Journals of Australian ExplorationsGregory, Augustus Charles
History
Journals of Australian Explorations
Gregory, Augustus Charles
Australia -- Discovery and exploration
Availing ourselves of the observations made yesterday, we succeeded,
after a hard scramble of two hours, in getting through the remaining
portion of the range, our horses having learned to climb like goats, or
they never would have accomplished the passage. The plain appears to have
a considerable elevation above those to the northward, and is drained by
several deep breaks through the Hamersley Range. Resuming a
south-south-west course to latitude 22 degrees 26 minutes 32 seconds, we
passed at first over some very stony land, yielding little else besides
triodia and stunted acacia; but for the last six or seven miles was a
rich alluvial clay, covered with very fair pasture, and water was found
in abundance in pools in the bed of a watercourse coming from the
south-east. Camp 20.
Latitude 22 degrees 26 minutes 58 seconds.
14th June.
On our first landing at Nickol Bay the nights had been very mild, but we
now began to feel them cold and bracing. This was partly owing to the
increased elevation of the country we were now travelling over; the
south-east wind coming off the mountainous country was very keen, and
almost frosty early in the morning. Our course this day was at first over
tolerably good country, which gradually became more and more rocky, the
ridges increasing in elevation until the aneroid barometer fell to 27.33,
giving an altitude of 2400 feet above the sea. Night overtook us in a
deep rocky ravine, where we had much difficulty in keeping the
pack-horses together, and were at last compelled to unload them amongst
rocks in the bed of a dry watercourse trending to the westward; a little
grass being procurable in the vicinity. Fortunately water had been met
with at noon, so that we were not pressed for want of it. Camp 21.
Latitude 22 degrees 41 minutes 43 seconds.
15th June.
Following the gully upon which we had encamped, it led us to the
westward, over a rocky line of country, until 1 p.m., when not meeting
with any water, and the horses showing great weakness and symptoms of
distress from the loss of their shoes, it was found desirable to quit the
main gully and try and find feed and water up a promising tributary
coming from the north with the view of ultimately falling back on the
plains under the Hamersley Range, should we fail to meet with water
sooner; fortunately, however, in an hour we came upon a small supply
amongst rocks, surrounded by some tolerable feed. Had we failed to find
this timely relief, it is probable that not more than half the horses
would have been able to carry their loads to the nearest known waterhole.
Camp 22.
16th June (Sunday).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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