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This first account is from R.H. Cambage’s Captain Cook’s Pigeon House and Early South Coast Exploration, 1916, Samuel Lees, Sydney.
p. 4.
“In February, 1797, a vessel called the ‘Sydney Cove’ was wrecked on Preservation Island, between Tasmania and the mainland of Australia. On the 28th February, the longboat, being equipped, was despatched in order to proceed to Port Jackson with intelligence of the wreck. She had on board Mr. Thomson, chief mate, Mr. [William] Clark [see Campbell, Robert], supercargo, three European seamen, and twelve lascars [East Indian seamen]. A few days afterwards the boat was wrecked, and they were cast ashore somewhere on the Ninety-mile Beach on the coast of what is now Victoria. After collecting some food which included rice, from the boat, these seventeen shipwrecked sailors on the 15th March started to walk along the coast to Sydney. The imperfect record of their journey was afterwards written up from information supplied by Mr. Clark. They constructed rafts for the purpose of crossing many of the rivers met with, but in some cases they were assisted across by friendly-disposed natives, who also at times supplied them with fish. It is difficult to definitely locate them at any point, as they seem to have been constantly meeting with very large rivers, but those who are acquainted with various portions of the coast can picture the route followed by these dejected and unfortunate men as they proceeded on their perilous journey.
“After a few weeks, some of the members of the party began to drop off from exhaustion, owing to the absence of proper food, and as the party came towards Shoalhaven and Illawarra, they met with unfriendly natives, at whose hands it is thought some of the exhausted ones lost their lives. Finally, Mr. Clark, a European sailor, and a lascar were all that remained, and these were picked up, in a deplorable condition, by a fishing boat about the middle of May, 1797, when some miles south of Botany Bay, and brought to Sydney.
“The chief mate and the carpenter had remained with them until the day before the rescue.
“Previous to being rescued, however, the party discovered coal at a locality now known as Coal Cliff, and this spot marks the site of the first discovery of coal in Australia. In the following August, George Bass proceeded to the locality to examine and report upon the discovery.”
Governor Hunter’s comments were reprinted in the Historical Records of New South Wales, Vol. III. - Hunter. 1786-1799., ed. F.M. Bladen, N.S.W. Government, 1895.
pp. 227-228.
“GOVERNOR HUNTER TO THE DUKE OF PORTLAND.
“My Lord, Sydney, New South Wales, 6th July, 1797.
“A ship nam’d the Sydney Cove having been loaded with a cargo of goods upon speculation from Bengal to this port, was wreck’d in February last upon this coast, in latitude 40 degrees 37 minutes South, * [Footnote - * The vessel was wrecked on one of the islands of the Furneaux Group, which is still known as Preservation Island. - Appendix A.] or about 408 miles to the southward of Port Jackson. Seventeen of her crew embark’d in the longboat in order to reach the harbor, and to procure whatever assistance could be had here but they were also wreck’d upon the coast 220 miles to the southward of this port. * [Footnote - * The longboat appears to have been wrecked in the vicinity of Point Everard.] [Point Hicks] They all got on shore, and travel’d along the coast, and in May last a small row-boat, fishing to the southward of Botany Bay, discovr’d three people on the shore, whom they took into the boat and brough hither scarcely alive. The remainder of the seventeen have undoubtedly perish’d or been kill’d by the natives, these survivors having been much annoy’d and wounded by them. On their arrival they gave an account of two others whom they had left a small distance from the place they mat the boat, but too weak to proceed farther. Upon this information I immediately sent a whaleboat well mann’d, and put on board her everything which cou’d be necessary for people in that condition, as well cloathing as nourishing articles of food, and sent the same fishermen who had taken up the others in this boat; but these unfortunate men were not to be found. Some articles they had were pick’d up cover’d with blood, so that we have reason to believe they had been murder’d in this helpless state.
“As soon after as possible I dispatch’d the Colonial schooner [Francis] to the southward, together with a deck’d longboat, * [Footnote - * The decked longboat, The Eliza, was in charge of Alexander Armstrong, master of H.M.S. Supply. She separated in a gale from the Francis shortly after the rescue of the shipwrecked crew of the Sydney Cove, and neither her nor her crew was afterwards heard of. Post, p. 309.] in order to take off the people who had been left upon the island on which they had been wreck’d. The schooner is just arriv’d, and had brought the commander (Mr. Hamilton), the only surviving European, and the remainder of the Lascars. The commander has left six of his own people in charge of the property sav’d, one of whom is one of the three who reach’d this place, and who, being well recover’d return’d to the wreck in the schooner. I have, &c.,
“JNO. HUNTER.”
pp. 474-475.
“GOVERNOR HUNTER TO SECRETARY NEPEAN.
“Sir, Sydney, New South Wales, 3rd September, 1798.
“From the unfortunate loss of the a ship nam’d the Sydney Cove, * [Footnote - See Hunter to Portland, 6th July, 1797. Ante, p. 277 and Appendix A.] from Bengal, upon a voyage of speculation to this port, I had occasion to send our small Colonial schooner and a deck longboat to the southward as far as latitude 40 degrees 36 minutes S. to take off the surviving crew, and to save such property as the above boats might be capable of taking on board from the island on which the ship had been wreck’d.
