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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.
Story so far— Pamphlet, Parsons and Finnegan, three ticket-of-leave convicts, had been blown north from Sydney by a storm in an open boat and had wrecked on Moreton Island. They eventually crossed South Passage to Stradbroke Island. With kind treatment by local Aborigines and strength restored, they were set on returning to Sydney which they believed lay north. Building a canoe, they crossed to the mainland and then proceeded by foot up the right bank of a large river, the Brisbane river. Retracing their steps, they returned to the mouth. After resting for a month, they struck north for a headland they believed to be Jervis Bay. They reach Noosa and split up- Pamphlet and Finnegan return to Bribie island area and Parsons continued on. On 29 November 1823, Pamphlet hails Oxley's cutter "The Mermaid" and is rescued...
Extracts from the Narrative of Thomas Pamphlet
[BRIBIE TO MAROOCHYDORE, OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 1823]
(Resumed by Pamphlet)

The day following Finnegan's return,1 the old chief being about to go with several of his tribe to a fight at some distance, took Finnegan along with him. He was very anxious for me also to accompany him, but on my making signs to him that my feet were still very sore, he permitted me to remain behind without further solicitation. I now daily accompanied the men of the tribe on their fishing excursions, and was always supplied by them in the most liberal manner. They would not even allow me to roast the fish or pound the dingowa which they gave me, but always brought them ready dressed.

One day, however, the old man in whose hut I lived, having caught several large fish, did not give me any, as was usual with him; and on my asking for some, he refused me rather gruffly. Upon this, fancying they might be getting tired of me, I resolved to leave them, and accordingly, taking my axe, I set out at once, in order to attempt, if possible, to rejoin Parsons. I had not, however, gone far, when I was followed by four of the young men, who made use of every persuasion in their power to entice me back, to which I at last consented, the more readily as each of them brought two spears, and I was not quite certain what use they would have put them to, had I persisted in my refusal. After this I lived with them in the same manner as before, expecting Finnegan's return every day; but having now lost our reckoning for some time, I cannot form any idea how long I remained, or what time Finnegan was away.2

At last, one evening,3 as I was sitting by the fire and the blacks were roasting fish for me, I heard some natives shouting on the beach and calling me; upon which I rose and walked slowly towards them; but what was my astonishment and delight, when I saw a cutter4 under full sail standing up the bay, about three miles from where we stood! I instantly made towards her with all the speed I could, followed by a number of the natives; but before I had run half the distance, she came to an anchor within half a quarter of a mile of the shore. On coming abreast the vessel I hailed her, and was immediately answered; and shortly afterwards a boat pushed off from her from which landed Mr. Oxley, the Surveyor-General, Lieutenant Stirling of the Buffs,5 and the recorder6 of this narrative.

I now learned, to my great surprise, that I was at least five hundred miles to the northward of Port Jackson, instead of being, as we always imagined, to the southward of Jervis's Bay. I was taken on board the vessel that evening, where, after I was cleaned I was decently clothed and humanely treated; but my head and heart were so much affected by this unexpected turn of fortune, that I was unable to answer any questions that were put to me that night. The next morning,7 however, I became more collected; and in the course of the day my satisfaction was greatly increased by the return of Finnegan, who experienced the same kind treatment that I had previously done. I now found that upwards of eight months had elapsed since I left Sydney; consequently, I had spent nearly five of them with these hospitable natives of Moreton Bay. Their behaviour to me and my companions had been so invariably kind and generous, that, notwithstanding the delight I felt at the idea of once more returning to my home, I did not leave them without sincere regret. Mr. Oxley and Mr. Stirling set out the following morning, taking Finnegan with them, in order to examine the river8 which we had been so long in attempting to cross; and on their return, in five or six days, the Mermaid cutter got under way, and we all set sail for Sydney.9
1. About 21 November.
2. Finnegan was away about nine days. Pamphlet originally told Oxley it was three - four weeks (Oxley, Field Books, 29 November 1823), and he told Uniacke it was two weeks (Uniacke, Narrative, 29 November - 6 December 1823), but he now admitted that he did not know.
3. 29 November.
4. The "Mermaid".
5. The Third Regiment.
6. Presumably John Uniacke.
7. 30 November.
8. The Brisbane River.
9. Here ends the "Narrative of Thomas Pamphlet". It was probably recorded on the "Mermaid" before and during the voyage to Sydney.