They Live Probably Upon The
Seeds Of The Cypress-Pine; The Female Answers The Loud Call Of The Male,
But In A More Subdued Voice.
A Gristes, about seven inches long, resembling the one described in Sir
Thomas Mitchell's journey, but specifically different from it, was caught
in the water-holes of the creek, which I called "Dried-beef Creek," in
memorial of our late occupation.
A Goodenoviaceous shrub, a pink Hibiscus, and a fine prostrate Sida, were
found between the camp of the 27th October and Dried-beef Creek.
Nov. 4. - Having previously examined and found a passage through the
scrub, we travelled through it for about eight miles on a north by west
course. The head of Dried-beef Creek, was found to be formed by separate
water-holes, in a slight hollow along the scrub; and, when these
disappeared, we were moving over a perfectly level land, without any sign
of drainage, but occasionally passing isolated holes, now for the greater
part dry. On our left, our course was bounded by a dense Bricklow scrub;
but, on our right, for the first four miles, the country was
comparatively open, with scattered Acacias; it then became densely
timbered, but free from scrub. Farther on, however, scrub appeared even
to our right. A natural opening, which had recently been enlarged by a
bush fire, enabled us to pass into a dense Ironbark and cypress-pine
forest; and then, bearing a little to the right, we came on a slight
watercourse to the northward, which rapidly enlarged as it descended
between ranges, which seemed to be the spurs of the table land we had
just left.
Nov. 5. - We observed the tomb of a native near our camp. It was a simple
conical heap of sand, which had been raised over the body, which was
probably bent into the squatting position of the natives; but, as our
object was to pass quietly, without giving offence to the aborigines, we
did not disturb it. It is, however, remarkable that, throughout our whole
journey, we never met with graves or tombs, or even any remains of
Blackfellows again; with the exception of a skull, which I shall notice
at a later period. Several isolated conical hills were in the vicinity of
our camp; sandstone cropped out in the creek, furnishing us with good
whetstones.
After travelling about four miles in a north-west direction, through a
fine open undulating country, we came to, and followed the course of, a
considerable creek flowing to the westward, bounded by extensive flooded
gum-flats and ridges, clothed with a forest of silver-leaved Ironbark.
Large reedy lagoons, well supplied with fish, were in its bed. Our
latitude was 26 degrees 4 minutes 9 seconds.
Nov. 6. - The arrangement for loading our cattle enabled me at last to
mount every one of my companions, which was very desirable; for the
summer having fairly set in, and no thunder-storms having cooled the
atmosphere since we left the Condamine, the fatigue of walking during the
middle of the day had become very severe.
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