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
horses were, and I therefore returned to where I had left the party,
resolving to recross the continent to the City of Adelaide. I now had an
open place cleared, and selecting one of the tallest trees, stripped it
of its lower branches, and on its highest branch fixed my flag, the Union
Jack, with my name sewn in the centre of it. When this was completed, the
party gave three cheers, and Mr. Kekwick then addressed me,
congratulating me on having completed this great and important
undertaking, to which I replied. Mr. Waterhouse also spoke a few words on
the same subject, and concluded with three cheers for the Queen and three
for the Prince of Wales. At one foot south from the foot of the tree is
buried, about eight inches below the ground, an air-tight tin case, in
which is a paper with the following notice:
"South Australian Great Northern Exploring Expedition.
"The exploring party, under the command of John McDouall Stuart, arrived
at this spot on the 25th day of July, 1862, having crossed the entire
Continent of Australia from the Southern to the Indian Ocean, passing
through the centre. They left the City of Adelaide on the 26th day of
October, 1861, and the most northern station of the Colony on 21st day of
January, 1862. To commemorate this happy event, they have raised this
flag bearing his name. All well. God save the Queen!"
[Here follow the signatures of myself and party.]
As this bay has not been named, I have taken this opportunity of naming
it Chambers Bay, in honour of Miss Chambers, who kindly presented me with
the flag which I have planted this day, and I hope this may be the first
sign of the dawn of approaching civilization. Exactly this day nine
months the party left North Adelaide. Before leaving, between the hours
of eleven and twelve o'clock, they had lunch at Mr. Chambers' house; John
Bentham Neals, Esquire, being present, proposed success to me, and wished
I might plant the flag on the north-west coast. At the same hour of the
day, nine months after, the flag was raised on the shores of Chambers
Bay, Van Diemen Gulf. On the bark of the tree on which the flag is placed
is cut--DIG ONE FOOT--S. We then bade farewell to the Indian Ocean, and
returned to Charles Creek, where we had again great difficulty in getting
the horses across, but it was at last accomplished without accident. We
have passed numerous and recent tracks of natives to-day; they are still
burning the country at some distance from the coast. Wind, south-east.
Latitude, 12 degrees 14 minutes 50 seconds.
...
RETURN.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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