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People were surprised to hear that the Blue Mountains had been crossed.
Governor Macquarie wanted proof that Blaxland's group had found a way across the Blue Mountains, so he instructed George Evans to follow the explorers' path. Evans, the Deputy Surveyor of Lands, was then to continue exploring further west.
He left on 19 November 1813 with five men. Three were convicts and two were free men. One of the free men was James Burns, who acted as a guide. Pack horses carried two months' supplies. Evans hoped to explore as far west as possible. He wanted to cross the mountains quickly in order to reach grassland that would feed his horses. On his return trip he would use a chain to measure the distance travelled by Blaxland's group.
The crossing of the mountains was unpleasant for Evans and his group as there was heavy rain and good shelter could not be found. Also, the sharp stones that covered the ground slowed the pack horses. The rain destroyed a lot of the bread supply and medicine bottles broke when a horse fell. lt took the group six days to reach Mt York. Here they saw the steep way down the mountains which had been difficult for Blaxland's group and which would test the future road builders. Evans hid a week's supplies in the cliffs, to be used on the return journey.
Evans explored west to where Bathurst is today. He was very pleased with the land he saw and was often lost for words to describe the well-watered country he was discovering.
The explorers saw many signs that Aboriginal people were nearby. On the return journey, they met two Aboriginal women and four children. The Aborigines were frightened, but Evans comforted them by giving them gifts and playing with the children.
Before climbing the mountains on the return journey, the explorers hunted and killed a kangaroo. Its skin was made into shoes. The grasslands had cut their own shoes to pieces. On 8 January 1814 they reached the Nepean River. Evans had proved that Blaxland's group had found a way over the Blue Mountains. He told Governor Macquarie about the good land to the west of the mountains. This was good news as the settlement was still in drought. A road across the mountains could now be built.
