Stuart continues to search for a path forward |
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| Title : | Stuart continues to search for a path forward |
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| Creator : | Stuart, John McDouall | ||
| Source : | Diary, 29 November 1860 to 3 July 1861 | ||
| Format : | Diary | ||
| Contributor : | Royal Geographical Society of South Australia Inc | ||
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| Description : |
John McDouall Stuart continued his search for a way forward from Newcastle Waters, named by him Glandfield Lagoon. On 27 May 1861 he was exploring to the east towards Sturt's Plains. The prospect ahead was of scrubby sand-hills. He believed that the Lagoon was the point to which all waters in this area drained. He again changed his course, but finally decided that there was no way forward in this region. The following day Stuart and his party found 14 of the expedition's horses missing. After rounding these up Stuart viewed the prospect ahead from the top of a tree, but saw only open plains. He decided to return to the Lagoon and try to proceed to the west. Immense flocks of pigeons were seen flying in the direction of the Lagoon from every direction. The following day with Thring, Woodforde and Wall he followed an Aboriginal path to the west. The party camped that night without discovering water. They again encountered thick scrub, mulga of a different type from that encountered previously and what Stuart described as 'hedge-tree' presumably a particularly dense scrub or bush. Again they found no water but for the last five miles spinifex and sandy soils began to appear. Stuart continued to search for a viable path forward from Glandfield Lagoon throughout June. While small progress was made, provisions were running low. The men's clothes were in tatters from the dense scrub, and importantly their supply of horseshoes was also running low. As their lives depended on the condition of their horses, Stuart was scrupulous in his attention to them. Finally on 12 July 1861, he decided to abandon the search for a route to the north coast and began the return march to Adelaide. |
| Subjects | |
| Related names : | Stuart, John McDouall, 1815-1866 |
| Coverage year : | 1861 |
| Place : | Newcastle Waters (N.T.) |
| Further reading : | Webster, M. S. John McDouall Stuart: his character and personal qualities Adelaide [S. Aust.]: Libraries Board of South Australia, 1964 Stokes, Edward, Across the Centre: John McDouall Stuart's expeditions, 1860-62 St. Leonards, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin, 1996 John McDouall Stuart's explorations, 1858-1862: South Australian parliamentary papers 1858-1863 Adelaide : Friends of the State Library of South Australia, 2001 Webster, M. S. John McDouall Stuart [Carlton]: Melbourne University Press, 1958 Stuart, John McDouall, Explorations in Australia: the journals of John McDouall Stuart during the years 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, & 1862 ... Carlisle, W.A.: Hesperian Press, 1984 |
| Internet links : | Dictionary of Australian biography: see Stuart, John McDouall |
| Exhibitions and events : | State Library of South Australia: Mortlock Wing. Taking it to the edge August 2004- |
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