OLD AUSTRALIAN RECORDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7170, 8 November 1884, Page 1 (Supplement)

OLD AUSTRALIAN RECORDS.

Lord Brabourne's collection of papers, just bought by the New South Wales Government, is from the library of Sir Joseph Banks, the companion of Cook in 1770, and the active President of the Royal Society. Identified with the country from his landing at Botany Bay, he continued till death to, take a very prominent part in. all that related to its history, and particularly favouring s'chemes of discovery there. The collection, of course; contains a- large number of letters, pertaining to natural history and travel, from the Kew Gardens' botanical collectors, placed under Sir Joseph's care. Other communication? are from, the men of science with Captain Flinders. The artist of the expedition, Mr. Westall, informed Banks that "New. Holland in its general appearance differed little from the northern parts o£ England." (!) There are three letters from Captain Cook, and uine from his more racy friend and.co-navigator, Captain Clkrke. It was from Kamtechatka that our Government learnt the sad tale of Captain Cook's death. .Letters, describing tbe circumstances, were left with some Huetian traders in the Aleutian Isles by Captain Clarke. They were long reaching f> e commandant of St. Peter and St. Paul, who forwarded them to St. Potorsburg. The Governors writing to Sir Joseph were Hunter, King, and Bligh, who owed their appointments to him. Scores of letters are there tl at were sent by Captain King. On October 7,' 1797, he speaks of some early, settlers to New % Holland :—" I obtained for each party £20 to fit them, and pay their debts ; also £5 each on the passage." Of coarse, the passage wae a tree one. Hua_

ter'e letters are few, but hie statement on the expenses of role in Sydney cover 72 pages of paper. Bligh'a communications are numerous, and fall of complaints. The "Bounty" papers are of deep interest, and all information upon that bread-fruit adventure. A full Btory ia given, in letter', of the : discovery of - the retreats of the mutineers at Pitcairn's Island. The American captain, Captain Foleer, first got the story sent, on from Chili -by Sir SydntS Smith. The accounts of Bligh, Keith, and PisEoa were obtained by the President of the Royal Society. Papers and letters throw some light upon the rebellion of ISO 7. Exploration is noticed.in charts and correspondence. The report of the voyage of the Lady Nelson, by. Lieutenant James Grant, occupies five sheets. A letter of his is dated January 3, 1800. - A chart bears these words :—" Surveyed in Australia, 1803, by Lieutenant James Tackey, of H.M.S. Calcutta." Tuckey eent Banks, March 2, 1805, a long story. about the colony, observing, "I am afraid I remarked too freely for publication." Captain King, May 3, 1800, assured hie friend he was resolved to "survey a part of the S.W. coast, to see what shelter," &c. There is a chart of Western Port, by Lieutenant Robins, of H.M.S. Buffalo, made in the colonial Integrity. Another chart gives Governor King's Bay, afterwards Port Phillip. Tasmanian references are interesting. In May, ISO 3, Governor Sing told Banks he intended to settle the island, for fear of the French being first. Colonel P&terson, of Launceston, wrote, September 29, 1803, of a curious insect he had found that made fine manna. He notes the temperature at Hobart Town 62deg. when 94deg. at Launceaton. The story of Flinders, especially of his captivity, takes up many letters. Hie loving wife tonchingly pleads with Banks to eave her husband. Alaa 1 he could do nothing when the Ministry declined to stir on behalf of the poor fellow. The pastoral records are numerous. Mr, Arthur Young, after looking at wool sent him, observed, May 21, 1805, that the oolony " bids fair for putting down the Spanish flocks in England, provided fleeces can be .pressed, like trasses of hay, without injury." Sydney iron ore and Hunter coal were sent to Banks. A German told him that was the very latitude for gold and precions stones, but Banks was interested in the soheme of a great pastoral company. He had the honour, by influence, of opening the Custom-house for colonial produce in oil and fur. Among the earliest records is » letter to Sir Joseph. Banks, December 13, 1786, dealing with a difficulty then presented about sending out male conviots to New Holland. The writer sug« gests : —" If all the men unprovided with wives were embarked in one or two vessels, and sent to Otaheite, they might, without imitating the violence of a Sabine rape, bring from the superior race in that island a set of the moet beautifully-formed women that the sun beholds, and thereby Botany Bay might be peopled with beings that would be an ornament to human nature. From the sober gravity of the males and the airy, lightness of the females, from the thoughtful dispositions of the men, and the gay, unthinking cheerfulness of tbe women, a generation of sooial, benevolent beings might arise, and in time become a flourishing nation. The respect and equality which the wives would enjoy with their European husbands would compensate for their change of place." A woman's letter, November . 14th, 1788, has this description of the settlement :—" We have now two streets, jf four rowa of the most miserable huts you can possibly conceive of deserve that name. Windows they have none, as from the Government House, &c, no glass could be spared." She says the women were " totally unprovided with clothes," noting that "a lumber of marriages have taken place." i'his letter contains the following interesting statement respecting a since questioned story:—"A church is to be built, and named St. Phillip, after thn Governor." Another female correspondent mentions that " the greatest part of the women were' immediately sent to Norfolk Island."^