SPECTATOWS-LIIIMA.

TRAVIL.%

Ijarrative.of an Expedition into. Central Australia, performed under the Authority.of 'Tabs Ilajesty'8GovernmeUt, deringthe years 1844, '5, and '6. Together with a No- Otitie f the Province of South Australia in 1847. By Captain Charles Start, P.L.S., tti:„Afs.; Author of " Two Expeditions into Southern Anstraila." In two M ms ... Boone. r „ i“,... .

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The'llARCAShire. Vittebes:. a Romance of Pendle Forest, By William. En.4111011- Ainswert.h, Esq. - In. three volumes . Coitus. rosier, ' - , . , . . . . . . ., . . ,_, Lay46f the Scottish Cavalier% And other Poems. By William Edinondstone .A.,y, toRn, Profeepov of Rhetoric and the Bthes Laws in the University of Witnburaru .1 MISCELLXAWCIS LITESATURS, IllackipOod and Sons. X. Y. r 'A Saityricaliterary Pocketbook, fOr 1848.- Edited by • an • Unfained' One. [X. Y. Z. Satyrisch-Ilterarisches Taschenbuch lily 1898. Heran.sgegeben von Einem Unberfiluuten] _ _ .__ _.. .. .___ . _ _ . _. Leipeic.

EXPEDlYtION INTO CENTRAL AUSTRALIA.

