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always distinctive and appropriate-not like that of the Colonial Office-call it Umpie Bong, the "Dead Houses," or "Deserted Village."

Towards the close of the year 1825, Major Lockyer, of H. M. 57th Regiment, ascended the Brisbane River, with a small party of soldiers and convicts, in a whale-boat and cutter, and found it navigable for such boats for upwards of 150 miles from its mouth, although the upper part of its course was frequently characterized by rapids, and much encumbered with fallen timber. For the last fifty miles of that distance, however, Major Lockyer had mistaken a mere tributary, which had been considerably swollen at the time by previous rains to the westward, for the principal stream; for at a point where the river makes a sudden bend to the northward, in going up the stream, and receives a large creek or tributary from the westward in the direction of its previous course, the Major unconsciously left the main river, and followed up the creek, which has since been called Lockyer's Creek. Considerably higher up, the Brisbane receives a second creek or tributary from the north-westward, called Stanley Creek; the main stream rising in a ridge of mountains running east and west, at right angles to the line of the coast-range, and dividing the sources of the Brisbane on the south from those of the Wide Bay river on the north.

As it is my desire in this volume rather to submit to the reader the testimonies of men of character and standing of all classes and professions, in regard to the physical character and capabilities of the extensive and important region which forms the subject of this work, than to amuse him with my own speculations, I shall here subjoin a few extracts from the rough notes of the gallant Major:

"The country," he observes, " on both banks of the river was very fine, with a very rich alluvial soil, and the whole on both sides, all the way up from the Settlement, quite fit for the cultivation of wheat, barley, oats, maize, fruit, vegetables-grapes particularly-as also cotton, coffee and rice, with sugar cane, might with common exertion be produced in the greatest abundance. Very fine fish, including a great quantity of very large

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eels, were caught by the party. The trees on the banks were chiefly the Indian fig-tree, the Moreton Bay pine, the blue gum, the swamp oak, iron bark, cedar, honey suckle, mimosa, with beautiful yellow flowers and quite odoriferous." And again, still higher up, Nothing can possibly exceed the fine rich country

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we are now in."

In the course of his voyage up the river, a large creek or tributary stream, called by Mr. Oxley the Bremer River, was observed entering the river from the westward. On his return he observes, "Took one of the boats, and went up this branch above three miles; then landed, and on ascending the banks, found a large open country with scarcely any wood of consequence to impede cultivation on it-the trees chiefly blue-gums, being at least an acre or more apart, and more ornamental than otherwise. The natives had lately set fire to the long grass, and the new grass was just above ground, making this plain appear like a bowling-green; the soil, rich beyond any idea, and from its being easily flooded, it would be particularly adapted for the cultivation of rice, sugarcane, cotton and coffee. I saw plenty of kangaroos and wild turkeys. After traversing this fine piece of land, which was at least six or seven thousand acres in extent, I returned to our encampment."

"The obstructions in the river might be easily removed, which no doubt must prove of considerable importance-the fine timber growing on its banks is fit for every purpose, particularly shipbuilding. Moreton Bay is well calculated to become a place of trade when once settled."

"The Bay abounds with excellent fish of every description, as well as wild-fowl in great numbers. There are many rivers running into it, and they abound with the finest timber that has hitherto been found in New South Wales. It would be well that the Government would direct their attention to this valuable article, as there can be no doubt it will become one of great export, as also for Colonial purposes for ship-building, &c. The pine, which is in such abundance at Moreton Bay, is well adapted for masts-spars of every denomination, as also being excellent for oars; all these would find ready sale in India, as well as being a most valuable article in the Colony."

"Beat down to Peel's Island-went on shore and found it well wooded; some part of it good soil, the remainder sandy. On removing it from the surface, found a good clay soil below; in the middle of the island is a lagoon of excellent fresh water-the island is from twelve to fifteen miles in circumference."

I cannot take leave of Major Lockyer without adding, from his rough notes, the following incident which does equal honour to both parties concerned :

"Quitted Moreton Bay at 9 o'clock, P.M., with a land breeze, leaving our friends, the natives, sitting on the shore at Amity

Point, watching the vessel until she sunk in the horizon from their view. The attachment of these people to their dogs is worthy of notice; I was very anxious to get one of the wild native breed of a black colour, a very handsome puppy, which one of the men had in his arms. I offered a small axe for it; his companion urged him to take it, and he was about to do so, when he looked at his dog, and the animal licked his face, which settled the business; he shook his head, determined to keep it. I tried him afterwards with handkerchiefs of glaring colours, and other things, but it would not do-he would not part with his dog. I gave him, however, the axe and the handkerchief.*

