Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia, Volume I by Charles Sturt

Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia, Volume I

Author: Charles Sturt Genre: Literature

Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia, Volume I

Chapter 6 CONCLUDING REMARKS

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steady intelligent subordinates-Danger from the natives-Number of men requisite,-and of cattle and carriages

ations on the subject. And without presuming to lay dawn any fixed rules, I shall only refer to those by which I have best succeeded, in hopes that some

OF EXPLORIN

hat no party could long remain stationary in the distant interior without some fatal collision with the natives, which would be attended with the most deplorable consequences; and I do think, considering all things, that the experiment is too dangerous to be tried; for when I reached Mount Harris, on my first retreat from the Darling, I found the party who were awaiting me, with a supply of provisions, under very great alarm, in consequence of the hostile proceedings of

N OF SUB

soldiers being with me increased my confidence in the whole, for I was aware that their example would influence the rest. However well disposed the prisoners of the crown may be, (as in this instance they certainly were,) the beneficial example of steady discipline cannot be denied. I should not have considered myself

g habits, and of even temper, should be preferred to mechanics who do not possess these most requisite qualities. On the other hand, it is impossible to do without a good carpenter, however defective he may be in other respects. I was indebted to Mr. Maxwell, the superintendent of Wellington Valley, for some excellent men, both on my first and on my second journey, because he understood the nature of the service for which they were required, and the characters of those whom he recommended. But however

LLISION WITH

e natives, yet, there is no security against their treachery, and it is very certain that a slight cause might involve an expedition in inextricable difficulty, and oblige the leader to throw himself on the defensive, when far away from other resources than those with which he should have provided himself, and that, perhaps, when navigating a close and intricate river, with all the dangers and perplexities attendant on such a situation. It is absolutely necessary to establish nightly guards, not only for the security of the camp, but of the cattle, and at the same time to have

HORSES, WHE

injury, more especially where any blemish has before existed, is exceedingly great. They should undergo an examination twice a-day, that is, in the morning prior to moving off, and in the afternoon before they are turned out to feed; and measures should then be taken to ease them as circumstances require. I never suffered the saddles to be removed from the backs of the animals under my charge for twenty minutes after the termination of the journey for the day, in order to guard against the effects of the sun; and where the least swelling appeared the saddle was altered and the place dressed. Yet, notwithstan

practicable circumstances. It serves to carry necessary comforts, gives an expedition greater

OF PRO

ss bags, containing 100 pounds each, and should at the termination of each day's journey, be regularly piled up and covered with a tarpaulin. Tea, sugar and tobacco lose considerably in weight, so that it is necessary to estimate for somewhat more than the bare supply. With regard to the salt meat, the best mode of conveying it appears to be in small barrels of equal wei

E S

s, accept my acknowledgements in this place, not only for so liberal a present to myself, but for his attention and kindness to my men as long as they remained in his neighbourhood. It was found that the sheep gave but little additional trouble, requiring only to be penned at night, as much to secure them from the native dogs as to preve

weekly, and their diminution should be so regu

ook with me on my first expedition. It may appear long, but the a

or the purpose of carrying water. Two casks of equal weight are the best for such a purp

SE WITH T

their natural timidity: to exercise patience in your intercourse with them; to treat them kindly; and to watch them with suspicion, especially at night. Never permit the men to stea

ves, pieces of iron, and different coloured ribbons for the forehead, were most esteemed by

ints: on minor ones no observation I can make will be of

OYED ON THE SEC

dit to his judgment. She carried two tons and a half of provisions, independently of a locker, which I appropriated for the security of the arms, occupying the space between the after-seat and the stern. She was in the first instance put together loosely, her planks and timbers marked, and her ring bolts, &c. fitted. She was then taken to pieces, carefully packed up, and th

timber aft, 5 ft. 1

timber, 5 ft

timber for

n. in leng

from the after side of

to head of the de

of keel to the oth

from the toe of each

d, beginning from the

d from bow to ster

DIX N

OF INST

's Forces, Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief of the Territory of New S

Q. CAPTAIN IN THE 39

es which stopped the progress of the late John Oxley Esq, Surveyor General, in following the courses of the rivers Lachlan and Macquarie in the years 1817 and 1818. And whereas I repose full confidence in your abilities and zeal for conducting such an expediti

ice, you will be guided general

ony, cannot fail to be highly useful to you. You will also be attended by two soldiers and six convicts, of whom one is to understand the sh

expedition, and for its conveyance, there is provided a

tools, and necessaries of all kinds of which you are likely to stand in need. Orders are also given for providing you with arms and ammunition, with rockets for signals, and an ample supply of simple medicines-You are to consider it

place, you, Mr. Hume, and all your men are to rendezvous as soon as possible. Mr Maxwell, the superintendent, will furnish you with w

