The History of Australian Exploration from 1788 to 1888

ation at this period-Renewed explorations around Lake Torrens-Surveyor-General Frome-Death of Horrocks, the first explorer to introduce camels-Sturt's last expedition-Route by the Darling chosen-Poole

nzie, Isaacs and Suttor-Murder of the naturalist Gibert-Discovery of the Gulf Rivers-Arrival at Port Essington-His return and reception- Surveyor-General Mitchell's last expedition-Follows up the Balonne- Crosses to the head of the B

he nature and value of the interior. The supposed horseshoe formation of Lake Torrens, presenting thus an impassable barrier, was discouraging, but hopes were entertained that

ns, needless to say, attracted the attention of the graziers of the settled districts in search of fresh pastures. The country west of the Darling having received such an unfavourable na

Darling Downs, left an outside station in New England, and after a short inspection of the sce

de Bay district, but were prevented by the scrub. In the following month, November, the flow of the Condamine was again picked up in the space below Turnmervil, the lowest station on a creek above Jimbour, and the channel of the river distinguished, where it w

ussell explored the country from Wide Bay to the Boyne (not the river named by Oxley in Port Curtis), and subsequently followed and laid down this stream throughout, crossing from inland waters on to the head of it. Russell's work in opening up so much available country, is a fair sampl

ight at this time was doomed to set in misfortune, were in the field at the same time. Charles Sturt, fated once more to meet and be defeated (if such a gallant struggle can be called defeat) by the inexorable desert and the stern denial of its climate. Thomas Mitchell, again the favoured of fortune, to w

s. From the view he obtained from the summit, he concluded that Lake Torrens completely enclosed the northern portion of the province of South

lake to the eastward of the southern point of Lake Torrens, but his explorations did not go far to determine the identity of the two, nor their uninterrupted continuity. Prior to this, a series of explorations, followed by settlement, had taken place east and west of Eyre's track, between Adelaide and the head of Spencer's Gulf. One promising expedition was nipped in the bud by the accidental death of the leader, a rising young explorer, who had already won his spurs in opening up fresh country in the province. This was Mr. J. Horrocks, who fo

pread settlement in the province, and succeeded, may be ment

admitted that his account, however truthful it may have appeared to him at the time, is misleading, and overdrawn.

atching his friend and companion die slowly before his eyes. When the kindly rains released him, he was turned back and constantly back by a strip of desert country, t

s of Australia, where men toil as laboriously as in a temperate zone, and the fires of the battery and the smelting furnace burn steadily day and night, in sight of the spot where Poole lies buried. And at the lower levels of the shafts trickle the waters of subterranean streams that Sturt never dreamt of. But though baffled, and unable to gain the goal he strove for, never did man better deserve success. Hi

ll western tributary of the Darling, opposite the point were Mitchell turned back, in 1835, after his conflict with the native

e, then resident magistrate at that place, an

em also went McDouall Stuart, as draftsman, whose fame as an explorer afterwards equalled that of his leader, besides twelve men, eleven horses, thirty

ointed Sturt, he had hoped from the account of the natives to find in it a fair-sized creek, heading from a low range, distantly visible to the north-west; instead, he found it a mere channel for the flood water of the Darling, distributing it into some shallow lakes, back from the river, a distance of some eight or

lake, which, of course, was the effect of mirage, at that time his ardent fancy made him believe

anges as far as the eye can reach. What is all this? Are we to be prosperous? I hope so, and I am sure you do. To-morrow we start for the ranges, and then for the waters, the strange waters, on which boat never swam, and over which flag never floated. But bot

o float on that visionary sea, nor hi

y Browne and two men, went ahead for the purpose of finding water of a sufficient permanency to remove the whole of the party, as at the lake where they were encamped there was always the chance of b

seen some shallow, brackish lakes, and caught sight of Eyre's Mount Serle. They were now on the western slope of the Barrier Ranges, and but for the providential discovery of a fine creek to the north, would have been unable to retain their position. To this creek (Flood's Creek) t

nent water, and here the explorers pitched their tents, little thinking that it would be the 17th of July following before they woul

olate and heated region into which we had penetrated as effectually as if we had wintered at the Pole. It was long indeed ere I could bring myself to believe that so great a misfortune had overtaken us, but so it was. Providence had,

