Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia — Volume ISturt, Charles
History
Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia — Volume I
Sturt, Charles
New South Wales -- Discovery and exploration; Sturt, Charles, 1795-1869
before embarking upon it, whether the general course was in the desired
direction. Leaving Mr. White with half the party, I accordingly traced
the Karaula downwards, and found that its course changed to south, a
few miles below where I had made it, and that it was joined by the
Gwydir only eight miles below where I had crossed that river.
Immediately below the junction of the Gwydir (which is in latitude 29
degrees 30 minutes 27 seconds, longitude 148 degrees 13 minutes 20
seconds) the course of the river continues southward of west, directly
towards where Captain Sturt discovered the River Darling; and I could
no longer doubt that this was the same river. I therefore returned to
the party, determined to explore the country further northward.
The results of my progress thus far were sufficient, I considered, to
prove that the division of the waters falling towards the northern and
southern shores of Australia is not, as has been supposed, in the
direction of the Liverpool and Warrabangle range, but extends between
Cape Byron on the eastern shore, towards Dick Hartog's Island on the
west; the greater elongation of this country being between these
points, and intermediate between the lines of its northern and southern
coasts. The basin of the streams I have been upon must be bounded on
the north by this dividing ground or water-shed, and although no rise
was perceptible in the northern horizon, the river was traversed by
several rocky dykes, over which it fell southward; their direction
being oblique to the course, and nearly parallel to this division of
the waters. I beg leave to state, that I should not feel certain on
this point without having seen more, were it not evident from Mr.
Cunningham's observations, made on crossing this division on his way to
Moreton Bay. Mr. Cunningham, on crossing the head of this river, nearly
in the same latitude, but much nearer its sources, found the height of
its bed above the sea to be 840 feet; at about forty-five miles further
northward the ground rose to upwards of 1700 feet, but immediately
beyond, he reached a river flowing north-west, the height of which was
only 1400 feet above the sea. He had thus crossed this dividing higher
ground, between the parallels of 29 degrees and 28 degrees. It appears,
therefore, that all the interior rivers we know of to the northward of
the Morumbidgee, belong to the basin of the Karaula; this stream
flowing southward, and hence the disappearance of the Macquarie and
other lower rivers may be understood, for all along the banks of the
Karaula, the Gwydir, and the Nammoy, the country, though not swampy,
bears marks of frequent inundation; thus the floods occasioned by these
rivers united, cover the low country, and receive the Macquarie so that
no channel marks its further course.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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