Expedition into Central Australia | Page 3

TO THE N.E.--FIND WATER IN OUR LAST WELL--REACH THE CREEK--PROCEED TO THE EASTWARD--PLAGUE OF FLIES AND ANTS-- SURPRISE AN OLD MAN--SEA-GULLS AND PELICANS--FISH--POOL OF BRINE--MEET NATIVES--TURN TO THE N.E.--COOPER'S CREEK TRIBE, THEIR KINDNESS AND APPEARANCE--ATTEMPT TO CROSS THE PLAINS-- TURN BACK--PROCEED TO THE NORTHWARD--EFFECTS OF REFRACTION-- FIND NATIVES AT OUR OLD CAMP AND THE STORES UNTOUCHED-- COOPER'S CREEK, ITS GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION.
CHAPTER III
CONTINUED DROUGHT--TERRIFIC EFFECT OF HOT WIND--THERMOMETER BURSTS--DEATH OF POOR BAWLEY--FIND THE STOCKADE DESERTED-- LEAVE FORT GREY FOR THE DEPOT--DIFFERENCE OF SEASONS-- MIGRATION OF BIRDS--HOT WINDS--EMBARRASSING POSITION-- MR. BROWNE STARTS FOR FLOOD'S CREEK--THREE BULLOCKS SHOT-- COMMENCEMENT OF THE RETREAT--ARRIVAL AT FLOOD'S CREEK--STATE OF VEGETATION--EFFECTS OF SCURVY--ARRIVE AT ROCKY GLEN-- COMPARISON OF NATIVE TRIBES--HALT AT CARNAPAGA--ARRIVAL AT CAWNDILLA--REMOVAL TO THE DARLING--LEAVE THE DARLING--STATE OF THE RIVER--OPPRESSIVE HEAT--VISITED BY NADBUCK--ARRIVAL AT MOORUNDI.
CHAPTER IV
REMARKS ON THE SEASON--DRY STATE OF THE ATMOSPHERE-- THERMOMETRICAL OBSERVATIONS--WINDS IN THE INTERIOR--DIRECTION OF THE RANGES--GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS--NON-EXISTENCE OF ANY CENTRAL CHAIN--PROBABLE COURSE OF THE STONY DESERT--WHETHER CONNECTED WITH LAKE TORRENS--OPINIONS OF CAPTAIN FLINDERS-- NO INFORMATION DERIVED FROM THE NATIVES--THE NATIVES--THEIR PERSONAL APPEARANCE--DISPROPORTION BETWEEN THE SEXES--THE WOMEN--CUSTOMS OF THE NATIVES--THEIR HABITATIONS--FOOD-- LANGUAGE--CONCLUSION.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE SEA COAST AND INTERIOR OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA; WITH OBSERVATIONS ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS CONNECTED WITH ITS INTERESTS.
CHAPTER I
DUTIES OF AN EXPLORER--GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA--DESCRIPTION OF ITS COAST LINE--SEA MOUTH OF THE MURRAY--ENTERED BY MR. PULLEN--RISK OF THE ATTEMPT-- BEACHING--ROSETTA HARBOUR--VICTOR HARBOUR--NEPEAN BAY-- KANGAROO ISLAND--KINGSCOTE--CAPT. LEE'S INSTRUCTIONS FOR PORT ADELAIDE--PORT ADELAIDE--REMOVAL TO THE NORTH ARM-- HARBOUR MASTER'S REPORT--YORKE'S PENINSULA--PORT LINCOLN-- CAPT. LEE'S INSTRUCTIONS--BOSTON ISLAND--BOSTON BAY-- COFFIN'S BAY--MR. CAMERON SENT ALONG THE COAST--HIS REPORT-- POSITION OF PORT ADELAIDE.
CHAPTER II
PLAINS OF ADELAIDE--BRIDGES OVER THE TORRENS--SITE OF ADELAIDE--GOVERNMENT HOUSE BUILDINGS AND CHURCHES--SCHOOLS-- POLICE--ROADS--THE GAWLER--BAROSSA RANGE--THE MURRAY BELT-- MOORUNDI--NATIVES ON THE MURRAY--DISTANT STOCK STATIONS-- MOUNT GAMBIER DISTRICT--ITS RICHNESS--ASCENT TO MOUNT LOFTY-- MOUNT BARKER DISTRICT--SCENE IN HINDMARSH VALLEY--PROPORTION OF SOIL IN THE PROVINCE--PASTORAL AND AGRICULTURAL-- PORT LINCOLN--CLIMATE OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA--RANGE OF THE THERMOMETER--SALUBRITY.
CHAPTER III
SEASONS--CAUSE WHY SOUTH AUSTRALIA HAS FINE GRAIN--EXTENT OF CULTIVATION--AMOUNT OF STOCK--THE BURRA-BURRA MINE--ITS MAGNITUDE--ABUNDANCE OF MINERALS--ABSENCE OF COAL--SMELTING ORE--IMMENSE PROFITS OF THE BURRA-BURRA--EFFECT OF THE MINES ON THE LABOUR MARKET--RELUCTANCE OF THE LOWER ORDERS TO EMIGRATE--DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CANADA AND AUSTRALIA--THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES--STATE OF SOCIETY--THE MIDDLE CLASSES-- THE SQUATTERS--THE GERMANS--THE NATIVES--AUTHOR'S INTERVIEWS WITH THEM--INSTANCES OF JUST FEELING--THEIR BAD QUALITIES-- PERSONAL APPEARANCE--YOUNG SETTLERS ON THE MURRAY-- CONCLUSION.
MR. KENNEDY'S SURVEY OF THE RIVER VICTORIA
APPENDIX
ANIMALS BIRDS NO. I. LIST OF SPECIMENS, AND THE NAMES OF THE VARIOUS ROCKS, COLLECTED DURING THE EXPEDITION NO. II. LOCALITIES OF THE DIFFERENT GEOLOGICAL SPECIMENS, COLLECTED BY THE CENTRAL AUSTRALIAN EXPEDITION BOTANICAL APPENDIX, BY R. BROWN, ESQ., D.C.L., F.R.S., F.L.S, &C.

