- We crossed the river, and travelled about ten miles north-west,
over a succession of stony ridges, separated by fine open tea-tree and
box flats.
Some fine shallow sandy watercourses, quite dry, went down to
the north by east. At the end of the stage, the uniform colour of the
country was interrupted by the green line of a river-bed, so pleasing and
so refreshing to the eye, with the rich verdure of its drooping tea-trees
and myrtles, interspersed with the silver leaves of Acacia neurocarpa and
Grevillea chrysodendron. The river was formed by two broad sandy beds,
separated by a high bergue, and was full 700 yards from bank to bank. It
contained large detached water-pools fringed with Pandanus, which were
very probably connected by a stream filtering through the sands, I called
it the "Wickham," in honour of Captain Wickham, R.N. of Moreton Bay, who
had recently commanded a survey of the north-west coast of New Holland,
in H.M.S. Beagle.
The red wallabi (Halmaturus agilis, GOULD) was very numerous along the
gullies of the river: and we started a flock of red foresters (Osphranter
Antilopinus, GOULD) out of a patch of scrub on the brow of a stony hill.
Charley and Brown, accompanied by Spring, pursued them, and killed a fine
young male. I had promised my companions that, whenever a kangaroo was
caught again, it should be roasted whole, whatever its size might be. We
had consequently a roasted Red Forester for supper, and we never rolled
ourselves up in our blankets more satisfied with a repast.
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