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NAVIGATION OF THE MURRAY.
JOURNAL, KEPT ON BOARD THE "LADY
AUGUSTA" STEAMER, DURING CAPTAIN
CADELL'S VOYAGE UP THE MURRAY.
(From our Special Correspondent.)
Friday, 9th September.
We weighed anchor before daylight, and proceeded on
our voyage, Mr. Jamieson joining us for a trip up the
river. He is a very intelligent man, a Magistrate of
Victoria, and one who takes a great interest in the na-
vigation of the Murray. I am indebted to him for much
valuable information.
The native ex-prisoner was left at Mildura, by his
own desire, as he felt quite sure he could make his way
safely across country to Mr. Chapman's station.
The soundings taken at 12 o'clock showed no bottom
at 4½ fathoms.
Soon after this we moored the vessels on the Victoria
bank, and took in a quantity of fuel.
The evening was again enlivened by dancing ; and we
anchored at 11 o'clock opposite Messrs. McGrath's stat-
ion, Carwarp, on the right-hand, or Victoria, bank.
Saturday, 10th September.
We commenced discharging stores for the Messrs.
McGrath at 5 o'clock, and the family paid the vessels
an early visit on board. There are three brothers, with
whom their mother and five or six sisters reside. We
weighed anchor at half-past 6. These brothers have
10,000 sheep upon their run, which they manage en-
tirely with the help of natives.
At 3 o'clock we reached Mr. McPherson's station
(6,000 sheep) on the New South Wales side of the river.
The Captain went ashore and brought away a most
enormous cauliflower as a specimen of the produce of a
Murray garden. The outside leaves of this gigantic
plant were fully 30 inches long. The flower was firm
and excellent—its diameter more than 12 inches.
We came to an anchor at 9 o'clock near Kulkyne, the
station of Messrs. Keam and Orr (17,000 sheep.)
Sunday, 11th September.
The vessels lay at anchor all day. Soon after break-
fast Mr. Orr and Mr. Jones came on board. Mr. Keam
was absent on business. They joined us at Divine ser-
vice and spent the rest of the day on board.
The station is prettily situated on the bank of a
billebong, about half a mile from the river. The land
appears excellent, and they have a productive garden.
In this, as at Mildura, there are some vines which
appear to be doing very well. There are also, strange
to say, some flourishing Siberian greens.
A billebong is a creek or backwater. There are many
of them upon the Murray.
In the course of the day we threw into the river a
sealed bottle with a paper enclosed bearing the following
inscription :—"Lady Augusta, Messrs Keam and Orr's
station, on the Murray, September 10, 1853." It is
possible this may carry in fresh intelligence of our
whereabouts, as the current is running rapidly.
At the back of this station there are some salt lakes,
known as the Mornpall (corrupted into Mournful) Lakes.
The salt from them is used by the settlers, and has even
been sent to the diggings.
Monday, 12th September.
We commenced discharging supplies for Messrs.
Keam and Orr at sunrise ; after that we took in a small
quantity of wood, and proceeded on our voyage at half-
past 6 o'clock.
The river is beginning to subside. A mark made
upon a tree yesterday evening shows it to have fallen
an inch during the night.
At 10 o'clock we stopped for wood on the Victoria
side of the river. This occupied us for some hours,
during which, as usual, some of our party worked, and
others rambled in the woods.
The scenery on the banks of the Murray is mostly
very beautiful, but at this place it was unusually so.
We had first to ascend a steep cliff of red sand about
50 feet high, which brought us to an extensive undu-
lating table land, clothed with abundant pasture, and
studded with the gayest flowering shrubs. No English
pleasure-ground could surpass such an Australian
shrubbery ; indeed, it is almost impossible to fancy that
nature, in its adornment, has received no assistance
from art, so tastefully are the colours blended, and so
gracefully do the long creepers mingle their white
blossoms with the rainbow tints among which they
tumble and twine in all the gay luxuriance of the bush.
The evening again closed with dancing, and the
vessel continued under way for the whole night.
Tuesday, 13th September.
About 11 o'clock a.m. we passed Mr. Liscombe's sta-
tion. It is now occupied by four or five thousand sheep
belonging to Mr. Gibbs, an innkeeper at Euston, to
which village I shall again have occasion to refer.
We were called up by Capt. Cadell at 4 o'clock, to
look at a comet which he had just noticed. It was in
the north-east, about 8 degrees above the horizon, and
occupied a space of from 15 to 17 degrees. It diminished
with the approach of daylight, and disappeared a little
before sunrise, after having attained an altitude of about
30 degrees.
