NARRATIVE of a TRIP to OYSTER COVE in 1855.
The following narrative of a journey I made in April, 1855, from Hobart Town to Oyster Cove, and published at the time in a local newspaper, long since defunct, embodies much information of the condition of these people as I then saw them; and if I have slightly altered it from the form in which it originally appeared, it has been to incorporate it with this account of our native tribes:—
Circumstances, the relation of which would in no way interest the reader, required me to make the journey from Kingston (10 miles south of Hobart Town) to the neighbourhood of Oyster Cove, the dwelling place of the few remaining aboriginal people of Tasmania, which is distant, overland from Hobart Town, about 23 miles. Desirous of preserving some memorial of this excursion, I made a few notes as I went along, from which, in an after leisure hour, I have compiled the following narrative for the perusal of such as may take an interest in the subjects it treats of.
The village of Kingston is an irregular straggling country township, a mere assemblage of scattered cottages, situate near to a small stream called Brown's River—a small rill. Several of these buildings are mere huts, but others are good brick residences; the entire number being about a dozen.
The morning of my departure was one of sunshine; and I started with a young companion, who travelled, like myself, a-foot, fresh for the journey, and in such spirits for a walk as fine weather usually produces. We took the principal highway, of course, but from which only a very imperfect knowledge of the district it traverses is to be acquired, as it is generally directed across a barren waste; and the traveller judging of the country from road-side experiences only would form a very erroneous opinion of the District. With the exception of that part where it crosses the fine estate belonging to Mr. Baynton, he sees little but barren sands, stunted trees, and a herbage indicative of sterility and worthlessness. But this would be an unfair description of this district, which is called Kingborough, where some excellent
