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Readings from Primary Sources on Moreton Bay & Brisbane

These "Readings" from Barron Field's book, Geographical Memoirs of New South Wales are reprinted from J.G. Steele, The Explorers of the Moreton Bay District 1770-1830, Brisbane, 1972. They relate the first part of the story of the three castaways, Thomas Pamphlet, John Finnegan and Richard Parsons, Narrative of Thomas Pamphlet, as told to John Uniacke and published in Barron Field's book. Field's version has evidently been redrafted from a manuscript in the Mitchell Library which may well have been in John Uniacke's writing. Steele quotes the manuscript in footnotes whenever it appears to be more accurate.
Note that Footnotes are per J.G. Steele.
Due to kind treatment by the natives on Stradbroke Island just across South Passage, Finnegan, Pamphlet and Parsons recovered their strength and Pamphlet and Parsons felt fit and ready after ten days to attempt a return to Sydney. They had some trouble convincing Finnegan to accompany them but all three eventually set off to attempt a crossing to another island...
Extracts from the Narrative of Thomas Pamphlet
[Stradbroke Island 27 April - 3 June 1823]
They placed us in a very large well-built hut by ourselves, and supplied us with fish, water &c. very liberally. Here we remained for a week or ten days, during which time we were most hospitably treated by the natives. They would not, however, suffer us to approach the huts in which their women were, for the first five or six days; and at night five or six of the younger men would sleep in front of our huts. But they afterwards became less vigilant, and we used to pass through their huts among the women as we pleased. Having now recovered our strength to some degree, and much refreshed, after consulting together, Parsons and I resolved to continue our endeavours to reach Sydney; but we had some difficulty in persuading Finnegan to accompany us. He said that the blacks were so friendly that he wished to remain with them, sooner than encounter the difficulty and danger of attempting to return to any of our settlements.

At length, however, he consented to go; and accordingly, early in the morning, about the tenth day,1 we set out in a westerly2 direction, in order to get round the large bay,3 of which the island that we had originally been thrown upon forms the eastern boundary. We had saved as much of our flour as possible, so that our stock still amounted to about forty pounds,4 the greater part of which Parsons carried. Finnegan carried the rest, and a stick of fire; while I bore an axe and a tin pot, which we had saved from the wreck. The natives had pointed out an inlet5 to us at the distance of twelve or fourteen miles,6 where, they informed us by signs, that we should find a canoe, in which they directed us to cross to an island,7 that was just visible, towards the bottom of the bay. After we had proceeded about ten miles,8 the fire went out, at which Parsons, who was a very violent, passionate man, declared he would kill Finnegan, and struck him a severe blow with the handle of the axe, and would in all probability have murdered him had I not intervened. Finnegan now begged for mercy, and said he would make all haste back to a place where he had passed a native fire, about three or four miles back.

Accordingly he departed; but after waiting at least five hours, on his not making his appearance, we resolved to return ourselves. We left our flour, and &c., in the bush, and retraced our steps to the fire. It was nearly extinguished, but after some difficulty, I succeeded in making it burn. Here we stopped for an hour, in hope that Finnegan would appear; but on the approach of evening, we thought it best to return to the place where we had left our provisions. We therefore set forward, each carrying a stick of fire this time, lest one should fail us. However, just as we reached the place, to our mortification and sorrow, both sticks became extinguished, so that, our flour being the only food we had, and having no fire to dress it, we determined to take two or three pounds of it with us, and go back once more to the fire, which we had taken precaution of making up, before we left it. The night was far advanced when we reached it a second time, and having made a cake of our flour and eaten it, we lay down for the night.

In the morning9 we baked the remainder of our flour; and, after remaining two or three hours, in expectation that Finnegan would still come, we again walked on to the place where we had left our provisions, each this time carrying two large sticks of fire. We justly concluded that Finnegan had returned to the natives, whom we had left the day before, and therefore took no concern about him, but pushed on with what expedition we could towards the place where the natives had given us to understand we should find the canoe.

About four o'clock p.m., we arrived at some huts in thç immediate vicinity of the place they had pointed out, but were too much fatigued to look for the canoe that night; and having found water in a swamp10 hard by, and lighted a fire, we made a cake for supper, and slept in the huts. From this time forwards, we always took the precaution of lighting a fire at every two or three miles as we travelled, that we might not again experience the same inconvenience.

Next morning,11 we proceeded to search for the canoe, and found it exactly in the place where the natives had given us to understand we should. We then took it down to the water, in order to ascertain if it would carry us both; but it had been so long exposed to the heat of the sun that it opened in several places, and would not float with one of us. This was a dreadful disappointment, as the beaches began to be covered with mangrove trees so thickly as to prevent our proceeding along them, and, having no shoes, we were unable to walk through the bush.

Therefore, after having consulted a short time, we determined on going back to the blacks, especially as we expected to find Finnegan there. We accordingly took our flour, &c., and immediately set out on our return. By nightfall we had arrived within three or four miles of their huts; here we found a fire and fresh water, and remained all night.

Next morning,12 the tide being high, the mangroves prevented us from walking on the beach. We were therefore obliged to remain till towards low water, when, just as we were about to start, we saw Finnegan, accompanied by two natives, approaching us. It appeared that these men had left their nets at the huts where we found the canoe, and were fearful lest we should take them. They were bringing Finnegan with them, that we might not hurt them, but as soon as they saw us, they made signs to him to return with us. This however we would not allow, as we were very much enraged at his leaving us, in the way he did, - without fire, and were resolved to have nothing more to do with him. We therefore made him proceed with the natives to the canoe-huts,13 while we went on in the other direction, towards the huts, where we had lived with the natives.

About half a mile before we reached them, we saw the natives fishing: they had been very successful, and on seeing us they immediately put a quantity of whitings on the fire, nor would they allow us to proceed till we had filled ourselves with them. They then conducted us to our old quarters, and having kindled a fire, they left us some fish, and went out again to catch more. We now set about making ourselves as comfortable as we could, when just at nightfall we were surprised by the return of Finnegan and the two blacks with their nets. They had travelled the distance14 in one day, which it took us three days to perform, and had forced him to keep up with them. He was dreadfully fatigued; but his companions, after leaving him, went out and procured fish and fern-root for him and themselves. We now became reconciled to him, and were all as friendly as ever, resting ourselves for the next three days15 in the hut, where the blacks regularly brought us fish and fern-root, which latter they- called dingowa.16 We now consulted whether we had better take one of their canoes by night, or endeavour to make one ourselves; and having decided upon the latter, we made choice of a tree, and... (to be continued)
1. About 7 May.
2. Actually a southerly direction.
3. Moreton Bay.
4. They had started with about 75lbs.
5. Probably at Myora, 2 miles north of Dunwich.
6. The distance was 6 miles.
7. Peel Island, near Dunwich.
8. Actually about 4 miles.
9. About 8 May.
10. A small stream enters the bay at Myora.
11. About 9 May.
12. About 10 May.
13. Myora
14. A total of 12 miles, being an average day's walk for the natives, but three times what Finnegan was used to.
15. About 11, 12, 13 May.
16. "Dingowa" was evidently the word used in the dialect of Stradbroke Island. The plant is now known as Blechnum indicum.