Journals of expeditions of discovery into Central Australia, by Edward John Eyre

Table of Contents

Preface.
Volume I
  1. Origin of the Expedition — Contemplated Exploration to the Westward — Meeting of the Colonists and Subscriptions Entered Into for That Purpose — Notes on the Unfavourable Nature of the Country to the Westward, and Proposal That the Northern Interior Should Be Examined Instead — Make an Offer to the Governor to Conduct Such an Expedition — Captain Sturt’s Lecture — Interview with the Governor, Arrangement of Plans — Preparation of Outfit — Cost of Expedition — Name a Day for Departure — Public Breakfast and Commencement of the Undertaking.
  2. First Night’s Encampment with Party — Reflections — Arrival at Sheep Station — Re-Arrangement of Loads — Method of Carrying Fire-Arms — Complete the Number of the Party — Their Names — Move Onwards — Valley of the Light — Extensive Plains — Head of the Gilbert — Scarcity of Firewood — Grassy Well-Watered Districts — The Hill and Hutt Rivers — Indications of Change Going on in Appearance and Character of the Country, Traceable in the Remains of Timber in the Plains And in the Openings Among Scrubs — The Broughton — Reedy Watercourse — Campbell’s Range — Course of the Broughton.
  3. Spring Hill — An Aged Native Deserted by His Tribe — Rich and Extensive Plains — Surprise a Party of Natives — Rocky River — Crystal Brook — Flinders Range — The Deep Spring — Myall Ponds — Rocky Water Holes — Dry Watercourse — Reach the Depot Near Mount Arden — Prepare for Leaving the Party — Black Swans Pass to the North — Arrival of the Waterwitch.
  4. Make Arrangements for Getting Up Stores From the Waterwitch — Leave the Party — Salt Watercourse — Mount Eyre — Aspect of the Country — Lake Torrens — Return Towards the Hills — Native Female — Saline Character of the Country — Mount Deception — Reach the Eastern Hills — Large Watercourses — Water Hole in a Rock — Grassy But Hilly Country — Running Stream — Ascend a Range — Return Homewards — Decay of Trees in the Watercourses — Shoot a Kangaroo — Arrive at the Depot — Bury Stores — Make Preparations for Leaving — Send Despatches to the Vessel.
  5. Break Up the Encampment — Arrive at Depot Pool — Geological Character of the Country — Barometers Out of Order — Advance to Reconnoitre — Ascend Termination Hill — Surprise Native Women — They Abandon Their Children — Ineffectual Search for Water — Return Towards Mount Deception — Broken Character of the Country — Find Water — The Scott — Rejoin the Party — Water All Used at Depot — Embarrassing Circumstances — Remove to the Scott — Reconnoitre in Advance — Barren Country — Table Topped Elevations — Indications of the Violent Action of Water — Meet Natives — Reach Lake Torrens — The Water Salt — Obliged to Return — Arrival at Depot — Hostile Demonstrations of the Natives.
  6. Gause of Hostility of the Natives — Well Sunk Unsuccessfully — Overseer Sent to the East — The Scott Examined — Rock Wallabie — Overseer’s Return — Another Visit to Lake Torrens — Boggy Character of Its Bed — Extraordinary Effects of Mirage and Refraction — Return to the Camp — Supply of Water Exhausted — Leave the Depot — The Mundy — The Burr — Mount Serle — Lake Torrens to the East — Melancholy Prospects.
  7. Excursion to the North-East — Trace Down the Frome — Water Becomes Salt — Pass Beyond the Ranges — Cockatoos Seen — Heavy Rains — Dry Water-Courses — Mount Distance — Brine Springs — Mount Hopeless — Termination of Flinders Range — Lake Torrens to the North and to the East — All Further Advance Hopeless — Young Emus Caught — Rejoin Party — Move Back Towards Mount Arden — Loss of a Horse — Arrive at the Depot — Plans for the Future — Take Up Stores — Prepare for Leaving.
