Its Fruit Was Two
Inches In Diameter, With Longitudinal Ribs, Scarlet Red, And Very Eatable
When Dropt From The Tree, But When Gathered On The Tree, It Had An
Aromatic Pungency.
This tree was very common along the well watered
creeks of Arnheim's Land; particularly along the South Alligator River,
and at Raffles Bay.
Brown brought from the same locality a Melastoma,
which, according to him, was a shrub, three or four feet high.
Oct. 15. - We continued our journey in a north-west direction. The first
five or six miles was over a succession of very lightly timbered
box-flats, alternating with small plains. They were bounded by scrubs and
ranges, which we crossed, and from the top of one obtained the view of a
remarkable system of parallel ranges, all steep mountain walls of a white
colour indicating the nature of their rock, and separated from each other
by perfectly level flats covered with broad leaved tea-tree forest. At
their foot a richer tree vegetation existed, principally composed of the
leguminous Ironbark, Blood-wood, and Pandanus. The darker verdure of
these trees, which we also observed at the foot of the most distant
range, made us believe that a river was near it. After travelling about
five miles over a flat, we crossed a broad sandy creek, which we did not
follow, although beaten foot-paths of the natives led down it, as we
firmly believed that a river was before us. At five miles farther, we
came to the foot of the range, which rose suddenly from the level
country, and, although a small watercourse existed in the tea-tree flat,
our anticipated river proved to be like the Dutchman's "Cape Fly-away."
In ascending the range, our poor bullocks suffered severely, and, when we
reached the summit, they stood panting with their tongues hanging out of
their mouths; I therefore halted a short time, to allow them to recover.
The east slopes of all these ranges were steep, but to the north-west
they were very gentle, and covered with stringy-bark forest. A long
succession of similar ranges was seen to the north-west. A small
watercourse brought us to a creek containing large but dry water-holes.
Finding that it turned to the eastward, round the range we had just
crossed, and that it almost disappeared in the scrubby tea-tree flats, we
turned to the northward, passed several more ridges, and encamped long
after sunset, near a dry but promising creek, without water. I
immediately sent Mr. Calvert and Charley down the creek, in search of
water, and they returned, towards midnight, with the welcome intelligence
that they had found some fine pools.
I had been absent during the latter part of the stage, and most
unfortunately our kangaroo dog had been left behind, whereby this most
valuable animal was lost. He had been the means of our obtaining so much,
and indeed the greatest part of our game, that his loss was severely felt
by us.
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