Many Rocks Of Limestone In New South Wales, Even Harder Than The
Burdekin Marble, Are Actually Grooved In Short Parallel Furrows, Over
Wide Surfaces, And Along Their Sides, By Some Similar Agency.]
CHAPTER VIII
BROWN AND CHARLEY QUARREL - NIGHT WATCH - ROUTINE OF OUR DAILY LIFE, AND
HABITS OF THE MEMBERS OF THE PARTY - MOUNT LANG - STREAMS OF LAVA - A HORSE
BREAKS HIS LEG, IS KILLED AND EATEN - NATIVE TRIBE - MR. ROPER'S
ACCIDENT - WHITSUNDAY - BIG ANT HILL CREEK - DEPRIVED OF WATER FOR FIFTY
HOURS - FRIENDLY NATIVES - SEPARATION CREEK - THE LYND - PSYCHOLOGICAL
EFFECTS OF A SOJOURN IN THE WILDERNESS - NATIVE CAMP - SALT EXHAUSTED.
May 1. - We travelled west by north, to latitude 18 degrees 55 minutes 41
seconds, over almost a dead flat, which was only interrupted by a fine
Casuarina creek, with a broad sandy bed, coming from the
south-south-west. The soil was stiff, and the forest in which the Box
tree prevailed, was very open. A species of Acacia, with narrow blunt
phyllodia, about an inch long, with spinous stipules; Hakea lorea, and
the Grevillea mimosoides (R. Br.), with very long linear leaves, were
frequent. Towards the end of the journey, slight ridges, composed of
flint rock, rose on our left; and the country became more undulating. Mr.
Roper saw extensive ranges about fifteen miles distant; shortly before
entering the camp, we passed a singularly broken country, in which the
waters rushing down from a slightly inclined table land, had hollowed out
large broad gullies in a sandy loam and iron ochre, which was full of
quartz pebbles. The heavier masses had resisted the action of the waters,
and remained like little peaks and islands, when the softer materials
around them had been washed away. We met with grass lately burnt, and
some still burning, which indicated the presence of natives. It was
generally very warm during the hours of travelling, between eight and
twelve o'clock, but the bracing air of the nights and mornings
strengthened us for the day's labour; the weather altogether was lovely,
and it was a pleasure to travel along such a fine stream of water.
Easterly and north-easterly breezes still prevailed, though I expected
that the direction of the winds would change as we passed the centre of
York Peninsula.
Our two black companions, who until now had been like
brothers - entertaining each other by the relation of their adventures, to
a late hour of the night; singing, chatting, laughing, and almost crying
together; making common cause against me; Brown even following Charley
into his banishment - quarrelled yesterday, about a mere trifle, so
violently that it will be some time before they become friends again.
When Mr. Calvert and Brown returned yesterday to the camp, they remarked
that they had not seen the waterfall, of which Charley had spoken whilst
at our last camp; upon which Charley insinuated that they had not seen
it, because they had galloped their horses past it. This accusation of
galloping their horses irritated Brown, who was very fond and proud of
his horse; and a serious quarrel of a rather ridiculous character ensued.
Keeping myself entirely neutral, I soon found that I derived the greatest
advantage from their animosity to each other, as each tried to outdo the
other in readiness to serve me.
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