A GLANCE at a map of Australia will show the reader that the coast dis- tricts of the Southern sectrop of it are occupied by the settlements of New South Wales, Port Phillip, South Australia, and Swan River : so that the features of the continent thereabouts are well enough known. The military post of Port Essington, the two exploring journies of Grey, and the various nautical surveying expeditions that have been from time to time undertaken, have contributed to make us pretty well acquainted with the coast features of the Northern section. The expeditions of Sturt, MitChell, and Leichardt, have traversed and virtually surveyed the entire length of the continent along a medium parallel of 142° East longitude. But what kind of a place is the interior, extending over some ten or twelve degrees of latitude and some twenty of longitude ? Is there, as some suppose, a great inland sea—" elephants for want of towns " ; or is it a desert, more inhospitable than that of Africa ? or is it, as seems to us probable, an aggravated likeness of the other parts of the continent— low mountain ranges, sterile sandy plains, with occasionally profitless vege- tation, and occasionally. an oasis where there is water ? To answer these questions it one of the few geographical problems yet unsolved. Stokes, starting from about the 15th degree of South latitude and the 129th de- gree of East longitude, Was checked while distant five hundred miles from the centre • Eyre, proCeeding from South Australia, was stopped by the Torrens salt lake, and the saline desert round it, and compelled to return after undergoing terrible sufferings. Captain Start, in the expedition under review, approached nearer the centre than his predecessors; having been within a hundred and fifty miles of his desired point, when failing health, the worn-out condition of his horses, the doubts as to finding water in their advance, and the certainty that by longer delay the scanty pools they had left behind them would be dried up and their retreat cut oft; compelled the veteran Australian explorer to retreat. Captain Start's expedition, however, has not been fruitless. His explorations indicate a way by which, in a favourable season, the centre of Australia may yet be reached, unless Leichardt's present expedition should supersede its necessity. The course pursued by Captain Sturt was to ascend the river Darling till its channel trends towards New South Wales at Laidlaw's Ponds. From this place the course was North by West, leaving the valley of Lake Torrens on the left ; though an excursion-party approached sufficiently near that desolate region to observe some of its landmarks. The extreme Northerly point he reached was 241 degrees of South lati- tude in East longitude 138°; his actual exploration extending over eight degrees of latitude and four of longitude. The region he passed over had several characteristics. Soon after leaving the Darling, he found himself entangled in a range of low bare mountains, which opposed constant ob- stacles to the advance of the expedition, from the rocky nature of the ground and the difficulty of finding a road. When these were left be- hind, plains were met with not generally differing from those in the known interior, except in greater ruggedness and barrenness. After these were passed, another range of highlands was encountered, inhos- pitable enough, yet better than the first, and luckily containing an oasis in which water and grass were found in comparative abundance. At this depot the expedition was detained for six months ; excursion-parties showing that movement either to the West, the North, or the East, was impossible till a fall of rain. In July, three days of steady rain swelled the streams, and gave a prospect of advancing with success. But the ex- cessive heat of the weather, the depressing effects of the long delay, the hardships to which the explorers were exposed, together with uniformity of diet, had indaeed disease. Captain Sturt and some others were at- tacked by scurvy; Mr. Poole, the assistant officer, was dying. To spare provisions and facilitate the advance, as well as to provide a point d'appui on his return, Captain Sturt sent back some of his party to Laidlaw Ponds, and pushed on with the rest in lighter marching order. But he soon found that it would be advisable to form another depot, while him- self with one of his officers and some picked men proceeded on tentative explorations. This depot, Fort Grey, was situated towards the verge of the highlands, in latitude 29° and longitude 141°; and from it our author proceeded to try his way in various directions, West, North-west, North, and East. In each attempt, (except perhaps towards the East, which was not his way,) the nature of the country, the condition of men and horses, the diminishing supplies of their only sustenance flour and tea, and more than all, the prospect that the pools behind them, "few and far between," might be dried up, compelled their return. And it was just in time. The officer at Fort Grey, in obedience to discretionary orders, bad Men back to the first depot ; the water at the Fort having turned 'putrid, and seriously affected the men. When Captain Strut readied the station, Some of his horses had died ; he was barely able himself to keep the saddle from illness ; and the scanty supply at the old depot might not only become exhausted, but suggested the terrible thought that all the4i2gls ,between them and the Darling were dry al- ready. Explorations oonffirned this inference as to the vicinity, and there was a doubt even about the largest pool. "We were now aware that there could be no water nearer to us than 118 miles, L e. at Flood's Creek; and even there it.was doubtful if water any longerremained. To have moved the party on the chance of finding it would have been madness: the weather was so foreboding, the heat so exceesive, and the homes so weak, that I did notdare to trust them on such a journey, or to risk the'llfe of any man in such an undertaking. I was myself laid up, a helpless being; for I had gradually sunk under the attack of scurvy which had so long ' hung upon me. The day after .I arrived in camp I was unable to walk: in a day or, two more, my nonscslea became .rigid. my limb* contracted, and 1 was unable to stir:gra- duagy,also my skip blackened, the least movement put me to torture, and I was redlicial- to a state of perfect picetration. Thus stricken down, when my ex- ample and energies were so much required fbr the welfare and safety of others, I found the value of Mr. Itrowne's services and counsel. Ile had already volun- teered to go to Flood's Creek to ascertain if Inter was 80 to be procured in it, but I hadrnot fait justified in availing.myself of.laia.offek ,,,I41, mind, however, dwelling on the critical posture of our affairs, and knowing;sad feeling as I did. the value of tiiiie, and that the burning sun would lick up tiny shallow pool that might be left exposed, and that three or four days might determine our captivity or our release, I sent for Mr. BrOwne; -to Consult' with him as to the best course to be adopted in the trying situation in-which we were placed; and a plan at length occurred by which L. hoped ha might venture era the jaurn.ey to Flood* Creek without risk. This plan was toshoet ripe of the bullocks, and to fill his hide with water. We determined on sending t ' in a dray, a day in adVance, tilts to enable the bullock-driver to get as far as ' ble on the read: we then ar- ranged that Mr.-Browne should take the llg t cart, with 86 gallons of water, and one horse only; that on reaching the. dray, he should give hie horse as much water as he would drink from the akin, leaving thatin the; cart, untouched until he should arrive at the termination of his second day's journey; when I proposed he should give his horse half the water, and leaving the rest unfit, the period of his return, ride the remainder of the distance he had to go. 'I saw little risk in this plan, and we accordingly acted upon it immediately: the hide was prepared, and answered well, since it easily contained 160 gallons of water. Jones pro- ceeded on the morning of the 27th; and on the 28th Mr. Browne left me on this anxious and to us important journey, accompanied by Flood. . 1Ve calculated on his return on the eighth day, and the reader will judge how anxiously those days passed. On the day Mr. Browne left me, Jones returned, after having deposited the skin at the distance of thirty-two miles. , " Oa the eighth day from his departure, every eye but: my ■lown was turned to the point at which they had seen him disappear. About three,p1m,cone of the men came to inform me that Mr. Browne was crossing the creek, the camp being on its left bank; and in a few minutes 'afterwerds he entered my tent. Wen, Browne,' said I,' what news? Is it to be good or bad?' r Tliere fa still water in the creek,' said he, ' but that is alki can say. What there is is as black as ink; and we must make haste, for in a week it will be gone.' Bens then the door was still open—a way to escape still practicable; and thankful we both felt to that Power which had directed our steps back again ere it was finally closed upon us. But even now we had 110' time to ' lose: to have taken the cattle without any prospect of relief until they should 'arrive at Flood's Creek, would have been to sacrifice almost the whole of them; atod to reduce the expedition to a condition such as I did not desire. The nedetwary steps to be taken, in the event of Mr. Browne's bringing back good tidings, had (Waged MY attention during his absence; and with his assistance, that ea which I had de- termined was immediately put into execution. I directed threeinore bullocks to be shot, and their skins prepared; and calculated that, by abandoningthe boat and our heavier stores, we might carry a supply of water on the drays, sufficient for the use of the remaining animals on the way. Three bullocks were accordingly killed; and the skins stripped over them from the neck downwards, rio that the opening might be as small as possible. " The boat was launched upon the creek, which I had vainly hoped would bave ploughed the waters of a central sea. We abandoned bur bacon and heavier stores; the drays were put into order, their wheels wedged np, their axles greased; and on the 6th of December at Seep. no. we commenced our retreat; having a. distance of 270 miles to travel to the Darling, and under circumstances which. made it extremely uncertain how we should terminate the journey, .since we did not expect to find any water between Flood's Creek and the Rocky Glen, or be- tween the Rocky Glen and the Darling itself."

