Part 24

May 4.

As this was Sunday we rested ourselves and the horses. I made the latitude 25 degrees 36 minutes 51 seconds.

May 5.

We left Camp 62 this morning at 9.15. This camp is situated on the bank of the river. In the forenoon we proceeded due south. In the afternoon we had to travel considerably to the westward of south to keep near the river. When we had ridden about twenty and a half miles we camped on the western side of a shallow waterhole in an eastern channel of the river. Near the river the flats were good. On them the grass was excellent, with a good deal of cotton-bush and saltbush amongst it. The back country was sandy, having kangaroo-grass upon it and wooded with broad-leaved box, broad-leaved ironbark, bloodwood, and mulga. The river was well watered till we came within a few miles of the camp, where it divided into a number of shallow channels. About seven and a half miles south of last camp I made the meridian altitude of the sun A.H. 95 degrees 39 minutes, the latitude 25 degrees 41 minutes. We came here from last camp in the following courses: 11.35 south for seven and a half miles; 2.3 south-south-west for four and a half miles; 2.33 south-west for one and a half miles; 3.8 south-west half south for one and a half miles; 3.47 south for one and a quarter miles; 5.16 south and by west for three and a half miles; 5.30 west-south-west three-quarters of a mile. Distance twenty and a half miles.

May 6.

We started from Camp 63 this morning at 8.33. We left the river, and after we had journeyed about twenty-five miles slightly southward of east we found water and encamped. After leaving the river flats the country was poor. The soil was of a reddish colour and although sandy was very hard. It was wooded with broad-leaved box and mulga scrub. In the first part of the way in many places it was well covered with kangaroo grass, but in the last part of the journey it was too scrubby to be well grassed. When we had gone about eight and a half miles we crossed a low sandstone range; until we reached it we neither saw water nor the slightest sign of a watercourse. In this day's journey we saw more kangaroo and wallaby than on any previous occasion, but we were so eager to get water that we did not try to shoot them. We came here in about the following courses: 11.10 east-south-east eight and a quarter miles to the range; 2.10 east-south-east eight and a half miles; 4.33 east six and a half miles; 4.58 south-east three-quarters of a mile; 5.20 east one mile; total twenty-five miles.

May 7.

We left Camp 64 this morning at 9.30. The camp is situated on the eastern bank of a small creek which has a south-west course. When we had come in an east-south-east direction for about nine miles we saw a range of hills ahead of us, and about two miles further on we crossed a creek with extensive flood-marks and a south-west course. About three and a quarter miles further we crossed a small creek and encamped. Our path for the first part of the way was over poor land thickly wooded with scrubby trees; the latter part over land generally good with good grasses. The land near the creek was particularly good and thinly wooded with box. Having found four emu eggs today Mr. Bourne and I made an excellent dinner of one of them boiled. We thought it had as delicate a flavour as a hen's egg; the rest of our party made emu-egg pancakes, and although they had no salt or sugar they relished them exceedingly. We came here today in the following direction: at 1 east-south-east for nine and a quarter miles; 1.40 south-east for one and three-quarter miles on creek; 2.50 south-east for three miles to small creek; 3 south for quarter mile to camp; distance fourteen and a quarter miles.

May 8.

We left camp this morning at 8.50 and came over scrubby country for six miles. In the first part of the distance, which was particularly scrubby, we crossed a high sandstone range. Six miles further on we crossed a large creek and encamped. The land we crossed was very good, the soil was loose sand with a luxuriant growth of good green grass. The trees were of the following kinds: Broad-leaved box, broad-leaved ironbark, Moreton Bay ash, bloodwood, and cypress pine. We came here on the following courses from 65 Camp: 11 east-south-east for two and a half miles; 11.50 east-north-east for three-quarters of a mile; 11.55 east for one mile; 3 east-south-east for seven and three-quarter miles. Distance today twelve miles.

May 9.

We left Camp 66 this morning at 9.5. When we had come down the eastern bank of the river for twenty-one miles we encamped. Following down the river took us nearly two points to the westward of south. Along our path near the bank of the river the land was sandy. It was wooded with broad-leaved box, broad-leaved ironbark, Moreton Bay ash, bloodwood and cypress pine. At a place about six and three-quarter miles this side of the last camp I made the meridian altitude of the sun A.H. 92 degrees 33 minutes 30 seconds; the latitude 26 degrees 13 minutes 10 seconds. At a place about eight and three-quarter miles above here we observed trees marked 1861, J.A.C.H.U.C.H.B.A.K.C. From last camp we came here in about the following courses: 10.55 south-west and by south for two and three-quarter miles; 11.30 south and by east for four miles; 2.30 south-west and by south for five and a half miles (to marked trees) 3.20 south-west and west for two and a quarter miles; 4.23 south and by east for three and a quarter miles; 5.25 south-west and by south for two and three-quarter miles. Twenty-one miles.

