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Narrative of an Expedition into Central Australia Performed under the Authority of Her Majesty's Government during the Years 1844, 5, and 6 Together with a Notice of the Province of South Australia in 1847 Sturt, Charles (1795-1869) A digital text sponsored by William and Sarah Nelson University of Sydney Library Sydney 2001 http://setis.library.usyd.edu.au/ozlit/ © University of Sydney Library. The texts and Images are not to be used for commercial purposes without permission Source Text: Prepared from the print edition published by T. and W. Boone, 29, New Bond Street. London 1849 All quotation marks retained as data All unambiguous end-of-line hyphens have been removed, and the trailing part of a word has been joined to the preceding line. First Published: 1849 Languages: F5202 Australian Etexts 1840-1869 exploration and explorers (land) prose nonfiction 2001 Creagh Cole Coordinator Final Checking and Parsing Narrative of an Expedition into Central Australia Performed under the Authority of Her Majesty's Government during the Years 1844, 5, and 6. Together with a Notice of the Province of South Australia in 1847 By F.L.S. F.R.G.S. etc. etc. Author of “Two Expeditions Into Southern Australia” London T. and W. Boone, 29, New Bond Street. 1849 To The Right Honorable The Earl Grey, ETC. ETC. ETC. MY LORD, ALTHOUGH the services recorded in the following pages, which your Lordship permits me to dedicate to you, have not resulted in the discovery of any country immediately available for the purposes of colonization, I would yet venture to hope that they have not been fruitlessly undertaken, but that, as on the occasion of my voyage down the Murray River, they will be the precursors of future advantage to my country and to the Australian colonies. Under present disappointment it must be as gratifying to those who participated in my labours, as it is to myself to know that they are not the less appreciated by your Lordship, because they were expended in a desert. I can only assure your Lordship, that it has been my desire to give a faithful description of the country that has been explored, and of the difficulties attending the task; nor can I refuse myself the anticipation that the perusal of these volumes will excite your Lordship's interest and sympathy. I have the honour to be, My Lord, Your Lordship's Most obedient humble servant, CHARLES STURT. London, November 21, 1848. Notice. IT might have been expected that many specimens, both of Botany and Ornithology, would have been collected during such an Expedition as that which the present narrative describes, but the contrary happened to be the case. I am proud in having to record the name of my esteemed friend, Mr. Brown, the companion of Flinders, and the learned author of the “Prodromus Novae Hollandiae,” to whose kindness I am indebted for the Botanical Remarks in the Appendix. To my warm-hearted friend, Mr. Gould, whose splendid works are before the Public, and whose ardent pursuits in furtherance of his ambition, I have personally witnessed, I owe the more perfect form in which my ornithological notice appears. I have likewise to acknowledge, with very sincere feelings, the assistance I have received from Mr. Arrowsmith, in the construction of my Map, to whose anxious desire to ensure correctness and professional talent I am very greatly indebted. I hope the gentlemen whose names I have mentioned will accept my best thanks for the assistance they have afforded me in my humble labours. It is not the least of the gratifications enjoyed by those who are employed on services similar to which I have been engaged, to be brought more immediately in connection with such men. London, November 21, 1848. Contents of Vol. I. CHAPTER I. PAGE Character of the Australian Continent—Of its Rivers—Peculiarity of the Darling—Sudden floods to which it is 5 subject—Character of the Murray—Its periodical rise—Bounty of Providence—Geological position of the two Rivers—Observations—Results—Sir Thomas Mitchell's Journey to the Darling—Its junction with the Murray—Anecdote of Mr. Shannon—Captain Grey's Expedition—Captain Sturt's Journey— Mr. Eyre's Second Expedition—Voyage of the Beagle—Mr. Oxley's Opinions—State of the Interior in 1828—Character of its Plains and Rivers—Junction of the Darling—Fossil bed of the Murray—Former state of the Continent—Theory of the Interior . CHAPTER II. Preparations for departure—Arrival at Moorundi—Native Guides— Names of the party—Sir John Barrow's 36 Minute—Reports of Laidley's Ponds—Climate of the Murray—Progress up the River—Arrival at Lake Bonney—Grassy plains—Camboli's home—Tragical events in that neighbourhood—Pulcanti—Arrival at the Rufus—Visit to the native families—Return of Mr. Eyre to Moorundi—Departure of