cairns — sugar industry — kanakas — rice cultivation — cairns and herberton railway — the barron falls
cairns is simply a little tropical heaven, tucked into the queensland coast line, i know of no other place at all like it. situated in trinity bay, at i he entrance to trinity inlet, it was so named by captain cook, who, after a series of extraordinary hardships, put in here on trinity sunday 1770. taken with the inlet, trinity bay constitutes one of the most perfect harbours along the entire length of the east australian coast.
the inlet, a splendid land-locked sheet of water seven miles in length, with an average width of two, was discovered by some police officers and cedar cutters in 1877, but for many years was put to no practical use. now the entrance has been carefully dredged, and vessels, drawing even as much as twenty-four feet of water, can enter it with perfect ease and safety. with these advantages it would certainly seem destined to become the real harbour of cairns at no very distant date.
trinity bay itself stretches from cape grafton to cape tribulation, and is protected from the violence of the open ocean by the great barrier reef which lies about twelve miles out. immediately opposite the bay, the reef has an opening called trinity channel, which is certified as of sufficient width to contain the largest man of war afloat.
the new comer, reviewing in his mind all these advantages, cannot help being impressed with the fact that cairns would make an admirable naval depot, the inlet alone being capable of containing the entire australian squadron at one and the same time. i recommend this idea to the admiralty, for surely nature must have had some thought of the use it might be put to when she constructed it.
the town itself, called after sir william wellington cairns, once governor of queensland, was commenced in 1877, and cannot be said to be well situated. its history, a strange and chequered one, illustrates the peculiar ups and downs of pioneering in new countries. early in that year a few settlers were attracted to the district by the wonderful stories told them by mariners who had chanced to touch there. these adventurous ones pitched their tents where cairns now stands, but before they had been there very long, news came to them of the discovery of a river running into the sea, about two miles north of trinity inlet. on going to ascertain the truth of this statement for themselves they found a river navigable for over ten miles, winding its way across a beautiful alluvial plain covered with dense tropical vegetation, such as tree-ferns, areca palms, fan palms, wild nutmegs, native indiarubber trees, red cedars, kauri pines, wild bananas, and a conglomeration of beautiful creepers and orchids too numerous for description. on this plain, so the discoverers said, stalked multitudes of huge cassowaries and kangaroo, while at night-fall millions of large bats and flying foxes flew overhead. butterflies and beetles fluttered on every side, and snakes of terrible dimensions crawled through the undergrowth. alligators were also numerous.
with this discovery, trade, traffic, and shipping were immediately diverted from the inlet to the mouth of the river, at a spot to be soon afterwards named smithfield. this smithfield, from ]877 to 1879 became the port for the hodgekinson gold fields, and quite a thriving town, boasting no less than fourteen public-houses (a sure sign of a queensland township’s prosperity), and a score of large business premises. in 1879, however, an easier track over the ranges was discovered from another point twenty miles to the northward (now port douglas), and that discovery sounded the death knell of smithfield. trade moved to the new spot, the people naturally followed the trade, the township was deserted, not even a nigger remained to grace it, and now dense jungle covers the place where once it stood.
in 1880 a sugar boom set in and raged with exceeding violence. as a result the land round about trinity inlet, and where cairns now stands, became highly valuable, and was immediately taken up for plantations. ‘the hambledon,’ ‘the pyramid,’ and the ‘hap wah’ companies were the first to start in that neighbourhood; while the whole of the magnificent plain on the banks of the barron river, stretching from the ranges to the sea for about ten miles, and from the town of cairns northward for fifteen, was, at the same time, purchased for agricultural purposes by mr. thomatis, an enthusiastic agriculturist and a native of northern italy; by messrs. blair & co., of melbourne; and mr. brinsmead, of london, together with a few other enterprising colonists.
the fame of the land soon spread, and with this increased importance the baby town of cairns began to assert itself. town allotments were pegged out and boomed. speculation in land followed, with the result that about four years ago the government, at one of these land sales, pocketed no less than 40,000l.
with true australian go-a-headness cairns lost no time in improving her position, and her devoted mother, nature, prodigal of gifts, helped her. the northcote antimony, the herberton tin, the muldiva silver mines, the etheridge, croydon, and georgetown gold fields, all situated over the ranges at the back of the town, lent their aid.
