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
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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