Exploring in the 'seventies and the construction of the Overland Telegraph Line / by Alfred Giles

Creator
Giles, Alfred, 1847?-1931
Call Number
NL 919.42043 G472
Created/Published
[Adelaide? : s.n., 1926?]
Images
191
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Contents

Exploring in the 'Seventies 1
Exploring in the 'Seventies 2
Exploring in the 'Seventies 4
Contents and Illustrations 5
Foreword 8
Introduction 11
Exploring in the ’Seventies 15
CHAPTER II I Have Eyes on New Guinea—Idle Months—Good News—A Red-letter Day—Hurried Preparations—Good-bye to Adelaide—Crispe’s Thrilling Story. 20
CHAPTER III From Kapunda to Beltana—At Beltana—Wretched Equipment—Splendid Horses—Arms and Ammunition. 25
CHAPTER IV From Beltana to Mount Margaret—At Mount Margaret—Good-bye to Civilization—Winkley’s Waterhole. 29
CHAPTER V Detention Creek—First Blacks Seen—Varied Country. 32
CHAPTER VI Signs of Natives—Caught in a Storm—Heavy Travelling—Searching for Water. 35
CHAPTER VII A Sandy Stretch—The Returning Journey—An Old Shirt Discovered—Blacks in the Camp. 39
CHAPTER VIII “Wugh-wughs” and “Wow-wows”—Oasis in the Desert—More Sandhills —Searching for Water—Glimpse of Chambers’s Pillar—Three Grand Spectacles—On the Finke River. 44
CHAPTER IX Timid Natives—Short of Supplies—Return to the Peake—Trial of Pluck and Endurance. 49
CHAPTER X I Lose My Watch—A Day of Thrills—A Trying Time—Water at Last. 53
CHAPTER XI Birds, Bees, and Butterflies—Christmas in the Ranges—Central Mount Sturt. 57
CHAPTER XII New Year’s Day, 1871—Stuart’s Horsetracks—Central Mount Sturt—Ascending Mount Sturt—What was in the Bottle. 60
CHAPTER XIII Flock Pigeons Galore—Birds and Water Supplies—Savages and Game —Running Out of Water—Scandalous Outfit—Overcoming Water Difficulties. 65
CHAPTER XIV We Appreciate Euro Rumpsteak—We Lose Our Surveyor—Looking for the Lost Man—Picking up Tracks—Short of Rations—Bad Times—We Lose Our Plancase—Troublesome Blacks. 70
CHAPTER XV We Meet the Supply Party—Link with Home Again—Better Camps—Dispatch Riding—At Charlotte Waters. 76
CHAPTER XVI Goyder and Finke Rivers in Flood-Troublous Times—The Hugh in Flood—Off to the Roper River—At Alice Creek Camp—Without Water Again. 82
CHAPTER XVII A Unique Experience—Good-bye to the Mac Donnell Ranges—In New Country—Hostile Savages. 87
CHAPTER XVIII Bishop’s Creek—Through the Ashburton Range—We Sight Newcastle Lake—At Newcastle Waters—At North Newcastle—Ironstone Pond. 91
CHAPTER XIX Searching for Water—Still Searching for Water—Chain of Ponds—Bobby’s Waterhole. 96
CHAPTER XX We Reach the Roper River—Our Mistake—Supplies Running Out—We Reach the Telegraph Line—New Faces at Last! 100
CHAPTER XXI Death of Our Packhorse Charlie—A Misunderstanding—A Great Disappointment—Sickness and Death—The Monkey and the Medicine. 104
CHAPTER XXII Pine Creek—Destructive Natives—Buried Treasure 108
CHAPTER XXIII Hostile Natives—An Attack that Failed—An Error in Our Course-Panning for Gold—On Board the Dauphine—Arrival of the Omeo—Great Doings at Darwin. 114
CHAPTER XXIV. Messrs. Dalwood and Darwent’s Contract Annulled—Planting the First Pole—Nine Months’ Work—Arrival of the Gulnare—A Great Procession—Adept Thieves—Searching for Water—Hostile Blacks—Death of Stanley. 122
CHAPTER XXV. Mr. Packard’s Party Attacked by Natives—Fired Through the Bunghole —Well-sinking—The Birdum Creek—Probable Camp of Leichhardt’s—False Directions—News from Southern Sections—Eclipse of the Sun. 128
