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ALLEN, James.
Journal of an Experimental Trip by the 'Lady Augusta'...
Adelaide, C.G.E. Platts, 1853.
Octavo, lithographic frontispiece, a little dusted; old full calf, gilt lettering to spine, a very good copy.
Very scarce: the first navigation of the Murray River, from the Goolwa in South Australia to Swan Hill and back, by steam boat.
Sir Henry Fox Young (then governor of South Australia) was anxious to promote inland trade, and set aside £4,000 as a bonus for the first navigation of the Murray from its mouth to the junction with the Darling in an iron-clad steamer. The earlier attempt of the Mary Ann had ended in ignominious failure, because of the low waters caused by the drought. One Captain Francis Cadell also heard of the prize, and was determined to win it on the Lady Augusta, with her companion cargo barge the Eureka. The two vessels left the slips and started towards Victoria on 25 August 1853. In addition to a full crew complement, the 1,300 mile journey was enjoyed by 15 passengers "with a goodly number of ladies".
This account of the voyage was written by the journalist James Allen, invited along by Cadell to ensure the maximum publicity for his attempt. Allen's lively account includes daily entries, providing a rich panoply of country scenes, investigations of remote sheep stations, explorations of tributaries tested for their potential in moving produce (mainly wool) and the odd search for drovers lost in the Bush. The "experimental trip" paused outside of Swan Hill for a night of bonfire celebrations for all those involved, before heading back to South Australia, arriving on Friday, the 14th of October, 1853. A lithographic frontispiece depicts the Lady Augusta at berth in the Swan Hill settlement.
Included with the daily accounts are transcriptions of the celebratory dinners held before and after the epic journey, as well as reprinted newspaper articles published about the trip; there are also transcriptions of various proclamations made, or issued, by local landowners who greeted the steamer on her voyage. In all, this is a wonderful snapshot of a landmark river journey, enlivened by the possibilities of future commercial activity and prosperity.
This is the Coles and subsequently Ingleton copy with both their bookplates.
Ferguson, 5897.
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