Rumours of the existence of a Southern Continent in the Sixteenth Century--Jave and Jave la Grande--Authentic Discoveries and visits of the early Navigators--Torres sails between New Guinea and Terra Australis--Voyage of the Duyfhen in 1606--Dirk Hartog on the West Coast, his inscribed plate--Restored by Vlaming--Afterwards by Hamelin--Nuyts on the South Coast--Wreck of the Batavia on Houtman's Abrolhos--Mutiny of Cornelis--Tasman's second voyage--Dampier with the Buccaneers--Second Voyage in the Roebuck--Last visit of the Dutch--Captain Cook--Flinders; his theory of a Dividing Strait--Plans for exploring the Interior--His captivity--Captain King--Concluding remarks.
The Continent of Australia--Its peculiar formation--The coast range and the highest peaks thereof--The coastal rivers--The inland rivers-- Difference of vegetation on the tableland and on the coast--Exception to the rule--Valuable timber of the coast districts--Animals common to the whole continent--Some birds the same--Distinct habits of others--The Australian native and his unknown origin--Water supply--Upheaval.
Chapter I [1788-1803]
Expeditions of Governor Phillip--Mouth of the Hawkesbury found in Broken Bay--Second expedition and ascent of the river--Expedition of Captain Tench--Discovery of the Nepean River--Lieutenant Dawes sent to cross the Nepean, and to try to penetrate the mountains--Attempt by Governor Phillip to establish the confluence of the Nepean and Hawkesbury-- Failure--The identity settled by Captain Tench--Escaped convicts try to reach China--Captain Paterson finds and names the Grose River--Hacking endeavours to cross the Blue Mountains--The lost cattle found on the Cow Pastures--Bass attempts the passage of the range--Supposed settlement of a white race in the interior--Attempt of the convicts to reach it-- James Wilson--His life with the natives--Discovery of the Hunter River by Lieutenant Shortland.
Chapter II [1813-1824]
The great drought of 1813--The development of country by stocking-- Blaxland, Lawson, and Wentworth cross the Blue Mountains--Reach the head of coast waters and return--Surveyor Evans sent out--Crosses the watershed and finds the Macquarie River--Construction of road over the range--Settlement of Bathurst--Visit of Governor Macquarie--Second expedition under Evans--Discovery of the Lachlan River--Surveyor-General Oxley explores the Lachlan--Finds the river terminates in swamps--Returns by the Macquarie--His opinion of the interior--Second expedition down the Macquarie--Disappointment again--Evans finds the Castlereagh--Liverpool Plains discovered--Oxley descends the range and finds Port Macquarie-- Returns to Newcastle-Currie and Ovens cross the Morumbidgee--Brisbane Downs and Monaroo--Hume and Hovell cross to Port Phillip--Success of the expedition.
Chapter III [to 1830]
Settlement of Moreton Bay--Cunningham in the field again--His discoveries of the Gwydir, Dumaresque, and Condamine Rivers--The Darling Downs, and Cunningham's Gap through the range to Moreton Bay--Description of the Gap--Cunningham's death--Captain Sturt--His first expedition to follow down the Macquarie--Failure of the river--Efforts of Sturt and Hume to trace the channel--Discovery of New Year's Creek (the Bogan)--Come suddenly on the Darling--Dismay at finding the water salt--Retreat to Mount Harris--Meet the relief party--Renewed attempt down the Castlereagh River--Trace it to the Darling--Find the water in that river still salt--Return--Second expedition to follow the Morumbidgee--Favourable anticipations--Launch of the boats and separation of the party--Unexpected junction with the Murray--Threatened hostilities with the natives--Averted in a most singular manner--Junction of large river from the North--Sturt's conviction that it is the Darling--Continuation of the voyage--Final arrival at Lake Alexandrina--Return voyage--Starvation and fatigue-- Constant labour at the oars and stubborn courage of the men--Utter exhaustion--Two men push forward to the relief party and return with succour.
Chapter IV [to 1836]
Settlement at King George's Sound--The free colony of Swan River founded--Governor Stirling--Captain Bannister crosses from Perth to King George's Sound--Explorations by Lieutenant Roe--Disappointing nature of the interior--Bunbury, Wilson, and Moore--Settlement on the North Coast--Melville Island and Raffles Bay--An escaped convict's story--The fabulous Kindur River--Major Mitchell starts in search of it--Discovery of the Namoi--The Nundawar Range--Failure of the boats--Reach the Gwydir River of Cunningham--The Karaula--Its identity with the Darling--Murder of the two bullock-drivers--Mitchell's return--Murder of Captain Barker in Encounter Bay--Major Mitchell's second expedition to trace the course of the Darling--Traces the Bogan to its junction with that river--Fort Bourke--Progress down the river--Hostility of the natives--Skirmish with them--Return--Mitchell's third expedition--The Lachlan followed--Junction of the Darling and the Murray reached--Mitchell's discovery of Australia Felix.