the next move was a claim on government for a railway, whereby the vast wealth of these places might be brought to cairns for shipment. after a while this claim was recognised, specifications were prepared, the contract let, and now a line is in course of construction which has but few equals, and is perhaps without its superior, in the whole railway-making world. already it creeps over the ranges towards herberton. eventually it will take in the various fields mentioned above, cross the base of the peninsula, and penetrate even to the distant shores of the gulf of carpentaria. about fifty miles are at present completed. the second section of sixteen miles is said to be the most expensive known, costing no less than 1? million pounds sterling, or a good deal more than a pound an inch. of the beauties of the line i shall speak presently. in the meantime, let me give some idea of one of the principal seats of the sugar industry in the neighbourhood of cairns.
hambledon plantation, the property of messrs. swallow brothers, is one of the many model plantations of the district, and may well be taken as typical. situated at the foot of the islay hills, it is surrounded by an amphitheatre of jungle-clad eminences. seen in the early morning, with the sun straggling in long shafts through the clouds which veil the highest peaks, or at twilight, when the weird gullies are filling with the shadows of approaching night, hambledon is a sight to remember for ever. but these hills have another charm apart from their scenic beauty, they protect the young cane from biting winds, and condense into needful rain the clouds that linger on them. perhaps as a result, two bewitching waterfalls exist near by, and i am assured that the whole water supply of the mill is drawn from ever — running rivulets whose birthplaces are in these ranges. altogether the view is as charming as an artistic eye could wish, and it is no wonder that hambledon, being one of the few properties that survived the depression in the sugar industry a few years back, is considered a show place of the district.
the business arrangements of the plantation are most complete, even to a tramway, 4? miles long, leading to a neat little wharf on trinity inlet, where vessels of the deepest draught can load in comfort. it must be remembered that, besides sugar, large quantities of fruit and timber are exported from cairns annually.
from the fields of growing cane we pass to the mill itself, which is of the latest pattern, even to the decauville railway for carrying the cane into the works. it is calculated that this mill can turn out ten tons of sugar per day, and, if one doesn’t try to understand the mechanism, the working is simplicity itself.
hambledon, with its numerous buildings, overseer’s residence, mill, huts (both of white hands and kanakas), lathe room, lamp room, laboratory, engineers’ stores, blacksmiths’, carpenters’, and fitters’ shops, etc., presents the appearance of a small township. the owner’s residence is situated on the top of a knoll, commanding a lovely view of trinity harbour and the town of cairns, with the inlet in the dim distance showing like a streak of silver. in the gardens, which are beautifully laid out, we recognise many tropical friends, such as cocoanuts, mangoes, and many varieties of bamboo.
the kanakas on the plantation have roomy domiciles, and are in every way exceedingly well cared for; we have met whites who would have been thankful for half as much attention. they (the kanakas) have three meals per diem, consisting of meat, bread, rice, potatoes, and tea, besides as much fruit as they have room or inclination for. when they are sick a doctor is paid to attend them. they are found in clothes, and have an excellent school, where a properly qualified teacher instructs them in the three e’s. some of the boys make good progress, and can read and . write excellently. but where they come in really strong is in religion; they take to it like ducks to water, and hold prayer meetings and services whenever opportunity offers. a kanaka service is a solemn business.
and this brings me to the principles of this much talked of, but little understood. kanaka labour question. for some reasons i favour the retention of the kanaka, for others i do not. but whether i do or do not, cannot alter the fact — and i assert it, knowing it to be true — that the majority of the boys themselves prefer plantation life in queensland to life in their own proper island homes. this is evidenced by the number of time-expired boys who sign for a second or even a third term. and pray, how does this read against the absurd stories of ‘white slavery,’ ‘awful cruelty,’ ‘barbarous practices,’ etc., etc., published on the kanaka labour question in england and elsewhere. it stands to reason that, if badly treated, they would be only too glad to get away. then why do they reengage?
while on this subject, let me say that the boys when newly arrived are designated ‘new chums,’ while every girl is invariably called ‘mary.’ no kanaka man or woman is recruited at a less sum than 6l. a year; but when a boy has reengaged once or twice, and knows a little about his work, he can command a much higher wage, sometimes as much as 10l., and not unfrequently more. and out of that they manage to save, for they are, as a rule, a thrifty people. in one district alone, of 3,000 kanakas, something like seven hundred of them have savings bank deposits, the whole totalling over 3,500l. at the beginning of the year there were 8,627 islanders in queensland, and their savings bank credits reached the large sum of 19,246l. how does your average labouring white man compare with that?