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miles; between us and it there were undulating plains, covered with stones or salsolaceous herbage, excepting in the hollows wherein there was a little grass. Behind us were level stony plains, with small sandy undulations bounded by brush, over which the Black Hill was vi

had not realised that in spite of every precautio

doing, sometimes encouraged and led on by shallow pools in some fragmentary creek bed, at others, seeing nothing before him but hopeless aridity. Now, t

rrative, and that help to fix on our memory the strangely weird picture of the lone

ly in size, were evidently approaching us rapidly. In an incredibly short space of time, we were surrounded by hundreds of the common kite, stooping down to within a few feet of us, and then turning away after having eyed us steadily. Several approached us so closely, that they threw themselves back

tempt to the north, when he succeeded in getting a mile above t

fearful monotony passed on wi

wed neither surprise nor timidity. He drank greedily when water was given him, and ate voraciously, but whence he came the men could not divine nor could he explain to them. He accepted what was given to him, as a right expected by one fellow-being from another, cut off in the desert from their own kin. While h

nce pervaded the camp; we were, indeed, placed under the most trying circumstances, everything combined to depress our spirits and exhaust our patience. We had witnessed migration after migration of the feathered tribes, to that point to

ainst hope, Sturt laid his plans to start as soon as the drought broke up, himself to proceed north and west whilst poo

there. Sturt's way was now open. After burying his lamented friend, he again dispatched the party that was selected to return home, and, with renewed hope, made preparations for the northwest. He first, however, removed the dep?t to a better grassed locality, water being now plentiful everywhere. Dur

and, and for nearly twenty miles toiled over succeeding ridges. Fortunately, they found both water and feed, but their hopes received a sudden and complete downfall. Nor did a walk to the extremity of one of the sand ridges serve to raise their spirits. Sturt saw before him an immense plain, of a dark purple hue, with its horizon like that of the sea, boundless in the direction in which he wished to proceed. This was the Stony Desert. That night they camped in it, and the next morning came to an earthy plain, with here and there a few bushes of polygonum g

n precarious pools of muddy water and fast-sinking native wells; until, on the 3rd of September, Flood, th

nd to be intensely salt. After repeated efforts to continue his journey, which only led him amongst the everlasting sand hills, separated by plains encrusted with salt, Sturt came to the erroneous conclusion that he was at the head of the creek, and further progress impossible. Had he but known it, he was within reach of permanently watered ri

ch was the name they had given to the first creek crossed on their late expedition. On the 13th, they arrived at the banks of a magnificent channel with grassy banks, fine trees and abunda

ng over the dreary waste of the stony desert, unchanged and forbidding as ever. They crossed it, and were again turned back by sand hill and salt plain, and forced to retrace their steps to Cooper's Creek. This creek Sturt followed upward for many days, but finding it did not take him in the direction he desired to go, and moreover, the large broad channel that they first came to, became divided into ma

Creek, their main reliance in going back to the dep?t, would be dry. Fortunately, they were in time to find a little muddy fluid left

nimate, gave way before it; the horses stood with their backs to the wind, and their noses to the ground, without the muscular strength to raise their heads; the birds were mute, and the leaves of the tree under which we were sitting, fell like a snow shower around us. At noon, I took a thermometer, graduated to 127 degrees, out of my box, and observed that the mercury was up to 125. T

t the man who wrote it was in such a weakened condition, that he had no energy left to withsta

eing found on the way. After a long and weary ride they reached it only to find that, owing to the b

but no white objects there met our eye; we rode slowly up to the stockade and found it silent and deserted. I was quite sure that Mr. Browne had had urgent reasons for retiring. I had, indeed, anticipated the measure. I hardly hoped to find him at the Fort, and had given him instructio

