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
Thursday, 17th July, Tide Creek, Adelaide River. Started at eight
o'clock, course north-west; passed over some stony hills, small creeks,
and valleys well grassed. At three miles again met with the branch of the
river, with bamboos and trees of the same description as before, a
running stream, but not so rapid. At five miles, observing an open plain
among the trees, and the river trending more to the westward, I changed
my course to it, 15 degrees west of north; found it to be open plain, of
rich alluvial soil in places; at times it seemed to be subject to
inundation, I suppose the drainage from the range to the eastward, which
is distant about four miles. I am pleased it has been burnt, but where it
has not the grass is most abundant; where the water seems to remain it is
rather coarse. The plains are studded with lines of green gum-trees, and
the cabbage palms are numerous, which give them a very pretty park-like
appearance. They continued for ten miles, when we made a small stony
hill; we met with a large creek, with large holes of water in it, and
supposing I had got upon the plain that ran to the sea-coast, and seeing
those I had passed over so dry, camped; and having sent Thring to a rise
to see where the river is, he returned, but can see nothing of it, but
reports high hills to the north-west. I am glad of this, for it is not my
intention to follow the river round if I can get water in other places,
for it has already been well described south of this by Lieutenant
Helpman when he came up in a boat, and I wish to see what the country is
away from its banks. Wind south-east, with a few clouds from the north.
For the last week the weather has been excellent, not too hot during the
day, and cool and refreshing at night. The mosquitoes are very annoying,
and the flies during the day are a perfect torment. This creek I have
called Priscilla Creek. Latitude, 12 degrees 56 minutes 54 seconds.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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