Part 12 (1/2)
No one but those ithtime and in that fearful solitude, can for of the 9th it again blew fresh from the south, the sky was cloudless even in the direction of Mount Serle, and all appearance of rain had passed away
On the 10th, to give a change to the current of hts, and for exercise, I walked down the Depot creek with Mr Browne, and turning northwards up the main branch e reached the junction of the two creeks, we continued our ramble for two or three miles I know not why it was, that, on this occasion more than any other, we should have contemplated the scene around us, unless it was that the peculiar tranquillity of the reater impression on our minds
Perhaps the death-like silence of the scene at that es made by the floods, how fearfully that silence must sometimes be broken by the roar of waters and of winds
Here, as in other places, we observed the trunks of trees swept down froh in the branches of the trees in the neighbourhood of the creek, and large accu at their butts, whilst the line of inundation extended so far into the plains that the country must on such occasions have the appearance of an inland sea The winds on the other hand had stripped the bark from the trees to ard (a little to the south of west), as if it had been shaved off with an instru our stay at the Depot we had not experienced any unusual visitation, as a flood really would have been; for any torrent, such as that which it was evident soround, since the marks of inundation reached more than a u the creek near us at an altitude exceeding the height of our tents
On the 11th the wind shi+fted to the east, the whole sky beco of the 12th it was still at east, but at noon veered round to the north, when a gentle rain set in, so gentle that itand during the night It ceased however at 10 am of the 13th, when the wind shi+fted a little to the ard of north At noon rain again coh the ground began to feel the effects of it, sufficient had not fallen to enable us to e, and how earnestly did I pray that the Alhty would still farther extend his ht it poured doithout any inter dawned the ripple of waters in a little gully close to our tents, was a sweeter and oing down to the creek in the round was now so coer doubted the moment of our liberation had arrived
I had made every necessary preparation for Mr Poole's departure on the 13th, and as the rain ceased on theparty mustered to leave us Mr Poole felt much when I went to tell him that the dray in which he was to be conveyed, was ready for his reception I did all that I could to render his mind easy on every point, and allowed him to select the most quiet and steady bullocks for the dray he was to occupy; together with the most careful driver in the party I also consented to his taking Joseph, as the best man I had, to attend personally upon him, and Mr Browne put up for his use all the little comforts we could spare I cheered hi to meet us after we should have terminated our labours, and assured him that I considered his services on the duty I was about to send him as valuable and important as if he continued with me He was lifted on his stretcher into the dray, and appeared gratified at the lad to see that his feelings did not give way at this painfulthe dray, however, to bid him adieu, he wept bitterly, but expressed his hope that we should succeed in our enterprise
As I knew his reatest trial would be on the first day, I requested Mr Browne to acco day On Mr Poole's departure I prepared for our own re an abundance of water everywhere, they had wandered, and he returned with the the rocky range he heard a roaring noise, and that on going to the glen he saw the waters pouring down, foa that he was sure the floods would be down upon us ere long An evident proof that however light the rain appeared to be, an immense quantity must have fallen, and I could not but hope and believe that it had been general
Before we left the Depot Flood's prediction was confirht had continued a few days longer, would have been perfectly waterless, was thus suddenly filled up to the briions can be adduced than this, no better illustration of the character of the creeks can be given The head of the Depot creek was not ht miles from us, its course to its junction with the main creek was not ten, yet it was a watercourse that without being aware of its coht have been laid down by the traveller as a river Such however is the uncertain nature of the rivers of those parts of the continent of Australia over which I have wandered I would not trust the largest farther than the range of vision; they are deceptive all of thes of heavy rains, and dependent entirely on local circu taken all our circu detention, the uncertainty that involved our future proceedings, and the ceaseless anxiety ofalso that Mr Browne had joined me for a liht injure his future prospects, I felt that it was incu with Mr Poole if he felt disposed to do so, but he would not desertof the 16th I struck the tents, which had stood for six rateful thankfulness for our release fros and patience had been so severely tried When we coress would be slow, for the ground was dreadfully heavy, and the bullocks, so long unaccustoht, shrunk froully behind our caet it out, when Mr Browne returned frolad to find that he had left hiradual improvement
As we crossed the creek, between the Depot and the glen, we found that the waters, as Flood predicted, had descended so far, and waded through thelen, to see how it looked under such a change, and re
On our return to the party I found that it would be i parted with two drays, we had necessarily been obliged to increase the loads on the others, so that they sank deep into the ground I therefore halted, after having gone about four miles only
