Overlanders' Depot at Fowler's Bay

Why the change in tactics, Eyre does not explain, but he now decided to form a depot at Fowler's Bay while he reconnoitred the country to the west. This time, without the aid of the local natives he hoped to get as far as the head of the Great Australian Bight.

He found his camp was on low ground, and the natives, well-armed occupied a higher hill commanding his position, so Eyre took possession of a higher hill, commanding the native camp. The natives immediately adopted the same scheme. Eyre, not to be outdone; took possession of the highest hill he could find, and cleared a good space around the camp for safety sake. This out-manoeuvring of the natives caused them to break up their camp and they went back towards where the cutter was anchored. Eyre, even with his friendly feeling for the natives, said he was not sorry at their departure. With the white party divided, the temptation may have been too strong for the natives to resist attacking, "however friendly they might profess to be."

Walking around the shore of Fowler's Bay, Eyre found it literally strewn with bones and carcasses of whales, which had been taken by the American ship he had seen at Port Lincoln, and had been washed up on to the shore; judging by the number of distinct animals, the Americans must have had a successful season. Eyre regretted that the English did not participate in the whaling, which was entirely monopolised by the French and Americans. He said that quite 300 foreign vessels were annually whaling off the coast in the seas adjacent to our Southern Ocean possessions. Eyre said he generally met with a great number of French and American vessels in the few ports or bays he had occasionally visited on the Southern coast, and he had no doubt they reaped a rich harvest. Among the carcasses at Fowler's Bay, Eyre found the shell of a very large turtle on the beach. It had been captured by the crew of the vessel he had seen at Port Lincoln, aud could not have weighed less than 3 or 4 cwt. He was not aware that turtles were found as far south, and he had never seen the least trace of them before.

SEARCH FOR WATER

The period November 18 to 21, 1840, was spent in getting stores ashore from the cutter, consolidating the camp and generally making arrangements for the members of the party who were to remain in camp while Eyre was away. The cutter was most probably anchored in what is now known as Scott's Bay — which proved a too dangerous anchorage, therefore Eyre sent her back to Denial Bay, with instructions to return on December 11.

Eyre and one native, with two riding horses and a packhorse left on November 22. The country was scrubby, then grassy plains with salt lakes, then scrub, and after travelling 23 miles they had to camp without either water or grass. The next day, 10 miles brought them to large drifting white sand hills, from which winged cockatoos and pigeons flew out. Several native encampments were seen in the vicinity, but with all these indications no water could be found. They suffered from the drifting sand, caused by the strong wind that was blowing. Leaving these hills and getting behind the coastal ridge, Eyre made a long stage to some more bare sand drifts, where camp was made, again without water or grass.

On November 24, Eyre, not liking the prospect ahead, returned to the camp at Point Fowler, travelling until midnight, leaving one horse, which was knocked up on the way. Eyre's bump for location must have been wonderful, for on the next day, after travelling 1½ miles, the camp was reached, before the "home party was up. A dray with water was sent out so that the horse could be brought in. Apparently after the departure of the natives on November 19, Eyre directed Baxter to shift camp again to the west of the upper extremity of Point Fowler, immediately behind the coastal white sand drifts, which were high and bare. Water at a depth of one to three feet, in pipe clay, was found on the inland side immediately under the sandhill. Grassy plains near by provided feed for the stock, in the vicinity there were scattered salt swamps and beds of lakes. The country was said to be fossiliferous, and the borders of the swamps and lakes showed hardened, masses of marine shells apparently of recent deposit. The natives were still in the neighborhood, but could not be found. Eyre was now anxious to get one of them as a guide.

ATTEMPT TO REACH BIGHT

November 25, 26 and 27, were spent in camp. The deserted horse was brought into camp on the 27th. While members of the party were near while the cockatoos were seen, they sunk a well 10 ft. deep, getting an abundance of brackish water. On November 28, Eyre made another attempt to get to the head of the Bight, taking a three horse dray, two men and a native boy. On November 30, a party of natives were encountered and by sign language indicated that the white party should go to the sandhills, Eyre interpreting this to mean, for water.

