at must be its magnitude at its confluence
with the ocean, before it can arrive at which it has to traverse a
country nearly two thousand miles in extent. If it possesses the usual
sinuosities of rivers, its course to the sea cannot be less than from
five to six thousand miles, and the endless accession of tributary
streams which it must receive in its passage through so great an extent
of country will, without doubt, enable it to vie in point of magnitude
with any river in the world."

It was to realise such ambitious hopes as these that Oxley went forth to
penetrate into the interior.

CHAPTER 3. JOHN OXLEY.

[Illustration. John Oxley. From a portrait in the possession of Mrs.
Oxley, of Bowral. The portrait was presented to Mrs. King, widow of
Governor King in 1810, and signed by him.]

3.1. GENERAL BIOGRAPHY.

Oxley was born in England in the early part of 1781. In his youth he
entered the navy, saw active service in many parts of the world, and rose
to the rank of Lieutenant. He came to Australia in January, 1812, and was
appointed Surveyor-General.

Throughout his career in Australia, Oxley would seem to have won the
friendship and respect of all he came in contact with. Captain Charles
Sturt, in the journal of his first expedition, wrote of him as follows:--

"A reflection arose to my mind, on examining these decaying vestiges of a
former expedition, whether I should be more fortunate than the leader of
it, and how far I should be able to penetrate beyond the point which had
conquered his perseverance. Only a week before I left Sydney I had
followed Mr. Oxley to the tomb. A man of great quickness and of uncommon
ability. The task of following up his discoveries was no less enviable
than arduous."

These thoughts were suggested to Sturt when standing at one of Oxley's
old camps, and coming from such a man carry great weight.

The following obituary notice of Oxley appeared in the Government Gazette
of May 27th, 1828.

"It would be impossible for his Excellency, consistently with his
feelings, to announce the decease of the late Surveyor-General without
endeavouring to express the sense he entertains of Mr. Oxley's services,
though he cannot do justice to them.

"From the nature of this colony, the office of Surveyor-General is
amongst the most important under Government; and to perform its duties in
a manner Mr. Oxley has done for a long series of years is as honourable
to his zeal and abilities a