Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia — Complete

Charles Sturt

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Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia
The Project Gutenberg EBook of Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia, Complete, by Charles Sturt This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia, Complete Author: Charles Sturt Release Date: August 31, 2004 [EBook #4330] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EXPEDITIONS AUSTRALIA ***
Produced by Col Choat and Colin Beck
1. Map of Australia not included. 2. Footnotes are enclosed by square brackets [...] and placed where referenced or at the end of paragraph.
TWO EXPEDITIONS
INTO THE INTERIOR OF
SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA
DURING THE YEARS
1828,1829,1830,1831
WITH OBSERVATIONS
ON
THE SOIL, CLIMATE AND GENERAL RESOURCES
OF THE COLONY OF
NEW SOUTH WALES. By Capt. CHARLES STURT, 39th Regt.
F.L.S. and F.R.G.S.
“For though most men are contented only to see a river as it runs by them, and talk of the changes in it as they happen; when it is troubled, or when clear; when it drowns the country in a flood, or forsakes it in a drought: yet he that would know the nature of the water, and the causes of those accidents (so as to guess at their continuance or return), ...

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• Publié par: dazod
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 21
• Langue: English

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Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern
Australia
The Project Gutenberg EBook of Two Expeditions into the Interior of
Southern Australia, Complete, by Charles Sturt
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia, Complete
Author: Charles Sturt
Release Date: August 31, 2004 [EBook #4330]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EXPEDITIONS AUSTRALIA ***
Produced by Col Choat and Colin Beck
1. Map of Australia not included.
2. Footnotes are enclosed by square brackets [...] and placed where
referenced or at the end of paragraph.
TWO EXPEDITIONS
INTO THE INTERIOR OF
SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA
DURING THE YEARS
1828,1829,1830,1831
WITH OBSERVATIONS
ON
THE SOIL, CLIMATE AND GENERAL RESOURCESTHE SOIL, CLIMATE AND GENERAL RESOURCES
OF THE COLONY OF
NEW SOUTH WALES.
By Capt. CHARLES STURT, 39th Regt.
F.L.S. and F.R.G.S.
“For though most men are contented only to see a river as it runs by them, and talk of the
changes in it as they happen; when it is troubled, or when clear; when it drowns the
country in a flood, or forsakes it in a drought: yet he that would know the nature of the
water, and the causes of those accidents (so as to guess at their continuance or return),
must find out its source, and observe with what strength it rises, what length it runs, and
how many small streams fall in, and feed it to such a height, as make it either delightful
or terrible to the eye, and useful or dangerous to the country about it.”…Sir William
Temple's Netherlands.
IN TWO VOLUMES
CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME
VOLUME I
PRELIMINARY CHAPTER.
Purpose of this Chapter—Name of Australia—Impressions of its early Visitors
—Character of the Australian rivers—Author's first view of Port Jackson—
Extent of the Colony of New South Wales—its rapid advances in prosperity—
Erroneous impressions—Commercial importance of Sydney—Growth of fine
wool—Mr. M'Arthur's meritorious exertions—Whale-fishery—Other exports—
Geographical features—Causes of the large proportion of bad soil—
Connection between the geology and vegetation—Geological features—
Character of the soil connected with the geological formation—County of
Cumberland—Country westward of the Blue Mountains—Disadvantages of the
remote settlers—Character of the Eastern coast—Rich tracts in the interior—
Periodical droughts—The seasons apparently affected by the interior marshes
—Temperature—Fruits—Emigrants: Causes of their success or failure—Moral
disadvantages—System of emigration recommended—Hints to emigrants—
Progress of inland discovery—Expeditions across the Blue Mountains—
Discoveries of Mr. Evans, Mr. Oxley, and others—Conjectures respecting the
interior.
EXPEDITION DOWN THE MACQUARIE RIVER, AND INTO
THE WESTERN INTERIOR IN 1828 AND 1829.
Chapter.
I. State of the Colony in 1828-29—Objects of the Expedition—Departurefrom Sydney—Wellington Valley—Progress down the Macquarie—Arrival
at Mount Harris—Stopped by the marshes—Encamp amidst reeds—
Excursions down the river—Its termination—Appearance of the marshes
—Opthalmic affection of the men—Mr. Hume's successful journey to the
northward—Journey across the plain—Second great marsh—Perplexities
—Situation of the exploring party—Consequent resolutions.
