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
9th (Sunday).
Rested our horses at Coorbedar. Found camp to be in south latitude 29
degrees 24 minutes 43 seconds by meridian altitudes of the sun and
Regulus, and in longitude 118 degrees 6 minutes East. From a quartz hill
half a mile South-West from Coorbedar, Mount Singleton bore North 268
degrees 15 minutes East. The supply of water from the rock having been
used, I went, in company with Mr. Hamersley, to a spot one mile and a
half South-South-West from Coorbedar, called Dowgooroo, where we dug a
well and procured a little water, to which I intend shifting to-morrow,
as I propose staying in this vicinity for two days, so as to give me time
to visit Warne, the large river spoken of by Jemmy.
10th.
Started this morning in company with Tommy Windich and a native boy (one
of the nine who joined us at Mount Churchman) to examine the locality
called Warne. Steering North 42 degrees East magnetic for about seven
miles, we came to a grassy flat about half a mile wide, with a stream-bed
trending south running through it. The natives state it to be dry in
summer, but at present there is abundance of water, and in wet seasons
the flat must be almost all under water. After following the flat about
seven miles we returned towards camp, about five miles, and bivouacked.
11th.
Returned this morning to Dowgooroo and found all well. Rain, which we
were much in want of, fell lightly most of the day. Barometer 28.50;
thermometer 61 degrees.
12th.
Steered this morning about North 38 degrees East magnetic for eight
miles, and camped by a shallow lake of fresh water--the bivouac of the
10th. Here we met a party of twenty-five natives (friends of my native
Jemmy and the nine who joined us at Mount Churchman) who had a grand
corroboree in honour of the expedition. They stated that at
Bouincabbajilimar there were the remains of a number of horses, but no
men's bones or guns, and pointed in the direction of Poison Rock, where
Mr. Austin lost nine horses. Being now satisfied that the natives were
alluding to the remains of Mr. Austin's horses, I resolved to steer to
the eastward, towards a spot called by the native, Jemmy, Noondie, where
he states he heard the remains of white men were.
13th.
Bidding farewell to all the natives, we steered in a south-easterly
direction for fifteen miles, and camped in a rough hollow called
Durkying; cypress and acacia thickets the whole way.
14th.
One of our horses having strayed, we did not start till 10.40 a.m., when
we steered in about a South-East direction for eight miles, and camped on
an elevated grassy spot, called Mingan, with water in the granite rocks,
probably permanent. The thickets were a little less dense than usual, but
without any grass, except at the spots mentioned. By meridian altitudes
of Mars and Regulus, we were in south latitude 29 degrees 30 minutes 30
seconds, and in longitude about 118 degrees 30 minutes east.
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