AUSTRALIA—SWAN RIVER SETTLEMENT.

LITERARY SPECTATOR.

IN our former paper on this subject, we pointed out Port Macquarrie, as the most desirable location for the settler; combining as it does, a navigable river for many miles (the Hastings), with great fertility of

soil, and a climate which allows the raising of southern and tropical productions. Moreton Bay, which lies to the northward of Port Macquarrie, is spoken of in perhaps even higher terms ; but it is a penal settlement, and must remain so, to the exclusion of the emi- grant, for many years. The other settlements of New South Wales have been for some time occupied along the banks of the navigable rivers,—such as the Hawkesbury and Hunter's Rivers, up to the points at which their navigation is impeded by rocks and shoals. The settler, if he selects his land with a view of being near a little society, will sacrifice his interest to his love of company—lie will be forced to take indifferent land without water carriage, and a very remote pros- pect of good land conveyance. Those have done best in New South Wales, who have at once gone up into the Bush, and grappled with their difficulties ; they have been many, they have been great, but they have been overcome. The good men have been out of the way of the allurements of Sydney ; and their wives have not had their " tempers tried " with any of the Mrs. Grundys of Parramatta. We will cite one example, and it answers to several. An officer on half-pay arrived

M the Colony in 1824, with his wife, and the prospect of a family: His rank in the service, and the rules of the Colony, (then) allowed his ob-

tdming a grant of two thousand acres of land. He got good advice, tild he profited by it. He purchased a covered waggon and six bul- locks : into this waggon he put a six-months' supply of Irish pork, Colonial flour, tea, sugar, and tobacco, with the stock of agricul- tural implements, wearing apparel, beds and bedding, which he brought out, and the slops for his four Government men which the Governor assigned to him: a small spot was reserved in the front of the wag- gon, where, seated on a feather-bed, his young wife sat, encouraging him by her smiles, and good-humoured approbation of everything she

saw, during their long journey of 130 miles into the interior, the whole of which the husband walked. He selected his land and walked back to Sydney, to report it to the Governor (Sir THOMAS BRISBANE), who confirmed the choice ; and who was so pleased with the activity and energy displayed by the settler, that he assigned him a carpenter,

i which is always considered a great boon. Whilst he was absent, his wife remained with the four convict servants upon the land,—we will not say without some occasional fears, but we know without any injury ; she said she had not lost a single article, not even of provisions. The husband returned, having purchased fifty head of cattle, and commenced his log-hut and his garden. In 1827, alien our friend visited him, he had fifty acres of land fenced in, thirty of which were cultivated; he had a good crop of wheat, and an excellent crop of potatoes, a garden well stocked vs it h vegetables and fruit-trees, a comfortable and substantial log-hut, hams and bacon and poultry of his own rearing, excellent butter and cheese ; his stock of cattle had increased toone hundred, happiness and contentment were depicted in the countenances of himself and hiswife,—who had scarcely time to say a word even to her old friend, she was so much occupied by her two little children, the dairy, the piggery, and the poultry, but

above all, by a delicate, frippery, kind of person, who had been sent to her from the Factory, as a " tidy young woman, who was highly recom-

mended by Mrs. —, and knew every thing about a farm." " Indeed (says the mistress,) I am sure she knows nothing about the farm ; she had not been with me an hour till she said, dear me, Ma'am, what a nice man the carpenter is.' " Of a truth, convict servants, both men and women, are the great drawbacks of the Colony. Other labourers than those who are or have been convicts are not to be had. Should a man airive in the Colony as an emigrant, who had been, for instance, a Norfolk or Suffolk ploughman, he would at once he installed as an overseer, with from 40/. to 70/. per annum ; and so soon as he had acquired the mode of agriculture adapted to the Colony and the knack of managing the con- vict labourers on a farm, (both of which require some little apprentice- ship), he would set up for himself as a land proprietor or tenant. .. An idea has gone abroad that convict labour is cheap, and this has been held as one of the inducements to settle in New South Wales.