“I beg their Lordships may be inform’d that the schooner return’d in safety with the master of the wreck’d ship and a few lascars, but a heavy gale of wind having set in on the day of their leaving the island, the longboat, which, was commanded and navigated by Mr. Armstrong, the master of the Supply, founder’d with all her crew and seven or eight lascars on board, together with such articles as had been put on board from the wreck.
“The schooner being only forty-two tons burthen, it became necessary to send her again to the wreck. I took the opportunity of ordering Mr. Flinders, the 2nd lieutenant of the Reliance, with her, for the purpose of making what observations he cou’d amongst those islands relative to anchorage, &c [Flinders account of this voyage].
“Previous to the last trip of the schooner, Mr. Bass, the surgeon of the Reliance, a young man of much ability in various ways out of the line of his profession, solicited, during the repairing of the Reliance, that he might be allow’d a boat, and have her man’d from the King’s ships. He was desirous of tracing the coast along in the boat, and to make what observations he might be able relative to harbours or anchorage. I fitted out a good whaleboat for him, victual’d her, and man’d to his wish. He went southward alonf the coast, and on finding, when he had got the length of Cape Howe, that the shore inclin’d westward, he continued to trace it along untill [sic] he came to s steep and high promontory * [Footnote - * Wilson’s Promontory. See Bass’s own journal, ante, pp. 312-333.] in latitude 39 degrees 00 minutes S. From this cape the land lay along W.N.W.; he continued to steer in that direction for about sixty miles beyond this headland, where he found an extensive harbour, but his provisions becoming short, and being at a very considerable distance from Port Jackson, with his boat becoming leaky, he resolv’d upon returning. He had at one time stretched off from the above headland to the S.W. untill [sic] he was in latitude 40 degrees 00 minutes S., but the wind shifting to the and blowing strong, he was oblig’d to run for the land again, which he with difficulty reach’d. The sea rose to so mountainous a height that he had every reason to believe he was not covered by any land to the westward. This circumstance corroborates an opinion which I ventur’d to give from some observations of my own - that there was a probability of an open strait, thro’ between the latitudes of 39 degrees 00 minutes S. and 42 degrees 00 minutes S. * [Footnote - Hunter, in his ‘Historical Journal,’ published in London, in January, 1798 (p. 1260, expressed the opinion that a very deep gulf or a strait separated Van Dieman’s Land from New Holland.]
“To shew how far the conjecture I made may have been just, I directed Mr. Flinders to take into one chart the observations of Mr. Bass and his own; and I send a copy * [Footnote - * The chart is missing. See map, reproduced in Appendix B.] to be laid down before their Lordships. From this little sketch it will appear that the high land in latitude 39 degrees 00 minutes S., which Mr. Bass went round, is the southern extremity of this country, and that the land called Van Dieman’s [Tasmania] is a group of islands laying to the southward of that extremity; and probably leaving a safe and navigable passage between; to ascertain this is of some importance. I am endeavouring to fit out a deck’d boat [the Norfolk] of about fifteen tons burthen for that purpose, in which I propose to send the two officers above mentioned. I have, &c.,
“JNO. HUNTER.”
The earliest published account of the incident would appear to have been in 1799 in The Naval Chronicle, Vol. II, From July to September, Bunney and Gold, London, 1799.
P. 540.
“The Britannia, Captain Dean, arrived at China from Port Jackson in the beginning of April [1799], and reported the loss of the ship Sydney [Sydney Cove], Captain Hannine [Captain Hamilton], which sailed from Madras on the 10th of January. Captain Hannam [Captain Hamilton] experienced very bad weather and contrary winds after his sailing, and did not reach the coast of New Holland till towards the end of March, when he encountered a haevy gale of wind, in which his vessel sprung a dangerous leak, and he was under the necessity of running her on shore, to save the lives of his crew. Having secured such part of the cargo as could be saved (nearly two-thirds) on a small island near the main, Captain Hannam [Captain Hamilton] dispatched the long-boat with Mr. Thompson [Thomson], the chief officer, Mr. Clarke [Clark], a passenger, and thirteen men, to proceed to Port Jackson, from whence they supposed themselves distant about five or six hundred miles, in order to procure the assistance of a vessel to carry the rest of the crew and cargo there; but, the day after they left the wreck, they were unfortunately driven on shore in a gale of wind, and on landing were attacked by the natives, who killed twelve out of their number, Mr. Clarke [Clark] and two Lascars only escaping, who, after indescribable hardships, at length reached Sydney Cove. Captain Hannam [Hamilton] had arrived at Port Jackson before the Britannia sailed, and was preparing to return to the wreck with a vessel to bring away such part of the cargo as had been saved. Mr. Clarke [Clark] came to China in the Britannia, and arrived at Madras a passenger in the Nancy.
The Sydney [Sydney Cove] had a valuable cargo on board, which was insured in the different offices at Madras, to the amount of one lack [lakh] and 25,000 rupees.”
George Barrington, The History of New South Wales, N. Jones, London, 1803, also related the story:
pp. 193-195.
