Editing Ernest Giles (section)

== Third, fourth and fifth expeditions ==
[[File:Giles Fourth Expedition party.jpg|thumb|right|The party for Giles' fourth expedition]]
Early in 1875 Giles prepared his diaries for publication under the title ''Geographic Travels in Central Australia'', and on 13 March 1875, with the generous help of Sir [[Thomas Elder]], he began his third expedition.  Proceeding far northwards from [[Fowlers Bay, South Australia|Fowler's Bay]], the country was found to be very dry. Retracing his steps Giles turned east, and eventually going round the north side of [[Lake Torrens]], reached Elder's station at [[Beltana Station|Beltana]].

At Beltana the preparations for his fourth journey were made, and with Tietkens again his lieutenant, and with a caravan of camels, a start was made on 6 May.{{citation needed|date=June 2019}} [[Afghan (Australia)|Afghan cameleer]] Mahomet Saleh, who had accompanied explorer [[Peter Egerton-Warburton|Peter Warburton]] to [[Western Australia]] two years previously, drove and managed the camels.<ref name=SAhist>{{cite web|url=http://www.southaustralianhistory.com.au/afghans.htm|title=The Afghan camelmen|website=South Australian History: Flinders Ranges Research|access-date=2 June 2019}}</ref><ref name=australia.gov>{{cite web|url=http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/afghan-cameleers|website=australia.gov.au|title=Afghan cameleers in Australia|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140815171331/http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/afghan-cameleers |archive-date=15 August 2014|url-status=dead|date=15 August 2014|access-date=2 June 2019}}</ref> They reached [[Port Augusta]] on 23 May and, after taking a northerly course to clear the lakes, followed a generally westerly course. Some water was carried, and the party was saved the continual excursions in search of water for horses that had caused so much difficulty during previous expeditions. Towards the end of September, over {{convert|323|mi|km}} had been covered in 17 days without finding water, when on 25 September one of the Aboriginal guides in the expedition party, Tommy Oldham, found an abundant supply in a small hollow between sand dunes at a location which Giles subsequently named Queen Victoria Spring, and the party was saved.<ref name="twice">{{cite book |last=Giles |first=Ernest |author-link=Ernest Giles |title=Australia twice traversed: the romance of exploration, being a narrative compiled from the journals of five exploring expeditions into and through central South Australia and Western Australia from 1872 to 1876 |volume=2 |publisher=Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington |year=1889 |url=https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4974 |isbn=0-86824-015-X}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Rusden|first1=George William|author-link1=George William Rusden|title=History of Australia|date=1883|publisher=Chapman and Hall|isbn=9781108030571|page=224|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JxceH8tElKwC&pg=PA224|access-date=3 February 2015}}</ref> After a rest of nine days the journey was resumed on 6 October, still heading west. Ten days later the expedition was attacked by a large number of Aborigines and Giles fired on them. On 4 November they met a white stockman at Tootra out-camp, east of [[Bindi Bindi, Western Australia]]. Their course was west to [[Walebing, Western Australia|Walebing Station]], then south-west and on 11 November they arrived at [[New Norcia]] where they were welcomed by [[Rosendo Salvado|Bishop Salvado]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article65962579 |title=Victoria Plains, November 12. |newspaper=The Inquirer & Commercial News |date=17 November 1875 |access-date=26 October 2011 |page=3}}</ref> On 17 November 1875 the party arrived at [[Guildford, Western Australia|Guildford]], and at [[Perth, Western Australia|Perth]] the next day, where they received an enthusiastic reception.{{citation needed|date=June 2019}}

Giles stayed for two months at Perth. Tietkens and [[Jess Young]], another member of the expedition, went back to Adelaide by sea, and on 13 January 1876 Giles began the return journey (fifth expedition) taking a course generally about {{convert|400|mi|km}} north of the last journey. They arrived at Adelaide in September 1876, after a good journey during which the camels were found to be invaluable.<ref name=explorer1880/>