A Foot-Path Led Us From One To The Other, Passing
Through A Series Of Cycas Groves, Box And Tea-Tree Forest, And Thickets
Of Tea-Tree And Cypress Pine.
The latter covered long tracts near the
Robinson, and frequently attained a large size.
The river was about two hundred yards broad, with sleep banks intersected
by deep gullies. Two tea-tree creeks, which entered it at the point where
our examination stopped, contained fresh water in the upper part of their
short courses. We crossed the river by a rocky bar, and, below it, was
another, on which the natives had erected a rude wall of stone, for
catching fish. The upper bar was not covered even by the tide; but, above
it, the water although very bitter, was not salt. We found here the
carcase of a crocodile; and the skull of another was found near our camp
at Cycas Creek. After crossing the river, we followed down its left bank
to the lower ford, in order to find some fresh water, and at last came to
a small tea-tree gully with two pools of water, near which some natives
were encamped; there were, however, only two very old men in the camp at
the time, who, on seeing us, began to chaunt their incantations. We were
too anxious to examine the water to stand upon ceremony, and, when they
saw us approach, they retired across the river to their friends, who were
probably occupied at no great distance in collecting the seeds of
Pandanus and Cycas.
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