From A
Sandstone Peak To The North-East, Which I Descended With Mr. Roper, I
Again Saw The Range Of Peaks Which I Had First Observed From Mount
Stewart In A W.N.W. Direction; And The Country To The North And
North-East Was Evidently Very Mountainous:
The valleys descending in a
northerly direction.
We rode along the ridges on a W.N.W. and west
course, and came into the valley of another creek, which we crossed; and,
passing several other ridges, which appear to be connected with West
Hill, descended to a fine creek, in which we found a reedy water-hole of
considerable size. The character of all these creeks is the same.
Extensive flats of rotten ground, but beautifully clothed with tufts of
grass, openly timbered with Moreton Bay ash and flooded-gum, ascend into
gentle grassy slopes of silver-leaved Ironbark and bloodwood, and then
rise into sandstone ridges with Acacia thickets and shrubby plants
peculiar to the sandstone formation. An Acacia with very large falcate,
glaucous phyllodia, and the Euphorbiaceous Severn-tree, were very
plentiful; and Crinum grew in thousands on the sandy flats. After a very
hot day, the night was bright and dewy: a light breeze was felt at 8
o'clock, which cooled the air.
Jan. 26. - I removed my camp to the reedy water-hole of yesterday, about
five miles in the direction of west or west by north from our last
encampment. Here I planted the last peach-stones, with which Mr. Newman,
the present superintendent of the Botanic Garden in Hobart Town, had
kindly provided me. It is, however, to be feared that the fires, which
annually over-run the whole country, and particularly here, where the
grass is rich and deep even to the water's edge, will not allow them to
grow. To the creek on which we were encamped I gave the name of "Newman's
Creek," in honour of Mr. Newman. It flows in a south-east and southerly
course, and unites probably with West Hill Creek, on which we were
encamped the day before, and with the large creek which we crossed on the
25th; both of which probably belong to the system of the Mackenzie. Mr.
Calvert and Charley accompanied me in an excursion to the W.N.W., but,
having crossed some ridges and coming to scrub, we took a direction to
the northward. Fine Bastard-box flats and Ironbark slopes occupy the
upper part of Newman's Creek. On the ridges, we observed Persoonia with
long falcate leaves; the grass-tree (Xanthorrhaea); the rusty gum, and
the Melaleuca of Mount Stewart. Having ascended the sandstone ridge at
the head of Newman's Creek, we found ourselves on a table land out of
which rose the peaks for which we were steering, and from which we were
separated by fine downs, plains, and a lightly timbered country, with
belts of narrow-leaved Ironbark growing on a sandy soil. On one of the
plains quartzite cropped out; and silex and fossil wood lay scattered
over the rich black soil: the latter broke readily, like asbestos, into
the finest filaments, much resembling the fossil wood of Van Diemen's
Land. It is difficult to describe the impressions which the range of
noble peaks, rising suddenly out of a comparatively level country, made
upon us. We had travelled so much in a monotonous forest land, with only
now and then a glimpse of distant ranges through the occasional clearings
in the dismal scrub, that any change was cheering. Here an entirely open
country - covered with grass, and apparently unbounded to the westward;
now ascending, first, in fine ranges, and forming a succession of almost
isolated, gigantic, conical, and dome-topped mountains, which seemed to
rest with a flat unbroken base on the plain below - was spread before our
delighted eyes. The sudden alteration of the scene, therefore, inspired
us with feelings that I cannot attempt to describe. Proceeding onwards we
passed some water-holes; but, farther on, the water failed, except here
and there in a few pools, in the creeks coming from the range, that had
been filled by the last thunder-showers. These pools were generally lined
with patches of a narrow-leaved tea tree; and were full of basaltic
pebbles.
The breeze set in full and strong, as usual, at a quarter past eight
o'clock; the night was bright and cool, and the following morning
inexpressibly beautiful.
We enjoyed a dish of cockatoos for supper: the place abounds with them.
Jan. 27. - Charley went back to bring forward our party, whilst I
proceeded with Mr. Calvert to reconnoitre the plains under the peaks,
feeling confident of finding water at their foot. We passed over plains
and lightly-timbered basaltic ridges, between which shallow creeks came
down from the range, but we only found water in one or two holes. The
plains in the neighbourhood of our intended camp were richly grassed; and
a species of Hypoxis and the native Borage (Trichodesma zeylanica, R.
Br.) adorned them with their bright yellow and blue blossoms. Farther on,
however, the grass had been burnt, and was not yet recovered. As the day
advanced, and the black soil became heated by the almost vertical sun,
the heat from above and from below became almost insupportable.
Three peaks of this range were particularly striking; two of them seemed
to be connected by a lower ridge, in a direction from S.E. to N.W. The
south-eastern I called "Roper's Peak," after my companion, who afterwards
ascended it with Murphy and Brown, and the north-western, "Scott's Peak,"
after Helenus Scott, Esq., of Glendon, Hunter's River, who had kindly
assisted me in my expedition. In a W. by S. direction from these, and
distant four or five miles, is another peak, to which I gave the name of
"Macarthur's Peak," after Mr. William Macarthur, of Cambden. All these
peaks are composed of Domite; and Roper's and Scott's Peaks are
surrounded by a sandstone formation, covered with a dense low scrub.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 34 of 139
Words from 33502 to 34510
of 141354
