Part 11

Monday December 16. Camp Number 17. Situated on Pratt Creek.

At 8.15 left camp to go to the fine waterhole at the junction of a creek from the west, which I have named Campbell's Creek, with Clifton Creek. At 8.48 made one mile and a half south-west by south. At 9 made half a mile south-south-west to tracks made, when Fisherman and I returned to Number 17 Camp. At 9.45 made two miles south-east down to Clifton Creek. At 10.10 made one mile south-east down the creek to where we formed our 18th camp. At the camp we had a severe thunderstorm which lasted for about four hours. At the two previous camps Mr. Allison made observations of the sun with the plains for a horizon, which were very satisfactory, as the latitude obtained was nearly the same as that of my dead reckoning, also nearly the same as the latitude made with the observations of the stars Aldebaran and Castor with an artificial horizon at Number 16 Camp. Observations taken at Camp 16: Aldebaran 19 degrees 14 minutes 21 seconds; ditto Castor 19 degrees 24 minutes 30 seconds; ditto Sun 19 degrees 24 minutes 30 seconds; ditto dead reckoning 19 degrees 24 minutes. At Camp Number 17 about two miles southward from Camp 16: Sun 19 degrees 26 minutes 47 seconds. At Camp Number 20: Sun dead reckoning nearly the same 19 degrees 37 minutes.

Tuesday December 17. Camp Number 18. Situated on Clifton Creek.

Left camp at 7.32. At 8.15 made two miles south to dry creek from south-west, where we were delayed till 8.32; at 8.50 made three-quarters of a mile south to the plain; at 10.45 made five miles and a half south to a watercourse which I have named Darvall Creek: at 11.10 made three-quarters of a mile west by south up the creek; at 11.32 made one mile south-west by south; at 11.48 made three-quarters of a mile south-west by south; at 12.8 made three-quarters of a mile south-west where we crossed the creek; at 12.13 made quarter of a mile south-west to junction of creek; at 12.35 made one mile west-south-west to left bank of the creek; at 1.10 made about one mile south-west up the creek; at 1.27 made three-quarters of a mile south-west up the creek; at 1.34 made quarter of a mile west-south-west to where we stopped, as some of our party were looking for water, at 3.35 made three miles and a quarter south-east to where, having found a little water in a watercourse with an easterly course, which I have named Wilkie Creek, we formed our 19th camp.

Wednesday December 18. Camp Number 19. Situated on Wilkie Creek.

At 7.10 a.m. Fisherman and I left camp to search for water; at 7.20 made half a mile south-east; at 7.50 made one mile and a half east by north half north over well-grassed plains to poor soil ridges slightly timbered with bauhinia, stunted box, and bloodwood trees; at 8.6 made three-quarters of a mile east by north to a little creek; at 8.20 made three-quarters of a mile east by north to a watercourse which I have named Allison's Creek; it has narrow channels and flats, timbered with gum trees, and thickly covered with what is called on Darling Downs oaten grass: At 8.30 made quarter of a mile south by east up the creek: at 8.50 made three-quarters of a mile south-south-east to a small rocky hole with a little water in it: at 9.45 made one and a half miles east-south-east up the creek to where we left it: at 10.6 made three-quarters of a mile south-west by west to a little creek from east; at 10.15 made quarter of a mile south-west to plains; at 10.45 made one mile and a half south-west across the plains; at 11.17 made one mile and a half west-south-west to where we stopped to have dinner under a solitary tree which cast a deep shadow. Started again at 1 p.m. At 2.10 made three miles and two-thirds west-south-west across the plain, without finding the track of Campbell and party; at 4.30 made six miles and three-quarters north-west over unbroken rich plains, timbered slightly with bushes; at 6.16 made four miles and a half north-east to where some of our party on a previous day went in search of water; at 6.45 made one mile and a quarter east a short distance back from right bank of creek; at 7.15 made one mile and three-quarters north-east by north to where he went down right bank of creek to search for water; at 7.22 made quarter of a mile north-north-east searching down the creek in vain for water; at 8.5 made two miles along yesterday's outward track to waterhole in Darvall Creek, where the horses were watered yesterday, near which on the left bank of the creek we found Messrs. Campbell and Allison had encamped.

