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
Wednesday, 16th July, The Mary, Adelaide River. Started at 7.40, course
north. The river runs off again to the north-west, and I have passed over
an undulating country, all burnt, but the soil of the richest
description. The rises are comprised of quartz and a hard white stone,
with occasionally a little ironstone. At three miles crossed a creek with
water holes. At five miles crossed another. At seven miles came close to
a high hill--ascended it; at the foot it is composed of a hard slaty
stone covered with a cake of iron; about the middle is quartz, and on the
top conglomerated quartz. The view from south-west to north-west is
extensive, but this not being the highest hill, the rest is hidden. To
the west is a high hill, bluff at both ends, seemingly the last hill of
the range; its course apparently north-west and south-east. At this bluff
hill the range seems to cease, or drops into lower hills. A branch of the
river lies between it and me, but there are still a number of stony hills
before I can reach it. To the north-west and north there are high and
stony hills. The river now seems to run to the west, on a bearing of 30
degrees north of west. From twenty to twenty-five miles distant is
another range, at the foot of which there is a blue stripe, apparently
water, which I suppose to be the main stream of the Adelaide. Descended,
as the country is too rough and stony to continue either to the north or
north-west. I changed to 3 degrees north of west, crossed some stony
hills and broad valleys with splendid alluvial soil, the hills grassed to
the top. On that course struck the branch of the river. Still very thick
with the same kind of timber already mentioned. Most of the bamboos are
dead. I suppose the fire has been the cause of it. I again find it
running to the north; I turn to that course. At three miles struck a
large creek coming from the east with large sheets of water; had to run
it up half a mile before I could get across it. Crossed it all right, and
passed through a beautiful valley of green grass. After that, found that
I was again on the stony rise, where every blade of grass had been burned
off, and not knowing how far this may continue, I have turned off again
for the creek, to give the horses the benefit of the valley. The timber
is the same as yesterday in some places; the stringy-bark is much larger.
The banks of the river, when we first came upon it to-day, were high and
stony. The range to the east seems to cease about here. We are now
crossing low undulations. I have seen a number of kangaroos to-day; they
do not seem to be as large as those in the south. The valleys are
composed of conglomerated ironstone underneath the soil. A large number
of new birds seen to-day, some of them with splendid plumage. Wind,
south-east. Latitude, 13 degrees 7 minutes 21 seconds.
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