This, However, I
Did Not Permit; And They Entered The Scrub, When They Saw Us Handle Our
Guns, And Bring Forward Two Horses To The Camp.
On the 3rd of November
they visited us again, and communicated with us, behaving in a very
friendly way:
They pointed out honey in one of the neighbouring trees,
assisted in cutting it out and eating it, and asked for tobacco; it was,
however, impossible to make any presents, as we had nothing to spare.
They particularly admired the red blankets, were terror-struck at the
sight of a large sword, which they tremblingly begged might be returned
into the sheath, and wondered at the ticking of a watch, and at the
movement of its wheels. The greater part were young men of mild
disposition, and pleasing countenance; the children remained in the
distance, and I only saw two women.
According to their statements, the scrub extends to the Condamine.
The scrub was crossed in every direction by tracks of wallabies, of
which, however, we could not even get a sight. The glucking bird - by
which name, in consequence of its note, the bird may be
distinguished - was heard through the night. They live probably upon the
seeds of the cypress-pine; the female answers the loud call of the male,
but in a more subdued voice.
A Gristes, about seven inches long, resembling the one described in Sir
Thomas Mitchell's journey, but specifically different from it, was caught
in the water-holes of the creek, which I called "Dried-beef Creek," in
memorial of our late occupation.
A Goodenoviaceous shrub, a pink Hibiscus, and a fine prostrate Sida, were
found between the camp of the 27th October and Dried-beef Creek.
Nov. 4. - Having previously examined and found a passage through the
scrub, we travelled through it for about eight miles on a north by west
course. The head of Dried-beef Creek, was found to be formed by separate
water-holes, in a slight hollow along the scrub; and, when these
disappeared, we were moving over a perfectly level land, without any sign
of drainage, but occasionally passing isolated holes, now for the greater
part dry. On our left, our course was bounded by a dense Bricklow scrub;
but, on our right, for the first four miles, the country was
comparatively open, with scattered Acacias; it then became densely
timbered, but free from scrub. Farther on, however, scrub appeared even
to our right. A natural opening, which had recently been enlarged by a
bush fire, enabled us to pass into a dense Ironbark and cypress-pine
forest; and then, bearing a little to the right, we came on a slight
watercourse to the northward, which rapidly enlarged as it descended
between ranges, which seemed to be the spurs of the table land we had
just left.
Nov. 5. - We observed the tomb of a native near our camp. It was a simple
conical heap of sand, which had been raised over the body, which was
probably bent into the squatting position of the natives; but, as our
object was to pass quietly, without giving offence to the aborigines, we
did not disturb it. It is, however, remarkable that, throughout our whole
journey, we never met with graves or tombs, or even any remains of
Blackfellows again; with the exception of a skull, which I shall notice
at a later period. Several isolated conical hills were in the vicinity of
our camp; sandstone cropped out in the creek, furnishing us with good
whetstones.
After travelling about four miles in a north-west direction, through a
fine open undulating country, we came to, and followed the course of, a
considerable creek flowing to the westward, bounded by extensive flooded
gum-flats and ridges, clothed with a forest of silver-leaved Ironbark.
Large reedy lagoons, well supplied with fish, were in its bed. Our
latitude was 26 degrees 4 minutes 9 seconds.
Nov. 6. - The arrangement for loading our cattle enabled me at last to
mount every one of my companions, which was very desirable; for the
summer having fairly set in, and no thunder-storms having cooled the
atmosphere since we left the Condamine, the fatigue of walking during the
middle of the day had become very severe. From Jimba we started with a
few horses without load, which only enabled us to ride alternately; but,
as our provisions gradually decreased in quantity, one after the other
mounted his horse; and this day I had the pleasure of seeing everybody on
horseback.
We travelled along the valley of the river about ten miles, in a
west-northerly course; our latitude of this day being 26 degrees 3
minutes 44 seconds Fine box and apple-tree flats were on both sides of
the creek, now deserving the appellation of a "River," and which I called
the "Dawson," in acknowledgment of the kind support I received from R.
Dawson, Esq., of Black Creek, Hunter's River. At the foot of the ridges
some fine lagoons were observed, as also several plains, with the soil
and the vegetation of the Downs, but bounded on the northward by
impenetrable Bricklow scrub. In a watercourse, meandering through this
scrub, sandstone cropped out, in which impressions of fossil plants were
noticed by me. It was interesting to observe how strictly the scrub kept
to the sandstone and to the stiff loam lying upon it, whilst the mild
black whinstone soil was without trees, but covered with luxuriant
grasses and herbs; and this fact struck me as remarkable, because, during
my travels in the Bunya country of Moreton Bay, I found it to be exactly
the reverse: the sandstone spurs of the range being there covered with an
open well grassed forest, whilst a dense vine brush extended over the
basaltic rock. The phenomenon is probably to be explained by the
capability of the different soils of retaining moisture, and, at the same
time, by taking into account the distance of the localities from the
seacoast.
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