Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 414 pages of information about Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2.

Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 414 pages of information about Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2.

On the next day they started at dawn and soon came to a great deal of scrub; this was the belt of thick wood mentioned in my journal.  Mr. Walker says the men, being disheartened at this, they went down to the beach and halted about a mile from it; Water Peak Hill being distant about fifteen miles.  Woods said much discontent was caused amongst the men by its being conceived that they were following a bad course; or, according to Ruston’s expression, that “the steering was very bad.”

April 12.

They found a river with pools of water in coarse gravel in which they caught here two small fish, and travelled six miles through the scrub along a native path.

April 13.

They started and went down towards the beach.  The men cut and cooked some greens but found no water.  Travelled twelve or fourteen miles along the beach.

Sunday April 14.

They shot a pigeon, two red-bills, and a hawk.  In the afternoon it rained, and they travelled along the beach and got some cockles, and found a fine stream of water running out from under the rocks.  They then got under the scrub to keep the rain off, having made about eight miles.

April 15.

They again came out on the beach and kept along it.  Good travelling.  Made a march of nearly twenty miles.

Extreme distress from hunger and thirst.

April 16.

They continued on the beach till they came to a good place for fishing and caught eighteen.  Mr. Walker shot a bird.  After eating the fish, they were all very thirsty.

April 17.

Went into the interior about midday and found a native well six miles inland; also a large cave in the rocks.  The party here procured and ate some Zamia nuts.

April 18.

They were all sick from the nuts, and turned back to the beach about four miles but did not reach it.

April 19.

This morning they reached the beach and travelled on until they came to some high rocks from whence they saw an immense tract of sand.  Again this evening they went into the interior to find water.  Boiled some young trees and ate them.

April 20.

They were travelling into the interior along the steep banks of a river running nearly east.  Got plenty of green stuff to eat.  They had now two guns and the means of getting fire, but the powder and shot was nearly expended.  The axe I left with them had been lost soon after.

April 21.

Woods left the others to proceed alone.

April 22.

Being the day after Woods left they went into the interior about six miles from the coast and there found a river, which Mr. Walker and Mr. Smith thought was the Karpan (the Moore).  This river was standing in pools, and there was a great rush of water from the hills; they traced the bed up for two or three miles, where it came out from some very high hills, when Mr. Smith said he was certain that it was not the Karpan.  They then made a south by west course, and thought where they came out was 12 miles below where Woods left them; and that the river was nearly halfway between these two points.

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Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.