Now let us inquire. Every settler who has a convict labourer, is obliged to give him ten pounds of flour per week, seven pounds of fresh beef, or four pounds of salt pork, and I Oi. per annum. Out of the I01: is to be deducted, two suits of slops, two pair of shoes and a hat, during, the year, and it is the duty of the Magistrate, upon the settling between the master and the convict servants, to see that these articles have not been overcharged. The residue of the wages is generally given, not in money, but in tea, sugar, and tobacco, in the proportions of one pound of sugar, two ounces of tea, and two of tobacco weekly. Instances there have been of convicts denying them-

selves these luxuries, in order to have the money put by for them in the Savings Bank, against the day of their emancipation, to assist them either in setting up in a little business, or paying part of their passage-money home. Although such is the allowance directed by Government, there are few settlers who do not find it their interest to in- crease the rations to 121bs. of flour or a peck of wheat ; the latter is pre- ferred by the convict, as it enables him to give the bran to his dog. (Every man has his dog, and intolerable nuisances they are upon a farm.) Now these ample rations the settler might afford, if his man were in the real meaning of the word, a productive labourer ; but this is very far from being the case. It was the great complaint of the gentleman we have alluded to—" I have been, (said he to his friend) latterly, in the greatest want of men; four months ago, I wrote to the Superintendent of Convicts, begging of him to let me have out of the next ship that arrived, four men ; and I particularized a ploughman, a shepherd, a man who understood cattle and could milk, and a groom. Last week I got four men : but instead of a ploughman I got a tailor ; instead of a shepherd, I got a Scotch errand-boy; and instead of a milkman and a groom, I got two Huddersfield weavers. I know it is not the fault of the Government,—they can only give such as they receive ;Int it is' a great hardship for me. I was once obliged to return to the Govern- ment one of the best men I had, he became so indolent. I knew very well it was iirorder that 1 should send him back that he became so ; for he was told that if he could get away from me, Mr. would manage to get him from Government, and would give him higher wages and it turned out as he expected. Oh ! there is no end to the trouble those fellows give me. If one wants to skulk, he says he is ill, and goes to his but : this generally happens on a Monday, as the week's rations are given out on Saturday : there he remains for three or four days, and then asks for a pass to go to hospital : the nearest hospital to us is at Liverpool, and that is one hundred miles or more from us ; it takes him a week to go ; the walk and some tobacco water make him appear ill, mid he imposes on the doctor for several days ; when he is discharged to return home, lie makes acquaintance on his way, plans or commits robberies, and the first I hear of him perhaps is from our gaol at Campbell Town or Boug-Boug."—Such was our settler's complaint. It proves, we think, that convict labour being forced* labour, and from the worst characters, is not cheap, but dear labour. Sir THOMAS BRISBANE, during his Government, devised a plan which has been of great advantage both to the settler and the convict: he established regulations through which alone, except under sonic very particular circumstances, tickets of leave could be obtained. A ticket of leave is a permission from the Governor to the convict, to employ himself wit in a certain district for his own advantage, during good behaviour. Thus the convict, knowing the only way in which he could obtain his Colonial freedom, and being assured of that free- dom, was encouraged in his probation of industry and honesty. The regulations were somewhat altered, but not improved, by General DARLING, Sir THOMAS BRISBANE'S successor. Ticket-of-leave-men get high wages : a stockman will get 201. per annum, and his full ra- tions, flour, meat, tea, sugar, and tobacco ; a good bullock-driver will get the same ; and so will an experienced shepherd. These men, whilst assigned servants, usually receive some little indulgencies, the property of the settler being so much within their power, and requiring so much of their attention.

The observations of the author of the Picture of Australia, on the Colonial Population, are in many points incorrect. He says, the total number in New South Wales may be estimated at from forty to fifty thousand. This is considerably under the mark: we have reason to believe that the population is upwards of sixty thousand. The num- ber of convicts in a state of servitude does not amount to anything near twenty-five thousand. Again, the only convicts who work in chains are those sentenced to work on the roads, in irons, for crimes committed in the Colony ; and they have not amounted at any one time to a thousand. The number of free emigrants, office-bearers, and military, exceeds considerably the amount stated in the Picture. In quoting part of this chapter, on colonial population, we cannot * in our former notice there was a misprint—"forced" was printed "freed:*

refrain from expressing our wish that the author had -borne in mind the last part of his " notice."

" Respecting the colonies and the colonists, I have not ventured to write much, as I found that the picture of them is in sunshine or shadow, accord- ing as the delineator has or has not been fortunate himself; and then, as I could not implicitly believe the reports myself, I did not feel I should be jus- tified in laying them before the .public from which I have already received much more attention than I had any right to expect."

Now we say, that in gratitude to that public, the author should not have published the following remarks, as he may be assured he ought not " implicitly to believe" them.

