Journals of expeditions of discovery into Central Australia,
and overland from Adelaide to King George's Sound, in the years
1840-1
sent by the colonists of South Australia, with the sanction and
support of the government
by
Edward John Eyre
Table of Contents
Origin of the expedition — Contemplated exploration to
the westward — Meeting of the Colonists, and subscriptions
entered into for that purpose — Notes on the unfavourable
Nature of the country to the westward, and proposal that the
Northern interior should be examined instead — Make an offer
To the Governor to conduct such an expedition — Captain
Sturt’s lecture — Interview with the Governor —
Arrangement of plans — Preparation of outfit — Cost of
Expedition — Name a day for departure — Public
Breakfast and commencement of the undertaking
First night’s encampment with party — Reflections
— Arrival at sheep station — Re-Arrangements of
Loads — Method of carrying fire-Arms — Complete
The number of the party — Their names — Move onwards
— Valley of the light — Extensive plains — Head
of the Gilbert — Scarcity of firewood — GrassY
Well-Watered districts — The Hill and Hutt rivers
— Indication of change going on in appearance and character
of the country, traceable in the remains of timber in the plains
and in the openings among scrubs — The Broughton —
Reedy watercourse — Campbell’s range — Course of
The Broughton
Spring Hill — An aged native deserted by his tribe
— Rich and Extensive plains — Surprise a party of
Natives — Rocky river — Crystal brook — Flinders
Range — The deep spring — Myall ponds — Rocky
Water holes — Dry watercourse — Reach the depot near
Mount arden — Prepare for leaving the party — Black
Swans pass to the north — Arrival of the waterwitch
Make arrangements for getting up stores from the waterwitch
— Leave the party — Salt watercourse — Mount eyre
— Aspect of the country — Lake torrens — Return
Towards the hills — Native female — Saline character of
The country — Mount deception — Reach the eastern hills
— Large watercourses — Water hole in a rock —
Grassy but hilly country — Running stream — Ascend a
Range — Return homewards — Decay of trees in the
Watercourses — Shoot a kangaroo — Arrive at the depot
— Bury stores — Make preparatious for leaving —
Seud despatches to the vessel
Break up the encampment — Arrive at depot pool —
Geological character of the country — Barometers out of order
— Advance to reconnoitre — Ascend termination hill
— Surprise native women — They abandon their children
— Ineffectual search for water — Return towards mount
Deception — Broken character of the country — Find
Water — The scott — Rejoin the party — Water all
Used at the depot — Embarrassing circumstances — Remove
to the Scott — Reconnoitre in advance — Barren country
— Table-Topped elevations — Indications of the
violent action of water — Meet natives — Reach lake
Torrens — The water salt — Obliged to return —
Arrival at depot — Hostile demonstrations of the
Natives.
Cause of hostility of the Natives — Well sunk
Unsuccessfully — Overseer sent to the east — The scott
Examined — Rock wallubies — Overseer’S Return
— Another visit to Lake Torrens — Boggy character of
Its bed — Extraordinary effects of mirage and refraction
— Return to the camp — Supply of water exhausted
— Leave the depot — The mundy — The burr —
Mount Serle — Lake Torrens to the East — Melancholy
Prospects
Excursion to the north-East — Trace down the frome
— Water becomes salt — Pass beyond the ranges —
Cockatoos seen — Heavy rains — Dry watercourseS —
Mount distance — Brine springs — Mount hopeless —
Termination of flinders range — Lake torrens to the North and
to the East — All further advance hopeless — Young emus
Caught — Rejoin party — Move back towards Mount Arden
— Loss of a horse — Arrive at the depot — Plans
For the future — Take up stores — Prepare for
Leaving
Proceed to the westward — Channel of communication
Between lake torrens and spencer’S gulf —
Baxter’s range — Divide the party — Route towards
Port lincoln — Scrub — Fruitless search for water
— Send dray back for water — Plundered by the Natives
