and Middleton to return after travelling about eight miles if successful
in finding a supply to enable us to proceed further up the creek;
Hodgkinson to go further on and examine the creek and return in the
afternoon to where it was arranged we should camp. Middleton returned
about noon with the intelligence that about seven miles up there was
abundance of water in the creek for our immediate wants; so we started
late in the afternoon as the distance was short and the day fearfully
hot, bearing of 350 degrees for four and a half miles, the creek
appearing to bear too much east, change course to 360 degrees for two and
a quarter miles further, and it getting late changed course straight on
for the creek, bearing of 37 1/2 degrees for three-quarters of a mile,
where I struck the creek with a little salt water in its bed; down the
creek from this about half a mile is the water, and where we afterwards
camped but without knowing (in the absence of Middleton, who was seized
with a violent illness on the way here and did not get to the camp at all
during the night). I went up the creek for two and a half miles, found it
dry, and returned to water and camped.
Thursday, February 20.
Camp on east side of creek where the latter is upwards of 180 yards wide
and about 80 feet deep, western banks very inaccessible, the east bank
where we have camped less so with immense polygonum bushes. Very unwell
still; we were not aware of the cause of Middleton's detention with the
camels, on which was the food, till he and Davis made their appearance
after the morning had somewhat advanced, when they arrived and explained
the cause; Middleton was very ill indeed of dysentery and could scarcely
crawl.
Friday, February 21.
In camp; I feel a little better, Middleton still very unwell; miserable
camp but can't help it.
Saturday, February 22.
Started Mr. Hodgkinson and Bell out on the west side of the creek to
examine ranges that appear stony in the distance, and ascertain if this
creek receives any tributary from the westward of north-north-west likely
to be Eyre's Creek, as there is no doubt this is not it, and return by
this creek to ascertain how the water lies in it. I am much better today
and Middleton appears to be on the change for the better; wind south with
a few clouds.
Sunday, February 23.
Middleton improving; I feel much better, so much so that, as there is a
cool breeze from the south, I am induced to ride out to the eastward to
examine the country between this and the stony hills visible from here on
the east side of the creek; went four and a half miles course 135
degrees, over flooded flats and a couple of sandhills, from top of the
highest sandhill changed course to 113 degrees for two and a quarter
miles to top of another larger sandhill, passing one other in my course,
then on bearing of 15 degrees for six and three-quarter miles over
flooded flats with a few smaller sandhills, but soon terminate on both
sides of my course; the current over this tract of flat being to the
south of east, then three-quarters of a mile on bearing of 15 degrees
over one sandhill to top of rocky hill, from which the flooded flat I
have just passed gathers together in the distance to a creek, and goes
off on course of 155 degrees, and no doubt is the feeder of the waters
now in the creek to south and east of our present camp namely
Barrawarkanya, Marroboolyooroo, Cadityrrie, Meincounyannie, and Gnappa
Muntra; then two and a quarter miles on bearing of 10 degrees to top of
sandy and stony hill, with four or five mallee trees and a few other
shrubs; marked one of the mallee trees. From this hill the creek passed
end of table-topped stone range on bearing from six to nine miles distant
north-west and round northward to east, peaks and hills of stone with
intervening flats, some of earth, others of stone, are visible as far as
eye can reach; from this hill our present camp bears about 227 1/2
degrees and distant about eleven and a half miles. In the evening Mr.
Hodgkinson and Bell returned having examined the hilly country, but could
find no tributary joining the creek; saw water up some distance that will
suit our purpose so far. I will in a day or two ride over to Eyre's Creek
and ascertain if either of the northern search parties have got there
yet, and deposit a memorandum for them there and see if a route be
practicable westward to Stuart's country now, or if I shall have to wait
for more rain: although we had such nice rain coming over the desert the
excessive heat has absorbed most of it, and you may travel a day without
seeing a drop; intend starting up the creek in the morning. Middleton
much better. Mr. Hodgkinson saw one native and his lubra up the creek but
had little conversation.
Monday, February 24.
Camped; the bullocks not found till too late to start. Mr. Hodgkinson
tendered his resignation as second in command which I accepted, and from
this date he holds no longer any position as officer in the party under
my guidance. Poole had a sun-stroke during the day whilst out after the
horses, but by cold application to the head he soon recovered.
Tuesday, February 25.
