Journals of Two Expeditions into the Interior of New South Wales by Oxley, John, 1781-1828

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Interior of New South Wales, by John Oxley

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Title: Journals of Two Expeditions into the Interior of New South Wales
Author: John Oxley
Release Date: March, 2004 [EBook #5334]

[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule]

[This file was first posted on July 2, 2002]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JOURNALS OF TWO EXPEDITIONS ***

Produced by: Col Choat colc@gutenberg.net.au

JOURNALS OF TWO EXPEDITIONS INTO THE INTERIOR OF NEW SOUTH WALES,
BY ORDER OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IN THE YEARS 1817-18.
BY JOHN OXLEY,
SURVEYOR GENERAL OF THE TERRITORY AND LIEUTENANT OF THE ROYAL NAVY.
WITH MAPS AND VIEWS OF THE INTERIOR, OR NEWLY DISCOVERED COUNTRY.

Production notes:
* 12 items of errata listed in the book have been corrected in this eBook.
* Illustrations, Maps and Charts have not been included in this eBook.
* Notes included within the text have been included in square

brackets [] in the text at the point referenced.

* Italics have been converted to upper case.

CONTENTS

PART I

LIST OF PLATES
LIST OF CHARTS
INRODUCTION
JOURNAL OF AN EXPEDITION IN AUSTRALIA PART I.

PART II

PREFACE
JOURNAL OF AN EXPEDITION IN AUSTRALIA PART II.
APPENDIX PART I.
No. I. Instructions for conducting and leading first expedition.
No. II Report of tour over Blue Mountains in 1815 by the Governor.
No. III Letter from Oxley to Governor advising of his return from first

expedition.
APPENDIX PART II.
No. IV Diary of Mr. Evans, from 8th to 18th of July, 1818.
No. V. Governor's report on the return of Oxley from the second

expedition, together with a letter from Oxley on his arrival

at Port Stephens..

No. VI. Governor's report on Oxley's discovery of Port Stephens together

with a letter from Oxley to the Governor on this subject.
A brief abstract of the population of N.S.W in 1815, 1816 and 1817.
A statement of land in cultivation, quantities of stock, etc. from

1813 to 1817 inclusive.

LIST OF PLATES (NOT INCLUDED IN THIS EBOOK).

Field Plains from Mount Aymot.
The Grave of a Native of Australia.
Arbuthnot's Range, from the West.
Liverpool Plains. West Prospect from View Hill.
Bathurst's Falls.
A Native Chief of Bathurst.

LIST OF CHARTS (NOT INCLUDED IN THIS EBOOK).

Range of the Thermometer from April 9th to August 30th 1817 by John

Oxley.

A Chart of Part of the Interior of New South Wales, 1817.

First Expedition.

A Chart of Part of the Interior of New South Wales, 1818.

Second Expedition.
Reduced Sketch of the Two Expeditions.
A Plan of Port Macquarie Including a Sketch of Part of Hastings River,

on the East Coast of New South Wales.

A General Statement of the Inhabitants of New South Wales as per General
Muster commencing 28th September 1818, with an account of same
at Van Diemmens Land.

A General Statement of the Land in Cultivation etc., the quantities of Stock etc., as accounted for at the General Muster, with an account of same at Van Diemmens Land..

JOURNAL OF AN EXPEDITION IN AUSTRALIA

Part I.

TO HIS EXCELLENCY LACHLAN MACQUARIE, ESQ.
MAJOR GENERAL IN THE ARMY,
AND CAPTAIN GENERAL AND GOVERNOR IN CHIEF IN AND OVER THE TERRITORY
OF NEW SOUTH WALES AND ITS DEPENDENCIES,
THE FOLLOWING JOURNAL OF AN EXPEDITION,
PERFORMED UNDER HIS ADMINISTRATION AND DIRECTION,
IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED, BY HIS VERY OBEDIENT HUMBLE SERVANT,
JOHN OXLEY.

INTRODUCTION.

The colony had been established many years before any successful attempt had been made to penetrate into the interior of the country, by crossing the range of hills, known to the colonists as the Blue Mountains: these mountains were considered as the boundary of the settlements westward, the country beyond them being deemed inaccessible.

The year 1813 proving extremely dry, the grass was nearly all destroyed,
and the water failed; the horned cattle suffered severely from this
drought, and died in great numbers. It was at this period that three
gentlemen, Lieutenant Lawson, of the Royal Veteran Company, Messrs.
Blaxland, and William Wentworth, determined upon attempting a passage
across these mountains, in hopes of finding a country which would afford
support to their herds during this trying season.

They crossed the Nepean River at Emu Plains, and ascending the first
range of mountains, were entangled among gullies and deep ravines for a
considerable time, insomuch that they began to despair of ultimate
success. At length they were fortunate enough to find a main dividing
range, along the ridge of which they travelled, observing that it led
them westward. After suffering many hardships, their distinguished
perseverance was at length rewarded by the view of a country, which at
first sight promised them all they could wish.

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