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, 15th April, The Bonney. Cloudy; wind still variable. Mount
Fisher, bearing 120 degrees. Started at 7.15 a.m., bearing 290 degrees;
at 11.40 changed to 264 degrees, to some rising ground; at 12.45 p.m.,
after crossing stony hills, we crossed a gum creek on the west side, with
long reaches of water in it running north-west, which I supposed to be
the Bonney; but as there appeared to be more and larger gum-trees farther
on, I continued, to see if there were not another channel. Proceeded
three miles over low limestone rises, with small flats between, on which
was growing spinifex, and the gum-trees which I had seen--exactly the
same description of country from which I was forced to return through
want of water on my former journey from Mount Denison to north-west. I
therefore returned to the creek, which I find to be the Bonney, now much
smaller, but containing plenty of water--followed it down to
north-north-west for about one mile, and then camped. The water is in
long reaches, which I think are permanent.
Tuesday, 16th April, The Bonney. Still cloudy. Started at 8 a.m. on a
bearing of 380 degrees. At 11.15 changed to 40 degrees, with the
intention of cutting the McLaren. Camped at 3.40 p.m. Three miles from
our start the creek spreads itself over a large grassy plain, thickly
studded with gum-trees, covered with long grass, and a great number of
white ants' nests of all sizes and shapes, putting one in mind of walking
through a large cemetery. In many places it was very boggy. We followed
it for ten miles, but it still continued the same; I could not see more
than one hundred yards before me, the gum-trees, and sometimes a low
scrub, being so thick. Not seeing anything of the McLaren coming into the
plain, I changed my course to cut it and run it down, as I think that it
will form a large creek where they join. In three miles we got out of the
plain upon a red sandy soil, with spinifex, and scrubs of all kinds, in
some places very thick, and difficult to get the horses through. When we
were in the gum plain the atmosphere was so close and heavy, and the
ground so soft, that the sweat was running in streams from the horses;
and when we halted for a few minutes they were puffing and blowing as
though they had just come in from running a race. I continued the second
course for fourteen miles, but saw nothing of the McLaren; it must have
joined the plain before I left it. Thus ends the Bonney and the McLaren.
We passed over several quartz and ironstone ranges of low hills crossing
our course, and camped under a high one, without water. Wind south-east.
Cloudy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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