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CAPTAIN CRAWFORD'S EXPEDITION.
The following report of Captain Crawford's
expedition to the Barrier and Grey Ranges, in
search of gold and minerals, has been oblig-
ingly handed to us by the Hon. the Commis-
sioner of Crown Lands : —
"To the Honourable the Commissioner of
Crown Lands, &c., &c.
"Sir—Having completed the equipment of
my party, stores, &c., for the expedition, on
the 27th November, 1858, I dispatched the
bullock-dray with four men, in charge of
Komoll, to proceed to Moorundee to await
the arrival of the steamer Albury, and to ship
the drays and stores on board her for the Junc-
tion of the Murray and Darling—a portion of
the stores being already shipped by the same
vessel at Port Adelaide. My object in thus
sending the things up the river by water was
that I might save the bullocks, and, if possible,
have them in good condition for their after
journey up the Darling to Laidley Ponds, as it
was reported that both on that river, as well
as on the Murray, the feed was very poor and
scarce.
"I joined the party at Moorundee, on the 8th
December, with the horse-cart and the remain-
ing man, and, having selected the stores I
required for the journey up the Murray, packed
them upon bullocks and left Moorundee the
next day, leaving Komoll there in charge of
the stores, &c., which he was to ship and
accompany per steamer to the Junction.
The Albury overtook us at the Overland
Corner on December 18, when I went on
board and saw Komoll, who reported the
stores, &c., were on board all right.
"I arrived at the Junction of the Darling
on December 31, 1858, and found Komoll en-
camped at a convenient spot on the Murray,
about a mile down from the Junction, kindly
pointed out to him by Mr. Hugh Jamieson,
it being out of the way of the people that
usually collect near an inn, and close to the
only spot where there is any feed for the cattle
in this part of the country ; and as the bullocks
and horses had suffered and fallen away very
much, owing to the very poor feed on the
journey up the Murray, they required some
days' rest to recruit before commencing another
long journey, where the feed was reported to be
even worse than on the Murray.
"I found that the drays and stores had
come up safe and in pretty fair order by the
Albury ; but on loading up, I found the drays
would not carry all the stores, and, as I could
procure no other dray or bullocks up there,
Lieutenant Perry, of the New South Wales
Native Police, kindly lent me a dray and four
bullocks belonging to the Government of New
South Wales.
"I would indeed wish to bring under your
notice that I received at all times every assis-
tance and information from the officers under
the New South Wales Government, Lieutenant
Perry detaching two of his troopers to accom-
pany me to the ranges, owing to the disturbed
and unsettled state of the natives in the upper
districts, and who I found of great service to
me as interpreters and otherwise during the
time they were with me.
"I was visited at the Junction by Mr.
Hitchin, the Secretary to the Commissioner of
Crown Lands, &c. He came up in the steamer
having heard that, owing to the reported
scarcity of feed, there would be little prospect
of our being able to proceed up the Darling
for some months ; but after making diligent
and particular enquiries, and having moreover
plenty of time on my hands before it was pos-
sible that I could start from the river for the
ranges, I determined to push on by short
stages, and give the bullocks a spell whenever
I found grass or feed for them.
"From this place, I allowed one of the men
(John Bourke) to return, per steamer, with
Mr. Hitchin, he being thoroughly useless on
an expedition of this kind, and, moreover, of a
very dissatisfied and grumbling disposition,
and likely to jeopardize the object of the expe-
dition by causing a bad and cavilling spirit to
spread amongst the party.
"We left the Junction for Minindee
on the 11th January, 1859, and arrived
there on the 19th of February, the
bullocks and horses thoroughly worn out
and knocked up with their fatiguing journey
and poor feed, two or three of the horses ex-
hibiting decided symptoms of the disease called
up there 'crankiness,' supposed to be caused
by eating the indigofera, a sort of pea or vetch
growing in great abundance in the bends of
the banks of the Darling, and being the only
green feed or herbage procurable.
"I lost one horse on the journey up the
Darling, he being drowned in swimming across
a billebong (or backwater), and another horse
and one bullock at Cawndilla, both of the
latter from the effects of the journey. These
with the exception of the dogs, one of which
was poisoned, and the other ran himself to
death, comprise the whole of our casualties.
