Tuesday, 3rd August, 1828
The morning of the 3rd (August) dawned on us with a singular clearness of atmosphere, and as its temperature was unusually low and bracing (33 deg.), we were induced to quit our tents at an early hour to commence the very interesting labours of the day. Having made every requisite preparation, we proceeded from our encamping ground at six o’clock on our journey to the summit of the highest mountain (the easternmost of the range) bearing from the tents south 43 deg. west about three miles.
Our direct course lay over an extent of thinly-timbered flat, recently burnt by the natives, and stretching nearly two miles to the base of the first range of forest hills, the back of which we gained by a sharp acclivity.
Travelling along the ridge about another half-mile, we ascended rapidly to the immediate base of the mountain, whence the difficulties of the ascent commenced among large masses of a compound rock, forming large blocks and shelving slabs of vast dimensions, upon, and in the intermediate interstices [of which] flourished most luxuriantly many tufty plants, from among which Mr. Fraser and myself culled several previously unknown species to enrich our respective collections. With considerable exertion, I climbed to a point in elevation equal to one-third of the extreme altitude of the mountain, when the face became so singularly precipitous, and in consequence the further advance attended altogether with so much danger, that I deemed it prudent to proceed no further, especially as I had attained a height from which I could make all the necessary observations that I could desire. I had, moreover, a barometer with me, which it was scarcely possible to avoid injuring had I attempted to have scaled some rocks (in position nearly vertical) immediately above me.
Whilst I was occupied taking a set of interesting to points around, not previously seen, our indefatigable commandant and Mr. Fraser, who had both preceded me in the ascent, continued their journey towards the summit, notwithstanding the alarming steepness of many parts of the mountain’s face.
The cone of Mr. Warning, respecting the true situation of which we were divided in opinion, I was gratified in no ordinary degree to see distinctly, amidst a group of mountains, nearer the coast line, and bearing east by south, distant from twenty-five to thirty miles. This most fully confirmed me in what I have already advanced, respecting its position, its bearings, and estimated distance, carrying it as far easterly as the meridian under which those truly scientific navigators, Captains Cook and Flinders, have long ago placed this most striking of all landmarks on this coast to the passing seaman. It was now that Captain Logan clearly saw his mistake in supposing on the peaks of the mountains about us, and which cannot be perceived from seaward, to be the Mt. Warning of Cook.
A range, distant scarcely ten miles, and stretching from east by north to south-east, of elevated bold appearance, was named “Macpherson’s Range,” in compliment to Major Macpherson, of His Majesty’s 39th Regiment, whilst its southern extreme, 153 a very bluff rocky head, and a rounded mount or hummock about its centre, received each respectively the names of “Coke” and “Burrough.”
Along the eastern base of Macpherson’s Range I could trace a deep ravine, bounded on its eastern side by a vertical wall of rocks of very rugged aspect. This ravine was, at the suggestion of Mr. Fraser, named “Glen Lyon,” and through it ran a stream (indicated by a line of mist throughout its length) which, doubtless, falls southerly into the channel of a river seen by Captain Logan from the summit of this mountain, and which, from the direction of its course towards the sea at south-east, is, doubtless, the “Richmond” of Captain the Hon. H.I. Rous, of His Majesty’s Ship “Rainbow”.
To the east of Glen Lyon the entire country, extending to the lofty ridges connected with the Mt. Warning group, appeared exceedingly broken and irregular.
A lofty mountain, bearing N. by E. five miles, received from Captain Logan the title of ‘Clanmorris,’ whilst to a lofty wooded peak lying about ten miles further to the north I attached the name of my friend Lieutenant Hughes, of the Royal Staff Corps.
At S.S.E. five miles a very precipitous rocky head, 160 in figure thus seemingly inaccessible from any point around us, was named “Mount Hooker,” in honour of the mutual friend of Mr. Fraser and myself, the very learned and scientific Regius Professor of Botany in the University of Glasgow. Far to the north points were distinctly discerned, particularly the towering peak of Captain Flinders, now bearing the name of that very accurate nautical surveyor. Having noted all the more prominent features of the country around, excepting at S. and S.S.W., in which direction my position in the mountain prevented my observation, I employed myself awhile investigating the scrubby blighted vegetable productions about me, and, among the many described well known plants, I gathered several, yet unpublished, to add to my daily augmenting collections. I also set up the barometer (which I had with much care carried from Brisbane Town), with the view of deducing the elevation of my station above our encampment, the height of which above the level of the sea I had already measured. I had, however, to regret that in the carriage from the tents to the point at which I had halted, the instrument had become deranged by some sudden jerk it had received, which had divided the column of mercury, and thus had rendered it perfectly useless.