by his agreement, the planter has also to pay something like 20l. a head to the recruiting boat, 5l. as return passage money, 3l. government capitation fee, and 1l. hospital capitation fee. he is also compelled to supply his hands with rations and clothing as follows:
clothing per annum. males (each).
hats 2
shirts (flannel) 4
trousers, pairs (moleskin or serge) 4
blankets, pairs 1
females (each).
chemises 4
dresses (wincey) 4
petticoats (flannel) 4
hats 2
blankets, pairs 1
rations per diem. lb. oz.
bread or flour 2 0
beef or mutton 1 8
sugar 0 5
tea 0 0?
potatoes (or rice g oz.) . 3 0
tobacco, per week 0 1?
salt 0 2
soap, per week 0 4
from these few remarks it will be seen that the lot of the kanaka in queensland is not quite the slavery that it has sometimes been depicted!
hambledon usually employs 3–5 white men, 200 kanakas, 20 cinghalese, and 25 chinese. in 1888 it produced 1,030 tons of sugar from 700 acres of cane. in 1891, 1,180 tons from 943? acres, and in 1892, 1,465 tons from 950 acres. 1889 and 1890 were bad seasons, when the cane was much infected with grubs, which destroyed the roots. 1892 was, however, a very good one, and this coming season promises equally favourable results.
the crushing season usually lasts six months, from the end of june to the end of december — a time of ceaseless activity for every soul on the plantation.
the varieties of cane grown are the green ribbon, red bamboo, and cheriboa. the soil is a rich chocolate loam, and is easily ploughed by teams of two horses. besides cane, a large area is planted with pineapples, mangoes, and oranges.
leaving hambledon, we pass on to another plantation, caravonica park, the property of mr. david thomatis, before mentioned. it is situated between the barron river and thomatis creek, the ranges, and the sea coast, and has the wonderful new railway running beside it. it is in every way an ideal spot for a plantation, possessing as it does natural drainage, natural irrigation, the railway, and a soil not to be surpassed in queensland, over 10 feet deep of black alluvial loam, composed mostly of decayed vegetable matter, and for bottom a pure sea gravel. the plantation has a frontage of one mile and a half to the deep waters of the superb river barron; while on the north-eastern corner it touches the shores of trinity bay, whence thomatis creek runs inland.
the land was selected by the present owner, who, besides being an enterprising colonist, is an exceedingly able agriculturist, a profound thinker, and a decided philanthropist. to him i am indebted for very much valuable information.
i am bound to admit that mr. thomatis has always shown himself a great opponent to kanaka labour, not because he dislikes the islanders themselves, but because he has always cherished the hope of getting his blocks worked by white men. his stories of the first settlement of his land are most interesting. at the outset he leased a portion of it to chinamen, each party taking at a moderate figure, on an average, ten acres. the celestials, with their usual savee, went in mostly for bananas, and so great did this industry soon become that no less than 6,000 bunches (each containing about 20 dozen and weighing about 70 pounds) were exported weekly from the estate.
the first year of culture the tenant would perhaps realise 1s. or 1s. 6d. for each bunch, and reckoning that over 700 bunches an acre can be obtained yearly, a fair idea may be gained of the revenue to be derived therefrom. since then, however, the price has fallen, and maize, ginger, and rice have taken the banana’s place.
among other things, mr. thomatis has great faith in the future of the queensland rice industry. i submit an extract from the ‘cairns post’ (a bright and interesting little paper) upon the subject.
rice culture
in northern queensland.
some two years ago private experiments were made in rice-growing on the rich land fronting the barron river near cairns, north queensland. this example was followed by several settlers near port douglas, about 50 miles northwards, and also at mackay, with the result that the yearly yield was: at cairns, 50–42; port douglas, 37–33; and mackay, 38 bushels of rice per acre, which, at 91, per ton for paddy or undressed rice, means a value of 221. 10s, per crop to the acre, and reckoning at least two full crops a year the full annual value would be 45l. per acre! the results of these experiments were that within the last twelve months over 2,000 acres of virgin scrub along the barron river, and only five miles from cairns wharves, were cleared and planted, of which over 500 acres are situated in the fine large estate, caravonica park, owned by mr. thomatis, who both in the old country and in queensland has always taken great interest in agriculture and in technology. this large tract of rich land, which had hitherto been lying idle, now became rich in orchards and gave employment to several hundreds of people, circulated money and wages, and created general wealth. a large steam mill was erected at cairns, and it is believed that the shareholders, who are mostly the settlers themselves, will receive a net dividend of over 25 per cent, yearly. the queensland government lately put a protective duty of id, per lb., or 91, per ton, on imported chinese rice; hence the chinese residents throughout the colony have to consume cairns rice and abandon the importation of china-grown rice, and all this without the price of the commodity being raised one farthing in the queensland market. of course the chinese markets suffer, and the chinese importers; but the country at large — agriculture and settlers — reap all the benefit.