"We encamped at a very good place for
feed to recruit the cattle on Cawndilla on
Minindee Creek, called by Captain Sturt Laidley
Ponds. His camp was about two or three
miles further up the creek than ours, and near
to its junction with Lake Cawndilla. There
are still some remains of his encampment there,
as also the peg at the extremity of the base-
line measured by him from the junction of the
Minindee Creek (Williorara) with the Darling
and his camp on Cawndilla.
"I purchased fifty sheep from Mr. Reid, of
Tolarno, which I found a very useful stock, and
they accompanied us all the way to the ranges
without much trouble, and improved very
much in weight and condition ; and having a
portion of them ewes, besides serving us for
food all the time, I was enabled to dispose of
no less than 22 sheep and 24 lambs on my
return to Cawndilla.
"We were kept pretty busily employed
looking after the horses and bullocks for about
a month after we arrived at Cawndilla, as their
backs and necks required continued dressing
and attention.
"The horses being still unfit for very hard
work, I purchased one from Mr. Wright, and
on the 16th March started with one man, a
trooper, and a native of the Scrope Ranges, for
a guide, for the Scrope Ranges. We arrived at
Kokerka on the 18th, at which place the
guide told us there was a natives' well.
We, however, found no water in it, and
the well itself was but a sort of waterhole
under the rocky cliff, hollowed out by the
natives with sticks to the depth of four or five
feet, which must have cost them a great deal
of time and labour.
"Hayward and I went to work to deepen it,
and continued at it until after 11 o'clock at
night, when we got a small drainage into it ;
but it was both salty and stinking, so that the
horses would not drink it, and by next morning
they had strayed eight or nine miles back in
hobbles. We had baled the well out several
times by the time the trooper brought the
horses back ; and, although the water was a
little improved, they still refused to touch it ;
so at noon we started away for the nearest
water, Lake Sandow. The day being very hot,
the kangaroo dog fell exhausted on the plain.
We poured the last drop of water we had left
down his throat, and left him under a small
bush ; and on sending back for him next
morning could not find him, but heard after-
wards that he had made his way into Win-
teriga Station, and was poisoned by taking a
bait laid out for wild dogs.
'We rode on at night through the scrub,
making but slow progress ; and at 11 o'clock
p.m. came fortunately upon a small claypan,
containing surface water from a recent shower.
Glad enough to get a drink both for ourselves
and horses. Camped on a sandhill near it.
"March 20. Seeing the horses were quite
unfit for the work yet before them, and being
so far up the river, I determined to go up as
far as Mr. McRae's, and try and get some good
horses, there being none procurable down the
river of the kind that would be serviceable to
us, unless at most exorbitant prices ; and,
moreover, most of the horses on the lower
stations either have been cranky, or are dis-
posed to be so, owing to the dry season and
bad feed.
"I left the trooper and packhorse at
the Police Station (Tintinalogy), and got
to Culparlin on the 22nd March, and
purchased two horses the next day, but
unfortunately got my foot trampled upon help-
ing to halter the colt, which caused me to be
laid up several days at Culparlin. I, however,
sent Hayward down with the horses, and
followed myself in a few days, but had to ride
the whole distance, between 80 and 90 miles,
without a boot or shoe on my foot.
"I returned to the camp 31st March, and
found all right there. We employed ourselves
breaking-in the colt, and on the 18th April,
having borrowed a light spring-cart from Mr.
Wright to take out some water and the tools,
we started to try the Scrope Range, although

from the formation I had little anticipation of
finding gold there.
"I took with me Komoll, Hayward,
McEllister, and a trooper, leaving Tonkin in
charge of the camp, &c. We found it to be
very heavy travelling for the cart, and did not
get to Kokerka, distance about 45 miles, till
1.30 p.m. on the 20th, and when we did arrive
there had the mortification of finding two dead
native dogs in the well, rotting and poisoning
the water ; so that, though almost dead with
thirst, the horses would not touch it. We were
therefore obliged to give them some from the
tanks and set to work and get the dogs and
water out of the well—a most nauseous job,
making us all thoroughly sick. We had to
sink the well much deeper and bale the water
out many times before the horses would drink
it, and at best it drained in but at the rate of
a gallon per hour.