Rather late getting the animals ready for a start, the feed being so
scant; started on bearing of 40 degrees, on same side of creek as that on
which we were encamped, over flooded flats and sandy terminations: at
five and three-quarter miles passed along and crossed a large deep creek
in which there was a little water and a number of native wurlies. Course
of creek nearly north and south, at seven and a quarter miles further
over some abrupt sandhills, the summits of which had an almost
perpendicular wall of pure drift sand, varying from two and a half feet
to five feet in height and very difficult for the animals to get over,
and flooded flats on same bearing; then changed course to 34 degrees for
four and a half miles over similar country mixed with stone hills and
flats, the creek being a long way to the west but now gradually
approaching our course; then changed course to 14 degrees for one and
one-sixth of a mile to creek, where luckily we found sufficient water for
all purposes and in the bed of the creek a better supply of green grass
for the animals than they have had for some time. Cloudy, wind
north-east. The bullocks have not arrived tonight.
Wednesday, February 26.
Cloudy and threatening for rain; wind north-east. At 9.30 a.m. one of the
men from the bullocks arrived and informed me that one of the pack
bullocks had dropped and was killed to endeavour to make some use of his
flesh. This is the same that had the sunstroke first but was apparently
recovering; and another of our very best and generally quietest had that
day bucked so much in endeavouring to get rid of his saddle that he
disabled himself, fell down, and could not be got up; the remainder of
the bullocks went off to feed but there he was where he fell in the
morning beside his pack. Immediately on hearing of this disaster I
forwarded some hands and packhorses out to convey to camp what was
thought to be of any use. It has commenced raining and what little will
be got cannot, I am afraid, be cured, as there is every appearance of a
continuation of rain and there will be no chance of drying the flesh as
we have no salt. If it was fair weather I would kill at once the disabled
also, and have his flesh dried; but it would be no use at present and he
may be able to get up after a spell and come in this length when, if the
weather prove favourable, I will have him killed and jerked. The
remainder of the bullocks (seven) arrived during the day and the
detachment of the party with what was thought of use of the dead bullock;
but I question much about its keeping as now it is raining steadily, but
we will use as much of it as we can and save the sheep. None of our
journeys appear to give the sheep the slightest inconvenience and they
are as ready to commence their journey in the morning as the man that
attends to them; in fact no party ought ever to go out exploring in the
summer months without them. During the day I rode out to the tops of some
of the stony ranges to get a view of the upward course of the creek; it
seems to go off somewhere on a bearing of 50 degrees but I fancy will
soon turn more to the north. It is quite astonishing to see the patches
of beautiful green grass on the slopes of the stone hills in the small
watercourses that fall down their sides; in fact the only thing like feed
I have seen for some time, and what little there is, is in the bed of the
creeks. The creek here has an anabranch that leaves it about half a mile
above and joins again about half a mile below; width of island half a
mile.
Thursday, February 27.
Rained heavily and steadily all night from the east-north-east; the
ground at daylight a perfect bog. From the severity of the night some of
our sheep got adrift but were recovered during the day. The creek,
nine-tenths of which was yesterday dry, is now running a strong stream
and momentarily increasing. Got all the animals across to this side
during the forenoon as the rain appeared likely to continue; and now that
it has set in will most likely inundate all the low flats and completely
put a stop to further progress up the creek until the ground hardens a
little. At such times the only place of safety hereabouts are the
sandhills or stony hills; the latter I prefer, and will shift to one in
the event of the rain continuing another night as steadily as it did last
night as there, and there only, is there any feed to be had for our
animals. They have fallen off considerably of late from the hot weather
and the scantiness of good feed. As soon as they were taken over the
creek they were taken out to one of the stone-ridges and there left in
tolerable feed but not very abundant. The water is lying all over the
flat in sheets and the creek rising rapidly. It must have been a very
long time since this part of the country has been similarly visited with
rain, as the country generally, the flats principally, had not any
vegetation upon them of any useful kind. As I said before the stone
hills, or rather the small creeks on their slopes, are the only places
where there was any feed excepting in the bed of the creek, and now that
last supply was gone, as the creek by this afternoon was swimmable.
Friday, February 28.
Raining all night but not quite so heavily; still very considerably. Our
camp is like a stockyard in the southern districts much used in the wet
weather--over our boots in mud and water; although on some of the highest
ground just about here pounds of mud and rubbish adhere to your boots
every time you lift your feet. Creek considerably more swollen; and as
every place is so saturated with water and mud will not move out of this
till tomorrow morning. In the meantime, in hopes that it will clear up a
little and make the ground firm enough to bear the weight of the animals.
It is well we left the cart or we should not have been able to move it
from this, and every probability of its being carried away by the flood
now rapidly approaching. We are now in that position and not far from the
place where Captain Sturt dreaded being overtaken by rain. It is fearful
to travel over but must make the best of it. I am very glad indeed that
we have been favoured with such a copious supply; although for a short
time it may prevent my travelling it will be the means of enabling me to
move about afterwards as I may think fit. I wish I had a couple of
months' more rations of flour, tea, and sugar, as then I could thoroughly
examine the country in this quarter; as it is I will do the best I can.
