As We Were Sitting At Our Dinner, A Fine Half-Grown Emu
Walked Slowly Up To Us, As If Curious
To know what business we had in its
lonely haunts; unfortunately for us, the bark of our little terrier
frightened
It; and, although one of my Blackfellows shot after it, it
retired unscathed into the neighbouring thicket. Mr. Roper killed a
Rallus, which Mr. Gilbert thought to be new. The high land from which we
came, appears at present as a distant range to the south-east.
Fine-grained sandstone, with impressions of leaves, was again observed,
and a few pieces of silicified wood. A Thysanotus with fine large
blossoms now adorns the forest. The native carrot is in seed; the
Eryngium of Jimba, and a leguminous plant, prostrate with ternate leaves
and bunches of yellow flowers, were frequent; several beautiful species
of everlastings were occasionally seen, and the little orange-tree of the
Condamine grew in the scrub.
Nov. 8. - We followed the Dawson for about eight miles lower down. About
four miles from our camp, it is joined by a fine chain of ponds from the
north-east. The flats on both sides are covered by open Bastard-box
forest, of a more or less open character. In the rainy season, the whole
valley is probably covered with water; for we frequently observed the
marks of torrents rushing down from the hills; and, along the foot of the
ridges, ponds and lagoons were frequent. The heat of summer had already
burnt up a great part of the grasses; and it was only in the immediate
neighbourhood of the river that there was any appearance of verdure.
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