ON July 16, 1839, we anchored in Holdfast Bay, and preparations were made for landing. The members of our family, excepting myself, went ashore a day or two after we anchored, but I was left on board to look after the luggage and goods brought out, upwards of twenty cases and packages. The landing at Glenelg was no easy matter, as there was no jetty nor any convenience of this kind. The boats had to be kept out of the surf, and the passengers carried by the sailors through it. It was said that if the carriers had a grudge against any that required their services, this method of landing afforded a fine opportunity to gratify their displeasure; by letting the unfortunate one down into the water: accidentally, of course, though done intentionally. Some aborigines, whose encampment was at the back of the sandhills, were on the beach to welcome the new-comers; and what was generally asked for by them was "baccy," and "bicketty." This clearly showed that they had made some progress in civilisation, and besides the natural process of eating they had already acquired the unnatural practice of smoking. In order to land the luggage and goods brought out by the passengers, bullock-drays were taken into the water sufficiently far to enable the contents of the boats to be discharged into them. Though the Bay was little more than six miles from the City, it took the greater part of the day for a bullock-dray to load up and reach its destination. There was no properly-defined road, and as there were no fences in the way, the bullock-drivers could go as they pleased, with the exception of keeping in the track indicated by the removal of the trees in the line of route.

      The weather at the time of our arrival was cold and frosty, and the shelter of a house of any kind, if procurable, was necessary [27] for my mother in the delicate state of her health. Dr. Mayo knew that it would be difficult to obtain accommodation in the embryo city, and kindly used his influence to get us a room in Emigration Square for a few days. In this he was successful, and so the whole of us found temporary shelter in one of the apartments intended for the new arrivals. The Square was situated on the Park Lands, west of Hindley Street. The buildings then constituting the square were of wood, and each house consisted of two rooms, divided by a three-quarter partition of the same material. The family in the adjoining room to ours brought out a rooster and two or three hens, and lest we should indulge too long in our slumbers, chanticleer commenced to crow in the early morn delighted no doubt, with being once again on terra, firmer. There were twenty or more of these houses forming the Square, but only one or two, used for special purposes, had a fireplace. I had to turn out in the morning and light a fire, the fuel consisting of green bushes brought by the aborigines, and my task was not by any means an easy one. It was well that I was assisted by a pair of bellows, and the operation was one that might be considered a case of all blow: because I not only had to blow the fire, but to blow my fingers now and again to keep them sufficiently warm to blow the fire. Then again there was the difficulty of obtaining a light to kindle the fire, as tandstickors and safety matches were not in common use. The process at that time was one that required skill, patience, and perseverance; and was as follows: In a round tin box was placed some burnt linen. In one hand a piece of flint was held, and in the other a piece of steel; and these had to be struck against each other till the sparks went clown on the tinder. So soon as a spark rested and ignited the tinder, it was blown by the breath till sufficiently strong to light a match, tipped at the end with brimstone; and when this was well lighted the task was accomplished. If the tinder was damp, it was really difficult to obtain a light by this primitive method.

      For some time after our arrival there was no restriction placed upon the natives lopping off the limbs of the gum and other trees for the purposes of firewood; and the ingenious way in which they climbed up large trees is worthy of mention. One of the short pieces of hard wood they carried about with them was sharpened at one end in the shape of a wedge. With this instrument they first made an incision in the bark sufficiently large to place the great toe in, and then reaching up they thrust the wedge into the bark, giving them something to hold on by till they made another incision for the foot. This process was [28] repeated again and again till they reached the branches, and as they bad no saws to cut off what they wanted, they borrowed these necessary tools from the new-comers by whom they were engaged to supply fuel. Long after wood was carted to town for sale the natives proffered their services to cut it up for a small consideration; and to obtain this employment they presented themselves at the doors and windows of the early settlers with some such application as this:--"Lubra, me cut wood; you give "me black noney and picanninie bit of baccy"; again, "You bery good lubra, me bery hungry; you give me some bullocky and me cut wood." Sometimes they were bold enough to ask for white money, and as it was known that they could not sound the letter "s"" without a lot of spluttering, the offer was made by some who were in the secret, "You say 'split sixpence,' me give you white money." With such a tempting offer they would try their very best, but they could not get further than "pit tixpence"; and of course the bargain was broken, much to their chagrin and disappointment.