" But between the free emigrants and those who are born in the Colony, that unity which is so essential to the prosperity of a community, especially of one that has its land to reclaim from a state of nature, and all the ma- chinery of its domestic economy to put in motion, there are animosities arising from other causes. One of these is the application of generic names. Those who are born in the Colony are called Currency, and those of English or European birth, and who have not found their way there in such a manner as to entitle the* to the cant name of legitimates, are called Sterling. It hap-

pened, too, that when some idle officer, who had more pretensions to humour than title to understanding, imposed those names, the Currency of the coun- try was depreciated below the value of Sterling money. The names Currency

and Sterling thus became at once badges of inferiority and superiority, and tended to set the two classes of the people against each other. The history of all ages and countries is full of accounts of the mischief that has arisen from names. The fact is, that in all cases where party animosity extends to a great number of persons, it is the name, and the name only, that influences the majority. Of abstract justice, both sides have often a pretty equal share —haply no share at all ; and few of the number that rally at the name, have any individual grievance which would he made lighter by the triumph of the party : but they are not upon that account the less intolerant or persisting in their animosity. " Now the separation of the Currency from the Sterling which has been occasioned by application, and the use of these names, has disjoined those, whose interest it ought to have been to unite, as they are each in possession

of information that would be useful to the other. The emigrant from Eng- land brings with him, or receives in his correspondence, the information of

Europe, which cannot fail in being useful to those who are horn in a society so small, and so scattered, as that of Australia; while the native of the Colony has, on the other hand, an experimental knowledge of it, which must prove just as useful to the emigrant.'

There is no animosity existing between the free emiorants and those who are born in the Colony ; but there is a party in New South Wales who entertain, and encourage in others, a never-subsiding ani- mosity against such as having been convicts, have become free, either by the expiration of the term for which they were transported, or by special authority, as a reward for extraordinary services or merits.

Again, there is no inferiority in the name of " Currency" as applied to those born in the Colony,—for this plain reason, that it is applied to all born in the Colony, whether the children of emigrants or not. In-

deed, some of the children of those composing the high aristocratical party in the Colony,. have been born in it, and are called " Currency," in contradistinction to such of their brothers and sisters as had been born out of it. It is quite ludicrous to think of an " aristocratical " party in Botany Bay :—how Lord Charles would laugh at the notion of such a party, with the son of a tailor at the head of it ! But ludi-

crous as such a faction appears to be, they have managed to do a great deal of mischief iii the Colony—aye, and out of it too. When

Governor MACQUARRIE took the reins of Government, he considered

the Colony as a place set apart for convicts ; and with that kind- heartedness for which he was so conspicuous, he endeavoured to hold

out inducements in every form and shape, to the unfortunate class over whom he was sent to rule, to turn from their evil practices, and to become worthy members of society. His kind intentions were op- posed by many who had been permitted to settle in the Colony as free

settlers. The opposition was carried to such a height, and the Go- vernor met with so many annoyances from it, that in a fit of well-in-

tended but injudicious zeal, he invited some of the obnoxious to his table. This settled the matter : animosities were engendered, that will not subside until those who gave rise to them (who are quaintly called the Old Hands), are at rest. Several of the "Free men," (the

name applied in the Colony to such as have become free), have amas- sed considerable property ; and they call, from reasons, as they say,

best known to themselves, many of the heads of the opposite party the

Fortunates, or Unconvicted part of the community. They argue, and with a great show of justice, that if the mark of reprobation is never to be effaced from them, after the term which the laws of their country

have considered proportioned to their offences, let their after conduct be what it may, that there is no difference as regards the consequences to them, between the unfortunate wretch who has bees duped by some designing and practised knave into the passing of a forged hank-note and is sentenced to seven years' transportation, and the notorious housebreaker and 'fibber, who, after passing through a long course of crimes, has been sent to pass the remainder of his life in lasting ignominy. - At Swan River we shall have none of this. This settlement pro- mises all that is desirable in a new Colony—fine soil, plenty of water, a delightful climate, every prospect of a well-selected and a well-re- gulated community, and above all, a position on the map which holds out the greatest commercial advantages of any place in the Eastern hemisphere. We derive our information from the only source which

at present affords it, from Captain STIRLING'S visit, which did not much exceed three weeks ; but if his anticipations are realized (and we shall soon have an opportunity of judging) we do not hesitate to

say, that the settlement of Swan River will one day claim the name of the " Modern Tyre." At the same time, from the eagerness with which numbers have. received the tidings of this Goshen, we cannot help fearing that they may have raised their expectations too high, and been induced at once to invest their all, ere they had learned what a more extended examination into the country would have acquainted

