The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-08-28
Death of an Australian Explorer-Captaln
Sturt and His Adventures.

Captain Charles Sturt, one OF the earliest ex-
plorers of the Australian continent, and subse-
quently Colonial Secretary for the province OF
South Australia, died ut Cheltenham, England,
ON the 10th of June. Captain Sturt made his
first journey into the interior of Australia in 1877,
then discovering the River Darling, five hundred
miles from Sydney. In 1880, he, descended the
Morrumbidgee to the point where Its waters
merged In a larger stream, the Murray Pursuing
its course he came to the confluence OF the Oar
ling with it, and, finally, to its own discharge
into n great lake, which received the name of
Alexandrina, gazing from It's southern snore
upon the ocean at Encounter Bay. In lo++-4o,
under the auspices of the Government, an at
tempt was made to raise the veil from the mystic
rions central region of Australia. Captain Sturt
was appointed to the command OF a party Oh
seventeen assistants and followers. starting
from Adelaide, his object was to strike through
the country from south to north, anu though ne
did not accomplish half the distance, during an
absence of eighteen months, the journey threw
great light upon the condition or the interior, ana
is one of the most remarkable on record. oturt
advanced to within two degrees OF the Iropic
of Capricorn, but no rain falling from July !'tnpo
September 9th, with another summer setting IN;
he deemed it absolutely necessary to return, anu
entered Adelaide January ~, 1910. Sture
suffered severely in his expedition, go much 80
that when he published his book In 1900, ne WAS
almost blind but the passion Tor exploring ooeS
not easily leave a man who once felt Its influence;
After being employed for some years as colonial
surveyor for South Australia (says a London pa,
perl, he matured another plan Tor an inland
journey-this time toward the very center OF the
continent-and set forth in September OF lof4.
There has seldom been a more unfortunate expo
dition. The plan was good his followers-no
less a man that McDouail Stuart among them
were eminently fitted for the work and yet IL
resulted i'm misery and failure. As 1t happened'
the party hit upon the worst part oil the whoie
land. Often a few miles out OF their course
,~:-l. I.,o lo1 tbarn into more fertile country ,
but, though they spared no toll anu feared no
danger, some inexplicable fatality seemed ~
mock their hopes.
Men have since followed much the same plan,
and it has led them safe and sound TO the "uIi oi
Carpentaria; but it was Sturt's destiny to be q
pathfinder only, and not to journey over the
ground when it was safe and easy oil access. let
even as it was, his discovery of cooper oreek
since variously known as Victoria River, and as
the ~Barcoo-began q new era OF Australian eA-
ploration. too late for Sturt to follow up his own
discoveries. The hardships encountered were
horrible. The land burnt up around the travel
ers the scrub and brushwood on the hills took
fire and the acrid smoke rolled toward them,
through the sultry atmosphere, over the arid
land. They came upon the Stony Desert-an
ocean of stone, with huge powders for its waves,
and, far in the horizon, red sandhills looming
like a range OF cliffs. Ascending one after an
other of these, hoping tue scene would change,
they saw again the dark purple OF the desert, the
leu u the uuutS lHciE III OCiOTc !
they died of thirst, shifted their feet about as
though seeking for a cool place ON the burning
mari. When the explorers, in camp, tried to
write, the ink dried in the pen. They tried to
paint the colors caked and cracked. They had
To dig a hinge chamber underground to save their
lives. Even then the second in command, Mr..
Poole, sank rapidly, and died of the black scurvy.
Almost to the last, Sturt, whose activity was
interchangeable, hoped ON but at length it i is told
of him that, with an almost broken heart, : he
sat more than an hour ON the top Of the %sandhlll,
with his face buried III his hands, evidently quite
crushed by his final disappointment And yet
be tried again. 1t was after this that be found
Cooper's Creek. Bat at last, for bare life, he
must needs turn back. He reached one of his de-
pots only to find it deserted. He was not sur
prised-only sick, only sorry, only stunned and
beaten. "a sickening feeling came over me-
he says, 90 when 1 found they were really gone"
Not on my own account; for with rhe bitter feelings
of disappointment with which I was returning
home, l could have calmly laid my head upon the
desert, never to raise it again. BY Gods great
mercy, his friends bore him home. He reached
in safety. But he was blind.
Not to the end Of his life did be ever quite re-
cover his ~eyesight; and this may have helped
to intensity his naturally modest and retiring dis
position. He had so far outlived his fame that,
outside his own little circle, most men fancied
him dead. The time had come at last for his de-
parture. He died comparatively poor, yet rich
in the more precious part of wealth-in the retro
spect OF n long life most purely and nobly spent.
The praises that might have gladdened his ears
bad he lived, must be spoken above his tomb.
Yet there is no shadow of loss, defeat, or failure,
in SO simply and serenely beautiful career. His
works lives after him, as that of one who revealed
to man fresh tracts of his domain. On the steps
IF the lonely explorer, the emigrant wagon and
the railway have followed. The wilderness
which ne pushed his solitary way is
with sheep. His name will live with the
purest in our story, standing not unworthily
besides those of Cook. and Parry, and Franklin
as gentle as they were strong, as loving as
hey were brave.