Thursday December 19. Camp Number 20. Situated on Darvall Creek.

Accompanied by Mr. Allison I went out on the plain to a point about three-quarters of a mile south-west by south from camp, where Mr. Allison made the noon altitude of sun 85 degrees 57 minutes, which gave the latitude 19 degrees 37 minutes, which was nearly the same as my dead reckoning. Mr. Campbell and Fisherman returned to camp, having been out in search of water. He brought back a turkey which he had shot, and the good news that he had found water up the creek. At 6.30 p.m. we left Number 20 Camp; at 7.45 made three miles west-south-west up the creek to the waterhole which Mr. Campbell had found, near which on the right bank we formed our 21st camp. The banks of the creek at this camp descend in gentle slopes, and consequently have a continuation of rich soil from the plains; and as the grass was not too old it proved one of the best camps for horses we have hitherto had.

Friday December 20. Camp 21. Situated on the Darvall Creek.

The troopers and I left this camp at 10.4 to go in search of water; at 10.45 made two miles west-south-west to the junction of a watercourse from south-west which I have named Turner Creek; at 11.14 made one mile and a quarter up Darvall Creek; at 11.37 made one mile west by north further up the creek. All the country we have seen since we started resembles the rich country about the camp. At 12.4 made one mile west by south to where there are trees, which I have named Western Wood; at 12.27 made one mile south through Western Wood scrub, it is full of salt herbs, of which the horses were fond of eating as they went along; at this place we saw cockatoos and pigeons. From seeing them we searched for water but did not find any; at 1.20 one mile and a half south-south-west across rich well-grassed plains to a belt of acacia, overlooking a plain to the westward, but beyond it a line of trees stretching north and south which I have named Manning Plain. At 2.40 went three miles and three-quarters west to a belt of Western Wood scrub; at 2.57 went three-quarters of a mile west to where we stopped to have dinner; we started again at 4.25; at 4.53 made one mile and a quarter west by south to a watercourse from the north-west; at 5.30 made one mile and three-quarters about south-east down the creek to our old track of the 12th instant; at 6.35 made one mile and a quarter to our old camp; here we again encamped.

Saturday December 21.

Having used the water up on the additional packhorse that we had brought on this occasion with us, Fisherman left us, taking back the packhorse to the camp; at 6.5 Jemmy and I started down the watercourse which I have named Herbert Creek, in search of water; at 8.4 made six miles south-west across rich fine plain country to Pring Creek from north-north-east; at 8.14 made half a mile north by east down Pring Creek to a point at the junction with Herbert Creek where we had on the previous occasion marked a tree broad arrow before L; at 8.30 made three-quarters of a mile south-south-west down Herbert Creek to where we saw a flock of pigeons, and immediately after found a little water, where we halted, but again started at 8.47; at 9 made half a mile south-west down the river; at 9.20 made three-quarters of a mile south-east down the river; at 9.40 made one mile east by south down the river, at 10.10 made one mile about south-east down the river; at 10.30 made three-quarters of a mile south-east down the river to where we found a little water out of small holes in the rock, which seemed like a robbery from the flocks of little birds which surrounded them; from here we started again at 11.5; at 11.15 made a quarter of a mile south to junction of large creek from south-west, which I named Hervey Creek, near which we observed several flocks of pigeons; at 11.50 made half a mile east-south-east to where the channels are confined, and where there is on the left side a strange deep rocky pit; at 12.12 made three-quarters of a mile south-south-west down the river; at 12.21 made quarter of a mile south-east down the river; at 12.35 made three-quarters of a mile south-south-east to the junction of creek from north-east which I have named Chester Creek; at 12.58 made one mile south-east by east down the river; at 1.6 made quarter of a mile south-south-west to a very fine waterhole which I have named Mary Lake. This place seems to be a favourite resort for blacks; the banks are covered with mussels, and all the firewood burned. We turned the horses out for some time; it is surrounded with bushes of polygonum; at 4.32 started to return to Number 21 Camp; at 4.50 made one mile north to Chester Creek; at 6.15 made five miles north across high stony rich plain country, where we encamped, as there was a patch of young grass for the horses.

