Enterprise and Adventure/Governor Grey's Explorations
GOVERNOR GREY'S EXPLORATIONS.
In the year 1836, Mr. Grey, then a lieutenant in the British army, made an offer to the Government to explore the western coasts of Australia, in order to ascertain whether the surmise of the famous navigators, Dampier and King, as to the existence of a great river or water inlet opening up that portion of the continent, had any foundation. The offer was accepted, and an exploring party, headed by Mr. Grey, landed in 1837 in Hanover Bay. After some weeks spent in preparations, the party set out with their ponies and stores. The ground was rough and broken, and their way lay over that precipitate range of hills which, in this portion of the continent, rise almost directly from the coast. Some of the cliffs which they had to ascend were almost perpendicular, and one hundred and eighty feet in height.
By an accident the leader of the expedition had nearly perished at the outset. The pony which Mr. Grey was leading had accomplished about three-fourths of the ascent when, turning one of the sharp corners round a rock, the load struck against it, and knocked the animal over on its side. Luckily its fall was checked in time to prevent it slipping over the rocks, and it lay on a flat space of only four or five feet wide, a precipice of 150 feet on one side of it, and the projection against which it had struck on the other. Quick as thought, Mr. Grey flung himself upon its head, and by his weight kept it from rising, while the animal struggled violently, hanging in mid air over the ravine. Anxious for the fate of his favourite, Mr. Grey luckily conceived the idea of cutting the girths of the saddle, which then with its load rolled over the precipice, and fell with a heavy crash in the torrent far down below. Warned by this misfortune, they took another turn in the path, and the remainder of the horses and their loads reached the tableland in safety.
In their journey to the south, the ponies and sheep died one by one, and the sufferings of the party from their toil and the climate were severe. The natives hovered about them for some time, and at length ventured to attack them, but the attack was at first warned off by the mere terror and astonishment which the explorers inspired by firing off their guns. On another occasion a more serious encounter took place. Having gone out with a corporal named Coles, and a Cape man, to determine the next day's route, Mr. Grey was calling to one of his party, when suddenly he saw him close beside him, breathless and speechless with terror, for he was unarmed, and a native with a spear fixed in his throwing-stick, appeared in full pursuit of him. Immediately numbers of other natives burst upon his sight. A moment before, the most solemn silence had pervaded the woods around them; they had deemed not a human being within miles of them; and now the air rang with savage and ferocious yells, and fierce armed men crowded round them on every side, bent on their destruction. They were now fairly engaged for their lives; escape was impossible, and surrender to their enemies out of the question.
As soon as Lieutenant Grey saw the natives around him, he fired one barrel of his gun over the head of him who was pursuing his dismayed attendant, hoping the report would have checked his further career. He proved to be a tall man who had been seen at the camp, painted with white. The shot did not stop him; he still closed on them, and his spear whistled by their heads; but whilst he was fixing another in his throwing-stick, a ball from the second barrel of Lieutenant Grey's gun struck him in the arm, and it fell powerless by his side. He now retired behind a rock, but the others still pressed on. Grey now made the two men retire behind some neighbouring rocks, which formed a kind of projecting parapet along their front and right flank, whilst he took part on the left. Both his barrels were exhausted; and he desired the other two to fire separately, whilst he was reloading; but to his horror, Coles, who was armed with his rifle, reported hurriedly that the cloth case with which he had covered it for protection against rain, had become entangled. His Services were thus lost at a critical moment; and the other man was so paralyzed with fear, that he could do nothing but cry out, "Oh, sir, look at them, look at them!"
In the mean time their opponents pressed more Closely round, the spears kept whistling by them, and their fate seemed inevitable. The light-coloured man, previously seen, now appeared to direct their movements. He sprang forward to a rock not more than thirty yards from them, and posting himself behind it, threw a spear with such deadly force and aim, that had Grey not drawn himself forward by a sudden jerk, it must have gone through his body, and, as it was, it touched his back. Another well directed spear, from a different hand, would have pierced him in the breast, but, in the motion he made to avoid it, it struck upon the stock of his gun, of which it carried away a portion.
All this took place in a few seconds of time. The party recognized in the light- coloured man an old enemy who had led on the former attack against them. By cries and gestures, this man now appeared to be urging the others to surround and press on them, which they were rapidly doing. Grey saw now that but one thing could be done to save their lives, so he gave Coles his gun to complete the reloading, and took the rifle which he had not yet disengaged from the cover. He tore it off, and stepping out from behind the parapet, advanced to the rock which covered his light-coloured opponent. He had not made two steps in advance, when three spears struck him nearly at the same moment, one of which was thrown by him. He felt severely wounded in the hip, but knew not exactly where the others had struck him. The force of all knocked him down, and made him very giddy and faint, but, as he fell, he heard the savage yells of the natives' delight and triumph; these happily recalled him to himself, and, roused by momentary rage and indignation, he made a strong effort, rallied, and in a moment was on his legs; the spear was wrenched from his wound, and his haversack drawn closely over it, that neither his own party nor the natives might see it; and he advanced again steadily to the rock. The man became alarmed, and threatened him with his club, yelling furiously; but as he neared the rock behind which, all but his head and arms were covered, he flew towards an adjoining one, "dodging" dexterously, according to the native manner of confusing an assailant and avoiding the cast of his spear; but he was scarcely uncovered in his flight, when a rifle-ball pierced him through the back, and he fell heavily on his face with a deep groan. The effect was electrical. The tumult of the combat had ceased; not another spear was thrown, nor another yell uttered. Native after native dropped away and noiselessly disappeared.
The natives had all now concealed themselves, but they were not far off. Presently the wounded man made an effort to raise himself slowly from the ground. Some of them instantly came from behind the rocks and trees, without their spears, crowding round him with the greatest tenderness and solicitude; two passed their arms round him, his head drooped senselessly upon his chest, and, with hurried steps, the whole party wound their way through the forest, their black forms being scarcely distinguishable from the charred trunks of the trees, as they receded in the distance.
Mr. Grey was still in great danger. He retreated from the place after a time, but fell from loss of blood, while still two miles from the camp. Coles went for aid, leaving his superior with the other man, whose helpless timidity had caused the whole disaster, from emboldening the natives to the attack. Mr. Grey lay with his hand on the trigger of his rifle, expecting a new assault each instant. But timely aid came, and he reached his friends safely.
All the toils and sufferings of the adventurous party were at length rewarded by the discovery of a noble river running through a beautiful country, and at the point at which they saw it at least three or four miles across, and studded with numerous islands. They had seen many Australian rivers, but never any equal to this in beauty or magnitude. After exploring its course for a considerable distance, and making numerous interesting discoveries in the adjacent country, the party returned to Hanover Bay, where they fortunately rejoined the exploring vessel, which awaited them, on the 15th of April.