this is an instance of the clear, palpable, practical advantage of the protective policy. “what has been done. and is going on around cairns, could be done in the districts of new south wales. those experts who have seen the manning river district, where all around taree, wingham, and coopernook immense plains of moist soil exist, say that rice would thrive much better than corn, and yield at least its full yearly crop, without being injured by flood-waters, which would, indeed, benefit the rice in its growth. but our legislators must wake up and protect our rice-growers, as has been done in queensland, against the rice grown in china. from statistics we gather that queensland consumed nearly 5,000 tons of rice yearly, imported from china, which demand the cairns farmers will entirely supply. a gentleman who knows much of rice culture in america and north italy states that the seed should be sown just before the ear is expected to fall. in a fortnight it will germinate, and then for two months it can live and prosper best under water, thus turning into some useful purpose the heavy floods that now cause destruction to crops and ruin to farmers. then, in two months more the crop is ripe to be cut and threshed. the rich land on the manning river would yield a splendid yearly crop of two tons of paddy, which, on being dressed at the mill, would give 25 cwt. of clean rice, worth 28l.; 10 cwt. of skin, which can be used as winter food for horses, worth 3s. per bushel; and 5 cwt. of rice pollard, worth 4s. a bushel; total value of the yearly crop, per acre, about 40l.; besides the straw, which affords a splendid chaff for cattle.
caravonica park has now over 800 acres under cultivation — they are made up of bananas, rice, maize, ginger, &c., and are subdivided into about a hundred leases, each of which possesses a comfortable homestead. os the same ground, three crops yearly may be obtained: rice, early in december, ripe in april; maize, first crop sown in may, and ripe in august; maize, second crop sown in august, ripe in november; after which rice is again sown.
mr. thomatis is nothing if not enterprising, and he is gradually settling his estate with europeans on the metayer system. a large number of italians have already been located, and are making a good thing of it.
the idea of the metayer system in vogue on this property is as follows: the landlord furnishes land, machinery, and implements; the tenant his labour and care. they share as follows: one-fifth goes to the former, and four-fifths to the latter, of all crops, after deducting the necessary seed for the next sowing. by this system, mr. thomatis hopes the country will gradually become populated with that utopian class — a happy, independent, thankful yeomanry — whose children will have had an opportunity of gaining practical experience, which should stand them in good stead when they come to that age at which it will be necessary for them to strike out for themselves.
cairns has but two seasons, the wet and dry, or, in other words, the rainy and the fine. the former extends from january to may, and the latter from may to december. during the rainy season, copious showers fall — sometimes for a week at a stretch — varied by bright, sunny days, with heavy rain at night. during this period, refreshing breezes blow almost continuously. in the fine weather the climate is simply a paradise, deliciously cool nights and mornings, bright sunny days occasionally interspersed with showers, predominating. in 1890 the cairns district was never more than seven days without rain during the whole of the dry season. and i say, therefore, whosoever wishes to taste the delight of living, let him spend may, june, july, and august in north queensland.
people suffering from weak constitutions, rheumatism, or asthma, should certainly try it. in fact, providence has placed there, as if to signify the use they should be put to, the euphorbia pilulifera for asthma, and the mango, paw-paw, and ginger for dyspepsia. in november and december the weather becomes too warm and oppressive for comfort, except to those inured to it by long residence. once acclimatised, however, nothing more need be feared. frost and cold are unknown, save only in a mild degree; and no more clothing is ever required than is agreeable to the sight. it is, indeed, a wonderful country.
after a brisk drive through the quaint tree-shaded streets of cairns, and along the handsome esplanade, with its lovely glimpses of the sea and of the heights of cape grafton rising to the right, we make for the railway station, to experience for ourselves some of the beauties and perils of this wonderful line.
we find the station a neat, well-made government building, and the train which is to bear us on our adventurous journey is not behind it in point of completeness. a powerful engine, well-built carriages, perfect brakes (and they are needed) — everything required is there. we take our places, and the train winds slowly out of the station.
