When We Were Loading
Our Bullocks, A Whole Mob Came Up With Great Noise; And One Of Them
Danced And
Jumped about with incessant vociferations, flourishing his
wommerah, crowned with a tuft of opossum's hair, like a Drum-major; I
Put
a broken girth round his waist, which seemed to tranquillize him
wonderfully. In drinking water out of my pot, I offered it to my friend;
but he hesitated to follow my example, until he applied to an elderly,
bearded, serious-looking man, who sipped of it, and then my friend
ventured to taste its contents. When we started on our journey they
followed us with many remarks for a very long way, until we came again to
the river; when their appetites probably compelled them to return to
their camp; but not before inviting us to accompany them thither, and
giving us to understand that they had plenty to eat. On leaving us, they
pointed down the river, and repeated the word "Aroma!" "Aroma!"
About three miles to the westward of our camp, the water ceased, and the
creek formed a dry sandy bed, covered with Casuarinas; it was joined by
two Pandanus creeks with steep deep channels, and well provided with
water-holes. I had to go down the creek four miles, in order to avoid
some steep rocky ranges; but we turned afterwards to the northward, and
travelled, over an open well-grassed country, to the river: it was,
however, full of melon-holes and very stony. Ranges and high rocky ridges
were seen in every direction. From one of them a pillar of smoke was
rising, like a signal fire. The extensive burnings, and the number of our
sable visitors, showed that the country was well inhabited. About four or
five miles from the last creek, - which I shall call "Hodgson's Creek," in
honour of Pemberton Hodgson, Esq. - the river divided into two almost
equal branches, one coming from the northward, and the other from
north-west by west. I named the river from the northward the "Wilton,"
after the Rev. Mr. Wilton of Newcastle, who kindly favoured my
expedition. Its latitude was about 14 degrees 45 minutes.
About three miles above the junction of the Wilton with the Roper, we
again encamped on the steep banks of the latter, at a spot which I
thought would allow our horses and cattle to approach in safety. One
unfortunate animal, however, slipped into the water, and every effort to
get him out was made in vain. Its constant attempts to scramble up the
boggy banks only tired it, and as night advanced, we had to wait until
the tide rose again. I watched by him the whole night, and at high water
we succeeded in getting him out of the water; but he began to plunge
again, and unfortunately broke the tether which had kept his forequarters
up, and fell back into the river. At last I found a tolerable landing
place about fifty yards higher up; but, as I was swimming with him up to
it, and trying to lead him clear of the stumps of trees, he became
entangled in the tether rope by which I guided him, rolled over, and was
immediately drowned.
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