Spinifex and Sand/Part VI/Chapter X

by David Carnegie

Part VI: The Journey Home

Chapter X: The End of the Expedition

By easy stages and frequent halts we eventually reached Coolgardie, after an absence of thirteen months. Of these, ten and a half months were occupied in travelling, during which we traversed a little over three thousand miles. Of this, 550 miles was traversed by roads and tracks, whilst the remainder was through country beyond the limits of any settlements.

Sources of Water Supply. Found on upgoing and return journeys between the limits of settlement.

	Holding water.	Nearly Dry.	Quite Dry.
Springs	2		1	Helena, Empress and Alexander (Forrest).
Creeks	9		*	Including Christmas, Janet, Mary, Margaret, and Sturt in Kimberley; Blythe,+ Bonython,+ Erlistoun.
Clay-pans	2		4
Rocky pools in gorges	8		**
Rock-holes	3	3	21	Of these 4 were completely drained, and 2 left with water.
Native Wells	8	3	22	Of these 6 were completely drained, and 5 left with water.

*Numerous small dry watercourses were seen.
**Numerous dry pools in rocky gorges were seen.
+The only two in the desert area.

Table showing character and extent of country traversed.

	Upgoing Journey	Return Journey	Total in Miles.
From edge of desert to Woodhouse Lagoon	220			Mixed country including low sandhills, spinifex plain. Desert Gum flats with occasional scrubs and patches of grass
From Woodhouse Lagoon to edge of desert		260
From end of Sturt Creek to Gordon Hills		50
			530
From Woodhouse Lagoon to Family Well	370			Undulating desert of spinifex, stones, and gravel, with occasional scrubs.
From Deep Rock-holes to Woodhouse Lagoon		210
			580
From Family Well to Mount Bannerman	420			Sand-ridges. Desert of sand blown into parallel ridges running on an average course of East and West, varying in height from 20–100 feet.
From Gordon Hills to Deep Rock-holes		450
			870
From Cutmore's Well to edge of desert	100			Country other than desert, including open scrubs with grass, open grass plains, belts of grass fringing river banks, small oases, and hilly country.
From Mount Bannerman to Hall's Creek	150
From Hall's Creek to end of Sturt Creek		160
From edge of desert to Lake Darlot		50
Oases (Helena Spring, Woodhouse Lagoon, Lake Wells, &c.)		10
			470
			2,450 *
			550	By roads and tracks
			3,000 **

* Of which 2,210 were through country unmapped except where routes of previous explorers were crossed. ** Total mileage in round numbers, taking into account all deviations.

From the above table it will be seen that the greater part of the interior of the Colony seen by us is absolutely useless to man or beast. It is possible that between the Lake Darlot goldfield and the 25th parallel of latitude isolated areas of auriferous country may be found, though nothing that we saw proves this to be likely; and I base my opinion only on the facts that quartz and ironstone are known to occur in the vicinity of Lake Augusta and the Warburton Range. It is also possible (and this I have already discussed) that a travelling route for stock may be formed from South Australia along the 26th parallel as far as Mounts Allott and Worsnop, and thence VIA Lake Wells and the Bonython Creek. to the Erlistoun Creek and Lake Darlot.

Failing either the finding of gold, or the formation of a stock route from oasis to oasis, I can see no use whatever to which this part of the interior can be put.