for the first mile or two the road lies through uninteresting jungle, where nothing but dark tree-stems, rotting vegetation, and evil-looking water greet the eye. but presently all this is left behind, and we emerge into the open country, to overlook plantations of all sizes and descriptions, whose different growths lie pleasantly basking in the warm sunshine of the tropical morning. now and again we catch glimpses of the barron river, flashing its way across the plain to the blue sea beyond. but we have small attention for such trivial things. we are too much occupied watching the marvellous and seemingly unscalable heights that lie before us. every few minutes we stop at tiny wayside stations — charming little nooks nestling amid a wealth of vegetation that contrasts very pleasantly with the vulgar advertisements obtruding their painted faces from every notice-board.
then, after a run of eight miles, we reach the famous second section, and commence our work of ascent.
the line to kandy, which hitherto we had thought so wonderful, begins to fade into nothing compared with what is now before us. twisting and twining through deep chocolate-coloured cuttings, across spider bridges, in and out of black tunnels, and through dense jungle, we creep from elevation to elevation, from seemingly impossible to possible. the growth on every side is marvellous: gigantic staghorns, and orchids of every shape and hue, gorgeous creepers, yellow hibiscus, wild bananas, paw-paw apples, granadillas, mix with palms of all varieties, many as much as 60 feet high (their graceful fronds gently swaying in the sunshine) wild nutmegs, indiarubber trees, kauri pines, red cedars, and, in fact, every possible description of foliage and vegetation is here. lovely butterflies flit hither and thither, birds of wondrous plumage fly from tree to tree, while over all is the blue sky and the soft, warm, tropical sunshine.
as soon as the actual work of ascent is accomplished, the view loses its quieter loveliness, and becomes almost terrifying in its grandeur. we are now on the topmost heights of the range, whence glimpses can be obtained of the plains deep down below. but, though our climbing is finished, the danger is not yet over. sometimes we seem suspended in mid-air over yawning gulfs a thousand feet or more in depth, at the bottom of which, like a silver streak, flashes the ever-present barron river. looking down, an almost irresistible desire to hurl one’s self from the window seizes one. and i can quite believe what i have been told, that not only scores of women, but many men, have been unable to refrain from crying at the view presented, and have been compelled to move to the other side of the carriage, so frightful is the sense of depth and utter helplessness that seizes one.
presently we cross the stony creek falls (see page 145), so close that the spray from the water wets the carriage windows. then, as before, we dash on from loveliness to loveliness; till, more than satisfied, we come to a halt at the clearing which does duty for a station, and have visible evidence before us that we are arrived at the terminus of the section.
as we alight, a team of pack-mules, laden with tin from the herberton mines, winds down the track, their bells jingling musically. and, later on, at the small hostelry on the hillside, the stage coach, drawn by five panting horses, puts in an appearance, and pulls up at. the door, when the driver, as if to lend an additional bret harte flavour to the incident, recounts his adventures with the floods further up the valley.
as soon as we have finished lunch, we make our way, along the railway line, to the nearest point to the falls, where commences a long descent into the valley below, the deep boom of the mighty waters being ever present in our ears. then, suddenly, without warning, we step from the undergrowth into a full view of the barron fall — this stupendous work of nature. even to remember it is sufficient to take one’s breath away, and how to give an adequate description of it in words, i know not.
imagine yourself standing on a mass of rock, with high jungle-covered hills rising, on either hand, a thousand feet above your head. imagine yourself overlooking a river, in low water, perhaps a hundred and fifty yards in width, rushing headlong, tearing, racing in wildest confusion to hurl itself over the side of one of the most gigantic precipices the mind of mortal man can conceive, a precipice of solid rock a thousand feet or more in height. then fancy that fall of water crashing with the roar of a mighty ocean — a roar that can be heard many miles away — deep down, down, down into a seething, boiling cauldron of whitest foam, lying small as a half-crown in the great abyss below, out of which rises continually a dense mist holding all the colours of a king opal. imagine all that and you have grasped but a hundredth part of its beauty. everything resounds with the force and majesty of the fall. its thunder is awful; its grandeur is terrific. it is five hundred feet higher than niagara. it is more than that — it is surely without its equal upon the face of the known globe.
as we look, a gorgeous butterfly floats down the breeze. passing us, his wings catch all the colours of the opal mist. for some unknown reason tears rise in our eyes. we have seen enough; we are satiated with loveliness. let us get back to our boat before we are killed by sheer wonder at nature’s awful majesty!
