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
The party were all in good spirits. For myself I was hopeful of success,
and my white companions shared my feelings. The natives were, as they
generally are, except when food is scarce, or their anger excited, on the
best terms with everybody and everything, and Jemmy Mungaro, so far as
could be judged from his demeanour, might have been the most veracious
guide who ever led a party of white men through difficulties and dangers
on an expedition of discovery.
Day by day I noted down the incidents of the journey, and that Journal I
now submit to the reader.
JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS OF AN EXPLORING EXPEDITION IN SEARCH OF THE
REMAINS OF THE LATE DR. LEICHARDT AND PARTY, UNDERTAKEN BY ORDER OF THE
GOVERNMENT OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, BY JOHN FORREST, GOVERNMENT SURVEYOR.
Sir,
In pursuance of instructions received from you, the exploring party under
my command consisted of the following persons, namely, Mr. George Monger,
as second in command; Mr. Malcolm Hamersley, as third in command;
probation prisoner, David Morgan, as shoeing smith, and two natives
(Tommy Windich and Jemmy Mungaro). The latter native gave Mr. J.H. Monger
the information respecting the murder of white men in the eastward.
Reached Newcastle on the 17th and left on Monday, 19th, with a
three-horse cart and teamster and thirteen horses, making a total of
sixteen horses. Reached Mombekine, which is about sixteen miles
East-North-East from Newcastle.
April 20th.
Continued journey to Goomalling, sixteen miles, which we reached at 1
p.m., and devoted the remainder of the afternoon to weighing and packing
rations, etc., for a final start.
21st.
Leaving Goomalling at 10.30 a.m., we travelled in a northerly direction
for nine miles, and reached Walyamurra Lake; thence about East-North-East
for seven miles, we encamped at a well on north side of Kombekine Lake.
The water was very bad from opossums being drowned in it, and there was
hardly any feed.
22nd.
Hearing from a number of natives that there was no water in the direction
we intended steering, namely, to Mount Churchman, we decided on changing
our course and proceed there via Waddowring, in latitude 31 degrees south
and longitude 118 degrees east. Steering about South-South-East for eight
miles, through dense scrubby thickets, which we had great difficulty in
getting the cart through, we struck the road from Goomalling to
Waddowring, which we followed along about east for eight miles, and
camped at a well called Naaning, with hardly any feed.
23rd.
Mr. George Roe (who had come from Northam to bid us farewell) and my
teamster left us this morning to return to Newcastle. Considerable delay
having occurred in collecting the horses, we did not start till twelve
o'clock, when we steered East-North-East for eight miles over scrubby
sand-plains, and camped at a well called Pingeperring, with very little
feed for our horses.
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