— Return of dray — Dense scrub — Refuge rocks
— Dense scrub — Salt creek — Mount Hill —
Dense scrub — Large watercourse — Arrive at a station
— Rich and grassy valleys — Character of Port Lincoln
Peninsula — Unable to procure supplies — Engage a boat
to send over to Adelaide — Buy sheep
Boy speared by the Natives — Anomalous state of our
relations with the Aborigines — Mr. Scott sails for Adelaide
— Dog bought — Mr. Scott’s return — Cutter
Waterwitch sent to co-operate — Send her to Streaky Bay
— Leave Port Lincoln with the dray — Level sandy
country clothed with brush and shrubs — Salt lakes —
Mount Hope — Lake Hamilton — Stony country — Lose
a dog — Better country — Wedge Hill — Lake
Newland — A boat harbour — Mount Hall — Rejoin
party at Streaky Bay — Singular spring — Character of
country — Beds of oysters
Country between Streaky Bay and Baxter’s Range —
Its scrubby character — Gawler Range — Mount Sturt
— Ascend a peak — Salt lakes — Beautiful flower
— Ascend another hILL — Mount Brown seen —
Extensive view to the north — Lake Gilles —
Baxter’s Range
Embark stores — Party leave Streaky Bay — Dense
scrub — Point Brown — Singular well — Process of
change in appearance of country — Dig for water —
Friendly Natives — Extraordinary rite — Native guides
— Leipoa’s nest — Denial Bay — Beelimah
Gaippe — Kangaroo killed — More Natives —
Berinyana Gaippe — Salt lakes — Wademar Gaippe —
Sandy and scrubby country — Mobeela Gaippe — Difficulty
of getting water — More Natives — Genuine hospitality
— Singular marks on the abdomen — Natives leave the
party — Fowler’s Bay — Excellent whaling
Station.
Land the stores and send the cutter to Denial Bay — Party
remove to Point Fowler — Leave the party — Beds of
lakes — Dense scrub — Coast sand-drifts —
Fruitless search for water — Distress of the horses —
Turn back — Leave a horse — Find water — Rejoin
party — Send for the horse — Country around depot
— Take a dray to the westward — Wretched country
— Fall in with Natives — Misunderstand their signs
— They leave us — Vain search for water — Turn
back — Horse knocked up — Go back for water —
Rejoin the dray — Commence return — Search for water
— Dray surrounded by Natives — Embarrassing situation
— Bury baggage — Three horses abandoned — Reach
the sand-Drifts — Unsuccessful attempts to save the
horses — Send for fresh horses — Search for water to
north-east — Recover the dray and stores — Rejoin
the party at depot near Point Fowler — Return of the
Cutter
Future plans — Reduce the number of the party —
Send the Cutter to Adelaide — Report to the governor —
Monotonous life at camp — Remove to another locality —
Geological character of the country — Flint found —
Again attempt to reach the head of the Bight — Reach the
Sand-Hills, and bury flour — Friendly Natives —
Exhausted state of the horses — Get the dray to the plain
— Bury water — Send back dray — Proceed with
pack-horse — Oppressive heat — Send back
pack-horse — Reach the head of the Bight —
Surprise some Natives — Their kind behaviour —
Yeer-Kumban-Kauwe — Their account of the
Interior
Proceed to the westward — Cliff’s of the great
Bight — Level nature of the Interior — Flints abound
— Return to Yeer-Kumban-Kauwe — Natives
come to the camp — Their generous conduct — Meet the
overseer — Return to depot — Bad water — Move
back to Fowler’s Bay — Arrival of the Cutter Hero
— Joined by the King George’s Sound native —
Instructions relative to the Hero — Difficulty of fixing upon
any future plan — Break up the expedition and divide the
party — Mr. Scott embarks — Final report — the
Hero sails — Overseer and Natives Remain — Excursion to
the North — A native joins us — Sudden illness in the
party — Final preparations for leaving the depot
Return of Mr. Scott in the Hero — Mr. Scott again sails
for Adelaide — Commence journey to the westward —
Opportune arrival at the Sand-Hills — Large flies
— Take on the sheep — Leave the overseer with the
horses — Reach Yeer-Kumban-Kauwe — Joined
by the Overseer — Tormenting flies again — Move on with
the sheep — Leave Overseer to follow with the horses —
