Title

Lake Patterson, near Patterson's Plains, Hunters River, New South Wales.

Author

Author not identified

Source

[Not applicable]

Publication date

1825

Type

About the work

Language

English

Country of context

Australia

Full text

Lake Patterson, near Patterson's Plains, Hunters River, New South Wales.

THE Lake, or Lagoon, represented in the annexed Plate, is about half a mile from the SETTLERS, or PATTERSON'S PLAINS; so called from the circumstance of a Colonel PATTERSON having caused the Land to be allotted for cultivation, in the first instance, in small por­tions, among a considerable number of Settlers. This tract of Land is one of the finest in this vast country. It contains many thousand acres of the most beautiflul grass, well watered, and is, in general, thinly wooded. The Land in the Scrubbs, or Brush, near the sides of the River, is particularly good, and produces amazing crops of Wheat, Maize, Barley, Oats, Potatoes of the best and largest sort, with every kind of vegetables. About four miles from the Settlers, or Patterson's Plains, this arm joins the main River; where there is also a very large tract of the finest Land, on the opposite side of the water, running south and south-east, and south-westward, up the course of the River.

On the left hand, about two miles from the River, is situated a Lagoon, formerly known by the name of the Big Lagoon, but now called LAKE LACHLAN, after the Son of the late Governor. It is about six miles in length, and, in some parts, three miles in width. innumerable Wild Ducks, Teal, Widgeons, Black Swans, &c. are found upon it; and in the neighbourhood are immense flocks of the Forest Kangaroo, some weighing as much as one hundred and eighty pounds each. There are also Emus.

LAKE PATTERSON is about five miles in length, and from one to two miles and a half wide. Besides abundance of the same species of Water Fowl described above, there is found on this Lake a peculiar sort of Geese, which are about the size of the common English wild Goose, and of a remarkably fine flavour, as near as possible to the English wild Duck. The head is of a dark black green; the back almost entirely black; belly white; but the extreme points of the wings and the tails are also black. they are remarkably shy, remaining generally among the vast beds of reeds and sedges at the lower extremity of the Lake. Very large Eels are taken here by the Natives, who make Canoes of the bark of the large Eucalyptus, from which, at certain seasons of the year, they spear vast quantities of these Eels, weighing from ten to twenty pounds each. In addition to Parrots, Paroquets, Cockatoos, and Pigeons, in the Bush about this Lake, there are numerous sorts of very beautiful small Birds, together with the Regent Bird and the Satin Bird.

PATTERSON'S PLAINS lie about seventy miles from NEWCASTLE, upon the second branch of the River HUNTER. The distance by land is not more than forty miles, but the difficulty of crossing the River occasions the general communication to be made by water.

Accompanying text, 1825.