Chapter V [to 1841]
Lieutenants Grey and Lushington on the West Coast--Narrow escape--Start with an equipment of Timor ponies--Grey wounded by the natives--Cave drawings--Return, having discovered the Glenelg--Grey's second expedition--Landed at Bernier Island, in Shark's Bay, with three whale-boats--Cross to borne Island--Violent storm--Discovery of the Gascoyne--Return to Bernier Island--Find their CACHÉ of provisions destroyed by a hurricane--Hopeless position--Attempted landing at Gautheaume Bay--Destruction of the boats--Walk to Perth--Great sufferings--Death of Smith--Eyre and the overlanders--Discovery of Lake Hindmarsh--Exploration of Gippsland--Eyre's explorations to the north--Discovery of Lake Torrens--Disappointment in the country bordering on it--Determines to go to King George's Sound--Repeated attempts to reach the head of the Great Australian Bight--Loss of horses--Barren and scrubby country--Final determination to send back most of the party-- Starts with overseer and three natives--Hardship and suffering--Murder of the overseer by two of the natives--Eyre continues his journey with the remaining boy--Relieved by the Mississippi whaler--Reaches King George's Sound.
Chapter VI [to 1846]
Explorations around Moreton Bay--Development of the Eastern Coast--The first pioneers of the Darling Downs--Stuart and Sydenham Russell--The Condamine River and Cecil Plains--Great interest taken in exploration at this period--Renewed explorations around Lake Torrens--Surveyor-General Frome--Death of Horrocks, the first explorer to introduce camels--Sturt's last expedition--Route by the Darling chosen--Poole fancies that he sees the inland sea--Discovery of Flood's Creek--The prison depôt--Impossible to advance or retreat--Breaking up of the drought--Death of Poole--Fresh attempts to the north--The desert--Eyre's Creek discovered--Return and fresh attempt--Discoveries of Cooper and Strzelecki Creeks--Retreat to the Depôt Glen--Final return to the Darling--Ludwig Leichhardt the lost explorer--His great trip north--Finding of the Burdekin, the Mackenzie, Isaacs and Suttor--Murder of the naturalist Gibert--Discovery of the Gulf Rivers--Arrival at Port Essington--His return and reception-- Surveyor-General Mitchell's last expedition--Follows up the Balonne-- Crosses to the head of the Belyando--Disappointed in that river--Returns and crosses to the head of the Victoria (Barcoo)--The beautiful Downs country--First mention of the Mitchell grass--False hopes entertained of the Victoria running into the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Chapter VII [to 1854]
Kennedy traces the Victoria in its final course south--Re-named the Barcoo--First notice of the PITURI chewing natives--Leichhardt's second Expedition--Failure and Return--Leichhardt's last Expedition--His absolute disappearance--Conjectures as to his fate--Kennedy starts from Rockingham Bay to Cape York--Scrubs and swamps--Great exertions--Hostile natives--Insufficiency of supplies provided--Dying horses--Main party left in Weymouth Bay--Another separation at Shelburne Bay--Murder of Kennedy at the Escape River--Rescue of Jacky the black boy--His pathetic tale of suffering--Failure to find the camp at Shelburne Bay--Rescue of but two survivors at Weymouth Bay--The remainder starved to death--Von Mueller in the Australian Alps--Western Australia--Landor and Lefroy, in 1843--First expedition of the brothers Gregory, in 1846--Salt lakes and scrub--Lieutenant Helpman sent to examine the coal seam discovered--Roe, in 1848--His journey to the east and to the south--A. C. Gregory attempts to reach the Gascoyne--Foiled by the nature of the country--Discovers silver ore on the Murchison--Governor Fitzgerald visits the mine--Wounded by the natives--Rumour of Leichhardt having been murdered by the blacks--Hely's expedition in quest of him--Story unfounded--Austin's explorations in Western Australia--Terrible scrubs--Poison camp-- Determined efforts to the north--Heat and thirst--Forced to return.
