Journals of Australian ExplorationsGregory, Augustus Charles
History
Journals of Australian Explorations
Gregory, Augustus Charles
Australia -- Discovery and exploration
During the night the horses were several times disturbed, but it was not
till morning that the cause was ascertained, when we found that they had
been attacked by the alligators, and three were severely bitten and
scratched. At 8.0 a.m. started to follow up the river; but the rocky
hills approached so close to its banks as to leave no passage, and we had
to ascend the range, which was not an easy task; after three hours of
severe toil under a scorching sun we reached a more practicable country,
and at 3.30 p.m. encamped on the bank of the river, above the influence
of the tide, fifty yards wide. Two of the horses had been left about a
mile from the camp quite exhausted, but at sunset they were brought in to
the camp.
Latitude by observation a Cygni 14 degrees 51 minutes 37 seconds.
13th October.
At 7.0 a.m. crossed to the left bank of the river at a stony bar where
the water formed a rapid twenty yards wide and two feet deep; we then
followed the river up for half an hour and altered the course to
south-south-east, along a running creek ten to twenty yards wide; at 8.5
a.m. crossed a running stream from the west; at 10.30 a.m. two of the
horses were completely exhausted, but having rested them at a pool of
water, one revived, but were compelled to leave the other. We then
proceeded, but were obliged to return to the creek about a mile higher
up, as several of the horses began to fail, and though we rested till 3.0
p.m., the second horse was unable to proceed, and was therefore
abandoned. Since these horses were landed they have not had strength to
rise without assistance, and it has been necessary to even watch them
while feeding to lift them up when they fall down from exhaustion.
Continuing our route, the valley was about two miles wide, with
flat-topped hills bounding it on the east and west; there were a few
pools of water in the creek, but the country was poor and stony with a
few patches of grass; at 5.0 p.m. encamped.
Latitude by meridian altitude of a Cygni 15 degrees 1 minute 10 seconds.
14th October.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account