Footnotes are enclosed by square brackets [...] and placed wherereferenced or at the end of paragraph.
TWO EXPEDITIONS
INTO THE INTERIOR OF
SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA
DURING THE YEARS
1828,1829,1830,1831
WITH OBSERVATIONS
ON
THE SOIL, CLIMATE AND GENERAL RESOURCES
OF THE COLONY OF
NEW SOUTH WALES.
By Capt. CHARLES STURT, 39th Regt.
F.L.S. and F.R.G.S.
“For though most men are contented only to see a river as it runs bythem, and talk of the changes in it as they happen; when it is troubled,or when clear; when it drowns the country in a flood, or forsakes it in adrought: yet he that would know the nature of the water, and the causes ofthose accidents (so as to guess at their continuance or return), must findout its source, and observe with what strength it rises, what length itruns, and how many small streams fall in, and feed it to such a height,as make it either delightful or terrible to the eye, and useful ordangerous to the country about it.”…Sir WilliamTemple's Netherlands.
Purpose of this Chapter—Name of Australia—Impressions of its earlyVisitors—Character of the Australian rivers—Author's first view of PortJackson—Extent of the Colony of New South Wales—its rapid advances inprosperity—Erroneous impressions—Commercial importance of Sydney—Growthof fine wool—Mr. M'Arthur's meritorious exertions—Whale-fishery—Otherexports—Geographical features—Causes of the large proportion of badsoil—Connection between the geology and vegetation—Geologicalfeatures—Character of the soil connected with the geological formation—Countyof Cumberland—Country westward of the Blue Mountains—Disadvantages of theremote settlers—Character of the Eastern coast—Rich tracts in theinterior—Periodical droughts—The seasons apparently affected by theinterior marshes—Temperature—Fruits—Emigrants: Causes of their successor failure—Moral disadvantages—System of emigration recommended—Hintsto emigrants—Progress of inland discovery—Expeditions across the BlueMountains—Discoveries of Mr. Evans, Mr. Oxley, and others—Conjecturesrespecting the interior.
State of the Colony in 1828-29—Objects of the Expedition—Departurefrom Sydney—Wellington Valley—Progress down the Macquarie—Arrival atMount Harris—Stopped by the marshes—Encamp amidst reeds—Excursions downthe river—Its termination—Appearance of the marshes—Opthalmicaffection of the men—Mr. Hume's successful journey to thenorthward—Journey across the plain—Second greatmarsh—Perplexities—Situ