Some
Considerable Stretches Of Beautiful Country Were Now Travelled Over; The
Leading Feature Being Low Ridges, Openly Timbered With The Silver-Leaved
Ironbark, Covered With An Abundance Of Grass And Herbs, And Furnished
With Large Lagoons; There Was Also A Constant Supply Of Water In The
Creek Itself.
On the banks of the latter, a species of Sterculia grows to
a large size, and is one of the most pleasing and ornamental trees of the
country; it is probably different from, although nearly allied to S.
heterophylla.
Very disagreeable, however, was the abundance of Burr and
of a spear-grass (Aristida), which attached themselves to our clothes and
blankets, and entered (particularly the latter) into the very skin. I
have also to mention, that a yellow Villarsia was found on one of the
lakes; which were generally surrounded by high sedges. We have not seen
black swans since leaving Murphy's Lake; at which place we first saw a
species of whistling duck, (Leptotarsis, GOULD.)
Appearances indicated that the commencement of the ranges was a favourite
resort of the "Blackfellows." The remains of recent repasts of muscles
were strewed about the larger water-holes, and, as I passed a native
camp, which had only lately been vacated, I found, under a few sheets of
bark, four fine kangaroo nets, made of the bark of Sterculia; also
several bundles of sticks, which are used to stretch them. As I was in
the greatest want of cordage, I took two of these nets; and left, in
return, a fine brass hilted sword, the hilt of which was well polished,
four fishing-hooks, and a silk handkerchief; with which, I felt
convinced, they would be as well pleased, as I was with the cordage of
their nets.
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