CHAPTER 9.

Departure from Cooper’s Creek for the Gulf of Carpentaria.  Arrangements for the Continuance of the Depot at Cooper’s Creek.  Mr. Brahe left in Charge.  Determination of Route.  Progress and Incidents.  Mr. Wills’s Field Books, from the 16th of December, 1860, to the 30th of January, 1861, 1 to 9.  Shores of Carpentaria.

During the halt at Cooper’s Creek, it was reported through an Adelaide paper that Mr. McDouall Stuart had returned from his attempt to explore in a north-western direction, and was preparing to start again with Government aid, and no longer confined entirely to the private resources and enterprise of Mr. James Chambers.  The Gulf of Carpentaria was not so much the immediate object of Stuart’s efforts, as the opening of a commercial avenue with a view to future trade, in a direction more toward the north-west coast, and as far north as the 16 or 18 degrees of southern latitude.  This line of exploration appeared preferable to the strong practical mind of Mr. Chambers, who had in view the quid pro quo.  Stuart’s object was therefore plain business, and the immediate advantage of the colony with which he was connected; whilst the Victorian Expedition included scientific discoveries, and the settlement of a great geographical problem.  Stuart is again out, since August, 1861, and doubts are entertained for his safety.  Mr. Chambers has died in the interim, and cannot know the result of the work he set afloat with so much spirit.  Thus it is in all ages of discovery, that few of the early pioneers live to travel on the roads they open with so much difficulty and endurance.

Mr. Burke and my son, impatient of Wright’s delay, and seeing the time slip by that could never return, determined to make a dash for the Gulf while the opportunity still remained to them.  I was not aware, until after a communication with Mr. Brahe, on his first visit to Melbourne, subsequent to his desertion of his post at the depot, that my son had strongly advocated a direct course northward; but Mr. Burke hesitated to adopt this, unless he could feel confident in a supply of water; the committee having included something in his instructions as to proceeding north-west towards Eyre’s Creek and Sturt’s Furthest.  In his excursions round the camp and the district of Cooper’s Creek, with the all-important question of water in view, my son must have gone over little short of a thousand miles.  When he lost his camels he had seen smoke in the direction of north by east, which he believed to be a native fire, but the disaster frustrated his attempts to ascertain the fact.  Unable thoroughly to assure his leader on the point of water, the more western course was adopted at the commencement of the journey, for a day or two, after which they turned to the east, and scarcely deviated throughout from the 141st degree of eastern longitude.

The party left Cooper’s Creek on the morning of the 16th of December, 1860.  It consisted of Mr. Burke, Mr. Wills, King, and Gray, (or Charley as my son calls him in his journal); one horse, and six camels.  It appears strange to me that they did not take more horses.  As they had been living on horseflesh so much they would have increased their available food, in addition to the facility of carrying burthens.