Journals of Australian ExplorationsGregory, Augustus Charles
History
Journals of Australian Explorations
Gregory, Augustus Charles
Australia -- Discovery and exploration
We were unable to proceed this day, owing to my having eaten some of the
dwarf mesembryanthemum, which I had formerly observed to be used as food
by the natives on the Gascoyne, but which had produced with me violent
headache and vomiting. The horses were, however, enjoying excellent feed;
and I contrived to work up my map and clear a lunar.
20th June.
Started at 7.25 a.m. with nineteen horses, having been obliged to leave
behind a horse belonging to Mr. Lennard, so lame that he could not move.
Following the stream-bed nearly west for ten miles, came upon a pool of
permanent water containing flags--the first we had met with since
quitting the Hamersley Range. This was of great value, as there was no
water that could be depended upon on our return, in the last sixty miles.
Pushing on quickly for twelve miles further, the river entered a wide
plain, in which was some tolerable feed; we had again, however, to halt
for the night without water.
DEPOT CAMP ON THE HARDEY RIVER.
21st June.
Although the size of the channel of the river we had been following down
for the last sixty miles had considerably increased both in width and
depth, yet very little water had been found in it, and as it took a
decided turn in its course this morning to north-west, after two hours'
ride, without observing any change, and there being every appearance of
its keeping the same course for the next twenty miles, I was convinced
that it could not be a tributary to either the Edmund or Lyons, which I
had at first hoped it might prove. The barometer also ranged too high for
it to be at a sufficient elevation to admit of it flowing into either of
those rivers, as the elevation of the Lyons at the confluence of the Alma
is at least of the same altitude above the sea. Having named the river
the Hardey, we fell back upon the pools passed yesterday, where I had
decided upon forming a depot camp at which to rest the weakest horses,
while with a lightly equipped party I proposed to complete the expedition
of the country intervening between this and the Lyons River. Camp 26.
Latitude 22 degrees 58 minutes 28 seconds; longitude 117 degrees 10
minutes.
22nd June.
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