoma.

It seems a pity to lose the name Bauer — one of Flinders's officers and Mrs. Flinders's favorite. (Mrs. Flinders was on the Investigator before the vessel sailed from England. The naval authorities would not allow her to accompany her husband. Flinders, writing to his wife and remarking about the various officers, when he came to Bauer's name said, 'your favorite.')

The country at the southern end of Streaky Bay was more open, so a better view, in land could be obtained. The scrub extended to the horizon in a north and north-east, direction, but toward the east was more open, with occasional belts of scrub. A high conical hill was seen in the south-east, which gave promise of a good view of the surrounding country, so with two days' water, a start was made to investigate. The high hill seen could have been either Mounts Cooper or Hall, depending on the point of observation. Ten miles of scrub, with no signs of any alteration for the better, nor any indication of water, was their only reward. The country was inferior, the soil being of a light sandy nature, with sheoaks, tea tree and dwarf eucalyptus in some parts, intersected with small forests of scrub. From a distance the country looked tolerably good, but on approach, the party's hopes were dashed down, but the examination gave a good idea of the country within 20 miles of the bay.

GOOD HARBOR DISCOVERED

On returning, the bay itself was thoroughly examined, and it was found there was an inner harbor it the southern end, perfectly land-locked, which was said to be clearly shown on Capt. Hart's chart. John Hill expressed regret that the want of water, the poorness of the country and the want of wood for building purposes would render the discovery of little advantage. It was near the head of the inner harbor that Eyre within a few days previously made his depot and found water by sinking — even though Stephen Hack afterwards said it was not fit for a Christian to drink. The Rapid was then anchored in a small bay at the Lesser St. Peter. First Denial Bay was explored by means of a boat in search, unsuccessfully of a river. The country had even a worse appearance than at Streaky Bay. However, nothing daunted, the party walked about 10 miles inland, through a thick scrub — similar to the Murray scrub, was the illustration used to convey to the Adelaide siders an impression of the country.

There being no hills from which to make an observation, John Hill climbed the highest tree he could find, but no range was visible, the horizon being bounded by dark, level scrub and without any appearance of change. It was said that Capt. Hart's chart showed a good harbor, easy of approach. The passage between St. Peter's Island and the mainland was not examined, but if practicable, it would give two passages into the bay. The few natives seen at Streaky Bay had a most wretched and emaciated appearance, and John Hill said of them, "I never met with, during the whole course of my travels in New South Wales, such a miserable puny race, evidently showing that food must be scarce and difficult to procure," and hence his opinion was that no river of magnitude nor good land existed near Streaky Bay. The search for good land seemed hopeless, and John Hill reviews the situation as he then saw it. The knowledge gained by examination of the country north of Spencer's Gulf (presumably Eyre's trip of 1839) and west of Port Lincoln led to the conjecture that a large tract of barren and sterile country existed to the west and north-west of those points. The absence of any mountainous country inland or any river of considerable size inclined John Hill to the opinion that the country was a barren and unprofitable desert.

PROBABILITY OF RIVER

The party was unable to go inland further than 20 miles, having to carry provisions on their backs, therefore they could not speak decisively of the interior country, so it was possible that high ranges and good country might exist within 40 or 50 miles of the coast. There was also a probability of a large river or inland reservoir being formed by the collection of water from the range running north and south discovered by Eyre, so John Hill asserted that important discoveries may still be made in that direction.

We must remember that the Rapid arrived in Adelaide about the time Eyre and his party were marching across the north frontier of Eyre Peninsula (as we know it today), when he discovered and named the Gawler Ranges, seeing numerous swamps and lakes in that part of the country and later on Lake Torrens. Eyre had seen the bed of Lake Torrens in the May expedition, but it was not until October that he definitely knew that it was a lake. Both Stephens's and Hill's reports were written before Eyre arrived back in Adelaide on October 15, 1839, and his report of the trip was not written until October 19. So part of John Hill's forecast was early realised, but it was not until 1851 to 1858 that the ranges and large lakes north of the Peninsula were explored, although Darke in 1844 penetrated in to the Gawler Ranges.

Though the country was so poor, John Hill considered that the position of Streaky, and Denial Bays rendered them highly valuable, connecting as they did. South and Western Australia, and being the only harbors, with Fowler's Bay (which they did not see), between Port Lincoln and King George's Sound, and if good and extensive country were found even within 100 miles the harbors must become extremely valuable and important. Therefore the harbors should not be lost sight of or condemned until a more extensive survey of the interior were made. The people were optimists in those days, ever on the lookout for new lands for the potential large population with their vast herds of cattle and their countless millions of sheep. John Hill voiced this by saying : "The districts known to be available (in South Australia) are very limited, and it would be of vast importance to the public, and great private advantage, if an outlet was discovered for the rapidly increasing population and stock."