Chapter VIII [to 1861]
A. C. Gregory's North Australian expedition in 1855-56, accompanied by Baron Von Mueller and Dr. Elsey--Disappointment in the length of 'the Victoria--Journey to the Westward--Discovery of Sturt's Creek--Its course followed south--Termination in a salt lake--Return to Victoria River --Start homeward, overland--The Albert identified--The Leichhardt christened--Return by the Burdekin and Suttor--Visit of Babbage to Lake Torrens--Expedition by Goyder--Deceived by mirage--Excitement in Adelaide--Freeling sent out--Discovers the error--Hack explores the Gawler Range--Discovers Lake Gairdner--Warburton in the same direction--Swinden and party west of Lake Torrens--Babbage in the Lake District--His long delay--Warburton sent to supersede him--Rival claims to discovery--Frank Gregory explores the Gascoyne in Western Australia --A. C. Gregory follows the Barcoo in search of Leichhardt--Discovery of a marked tree--Arrival in Adelaide--The early explorations of M'Dowall Stuart--Frank Gregory at Nickol Bay--Discovers the Ashburton--Fine pastoral country--Discovers the De Grey and Oakover Rivers--Turned back by the desert--Narrow escape.
Chapter IX [to 1861]
Across the continent, from south to north--M'Dowall Stuart's first attempt to reach the north coast--Native warfare--Chambers' Pillar-- Central Mount Stuart--Singularfootprint--Sufferings from thirst-- Aboriginal Freemasons--Attack Creek--Return--Stuart's second departure-- The Victorian expedition--Costly equipment--Selection of a leader--Burke, and his qualifications for the post--Wills--Resignation of Landells-- Wright left in charge of the main party--Burke and Wills, with six men, push on to Cooper's Creek--Delay of Wright--Burke's final determination to push on to the north coast--Starts with Wills and two men--Progress across the continent--Arrival at the salt water--Wills' account--Homeward journey--The depôt deserted--Resolve to make for Mount Hopeless--Failure and return--Wills revisits the depôt--Kindness of the natives--Burke and King start in search of the blacks--Death of Burke--King finds Wills dead on his return--Wright and Brahe visit the depôt--Fail to see traces of Burke's return--Consternation in Melbourne--Immediate despatch of search parties--Howitt finds King--Narrow escape of trooper Lyons--Stuart in the north--Hedgewood scrub first seen--Discovery of Newcastle waters--All attempts to the north fruitless--Return of Stuart.
Chapter X [to 1863]
Stuart's last Expedition--Frew's Pond--Daly Waters--Arrival at the Sea--The flag at last hoisted on the northern shore--Return--Serious illness of the Leader--The Burke relief Expedition--John M'Kinlay--Native rumours--Discovery of Gray's body--Hodgkinson sent to Blanche Water with the news--Returns with the information of King's rescue by Howitt-- M'Kinlay starts north--Reaches the Gulf coast--Makes for the new Queensland settlements on the Burdekin--Reaches the Bowen River in safety--Mystery of the camel's tracks--Landsborough's expedition-- Discovery of the Gregory River--The Herbert--Return to the Albert depôt-- News of Burke and Wills--Landsborough reduces his party and starts home overland--Returns by way of the Barcoo--Landsborough and his critics--His work as an Explorer--Walker starts from Rockhampton--Another L tree found on the Barcoo--Walker crosses the head of the Flinders--Finds the tracks of Burke and Wills--Tries to follow them up--Returns to Queensland--Abandonment of the desert theory--Private expeditions-- Dalrymple and others.
Chapter XI [to 1870]
Settlement formed at Somerset, Cape York, by the Queensland Government--Expedition of the Brothers Jardine--Start from Carpentaria Downs Station--Disaster by fire--Reduced resources--Arrive at the coast of the Gulf--Hostility of the blacks--Continual attacks--Horses mad through drinking salt water--Poison country--An unfortunate camp--Still followed by the natives--Rain and bog--Dense scrub--Efforts of the two brothers to reach Somerset--Final Success--Lull in exploration--Private parties--Settlement at Escape Cliffs by South Australia--J. M'Kinlay sent up--Narrow escape from floods--Removal of the settlement to Port Darwin--M'Intyre's expedition in search of Leichhardt--His death--Hunt in Western Australia--False reports about traces of Leichhardt--Forrest's first expedition--Sent to investigate the report of the murder of white men in the interior--Convinced of its want of truth--Unpromising country--Second expedition to Eucla--The cliffs of the Great Bight--Excursion to the north--Safe arrival at Eucla.