About seven o'clock pm ere surprised by the sudden return of Joseph, fro party; but, still more so at the melancholy nature of the information he had to communicate Mr Poole, he said, had breathed his last at three o'clock This sad event necessarily put a stop to ements I should now have to make
It appeared, from Joseph's account, that Mr Poole had not shewn any previous indications of approaching dissolution About a quarter before three he had risen to take soht he was dying, and falling on his back, expired without a struggle
Early on theof this day, and before we ourselves started, I had sent Mr Stuart and Mr Piesse in advance with the chainers, to carry on the chaining On theof the 17th, before I mounted my horse to accompany Mr Browne to examine the remains of our unfortunate companion, which I determined to inter at the Depot, I sent a man to recall them
The suddenness of Mr Poole's death surprised both Mr Browne and ular fairness of his countenance left no doubt on his e had been the immediate cause of that event
On the 17th the whole party, which had so lately separated, once more assembled at the Depot We buried Mr Poole under a Grevillia that stood close to our underground roorave, ”J P 1845,” and he now sleeps in the desert
The sad event I have recorded, obliged e of the ho party, for I had had every reason to be satisfied with hiret A more trustworthy, or a more anxious officer could not have been attached to such a service as that in which he was e close to our residence at the Depot At the conclusion of that cereain separated, and I returned toon the ly of the 18th we pushed on to the NW The ground had beco was still heavy At three miles we passed a small creek, about seven miles fro that place We passed over stony plains, or low, sandy, and swaround, since the valleys near the hills opened out as we receded from them On the 19th I kept the chained line, but in consequence of the heavy state of the ground we did not get on more than 8 1/2 miles The character of the country was that of open sandy plains, the sand being based upon a stiff, tenacious clay, impervious to water With the exception of a few salsolae and atriplex, the plains were exceedingly bare, and had innumerable patches of water over them, not more than two or three inches deep At intervals pure sand hills occurred, on which there were a few stunted casuarina andplants already springing up As the ground was still very soft, I should not have moved on the 20th, but was anxious to push on Early in the day, and at less than 18 es, and found the pull over them much worse than over the flats The wheels of the drays sank deep into the ground, and in straining to get thehts of swans, and a s fro very e could not procure a speci pace with us, and on the 26th we found ourselves in lat 29 degrees 6 rees to the west of north, as originally deter that I had thus passed to the south-west of the grassy plain, I halted, and rode with Flood to the eastward; when at seventhat there was an abundance of water in the creek (the channel we had before noticed), I returned to Mr Browne; but as it was late in the afternoon e regained the tents, we did notSunday we also remained stationary We had halted close to one of those clear patches on which the rain water lodges, but it had dried up, and there was only a little for our use in a sutter not far distant Whilst ere here encas into a hole close to the drays; which, with four others, we succeeded in capturing, by digging for theround like astraight, like the radii of a circle, to a common centre, to which a shaft is sunk fro the whole We fed our little captives on oats, on which they thrived, and becaether in a corner of their box, but, when darting fros, which, like the kangaroo, were ht and horizontal At this date they were a novelty to us, but we subsequently saw great numbers of thees in order to procure the were, I alect
On Monday I conducted the whole party to the new depot, which for the present I shall call the Park, but as I was very unwilling that anyto the west, I instructed Mr Stuart to change the direction of the chained line to 75 degrees to the west of south, direct upon Mount Hopeless, and to continue it until I should overtake him In this operation Mr Browne kindly volunteered to assist Mr Stuart, as the loss of Mr Piesse had so reduced ed the camp in its new position, and felt myself at liberty to follow after the chainers Before I left, however, I directed a stockyard to be ht, and instructed Davenport to prepare so it out with vegetables--pumpkins and melons I left the ca that Mr Broas then about 42 ht in a little sheltered valley between two sand hills, after a ride of 28 ed Valleys or flats, es, on sorass
We had not ridden far on the following e was perceptible in the aspect of the country The flats becae was teeneral level, and crossed several sand hills, higher than any we had seen These sand hills had very precipitous sides and broken suht red colour, they looked in the distance like long lines of dead brick walls, being perfectly bare, or sparingly covered with spinifex at the base They succeeded each other so rapidly, that it was like crossing the tops of houses in some street; but they were much steeper to the eastward than to the ard, and successive gales appeared to have lowered the flats with the sand from their summits
The basis of the country was sandstone, on which clay rested in a thin layer, and on this clay the sandy ridges reposed
We overtook Mr Browne about half an hour before sunset, and all halted together, when the ust we did not find the country so heavy or so wet as it had been It was indeed so open and denuded of every thing like a tree or bush, that we had so wood to boil our tea In the afternoon e halted the , but as yet we could not see any range or hill to the ard