If this creek carries me much more to the north instead of going to the
east as it now does I think it will take a run through to the Albert
River; and if the steam-sloop Victoria, Captain Norman, has not sailed
from there I think I will be able to get flour or biscuits in sufficient
quantity to carry me back, and enable me to do all, or nearly so, that
was required of me by the South Australian Government; if not at the
Albert I will only be obliged to live the principal part of the return
journey on animal food and what vegetables we may find from time to
time--it won't be a very hard case but much more pleasant and agreeable
if it can be obtained. It is very boisterous. Rain and wind from
east-south-east. The creek rising steadily; by the morning it will be
nearly or quite on a level with the way by which I shall have to travel
in the morning for the high ground. It has a current of about three miles
an hour, or similar to that of the Murray, for which reason I am led to
believe that its chief source is some considerable distance away,
although it receives innumerable tributaries on both sides above and
below where I now am. The rain as it falls upon these stone-clad hills
runs off at once into the small creeks, thence into larger ones on the
flat land, then into the main creek after filling the waterholes in their
respective courses. Towards evening it looks very dark and again
threatens much for a quantity of rain; if so by morning we shall have the
creek high.
Saturday, March 1.
At first blush of dawn wind from same quarter (east-south-east). Rained
heavily all night and to my astonishment, instead of the creek rising as
usual (three and a half inches per hour) it was now rising five and a
half inches and hourly increasing. Although the creek has in many places
overflown its banks, and consequently a much broader channel, we are
completely surrounded with at least five feet of water in the shallowest
place that we can escape from this by. After a breakfast by daybreak the
animals are immediately sent for and, as the men start for them, drive
before them our sheep for more than half a mile through a strong current,
and swimming three-fourths of the time; they went over splendidly and
were left on a piece of dry land until our camels and horses came and
removed the stores etc., which fortunately they did with not very many of
the things getting wet. The camels being brought in and loaded and out to
where the sheep were first, I had two of them unloaded and sent back to
carry to the dry ground any of the perishable articles such as
ammunition, flour, tea, and sugar, which they brought in safety; for had
it been put on the horses as usual, and not being able to keep them on
our track, the probability is they would have to swim and completely
destroy the ammunition and injure the other stores; the camels acted
famously and from their great height were as good as if we had been
supplied with boats. After getting all onto dry land they were repacked
and went on to a very good camp, now that there is water, on a sandhill
about two and three-quarters to three miles distant in an east-south-east
direction through a good deal of water and almost impassable flats--the
sheep even sinking up to their bodies in the mud; however we got them all
over safely by early in the afternoon. Still showery and how long we
shall be weather-bound quite uncertain; however there is plenty of feed
for the animals here which is a great comfort, and what is more they are
in perfect safety, as well as we are ourselves, from the boisterous state
of the weather. Whilst on the creek in the morning, had there been much
difficulty in getting the animals, we should have had to hoist the things
up into trees, and constructed a raft of dead timber, and rafted them off
to dry land, which would have been a great deal of trouble. Squally
still; wind continues from same quarter. Towards evening a great portion
of the flat is being covered with water from the creek, beyond the creek
there is nothing visible but lines of trees, marking the course of the
lesser channels, and stone hills, all else is a perfect sea. We were very
fortunate to be caught in it where we were; had we been caught thus in
making this creek, or a day's stage up it, to a certainty we should all
have been washed away, or what would have been just as bad, be perched on
a small island of sand with all the animals round us and nothing but
starvation staring us in the face--as on most of the sand-rises down near
the creek there was no vegetation of any consequence upon them.
Sunday, March 2.
In camp; light showers occasionally. The side creeks from the hills
running themselves out and the upper parts drying; the line of creek
visible in the distance through the trees during all its course now in
view, and the flats considerably more covered. Thunder and lightning from
north to north-east.
Monday, March 3.