“On the night of the 16th [May 1797], a boat which had been fishing at some distance to the Southward of Botany Bay, brought to the settlement three persons who belonged to a ship called the Sydney Cove, which had sailed from Bengal with a cargo for this country on speculation. The Governor [Captain John Hunter] was informed by Mr. Clarke [Clark], (one of the three) that the ship had sprung a dangerous leak before she had rounded the South Cape, which, as soon as they had got to the the Eastward of the Southern part of the coast, increased to so great a degree, as to render it absolutely necessary to haul in for the land. The wind being from the S.E. they were enabled to accomplish this, in time to land the ship [map of wreck site], when she was dropping from under them, having sunk down to the fore channels, when they were enabled to run her a-ground, on an island in lat. 40 degrees 37 minutes South. They met with this misfortune in the middle of February; soon after which a small number of them resolved to attempt reaching Port Jackson in the ship’s long boat, leaving the commander and about 30 people to stay near the wreck. The boat being got ready, 17 people embarked in her, and sailed; but meeting with very bad weather they were again wrecked on the coast near Point Hicks, and endeavoured to travel Northward, but dropped off one by one and lost each other daily, till the number was reduced to five, the three who had arrived (the supercargo, a sailor, and a Lascar), the first mate of the ship, and the carpenter. These two, from excessive fatigue, had been unable to proceed, and had stopped the day before their companions had been taken up by the fishing boat.
“To seek these unfortunates a boat was dispatched, provided with such comforts as were necessary. The man who met with the supercargo was sent in the whale boat, and they proceeded to the spot which Mr. Clarke [Clark] had described as the place where they lost sight of their companions; but, after a long search, they only found some trifling articles, and these being bloody, it was naturally imagined they had been killed by the natives, whom, in the course of their long march, they had found frequently very kind, and at other times on the contrary very savage.
“Mr. Clarke [Clark], and the two other people, were very much exhausted, but every care being paid to their situation, they quickly recovered.
“The Britannia anchored between the heads from Ireland, on the 27th, with 150 male and 50 female convicts from that kingdom, and an officer and 25 recruits for the New South Wales corps.
“The same day the Francis, and a long-boat named the Eliza, sailed to bring away the remainder of the ship’s company belonging to the unfortunate Sydney Cove.”
p. 196.
“On the 5th of July the Francis arrived from the wreck of the Sydney Cove, with all the crew except six, who were left to protect that part which was saved of the cargo.”
p. 197.
“A whale boat was sent with Mr. Bass, to discover a stratum of coal found by Mr. Clarke [Clark], two days before he was taken up by the fishing boat. Mr. Bass met with it seven leagues Southward, and found it extended for nine miles to the breadth of eight feet.”
pp. 208-209.
“The commander of the wrecked ship, Sydney Cove, having entreated the Governor to spare the Francis to visit the wreck, and the six men he had left in charge of what property was saved. His Excellency consenting, at the latter end of the month [December], the Francis sailed with Captain Hamilton for that purpose.”
pp. 213-214.
“On the 20th [January 1798], the Francis returned. Previous to his departure for the wreck, Capt. Hamilton informed the Governor that she had on board 7000 gallons of spirits, and wished to bring back part with him by the Francis. The Governor adverse to the introduction of spirits, would have opposed the application; but it being known in the colony, that a quantity of this article had been saved, and that the island abounded with kangaroos and birds, he thought these circumstances would not only have led to desertions and captures of boats which had been effected, but likely to prove temptations to similar practices; he therefore agreed to purchase 3500 gallons of the rum of Capt. Hamilton, on account of Government.
“Capt. Hamilton said, that of the other articles taken on shore from the wreck, a small quantity of coarse cloth only had been preserved, as the remainder was destroyed by wind and bad weather. The wreck was quite washed away. Of the six lascars who were left with the property, one died; the five were in good health. Capt. Hamilton left a cow, which died; but a mare was brought away in the Francis. The lascars had lived by killing kangaroos and birds. They had erected a smoke-house, and cured meat enough to serve them the ensuing winter [see also]. These people, provided with only a small boat, made several excursions; and it appeared that this part of the coast of New South Wales was formed by a group of islands, reaching as far as they had seen to the Westward. From these, and observations he had made when on that part himself, the Governor conceived it highly probable that there were many passages or straits through to the ocean westward, making Van Dieman’s land [Tasmania], the Southernmost part of New South Wales, an island.”
p. 217.
“The Francis again sailed to the wreck of the Sydney-Cove, on the first of February.”
p. 225.
“The island which Captain Hamilton run his ship on, to prevent her sinking with them at sea, was now distinguished by the name of Preservation Island. From which the Francis had arrived [March] with the remaining part of the property. When she was unloaded, the property was put up and sold for the benefit of the underwriters, and fetched the most enormous prices. The money that the settlers should have expended in the improvement of their farms was thus thrown away; and as the wheat of the last season had been received into the public granary, and paid for, money not being scarce, twenty-two shillings were paid for a common cup and saucer.”
Flinders and Bass, in the Norfolk, a sloop rigged brig of 25 tons constructed on Norfolk Island, had set out to successfully prove that a strait existed between Van Dieman’s Land [Tasmania] and the mainland of Australia in 1798. They explored Preservation Island and Barrington gives an account of Bass’ description:
pp. 265-272.
