A W.N.W.
Course Brought Us So Much Into Sandstone Ranges, Gullies, And Heads Of
Creeks, That We Turned To The Northward, Until We Came Again Into The
Open Box And Tea-Tree Forest, Mixed With Bloodwood And Gum.
About four
miles from the camp, we found water-holes supplied by springs, and which
had just been left by the natives, who were busy in burning the grass
along the ridges, and on the fine intervening flats.
It was here that I
again met with a species of Banksia, on the sandy flats immediately below
the sandstone ranges, which was either a variety of B. integrifolia, or a
species very nearly allied to it. We found it afterwards all over
Arnheim's Land, especially on the table land and on the rocky heads of
the South Alligator River, where it grew on sandy flats surrounding the
rocks, and particularly round sandy swamps. The Cypress-pine and Pandanus
were frequent, but Sterculia was rare. We remarked that the little
finches generally anticipated us in the harvest of the ripe fruit of the
latter. About eight miles from the springs, after crossing a great number
of small dry sandy watercourses, we came to a fine creek with two large
Nymphaea ponds.
On our return, we ran down an emu, the stomach of which was full of the
fruit of the little Severn tree. The meat of the whole body was so
exceedingly bitter, that I could scarcely eat it. Brown and John had
returned with a good supply of beans, and of the large eatable roots of a
Convolvolus growing on the plains. The former allowed us again a pot of
coffee at luncheon for the next three weeks. This coffee had at first a
relaxing effect, but we soon became accustomed to it, and enjoyed it even
to the grounds themselves.
Sept. 26. - We removed our camp to the water-holes I had found the day
before. We crossed the river at the head of the salt water, where the
shallow stream of fresh water was about fifteen yards broad. Sandstone
ridges were all round our last camp, and on the opposite side of the
river, where it was joined by a deep Pandanus creek. John Murphy told me
that he shot a fish at the crossing place, which had the first ray of the
dorsal fin very much prolonged, like one of the fresh-water fishes of
Darling Downs; they had been in such a hurry to roast it, that I had no
chance of examining it.
The day was exceedingly hot, particularly from 7 to 11 o'clock, when the
strong sea breeze set in from the north-east.
Sept. 27. - I went with Brown to reconnoitre the country to the
north-west. About a mile from the camp, we crossed a fine creek with a
chain of ponds and a tiny stream densely fringed with Pandanus. To the
north-west of it, we rode through a succession of scrubby and open
stringy-bark forest of tea-tree flats and thickets, and over long tracts
of stringy-bark saplings which had been recently burned. The Melaleuca
gum was very frequent in the stringy-bark forest: the Cypress-pine formed
either small thickets or occurred scattered. Sterculia, which at the time
was particularly valuable to us, was rare.
Red ironstone cropped out every where, and formed large shallow basins,
surrounded by tea-tree thickets; like those swamps I have mentioned on
several occasions. About eight miles from the camp, we crossed a good
sized waterless creek, with drooping tea-trees, and groves of Pandanus;
and about three miles farther, came to a large creek with some very long
water-holes, which were all stocked with small fish. On our return, it
became so dark that we missed our tracks; and, by keeping too much to the
eastward, we came to a very wild rocky country, in which the large
Pandanus creek, as well as that on which we were encamped, changed their
character so much that we crossed without recognising them. We encamped
out, and the next morning, the 28th, we changed our course to the
southward, which brought us to a little hill we had passed two days
before, and which Brown immediately recognised: thus affording another
instance of the quickness of his eye, and of his wonderful memory for
localities. We returned on our former bullock tracks to the camp; and
having taken some breakfast, and loaded our bullocks, we immediately
started for the water-holes, which were situated about eleven miles to
the north-west, in lat. 15 degrees 47 minutes 23 seconds.
Sept. 29. - I reconnoitered with Charley in a north by west course, and
travelled through a most wretched country. Cypress-pine thickets
alternated with scrubby stringy-bark forest, acacia and tea-tree
thickets, and with broad tea-tree forest. The Bossiaea with broad
leafless stem, was one of the principal components of the scrub. About
eight miles from our camp, we crossed a small creek with good
water-holes; and at four miles and a half further, came to a river with
several channels, separated by high and irregular bergues, with a sandy
bed containing large pools of water surrounded with water Pandanus and
drooping tea-trees. Acacia neurocarpa, and a species of Cassia, which we
had observed since leaving Seven Emu River, grew on the sands. After
giving our horses a short rest, during which we refreshed ourselves with
a pot of Sterculia coffee, we returned towards our camp; but, wishing to
find a more open road, kept more to the eastward, and came sooner than I
expected to Sterculia Creek: which name I had given to the creek on which
we were encamped, in reference to the groves of Sterculias of both
species, rose-coloured as well as heterophylla, which grow on its banks.
We followed it up for seven miles, when the setting sun, and our great
fatigue, induced us to stop.
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