FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   248   249   250   251   252   253   254   255   256   257   258   259   260   261   262   263   264   265   266   267   268   269   270   271   272  
273   274   275   276   277   278   279   280   281   282   283   284   285   286   287   288   289   290   291   292   293   294   295   >>  
sandhills. After sighting this lake we turned West to the ranges, therefore had two lakes existed in this latitude we must have crossed the second, which we did not do. Many things go to prove that Warburton's positions are incorrect; I think I can show how, by moving his route bodily on the chart about eighteen miles to the East, a more accurate map will result. My own experience alone would not be conclusive, except that my work fits in with that of Forrest, Gregory, and Tietkens, where my route crosses theirs; but taken in conjunction with others it proves of value. In crossing the Colony, Warburton failed to connect with Gregory's traverse at the end of the Sturt as he intended, and on approaching his destination (the Oakover River) expressed surprise that he had not reached it a day or two before. Therefore he was not confident of the accuracy of his reckoning. Two parties, one led by Mr. Buchanan, a noted bushman, another by Mr. Smith, set out from the end of the Sturt to cross the desert, made several unsuccessful attempts to locate some waters of Warburton's, though no distance away, and returned satisfied that nothing could be gained by further travelling. Mr. Smith told me that he had located "Bishop's Dell," but placed it due south of the Salt Sea instead of S.S.W, as shown by Warburton. Mr. Wells eventually found Joanna Spring twenty miles East of Warburton's position. This correction is of greater value than any, since Mr. Wells is considered one of the best surveyors in the South Australian Service. A combination of the above experiences shows, I think conclusively, that Colonel Warburton's route, at least on the West Australian side of the boundary, should be shifted bodily eighteen or twenty miles to the Eastward. Considering the hard trials that Colonel Warburton and his party went through, there is small wonder that he found great difficulty in keeping any sort of reckoning. From the journal of this traveller I take the following description of the country round the lake: "We found good feed for the camels here, but the sandhills appear to be increasing in number and size. We have got amongst the half-dried salt lagoons, so our further progress North-West is cut off. . . we are quite amongst the salt-lakes, a large one lies to the West of us, sending out its arms to every point. We must round the eastern end of them, as camels and salt-bogs don't agree at all. . . We tried to cross but ha
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   248   249   250   251   252   253   254   255   256   257   258   259   260   261   262   263   264   265   266   267   268   269   270   271   272  
273   274   275   276   277   278   279   280   281   282   283   284   285   286   287   288   289   290   291   292   293   294   295   >>  



Top keywords:

Warburton

 

Gregory

 

camels

 
reckoning
 

twenty

 
Colonel
 

Australian

 

bodily

 

sandhills

 
eighteen

boundary

 

ranges

 

conclusively

 

shifted

 

trials

 

Eastward

 

Considering

 
experiences
 
Service
 
existed

position

 

correction

 
Spring
 

Joanna

 

eventually

 

latitude

 

greater

 
difficulty
 

combination

 

surveyors


considered

 

journal

 

sending

 

progress

 

eastern

 

lagoons

 

description

 
country
 

turned

 
traveller

number

 

sighting

 

increasing

 

keeping

 

Colony

 

crossing

 

failed

 

connect

 

traverse

 

proves