Sandstone Cropped Out In The Banks Of The Creek, And Formed The
Reservoirs In Its Bed.
Last night, and the night before, we experienced a very cold wind from
the southward.
The laughing Jackass (Dacelo cervina, GOULD) of this part of the country,
is of a different species from that of the eastern coast, is of a smaller
size, and speaks a different language; but the noise is by no means so
ridiculous as that of Dac. gigantea: he is heard before sunrise, and
immediately after sunset, like his representative of the eastern coast.
The latter was observed as far as the upper Lynd, where the new one made
his appearance.
We crossed a bush fire, which had been lighted just before we came to the
creek, but we did not see the incendiaries. In the morning of the 10th
July, however, they had discovered our tracks, and followed them until
they came in sight of the camp; but retired as soon as they saw us: and
when they met Charley returning with the bullocks, they ran away. After
half-an-hour's travelling towards the south-west, we came to the Van
Diemen, which is marked in Arrowsmith's map in latitude 17 degrees. It
was about seventy or eighty yards broad, with steep banks and a fine
sandy bed, containing detached pools of water surrounded by Polygonum,
and extremely boggy. My horse stuck in the mud, and it was with great
difficulty that I extricated him.
As our meal bags were empty, and no sign of game appeared, I decided upon
selecting a good open camping place, for the purpose of killing our last
little steer.
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