- We travelled about eleven miles S.S.W. to latitude 17 degrees
28 minutes 11 seconds, over an immense box-flat, interrupted only by some
plains and by two tea-tree creeks; the tea-trees were stunted and scrubby
like those of our last stage. At the second creek we passed an old
camping place of the natives, where we observed a hedge of dry branches,
and, parallel to it, and probably to the leeward, was a row of fire
places. It seemed that the natives sat and lay between the fires and the
row of branches. There were, besides, three huts of the form of a
bee-hive, closely thatched with straw and tea-tree bark. Their only
opening was so small, that a man could scarcely creep through it; they
were four or five feet high, and from eight to ten feet in diameter.
[A hut of this description, but of smaller dimensions, is described by
Capt. King, at the North Goulburn Island. - King's Voyage, vol. I. p. 72.]
One of the huts was storied, like those I noticed on the banks of the
Lynd. It would appear that the natives make use of these tents during the
wet and cold season, but encamp in the open air in fine weather.
A brown wallabi and a bustard were shot, which enabled us to save some of
our meat. We encamped at a fine long water-hole, in the bed of a scrubby
creek.
July 15. - Mr. Roper's illness increased so much that he could not even
move his legs, and we were obliged to carry him from one place to
another; I therefore, stopt here two days, to allow him to recover a
little.
July 17. - We travelled about ten miles south 55 degrees west over an
almost uninterrupted box and Melaleuca flat, free from melon-holes and
grassy swamps, but full of holes, into which our horses and bullocks sank
at every step, which sadly incommoded our wounded companions.
About two miles and a half from our camp, we came to the Caron River
(Corners Inlet), which deserved rather the name of a large creek. Its
sandy and occasionally rocky bed, was dry; but parallel lines of Nymphaea
lagoons extended on both sides. The drooping tea-tree was, as usual, very
beautiful. We skirted a tea-tree scrub, without a watercourse, about two
miles and a half south of the "Caron," and passed some undulations, with
Grevillea forest. To the south-west of these undulations, we came to a
chain of lagoons; from which several white cranes and a flight of the
black Ibis rose. Brown shot one of the latter, which, when picked and
cleaned for cooking, weighed three pounds and a half; it was very fat,
and proved to be excellent eating. Cytherea shells were again found,
which showed that the salt water was not very far off.
Charley gave a characteristic description of this country, when he
returned from a ride in search of game:
