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THE OMEO'S TRIP TO THE
NORTHERN TERRITORY.
Our contemporary the Register publishes an
interesting letter from a correspondent, giving
a full account of the trip of the Omeo to the
Roper, the character of that river, and the
country on its banks, and the state of affairs
with reference to the great work of telegraph
construction from Port Darwin southward.
The letter begins with the starting of the Omeo
from Newcastle, laden so deep in the water that
the harbor authorities doubted whether she
should be allowed to start in that condition.
She did sail, however, without lightering, and
as fuel and fodder were consumed the danger
lessened surely and rapidly. The steamer
had on board Hume, the convict, who per
suaded the New South Wales Government, or
the South Australian Government, or both, to
send him out on a search for Leichardt, of
whom he professed to have seen traces, and one
of whote companions he professed to have
associated with in the wilds between Stuart's
tracks and tbe western aide of the conti
nent. The Begittcr't correspondent Bums up
fairly enough the arguments against the
probability of Hume's story, and suggests that
he is simply getting out of the way of the New
South Wales police. The writer thinks also it
is not altogether improbable that soch a man
may get mixed up with the natives, and be a
very mischievous addition to the Northern
Territory population. It appears that the
Roper natives understood him well, and that
their language was to some extent familiar to
him. He would probably start on his ex
ploration from i'ort Darwin, The description
of the voyage through tbs Straits and past
Booby Island we cannot find room for. The
inner passage was taken, and the scenery both
on the mainland and islands was very
beautiful. On the 27th of January Maria
Island, ten miles from the month of the
Roper, was reached, and here Captain Sweet
and Mr. Patterson were met with. Capt. Sweet
in anticipation of the arrival of the Omeo, had
taken soundings of the Koper. Mr. Patterson
had sailed down the river in an empty dray
with the wheel* taken off. "Only ten new
miles of the line under his charge had been
completed, owing to the egregious blunder of
landing at Port Darwin and the flooded state
of the country. 1* After consultation it
was decided, as the Young Australian
had not arrived, that the Omeo should go op
the river. The Tararua was expected in about
eight days. Particles of gold were very gene
rally found by tbe men working on the line of
telegraph, and the Palmaratoaian* firmly be
lieved in the existence of a rich gold-field. A
proa of Malays had frightened a boat's crew
from Port Darwin near the mouth of the
Roper, but a shot made them veer off. We
now give the description of the voyage up tfaa
Roper without abridgement:—
The Omeo. notwithstanding she drew 15 feet
of water, immediately entered the river, and
steamed up its magnificent waters without
the least difficulty, thus avoiding great delay
and probably saving the lives of the horses,
as they were all in a weakly state, though
only two had died on the vsyage. The fol
lowing day (Sunday, the 2tth) the progress
up the river was continued, and it was a fine
sight to see this large ocean steamer,
going along at seven or eight knots an
hour amidst green plains and dense man
groves covered with birds, until the higher
country was reached at about 45 miles
from the mouth. The Roper is certainly a
magnificent river, entirely free from dangerous
obstructions, and open to tbe iinmaJigfa. trams
of large vessels withontlhe expenditure'6f«
single farthing. The only difficulty which
occurred was at the point mentioned (45 miles
from the mouth). At this place there is amud
bank in the river, where the' water decreases
from four fathoms to two fathoms, but it after
wards deepens again for many miles further up.
Iu consequence of the mud-bans: the Omeo bad
to stop and put the horses ashore. They wan
all put ashore in fair condition. They were
landed upon a fine grassy plateau, and
the men in charge of them formed ajounp.
