Part 13

Camp on east side of creek where the latter is upwards of 180 yards wide and about 80 feet deep, western banks very inaccessible, the east bank where we have camped less so with immense polygonum bushes. Very unwell still; we were not aware of the cause of Middleton's detention with the camels, on which was the food, till he and Davis made their appearance after the morning had somewhat advanced, when they arrived and explained the cause; Middleton was very ill indeed of dysentery and could scarcely crawl.

Friday, February 21.

In camp; I feel a little better, Middleton still very unwell; miserable camp but can't help it.

Saturday, February 22.

Started Mr. Hodgkinson and Bell out on the west side of the creek to examine ranges that appear stony in the distance, and ascertain if this creek receives any tributary from the westward of north-north-west likely to be Eyre's Creek, as there is no doubt this is not it, and return by this creek to ascertain how the water lies in it. I am much better today and Middleton appears to be on the change for the better; wind south with a few clouds.

Sunday, February 23.

Middleton improving; I feel much better, so much so that, as there is a cool breeze from the south, I am induced to ride out to the eastward to examine the country between this and the stony hills visible from here on the east side of the creek; went four and a half miles course 135 degrees, over flooded flats and a couple of sandhills, from top of the highest sandhill changed course to 113 degrees for two and a quarter miles to top of another larger sandhill, passing one other in my course, then on bearing of 15 degrees for six and three-quarter miles over flooded flats with a few smaller sandhills, but soon terminate on both sides of my course; the current over this tract of flat being to the south of east, then three-quarters of a mile on bearing of 15 degrees over one sandhill to top of rocky hill, from which the flooded flat I have just passed gathers together in the distance to a creek, and goes off on course of 155 degrees, and no doubt is the feeder of the waters now in the creek to south and east of our present camp namely Barrawarkanya, Marroboolyooroo, Cadityrrie, Meincounyannie, and Gnappa Muntra; then two and a quarter miles on bearing of 10 degrees to top of sandy and stony hill, with four or five mallee trees and a few other shrubs; marked one of the mallee trees. From this hill the creek passed end of table-topped stone range on bearing from six to nine miles distant north-west and round northward to east, peaks and hills of stone with intervening flats, some of earth, others of stone, are visible as far as eye can reach; from this hill our present camp bears about 227 1/2 degrees and distant about eleven and a half miles. In the evening Mr. Hodgkinson and Bell returned having examined the hilly country, but could find no tributary joining the creek; saw water up some distance that will suit our purpose so far. I will in a day or two ride over to Eyre's Creek and ascertain if either of the northern search parties have got there yet, and deposit a memorandum for them there and see if a route be practicable westward to Stuart's country now, or if I shall have to wait for more rain: although we had such nice rain coming over the desert the excessive heat has absorbed most of it, and you may travel a day without seeing a drop; intend starting up the creek in the morning. Middleton much better. Mr. Hodgkinson saw one native and his lubra up the creek but had little conversation.

Monday, February 24.

Camped; the bullocks not found till too late to start. Mr. Hodgkinson tendered his resignation as second in command which I accepted, and from this date he holds no longer any position as officer in the party under my guidance. Poole had a sun-stroke during the day whilst out after the horses, but by cold application to the head he soon recovered.

Tuesday, February 25.

Rather late getting the animals ready for a start, the feed being so scant; started on bearing of 40 degrees, on same side of creek as that on which we were encamped, over flooded flats and sandy terminations: at five and three-quarter miles passed along and crossed a large deep creek in which there was a little water and a number of native wurlies. Course of creek nearly north and south, at seven and a quarter miles further over some abrupt sandhills, the summits of which had an almost perpendicular wall of pure drift sand, varying from two and a half feet to five feet in height and very difficult for the animals to get over, and flooded flats on same bearing; then changed course to 34 degrees for four and a half miles over similar country mixed with stone hills and flats, the creek being a long way to the west but now gradually approaching our course; then changed course to 14 degrees for one and one-sixth of a mile to creek, where luckily we found sufficient water for all purposes and in the bed of the creek a better supply of green grass for the animals than they have had for some time. Cloudy, wind north-east. The bullocks have not arrived tonight.

