WALKERS JOURNAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 149, 8 May 1862, Page 2

WALKERS JOURNAL.

COP! OF MR. WALKER'S JOURNAL FROM ROCKHAMPTON 10 THE ALBERT KIVER, GULF OF CARPKKTARIA.

(Continued from our issue of the l&t of May.)

Wednesday, 16th Oetober.jrMade an excellent start at 8.30. We went X .N.W near one mile from camp; crossed ati lbutary creek; travelled over plains* intersected with gorrt acacia scrub, one rather too closely timbered, the^others open. At_ the end of five miles, saw } one large solitary myall tree; the next fhe miles through open acncia, and narr6W/*but lons strips of plain brought us to a wateicourse, a blaok's camp a few dny«' old, and two nice little lagoons—one very promising looking, the remainder of the day was over sandstone ridgi s, clothtd -with the disagreeable needle grasu. Four miles from the lagoons we crossed the •well-marked tracks of a very large party going a little noithof west. These trucks were very old, and had been mada in wet weather. They will be.visible probably for rears to come, whereas mine, made in dry weaher," will be obliterated the first rainy season. At the cud of twenty-four miles from camp we came on to the declivity of the sandstone ridges, and from thence saw a high peak I have called Mount Macalister being 5 cleg, north west by compass, and another bluff mount which I have called Mount Howfeldt, after my storekeeper. I now perceived why leichardt's tracks had been going .west. He probobly camped on the Coremda, above where my men saw the horse tracks; thence travelled parallel to lay course, and, being higher up on the ridges, saw. the peak sooner than I did, and turned off towards it. I now saw I was getting too intimate with the dividing range, and altered my course to N.W. by compass. One mile brought me to a small watercourse, with many small pools of temporary water, and, as there was a sufficiency of good grass, I camped. (No. 19.) How is it that the blacks here have iron tomahawks 1 One has evidently a broad nxe. The blacks on the Nive, who are much nearer the settlements, havo only stone tomahawks, —some very fine ones. Thursday, 17th October.—Started at 7 o'clock. Went three miles N.W. by compass, when, having crossed a high ridge, we came on a river running to the south of west. This I believe to be the principal head of the Thomson. Here were seen the old tracks of horses (Leichardt's camp was probably lower down on this riyer.) We proceeded on the same course for two miles, passing betwixt two basalt ridges. I now for half a mile diverged to W.N.W. to get on a plain, when I resumed the N.W. course for two miles over two basalt ridges. The basalt was injuring, our horses' feet and I turned again W.N.W. to get on the plains. We crossed a creek in two miles more, and in another mile a ridge. I was now able to resume the N.W. course, and in three miles we hit a nice lagoon, and another head of the Thomson running S. W. betwixt these two, and going N.N.W was again the well-defined tracks of Leichardt's party (he must have had a considerable quantity-'of wet weather.) He had no doubt from Macalister,'s Peak perceived' he was on the verge of the desert, and turned again to his old N.N.W. course. At;the end of another mile and a-half, I turned 25° north of west to go to a peak rising off the downs. From this peak,; which I reached in three miles and a-half, I saw displayed before me an awful waste of endless plains. My map Patrick, who ascended the peak with me, and who is accustomed to the immense plains of the Edward and Murrain bidgee, was struck with consternation, and he remarked to me, " There is no t'other side this country." Upon leaving this solitary peak, which I have called the Sentinel, I had to turn 10 ° west of north -by compass. We passed betwixt two termination of spurs, and in four miles, having crossed one ridge, we came to a' gum creek running W. by N. We searched in vain for water, and had to push on over the next ride, an in three miles N.N."\\ .we reached another creek wiie sufficient water for a day or two. I must stop he B t one day, for one of my horses gave in at the la if creek, and three of .the expedition horses within hay a mile of this camp. The day has been oppressivel Friday, 18th October.—This morning Mr. Haughton and Rodney went back for my mare Nanny. They found her at a good lagoon within a quarter of a mile from where Jemmy (Coreen) had been looking for water. One of the expedition horses which knocked up yesterday is an iniposter, for ho has carried no load until the last three days, as, without making a yard, we could not catch the brute. The other horses are apparently as fresh as the morning I left the Victoria River. Jingle and I took a ride for three miles down the creek which runs W.N.W. through the plains. I found another long pool of water, but fast drying up. We went to the top of the next ridge togetaprood view of the range. I must still,-1 see, keep 10° west of N. by compass. I observed a high mountain' in that direction with a remarkable gap in it. If a large river running to the west does not rise thereaboti's I am much deceived. I