North of the 25th parallel the country is absolutely useless until the confines of the Kimberley district (about lat. 19 degrees) are reached. That a stock route through the desert is quite impracticable we have clearly demonstrated. Even supposing that there was any water supply, there is no feed; nothing but spinifex grows in more than wee patches at very long intervals. As any one who has followed me through this book can see, our water supply was most precarious, depending as we did upon rock-holes and native wells (which at any time may be found dry), and these yielded an only just sufficient quantity to keep no more than nine camels from dying for want of a drink — every well that we found, with the exception of one or two, was drained and left empty. Indeed on our two journeys there are only two watering-places on which I should care to depend, viz., the Empress Spring and Helena Spring. Throughout our journey we never once found water by chance — though chance took us to more than one dry hole — but found it only by systematic and patient work, involving many scores of miles of tracking, the capture of the wild aboriginals, and endless hours of manual labour. Without having resorted to these expedients I have no hesitation in saying that neither we nor the camels would be living today, for though without having done so, other parties have crossed as great an extent of arid country, it must be remembered that our journey was accomplished through infinitely worse country, and with a party exactly half as large as the smallest of the previous expeditions across the interior. Where, with a large number of camels, it would be possible to carry a great quantity of water and do long stages, using the water for camels as well as men, with a small number such tactics as going straight ahead, and trusting to luck, could only end in disaster.

It has been my fate, in all my exploration work, to find none but useless country, though when merely prospecting on the goldfields I have been more fortunate. So far, therefore, as being of benefit to mankind, my work has had no better result than to demonstrate to others, that part of the interior that may best be avoided. No mountain ranges, no rivers, no lakes, no pastoral lands, nor mineral districts has it brought to light; where the country was previously unknown it has proved only its nakedness; nevertheless I do not regret one penny of the cost or one minute of the troubles and labours entailed by it. Nor, I am confident, do my companions repine because they wasted so many months of their lives in such a howling wilderness. May good fortune attend them wherever they go; for they were brave and true men, and to them I once more express my feelings of thanks and gratitude for their untiring energy and help through all our journeyings. I verily believe that so large an extent of country, good or bad, has never been travelled through by a more cheerful party, or by one, the members of which were more in accord; and to the unanimity, and ready co-operation that prevailed throughout the camp, the successful issue of the expedition must in a large degree be ascribed.

Before leaving Coolgardie I had to perform the melancholy task of selling off my camels and all belongings. I have seldom felt anything so deeply as the breaking up of our little band, and the sale of my faithful animals. However, it was a matter of necessity, for much as I wished to pension off my favourites I was not in a position to do so, and eventually made my exit from the Colony in much the same state as that in which I arrived.

Before leaving for home I spent some time in Perth, where the Surveyor-General, Mr. Johnston, did all in his power to assist me in the preparation of plans and maps. These, together with all information I had gathered, I placed at the disposal of the Government, for which they were pleased to express many thanks. At a gathering in the Perth Town Hall, at which I was present on the day of my departure, Sir John Forrest, the Premier, proposed the toast of the guest and said many kind things, to which I replied:

"... I regret that I am only able to give such a bad report of the far interior of this Colony; but even so, and even though it has not been our fortune to discover any country useful either to the pastoralist or miner, yet I hope we have done good service in proving the nature of a large tract of country previously unknown. Our late journey will, I think, give an answer to the oft-repeated question, "Does the gold-belt extend in a direct line from Coolgardie to Kimberley?" and the answer is in the negative. At least we have demonstrated the uselessness of any persons wasting their time and money in farther investigation of that desolate region. Such an expedition might be undertaken for pleasure, but this I should not recommend, for few countries present such difficulties of travel or such monotony of scenery or occupation. Although I am leaving this country, probably for good, I would not wish it to be thought that I have no faith in it, for the late developments and marvellous returns from the goldfields should convert the most sceptical. Nor have the other sources of wealth to the Colony failed to impress their importance on me... Every one is glad to return to his home, and I am no exception; but however happy I am at the prospect of again seeing my native land, yet I cannot say goodbye to the numerous friends I have been fortunate in making in this Colony without sincere feelings of regret. Every day the Old Country, which we are all proud to call Home, and the New are learning to understand each other better, and the bond of friendship between them is ever strengthening. If I have been able to promote these feelings in however small a degree, and have been able to show that the Home-born is still able, and willing, to take his share in the pioneer work of this continent of Australia, as his fathers were before him, then I have not worked in vain."