The country is beautiful here—good aoU,
lightly timbered; the grass up to oue'shead
already; the wide river with its deep water
alongside the banks; and a range of bills
behind, some distance inland. The weather;
too, is delicious at present; and certainly it
will not be the fault of the connhy or the
climate if the i?tml« on the Roper do not
become occupied. According to the aocount of
Captain Sweet, who has surveyed the river an,d
buoyed its mouth, it is easy for large vessels to
lie alongside the shore as far up as 70 miles
from the mouth; and, in fact, cite Bengal is
now lying at a point 50 miles from the bar and
CO miles from Maria bland, where Captain
Cadell landed hit hones. There ere but few
aborigines here just now. But mosquitoes
abound at night time, and alligators are plen
tiful, though they seem to be very shy. One
came up very doss to the ship when the horses
were swimming ashore; but the noise seemed
to frighten him, and he turned and went back.
On a moonlight night you may aee them
floating on the tide like logs of wood; but as
you draw near to them in a boat they bestir
themselves. Their scaly backs glitter for a few
minutes, and then they make a plunge and
disappear.
The birds which we see ashore at this place
(from 30 to 40 miles up the Roper) include teal,
geese, golden pheasants, native companions,
and emus. There are also a few kangaroo.
The trees are of various kinds, and give the
country quite a park-like appearance. Aus
tralian box prevails, but theie are also gums,
pines, teatree, io. They are, however, widely
scattered, leaving extensive plains covered with
grass of different kinds, on which the horses
feed with the greatest enjoyment, and whioh
are mixed with wild flowers of all descriptions.
You can imagine how beautiful this is, espe
cially with a deep river of the freshest water
flowing close alongside—a river whioh is fit for
traffic all the year round as well as now
(January), which is considered to be the middle
of the wet season.
The people of the Bengal are «nn?ng stores
from that vessel up the river in rowing boats,
for the use of working parties h?l«?iil_ who are
said to have suffered severely. They attribute
thifita bad stock and mismanagement; bntit
is difficult to get atthetrufliof matters. The
fact is, every .one has had to learn for himself in
this undertaking. l Officers and men, with few
exceptions, have been new to the work. Tbe
country, tie climate, die distance from sources
of supply, and the difficulties of conveyance
have perplexed everybody. Things which looked
smooth enough on paper at Port Adelaide hare
worn altogether a different appearance in the
midst of the desert, so that no "doubt when
the cost comes to be calculated the total out
lay on this end of the overland line w?Tieem
to be somewhat extravagant. However, the
money will not have lean thrown away. ' The
finest river in tropical Australia has been
opened to the navigation of large Tauels;
and as the country here will grow anything,
besides being within easy reach of the cattle
stations of Queensland, it is not improbable
that flourishing settlaments may spring op on
the Roper long before Fort Darwin is any
thing more than a telegraph station. ■
The natives on the Roper are friendly; this
is the account whioh has been given of them by
all travellers who have oome in content with
them—Leiohardt, Gregory, and more reoent
explorers. They oome alongside the steamer
without fear, and are fond of showing their
knowledge of civilised manners. One of their
first visits was rather an amusing- one. The.
stewardess and one or two female passengers
had landed on a pretty, open part of the river
side to hang out clothes whilst the steamer was
waiting for a tide. At this work they had been
engaged for some time, and their lines full of
clothes were fluttering in the breeze, when
suddenly tome strange noise* were heard, and
presently a small party of savages were seen
jumping, laughing, and gesticulating in the
vary midst of the washing establishment. The
native men are well made and of middle sues.
They go without a particle of clothing, they
have the front teeth knocked out, end
bodies are tattooed very elaborately. They are.
on the whole, about equal in intelligence to tbe
natives of South Australia. They do not look
like a bloodthirsty race, and they will probably
behave well if treated properly.
Boper Kiver, February 12,1872.
The Young Australian came np the Roper on
tiie 3rd instant, and immHiatfily began to
lighter tiie Omeo, which was lying not far from
the Bengal waiting for spring tides. The Young
Australian had been a week at Port Darain,
whioh had been the oause of a little delay; but
u soon as she reached the Boper and found that
the Omeo had gone up, she followed without tho
least difficulty. She reports all quiet at Port
Darwin, where the chief topic of conversation
seems to be tbe failure of the last telegraph
expedition,and the difficulty atpresent, through
the unfinished state of the line, of tending a
message for any distance over 30 miles. Captain
liowrie says that he had moderately fair weather
from Port Adelaide to Port Darwin, but he
was detained a short time by putting into
Fremantle.