Mr. Browne to the eastward . CHAPTER III. Mr. Browne's return—His account of the country—Change of scene— Continued rain—Toonda joins the 94 party—Story of the Massacre— Leave Lake Victoria—Accident to Flood—Turn northwards—Cross to the Darling—Meet natives—Toonda's haughty manner—Nadbuck's cunning—Abundance of feed—Sudden floods—Bad country—Arrival at Williorara—Consequent disappointment—Perplexity—Mr. Poole goes to the Ranges—Mr. Browne's return—Food of the natives— Position of Williorara . CHAPTER IV. Toonda's tribe—Disposition of the natives—Arrival of Camboli—His energy of character—Mr. Poole's return— 137 Leave the Darling—Remarks on that river—Cawndilla—The Old Boocolo—Leave the camp for the hills—Reach a creek—Wells—Topar's misconduct—Ascend the ranges—Return homewards—Leave Cawndilla with a party— Reach Parnari—Move to the hills—Journey to N. West—Heavy rains— Return to camp—Mr. Poole leaves— Leave the ranges—Descent to the plains—Mr. Poole's return—His report—Flood's creek—Aquatic birds — Ranges diminish in height . CHAPTER V. Native women—Sudden squall—Journey to the eastward—View from Mount Lyell—Increased temperature—Mr. 208 Poole's return—His report—Leave Flood's Creek—Entangled in the pine forest—Drive the cattle to water— Extricate the party—State of the men—Mr. Poole and Mr. Browne leave the camp—Proceed northwards—Capt. Sturt leaves for the north—Rapid disappearance of water—Muddy Creek— Geological formation—Gypsum— Push on to the ranges—Return to the creek—Again ascend the ranges—Find water beyond them— Proceed to the W.N.W.—Return to the ranges—Ants and flies— Turn to the eastward—No water—Return to the camp—Mr. Poole finds water—Mack's adventure with the natives—Move the camp . CHAPTER VI. The Depôt—Further progress checked—Character of the ranges— Journey to the north-east—Return—Journey to 264 the west—Return— Again proceed to the north—Interview with natives—Arrive at the farthest water—The party separates—Progress northwards—Continue to advance—Sufferings of the horse—Cross the 28th parallel—Rejoin Mr. Stuart—Journey to the westward—Character of the country— Find two ponds of water—The grassy park— Return to the range— Excessive heat—A singular geological feature—Regain the Depôt . CHAPTER VII. Migration of the birds—Journey to the eastward—Flooded plains— Native family—Proceed south, but find no 291 water—Again turn eastward—Sterile country—Salt lagoon—Distant hills to the east— Return to the camp— Intense heat—Officers attacked by scurvy— Journey to the west—No water—Forced to return—Illness of Mr. Poole—Visited by a native—Second Journey to the eastward—Story of the native—Kites and crows—Erect a pyramid on Mount Poole— Preparations for a move—Indications of rain—Intense anxiety— Heavy rain—Mr. Poole leaves with the home returning party— Break up the Depôt—Mr. Poole's sudden death—His funeral— Progress westward—The Jerboa—Establishment of second Depôt— Native gluttony—Distant mountains seen— Reach Lake Torrens— Examination of the country N. W. of it—Return to the Depôt— Visited by natives— Preparations for departure again into the north-west interior . CHAPTER VIII. Leave the Depôt for the north-west—Scarcity of water—Fossil limestone —Arrive at the first creek—Extensive 352 plains—Succession of creeks— Flooded character of the country—Pond with fish—Sterile country— Grassy plains—Intrepid native—Country apparently improves— Disappointments—Water found—Appearance of the Stony Desert— Night thereon—The earthy plain—Hills raised by refraction—Recommencement of the sand ridges—Their undeviating regularity— Conjectures as to the Desert—Relative position of Lake Torrens— Concluding remarks . Plates to Volume I. Chaining over the Sand-hills to face page 1 Sketch of the Route to face page 64 Sunset on the Murray 65 Colonel Gawler's Camp on the Murray to face page 103 Ana-branch of the Darling to face page 120 Mus Conditor 165 Parnari 195 Lower part of the Rocky Glen 241 Geological formation of the Ranges 244 Part of the Northern Range 247 General appearance of the Northern Ranges at their termination to face page 254 Native Village to face page 266 The Depot Glen to face page 269 Milvus Affinis 282 Water Hole 323 Red Hill, or Mount Poole 334 Mr. Poole's Grave to face page 344 Lake Torrens 365 Pond with Fish 387 Native Well Mr. Arrowsmith has prepared a large Map of Captain Sturt's routes into the centre of Australia, from the original protractions and other official documents, now in his hands. On this Map are delineated the whole of the details resulting from his numerous routes,—the dates marking his daily progress—the description of the country—its dip—the depressed Stony Desert, which is probably the great northern prolongation of the Torrens Basin of Mr.

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