Had not this intention
influenced me, on my recent journey, I should have kept nearer to the
ranges; but I hoped, by taking a westerly course, that I should strike
the N.E. angle of Lake Torrens, or find that I had altogether cleared it;
added to this Mr. Eyre had informed me that he could not see the northern
shore of that lake; I therefore thought that it might be connected with
some more central body of water, the early discovery of which, in my
progress to the N.W., would facilitate my future operations. This was a
point whereon I was most anxious to obtain information; but, as my horses
were knocked up, it appeared to me, that Mr. Poole, with fresh horses,
would find no difficulty in gaining a distance sufficiently great to
enable me to act on the knowledge he might acquire of the distant
interior.
In my instructions to that officer therefore, I directed him to pursue a
general N.W. course, as the one most likely to determine the questions on
the several points to which I called his attention. "Should you," I said,
"reach the shores of Lake Torrens, or any body of water of unknown
extent, you will endeavour to gain every information on that head; but if
you should not strike any basin of either description, you will do your
uttermost to ascertain if a westerly course is open to us, after you
shall have reached lat. 30 degrees to enable me to gain the 138 degrees
meridian, as soon as circumstances will permit.
Pages:
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211