A Well Beaten Foot-Path Of The Natives Led Up A Broad Salt-Water Creek,
To The Northward Of The Creek On Which We Were Encamped, And Which Joined
It Lower Down.
Charley, when going after the horses, saw a camping place
of the natives with spears and the usual utensils:
But the inhabitants
had either not yet returned from their hunting and fishing excursions, or
had left it, frightened by the frequent discharge of our guns.
Sept. 4. - We travelled about eleven miles west by north. The first three
miles and a half led us through scrub; we forded a salt-water creek about
thirty yards broad, and then, for the next four miles, proceeded through
a scrubby country, and came to a second salt-water creek as broad as the
first, but containing only pools of water. The scrub now opened, and the
last four miles lay through a fine box-flat, bounded by long hollows
surrounded with drooping tea-trees and the white water-gum, the bright
foliage of which formed a most agreeable contrast with the dull green of
the scrubs and the box-trees. After crossing a small sandy creek, along
which grew a few Sarcocephalus, we came to a large creek lined with
drooping tea-trees and Sarcocephalus, and encamped on a fine pool of
water, within its deep bed. I named this creek after W.C. Wentworth, Esq.
M.C. who had kindly contributed to the outfit of my expedition.
At early dawn, a flight of wild geese filed in long line over our camp,
the flapping of their wings was heavy, but short, and the note they
emitted resembled that of the common goose, but was some-what shriller.
In the box-flat we started a flock of emus, and Spring caught a fine male
bird.
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