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
Mr. Stapylton had also received my several communications Numbers 1, 2,
3, and 4, which he dug from the earth at various camps; thus we had for
once eluded the keen eye of the aborigines in this kind of
correspondence, although on my first journey we had not been so
successful. My original plan on this expedition was to bury the letter
under the ashes of my fire; cutting at the same time a cross in the turf
where my tent had stood, as the mark by which Mr. Stapylton was to know
that something was so deposited. But I subsequently improved on this plan
and buried my letter in the centre of the cross by merely making a hole
with a stick in the soft earth where the turf had been cut and dropping
the letter into it.
SURVEY OF THE MURRUMBIDGEE.
In my instructions to Mr. Stapylton, sent by Burnett, I directed him to
survey the course of the Murrumbidgee upwards from Guy's station until he
connected our interior survey with the map of the colony. This he
accomplished by measuring to the junction of the Doomot, a river he had
himself previously surveyed. The direct distance between that junction
and the point at which we first arrived on the Murrumbidgee was
ascertained by Mr. Stapylton's measurement to be 34 3/4 miles, but
according to my map of the interior country 36 1/2 miles; making an error
of only 1 3/4 miles + or westward in a chain-measurement continued from
the station at Buree, where the journey commenced, to the Darling, thence
to the southern coast, and back to this point on the Murrumbidgee. The
measurement was checked by latitudes determined nightly from observations
of several stars, the difference between several amounting to a few
seconds only. I availed myself of trigonometrical measurements also with
a good theodolite wherever this was possible, in which case such a survey
engaged my whole attention, and my route was often directed according to
the position of good points.
METEOROLOGICAL JOURNAL.
The meteorological journal was kept more carefully during this journey
than on the two preceding; and with the kind assistance of my friends
Captain King and Mr. Dunlop it affords, in some parts at least, materials
for comparing the atmospheric changes in the regions explored with those
occurring simultaneously on the eastern coast.
ARRIVAL OF THE EXPLORING PARTY AT SYDNEY.
It was long before the party arrived in Sydney for, when it reached the
Murrumbidgee and the apprehension of famine no longer existed, rest was
so necessary for the cattle that it was indulged in for their sake
chiefly, to an extent much beyond the wishes of the men. The oxen looked
tolerably well therefore when the party did reach Sydney, although from
so long a journey; and my men enjoyed at length the triumph among their
fellows, to which they had long looked forward, on conducting the boat
and boat-carriage safely once more into the yard of my office.
PIPER AND THE MEN REWARDED.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account