being themselves much weakened by such long exposure, provisions, too, getting low, and the dry season coming on when possibly the water might be evaporated at the camping places where he had previously stopped on his journey—Stuart very unwillingly turned his horses’ heads homewards, and arrived at Chambers’ Creek, after having spent five months in a country hitherto unknown.
During this period he had travelled (including the various detours) upwards of three thousand miles—had all but reached the sea-coast—had overlapped in latitude the track of Gregory on the Victoria by a hundred miles, and had approached it, both on the east and west side, to within two hundred miles.
From March till August 26th scarcely any rain fell, at least, to use Mr. Stuart’s own words, “not so much as would wet a shirt through,” consequently we can easily imagine that the sufferings of both men and horses, from the want of this necessary element, must have been very great, and owing to the lateness of the winter rains, many of the water-holes at which he had stopped on his journey northwards were so much evaporated on his return as barely to furnish a drink for the horses. The rations requisite for men going so long an expedition, and who must almost entirely depend on what they carry with them, have to be reduced to the smallest possible bulk, and at the dinner given to our old friend at Adelaide, the Attorney-General made a most amusing comparison between the sumptuous repast just laid before them and a piece of gelatine belonging to Mr. Stuart’s stock, about the size of an exaggerated cigar, estimated to form the food of thirty men for one day. It was owing to the sameness and scantiness of diet that Mr. Stuart became attacked with scurvy, and so debilitated in body that he could scarcely sit on horseback, while the movements of his companions (who were not above five-and-twenty years of age) became so enfeebled as to resemble those of men upwards of a hundred years old.
So incredible indeed did the fact seem, that three men should traverse the continent from south to north, return again, and, in so doing, journey upwards of three thousand miles in five months’ time, that many of their neighbours in Victoria at first refused to place credence in the assertion, but the character of Stuart as an explorer, established under Sturt, and the corroborated authenticity and accuracy of his previous discoveries, leave no doubt as to his having achieved this great feat.
The expedition having been fitted out entirely at the expense of Messrs. Finke and Chambers, the Colonial Government had to make some arrangement (to us unknown) before they would deliver up the information gained by Mr. Stuart, which being settled, his journal and documents were locked up in the Government offices. Owing to this transfer of services from the employ of Mr. Chambers to that of the Government, as well as to the discretionary wisdom of the latter in concealing the various geographical points of Mr. Stuart’s route, until he shall be again well advanced into the interior, lest the Victorian expedition under Burke, or any private party should rob him of the laurels all but won, we are kept much in the dark as to the minutiæ of this extraordinary journey. The existence of a large salt lake, supposed to be of great depth, the presence of the potato, and the Australian-like contradiction of the natives consuming the apples instead of the tubers, form some of the most striking features of this as yet unrevealed narrative. The party at the head of which Stuart is now no doubt far advanced on his previous route, consists of twelve persons well armed, with thirty-five pack and saddle horses, fitted out by a Parliamentary vote of £2,500; and in order to anticipate the liability of being outstripped by Mr. Burke at the head of his camels and horses, Mr. Chambers kindly placed all his stores at Oratunga at the disposal of the Government, so as to save the time which would have been expended in forwarding the necessary rations from Adelaide.
Apart from the geographical interest connected with Mr. Stuart’s journey, one cannot fail to see how important is the bearing of the few facts made known to us on the establishment of communication, whether telegraphic or otherwise, across the continent with India. Nor can we pourtray this in a stronger light, than by quoting the statement of his Excellency Sir R. G. Macdonnell, that whereas the cost of a telegraphic wire carried all round the coast, whether east or west, would amount to upwards of £800,000, one carried right across, besides being more easily repaired, and having no marine cables, would not amount to more than £400,000.
The journals of the day have amused themselves at the expense of the petty rivalry of the South Australian Government in concealing the details of Stuart’s narrative from their more powerful neighbour of Victoria, but the poor colony has done more than that, she is applying for territorial extension northwards to the seaboard, with an eye no doubt of including the future line of transit. It has been pointed out to Stuart that, in the present exploration, his great aim must be to connect his most northerly point with the Victoria River. Should he succeed in doing so (of which there seems to be little doubt) a settlement would soon spring up in the fertile territory around the mouth of that stream, and communication and transit being ere long established across the continent, Adelaide would be in the most favourable geographical position to reap the lion’s share.
Federation, so often mooted by the various colonies, will one day obliterate all these petty rivalries; meantime it must be the ardent wish of every scientific man, that this dauntless traveller may accomplish the rest of his journey, and return in safety to enrol his name among other distinguished travellers—Bruce, Park and Livingstone.
TAKE WARNING.
Once lived a comely maid who, proud
Of charms before which all men bow’d,
Wax’d over scornful;
’Twas in those good old ages when
Our grandsires were but grandchildren,
But human nature now as then
Of pride is born full.
