McKinlay's Journal of Exploration in the Interior of AustraliaMcKinlay, John
History
McKinlay's Journal of Exploration in the Interior of Australia
McKinlay, John
Australia -- Discovery and exploration; McKinlay, John, 1819-1872
Camp 40. First thing in the morning got the horses and started Middleton
and Palmer to endeavour to trace the unfortunate man Kirby who has not
made his appearance. He must have had a bitter cold night of it; this
morning south wind was as cold or colder than I have felt it for twelve
months--we were glad to get to the fire besides fortifying ourselves with
warmer clothing than usual. I with Poole started to cut his tracks if he
came out through the range on his course through open country south of
this, but were unsuccessful in finding any trace of him. Middleton and
Palmer got on his tracks and followed them to about dark when within a
very short distance of our tracks here, and more than half the distance
to this camp, and thought it not improbable, from the course he was then
pursuing, that he had got to our camp and came home but the unfortunate
had not; had he been followed the day before by Hodgkinson with the same
perseverance all would have been well and much anxiety spared to all. If
the poor man has kept to the ranges I'm afraid there is little hopes of
him--it will be a sad end for the poor fellow--a better man for his
occupation could not be found. Just fancy an unfortunate man lost between
two and three hundred miles from the coast in a perfect wild with
twenty-three sheep (and I question if he has any matches) left to sink or
swim beyond reach of any Christian soul. If he is recovered he may thank
God. Will still keep up the search for some days to come in hopes of
recovering him. Camp bearing 208 1/2 degrees about four and a half miles;
furthest north point visible of McKinlay's Range 304 degrees, from thirty
to forty miles. No range visible between that and 18 1/2 degrees. Nothing
but heavily timbered creeks, innumerable tributaries from both sides and
south end. Exact course of main creek not positively discernible, but for
the first twenty miles from camp it bears much east, from Observation
Hill it appears as far east as 3 degrees--termination of McKinlay's Range
as visible from camp on bearing 341 degrees. Furthest southern point of
McKinlay's Range as visible from Observation Hill 214 degrees. Some miles
beyond the watershed south, hill where watershed takes place about six
miles from camp bears from the Hill Observation 216 degrees from camp.
Saturday, April 19.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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