The History of Australian Exploration from 1788 to 1888 | Page 3

of Lake Hindmarsh--Exploration of
Gippsland--Eyre's explorations to the north--Discovery of Lake
Torrens--Disappointment in the country bordering on it--Determines to
go to King George's Sound--Repeated attempts to reach the head of the
Great Australian Bight--Loss of horses--Barren and scrubby
country--Final determination to send back most of the party-- Starts
with overseer and three natives--Hardship and suffering--Murder of the
overseer by two of the natives--Eyre continues his journey with the
remaining boy--Relieved by the MISSISSIPPI whaler--Reaches King
George's Sound.
Chapter VI

[to 1846]
Explorations around Moreton Bay--Development of the Eastern
Coast--The first pioneers of the Darling Downs--Stuart and Sydenham
Russell--The Condamine River and Cecil Plains--Great interest taken in
exploration at this period--Renewed explorations around Lake
Torrens--Surveyor-General Frome--Death of Horrocks, the first
explorer to introduce camels--Sturt's last expedition--Route by the
Darling chosen--Poole fancies that he sees the inland sea--Discovery of
Flood's Creek--The prison depôt--Impossible to advance or
retreat--Breaking up of the drought--Death of Poole--Fresh attempts to
the north--The desert--Eyre's Creek discovered--Return and fresh
attempt--Discoveries of Cooper and Strzelecki Creeks--Retreat to the
Depôt Glen--Final return to the Darling--Ludwig Leichhardt the lost
explorer--His great trip north--Finding of the Burdekin, the Mackenzie,
Isaacs and Suttor--Murder of the naturalist Gibert--Discovery of the
Gulf Rivers--Arrival at Port Essington--His return and reception--
Surveyor-General Mitchell's last expedition--Follows up the Balonne--
Crosses to the head of the Belyando--Disappointed in that
river--Returns and crosses to the head of the Victoria (Barcoo)--The
beautiful Downs country--First mention of the Mitchell grass--False
hopes entertained of the Victoria running into the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Chapter VII
[to 1854]
Kennedy traces the Victoria in its final course south--Re-named the
Barcoo--First notice of the PITURI chewing natives--Leichhardt's
second Expedition--Failure and Return--Leichhardt's last
Expedition--His absolute disappearance--Conjectures as to his
fate--Kennedy starts from Rockingham Bay to Cape York--Scrubs and
swamps--Great exertions--Hostile natives--Insufficiency of supplies
provided--Dying horses--Main party left in Weymouth Bay--Another
separation at Shelburne Bay--Murder of Kennedy at the Escape
River--Rescue of Jacky the black boy--His pathetic tale of
suffering--Failure to find the camp at Shelburne Bay--Rescue of but

two survivors at Weymouth Bay--The remainder starved to death--Von
Mueller in the Australian Alps--Western Australia--Landor and Lefroy,
in 1843--First expedition of the brothers Gregory, in 1846--Salt lakes
and scrub--Lieutenant Helpman sent to examine the coal seam
discovered--Roe, in 1848--His journey to the east and to the south--A.
C. Gregory attempts to reach the Gascoyne--Foiled by the nature of the
country--Discovers silver ore on the Murchison--Governor Fitzgerald
visits the mine--Wounded by the natives--Rumour of Leichhardt having
been murdered by the blacks--Hely's expedition in quest of him--Story
unfounded--Austin's explorations in Western Australia--Terrible
scrubs--Poison camp-- Determined efforts to the north--Heat and
thirst--Forced to return.
Chapter VIII
[to 1861]
A. C. Gregory's North Australian expedition in 1855-56, accompanied
by Baron Von Mueller and Dr. Elsey--Disappointment in the length of
'the Victoria--Journey to the Westward--Discovery of Sturt's Creek--Its
course followed south--Termination in a salt lake--Return to Victoria
River --Start homeward, overland--The Albert identified--The
Leichhardt christened--Return by the Burdekin and Suttor--Visit of
Babbage to Lake Torrens--Expedition by Goyder--Deceived by
mirage--Excitement in Adelaide--Freeling sent out--Discovers the
error--Hack explores the Gawler Range--Discovers Lake
Gairdner--Warburton in the same direction--Swinden and party west of
Lake Torrens--Babbage in the Lake District--His long
delay--Warburton sent to supersede him--Rival claims to
discovery--Frank Gregory explores the Gascoyne in Western Australia
--A. C. Gregory follows the Barcoo in search of Leichhardt--Discovery
of a marked tree--Arrival in Adelaide--The early explorations of
M'Dowall Stuart--Frank Gregory at Nickol Bay--Discovers the
Ashburton--Fine pastoral country--Discovers the De Grey and Oakover
Rivers--Turned back by the desert--Narrow escape.
Chapter IX

[to 1861]
Across the continent, from south to north--M'Dowall Stuart's first
attempt to reach the north coast--Native warfare--Chambers' Pillar--
Central Mount Stuart--Singularfootprint--Sufferings from thirst--
Aboriginal Freemasons--Attack Creek--Return--Stuart's second
departure-- The Victorian expedition--Costly equipment--Selection of a
leader--Burke, and his qualifications for the post--Wills--Resignation of
Landells-- Wright left in charge of the main party--Burke and Wills,
with six men, push on to Cooper's Creek--Delay of Wright--Burke's
final determination to push on to the north coast--Starts with Wills and
two men--Progress across the continent--Arrival at the salt
water--Wills' account--Homeward journey--The depôt
deserted--Resolve to make for Mount Hopeless--Failure and
return--Wills revisits the depôt--Kindness of the natives--Burke and
King start in search of the blacks--Death of Burke--King finds Wills
dead on his return--Wright and Brahe visit the depôt--Fail to see traces
of Burke's return--Consternation in Melbourne--Immediate despatch of
search parties--Howitt finds King--Narrow escape of trooper
Lyons--Stuart in the north--Hedgewood scrub first seen--Discovery of
Newcastle waters--All attempts to the north fruitless--Return of Stuart.
Chapter X
[to 1863]
Stuart's last Expedition--Frew's Pond--Daly Waters--Arrival at the
Sea--The flag at last hoisted on the northern shore--Return--Serious
illness of the Leader--The Burke relief Expedition--John
M'Kinlay--Native rumours--Discovery of Gray's body--Hodgkinson
sent to Blanche Water with the news--Returns with the information of
King's rescue by Howitt-- M'Kinlay starts north--Reaches the Gulf
coast--Makes for the new Queensland settlements on the
Burdekin--Reaches the Bowen River in safety--Mystery of the camel's