Journals of Two Expeditions into the Interior of New South Wales

Production notes: * 12 items of errata listed in the book have been corrected in this eBook. * Illustrations, Maps and Charts have not been included in this eBook. * Notes included within the text have been included in square brackets [] in the text at the point referenced. * Italics have been converted to upper case.

CONTENTS

PART I

LIST OF PLATES LIST OF CHARTS INRODUCTION JOURNAL OF AN EXPEDITION IN AUSTRALIA PART I.

PART II

PREFACE JOURNAL OF AN EXPEDITION IN AUSTRALIA PART II. APPENDIX PART I. No. I. Instructions for conducting and leading first expedition. No. II Report of tour over Blue Mountains in 1815 by the Governor. No. III Letter from Oxley to Governor advising of his return from first expedition. APPENDIX PART II. No. IV Diary of Mr. Evans, from 8th to 18th of July, 1818. No. V. Governor's report on the return of Oxley from the second expedition, together with a letter from Oxley on his arrival at Port Stephens.. No. VI. Governor's report on Oxley's discovery of Port Stephens together with a letter from Oxley to the Governor on this subject. A brief abstract of the population of N.S.W in 1815, 1816 and 1817. A statement of land in cultivation, quantities of stock, etc. from 1813 to 1817 inclusive.

LIST OF PLATES (NOT INCLUDED IN THIS EBOOK).

Field Plains from Mount Aymot. The Grave of a Native of Australia. Arbuthnot's Range, from the West. Liverpool Plains. West Prospect from View Hill. Bathurst's Falls. A Native Chief of Bathurst.

LIST OF CHARTS (NOT INCLUDED IN THIS EBOOK).

Range of the Thermometer from April 9th to August 30th 1817 by John Oxley. A Chart of Part of the Interior of New South Wales, 1817. First Expedition. A Chart of Part of the Interior of New South Wales, 1818. Second Expedition. Reduced Sketch of the Two Expeditions. A Plan of Port Macquarie Including a Sketch of Part of Hastings River, on the East Coast of New South Wales. A General Statement of the Inhabitants of New South Wales as per General Muster commencing 28th September 1818, with an account of same at Van Diemmens Land. A General Statement of the Land in Cultivation etc., the quantities of Stock etc., as accounted for at the General Muster, with an account of same at Van Diemmens Land..

JOURNAL OF AN EXPEDITION IN AUSTRALIA Part I.

TO HIS EXCELLENCY LACHLAN MACQUARIE, ESQ. MAJOR GENERAL IN THE ARMY, AND CAPTAIN GENERAL AND GOVERNOR IN CHIEF IN AND OVER THE TERRITORY OF NEW SOUTH WALES AND ITS DEPENDENCIES, THE FOLLOWING JOURNAL OF AN EXPEDITION, PERFORMED UNDER HIS ADMINISTRATION AND DIRECTION, IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED, BY HIS VERY OBEDIENT HUMBLE SERVANT, JOHN OXLEY.

INTRODUCTION.

The colony had been established many years before any successful attempt had been made to penetrate into the interior of the country, by crossing the range of hills, known to the colonists as the Blue Mountains: these mountains were considered as the boundary of the settlements westward, the country beyond them being deemed inaccessible.

The year 1813 proving extremely dry, the grass was nearly all destroyed, and the water failed; the horned cattle suffered severely from this drought, and died in great numbers. It was at this period that three gentlemen, Lieutenant Lawson, of the Royal Veteran Company, Messrs. Blaxland, and William Wentworth, determined upon attempting a passage across these mountains, in hopes of finding a country which would afford support to their herds during this trying season.