Journals of Several Expeditions Made in Western Australia, During the Years 1829, 1830, 1831, and 1832/Letter from Mr. Hardy

⁠⁠⁠No. 3.
⁠⁠⁠Peninsula Farm, Swan River,
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠July 14, 1832.

⁠⁠Dear Sir,
⁠In compliance with your wish, 1 here send you a short statement of my proceedings and remarks since my arrival at Swan River. If you think them worthy of notice, , or useful in any shape, they are at your service.

⁠February 3d, 1830, arrived at Swan River, in the brig Tranby, from Hull, and found many of the emigrants in their tents, at Fremantle, generally dissatisfied, and full of complaints respecting the colony, (and some of them ready for going away). The flats up the Swan, the badness of the soil, the heat of the weather, with many other things of the same kind, appeared to be the subjects of general conversation, when worshipping at the shrine of Bacchus; and after being assailed on every hand by such miserable comforters, I found it necessary to leave them and go to look for myself, and after reaching the Peninsula, (where I now reside,) was convinced that the land was of an useful character, and might be made to suit the general purposes of agriculture, although inferior to much of the land higher up the Swan. The first three or four months was taken up by house and boat-building, getting up the goods from Fremantle to the Peninsula, &c. &c. In June we begun to clear the land and plough for wheat, barley, oats, rye, &c., all of which came up well, but the fences not being sufficiently good, the cattle broke in and destroyed a great part of the crop; that which escaped their ravages came to maturity, and was of a very good description. The last year, 1831, has convinced me that when the land can have tillage and proper management, it will grow wheat, barley, oats, rye, potatoes, and turnips, in great abundance: very good specimens of the aforesaid articles were produced the last year—the average weight of wheat from sixty-two to sixty-five pounds per bushel. As it respects the seed time, it is as long and favourable as we can wish; it commences the latter part of May, and continues through June, July, and even August, where the land is in good condition. We have heavy rain in September, very fine showers in October and November, and in the beginning of December the corn is ready for reaping, so that it suffers nothing for the want of moisture.

We have little or no more rain until March, (although very heavy dews) when the showers commence, and increase every month until July or August, after which they gradually subside until November. In December, January, and February, the weather in general is hot, and the grass much burnt up, but the cattle do well and keep their condition the year round; when the grass fails they feed on the grass tree and the tops of the brush-wood.

Young stock thrive remarkably well, and are as large when nine months old, as the same description of stock would be in England at twelve months. I think this is owing to the vary fine climate, which permits them to graze throughout the year, without being obliged to house them for six months out of twelve, and keep them on dry fodder, (as is the case in England,) which very materially hinders their growth. Sheep do well and increase very fast; in some instances, twice in the year. The great scarcity of working cattle, has very materially retarded the progress of the settlers in their agricultural pursuits, and has prevented the colony from arriving at that state of improvement and prosperity which it otherwise would have done. When a sufficient quantity of bullocks and sheep can be obtained to satisfy the wants of the settlers, and a portion of those settlers can be established on the Avon River, as graziers, the colony will be in a fair way for supplying itself with all the necessaries of life, produced on its own soil. What I have seen of Yorkshire, on the river Avon, I was much pleased with, and think it well adapted for either grazing or farming; but the distance from market, in the present state of the colony, will prevent much being done in the farming line above what is wanted on the spot for consumption. As it respects the colony at large, there is little doubt but it will succeed, and well, if it receive that encouragement and support which all colonies need in their infancy. We have already seen the wilderness become a fruitful field, bending beneath the gentle breeze, and are looking forward to the time when every diligent man shall be surrounded with peace and plenty.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠I remain, your's, &c. &c.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Joseph Hardy.

To Captain Irvin, Perth.