them with. Captain STIRLING'S expedition did not extend beyond sixty miles up the river, and he could not have exceeded in his occa- sional deploys more than five or ten miles from each side of it : it would have been better perhaps had they waited for his report from the settle- ment. On his first visit, he arrived at Cape Lewin on the 2nd March 1827, stood along the coast, and anchored in Gage's Roads, opposite Swan River, which he afterwards ascended to its source in boats, and sent out exploring parties to ascertain the nature of the surrounding country. " We found," he says, " the country in general rich and romantic, gained the summit of the first range of mountains, and had a bird's-eye view of an immense plain, which extended as far as the eye could reach to the northward, southward, and westward. After ten days' absence we returned to the ship. We encountered no diffi- culty that was not easily removable ; we were furnished with abun- dance of fresh provisions by our guns, and met with no obstruction from the natives." As to a supply of fresh water, Captain STIRLING, and Mr. FRAZER, the Colonial botanist of New South Wales, who accompanied Captain STIRLING, give the most satisfactory accounts. Mr. FRAZER says he was astonished at the vivid green of the Eucalyp- tus, and other trees and shrubs, so distinct from those of New South Wales ; but, on digging the soil to the depth of two feet, `F I found the cause to arise apparently from the immense number of springs with which the country abounds ; for, at the depth above mentioned, I found the soil quite moist, although evidently at the latter end of an exceeding dry season ; and from the same cause must arise the great luxurianee,of the herbaceous plants cin the banks, which exceeds any- thing I ever saw on the east coast. They consist principally of the senecia and the souchies, which here attain the height of nine feet:' Mr. FRAZER'S intimate knowledge of the Colony of New South Wales entitles his opinion as to the relative value of the soil of the two settlements, New South "Wales and Swan River, to every con- sideration. His opinion is well summed up. He says.- " In giving my opinion of the land seen on the banks of the Swan River,

I hesitate not in pronouncing it superior to any I ever saw in New South Wales, east of the Blue Mountains, not only in its local character, but in the many existing advantages which it holds out to settlers. These advantages I consider to be- " First, the evident superiority of the soil. " Secondly, the facility with which a settler can bring his farm into a state of immediate culture, in consequence of the open state of the country, which allows not a greater average than two trees to an acre. " Thirdly, the general abundance of springs, producing water of the best quality, and the consequent permanent humidity of the soil, two advantages not existing on the eastern coast. " Fourthly, the advantages of water carriage to his door, and the non-ex- istence of impediments to land carriage."

In point of climate, it is considered both by Captain STIRLING and Mr. FRAZER, that the new settlement is superior to New South Wales ; principally as, ceteris paribus, the western sides of all large islands and continents are milder than the eastern in the winter, while the refreshing breezes cool the air in summer. In geographical position it has an incalculable advantage over New South Wales. In the first place, it is not only much more conveni- ently situated than that Colony, but is much nearer to, and has much more easy means of communication with, every part of the civilized world, the east coast of America perhaps excepted. The passages to it from England and from the Cape of Good Hope are shortened by nearly a month, and the return voyages still more. The voyage from it to Madras and Ceylon is little more than three weeks at all times of the year, and only a month from those places to it ; while for six months in the year, namely from November to April inclusive, when the western monsoons prevail on the northern coast of Australia, the pas- sage from New South Wales through Torres Strait, always dangerous, is then utterly impracticable, and that through Bass's Strait nearly so to merchant vessels, on account of the westerly winds which blow through it at all seasons, and which generally oblige them to go round the southern extremity of Van Diernen's Land. The Suc- cess frigate left Port Jackson on the 17th Ja,ntary, and did not reach Cape Lewin till the 2d February, being six weeks and two days ; and Captain STIRLING observes, that the only chance by which the pas- sage could be accomplished at all, was by carrying a constant press of sail. The colonial vessel that was to have accompanied him being torn to pieces by bad weather, was obliged to put back to Port Jackson.

The following table contains the distances between Port Cockburn and various parts of the world, and the estimated times in which pas- sages would probably be made to and from it respectively.

Place. Distances in Miles. Winds. Time. Proper Season.

From Cockburn Sound 1 to Timor . . Java . . , Madras . . . Ceylon . . Isle of France. Cape of Good Hope England . . . Van Diemen's Land Port Jackson . . 1,500 1,450

5;100 3,300

3,200 5,000 10,509 2,000 2,400

Favourableat all seasons.

Ditto . . . . Ditto . . . . Ditto . . . . Ditto . . . . 16 tto . . . . Variable . . . Favourable . . Favourable in general . 12 Days.

