- We followed the chain of lagoons for about seven miles, in a
west by south direction; the country to
Our right was most beautiful,
presenting detached Bricklow groves, with the Myal, and with the Vitex in
full bloom, surrounded by lawns of the richest grass and herbage; the
partridge pigeon (Geophaps scripta) abounded in the Acacia groves; the
note of the Wonga Wonga (Leucosarcia picata, GOULD.) was heard; and ducks
and two pelicans were seen on the lagoons. Blackfellows had been here a
short time ago: large unio shells were abundant; the bones of the
codfish, and the shield of the fresh-water turtle, showed that they did
not want food. A small orange tree, about 5-8 minutes high, grows either
socially or scattered in the open scrub, and a leafless shrub, belonging
to the Santalaceae, grows in oblong detached low thickets.
Chenopodiaceous plants are always frequent where the Myal grows. The
latitude of our camp was 26 degrees 56 minutes 11 seconds.
Oct. 6. - Was fully occupied with mending our packsaddles and straps,
broken by the bullocks in throwing off their loads.
Oct. 7. - In following the chain of lagoons to the westward, we came,
after a few miles travelling, to the Condamine, which flows to the
north-west: it has a broad, very irregular bed, and was, at the time,
well provided with water - a sluggish stream, of a yellowish muddy colour,
occasionally accompanied by reeds. We passed several gullies and a creek
from the northward, slightly running.
The forest on the right side of the river was tolerably open, though
patches of Myal scrub several times exposed us to great inconvenience;
the left bank of the Condamine, as much as we could see of it, was a fine
well grassed open forest. Conglomerate and sandstone cropped out in
several sections. Mosquitoes and sandflies were very trouble-some. I
found a species of snail nearly resembling Succinea, in the fissures of
the bark of the Myal, on the Box, and in the moist grass. The
muscle-shells are of immense size. The well-known tracks of Blackfellows
are everywhere visible; such as trees recently stripped of their bark,
the swellings of the apple-tree cut off to make vessels for carrying
water, honey cut out, and fresh steps cut in the trees to climb for
opossums. Our latitude was 26 degrees 49 minutes. The thermometer was
41 1/2 at sunrise; but in the shade, between 12 and 2 o'clock, it stood at
80 degrees, and the heat was very great, though a gentle breeze and
passing clouds mitigated the power of the scorching sun.
Oct. 8. - During the night, we had a tremendous thunder-storm, with much
thunder and lightning from the west. The river was very winding, so that
we did not advance more than 7 or 8 miles W.N.W.; the Bricklow scrub
compelled us frequently to travel upon the flood-bed of the river. Fine
grassy forest-land intervened between the Bricklow and Myal scrubs; the
latter is always more open than the former, and the soil is of a rich
black concretionary character. The soil of the Bricklow scrub is a stiff
clay, washed out by the rains into shallow holes, well known by the
squatters under the name of melon-holes; the composing rock of the low
ridges was a clayey sandstone (Psammite). Sky cloudy; wind north-east;
thermometer 80 degrees at 2 o'clock; the sunshine plant (Mimosa
terminalis) was frequent on the black soil; a Swainsonia; an Anthericum,
with allium leaf and fine large yellow blossoms; and another species with
small blossoms, (Stypandra).
Oct. 9. - Commenced with cloudy weather, threatening rain. It cleared up,
however, about 10 o'clock, and we had a very warm day. We followed the
course of the river for some time, which is fringed with Myal scrubs,
separated by hills with fine open forest. Finding that the river trended
so considerably to the northward [It seems that NORTHWARD here is merely
miswritten for WESTWARD. - (ED.)], we left it at a westerly bend, hoping
to make it again in a north-west direction. Thus, we continued travelling
through a beautiful undulating country, until arrested by a Bricklow
scrub, which turned us to the south-west; after having skirted it, we
were enabled to resume our course to W.N.W., until the decline of day
made me look for water to the south-west. The scrubs were awful, and
threatened to surround us; but we succeeded in finding a fine large
lagoon, probably filled by the drainage of the almost level country to
the north-east. No water-course, not the slightest channel produced by
heavy rains, was visible to indicate the flow of waters. Occasionally we
met with swampy ground, covered with reeds, and with some standing water
of the last rains; the ground was so rotten, that the horses and bullocks
sunk into it over the fetlocks. The principal timber trees here, are the
bastard box, the flooded-gum, and the Moreton Bay ash; in the Myal scrub,
Coxen's Acacia attains a very considerable size; we saw also some
Ironbark trees.
The tracks and dung of cattle were observed; and this was the farthest
point to the westward where we met with them. Kangaroos seemed to be very
rare; but kangaroo rats were numerous. Black-fellows were very near to us
last night; they very probably withdrew upon seeing us make our
appearance.
Oct. 10. - Cloudy; wind northerly; thermometer at 2h. 30m. P. M. 88
degrees. At about 1 1/2 or 2 miles distance, in a north-west direction
from our last camp, we came to a fine running creek from the north-east,
which we easily crossed; and, at about one mile farther, reached a
creek - which, at this time of the year, is a chain of lagoons - lined on
both sides by Bricklow scrub, which occupied a portion of its limited
flats in little points and detached groves. This vale was one of the most
picturesque spots we had yet seen.
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