Wind east-south-east; as usual squally. On turning in last night it had
every appearance of rain and did rain steadily for some time but
gradually held up for the night, and appeared as if we were to have a dry
change to have all the things that got wet perfectly dry again. I shall
get all the horses shod here as, from the soft nature of the flats for
some time to come, they will be unfit to travel over the approaching
stony country. Intend searching for the bullock that fell down the other
day and ascertaining whether he is dead or alive; if alive to get him
brought on here; and if much disabled to have him killed and jerked as
soon as the weather clears and the sun shines out sufficiently for that
purpose. Found bullock within a quarter of a mile of where he was left,
able just to stand and no more; I will send out tomorrow afternoon and
have him killed where he is and his flesh brought in here the morning
following for the purpose of jerking it; he appears good beef. The
country boggy; in the afternoon rode down to the creek through a good
deal of water to ascertain the state of the flood, and had to swim some
distance to get to the main creek; when I got there I was glad to find
that not only had it, for the present, arrived at its height, but had
gone down nearly nine inches. The last time this country was flooded it
was about seven feet higher (perpendicularly) than it was this time, and
the sand and stone hills were flooded for several feet up their sides
from their base. Wind still from south-east by east, with an occasional
slight passing shower, but symptoms of clearing up. This country is
perfectly infested with wild dogs; and fortunately for us it is that I
happened to have some strychnine, it plays great havoc amongst them; so
voracious are they that when one of their fellows die the others fall to
and devour him; by this means many are destroyed. Middleton recovering
but very slowly; he continues to have a very troublesome
diarrhoea--aggravated no doubt by being obliged for the last few days to
be nearly always wet; sometimes even to swim clothes and all, and
remaining in that condition till the camp was brought here and fixed; I
should be sorry if anything were to happen to him as he is an invaluable
man in such a party as this.
Tuesday, March 4.
Wind a little more east; shod some of the horses yesterday and some this
morning. Four of the party after dinner started to kill the bullock; camp
there and return in the morning with the meat when cold. I with Poole
rode out to some high stone hills eastward to endeavour to get a view of
the creek and ascertain, if possible, from which quarter it principally
flows. After getting to top of the highest, from which one gets very
extensive view to the north-east, there was a slight haze that prevented
me positively ascertaining its actual course; there is very heavy timber
on a bearing of 35 degrees, and appears surrounded by hills. The haze was
so bad that I could not be certain; however I must travel in that
direction first and trust that it suddenly turns round to the north; from
this last point to a point 20 degrees west of north is a perfect sea,
nothing but isolated trees showing above the water; I found the ground
exceedingly soft, almost impassable in many places. On the tableland, at
the foot of the high stone-hills I ascended, are lines of creeks forming
the drainage of the country, thickly timbered with myall, and (for the
place) a considerable quantity of good grass; abundance of water lying on
the top of the tableland, with seagulls, ducks, cranes, etc., about and
on the basins; seven black swans passed over the camp in their flight on
bearing of 335 degrees, no doubt to some lake in that direction. Some few
days ago not a bird was to be seen scarcely, but a few kite, crows, and
galahs; now the whole country seems to be alive with ducks of various
kinds, macaws, corellas, cockatoo parrots, and innumerable small birds.
Wednesday, March 5.
Wind light from north-east and every appearance of a beautiful day; the
country beginning to have quite a green appearance, and the valleys being
covered with lilies in full bloom, birds singing and chirping all around
as if in spring. I am quite shut out for the present from Eyre's Creek;
so will not attempt it. At midday the party arrived with the meat of the
bullock and shortly after, when cutting it up for jerking, the head of
the axe accidentally flew off and inflicted a severe wound in the knee of
Maitland our cook; I hope it won't disable him long, although it is deep
and in a nasty place. Got all the meat jerked by evening and trust we may
have dry weather to have it properly preserved; lots of bones and scraps,
of which we shall make soup.
Thursday, March 6.
Wind more to the north and every appearance of a dry day; busy shoeing
the horses although they make a slow and sorry work of it.
Friday, March 7.
Wind changing all round except from the south and clouds gathering; with
lots of black macaws screeching out in all directions. I hope they are
not again the forerunners of a downpour, as they were of the last. The
meat appears to be drying nicely, and will have it taken up this evening.
It is very sultry.
Saturday, March 8.
Wind from west round to north and sultry with a good many fleecy clouds;
shall finish shoeing the horses today with the exception of one which
will require a couple of days' work first, being at present rather fresh
(a good fault) and if all is well will make a start on Monday morning.
The stony hills and slopes (that from every appearance, a few days ago,
from their thorough bronzed and desert appearance, one would suppose
grass never grew) are now being clothed in many places with a nice green
coating of grass, and shortly will give this part quite a lively
appearance, very different indeed from what it was when I first saw it,
then it was as desolate a looking spot as one could picture to himself.
In a couple or three months' time from this date one could with little
difficulty (I am almost certain) start with a herd of any description of
stock from the northern settled parts of South Australia and go right
across the continent to whatever point he might think fit by this route,
but I will know more about it shortly. This bullock gave us of dried meat
about 116 pounds, apparently well dried, besides what meat was used with
the bones to make soup. I hope it may keep well.
Sunday, March 9.
At Escape, or Number 7, Camp--will be all ready for a start in the
morning. Wind north-east.
Monday, March 10.