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
us about two hours to water the animals, and get a little tea for
ourselves, after which the boy laid down to sleep, and I walked round to
search for grass. A little grew between the sand-drifts and the cliffs,
and though dry and withered, I was most thankful to find it. I then
returned to the camp and laid down, but could not sleep, for although
relieved myself, my anxiety became but the greater, for the party behind,
and the more so, because at present I could do nothing to aid them; it
was impossible that either the horses, or ourselves, could go back to
meet them without a few hours' rest, and yet the loss of a few hours
might be of the utmost consequence; I determined, however, to return and
meet them as early as possible in the morning, and in the mean time, as I
knew that the overseer and natives would, when they came, be greatly
fatigued, and unable to dig holes to water the horses, I called up the
boy, and with his assistance dug two large holes about five feet deep,
from which the horses could readily and without delay be watered upon
their arrival. As we had only some shells left by the natives to work
with, our wells progressed slowly, and we were occupied to a late hour.
In the evening we watered the horses, and before laying down ourselves,
drove them to the grass I had discovered. For the first time for many
nights, I enjoyed a sound and refreshing sleep.
Chapter XVI.
GO BACK TO MEET THE OVERSEER--PARTY ARRIVE AT THE WATER--LONG
ENCAMPMENT--GEOLOGICAL FORMATION OF THE CLIFFS--MOVE ON AGAIN--DIG FOR
WATER--TRACES OF NATIVES--SEND BACK FOR WATER--PARROTS SEEN--COOL WINDS
FROM NORTH-EAST--OVERSEER RETURNS--CONTINUE THE JOURNEY--ABANDON
BAGGAGE--DENSE SCRUBS--DRIVEN TO THE BEACH--MEET NATIVES--MODE OF
PROCURING WATER FROM ROOTS.
March 12.--THE first streak of daylight found us on our way to meet the
party, carrying with us three gallons of water upon one of the horses,
the other was ridden by the boy. Upon passing the sandy valley, where I
had been in such a state of suspense and doubt at seeing the sand-hills
behind me, I determined to descend and examine them; but before doing so,
I wrote a note for the overseer (in case he should pass whilst I was in
the valley,) and hoisted a red handkerchief to attract his attention to
it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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