Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 - 1953), Thursday 13 January 1927, page 4


Henty 1:ays WESTERN DISTRICT IN. 1834. Pioneer's Letters. to Brothers.Two exceedingly intcresting LHen. ty relics were recently discoveied amongst a number of papers by .?.M M. H. S. Bree,: of Longlands, Har;:I row, who kindly supplies them to: the "Spectator." One is a; copy of the late Mr Edward Henty's diary for December 1, 1834, made by Mr Edward Henty himself for his brotherl Mr C. S. Iienty, who was then at Launceston, and the other is an almost complete letter from Mr Edward Henty to his brother, dated November 22, 1834. The first is signed anri is written with ink that is still black on thick paper with a somewhat rough surface, but without the deckled edges usually associated with hand-made paper. It bears a water mark of "W. T. Thomas" over " 1832" on one side of the paper and on the other an oval, .urmounted with a crown and a rough figure of Britannia within the oval. The letter is written on thin smooth paper, without watermark in ink that has turned brown. The original letter is as follows:Portland Bay, November 22, 1834 -My dear Charles.-We arrived here on the 10th November after a long and boisterous passage of 34 days. The second day after we left 'the heads we were within =25 miles of Portland Bay. A gale of wind came away from W.N.W., anti blew us back to King Island, where we anchored; We lost our best anchor in getting it up. The chajn parted. We ran farther along the islant and let go the other. The next day, on getting it utip, we found it broken in two when we fished it up as you would see. We then let go our small and only anchor. It held on. The next day we got untier way and got within 20 miles of the Julians. A gale came away again from the W.N.W., and blew us back to King Island. And this is not the worst of it. Six times we were obloged to bear up for the island, and as you may suppose, all our provisibns for cattle had gone. We got plenty of grass from the island such as it was-the same kind as grows in the marsh opposite the wharf at Launceston. Our loss has, in consequence, been consilderable, and is as follows:-One of Mr. Bryan's working bullocks, the worst of the two bought of Cummings, and eleven of father's heifers. Many times I thought we must lose the whole of them. Gale after gale, and sometimes a rolling sea while at anchor was as bud as at sea. A stranger to Bass Straits would consider that there was bad management. But when I tell you that 21 (twice underlined) days after we left the Ieands the ncattle were all alive, with the addition of two calves. Owing to the repeated gales of wind we lost both the calves and cows. One was 14 days old and doing well, but in n heavy sell the mqther fell on it and killed it. We had the remainder, 18, landed by one o'clock, the day we arrived, and took thenm to their knees in grass, trefoil and vetches. They enjoyedt themselves as you ,tlay suppose not a little. The bullocks will he of little use to us for at least a fortnight owing to their bruises and !ow condition. I hope, however, to. ret in what few potatoes I have left. We shall be very short of flour'(last three words' undlerlined twice) before the Thistle returns. We consumed on the voyage, beside the Thistle's store, 180 lbs. of flour out of the 660, leaving us with only 180 lbs. She has had one cask of beef also, but we have plenty of meat left. I have writen Mr. Green for what things, we require -the next time. Dutton tells me the river we thought well of is of no use. Ih,1 says a vessel could not go over the bar. I shall, if possible, as soon as the Thistle leaves, go over and look at the land on that side of the hay. Dutton will go with me. 11. says the land is clearer anti equally good. rWe intendt having three ldays if the brig shoult not arrive before. As regards sending sheep or cattle the next time, yeou will, of course, arrange amongst you. I shall be prepared for either or both, bat shouldtl much wish to have four Inore working bIullocks, ome of father's youngest and smallest Red Hill w-oull tdo well, andt a bull. I hole you will sendi some rabbits next time, and potatoes or a few carrots if you have any. The kangaroos are getting very thin, being so much huntted by DIutton lately. I have seen no more of the landtl than I hadl before. In consequence of having so little flour we shall be out of it long ere the Thistle returns unless she has a very quick (Inst two wortds underlined) passage. The grass is very luxuriant. Hundreds of. tons of hay might be'cut andt of the nest description. site pigs require nothing but what they get from the land. You can send a few tnore if you like. They require but little feeding on bord. as they eat up the corn from the hay,. In sending the Thistle back the" followving rensarks would he worth consideration. SFirst, the vessel must have a now anchorantd cable or she willhnot find her way back. -Her cables rwere .trained in heaving up, antid'cannot in consequence be trusted to. Do not lumber the decks' with heavy go?ds. Six ,or :eight Ihogsheads dfc iwater on the tleck wouild .lnt' hurt, and an few lighl t?l?ings in soeiding the remnainder of the tither,: there: will be but little ballast retifuied. All the things we brought on deeckl night hnve gonon below had i\venot so much ballast in;? If youaepm~d sheep,-'sond~ai little his and. tho oe-" malinb der ioats in a bin. ': If? tle, on:e: lo oil f dhfay coulil :go helo\wi~'ntl · ·· i ·:: ' r " " :' T" , J " 1 . .

