As We Descended Into Another
Valley, The Whole Slope Was On Fire; We Passed Through It, However, With
Little Difficulty.
We crossed ridges after ridges, passed from one little
creek and watercourse to another, all of which turned to
The northward.
At last, heartily tired, and almost despairing of attaining the object of
our search, viz., a western water, we came into a valley which went down
to the south-west; and, following it down, found that it joined a larger
one which went to the westward. A broad creek, with the drooping tea tree
and a sandy bed, gave us the promise of soon finding water; and,
following the tracks of numerous kangaroos and native dogs, we came to a
small pool. After passing over very rocky granitic hills, we came into a
more open country; the banks of the creek became reedy, and water was
more abundant, and at last a fine pool, surrounded by a rich belt of
reeds, was before us. Brown was fortunate enough to shoot two ducks; and,
as the sun was setting behind a neighbouring hill, we made our camp for
the night.
May 22. - We returned to our companions, and by taking a W.N.W. course, we
avoided all the ranges and gullies that we had crossed yesterday. At the
westerly creek I found a rose-coloured Sterculia, with large campanulate
blossoms and tomentose seed-vessels: the tree had lost all its foliage. I
had met with this species on the rocky ranges of Moreton Bay (at Mount
Brisbane), but there it was a low shrub, whereas in this place, and all
round the gulf of Carpentaria, it formed a middle sized tree with
spreading branches.
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