  8. Proceed to the Westward — Channel of Communication Between Lake Torrens and Spencer’s Gulf — Baxter’s Range — Divide the Party — Route Towards Port Lincoln — Scrub — Fruitless Search for Water — Send Dray Back for Water — Plundered by the Natives — Return of Dray — Dense Scrub — Refuge Rocks — DENSE Scrub — Salt Creek — Mount Hill — DENSE SCRUB— Large Watercourse — Arrive at a Station — Rich and Grassy Valleys — Character of Port Lincoln Peninsula — Unable to Procure Supplies — Engage a Boat to Send Over to Adelaide — Buy Sheep.
  9. Boy Speared by the Natives — Anomalous State of Our Relations with the Aborigines — Mr. Scott Sails for Adelaide — Dog Bought — Mr. Scott’s Return — Cutter Waterwitch Sent to Co-Operate — Send Her to Streaky Bay — Leave Port Lincoln with the Dray — Level Sandy Country Clothed with Brush and Shrubs — Salt Lakes — Mount Hope — Lake Hamilton — Stony Country — Lose a Dog — Better Country — Wedge-Hill — Lake Newland — A Boat Harbour — Mount Hall — Rejoin Party at Streaky Bay — Singular Spring — Character of Country — Beds of Oysters.
  10. Country Between Streaky Bay and Baxter’s Range — Its Scrubby Character — Gawler Range — Mount Sturt — Ascend a Peak — Salt Lakes — Beautiful Flower — Ascend Another Hill — Mount Brown Seen — Extensive View to the North — Lake Gilles — Baxter’s Range.
  11. Embark Stores — Party Leave Streaky Bay — Dense Scrue — Point Brown — Singular Well — Process of Change in Appearance of Country — Dig for Water — Friendly Natives — Extraordinary Rite — Native Guides — Leipoa’s Nest — Denial Bay — Beelimah Gaippe — Kangaroo Killed — More Natives — Berinyana Gaippe — Salt Lakes — Wademar Gaippe — Sandy and Scrubby Country — Mobeela Gaippe — Difficulty of Getting Water — More Natives — Genuine Hospitality — Singular Marks on the Abdomen — Natives Leave the Party — Fowler’s Bay — Excellent Whaling Station.
  12. Land the Stores and Send the Cutter to Denial Bay — Party Remove to Point Fowler — Leave the Party — Beds Of Lakes — Dense Scrub — Coast Sand Drifts — Fruitless Search for Water — Distress of the Horses — Turn Back — Leave a Horse — Find Water — Rejoin Party — Send for the Horse — Country Around Depot — Take a Dray to the Westward — Wretched Country — Eall in with Natives — Misunderstand Their Signs — They Leave Us — Vain Search for Water — Turn Back — Horse Knocked Up — Go Back for Water — Rejoin the Dray — Commence Return — Search for Water — Dray Surrounded by Natives — Embarrassing Situation — Bury Baggage — Three Horses Abandoned — Reach the Sand Drifts — Unsuccessful Attempts to Save the Horses — Send for Fresh Horses — Search for Water to N. E. — Recover the Dray and Stores — Rejoin the Party at Depot Near Point Fowler — Return of The Cutter.
  13. Future Plans — Reduce the Number of the Party — Send the Cutter to Adelaide — Report to the Governor — Monotonous Life at Camp — Remove to Another Locality — Geological Character of the Country — Flint Found — Again Attempt to Reach the Head of the Bight — Reach the Sand Hills, and Bury Flour — Friendly Natives — Exhausted State of the Horses — Get The Dray to the Plain — Bury Water — Send Back Dray — Proceed with Pack-Horse — Oppressive Heat — Send Back Pack-HORSE— Reach the Head of the Bight — Surprise Some Natives — Their Kind Behaviour — Yeer-Kumban Kauee — Their Account of the Interior.
  14. Proceed to the Westward — Cliffs of the Great Bight — Level Nature of the Interior — Flints Abound — Return to Yeer-Kumban-Kauwe — Natives Come to the Camp — Their Generous Conduct — Meet the Overseer — Return to Depot — Bad Water — Move Back to Fowler’s Bay — Arrival of the Gutter Hero — Joined by the King George’s Sound Native — Instructions Relative to the Hero — Difficulty of Fixing Upon Any Future Plan — Break Up the Expedition and Divide The Party — Mr. Scott Embarks — Final Report — The Hero Sails — Overseer and Natives Remain — Excursion to the North — A Native Joins Us — Sudden Illness in the Party — Final Preparations for Leaving the Depot.
  15. Return of Mr. Scott in the Hero — Mr. Scott Again Sails for Adelaide — Commence Journey to the Westward — Opportune Arrival at the Sand-Hills — Large Flies — Take on the Sheep — Leave the Overseer with the Horses — Reach Yeerkumban Kauwe — Joined by the Overseer — Tormenting Flies Again — Move on with the Sheep — Leave Overseer to Follow With the Horses — Character of Country Along the Bight — Scenery of the Cliffs — Leave the Sheep — Anxiety About Water — Reach the Termination of the Cliffs — Find Water.
