Large Coveys
Of Partridge-Pigeons Rose From The Burnt Grass As We Passed Along, And
Ducks And Pelicans Were Numerous On The Stretches Of Water In The Bed Of
The River.
Heaps of fresh-water muscles lined the water-holes, which were
teeming with fish, apparently of considerable size, as their splashing
startled me several times during the night, and made me believe, for the
moment, that a large tribe of natives were bathing.
A very stiff high grass became very general along the river. On the
plains there were fields of native carrots, now dry; also of vervain and
burr. The long-podded cassia was plentiful, and its young seeds tasted
well, but considerably affected the bowels.
Cumuli passed from the north-east during the morning: the afternoon was
clear, and the night bright.
When I returned to the camp on the 11th January, my companions told me,
that upon their journey across the high plains they had observed a high
range to the north-west.
Jan. 12. - I removed my camp down Comet Creek, and followed the Mackenzie
for a few miles, as far as it was easy travelling along its bank. Comet
Creek joins the Mackenzie in a very acute angle; the direction of the
latter being east, and the course of the former, in its lower part,
north-west. Our anglers caught several fine fishes and an eel, in the
water-holes of the Mackenzie. The former belonged to the Siluridae, and
had four fleshy appendages on the lower lip, and two on the upper; dorsal
fin 1 spine 6 rays, and an adipose fin, pectoral 1 spine 8 rays; ventral
6 rays; anal 17 rays; caudal 17-18 rays; velvety teeth in the upper and
lower jaws, and in the palatal bones. Head flat, belly broad; back of a
greenish silver-colour; belly silvery white; length of the body 15-20
inches. It made a singular noise when taken out of the water.
We found here Unios of a fine pink and purple colour inside the valves,
and a new species of Cyclas with longitudinal ribs. Small black ants, and
little flies with wings crossing each other, annoy us very much, the one
creeping all over our bodies and biting us severely, and the other
falling into our soup and tea, and covering our meat; but the strong
night-breeze protects us from the mosquitoes. A pretty lizard (Tiliqua)
of small size, with yellowish spots on a brown ground, was caught, and
seemed to be plentiful here about. The Acacia, with very long linear
drooping leaves, that had been observed at the Dawson, re-appeared both
on Comet Creek and the banks of the Mackenzie. Our latitude was 23
degrees 33 minutes 38 seconds.
Jan. 13. - We travelled about nine miles E.N.E. over the high land, and
through open forest land, and several plains skirted on both sides by
scrub. I observed a new species of Flindersia, a small tree about thirty
feet high, with thin foliage and very regular branches, forming a spire.
The latitude was 23 degrees 29 minutes.
Jan. 14. - After travelling about three miles in a north-easterly
direction along the banks of the river - having, at about a mile from our
camp, crossed a good-sized creek on its left bank - the river took a
sudden bend to the westward, and a large creek coming from the northward,
joined it almost at a right angle to its course. As we proceeded, we came
suddenly upon two black women hurrying out of the water, but who, on
reaching a distance in which they thought themselves safe, remained
gazing at us as we slowly and peaceably passed by. In the bed of the
river, which was here broad and sandy, a bean was gathered, bearing
racemes of pink blossoms, and spreading its long slender stem over the
ground, or twining it round shrubs and trees: its pods were from three to
five inches long, and about half an inch broad, containing from four to
six seeds, very similar to the horse-bean. This plant was afterwards
found growing in the sandy beds, or along the bergs of almost all the
broad rivers, and was always a welcome sight; for the seeds, after
roasting and pounding them, afforded us a very agreeable substitute for
coffee.
We passed some very high cliffs, which showed a fine geological section
of horizontal layers of sandstone and coal-slate. There were also some
layers of very good coal, but the greater part of those visible were of a
slaty character. Nodules of Ironstone were very frequent in the
sandstone.
After having fixed upon a place to pitch the tent, and after some
refreshment, I started with my two black companions upon a reconnoitring
excursion along the course of the river, which made several large bends,
though its general direction was to the north-east. We passed over some
very fine flats of Bastard-box, silver-leaved Ironbark, and white gum,
with a few scattered Acacia-trees, remarkable for their drooping foliage,
and mentioned under the date 22nd December. Farther on, we came again to
scrub, which uniformly covered the edge of the high land towards the
river. Here, within the scrub, on the side towards the open country we
found many deserted camps of the natives, which, from their position,
seemed to have been used for shelter from the weather, or as
hiding-places from enemies: several places had evidently been used for
corroborris, and also for fighting.
On a White-gum, which has long lanceolate green leaves, I found a species
of Loranthus, with leaves resembling those of the silver-leaved Ironbark
(Eucalyptus pulverulentus). Having reached a point down the river, in
about lat. 23 degrees 18 minutes, from which some low ranges to the N.W.
became visible, I returned to the camp. At the point where it turned, a
dyke of basalt traverses the river. The country still maintained its
favourable character, and the river contained fine sheets of water
similar to those already described, on one of which a pelican floated
undisturbed by our presence.
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