In drying our meat, mending and
washing our things, and arranging the few loads which were left.
Nov. 9. - We travelled down the creek in a south-west course, for about
nine miles. Low sandstone ranges bounded its valley to the southward and
south-east; stony ridges with stunted trees and Cypress-pine extended to
the north-west. The banks of the creek, which I called "Snowdrop's
Creek," after the bullock we had killed, were grassy and open; it was
well provided with water. A pretty little Sida, a Convolvolus, and
Grewia, were growing amongst the young grass. Mr. Calvert saw the
Livistona palm.
We felt a breeze from the eastward during the afternoon, as usual, and
the strong night breeze from north and north-east; but, in the morning, a
wind from north-west and west, which belonged probably to another system
of atmospherical movements.
A swarm of whistling ducks (Leptotarsis Eytoni, GOULD.) passed during the
night from down the creek to the eastward, which made me suppose that
Snowdrop's Creek was either joined by large creeks with water, or that
itself joined a larger river. The black Ibis was frequent at the
water-hole.
Nov. 10. - We travelled about six miles and a half N. N. W. The creek
turned so far to the westward and southward, that I left it, and crossed
some ridges, beyond which a very rocky creek going down to Snowdrop's
Creek, intercepted our course. Having crossed it with great difficulty,
we travelled through a scrubby forest, and came to the heads of the same
creek, several of which were formed by swamps. Here the drooping
tea-tree, growing in a sandy peat, attained a stately height. The sandy
slopes around the swamps were covered with Banksia, the Melaleuca gum,
and Pandanus, and a rich profusion of grasses and low sedges surrounded
the deep pools of spring water. These spots, which bore the marks of
being much visited by the natives, were like oases in the dry, dull,
sandy forest, and formed delightful shady groves, pleasing to every
sense. Kangaroos and various birds, particularly the white cockatoo, were
numerous; and the little bees came like flies on our hands, on my paper,
and on our soup plates, and indicated abundance of honey; a small species
of Cicada had risen from its slumbers, and was singing most cheerfully.
One of our horses was seriously staked in the belly, by some
unaccountable accident; I drew a seton through the large swelling,
although, considering its exhausted state, I entertained but a slight
hope of its recovery.
Nov. 11. - We accomplished about ten miles in a direct line, but on a long
and fatiguing circuitous course. Starting in a northerly direction, we
passed over some rocky ground, but soon entered into a sandy level,
covered with scrubby, stringy-bark forest, intermixed with Melaleuca gum.
At the distance of four miles I came to a rocky creek going to the
westward, which I followed.
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