- We Travelled About Nine Miles N. 40 Degrees W. On Our Way We
Passed A Hill Of Baked Sandstone, And Several Gullies.
About five miles
from our last camp, a large creek joined the river; beyond that creek,
the country was, without exception, open, and rather of a more undulating
character; the flats were somewhat rotten:
The river became narrower, but
was still running strong; and numerous ducks sported on its shady pools.
April 18. - Last night we had a very cold north-easterly wind, and, during
the day, some few drops of drizzling rain. We travelled about N. by W. to
latitude 19 degrees 18 minutes 16 seconds. After passing some gullies, we
came into a more broken and hilly country; the river formed here a large
anabranch. The Ironbark trees, which timbered the extensive flat along
the river, became much finer; but the soil was rotten: the poplar-gum
grew on the stiff soil of the hollows. About six miles from our last
camp, we came to ranges of high hills of a conical form, and with rounded
tops, striking from west to east, and then entered a narrow valley,
bounded on each side by rocky hills. Mr. Roper observed a rugged country
to the northward, and a fine high range to the south-east. The whole
country from the large flat to our camp, was composed of felspathic
porphyry, containing crystals of felspar, and accidentally of quartz, in
a paste varying in colour and hardness. In the bed of the river, I still
found pebbles of pegmatite, granite, quartz, and basalt; indicating that
a country of varied character was before us.
The stream wound its way from one side of the broad sandy bed to the
other; and those parts where it flowed, were generally very steep, and
covered with a dense vegetation, whilst, on the opposite side, the banks
sloped gently into the broad sands. Among the shrubs and grasses, a downy
Abutelon was easily distinguished by its large bright yellow blossoms.
My Blackfellows procured several messes of ducks; and Brown brought me a
piece of indurated clay with impressions of water-plants.
April 19. - Continuing our journey in a north-west direction, we passed
over some very rocky hills, composed of indurated clay, and thin strata
of sandstone, and pudding-stone. By moving along the foot of a range of
high hills, we avoided all those deep gullies which intersected the banks
of the river, and travelled with ease through a flat, well grassed
Ironbark forest. The hills were covered, as usual, with stunted
silver-leaved Ironbark. A large creek came from the range, and entered
the river. A good section on its right bank exposed to view the strata of
indurated clay and sandstone; and I was induced to believe that coal
might be found below them. As we were passing over the flat between the
creck and the river, we saw a native busily occupied in burning the
grass, and eagerly watching its progress:
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