Sunday December 22. Camp.

From camp on left bank of little dry creek we left at 6.20 to return to Camp 21; at 8 a.m. made six miles north to left bank of Herbert Creek; at 8.20 made one mile and a quarter north up the creek to old camp, where we delayed to give the horses water from the bottles, and started again at 8.38; at 10 made three miles and a half in different directions to the Western Wood tree, where we had dinner on Friday last; at 11.20 made three miles and three-quarters to east side of Manning Plain, where we lost the tracks and delayed looking for them till 11.40; at 12.20 made three miles, where we met Fisherman with a horse loaded with water. Started again at 12.50; at 1.44 made two miles and three-quarters east; at 2.8 made one mile east; at 3.2 made two miles and three-quarters east by north to 21 Camp.

Monday December 23. Camp Number 21. Situated on Darvall Creek.

We left this camp at 9.3 a.m. on a south-west course. On that course from camp we crossed and recrossed the creek. At 10.3 made two miles and three-quarters south-west over rich well-grassed tableland plains, slightly timbered with bushes. We observed the small saline herbs which I have mentioned the horses to be so fond of, also more of the Queensland saltbush than we have seen previously; at 12.3 made four miles and a quarter south-west by west to Manning Plain, where we delayed, and started again at 12.14; at 1.20 made two miles and a quarter south-west by west where we delayed and started again at 1.35; at 2.20 made two miles and a quarter south-west by west, where we having halted started again at 2.48; at 3.10 made one mile south-west by west to where we found yesterday's tracks; at 4.35 made four miles south by east to Saturday night's camp; at 4.45 made half a mile south to where Mr. Campbell's horse knocked up; at 6.19 made three miles and three-quarters south; at 6.27 made a quarter of a mile south half east to Chester Creek; at 6.52 made one mile and a quarter south half east to Mary Lake, where we formed our twenty-second camp.

Tuesday December 24. Mary Lake.

Rested ourselves and horses, and put shoes on Mr. Campbell's horse with screw nails. We found the punching and fitting of the shoes difficult and tedious, although Mr. Gregory, who is himself a first-rate hand at that sort of work, assured me that it would not be a troublesome operation.

Christmas Day. Mary Lake.

As ducks were abundant and the grass good this was a fine place for spending Christmas. In the afternoon Jemmy and I went down the river in a south-south-east direction to a fine waterhole, which I have named Lake Frances; between Mary Lake and it, we only found shallow pools of water from the last thunderstorm. We saw a fat old white-headed blackfellow and his gin near the waterhole. The gin was very anxious about the safety of her four dogs and carried one of them in her arms; but on our approach she abandoned it and fled into the water; but afterwards seeing the old blackfellow had gone up a tree she followed his example. Jemmy not understanding their language we could not get any information from them.

Thursday December 26. Camp Number 22, situated on Mary Lake on Herbert River.

