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
Thursday, 28th March, Low Granite Range in Scrub. At 11 a.m. the horses
were brought back from the clay-pan. Two of the missing ones were found
about a mile after they started, making towards where they had camped
last night. I think that the other eight must be also in that direction;
we find that all the tracks have gone that way; I shall therefore move
down to-day to the south end of the swampy country, which I know they
cannot cross, and endeavour, if possible, to find them to-night. By 1
p.m. arrived at the end of the swamp; camped, and despatched Thring in
one direction and Sullivan in another to try and cut their tracks; at a
little before sunset Sullivan returned with three of the missing ones.
Five are still wanting. Wind, south-east.
Friday, 29th March, South End of Swamp in Scrub. At sunrise sent Thring
and Sullivan again to look for the missing horses; they arrived at 5 p.m.
with three of them. If we do not find the other two to-morrow, I shall
push on without them, and endeavour to pick them up on our return.
Saturday, 30th March, South End of Swamp in Scrub. Again sent Thring and
Sullivan in search of the two remaining horses; at about 11 a.m. they
returned with them. I shall now move up to our camp of 25th instant.
Camped at some rain water a little south of our former place, where there
is plenty of feed for the horses. Wind, south-east; clouds from
north-west.
Sunday, 31st March, Rain Water in Scrub. All day the sky has been
overcast with clouds from the north-west. Wind from south-east.
Monday, 1st April, Same Place. Started at 7.30 a.m.; course, 330 degrees.
At 1 p.m. we came upon a very pretty flat of beautiful grass, with water
in the middle of it; and, as the afternoon has every appearance of rain,
I have camped--to go on in the rain will only spoil our provisions. We
had scarcely got the packs off when it came on heavily, and lasted about
an hour: it then ceased until sundown, when it came on again, and
continued till 10.30 p.m.
Tuesday, 2nd April, Green Flat in Scrub. Started at 8.20 a.m. on same
course, and camped at 1.30 p.m. under a prominent rocky hill, which I
ascended and have named Mount Harris, after Peter G. Harris, Esquire, of
Adelaide. I obtained bearings of the different points all round. The last
seven miles was sandy soil, with spinifex and scrub, which was mostly
young cork-tree, and the broad-leafed mallee.
Wednesday, 3rd April, Mount Harris. We have put up a small cone of stones
on the top of this mount. Started at 8 a.m. for Anna's Reservoir. Arrived
at the creek about two miles south-south-east of it, and, finding it
running, camped amongst excellent feed. By keeping to west of my former
track I have found the country much opener; but nearly all day the
journey has been through spinifex. Wind from west.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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