"We sank several holes and broke innu-
merable quartz pebbles, and examined the
ranges pretty well all over cursorily, but could
discover no signs of gold, or more water to
enable us to try any other part properly, and
consequently had to bring water from Minin-
dichi (32 miles) for our own use.
"We took up our quarters in a large cave,
called by the natives the Devil's House, and
looked upon by them with superstitious awe.
There are also several other caves at higher
elevations near this place, all of them bearing
evidences of having been formed by the wash-
ing of the sea in former ages.
"The rock formation consists generally of a
very hard silicious sandstone (with a sharp
metallic sound when struck), having a great
number of waterworn quartz pebbles of small
sizes embedded. Some of the hills are of
ferruginous sandstone, and others covered with
pieces of loose angular quartz ; but I could see
no rocks or reef of that mineral.
"Returned to the camp at Cawndilla May
7, without having found the least indica-
tion of gold.
"It came on to rain pretty heavy on May 20,
the first and only rain that extended any dis-
tance while we were up there, and I should have
taken immediate advantage of it to have
gone forward myself to the Barrier Ranges but
that the native I had engaged some time pre-
viously for a guide was away up the river with
his tribe and other natives fishing, &c. But on
the 4th of June Billy Mountain and his lubra
came to the camp ; and on the 7th, leaving
Komoll in charge of the camp, I took
Billy and a trooper and started on a prelimi-
nary trip to examine the Barrier Range for
water, and to see if the country was prac-
ticable for drays. After riding a few miles to
the N.N.W. from Cawndilla I came upon
Captain Sturt's tracks, which I followed
where perceptible to Wuhtulkero, or Ste-
phen's Creek, and then followed the creek up
to the pass above Coonbaralba, tracing up the
small lateral creeks on either side. The main
creek was perfectly dry, with a sand or gravelly
bottom, but I found water in several claypans
or holes in the beds or courses of the lateral
creeks. There was not a drop of water in
either of Captain Sturt's camping-places ; even
the 'Long Waterhole' at Nailyery, opposite
Piesse's Nob, that afforded him such an abun-
dant supply both going and returning on his
expedition, was perfectly dry ; but as that time
was the very beginning of the winter season I
considered that I had found at least sufficient
water for us until the regular rain came on ;
and as the travelling across the heavy loose
clay and sandy flats would be much easier per-
formed then than after the wet weather, and as
the rock formation of many of the mountains
was of ironstone and quartz, and many quartz
reefs cropping out in various places, holding
out every prospect of gold-bearing rocks, I
determined on my return to the camp to make
a push and get out before the wet weather set
fairly in.
"I accordingly borrowed a dray from Mr.
J. Phelps, of Albemarle, to assist our load
over the plains, and left Cawndilla on
horseback on the 30th June, and over-
took the drays, which had started the day
previous, at about six or seven miles on the
road, the bullocks having strayed back to the
lake in search of water. I was sorry to perceive
that the late showers had not extended even to
this short distance from the river, my late
tracks being quite fresh, and not a drop of water
in any of the claypans. We got to Coom-
babary, on Stephen's Creek (about a mile below
where Sturt crossed it), at 4 p.m., 1st July,
and found the water I left there in a claypan
so much dried up, that there was not sufficient
for a drink for the bullocks and horses.
"The bullocks in consequence strayed, not-
withstanding a watch was kept, and we had to
send back all the way to Lake Cawndilla before
we recovered them.
"I, in the meantime, pushed on to the next
water, Murnco Urnco, distant five miles, with the
horses, cart, and sheep, but could not remain
there, or we should have soon finished all the
water there was at that place, and have left
none for the bullocks when they came up again ;
to moved on to Yandoli, eight miles, and spent
the 4th of July searching about the claypans
for more water, but could fiud none there-
abouts ; so moved on to Carlpuanda on the
5th, leaving enough water for a drink for the
bullocks at Yandoli, at which place the bullock
dray arrived and camped the same night, and
joined us at Carlpuanda the next day.
"We commenced sinking for water in the
bed of Wuhtulkero Creek, near Curnappaga,
July 7, and sent the bullocks to Wingaroni,
some waterholes that I had passed on my first
trip about five or six miles back from the creek
to the westward.
