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
water, and good, and that it will become a very important creek. No
person could wish for a better country for feed than that we have passed
over to-day; it resembles the country about Chambers Creek.
Tuesday, 7th June, The Neale. At 8 o'clock started on a bearing of 180
degrees for the northernmost of the isolated hills, to see if there are
springs round it. At four miles ascended it, but could see no springs.
This I have named Mount Harvey, after J. Harvey, Esquire, M.L.A. from
Mount Kingston it bears 47 degrees 45 minutes. Thence I started for the
other mount, which I have named Mount Dutton, after the Honourable F.T.
Dutton; four miles and a half to the top. The Hanson range is closing
upon my course, and I think to-morrow's journey will cut it. On the north
side are a few springs, some of them a little brackish, and some very
good. We cleared out one, and found it very good. Here I camped for the
night. From south-west to north-west it seems to be an immense plain,
stony on the surface, with salt bush and grass. Mount Dutton is well
grassed to the top; it is composed of the same rock as the others.
Wednesday, 8th June, Mount Dutton. at 9.15 started on a course of 310
degrees. At three-quarters of a mile passed another batch of springs,
some of them brackish, and some very good indeed. Leaving them we passed
over a good feeding country, crossing several gum and myall creeks, one
with polyganum, all coming from Hanson range and flowing into the Neale.
At nine miles crossed the top of Hanson range. From it I could see, about
fifteen miles to the west of north, a high point of this range, which I
have named Mount O'Halloran (after the Honourable Major O'Halloran), on
the west side of which there appears to be a large creek coming from the
north-west. We then proceeded on a course of 324 degrees towards Mount
O'Halloran. At four miles and a half struck a large gum creek coming from
the range and running for about four miles north-west on our course;
examined it for water, but found none. It divides itself into numerous
channels, and when full must retain a large quantity of water for a long
time. The gum-trees are large and numerous, and numbers of pigeons
frequent its banks. At a mile further came upon some rain water in a
stony flat, where we camped for the night between low sand rises covered
with grass.
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