Chapter XII [to 1875]
The first expeditions of Ernest Giles--Lake Amadens--Determined attempts to cross the desert--Death of Gibson--Return-Warburton's expedition-- Messrs. Elder and Hughes--Outfit of camels--Departure from Alice Springs--Amongst the glens--Waterloo Well--No continuation to Sturt's Creek--Sufferings from starvation--Fortunate relief from death by thirst--Arrive at the head of the Oakover--Lewis starts to obtain succour--His return--Gosse sent out by the South Australian Government-- Exploring bullocks--Ayre's rock--Obliged to retreat--Forrest's expedition from west to east--Good pastoral country--Windich Springs--The Weld Springs--Attacked by the natives--Lake Augusta--Dry country--Relieved by a shower--Safe arrival and great success of the expedition--Ernest Giles in the field--Elder supplies camels--The longest march ever made in Australia--Wonderful endurance of the camels--The lonely desert--Strange discovery of water--Queen Victoria's Spring--The march renewed--Attacked by blacks--Approach the well-known country in Western Australia--Safe arrival--Giles returns overland, north of Forrest's track--Little or no result--Great drought--The western interior.
Chapter XIII [to 1884]
Further explorations around Lake Eyre--Lewis equipped by Sir Thomas Elder--He traces the lower course of the Diamantina--Expedition to Charlotte Bay under W. Hann--A survivor of the wreck of the Maria--Discovery of the Palmer--Gold prospects found--Arrival on the east coast--Dense scrub--Return--The Palmer rush--Hodgkinson sent out--Follows down the Diamantina--Discovery of the Mulligan--Mistaken for the Herbert--Private expedition--The Messrs. Prout--Buchanan--F. Scarr--The Queenslander expedition--A dry belt of country--Native rites--A good game bag--Arrival at the telegraph line--Alexander Forrest--The Leopold Range--Caught between the cliffs and the sea--Fine pastoral country found--Arrival at the Katherine--The Northern Territory and its future.
Chapter XIV [to 1888]
The exploration of the Continent by land almost completed--Minor expeditions--The Macarthur and other rivers running into Carpentaria traced--Good country discovered and opened up--Sir Edward Pellew Group revisited--Lindsay sent out by the S.A. Government to explore Arnheim's Land--Rough country and great loss of horses--O'Donnell makes an expedition to the Kimberley district--Sturt and Mitchell's different experiences with the blacks--Difference in the East and West Coasts--Use of camels--Opinions about them--The future of the water supply-- Adaptability of the country for irrigation--The great springs of the Continent--Some peculiarities of them--Hot springs and mound springs.
Chapter XV
Maritime Discoveries
Chapter XVI
Captain Cook compared to former Visitors--Point Hicks--Botany Bay-First natives seen--Indifference to Overtures--Abundant flora--Entrance to Port Jackson missed--Endeavour on a reef--Careened--Strange animals--Hostile natives--A sailor's devil--Possession Island-Territory of New South Wales--Torres Straits a passage--La Perouse--Probable fate discovered by Captain Dillon--M'Cluer touches Arnheim's Land--Bligh and Portlock--Wreck of the Pandora--Vancouver in the south--The D'Entrecasteaux quest--Recherche Archipelago--Bass and Flinders--Navigation and exploration extraordinary--The Tom Thumb--Bass explores south--Flinders in the Great Bight--Bass's Straits--Flinders in the Investigator--Special instructions--King George's Sound--Lossof boat's crew--Memory Cove--Baudin's courtesy--Port Phillip--Investigator and Lady Nelson on East Coast--The Gulf of Carpentaria and early Dutch navigators--Duyfhen Point--Cape Keer-Weer--Mythical rivers charted--Difficulty in recognising their landmarks--Flinders' great disappointment--A rotten ship--Return by way of West Coast--Cape Vanderlin--Dutch Charts--Malay proas, Pobassoo--Return to Port Jackson--Wreck of the Porpoise--Prisoner by the French--General de Caen--Private papers and journals appropriated--Prepares his charts and logs for press--Death--Sympathy by strangers--Forgotten by Australia--The fate of Bass--Mysterious disappearance--Supposed Death.