May 12.

Camp 67 is situated on the left bank of the river. Last night we had severe frost which produced ice in our tin vessels. We left it at 8.55 in the morning and steered south-south-east. When we had gone eleven and a half miles we crossed a sandy creek and followed it down in a west-south-west direction for a short distance. Finding no water in the creek we left it and continued on our old course. Near sunset, when we had gone about nine miles without finding another watercourse, we went in a more easterly direction. We continued going on after dark until nearly 2 o'clock on Sunday morning. After waiting for Jackey and Jemmy, who had stayed behind yesterday, we started at 11.12 without them. We travelled all day without finding water; but after dark we found a small watercourse which we followed down for about four hours, still without finding water. Here we encamped. In the course of the day Jackey and Jemmy overtook us. Their excuse for being behind was their having turned back to look for a pistol Jackey had lost. Jemmy I was sorry to find was severely burnt from his clothes having caught fire while he was asleep on the previous night. I determined to return to water from here as the horses had been two days without any. After travelling almost incessantly for upwards of seventy-two hours we reached here this morning at 9. Although there was plenty of water in the creek here there was more lower down, at the place we crossed on our outward route when we were eleven and a half miles south-south-east from Camp 67. The horses looked wretched when they had been twenty-four hours without water, and as they had been seventy-two hours without water when they reached here they certainly looked most pitiable objects. Whilst searching for water the weather was most favourable, although sometimes freezingly cold when travelling at night; so much so that to keep ourselves from getting benumbed Mr. Bourne and I often walked. Being able only to take a small quantity of water with us Jemmy, who was suffering very much from his back, injured by the burning, felt often very thirsty but, poor fellow, we could only spare him a small quantity. The country we saw on this journey was so bad that I did not wonder at its not being stocked, and only a few tracks of cattle are to be found on it. The land very level with poor sandy soil. Where it is not thickly wooded with thick mulga scrub, which chiefly prevails, it is grassed with triodia and wooded with rather broad-leaved ironbark, broad-leaved box, and apple-trees. The apple-trees we had not previously seen on this expedition. The obstacles against steering were numerous. In my outward route I went more to the southward than I intended. Coming back I came luckily more to the northern, and got water sooner than I otherwise would have done. We came from Camp 67 and returned here in about the following courses: May 10: 12.55 south-south-east for eleven and a half miles to creek; at 1 west-south-west for quarter of a mile down the creek. May 11: 1.50 a.m. south-south-east for twenty-five and a quarter miles. Started again at 12 a.m., 7.30 east for nineteen miles to creek; 10.5 south-south-east for five miles down the creek. Length of outward route sixty-one miles. Returning: started at 8.40 yesterday morning; 5 p.m. north-west and by west to outward route; 12.8 a.m. north-west for sixteen miles.

May 13.

Started at seven this morning north-north-west half north for five miles to this camp. Length of return route forty-three miles. I made the meridian altitude of the sun here A.H. 89 degrees 30 minutes; the latitude 26 degrees 38 minutes.

May 14.

We intended proceeding down the creek today, but when we had got the horses ready to start we found that Jemmy was suffering so much pain from the sore on his side and back that he could not proceed. When we were endeavouring to persuade him to try and go on he asked us to go ourselves and leave him behind. Yesterday evening I dressed his sores with pomatum and put a bandage round his body. As he supposed the bandage caused him additional pain we took it off and dusted his sores with flour.

May 15.

Yesterday morning we left Camp 68 at 11.40; it is situated on the west bank of the creek. When we had followed the creek down for about twenty miles on its west bank where we encamped. Following the creek took us in a serpentine course and in generally a north-westerly direction. When we had travelled twelve and a quarter miles or thereby we crossed our track from Camp 67. In the first half of today's journey, to avoid losing the creek, we had to keep very near to it because of the sandstone ridges along its banks preventing us seeing the course of the creek had we kept back from it for the purpose of cutting off the angles. The latter half was without water, but as we did not know that we kept near the creek in the hope of getting water for our encampment. The country we saw, especially on the upper part of the creek, was poor and of little value. Near the creek we observed clumps of mimosa, the kind that is commonly called green-wattle. We followed the creek down in about the following courses: 12.50 north-west for five and three-quarter miles; 2.18 north-north-west for three and a quarter miles; 2.35 north for one and a quarter miles; 3.20 west and by north for two miles; 3.27 west for a quarter of a mile to track; 3.33 west-south-west for a quarter of a mile; 4 south-west for one and a quarter miles; 4.25 north-west for one mile; 4.55 south-west for one and a quarter miles; 5.18 west-south-west for one mile; 5.35 west-north-west for three-quarters of a mile; 6.18 north-north-west for one mile; 6.42 west-north-west for one mile to encampment. Distance today twenty miles.

May 16.