Wednesday, February 26.

Cloudy and threatening for rain; wind north-east. At 9.30 a.m. one of the men from the bullocks arrived and informed me that one of the pack bullocks had dropped and was killed to endeavour to make some use of his flesh. This is the same that had the sunstroke first but was apparently recovering; and another of our very best and generally quietest had that day bucked so much in endeavouring to get rid of his saddle that he disabled himself, fell down, and could not be got up; the remainder of the bullocks went off to feed but there he was where he fell in the morning beside his pack. Immediately on hearing of this disaster I forwarded some hands and packhorses out to convey to camp what was thought to be of any use. It has commenced raining and what little will be got cannot, I am afraid, be cured, as there is every appearance of a continuation of rain and there will be no chance of drying the flesh as we have no salt. If it was fair weather I would kill at once the disabled also, and have his flesh dried; but it would be no use at present and he may be able to get up after a spell and come in this length when, if the weather prove favourable, I will have him killed and jerked. The remainder of the bullocks (seven) arrived during the day and the detachment of the party with what was thought of use of the dead bullock; but I question much about its keeping as now it is raining steadily, but we will use as much of it as we can and save the sheep. None of our journeys appear to give the sheep the slightest inconvenience and they are as ready to commence their journey in the morning as the man that attends to them; in fact no party ought ever to go out exploring in the summer months without them. During the day I rode out to the tops of some of the stony ranges to get a view of the upward course of the creek; it seems to go off somewhere on a bearing of 50 degrees but I fancy will soon turn more to the north. It is quite astonishing to see the patches of beautiful green grass on the slopes of the stone hills in the small watercourses that fall down their sides; in fact the only thing like feed I have seen for some time, and what little there is, is in the bed of the creeks. The creek here has an anabranch that leaves it about half a mile above and joins again about half a mile below; width of island half a mile.

Thursday, February 27.

Rained heavily and steadily all night from the east-north-east; the ground at daylight a perfect bog. From the severity of the night some of our sheep got adrift but were recovered during the day. The creek, nine-tenths of which was yesterday dry, is now running a strong stream and momentarily increasing. Got all the animals across to this side during the forenoon as the rain appeared likely to continue; and now that it has set in will most likely inundate all the low flats and completely put a stop to further progress up the creek until the ground hardens a little. At such times the only place of safety hereabouts are the sandhills or stony hills; the latter I prefer, and will shift to one in the event of the rain continuing another night as steadily as it did last night as there, and there only, is there any feed to be had for our animals. They have fallen off considerably of late from the hot weather and the scantiness of good feed. As soon as they were taken over the creek they were taken out to one of the stone-ridges and there left in tolerable feed but not very abundant. The water is lying all over the flat in sheets and the creek rising rapidly. It must have been a very long time since this part of the country has been similarly visited with rain, as the country generally, the flats principally, had not any vegetation upon them of any useful kind. As I said before the stone hills, or rather the small creeks on their slopes, are the only places where there was any feed excepting in the bed of the creek, and now that last supply was gone, as the creek by this afternoon was swimmable.

Friday, February 28.