A subsequent trigonometrical operation, however, gave the spot a height of about one thousand five hundred feet above our encampment.
Mr. Fraser had followed the Commandant up the very steep face of the mountain more than double that elevation above me, but arriving at the base of a rock nearly perpendicular, without a bush to assist him to pass above it, he very wisely stopped, and, having rested and contemplated with pleasure the grandeur of the surrounding scene from so considerable a height (verging on four thousand above the sea), he began his descent.
It was not, however, without great difficulty, and on more than one occasion at great risk of life itself, that he found his way back to my station, much bruised, and in a state of considerable exhaustion.
Five hours, however, elapsed before the Commandant, who had with great labour carried the extreme summit of this formidable mountain, returned to us. This considerable eminence afforded him a very extensive bird’s-eye view of the entire circumjacent country. The sea was seen at S.S.E. over the very low country lying between the southern extreme of the Mount Warning Range and the coast line, and a fine open grazing country breaking into plains. was also distinctly perceived to the S.W., at which the traveller might arrive, upon passing about twenty miles of broken brushy country, from the base of the mountain, a few miles from which a river was observed, bending its course to the southward and eastward, which has since been considered by Captain Logan to be none other than either a branch or the main branch of the Richmond, recently discovered by Captain the Hon. Mr. Rous.
About the close of the day we returned to our tents, amply rewarded for our respective exertions by the various interesting observations each had made.
The mountain which we had visited, which is the easternmost of the range, was named “Mount Lindesay,” as a compliment to the officer commanding His Majesty’s 39th Regiment in this colony.
Wednesday, 4th August, 1828
Our bullocks requiring further rest, we determined to remain encamped during the whole of the following day (4th Aug).
Whilst Captain Logan was absent on an excursion to ascertain how far a communication could be opened round the eastern base of Mount Lindesay with the apparently fine grazing country seen in a south-western direction from the summit of that lofty mountain, I was occupied in taking the necessary observations for the determination of our situation. These gave the following results:
Latitude by a solar meridional altitude 28 deg. 15 min. 21 secs. S., longitude 152 deg. 45 min. 45 secs. E., or sixteen geographical miles west of Brisbane Town. Variation of the needle (by azimuth) 11 deg. E. I also measured a base of six hundred and eight yards on an extensive flat near the tents, and observing the angles subtended by the summit of Mount Lindesay ascertained its perpendicular height over our encampment to be four thousand seven hundred and fifty feet. To this, upon adding nine hundred and fifty- three feet, the elevation of the tents above the sea shore (as already determined by the barometer), the mean height of this mountain above the level of the sea shore is shown to be five thousand seven hundred and three feet,164 which is by far the most elevated point (measured) that has hitherto been ascended by any European in Australia.
In the evening our laborious Commandant returned to the encampment, having fully satisfied himself of the practicability of marking a road to the country lying to the S.W., by directing its line to leave the Mount Lindesay Range to the west.
Thursday, 5th August, 1828
On the morning of the 5th we broke up our encampment and, conformably with the plan of our journey, made an attempt to pursue a course to the westward with the design of penetrating to the hollow in the back of the Dividing Range, discovered in June, 1827.
Invested as we were by steep hills and lofty mountainous lands, it was with some difficulty that we pushed our way northerly through a glen bounded on the west side by forest hills immediately connected with Mount Clanmorris, and to the east by a steep rocky sided ridge, overhanging a brook (formed by a junction of the creek, at which we last rested, with others), which ran briskly through it northerly over a bed of large stones, so much rounded by water attrition as to render the crossing and recrossing its channel, which was necessary, too dangerous to allow me to risk the lives of the bullocks in the passage. They were, therefore, sent round among the hills easterly, and after a circuitous route of about four miles, again joined me on a level open patch of forest ground.
