Journal of Landsboroughs Expedition from Carpentaria | Page 6

William Landsborough
country we found abundance of waterholes, some of which

were divided from each other by sandstone dykes and contained fresh,
and others brackish, water. Near the waterholes, at the most
conspicuous points of timber on our route, we marked trees. The
north-easterly waterhole I called Mueller Lake. It is a fine long sheet of
water which is brackish but not to an extent to render it undrinkable.
Before we reached any water on our way from the ship, we observed, at
some distance from us, several blacks, of whom three gins and three
children we overtook in their camps. These we tried to persuade by
signs to lead us to the nearest water, but they were so extremely
terrified that they clung to each other and would not move, except to
point in the direction in which by our proceeding a short distance we
found it ourselves.
On the 17th October the ship was taken alongside of the western bank
of the river, and, a landing stage having been made, twenty-three of the
horses were walked on shore and driven up to Frost's Ponds; the
remaining two from their being too weak were kept on board. A few of
the horses after their voyage were in good order, and the most of the
others, which were in such low condition from their insufficient
allowance of water from Moreton Bay to Torres Strait, now showed,
from their having plenty of water since their reshipment at Hardy's
Islands, that they were in a thriving state.
On the 20th Messrs. Bourne, Moore, Frost, and two troopers started up
the river on a shooting and land excursion. I accompanied them to near
Frost's Ponds where the horses were running, and I was glad to find the
horses were doing well, as I expected they would do, from the herbage
of the plains in that neighbourhood being of the most fattening
character. Late in the evening our sportsmen returned and gave a most
glowing description of about eight miles of the plains they had crossed
in going to and returning from some waterholes they had found, one of
which was within half a mile of the river. As they made their excursion
an exploring rather than a sporting expedition they shot very little,
although they saw several wallabies on the plains, and crowds of duck
and other aquatic fowl at the waterholes they passed in the course of
their walk.

On the 22nd, having made circulars to the effect that the Firefly hulk
and the horses (broad arrow before L) were on their way up the river,
the latter on the west bank, some of our party landed on the east bank
and stuck them up in places where Mr. Walker's party would probably
find them in the event of their passing us and following down that side
of the river. In doing so we went over a fine grassed plain, and in that
distance found two waterholes. On the 24th the blacks paid us a visit
and we gave them presents; but afterwards, as they stole some clothes
that were out to dry, we determined to give them no further
encouragement unless they returned the stolen things. This Mr. Woods,
on the following day, tried to explain to a few of them who swam
across the river to the bank that we were alongside of.
When I see naked blacks I am very much tempted to give them clothes
and tomahawks; but this should not be indulged for I have found from
having done so that the more they have got the more they have wanted;
and on the other hand I have found that when they got nothing from us
they gave us very little of their company and thus rarely gave us any
occasion for quarrelling with them.
On the 27th of October Mr. Campbell and the troopers went on shore
and collected the horses and took them up as far as Moore's Ponds.
From twenty-two observations, chiefly taken during the day, the
temperature has ranged from 69 to 89 degrees and averaged a fraction
over 80 degrees. On the 29th we had a few drops of rain which
reminded us that we had hardly had any since we started from Brisbane,
upwards of a couple of months ago.
My party went in search of the horses yesterday and returned with them
today to the place where the ship was aground, a point about fifteen
miles in a straight line from the mouth of the river. The horses were so
fresh that to hobble them two of the quietest had to be caught to round
with them the others up. In the ten days that they had been ashore they
had improved more in condition than any horses I have seen do in other
Continue reading on your phone by scaning this QR Code

 / 88
Tip: The current page has been bookmarked automatically. If you wish to continue reading later, just open the Dertz Homepage, and click on the 'continue reading' link at the bottom of the page.