“Passing Kent’s Group, and standing to the Southward, next morning [18th October, 1798] Furneaux’s Islands were in sight, and on the following day [19th October, 1798] they anchored at Preservation Island, which is one of them. These islands, from what was now and before seen of them by Mr. Bass, appeared to consist of two kinds, perfectly dissimilar in figure, but alike in the materials they are formed of. Both are of granite; but the one is low, and rather level, with a soil of sand covered with brush-wood and tufted grass: the other is high and rocky, and cut into a variety of peaks. Some vegetable soil lies on these, and the vegetation is large; and trees of a tolerable size are produced in some places. There are attached to some parts of these islands low sandy land, of the same height with the lower islands.
“Preservation Island, is of the humble class of islands and of a moderate height. A surface of sand, mixed with vegetable soil, scarcely hides from view the base of granite. In several places vast blocks of this stone lie scattered about, as free from vegetation and the injuries of weather as if they had but just fallen; and, what is remarkable, most of them are entirely detached from the stone on which they rest. It seemed that these blocks had fallen from some higher place than on which they were found; but that was at the same time deemed impossible, for they were then higher than any other part of the island. It is certainly more probable, that subterraneous or volcanic fire might have caused their appearance.
“The bulk of these blocks render them so conspicuous, that the attention is first taken by them on approaching the island. But, besides granate [sic], there is on the North side, where the island is lowest, a a slip of calcareous earth, which discovers itself near the surface of the water. It is not pure, for broken pieces of the granite are mixed with it. Some parts are a mere mass of these pieces, cemented by the calcareous matter; others are a perfect chalk, and may be burnt into excellent lime. Broken sea shells and other exuviae of marine animals are apparent throughout the whole mass.
“Upon the beach near this chalky rock, were found a considerable quantity of black metallic particles, which appeared in the granite as black shining specks, and are undoubtedly grains of tin.
“It excited much surprise to find this bed of the remains of shell animals, of which chalk is formed wherever found; and Mr. Bass endeavoured to investigate the cause of this deposit, by examining the neighbouring parts; on which he was of opinion, that as traces of the sea, and of the effects of running waters, were discernable in various parts of the island, and particularly in the vicinity of this deposit, it seemed probable it had been formed by two streams of the tide, which when the island was beneath the surface of the sea, having swept round a large lump of rock, then met and formed an eddy, where every substance must fall to the bottom. The lump of rocks is a rocky knowl [knoll], which runs from the opposite side of the island nearly to the chalk. On each side is a gap, through which the two streams have passed.
“The vegetation of the island seems starved; consisting only of a few stunted trees; some patches of brush-wood, almost impenetrable; tufts of sour wiry grass, and many low saltish plants, principally of the creeping kind.
“A spot on the East end of the island exhibited a phenomenon not easily explicable by any laws of that class of natural history to which it could be referrible [sic].
“In a patch of naked sand, on one of the most lofty parts of the island, not less than 100 feet above the sea, within a few hundred yards, lay scattered a number of broken branches of dead trees, from one to three inches in diameter, and apparently of a kind similar to the large brush-wood, Amid these branches were seen sticking up several white stoney stumps, of sizes ranging ranging between the above diameters, and in height from a foot to a foot and a half. Their form, together with a number of prongs, projecting in different directions around their base, and entering the ground in the manner of roots, presented a striking resemblance to the stumps and roots of trees. They were extremely brittle, a slight blow with a stick, being sufficient to break them; and when taken into the hand, they broke to pieces with their own weight.
“When broke transversely, it was seen that the internal was divided into interior or central, exterior or cortical. The external part, which occupied various proportions of the whole, resembled a fine white and soft grit-stone; but acids being applied to them, shewed it to be combined with a considerable portion of calcareous matter. The interior or central part was always circular, seldom found the same diameter, or of the same composition, on any two stumps. In some, the calcareous and sandy matter had taken entire possession, so that the wood was completely obliterated; but yet a central ring remained. In others was a center chalk, quite white, which crumbled between the fingers to powder; some consisted of chalk and brown earth, and others had detained a few portions of their woody fibres, the spaces between which were filled up with chalk or earth.
“It appeared, when the people of the Sidney-cove [Sydney Cove] came on the island, the pieces of branches at this time lying round the stumps, then formed, with them, the stems and branches of dead trees completely. But by this time curiosity, and the frolics of the horse landed from the Sidney-cove [Sydney Cove], had reduced them to the state described.
“Mr. Bass had been told that the trees then in a complete state, rose from the stoney part; and that a living leaf was seen upon the upper branches of one of them. But he could never learn whether the stoney part of the stem was of an equal height in all the trees.
“To ascertain to what depth the petrification descended, Mr. Bass scratched away the sand from the foot of many of the stumps, and in no instance found it to have proceeded more than three or four inches beneath the surface of the sand, for at that depth the remains of the root came into view. There were parts of the roots which had undergone alteration similar to that which had taken place in the stems: these established the limits of the petrifying power; for they had felt it only either at their outset from the bottom of the stems, or when, being obstructed in their progress, they had arched upwards to the surface.
