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Milson turned up here, and from him I learnt that the Diamantina River, which was about seven miles ahead of me, was uncrossable, and that it was running about four miles wide. He instructed me that when I reach the river, I was to go to a high ridge two miles back, and make a large bonfire at night.
As soon as it heard of this discovery, the Portuguese government thought it would make as much profit out of it as possible, so it no longer authorized any other exploitation in the Diamantina regions than that of the diamond, and it imposed upon such exploitation a tax that was fixed at 28 francs per laborer in 1729 and 224 in 1734.
"So we camped late at night," he resumed, in a relieved tone; "and this friend of yours cleared-off early in the morning. He was n't interested in anything but the Diamantina track, and I was nasty over the gilgie, so we did n't yarn much. However, that chap 's no more off his head than I am. Bit odd, I daresay; but that's nothing.
Further explorations around Lake Eyre Lewis equipped by Sir Thomas Elder He traces the lower course of the Diamantina Expedition to Charlotte Bay under W. Hann A survivor of the wreck of the Maria Discovery of the Palmer Gold prospects found Arrival on the east coast Dense scrub Return The Palmer rush Hodgkinson sent out Follows down the Diamantina Discovery of the Mulligan Mistaken for the Herbert Private expedition The Messrs.
On March 10th, they started again, and steadily continued north through good travelling country, keeping back from the main creek, which was now too flooded and boggy to follow. This large creek, which was called by M'Kinlay the Mueller, is one of the main rivers of the interior, now known as the Diamantina.
The great day appeared to Diamantina to be long in coming, but, like other days, it came at last. Before the sun was fairly up in the heavens the princess, too full of excitement to stay in the palace, was walking about the streets so covered with precious stones that you had to shade your eyes before you could look at her.
Bergin, the man in charge of the party, who told Fitzmaurice that he was instructed to mark a direct line to Collingwood, on the Western River, and that he intended going up Thornhill Creek, cross the divide between the Landsborough and Diamantina Rivers, and then run down Jessamine and Mill's Creeks to the Western River, and thence to Collingwood.
Although the Brazilian diamond is much more beautiful, and for this reason is held at a much higher price, these new exploitations, by annually throwing large quantities of stones upon the market, have led to a great reduction in the price, and the Diamantina exploitations, which have become long, difficult, and costly, have received a serious set-back.
Starting from the overland telegraph line, Lewis skirted Lake Eyre to the north, and penetrated to Eyre's Creek, in Queensland territory, and traced that creek and the Diamantina into Lake Eyre; also confirming the opinion so often advanced that the waters of Cooper's Creek found their way into that receptacle, as well as the more westerly streams.
From the lower Diamantina, Hodgkinson made west towards the boundary of the colony, and beyond Eyre's Creek found a fine watercourse running through good pastoral country, which he branded with the name of the Mulligan River.