II. Prosecution of our course into the interior—Mosquito Brush—Aspect and
productions of the country—Hunting party of natives—Courageous
conduct of one of them—Mosquitoes—A man missing—Group of hills
called New-Year's Range—Journey down New-Year's Creek—
Tormenting attack of the kangaroo fly—Dreariness and desolation of the
country—Oxley's Table Land—D'Urban's Group—Continue our journey
down New-Year's Creek—Extreme Disappointment on finding it salt—
Fall in with a tribe of natives—Our course arrested by the want of fresh
water—Extraordinary sound—Retreat towards the Macquarie.
III. Intercourse with the natives—Their appearance and condition—Remarks
on the Salt or Darling River—Appearance of the marshes on our return—
Alarm for safety of the provision party—Return to Mount Harris—
Miserable condition of the natives—Circumstances attending the
slaughter of two Irish runaways—Bend our course towards the
Castlereagh—Wallis's Ponds—Find the famished natives feeding on gum
—Channel of the Castlereagh—Character of the country in its vicinity—
Another tribe of natives—Amicable intercourse with them—Morrisset's
chain of Ponds—Again reach the Darling River ninety miles higher up
than where we first struck upon it.
IV. Perplexity—Trait of honesty in the natives—Excursion on horseback
across the Darling—Forced to return—Desolating effects of the drought—
Retreat towards the colony—Connection between the Macquarie and the
Darling—Return up the banks of the Macquarie—Starving condition of the
natives.
V. General remarks—Result of the expedition—Previous anticipations— Mr.
Oxley's remarks—Character of the Rivers flowing westerly—Mr.
Cunningham's remarks—Fall of the Macquarie—Mr. Oxley's erroneous
conclusions respecting the character of the interior, naturally inferred from
the state in which he found the country—The marsh of the Macquarie
merely a marsh of the ordinary character—Captain King's observations—
Course of the Darling—Character of the low interior plain—The convict
Barber's report of rivers traversing the interior—Surveyor-General
Mitchell's Report of his recent expedition.
VI. CONCLUDING REMARKS—Obstacles that attend travelling into the
interior of Australia—Difficulty of carrying supplies—Importance of steady
intelligent subordinates—Danger from the natives—Number of men
requisite,—and of cattle and carriages—Provisions—Other arrangements
—Treatment of the natives—Dimensions of the boat used in the second
expedition.
APPENDIX TO THE FIRST VOLUME.
I. Letter of Instructions
II. List of Stores supplied for the Expedition
III. Sheep-farming ReturnsIV. List of Geological Specimens
V. Official Reports to the Colonial Government
ILLUSTRATIONS TO THE FIRST VOLUME
1. Native Burial Place near Budda
2. Map of Australia
3. Cataract of the Macquarie
4. The Rose Cockatoo
5. The Crested Pigeon of the Marshes
6. A Selenite
Chrystallized Sulphate of Lime
CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME
VOLUME II
EXPEDITION DOWN THE MORUMBIDGEE AND MURRAY
RIVERS, IN 1829, 1830 AND 1831.
Chapter.
I. INTRODUCTORY—Remarks on the results of the former Expedition—
The fitting out of another determined on—Its objects—Provisions,
accoutrements, and retinue—Paper furnished by Mr. Kent—Causes that
have prevented the earlier appearance of the present work.
II. Commencement of the expedition in November, 1829—Joined by Mr.
George M'Leay—Appearance of the party—Breadalbane Plains—
Hospitality of Mr. O'Brien—Yass Plains—Hill of Pouni—Path of a
hurricane—Character of the country between Underaliga and the
Morumbidgee—Appearance of that river—Junction of the Dumot with it—
Crossing and recrossing—Geological character and general aspect of the
country—Plain of Pondebadgery—Few natives seen.
III. Character of the Morumbidgee where it issues from the hilly country—
Appearance of approach to swamps—Hamilton Plains—Intercourse with
the natives—Their appearance, customs, &c.—Change in the character of
the river—Mirage—Dreariness of the country—Ride towards the Lachlan
river—Two boats built and launched on the Morumbidgee; and the drays,
with part of the men sent back to Goulburn Plains.
IV. Embarkation of the party in the boats, and voyage down the Morumbidgee
—The skiff swamped by striking on a sunken tree—Recovery of boat and
its loading—Region of reeds—Dangers of the navigation—Contraction of
the channel—Reach the junction of a large river—Intercourse with the
natives on its banks—Character of the country below the junction of the
rivers—Descent of a dangerous rapid—Warlike demonstrations of a tribe
of natives—Unexpected deliverance from a conflict with them—Junction
of another river—Give the name of the “Murray” to the principal stream.
V. Character of the country—Damage of provisions—Adroitness of thenatives in catchi