At 10 o'clock we reached Euston (a small township in
the reserve of Norwang), at which allotments are in the
course of sale by the New South Wales Government.
It is one mile square, and is situated in the midst of the
reserve, which occupies 25 square miles. The land
around it forms the station of Mr. Morey, and is also
called Euston.
Mr. Stephen Cole, the Commissioner, resides at the
township, having a European sergeant and six native
policemen under his charge. His district, called the
Lower Darling, extends from Kalingalingagy Creek,
upon the Lachlan—one bank of which river it embraces
—to Fort Bourke upon the Darling, and so along by
the Murray, including the junction of the Murrumbidgee.
There are now in the district 71,000 sheep, 16,000 head
of cattle, and 275 horses. The licences and leases at
present extend over 2,500 square which comprise
comparatively small portion of the district. Mr. Cole
is expecting an old military sergeant from Sydney to
drill the native troopers.
The banks of the Murray are likely before long to
be much better protected than heretofore. Mr. Perry,
the Commissioner of the Albert District, is on his way
from Sydney with a European officer to organize a
native force, which will be stationed at Moorana,
near the junction of the Darling, forming Mr. Edward
Bagot's residence. Mr. Jamieson also informs me
that police from Melbourne are daily expected at
Mildura, to protect the Victoria bank of the river
from the South Australian boundary to Swan Hill.
Mr. Cole, who has a remarkably good bush house,
built by the New South Wales Government, gave us
a very hearty welcome. His garden is productive
and in good order. Already the "Euston salads"
have acquired a world-wide celebrity, that is, in the
little world of the Middle Murray, the Darling, the
Murrumbidgee, and the Lachlan. We of the Lady
Augusta can certainly testify to their excellence ;
they deserve all praise, and their hospitable dispenser
may confidently challenge the bush to produce
crisper lettuces, richer eggs and cream, or bottled
condiments, more judiciously compounded.
I must not omit to mention that the settlers of this
district, some of whom are as gentlemanly and intel-
ligent men as ever it has been my happiness to meet,
have not only, for the most part, excellent libraries,
but maintain among themselves a book society, sup-
plied with the best English periodicals and other new
publications. Think, of this, for the distant bush !
Think of this, ye who have imagined that the Murray
banks were tenanted by semi-savages !
We saw at Euston a pair of those peculiar birds
called by the natives the "Lowan" or "Luana,"
and known to some of the settlers as the "May-
ererko," or pheasant-turkey of the Murray.
There is little visible difference between the
male and the female. The head in both
resembles that of the hen pheasant ; the beak is
short, and the foot has four claws, but no spurs. The
back is like that of a grouse, with white and striped
brown feathers. The breast is similar to the par-
tridge, of a black, white, and grey colour. They
have the tail of the hen pheasant, but are much
larger birds, approaching the size of turkey poults.
They lay their eggs in the sand, and build them up
into complete hillocks, where they are hatched by the
heat of the sun. Their flesh is excellent, and their
eggs, which are as large or larger than those of the
turkey, are spoken of as great delicacies. The cock,
instead of stretching forth his neck to crow, in the
manner of our farmyard chanticleers, places his head
between his legs as he shouts forth his salutation to
the morn or to his lady-love. This singular habit
adds one more to the list of anomalies which have
given rise to the remark that all things in Aus-
tralia go by the law of contraries. It is quite
worthy, to rank with trees shedding their bark instead
of their leaves, and cherries growing with their
stones outside the fruit.
About seven miles from Euston there are are two
fresh-water lakes, supplied from the Murray. They
are very useful as reservoirs for the flocks, and are
surrounded, as we were told, with the most agree-
able scenery.
Messrs. Cole, Morey, and Hamilton (a son of Mr.
Hamilton, late of the Assay Office at Adelaide) ac-
companied us on board, by Captain Cadell's invita-
tion, and at half-past 2 we reached Bombany, on the
Victoria side, Mr. Grant's station. He lives there
with his family in a very comfortable bush residence,
and has a garden of two acres, in which there are
peas, potatoes, greens of various sorts, lettuces, ra-
dishes, and several other esculents, all looking well
and strong.
The vessels continued under steam till after mid-
night.
Wednesday, 14th September.
At 1 o'clock a.m. we made fast to the shore
below Mr. Ross's station, Meilmam, upon the New
South Wales side, and before daylight the crew and
volunteers were engaged in cutting wood.
The comet was seen before sunrise, more distinctly
than on the preceding day.