We left this camp at 7.37 a.m. At 7.42 made a quarter of a mile south-west by south to end of Mary Lake; at 7.52 made half a mile south on left side of the river, to plains, which are slightly timbered; at 8 made half a mile south-south-east, skirting the river to Lake Frances; at 9 made three miles; at 9.19 made three-quarters of a mile south to where we crossed a watercourse from the east which I have named the Don Creek: at 9.30 made half a mile south-south-west on left side of river over plains; at 9.41 made half a mile south by west to where I waited for the party, who came up at 9.45; at 10.5 made one mile south by west to where we crossed a creek from north-east; at 10.24 made three-quarters of a mile south by west; at 10.45 made one mile south to the left side of the river; at 11 made three-quarters of a mile south-east by south along the dry bed of the river, from which we started successive flights of pigeons. At this place Mr. Campbell and party halted with the horses while Mr. Allison and I went about a mile westward onto the plain, where he made the altitude 86 degrees 30 minutes, which makes the latitude 20 degrees 6 minutes, agreeing with the latitude of my dead reckoning and with an observation I made of a star last night; at 3 Jemmy, who had gone down the river, returned without finding any water, except what was left by the last thunderstorm; and as he told me I was following up a river, and not down, I too hurriedly believed him, and made up my mind to return to a waterhole that Fisherman had found to the right of our course in the bed of the river. At the waterhole I found blacks, but, as I always avoid them when I can, after I had a short interview with them we started down the river to the water Jemmy had found, following along the right bank as we had the left before; at 4.40 made two miles and three-quarters down the river to where we crossed, near its junction, a river or a branch of one from north-west; at 5.8 made one mile and a half back to where Mr. Allison went on the plain to get an observation; at 5.20 made half a mile south; at 5.40 made one mile south to where the river has two channels; the one trending to the west of south we crossed, between the two channels of the river; at 5.53 made half a mile south to where the left channel of the river was full of water and fine grass on its banks, on the right bank of which we formed our twenty-third camp, at the place where Mr. Allison made an observation of the sun. The country is very level and the watercourses are unconfined, and in times of floods the water overflows the low banks of the different channels. The blacks we saw today appear to be circumcised; three of them approached us, one of whom was the old blackfellow we had seen yesterday. Their name for water we thought from what they said was oto. We presented them with a tin pot and two empty glass bottles with which they were very much pleased.

Friday December 27. Camp Number 23, situated on the Herbert River.

Left camp at 8.24 a.m. to go down the river; at 8.35 made half a mile south-south-west to where we crossed, near its junction, a western channel of the river; at this place there are flats covered with bushes like saltbush, which the horses eat. These bushes I have observed on the western plains from Rockhampton and on most of the low situations along our route on this expedition; at 8.43 made half a mile south; at 8.48 made a quarter of a mile south-west where we crossed, near its junction, a more western channel of the river; at 9.10 made one mile south-west by south to where we crossed, near its junction, a river from west, with a shallow and broad channel; the banks of the river at this place are very little below the level of the plain on each side of it; at 10.10 made three miles south-south-west with level plains on each side of us, without trees or bushes, except along the watercourses; at 10.30 made one mile south to the right bank of the river, where there are twelve box-trees growing in its bed; before crossing to its left bank we got enough water to satisfy the horses; at 11.4 made one mile and a half south to a junction of a watercourse with extensive flood-marks from the east. This river has a deeper channel, with trees on its banks, than the river we have been following down had. At 11.15 made half a mile south, when Mr. Allison and I went back to the westward, on the plains, and got the following altitude of the sun: 86 degrees 37 minutes, which makes the latitude 20 degrees 11 minutes 15 seconds; at 1.35 made three-quarters of a mile south down the river; at 1.47 made a quarter of a mile south-east down the river; at 2.20 made one mile and a quarter south, following the course of the river in search of water; at 3.10 made one mile and three-quarters about south-south-west, following the course of the river in search of water; at 3.44 made half a mile about south-west, following the course of the river in search of water; at 4.10 made one mile and a quarter about south, where, accompanied by the troopers, I left Campbell and Allison to go in search of water; at 5.20 made three miles about south-west down the river in an unsuccessful search for water; at 6 made two miles north-east by east; returning, we steered over plains, the grass of which was completely parched up. Near the creek I observed more owls than I have ever seen anywhere before; at 6.27 made one mile and a quarter north-east by east back to our party; then went, at 6.56, one mile and a quarter north by east, towards where we had seen the last water; at 7.15 made one mile north by east; at 7.35 made three-quarters of a mile north-east; at 8 made three-quarters of a mile about north-east by north and encamped.

