26th February.
As the course of the creek was uncertain, we steered south at 5.45 a.m.
across the atriplex plain, and at 6.35 reached the ordinary right bank of
the creek, which was low and gravelly, covered with triodia and small
bushes; we then passed a patch of white-gum forest, and at 8 entered a
grassy plain which had been favoured by a passing shower; green grass was
abundant, and even some small puddles of water still remained in the
hollows of the clay soil. At 10.50 came on the creek, which had collected
into a single channel and formed pools, some of which appeared to be
permanent, as they contained small fish. At one of these pools we
encamped at 11.10. The channel of the creek is about fifteen feet below
the level of the plain, and is marked by a line of small flooded-gum
trees, the atriplex flat has ceased, and the soil is a hard white clay,
producing salsola and a little grass; the morning clear with a moderate
easterly breeze, afternoon cloudy with a few drops of rain at night.
Latitude by Canopus and Pollux 19 degrees 7 minutes 30 seconds.
27th February.
Resumed our journey down the creek at 6.5 a.m., when it turned to the
west and formed a fine lake-like reach 200 yards wide, with rocky banks
and sandstone ridges on both sides of the creek; at 11.0 camped at the
lower end of a fine reach trending south: the general character of these
reaches of water is that they are very shallow and are separated by wide
spans of dry channel, the water being ten feet below the running level.
The country is very inferior, and the grassy flats are reduced to very
narrow limits, and the hills are red sandstone, producing nothing but
small trees and triodia.
Latitude by Canopus and Pollux 19 degrees 12 minutes 20 seconds.
28th February.
At 6.0 a.m. we were again in the saddle, following a creek which had an
average west-south-west course, but the channel was soon lost in a wide
grassy flat, with polygonum and atriplex, in this flat were some large
detached pools of water, 50 to 100 yards wide and a quarter to half a
mile long, although the dry season had reduced them to much narrower
limits than usual, as they were now eight to ten feet below the level of
the plain; at 11.45 camped at a large sheet of water, just above a
remarkable ridge of sandstone rocks on the right bank of the creek.
Ducks, pelicans, spoonbills, etc., were very numerous, but so wild that
they could scarcely be approached within range of our guns; until the
present time it has been doubtful whether the creek turned towards
Cambridge Gulf, the interior, or to the coast westward of the Fitzroy,
but the first point being now 220 nautic miles to the north, and the
general course of Sturt's Creek south-west, such a course is not
probable, and it therefore only remains to determine whether it is lost
in the level plains of the interior, or finds an outlet on the north-west
coast. The careful and minute surveys of the coast from the Victoria
River to Roebuck Bay show that no rivers exist of such magnitude as the
Sturt would attain in passing through the ranges to the coast, nor does
the general abrupt character of the coast-line favour the supposition
that any interior waters would find an outlet in this space. That the
elevation of this part of the creek is sufficient to enable it to form a
channel to the north-west coast is shown by the barometric measurement:
the dividing ridge between the head of the Victoria and Hooker's Creek is
about 1200 feet, at the head of Sturt's Creek 1,370 feet, and our present
camp 1100 feet; thus the average fall of Sturt's Creek has been 270 feet
in 180 miles, or one and a half feet per mile. Now the distance to
Desault Bay (which appears the most probable outlet) is 370 miles, and
allowing an increase of 500 for deviations, there would be more than two
feet descent per mile, which would be sufficient for the maintenance of a
channel. Should the creek turn to the south and enter the sandy desert
country, the water would soon be absorbed, especially as the wet season
at the upper part of the creek occurs when the dry season is prevailing
in the lower part of its course. That it does lose itself in a barren
sandy country is, I fear, the most probable termination of the creek, and
that a level country exists for many miles on each side of our route is
shown by the small number and size of the tributary watercourses.
Latitude by Canopus, Castor and Pollux 19 degrees 18 minutes 10 seconds.
29th February.
Leaving the camp at 5.40 a.m., traced the creek to the south-west for
about three miles. It formed fine reaches of water fifty to 100 yards
wide; but the channel terminated suddenly in a level flat, covered with
polygonum, atriplex, and grass. In this flat we passed some large shallow
pools of water; at 7.30 the creek turned to the west round the north end
of a rocky sandstone hill, and was joined by a tributary gully from the
north, below which point the channel was a well-defined sandy bed, with
long parallel waterholes on each side, but very little water remained at
this time; at 9.15 the course of the creek changed to south by west, and
passed through a level flat timbered with flooded-gum trees; it was about
one mile wide and well grassed, but completely dried up for want of rain.
The back country was thinly wooded with white-gum, and gently rising as
it receded, forming sandstone hills about 100 feet high of extremely
barren appearance; at 11.45 camped at a small muddy pool which would last
only for a few days. A strong breeze from the west commenced early in the
day, and gradually changed to the south. Thermometer, 109 degrees in the
coolest shade that could be found.
Latitude by Canopus and e Argus 19 degrees 28 minutes 5 seconds.