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
expedition, and take the whole party safely as witnesses to the fact, and
through one of the finest countries man could wish to behold--good to the
coast, and with a stream of running water within half a mile of the sea.
From Newcastle Water to the sea-beach, the main body of the horses have
been only one night without water, and then got it within the next day.
If this country is settled, it will be one of the finest Colonies under
the Crown, suitable for the growth of any and everything--what a splendid
country for producing cotton! Judging from the number of the pathways
from the water to the beach, across the valley, the natives must be very
numerous; we have not seen any, although we have passed many of their
recent tracks and encampments. The cabbage and fan palm-trees have been
very plentiful during to-day's journey down to this valley. This creek I
named Charles Creek, after the eldest son of John Chambers, Esquire: it
is one by which some large bodies of springs discharge their surplus
water into Van Diemen Gulf; its banks are of soft mud, and boggy. Wind,
south. Latitude, 12 degrees 13 minutes 30 seconds.
Friday, 25th July, Charles Creek, Van Diemen Gulf. I have sent Thring to
the south-west to see if he can get round the marsh. If it is firm ground
I shall endeavour to make the mouth of the river by that way. After a
long search he has returned and informs me that it is impracticable,
being too boggy for the horses. As the great object of the expedition is
now attained, and the mouth of the river already well known, I do not
think it advisable to waste the strength of my horses in forcing them
through, neither do I see what object I should gain by doing so; they
have still a very long and fatiguing journey in recrossing the continent
to Adelaide, and my health is so bad that I am unable to bear a long
day's ride. I shall, therefore, cross this creek and see if I can get
along by the sea-beach or close to it. Started and had great difficulty
in getting the horses over, although we cut a large quantity of grass,
putting it on the banks and on logs of wood which were put into it. We
had a number bogged, and I was nearly losing one of my best horses, and
was obliged to have him pulled out with ropes; after the loss of some
time we succeeded in getting them all over safely. Proceeded on a
west-north-west course over a firm ground of black alluvial soil. At two
miles came upon an open part of the beach, went on to it, and again found
the mud quite impassable for horses; in the last mile we have had some
rather soft ground. Stopped the party, as this travelling is too much for
the horses, and, taking Thring with me, rode two miles to see if the
ground was any firmer in places; found it very soft where the salt water
had covered it, in others not so bad. Judging from the number of shells
banked up in different places, the sea must occasionally come over this.
I saw at once that this would not do for the weak state in which my
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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