The Constant Attention Which They Required, And The Increased Work Which
Fell To The Share Of Our Reduced Number, Had Scarcely Allowed Me Time To
Reflect Upon The Melancholy Accident Which Had Befallen Us, And The
Ill-Timed Death Of Our Unfortunate Companion.
All our energies were
roused, we found ourselves in danger, and, as was absolutely necessary,
we strained every nerve to extricate ourselves from it:
But I was well
aware, that the more coolly we went to work, the better we should
succeed.
CHAPTER X
INDICATIONS OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF THE SEA - NATIVES MUCH MORE
NUMEROUS - THE SEA; THE GULF OF CARPENTARIA - THE STAATEN - A NATIVE
INTRUDES INTO THE CAMP - THE VAN DIEMEN - THE GILBERT - SINGULAR NATIVE
HUTS - CARON RIVER - FRIENDLY NATIVES - THE YAPPAR - MR. CALVERT
RECOVERED - MODE OF ENCAMPMENT - SWARMS OF FLIES - ABUNDANCE OF
SALT - NATIVES FRIENDLY, AND MORE INTELLIGENT.
July 1. - We left the camp where Mr. Gilbert was killed, and travelled in
all about fourteen miles south-west, to lat. 16 degrees 6 minutes. We
passed an extensive box-tree flat, and, at four miles, reached a chain of
water-holes; but, during the next ten miles, we did not meet the
slightest indication of water. Box-tree flats of various sizes were
separated by long tracts of undulating country, covered with broad-leaved
tea-trees, Grevillea ceratophylla, and G. mimosoides, and with the new
species of Grevillea, with broad lanceolate leaves. We had to skirt
several impassable thickets and scrubs of tea-tree, in one of which
Pandanus abounded. At last, just as the sun was setting, and we were
preparing to encamp in the open forest without water, we came to a creek
with fine water-holes covered with Villarsias. Charley shot a native
companion; a Fabirou was seen crossing our camp. My wounded companions
got on uncommonly well, notwithstanding the long stage, and I now had all
reason to hope, that their wounds would not form any impediment to the
progress of our journey.
July 2. - We travelled ten miles south-west over a country exactly like
that of yesterday; and encamped at a shallow water-hole in a creek, which
headed in a tea-tree thicket, a grove of Pandanus being on its north
side, and a small box-flat to the southward. Though the country was then
very dry, it is very probably impassable during the rainy season. The
tea-tree thickets seemed liable to a general inundation, and many shallow
water-holes and melon-holes were scattered everywhere about the flats.
The flats and elevations of the surface were studded with turreted
ant-hills, either forming single sharp cones from three to five feet
high, and scarcely a foot broad at their base, or united into a row, or
several rows touching each other, and forming piles of most remarkable
appearance. The directions of the rows seemed to be the same over large
tracts of country, and to depend upon the direction of the prevailing
winds. I found Verticordia, a good sized tree, and a Melaleuca with
clustered orange blossoms and smooth bark, which I mentioned as growing
on the supposed Nassau.
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