  16. Go Back to Meet the Overseer — Party Arrive at the Water — Long Encampment — Geological Formation of the Cliffs — Move on Again — Dig for Water — Traces of Natives — Send Back for Water — Parrots Seen — Cool Winds From North-East — Overseer Returns — Continue the Journey — Abandon Baggage — Dense Scrubs — Driven to the Beach — Meet Natives — Mode of Procuring Water From Roots.
  17. Horses Begin to Knock Up — Compelled to Follow Round the Beach — Tinor Pony Unable to Proceed — Gloomy Prospects — Overseer Begins to Despond — Two More Horses Left Behind — Fragments of Wrecks — Water All Consumed — Collect Dew — Change in Character of Country — Dig a Well — Procure Water — Native and Family Visit Us — Overseer Goes Back for Baggage — Disastrous Termination of His Journey — Situation and Prospects of the Party.
  18. Go Back with a Native — Spear Sting-Rays — Recover the Baggage — Cold Weather — Overseer Reconnoitres the Cliffs — Unfavourable Report — Difference of Opinion As to Best Plans for the Future — Kill a Horse for Food — Injurious Effects From Meat Diet — Native Boys Become Disaffected — They Steal Provisions — Native Boys Desert the Party — They Return Almost Starved — Party Proceed Onwards to the Westward — Cliffs of the Bight — Country Behind Them — Threatening Weather — Murder of the Overseer.
  19. Appendix.
Volume II
  1. The Camp Plundered — Night of Horrors — Proceed on to the Westward — The Boys Follow Us — They Are Left Behind — Forced Marches — Desert Country — Banksias Met with — Traces of Natives — Termination of the Cliffs — Find Water.
  2. Reflections Upon Situation — Watch for the Arrival of the Native Boys — Their Probable Fate — Proceed on The Journey — Facility of Obtaining Water — Kill a Horse for Food — Silver-Bark Tea-Tree — Intense Cold — First Hills Seen — Good Grass — Appetite of a Native — Injurious Effects of Unwholesome Diet — Change in the Character of the Country — Granite Forms the Low Water Level — Tree Washed on Shore — Indisposition.
  3. Heavy Road — A Young Kangaroo Shot — Grassy Country — Point Malcolm — Traces of Its Having Been Visited by Europeans — Grass Trees Met with — A Kangaroo Killed — Catch Fish — Get Another Kangaroo — Crab Hunting — Renew the Journey — Casuarinae Met with — Cross the Level Bank — Low Country Behind It — Cape Arid — Salt Water Creek — Xamia Seen — Cabbage Tree of the Sound — Fresh Water Lake — More Salt Streams — Opossums Caught — Flag Reeds Found — Fresh Water Streams — Boats Seen — Meet with a Whaler.
  4. Go on Board the Mississippi — Wet Weather — Visit Lucky Bay — Interview with Natives — Wylie Understands Their Language — Get the Horses Shod — Prepare to Leave the Vessel — Kindness and Liberality of Captain Rossiter — Renew Journey to the Westward — Fossil Formation Still Continues — Salt Water Streams and Lakes — A Large Salt River — Character Of the Country.
  5. Large Watercourse — Lake of Fresh Water — Heavy Rains — Reach Mount Barren — Salt Lakes and Streams — Barren Scrubby Country — Ranges Behind King George’s Sound Are Seen — Brackish Ponds — Pass Cape Riche — A Large Salt River — Chains of Ponds — Good Land — Heavily Timbered Country — Cold Weather — Fresh Lake — The Candiup River — King’s River — Excessive Rains — Arrival at King George’s Sound and Termination of the Expedition — Reception of Wylie by the Natives.
  6. Concluding Remarks.

List of Illustrations.

To Lieut.-Colonel George Gawler, K.H. M.R.G.S. under whose auspices, as Governor of South Australia, the expeditions, described in the following pages, were undertaken, these volumes are respectfully inscribed, as a tribute of gratitude for his kindness and respect for his virtues, by the author.

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