Giles now retraced his steps to South Australia, following a line to the northward of Forrest’s track.  He went by way of the Murchison, and crossed over the Gascoyne to the Ashburton, which he followed up to its head.  Then striking to the south of east, he cut his former track of 1873 at the Alfred and Marie Range, the range he had so ardently striven to reach when the unfortunate man Gibson died.  How futile was the vain attempt that led to Gibson’s death he now realised.  He finally arrived at the Peake telegraph station.  Few watercourses were crossed; the country was suffering under extreme drought; and no discoveries of importance were made.

Giles published a narrative of his explorations entitled Australia Twice Traversed.  He was a gold medallist of the Royal Geographical Society.  He entered the West Australian Government service on the Coolgardie goldfields, and, on the 13th of November, 1897, died at Coolgardie, West Australia, where the Western Australian Government erected a monument to his memory.

16.2.  W.H.  TIETKINS AND OTHERS.

[Illustration.  W.H.  Tietkins, 1878.]

W.H.  Tietkins was born in London on the 30th of August, 1844, and was educated at Christ’s Hospital.  He arrived in Adelaide in September, 1859, and took to bush life and subsequently survey-work.  On the conclusion of his exploring expeditions with Ernest Giles, he engaged in the survey of Yorke’s Peninsula for the South Australian Government, and then paid a visit to England.  On his return he went to Sydney, and did some survey work for the New South Wales Government into whose service he permanently entered.  He is now a Lands Inspector on the South Coast.

After his experiences as second with Ernest Giles, Tietkins took charge, in 1889, of the Central Australian Exploring Expedition.  He left Alice Springs on the overland line on the 14th of March to examine the hitherto unknown country to the north and west of Lake Amadeus.  Late in the month of May he discovered and named the Kintore Range, to the north-west of Lake Macdonald, and ascended one of the elevations, Mount Leisler.  During the beginning of the next month he practically completed the circuit of Lake Macdonald and discovered the Bonython Ranges to the south-east.  On his return journey, Tietkins corrected the somewhat exaggerated notion entertained as to the extent of Lake Amadeus, as he passed through sixty miles of country supposed to be contained in its area without seeing a vestige of this natural feature.  In after years he surveyed and correctly fixed its location.

In 1874, surveyor Lewis, the gallant and tireless spirit whose indefatigable efforts had pulled the Warburton Expedition out of the fire took charge of an expedition equipped by Sir Thomas Elder to define the many affluents of Lake Eyre.  Starting from the overland line, Lewis skirted Lake Eyre to the north, penetrated to Eyre’s Creek, traced that stream and the Diamantina into Lake Eyre, and confirmed the opinion that the waters of Cooper’s Creek as well as the more westerly streams found their way into that inland sea.  J.W.  Lewis afterwards died in Broome, Western Australia.