“In accounting for the cause that produced this change in the structure of the lower parts of the stems of these trees, Mr. Bass professed the greatest diffidence. He found that all his conjectures were best supported by existing facts, allowing however, they were petrifications, it is certain that there must have existed a pond, in which the petrifying water was contained; but the ground in their neighbourhood retained no traces of such a receptacle. There were, indeed, near them, some few lumps or banks of sand, and vegetable earth held together by dead roots of small trees, and elevated above the rest of the ground, but the relative position of these with each other was so confused and irregular, that nothing but the necessity of a once existing reservoir could ever lead any one to conjecture that these might have been parts of its bank. Mr. Bass concluded that this must have been the case, and that the remainder of the bank had been torn away, and the pond annihilated by some violent effort of nature.
“Notwithstanding the narrowness of the island, many small kangaroos were found in its brushy parts; but so many had been destroyed by the people of Sydney-Cove [Sydney Cove], that they now became scarce.
“The sooty petrel [mutton bird] had appropriated a certain grassy part of the island to herself, and retained her position with a degree of obstinacy not easily to be overcome. For though it so happened, that the store-house for the wrecked cargo was erected upon the spot, and the people for more than a year gained the greater part of the food from these birds, and were continually walking over their habitations, yet at the end of that time the returning flights in the evening were as numerous as they had been on their first arrival.
“When Mr. Hamilton, the commander of the Sydney-Cove [Sydney Cove], quitted the house, he left two hens sitting upon their eggs, some breeding pigeons, and a bag of rice; but no traces were now to be discovered either of the birds or their food. Probably as long as they continued in doors, they did well; but that, when forced by necessity to go abroad for food, they fell a sacrifice to the rapacity of the hawks.
“Several snakes with venemous [sic] fangs were found; but no person had been bit by them, so that the degree of their power was unknown.
“The water of the island was imagined to have been injurious to the health of the people of the Sydney-Cove [Sydney Cove]. Being supposed to contain arsenic, which seemed highly probable from an experiment made with the metallic particles, which were thought to be tin. A fume of which bore many marks of arsenic arising from the crucible during the time of smelting it. Water was very scarce while these people were upon the island; but, owing to some unusual falls of rain, several little runs and swamps were found by Mr. Bass; and a low piece of ground where they deposited their dead was now a pond of an excellent quality.
“Although he had seen but few of the low islands of Furneaux, yet Mr. Bass had not any doubt but that this account of Preservation Island would in general answer for the description of any of them.”
Lieutenant Colonel Collins also gives an account in his An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, from its first settlement in January 1788, to August 1801: with remarks on the dispositions, customs, manners, &c., of the Native Inhabitants of that Country, published by T. Cadell and W. Davies, London, 1804. Essentially the same account as that given by Barrington it differs in some respects:
p. 411.
The date of the first survivors arrival at Port Jackson.
“On the following morning [17th May, 1797], a boat which had been fishing to the southward of Botany Bay brought up to the settlement three persons, late belonging to a ship called the Sydney Cove.....’
p. 413.
In speaking of the fate of the first mate, ‘who had undertaken the navigation of the long boat [p. 412]’, and the carpenter:
“To add to the probability of this having been their end, Mr. Clarke [Clark] mentioned the morose, unfeeling disposition of the carpenter, who often, when some friendly natives had presented him with a few fish, growled that they had not given him all, and insisted, that because they were black fellows, it would be right to take it by force. By some illiberal and intemperate act of this nature, there was much reason to believe he had brought on himself and his ill-fated companion, the mate (a man cast in a gentler mould), a painful and premature death.
“Mr. Clarke [Clark], and the two other people who arrived with him, were very much exhausted, and could not probably have borne up much longer against the toil that attends travelling in such a country as the unsettled part of New Holland every where presents. All possible attention, however, being paid to their situation, they quickly recovered their strength and spirits.”
p. 416.
“In the beginning of July, the Francis returned from the wreck of the Sydney Cove, bringing the remainder of her crew, except six, whom Captain Hamilton, her commander (and the only European belonging to her then alive), had left in charge of that part of her cargo which had been saved. The Eliza long-boat, which sailed from the island with them, had on board a few Lascars and some property; but having had to encounter a very heavy gale of wind, and not arriving with the schooner, many doubts were entertained for her safety. These were greatly augmented by a severe storm which came on twelve days after the arrival of the Francis. The wind blew a hurricane, doing much mischief, and the rain fell in torrents.”
p. 417.
“Mr. Clarke [Clark], of the ship Sydney-Cove [Sydney Cove], having mentioned that, two days before, two days before he had met the people of the boat which had brought him to Port Jackson, he had fallen in with a great quantity of coal, with which he and his companions made a large fire, and had slept by it during the night, a whale-boat was sent off to the southward, with Mr. Bass, the surgeon of the Reliance, to discover where an article so valuable was to be met with. He proceeded about seven leagues to the southward of Point Solander [the south headland of Botany Bay]; where he found, in the face of a steep cliff, washed by the sea, a stratum of coal, in breadth six feet, and extending eight or nine miles to the southward. Upon the summit of the high land, and lying on the surface, he observed many patches of coal, from some of which it must have been that Mr. Clarke [Clark] was so seasonably supplied with fuel. He also found in the skeletons of the mate and carpenter of the Sydney-Cove [Sydney Cove], an unequivocal proof of their having unfortunately perished, as was conjectured.
