Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 23, 2025
Started at five p.m. for the William Spring with fourteen horses, leaving the weak and done-up ones at Mount Margaret for another week to recover. I have also brought on with me Auld, King, and Billiatt. The others I have left with Mr. Kekwick, to whom I have given command of the party, and who will conduct them to Adelaide by easy stages, as soon as the horses are able to travel.
Kekwick to get some fish-hooks to exchange with him, which he readily did; we then left them. They continuing a longer time than I wished, and gradually approaching nearer to our camp, thinking perhaps they really did not wish to part with the spear, I sent Mr. Kekwick back with it to them to see if that was what they wanted, and to take the fish-hooks from them.
The gum-trees are not so large as they are further north. On first striking the creek we could find no water, but, by following it down for a short distance, we discovered a little, which will do for us. It is more than I expected, and I feel most thankful for it. Kekwick still very ill. Poor fellow, he is suffering very much.
Kekwick to an open place up the river to see if he had got into it. Mr. Kekwick returned in a short time and reported that he saw him lying drowned in the middle of it. I am sorry for this: he was a good horse, in fair condition, was with me last year, and has always done his work well, although he has caused a deal of trouble and loss of time by so frequently concealing himself.
Had to leave one of the done-up horses about two miles behind. Another horse gave in, and it was as much as Mr. Kekwick could do to get him thus far. The natives have burned all the grass throughout this day's journey. A little has escaped at this camp, and I am now compelled to give my horses a rest until Monday morning.
On and about the marsh are large flocks of geese, ibis, and numerous other aquatic birds; they are so wild that they will not allow us to come within shot of them. Mr. Kekwick has been successful in shooting a goose; it has a peculiar-shaped head, having a large horny lump on the top resembling a topknot, and only a very small web at the root of his toes.
We have passed many brooks and deep reaches of water some miles in length, and the country could not be better: it is really magnificent. At 2.30 I was informed that we were short of a horse. Sent Messrs. Kekwick and Thring back to see where he was left. We have had to cross so many boggy, nasty places, with deep water and thick scrub, that he must have been missed at one of these.
At daybreak started with Kekwick to find the lake on an easterly course, keeping to south of east, to avoid a soft lagoon. Travelled over a fair salt-bush and grass country, with stones on the surface. In places the grass is abundant, though dry. At seven miles the sand hills commenced; they are low, with broad valleys between, covered with stone.
Cool breeze from south-east. Very cold night and morning. Tuesday, 10th January, Milne Springs. Latitude, 28 degrees 15 minutes 45 seconds. Shoeing horses. Flies a great trouble; can do nothing for them. If they are allowed to remain a moment on the eye, it swells up immediately, and is very painful. Kekwick and the other man returned at 9 o'clock p.m.
Kekwick in charge of the party, started with King and Thring to the water hole that I discovered on the 15th ultimo; arrived in the afternoon and camped. This water hole I have named Frew's Water Hole, in token of my approbation of his care of, and attention to, the horses. This waterhole is about twenty feet below the plain, surrounded by a conglomerate ironstone rock.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking