Part 18 (1/2)
”There is still water in the creek,” said he, ”but that is all I can say
What there is is as black as ink, and we one” Here then the door was still open,--a way to escape still practicable, and thankful we both felt to that Pohich had directed our steps back again ere it was finally closed upon us; but even noe had no time to lose: to have taken the cattle without any prospect of relief until they should arrive at Flood's Creek, would have been to sacrifice almost the whole of them, and to reduce the expedition to a condition such as I did not desire The necessary steps to be taken, in the event of Mr Browne's bringing back good tidings, had engagedhis absence, and with his assistance, that on which I had determined was immediately put into execution I directed three more bullocks to be shot, and their skins prepared; and calculated that by abandoning the boat and our heavier stores, we ht carry a supply of water on the drays, sufficient for the use of the rely killed, and the skins stripped over theht be as small as possible
The boat was launched upon the creek, which I had vainly hoped would have ploughed the waters of a central sea We abandoned our bacon and heavier stores, the drays were put into order, their wheels wedged up, their axles greased, and on the 6th of Dece a distance of 270 , and under circumstances which made it extremely uncertain hoe should terminate the journey, since we did not expect to find any water between Flood's Creek and the Rocky Glen, or between the Rocky Glen and the Darling itself The three or four days preceding our departure had been quite overpowering, neither did there seem to be a likelihood of any abatement of the heat e left the Depot At 5 aht, I halted to rest the men and animals We had then the mortification to find one of the skins was defective, and let out the water at an hundred different pores I directed the water that reiven to the stock rather than that it should be lost; but both horses and bullocks refused it During the first part of the night it was very oppressive; but about an hour after ht the wind shi+fted to the south, and it becaain halt until half past 12 poon, at which the reader will recollect we stopped for a short tih the Pine forest about the sa for the animals to eat, I took thereen feed along its banks I observed that the further we advanced southwards, the etation appear; Mr Browne made the same remark to rasses ripe, whereas at the Depot Creek the ground was still perfectly bare
About 3 a, and at 7 the wind shi+fted a point or two to the eastward of south Notwithstanding the quarter from which the wind blew, heavy clouds came up from the west, and about 11 we had aThe rain was too slight to leave any puddles, but it reedily devoured
On leaving the creek we kept for about eight miles on our old track, but at that distance turned due south for two hills, the position of which Mr Browne had ascertained on his recent journey, and by taking this judicious course avoided the Pine ridges altogether We were, however, obliged to halt, as the ain at day-break on theof the 9th
Before we left the creek, near the Muddy Lagoon, all the horses and more than one half of the bullocks had drank plentifully of the water in the hides, in consequence of which they got on tolerably well On resu our journey we soon cleared the reot into a ood; and at 20 minutes to te halted within a , then about 26 reat pain I left Mr Browne at half-past three pht Two hours afterwards Mr Browne came up with the rest of the party So we cole aniht rain that fell on the e of temperature, none of our bullocks could have survived the journey thus far
As it had occupied three nights and two days, it becaive both men and anient to Mr Browne or to Flood The next place at which we hoped to find water, was at the Rocky Gully at the foot of the ranges, distant 49 miles, if water failed us there, neither had Mr Browne or Flood any reasonable expectation that we should procure any until we gained the Darling itself, then distant 150severely from attacks of scurvy, but he continued with unwearied zeal to supply my place On the 11th, at one ped that he should return andwater or not, and in order to ensure this I proposed leaving the Creek on the 13th
As Mr Browne had inforetation much more forward at this place than we had hitherto seen it, stillup, but there was a solitary stool of wheat that had been accidentally dropped by us and had taken root, which had 13 fine heads upon it quite ripe These Mr Browne gathered, and, agreeably to ht it would be le stool of oats but it was not so fine as the wheat
On the 12th, at 2 p information that Mr Browne had unexpectedly found water in the lower part of a little rocky creek in our way, distant 18 one on to the Rocky Gully On receiving this intelligence I ordered the bullocks to be yoked up, and we started for the creek at which we had left the cart on our outward journey, at 7 pe clouds passed over us, but the sky cleared as the wind fell at ht We reached our destination at 3 am of the 13th
Here I reained the Horse-cart Creek at half-past twelve Here, as at Flood's Creek, we found a large plant of mustard and sorasses had round
Stopping to rest the animals for half an hour, I went myself to the little branch creek, on which the reader will recollect our cattle depended ere last in this neighbourhood, and where I had arranged to meet Mr Broho arrived there about half an hour before e supply of water in the Rocky Gully, and thought that rain ain started, but I was too unwell to accompany them immediately I had in truth lost the use ofthe Depot had been lifted in and out of the cart; constant jolting therefore had greatly fatigued me, and I found it necessary to stop here for a short time after the departure of the drays At half-past six however, we followed and overtook the party about five ully, where we halted at 3 A M of the 14th
