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
History
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
Sunday, 10th June, Grassy Plains. Started at sunrise, and at two miles
again got into the scrub. Three of the horses we can scarcely get along;
they are very much done up. At 11 o'clock, one horse gave in altogether.
We cannot get him up; we have tried everything in our power to do
something for him. The other horses have been carrying his load, and he
has had nothing to carry for this last hour and a half; all our efforts
are in vain, and I am obliged, although with great reluctance, to leave
him to his fate. Had this occurred nearer the water, I should have put an
end to his existence and taken part of him to eat, for we are now very
short of provisions, and the other horses have quite enough to carry
without sharing his load; I wish I had left him sooner. At 12 o'clock, I
find I shall lose some more of them, if they do not get water to-night,
and it will be to-morrow before I can reach Bishop Creek. I shall now go
to Short range and try to find some. The little bay mare Polly has become
nearly mad, running about among the other horses, and kicking them as she
passes; even the men do not escape from her heels. At five miles made the
range. There are no large creeks coming from this side--nothing but small
ones which empty themselves into the plain; sand up to the foot of the
hills. Before we reach the range another of the horses is done up; he has
only been carrying about 30 pounds in consequence of his back having been
bad for the last three weeks. We lightened all the weak horses two days
since. We shall now try if he will go without anything on his back. We
are now amongst the granite ridges, and hope we shall find water on this
side. The horse has given in before we can get to the other side. We must
leave him for the sake of the others. Too much time has already been lost
in endeavouring to get them on. Reached the other side and searched the
different creeks, but cannot find any water. Crossed a spur of the range
running south, and can see a nice-looking creek with gum-trees. Our hopes
and spirits are again revived; the sight of it has even invigorated the
horses, and they are hurrying on towards it. Traversed it down, but, to
our great disappointment, find that it loses itself in a grassy plain. It
is now dark, so I must remain here for the night. The sky is quite
overcast, and I trust that Providence will send us rain before morning.
An accident has happened to the water we were carrying; it was all lost
yesterday. If it clears during the night, so that I can see the stars to
guide me, I shall move on.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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