make but little difference in room. Also at least six bags of oats an, four or five of bran. It can go back if not- wanted. Half the quantity of water should be sufficient below and .stowed with the bungs close ori top so as to be easily got when at sea. "There is plenty pf width for timber to be lashed up along the stanchions, but it must be stowed :regularJy-nol ends-or sharp edges projecting. . If any sharp: edges, a little padding o? grats. would be 'of service, where the -large bullocks would be, but the small ones would not require it. No cattle to be pitt on board unless in good' condition, ps in case of bad weather the weak ones would be sure to go off quickly. In opening one of the heifers wt? found a buck shot in its neck. It died in consequence of a buck shot wound 'in its throat Which had' beenii gathering for a long time and at last choked-it. There is little fear of losing many, cattle .or sheep with an average passage. I was very nearly going overboard in a gale df wind in coming up' frotn the cattle and .going aft. : I saws George Reeves run up the rigging to' get out of the way of a sea that was on board and I had-just time to get hold of a rope ,whcn the sea broke. on board and washed awaly. my legs from 'under .lme and swung them over the rail., This was sharp. work, We were lying to at the time. Cantfield and the captain were below, and escaped it. The boat is a good de.l knocked aboiit. I hope the next trip will be more` successful. 'It damped my spirits. I can assure you not a little: Cannfield was' out the greater part of the time when at sea. He intends writing the .snext time. The Hen'ry 'is a .co.iplete. wreck, and not worth more if quite so much money as you offered Scan, lon. Ditton has killed two whales since the Socrates left, They lost one. They. say 20. whales have been seen in the bay since the ves. sels left. No natives have been se*n for a long time. The place I have looked out for the house I? distant from Dutton's fishery three quarters of a mile, within a quarter of a mile off the beatch, and about 40 acres of cleat' land all around it with a lagoon within 500 yards affording good water~ throughout the year. It is on it small hill, aind commands a good view of the bay. It is quite necessary that Frank or some one should conmeto with the stock the next. time, as the men generally are sick whs:n most wanted. What does' Mr. Bryan intend doing with the z.teamer if she does not sell ? She ought to be ready by this. Perhaps he will conme' in the Thistle next time. It would be a satisfaction to lme for him to see the land here before he enters into it ' largely. I do not know Camnfield's opinion any 'farther than he says he has seen sonime land on the banks of the Swan equal to it. He says he has some of his own grant as good. FathLr has seen the land ; what does he think ? 1My men are very much pleased with it and say they have seen nothing to equal it in Van Diemen's Land. Gunter says the eastern ntarshes are more like it than any other he has seen. Mr. Bryan will he e.nabled to judge a little from this. I think, on further inspection, we shall find more timber than we first im:.gined, but the trees are very small and the grass very thick. I shall be pleased to send some tip in a bundle. Dutton agrees with me that if some anchorage could be had on the N.E. side of the bay that it would be far preferatble for whaling. He says that they might get two fish to one on this side, but of course the anchorage is the matni consideration. Sinclair's bouits are in a bad strite. lie has only one at present fit for whaling. One other could be repaired and be as good its ever. He has very little gear fit for next season. You will write me fully respecting the fishing. Dutton will go to Launceston't in the Thistle next time. I have not mentioned sperming to him yet. I told him we had joined Sinclair. Next season. , ." There ' the letter ends, with Mr. Edward ' Hienty's plans for next season not 'disclosed. Following are piortions of the liairy of the late Mr.'Edward Ilenty for the first four ilays of December, 1831, 'from a copy made by Mi'. Henty himself for his brother, Mr. Charles Hlenty, at Laiunceston. Monday, Decemtber )st, 1834. Pulled over in the whale boat to Dutton's River. Light wind from N.E. Very warm" Arrived at ' p.m., made theboat fast in.the' mid. die of the river, andt started three days' walk in the bush accompanied by II? Cimfield, Wnit. Duttoit, five nit, one black woman tmd 14 dogs, each man with a gun and sufficient quantity of damper to last for the voyage. We walked two miles, nImade a huti got supper and turned iin, crossing a beautiful ridge of land andl several marshes and iplaind with grass up to our khcees .ind' of this year's growth. Small qltantity 'of wattle bark close to ~the creek we stopped at. -Tuesday, Deceniber 2ndc-Started at:4 a.m.; walked four mile:u over beautifihl sheep hills well sprinkled with: wtvttl??' and bcovorei with kangaroo grass, trefdoil, and a silky grass. Description unlkblwni to tm. We stopped by t. lagoon, got bieakfast, and strtedil at halfpast seven. We lestsome time be. fore breakfnst, the dlogs contliiuially running after .kangaroo and en\mus, but without success. (I left Mas atli?o?me, he hnving staketld himself the day before.).. We walked, for two hours; steering north i er beuic. tifiul 'land. We then canteo to :the stringy lia:nk f6rest,and it' took us' an:hour, to get.. thhrough it. The lanr'iin the' forest' liddifferetntui'of 'ta [ ?ed fuiler's :enrth,r somothing,, simn io to thle lantd near Gulilford; ont the Sw'titj Rii'isr A 'After ptsltaing the

