We Passed Through A Gap
Between The Last Two Hills Of The Range, And Charley And Brown, Whom I
Had
Sent forward in different directions, and who had both been on the
highest hill, stated that they had distinctly seen
An island in the sea;
which could be no other than that marked Cape Maria in Arrowsmith's map.
They had also seen a large river to the northward, coming from the west;
and clearly distinguished large sandy plains extending along it as far as
the eye could reach. At the west side of the range, we soon came to a
small salt-water creek with small sandy and sometimes boggy Salicornia
plains, surrounded with the scrubby salt-water tea-tree, which possessed
an odour very much resembling that of a Blackfellow. We proceeded about
six miles to the southward, when the country became more open, with an
abundance of fine young feed for our horses and cattle. The water was
slightly brackish, and, strange enough, it became more so the higher we
went up the creek.
Whilst we were at our last camp, Charley met a long file of native women
returning, with their dillies and baskets full of shell fish, to the
range; near which, very probably, fresh water existed. We saw their
numerous tracks, and a footpath leading to the river; and heard their
cooees round our present camp, which may have interfered with one of
their camping places. Our lat. was 15 degrees 14 minutes.
Oct. 7. - John and Charley went back to fetch the bullock, and, in the
mean time, I occupied myself in examining our packs, in order to dispense
with such things as were least necessary; for, with an additional weight
of 130 pounds of dried meat and hide, our pack bullocks were overloaded,
and it was now imperative upon me to travel as lightly as possible. Thus
I parted with my paper for drying plants, with my specimens of wood, with
a small collection of rocks, made by Mr. Gilbert, and with all the
duplicates of our zoological specimens. Necessity alone, which compelled
me to take this step, reconciled me to the loss.
Our bullock came in during the afternoon, and was immediately killed,
skinned, and quartered.
Oct. 8. - We cut the meat into slices, and put them out to dry.
Oct. 9. - I went with Brown to examine the country along the river, which
I called "Limmen Bight River;" from its disemboguing into Limmen Bight.
Charley had been at the upper part of the creek on which we were
encamped, and found it running and fresh; which made me believe, that
those pools of very brackish water we had previously seen, belonged to a
different watercourse. I rode with Brown to the westward, over a
succession of ironstone ridges covered with stringy-bark scrub. These
ridges formed steep headlands into the broad flat valley of the river.
Along the valley, bare sandy and boggy plains alternated with tea-tree
thickets and mangrove swamps, in one of which our horses got deeply
bogged. After five miles we came on a large piece of salt water, which,
according to Brown, was a tributary creek of the river. It flowed between
low banks fringed with tea-trees. We followed a foot-path of the natives,
who seemed very numerous, which led towards another range west by south;
and crossed several tea-tree creeks, Pandanus groves, and swamps full of
a high blady grass. We observed some springs, with but little water
however, though densely surrounded with ferns (Osmunda). After about
seven miles, we were stopped by a fern swamp full of fine box-trees, with
a thick jungle of high stiff grasses and ferns (Blechnum). A small
running creek formed its outlet, and contained a chain of deep ponds
covered with Nymphaeas, and surrounded with Typha (bull-rush), the
youngest part of the leaves of which is very tolerable eating. Large
swarms of ducks (Leptotarsis Eytoni, GOULD), rose with their peculiar
whistling noise, at our approach.
Oct. 10. - I moved my camp to the chain of lagoons, which we found
yesterday; and our horses and cattle enjoyed the fine feed. The largest
hill of the range to the westward, bore south-west from our camp. A
species of Hibiscus with large pink flowers, but small insignificant
leaves, and another small malvaceous shrub with white flowers grew round
the camp.
Oct. 11. - Last night we saw long flights of geese (Anseranas melanoleuca,
GOULD) and swarms of ducks, passing our camp from west to east; which
made us very naturally suppose that large lagoons of fresh water existed
at the head of the fern swamp, of which our little Typha brook formed the
outlet. Brown and Charley were very desirous of getting some of these
geese, and concocted a plan either to induce me to follow the brook up,
or to stop me altogether. Not knowing their intentions, I sent Brown
after the cattle, and Charley to find a crossing place. They met,
however, at those supposed lagoons, and amused themselves in shooting
geese, and (after having probably enjoyed an off-hand dinner of roasted
goose) they returned at 2 o'clock, complaining of course, that the cattle
had strayed very far. Though I had been very much annoyed by waiting so
long, I was pleased in finding that they had shot four geese. In order,
however, to show my sable companions that their secret manoeuvres only
tended to increase their own labour, I ordered the bullocks to be loaded
immediately they arrived, and proceeded to get out of this intricate
country as soon as possible. We travelled west by north, over a tolerable
open country, leaving the salt-water plains to the right, and crossed
several well beaten foot-paths, and a sort of play ground on which the
natives seem to have danced and crawled about, as it bore the impressions
of both hands and feet. After four miles, we came to a broad salt-water
creek, the high banks of which were covered with numerous heaps of
Cytherea shells, which had lived in the mud of the creek.
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