CHAPTER XLIII.

Voyage to South Australia.-Kings Island.-South Coast of Australia.-St. Vincents Gulf.-Holdfast Bay.-South Australia.—Adelaide.-Port Adelaide. Torrens River.-Country.-Drunkenness.-Fires.-Aborigines.—Unjust Legislation. - Religious Loss. Cruelty.-Geology, Vegetation, and Entomology.Heat.-Departure.

FROM the 20th, to the 23rd, of 11th mo. the wind was adverse, and we beat backward and forward, between Kings Island and Cape Otway. Kings Island is low. In some places, sand rises far up from the beach, but the land is generally covered with scrub, among which trees were visible. We tacked, when about fifteen miles from its north coast, to avoid a reef, on which the convict vessel "Minerva," was lost, about two years since. A large Whale and an Albatross passed us on the 23rd, when we spoke with the "Thistle," from Portland Bay, on her way to Launceston, with oil. The whaling season is now over on these coasts. The land about Cape Otway is high and woody, with deep ravines.

On the 24th, we saw the flat-topped, roundish hills, to the east of Portland Bay, the table land of Cape Bridgewater, the low, extended hills of Cape Northumberland, and several other points of the coast.

These fish

25th. We passed in sight of a long series of sand hills, and took a considerable number of Barracoota. had a small kind of Shrimp in their stomachs. numerous, especially Mutton-birds and Terns.

Birds were

26th, The wind was very changeable, and there was lightning toward evening. Vast numbers of sea fowl, and some Seals of a yellowish colour, with black muzzles, were upon one of the two little islands, called The Pages, which

are at the opening into St. Vincents Gulf, by the Backstairs Passage, by which we entered.

27th. We came to anchor, at about five miles from the shore, in Holdfast Bay, South Australia, which has a sandy beach, exposed to the south. As the evening was wet, with heavy rain, and thunder, we remained on board, while our captain went to Adelaide.

28th. The night was very boisterous, and the vessel pitched violently. The captain returned on board, along with the Port Officer, and we went on shore in the boat that brought them off, paying one pound each to the boatmen. The sea was so rough as to render it difficult to get into the boat, and the wind so high as to carry us rapidly before the sea, with only the aid of a small sail. The men desired us not to be alarmed, and said the boat never shipped a sea, but soon one made its way upon us. They then told us not to be afraid, for if the boat upset in the surf, they would take care of us, but we expected to have to take care of ourselves, in case of such an accident ; they succeeded, however, in keeping the boat before the sea, so as to escape this danger. We landed in a small creek, at Glenelg, a place consisting of a few rude huts, one of which was used as a store. A light, chaise cart, that brought the captain from Adelaide, was waiting for us, and we were quickly conveyed over a flat country, covered with grass, and scattered trees of Eucalyptus, Acacia and Banksia, to the embryo capital of South Australia. Here we received a kind welcome from John Barton Hack and his wife. The former of whom I was acquainted with in England, and the family connexions of the latter, were among the kind friends of my early youth. They were at this time dwelling, with their large family, in a wooden house that they brought from England, in which they realized much more comfort than most of the other settlers did, in their rude huts, of rushes or of sods.

29th. We called on the Governor, Captain John Hindmarsh, and on James H. Fisher, the Commissioner for the Sale of Lands, to both of whom we had letters of introduction from Sir John Franklin, and by whom we were

courteously received. The former offered to endeavour to obtain a place for us to hold a meeting in; and in the evening we received a note from him, to say, that he had conferred with the Episcopal Clergyman, Charles B. Howard, who was quite willing that we should occupy the place in which he preached. This was a temporary, square erection of planks, with a flat roof, raised and seated chiefly by the minister's own hands. We also called at the tent of T. Q. Stow, the Independent minister, who happened to be out: his wife received us kindly; she and her family were busily occupied in their frail, temporary habitation, a long marquee, which was greatly agitated by the strong gale of wind that continued blowing with increased violence. We likewise spoke to Robert Cock, a prudent Scotchman, who was living with his wife and several children, under a sort of thatched roof, till he earned something to build a house: this indeed he had already effected, but it was occupied as a store and sale-room. We spoke likewise to several other settlers. They generally appeared well satisfied in having emigrated, but were disappointed in not being able more quickly to have their land apportioned to them. They had already found, that discord was peculiarly liable to find its way into small communities, consisting of persons newly settled, with the view of each promoting his own interest.