As Jemmy was not able to assist Jackey in getting the horses Fisherman, who has all along marked the trees, had to go in his stead. When the horses were saddled and packed the main party proceeded down the creek, and Fisherman and I stayed behind to mark the trees at our encampment on the west bank of the creek. Afterwards we proceeded down the creek, and in trying to cut off the angles we passed the junction of the creek with the Warrego River and got up the river three miles before we discovered our mistake. After watering our thirsty horses we followed down on the eastern bank of the river for sixteen and a half miles to where Mr. Bourne had made the encampment. I was glad to find that, in following down the river, Mr. Bourne had shot a large turkey. The river has fine reaches of water, but the banks are too thickly wooded with mulga scrub to be of much value for pastoral purposes. We observed blacks on the opposite banks of the river to us. One of them was up a hollow tree cutting out a honeycomb or a possum. Fisherman had a conversation with him, but as he said the blackfellow did not know where there were any stations I do not think he understood him. There were barking curs with them, which made us suppose we were probably not far from stations. Fisherman and I came here today in the following courses: 9.40 west-south-west for three-quarters of a mile; 10.30 north-north-west for three and a quarter miles; 10.40 west-north-west for half a mile; 11.45 south-south-east for three miles to the junction of the creek with the river; 12.22 south-south-west for one and three-quarter miles; 1.28 south-west for three miles; 2.15 east-south-east for two miles; 3.40 south-west by south for four miles; 4.40 south for three miles. Distance twenty-one and a quarter miles.

May 17.

We left camp yesterday morning at 9. We followed the river down all day till it became dark, in the hope of reaching a station. We were disappointed in our expectations and did not see many tracks of cattle. Along our path on the east side of the river, about three-quarters of a mile below camp, we observed a tree marked A. After passing between a hill and the river, about six and a quarter miles below camp, we crossed extensive flats and a low sandhill. The country was thinly wooded in some places and scrubby at others. The land, although not very rich, had the best grasses, and cotton, and saltbush upon it; the sandhill was wooded with cypress pine and other trees. When we had come about eleven and a quarter miles Mr. Bourne discovered that he had left his pistol at the last camp. Jackey returned with him to get it. Before they left I advised them to take rations as there was little probability of their overtaking us; but they went off without them as quickly as they could, with the intention of joining us again some time before morning; but they did not succeed in doing so, nor have they made their appearance yet. We came here in about the following courses: 9.20 south-south-west for three-quarters of a mile to A-tree; 10.8 east-south-east for two and a quarter miles; 11.20 south and by west for three and a quarter miles to opposite a hill; 12.50 south and by east for three and a quarter miles; 3.50 south and by west for seven and a quarter miles; 3.55 south-west and by south for one mile; 4.35 west for one and a half miles; 4.55 south-east for a quarter of a mile; 6.10 south-south-west for three and a half miles. Distance today twenty-three miles.

Sunday May 18. Camp 71. River Warrego.

I would have gone on today if Mr. Bourne and Jackey had been with us as we have only a few days' rations. Not knowing how far I may have to go down the river before we reach a station where we can obtain a fresh supply, and knowing from my last trial of going to the eastward how much the horses suffered from the want of water, I determined not to put them to such suffering again if avoidable. In the middle of the day Fisherman, Jemmy, and I heard a loud report of what we thought was a gun probably discharged by Mr. Bourne or Jackey, and expected them to arrive immediately. I am very anxious about them, especially as it would be inconvenient to send Fisherman off to see what has become of them, Jemmy being so ill he cannot look after the horses. Meridian of the sun A.H. 86 degrees 23 seconds, latitude 27 degrees 5 minutes.

Monday May 19. Camp 72. River.

Fortunately the horses were not all mustered until the afternoon, as shortly before they were so Mr. Bourne and Jackey arrived. If we had found the horses as early as usual we would have been looking up the river for Mr. Bourne and Jackey, where we should not have found them. They had lost our tracks and followed down the river. We were exceedingly glad to see them and to find that they had brought a large portion of an emu with them which they killed yesterday. Mr. Bourne observed in the course he had pursued a tree marked EO on one side and on the other side EWC over C. I washed on the edge of the river near a deep waterhole in some clay and pebbles in search of gold but did not find any. This afternoon we left Camp 71 at 3.20. Came down on the eastern side of the river and encamped as it grew dark, within about six and a half miles of our last camp. I made the meridian altitude of the sun A.H. 85 degrees 51 minutes, the latitude is by that observation 27 degrees 8 minutes. The observation I yesterday made showed the camp three miles northward of the latitude from today's observation. We came here in about the following courses: 4.10 south-east for two miles; 4.30 east-south-east for one mile; 4.50 south-south-east one mile to Mr. Bourne's camp; 5.27 south-south-west for one and a quarter miles; 6 west-south-west for one and a quarter miles. Distance six and a half miles.