A well-beaten
foot-path of the natives went down the creek to the south-east. My
latitude, according to an observation of Castor, was 12 degrees 11
minutes.
We saw the Torres Strait pigeon; a Wallooroo and a red kangaroo
(Osphranter Antilopinus, GOULD). The old camps of the natives, which we
passed in the forest, were strewed with the shells of goose eggs, which
showed what an important article these birds formed in the culinary
department of the natives; and, whilst their meat and eggs served them
for food, their feathers afforded them a protection against the flies
which swarmed round their bodies during the day.
The arborescent Vitex with ternate leaves, which I had first met with at
the Flying-Fox Creek of the Roper, was also observed here.
At this time we were all sadly distressed with boils, and with a prickly
heat; early lancing of the former saved much pain: the cuts and sores on
the hands festered quickly; but this depended much more on the want of
cleanliness than any thing else. A most dangerous enemy grew up amongst
us in the irresistible impatience to come to the end of our journey; and
I cannot help considering it a great blessing that we did not meet with
natives who knew the settlement of Port Essington at an earlier part of
our journey, or I am afraid we should have been exposed to the greatest
misery, if not destruction, by an inconsiderate, thoughtless desire of
pushing onward.
