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
Five miles beyond the flint district we turned a little inland and halted
for the night upon a patch of withered grass. During the day we had been
fortunate enough to find a puddle of water in a hollow of the rock left
by yesterday's rain, at which we watered the horses, and then lading out
the remainder into our bucket carefully covered it up with a stone slab
until our return, as I well knew, if exposed to the sun and wind, there
would not be a drop left in a very few hours. Kangaroos had been seen in
great numbers during the day, but we had not been able to get a shot at
one. Our provisions were now nearly exhausted, and for some days we had
been upon very reduced allowances, so that it was not without some degree
of chagrin that we saw so many fine animals bounding unscathed around us.
January 11.--Having travelled fifteen miles further along the cliffs, I
found them still continue unchanged, with the same level uninteresting
country behind. I had now accomplished all that I expected to do on this
excursion, by ascertaining the character of the country around the Great
Bight; and as our horses were too weak to attempt to push beyond the
cliffs to the next water, and as we ourselves were without provisions, I
turned homewards, and by making a late and forced march, arrived at the
place where we had left the bucket of water, after a day's ride of
forty-five miles. Our precaution as we had gone out proved of inestimable
value to us now. The bucket of water was full and uninjured, and we were
enabled thus to give our horses a gallon and a half each, and allow them
to feed upon the withered grass instead of tying them up to bushes, which
we must have done if we had had no water.
January 12.--In our route back to "Yeer-kumban-kauwe" we were lucky
enough to add to our fare a rat and a bandicoot, we might also have had a
large brown snake, but neither the boy nor I felt inclined to
experimentalise upon so uninviting an article of food; after all it was
probably mere prejudice, and the animal might have been as good eating as
an eel. We arrived at the water about noon, and the remainder of the day
afforded a grateful rest both to ourselves and to the horses.
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