30th. We walked about seven miles, to Port Adelaide. The way was over two level plains, separated by a slight, sandy rise, covered with wood. The soil of the plains was a reddish loam, having a slight admixture of sand and calcareous matter. They were covered with tufted grass and small herbs. Among the latter was a species of Eryngium, a foot high, the leaves of which are eaten with avidity by cattle, and some small, yellow-flowered Everlastings. Near Port Adelaide, the land becomes saline, and produces crimson Mesembryanthemums, of three species, along with numerous maritime shrubs. On a sand-bank separating the plain from the salt marsh, which borders the creek or inlet that forms the harbour, there are trees of a species of Callitris, resembling Cypress. These are here called Pines, and have trunks about 40 feet high, which are used for piles. Casuarina

quadrivalvis, and Banksia australis, likewise grow here. On this bank there was an Orobanche, very like Orobanche minor of England. At Port Adelaide there are two large stores, of corrugated iron, in the form of the halves of horizontal cylinders, and several smaller ones, of rushes, &c. and some huts and tents. Shipping can come up the creek to this place; and by means of a cut, of 180 yards, across a salt marsh, boats can discharge their cargoes close to the stores. The Eudora had not been able to move hither, in consequence of the violence of the wind, nor had any person got on shore from her. The salt marsh was covered with two species of Salicornia, one of which was shrubby; interspersed among these, were two species of Frankenia, one of which was bushy, about a foot high, and besprinkled with rosy, pink blossoms, the size of a silver penny. The creek was margined with Mangrove, Avicennia tomentosa.

12th mo. 1st. Before breakfast, I walked along the borders of the Torrens, the river which supplies Adelaide with water, which is fresh, and of excellent quality. Good water is also obtained from wells of about forty feet deep, in the open, limestone formation, upon which Adelaide is situated. The stream of the Torrens, at the present season, is about one foot in depth, and four feet in width; there are numerous pools, of several fathoms deep, in its course, which are not likely to lack water in the driest seasons. In some places there are reedy flats below the banks of the river, which are of red loam, and are ornamented by a variety of shrubs and flowers; among which are Lavatera plebia, Verbena officinalis, and two species of Goodenia.

A few miles back from Adelaide, there is a range of woody hills, the most elevated point of which is called Mount Lofty. We walked a few miles in this direction, on a plain which is several miles wide, and extends from Cape Jarvis to the Head of St. Vincents Gulf. It is covered with grass, and intersected with belts of Gum-trees, and a sickle-leaved Acacia. Some of the Kangaroo-grass was up to our elbows, and resembled two years' seed meadows, in England, in thickness; in many places, three tons of hay per acre, might be mown off it. I had not seen anything

to equal it, in this part of the world, except in some of the places that had not been browzed, about Wellington Valley. Several small groups of honest-looking, English labourers were mowing; but their work was only to be seen as little patches, on coming upon them. Adelaide is laid out on both sides of the Torrens; it has an open space of parkland, reserved in the midst, and is divided into 1,040 acres, exclusive of the streets, which cross at right-angles, so as to give to every acre, one side of street-frontage, and to about half of them, two sides. The acres sold originally, at from £3, to about £12 each, and they are now bringing from £40, to £65 each! The population already amounts to about 1,200, but being scattered over so large an area, they make little show. Some of the immigrants are erecting comfortable dwellings of wood, stone, or terra-pisa, but many are living in rush huts, which are exceedingly obnoxious to fire. The day was excessively hot, and every thing was consequently very dry. One of the huts caught fire, and was destroyed in a few minutes. So many persons settling together in an open, fertile country, and having generally brought good supplies with them, from England, and a few who had capital, having imported cattle from Tasmania, they have suffered but a small share of the privations to which the early emigrants to N. S. Wales and V. D. Land were subjected. Provisions are however high; fresh meat 1s. per pound, bread 20d. the four-pound loaf; but if made at home, it does not cost half that sum. Mechanics are obtaining 10s. a day, wages, in cash, or notes of the Bank of Australia, which issues 2s. 5s. and 10s. as well as larger notes, and receives small deposits at interest.

The Blacks about Adelaide are not numerous: they are much like those of other parts of Australia, and most persons admit, that the pictures which they have seen of them in England, are caricature likenesses, of much more forbidding aspect than the originals. I think those here, have mouths, not quite so large as some in other parts. Only one European has lost his life from them, and this was the result of his own profligacy. Since we arrived here, some days have been so cold, that we have been glad of a fire.