The Salt Water Hibiscus (Paritium) And Acacia (Inga
Moniliformis), Were Also In Blossom.
Charley, Brown, and John, went to spear some fish, but the tide was out,
the water shallow, and the fish were gone.
Charley saw here, for the
first time, the Torres Straits pigeon (Carpophaga luctuosa, GOULD.)
The little creek, at which we were encamped, had formed its channel
through sandstone rock; and its narrow bed, containing a ferruginous
water supplied by springs, was crowded with high reeds, and shaded with
various trees of a dense green foliage. Frogs croaked, and crickets
chirped, the whole night; and the call of goat-suckers, and the hooting
of owls, were heard in every direction; large fish were splashing in the
water; wallabies were bleating as they came down to the creek, and saw
our horses; and mosquitoes by their loud humming prevented our sleeping.
This noise of animal life during the night formed an agreeable contrast
to the dead silence which we had observed at almost all our camps around
the gulf, with the exception of the one occupied on the 1st September,
and of that at the Marlow, where the flying-fox was the merry reveller of
night.
Sept. 10. - We were again too late for low tide, to cross at the fishery
of the natives, and consequently travelled about two miles and a half
higher up, passing in our way three other fisheries; where we crossed the
river, the bed was very wide, and covered with shrubs, shingle, and
blocks of sandstone; but its rapid stream of fresh water was only about
fifteen or twenty yards broad, and three feet deep.
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