"Sent Hayward back with Mr. Phelps's
dray on the 8th, and continued sinking in
various places in the main and lateral creeks
for water, but without success, being able to
get but a few feet down before coming upon
the rock bottom, chiefly granite or gneiss,
trying the alluvium at the same time for gold,
but owing to the scarcity of water could not
wash much.
"Moved up to Yututa Creek, five miles,
13th July, leaving a drink for the return bul-
locks in the waterhole at Carlpuanda, as well
as a waterbag filled for Hayward and the
trooper's use.
"Sank various holes without finding either
gold or water ; large quantities of finely dis-
tributed mica mixed with the bottom, making
it appear like gold, but we could not wash
much.
"We removed to Zerloja Creek on the 18th,
and found the water shrinking very fast ; so
that, although I had reckoned upon this place
as our mainstay, I found it would not last
above four or five days, and our black guide
said that he did not know of any more any-
where near.
"19th July. I took him and McEllister and
went away to the north-eastward to search for
water, and came upon a small waterhole in the
midst of the Coonbaralba Range, at about ten
miles from the camp, and six miles further on
found a series of small shallow pans at
Molundra, and saw at this place a gum-tree,
marked TW—marked, I suppose, by Messrs.
Williams and Stone, who attempted an ex-
ploratory trip from Winteriga about three
years since, but could get no further than
this place, and were obliged to return for want
of water.
"On the 20th I found another small water
hole at Purnalalo on the Yelcowinna Creek,
but enough for one day's consumption. Fol-
lowed up the Yelcowinna for some miles, and
crossed over the range to Purnkyinga, a large
dry creek lined with gum-trees on the banks,
but no water.
"In the same afternoon, while riding along
to the northward, I saw a likely-looking place
for collecting water (it being surrounded by
hills), and asked the guide if there was any
there. He said, no ; and evidently wished to
prevent my going there by his continued and
energetic asseverations to the same effect. I,
however, determined to go and examine for
myself, and found some fine waterholes,
enough to last us for three or four weeks, at
which I was inexpressibly relieved, as I had
every reason to hope that before that time
passed or that water finished we should have
some rain, and so be enabled to prosecute our
search without this continual dread and
anxiety about water for our daily subsistence.
I cannot help noticing here the duplicity and
cunning of the natives, and their general aver-
sion to show any one the places where they
know there is water. In this instance I feel
firmly convinced that Billy knew of water being
at this place (Mindegara) ; indeed, from my
own experience of them, I should say they are
not to be trusted in anything, they having no
moral or religious principle to guide or control
them, and think it a fine thing to deceive or
take advantage of, and to rob and murder
white people whenever they can get a chance
considering us their natural enemies.
"I returned to the camp at Zerloja on the
22nd, riding round in a westerly direction by
Piesse's Nob, but found no more water.
"Hayward and the trooper had returned
with the bullocks and horses all right the day
before, bringing me a letter from the Commi-
sioner of Crown Lands.
"Moved to Coonbaralba, July 25, and em-
ployed the next day in examining the quartz
reefs and sinking in the gullies thereabout.
"July 27. Removed to Mindegara, about 25
miles, and employed the next few days in fix-
ing a camp-fencing in the principal waterhole.
"The latitude of this place is 31° 36'.
Variation of the compass, 5° 42' easterly. We

found the variation of temperature very great,
it often freezing during the night and the
thermometer ranging from 70° to 110° in the
heat of the day ; indeed we several times ex-
perienced an extreme variation of temperature,
of from 70° to 80° in the course of a few
hours.
"We sank various holes and tried the most
likely-looking flats and gullies at this place, and
also sank down alongside of a high outcrop-
ping quartz reef, and then drove into the reef
itself at a depth of about 30 feet from the ex-
posed surface, but could not succeed in finding
the least trace of gold in any instance. While
the men were thus employed I was continually
riding about in various directions and dis-
tances, examining the country and looking for
water, being generally accompanied by a
trooper or one of the men, having lost all
confidence in our native guide ; and on the 18th
August succeeded in finding a fine clear water-
hole in the rocky gorge of a creek, where it
breaks through the mountains, about 25 miles
to the northward of Mindegara, called Pytyur-
kerno, and also some waterholes on a plain
about 10 miles to the northward of Pytyurkerno
(called Partarango), that would do for the
bullocks.
