BEING
A NARRATIVE COMPILED FROM THE JOURNALS
OF
FIVE EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS
INTO AND THROUGH
CENTRAL SOUTH AUSTRALIA, AND WESTERN AUSTRALIA,
FROM 1872 TO 1876.
BY
ERNEST GILES
FELLOW, AND GOLD MEDALLIST, OF THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.
"GO FORTH, MY BOOK, AND SHOW THE THINGS,
PILGRIMAGE UNTO THE PILGRIM BRINGS."
BUNYAN.
CONTENTS.
AUTHOR'S NOTES.
INTRODUCTION.
PREFACE.
BOOK 1.
CHAPTER 1.1. From 4th to 30th August, 1872.
CHAPTER 1.2. From 30th August to 6th September, 1872.
CHAPTER 1.3. From 6th to 17th September, 1872.
CHAPTER 1.4. From 17th September to 1st October, 1872.
CHAPTER 1.5. From 1st to 15th October, 1872.
CHAPTER 1.6. From 15th October, 1872 to 31st January, 1873.
BOOK 2.
CHAPTER 2.1. From 4th to 22nd August, 1873.
CHAPTER 2.2. From 22nd August to 10th September, 1873.
CHAPTER 2.3. From 10th to 30th September, 1873.
CHAPTER 2.4. From 30th September to 9th November, 1873.
CHAPTER 2.5. From 9th November to 23rd December, 1873.
CHAPTER 2.6. From 23rd December, 1873 to 16th January, 1874.
CHAPTER 2.7. From 16th January to 19th February, 1874.
CHAPTER 2.8. From 20th February to 12th March, 1874.
CHAPTER 2.9. From 12th March to 19th April, 1874.
CHAPTER 2.10. From 20th April to 21st May, 1874.
CHAPTER 2.11. From 21st May to 20th July, 1874.
BOOK 3.
CHAPTER 3.1. From 13th March to 1st April, 1875.
CHAPTER 3.2. From 2nd April to 6th May, 1875.
BOOK 4.
CHAPTER 4.1. From 6th May to 27th July, 1875.
CHAPTER 4.2. From 27th July to 6th October, 1875.
CHAPTER 4.3. From 6th October to 18th October, 1875.
CHAPTER 4.4. From 18th October to 18th November, 1875.
BOOK 5.
CHAPTER 5.1. From 18th November, 1875 to 10th April, 1876.
CHAPTER 5.2. From 10th April to 7th May, 1876.
CHAPTER 5.3. From 7th May to 10th June, 1876.
CHAPTER 5.4. From 11th June to 23rd August, 1876.
CHAPTER 5.5. From 23rd August to 20th September, 1876.
APPENDIX.
INDEX.
AUTHOR'S NOTES.
The original journals of the field notes, from which the present
narrative is compiled, were published, as each expedition ended, as
parliamentary papers by the Government of the Colony of South
Australia.
The journals of the first two expeditions, formed a small book, which
was distributed mostly to the patrons who had subscribed to the fund
for my second expedition. The account of the third, found its way into
the South Australian "Observer," while the records of the fourth and
fifth journeys remained as parliamentary documents, the whole never
having appeared together. Thus only fragments of the accounts of my
wanderings became known; and though my name as an explorer has been
heard of, both in Australia and England, yet very few people even in
the Colonies are aware of what I have really done. Therefore it was
thought that a work embodying the whole of my explorations might be
acceptable to both English and Colonial readers.
Some years have been allowed to elapse since these journeys were
commenced; but the facts are the same, and to those not mixed up in
the adventures, the incidents as fresh as when they occurred.
Unavoidably, I have had to encounter a large area of desert country in
the interior of the colonies of South Australia, and Western
Australia, in my various wanderings; but I also discovered
considerable tracts of lands watered and suitable for occupation.
It is not in accordance with my own feelings in regard to Australia
that I am the chronicler of her poorer regions; and although an
Englishman, Australia has no sincerer well-wisher; had it been
otherwise, I could not have performed the work these volumes record.
It has indeed been often a cause of regret that my lines of march
should have led me away from the beautiful and fertile places upon
Australia's shores, where our countrymen have made their homes.
On the subject of the wonderful resources of Australia I am not called
upon to enlarge, and surely all who have heard her name must have
heard also of her gold, copper, wool, wine, beef, mutton, wheat,
timber, and other products; and if any other evidence were wanting to
show what Australia really is, a visit to her cities, and an
experience of her civilisation, not forgetting the great revenues of
her different provinces, would dispel at once all previous inaccurate
impressions of those who, never having seen, perhaps cannot believe in
the existence of them.
In the course of this work my reader will easily discover to whom it
is dedicated, without a more formal statement under such a heading.
The preface, which may seem out of its place, is merely such to my own
journeys. I thought it due to my readers and my predecessors in the
Australian field of discovery, that I should give a rapid epitome
(which may contain some minor errors) of what they had done, and which
is here put forward by way of introduction.
Most of the illustrations, except one or two photographs, were
originally from very rough sketches, or I might rather say scratches,
of mine, improved upon by Mr. Val Prinsep, of Perth, Western
Australia, who drew most of the plates referring to the camel
expeditions, while those relating to the horse journeys were sketched
by Mr. Woodhouse, Junr., of Melbourne; the whole, however, have
undergone a process of reproduction at the hands of London artists.
To Mrs. Cashel Hoey, the well-known authoress and Australian
correspondent, who revised and cleared my original manuscripts, I have
to accord my most sincere thanks. To Mr. Henniker-Heaton, M.P., who
appears to be the Imperial Member in the British Parliament for all
Australia, I am under great obligations, he having introduced me to
Mr. Marston, of the publishing firm who have produced these volumes. I
also have to thank Messrs. Clowes and Sons for the masterly way in
which they have printed this work.