are to lose no time in finally departing from Wellington Vall

o form a temporary depot, by means of which you will have an

he country be, as it is supposed, an unbroken level and under water. If you should fail in these objects, you will traverse the plains lying behind our north-west boundaries, with a view to skirt any waters by which you may have been checked to the

ou should get beyond the point at which Mr. Oxley stopped, it would not be prudent to risk your own health or that of your men, by continuing long in a swampy country. Therefore it may be advisable for you in the first instance to leave the greater part of your men, bullocks, and baggage, at Mount H

waters or marshes which may check your course as long as you have provisions sufficient for your return; but you must be cautious not to proceed a single day's jour

rly a direction as possible; and when the state of your provisions will oblige you to retreat, you will be guided by your latitude, as to the pla

which your provisions will hold out, and therefore you will see the great importance of observi

ated distances of the several mountains, hills, or eminences from each other. You are likewise to note the nature of the climate, as to heat, cold, moisture, winds, rains, &c., and to keep a register of the temperature from Fahrenheit's thermometer, as observed at two or three periods of each day. The rivers, with their several branches, their direction, velocity, breadth, and depth, are carefully to be noted. It

n, their means of subsistence, their genius and disposition, the nature of their amusements, their dis

and curiosities collected by the several individuals composing the expedition, to be carefully sealed up with your ow

f November, 1828. By Command of His Ex

DIX N

SUPPLIED FOR

Majesty's Stores, in charge of D. A.

dle. 9 Har

. 23 Can

. 4 Tin

addles. 1

bbles. 6 T

se shoes. 1

ls. 113 Fathom

1/2 inch rope.

lacksmith's)

e. 1 Spare gl

. 1 Tin case

0 Fish-hook

ers. 12 Fis

er. 10

thread.

les. 10

stles. 2 F

her. 2 Tin

ad. 1 Tea-k

eelyards. 10

pots. 8

eive. 8 D

g-axes.

wks. 16

s. 24 Pa

aw. 16 B

ks. 16 Pai

2 Bulloc

2 Do. back-b

2 Leadin

Boat with s

1 Do. c

mp kettles.) 1 C

sors. 3 Wat

FICE, SYDNEY, N

l Tar

Fish

tea-

mp k

h an

DIX N

REASE IN FOUR YEARS, from two Breeding

st JUN

------------

g Ewes. Lambs.

3 yrs. old.

------------

149 627 Deat

154 154

65 1

------------

t these returns is calcu

, which is the usu

TRA

Ewes, at 84s............

.....................

......................

------------

st JUN

------------

en|Wethers.|Rams.| La

Ewes.| |Ma

------------

54 154 635 De

26 155 15

. 302

302 18 3

------------

TRA

......................

...................

d..................

....................

......................

------------

st JUN

------------

en|Wethers.|Rams.| La

Ewes.| |Ma

------------

33 154 562 De

25 150 15

326 16

302 27

. 309

Ram

ditto

------------

TRA

.....................

...................

d..................

....................

.....................

------------

st JUN

------------

en|Wethers.|Rams.| La

Ewes.| |Ma

------------

36 136 576 De

93 135 13

24 156 15

20 156 15

led

00 300 De

r. 30

yr 4

r 442

0 4

hase

------------

TRA

.....................

...................

d..................

Killed for use 4 ...

......................

------------

st JUN

------------

en|Wethers.|Rams.| La

Ewes.| |Ma

------------

54 154 652 De

44 162 16

42 164 16

20 155 15

00 145 14

. 300

r 302

r 440

yr 58

45 5 P

-- --

1625 45 7

------------

TRA

.....................

...................

d..................

death .............

er for use ........

..................

------------

ave been calculated at t

be safer to assume a r

per

e and Income upon She

Returns A. B

RETURN A.)

average weight 2

. 6d. per

NDIT

rds at 30 p

an at 20 20

les, &c

- 9

123

, (B.) J

, at 2 1/4 lbs.

d. 31

NDIT

rds at 30 p

itto 2

atchma

dles &

at 10 pou

ms will probably

, (C.) J

, at 2 1/4 lbs.

d. 46

NDIT

rds at 30 p

itto 2

tchman

les &c.

at 10 pou

, (D.) J

, at 2 1/4 lbs.

d. 66

NDIT

rds at 30 p

itto 2

chman &c

ake charg

les &c.

at 10 pou

(E.) JUN

at 2 1/4 lbs. 1

d. 92

NDIT

rds at 30 p

itto 2

tto 20

tchman

les &c.

at 10 pou

ales of wool in

5 gives 204 8 0 for

2814 0 0, (about 7 1

cumulation of capital

ion of

ear in advance of the s

time at which the

HEEP, JUNE, 18

4 years old at 3 p

o 7 years o

e Lambs 2

and Male Lamb

ginal cost,

to the Income on the fifth year, by th

ut these returns were made out in their present form at the request of a gentleman proceeding to t

