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
Immense numbers of tracks of emus and wild dogs, also some
native tracks, all fresh. On the north-west side there is one solitary
gum-tree, and about half a mile in the same direction is another bed of
reeds, and a spring with water in it. All the banks round the lagoon are
of a spongy nature. I am very glad I have found this; it will be another
day's stage with water nearer to the Spring of Hope. We can now make that
in one day, if we can get an early start. By the discovery of springs on
this trip, the road can now be travelled to the furthest water that I saw
on my last trip from Adelaide, and not be a night without water for the
horses. The country to the south and south-east of the last springs
(which I have named the William Springs, after the youngest son of John
Chambers, Esquire), is sand hills and valleys, rich in grass and other
food for cattle. Thence I proceeded to hill bearing 10 degrees south of
north, distant three miles, from the top of which I could see no rising
ground to the westward, nothing but sand hills. Changed my course to
south, to a white place under some stony hills; at ten miles reached it,
and found it to be a salt creek, but no springs. The last ten miles were
through hills not so high as those I crossed on my way out, but more
broken, with plenty of feed. It is my intention to push for the Strangway
Springs tonight, so as to get an early start in the morning. Arrived at
10 p.m., found that one of the horses had not been seen all day;
something always does go wrong when I am away; I shall have to make a
search for him in the morning. My eyes very bad from the effects of the
glare of the sun on the sand hills, and the heat reflected from them, and
that everlasting torment, the flies.
Friday, 11th November, Strangway Springs. My eyes so bad I cannot see;
unable to go myself in search of the missing horse; despatched two of the
men at daybreak to circuit the spring, and cut her tracks if she has left
them. They have returned, but can see no tracks leaving the spring; she
must be concealed among the reeds; sent three men to examine them. They
found her at 1 p.m. Started at 2 p.m., and arrived at William Springs at
sundown. Distance, fourteen miles. By keeping a little more to the east,
the sand hills can nearly be avoided, and a good road over stony country,
with good feed, can be had to this spring.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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