Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-08-03
AUSTRALIAN EXPLORATIONS.

Another Record of Adventure and
huHering in the wilderness.
London Times.l
When Mr.. Giles left Adelaide early in
December it was announced that the OBJ
jects of his expedition were to examine
block Of country lying about 100 miles
from the coast line Of the great Austria
lian Blight with view Of ascertaining
its pastoral capabilities, and subsequently
to achieve, if possible, his long-chershed
purpose of crossing the continent to the
settled districts of Western Australia.
The first part of the programme is ac-
complished. Mr., Giles reached Finness
Springs on the l4th of April, and has
telegraphed as follows:
On March "a left Youlden, which lies
1876 miles from Fowlers Bay. Mr. Rich
ards obtained for me native guide, who
knew the country some distance east
He took us first to Pylebung, sixty-four
miles, an extraordinary native dam, and
clay tank, with clay circular WALL FIVE
feet high, around it. 1t is most aston
ishing thing, considering that it is the
work of the aborigines. Thence to
Whitegin, a small rock hole, thirty miles.
Thence nearly northeast we reached
Wynbring, fine rock hole in the Gre
vice of granite rock, which stands
about fifty feet high, and is two or three
acres, perhaps, in extent
Youldeh, Pylebung, Whitegin and
Wynbring are all in the densest of dense
serubs-heavy red sandhilh, with thick
malice, mulga, acacia, grevilles, casul-
axina, hakea, and spinifex; the dead un-
derbrush so thick that the camels could
scarcely move along. Wynbring was
one hundred miles from Youldeh, and
lying ten degrees south of east from it..
From here the guide knew the country
no further, and declared that beyond
this point there was nothing, nothing "
Leaving Wyrbring, we came two hun
dred and twenty miles through the most
terrific scrubs, with an open streak Of
thirty miles between us, to claypan
with water in it, and thatsaved us. Three
horses died of thirst-one at sixty-ive
miles, one at one hundred and fifty and
the last at one hundred and sixty-eight
miles. The camels carrying water, we
gave the horses as much as possible, till
we we're reduced to three pints. The
heat was great, the thermometer, day
after day, standing at one hundred and
two degrees in the shade. 1t was impos.
sible to travel at night as we should
have left every eye on sticks in the
scrubs. The two hundred and twenty
mile stretch from Wynbring to the clay
pan was done in eight days, the camels
averaging twenty eight miles per day.
They are wonderful, awe.inspiring and
marvellous creatures. | never praised
God so much for anything before, and
for such creatures / praise you and
praise him. Having found water, our
progress in was easy, each walking and
riding by turns. just touched upon
the edge of Lake Torrens.
From what | have seen | judge that
there exists vast desert of scrub of a
triangular form, the base of which is at
OF near the shores of Lake Torrens, and
the sides running northwesterly from the
southern foot, and most probably west
from the northern cone to an apex at no
great distance from my starting point,
Youldeh; and think line north from
Youldeh would pass through it a short
distance. The way | came was nearly
along its greatest length. It consists Of
two deserts, divided by strip of open
country, about thirty miles broad. The
western and denser one have hamed
Richards Desert, in gratitude to Mr.
Richards for his own and his native.
guidance, and the eastern one have
called Ross Desert, as it was that tina
baflled Mr.. John Ross, who got through
the eastern, but never entered the large
western one. l shall hasten to Beltana
and am quite confident of the success
full issue Of the expedition.