In My Excursion I Crossed The Main Branch Of
Robinson's Creek, And Found The Gullies Of Its Right Bank As Steep And
Tremendous As Those Of The Left.
Water was very scarce.
The whole country
is composed of a fine-grained sandstone.
As the water-holes on the range are very few and distant from each other,
they are frequented by the bronze-winged pigeons in great numbers. Mr.
Gilbert shot eight of them, and Mr. Roper, John Murphy, and Charley,
added to the number, so that we had a fine pigeon supper and breakfast,
each having his bird - a rare occurrence in our expedition. A few drops of
rain fell in the morning.
Nov. 26. - When we were waiting for our bullocks, four emus came trotting
down the slope towards the camp. Messrs. Gilbert, Roper, Murphy, and
Brown, having their horses ready, gave chase, and, after a dangerous
gallop, over extremely rocky ground, succeeded, with the assistance of
our kangaroo dog, Spring, in securing one of them. When Charley returned
to the camp with the bullocks, he told us that he had found these emus
walking amongst the bullocks, and that he had struck one of them with his
tomahawk. On our road to the water, which I had found on my
reconnoisance, about seven miles W.N.W., under a still higher range,
rising at the right of Robinson's Creek, we started a herd of eight
kangaroos, when our horsemen, assisted by Spring, were again successful
in taking one of them.
Nov. 27. - A thunder-storm during the night, which passed, however, to the
other side of the range. After a gust of wind of short duration, we had
some very light showers; so light indeed, as not to interrupt our
meat-drying process.
Proceeding on our journey, we ascended the range, and travelled between
four and five miles on its level summit, which was covered with open
forest, interspersed with thickets of Acacias and Casuarinas. From the
extremity of the range we enjoyed a very fine and extensive view. Ranges
of mountains with conspicuous peaks, cupolas, and precipitous walls of
rock, were observed extending at various distances from west by north to
north-west. The most distant range was particularly striking and
imposing; I called it "Expedition Range," and to a bell-shaped mountain
bearing N. 68 degrees W., I gave the name of "Mount Nicholson," in honour
of Dr. Charles Nicholson, who first introduced into the Legislative
Council of New South Wales, the subject of an overland expedition to Port
Essington; and to a sharp peak N. 66 degrees W., the name of "Aldis's
Peak," in acknowledgment of the kind assistance received from Mr. Aldis
of Sydney. We then descended, with great difficulty into a broad valley,
bounded on either side by fine slopes and ridges, openly timbered with
silver-leaved Ironbark. On the small well-grassed flats along the
watercourse, the flooded-gum and apple-trees grew to a considerable size.
The morning was cloudy, with occasional drops of rain; but it cleared up
towards noon, and, near sunset, a wall of dark clouds rose in the west,
over the ranges.
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