Chapter XVII
The French Expedition--Buonaparte's lavish outfitting--Baudin in the Géographe--Coast casualties--Sterile and barren appearance--Privations of the crew--Sails for Timor--Hamelin in the Naturaliste--Explores North-Western coast--Swan River--Isle of Rottnest--Joins her consort at Coepang--Sails for Van Dieman's Land--Examination of the South-East coast of Australia--Flinders' prior visit ignored--French names substituted--Discontent among crew--Baudin's unpopularity--Bad food--Port Jackson--Captain King's Voyages--Adventures in the Mermaid--An extensive commission--Allan Cunningham, botanist--Search at Seal Islands for memorial of Flinders' visit--Seed sowing--Jeopardy to voyage--Giant anthills--An aboriginal Stoic--Cape Arnhem and west coast exploration--Macquarie Strait--Audacity of natives--Botanical results satisfactory--Malay Fleet--Raffles Bay--Port Essington--Attack by natives--Cape Van Dieman--Malay Teachings--Timor and its Rajah--Return to Port--Second Voyage--Mermaid and Lady Nelson--East Coast--Cleveland Bay--Cocoa-nuts and pumice stones--Endeavour River--Thieving natives--Geological formation of adjacent country--Remarkable coincidences--Across Gulf of Carpentaria--Inland excursion--Cambridge Gulf--Ophthalmia amongst crew--Mermaid returns to port.
Chapter XVIII
King's Third Voyage--Early misadventures--Examines North-West coast closely--The Mermaid careened--Unforeseen result--Return to Sydney--The Bathurst--King's Fourth Voyage--Last of the Mermaid--Love's stratagem--Remarkable cavern--Extraordinary drawings--Chasm Island--South-West explorations--Revisits his old camp--Rich vegetation--Greville Island--Skirmish at Hanover Bay--Reminiscence of Dampier--His notes on the natives and their mode of living--Cape Levêque--Buccaneers' Archipelago--Provisions run out--Sails for the Mauritius--Survey of South-West re-commenced--Cape Chatham--Oyster Harbour anchorage--A native's toilet--Seal hunt--Friendly intercourse--Cape Inscription--Vandalism--Point Cloates not an island--Vlaming Head--Rowley Shoals--Cunningham--Botanical success--Rogers Island closely examined--Mainland traced further--An amazing escape from destruction--Relinquishment of survey--Sails for Sydney--Value of King's work--Settlement on Melville Island--Port Essington--Colonisation--Fort building--A waif--Roguish visitors--Garrison life--Change of scene--Raffles Bay--Dismal reports--Failure of attempt.
Chapter XIX
Cruise of H.M.S. Beagle--Passengers Grey and Lushington--Swan River--Northern coast survey commenced--Supposed channel at Dampier's Land non-existent--Lieutenant Usborne accidentally shot--King's Sound--Effects of a rainy season--Point Cunningham--Skeleton of a native found--New discoveries--Fitzroy River explored--Exciting incident--Boat excursion to Collier Bay--Swan River--Native steward "Miago"--Amusing inspection--Meeting with the explorers at Hanover Bay--Lieutenant Grey's description of native tribes--Miago's memory--Fremantle--Needed communication--Beagle at Hobart Town--Survey work at Cape Otway--Exploration of northwest coast--Reminiscences of colonisation--Discovery of the Adelaide River--A serious comedy--Port Essington and Clarence Straits--Harbour of Port Darwin named--The Victoria River--Extravagant hopes--Land party organized--Captain Stokes speared--Return to Swan River--Beagle again North--Examination of Sweer's Island--Flinders and Albert Rivers discovered--Inland navigation--Gun accident--Native mode of burial--Fallacious Theorising--The Beagle's surveying concluded--Maritime exploration closes.
Chapter XX
Nationality of the first finders of Australia--Knowledge of the Malays--The bamboo introduced--Traces of smallpox amongst the natives in the north-west--Tribal rites--Antipathy to pork--Evidence of admixture in origin--Influence of Asiatic civilisation partly visible--Coast appearance repelling--Want of indigenous food plants--Lack of intercourse with other nations--Little now left of unexplored country--Conclusions respecting various geological formations--Extent of continental divisions--Development of coastal towns--Inducements for population--Necessity of the first explorings--Pioneer squatters' efforts--First Australian-born explorer--Desert theory exploded--Fertile downs everywhere--Want of water apparently insurmountable--Heroism of explorers--Inexperience of the early settlers--Grazing possible--Rapid stocking of country--The barrenness of the "Great Bight"--Sturt, the Penn of Australia--Results--Mitchell's work--Baron von Mueller's researches--A salt lake--Stuart first man across the continent--Burke and Wills' heroism--Services of McKinlay and Landsborough--John Forrest's journeys--Camel expedition by Giles--The Brisbane Courier expedition--Further explorations--Stockdale at Cambridge Gulf--Carr-Boyd and O'Donnell open good country in Western Australia--Work done by explorers--Their characteristics--Conclusion.