The first expeditions of Ernest Giles--Lake Amadens--Determined attempts
to cross the desert--Death of Gibson--Return-Warburton's expedition--
Messrs. Elder and Hughes--Outfit of camels--Departure from Alice
Springs--Amongst the glens--Waterloo Well--No continuation to
Sturt's Creek--Sufferings from starvation--Fortunate relief from death
by thirst--Arrive at the head of the Oakover--Lewis starts to obtain
succour--His return--Gosse sent out by the South Australian Government--
Exploring bullocks--Ayre's rock--Obliged to retreat--Forrest's expedition
from west to east--Good pastoral country--Windich Springs--The Weld
Springs--Attacked by the natives--Lake Augusta--Dry country--Relieved by
a shower--Safe arrival and great success of the expedition--Ernest
Giles in the field--Elder supplies camels--The longest march ever
made in Australia--Wonderful endurance of the camels--The lonely
desert--Strange discovery of water--Queen Victoria's Spring--The march
renewed--Attacked by blacks--Approach the well-known country in Western
Australia--Safe arrival--Giles returns overland, north of Forrest's
track--Little or no result--Great drought--The western interior.
Before following up Forrest's career as an explorer, and tracing his most
important work of crossing the centre of Australia from the sea to the
telegraph line, we must see what the South Australians had been doing.
Ernest Giles, in 1872, made an excursion to the westward, starting from
Chambers' Pillar. His progress was stopped by a large, dry, salt lake, to
which he gave the high-sounding name of Lake Amadens, and which unhappily
figures on maps of Australia in a rather misleading way, as a large,
permanent, BONA FIDE lake. Not being able with his small party to
ascertain the exact limits of this obstacle, which was of the same
character as those so often described as barring the way of the Western
Australian explorers, Giles returned, having traversed a good deal of
country, up to that time unknown and unexamined.
In the following year he again took the field, assisted by the help and
sympathy of Baron Von Mueller, and a sum of money subscribed by the South
Australian Government. He left the settled districts at the river now
called the Alberga, which flows into Lake Eyre, and travelling
north-west, made many determined attempts to cross the spinifex desert
that had confronted him; but had to return beaten.
On one occasion, anxious to reach a range that he saw in the distance,
and where he hoped to find a change of country, he started with one man
and a supply of water on pack horses; as the horses knocked up they were
left to find their way back themselves, until at last, when but two were
left, Giles sent his companion, Gibson, back on one, whilst he made a
final effort to reach the range.
This trip, which recalls one of the purposeless and impetuous exploits of
Grey, resulted in the death of Gibson and the loss of several horses.
Giles' horse soon knocked up, and he had to return on foot. Having, with
really astonishing prudence, left a keg of water buried on his way out,
he made for that. To his dismay, after proceeding some distance he saw
Gibson's track turn off on the trail of one of the horses that had been
abandoned, instead of keeping to the outward track. Hoping still that he
might have found his way back, Giles hastened on to the buried keg, but
it was untouched, and he knew that the unfortunate man's fate was sealed.
Giles made his way back to where the rest were encamped, and they
immediately went in search; but it was fruitless. Neither man nor horse
were ever seen again, and the scene of his death is now marked on the
maps as "Gibson's Desert." During his excursions in various directions,
trying to find a westward route, Giles discovered and traversed four
different ranges of mountains. The party suffered much from the hostility
of the blacks, who on several occasions attacked them; and the leader,
in his journal, complains, like Warburton, of the sleepless nights caused
by the myriads of ants that infested the desert country. The farthest
point reached was the 125th degree of east longitude. He returned to
Adelaide after an absence of twelve months, during which he had gone
through much hardship and danger.
The tract of country between the overland telegraph line and the western
settlements now became the battlefield of the explorers; few of them, it
is true, hoped to find much available country, the accounts of those who
had penetrated a short distance being so depressing; but they struggled
for the honour of being the first to cross the gap of unknown land, often
to the neglect of careful inspection.
