Journals of Australian Explorations Part 50

SUBTOTAL : 27/12/2.

INSTRUMENTS, ETC.

1 s.e.xtant : 10/0/0.

1 Prismatic Compa.s.s : 3/0/0.

1 Artificial Horizon : 4/0/0.

4 Pocket Compa.s.ses : 1/0/0.

2 Aneroid Barometers : 7/0/0.

3 Thermometers : 1/1/0.

1 Lever Watch : 9/0/0.

Stationery : 5/0/0.

SUBTOTAL : 40/1/0.

CLOTHING.

20 Trousers, at 7 s.h.i.+llings : 7/0/0.

20 Serge s.h.i.+rts, at 6 s.h.i.+llings : 6/0/0.

20 Cotton s.h.i.+rts, at 3 s.h.i.+llings : 3/0/0.

20 Pairs of Boots, at 15 s.h.i.+llings : 15/0/0.

14 Blankets, at 10 s.h.i.+llings : 7/0/0.

14 Oiled Capes, at 10 s.h.i.+llings : 7/0/0.

SUBTOTAL : 45/0/0.

TOTAL EQUIPMENT : 2521/7/8.

CONTINGENCIES.

Medical Stores and Drugs : 20/0/0.

Petty Contingencies : 50/0/0.

Collection and Forage for Horses prior to starting : 100/0/0.

Freights and Pa.s.sages from Sydney to Moreton Bay : 50/0/0.

Conveyance of Stores from Brisbane to Surat : 200/0/0.

Contingent Expenses in the Collection of the Party at Surat : 100/0/0.

TOTAL CONTINGENCIES : 520/0/0.

SALARIES.

Commander, 9 months, 600 pounds per annum : 450/0/0.

a.s.sistant, 7 months, 300 pounds per annum : 175/0/0.

Overseer, 6 months, at 150 pounds per annum : 75/0/0.

4 Stockmen, 6 months, at 2 pounds per week : 208/0/0.

1 Aboriginal Stockman, 6 months : 20/0/0.

Leader of the Auxiliary Party, 3 months : 75/0/0.

4 Stockmen, 3 months : 104/0/0.

1 Aboriginal Stockman, 3 months : 10/0/0.

TOTAL SALARIES : 1117/0/0.

RECAPITULATION.

EQUIPMENT : 2521/7/8.

CONTINGENT EXPENSES : 520/0/0.

SALARIES : 1117/0/0.

TOTAL : 4158/7/8.

A.C. GREGORY.

Sydney, 16th September, 1857.

1858. LEGISLATIVE a.s.sEMBLY, NEW SOUTH WALES.

EXPEDITION IN SEARCH OF DR. LEICHHARDT.

REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS.

ORDERED BY THE LEGISLATIVE a.s.sEMBLY TO BE PRINTED, 1 SEPTEMBER, 1858.

REPORT OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE EXPEDITION IN SEARCH OF DR. LEICHHARDT AND PARTY.

8TH DECEMBER, 1857, TO 11TH JANUARY, 1858.

Having received instructions from the Honourable the Secretary for Lands and Public Works to organise an expedition for the purpose of searching for traces of Dr. Leichhardt and party, who left New South Wales in 1848 with the intention of proceeding overland to Western Australia, I proceeded to Moreton Bay with such portions of the equipment as had been prepared in Sydney. On reaching Ipswich forty horses were purchased, and having despatched the stores to Mr. Royd's station, on the Dawson River, by drays, the party were collected at that place; but, owing to unforeseen delays in the transport of the stores, the equipment and organisation of the expedition was not complete till the latter part of March.

The following list of the party, horses, stores, etc., will show the princ.i.p.al arrangements.

The party consisted of nine persons, namely: Commander A.C. Gregory; a.s.sistant commander, C.F. Gregory; a.s.sistant, S. Burgoyne; overseer, G.

Phibbs; stockmen, etc., R. Bowman, W. Selby, T. Dunn, W. von Wedel, and D. Worrell. The stock consisted of horses alone, comprising thirty-one pack and nine saddle horses, completely equipped. Provisions comprised the dried meat of two bullocks and four sheep, weighing, as butcher's meat, 16 hundredweight; but when dried and the bones removed, reduced to 300 pounds. In addition to this 500 pounds bacon, 1600 pounds flour, 100 pounds rice, 350 pounds sugar, 60 pounds tea, 40 pounds tobacco, and some minor articles. The arms and ammunition were: one minie rifle, eight double-barrel guns, nine revolver pistols, 25 pounds gunpowder, 150 pounds shot and b.a.l.l.s, percussion caps, etc. For the conveyance of water two leather water-bags were provided, each holding five gallons, besides which each of the party was furnished with a water-bag of India-rubber holding three pints. The tents were made of calico, each suited for the accommodation of two persons, and the several articles of camp equipage were of the lightest construction consistent with the service required.

The instruments employed were an eight-inch s.e.xtant, box-s.e.xtant, prismatic compa.s.ses, pocket compa.s.ses, double axis compa.s.s, aneroid barometers, thermometers, and artificial horizon, etc. Including forty sets of horse-shoes, farrier's and carpenter's tools, together with sundry material for repairs, etc., the total weight of the equipment was about 4,600 pounds, exclusive of the saddles and harness, which gave an average load of 150 pounds as the net load carried by each pack-horse.

THE PARTY START FROM JUANDA STATION.

24th March to 27th March.

These arrangements being complete, the expedition left Juanda, and proceeded by the road to Mr. Cardew's station at Euroomba, from which, under the guidance of Mr. Bolton--whose local knowledge was of material service--we made our way through the dense scrubs and broken country to the west for about thirty miles, to the head of Scott's Creek, a small tributary of the Dawson River.

29th March.

The general course was now west-north-west through a country with rich gra.s.sy valleys and dense scrubs of brigalow acacia on the higher ground.

Green gra.s.s was abundant at this time; but I fear that in seasons of drought few of the waterholes are permanent; the timber consists of ironbark, box, and a few other species of eucalyptus--the brigalow acacia attaining the height of thirty feet; soft brown sandstones of the coal measures are the prevailing rock, forming hills with table summits.

2nd April.

With some difficulty, owing to the dense scrubs, we crossed the basaltic ridge which divides the eastern waters flowing to the Dawson River from those trending to the west into the basin of the Maranoa River, a tributary of which--probably the Merivale River--was followed westward.

The country became more sandy, timbered with ironbark, cypress, etc. The whole was, however, well gra.s.sed, and suited for grazing, if not too heavily stocked.

5th April.

Reaching the Maranoa River in about lat.i.tude 25 degrees 45 minutes, water was scarcely procurable in the sandy bed, and we had to dig wells to obtain a supply.

7th April to 12th April.

Warned by the fact that Messrs. H. Gregory and Haly had been unable to penetrate the country to the west from scarcity of water, even three months earlier in the season, we followed up the Maranoa to Mount Owen, and having found a sufficient supply of water and gra.s.s for a few days'