This
Water-Hole Is In Latitude 22 Degrees 11 Minutes; The Natives Had Fenced
It Round With Branches To Prevent The Sand From Filling It Up, And Had
Dug Small Wells Near It, Evidently To Obtain A Purer And Cooler Water, By
Filtration Through The Sand.
Pigeons (Geophapsscripta, GOULD.) had formed
a beaten track to its edge; and, the next morning, whilst enjoying our
breakfast
Under the shade of a gigantic flooded-gum tree, we were highly
amused to see a flight of fifty or more partridge pigeons tripping along
the sandy bed of the river, and descending to the water's edge, and
returning after quenching their thirst, quite unconscious of the
dangerous proximity of hungry ornithophagi. The cockatoos, however,
observed us, and seemed to dispute our occupation of their waters, by
hovering above the tops of the highest trees, and making the air resound
with their screams; whilst numerous crows, attracted by a neighbouring
bush fire, watched us more familiarly, and the dollar bird passed with
its arrow-like flight from shade to shade.
We continued our ride six miles higher up the river, without finding any
water, with the exception of some wells made by the natives, and which
were generally observed where watercourses or creeks joined the river. In
these places, moisture was generally indicated by a dense patch of green
reeds. The bush fire, which was raging along the left bank of the river
on which we were encamped for the night, fanned by the sea breeze, which
set in a little after six o'clock, approached very near to our tent, but
died away with the breeze; and the temperature cooled down, although no
dew was falling.
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