DIX N

T INTERIOR DURING THE FIRST EXPEDITION, WITH THEIR LO

, was ascertained by barometrical admeasurement to be 650 feet. The country subsequently traversed

Composed of Tourmaline and Quartz. Forms the bed of the Macqua

white; yields to the knife;

; very fine grained; easily scratched with

ed the Schorl rock at the Catara

ks connected with the dividing ranges, since it

ounty undergoes a remarkable chang

pp. 27 and 115.] Composition of Mount Harris, a hill called by Mr. Oxley, elevated about 170 feet above the level of the plain

tion of Mount Foster. Mount Foster is more than 200 feet in height, and lies about 5 miles to the N.N.W. of Mount Har

estward of the marshes of the Macquarie, called New Year's Range, a group of five hills. T

se-grained. Composed of Q

Colour light red. Both

ible for a few hundred yards only. This granite occurs

e plains. It is broken into two hills, that appear to have been separated by some co

ion, being nearly 600 feet above the level of the plain in which it rises. It lies to the S.S.W. of

of some trifling elevations to the North of New-Year's ra

l forming the banks of the Darling river. Occurring in a regular

ular, and sharp edges to the fractured pebbles. Has apparently und

s to the tongue; occurs in large masses in the bed of the Darling; probably in connection with the rock-salt of

e same descri

the surface of a plain, from which D'Urb

ns; and that after it again left Mount Harris for the Castlereagh, the only rock-formation discovered was a small Freestone tract

DIX N

TS TO THE COLO

NMENT

RY'S OFFICE, 23R

ed the 25th of December last, from Captain Sturt, of the 39th Regiment, who is employed in a

cellency'

NDER

HES, 25TH DE

not subsequently advanced to Mount Foster, and surveyed the country from that eminence. I could distinctly see Arbuthnot's Range to the eastward. From that point the horizon appeared to me unbroken,

fell with intense heat, and on which there was but little vegetation, we skirted the first great morass, and made the river immediately beyond it. It is of very considerable extent, the channel of the river passing through it. We are encompassed on every side by high reeds, which exist in the woods as well as in the plains. Mr. Hume and myself rode forward yesterday through the second morass, and made the river on slightly elevated ground, at a distance of about five miles; the country beyond appeared to favour our object, and we, to-morrow, proceed with the party to the north-west. The river see

of the men, who were to return to Wellington Valley, was attacked slightly with dysentery, but the medicines I gave him carried it off in the course of a day or two. I have taken every precaution with regard to the health of the men, in preparing them for the country into which they are going; and I have to request that you will inform the governor that the conduct of the whole party merits my approbation, and t

n in charge thereof be instructed to remain at that station for one month. We shall, during the interval, have examined the country to the north-west; and, in case we are

e honor t

edient and h

LES

n, 39t

LE THE COLON

NMENT

ARY'S OFFICE, 6

ent, who has been employed for some months past, (as will be seen on reference to the Government Order, No. 4, published with Captain Sturt's

of country at the time, being then flooded, could not be ascertained; and that another river of no inconsiderable magnitude, fed by salt springs,

cellency'

NDER

IS, 4TH MA

he Governor, that I returned to this eminence on Monday, the 23rd ult. having been

clearing this obstacle, however, I got into a deeper channel, with fine broad reaches, and a depth of from twelve to fifteen feet water. I had a short time previously cleared all woods and trees, and was now in the midst of reeds of great height. After proceeding onwards for about eight miles from the place whence I started, my course was suddenly and unexpectedly checked; I saw reeds before me, and expected I was about to turn an angle of the river, but I found that I had got to the end of the channel, and that the river itself had ceased to exist. Confounded at such a termination to a stream, whose appearance justified the expectation that it would have led me through the heart of the marsh to join Mr. Hume, I commenced a most minute examination of the place, and discovered two creeks, if they deserve the name, branching, the one to the north-west, and the other to the north-east; after tracing the former a short distance, I reached its termination, and in order to assure myself that such was the case, I walked round the head of it by pushing through the reeds; it being then too dark to continue where

e had struck upon the channel of the river, but

as that of the river above. It soon however, narrowed, and the weeds formed over its surface, so that I abandoned the boat and walked along a path up it. I had not gone far when the channel divided; two smaller channels came, the one from the southern, and the other from the western parts of th

rd and to the westward, that I might move accordingly; I proposed to Mr. Hume, to take a week's provisions, with two attendants, and go to the north-east, in order again to turn th

