Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-04-25
THE AUSTRALIAN wILDS.
Their Proposed Exploration
New York Graphic Interview.

IN his power 10 lIHphip iuuSh '"'uapiO
and interesting information regarding
the condition and progress OF Australia
should be of so retiring and modest a
disposition. The queen Of England has
been pleased to confer the dignity OF
knighthood on him in recognition Of his
services. The commander Of the new
Australian exploring expedition, Lieut..
Young, was visited at his rooms in
Twenty sixth street, and notwithstand-
ing he was deep in the mysteries
of a mathematical problem, kindly put
aside his books and prepared to answer
any questions his visitor might ask.
"What is the object OF sending out
this expedition?"
"As the squatter's herds increase and
the government resumes his land, IN
order that the cockatoo (iarmer) may
cultivate the soil, new pastures must be
found for cattle and sheep. Thus the
souatters frontier is forced further and
further bushward every year. This
opening OF the interior has been Sir
Thomas hobby for years. He has spent
an immense amount OF money and
time in gratifying his fancy, and | am
very glad to SEQ that other countries ap-
prove Of his muniiicence by honoring
him with their hospitality and honor.
He certainly has done II great deal for
the furtherance Of geography, botany,
geology, natural history, etc"
"You have explored Australia before,
have you not, Mr.. Young"
Eyes. had the pleasure TO be rs
tronomer to the expedition under com
mand OF Ernest Giles, in 1874
Were you successfully"
"Perlectlyl Thanks To the admirable
manner in which We were equipped,
and the wonderful staying powers Of
the camel, we went across between the
Goth and 30th parallel of latitude TO
Perth. on the west coast. Most OF the
country WIS sand, spuniex, and flats,
perfectly useless ut present. But science
may bring it into requisitlon some day.
fnil to acc how, nj present, though"
III have always understood that you
have great difficulty in finding water.
Is TINT the cnsc?"
"That ia generally tho explorers most
anxious problem. Where TO find water
is his first thought in the morning and
his last AT night, M also during the day,
and he dreams of il mt night. On one
oCCnsion--the lnsl time travelled no
less than 5l7 miles without water, ex-
cept that il rained on tho eleventh day.
enabling us TO bridge over this long
stretch of dry country. After the
shower we Ind 1887 miles, which took
us seventeen days to do, without find
ing water, over hot, burning sand, spun
fex and thick scrub some seventeen to
twenty-five feet high"
De you nso horses MS we'll M camels?'
"We tried 20, but they do not travel
well together Tho horses died Of
thirst though they each had u bucket
of water every morning, which tho
eamels carried for them"
care there any lnrge wild animals in
the country you are going to explore?'
81 think not. Crocodics and alliga-
tors, wild dogs Snd marsunials are the
only larger animals. Snakes are, Of
course, plentiful, M they aro wi over
tho tropics"
"What will DO the greatest difficulty
you will have to contend against"
"There you bother mo. A traveller
never looks for difficulties ought to- DO
always prepared for them, and takes
them NJ they come. And If we knew
what We should have to contend with,
there would be no merit in going
Is anything known of tho country you
arc to explorcY'
"Nol Otherwise il would hardly be
mn exploration. We know that there
arc rivers and creeks flowing into the
sea, and we know that these water chan
nels must have some watershed, and
where thore ii water there is generally
good pastoral country. IL is this good
country hope to fluid.
"Do you meet with many natives,
and are they troublesome
II hope TO find plenty. for in Austria
lia, where there are nptiyes, there is wa
ter. opine they will not give us much
trouble. Our superiority Of weapons
end the grotcsque figures we present to
their unciylized minds keeps them dis
Greet.
II believe you had ono or two brush
es with them ON your last expedition
"Ies, but wo always got tho better OF
shem, although Mt times they were
twenty to one. Their spears, boomer
angs, and wooden swords nre useless
against our Snydor and Winchester ro-
poaters."
GLOW many men willyourparty eou-
sist Of"
"Six OF seven. The moro men We
lake the moro provisions we have 10
starry and the more water we have to
find
DO you anticipate having TO travel
through II maarious country or sand,
ns on your previous ripY'
We shall probably have some of ali
sorts. In following down the rivers and
river beds there is generally moro or
loss fever, bat don't want To anticipate
anything bad"
" Arc the natives quite unclyili2edY'
Yes; they have never seen or heard
of white men, firearms, or any animal
larger than II Kangaroo, and their sur
prsod look on seeing these may be inn
agined."
How many camels and how much
provision shall you taks'
-Four cames to each man, and prob
ably ono years supply OF food"