Journals Of Expeditions Of Discovery Into Central Australia And Overland From Adelaide To King George's Sound In The Years 1840-1: Sent By The Colonists Of South Australia By Eyre, Edward John
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- Finding that there was little prospect of procuring water
a-head, and that our horses were scarcely able to move at all, I felt it
necessary to retrace our steps as speedily as possible, to try to save
the lives of the animals we had with us.
In order that we might effect
this and be encumbered by no unnecessary articles, I concealed, and left
among some bushes, all our baggage, pack-saddles, etc. After passing about
five miles beyond the sand-drifts where I had seen the cockatoos and
pigeons, one of the horses became completely exhausted and could not
proceed any further; I was necessitated therefore to tie him to a bush
and push on with the other two to save them.
When I left my party on the 22nd, I had directed them to remove to some
water-holes behind Point Fowler, but, as I had not seen this place
myself, I was obliged to steer in the dark in some measure at random, not
knowing exactly where they were. The greatest part of our route being
through a dense brush, we received many scratches and bruises from the
boughs as we led our horses along, to say nothing of the danger we were
constantly in of having our eyes put out by branches we could not see,
and which frequently brought us to a stand still by painful blows across
the face. At last we arrived at the open plains I had crossed on my
outward track, and following them down came to two deep holes in the
limestone rock, similar to the one behind Point Brown. By descending into
these holes we found a little water, and were enabled to give each of the
horses three pints; we then pushed on again, hoping to reach the camp,
but getting entangled among the scrub, were obliged at midnight to halt
until daylight appeared, being almost as much exhausted as the horses,
and quite as much in want of water, for we had not tasted the little that
had been procured from the hole found in the plains.
November 25. - At the first streak of daylight we moved on, and in one
mile and a half reached the camp near Point Fowler, before any of the
party were up. We had guessed our course well in the dark last night, and
could not have gone more direct had it been daylight. Having called up
the party and made them get a hasty breakfast, I hurried off a dray
loaded with water, and accompanied by the overseer, one man, and the
black boy, to follow up our tracks to where the tired horse had been
tied. During my absence I found that every thing but the cart had been
landed from the cutter, and safely brought up to the camp, and that as
soon as that was on shore she would be ready to go and lie at anchor at
Denial Bay.
About noon I was greatly surprised and vexed to see my overseer return
driving the loose horses before him. It seemed that whilst feeding around
the camp they had observed the dray and other horses going away and had
followed upon the tracks, so that the overseer had no alternative but to
drive them back to the camp. This was very unfortunate, as it would
occasion great delay in reaching the one we had left tied in the scrub. I
directed the overseer to hurry back as rapidly as possible, and by
travelling all night to endeavour to make up for lost time, for I greatly
feared that if not relieved before another day passed away, it would be
quite impossible to save the animal alive.
After resting myself a little I walked about to reconnoitre the
neighbourhood of our camp, not having seen it before. The situation was
at the west side of the upper extreme of Point Fowler, immediately behind
the sand-drifts of the coast, which there were high, bare, and of white
sand. The water was on the inland side, immediately under the sand-hills,
and procured in the greatest abundance and of good quality, by sinking
from one to three feet. It was found in a bed of white pipe-clay. To the
north-west of us were some open grassy plains, among which our horses and
sheep obtained their food, whilst here and there were scattered a few
salt swamps or beds of lakes, generally, however, dry. The whole country
was of fossil formation, and the borders of the lakes and swamps
exhibited indurated masses of marine shells, apparently but a very recent
deposit. Further inland the country was crusted on the surface with an
oolitic limestone, and for the most part covered by brush; a few open
plains being interspersed here and there among the scrubs, as is
generally the case in that description of country.
The natives still appeared to be in our neighbourhood, but none had been
near us since they first left on the 19th. I would now gladly have got
one of them to accompany me to look for water, but none could be found.
On the 26th and 27th I was occupied in getting up the cart, some casks,
etc. from the cutter, and preparing for another attempt to round the head
of the Great Bight. The vessel then sailed for Denial Bay, where she
could lie in greater safety, until I required her again.
Early on the 27th the man and black boy returned with the dray from the
westward, they had found the horse very weak and much exhausted, but by
care and attention he was got a little round, and the overseer had
remained to bring him slowly on: he had been four entire days and nights
without food or water, and for the first two days and a half of this time
had been severely worked. In the evening the overseer came up, driving
the jaded animal, somewhat recovered indeed - but miserably reduced in
condition.
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