By precautions like those indicated in the extract, and the good lack of finding two or three unexpected pools of water on their journey, Laid- law's Ponds were reached in safety. Many of the animals, however, owed their lives to a little rain which fell some forty hours after they had started from the depot. It was too slight to "form any puddles," but it moistened the grass ; which the animals greedily devoured, and plucked up some heart.

The general character of the country beyond Fort Grey depot was that which seems generally to obtain in the interior,—sandy plains, with occa- sional creeks of water, that after such droughts as the expedition experi- enced become exhausted. Two features, however, require notice. One is a stony desert tract several miles in width, coming from a North- eastern direction, and in Mr. Arrowsmith's opinion continuing to Lake Torrens. The other is a series of splendid creeks, in latitude about 271°, and extending as far as Captain Sturt examined them—from the 140th to the 142d degree of East longitude. This real oasis had plenty of water even in the dry season, when the explorers discovered it. In heavy rains, there is no doubt that it forms a continuous stream or flood ; and Mr. Kennedy, who lately tracked the Victoria to within a hun-

dred miles of Sturt's furthest advance Eastward, considers it a conti- nuation of that river, discovered by Sir Thomas Mitchell ; its course con- firming the doubts we expressedx as to its ever reaching the Gulf of Car- pentaria. However, Start's discovery offers a likely, means of reaching the centre of Australia, and examining the unpromising deserts to the Westward. An ,expedition starting at a favourable season, and pro-. ceecling without loss of time to Cooper's Creek by the route Captain Start had to discover, might arrive there in good condition with ample supplies. A stockaded depot, like Fort Grey, would form a head-quarters whence exploring-parties might proceed in any direction, and with no more

risk than such adventures are always exposed to.

