Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia — CompleteSturt, Charles
History
Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia — Complete
Sturt, Charles
New South Wales -- Discovery and exploration; Sturt, Charles, 1795-1869
We reached the camp about noon the following day, and learnt, to our
vexation, that one of the men, Norman, had lost himself shortly after we
started, and had not since been heard of. Dawber, my overseer, was out in
search of him. I awaited his return, therefore, before I took any measures
for the man's recovery; nor was I without hopes that Dawber would have
found him, as it appeared he had taken one of the horses with him, and
Dawber, by keeping his tracks, might eventually have overtaken him. He
returned, however, about 3 p.m. unsuccessful, when Mr. Hume and I mounted
our horses, and proceeded in different directions in quest of him, but
were equally disappointed.
We met at the creek in the dark, and returned to the camp together, when I
ordered the cypresses on the range to be set on fire, and thus illuminated
the country round for many miles. In the morning, however, as Norman had
not made his appearance, we again started in search of the poor fellow,
on whose account I was now most uneasy; for his horse, it appeared, had
escaped him, and was found with the others at watering time.
I did not return to the camp until after sunset, more fatigued than I
recollect ever having been before. I was, however, rejoiced on being
informed that the object of my anxiety was safe in his tent; that he had
caught sight of the hill the evening before, and that he had reached the
camp shortly after I left it. He had been absent three nights and two
days, and had not tasted water or food of any kind during that time.
To my enquiries he replied, that, being on horseback, he thought he could
have overtaken a kangaroo, which passed him whilst waiting at the creek
for the cattle, and that in the attempt, he lost himself. It would appear
that he crossed the creek in the dark, and his horse escaped from him on
the first night. He complained more of thirst than of hunger, although he
had drunk at the watering-place to such an excess, on his return, as to
make him vomit; but, though not a little exhausted, he had escaped better
than I should have expected.
COUNTRY AROUND NEW YEAR'S RANGE.
New Year's Range consists of a principal group of five hills, the loftiest
of which does not measure 300 feet in height. It has lateral ridges,
extending to the N.N.W. on the one hand, and bending in to the creek on
the other. The former have a few cypresses, sterculia, and iron bark upon
them; the latter are generally covered with brush, under box; the brush
for the most part consisting of two distinct species of stenochylus, and a
new acacia. The whole range is of quartz formation, small fragments of
which are profusely scattered over the ridges, and are abundantly
incrusted with oxide of iron. The soil in the neighbourhood of New Year's
Range is a red loam, with a slight mixture of sand. An open forest country
lies between it and the creek, and it is not at all deficient in pasture.
NEW YEAR'S CREEK.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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