expect to cross Leichard's track again to-morrow; of course whether we see it will depend upon whether he was still travelling in a rainy season or not. The ground dries up here very quick. The thermometer from 12 to 2 p in., was 96 ° in the shade ; • the aneriod is 29-4. I marked a tree FW and another near it, RSV The —- 18th Oct. 20- •■■• 18G1 tracks of three blacks were seen this morning, they had passed up a few hours before we reached this (Saturday morning.) I have been much misled by a watca. I got in llockhampton. I more than once found it had stopped when I compared it with_ my own, which I carry in its case packed in the pistol box. It now appears'that this must have taken place ■when. I was travelling, not after I ;had come into camp, as I supposed, for my observations taken from two different stars this morning our latitude is 21 cleg. £0 mm., twenty miles more north than my dead reckoning, which previously never differed from the observations more than three miles. We have- travelled over some very good downs since leaving the sandstone. Near the ranges the grass is sufficiently thick, but as they slope down to the plain it gets thinner and thinner. Saturday, 19th October. —Started at eight, travelled bo wetl, that by 12.30 we had completed our seventeen miles. We crossed some fine downs ;at the end of the first four miles we crossed a creek running W.S. W., at the end of two more miles we crossed another, creek running S.W,, and another mile and a half brought us to a third which ran S.S.W., three more miles pulled up the last of the waters of the Thomson watershed. This one was running south. We were now rising; fast, aud we travelled two miles upon a plateau of downs. Seeing the gap I have spoken of a little on my right, I altered my course from ten degrees west of north by compass, to north, and three miles more on the same plateau took me to it. I now turned down' the opposite fall ten degrees west of north by compass, and iii three miles pulled up a large creek running in three and sometimes more channels. This creek is running W.N.W., and is evidently the beginning of a large river. Some very high mountains are now close to us to the north. The aneroid is now 29.2, or 29.19. The gap we have crossed could have been very little under the height of the main range: where we crossed it then the aneroid was 28.9. (Camp No. 21.) Sunday, 20th October. —Sunday morning, thermometer at daylight, 06. A horse of mine called Camelaroj', and an old stager, not being satisfied with the j grass, took seventeen horses back with him to the last camp; we consequently did not get away until 12. I!"steered N.N.W. by compass for twelve miles over fine very high basaltic downs, but thinly grassed in some places ; we passed a tributary of; the creek or river we camped on last night ; and camped on a much larger head of the same river, which j have now called the Haughton, and after my companion, Mr. Kichard Haughton; the -other head I have called the Camelaroy. .We unfortunately distured three blacks, and thus failed in having an interview. They left very much worn iron tomahawks in this camp, and I have added three new ones to it. The hole here, though of great size and depth, is, nearly dry. There does not appear to have been any of the heavy rains here which tell on the Victoria, as well as on the coast, Li July and August. There is no appearance of spring; the carrots, instead of being green, like what they were on the Alice waters, have lor the last few days been quite brown and brittle. A very high mountain, E.N.E; from the camp (No. 22) I have called Mount Gilbee. after Dr. Gilbee, ■who moved the 'resolution that I should lead this party. "" "' ■' :' ' : Monday, 21st October.—Started at eight o'clock ; for the first five 30° west of north, when we crossed a tributary of trie Haughton; two and ft: .naif miles same course to the top of scrubby spur of the range, on which Patrick shot a" turkey. I now had to turn N. by compass to get: out on the plain, which we reached in two miles ; turned then N. by W. 12 by compass, and crossed another tributary of the Haughton.. Here Nanny gave in ; three of the men in vain looked for water, and we had to push on over a ridge for two miles and half) when! the mare would not jso any futher.. I ran down a creek W. N. W. for four miles, and then W. by N. for four miles more being enticed on from point to point by the appearance of the Bum trees, and the hope of finding water to brine Nanny on to it. 1 saw it was of no use, and turned N. W. for half a mile,and then N. by W. 10 ° or two miles, and N. by W. 8° for two miles more to the top of a gap in a mountain I have called Pollux, anotherto the east I called Castor. I had now a fine view of the country to the, north, and with my glass saw gura trees across a plain about five miles off. One of the pack horses here gave in, and we had to leave it. We went down the slope of the downs for three miles N. by.W. 10°, and then turned N. byE. 10° two miles, to some splended reaches of wate.-, evidently the. back* water of a large river. We had, feowerer, to leave four more horses on the downs, and

