Hamilton Hume's Tour to Jervis Bay

The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser

11 January 1822

The following account of Mr. Hamilton Hume's late tour we have received from respectable authority.

As it differs materially from the statement in our paper of the 29th ult. we have thought proper to insert it, and shall be very happy to afford the parties concerned any opportunity of proving their correctness:

"Mr. Hume left Appin, accompanied by Mr. J. Kennedy, Mr. Edward Simpson, John Moon, servant to Mrs. Broughton, and two black natives, named Duall and Cowpasture Jack, for the purpose of selecting land for the county of Argyle.

They passed Mr. Dangar, the Deputy Surveyor, who was then encamped on the farm of Charles Wright, on Thursday the 29th November.

When near Mr. Jenkins' establishment, they were joined by a third native named Udaa-duck, who accompanied them to Lake Bathurst; at which place Mr. Hume suddenly left the party; and, accompanied by the natives, Udaa-duck and Cowpasture Jack, on the 25th November, set out on foot with nine pounds of flour, and went to the top of a high hill some miles on the south-east side of Shoahaven River, but more than 30 from the coast at Jervis' Bay; Mr. Hume left a mark of his having been there, and returned near Mr. Jenkins' establishment on the 30th November, and to Appin about the day stated.

"Jervis' Bay, and Bateman's Bay, are 30 miles apart, and separated by a very high range of broken rocky mountains; Mr. Hume's exertions must, therefore, have been wonderful, in having discovered a track, capable of being made a good road to the two bays as mentioned in the Gazette, in so short a space of time, and with so scanty an allowance of provisions; particularly when it is a known fact, that the country from whence he set out (Lake Bathurst) is more than two thousand feet above the level of the sea, and sixty miles in a straight line to the coast at Jervis' Bay, consequently waters running down such a declivity must form a very broken country.