The History of Australian Exploration from 1788 to 1888Favenc, Ernest
History
The History of Australian Exploration from 1788 to 1888
Favenc, Ernest
Australia -- Discovery and exploration
For the next few days the party were dependent on springs and small
clay-pans. On the 27th when following down a creek, which was called
Kennedy Creek after one of the party, they arrived at a fine permanent
spring, which Forrest characterised as the best he had ever seen, the
grass and herbage around being of an equally satisfactory description.
The springs were named the Windich Springs after the black boy, Tommy
Windich, who had been with Forrest on three expeditions. To the northwest
there was a fine range of hills, which was named the Carnarvon Range.
The explorers now got into less attractive country, the spinifex
sandhills began to become a familiar feature, and the water supply less
to be depended on.
On the 2nd June, Forrest made his next important discovery of the Weld
Springs, which he describes as unlimited in supply, clear, fresh, and
running down the gully wherein it was situated for over twenty chains.
Here they settled down to give their tired horses a week's rest.
On the 8th, he started with one boy, to look for water ahead, leaving
instructions for the party to follow on their tracks in a day's time. He
was unfortunate; the two travelled for twenty miles over undulating
sandhills covered with spinifex without seeing a sign of water. At
daybreak from the top of a low, stony rise the view was gloomy in the
extreme. Far to the north and east it was all spinifex country with no
appearance of hills or watercourse, in fact a barren worthless desert.
Turning back they met the remainder of the party about twenty miles from
the spring, and the whole party retreated to their former encampment, and
after a day's rest Alexander Forrest and a black boy started for a trip
to the south-east in search of water.
During their absence the natives made an unexpected attack on the camp.
At about one o'clock about sixty or seventy natives appeared on the brow
of the hill overlooking Weld Springs, plumed and armed with spears and
shields. They descended the rise and attempted to rush the camp, but were
met with a volley from the whites who were prepared to receive them. They
retired to the top of the hill, and after a consultation made a second
attack, but were checked by a rifle shot from the leader. This put an end
to the assault. That evening Alexander Forrest and the boy returned, and
were much astonished to hear of the day's adventure. They had been over
fifty miles from camp, had passed over some good feeding country, but had
found no water.
They now set to work and built a rough hut of stone, in order to ensure
safety during the night, as their stay at Weld Springs seemed likely to
be indefinite, and a fresh attack might be made at any moment. When the
hut was finished, Forrest, taking a boy with him, started on a flying
trip due east. This time they were fortunate enough to find a small
supply in some clay waterholes, and the whole party shifted camp to it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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