Farther On, The Ridge Enlarged And
Formed Small Hillocks, With Bare Rock Cropping Out At Their Tops; - A Form
Of Surface Peculiar To The Basaltic Or Whinstone Country Of This Colony.
Charley shot the sheldrake of Port Essington, (Tadorna Rajah).
The
singular hissing or grinding note of the bower bird was heard all along
the river; the fruit of the fig trees growing near, which seemed to
supply it with its principal food during this part of the year.
April 15. - One of our bullocks had gone back on our tracks, and thereby
prevented our starting so early as usual. We travelled in a N. 40 degrees
W. direction to latitude 19 degrees 41 minutes 25 seconds. The basaltic
country continued, and apparently extended a great distance from the
river. The flats along the latter were less extensive. Sandstone cropped
out in deep gullies, and in the bed of the river; it was naturally soft
and coarse, but where it rose into hillocks near basalt, it changed into
a fine baked sandstone, resembling quartzite, which, when in contact with
the igneous rock, looked like burnt bricks. Near our camp, a dyke or wall
of the aspect of a flinty red conglomerate, crossed the river from
south-west to north-east. I believe that this rock belongs to the
porphyries of Glendon, and of the upper Gloucester. We continued to feel
the breeze, or rather a puff of wind, between 7 and 8 o'clock at night;
it was often very strong and cold, and prevented the mosquitoes from
molesting us.
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