During The Night, A Thunder-Storm Passed To The Southward, But Did Not
Reach Us; At 10 O'clock We Observed Very Vivid Lightning To The Westward:
The Wind Was From The North And North-East.
Dec. 31.
- We travelled along the banks of the creek towards the
north-east, but scarcely accomplished six miles, in consequence of its
tortuous course. The water-hole which I had found when reconnoitring, was
dried up, and we were glad to find a shallow pool, of which our thirsty
cattle took immediate possession. The sand in the bed of the creek looked
moist, but no water was found, after digging to a depth of five feet. The
immediate neighbourhood of the creek was in some places open, in others
covered with a shrubby Acacia, with long glaucous, and rather fleshy
phyllodia. On both sides of the high banks are deep hollows, and chains
of ponds, surrounded with reeds; but now quite dry, and covered with the
dead shells of Limnaea, Paludina, and Unio.
Mr. Roper found an Agama, with light grey on the back, and a yellow
belly. A small Chlamy-dophorus, (Jew lizard of the Hunter) was also seen,
and is probably identical with the animal inhabiting the banks of that
river. Brown accompanied me to reconnoitre the country; and we had
scarcely travelled two miles along the creek, when my attention was
attracted by the remains of a hut, consisting of a ridge pole, and two
forked stakes, about six feet high, both having been cut with a sharp
iron tomahawk. Neither of us doubted that this was the work of a white
man, probably a runaway from the settlement at Moreton Bay. A few miles
farther we came to an anabranch of the creek, which turned considerably
to the westward. I followed it, and found a shallow watercourse that came
out of the scrub, which I also examined in search of water. It led me to
another deep channel within the scrub, which looked unusually green, and
contained some very large water-holes; but there was no water in them.
Turning round one of its bends, we saw a column of thick smoke rising
from its left bank, near a fine pool of water. It was evident that a camp
of natives was before us; we rode cautiously up to the water, near which
we saw their numerous tracks, and then stopped to look around, but
without dismounting. We were, however, very soon discovered by one of
them, who, after staring at us for a moment, uttered a cry, resembling
the word "whitefellow," "whitefellow," and ran off, followed by the whole
party. We then rode up to the camp, and found their dinner ready,
consisting of two eggs of the brush turkey, roasted opossums, bandicoots,
and iguanas. In their "dillis," (small baskets) were several roots or
tubers of an oblong form, about an inch in length, and half an inch
broad, of a sweet taste, and of an agreeable flavour, even when uncooked;
there were also balls of pipe-clay to ornament their persons for
corroborris. Good opossum cloaks, kangaroo nets, and dillis neatly worked
of koorajong bark, were strewed about; there were also some spears, made
of the Bricklow Acacia: all were forgotten in the suddenness of their
retreat. I could not resist the temptation of tasting one of the eggs,
which was excellent; but, as they seemed to have trusted to our
generosity, I left every thing in its place, and departed. Brown thought
that one of them looked like a half-caste, and, as they had called us, as
far as we understood, "whitefellows," I felt confirmed in my supposition,
either that a white man was with them, or had lived among them very
recently. I returned to the creek, in order to find another water-hole
with water; but did not succeed, and had to encamp without it. During the
night we heard the noise of a frog, "brrr, brrr;" probably a new species,
for we had never heard that croak before. It seemed, however, to frighten
Brown, who, like all blackfellows, is very timid after night-fall.
Yesterday we met with a new leguminous shrub. It belongs to the section
Cassia, and has a long pinnate leaf, the leaflets an inch long, and half
an inch broad. Its pods were about a foot long, half an inch broad; and
every seed was surrounded by a fleshy spongy tissue, which, when dry,
gave to the pod a slightly articulate appearance. The seeds, when young,
had an agreeable taste, and the tissue, when dry, was pleasantly
acidulous, and was eaten by some of my companions without any ill effect,
whilst others, with myself, were severely purged. To day I found the same
plant in form of a tree, about thirty feet high, with a short stem, and
long spreading shady branches.
CHAPTER IV
SWARMS OF COCKATOOS - ALLOWANCE OF FLOUR FURTHER REDUCED - NATIVE
FAMILY - THE MACKENZIE - COAL - NATIVES SPEAKING A DIFFERENT IDIOM - MOUNT
STEWART - BROWN AND MYSELF MISS THE WAY BACK TO THE CAMP - FIND OUR PARTY
AGAIN, ON THE FOURTH DAY - NEUMAN'S CREEK - ROPER'S PEAK - CALVERT'S
PEAK - GILBERT'S DOME - GREAT WANT OF WATER.
Jan. 1, 1845. - After a ride of about four miles down the creek, we came
to a deep hole of good water, that had been filled by the late
thunder-storms, the traces of which, however, had disappeared every where
else. I found a red Passion flower, with three-lobed leaves, the lobes
rounded: it was twining round the trunk of a gum tree, and rooted in a
light sandy alluvial soil. A new species of Bauhinia, with large white
blossoms, growing in small groves, or scattered in the scrub,
particularly near the creeks, was conspicuous for its elegance, and was
the greatest ornament of this part of the country. It is a tree about
twenty-five feet high, with long drooping branches; the foliage is of a
rich green colour, and affords a fine shade.
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