Mr Browne had found a large party of natives at the water, who had been very kind to him, and many of them still re a small acid berry, and had procured a quantity for ood, and while we reood-naturedly went into the hills and gathered e tureen full, and to the benefit I derived from these berries I attribute my more speedy recovery fro We were now 116 er any doubt of our eventually reaching it, the condition in which we should do so, depended on our finding water in the coonbaralba pass, fro I sent Flood on ahead to look for water, with orders to return if he succeeded in his search
In consequence of the kindness of the natives to Mr Browne I ave theood-looking blacks and in good condition, speaking the language of the Darling natives
It was late on the 15th before we ascended the ranges; but, as I had only a lio it was not ofat the little spring, in the upper part of the Rocky Gully, at which Morgan and I stopped on a for for a place by which we could descend from the hills to the plains of the desert interior Mr Browne took the short cut up the gully with the sheep; but when I reached the glen he had not arrived, and as he did not make his appearance for some time I became anxious, and sent after him, but he had only been delayed by the difficulty of the road, along which he described the scenery as very bold and picturesque
We had not up to this tiree of heat that prevailed at the Depot The temperature since the thunder on the 8th had been co the hills we felt a sensible difference I attributed it, however, to our elevated position, for we had on our way up the country experienced the nature of the cli We could not decidedly ascertain the fact from the natives, but as they were at this place in considerable numbers, both Mr Browne and myself concluded that the river had not been flooded this year; neither had the season been the same as that of the former year, for it will be rereat deal of rain had fallen, in so round; but now they hardly left an iht have fallen on the hills than in the depressed region beyond theth of tihbourhood
Mr Browne saw five or six rock Wallabies as he was colen, and said they were beautiful little animals He remarked that they bounded up the bold cliffs near hith and activity; in soranite, 200 and 300 feet high
Flood returned at 4 ah not of the best description, in the pass His horse had, however, drank plentifully of it, so that I deteroodit in safety
Considering the distance we had to go we started late, but the bullocks had strayed down the creek, and it took soround
I preceded the party in the cart, leaving Mr Browne in charge of the drays, and crossing the ranges descended into the pass two hours after sunset We passed a brackish pool of water, and stopped at a small well, at which there were two native woht, the ued, so that it was absolutely necessary to remain stationary for a day Our retreat had been a h we had thus far, under the blessing of Providence, brought every thing in safety, and had now only one more effort to make, Cawndilla was still distant 69 miles, bethich and our position there was not a drop of water
One of the woed to roll herself up in Mr Browne's blanket, aking from cold, found that his fair companion had uncovered him, and appropriated the blanket to her own use The natives suffer exceedingly from cold, and are perfectly paralysed by it, for they are not provided with any covering, neither are their huts of a solidity or construction such as to protect thee tribe joined us froment of them, when contrasted with the natives of the Desert from which we had come Robust, active, and full of life, these hill natives were every way superior to the s we had left behind, if I except the natives of Cooper's Creek During the day they kept falling in upon us, and in the afternoon , in men, women, and children As they were very quiet and unobtrusive I gave thehted, and in return, they overwhelht with their women
I mentioned in a former part of this work, that Mr Browne and I had succeeded in capturing a Dipus, when journeying to the NW We had subsequently taken another, and had kept the out of its box was killed by the dogs From the habits of this ani it home, but I had every hope that some Jerboas, of which we had five, would outlive the journey, for they thrived well on the food we gave them I was, however, quite provoked at this place to find that two of the the tarpauline over the box, and so s them The survivors were all but dead when looked at, and I feared we should lose the of the 19th dawned, and distant objects becaradually spread out before us We commenced our journey to Cawndilla at half-past 7, and travelled down the creek until 2 p the heat of the day at Carnapaga At 4 we resuain stopped for an hour on the little sand hill at the lower part of the creek, to enable the men to take some refreshment At quarter-past 8 we turned froht of a laht were 18 miles from Cawndilla We had kept upon our for, but they now began to flag Mr Broas in front of the party with Mr Stuart, but he suddenly returned, and coave me a letter he had found nailed up to a tree by Mr
Piesse This letter was to inform me of his arrival on the banks of the Williorara on the 6th of thebeen twice on the road in the hope of seeing us, and sent natives to procure intelligence of us, who returned in so exhausted a state, that he had given up all expectation of our being able to cross the hills He stated that we should find a barrel of water a little further on, together with a letter from head quarters, but had retained all other letters until he should see ratification to tell me that he had seen Mrs Sturt the day before he left Adelaide, and that she ell