An Expedition Across Australia from South to North, Between The
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An Expedition across Australia from South to North, between the Telegraph Line and the Queensland Boundary, in 1885-6 Author(s): David Lindsay Source: Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society and Monthly Record of Geography, New Monthly Series, Vol. 11, No. 11 (Nov., 1889), pp. 650-671 Published by: Wiley on behalf of The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1801028 . Accessed: 14/06/2014 11:45 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) and Wiley are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society and Monthly Record of Geography. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 91.229.229.101 on Sat, 14 Jun 2014 11:45:07 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 650 AN EXPEDITION ACROSS AUSTRALIA. a subaerial stream will, on the contrary, cut through such broad beds of subaqueous deposit by deep subsequent ploughings. That the age of the high water was within the human period, and that therefore the Theban beds might be subaqueous, is proved by the river-worn paheolith of characteristic appearance, which I picked up hundreds of feet above the present Nile on the desert cliffs of Esneh. I have now briefly shown what an interesting ground for research still awaits the geographer and geologist in Egypt; and how the con? ditions of the country render certain problems far more simple than they are in lands with continuous rainfall. Let us hope that our present facilities in Egypt may bring about some complete study of the subjects on which we have now touched. An Expedition across Australia from South to Worth, between the Telegraph Line and the Queensland Boundary, in 1885-6. By David Lindsay, f.e.g.s. Map, p. 704. The following is an account, slightly abridged, of Mr. David Lindsay's interesting journey across Australia, undertaken at his own risk and expense, in 1885-6, in which he passed through a large tract of previously unexplored country in the Northern Territory of South Australia, a little west of the Queensland boundary. This experienced pioneer and surveyor in the Australian wilds has since, between September 1887 and March 1888, crossed the continent a second time, from Port Darwin to Adelaide, accompanied only by a native boy, and taking four horses as baggage animals. The firstjourney was undertaken with camels, partly hired and partly supplied by the well-known promoter of Australian exploration, Sir Thomas Elder. Exploration of the FinJce River.?In November1885,1 leftDalhousie with my companions,lieutenant Dittrich and Warman, and six camels, and proceeded to explorethe Finke Kiver. From Dalhousie I sent down a collectionof plants to be forwardedto Baron von Mueller forclassification. In this collection,as well as in all others subsequently sent,were as far as possiblethree specimens of each plant, so that one complete set could be kept by the Baron, one by the GeographicalSociety of Melbourne,and the thirdfor Lieutenant Dittrich and myself to dispose of as we might think fit. A box of photographswas also sent, togetherwith native weapons, seeds, and other interestingarticles. As much informationas possible about the language,manners, and customsof the natives was obtained,and put togetherin a reportby Lieutenant Dittrich. We followed the Finke from a water-hole known as Muckarrina, and for a fewmiles it was a broad floodedvalley, beautifullytimbered and grassed,having sandhills on both sides, the tableland having ended at Muckarrina; suddenly the valley narrowedto a mere hollow between the sandhills with a few box-treeshere This content downloaded from 91.229.229.101 on Sat, 14 Jun 2014 11:45:07 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions AN EXPEDITION ACROSS AUSTRALIA. 651 and there. It was with the greatestdifficulty that the course of the water could be traced,but thereis no doubt that the coursemarked out on mymap is absolutely correct,and that the waterjoins Spring Creek Water, which creek drains the table? land that surroundsthe Dalhousie Springs and carriesoff the superfluouswaters which in winter-timeflow from those magnificentsprings. SpringCreek in floodsspreads over a valley fromone to threemiles wide, and then fora considerabledistance flows in many channelsthrough sandhills forming some fine water-holes,the principalone being Maithinkinna. Proceedinga little farthersome large floodedflats were found,all well clothedwith many good bushes and grasses. Followingwhat appearedto us to be the main channel,with clear evidenceof the flow of water in that direction,at a point a few