Saturday December 28. Camp Number 24, situated on the Herbert River.

We started back up the river being unable to pursue our course to the westward from want of water. I sent Mr. Campbell and Jemmy on with the horses, while Mr. Allison and I went out on the plain to take an observation of the sun, which was not satisfactory from the sun being over-shadowed; we made the latitude 20 degrees 12 minutes 35 seconds; at 1.21 p.m. made three miles north by east from where we took the sun's altitude; at 1.53 made one mile north to where we crossed a channel of the river; at 2.35 made two miles and a quarter north by east partly on the tracks of Campbell and party; at 2.50 made three-quarters of a mile north-north-east to where we recrossed left bank of the river and overtook Campbell and party. Here we delayed till 3.22 in consequence of one of the horses being knocked up; at 3.40 made one mile north by east to where we recrossed the right bank of the river; at 3.55 made three-quarters of a mile and encamped. Here the grass was very abundant and the holes full of water. This camp is about half a mile from Number 23 Camp.

Sunday December 29th. Camp 25. Situated on the Herbert River.

It was our intention to remain here for several days as the grass was good and the horses required a rest, but I deemed it advisable to return at once up the river because there were about one hundred blacks in the neighbourhood of the camp, some of whom were so bold that I feared it might be necessary to shoot some of them, or give them possession of the ground. Two of them had passed our camp on the previous evening, and the troopers, with my consent, presented them with glass bottles, after receiving which they soon returned with a large mob, who remained with us till dark. In the morning they returned and surrounded the camp. Mr. Campbell went up to one mob and tried to make them understand by signs that we had peaceable intentions towards them, but they from his account seemed fully bent on having us off the ground. When he was returning to the camp Jemmy saw one of the blacks hold his boomerang as if he intended throwing it at Mr. Campbell, but he was probably advised by others not to do so. I am not surprised that they were vexed, as we would not allow them to come up to the camp, although they showed a bunch of hawk feathers and two bottles we had given them, which they wanted us to believe were the signs of their good intention; and it is not to be wondered at on the other hand that we would not trust a mob of blacks, all warriors, heavily armed with spears, boomerangs, clubs, and little thorny sticks, to approach the camp. From my previous knowledge of the blacks I fancied we would easily have driven them away on horseback, but this I did not think necessary. The mere fact of seeing the horses brought towards the camp made them retire to a more respectful distance from us; at 10.5 a.m. left Number 25 Camp; at 10.18 made half a mile north-east half north to Number 23 Camp, where I stopped with Fisherman and observed that we were not followed: at 10.45 made half a mile north-north-east up the river; at 11.23 made one mile and three-quarters north to the place where I accompanied Mr. Allison on a previous occasion westward on the plain to take an observation of the sun, at which place we overtook Campbell and party; at 11.48 made one mile north to where we observed rising ground. I left the party, accompanied by Fisherman, to ascend the rising ground; at 12.2 made half a mile north-east by east to a tree on the rise which Fisherman climbed, and from it observed plain country to the south and west and wooded country to the east and north. Here we observed stunted box and bloodwood trees, and a variety of grasses, among which I observed barley, oaten, kangaroo, and triodia; at 12.23 made one mile north by east; at 12.53 made one mile and a half north by east to the waterhole I named Kenellan, where there were the same blacks I had seen before. On this occasion they remained on the right, while we had dinner on the opposite side, during which time others to whom they cooeyed arrived at their camp, several of whom were loaded with game. These, heedless of their own camp or of us, bathed the first thing on their arrival. We shot ducks, and before leaving Kenellan presented to the blacks glass bottles of which they were very proud; at 5 made one mile and a quarter north-north-east to Lake Frances, where I bathed, and some of our party shot ducks. Started again at 5.33; at 6.40 made three miles about north-west by north (see outward route). At 6.56 made three-quarters of a mile north by west; at 7.15 made three-quarters of a mile north-north-east to Mary Lake, on the lower end of which on the left bank we formed our twenty-sixth camp.