[Journals Of Two Expeditions Of Discovery In North-West And Western Australia, Vol. 1 (of 2) by George Grey]@TWC D-Link bookJournals Of Two Expeditions Of Discovery In North-West And Western Australia, Vol. 1 (of 2) CHAPTER 10 4/16
They saw a native dog of the regular Australian breed; kangaroos were abundant, but these as well as all other game were much less wild than any of the party had before observed. The foregoing summary of the information brought back rests not on the report of any one individual but expresses the opinions of the party with regard to those points on which they were all agreed; and the only one as to which I have any distrust is that of the distance they went, which I believe to be overrated; having always found the estimates of every one of the party as to the daily distance travelled very erroneous, and sometimes more than doubled.
This indeed is a mistake well known to be of common occurrence, and very difficult to guard against in a new and wild country, and when I consider the diminished strength of the men's pedestrian powers, and the weights they had to carry, I am disposed to calculate that the total direct distance they made did not exceed, if it equalled, twelve miles. WANT OF FIREWOOD. Their report of want of firewood is singular as, in all other parts which we passed over, even upon plains of a similar character though not so highly elevated or so difficult of access, we had always found the ground thickly covered with trees which had fallen from the effects of the native fires. The only remarkable circumstances about the spot we were encamped in were the great coldness of the nights and mornings; and moreover that exactly at nine o'clock every morning a cold breeze, in character precisely resembling a sea-breeze, set in from the south-east and lasted until about half-past three in the afternoon. RETURN.
COMMENCEMENT OF MARCH BACK. April 4. We this day started on our march homewards.
I was afraid, from the appearance of the weather, that we might soon have rain, and, as a continuance of it for even three or four days might have prevented our passing the rivers for several weeks, it became necessary that this part of our march should be accomplished with the utmost celerity.
I therefore made the first river before I allowed a halt for breakfast.
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