"There are many quartz reefs and ironstone
rocks about Mindegara, but the geological
formation consists principally of primary rocks,
granular and schistrose, gneiss, granite, and
felspar, with one ridge of clay slate, running to
the south-eastward, about four or five miles from
Pinavolo, towards the Tinyano Range. This
latter range, running to the north northwest
ward, parallel to the Barrier Range, at a dis-
tance of about 12 to 25 miles, is not laid
down or noticed by Captain Sturt, excepting
the bluff mountain forming its northern
extremity.
"As our water was growing short and very
bad, being very thick and muddy and full of
animalculæ, so that we had to strain and boil
every drop before we could use it, on the 2nd
and 3rd of September we removed to Pytyur-
kerno (literally, White Rocks), crossing Turto-
wurta, Gairdner, Wahgabinyah, and Tooanga
Creeks, all dry. Distance travelled from
Mindegara, about 28 miles.
"September 4. Sent the bullocks to Parta-
rango, but found the water had shrunk con-
siderably, even in the short time since I was
last there, showing that it was the product of
a partial shower over the plain.
"We sank several holes in the bed of
Pytyurkerno Creek, as also in some of the
creeks adjoining, but still found no trace of
gold. We, however, found at this place a num-
ber of small crystallized minerals, which I take
to be either rubies or garnets, and which, if of
any value, appear to be plentiful here. The
formation at Pytyurkerno is principally of a
very hard, tough, whitish rock, with veins of
quartz and felspar. The iron ore is very
plentiful, and appears to be very rich.
"Finding there was no chance of getting the
drays further to the northward, I determined
to go myself and examine the Grey Ranges ;
and, accordingly, on the 11th September, took
Komoll, a trooper, and two packhorses, and
rode over to Partarango, where we camped for
the night, sending the trooper to look for some
natives, who were said to be somewhere near,
so that we might get one for a guide ; but
could not succeed in finding them, so left at
noon, 12th September, riding to the north-
westward, and winding through the northern
portion of the Barrier Range. Camped at
night a few miles past Wayavolo, the north-
westernmost mountain of that range, and, for-
tunately, dropped upon the camp of the very
natives we were in search of the day before, and
who had removed up here on a hunting expe-
dition. One of them readily agreed to go with
us and to point out the water, saying at the
same time that we should sometimes have to
go two or three days without water to drink.
This native, whose name is Peeliluga, accom-
panied us readily enough the next morning,
and showed us a small waterhole in the plain,
at about 16 miles distance, where we rested
awhile during the heat of the day, as I was
suffering from a sunstroke and continued
bleeding at the nose ; but at 3 o'clock, half an
hour after we had started again, our guide dis-
appeared most unaccountably, nor could we
find track or trace of him again. We, however,
continued our journey across the dreary barren
sandridges, passing several dry salt lagoons,
also many claypans that collect the rainwater,
but all dry. Our ride through this sandy
desert was exceedingly dreary, and trying both
for ourselves and the horses, the view being
for nearly two days limited to the sandhill im-
mediately before us and that one just passed ;
and being at the same time so very hot that it
appeared to have burnt up all signs of vegetation.
Nor did we see any animal, bird, or reptile all
the way through, except an occasional hawk or
kite high above us.
"We entered the Grey Ranges on the 15th
September, at 2 p.m., between Mounts Shan-
non and Arrowsmith, and made for a creek to
the north-eastward, lined with gum trees, where
we saw the recent tracks of natives, where they
had been gathering the seeds of the box-tree ;
but we could find no water, although we sank
a hole in the creek where they appeared to have
been scratching for it.
"I fell in with Sturt's track the next
morning, but lost it again near a small
creek, which we traced up, and for-
tunately found a little muddy water in
a large deep hole in the bed of the creek, and
so were enabled to give the poor horses a
drink, they having been 53 hours without
water, excepting a small drop each from the
bags that morning.
"Had we not found water this day I must
have returned at once the same evening, travel-
ling night and day until we reached some.
"We got to Sturt's Depot Creek on Sunday,
18th September, and found plenty of water in
it, but none in the main creek, of which this is
a tributary.
"I found that Mr. Poole's grave had not
been disturbed. Renovated it, and freshened
the letters J. P., 1845, on the grevillia over it.