it was dark before we got^our saddles off. The horses parched with thirst, having had no .water, - during a fe.irfully hot day,rnshed into the water, packs and all luckily no damage was done. A day's spell as a nutter of course. Tuesday, 22nd October.—Three of the horses came in by morning, aud Mr. Haughton and Patrick fetched the other two. . Poor Nanny I must leave to her fate, in hopes she will return to the Haughton ; luckily the nights are doliciously cool, and I gave her a bucket of water out of our water-bags. Mr. Haughton took water back to the horse we left at Mount. 1'ollux.: Jingle, in collecting the horses to-day, saw the riv.er, which he says is as big as the Dawson ; we shall cross it to-morrow, and likewise another, which I think comes round a peak 1 saw from Mount Pollux, bearing by compass 12 cleg. E. of north. Marked a tree FW. The downs here are well grassed, and if the 23 . . climate k not too hot, this is as good sheep country as any in Australia. I have no doubt that permanent water is to be found near this, but that at our camp would not stard more than seven or eight months. Wednesday, 23rd Oct.—Made a very badstart, owing to the horses having split into so many different mobs ; it was ten o'clock when we left the camp. Within half a-mile N.-N.W. by compass we crossed the river, which is a sandy dry- channel 90 yards wide, this is an immense width, considering how high we are, the aneroid standing at 29.15; five miles from the camp, on the same course, we cossed a large tributary, twothirds of the width of the man river, which I have named the Barkly, after the Governor of Victoria. Two.miles more N.N.W. brought us to the top of a basalt ridge, and as a range was now in our way, I turned 32 ° W. of N. for two and a half miles to the top of another ridge, having crossed a small channel. ' I now turned 55 ° VV. of N. for one mile and then W. for one mile to'a small creek with two temporary waterholes and good grass. As I must. cross the range, which 1 take to be a spur of the main range, I camped here, not wishing to attempt more to-day, lam glad to see the horses are as fresh again as. ever; I hoped to-cross Leichardt's track, but we have seen ho signs of it. As the Barkly is running N.W. 1 think it probable he followed it as long as it kept that course. 1 suppose this river, wfyich I expect receives large tributaries froni the north, is a principal feeder of Stuart's great Jake, and that Lyre's Creek flows into it; if so, Burke must have pulled it up. Camp No. 2-1. The thermometer this "morning at daylight was 61 °, this evening at sundown 8o °. The aneroid 2915. Night squally, and aneroid rose t029'25. Thursday, 24th October.—l expected to make a good start this morning, bnt seven of the horses went some distance up the creek to some water, which Jemmy Cargara says he thinks is permanent. This delayed us until 9.30. When I got to the top of the range I found I was on an extensive basaltic tabletana. The aneroid stood at 28 0. The range with a ■ peak -which I saw from Mount Pollux, stood in tho ' midst of this tableland, and now bore 5 deg. W of iV. by compass, 'i "syo very high mountains were seen about eighteen miles off, one ten deg. E. of N., and the other 20 deg. E. of N.. -The basalt was distressing to the .horses, and we could not average two miles an hour. At. the end of three and a half miles, 30 deg. W, of N., we were pulled up by a deep ravine, with a large creek at the bottom. The ravine was lined with elifis of basalt columns, and it was -with some difficulty we found a slope of debris not too steep for our descent, and then great care had to be taken. On reaching the foot of the cliils, we ran down the creek for* three miles, W. by N., to a fine pool, where we 'camped, having been five hours doing this short distance. I forgot to mark the tree »t this camp. It blight to have been 25* The creek I have called the Jingle, after one of our men. Friday, 25th October.—Made a fair start at 7.45 a.m. I followed down the Jingle as I wished to clear the basaltic ranges if possible; this took me two miles W.N.W., four miles W. by N., 10°, two miles W. two miles W. by S. 12 °, and then one mile S.W. by W., brought us to a pool where we watered the horses; within half a mile W. by N. Wenowjoined the Barkly River one mile W. by N., 10° to a bit of downs. I now saw that a spur of the same basaltic ranges must make the Barkly run W.S.W., and as there was no help for it I steered in that direction, crossing the river and camping at the end of three miles at a fine pool of. water with good grass 'and open country—the beau ideal of a camp which I have marked F.W. The large tributary, which I have called the Macadam, after the Secretary of the Victorian Exploration Committee, must have joined the;Barklyat the back of a spur-I see from here, bearing 30 ° S. of E. I had a view of both of them from the table-land, and thena plain separated them. We have had lots of pigeons at this camp, a lagoon about half a mile 'from here is reported by Rodney to be permanent, I shall probably see it to-morrow. The day has been very hot, and yet not oppresively so, owing to a breeze which, r although blowing from the W.S.W., was,! strange to say, cool. We have generally had cool breezes from the east hitherto, at night especially. After- sundown the thermometer was 100, aneroid 29-2.

[To be Continued.']