In the year 1827, a discovery was effected in the interior of the Moreton Bay District, of the utmost importance to that part of the territory, by the late Alan Cunningham, Esq., Botanical Collector for the Royal Gardens at Kew, a gentleman of superior ability and of indefatigable zeal in the department of Geographical discovery. The journey, in the course of which it was effected, had been suggested by Mr. Oxley, who was then unfortunately sinking into the grave; and on the 30th of April, of that year, Mr. Cunningham accordingly started for the northern interior, from a station in Upper Hunter's River, with an equipment of six servants and eleven horses. Crossing the Dividing Range to the westward, in that part of the territory, at an elevation of 3080 feet above the level of the sea, he skirted along the extensive tract called Liverpool Plains, to the eastward, at an elevation of 840 feet, through an uninteresting forest country. In latitude 31° 2'., he crossed Mr. Oxley's track on his journey from the Western Interior to Port Macquarie, in the year 1818, and stood northward, on the meridian of 150° East. About forty miles to the northward of this point, the country had gradually risen to the level of 1900 feet above the sea, and on crossing the parallel of 30° S., after passing through a gloomy and worthless country, Mr. Cunningham descended to a beautiful and well

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* Journal of an Excursion to Moreton Bay, and up the River Brisbane in the year 1825, by Edmund Lockyer, Esq., J.P., late Major in H. M. 57th Regiment, from Wilton's Australian Quarterly Journal for July and October, 1828.

watered valley, affording abundance of the richest pasturage, and bounded on either side by a bold and elevated rocky range." This valley terminated at length sixteen miles farther north, on the left bank of a considerable stream flowing north-west, in latitude 29° 51' S., at an elevation of 911 feet above the sea. This stream Mr. Cunningham named the Gwydir. Proceeding northward between the meridians of 150° and 151o East, and passing through rather an indifferent country, the scene was found gradually to improve, and in latitude 29° S. longitude 150° 40′ E., he came upon the Dumaresq River, running westward, 80 or 90 yards wide, and very deep, at an elevation of 840 feet above the sea, and 170 miles from the coast. Travelling from thence northward and eastward 80 miles, through an arid country, to 151° E., he at length discovered a beautiful tract of country, at an elevation of 900 or 1000 feet above that of the Dumaresq River, which he called the "Darling Downs," to the westward of the coast-range, in the District of Moreton Bay.

"These extensive tracts of clear pastoral country," observes Mr. Cunningham, " commence about the parallel of 28° S., and stretch to 152o E. Deep ponds, supported by streams from the highlands immediately to the eastward, extend along their central lower flats. The lower grounds thus permanently watered, present flats which furnish an almost inexhaustible range of cattle pasture at all seasons of the year-the grass and herbage generally exhibiting in the depth of winter, an extreme luxuriance of growth. From these central grounds rise downs of a rich, black, and dry soil, and very ample surface; and as they furnish abundance of grass, and are conveniently watered, yet perfectly beyond the reach of those floods which take place on the flats in a season of rain, they constitute a valuable and sound sheep pasture. We soon reached the base of some hills connected laterally with that stupendous chain of mountains, the bold outline of which we had beheld with so much interest during the three preceding days. These hills we found clothed from their foot upwards with an underwood of the densest description; in the midst of which, and especially on the ridges, appeared a pine which I immediately discovered to be the same species as that observed in 1824 on the Brisbane River. Encamped, I ascended a remarkably square-topped mountain, which formed the western termination of one of these ridges, and from its summit had a very ex

tensive view of the country lying between N. and S. Towards the W.N. W. and N. N. W., we observed a succession of heavily timbered ridges, extending laterally from the more elevated chain of mountains immediately to the east, which evidently forms the main dividing range in this part of the country, whilst from north-west to W., and thence to S., within a range of twenty miles, a most beautifully diversified landscape, made up of hill and dale, woodland and plain, appeared before us.

"In a valley which led to the immediate base of the mountain barrier, I fixed my northernmost encampment, determined, as I had not the means of advancing further, in consequence of the state of my provisions, and the low condition of my horses, to employ a short period in a particular examination of the principal range, to the western base of which we had penetrated from the southward, through a considerable portion of barren interior. In exploring the mountains immediately above our tents, with a view more especially of ascertaining how far a passage could be effected over them to the shores of Moreton Bay, a remarkably excavated part of the main range was discovered, which appeared likely to prove a very practicable passage through these mountains from the eastward. Its more particular examination, however, I left to the period of a visit by sea to Moreton Bay, which I had already contemplated, and which I was enabled to effect in the course of the succeeding year.

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"The mean height of the spot above the level of the sea was 1875 feet, and its distance from the Penal Settlement on the Brisbane River, which bore about north-east from us, was estimated at about 75 miles.

"My report to the Colonial Government of this journey, of the spacious downs we had discovered in latitude 28° S., and the considerable tract of very indifferent country, in part actually desert, that lay between the Colony and those extensive pasture lands, immediately suggested the importance of examining the space between these downs and the sea-coast at Moreton Bay; since, should the gap which had been discovered in the main dividing range, in the above parallel, prove on actual survey to admit of a passage through that chain of mountains, the readiest point of access to the very desirable country on their western side would be from the shores of Moreton Bay and Brisbane River, on the banks of the latter of which a Penal Settlement had already been established for several years. This inquiry became the object of my voyage from Port Jackson the following year, and its results proved every way most satisfactory to the Colonial Government, and the colony generally.":

* Brief View of the Progress of Interior Discovery in New South Wales. Communicated by Alan Cunningham, Esq. Jour nal of the Royal Geographical Society, vol. ii. p. 113-117.

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