“From the specimens of the coal which were brought in by Mr. Bass, the quality appeared to be good; but, from its almost inaccessible situation, no great advantage could ever be expected from it; and, indeed, were it even less difficult to be procured, unless some small harbour should be near it, it could not be of much utility to the settlement.”
p. 433.
“The commander of the wrecked ship Sydney-Cove [Sydney Cove], having solicited the Governor to spare him the Colonial Schooner for the purpose of visiting the wreck of his ship, and the six men whom he had left upon the island in charge of what had been landed; though he could ill part with the services of the vessel, yet, in consideration of the melancholy state of the people, and the chance that there might be of saving something for the benefit of the underwriters, his Excellency consented, and she sailed the latter end of December, with Captain Hamilton, to the southward.”
Stories of a surfeit of grog and wild game at the site of the Sydney Cove wreck proved too much of a temptation, as noted by Barrington, to some of the inhabitants of the Colony. In September a Government boat [the Cumberland], ‘the largest and best in the colony’, was seized en route to the Hawkesbury, by a number of the crew and a boarding party, the coxswain and three others being put ashore at Pittwater. Despite a search by two well armed and manned boats no trace was found of her , p. 418. In October a boat was stolen from Parramatta and the thieves were presumed to have escaped unobserved down the river and out of the harbour, p. 421.
p. 436-437.
“It will be seen that by recurring to the month of October, that a boat had been carried off in the night by some people who were supposed to have taken her out to sea, where, from the weakness of the boat, they must have perished; but they were now, contrary to all expectation, heard of again. A settler who kept a boat gave information that she had been boarded in the night off Mullet Island [Dangar Island in the Hawkesbury River] by these very people; and that one of them, having against his inclination been concerned in the robbery, had left them and returned to the settlement. From this man the following particulars were obtained. Having effected the capture, they proceeded to the southward, with an intention of reaching the wreck of the ship Sydney-Cove [Sydney Cove]. For their guide, they had a pocket compass, of which scarcely one man of the fourteen who composed the party knew the use. In this boat they were twice thrown on shore, and at last reached an island, where, had they not fortunately found many birds and seals, they must inevitably have perished.
“From the inconceivable hardships which they underwent, they would, to a man, have gladly returned, could they have hoped that their punishment would have been anything short of death. Finding it impossible for such a number of discontented beings to continue of one mind, or be able to procure food in their miserable situation for so many, they judged it necessary, from a motive of self-preservation, that one half should deceive the other half; and while they were asleep, those who were prepared took away the boat, leaving their seven wretched and unsuspecting companions upon the desolate island, the situation of which this man could not describe so as to enable the Governor at any time to find it. Their number now being reduced to seven, and thinking themselves in danger so near the settlement, they had been lurking for some time about Broken Bay, with a view of capturing a better boat loaded with grain from the Hawkesbury; and this they effected by taking that which we have mentioned, and afterwards a small one, containing upwards of fifty bushels of wheat. After putting their prisoners into the smaller boat, they in the large one stood off to the northward; where it was very probable they would lose their boat, she being of such a size, that if they should get on shore by any accident, they would not be able to launch her again, and must finally perish.”
pp. 443-444.
“Towards the latter end of the month [February 1798], Mr. Bass, the surgeon of the Reliance, returned from an excursion in an open boat to the southward, after an absence of twelve week.....On his return, he picked up, on an island near the coast, the seven men who, it may be remembered, were part of those that carried off a settler’s boat, and had been left by their companions. Being utterly incapable of taking them into his boat, he put them upon the main land, after furnishing them with what was necessary for their support. Two, who were ill, he took into his boat, and left the other five to begin their march of four hundred miles to Port Jackson. They were nearly naked, and almost starved, and must have inevitably perished had not Mr. Bass discovered them.”
p. 450.
“The house of Campbell and Clarke [Clark], at Calcutta, not discouraged by the fate of their unfortunate ship, the Sydney-Cove [Sydney Cove] (of which they were the proprietors), fitted out another, a snow, which, in compliment to the Governor, they named the Hunter, and sent her down with an assortment of India goods, and a few cows and horses. She arrived on the 10th of the month [July 1798]; when the Governor, to crush as much as possible the spirit of monopoly which had so long subsisted, gave public notice, that no part of the cargo should be disposed of, until the settlers in the different districts had stated to him what sums of money they could severally raise; which, it was to be understood, must be in government notes then in their possession, and note those which might purchase upon the strength of their crops.”
G. Paterson in his book The History of New South Wales, from its First Discovery to the Present Time, published by Mackenzie and Dent, Newcastle Upon Tyne, 1811, gives an account which is almost verbatim to that of Collins’ but adds:
p. 300.
“Captain Hamilton, the commander of the Sydney-Cove [Sydney Cove], survived the arrival of the Hunter but a few days. He never recovered from the distresses and hardships which he suffered on the loss of his ship. and died exceedingly regretted by all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance.”