Some rough fellows who were shearing at this
place made themselves very troublesome. One of
them came into the fore cabin, which serves as a
gentlemen's dressing-room, and, being civilly an-
swered by some who chanced to be there, was be-
coming impertinent. Captain Cadell, coming in just
then, very summarily ejected him, and he sneaked
off quietly ; but three others soon after presented
themselves to one of the officers who was directing
a wooding party on shore. The insolence of these
men arose, from their having been furnished with
grog the day before—no wonder, for four or five of
them had drunk since then a whole demijohn of
spirits.
I must here take occasion to observe that much
mischief will be done if vessels carry such articles
along the Murray for general sale. The settlers, I
am sure, would sooner forego the convenience of
steam navigation altogether than have their men
maddened by floating grog-shops. Captain Cadell
has very properly abstained from selling spirits in
any quantity, whether large or small.
To resume my narrative, the troublesome shearers
were endured for awhile by the officer with patience ;
but when he found that they persisted in demanding
grog, using abusive language, interfering with his
men, impeding his operations, and were even pro-
ceeding to personal annoyance, he gave them one
fair warning, telling them at the same time that he
always spoke before he struck. They replied in a
taunting strain, that there were as good men on
shore as any afloat, and continued their impertinence.
The young sailor's word had been given, and then
came the blows. In an instant the three braggarts
measured their lengths upon the grass, and each as
he rose was felled again by the same vigorous arm.
After that they humbly cried for quarter, and beat an
inglorious retreat, one of them whispering as he
went away, "I shall get out of this as soon as I can."
Never was there a better illustration of those lines of
Sir John Suckling's—
"If you gently touch a nettle
It will sting you for your pains :
Grasp it like a man of mettle,
And it soft as silk remains.
So it is with coarser natures,
Use them gently, they rebel ;
But be rough as nutmeg graters,
And the rogues obey you well."
Mr. Ross, like most settlers on this part of the
Murray, has a very comfortable domicile and an ex-
cellent garden. He has 11,000 sheep, 7,000 of which
have been lately brought from Bathurst. His
shearing has already commenced, and he informed
me that the first flock had averaged 2¾ lbs. per
fleece, 120 of them making a fine bale of 3 cwt. The
wool is well washed and of good staple. It was at
once arranged that the whole should come to Ade-
laide by Captain Cadell's vessels. Indeed, at this, as
at every other station on the river, he has been wel-
comed with a degree of enthusiasm which would
have surprised me but for the ample opportunity I
have had of appreciating the convenience the settlers
are securing from his spirited undertaking. They
feel that he has boldly carried out a costly and labo-
rious enterprise which no one else would attempt,
and which many ridiculed who will now perhaps be
disposed to follow his exaample. He has opened the
trade of the Murray most triumphantly, and there
can be no doubt, judging from what I see, that he
will retain such a decided hold upon the opinion and
good feeling of the sheep farmers as will amply re-
ward his exertions and his judgement.
Mr. Ross came on board and breakfasted with us.
As the steamer, having finished its wooding, passed
the station, which lies a little higher up the stream,
the three men who had been so thoroughly beaten by
one officer were assembled near the woolshed. They
were brave enough then, being out of reach, and
treated us to a perfect chorus of yells and howls. I
have since learned that one of them is a "reformed"
youth from Parkhurst Prison, and that another has
lately completed his education at Norfolk Island. It
is upon such assistants as these that the settlers on
the Murray have hitherto had to depend for securing
their produce. They look forward now to a better
class of men being brought them from Port Adelaide
by the steamer.
At 12 o'clock Messrs. Cole, Morey, Ross, and
Hamilton took leave, and went ashore in the boat.
At half past 2 o'clock we passed Mr. McCallum's
station (12,000 sheep). We lay to for a few moments
while the Captain went ashore and arranged for the
shipment of the wool.
We heard that Messrs. Randall's little steamer, the
Mary Ann, had passed at 2 o'clock in the morning.
She started from the neighbourhood of Moorundee 10
days before we left the Goolwa Wharf, and we had
been gradually gaining on her. At half-past 10
o'clock at night, just after we passed in the darkness
the junction of the Murrumbidgee, her crew were
apparently camping by a fire on shore and we did
not bring to, but continued our voyage till midnight
when we came to anchor.
Thursday, 15th September.
