The Basaltic
Country Continued, And Apparently Extended A Great Distance From The
River.
The flats along the latter were less extensive.
Sandstone cropped
out in deep gullies, and in the bed of the river; it was naturally soft
and coarse, but where it rose into hillocks near basalt, it changed into
a fine baked sandstone, resembling quartzite, which, when in contact with
the igneous rock, looked like burnt bricks. Near our camp, a dyke or wall
of the aspect of a flinty red conglomerate, crossed the river from
south-west to north-east. I believe that this rock belongs to the
porphyries of Glendon, and of the upper Gloucester. We continued to feel
the breeze, or rather a puff of wind, between 7 and 8 o'clock at night;
it was often very strong and cold, and prevented the mosquitoes from
molesting us.
April 16. - We proceeded north by west to latitude 19 degrees 32 minutes,
and crossed several gullies coming from the basaltic ridges: these,
however, receded far from the river, and large box and Ironbark flats
took their place for about three miles, when the ridges re-appeared.
Between four and five miles from the bar of red rock above mentioned, a
fine large creek joined the Burdekin from the westward. The box and
Ironbark forest was interrupted by slight rises of limestone full of
corals; and by a higher hill of baked sandstone, at the foot of which a
limestone hill was covered with a patch of Vitex scrub. The strata of the
limestone seemed to dip to the southward.
The opposite banks of the river were ridgy, but openly timbered, and this
fine country, with its well grassed flats, and its open ridges, seemed to
extend very far on both sides. Messrs. Gilbert and Roper went to the top
of the hill, and saw ranges trending from west to north, with that
crenelated outline which I had before seen and mentioned: they
distinguished a large valley, and the smoke of several fires of the
natives along the range. A large lagoon was at the western foot of the
hill on which they were. A large creek was seen, by Brown, to join the
Burdekin from the north-east, at a short mile from our encampment. A
baked sandstone and pudding-stone of a white colour projected into the
river at the place, which not only exhibited the transition from one rock
into the other, but it showed the action of igneous rocks on both, and
gave a clue to the nature of the red rock I described yesterday. In the
thicket which covered the rock, I observed Pomaderris of Moreton Bay. In
decreasing our latitude, both Mr. Gilbert and myself were inclined to
think that, whenever a bird or a plant disappeared, it was owing to that
circumstance. In this, however, we were frequently mistaken: trees and
herbaceous plants disappeared with the change of soil, and the decrease
of moisture, and the birds kept to a certain vegetation: and, as soon as
we came to similar localities, familiar forms of plants and birds
re-appeared. Almost all the scrub-trees of the Condamine and Kent's
Lagoon were still to be seen at the Burdekin; and the isolated waters
near grassy flats were visited by swarms of little finches, which Mr.
Gilbert had observed at Port Essington, and which, in all probability,
belonged to the whole extent of country between that place and the region
of the tropics. This slight change of vegetation, and particularly of the
inland Flora, from south to north, is no doubt connected with the
uniformity of the soil and climate: and the immense difference which
exists between the eastern and western coast, has led men of science and
of observation, not without good reason, to infer that this continent was
originally divided into two large islands, or into an archipelago, which
have been united by their progressive, and, perhaps, still continued,
elevation. As an exception, however, to this remark, a very sudden change
of the Flora was observed, when we entered into the basin of the gulf of
Carpentaria, after leaving the eastern waters, although the Flora of the
north-west coast and Port Essington, was little different from that of
the gulf.
April 17. - We travelled about nine miles N. 40 degrees W. On our way we
passed a hill of baked sandstone, and several gullies. About five miles
from our last camp, a large creek joined the river; beyond that creek,
the country was, without exception, open, and rather of a more undulating
character; the flats were somewhat rotten: the river became narrower, but
was still running strong; and numerous ducks sported on its shady pools.
April 18. - Last night we had a very cold north-easterly wind, and, during
the day, some few drops of drizzling rain. We travelled about N. by W. to
latitude 19 degrees 18 minutes 16 seconds. After passing some gullies, we
came into a more broken and hilly country; the river formed here a large
anabranch. The Ironbark trees, which timbered the extensive flat along
the river, became much finer; but the soil was rotten: the poplar-gum
grew on the stiff soil of the hollows. About six miles from our last
camp, we came to ranges of high hills of a conical form, and with rounded
tops, striking from west to east, and then entered a narrow valley,
bounded on each side by rocky hills. Mr. Roper observed a rugged country
to the northward, and a fine high range to the south-east. The whole
country from the large flat to our camp, was composed of felspathic
porphyry, containing crystals of felspar, and accidentally of quartz, in
a paste varying in colour and hardness. In the bed of the river, I still
found pebbles of pegmatite, granite, quartz, and basalt; indicating that
a country of varied character was before us.
The stream wound its way from one side of the broad sandy bed to the
other; and those parts where it flowed, were generally very steep, and
covered with a dense vegetation, whilst, on the opposite side, the banks
sloped gently into the broad sands.
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