The Season Must Be More Than Usually Dry,
Some Of The Largest Holes Containing Only Shallow Pools, Which Were
Crowded With Small Fishes, Seemingly Gasping For Rain.
A Ruellia, with
large white and blue flowers, adorned the grassy flats along the Suttor.
The latitude of this spot was 21 degrees 26 minutes 36 seconds.
March 14. - We removed down the river about eight miles S. S. W. to good
water-holes, which had been seen by my companions the day before. Here
the scrub approached the river, leaving only a narrow belt of open
forest, which was occasionally interrupted by low ridges of stunted
silver-leaved Ironbark. Pegmatite and Porphyry (with a very few small
crystals of felspar) and Gneiss? were observed in situ. On our way we
passed a fine lagoon. A dry but not hot wind blew from the S. S. W.; the
night and morning were bright; cumuli with sharp margins hung about after
eleven o'clock.
A pelican was seen flying down the river, and two native companions and
an ibis were at the water-holes. Crows, cockatoos, and ducks were
frequent. From the remains of mussels about these water-holes, the
natives have enjoyed many recent meals.
I sent Mr. Roper and Charley down the river, who informed me, on their
return late at night, that they had found water at different distances;
the farthest they reached was distant about seventeen miles, in a
water-hole near the scrub; but the bed of the river was dry.
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