The History of Australian Exploration from 1788 to 1888 - Part 53
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Part 53

1822.

Sergison, A. W., and Gilbert M'Minn-- Sent by the South Australian Government to ascertain the course of the Katherine River. 1876.

Sergison, A. W., and R. Travers-- Explored the country about the Daly and Fitzmaurice Rivers. 1877.

Shortland, Lieutenant-- With three ships, from Sydney to England, pa.s.sed through Bougainville's Strait, north-west coast. 1788.

Discovered Hunter River. 1797.

Solander, Dr.-- Swedish botanist. Accompanied Captain Cook in the ENDEAVOUR. 1770.

Somerset-- Settlement at Cape York. Mr. Jardine, Police Magistrate at Rockhampton, took command, and a detachment of marines was stationed there. 1863.

Stewart, Captain-- Sent by Governor Macquarie to search for a pa.s.sage supposed to exist between Lake Bathurst and the sea. He lost his boat in Twofold Bay, and on endeavouring to reach Sydney overland, was cut off by the natives.

1820.

Stirling, Captain-- Accompanied by Charles Frazer, in H.M.S. SUCCESS, surveyed coast from King George's Sound to the Swan River. 1828.

Stock, Edwin (and party)-- West of Lake Eyre. 1857.

Stockdale, Harry-- Started on an expedition from Cambridge Gulf to explore the country in the neighbourhood with a view to settlement. Landed by steamer in Cambridge Gulf, and probably the first landing that had taken place since Captain Stokes. After a hard struggle, reached the telegraph line with one man; sending back relief to the others. 1884.

Stokes, Captain John Lort-- Took command of the BEAGLE on retirement of Captain T. C. Wickham, and continued the survey, which completed our geographical knowledge of the Australian coast. The survey continued from 1837 to 1845.

Strzelecki, Count-- Followed on M'Millan's tracks when he discovered Gipps Land, and has often been erroneously considered the discoverer. The object of this trip was to gather material for his now well-known book, "The Physical Description of New South Wales, Victoria, and Van Dieman's Land." He mounted the Alps, and named one of the highest peaks Kosciusko, from its fancied resemblance to the patriot's tomb at Cracow. 1840.

Stuart, J. M'Dowall-- First expedition west of Lake Torrens. 1858.

Made another start, discovering Hergott Springs and the Neale. His horses' shoes having given out he returned, remembering the misery he suffered on his first expedition from the want of them. 1859.

Left on his third expedition, in the vicinity of Lake Eyre, reached the centre of Australia and named a tolerable high mount Central Mount Stuart. Christened the Murchison Range and Tennant's Creek, but failed to reach the head waters of the Victoria owing to a dry strip of country.

1861.

Last expedition. Crossed the continent from sh.o.r.e to sh.o.r.e, from the south coast to the north. His health never recovered the hardships endured on this journey. 1861-62.

Died in England. 1869.

Sturt, Captain Charles (39th Regiment)-- First expedition, accompanied by H. Hume, to find the course of the Macquarie, that had baffled Oxley. Discovered the Darling, New Year's Creek (Bogan). 1828-29.

Started on his Murrumbidgee expedition. Sailed down the Murray. Found its confluence with the Darling, and followed the united streams to the lake that terminated the Murray. 1829-30.

Great Central Desert expedition, Poole second in command, M'Dowall Stuart as draftsman. 1844-45. His last expedition.

Sutherland, Captain-- On a sealing voyage, visited Port Lincoln. 181 g.

Swinden, Charles-- With others looking for pastoral country west of Lake Eyre. 1857.

Tasman, Abel Janz-- In command of the HEEMSKIRK, and Gerrit Jansen, with the NEEHAAN, discovered Van Dieman's Land. Afterwards took possession of New Holland.

1642.

With the LIMMEN, ZEEMEUW, and DE BRAK. After his discovery of Van Dieman's Land undertook this second expedition to determine, if possible, whether Nova Guinea and New Holland were one continent; also, if Tasmania joined one or the other. His journal has never been found, but an outline copy of his chart was inlaid in the floor of the Groote Zaal in the Stadhuys in Amsterdam. Many of the names still retained in the Gulf of Carpentaria are memorials of his visit. 1644.

