Explorations in Australia: 1.-Explorations in search of Dr. Leichardt and party. 2.-From Perth to Adelaide, around the great Australian bight. 3.-From Champion Bay, across the desert to the telegraph and to Adelaide. With an appendix on the condition of Western Australia.Forrest, John Forrest, Baron
History
Explorations in Australia: 1.-Explorations in search of Dr. Leichardt and party. 2.-From Perth to Adelaide, around the great Australian bight. 3.-From Champion Bay, across the desert to the telegraph and to Adelaide. With an appendix on the condition of Western Australia.
Forrest, John Forrest, Baron
Australia -- Description and travel; Australia -- Discovery and exploration
19th.
Continued in a north-easterly direction for about eight miles over fine
grassy plains, and camped at some water in a small gully with fine feed.
I camped early in order to give the backs of the horses a good washing,
and to refit some of the pack-saddles. Passed several clay-pans with
water. We have not seen any permanent water for the last eighty miles. I
much wish to find some, as it is very risky going on without the means of
falling back. The country seems very deficient of permanent water,
although I believe plenty could be procured by sinking. Barometer 28.46;
thermometer 63 degrees at 5 p.m.; latitude 26 degrees 23 minutes 39
seconds South. Left a pack-saddle frame and two pack-bags hanging on a
tree.
KIMBERLEY RANGE.
20th.
Steering North-East for five miles over fine grassy plains, came to a low
stony range, ascending which we saw, a little to the south, a line of
(colalya) white gums, to which we proceeded. Then following up a large
brook for about five miles North-East, we camped at a small water-hole in
the brook. In the afternoon I went with Pierre about one mile North-East
of camp to the summit of a rough range and watershed, which I believe is
the easterly watershed of the Murchison River. All the creeks to the west
of this range (which I named Kimberley Range, after the Right Honourable
Lord Kimberley, the Secretary of State for the Colonies) trend towards
the Murchison, and finally empty into the main river. From this range we
could see a long way to the eastward. The country is very level, with low
ranges, but no conspicuous hills. Not a promising country for water, but
still looks good feeding country. This range is composed of brown
hematite, decomposing to yellow (tertiary), and is very magnetic, the
compass being useless. Bituminous pitch found oozing out of the
rocks--probably the result of the decomposition of the excrement of bats.
It contains fragments of the wing cases of insects, and gives reactions
similar to the bituminous mineral or substance found in Victoria.
Barometer 28.285; thermometer 63 degrees at 5 p.m. On summit of
watershed, barometer 28.15; thermometer 69 degrees; latitude 26 degrees
17 minutes 12 seconds, longitude about 119 degrees 54 minutes East.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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