r again long before my return. I found, after travelling between twenty and thirty miles, the country began to rise; and at the end of my journey, I made a hill of considerable elevation, from the summit of which I had a view of other high lands; one to the S.W. being a very fine mountain. As I had not found any water excepting in two creeks, which I had left far behind me, and as I had got on a soil which appeared incapable of holding it, I made this the termination of my journey, having exceeded 100 miles in distance from the camp, on my return to which I found Mr. Hume still absent. When he joined, he stated t

obliged to sink wells for water, and it was thus ear

rossed both our tracks on the excursions we had made, which had intersected each other in a dense oak brush; thus renewing the few doubts, or rather the doubt we had as to the fate of the Macquarie, whose course we had been sent to trace. Indeed, had I not felt convinced that that river had

together, and spread not only over the second great marsh, but over a vast extent of the surrounding country, the breadth of ground thus subject to inundation being more than twenty miles, and its length considerably greater; around this space there is a gentle rise which confines the waters, while small hollows in various directions lead them out of the marshes over the adjacent plains, on which they eventually subside. On my return from the interior, I examined those parts round which I had not bee

e soil being inclined to a red loam, while the plains were generally covered with a black scrub, though in some places they had good grass upon them. We crossed two creeks before we made the hills Mr. Hume had ascended, and which he called New Year's Range. Around these hills the country appeared better-they are gentle, picturesque elevations, and are for the most part, covered with verdure, and have, I fancy, a whinstone base, the rock of which they are composed being of various substances. I place New Year's Range in lat. 30 degrees 21 minutes, long. 146 degrees 3 minutes 30 seconds. Our course next lying north-west along a creek, led us to wit

and, N. 40 E.,

l, due E. v

Hill,

.E. distanc

30 E. dista

. 16 E. dista

. 72 W. dista

ge, S. 25 W

ter. The country to the north-west, was low an

the former, we came to the creek on which we were moving, where it had a coarse granite bottom. The country around it improved very much in appearance, and there was abundance of good grass on the surface of it, in spite of the drought. On the right of this creek, a large plain str

ribe of natives, having previously seen some between two creeks before we made New-Year's Range. At some places the water proved less salt than at others; our animals drank of it sparingly: we found two small fresh-water holes, which served us as we passed. After tracing the river for a considerable distance, we came on brine springs in the bed of it, the banks having been encrusted with salt from the first; and as the difficulty of getting fresh water was so great, I here foresaw an end to our wanderings. And as I was resolved not to involve my party in greater distress, I halted it, on overtaking the animals, and the next morning turned back to the nearest fresh-water, at a distance of eighteen miles from us. Unwilling, however, to give up our pursuit, Mr. Hume and I started with two men on horseback, to trace the river as far as we could, and to ascertain what course it took; in the hopes also that we should fall on some creek, or get a more certain su

ed in breadth and in the height of its banks, while there were hundreds of pelicans and wild-fowl on it. Flowing through a level country with such a channel, it may be presumed that this river ultimately assumes either a greater character, or that it adds con

, and which is subject to overflow. This belt runs to the inland plains, where a small elevation checks the further progress of the flood. There is magnificen

have shown very differently, though no doubt we passed over much of both good and bad land; our animals on the whole, have thrived on the food they have had, which would argue favourably for the herbage. Generally speaking,

ed from the number of muscle-shells on their banks, but now having scarcely any water in them, the fish having either been taken, or are dead, and the tribes gone elsewhere for food, while the badness of the river water has introduced a cutaneous disease among

nable to avoid us, and is as lean as he can be in a living state, while minor vegetation is dead, and the very trees are drooping. I have noticed all these things in my Journal I shall have the honour of submitting through you, for the Governor's perusal and information, on my return. Finally, I fear our expedition will not pave the way to any ultimate benefit; although it has been the means by which two very doubtf

s experience put it in his power to be of real use to me. I cannot but say he has done an essential service to future travellers, and to the colony at large, by his conduct on all occasions since he has been with me; nor should I be doing him justice, if I did not avail myself of the first opportunity of laying my sentiments before the Governor, through

the hon

ient and most

LES

39th

E THE COLONI

IS, 5TH MA

thirty-two distance, evidently the heads of the creeks we passed westward of the marshes of the Macquarie. He adds, that, to the second creek the land was excellent, but that on crossing it, he got onto red soil, on which he travelled some miles further, until he saw a range of high land, bearing from him S.W.. by W., when, knowing from the nature of the country around him, and from the experience of our late journey, that he could not hope to find a regular supply of water in advance, and that in the present dry state of the low lands, a movement such as I had contemplated would be impracticable, he

low, and that it is now a chain of shallow ponds. The water is fast diminis

ons, they fled. It was in consequence of their fires, which I saw at a distance of forty miles, and which they never make on so extensive a scale, except as signals when they want to collect, and are inclined to be

he honou

ient and most

LES

39th

HE COLONIA

F VOL

Chapter End