One of the expeditions that led to the western half of the continent
being condemned as a hopeless desert was that commanded by Colonel
Warburton, It was promoted by two South Australian colonists whose names
have been always to the front when exploration has been
concerned--Messrs. Thomas Elder and Walter Hughes. They jointly fitted
out the expedition, which, it was hoped, would lead to the advancement of
geographical knowledge; unfortunately, the result was not at all
commensurate. The original idea was that the party should start from
about the neighbourhood of Central Mount Stuart, and make for Perth, this
course, however, was not adhered to. In spite of being fitted out solely
with camels, Warburton suffered so much delay in getting through the
sandhills that his provisions were all consumed and his camels knocked up
before he got half-way through, compelling him to bear up north to the
head waters of the Oakover River, discovered by F. Gregory.
The party consisted of the leader and his son Richard, Mr. Lewis
(surveyor), one white man, two Afghans, and a black boy. They had
seventeen camels, and six months' rations. On the 15th of April, 1873,
the explorers left Alice Springs, one of the stations on the overland
telegraph line, and on the 17th reached the Burt, where they left the
line and struck out west. Warburton's course at first lay some seventy
miles south of Central Mount Stuart; but after a vain search for the
rivers Hugh and Fincke, which were supposed to flow through the M'Donnell
Ranges, he altered his direction, steering to the north-west, meaning to
connect with A. C. Gregory's most southerly point on Sturt's Creek. Their
way for some distance was through good pastoral country, and in some of
the minor ranges beautiful glens were discovered, with deep permanent
pools of water in their beds. So frightened were the camels at the
appearance of the rocks that surrounded these water-holes, that they
would not approach them to drink, and, in fact, even refused the water
when it was brought to them.
On the 22nd of May, after being some days in poor sandy country, they
came to a good creek, the head of which was running, and the whole flat
where the creek emerged from the hills was one spring. This spot, the
best camp they had yet seen, was named Eva Springs. Leaving the main
party resting at these springs, Warburton, with two companions, started
on ahead, and were successful in finding some native wells, that enabled
him to break up his camp and move on with the whole of the men and
material.
On the 5th June they crossed the boundary line between Western Australia
and South Australia; but their progress was now monotonous and most
uninteresting, being through the scrubby, sandy tableland common to the
interior.
At some native wells, called by them Waterloo Wells, they had an enforced
spell of more than a month, and in addition lost three camels, and one of
the Afghans nearly died of scurvy. Afterwards they soon got fairly into
the salt-lake country, and on the 12th August, at the end of a long and
exhausting march, were relieved by one of the small native wells, on
which the blacks of this region exist. They were now by their reckoning
within ten miles of Sturt's Creek; but although Warburton made two
separate attempts to find it, he was unable to see any country that at
all resembled the description given by Gregory.
He concluded there was some error in the longitude, and proceeded on his
westerly course. The record of the day's journey now becomes a simple
tale of traversing a barren country, and an incessant search for native
wells; added to that, the excessive heat, caused by the radiation of the
sandhills during the day induced the leader to spare his camels as much
as possible, by travelling at night. This naturally led to a most
unsatisfactory inspection being made of the country, and it is impossible
to say what clues or indications to better country or more permanent
waters were passed by. In fact, he more than once during this part of his
journal mentions the fact of wild geese flying over the camp, although
they never found any surface water to account for their presence.
Starvation was shortly looming ahead; the constant halts and delays had
so protracted their journey that they were almost at the end of their
resources, and still surrounded by a most inhospitable waste. Sickness,
too, came on then, and the full brunt of the search work ahead fell upon
Lewis and the black boy, Charley; their time was taken up in watching for
the smoke of the natives' fires, or looking for their tracks. In the
evening they could travel a little, and in the early morning; at night
the myriads of ants proved an unbearable plague, and prevented the
wearied men getting their natural rest. Their position was as well nigh
hopeless as it was possible for any party to be in; if they stopped to
relieve their camels they starved themselves, and without rest the camels
could not carry them to look for native wells ahead. At last, on the 9th
of October, they reached a small waterhole that the camels themselves had
found when straying, and here perforce, they had to rest, for with the
exception of Lewis and the black boy, the remainder of the party were too
weak to do anything. At this camp they slaughtered another of their
precious camels, and for a time satisfied their gnawing hunger with the
fresh meat; they were also lucky enough to get some galar parrots and
pigeons. Here they stayed for nearly three weeks, and then shifted to
another well to the south.