10 25 24 21 35 100 14 20 ' c All times of .. t. the rear. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. —., To Cockburn Sound ( from Timor -''' . )

J ava, . .

Madras . . . Ceylon . . Isle of France . . Cape of Good Hope

England . .

Van Diemen's Land Port Jackson . . 1,400

1,450 3,500 3,300 3,200 5,000 10,500

2,000 2,400 Favourable at all times Favourable . . . Ditto by proper route .

Ditto . . . . Variable, generally far. Strong and favourable

Ditto . . . .

Always contrary. .

4' Generally impract 1 Mar. orby roundi 15 Days.

10 28 26 21 28 84 { In Feb t be rati'de 'cable, e'seept ngVan 1)

At all times.

Ditto. Ditto. • Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto.

and Bloc. may in six weeks. in Feb. or iem en's Land. We have communicated many of the advantages which the Swan River Settlement possesses over New South Wales ; and our limits will not permit us to say more at present. We hope, when Captain STIRLING'S report of his further examination of the country arrives, that the Government will publish it. We have no doubt, from the liberal character of Sir GEORGE MURRAY, that it will be done. We cannot, however, better close this article, than by publishing the regu- lations under which land is granted at Swan River, which are exhibited at the Colonial Office in Downing Street.

n Regulations for the Guidance of those who may propose to embark as Settlers, for the New Settlement on the Western Coast of flew Holland.

"1. His Majesty's Government do not intend to incur any expense in con- veying settlers to the New Colony on the Swan River ; and will not feel bound to defray the expense of supplying them with provisions, or other necessaries, after their arrival there, nor to assist their removal to England, or elsewhere, should they be desirous of quitting the Colony.

" 2. Such persons as may arrive in that settlement before the end of the year 1830, will receive, in the order of their arrival, grants of land, free of quit rent, proportioned to the capital which they may be prepared to invest in the improvbrnent of the land, and of which capital they may be able to produce satisfactory proofs to the Lieutenant Governor (or other officer ad- ministering the Colonial Government), or to any two officers of the Local Government appointed by the Lieutenant Governor for that purpose, at the rate of forty acres for every sum of three pounds which they may be prepared so to invest.

"Under the head of investment of capital will be considered stock of every description, all implements of husbandry, and other articles which may be applicable to the purposes of productive industry, or which may be necessary for the establishment of the settler on the land where he is to be located. The amount of any half-pay or pension which the applicant may receive from Goverment, will also be considered as so much capital. "4. Those who may incur the expense of taking out labouring persons, will be entitled to an allowance of land at the rate of fifteen pounds, that is, of two hundred acres of land, for the passage of every such labouring person, over and above any other investment of capital. In the class of labouring persons,' are included women, and children above ten years old. Provision will be made by law, at the earliest opportunity, for rendering those capi- talists, who may be engaged in taking out labouring persons to this settle- ment, liable for the future maintenance of those persons, should they, from infirmity or any Other cause, become unable to maintain themselves there.

" 5. The licence of occupation of land will be granted to the settler, on satisfactory proof being exhibited to the Lieutenant Governor (or other officer administering the Local Government), of the amount of property brought into the Colony. The proofs required of such property will be such satisfactory vouchers of expenses as would be received in auditing public accounts. But the full title to the land will not be granted in fee simple, until the settler has proved, to the satisfaction of the Lieutenant Governor or other officer administering the Local Government), that the soul required by Article 2 of these regulations (viz. one shilling and sixpence per acre) has been expended in the cultivation of the land, or in solid improvements, such as buildings, roads, or other works of the kind.

" 6. Any grant of land thus allotted, of which a fair proportion, of at least one-fourth, shall not have been brought into cultivation, otherwise improved or reclaimed from its wild state, to the extent of one shilling and sixpence per acre, to the satisfaction of the Local Government, within three years from the date of the licence of occupation, shall, at the end of the three years, be liable to a payment of sixpence per acre into the public chest of the settlement ; and, at the expiration of seven years more, should the land still remain in an uncultivated or unimproved state, it will revert absolutely to the Crown.

" 7. After the year 1830, land will be disposed of to those settlers who may resort to the Colony, on such conditions as his Majesty's Government shall see occasion to adopt.

" 8. It is not intended that any convicts, or other description of prisoners, be transported to this new settlement.

" 9. The Government will be administered by Captain Stirling, of the Royal Navy, as Lieutenant Governor of the settlement ; and it is proposed

that a bill should be submitted to Parliament, in the course of the next ses- sion, to snake provision for the Civil Government of the Near Settlement.- Downing Street, 13th January, 1829.