Its Level Bed Was
Composed Of A Stiff Bluish Clay, Without Vegetation, Mostly Dry, And
Cracked By The Heat Of
The sun; but its depressions were still moist, and
treacherously boggy; in many parts of this extensive level, rose isolated
Patches, or larger island-like groves of Pandanus intermixed with
drooping tea-trees, and interwoven with Ipomaeas, or long belts of
drooping tea-trees, in the shade of which reaches of shallow water,
surrounded by a rich sward of grasses of the most delicate verdure, had
remained. Thousands of ducks and geese occupied these pools, and the
latter fed as they waded through the grass. We travelled for a long time
through groves of drooping tea-trees, which grew along the outline of the
swamps, but using great caution in consequence of its boggy nature.
Several times I wished to communicate with the natives who followed us,
but, every time I turned my horse's head, they ran away; however, finding
my difficulties increased, whilst attempting to cross the swamp, I
dismounted and walked up to one of them, and taking his hand, gave him a
sheet of paper, on which I wrote some words, giving him to understand, as
well as I could, that he had nothing to fear as long as he carried the
paper. By this means I induced him to walk with me, but considerably in
advance of my train, and especially of the bullock; he kept manfully near
me, and pointed out the sounder parts of the swamp, until we came to a
large pool, on which were a great number of geese, when he gave me to
understand that he wished Brown to go and shoot them; for these natives,
as well as those who visited us last night, were well acquainted with the
effects of fire arms.
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