      Not only wood, but water was necessary, and as there was none in the Square but what was brought there, I will briefly describe how it was obtained for our use; others I suppose adopted a similar method. At each end of a small barrel a screw was inserted, and a line being fastened on to the screw, the barrel was trundled down to the River Torrens, the bung taken out, the barrel filled, and then brought back in the same way. In the City the water was supplied by carts specially constructed for its carriage; and when brought, was placed in casks at the front or back door of the dwellings, whichever was most convenient. The water was not very pure when delivered, and it did not improve with keeping; tadpoles and other living creatures increasing and multiplying as time permitted. The water-carts were driven into the river and backed against a tree lying lengthwise across the stream, where the water was deep; the said tree being cut away on top to afford a footing. Then the water was dipped up with buckets into the large barrels on wheels that were to convey it to customers in town, at a charge of three shillings per load in Hindley Street, and more in streets further back. This precious fluid was usually strained through muslin or something of that kind, and boiled before being used for drinking purposes. This impure water was the cause of many cases of dysentery in the early days of the Colony; and my father was one of the victims to this disease. The Thames water supplied on board ship was bad enough at times during the voyage, but, strange to say, after [29] undergoing the process of fermentation it became sweeter and better. This could not be said of the Torrens water, which, after standing some time in the casks, exposed to heat and dust and flies, was scarcely fit for human beings to drink.

      After staying a few days in Emigration Square we removed to a wooden house at the eastern part of North Terrace, which had been occupied by Capt. Sandford, who was removing a few miles into the country.

      Before giving some idea of the East-end of Adelaide at this time, I will briefly describe the West-end, which was the business quarter of the City in these early days. To the north of Emigration Square there was a row of shanties known as Coromandel Row, named after the Coromandel, which arrived some time before us. The place known as Coromandel Valley was so named because some of the sailors of that vessel secreted themselves there, preferring life in the bush to life at sea. Near to the Square and near the western end of North Terrace there were several "squatters," who had erected tents and other dwelling-places of a temporary character. Some were located on the banks of the Torrens, and some even found shelter in large hollow trees, with canvas or curtains to enlarge their habitation.

      Ascending the rising ground from the Square, the top of Hindley Street was reached, and from this elevation there was a good view of the habitable part of the city, the greater part being uninhabited at this time. Wooden buildings, constructed of weatherboard and broad palings, were the order of the day; and there was quite a number of these from the top of Hindley Street as far as Leigh Street. One Lazarus, a Jew, had a large store at the corner of Hindley and Morphett Streets; and at this emporium almost all kinds of goods could be procured. One prominent building not far from Morphett Street was that occupied by Mr. R. Thomas, proprietor of the South Australian Register. The grass growing on the vacant unfenced land, with trees here and there, rendered the landscape in the distance pleasing to the eye. At the upper part of North Terrace there was the first Congregational Chapel, a very unpretending structure, 40 x 20, with a thatched roof and calico for windows; and not far from this the first Theatre, built of wood, of which I shall have something further to say hereafter. Trinity Church, a stone structure, had taken the place of the wooden one erected under the supervision and with the assistance of the Colonial Chaplain, the Rev. C. B. Howard. Calico, in the openings for windows, was doing duty for glass, as it did in many other instances; and though the erections would not bear comparison with those in [30] England, new-comers who came out expecting to find the early settlers living in a semi-barbarous state were agreeably surprised to see the progress made in such a short space of time. On the Park Lands, opposite the upper part of North Terrace, nearly all the Government Offices were located, mostly built of wood; and lower down was the South Australian School, conducted by Mr. J. B. Shepherdson; and lower down still the Police Office--both structures built of wood. Government House was situated near the site of the present Government Stables; and the latter at the present time might be considered a mansion compared with the first vice-regal residence. The sailors of H. M. S. Buffalo largely assisted in the erection of the first structure, and, as the weather was very warm at the time, it was not considered necessary to build any chimneys; so the cooking had to be done in an out-building erected for the purpose. The first vice-regal residence was destroyed by fire at the beginning of 1841, and I have in my possession a relic of the debris that was deposited in the quarry at the back of the Government domain. This consists of a devotional work, which, though bearing evidence of the fierceness of the fire to which it had been subjected, is still readable, great care being necessary in turning over the leaves. In consequence of this fire, and the one at Colonel Light's residence, many valuable documents connected with the early history of the Colony were destroyed.

