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Updated: June 8, 2025
At six miles before camping we crossed a tributary joining the Finke at right angles from the west, where there are some ranges in that direction; a slight stream was running down the bed. My next anxiety is to discover where this river comes from, or whether its sources are to be found in this chain.
The waters in times of flood run into Lake Eyre, which receives the Cooper and all the flood waters of West and South-western Queensland, and all the drainage from the hundred watercourses of Central South Australia. The chief among the latter is the huge artery, the Finke, from the north-west.
In our journey up the Finke two or three creeks had joined from the west, and as we were now beyond the sources of any of these, it would be necessary to discover some road to one or the other before Robinson could be parted with.
The country hereabouts has been nearly all burnt by the natives, and the horses endeavour to pick roads where the dreaded triodia has been destroyed. We passed a few clumps of casuarinas and a few stunted trees with broad, poplar-like leaves. Travelling for twelve miles on this bearing, we struck the Finke again, running nearly north and south.
We were now sixty-five miles from our depot, and had been most successful in our efforts to find a route to allow of the departure of Robinson, as it appeared that this creek would surely reach the Finke, though we afterwards found it did not.
As to the aborigines themselves, although it was evident there were plenty of them about, they never allowed themselves to be seen. There was an abundance of timber which Mr. Stuart says would be well suited for electric-telegraph poles. Mr. Stuart's journal continues as follows: Tuesday, 5th March, The Finke. Started at 8.5 a.m., bearing 345 degrees, for the Hugh, with Thring and Lawrence.
When he brought her up, the mare looked the picture of misery. At last I turned my back upon this wretched camp and region; and we went away to the south. It was half-past two o'clock when we got clear from our prison. It is almost a work of supererogation to make many further remarks on the character of this region I mean, of course, since we left the Finke.
A number of showers of rain seem to have fallen here this month. Wind, south-east. Thursday, 13th November, Marchant Springs, The Finke. Started at 7.40. Proceeded towards the Goyder, and at nine miles found myself in as dry a country as ever; not a drop of rain seems to have fallen here for upwards of twelve months.
Stuart started, accompanied by Thring and Woodforde, to examine the condition of the Finke, and found its bed broad, and filled with white drift sand, but without water. A hole ten feet deep was sunk in the sand, but just as the increasing moisture gave them hope of finding water, the sides gave way, and Thring had a narrow escape of being buried alive.
Finke sent up went off at a gallop, taking with them one of the others; but, at about a mile, they were headed by Ewart, Wall, and Lawrence, and brought back covered with sweat. Not content with this gallop, in a short time afterwards they bolted again.
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