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
Monday, 18th June, Bishop Creek. Started at 9.30 on a bearing of 18
degrees, through a plain of alternate grass, scrub, and spinifex, and at
five miles passed a number of isolated hills close together, composed of
large masses of ironstone, quartz, and a hard brown rock, very irregular,
and all sorts of shapes; the stones seem as if they had undergone the
action of fire. We then proceeded through some very bad spinifex,
dark-coloured, long, hard and dry; we could scarcely get the horses to
face it. We then came upon a grassy plain, and at ten miles struck a gum
creek coming from the west of north-west, and running (at this place)
east-north-east; followed it and found an abundance of water in long deep
holes, with shells of the crab fish lying on the banks. The water is
upwards of a mile in length; the creek then spreads out over a grassy
plain with scrub and gum-trees, and is joined by the other creeks coming
from the McDouall range. I thought it advisable to camp here for the rest
of the day, as a further journey would be a risk for the horse that is
lame, and I do not wish to lose any more; as it is, I am afraid he will
not be able to cross Short range, which I hope to do in a few hours.
Natives about. Splendid grass on this plain, and on the banks of the
creek, which I have named Phillips Creek, after John Phillips, Esquire,
J.P., of Kanyaka. Wind variable.
Tuesday, 19th June, Phillips Creek. Started at 8 o'clock on the same
bearing, 18 degrees. We first passed through a well-grassed plain with a
little scrub, then again through hard spinifex to the range. At one mile
crossed another gum creek with water in it, coming from Short range. At
four miles reached the top of the spur of the range; and at seven miles,
the top of the range. About two miles to the east, the range seems to
terminate in a gum plain, a spur from the McDouall range running on the
other side of the plain, and crossing our line a few miles further on.
Short range here is composed of quartz, ironstone, and red granite, with
a little limestone. Descended into the plain, and at ten miles came upon
another gum creek, spreading over a grassy plain, but could find no
water. At thirteen miles came upon some dry swamps with a number of birds
about them. At fourteen miles reached the top of the next range. From
this the appearance of the country, on this course, is evidently very
scrubby. On a bearing of 55 degrees, in the far distance, is the
termination of another range. I do not like facing the scrub again so
soon after my late loss, and with my horses not yet recovered. I shall
return to the swamps and look for water. If I find any, I shall start in
the morning for the end of the distant range. My lame horse is unable to
do more to-day; crossing the range has been very hard upon him. Returned
to the swamps and found a fine pond of water. Camped. The water is
derived from the creek that we passed in the middle of the day. I have
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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