Journals of Expeditions of Discovery into Central Australia and Overland from Adelaide to King George's Sound in the Years 1840-1: Sent By the Colonists of South Australia, with the Sanction and Support of the Government: Including an Account of the Manners and Customs of the Aborigines and the State of Their Relations with Europeans — Volume 01Eyre, Edward John
History
Journals of Expeditions of Discovery into Central Australia and Overland from Adelaide to King George's Sound in the Years 1840-1: Sent By the Colonists of South Australia, with the Sanction and Support of the Government: Including an Account of the Manners and Customs of the Aborigines and the State of Their Relations with Europeans — Volume 01
Eyre, Edward John
Australia -- Discovery and exploration; Ethnology -- Australia
December 10.--After an early breakfast, we took the horses to water and
cleared the hole out thoroughly, as I expected five more horses in the
evening. Upon returning to the plain, fires of the natives were again
seen to the north-east; but they did not approach us. Our provisions were
now quite exhausted, and having already lived for many days upon a very
low diet, we looked out anxiously for the expected relay. About four
o'clock, Mr. Scott, two men, and five horses arrived, bringing us
supplies; so that no time had been lost after the arrival of my
messenger. The hole having been previously enlarged and cleared out, no
difficulty was experienced in watering the horses, and about sunset all
encamped together under the sand-hills at the grassy plain.
December 11.--Leaving directions with Mr. Scott to take back to the
depot, to-morrow, the two horses we had been working so severely, and
which were now recruiting a little; and giving orders to the two men to
follow the dray track to the north-west tomorrow, with the three fresh
horses, I once more set off with the native boy to revisit the scene of
our late disasters; and recover the dray and other things we had
abandoned. We passed by the three dead horses on our route, now lying
stiff and cold; in our situation a melancholy spectacle, and which
awakened gloomy and cheerless anticipations for the future, by reminding
us of the crippled state of our resources, and of the dreadful character
of the inhospitable region we had to penetrate. At dark we came to the
little plain where the dray was, and found both it and our baggage
undisturbed; nor was it apparent that any natives had visited the place
since we left it. During the evening a few slight showers fell, which,
with a heavy dew, moistened the withered grass, and enabled our horses to
feed tolerably well.
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