Character of country along the Bight — Scenery of the cliffs
— Leave the sheep — Anxiety about water — Reach
the termination of the cliffS — Find Water
Go back to meet the Overseer — Party arrive at the water
— Long encampment — Geological formation of the cliffs
— Move on again — Dig for water — Traces of
Natives — Send back for water — Parrots seen —
Cool winds from North-East — Overseer returns —
Continue the journey — Abandon baggage — Dense scrubs
— Driven to the beach — Meet Natives — Mode of
procuring water from roots
Horses begin to knock up — Compelled to follow round the
Beach — Timor pony unable to proceed — Gloomy prospects
— Overseer begins to despond — Two more horses left
behind — Fragments of wrecks — Water all consumed
— Collect dew — Change in character of country —
Dig a well — Procure water — Native and family visit us
— Overseer goes back for baggage — Disastrous
termination of his journey — Situation and prospects of the
Party
GO back with a native — Spear Sting-Rays —
Recover the baggage — Cold weather — Overseer
reconnoitres the cliffS — Unfavourable report —
Difference of opinion as to best plans for the future — Kill
a horse for food — Injurious effects from meat diet —
Native boys become disaffected — they steal provisions
— Native boys desert the party — They return almost
starved — Party proceed onwards to the westward —
Cliffs of the Bight — Country behind them — Threatening
weather — Murder of the Overseer
The camp plundered — Night of horrors — Proceed on
to the westward — The boys follow us — They are left
behind — Forced marches — Desert country —
Banksias met with — Traces of Natives — Termination of
the CliffS — Find Water
Reflections upon situation — Watch for the arrival of the
Native boys — Their probable fate — Proceed on the
Journey — Facility of obtaining water — Kill a horse
for food — Silver-Bark Tea-Tree — Intense
cold — First hills seen — Good grass — Appetite
of a native — Injurious effects of unwholesome diet —
Change in the character of the country — Granite forms the
low water level — Tree washed on shore —
Indisposition
Heavy road — A young kangaroo shot — Grassy country
— Point Malcolm — Traces of its having been visited by
Europeans — Grass-Trees met with — A kangaroo
killed — Catch fish — Get another kangaroo — Crab
hunting — Renew the journey — Casuarinae met with
— Cross the level bank — Low country behind it —
Cape Arid — Salt water creek — Xamia seen —
Cabbage Tree of the sound — Fresh water lake — More
salt streams — Opossums caught — Flag reeds found
— Fresh water streams — Boats seen — Meet with a
Whaler
Go on board the Mississippi — Wet weather — Visit
Lucky Bay — Interview with Natives — Wylie understands
their language — Get the horses shod — Prepare to leave
the vessel — Kindness and liberality of Captain Rossiter
— Renew journey to the westward — Fossil formation
still continues — Salt water streams and lakes — A
large salt river — Character of the country
Large watercourse — Lake of fresh water — Heavy
rains — Reach Mount Barren — Salt lakes and streams
— Barren scrubby country — Ranges behind King
George’s Sound are seen — Brackish ponds — Pass
Cape Riche — A large salt river — Chains of ponds
— Good land — Heavily timbered country — Cold
weather — Fresh lake — The Candiup River —
King’s River — Excessive rains — Arrival at King
George’s Sound, and termination of the Expedition —
Reception of Wylie by the Natives
Concluding remarks
Description of some new australian animals, by J. E. Gray, Esq.
F.R.S.
Catalogue of reptiles and fish, found at King George’s Sound,
by Deputy Assistant Commissary — General Neill. The Reptiles
named and arranged by J. E. Gray, Esq., and the Fish by Dr.
Richardson
Description and figures of four new species of Australian insects,
by adam white, Esq. M.E.S.
Description of two new invertebrated animals from Australia, by J.
E. Gray, Esq. F.R.S.
Description of some new australian lepidopterous insects, by Edward
Doubleday, Esq. F.R.S. etc.
List of birds known to inhabit southern Australia, by John Gould,
Esq. F.R.S.