      Proceeding down Rundle Street to reach our temporary residence at the eastern end of North Terrace, a difficulty presented itself. The street was not very well defined, and there were only a few buildings erected; but one was, in course of erection that raised the difficulty. On the site of the York Hotel a cellar was being excavated for a boarding-house for Miss Bathgate, and the soil and clay were deposited in the street. The rains had fallen upon this deposit, and as it was softened by this means, pedestrians had to wade through something worse than mud; and if the clay persistently retained possession of boots and shoes, there was no Corporation to appeal to for redress. At this time the roadway and footpaths in Hindley and Rundle Streets not being made, they were in a worse state by the traffic passing over them than other less frequented parts of the City. Hindley Street, especially, was in a very bad condition after a heavy fall of rain, bullocks in some places sinking up to their knees and the drays up to the axles. At the bottom of Rosina Street there was quite a deep hole, almost dangerous to pedestrians and equestrians. A story was told, the truth of [31] which I cannot vouch for, that on one occasion a man was seen in the aforesaid deep hole, and being questioned as to why he remained there, his answer was that he was sitting on his horse, and that his horse was underneath him! This hole was supplied, after a heavy downpour, with more than sufficient to fill it, and the overflow took the liberty of passing through some of the business premises on the north side of the street on its way to North Terrace. Another rush of water from Light Square came down Morphett Street, and this watercourse was known as "Paddy's River," after the City Surveyor, Mr. (afterwards Sir) G. S. Kingston, who had the water-table widened and deepened to carry off the flood-water.

      Bad as the two main streets were, there were greater dangers to be encountered in going to the southern parts of the city, after dark, in consequence of the uprooting of the large gum-trees, and the cattle that roamed about as they pleased. There was the risk of falling over the trees that had been felled, of tumbling into the holes out of which the roots had been grubbed; and of stumbling against a bullock or cow, unless the breathing of the animal was sufficiently loud to give a note of warning. At the junction of Grenfell and King William Streets a capacious tent was erected, surrounded with an enclosure for a cow and other domestic animals--a veritable farm on a small scale in the heart of the city. South Terrace was of course much nearer to the centre of traffic than the South Pole, but only a few had ventured to take up their abode in that far-off locality. I was asked on one occasion to go and stay of an evening with some one who was timid and did not like to be left alone in that lonely part of the city. The upper part of Currie Street could boast of a number of shops and dwellings of a primitive order, and at the bottom of Grenfell Street there still stands, at the time of writing these records, a Manning's house, built of wood, which will give a correct idea of the better kind of houses erected fifty or sixty years ago. This old relic was the residence of Mr. (afterwards the Hon.) W. Peacock, and not long since was offered for sale by the Trustees of the Peacock Estate. A few of the early structures may still be seen at the upper end of Hindley and Currie Streets, but they are gradually disappearing.

      When more substantial materials than wood became the order of the day in the erection of shops and dwellings, mention should be made of what was then known as "pise"; and also of the man who gave an impetus to the erection of buildings of this kind, who was known as "Pise" Nicholls. The word is of French [32] origin, and signifies walls built of earth or mud, placed in a mould, much the same as concrete; which latter was also largely used in the early days of the colony for building purposes. Some straw mixed with the earth or mud bound it together, and when dried by the heat of the sun, it was similar to sun-burnt brick. One great objection to pise was that it harbored insects, and in this respect concrete was much superior. When it was found that the clay at Hindmarsh and thereabouts would make first-rate bricks, there was an extensive manufacture of them, and they gradually supplanted wood, pise, and concrete. For roofing purposes shingles and broad palings were extensively used; and these in the first instance were imported from Tasmania, or Van Diemen's Land as it was then called. After a time some "splitters" came over from that colony, and finding that the timber in the Mount Lofty Ranges was suitable for the purpose, they commenced operations there. Mr. (afterwards the Hon.) B. Coglin, was among the early splitters that came over, and doing very well in this line he was in a position to erect two or three shops in Hindley Street, one of which, consisting of two apartments, my mother rented from him at thirty shillings per week.