About an hour afterwards the whole saloon, in
which 12 were sleeping, was suddenly "frighted
from its propriety" by the noise of falling seats and
tables, broken glass and china, and last, not least, by
a young gentleman's tumbling from his berth, and
announcing in a voice of amazement that he had
been "blown out by a jet of steam," the scalding
effects of which he still felt. We found at once that
the vessel was lying over considerably ; but the
wonder was how the tenant of a bunk on the lee side
should have been unshipped. This was soon ex-
plained. A table in falling had discharged upon his
legs the contents of a large jug, which had been
brought in about an hour before full of boiling water
for making negus. This had rather rudely disturbed
his dreams, and not unnaturally suggested, as he
leaped from his retirement, the idea that he had been
blown away by steam.
The vessel's list to starboard was found to have
arisen from a quantity of water in the hold, occa-
sioned, as was supposed, by some tap connected with
the engine having been left unclosed. All hands
were soon on the alert, pumping and bailing out, and
in a short time she was on an even keel. The dis-
turbance, however, made the stokers oversleep them-
selves in the morning, and, instead of being off by
daylight, we lay where we were till half-past 6, the
Mary Ann, which started at 3 o'clock, having run
ahead of us an hour before.
At half-past 7 we stopped and took in wood at Mr.
Hamilton's station, on the Victoria bank of the river.
It is prettily situated, and has several buildings and
other improvements within view of the river.
There are 4,000 sheep upon the run, and shearing
has commenced. Wages, 30s. per 100, with rations.
Good shearers will take off from 60 to 70 fleeces a
day.
At 10 o'clock we reached an out-station of Mr.
Phelps's, on the New South Wales side of the
river. The Mary Ann was lying there, and we
moored ahead of her.
Mr. W. R. Randall, one of the owners of the little
vessel, came on board, and most of us returned his
visit. He was accompanied by a friend named
Davis, and four sailors.
The following particulars of the Mary Ann's run
were politely furnished to me from the log-book. It
will be observed that she had 10 days start on the
Lady Augusta, besides setting off from a point which
it would have taken her at least 3 days to reach.
We have therefore done in 3 weeks what would
have occupied her for 5, besides towing a vessel of
greater tonnage than our own. Still, there can be
no doubt that the Mary Ann and her engines are
most creditable to the Messrs. Randall as ama-
teurs :—
"August 15th, 1853. Started at 1 o'clock p.m.
from Randall's station, on the Murray, about half
way between Wellington and Moorundee, and reached
Mr. Taylor's station.
"16th. Moored fur the night by Mr. Luscombe's
station.
"17th. Resumed the voyage, but brought up after
three hours' steaming, on account of a leak.
"18th. Engaged all day in repairing damages.
"19th. Reached Mr. Heywood's station, but de-
tained again, repairing damages.
"20th. Proceeded only three or four miles.
"21st. Sunday. Lay to for the day.
"22nd. Reached the great N.E. bend.
"23rd. Proceeded on the voyage, and moored for
the night by the river bank.
"24th. Reached Mr. Wigley's station at nightfall.
"25th. Passed the Yarra Creek, and moored for
the night a little further up the river.
"26th. Proceeded, and moored on the river side.
"27th. Reached Mr. Chapman's station, and
moored there.
"28th. Sunday. Lay to for the day.
"29th. Proceeded, and moored by the bank.
"30th. Passed the boundary line, and moored a
little beyond Bob and Harry's station.
"31st. Proceeded and moored by the river side.
"Sept. 1st. Ditto.
"2nd. Passed Mr. Edward Bagot's station, and
moored a little higher up the river.
"3rd. Passed the junction of the Darling, and
moored for the night a few miles further up the
Murray.
"4th. Sunday. Lay to for the day.
"5th. Reached Messrs. Jamieson's station, and
moored there for the night.
"6th. Proceeded, and moored by the river side.
"7th. Passed Mr. M'Grath's station, and moored
a few miles higher up the river.
"8th. Proceeded, and moored on the river side.
"9th. Moored near Messrs. Keam and Orr's
station.
"10th. Proceeded, and moored on the river-side.
"11th. Sunday. Lay-to for the day.
"12th. Passed Euston, and moored a mile beyond
Mr. Grant's station.
"13th. Passed Mr. Ross's, and moored near Mr.
McCallum's station.
"14th. Passed the junction of the Murrumbidgee
and moored a little higher up the Murray.
"15th. Reached Mr. Phelps's out-station, at 8
o'clock a.m. The Lady Augusta came up at 10."
The Mary Ann, with a full load, draws 3 feet
water. When launched, and without her machinery,
she drew only 7 inches.
This is a dairy station, and we were supplied with
abundance of milk, cream, and butter, besides plenty
of lettuces from a luxuriant garden.
The Mary Ann quitted her moorings a quarter of
an hour before us, but we very soon overtook her,
and left her far behind.
