Explorations in Australia: The Journals of John McDouall Stuart During the Years 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, and 1862, When He Fixed the Centre of the Continent and Successfully Crossed It from Sea to SeaStuart, John McDouall
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Explorations in Australia: The Journals of John McDouall Stuart During the Years 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, and 1862, When He Fixed the Centre of the Continent and Successfully Crossed It from Sea to Sea
Stuart, John McDouall
Australia -- Discovery and exploration; Stuart, John McDouall, 1815-1866
Wednesday, 11th April, Bend of the Hugh. Got the things put pretty well
to rights, and started towards the high bluff. I find that my poor little
mare, Polly, has got staked in the fetlock-joint, and is nearly dead
lame; but I must proceed. At six miles and a half we again crossed the
Hugh, and at another mile found it coming through the range, which is a
double one. The south range is red sandstone, the next is hard white
stone, and also red sandstone, with a few hills of ironstone; a
well-grassed valley lying between. The two gorges are rocky, and in some
places perpendicular, with some gum-trees growing on the sides. The
cucumber plant thrives here in great quantities, and water is abundant.
At twelve miles we got through both the gorges of the range, which I have
named the Waterhouse Range, after the Honourable the Colonial Secretary.
The country between last night's camp and the range is a red sandy soil,
with a few sand hills, on which is growing the spinifex, but the valleys
between are broad and beautifully grassed. At fifteen miles again crossed
the Hugh, coming from the east, with splendid gum-trees of every size
lining the banks. The pine was also met with here for the first time.
There is a magnificent hole of water here, long and deep, with rushes
growing round it. I think it is a spring; the water seems to come from
below a large bed of conglomerate quartz. I should say it was permanent.
Black cockatoos and other birds abound here, and there are numbers of
native tracks all about. I hoped to-day to have gained the top of the
bluff, which is still seven or eight miles off, and appears to be so very
rough that I anticipate a deal of difficulty in crossing it. I am forced
to halt at this bend of the creek, in consequence of the little mare
becoming so lame that she is unable to proceed further to-day. Our hands
are very bad from being torn by the scrub, and the flies are a perfect
torment. Indications of scurvy are beginning to show themselves upon us.
Wind west; cool night.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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