- The river turned more to the northward, and, joined by many
gullies, wound its way between wild and rocky, though low ranges.
At a
place where it left a range of rugged little peaks, basalt re-appeared at
its banks, and extended for some distance, now filling flats with its
rough and cellular blocks and pebbles, and again forming small hillocks
of black bare rock. As soon, however, as the river had fairly left the
basaltic formation, fine large flats of a light sandy soil succeeded on
both sides; on which Pandanus spiralis grew in great abundance, and to a
larger size than we had seen before. The bed of the river became very
broad, and was covered with sands, shingle, and pebbles of the rocks of
its upper course. I passed through a broad rocky gap of a range tending
from east to west, and, at about two miles beyond and to the north-west
of it, we encamped, in lat. 17 degrees 54 minutes 40 seconds.
In passing this gap, on a previous reconnoitring ride with Brown, I met
with several natives with their wives and children, encamped at the north
entrance of it. When they saw us, the men poised their spears, and shook
their waddis to frighten us, but when, notwithstanding their menaces, we
approached them, they left all their goods, and with their weapons only
hurried up the rocks with wonderful agility. Three koolimans (vessels of
stringy bark) were full of honey water, from one of which I took a hearty
draught, and left a brass button for payment.
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