Part 3 (1/2)
CHAPTER 3
COLONEL PATERSON AND LIEUTENANT GRANT SURVEY HUNTER RIVER
During the month of May the Lady Nelson became more closely associated with the town of Sydney, hose fortunes her oere ever afterwards identified ( The Lady Nelson was borne as a contingent expense of the colony from the time of her arrival at Sydney until the 16th October, 1802, then as tender to HMS Buffalo by order of the Admiralty See Historical Records of New South Wales volues of exploration, and to Sydney she returned
Inat anchor there alreat harbour--with the Union Jack flying at her stern, and in the soings are recorded, and her discoveries related with the keenest interest
By the Governor's co's birthday, was observed as a holiday It was a memorable occasion, for on that day the Royal Procla the Union between Great Britain and Ireland was read in public by the Provost Marshal At sunrise the old Union Jack was hoisted as usual, but at a quarter to nine it was hauled down and the new Union run up at Dawes Battery and on board the Lady Nelson to the acco
Shortly afterwards Grant received orders to take Colonel Paterson, the Lieutenant-Governor, to Hunter River, then better known as Coal River
( From the abundance of coal found on its banks Flinders says its native name was Yohaaba The Hunter River was discovered and nae was to e of its natural productions, for at this time much of the coast, both to the north and to the south, was chiefly known froraphy of the more distant parts, marked but not explored by hi was also anxious that the Lady Nelson should discover a passage at Port Stephens (called by the natives Yacaaba), and wrote to Paterson requesting him to complete the exploration of this port before September, ”for,” he said, ”it will then be necessary to despatch Her Ladyshi+p (ie
the Lady Nelson) to the southward”)This particular voyage to Port Stephens does not appear to have been carried out, for in August the brig was ”refitting” (See Historical Records of New South Wales) The Francis, schooner, was equipped to accoiven that the schooner should be loaded with coals immediately on her arrival at the Hunter River and sent back to Sydney without delay
Dr Harris and Ensign Barrallier of the New South Wales Corps (ere appointed to execute the survey) accompanied Colonel Paterson A nuether with a native of Rose Bay naaree
The Lady Nelson left the harbour on June 10th, and as she passed out between the Heads, land On June 11th she made North Head of Broken Bay distant 10 or 12 miles
On the next day the weather was variable, but as there was a Sydney pilot on board Grant thought that the shi+p would be safe in his hands The man, however, mistook his course at a place called Reid's Mistake, which lies to the northward of Broken Bay He iined that he had arrived at Hunter River, and was not convinced of his error till the vessel ithin half a mile of an island at the entrance ( Reid's Mistake was so called because a seaman of that name had previously made a similar error, and lost his shi+p there The island lies at the entrance of Lake Macquarie (and still bears the name) The wrecked vessel was the Martha, 30 tons, and doubtless was the shi+p which first saw King Island in 1799)
Here, as the Lady Nelson was in 17 fathoms water, and the weather was fair, a boat was lowered and Dr Harris was sent to explore the place On his return the doctor reported that there was not the least sign of a river here, but that the sea broke heavily over an inlet behind the island He brought with hi the boat had run towards it crying out alternately ”Whale boat” and ”Budgeree (ie
good) dick” It was supposed that this native had been given this name by some of the people sent in search of the convicts who had run aith the Norfolk Be this as it eree dick had some fish with him, which he threw into the bottom of the boat, and then without the least hesitation ju he continued to cry incessantly, ”Whale boat, Whale boat” In order to find out his aree, as directed to question the visitor Bungaree, by signs, invited hi to native ideas, ”ier was received with friendshi+p” But it was useless to ask Bungaree to proceed with his inquiries, for another item of etiquette demanded that a profound silence should follohich lasted for twenty rees the two blacknearer to one another as they began to talk The inforht was not obtained, and it was inferred that they did not well understand each other's language
The shi+p got under way about 3 PM, and two hours later another high perpendicular island bearing north 8 or 9 ht to be the real entrance of Hunter's River At half-past ten, in company with Dr Harris, the Commander went in a boat to discover if it was their port of destination The entrance was narroith a heavy sea running through it It had a reef on one side, over which broke a very heavy surf, and on the other side were some sand-breakers At one time Grant put the boat's head round to the swell and ”pulled out,” but the risk of bringing in the two shi+ps without knowing the size of the channel ly he pulled through and found froh water when he landed with a party on the island and climbed to the top of its steep side The side near the entrance was covered with grass, although everywhere else the island was perpendicular and cruhest point a beautiful view of Hunter's River, and of the surrounding islands was obtained Here Lieutenant Grant hoisted the Union Jack as a signal to the vessels that this was the right entrance to the river He thought, as have most people since, that this island had been separated from the mainland ”by some violent convulsion of nature” It was named Coal Island by Colonel Paterson, but is non as the nobbys The commander's journal tells how plentiful wood and coal were on the :--