At 3 o'clock we reached the junction of the Logan
or Wakool, a large river, which rises about a hun-
dred miles away to the S.E. by E., but winds along
for more than double that distance. A few miles
above its junction with the Murray it receives the
waters of the Kyalite or Edward River. As Captain
Cadell was anxious to see something of this impor-
tant stream, and had also some idea of leaving the
Eureka there, to take in wool, we entered it, and
steamed up for a few miles. It is both broad and
deep, and will, no doubt, before long be regularly
visited by trading vessels, as the country on its banks,
and also that around the Edward, is already, to a
great extent, settled.
As we were returning to the Murray we met the
Mary Ann, which had apparently been misled by
our entering the Wakool, and had followed us, I pre-
sume, in error ; for no sooner did we come in sight
than she veered round to turn back ; but unfortun-
nately ran into a tree, which carried away her mast.
We immediately brought to, hailed her, and enquired
if we could render any assistance. It seems, how-
ever, that no great mischief had been done, as she
did not require any aid.
After passing the Wakool, we found the Murray
much narrower, and full of sharp turns. This ren-
dered its navigation very difficult for the Lady Au-
gusta, on account of the Eureka being towed alongside,
and the two vessels occupying a breadth of 43 feet.
The current, also, was very strong, and we were
constantly running into the trees which line the
river banks and are now surrounded with water.
The branches are very brittle, and generally snap
short off ; but we did not escape without some da-
mage, such as the loss of the ornamental work at the
top of one of the Lady Augusta's funnels, the car-
rying away of a few feet of the Eureka's hand-rail,
and the breaking of her tiller-wheel. There were
also a great many snags, or sunken trees, in our
course, which required much care in passing. These,
together with the sharp turns and opposing current,
made our passage rather tedious, and the Mary Ann,
which is only half our length and had no second
vessel to look after, had much the advantage of us.
She ran by us in one of the most sinuous places, but
we soon repassed her, left her far behind, and were
still under way at midnight.
Friday, 16th September.
We held on till half-past 12 a.m., when we an-
chored off Mr. Coghill's station, Pyangill, on the
Victoria side. He has 1,200 cattle there, but resides
near Melbourne.
For all these hours Captain Cadell had been on
deck, scarcely leaving it even for his meals. His
powers of endurance are really as remarkable as his
energy and courage, for it must require no small
share of each to direct two vessels by night along
an almost unknown river, amidst dangers seen and
and unseen.
At 6 o'clock we were off again, the indefatigable
captain having resumed his place on deck, and at 11
moored at another point on Mr. Coghill's station,
where we took in a quantity of wood.
As the Eureka was not to take in any wool higher
up the river during the present trip, we cast her off,
and proceeded without her. Captain Robertson, the
mate, Mr. Mason, and some others will remain in her
at moorings, awaiting our return.
The afternoon was very stormy, and at dusk we
moored for the night by the river side, the Mary
Anne doing the same a little astern us.
Saturday, 17th September.
We started at half-past 2 a.m., and before 5 were
moored opposite Mr. Beveridge's station (10,000
sheep) on the Victoria side. There we obtained a
supply of milk, and some vegetables from a good
garden.
The river at this part, and for some miles in both
directions, is bounded by reeds. The country is flat
and destitute of trees. It is at present much
flooded.
Mr. Beveridge, jun., came on board to breakfast,
accompanied by Mr. Edmonston, Mr. Coghill's cattle
superintendent. He brought in the Melbourne Argus
of the 30th August and the 2nd and 6th September,
which were very welcome, as they gave us later Ade-
laide news than we had yet seen.
Our course now lay through an immense plain,
where we were told that for 60 miles by from 10 to
20 there was scarcely a tree. It is a dead level,
flooded at present to a great extent by the overflow-
ings of the Murray, and bearing nothing but reeds.
It is said to bear a great resemblance to the Indian
paddy fields. The number of geese and other birds
is enormous. The navigation of this part of the
river is perfectly easy, the water being deep and
wholly free from obstructions.
We arrived at Swan Hill at about 2 o'clock. It is
uncertain whether Captain Cadell's engagements in
the way of wool for immediate shipment will admit
of his going on to Albury ; but at all events he is
likely to go a few days further up the river.
Should we proceed to Albury we may expect to be
back at the Goolwa within a month from this time.
Sir Henry Young mentioned this morning that he
had written to Captain Lipson to send the Govern-
ment schooner Yatala to Port Elliot by the 5th of
October to take the party from the Lady Augusta to
Port Adelaide.
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