The great characteristic of the narrative before us is endurance;. a dog- ged determination to struggle on in despite of heat, odd, thiratkaickness„, and physical obstacles, which yielded only when the death of others as well as himself stared the conductor in the face. These interior regions of

Australia offer a climatic peculiarity of great cold -and intense .heat 4 , as was felt by Mitchell in his surveying tour aloog.tbe range, of country

nearer the Eastern coast. Great variation is :elan ;felt; upon. the tables lands of Asia, and to a less degree in central Eunope.,.f.13at the extreme& seem far greater in the region traversed,by.Captairiiiiiturkswith, the fiuther peculiarity that the plains,are,lowlandok,Hpt higlesiilues,tba. level • ' - •-* 001:Won 21 Dv 1.02Bilawa AWL Ai ii 8 . trla'7,.. -to? ii- , i

Of the sea, if always so high. At the first depot, the variation of the thermometer during the six months was no less than 133 degrees, it

having fallen to 24° and risen to 157° in the sun —a degree of heat under which Captain Sturt did not think man or animals could have lived ; nor could they, but for the dryness and fineness of the Australian climate.

The effects of the heat in the camp were terrible.

"The ground was thoroughly heated to the depth of three or four feet, and the tremendous heat that prevailed had parched vegetation and drawn moisture from everything. In an air so rarified, and an atmosphere so dry, it was hardly to be expected that any experiment upon it would be attended with its usual results, or that the particles of moisture, so far separated, could be condensed by ordinary methods. The mean of the thermometer for the months of December, January, and February, had been 101°,104°, and 101° respectively in the shade. Under its effects every screw in our boxes had been drawn, and the horn handles of our in- struments, as well as our combs, were split into fine !amine. The lead dropped out of our pencils • our signal rockets were entirely spoiled; our hair, as well as the wool on the sheep, ceased to grow, and our nails had become as brittle as glass. The flow lost more than eight per cent of its original weight, and the other provisions in a still greater proportion. The bran in which our bacon had been packed was perfectly saturated, and weighed almost as heavy as the meat; we were obliged to bury our wax candles; a bottle of citric acid in Mr. Browne's box became fluid, and escaping, burned a quantity of his linen; and we found it difficult to write or draw, so rapidly did the fluid dry in our pens and brushes. It was happy for us, therefore, that a cooler season set in; otherwise I do not think that many of us could much longer have survived. But although it might be said that the intense heat of the summer had passed, there still were intervals of most oppressive weather."

Yet these effects fade before the power of a hot wind which was oftener than once encountered, but most potently when Captain Sturt was return- ing from his last attempt. The wind, which had been blowing all the morning hot from the N.E., in- creased to a heavy gale, and I shall never forget its withering effect. I sought shelter behind a large gum-tree; but the blasts of heat were so terrific, that I wondered the very grass did not take fire. This really was nothing ideal: every- thing, both animate and inanimate, gave way before it; the horses stood with their backs to the wind, and their noses to the ground, without the muscular strength to raise their heads; the birds were mute; and the leaves of the trees, un- der which we were sitting, fell like a snow shower around us. At noon I took a thermometer, graduated to 127°, out of my box, and observed that the mercury was up to 125°. Thinking that it had been unduly influenced, I put it in the fork of a tree close to me, sheltered alike from the wind and the sun. In this

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position I went to examine it about an hour afterwards; when I found that the mercury had risen to the top of the instrument, and that its further expansion had burst the bulb, a circumstance that I believe no traveller has ever before had to record. I cannot find language to convey to the reader's mind an idea of the intense and oppressive nature of the heat that prevailed. We had reached our destination, however, before the worst of the hot wind set in; but all the water that now remained in the once broad and capacious pool to which I have had such fre- quent occasion to call the attention of the reader was a shining patch of mud

nearly in the centre. We were obliged to dig a trench for the water to filter into during the night, and by this means obtained a scanty supply for our horses and ourselves."

We could extend these extracts by many passages indicative of de- termined struggles against sickness and fatigue, or descriptive of the country or the natives; but we have reached our limits. Like other exploring journies, these volumes have, for popular reading, rather too many minute particulars connected with the country passed through, and some geological speculations might be spared ; but the narrative through- out is full of interest, and is animated by a more genial and unaffected feeling than scientific explorers generally display.