At That Part Of The River Where It Commences
To Run, Its Bed Was More Confined, And Was Fringed By Melaleucas And
Drooping Acacias.
Our provisions had been increased by an emu, which Charley shot; our
remaining two kangaroo dogs also succeeded in catching an "old man"
kangaroo on the Vervain Plains of the 14th November.
I made it an
invariable practice to dry the meat which remained after the consumption
of the day's allowance, and it served considerably to save our stock of
dried beef, and to lengthen the lives of our bullocks. The utmost economy
was necessary; - for we were constantly exposed to losses, occasioned by
the pack bullocks upsetting their loads; an annoyance which was at this
time of frequent occurrence from the animals being irritated by the
stings of hornets - a retaliation for the injuries done to their nests,
which, being suspended to the branches of trees, were frequently torn
down by the bullocks passing underneath.
A large turtle was seen; and Mr. Gilbert caught two fine eels in one of
the lagoons. We had thunder-storms on the 12th and 13th of November: the
morning is generally cloudy, the clouds come from the north-east and
north, clearing away in the middle of the day; and the afternoon is
exceedingly hot.
Nov. 14. - A dense scrub, which had driven us back to the river, obliged
me to reconnoitre to the north-west, in which I was very successful; for,
after having crossed the scrub, I came into an open country, furnished
with some fine sheets of water, and a creek with Corypha palms, growing
to the height of 25 or 30 feet. The feelings of delight which I
experienced when, upon emerging from the more than usually inhospitable
Bricklow scrub, the dark verdure of a swamp surrounding a small lake
- with native companions (ARDEAANTIGONE) strutting round, and swarms of
ducks playing on its still water, backed by an open forest, in which the
noble palm tree was conspicuous - suddenly burst upon our view, were so
great as to be quite indescribable. I joyfully returned to the camp, to
bring forward my party; which was not, however, performed without
considerable trouble. We had to follow the Dawson down to where the creek
joined it; for the scrub was impassable for loaded bullocks, and, even on
this detour, we had to contend with much scrub as we proceeded down the
valley. It, however, became more free from scrub at every step, and
opened out into flats of more or less extent on either side, skirted by
hills, clothed with an open forest, rising into regular ranges. On my
RECONNAISSANCE I crossed the Gilbert Ranges, which were named after my
companion Mr. Gilbert, and came on waters which fall to the eastward, and
join the Dawson lower down. From the summit of an open part of the range,
I saw other ranges to the northward, but covered with Bricklow scrub, as
was also the greater part of Gibert's Range.
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