miles below Maithinkinna we met with distinctevidences of waterflowing in the oppositedirection; this was puzzling to us, still we went on down the valley and watercourseuntil we emergedon the floodedplains of the Macumba. We satisfiedourselves that therecould be no doubt that the floodwaters of the Macumba pass up the valley we had followedand join the Finke waters,backing themon the flooded flatsnear Maithinkinna. Eeturning to the water-hole,I went away alone to see if there was any otheroutlet forthese waters, and discovereda creek or watercourseleading througha floodedflat, with some watercoursescoming in from the north, which we afterwardsfound came fromthe Finke. I followedthis flatfor about ten miles and came to a fairwaterhole called Goodoweedalgina,with an extensive plain stretchingaway to the south-east, high sandhills on both sides. I then returnedto camp and foundsome natives had " come in. From them I ascertainedthat the word Tirreawat" supposed by Messrs. Jarvois,Knuckey, and others to be the name of a large wateron which Leichhardt and party had been destroyedby the natives,was a word which had fallen into disuse, and simply meant "a verylong way." Next day LieutenantDittrich and I, taking a native as a guide to some waters, returnedon my tracks to Goodoweedalgina; fromthere the boy took us across the extensiveplains I had seen the previousday to a good water-hole,named Ilkertinna, on the south side of the plains and just in the sandhills. The boy said this was Macumba water. From here we travelledeasterly all day down the plain, which was well bushed, grassed,and timbered,passing some nice water-holes,until we again foundourselves on the Macumba Plains and could trace by the drift-woodthe course of the Macumba waters on to the plain. The blackboy said that the floodwaters of theMacumba and Finke met and filledthese flatsand plains and then ran down on the Macumba to Lake Eyre. Aftera threeweeks' absenee we returned to Dalhousie, in time to share in some Christmas festivities,having satisfactorily settledthe much disputed question as to the debouchmentof the Finke river,and havingalso provedthat no such wateras Tirreawatexisted; thereforethe supposition that poor Leichhardt perished in this vicinityhas no foundation,but it is evident that the natives of this locality heard of his death having taken place to the north-east. Excursion to the WesternBoundary of Queensland.?After a week at Dalhousie I started,accompanied by Mr. C. Bagot, on a journey easterly to the Queensland frontier. I was sorrythat I could not take Lieutenant Dittrichwith me, but my reasons fornot doing so were these:?The weatherwas extremelyhot, and there would certainly be sixty miles of heavy sandhill and spinifex country to cross beforereaching Murraburt, consequently I wished to travelas light as possible and not be botheredwith pack-camels; my intentionbeing to go alone, taking only one guide to Murraburtand other native wells in that country. There was only one blackboyat Dalhousie who knew the way, and him I could not get unless I also took his master,Mr. C, Bagot. The Beltana camels were both unfitfor the journey, This content downloaded from 91.229.229.101 on Sat, 14 Jun 2014 11:45:07 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 652 AN EXPEDITION ACROSS AUSTRALIA. and as my own riding camel was invalided with cut feet,I had no mount to give the Lieutenant; besides,had there been four of us we must have taken a paek- camel, and I wished to have as^ many of my camels as possible in good condition forthe arduousjourney which was beforeus ere we could reach Lake Nash. I need not give a detailed account of the journey to and from the Queensland boundary,which occupied threeweeks and covered419 miles. Murraburtwas a disappointment,for, judging by what the natives had said, it was confidentlyexpected that a large water existed there. I have very little doubt that Murraburtis a spring,as the well is not in or near a watercourseand is sunk throughhard ground,perpendicular for twelve feetand then sloping almost flat for eight feetto where the water bubbles up. The wateris slightlybitter and veryclear, but pleasant to the taste; rottenlimestone abounds, and the valley or plain abounds with salt-bush,blue-bush, cotton-bush, and^good grass, and is indeedwhat, with a good watersupply, would be termedfirst class sheep country. Our boy guided us to eight otherwells, ali in good plains or valleys, beforewe reached the boundary line in lat. 25? 40' S. We returnedby much the same route,as we could hear of no wells furtherto the north, We met with no new plants or trees,save a cork-barktree, a specimenof which was taken.