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
The ground for one hundred yards round was covered with worleys, and at
one spot they seemed to have had a grand corroberrie, the earth being
trodden quite hard, as if a large number had been dancing upon it in a
circle. They had left one of their spears behind, a formidable weapon
about ten feet long, with a flat round point, the other end being made
for throwing with the womera. On the 13th Mr. Stuart and his two
companions returned to the camp on the Coglin, after discovering a place
about four miles from the six native wells, where sufficient water could
be obtained by digging. On the 14th three of the men were sent in advance
to dig a hole at this place, and the following day the whole party moved
forward to join them. Here the natives annoyed them much by setting fire
to the grass in every direction.
Marchant Springs (on the Finke) were reached on February 22nd, and here
Mr. Stuart noticed a remarkable specimen of native carving. He says: "The
natives had made a drawing on the bark of two trees--two figures in the
shape of hearts, intended, I suppose, to represent shields. There was a
bar down the centre, on either side of which were marks like broad
arrows. On the outside were also a number of arrows, and other small
marks. I had a copy of them taken. This was the first attempt at
representation by the natives of Australia which I had ever seen."
Following the course of the Finke, they arrived on the 25th at some
springs which were rendered memorable by Mr. Stuart's favourite mare
Polly. She became very ill, and on the morning of the 26th slipped her
foal. Polly had been with her master on all his previous journeys, and
was much too valuable and faithful a creature to be left behind; besides,
she was second to none in enduring hardship and fatigue. They therefore
waited another night to give her time to recover, and Mr. Stuart named
the springs Polly Springs in her honour. On the 27th they again moved
northwards, still following the course of the Finke, and, after a short
journey of ten miles, camped at what were afterwards called Bennett
Springs. It is worthy of remark that while the horses were in this water
drinking, one of them kicked out a fish about eight inches long and three
broad--an excellent sign of the permanency of the water. Here several of
the horses were taken violently ill, and the next morning one of them
could not be found. Mr. Stuart writes:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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