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
16th.
Left Alexander Spring, in company with Windich, to look for water ahead.
Steered east for twelve miles, over spinifex sand-hills with some
salt-marsh flats intervening. We then turned South-East for seven miles
to some cliffs, and followed them along east about one mile and a half,
when we saw a clear patch a little to the North-East, on reaching which
we found a fine rock water-hole holding over 100 gallons of water. We had
a pannican of tea, and gave our horses an hour and a half's rest. Left a
note for my brother, advising him to camp here the first night. We
continued on a little to the south of east for about fifteen miles over
spinifex plains, when we camped on a small patch of feed. Saw a fire
about three quarters of a mile south of our camp, and supposed that
natives were camped there.
17th.
Early this morning we proceeded to where we saw the fire last night, but
could not find any natives: it must have been some spinifex burning. We
continued about east for two miles; found a rock water-hole holding about
fifty gallons, and had breakfast. After this, continued on a little south
of east for twelve miles, when we turned more to the north, searching
every spinifex rise that had a rocky face, first North and then
North-West and West, all over the country, but not over any great extent,
as my horse (Brick) was knocked up. About one o'clock we found enough to
give the horses a drink, and to make some tea for ourselves. We saw some
low cliffs to the north, and proceeding towards them we saw ahead about
North-North-East a remarkable high cliff. I therefore decided to make for
it. I had to walk and drive my horse before me, and before we reached the
cliff we had hard work to get him to move. When we got close we were
rejoiced to see cliffs and gorges without end, and descending the first
hollow found a fine rock hole containing at least 250 gallons. We
therefore camped, as it was just sundown. I am very sanguine of finding
more water to-morrow, as our horses will soon finish this hole. There was
very little feed about the water.
SEARCHING FOR WATER.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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