Journals of Australian ExplorationsGregory, Augustus Charles
History
Journals of Australian Explorations
Gregory, Augustus Charles
Australia -- Discovery and exploration
At 6.45 a.m., proceeding west, ascended a granite hill, near the top of
which we found a native well, where we halted at 7.30. Having watered the
horses and breakfasted, at 9.30 resumed our journey over granite hills,
covered with brushwood and cypress with a few grassy patches; at 11.10
passed a native well; altered the course to west-south-west, crossing
three small watercourses trending north-west; and at 1.15 p.m. halted at
the foot of a bare granite hill, on the top of which there was a fine
pool of rainwater in a shallow basin of the rock.
Latitude 28 degrees 50 minutes 51 seconds; longitude 116 degrees 29
minutes.
7th September.
Started at 7.15 a.m. on a course 255 degrees through acacia thickets; at
10.5 crossed a narrow strip of salt marsh, which spread out into dry salt
lakes to the south; after this the country was grassy till 11.30, when we
entered a dense thicket of acacia, melaleuca, cypress, and eucalypti, the
ground gradually rising till 4.0 p.m., and then descending till 5.25,
when we crossed a small dry watercourse trending south; at 6.10
bivouacked in a gum forest without water or grass, though a large flight
of white cockatoos which roosted near seemed to indicate that water was
not far distant.
Latitude 28 degrees 58 minutes 14 seconds; longitude 116 degrees 6
minutes.
8th September.
Leaving the bivouac at 7.0 am steered west; at 7.20 came to a grassy
granite hill, then west-north-west to another hill, where we halted for
half an hour to look for water, but being unsuccessful, again resumed a
westerly course through acacia thickets, alternating with grassy gum
forest, till noon, when the soil changed from a red loam to ironstone
gravel; grass disappeared and was replaced by scrub; the country was much
broken and continued to rise till 4.0 p.m., when it began to descend
rapidly till 4.30, when we came to a small watercourse trending south;
following it down for half a mile, found a small pool of water and some
grass, and halted for the night, this being the only water seen for
nearly fifty miles.
Latitude 28 degrees 58 minutes 50 seconds; longitude 115 degrees 45
minutes.
DISCOVER TWO SEAMS OF COAL.
9th September.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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