Warburton now decided to make a desperate push to the head of the Oakover
River, and effect his escape if possible from the desert; on the evening
of the fourth they started, and but for the black boy would have
doubtless all marched on to death. The boy had left the camp in the
morning, after their first night's tramp, and coming across the tracks of
some natives, ran them up, finding another well at their camp, by the
time he got back, the party had been obliged to start without him;
fortunately, he heard the tinkle of the camel bell as he crossed the
sandhills, and by cooeeing loudly managed to attract attention. He then
led the way to this new source of relief, which, but for him, the party
would have missed.
Again they recommenced their journey to the Oakover, Lewis and Charley on
ahead, Warburton and his son coming on as fast as their exhausted state
would permit; their only hope for life now lay in the chance of the
advance party finding water soon and bringing it back to them. At midday,
on the 14th, Lewis appeared with a bag of water; another well had been
found, but this time it nearly cost Charley's life. As he usually did, he
had gone in advance when close to the native camp, in order not to alarm
them. The blacks had received him kindly and given him water; but when he
cooeed for his companions they took a sudden alarm, and set upon him,
spearing him in the arm and back, and cutting his head open with a club.
The remainder of the party were just able to rescue him. It seems quite
certain that this attack was not premeditated, but the effect of timidity
caused by the unexpected appearance of the white men and the camels.
At this well the party had to rest, until Lewis and one of the Afghans
pushed on to the head of the Oakover, which they thought could not be so
very far distant, as the nights were cool and dewy, and in the camp of
the natives they found two large seashells, an old iron tomahawk, and
part of the tire of a dray wheel.
On the 19th November Lewis started, and on the 25th he returned, having
been successful in reaching the head waters of the Oakover, and on the
5th December the whole party arrived at the rocky creek that he had
found. They now travelled very slowly down the river, but saw no signs of
settlement, so the indefatigable Lewis had once more to go ahead, whilst
the others waited and starved on the flesh of the last camel. He had to
ride 170 miles before he arrived at the station of Messrs. Grant, Harper,
and Anderson, who immediately supplied him with fresh horses and all
requisites with which to return to the starving men.
It was on the 29th of December, and Warburton was lying in the shade,
moodily thinking that the cattle station must be abandoned, and that
Lewis had been forced to go on to Roeburne, when the black boy, who was
climbing up a tree, called out, and starting to their feet the astonished
men found the pack-horses of the relief party almost in their camp.
Out of the seventeen camels the two that Lewis had ridden in for help
were all that survived, and for the rest of their equipment, it had been
left piecemeal in the desert.
It is distressing to think that all this suffering and labour should not
have been adequately rewarded. Warburton got into a strip of desert
country, but apparently was too much occupied with pressing straight
through to devote any time to examine any country beyond his track.
Whatever may have been the aridity, the water supply must have been ample
to support such large numbers of natives as he came in contact with. In
one camp there were numbers of women and children and one cripple; but
they quietly vacated the well when the whites came, without any apparent
difficulty, showing that they had other resources within easy reach.
This trip of Warburton's, and a succeeding one by Mr. Ernest Giles, prove
conclusively that the possession of camels leads men to push on, eager to
be able to say that they were the first to get across, leaving the
country almost as unknown as before they traversed it.
But a few days after Warburton started on his adventurous journey, Mr. W.
C. Gosse, in charge of the Central and Western Exploring Expedition, left
Alice Springs, a telegraph station on the overland line, with the
intention of endeavouring to reach Perth.
On April 23rd, the leader reports leaving the Springs, with his party all
in good spirits; beside the white men, there were three Afghan
camel-drivers, and the party had a mixed equipment of camels and horses.