Matthew Flinders gives some additional information in A Voyage to Terra Australis [etc.], Vol. I, G. and W. Nicols, London, 1814; Section IV, part II:
“After this expedition, the duties of the ship, and a voyage to the Cape of Good Hope by the way of Cape Horn, suspended our projects for some time. On the return of the Reliance to New South Wales, we found there the supra-cargo [supercargo] of the Sydney Cove, a ship from India commanded by Mr. G.A. Hamilton, which, having stated a butt-end, had been run on shore at Furneaux’s Islands and wrecked. Mr. Clarke [Clark] had left the ship, with the chief mate and others, in the long boat, designing for Port Jackson, in order to procure means for transporting the officers and people, and such part of the cargo as had been saved, to the same place; but being overtaken by a heavy south-east gale, their boat had been thrown on shore near Cape Howe, three-hundred miles from the colony, and stove to pieces.
“There was no other prospect for safety for Mr. Clarke and his companions, than to reach Port Jackson on foot, their march along the sea shore, scantily furnished with ammunition, and with less provisions. Various tribes of natives were passed, some of whom were friendly, but the hostility of others, and excessive fatigue, daily lessened the number of these unfortunate people, and when the provisions and ammunition failed, the diminution became dreadfully rapid. Their last loss was of the chief mate and carpenter, who were killed by Dilba, and other savages near Hat Hill [Mount Kembla], * [Footnote - * This Dilba was one of the Botany-Bay natives, who had been most strenuous for Tom Thumb to go up into the lagoon, which lies under Hat Hill.] and Mr. Clarke, with a sailor and one lascar, alone remained when they reached Watta-Mowlee [Wattamolla]. They were so exhausted, as to have scarcely strength enough to make themselves observed by a boat which was fishing off the cove, but were at length conveyed into her, and brought to Port Jackson.
“Mr. Clarke gave the first information of the coal cliffs, near Hat Hill [Mount Kembla]; and from him it was ascertained, that, besides the known bays, many small streams and inlets had interrupted his march along the shore, from Cape Howe to Watta-Mowlee [Wattamolla]; but that there was none which he had not been able to pass, either at the sea side, or by going a few miles round, into the country. A journal of his route was published in the Calcutta newspapers, some time in 1798.
“The colonial schooner Francis had made one voyage to Furneaux’s Islands, and brought from thence Captain Hamilton, and part of his people and cargo. The same vessel was about to proceed thither a second time, and I was anxious to embrace that opportunity of exploring those extensive and little known lands; but the great repairs required by the Reliance would not allow of my absence. My friend Bass, less confined by his duty, made several excursions, principally into the interior parts behind Port Jackson, with a view to pass over the back mountains, and ascertain the nature of the country beyond them. His success was not commensurate to the perseverance and labour employed: the mountains were impassable; but the course of the river Grose, laid down in Plate VIII, resulted from one of these excursions.”
Flinders also gives a full account of the rescue voyage of the Francis.
Lieutenant James Grant in his account of the Voyage of the Lady Nelson [view image], from Historical Records of New South Wales, Vol. IV. - Hunter and King. 1800, 1801, 1802., ed. F.M. Bladen, N.S.W. Government, 1896, reported the discovery of human bones at Jervis Bay in 1801:
pp. 478-479.
“Wednesday, 11 March, 1801. - P.M., the wind still continued at S.S.W. and S. I sent the people to haul the seine in the evening further up the bay, but they had little success, owing, I presume, to the sharks which abound here. I went on shore with Mr. Barrallier, Mr. Cayley, and two of the soldiers, all armed. We penetrated a little way into the woods, found them very thick and the grass high, the trees also lofty, with plenty of what is called she-oak. We found parrots of different kinds, and black cockatoos. As the evening approached we joined the boats who had gone a fishing; they had their net broken in several places by sharks, two of which they had got on shore; one measured 7 feet; we brought on board his liver for oil. It was now calm, which lasted until morning. Being anxious to see a little into the country, I set the people to cut a boatload of wood and fill up our water, all which they could do in sight of the ship, while Mr. Barrallier, Cayley, and the two soldiers set out to see what we could find worthy of remark; we walked 7 or 8 miles into the interior; found the soil of a very sandy nature; towards the sea it was sterile, without trees, and swampy ground in the hollows; the earth in these swamps was black, and exactly resembled the earth burned in Scotland called peat. The heights are barren and rocky. On one of these I found a flower, which Mr. Cayley informed me he had never met with before, and believed it to be a new plant it was small, but several specimens of it were taken. Mr. Barrallier also picked up a plant which had not been before met with [Plants of the area]. We directed our course again towards the wood, and walked through much thick cover, but saw no kangaroos. We met with two small lagoons [Lake McKenzie and Lake Windemere] and plenty of small streams running through the thickest part of the woods; saw some black cockatoos, also plenty of parrots, and other small birds common about Sydney. As we approached towards the ship we found a place which had evident marks of being frequented by the natives for the purpose of festivity. It was on a rising ground clear from brush, and no kennel (or habitation of theirs) near it; there were numerous bones of kangaroos, seals, fish, &c., scattered on the ground, and amongst others Mr. Barrallier picked up part of a human skull; it consisted of a part of the os frontis [the forehead part of the skull], with the cavities of the eyes and part of the bones of the nose still attached to it; a little apart from the spot where he picked up the above up he also found a piece of the upper jaw, with one of the molars or back teeth attached to it; also one of the vertebrae of the back with evident marks of fire on it all the others were free from any such marks. On this spot we counted where there had been fifteen different fires, the grass much beaten down and trod on; several seemed fresher than others from this circumstance I presume they visit this spot occasionally. I brought the human bones on board with me, and finding two of the natives on board I called Yeranabie, and shewing him the scull [sic] part desired him to ask if that was the part of a white man, and if they had eat him. Yeranabie interpreted that it was a white man that had come in a small boat or canoe, and that they had eat him, adding afterwards that he had come from some ship which he had said had broke down - been lost to the southward. The natives did not seem alarmed or intimidated at our questions, but pointed to the southward and the harbour’s mouth, answering very freely and without reserve. One of the people also who understands pretty well the language of the natives about Sydney agreed in the account Yeranabie had given, and more than once questioned them about it, especially in regard to the colour of the person. This, however, may be thrown a great light on when the bones are submitted to the faculty. * [Footnote - * Lieut. Grant states in his published work that these bones were forwarded to England to ‘W.L. Thomas, Esq’re, a surgeon and anatomist of the first respectability,’ who, however, was unable to throw any light on the question.]”
