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
we again struck the creek, and found plenty of water in it. It winds all
over the plain in every direction. Camped for the night very much done
up. I could hardly sit in my saddle for this short distance. Wind
north-west.
Wednesday, 23rd May, Gum Creek, East Range, the Stirling. The wind has
changed again to the south-east. I have named this creek the Stirling,
after the Honourable Edward Stirling, M.L.C. Followed it into the range
on the same course towards a bluff, where I think I shall find an easy
crossing. At one mile from the camp the hills commenced on the south-east
side of the creek, but on the north-west side they commenced three miles
further back. There was abundance of water in the creek for thirteen
miles; at ten miles there was another large branch with water coming from
the south-east. At fourteen miles ascended the bluff and obtained the
following bearings: South side of the creek, to a high part of the range
about two miles off (which I have named Mount Gwynne, after his Honour,
Justice Gwynne), 186 degrees. North side of the creek, to another hill
about two miles and a half off (which I have named Mount Mann, in memory
of the late Commissioner of Insolvency), 249 degrees. Central Mount
Stuart bears 131 degrees to the highest point. At the north-west
termination of the next range, to which I shall now go, there are two
very large hills, the north one, which is the highest, I have named Mount
Strzelecki, after Count Strzelecki, bearing 358 degrees. I have named the
high peak on the same range Mount Morphett, after the Honourable John
Morphett, M.L.C. The view from this bluff is extensive, except to the
west-north-west, which is hidden by this range just alluded to, which I
have named Forster Range, after the Honourable Anthony Forster, M.L.C.
From the south-west it has the appearance of a long continuous range,
but, on entering it, it is much broken into irregular and rugged hills:
on this side, the north-east, it consists of table-hills, with a number
of rugged isolated ones on the north side. To the north-west there is
another scrubby and gum-tree plain; to the north-north-west are some
isolated low ranges; to the north are grassy plains and low ranges; to
the east are several spurs from this range, which is composed of a very
hard dark-red stone, mixed with small round quartz and ironstone, and in
some places a hard flinty quartz. The range and hills are covered with
spinifex, but the valleys are beautifully grassed. We descended, and at
four miles struck a creek coming from the range, and running between two
low ranges towards the north-east. At seven miles changed my course to
north-east to camp in the creek, and endeavour to get water for the
horses before encountering the scrubby plains to-morrow morning. At five
miles came upon a low range, but no creek; it must have gone further to
the eastward. It being now quite dark, we camped under the ranges. Since
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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