Next morning, accompanied by the natives, they went in the direction indicated. On reaching the shore, the natives were nonplused at not seeing a boat that the whites could have come by, and Eyre did not get the water he was expecting. It was a case of mutual misunderstanding, but now the natives indicated that water could be found in the North West, but a long way off. Eyre, not liking the idea of losing the result of the last few days travelled, accepted the natives' guidance and went westward. One by one the natives dropped out, until only three remained. Eyre did everything possible to persuade these to remain. They insisted that no water would be found until the head of the Bight was rounded. Eyre and the black boy pushed on, and he considered he got within 12 miles of the head. The day was hazy, otherwise he considered the cliffs of the Bight would have been visible. Tracks of a native party were seen, but no water was found, after searching all around.

A return to the previous night's camp was therefore necessary, and the following day (December 2) Eyre decided to make back 25 miles to the well that had been sunk. Unfortunately a dray horse was completely knocked up, so had to be left behind in charge of a man. The well was reached, cleaned out, horses watered and then a fire made — for the night was intensely cold — all of which work left only a few hours for sleep before the scorching rays of the sun awakened them. The day was spent there spelling the horses. On December, 4 they took back 10 gallons of water by a packhorse.

HORSES PERISH

On the 5th an attempt was made to get back to the well, and while Eyre was reconnoitering for water, the teamster found himself surrounded by natives. They insisted that there was no water thereabouts, only to the North West, or the sandhills to the South East. The only conclusion Eyre could come to was that the statement was correct, and that the natives had been procuring the little water they required from hollows in the gum scrub or the lateral roots of the mallee. The ripe fruit of the mesembryanthemum and the number of wallabies in the district seemed to be the inducement for the natives to remain there.

The natives were somewhat aggressive, keeping watch on the camp the whole day, so that Eyre dared not move away, even with the water getting less and the horses weaker. Towards night the natives left, enabling Eyre to bury some of the material on the dray, and then an attempt was made to return to the well; but only two out of the five horses could be brought in, the other three perishing. Eyre wrote, "All our exertions had been in vain, the dreadful nature of the country and an unlucky meeting of the natives, had defeated the incessant toil and anxiety of seven days' unremitting endeavour to save them."

On the 9th a man was sent into Fowler's Bay to obtain five fresh horses, two men and provisions, with instructions for Scott to come and to take back the knocked up horses for a spell. Scott arrived about 4 p.m. on the 10th, with the horses, men and provisions. The dray was brought back to the well, and then back to the Fowler's Bay camp, which was reached on the 16th, on which day the cutter also returned from Denial Bay.

The experience gained during those three weeks convinced Eyre that his party was too large, therefore the Waterwitch was sent back to Adelaide, taking Coles and Houston, a dray, harness aud other equipment. The boat purchased at Port Lincoln, was kept for use at Fowler's Bay.

Eyre in a long despatch dated December 17, 1840, to the Governor, gave a review of his wanderings up to that date, and his hopes for the future, intimating that he intended to remain in the camp for five or six weeks to recuperate. He asked His Excellency to send him bran and oats for the horses, saying they had sufficient provisions for their own use for at least six months. The cutter left probably on December 19. Christmas Day came and went, en livened and brightened by the luxuries sent out by their many friends, by the Waterwitch. Surplus stores were casked up and buried, then to procure better grass, camp was shifted to a well five miles out. Eyre remarks that no casuarina were seen after passing Streaky Bay, and that granite rocks had not been seen for some time. The country was of a fossiliferous nature. Near a native camp a lump of granite was found, indicating there must be some at no great distance, and at the camp there was also a piece of pure flint ; none had been seen previously and Eyre surmised it came from the cliffs in the Bight, and he hoped it pointed to an improvement in the country.