Raining all night but not quite so heavily; still very considerably. Our camp is like a stockyard in the southern districts much used in the wet weather--over our boots in mud and water; although on some of the highest ground just about here pounds of mud and rubbish adhere to your boots every time you lift your feet. Creek considerably more swollen; and as every place is so saturated with water and mud will not move out of this till tomorrow morning. In the meantime, in hopes that it will clear up a little and make the ground firm enough to bear the weight of the animals. It is well we left the cart or we should not have been able to move it from this, and every probability of its being carried away by the flood now rapidly approaching. We are now in that position and not far from the place where Captain Sturt dreaded being overtaken by rain. It is fearful to travel over but must make the best of it. I am very glad indeed that we have been favoured with such a copious supply; although for a short time it may prevent my travelling it will be the means of enabling me to move about afterwards as I may think fit. I wish I had a couple of months' more rations of flour, tea, and sugar, as then I could thoroughly examine the country in this quarter; as it is I will do the best I can. If this creek carries me much more to the north instead of going to the east as it now does I think it will take a run through to the Albert River; and if the steam-sloop Victoria, Captain Norman, has not sailed from there I think I will be able to get flour or biscuits in sufficient quantity to carry me back, and enable me to do all, or nearly so, that was required of me by the South Australian Government; if not at the Albert I will only be obliged to live the principal part of the return journey on animal food and what vegetables we may find from time to time--it won't be a very hard case but much more pleasant and agreeable if it can be obtained. It is very boisterous. Rain and wind from east-south-east. The creek rising steadily; by the morning it will be nearly or quite on a level with the way by which I shall have to travel in the morning for the high ground. It has a current of about three miles an hour, or similar to that of the Murray, for which reason I am led to believe that its chief source is some considerable distance away, although it receives innumerable tributaries on both sides above and below where I now am. The rain as it falls upon these stone-clad hills runs off at once into the small creeks, thence into larger ones on the flat land, then into the main creek after filling the waterholes in their respective courses. Towards evening it looks very dark and again threatens much for a quantity of rain; if so by morning we shall have the creek high.

Saturday, March 1.

At first blush of dawn wind from same quarter (east-south-east). Rained heavily all night and to my astonishment, instead of the creek rising as usual (three and a half inches per hour) it was now rising five and a half inches and hourly increasing. Although the creek has in many places overflown its banks, and consequently a much broader channel, we are completely surrounded with at least five feet of water in the shallowest place that we can escape from this by. After a breakfast by daybreak the animals are immediately sent for and, as the men start for them, drive before them our sheep for more than half a mile through a strong current, and swimming three-fourths of the time; they went over splendidly and were left on a piece of dry land until our camels and horses came and removed the stores etc., which fortunately they did with not very many of the things getting wet. The camels being brought in and loaded and out to where the sheep were first, I had two of them unloaded and sent back to carry to the dry ground any of the perishable articles such as ammunition, flour, tea, and sugar, which they brought in safety; for had it been put on the horses as usual, and not being able to keep them on our track, the probability is they would have to swim and completely destroy the ammunition and injure the other stores; the camels acted famously and from their great height were as good as if we had been supplied with boats. After getting all onto dry land they were repacked and went on to a very good camp, now that there is water, on a sandhill about two and three-quarters to three miles distant in an east-south-east direction through a good deal of water and almost impassable flats--the sheep even sinking up to their bodies in the mud; however we got them all over safely by early in the afternoon. Still showery and how long we shall be weather-bound quite uncertain; however there is plenty of feed for the animals here which is a great comfort, and what is more they are in perfect safety, as well as we are ourselves, from the boisterous state of the weather. Whilst on the creek in the morning, had there been much difficulty in getting the animals, we should have had to hoist the things up into trees, and constructed a raft of dead timber, and rafted them off to dry land, which would have been a great deal of trouble. Squally still; wind continues from same quarter. Towards evening a great portion of the flat is being covered with water from the creek, beyond the creek there is nothing visible but lines of trees, marking the course of the lesser channels, and stone hills, all else is a perfect sea. We were very fortunate to be caught in it where we were; had we been caught thus in making this creek, or a day's stage up it, to a certainty we should all have been washed away, or what would have been just as bad, be perched on a small island of sand with all the animals round us and nothing but starvation staring us in the face--as on most of the sand-rises down near the creek there was no vegetation of any consequence upon them.

Sunday, March 2.

