Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2Grey, George
History
Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2
Grey, George
Natural history -- Australia -- Western Australia; Western Australia -- Discovery and exploration
Having formed this resolution, it became necessary to make a selection of
those who were to accompany me. In determining however upon this point I
had but little difficulty; for it was evident that those men who during
our late toils had shown themselves the most capable of enduring
hardships, privations, and the fatigue of long and rapid marches, were
those who were the best suited for the service I now destined them for.
The following was the division I made of the party: I named:
Corporal Auger,
Corporal Coles,
H. Woods,
W. Hackney,
Kaiber, the native,
as those who were to accompany me, and left the remainder under the
command of Mr. Walker.
EMBARRASSMENT REGARDING THE CHART.
In making my arrangements with Mr. Walker a very serious difficulty arose
upon his part, and one from which I immediately augured the worst of
consequences. On quitting the boats I brought away with me Captain King's
chart of the coast between North-west Cape and Cape Leeuwin, and had
hitherto carried it along with my papers and sketches. I wished Mr.
Walker to take this chart with him for the purpose of recognising his
position by means of the islands and headlands as he advanced along the
coast. No inducements upon my part could however persuade him to take
charge of it. It was in vain that I urged on him the well known fact that
nothing encourages men in a long journey so much as knowing the exact
distance they have travelled and what extent of country they have still
left to traverse. It was in vain that I assured him he would, from his
inexperience in calculating distances in the bush, soon get confused in
his reckoning; and that the men, finding out his error, would lose all
trust and confidence in him, whence would spring want of discipline and
disorders of various kinds; he knew that I much valued this chart and had
apparently taken it into his head that I wished to disencumber myself of
it and to entail the duty of carrying it on him.
He at length proposed to me to allow him to cut the chart up, in which
case he said he would carry on the part he wanted and leave the rest. I
would not however part with so valuable a document, for it contained my
route up to that point, and the public utility of the expedition mainly
depended on the preservation of it. He next requested me to make a copy
of it for him; this I assured him under existing circumstances it was
utterly impossible for me to do with sufficient accuracy to answer the
intended purpose, and I therefore would not attempt it. He then applied
to Mr. Smith, who coincided in my opinion; but ever willing to oblige he
made as accurate a copy as he could, which I in vain represented to Mr.
Walker he would find utterly useless. His unreasonable reluctance however
I could not overcome.
POINT OF RENDEZVOUS FIXED.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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