”We returned on board and set about towing and sweeping her in with all possible dispatch At noon the latitude was by observation 32 degrees 57 minutes 34 seconds south, the island which we na west-north-west distant 3 or 4 miles By the ti out and ran with ht up under the island for the night within pistol shot of the shore At daylight we proceeded up to a saw pit (e size and excellent quality, which is growing in abundance on the banks of the river) and ca the vessel by a hawser made fast to a tree on the shore The harbour is of several, and well sheltered from every wind that blows
”We iee The Colonel and I went on shore to exa with us a miner who pointed the frorees of thickness At loater coals proper for fuel were to be gathered up from the reef before-mentioned, and when the tide was up we could work a pier
Accordingly, having orders to load the schoonerwith coals and wood, I had the satisfaction to see her sail with a cargo of both on June 26th, eleven days after her arrival
”It reat plenty when I mention that the schooner sailed with forty tons, and that we had only onethe mine The spot where these coals are found is clear of trees or bush for the space of rass very proper for grazing sheep, the ground rising with a gradual ascent intersected with valleys on which wood grows in plenty, sheltered frohtful prospect This place ht serve as a station for the woodcutters and colliers ( The point of land where the colliers were put to as named Collier's Point by Colonel Paterson Newcastle now stands on this site) It affords pasture for sheep, its soil in general being goodDr Harris and Mr
Barrallier penetrated to some distance inland and met a native who followed theht proper to leave us in an excursion we made with him into the country
Colonel Paterson discovered sonated and rich in ht, particularlywhich I ao in shoals On an island in the harbour a tree is found, the quality of whose tireat nuiven this name to the island
”Of this timber I had orders to send a quantity to Sydney, and had brought out sawyers for that purpose, but as every object could not be at once acco down and sawing into planks a tree, the bark of which is ht, close, and durable, and proainst the effects of worms on the bottoms of vessels I had a boat built of this hich proved it to be goodthis wood has much the resemblance of wainscot with us
”Mr Barrallier's survey was all this ti on Nearly abreast of the vessel was a creek which Colonel Paterson and I penetrated for a considerable way On its banks we found part of a net rass, apparently the work of a European We likewise found hted there, and in the stream the remains of a weir, the work of the native inhabitantsWe concluded the net had belonged to the unfortunateAsh Island we found e timber trees intermixed with ash, one of which I took on boardit has much the likeness of hickory I found several other woods, soht and pretty, and in particular a tree, the leaves of which sting like nettles This acquired froeree dick, now reappeared after 48 hours' absence, with two companions One had been at Sydney and was known to Colonel Paterson, hom he was able to converse Fires and occasionally the natives themselves were observed opposite to Ash Island A party from the shi+p went up an arm of the river in order to try and meet with them, but were disappointed, as at the entrance there was barely water for the boat The opposite (or north) shore to which they now proceeded was found to be full of flats and shoals over ed
Between these flats were gullies of deep water, but there was no regular channel Here the trees were encrusted with oysters, and the shore covered to a great depth with oyster shells The as vigorously pushed forward Some woodmen were placed on Ash Island to fell and saw timber They took a week's provisions, arainst an attack by the crew of the Norfolk or by the natives Meanwhile the commander and Paterson visited the coalthe rocks what is known as ”liver of iron” They also saw strange birds, as well as the wild or native cat, which has been such a pest ever since in most parts of Australia
On June 22nd Colonel Paterson took some men, one of as a miner, to look for coal on the island, while Grant and Barrallier with Dr Harris sounded the entrance of the harbour The coal found on the island proved to be of an inferior kind On his way back to the shi+p, Lieutenant Grant er na to Mr Underwood of Sydney She was cast on shore to the northward of Port Stephens, and he had been thirty-two days in travelling to this place from there He had had two companions, one of whom, he said, was killed by the natives, the other had eaten a toad fish and died The e his countryh and the tear had their repeated place in turns, and his first utterance was, 'I aer'”
On the 23rd Mr Barrallier and the second ht on board ”He was a little elderly ible” His legs and arth to the rest of his body, and histhe shi+p's ladder was re His method was ”to stretch out his ar his feet to the saon of simple sounds as I particularly observed only a feords that came from him were co; but upon two crohich soiven him, he stuffed the off and heating theave him a tomahahich he seemed pleased with and showed that he understood the use of it He was put on shore near the place where they h the cartilage of his nose Colonel Paterson declared that he had never met a native who differed so widely from the rest of the New Hollanders”
Before he disappeared he gave the boat's crew an exhibition of his clins that they wished to see hi a notch with the axe and continuing thus towithout branches to a height of 40 feet