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While he stopped at their camp he showed that he knew the use of the boat, explaining that it was upside down, as of course it was, and pointing to the N.W. as the place where they would want it, raising poor Sturt's hopes once more. After a fortnight he departed as he came, saying he would come back, but he never did.
There was plenty of the little purple pea-vetch, the mignonette plant, and Clianthus Dampierii, or Sturt's desert-pea, and we turned our four fine camels out to graze, or rather browse, upon whatever they chose to select, while we looked about in search of the water we felt sure must exist here. The day was warm for this time of year, the thermometer standing at 95 degrees in the shade.
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.
"The most singular quality of this vapour or mirage, as it is termed, is its power of reflection; objects are seen as from the surface of a lake, and their figure is sometimes changed into the most fantastic shapes." CRICHTON'S Arabia, vol. i. p. 41. See two other curious accounts of the effects of mirage and refraction in Sturt's Expeditions in Australia, vol. ii. pp. 56 and 171.
The party then retraced their steps; the water on which they depended in Sturt's Creek drying up so rapidly as to render more extended exploration very hazardous. They rejoined their companions at the depot camp on the Victoria, and making a detour to the eastward, followed down the Wickham, a considerable tributary of the Victoria, to its junction with that river.
As Leichhardt's journal of this trip has been so widely read, and as it does not possess the same striking interest as that of Sturt's, from the more accessible nature of the country travelled through, and the absence of the constantly threatening dangers overhanging both Sturt and Eyre, a shorter account of the progress of the expedition will be found most acceptable.
On the 12th and 13th of July the rain commenced, and the siege was raised, but Poole never lived to profit by it. Every arrangement for his comfort was made that the circumstances permitted, but on the first day's journey he died, and they brought his body back to the depot and made his lonely grave there. Sturt's way was now open.
During seventy-seven days they could not have pulled, according to Captain Sturt's calculation, less than 2000 miles; and now, worn out by fatigue and want, they were compelled to proceed yet further, and to endure, for some time longer, the most severe privations to which man can be exposed.
The glen and rock is all red sandstone: the place reminded me somewhat of Captain Sturt's Depot Glen in the Grey ranges of his Central Australian Expedition, only the rock formation is different, though a cliff overhangs both places, and there are other points of resemblance. I named this Stokes's Creek. We rested here an hour and had a swim in one of the rocky basins.
The following extract is from Captain Sturt's address, and shews the disinterested and generous zeal which that talented and successful traveller was ever ready to exert on behalf of those who were inclined to follow the career of enterprise and ambition in which he had with such distinction led the way.
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