      It would be some time in August that we removed to Hindley Street, our new premises being a little to the west of Rosina Street. One of the two rooms had a shop window, and the other was divided off with a curtain to serve for bedroom and living room. There was a calico ceiling, which kept some of the dust coming through the paling roof from descending upon all below. The opening of the shop was an event of importance, and my mother, who was treasurer, had to consider the question of ways and means. The funds in hand had dwindled down to one sovereign, which had to be invested to the best possible advantage; as a mistake in this matter would be attended with serious consequences. Her business foresight and judgment were exercised in the right direction, and her plan was soon formed and speedily put into execution. Impressed with the fact that "bread is the staff of life," and that the new-comers in Emigration Square would be pleased to get some "soft tack," as the sailors called it, she invested this precious sovereign in bread, and learning that Mr. Thomas, the printer, had brought out a hand-truck, which could be hired at one shilling per hour, I was despatched to obtain the use of this two-wheeler. I was entrusted with the command of the expedition, with instructions to sell or barter the bread to the best of my ability; and I was [33] not to bring it back unless absolutely necessary. I was the shaft-horse, and my brother (who was afterwards a baker in King William Street) was to push behind. The venture turned out a good and profitable one, and I was sent again and again after I had opened up the trade. Dozen after dozen of bread was disposed of, not only in the Square, but in the Hindley Street establishment; and in a short time other kinds of provisions were added to the aforesaid necessaries of life. Surplus stores saved by the emigrants, such as rice, split peas, sago, etc., were bartered for bread; and this gave variety to the stores supplied at the new establishment.

      In course of time some of the goods brought out from England were unpacked and exposed for sale, making quite a display of wares, useful and ornamental. My father was chief assistant, and as he took kindly to the work, for a time my valuable services could be dispensed with. An office-boy being required by a nondescript individual in King William Street, I received orders to accept the situation, the duties of which were exceedingly light. As far as I could ascertain, my employer had a station in New South Wales, and probably wanted someone in South Australia to join him in the business. My position was a perfect sinecure, and I would have been disgusted with it but for one thing, and that was, I was told to go daily to an eating-house in Rundle Street and get my dinner; and I found out afterwards that this was about all I would get. At this place there was some first-rate beef a la mode prepared for the customers, and I took quite a liking for this savory dish and did justice to it; but, from the sequel, I am afraid it was never paid for. I suppose that the gentleman who engaged me failed to get the partner with capital that he was seeking, and had to clear out from this colony in debt to many, myself among the number.

      One of the visitors to the office I had charge of was Captain Thom, of the brig William--a man of commanding appearance, and at the same time of a very kindly manner. Knowing that my servitude with my then employer was nearly at an end, he offered, if I would go to Launceston with him, that he would endeavor to get a situation for me in the firm of Griffiths & Co., a mercantile and shipping firm of some standing. This gentleman seemed to have taken a liking to me, and I was rather pleased than otherwise to accept his offer. My parents, of course, had to be consulted; and, as they were told that the opening might give me a start in life, they consented to part with me. Preliminaries being arranged, and my outfit (a small one) having been prepared, [34] I took leave of my relatives and went down to the Old Port, and down the stream to the brig.

      Before giving some particulars of my adventures after leaving Adelaide, I may as well give a brief description of the landing-place at the Old Port. It was situated two or three miles up-stream above the present Port, and could boast of a canal for boats and something like a wharf for the reception of passengers and goods. The wharf was formed by the silt taken out of the ditch, and at high-tides there was danger of goods being damaged. Boats heavily laden could only reach this place when the tide was high, and as these boats had to be rowed or towed several miles from where the ships were lying, delay in reaching the wharf was frequently experienced. It was not infrequently the case that the goods placed on the wharf were exposed for several days to the weather, as well as to the high-tides; which of course paid no respect to their nature or value. Their removal was a tedious process, as the bullock-drays could only take about half a load through the sandhills, and after unloading that, come back for the other half. Dotted here and there on the sand were a few wooden buildings, one of which was a place dignified with the name of the Custom House. One or two public-houses were also located there, a few offices for agents, and a few dwelling places. From the foregoing the risk and expense attending the landing and carting of goods from the Old Port to the City of Adelaide will easily be imagined. [35]

[CLACE 27-35]