CHAPTER XXVI. Pleasant Companions—Gentle Annie and the Pig—Bay-o’-Biscay Country —A Surprise Party—Attacked by the Savages—Christmas Day—Heavy Thunderstorms. 133
CHAPTER XXVII. Difficult Travelling—Fireflies Mistaken for Blacks—Still Travelling under Difficulties—Swimming in the Birdum—A Deserted Camp—A Meal on Goanna. 138
CHAPTER XXVIII. Crossing the Elsey—We Meet Mr.Bedford Hack—Lagoon in the Forest—Bullock-hunting—Arrival of Mr. Ralph Milner—“Dr.” Rix and “Dr.” Funnall—Union Camp—“Red Blanket.” 143
CHAPTER XXIX. All South Australians—Millions of Mosquitoes—Arrival of the Sheep-Shearing the Sheep—The Fan Palms—We Resume Shearing—Still More Rain—Shearing Finished—Crossing the Elsey River. 148
CHAPTER XXX. Shifting Camp-Boating the Sheep Over—Providence Knoll—Starting With Burton’s Sheep—Mosquitoes Worried the Sheep—On the Track of Burton’s Party—Arrival at Burton’s Camp. 152
CHAPTER XXXI. Missed by a Mile—Cheering News—Arrival of Mail—More Horse-hunting. 156
CHAPTER XXXII. We Leave Daly Waters for Tennant’s Creek—Savages Rushed the Camp —Creeks Named by Stuart—A Surprisel—Starting an Express Service—Mr. Ray P. Boucaut—A Camp-fire “Yarn.” 160
CHAPTER XXXIII. We Reach the Hunter Creek—At South Newcastle Waters—Meeting Burton’s Party—Savages Attack the Hawker—Starting the Express Service—The Wounded Hawker. 166
CHAPTER XXXIV. Breakdown of the British-Australian Cable—Shy Natives—Nearing the End of a Great Work—Paying Out the Wire—Mr. Todd’s Little Joke—r We Meet Andrew Hume. 170
CHAPTER XXXV. Mr. R. C. Patterson III with Fever—Mr. Burton’s Section Completed—Off Home!—Completion of the Great Work—Dr. Renner and His Patriots—Leaving for the Roper—Arrival at the Roper Landing. 175
CHAPTER XXXVI. First Overland Cattle Arrive—The First Court Case-Good-bye to the Roper—Maria Island Described—Wonderful Fare—Poisonous Beans—A Life-long Friend—Pleasant Evenings. 180
CHAPTER XXXVII. The Omeo Homeward Bound—Rough Seas—A Lucky Rescue—Arrival at Brisbane—A Great Welcome—Wonderful Old Brandy—Conclusion. 184

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http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-211081884

APA citation

Giles, Alfred. (1926). Exploring in the 'seventies and the construction of the Overland Telegraph Line Retrieved September 5, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-211081884

MLA citation

Giles, Alfred. Exploring in the 'seventies and the construction of the Overland Telegraph Line [Adelaide?: , 1926. Web. 5 September 2026 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-211081884>

Harvard/Australian citation

Giles, Alfred. 1926, Exploring in the 'seventies and the construction of the Overland Telegraph Line , [Adelaide? viewed 5 September 2026 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-211081884

Wikipedia citation

{{Citation
  | author1=Giles, Alfred.
  | title=Exploring in the 'seventies and the construction of the Overland Telegraph Line
  | year=1926
  | section=xii, 172 p. : map, ports. ; 21 cm.
  | series=RNB Central Aust. history series
  | location=[Adelaide?
  | publisher=
  | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-211081884
  | id=nla.obj-211081884
  | access-date=5 September 2026
  | via=Trove
}}

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