On May 1st, they left the telegraph line, and, turning to the westward,
soon found themselves in excessively dry country.
On the 14th, he had a trip lasting fifty-two hours, without water for the
horses, and one of them died; this happened whilst on an excursion ahead
with his brother, who was acting as collector to the party.
Having formed a depôt, and sunk a well on a creek he named the Landor, he
made several short trips in different directions, and on the 21St, in a
creek he called the Warburton, found a considerable pool of water, to
which he shifted his main camp.
During one of his excursions from this second depôt, he had the singular
experience of riding all day through the heavy rain and camping at night
without water, the sandy soil having absorbed the rain as quickly as it
fell. On his return he found that the creek at his camp was running, and
the Afghans had made repeated attempts to cross one of the camels, but
the animal obstinately refused to do so, which, probably, made the leader
reflect that it was just as well they were not likely to meet with many
running streams.
On June 6th, Major Warburton's tracks were seen, and a camp of his found.
The next depôt formed was at the western extremity of the Macdonnell
Range, at the foot of a hill named by Ernest Giles, Mount Liebig. From
this depôt the party moved to the spot named by the same explorer, Glen
Edith, and on their way augmented their live stock by picking up three
bullocks that had been lost from Alice Springs, and apparently had
started on an exploring trip by themselves. From King's Creek, their next
depôt, the leader made a long excursion to the south-west, and at
eighty-four miles, after passing over sandhills and spinifex country,
came in sight of a hill, which, on a nearer approach, proved to be of
very singular limestone formation.
"When I got clear of the sandhills, and was only two miles distant, and
the hill, for the first time coming fairly in view, what was my
astonishment to find it was one immense rock rising abruptly from the
plain; the holes I had noticed were caused by the water in some places
forming immense caves. I rode round the foot of the rock in search of a
place to ascend, and found a waterhole on the south side, near which I
made an attempt to reach the top, but found it hopeless. Continued along
to the west, and discovered a strong spring coming from the centre of the
rock, and pouring down some large deep gullies to the foot.
"This seems to be a favourite resort of the natives in the wet season,
judging from the numerous camps in every cave. These caves are formed by
large pieces breaking off the main rock and falling to the foot. The
blacks made holes under them, and the heat of their fires causes the rock
to shell off, forming large arches. They amuse themselves covering these
with all sorts of devices--some of snakes very cleverly done, others of
two hearts joined together; and in one I noticed a drawing of a creek,
with an emu track going along the centre."
On the return journey, he crossed an arm of Lake Amadeus, and on reaching
his camp, the whole party started for Ayer's Rock, which was the name
Gosse gave to the singular hill he had discovered, where they arrived
safely, and one of the exploring bullocks was converted into beef.
Rain having set in heavily for some days, he was enabled to penetrate
some distance westward, where he came upon very good grazing country, but
soon got beyond the extent of the rainfall. After many more attempts,
Gosse found himself obliged to turn back, the heat of the weather and the
dryness of the country--for they were now in the sandhill
region-rendering it almost useless for him to think of risking his party
with any hope of success.
On the 22nd September, he left his fourteenth depôt in the Cavenagh
Range, and started on his return. His course home was by way of the
Musgrave Ranges, where he found a greater extent of good pastoral country
than he anticipated. He discovered and christened the Marryat and the
Alberga, which last river they followed down almost to the telegraph
line, and arrived at Charlotte Waters in December.
Mr. Gosse's exploration did not add much fresh information to what was
already known of the district, but it extended the area of explored
country, and he was enabled to correctly lay down many of the points
discovered by Mr. Giles.
In March, 1874, Mr. Ross and his son, with a well-equipped party,
consisting of another European and three Arabs, having with them sixteen
camels and fourteen horses, started from the neighbourhood of the Peake
Station, on the telegraph line, to endeavour to bridge the desert. He
was, however, compelled to return, although he made another effort, after
reducing the number of his party.
Colonel Warburton having been the first to successfully make his way from
the South Australian border to the settled part of Western Australia,
Forrest was the next to aim and arrive at a successful issue.
