They Had Observed A Wooden Post, Cut With An Iron
Tomahawk, Rammed In The Ground And Propped With Several Large Stones;
Which Seemed To Be The Work Either Of White Men Or Malays.
Oct. 19.
- We travelled about four miles north 30 degrees west, over
plains and an open undulating box and raspberry jam tree country, to the
lagoon which my companions had discovered. They had not exaggerated their
account, neither of the beauty of the country, nor of the size of the
lagoon, nor of the exuberance of animal life on it. It was indeed quite a
novel spectacle to us to see such myriads of ducks and geese rise and fly
up and down the lagoon, as we travelled along. Casuarinas, drooping
tea-trees, the mangrove myrtle (Stravadium) and raspberry-jam trees, grew
either on the flats, or formed open groves along the banks; and
Polygonums covered the water's edge. When we came to the end of the
lagoon, which was bounded on the left by a stony rise of flaggy Psammite,
I observed a green belt of trees scarcely 300 yards to the northward; and
on riding towards it, I found myself on the banks of a large fresh water
river from 500 to 800 yards broad, with not very high banks, densely
covered with salt water Hibiscus (Paritium), with a small rubiaceous tree
(Pavetta?), which filled the air with the jasmine-like fragrance of its
blossoms; with Flagellaria, water Pandanus, and a leguminous climber with
bunches of large green blossoms (Mucuna? - D.C. Pr.). The water was
slightly muddy, as if a fresh had come down the river; and the tide rose
full three feet. It was the river Mr. Roper had seen two days before, and
I named it after him, as I had promised to do. The country along its left
bank was well-grassed and openly timbered with box; hills were on the
opposite side. Its course was from north-west to south-east; but this
seemed to be rather local. Natives seemed to be numerous; for their
foot-path along the lagoon was well beaten; we passed several of their
fisheries, and observed long fishtraps made of Flagellaria (rattan). All
the cuts on various trees were made with an iron tomahawk. Natives,
crows, and kites were always the indications of a good country. Charley,
Brown, and John, who had been left at the lagoon to shoot waterfowl,
returned with twenty ducks for luncheon, and went out again during the
afternoon to procure more for dinner and breakfast. They succeeded in
shooting thirty-one ducks and two geese; so that we had fifty-one ducks
and two geese for the three meals; and they were all eaten, with the
exception of a few bony remains, which some of the party carried to the
next camp. If we had had a hundred ducks, they would have been eaten
quite as readily, if such an extravagant feast had been permitted.
Oct. 20. - We travelled about ten miles N. 60 degrees W. up the river; and
I was fortunate enough to determine my latitude by an observation of
Alpheratz, which cloudy nights had prevented me from obtaining since the
15th October:
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 222 of 272
Words from 114865 to 115399
of 141354
