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
March 28.--AT daylight we moved on, every one walking, even the youngest
boy could not ride now, as the horses were so weak and jaded. Soon after
leaving the camp, one of them laid down, although the weight upon his
back was very light; we were consequently obliged to distribute the few
things he carried among the others, and let him follow loose. Our route
lay along the beach, as the dense scrub inland prevented us from
following any other course; we had, therefore, to go far out of our way,
tracing round every point, and following along every bay, whilst the
sea-weed frequently obstructed our path, and drove us again to the loose
sands, above high water mark, causing extra fatigue to our unfortunate
horses. At other times we were forced to go between these banks of
sea-weed and the sea, into the sea itself, on which occasions it required
our utmost vigilance to prevent the wretched horses from drinking the
salt water, which would inevitably have destroyed them. In order to
prevent this we were obliged to walk ourselves in the water, on the
sea-side of them, one of the party being in advance, leading one horse,
another being behind to keep up the rear, and the other three being at
intervals along the outside of the line, to keep them from stopping for
an instant until the danger was past.
We had scarcely advanced six miles from our last night's camp when the
little Timor pony I had purchased at Port Lincoln broke down completely;
for some time it had been weak, and we were obliged to drive it loose,
but it was now unable to proceed further, and we were compelled to
abandon it to a miserable and certain death, that by pushing on, we might
use every exertion in our power to relieve the others, though scarcely
daring to hope that we could save even one of them. It was, indeed, a
fearful and heart-rending scene to behold the noble animals which had
served us so long and so faithfully, suffering the extremity of thirst
and hunger, without having it in our power to relieve them. Five days of
misery had passed over their heads since the last water had been left,
and one hundred and twelve miles of country had been traversed without
the possibility of procuring food for them, other than the dry and
sapless remains of last year's grass, and this but rarely to be met with.
No rains had fallen to refresh them, and they were reduced to a most
pitiable condition, still they travelled onwards, with a spirit and
endurance truly surprising. Whenever we halted, they followed us about
like dogs wherever we went, appearing to look to us only for aid, and
exhibiting that confidence in us which I trust we all reposed in the
Almighty, for most truly did we feel, that in His mercy and protection
alone our safety could now ever be hoped for.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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