Although The Banks
Of The Roper Were Steep And Muddy, The Large Creek We Had Passed Was
Scarcely Two Miles Distant, And Offered An Easy Approach To The Water On
A Rocky Bed.
It remained, therefore, inexplicable to us how the accident
could have happened.
This disastrous event staggered me, and for a moment I turned almost
giddy; but there was no help. Unable to increase the load of my bullocks,
I was obliged to leave that part of my botanical collection which had
been carried by one of the horses. The fruit of many a day's work was
consigned to the fire; and tears were in my eyes when I saw one of the
most interesting results of my expedition vanish into smoke. Mr.
Gilbert's small collection of plants, which I had carefully retained
hitherto, shared the same fate. But they were of less value, as they were
mostly in a bad state of preservation, from being too much crowded. My
collection had the great advantage of being almost complete in blossoms,
fruit, and seed, which I was enabled to ensure in consequence of the long
duration of our expedition, and of the comparative uniformity of the
Australian Flora.
I left the unfortunate place, and travelled about six miles up the river,
which kept a W. N. W. course. Open box-flats were bounded by ridges two
or three miles from the river. At the opposite side, ranges were seen
with some rocky bluff hills. Charley shot a bustard.
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