She Omeo began to move further np the river
as soon as the spring tides set in, leaving the
horses ashore to be afterwards carried op by
the Young Australian. For the purpose of re
embarking them, Mr. Mitchell, the leader «f
Mr. Todd's party, has very cleverly constructed
a rough jetty by simply cutting down the
bees whioh grow right out into deep water,
and then placing a few planks across them.
The voyage np tho river to the highest depot
—estimated at 85 miles from the moutfc—<wu
a thing worth seeing. The two steamers
glided along through beautiful seeuery—•ome
times extensive plains covered with grass,
lightly timbered with paperbark trees; and
then lofty green hOU towering higher th*n the
HMtaof the Omeo, as «he steamed by within a
few yards of their base, where •?2? d"*!
showed a depth of water varjmgfroni2oto«
feet. o«?aionsaiyshsllowwplaceswerep?Ssed
over, but they seemed to be otatauottoMW
tending only a part of the way across the river.
At a spot about 70 miles from the mouth there
is a splendid place for a town. The ground
rises mduaUy and to a good height from the
tankfof the river, which is wide and deep,
curving round in fine broad sweeps both above
and below this spot, and looking with iU
?nw> n and lnnriant banks likathe Thames at

BMimond. &*T suoh a country ahoold b.
/ without population. The few aborigines wlic
follow us along the banks or swim off fron
the shore are in eostaelas tt the •xtraordiaar]
sight whioh they see upon their waters. Tfaej
ran, jump, and holloa like «n^>?"?". i«it*?.in;
the scream of tin steam-whistle, mud throw
ing their aims Maud and round to keep turn
with the paddle-wheel* of the Tonne Ant
The aoene of this depot on the Upper Ropei
b a novel one—as much perhaps like a diggini
township as anything The men who have oomt
down from the line of tekgraphare waiting hen
for fresh orders, under the command of Mr.
Stephen King.ljun. They have bnilt a very
substantial jatty for the landing of oargo, and
also a stage for horses. They endured all kindi
«£ h.^.^jp, fr, rM M.;.. g thfr jtni"i:nr the?oper,
sod they describe the wants of the people on
the line as something vary bad. It seems that
■tons and provisions were not sent op during
the dry season, when everybody wasbnay sinking
for water, and that afterwards, through the lost
of the Gulnare and the flooded state of the
eoontry, it was impossible to penetrate inland,
ao that some of the men had to live on flour
and water, whilst others were compelled to
kffland eat their buUoeka. Bnt it is also the
opinion of the men in the cimp that if supplies
of provisions had been sent up instead of large
quantities of wire, whioh were not wanted, a
great deal of their privations and Bufferings
would hare been avoided.
The object now is to dispatch all necessary
aid, and to get the line finished as quioHy as
possible. The depot on the Koper is not more
than LOO miles from the line, to that apirty
dbgstnhnfl with stores will, after a journey of
100 miles, oome on the telegraph line at a point
409 miles^from Port Darwin. As to men, there
. are men enough on the line to eat Jthe telegraph
—that is, including those who have now
arrived and are arriving. In faot, it is con
sidered that if not of them would return to
Adelaide the work would be completed all the
sooner.
On the day of the arrival of theOmeo at the
depot, which the men have called Mason Town,
in Jumor of the indefatigable carpenter who
hat efVitod the first building, Mr. Todd
assembled the men on ths deek of the steamer,
and-addressed {hem in a few appropriate words.