Forrest's trip was certainly the most commendable of the two, and by far
the most important in its results. Warburton, with a troop of camels,
reached the Oakover River naked and starving, with but two miserable
animals left. Forrest, with nothing but ordinary pack-horses, crossed the
middle of the continent, where the very heart of the terrible desert was
supposed to exist, and took his men and most of his horses through in
safety.
Forrest, having with him his brother, Alexander Forrest, two white men,
and two natives, left Yuin, then the furthest outside station on the
Murchison, on the 14th of April. Their course at first was along the
upper part of the Murchison River, which he describes as running through
fine grassy flats, good loamy soil, with white gums in bed and on flats,
the water in some of the pools being rather brackish. This description of
country continued for many days, some of the river water being at times
quite salt. On nearing the head of the Gascoyne River, the land was found
to be fine, undulating downs, admirably adapted for sheep or cattle.
On the 21st May, they ascended the watershed of the Murchison, and from
the top had a fine view of their future travelling ground to the
eastward. The country appeared level, with low ranges, but there was an
absence of conspicuous hills--not a promising country for water, but
looking as though good feed would be obtainable.
For the next few days the party were dependent on springs and small
clay-pans. On the 27th when following down a creek, which was called
Kennedy Creek after one of the party, they arrived at a fine permanent
spring, which Forrest characterised as the best he had ever seen, the
grass and herbage around being of an equally satisfactory description.
The springs were named the Windich Springs after the black boy, Tommy
Windich, who had been with Forrest on three expeditions. To the northwest
there was a fine range of hills, which was named the Carnarvon Range.
The explorers now got into less attractive country, the spinifex
sandhills began to become a familiar feature, and the water supply less
to be depended on.
On the 2nd June, Forrest made his next important discovery of the Weld
Springs, which he describes as unlimited in supply, clear, fresh, and
running down the gully wherein it was situated for over twenty chains.
Here they settled down to give their tired horses a week's rest.
On the 8th, he started with one boy, to look for water ahead, leaving
instructions for the party to follow on their tracks in a day's time. He
was unfortunate; the two travelled for twenty miles over undulating
sandhills covered with spinifex without seeing a sign of water. At
daybreak from the top of a low, stony rise the view was gloomy in the
extreme. Far to the north and east it was all spinifex country with no
appearance of hills or watercourse, in fact a barren worthless desert.
Turning back they met the remainder of the party about twenty miles from
the spring, and the whole party retreated to their former encampment, and
after a day's rest Alexander Forrest and a black boy started for a trip
to the south-east in search of water.
During their absence the natives made an unexpected attack on the camp.
At about one o'clock about sixty or seventy natives appeared on the brow
of the hill overlooking Weld Springs, plumed and armed with spears and
shields. They descended the rise and attempted to rush the camp, but were
met with a volley from the whites who were prepared to receive them. They
retired to the top of the hill, and after a consultation made a second
attack, but were checked by a rifle shot from the leader. This put an end
to the assault. That evening Alexander Forrest and the boy returned, and
were much astonished to hear of the day's adventure. They had been over
fifty miles from camp, had passed over some good feeding country, but had
found no water.
They now set to work and built a rough hut of stone, in order to ensure
safety during the night, as their stay at Weld Springs seemed likely to
be indefinite, and a fresh attack might be made at any moment. When the
hut was finished, Forrest, taking a boy with him, started on a flying
trip due east. This time they were fortunate enough to find a small
supply in some clay waterholes, and the whole party shifted camp to it.
On the 22nd, the leader made another search ahead, and in thirty miles
came to a fine supply of water in a gully running through a grassy plain,
whereon there was abundant feed. Eight miles to the south there was a
small salt lake, which was named Lake Augusta. Another good spring in
grassy country was also found, and on the 30th June, Forrest made a
further exploration ahead to the eastward. This time he was unfortunate,
for he soon found himself fairly in the spinifex desert, and his horses
knocked up. By the aid of scanty pools of rainwater in the rocks he
managed to push on some distance, walking most of the way. He reached a
range, and from the top had an extensive but most discouraging view. Far
to the north and east the horizon was as level and uniform as the sea;
spinifex everywhere; neither hills nor ranges could be seen for a
distance of quite thirty miles.