Ida Lee in her later work, The Log Books of the Lady Nelson with the Journal of Her First Commander Lieutenant James Grant, R.N., Grafton & Co., London, 1915, quotes extensively from Grant’s book The Narrative of a Voyage of Discovery performed in his Majesty’s Vessel Lady Nelson in the Years 1800, 1801, and 1802, to New South Wales, T. Egerton, London, 1803; and gives further detail on the discovery:
“ ‘On our return to the boat we fell in with a spot of ground which appeared to have been selected by the natives for the purposes of festivity. It was a small eminence having no habitation near. We counted the marks of fifteen different fires that had been employed in cooking fish and other eatables, the bones of which were strewed about. Among them we picked up part of a human skull - the os frontis with the sockets of the eyes and part of the bones of the bones of the nose still attached to it. A little distance from where we found this we discovered a part of the upper jaw with one of the molars or back teeth in it, also one of the vertebrae of the back having marks of fire which the others had not.
“ ‘The grass was much trodden down, and many of the bones of the animals eaten appeared fresh..... I brought off the human bones and on getting on board showed them to Euranabie. Finding two of the natives from the shore in the vessel, I desired him to ask whether these bones belonged to a white man or not, and if they had killed and eaten him. I was anxious to have this cleared up, as the ship Sydney Cove from India to Port Jackson had been wrecked about twelve months before to the southward and it was reported that some of the crew were killed by natives near this place.’ * [Footnote - * The Sydney Cove from Bengal to New South Wales was wrecked on Preservation Island, Tasmania, on 8th February, 1797. Her long-boat was equipped and despatched on 27th February to Sydney, but the boat filled and went to pieces at a spot called Ninety Mile Beach. Out of the crew of seventeen, who started to walk to Port Jackson, only three lived to reach their destination - some dying of fatigue and hunger, the others were murdered by the natives.]
“Euranabie, who spoke English, made inquiries, and a soldier who understood the Sydney dialect, also endeavoured to extract the truth regarding the bones, from the two black fellows, who said that they were those of a white man that had come in a canoe from the southward where the ship ‘tumble down,’ meaning that it had been wrecked. Lieutenant Grant also questioned Worogan, and was informed that ‘the bush natives (who appeared to be a different tribe of people from those that lived by the seaside) did eat human flesh.’”
Was this a crew member of the Sydney Cove ?
There are three possible boats that this unfortunate man may have come from:
- The Sydney Cove.
- The Eliza , one of the rescue boats which was lost on the return from the Sydney Cove wreck site.
- The Cumberland.
The fact that the sailor had entered Jervis Bay in a canoe suggests to me that he must have been in reasonable physical condition.
I believe that this rules out a member of the Sydney Cove’s Crew. Reading Clarke’s account it is evident that men were only left behind when they reached the stage where they could no longer walk; stragglers were waited for and the party only split into two at one point of the journey: the able bodied stuck together throughout the rest of the journey.
Bass had found seven, of the original fourteen men who had hijacked the Cumberland in 1798, on an island near Wilsons Promontory who Flinders described as ‘during the five weeks they had been on this desert spot, had subsisted on petrels, to which a seal was occasionally added.’ Due to the small size of his whaleboat Bass was only able to take on board the two sickest of the men. The other five he ferried across across to the mainland, leaving them with what provisions he was able to spare, some fishing gear, etc., and instructions on how to best get back to Port Jackson overland. A diet of Mutton Bird and seal for five weeks must have left them physically depleted and at an enormous disadvantage for embarking on such an arduous journey. it is possible, but I think highly improbable, that the bones found by Grant at Jervis Bay were those of one of these men.
The best candidate, I believe, is that they belonged to one of the crew members of the Eliza, lost on the coast somewhere between Preservation Island and Port Jackson. The crew would have started from the wreck site, well fed and refreshed, in good physical condition, and thus had the best chances of survival if they managed to reach the shore alive.
All pure speculation on my account but, if your interest is piqued, have a look at the account on the other pages and draw your own conclusions.
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