In camp; light showers occasionally. The side creeks from the hills running themselves out and the upper parts drying; the line of creek visible in the distance through the trees during all its course now in view, and the flats considerably more covered. Thunder and lightning from north to north-east.

Monday, March 3.

Wind east-south-east; as usual squally. On turning in last night it had every appearance of rain and did rain steadily for some time but gradually held up for the night, and appeared as if we were to have a dry change to have all the things that got wet perfectly dry again. I shall get all the horses shod here as, from the soft nature of the flats for some time to come, they will be unfit to travel over the approaching stony country. Intend searching for the bullock that fell down the other day and ascertaining whether he is dead or alive; if alive to get him brought on here; and if much disabled to have him killed and jerked as soon as the weather clears and the sun shines out sufficiently for that purpose. Found bullock within a quarter of a mile of where he was left, able just to stand and no more; I will send out tomorrow afternoon and have him killed where he is and his flesh brought in here the morning following for the purpose of jerking it; he appears good beef. The country boggy; in the afternoon rode down to the creek through a good deal of water to ascertain the state of the flood, and had to swim some distance to get to the main creek; when I got there I was glad to find that not only had it, for the present, arrived at its height, but had gone down nearly nine inches. The last time this country was flooded it was about seven feet higher (perpendicularly) than it was this time, and the sand and stone hills were flooded for several feet up their sides from their base. Wind still from south-east by east, with an occasional slight passing shower, but symptoms of clearing up. This country is perfectly infested with wild dogs; and fortunately for us it is that I happened to have some strychnine, it plays great havoc amongst them; so voracious are they that when one of their fellows die the others fall to and devour him; by this means many are destroyed. Middleton recovering but very slowly; he continues to have a very troublesome diarrhoea--aggravated no doubt by being obliged for the last few days to be nearly always wet; sometimes even to swim clothes and all, and remaining in that condition till the camp was brought here and fixed; I should be sorry if anything were to happen to him as he is an invaluable man in such a party as this.

Tuesday, March 4.

Wind a little more east; shod some of the horses yesterday and some this morning. Four of the party after dinner started to kill the bullock; camp there and return in the morning with the meat when cold. I with Poole rode out to some high stone hills eastward to endeavour to get a view of the creek and ascertain, if possible, from which quarter it principally flows. After getting to top of the highest, from which one gets very extensive view to the north-east, there was a slight haze that prevented me positively ascertaining its actual course; there is very heavy timber on a bearing of 35 degrees, and appears surrounded by hills. The haze was so bad that I could not be certain; however I must travel in that direction first and trust that it suddenly turns round to the north; from this last point to a point 20 degrees west of north is a perfect sea, nothing but isolated trees showing above the water; I found the ground exceedingly soft, almost impassable in many places. On the tableland, at the foot of the high stone-hills I ascended, are lines of creeks forming the drainage of the country, thickly timbered with myall, and (for the place) a considerable quantity of good grass; abundance of water lying on the top of the tableland, with seagulls, ducks, cranes, etc., about and on the basins; seven black swans passed over the camp in their flight on bearing of 335 degrees, no doubt to some lake in that direction. Some few days ago not a bird was to be seen scarcely, but a few kite, crows, and galahs; now the whole country seems to be alive with ducks of various kinds, macaws, corellas, cockatoo parrots, and innumerable small birds.

Wednesday, March 5.

Wind light from north-east and every appearance of a beautiful day; the country beginning to have quite a green appearance, and the valleys being covered with lilies in full bloom, birds singing and chirping all around as if in spring. I am quite shut out for the present from Eyre's Creek; so will not attempt it. At midday the party arrived with the meat of the bullock and shortly after, when cutting it up for jerking, the head of the axe accidentally flew off and inflicted a severe wound in the knee of Maitland our cook; I hope it won't disable him long, although it is deep and in a nasty place. Got all the meat jerked by evening and trust we may have dry weather to have it properly preserved; lots of bones and scraps, of which we shall make soup.

Thursday, March 6.