He was now perplexed as to his future movements. The main party were
following up his tracks, and there seemed no prospect of getting through
the country ahead of them. Fortunately they found a little water, enough
to last a day or two, and there awaited the arrival of their companions.
A search amongst the low ranges was then commenced, as the only other
alternative was a retreat of seventy miles. To the great relief of every
one A. Forrest and the black boy found water five miles to the
south-east, with some coarse rough grass around it, that would serve them
for a time. The younger Forrest then went ahead, and found some springs
twenty-five miles distant, which were named the Alexander Springs, after
the discoverer.
Another excursion was attended with equally good results as regards
water, although the country around was not at all desirable pasture land;
and. this brought the explorers within one hundred miles of Gosse's
furthest westerly point. To bridge this hundred miles proved a weary
task. Repeated excursions only resulted in continued disappointment, and
knocked up horses. At last a kindly shower of rain filled some rock holes
to the north-cast of their camp, and after much labour and exertion the
whole party found themselves at an old camp of Giles, which he had named
Fort Mueller, and as they were also on Gosse's tracks the leader was able
to congratulate himself upon the successful accomplishment of his
mission.
As the course of party, from here to the telegraph line, was more or less
on the track pursued by Gosse, it is unnecessary to follow their fortunes
any further; some privation had to be endured and one or two more of the
horses gave in; but on Sunday, the 27th September, they arrived at the
telegraph line some distance north of the Peake station, thus concluding
one of the most valuable journeys on record.
On their arrival at the station, Forrest learned that Giles and Ross had
both been turned back by the inhospitable country that he had
successfully traversed. The leader and his companions received great
applause for the work they had so well performed, and it at once placed
Forrest in the front rank of explorers. The fact of his having got
through with but the simple and ordinary outfit showed that he possessed
high qualities of foresight and judgment, and the many minor excursions
he made on the way over, although, perhaps, wearisome and distressing at
the time, led to his having a perfect acquaintance of the country through
which he had travelled.
Ernest Giles, after being driven back twice in his attempts to reach
Western Australia, was now equipped with a troop of camels by Sir Thomas
Elder, and made a third and successful effort. The party started from
Beltana and travelled to Youldeh, where a depôt was formed. From here
they shifted north to a native well, called by the natives Oaldabinna.
The water supply at this place proving but scanty, Giles started to the
westward on a search for more, sending Messrs. Tietkins and Young to the
north on a similar errand. The leader travelled for one hundred and fifty
miles through scrub, and past dry salt lakes, until he came to a native
well or dam, with a small supply of water in it. Beyond this he went
another thirty miles, but found himself once more amongst saline flats
and scrubs; he therefore returned to the depôt. Messrs. Tietkins and
Young had not been as successful, having found no water. At their
furthest point they had come upon a large number of natives, who, after
decamping in a terrified manner, returned fully armed and painted. No
attempts of the two white men to establish friendly communications and
obtain information succeeded, and they were obliged to return
disappointed.
A slight shower of rain having replenished the well they were camped at.,
Giles determined on making a bold push to the west, and trusting to the
hardihood of his camels to carry him on to water.
On reaching the dam that he had formerly visited, he was agreeably
surprised to find that it had been replenished by the late rains, and now
contained plenty of water for their wants. There was excellent feed
around this oasis, and they rested until the water gave signs of
diminishing.
At the end of a week, on the 16th September, 1875, they again closed with
the desert surrounding them. For the first six days of their march they
passed through scrubs of oak, mulga, and sandalwood; then they entered
upon vast plains, which were well-grassed, and had saltbush and other
edible shrubs growing on them. After crossing these endless downs for
five days, they again reentered scrub, but of a more open nature than
formerly.
When two hundred and forty-two miles had been covered, Giles distributed
what water he had amongst his camels, which amounted to four gallons
each. The next change that occurred in the country was the reappearance
of sandhills, blacks' tracks became plentiful, and smoke was occasionally
seen.
