29 October 1830 - Journies of G.A.Robinson

Extract From: N. J. B. Plomley ed. 'Friendly Mission, the Tasmanian journals and papers of George Augustus Robinson', Halstead Press for Tasmanian Historical Research Association, Hobart, 1966.

Important note: The material below is 'read only'. The text has been transcribed for reasons of personal interest only. It appears here without footnotes and may contain textual errors. Any reference and or citation must be to/from the 'journals and papers' in its hardcopy form. Friendly Mission (1966) is in the collections of most large public libraries. In addition, its first reprint (2008) has also recently become available.

Robinson's 29 October Journal

Strong wind from the westward. At 8 am proceeded from St Georges Point and travelled to the Eddystone. At this point there are immense granite rocks, very coarse. Leaving the Eddystone proceeded to travel inland, about a mile from the shore. From the top of a small hill descried smoke inland, which bore SSW and a considerable distance off. Continued to travel near the coast. About midway down the Bay of Fires is a very long inlet; forded it up to our armpits; the tide was strong. On crossing discovered some white men's tracks and from their appearance they had passed the day before; considered this must be a party in quest of natives and if so I could not expect to meet any as these people would have frightened them away. Sojourned for the night near to Georges River. Walked to-day twenty-five miles. From the time of leaving the boat to this present saw no indication of natives being near the coast.

All the country adjacent to the coast is covered with heath and copse. Saw great numbers of the bush kangaroo, which bounded away as we approached; and a quantity of emu dung, some quite fresh, on the sand banks where they had been to eat the cranberry. There are numerous small rivers all along the coast, stopped up at the mouth with sand, and a sandy beach extends from Georges Point to near Georges River.

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