Aimed at the casuall reader or the serious student or historian, Australian Explorers presents the journals of several great explorers of the Australian continent.
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Saturday, 26th July, Charles Creek, Chambers Bay, Van Diemen Gulf. This day I commence my return, and feel perfectly satisfied in my own mind that I have done everything in my power to obtain as extensive a knowledge of the country as the strength of my party will allow me. I could have made the mouth of the river, but perhaps at the expense of losing many of the horses, thus increasing the difficulties of the return journey. Many of them are so poor and weak, from the effects of the worms, that they have not been able for some time to carry anything like a load, and I have been compelled to make the (symbol crescent over C) horses stand the brunt of the work of the expedition. As yet not one of them has failed; they have all done their work in excellent style. The sea has been reached, which was the great object of the expedition, and a practicable route found through a splendid country from Newcastle Water to it, abounding, for a great part of the way, in running streams well stocked with fish--and this has been accomplished at a season of the year during which we have not had one drop of rain. Started, following my tracks back. Passed my former camp on the Thring; went on and crossed it. Proceeded on my east course to the west, about one mile and a half, to some small green marshy plains of black alluvial soil, with a spring in the centre, covered with fine green grass. Camped. Wind, south. Latitude, 12 degrees 30 minutes 21 seconds.
Sunday, 27th July, Small Grassy Plains. Day rather warm; mosquitoes terrible; no sleep last night; never found them so bad before; not a breath of wind to drive them away.
Monday, 28th July, Small Grassy Plains. Started at 7.40, course 25 degrees west of south, for my camp of the eighteenth instant. At ten miles struck my tracks, thus avoiding the boggy creeks that flow into the large marsh. On this course passed five small black alluvial plains, covered with grass, three of them having springs with water on the surface. They lie between slightly elevated country of light-brown soil, having stringy-bark and gums, with occasionally a thin scrub abounding in grass. On the plains there is occasionally a little of the volcanic rock cropping out. Followed my former tracks to the camp on the Lily Marsh, and remained for the night. We all passed a miserable night with the mosquitoes. My hands, wrists, and neck, were all blistered over with their bites, and were most painful.
Tuesday, 29th July, Lily Marsh. At half-past seven o'clock proceeded on the track. Passed my camp of 17th instant, and arriving at the one of the 16th at four o'clock p.m., camped. Wind, south.
Wednesday, 30th July, Side Creek, Adelaide River. All were delighted with a comfortable night's rest--no mosquitoes. Proceeded to Billiatt Springs and camped. One of the horses, Jerry, has been ill for the last three weeks, and although he has not had anything to carry, it has been as much as we could do to get him into the camp. This afternoon he gave in altogether, and Mr. Kekwick was quite unable to get him a step further, and was compelled to leave him about three miles back, where there is some water and plenty of feed. Wind, south-east.
