Editing Canning Stock Route (section)

====Calvert and Carnegie expeditions====
The route, which crossed the territories of nine different Aboriginal [[Language family|language groups]],<ref name="Culture">{{cite web |date=May 2011 |work=Australian Stories |title=The Canning Stock Route |publisher=Australian Government |url=http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/canning-stock-route |access-date=28 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004181837/http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/canning-stock-route |archive-date=4 October 2011 }}</ref> had been explored previously in 1896 by the [[Calvert Expedition]] led by [[Lawrence Wells]] and again later that year by the Carnegie Expedition led by [[David Carnegie (explorer)|David Carnegie]]. Two members of the Calvert Expedition perished of thirst and the Carnegie Expedition suffered considerable hardships with camels dying after eating poisonous grass and a member of the party accidentally shooting himself dead. Carnegie investigated the possibility of a stock route and concluded that the route was "too barren and destitute of vegetation" and was impractical.

Wells and Carnegie both mistreated Aboriginals they encountered on their expeditions, including by tying them up and forcing them to find water. Carnegie is also believed to have fed them salt, and he was later publicly criticised for this. Evidence supports that [[Alfred Canning]] had read both the Calvert and Carnegie expedition accounts to find out about the country (both described the terrain as "extremely difficult") and the use of Aboriginal people to find water, an example Canning followed during his own expedition.<ref>''The Legacy of Alfred Canning'', Education at the [[National Museum of Australia]], Canberra, available at [http://www.nma.gov.au/education-kids/classroom_learning/units_of_work/yiwarra_kuju Yiwarra Kuju: The Canning Stock Route – Education Kit] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120202075342/http://www.nma.gov.au/education-kids/classroom_learning/units_of_work/yiwarra_kuju |date=2 February 2012 }}<br />Both Wells and Carnegie used ropes to tie Aboriginals up so that they could not escape. In Carnegie's case to help them find water and in Wells's case, for help in finding two lost members of their party. Carnegie also deprived his captives of water or fed them salt beef so that they would lead him to water more quickly and he was publicly criticised for this at the time.</ref><ref>''Canning Stock Route Royal Commission: Royal Commission to Inquire into the Treatment of Natives by the Canning Exploration Party 15 January – 5 February 1908'', edited by Phil Bianchi ''et al'', Hesperian Press, Carlisle, WA, 2010: pp. 138–140 (Q3418). {{ISBN|0-85905-059-9}}.</ref>