21st April 1860,
Centre of Australia.
The name of the Central Mountain appears in the published journal as Stuart. This is probably due to a mistake of the publisher's, which remained uncorrected, as Stuart was very ill when his journal was printed.
FROM WEST TO EAST. I. ALONG THE BIGHT
Source.—Explorations in Australia (John Forrest, 1875), pp. 83-94, 107-114, 121-135.
In 1870 Forrest set out to explore the country along the Bight. It had previously been considered desert land, but the expedition discovered valuable country behind the cliffs.
We started from Perth on the afternoon of Wednesday, the 30th of March 1870. His Excellency the Governor accompanied us for about three miles on the Albany Road. We had fifteen horses, and provisions sufficient for the journey to Esperance Bay, a distance of about 450 miles, where it was arranged further supplies would await us.
May 18th. Esperance Bay. After starting the party went in advance with Billy to prepare camp at Israelite Bay. When we reached it, were delighted to find the Adur lying safely at anchor there; proceeding on board found all well. Procured abundance of water by digging one foot deep in the sand-hills, and good feed a short distance from camp.
Our friends on the Adur were looking anxiously for us. We were two days behind the appointed time, and they feared some evil had befallen us, not taking into consideration the many delays incidental to such a journey through strange and difficult country as we had made.