PLATES TO VOLUME II.
View from Stanley's Range Native Grave Cooper's Creek Geophaps plumifera Strzelecki's Creek Mr. Eyre's House at Moorundi Piesse's Knob King William Street, Adelaide Port Adelaide Mount Bryan Murray River Cinclosoma Cinnamoneus

ERRATA
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VOLUME I

PREFACE.

The prominent part I have taken in the furtherance of Geographical Discovery on the Australian continent, and the attention, it will naturally be supposed, I have paid to the subject generally, will lead the reader perhaps to expect that I should, at the commencement of a work such as this, put him in possession of all the facts, with which I myself am acquainted, as to the character of those portions of it, which had been explored, before I commenced my recent labours. This may reasonably be expected from me by my readers, not only to enable them to follow me into the heartless desert from which, it may still be said, I have so lately returned, with that distinctness which can alone secure interest to my narrative; but, also, to judge whether the conclusions at which I arrived, and upon which I acted, were such as past experience ought to have led me to adopt.
It has struck me forcibly that such information would undoubtedly be desirable, not only to render my own details clearer, but to explain my views, since I should exceedingly regret that any imputation of rashness or inconsistency were laid to my charge; or if it was thought, I had volunteered hazardous and important undertakings, for the love of adventure alone.
The field of Ambition, professionally speaking, is closed upon the soldier during the period of his service in New South Wales. Had it been otherwise, however, no more honourable a one could have been open to me, when I landed on its shores in 1826, than the field of Discovery. I sought and entered upon it, not without a feeling of ambition I am ready to admit, for that feeling should ever pervade the breast of a soldier, but also with an earnest desire to promote the public good, and certainly without the hope of any other reward than the credit due to successful enterprise. I pretend not to science, but