McKinlay's Journal of Exploration in the Interior of Australia eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 244 pages of information about McKinlay's Journal of Exploration in the Interior of Australia.

McKinlay's Journal of Exploration in the Interior of Australia eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 244 pages of information about McKinlay's Journal of Exploration in the Interior of Australia.
on the banks of creek for three and a quarter miles, crossed it on a bearing of 284 degrees three-quarters of a mile, plenty of water, the creek I have called the Fletcher after G.B.  Fletcher, Esquire, Tapio, Darling River, New South Wales; then bearing 295 degrees for Coronet-Topped Hill, centre of next creek, at three miles made the creek, went one quarter of a mile into it and camped; the last three miles has been a pipeclay, slaty, spinifex, miserable country with detached conical, white, clay-slaty hills, top of the range all spinifex, although timbered with a white-barrelled gum of no great dimensions; distance travelled today seventeen and a half miles.

Thursday, April 10.

Camp 33.  Fine morning, wind moderate, south, on bearing of 300 degrees up the clear ground in the apparent centre of this immense creek; passed north end of stony (sand) spinifex-topped and pipeclay, north end at one and one-eighth of a mile; bearing of 315 degrees high bluff, spinifex-topped, hills all along at the right of creek, except the valley of the creek, this is the most miserable country we have been in for some time, if you offer to ascend the ridges they are nothing but a mass of very rough stones, spinifex, and mulga, myall, and white-stemmed gumtrees, very difficult to travel over, three miles on 315 degrees; obliged to change course, great part of the heavy creek, on my left, crossing my course, and bearing up more to eastward another creek bears off to considerably west of north, now on bearing of 285 degrees crossing the different branches of this immense creek which I have called the Cadell, after F. Cadell, Esquire, the enterprising and indefatigable navigator of the Murray and Darling, etc. etc., not that he will ever be able to steam up this length; 285 degrees for one and a quarter miles of other creeks that appear to go off on a bearing, at present, of 200 degrees, which I follow on its north-east side, or rather up through it, as it is divided into innumerable branches with abundance of water; camped at six and three-quarter miles on this course in the centre of the creek; the hills recede a good deal from the creek and are not so rough-looking or abrupt as they were in the morning and yesterday; the creek I have called Middleton, after Mr. Middleton, one of our party, who at all times has rendered me most material services and who, had I lost him during his late severe illness I should scarcely be able to get along without, he is always ready at the post when there is anything particular to do.

Friday, April 11.

Camp 34.  Fine morning; wind moderate south.  This creek receives a tributary from the southward of west about a quarter mile lower down than this.  I shall pass through this creek to north-east side, that being the best and most open travelling, the south-west side having myall timber from the creek to the ranges as far as visible.  If the country at all suits and, as my food cannot possibly carry

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McKinlay's Journal of Exploration in the Interior of Australia from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.