On His Return To The Colony, The Governor, Mr. Macquarrie Ordered
That A Road Should Be Made Across The Mountains; This Extended 100 Miles,
And Was Completed In 1815.
Mr. Evans soon afterwards discovered another
river, which he called the Lachlan.
As it was of great consequence to trace these rivers, and likewise to
examine the country to the west of the Blue Mountains more accurately, and
to a greater distance than it had been done, the governor ordered two
expeditions to be undertaken. Lieutenant Oxley, the surveyor-general of the
colony had the command of both. It does not fall within our plan or limits
to follow him in these journeys; we shall therefore confine ourselves to an
outline of the result of his discoveries. He ascertained that the country
in general is very unfertile: the Lachlan he traced, till it seemed to
loose itself in a multitude of branches among marshy flats. "Perhaps,"
observes Lieutenant Oxley, "there is no river, the history of which is
known, that presents so remarkable a termination as the present: its
course, in a strait line from its source to its termination, exceeds 500
miles, and including its windings, it may fairly be calculated to run at
least 1200 miles; during all which passage, through such a vast extent of
country, it does not receive a single stream in addition to what it derives
from its sources in the Eastern mountains." - "One tree, one soil, one
water, and one description of bird, fish, or animal, prevails alike for ten
miles, and for 100." There were, however, tracks, especially where the
limestone formation prevailed, of great beauty and fertility; but these
were comparatively rare and of small extent. Level, bare, sandy wastes,
destitute of water, or morasses and swamps, which would not support them,
formed by far the greatest part of the country through which they
travelled.
The second object Lieutenant Oxley had in view was the survey of the course
of the Macquarrie river; this he knew to be to the north-west of the
Lachlan. In crossing from the banks of the latter in search of the former,
they reached a beautiful valley; in the centre of which flowed a clear and
strong rivulet. This they traced till it joined a large river, which they
ascertained to be the Macquarrie. From this point to Bathurst Plains, the
country was rich and beautiful.
As from the size of the Macquarrie where they fell in with it, it seemed
probable that it either communicated with the sea itself or flowed into a
river which did, the governor sent Lieutenant Oxley on another expedition
to trace its course, and thus settle this point. For twelve days the
country was rich and beautiful: the river was wide, deep, and navigable.
The country then changed its character: no hill was to be seen; on all
sides it was as level and uninteresting as that through which thay had
traced the Lachlan in their former journey. Soon afterwards it overflowed
its banks; and as the country was very flat, it spread over a vast extent.
Under these circumstances, Lieutenant Oxley proceeded down it in a boat for
thirty miles, till he lost sight of land and trees. About four miles
farther it lost all appearance of a river; but he was not able to continue
his route, and was obliged to return, without having ascertained whether
this great inland lake, into which the Macquarrie fell, was a salt or fresh
water lake.
On his return he crossed the highest point of the mountains which divides
the waters running west from those which run into the east; the most
elevated peak he calculates to be from 6000 to 7000 feet. Here he found a
river rising, which flowed to the east; and following it, he arrived at the
place where it fell into the ocean.
It is pretty certain from these expeditions, that no river of any size
empties itself into the sea, on the northern, western, or southern coasts
of New Holland. Captain Flinders and the French navigators had examined all
the line of coast on the western side, except from latitude 22 deg. to 11 deg.
south; it might therefore be supposed that the Macquarrie, after freeing
itself from the inland lake to which Lieutenant Oxley had traced it, might
fall into the sea, within these limits. This, however, is now proved not to
be the case. In the year 1818, Lieutenant King was sent by the Board of
Admiralty, to survey the unexplored coast, from the southern extremity of
Terre de Witt. He began his examination at the north-west cape, in latitude
21 deg. 45', from this to latitude 20 deg. 30', and from longitude 114 deg. to 118 deg., he
found an archipelago, which he named after Dampier, as it was originally
discovered by this navigator. Dampier had inferred, from a remarkable
current running from the coast beyond these islands, that a great strait,
or river, opened out behind them. Lieutenant King found the tide running
strong in all the passages of the archipelago, but there was no appearance
of a river; the coast was in general low, and beyond it he descried an
extensive tract of inundated marshy country, similar to that described by
Lieutenant Oxley. Cape Van Diemen, Lieutenant King ascertained to be the
northern extremity of an island, near which was a deep gulf. Although we
have not learnt that Lieutenant King has completed his survey, 8 or 9
degrees of latitude on the north-west coast still remaining to be explored,
yet we think it may safely be inferred that no great river has its exit
into the ocean from the interior of New Holland. This circumstance, added
to the singular nature of the country through which Lieutenant Oxley
journeyed, and the peculiar and unique character of many of its animals,
seems to stamp on this portion of the globe marks which strongly and widely
separate it from every other portion.
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