forest we got into most splendid country, well watered,. timbered with wattle, blackwood and a few gums. No dead timber-scarcely a log in a 'mile. .On descending the hill we saw a native. , He. inimediately rani on seeing' us: lIe- was busily employed pulling 'the guns -from the wattle 'trees.: We walked: a mile and a half and came to' ariv.cr called by. us Clark's River, he ;beingi the' first to cross it. 'e W crossed it and came to a native fire whichi had: been left but at few minutes be-. fore. I. found ia few -eel baskct.4, which were left on a bush; To-day we istopped .half an hour and 'made the kettle hot, got tea, and started, still -steering :north: "The land on thenoidrth side of the river is generally rocky,_ but thd grass and trefoil is. as thick as it can grow. There is no.otheri tiniber but .blackwood and Wattle, which abounds. This 'would make a .bc-autiful sheep :run, for every mile you- have a marsh of two or three hundred acres, well covered with grass and seldom, if ever, flooded. There is not the slightestappearance of floods on the marshes. nor any dead timber..on them, neither' marks on the trees, which. are scattered about. You can see threc-'quartcrs of a mile either way, so that this cannot be -called thickly timbered: -And we have to bring the wood some distance to make the kettle hot. We walked six milest andil took a fresh cut back to the river, Which .rve crossed and walked 'd?own miles, the land-of the finest description, and grasp as thick asi it can groid. The land oi the. south cast side of Clark's River is better' than the north as yet, but I expert from the appearance on, the opposite'side that it will turn out as good as ' this. Better (underlined) it could not be.' J. Cox's at Wind burn could not be 'compared wit,. it." This.is the place I shall some dlay build my hut A more lovely spot I never beheld.' Sheep or clat: tie's sides would soon shake with fat with a taste of the- gras here. I Strathmorc will not do at all after this. We have the wster in its natural state without making ai pond and swans :and' ducks without tum. ing them. Large qanntities of bark might here be obtained, but would require a road marked out before it coutl 'be econveyed- away. It wouldhave to be taken eight miles, the nearest place for a hoat tb t:ake it to the mouth of Dallas River. It might then bie stacked and taken across the bay in fine weather, but would require a large boat. This will require further looking into before barking can be commenced. Wednesday, 3rd December.-We slept in some native huts -close to the river. Three of our party have turned back. We got eels and bream, both of which are very plentiful and very beautiful. We start' ed this morning and made the mouth of the river at 10 a.m., . and found the land all extremely good. rather lighter as we appranched tihe sea, but plenty of grass. There is only two feet of water on the bar at low water. Lady Julia Percy's Isla:d bears S.E 'by E. from thl mouth. We .shot swans and got dinner, crossed the river and steered along it for six miles. I was agreeably surprised to find the land nearly if not quite equal to what we saw yesterday. I was afraid that when we left the rocky ground yesterday that it ran all along the banks on the north side, but find it to be open sheep hills, occasionally rocky. We steered back for the river and found the land as we approached it ver' good, large extensive plains, with an orccasional -marsh. We crossed a creek or small river 10 feet de.ep, which we had not time to explore, but it appeared to take its rise from a large marsh. As far as the eye coull extend there was an evident' rise and, fall, and we think it must run into ,Clark's River. We crossed Clark's River on ia bridge.:made by the natives, who. had evidently just passed before us. We inade our huts- and 'turned in. We passed to-day at least '50 native huts. but saw only'the one native. Thursday, - 4th.--Got breakfast and started at 0 a.m.. A Wind at W. A heanutifuil morning. We steered for the big hill, and made it ut 12 ioon. : Pdssed over 'a snmall qulan' tity of bad land, but scarcely worth nmentining. The land below the range of;hills is very 'good and several large marshes sound and goold. The land on the hill and all around it- is of. the finest ldescripltion. f climbed a large gum tree aind enj~ooyeld a very extensive view. As far as. the eye could extend (I) could aee nothing but open hills and very (last wordl heavily underlined twice)- eitensive marshes.: I am 'mch pileased 'w ith the view, froii this.hill, in fact, more so than all the 'land I:ivalked"over before : for this reason, because from this view I Can see all over the land 'I have walked on. and fr6m here the couniry all around, hbaE precisely the same appearance. Inlandi and a!orfig the coast: either'way .with horses a large quantity of land could be explored. but the season -is getting late to explorIce nluch on, fot, as kanigaroos are scarce, and you would be obligedi to carry all the provisions youa oiul? require We relckon to have gone inland 15 miles in one direction` froim the sea.: I ilm not anis ious to explore too imuch until iwe hear from hom6. A'fter lc-scendiing the big-hill~,ie scrosedl overn a healthy piece of land runninig about one oeile and then c?alme to beautiful land with grass highe?r than any, :nid cnly this year's growth, anil green rc. a n:leek. I wish inin'e were as green.? -Web,mad:the boat at\ l li.'i., got sinie totr,'iilnd pulled holne,,: 'h;.hoi: we uri;ivedl at h8p.mn. 1We lind bean'ttfil '\veiithlir all the tilo--omlnly o idmiovem r'-< . iorie +iml;ld' let' the :nfirst, -antl o?nio the next niny .iprv :risaUeesccesl-;i;:: EDWnRD HENTY