The Country Became Flatter, More Densely Wooded, And Gently
Sloping To The Northward, When We Entered A Tea-Tree Hollow, Through
Which The Mirage Indicated The Presence Of An Immense Plain, Which We All
Mistook For The Ocean.
We crossed over it to a belt of trees, which I
thought to be its northern boundary.
The part of the plain next to the
forest-land was composed of a loose black soil, with excellent grass;
farther on it was a cold clay, either covered with a stiff, dry grass,
apparently laid down by the rush of water, or forming flats bare of
vegetation, which seemed to have been occasionally washed by the tide.
Finding that the belt of trees was a thicket of mangroves along a
salt-water creek, I returned to some shallow lagoons near the forest, the
water of which was drinkable, though brackish and aluminous. To the
westward of the plains, we saw no other limit than two very distant
hills, which I took to be the two hills marked to the southward of the
embouchure of the South Alligator River. To the eastward, we saw another
narrow belt of trees; beyond which, however, the plain evidently
continued. Numerous pillars of smoke were seen to the westward.
A fine north-west breeze set in at three o'clock in the afternoon, and
refreshed us, as well as the cattle, which were suffering most severely
from heat and fatigue.
Dec. 2. - Whilst we were waiting for our bullock, which had returned to
the running brook, a fine native stepped out of the forest with the ease
and grace of an Apollo, with a smiling countenance, and with the
confidence of a man to whom the white face was perfectly familiar. He was
unarmed, but a great number of his companions were keeping back to watch
the reception he should meet with. We received him, of course, most
cordially; and upon being joined by another good-looking little man, we
heard him utter distinctly the words, "Commandant!" "come here!!" "very
good!!!" "what's your name? !!!!" If my readers have at all identified
themselves with my feelings throughout this trying journey; if they have
only imagined a tithe of the difficulties we have encountered, they will
readily imagine the startling effect which these, as it were, magic words
produced - we were electrified - our joy knew no limits, and I was ready to
embrace the fellows, who, seeing the happiness with which they inspired
us, joined, with a most merry grin, in the loud expression of our
feelings. We gave them various presents, particularly leather belts, and
received in return a great number of bunches of goose feathers, which the
natives use to brush away the flies. They knew the white people of
Victoria, and called them Balanda, which is nothing more than
"Hollanders;" a name used by the Malays, from whom they received it. We
had most fortunately a small collection of words, made by Mr. Gilbert
when at Port Essington; so that we were enabled to ask for water (obert);
for the road (allun); for Limbo cardja, which was the name of the
Harbour.
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