We encamped at one of them in
lat. 17 degrees 49 minutes.
The country along the river was an open box-forest. Natives cooeed around
us; and we saw a man and his gin, and farther on two others busily
occupied in burning the grass. When Charley came to the lagoon he saw a
black boy, who immediately retreated out of sight. Two straw-necked
Ibises and seven ducks were shot. Mr. Roper had suffered much by the long
rides of the last stages; but his health was improving, notwithstanding.
The Nonda tree had disappeared north of the Van Diemen, and the emu here
feeds on the fruit of the little Severn tree, which is so excessively
bitter, as to impart its quality to the meat, and even to the gizzard and
the very marrow.
As we approached the salt water, the various species of Eucalyptus, with
the exception of the box, disappeared, and various species of tea-tree
(Melaleuca) took their place; they grew even on the sands with
incrustations of salt, and gave way only to the mangroves, which were
bathed by the brine itself.
We now commenced collecting the gum of the broad-leaved Terminalia of the
upper Lynd, and boiled it for Mr. Roper, who liked it very much.
