The
dorsal fin very much prolonged, like one of the fresh-water fishes of
Darling Downs; they had been in such a hurry to roast it, that I had no
chance of examining it.
The day was exceedingly hot, particularly from 7 to 11 o'clock, when the
strong sea breeze set in from the north-east.
Sept. 27. - I went with Brown to reconnoitre the country to the
north-west. About a mile from the camp, we crossed a fine creek with a
chain of ponds and a tiny stream densely fringed with Pandanus. To the
north-west of it, we rode through a succession of scrubby and open
stringy-bark forest of tea-tree flats and thickets, and over long tracts
of stringy-bark saplings which had been recently burned. The Melaleuca
gum was very frequent in the stringy-bark forest: the Cypress-pine formed
either small thickets or occurred scattered. Sterculia, which at the time
was particularly valuable to us, was rare.
Red ironstone cropped out every where, and formed large shallow basins,
surrounded by tea-tree thickets; like those swamps I have mentioned on
several occasions. About eight miles from the camp, we crossed a good
sized waterless creek, with drooping tea-trees, and groves of Pandanus;
and about three miles farther, came to a large creek with some very long
water-holes, which were all stocked with small fish.
