Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, Volume 2: With Descriptions of the Recently Explored Region of Australia Felix, and of the Present Colony of New South WalesMitchell, T. L. (Thomas Livingstone)
History
Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, Volume 2: With Descriptions of the Recently Explored Region of Australia Felix, and of the Present Colony of New South Wales
Mitchell, T. L. (Thomas Livingstone)
Australia -- Discovery and exploration; Mitchell, T. L. (Thomas Livingstone), 1792-1855
The first half of this day was required for the passage of the horses one
by one; and for taking the carts across. We left the boat carriage on the
left bank and sunk the boat in a deep lagoon on the right bank, to remain
there until the party should return to the spot with a stock of
provisions for Mr. Stapylton. Here the last mountain barometer, which had
been carried in excellent order throughout the journey, lost mercury so
copiously that I could not hope to use it any more, time being then too
valuable to admit of delay; and thus my list of observations terminated
on the Murray. I supposed that the intense heat of the sun to which the
instrument had been exposed when tied to a tree for some hours after the
tents had been struck had contracted the leathern bag so much as to
loosen it from the edges of the cylinder, and thus formed openings
through which the mercury had escaped. The breadth of the Murray was 80
yards at the place where we crossed it and the mean depth was 3 1/2
fathoms. At length I saw with great satisfaction my party on the right
bank of this great river; having now no other stream to cross until we
reached the Murrumbidgee where we might consider ourselves at home.
PARTY RETURNING TO MEET MR. STAPYLTON.
Just at this time Archibald McKane, a carpenter, came forward and
proposed to return with any two of the men and the native Tommy to meet
the party coming after us upon the Goulburn; and to construct there such
rafts of casks and other gear as might enable Mr. Stapylton to cross that
river and the Ovens and so come forward to the Murray; an arrangement
which would render it unnecessary for me to send back any cattle or the
boat as intended. I was much pleased with the proposal of McKane and,
Tommy Came-last being also willing to return, I appointed John Douglas, a
sailor and most handy man, and Charles King, a man who feared nothing, to
accompany McKane. Full rations were issued to the four and, having given
them a letter for Mr. Stapylton, the little party returned towards the
houseless wilds, when we left the Murray to continue our journey
homewards. Although we did not set off before one o'clock we this day
travelled fourteen miles, but did not encamp till long after sunset. The
scarcity of water compelled us to travel thus far, for none had been seen
except one small muddy pool until I reached the valley where we encamped,
and even there we found little more than enough for ourselves and cattle.
October 20.
After travelling five miles over tolerable land we crossed a range of
very fine-grained granite consisting of felspar, quartz, and small
particles of mica and having a very crystalline aspect. This range was a
branch from a higher mass on our right. At seven miles we crossed the
shoulder of a hill whence I intersected others to the right. This also
consisted of fine-grained granite, similar to that of the other hill, but
it was not so red and had fewer spangles of mica.
A CREEK TERMINATING IN A SWAMP.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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