RECENT EXPLORATION IN NORTH AUSTRALIA.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1968, 18 April 1885, Page 2

RECENT EXPLORATION IN NORTH AUSTRALIA.

Messrs'Stockdale .and Rioketson, two members of an exploring party in Northern Australia,.reached Palm»j|pn, on their return, the Mof Febuarfpt. A correspondent of the Argus send that paper the following,particulars of their discoveries:—Mr. Stockdale reports that they landed on the west side of the Cambridge Gulf, opposite Adolphus Island, cm. December H, They struck west through 90 roileaoi fearfully rough mountain country, »b they had not time to ghoose their route. They were the first whites who had been seen there. Thence they proceeded south towards the 'Fitzroy, examining along the watersheds of the rivers flowing west. They then went east for some distance, and oantped. While two of them struck northwards to the depot of stores left near the Gulf, about 60 miles west of the Ord; two men remained behind, presumably prospecting. MessrsStockdale andßicketson, leiwin? the main party to follow, slowly pJShed for the telegraph line without paok-httses, taking a few day's rations, They unexpectedly struck Messrs Fisher and Lyons' Victoria River Station on New Year'B morning when their rations jare just exhausted, They thence joMyed to Catherine, arriving there on the 10th of January, Mr. Stockdale says they went through the finest pastoral country he had ever seen, and he has seen the best conntry in the Wiinmem and south-east. Although, it was the dry season, there was splendid feed, and the country was magnificently watered. They never used thenlarge waterbags during the trip. It was grand snoop Qoimtry. Water conservation is unnecessary there, and they found plenty of springs, waterholes, and creeks, They discovered five rivers larger than the Ord, and named themJhe Larimer, the Lawrence, and the MqLeod Adam, after well-known pastoraljsts 5 the Stockdale, after the late Mr- Edward Stockdale. of tho south-east, the discoverer's uncjo • and the Forrest, after Mr Alesan.de? Forrest. The valley of the Adpis iro« four to six miles wide,, mid between precipitous wcwto'ful formafcl°lh TheytmeiH 30 miles, but were | unabjo tq reach the river, The on both sides, were 2Q(JQ feet am, the river, and difficult of descent. TC!ivcr | is eighty yards wide and it took an hour and a half's steady climb to ascend the other sjde, Mr Stockdale estimated the. Teh of % Larimer afe 25Q voiles, th.eStocka.ale 200 miles, the M'Leod Adam P milos,. the Lawrence tffld forest IQO wiles', Jttw all rise in tho Leopold Ranges, auHifmty into Cambridge Gulf, The explorers saw numbors : of waterholes from one to three miles long, and from 150 to 250 yards wide. The only means they had of trying their depth was by diving, and although they were good swimmers, they could not find the bflttom., Cambridge Gulf is the natural outlet of tho country on tho Leopold Ranges, except on the weflto.ro seaboard. They saw a few natives-big, fine-b.uilt- men, b.ul very peaceful, %¥4 plenty of fish, but game was sgarqo, Ay " ; ,