Journal of Landsboroughs Expedition from Carpentaria | Page 7

parts of Australia in a similar period. To collect the horses they had to
go as far as ten miles in a north-west direction, to a saltwater creek
which, from Mr. Campbell's report, I believe is the River Nicholson.

On the following day I accompanied Mr. Campbell and the troopers to
the Nicholson River. The water in it we found not so brackish as that
part of the Albert River where we left the ship. I was surprised to find it
was not so broad as the river I have just mentioned. We encamped all
night on the bank of the river, and near our camp marked a tree (broad
arrow before L). On the 30th we returned to the ship after getting the
troopers to collect the horses and shoot a quantity of ducks. By
counting my steps I made the distance seven miles to a bend of the
Albert River near which Moore's Ponds are situated, and two miles and
three-quarters further brought us to the point near which the ship had
reached. It is a grassy plain between the two rivers, with a few stunted
trees upon it; that nearest the Nicholson River is the poorest soil, and
the grass at present upon it is very much parched up. A fine large
enclosure for stock might be formed by running a fence across from the
Albert to the Nicholson River.
On the 1st November we commenced making a yard for the horses and,
having got the assistance of two of the carpenters, we commenced to
shoe the horses. On the 4th I got a passage in the barge to H.M.C.S.
Victoria, which was stationed at the distance of seven miles from the
mouth of this river, to consult with yourself respecting the plan to be
pursued in the search for Mr. Burke and his companions, and to express
my earnest desire to have rations at the Albert River depot to make a
second expedition by the route which Mr. Gregory and I agreed to as
the most likely way to find traces to follow Mr. Burke and his
companions--namely by skirting the desert, and passing, as near as the
country would admit of my doing, to their starting-point, and also to go
to a place on the Bowen Downs (a well-watered country) to seek for a
continuation of tracks seen by Messrs. Cornish and Buchanan, which
they thought were made by a South Australian party, at a point rather
less than 300 miles towards the Gulf of Carpentaria from Burke's depot
on Cooper's Creek.
On the 6th instant we left the Victoria together (as you are aware) for
the depot on the Albert River, and that evening after nine hours boating
reached our destination.

On the following morning, having proceeded up the river on the
previous day, reached the junction of the Barkly with the Albert River,
near which we found the tree marked by Mr. Gregory and Captain
Chimmo, the former on the left and the latter on the right bank;
afterwards having marked lines of trees, and marked on trees directions
to lead the exploring parties to the depot, we returned to it.
On the 15th, intending to start tomorrow on the inland expedition, I had
all the horses, in number twenty-three, brought up, the two weak ones
having died since our arrival at the Albert River, besides the five I
mentioned as having died on the voyage. We saddled and packed a few
of the wildest of the horses* to make them more tractable tomorrow,
when I hope, as I have mentioned, to start on our journey.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
(Signed) W. LANDSBOROUGH,
Commander of the Victorian and Queensland Land Expedition.
(*Footnote. The freshness of the horses was surprising: because so
soon after the hardships of their voyage, and the destruction of their
forage on board the Firefly by seawater, they were chiefly sustained,
from Hardy's Island till landing at Carpentaria, by grass cut by our
party: this was a task of some difficulty, as we had no implements for
doing so excepting our knives.)
...
(NUMBER 4.)
(COPY.)
NUMBER 1.
Albert River, October 18 1861.

To Captain Norman, H.M.C.S. Victoria.
Sir,
I have the honour to inform you that I have much pleasure, after the
conversation that we had with regard to Lieutenant Woods, in applying
to you for that gentleman to accompany me in the expedition, of which
I have the command, in search of Mr. Burke and his companions; and I
feel that for the unsurveyed western country in the route which I am
instructed to take, I have much more necessity for the services of that
officer in an astronomical point of view than Mr. Walker can have.
I have got a sextant for taking the