- I reconnoitered with Charley in a north by west course, and
travelled through a most wretched country.
Cypress-pine thickets
alternated with scrubby stringy-bark forest, acacia and tea-tree
thickets, and with broad tea-tree forest. The Bossiaea with broad
leafless stem, was one of the principal components of the scrub. About
eight miles from our camp, we crossed a small creek with good
water-holes; and at four miles and a half further, came to a river with
several channels, separated by high and irregular bergues, with a sandy
bed containing large pools of water surrounded with water Pandanus and
drooping tea-trees. Acacia neurocarpa, and a species of Cassia, which we
had observed since leaving Seven Emu River, grew on the sands. After
giving our horses a short rest, during which we refreshed ourselves with
a pot of Sterculia coffee, we returned towards our camp; but, wishing to
find a more open road, kept more to the eastward, and came sooner than I
expected to Sterculia Creek: which name I had given to the creek on which
we were encamped, in reference to the groves of Sterculias of both
species, rose-coloured as well as heterophylla, which grow on its banks.
We followed it up for seven miles, when the setting sun, and our great
fatigue, induced us to stop. The creek changed its character every
quarter of a mile, forming now a broad sandy or pebbly bed, then a narrow
channel between steep banks; and again several channels, either with fine
water-holes, or almost entirely filled up and over-grown with a scanty
vegetation. On the banks, thickets alternated with scrubs and open
country, and, lower down, the country became very fine and open. Early in
the morning of the 30th, we started again, and arrived at the camp after
a long ride, both hungry and tired.
CHAPTER XIII
CAPE MARIA - OBLIGED TO LEAVE A PORTION OF OUR COLLECTION OF NATURAL
HISTORY - LIMMEN BIGHT RIVER - HABITS OF WATER BIRDS - NATIVE FISH TRAP - THE
FOUR ARCHERS - THE WICKHAM - THE DOG DIES - IMMENSE NUMBER OF DUCKS AND
GEESE - THE ROPER - THREE HORSES DROWNED - OBLIGED TO LEAVE A PORTION OF MY
BOTANICAL COLLECTION - MORE INTERCOURSE WITH FRIENLDY NATIVES,
CIRCUMCISED - HODGSON'S CREEK - THE WILTON - ANOTHER HORSE DROWNED - ANXIETY
ABOUT OUR CATTLE - AN ATTACK ON THE CAMP FRUSTRATED - BOILS - BASALT
AGAIN - INJURIOUS EFFECTS OF THE SEEDS OF AN ACACIA.
Oct. 1. - The camp was moved forward to the river we had found on the
29th, about thirteen miles north by west from our camp at Sterculia
Creek. About a mile from the river, we passed a large swampy lagoon,
round which the natives had burned the grass. Several flocks of whistling
ducks (Leptotarsis Eytoni, GOULD) and many black Ibises were here. We
heard the call of the "Glucking bird" every night during the last
fortnight, particularly from about 2 to 5 o'clock a.m. I called this
river the "Red Kangaroo River;" for, in approaching it, we first saw the
Red Forester of Port Essington (Osphanter antilopinus, GOULD). The
longitude, according to my reckoning, was 136 degrees.
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