"September 21. I attained my northern-
most point, being within about 25 miles of the
northern part of the Grey Range, and about
70 or 80 miles from Cooper's Creek. We
suffered very much from the want of both pro-
visions and water on our return to the camp,
which we reached September 26th, having
ridden 400 miles in a fortnight ; the horses,
as also my companions, pretty well knocked up.
"I could not perceive any likelihood of gold
existing in the Grey Ranges, the formation not
appearing so favourable for it as in the Barriers,
the ranges themselves being mountains of a
pure white milky quartz unmixed with any
thing, a hard white trap, and magnetic iron-
stone; the plains between the mountains in the
Grey Ranges being quite barren and stony,
while in the Barrier Range they are generally
well grassed.
"I had left Hayward in charge of the camp,
and on my return I found that the natives had
attempted to rush the camp, but were induced
to retire without any harm being done on either
side. The water being all gone at Partarango,
the bullocks had been removed to the other
waterhole, called Milleralpa, which was also
growing small, as was the water at Pytyurkerno,

so I sent Hayward and Billy the next day to see if there was still enough water in Willcoona
Claypan to enable us to fill our casks, and send
on a load (a day's journey) ahead, for the cattle
to drink on our return to the settled districts,
and found that we must lose no time over it,
or it would be soon dried up. We therefore
packed up, abandoning the cradle and some of
the cumbersome things of small value, and made
a start homewards, 30th September, at 9.15
a.m. Got to Willcoona at sunset, and unloaded
the bullock-dray, and filled the casks and bags
with water to season during the night. Loaded
the dray with the tanks, casks, and every
available article that would hold water, and
started at 9 a.m., 1st October, the shepherd
accompanying us, he saying that he knew of
water at Kandanderka, a place in Carpulanjee
Creek we should have to cross ; but it was
very fortunate that I knew him sufficiently
well by this time not to trust to him, for there
was not the least sign of any water there. We
travelled on to the S.S.E. with the water, till
about 11 p.m., when the moon set, and as soon
as we had unloaded the dray and made a pot
of tea, returned at once for the camp, which
we reached at 9 the next morning, Sunday
2nd October.
"The bullocks having drained the last drop
of water on Monday morning, October 3rd,
and it being too hot to travel, did not start
till 5 p.m., and got to the place where we had
carried the water at 5 a.m. on the 4th, and
found it very heavy dead pulling over the
plain. Rested during the day, and gave the
horses a feed of corn, the plain being quite
barren. We started again at 5 p.m., the
cattle and horses having drank up all the
water, and had still 60 or 70 miles to go before
they could possibly get more. We travelled
on all the night of the 4th, the whole of the 5th
and reached Cawndilla at 2 a.m., October 6th,
the cattle and horses quite frantic for want of
water, so that we could scarcely get them
unharnessed or unyoked.
"Hearing from good authority that the feed
was very bad indeed both on the Darling and
on the Murray, I sold the bullocks and dray at
Minindee, also some of the heavier articles of
our equipment, and having rested there a fort-
night to recruit the horses, left on the 22nd
October, and reported my arrival in Adelaide,
with my party all safe, November 16, 1859.

"In my journal will be found a vocabulary
af all native names and words of the Darling
dialect that I could obtain, and which will be
exceedingly useful to any future traveller.
"In conclusion, I consider that if gold
exists at all in the Barrier Ranges, it is very
deep-seated, and not likely to be obtained
without very great labour and expense ; and the
scarcity of water is such, even in ordinary
seasons, that had I found gold there it would
in all probability have caused an immense
sacrifice of human life, there not being a single
permanent spring or watercourse in the whole
extent of the ranges visited by me, and the
natives inform me that they seldom have more
than one or two days' rain in the course of the
year, and sometimes even none at all.
"To the settlers on the Murray and Darling
I have to express my obligation for kindness
and assistance rendered to me on all occasions,
more particularly at the stations of James
Chambers, Esq., and the Hon. J. Baker.
"I feel conscious of having used every pos-
sible exertion, and made the best of the means
it my disposal ; and I have to acknowledge the
ready assistance I at all times received from
the men under my command, and their willing-
ness to bear privation and undergo hardships
for the furtherance of the object of the expe-
dition.
"I have, &c.,
"James Field Crawford."

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