The Explorers of Australia and their Life-workFavenc, Ernest
History
The Explorers of Australia and their Life-work
Favenc, Ernest
Australia -- Discovery and exploration; Explorers
Stuart started from Chambers Creek, but for part of the journey he was of
course travelling over country that was fairly well-known by that time.
After passing the Neale, he entered untrodden country, which proved to be
good available pastoral land. Numerous well-watered creeks were passed,
which were named respectively the Frew, the Finke, and the Stevenson, and
on the 6th of April they reached a hill of a remarkable shape, which had
for some time attracted and excited their attention and curiosity. They
found it to be a column of sandstone, on the apex of a hill. The hill was
but a low one of a few hundred feet in height, but the sandstone column
that surmounted it was one hundred and fifty feet in height and twenty
feet in width. This striking object was named by Stuart Chambers Pillar,
to commemorate a friend who had assisted him greatly in his explorations.
It stood amongst other elevations of fantastic shapes and grotesque
formations, resembling ruined forts and castles. On the 9th of April they
sighted two remarkable bluffs, and on the 12th reached the range of which
the bluffs formed the centre. The eastern bluff was called Brinkley Bluff
and the western Hanson Bluff; the range, which is now well-known as a
leading geographical feature of Australia, and on which the most elevated
peaks in the interior have since been found, Stuart named the MacDonnell
Range, after the then Governor of South Australia. The little band
crossed the range, which was rough but had good grass on its slopes.
There was, however, a scarcity of water; for they were now approaching
the tropical line, and on reaching the northern slope of the range found
themselves amongst spinifex and scrub, and obliged to undergo two nights
without water for the horses. At a high peak, which was named Mount
Freeling, they found a small supply; and as it was now evident that there
was dry country ahead, a more careful search was made before pushing any
further forward, in order to ensure certain means of retreat. Fortunately
they found, amongst some ledges of rock, a large natural reservoir, which
promised to be permanent, and capable of supplying their wants on their
homeward way.
On the 22nd of April, Stuart camped in the centre of Australia, on the
spot which his former leader, Sturt, had vainly undergone so much
suffering to reach; and his feeling of elation must have been tempered
with regret that his old leader was not then with him to share this
success. About two miles and a half to the North-North-East there was a
tolerably high hill which he called in reality Central Mount Sturt. It is
now, however, erroneously called Stuart, owing to the publishers of his
diary having misread his manuscript.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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