On the seventeenth day, when more than three hundred miles had been
travelled, Mr. Tietkins, who judged by the appearance of the sandhills
that there was water in the neighbourhood, sent the black boy, Tommy, on
to a ridge lying to the south of their course.. Fortunate it was that he
did so, for behind it, in a hollow surrounded by sandhills, lay a tiny
lake, which the cavalcade was passing by unknowingly until Tommy arrested
their progress with frantic yells and shouts. Giles gave this place of
succour the name of Victoria Springs, and rested there nine days.
Recruited and strengthened, a fresh start was made and they soon got
amongst the peculiar features common to the southern interior of Western
Australia, outcrops of granite boulders, salt lakes and swamps.
In one of these lakes they got their leading camels bogged, and it was
only after hard work and much patience that they got them out again.
Their next relief was at a native well two hundred miles from Victoria
Springs, and here they once more rested from their weary and
long-continued march.
The monotony of their life was, however, rudely broken up at this
encampment by the blacks. During their stay several natives had made
their appearance, and had been kindly received and treated. No suspicions
of treachery were aroused, and the explorers were just concluding their
evening meal when Young caught sight of a body of armed men approaching,
and gave the alarm in time for the whites to stand to their weapons.
Giles says in his journal that they were a "drilled and perfectly
organized force," if so, they must have been a higher class of natives
than the usual type of blackfellows, whose proceedings, as a rule, have
little organization about them. A discharge from the whites was in time
to check them before any spears were thrown, otherwise, from the number
of their assailants and the method of their attack, it was probable that
the whole party would have been murdered.
On leaving this camp the caravan travelled through dense scrubs, with
occasional hills and open patches; in fact, the country that has of
necessity been so often described in these pages. They were fortunate
enough to find some native wells on their route, and on the 4th of
November arrived at an outside sheep station.
The result of this trip, satisfactory as it no doubt was to the leader,
who thus saw his many gallant efforts at last crowned with success, had
little or no other fruits to show, not even the negative one of proving
that the desert they had passed through was an absolutely waterless
waste. The very water that saved their lives they were passing by
unheeded; and it was impossible for them to say whether similar
formations did not exist on either hand of their line of march.
Like Warburton's, only without the suffering from starvation, it was a
hasty flight on camels, through an unknown country, and, like his, barren
of results beyond a thin line on the map of Australia.
Expeditions such as these must be looked at from two points of view;
whilst admiring the fortitude and resolution possessed by the leader who
takes his party through such a waste in safety, we must regret that
fuller information and more patient deductions had not been gained. The
fact of having the means, in their camels, to venture on long dry stages
with impunity, led them to disdain the careful manner in which Forrest
felt his way across; but in the end that explorer had certainly the best
idea of the country he had travelled over.
Giles now retraced his steps from Western Australia to the overland line,
following a track to the north of Forrest's route. He went by way of the
Murchison, and crossed over to the Ashburton, which river he followed up
to the head. Then striking to the south of east he came on to his former
track of 1873, at the Alfred and Marie Range; the range he had so vainly
striven to reach when the unfortunate man Gibson, met his death. He
finally arrived at the Peake station, on the telegraph line.
Few watercourses were crossed, the country was suffering from extreme
drought, and no discoveries of any importance were made.
The journeys of the late explorers had greatly lessened the area of the
country in which fresh discoveries could be looked for; true, the
results had not been encouraging. The utter and complete want of a river
system, even of the rudest kind, in the western half of the interior of
Australia, was plainly shown. No continuous line of country could even be
traced as corresponding on the routes of the different travellers, and
unfortunately, where good country was found, the want of surface water
held out no encouragement for the grazier to follow up the explorers'
footsteps. The reclamation of this country it was evident would have to
be a work of time, and would be dependent greatly on the facility with
which the underground supplies could be tapped. That these supplies
exist, the pioneer work carried on, on the outskirts of the desert, has
proved beyond a doubt; how far they will be carried into the interior
remains to be seen.