Be pointed out the desirability of earnest co
__^ operation ;aunred them that he was determined
' to see the work carried through with justice to
all parties; and stated that with two suchoffioen
as Mr. Patterson and Hr. Mitchell at the head
of the undertaking, and with Mr. King and the
other officers as their, assistants, he was con
vinced that Oar would all pu< their shoulders
to tt?wjswi,amtl svaseafuUy complete the great
eoterplisr iff wttah they were engaged. To
this the sian responded with hearty cheers, and
expressed their determination to work hand and
tesrttogetfcer voder the officer* who had been
avpbMuS to superintend the undertaking. In
the awssd?C Mr. Todd met his officers in the
a*kM|t of tfc? steamer, and explained to them
how stMogljr he fdt in this matter of the Over
land Tsfagxaph, personally, as well as officially;
that fe^ devoted attention to it for 14 or 15
yearspsat;mfl that if his advice with regard to
the Boperfed been taken from the oommenoe
nenttflhis imrinrtaking, the Government of.
South Australia would have saved a very large
amount. Me. Patterson and Mr. MtteheUmade
appropriate replies, «ad expressed their de
termination. to work together with harmony
and sasL . Mr. Patterson .also made, a few
nmarks oancersing the past-efforts of the
nactj —™^tit a ofaargs, and said he was glsd
Sit Mr.. Xodd had arrived on the aoene of
action, so that he might see and learn for him
•elf the pert difficulties whioh the party had
net with through adverse weather and other
obstacles which had not been anticipated. Both
officers and men, he said, had worked well; but
thax,ttuld not do impossibilities. They had
helped him to their utmost, and he was sure
they would do so again. To this the other
officers of flu party oordially assented, and
asaund Mr. Xodd that they would leave no
■tons unturned in order to complete the work
witLondit to themselves and with honor to
SoutiVAustralia.
Tnis Ibsves Mr. Patterson, assisted by Mr.
MjMhajK In command of the united parties, and
overylsoajrtopes-theywffl sneeeed. Ibdieve
Mr. Patterson attributes his want of suooess
httfcertoto the adoption of Port Darwin instead
of tka£ati*r as the kswef Ilia operations jto
tite bs?tf^ttotJuln?relwhenthere was no otter
vessel to take fcer place; to the :necessity of
employing his men in «B?iVi?ig wells during the
dry season and to the deplorably boggy state
of the country when the rain set in. It also
appears that the parties sent .out were very
bedlyl-'.affmed, owing jfco t*?? .economy of the
Government at ■ a «fal^i^ftj and that, owing to
this, some imfirpnntert obstructions were met
with franvtbe natives.
Before tiie Omeo left the Upper Koper, a
dinner in honor of the arrival of the two
stoamen and the Bengal was given by Mr.
Todd in the saloon of the large steamer, and
various toasts were proposed and replied to.
After the healths of the Boyal Family, the
Governor, bo., had been drank, Mr. Todd
y- proposed the. healths of the officers of the ex
pedition, including tiie names of Mr. Patter
son, *?>. MttrheU, and Mr. Stephen King.
"Suebess to the Australian Overland Tele
graph" was then proposed by Mr. R. Wells,
and responded to by Mr. Todd, who dwelt
on the tmpnrtamw of the undertaking, and
pointed out that, in addition to all other
ressnin. Booth Australia was in a better posi
tion to undertake tins work than either of the
other colonies, because a telegraph line through
. tiw oantre of _ the continent was not exposed
•Acted those hues which were made along the
coast, aaia healths of Captains Calder, Sweet,
Lowbb£sii& TTiiimuwl were also drunk, a* well
as thoaeoflnspeotor'Foelsohe, Hr. Xittle~of the
Port Telegraph Department, the ladies, and the
passenger* by the Omeo. -The Press was duly
honnrert too, anil altogether-the entertainmsnt
was a very suoceasful affair. . .
Thcktorca) fre^bythe Omep. are now dis.
enarg?jlfQajnd 'the* fttiiipifl is h«j>iii>p alongside,
tto wharf ~tf-land the?smaindnc of "her cargo.
lu the" meantime tiie Tonng Australian' is en
gaged bringing up tile horses from the eamp on
tiw liverrso that in a very short time Urge
eie? of men will be ready to start for the
, asthe tab appears to have passed off un
nsna~Qy early frnrVg ***** j 1 1 1 nut Bfiason.

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