Friday, 6th August, 1828
We then prosecuted our course to the north-west, climbing moderately elevated wooded ridges with an occasional flat of good soil, and observing all the watercourses uniformly dipped easterly, and therefore threw the rains that are collected in these hills in a wet season into the Logan. From several points in these hills, I took bearings to a lofty wooded mount,1 named last year by Captain Logan in honour of Lieutenant-Colonel Shadforth, of her Majesty’s 57th Regiment, as also to a remarkable conical- shaped hill of considerable elevation, situate to the W.S.W. about fifteen miles, which also Captain Logan had named after a friend, “Wilson’s Peak.” Upon penetrating about seven miles to the N.W., we gained the pitch of the hills, whence we observed at a distance of about two miles to W.N.W. a patch of plain, bounded on its western side by a ridge of craggy hills, of which the Commandant immediately recognised a point at whose base he had, in the progress of his last year’s excursion, bivouaced. Our oxen having descended the ridge on its western side with considerable difficulty, owing to the steepness of the declivity from the several rocky heads and abrupt terminating bluffs it presented to that cardinal point, we soon reached the plain, which we found to be a reedy flat, without a tree, of a springy sponginess to the tread, and evidently extremely swampy in wet weather. The long protracted droughts of the year had, however, dried the surface sufficiently hard to allow our burdened beasts to cross it (a breadth of a mile) to the channel of a rivulet, washing the eastern foot of the craggy hills. On the western bank of this stream (which is a tributary to the Logan, and named “Teviot Brook”), we were very glad to encamp, as the sun had some time dipped below the western horizon. This plain or marsh flat, which lies nearly north and south, is about three miles in length, and is (as already observed) bounded on the west by a low ridge of rocky hills of singularly picturesque appearance, named at the suggestion of Mr. Fraser, “Minto Craigs.”
South-westerly beyond these craggy hills, we had a peep at a part of the Dividing Range, which, with other elevated grounds at south, formed as beautiful a landscape as can be well conceived; and if anything tended to give a higher effect to the extremely pleasing scene, as it opened to us while crossing the marshy flat, it was the warm tints produced by the radiance of the setting sun, striking upon the naked rocks of the Craigs. Just before we halted, five emus, who were feeding on the plain, joined together and, as if prompted by curiosity to know what we were, stalked over the plain after us, preserving, however, a respectful distance from the dogs. We were all too much engaged to give chase to them; they, therefore, after following us some distance, filed off, and retiring with some little precipitancy to the wooded lands, as if fully apprehensive of danger, disappeared altogether.
A hill of square tabulated figure, bearing about north seven or eight miles, was last year named by Captain Logan “Mount French,” and a singularly sharp-pointed cone wooded to its extreme summit, and lying to the N.E. about nine miles received from me the title of “Knapp’s Peak,” after an esteemed friend, at this time attached to the Department of the Surveyor- General in this colony.
Saturday, 7th August, 1828
At an early hour on the morning of the 7th August we broke up our encamp- ment with the fullest expectation of making a long stage to the westward.
Passing the northern extreme of Minto Craigs, we pursued our course to the N.W. over a hilly country until (in about our fourth mile) we reached another and more extensive patch of plain, on which I observed the meridional altitude of the sun, which gave for latitude 28 deg. 4 min. 26 secs. S., and showed us that we had arrived at about the parallel of the mountain gap, which bore west from us.
Perceiving, however, that the plain was flanked on its west and north- western sides by densely brushed rocky ridges connected with Mount French, through which it appeared extremely doubtful whether we could penetrate with the bullocks to the foot of the Dividing Range, it was proposed at once to halt and employ the remainder of the day in determining the practicability of effecting a passage through them to the westward. We therefore (about one o’clock) set up the tents on the edge of the plain, near to a pond of exceedingly fine water.
Our unwearied Commandant, attended by two of the most intelligent of the people, undertook to examine the rocky western ridge, and I in the mean- time ascertained our position, took bearings to points around, and obtained a set of azimuths, which gave a variation easterly of 10 deg. 3 min.
This beautiful plain, to which I had much pleasure in attaching the title of Dulhunty, as a compliment to the highly respectable family of that name residing in this colony, lies about S.S.W. and N.N.E., and in extent is about five miles in length by three-fourths of a mile in breadth.
Notwithstanding the sad drought to which it was everywhere manifest the entire country through which we have passed had been long subjected, we nevertheless found this plain abundantly watered by a chain of ponds fed from the hills at S.W., which in seasons of much rain unite, and overflowing the flatter surfaces, eventually drain off to the N.E., and become a tributary to the Logan. The soil of Dulhunty’s Plain is in all parts of an exceedingly rich quality, capable of yielding heavy crops of grain, and although it appeared scarcely sound enough for sheep pasture, the whole presented a fine range of horse and cattle feed. At the close of the day Captain Logan returned to us, having climbed the rocky barrier to the westward, which he found clothed with so thick a jungle of twining plants, that it was with the utmost difficulty he gained a commanding point, whence he saw clearly that it was quite impracticable to penetrate westerly to the Dividing Range. He observed also that the only course we could possibly pursue was to the northward easterly, in which direction the country not only appeared moderate, but also unencumbered by those thickets, which in many parts form a perfect jungle on a level surface many miles in extent, and which we have repeatedly satisfied ourselves are not to be passed by laden bullocks, until the axe has fully effected a passage for them.
