Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia Volume II Part 50

CHANGES ON THE SEACOAST. PROOFS THAT THE COAST WAS ONCE HIGHER ABOVE THE SEA THAN IT IS AT PRESENT. PROOFS THAT IT WAS ONCE LOWER. AND OF VIOLENT ACTION OF THE SEA.

The sea, probably when higher relatively to the land than it is at present, appears to have acted with some violence in isolating various points along the eastern coast; most of which we now find curiously a.n.a.logous, in their situation on the southern sides of inlets, and in being now united to the mainland by mounds of sand.

AT WOLLONGONG.

The point of Wollongong was formerly an island and is now only connected by drifted sandhills with the site of the township.

CAPE SOLANDER.

Cape Solander, the south head of Botany Bay, on which Captain Cook first landed, was evidently once an island though at present connected with the mainland by the neck of sand which separates Botany Bay from Port Hacking.

PORT JACKSON.

The south head of Port Jackson has also been isolated but is again connected with the sh.o.r.e of Bellevue between Bondi Bay and Rose Bay, by drifted hills of sand. The north head appears to have been likewise isolated.

BROKEN BAY.

Barrenjoey, the south head of Broken Bay, is connected only by a low beach of sand.

NEWCASTLE.

The Beacon head of Newcastle was once an island; and the drifted sand forming the hills on which the town is built has since been thrown up by the sea.

TUGGERAH BEACH.

Brisbane Water, Tuggerah beach, and Lake Macquarie are also striking proofs of change of the same character as those at Port Jackson, especially as they occur in a country possessing no inland lakes, and along a coastline which is very even and straight in other respects.

Ba.s.s STRAIT.

The line of rocky islets extending across Ba.s.s Strait seems to be the remains of land once continuous between the two sh.o.r.es, probably when the current was still active in the channel of the Glenelg, and before the sea had penetrated far within the heads of Port Jackson.

Thus it would appear that the Australian continent bears marks of various changes in the relative height of the sea; on its sh.o.r.es and in the interior; and that the waters have been at some periods much higher and at another period lower with respect to the land than they are at present.

(APPENDIX 2.1.

VOCABULARY OF WORDS HAVING THE SAME MEANING IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF AUSTRALIA.

APPENDIX 2.2.

METEOROLOGICAL JOURNAL KEPT DURING THE JOURNEY INTO THE INTERIOR OF NEW SOUTH WALES IN 1836.)

APPENDIX 2.3.

EXTRACT FROM THE SYDNEY HERALD OF MAY 21, 1838.

The murder of Mr. Faithful's servants by the blacks having created a more than ordinary sensation among the settlers in the interior, we have obtained the following authentic particulars of that desperate outrage.

It appears that on the morning of the 11th ultimo, a party of men in charge of Mr. Faithful's sheep on the route to Port Phillip were preparing to proceed from the Winding Swamp, about 30 miles beyond the Ovens River, on their way to the Goulburn, where it was understood that good sheep stations might be had; and while the bullocks were being yoked the men with the drays heard the shouts of the shepherds crying out for help. These men, who were at a short distance from the encampment collecting the sheep, were presently seen running with great speed towards the dray, pursued by a body of blacks throwing spears after them.

Their companions near the encampment, three of whom were armed with guns, immediately ran to their a.s.sistance, and if possible to drive off the blacks, who by that time were within 300 or 400 yards of the camp. One of these men, named Bentley, fired his gun in the air, thinking that such a display would intimidate them, but it had no effect. The blacks still came forward, cautiously sheltering themselves behind the trees in their path until, when within near approach of the adverse party, one came forward and was in the act of deliberately poising his spear when Bentley shot him dead and was himself immediately after pierced with three spears. This unfortunate man was last seen desperately fighting with the b.u.t.t-end of his musket. The combat now became general--spears flew in all directions and several shots were fired without effect, owing to the caution exercised by the blacks of interposing the trees between themselves and the defensive party, but still gradually closing upon the latter. It was now seen that further resistance would be of no avail, and that in flight lay the only chance of safety, as the blacks continued to increase in numbers as they advanced. There was fifteen in all of Mr.

Faithful's servants, out of which seven in number were killed by the blacks, and one other so severely wounded that his recovery is considered hopeless. When attempting to make their escape a line was opened by the blacks, consisting of about 150 in number, who thus appeared at the fugitives' right and left as they pa.s.sed. At about 100 yards distance from the scene of this outrage, another strong party of armed blacks was drawn up, doubtless as a reserve, but they took no part in the contest.

There could not, we are a.s.sured, have been fewer than 300 fighting men present--not an old man was seen among them. The party in charge of the sheep and cattle had remained at this particular place from the Sat.u.r.day previous, waiting the arrival of Mr. George Faithful, who was only a day's stage behind, and was then momentarily expected. During their stay every precaution was taken by the overseer and the rest to keep on friendly terms with the natives, who constantly hovered about the encampment in groups of 10 or 20 at a time. So friendly did they appear, that neither the overseer nor any of the men, save Bentley, antic.i.p.ated any hostile intention; but his suspicion was excited by the fact of no women appearing at any time among the blacks, and by finding, while going his rounds as guard, the night preceding the attack, a large number of spears, at a short distance from the camp, which he concealed. All the sheep, except 130, we understand, have been recovered, and some of the cattle; the remainder, it is expected, may also be recovered when a party sufficiently strong to protect themselves from the blacks can be formed to go in search of them.