To The Creek On Which We Were Encamped I Gave The Name Of "Newman's
Creek," In Honour Of Mr. Newman.
It flows in a south-east and southerly
course, and unites probably with West Hill Creek, on which we were
encamped the day before, and with the large creek which we crossed on the
25th; both of which probably belong to the system of the Mackenzie.
Mr.
Calvert and Charley accompanied me in an excursion to the W.N.W., but,
having crossed some ridges and coming to scrub, we took a direction to
the northward. Fine Bastard-box flats and Ironbark slopes occupy the
upper part of Newman's Creek. On the ridges, we observed Persoonia with
long falcate leaves; the grass-tree (Xanthorrhaea); the rusty gum, and
the Melaleuca of Mount Stewart. Having ascended the sandstone ridge at
the head of Newman's Creek, we found ourselves on a table land out of
which rose the peaks for which we were steering, and from which we were
separated by fine downs, plains, and a lightly timbered country, with
belts of narrow-leaved Ironbark growing on a sandy soil. On one of the
plains quartzite cropped out; and silex and fossil wood lay scattered
over the rich black soil: the latter broke readily, like asbestos, into
the finest filaments, much resembling the fossil wood of Van Diemen's
Land. It is difficult to describe the impressions which the range of
noble peaks, rising suddenly out of a comparatively level country, made
upon us.
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