Sunday, 8th August, 1828
On the 8th we stood away to the N.E., across Dulhunty’s Plain, and in L. V. Dulhunty had been Superintendent of Convicts at Brisbane Town, and accompanied Lockyer up the Brisbane River in 1825 two miles and a-half reached the thinly-timbered forest ground, well watered by the Logan, which at length had become a connected stream.
In other two miles to the N.E. we entered a second plain of small dimensions, probably containing about seven hundred acres, to which was given the name of Rattray, after a relative of Mr. Fraser. As we continued our journey we could not but admire the landscape which the country at E. and S.E. presented, made up of gently rising forest hills, with here and there a point somewhat more elevated, having in their midst the sharp cone named Knapp’s Peak, which overtopped the whole.
The forest ridges continuing to stretch to the north, obliged us to pursue our course to the eastward of that cardinal point. At noon on crossing the channel of the Logan, we found ourselves by observation exactly in parallel of 28 deg. S., and perceiving that if was not possible to make our way to the westward from our present position, in consequence of the brushy ridges which we now perceived to stretch across the country northerly to the foot of Flinder’s Peak, I was induced, by the advice of Captain Logan, (who had become anxious to return to the settlement) to relinquish my design of making the mountain gap from this part of the country, but the rather prosecute our journey to the N. and N.E., until we should pass the parallel of latitude of Flinders’ Peak on its eastern side, and on effecting which no obstacle would prevent our reaching the Limestone Station on Bremer’s River (a tributary to the Brisbane), whence the Dividing Range could be approached with the utmost ease, as the interjacent country was known to Captain Logan to be of very moderate surface. Thus determined, we pursued our way to the E.N.E., about three and a-half miles over a succession of forest ridge and narrow valleys, when, again intersecting the Logan at our eleventh mile, we were induced to halt, as our bullocks were much exhausted.
Monday, 9th August, 1828
At daybreak of the 9th, the Commandant despatched two of our party with letters to Brisbane Town, and by that opportunity I wrote to the officer in charge of the commissariat to forward to me at the Limestone Hills on the Bremer a further supply of rations to enable me to perform the journey I had in contemplation from that station, south-westerly to the pass through the mountains discovered in June, 1827.
On resuming our journey this day, we left the Logan and repeatedly made attempts to pass to the westward at points appearing likely to afford us a passage through. All our essays were, however, in vain, for the dense repulsive thicket soon stopping our progress, showed us that the utmost we could possibly effect would be to pursue our course to the northward and eastward. We therefore continued over low forest ridges, taking care to clear the brush which occasionally stretched down them to the narrow intermediate valleys, in which we again met the Logan, and as we had completed our tenth mile we halted179 on its bank. From this encamping ground we observed the hills connected with Birnam Range, the central part of which bore nearly east from us, and appeared to be distant ten miles.
At our second mile to the north, in our stage of the following day, the Logan, which we had traced from its source, left us altogether by trending away to the E.N.E. Throughout the day we were climbing hills, with Flinder’s Peak continually in view, the base of which we were unable to approach, it being perfectly surrounded by steep and rocky ridges.
It was not until after sunset that water was discovered for the use of our exhausted bullocks and selves, and although it was found in small quantity, and in a stagnant state, we were exceedingly glad to close our labours for the day at it. Early in the morning of the 11th Captain Logan and Mr. Fraser left me for Brisbane Town, distant about twenty-four miles. As my views were entirely directed to the station on the Bremer, I directed the course of my party to the northward and westward, and after effecting a stage of ten miles over a hilly and uninteresting country, timbered chiefly with ironbark, we rested in a valley affording both excellent grass and good water to our wearied oxen.
We had at length passed sufficiently to the north of the range connected with Flinder’s Peak to be enabled to shape a course to the westward without further interruption from a difficult country; we therefore, on commencing our last stage to the Limestone Station, penetrated directly west among some stony hills, and after some exertion in the first two miles gained a more moderate country, and at the seventh mile of our stage came out upon skirts of a plain, on the surface of which scattered fragments of calcareous rock, flint and agate, fully announced to us our near approach to the Lime- stone Hills, at which we immediately arrived upon crossing the plain to the north-west, where I found the provisions I had demanded from the commissariat had already arrived by a boat under charge of my servant.