- I went to the westward, to avoid the rocky ground, and if
possible to come into the valley of the East Alligator River, if the
country should not open and allow me a passage to the northward, which
direction I took whenever the nature of the country permitted.
After
crossing the heads of several easterly creeks, we came upon a large
foot-path of the natives, which I determined to follow. It was, in all
probability, the same which went down the creek on which we had encamped
last night: it descended through a narrow rocky gully, down which I found
great difficulty in bringing the horses; and afterwards wound through a
fine forest land, avoiding the rocky hills, and touching the heads of
westerly creeks, which were well supplied with rocky basins of water. It
then followed a creek down into swampy lagoons, which joined the broad
irregular sandy bed of a river containing large pools and reaches of
water, lined with Pandanus and drooping tea-trees. This river came from
the eastward, and was probably the principal branch of the East Alligator
River, which joined the salt-water branch we had crossed in latitude
about 12 degrees 6 minutes. We met another foot-path at its northern
bank, which led us between the river and ranges of rocky hills, over a
country abounding with the scarlet Eugenia, of which we made a rich
harvest. We encamped at a fine lagoon, occupied, as usual, with geese and
ducks, and teeming with large fish, which were splashing about during the
whole night.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 497 of 524
Words from 133850 to 134113
of 141354
