Volume II Part 3 (2/2)

PREPARATIONS FOR EXPLORING

It was soon arranged that Captain Wickham and myself, should at once dispel all doubts, and that next , Messrs Fitzmaurice and Keys should start to explore the river-like opening, under the south end of McAdae, to which we have above alluded

DISCOVERY OF THE VICTORIA

Our preparations were rapidly made, a few days provisions were stoay in the boat, and as the western sky glowed red in the expiring light of day, the gig was running before a north-west breeze, for the chasrees East, twelve miles froe becaht served us, but presently darkness wrapped all in i close to the eastern low land, and just as we found that the course we held no longer appeared to follow the direction of the channel, out burst thea silvery strea to our anxious eyes the long looked-for river, rippling and swelling, as it forced its way between high rocky ranges

Under any circuhtful, but the ti the whole before us like a panora, that I forbear any atteled emotions of that hts, the lead gave a depth of eighteen and twenty fathoms, the velocity of the streae a body of water was pouring through ”This is indeed a noble river!” burst from several lips at the sa honoured with the naracious majesty the Queen:” which Captain Wickha upon it the nalance at the map will show that we have not overrated its i it the Victoria; and it must be admitted that as the Murray is to South-eastern Australia, so in value and ireat river Victoria, to the opposite side of the continent

Pursuing our course between the rocky heights, in a south-east direction, the outline of a high peaked hill, standing between two ranges, beca, even at that time, so re, we pushed into a sht hand, to pass the night

(Footnote Afterwards found to be 690 feet, the highest in the neighbourhood)

VIEW FROM LEADING HILL

Anxious to trace further the course of the river, Captain Wickha hill before early dawn The viehich presented itself when the day broke, was fraught with every char between barren rocky heights, here stealing along in cal as it swept past, lay at our feet By a sudden bend two miles east of where we stood, it was hid fro, however, still pointed out the further course of the Victoria The boat lay in thewith another four miles further down, formed an island on the eastern side of the river, which we called Entrance Isle

The formation of this part was a sandstone of a reddish hue, and in a state of deco eucalyptus were sparingly scattered over the face of the country, which round the entrance had a lance its utterly sterile character

EXPLORATION OF THE RIVER

Taking a hasty breakfast, we pulled up the river; the tortuous nature of the first reaches, changing their directions suddenly from north to east-south-east with a depth of seventeen and twenty fatho these, a splendid sheet of water lay before us, trending south-east by south, as far as the eye could reach from the boat, and more than a mile wide In the first part of this we had a few shoal casts of the lead, but afterwards the depth was eight and ten fatholance at as beyond, and to spell the oars, we landed at a point on the east side, from which Endeavour Hill bore West 1/2 South three ht turn ht of We were sorry to perceive that it was much occupied by shoals, that showed thean five ed ridge, on the west bank The singular manner in which the blocks of sandstone were strewed over this height, caused it to bear a strong resemblance to old ruins The appearance of the country had not as yet ih the sandstone had lost that reddish hue we had noticed in thethe verywe found the change in the direction of the river very slight, and at the end of sixteen miles it suddenly turned off to the eastward, which I was sorry to find, as its diverging froinal south-easterly direction, appeared likely to disappoint our expectation that the Victoria would prove a highroad to the interior of the continent The width had hitherto been alive us any hope of bringing the shi+p up thus far

APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY

The country now began to assuer the saetation Fro the north point of the river where it changes to the eastward, I could trace its direction but little further

On the opposite side the hills receded, forh which ran a creek On its banks, for the first time,fires of the natives Here, also for the first tiouty-stem trees; whilst the slope of the hill we ascended was covered with a tolerable sprinkling of grass Kangaroos, likewise, were observed on every side springing along the turf; and a few great alligators passed up the strea our boat at the risk of a shot or two

We were now nearly thirty miles from the shi+p; and a few stations were still necessary to befarther was therefore useless, especially as an exploring expeditionour steps we reached the shi+p near ence of the success of our cruise was received on board with an enthusiasm which explorers only can appreciate

Mr Fitzmaurice had not returned, which favoured my surmises that he would find a river

October 21

Mr Forsyth having collected all the necessary material for the survey near the shi+p, we shi+fted our berth this afternoon into deeper water, between the south end of Quoin Island and another small islet to the south-west, which from our operations on its south-eastern corner we called Observation Island The weather was very re in the western horizon, fros flashed, and loud peals of thunder roared The frightened stream of the sea-birds evinced how seldom nature puts on such an aspect in this place

CAPTAIN WICKHAM ASCENDS THE VICTORIA

Before proceeding further with the shi+p, it was necessary to feel our ith the boats Whilst this was going on, Captain Wickha to ascertain if it was fresh sufficiently near to water the shi+p from, when she had been taken as far up the Victoria as it was possible He left nexttrip

FITZMAURICE RIVER

The sa, as we had suspected, discovered a river that carried his boat thirty e Towards the upper part it was scarcely half a mile wide; but for an Australian streaht course between rocky heights, with a depth varying from two to seven fathoms Many shoals occurred towards the entrance, where in some places it was more than two miles wide This river was named Fitzmaurice River after its discoverer; and the mouth or inlet of it, after his companion, Keys Inlet