Tench, Captain-- Crossed the Nepean. 1789.

With Dawes and Morgan explored south-west of Rose Hill. 1790.

Testu, Guillaume Le-- Claims to early discovery of Australia, based upon a map now in the Depot de la Guerre, at Paris, bearing his name and the date. 1542.

Thompson D. (and party)-- West of Lake Eyre searching for pastoral country. 1857.

Torres, Luis Vaez de-- With Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, sailed round Cape York and discovered Torres Straits. 1606.

Travers, R-- With A. W. Sergison, explored the country about the Daly and Fitzmaurice Rivers. 1877.

Vancouver, Captain George-- In the DISCOVERY and CHATHAM, explored the south-west coast, and discovered and named King George's Sound. 1791.

"Vergulde Draeck" (The)-- From Batavia. Lost on Houtman's Abrolhos. 1656.

Vlaming, William de-- Came to the South Land in search of the RIDDERSCHAP, a vessel supposed to have been wrecked on the coast of New Holland. He found and named the Swan River. At Dirk Hartog's Roads he found the plate left by Hartog, and added to it another inscription. After careful examination of the coast as far as North-West Cape, left for Batavia with his ships the GEELVINK, NYPTANGH, and WEZELTJE. 1695.

"Vossenbach" "Wayer", and "Nova Hollandia"-- Under command of Martin Von Delft. Sent to investigate the north coast.

The last voyage of discovery by the Dutch. 1705.

Walker, Frederick-- The leader of the Rockhampton search party for and Wills. Pushed through from the Barcoo to the depot found on the Gilbert. Fresh provisioned, they returned and reached the Lower Burdekin well nigh horseless, and quite starving. 1861-62.

Examining the country at the back of Rockingham Bay, and marking a telegraph line from there to the mouth of the Norman River, in the Gulf of Carpentaria. 1864.

Warburton, Major-- Investigated the country west of Lake Torrens. 1857.

Superseded Babbage. This trip established the definite size and shape of Lake Torrens, so long the terror of the north, preventing advancement.

1858.

Led an expedition to cross from the overland telegraph line to Perth. The expedition was fitted out with camels, but owing to their constant delays provisions fell short and sickness came. Warburton determined to push through the desert country he had got into, and travelled chiefly at night. Being too much occupied in pressing through, had no time to look at the country on either side. Thus it was all p.r.o.nounced desert, and of seventeen camels only two survived, the starving party being obliged to slaughter some for food. 1873.

Welch, Edwin J.-- Surveyor and second in command of A. W. Howitt's relief party for Burke and Wills. Found King, the only survivor of Burke and Wills' expedition.

Since the death of his companion, King had been existing for nearly three months with the blacks. 1861. [See Appendix.]

Wentworth, Charles-- With Messrs. Lawson and Blaxland, succeeded in crossing the Blue Mountains. 1813.

Wickham, Captain John Clements-- Commander of the BEAGLE. Retired through ill-health. 1841. Succeeded by Captain J. L. Stokes. Left England 1837 to continue the survey of the coasts of Australia, and so minutely examined the sh.o.r.es that the outline of the continent was perfectly complete. The survey continued from 1837 to 1841.

Wills, William John-- Surveyor and astronomer on Burke and Wills' expedition (See Burke.) 1860-61.

Winnecke and Barclay-- Two surveyors dispatched by the South Australian Government in 1878 to reach the Queensland border from the overland telegraph line, it being a matter of moment to settle the position of the border line between the two colonies. Another attempt in 1880 proved successful. 1878-80.

Witt, Willem de-- In the VIANEN, sighted the north-west coast and reported (see De Witt) it "a foul and barren sh.o.r.e, green fields, and very wild, barbarous inhabitants." 1628.

Zeachern, Captain-- In the MAURITIUS, claims to have discovered Arnheim's Land. 1618.