t reached the encampment, so exhau

ing, had pushed me between the legs, I turned round to give him a slap, but no dog was there, and I s

ek, and if so, they were once more imprisoned. Browne undertook the long ride of one hundred and eighteen miles, which was to decide the question. Preparat

bad?' 'there is still water in the creek,' replied Browne, 'but that is all I can say; w

ot at the Dep?t Glen, all the heaviest of the stores abandoned., a

to Flood's Creek in safety. Here they found the vegetation more advanced, and with care, and constant activity in looking out for water on ahead, they graduall

ey arrived at the camp o

and Sturt's last expe

ly led him into dangers and difficulties that other explorers shunned, and unfortunate as he always was in his seasons, he brought back a forbidding report of the, usefulness of the country he had discove

absence of flowing water in their beds, Sturt unwittingly crossed the second and only other great inland river system of the continent. In the basin he traversed, in which these creeks lost their character, he was riding over the united beds of the Barcoo, the Thomson, the Diamentina, and the Herbert, west of whose waters nothing in the shape of a defined system of drainage exists, until the rivers of the western coast are reached. As a scientific explorer then,

t time, that the force of the north-west monsoon was expended on the northern coast, and none of the tropical deluge found its way with any degree of regularity to the thirsty inland slope; this theory appeared on the face of it, feasible. Although an after knowledge may ha

ct from his journal will best show the character of t

ailed in that great object, I have one consolation in the retrospect of my past services. My path amongst savage tribes has been a bloodless one, not but that I have often been placed in si

ime is Leichhardt, whose unknown fate has been the

ood, pursuing his favourite study of physical science. Leichhardt was born in Beskow, near Berlin, and studied in Berlin. Through a neglect, he was excluded from the one

taining a pardon from the King. By a Cabinet order Leichhardt received permission to return to Prussia unpunished. This order, wh

im, and he made up his mind to attempt one on his own account, a project in which he received little encouragement. He persevered, however, and eking out his own resources, by means of private contributions he managed to get

of Sturt's, from the more accessible nature of the country travelled through, and the absence of the constantly threatenin

l. The course adopted by Leichhardt, although longer and more roundabout than that suggested from Fort Bourke, would be safer for his little band, k

Darling Downs, Leichhardt struck a river, which he named the Dawson, thence he passed westward, on to the

arty happily possessed. Following up the Isaacs River, a tributary of the Fitzroy, they crossed the head of it on to the Suttor; the only variation in the monotonous record of the daily travel bein

and the Gulf of Carpentaria, on to the head of the Lynd, which river they followed to its junction with the Mitchell. Finding the course of this river leading them too high north, on the eastern shore of the Gulf, they left it, and struck

Calvert, and killing Mr. Gilbert instantly. So unprepared were the party, that the guns were uncapped, and it was some time before three or four discharges made the blacks take to their heel

t a blackfellow walked deliberately up to the fire round which the party were assembled, having seemingly mistaken it for his own. On discovering his mistake, he immediately climbed up

ing so christened by A. C. Gregory, who rectified his error. On this occasion, Leichhardt did not err so widely as Burke and Wills did subsequently, when they mistook the mouth of the Flinders for the Albert. With decreasing supplies and increasing fatigue, they at last reached the large river in the south-west corner of the

During his journey, Leichhardt had discovered many important rivers draining large and fertile areas. The principal being the Dawson, the Mackenzie, the Suttor, the Burdekin, and its many tributaries. The numerous streams of the Gulf of Carpentaria, and others that have since become almost household words in Australian geography. He was singularly fortunate on this occasion; although, judging by his after career, the luck which had carried him through from Moreton Bay to Port Essin

al aimed at, and attaining the results desired, namely, an available and habitable route to the settlement at Port Essington. All these circumstances, combined with the very slender means which had enabled the young and enthusiastic explo

mpts been as successful in proportion, he would have taken the first place in the history of Australia

between Governor Gipps and Captain Sturt had taken place on the subject, and in December of the same year, Eyre, not long back from his journey to King George's Sound, wrote, offering his services. [See Appendix.] To t

ng the hire of a vessel (to meet the party on the north coast), and the payment of the wages of the men and the salaries o

egislative Council who approved, and voted a sum of one thousand pounds towards the expenses. The Gove

altered circumstances of the colony would allow it to be carried through at a much cheaper rate. His offer was, h

on fund to two thousand pounds, and Sir Geor

of Port Essington, on account of reducing the land journey considerably, and also there bein

ver west of the Darling, running to the north or north-west. As, however, the natives do not seem very clear in their knowledge of the difference between

the discoveries of the Narran, the Balonne, and the Culgoa have been attributed to him; but, as will be seen by Bagot's letter

my with which he was once more going to vanquish the wilderness. Mounted videttes, barometer carrier, carter, and pioneer, etc

worth more than the eight soldiers Sir Thomas intends to tak

is exploratory existence, every tent in his camp was pitched by line, and every dray had its station. With the fated Kennedy as second, and Mr. W. Stephenson as s

ng this change in his plan needful. It was not until he was across the Darling that he was outside the settled districts, so r

h Mitchell pronounced the finest river in Australia, with the exception of the Murray. Beyond this, they made the Culgoa, and, cros

t. George now stands, long known as St. George's Bridge; and from here Sir Thomas advanced with a l

urning and keeping the course of the Balonne until they reached the junction of the Cogoon from the westward, when they followed the course of that river, whi

y and southerly course, full of fine reaches of water, which retained its native name of the Maranoa, being supposed to b

t the first dep?t, at which, it will be remembered, he was to remain six weeks, he received dispatches from C

temper, but he must have felt far too secure of his own reputation to fear any man's rivalry. The hasty and 'impatient remarks he was occasionally betrayed i

s of Sir Thomas Mitchell now dwindl

about to start another expedition to the Gulf,

as it would indicate an intention of tresp

crossing the broken tableland at its head, reached the Warrego, afterwards explored by Kennedy. From this river Mitchell struck north, f

fine country known as Mantuan Downs, Mitchell ascended a dividing range, and struck the head of the Belyando-one of the main tributaries of the Burdekin so lately discovered by Leichhardt. Following it down through the thick brigalow scrub, which is a marked feature of this river and its companion the Suttor, of Leichhardt, the party cro

iniously put to flight by the dogs charging them. At this point Mitchell had reluctantly to alter his preconceived opinions and conjectures, and come to the conclusion that the northern fall of the waters was still to be looked for t

r a month's trip to the westward. On this trip, he must receive the credit of initiating the now commonly used water-bag for carr

d again he, as usual, flattered himself that he was at the head of Gulf waters, little thinking that he was on the most northern tributary of the Darling. A small tributary was called the Nivelle. A short day's ride convinced him that this

ournal h

the remotest verge of the horizon. There I found then, at last, the realization of my long-cherished hopes-an interior river falling to the N.W. in the heart of an open country, extending also in that direction. . . . From the rock where I stood, the scene was so extensive, as to leave

at contribution to Australian geography, as great as what he hoped for; but if he had been told the truth he would scarcely have been satisfied. He had found the upper tributaries of

ating downs country. On the 22nd September, we find in his journal a notice of the

them, a brome grass, possessing the remarkable

e, and on the 26th, being fully satisfied, a

healthy plan of giving "good, sonorous native names" to the most noticeable features, and call

e and unmolested, although the absence of Mitchell had now extended over the four months. As a proof of the capabilities of the country he ha

red country the whole way. The party took up their old camp at St. George's Bridge, where they learnt from the natives that a party of whites had been in the neighbourhood during their absence. Kennedy was dispatched to i

owards the setting sun the flocks and herds might advance unchecked, so far as he had been, and as he thought, across the great continent. Added to wh

field, Charles Sturt. Both men had done wonders in the cause of exploration; but the genii of plentiful seasons and bountifu