- I went, accompanied by Mr. Roper and Charley, in a due north
direction to reconnoitre the country. The flat continued for about eight
miles, and then changed into slight undulations. Considerable tracts were
covered with the Poplar-gum; and broad belts of Bricklow descended from
the hills towards the east. In the scrub; Fusanus was observed in fruit,
and the Stenochilus and the white Vitex in blossom; from the latter the
native bee extracts a most delicious honey. A small tree, with stiff
alternate leaves scarcely an inch long, was covered with red fruit of the
form of an acorn, and about half an inch long, having a sweet pericarp
with two compressed grain-like seeds, which had the horny albumen of the
coffee, and were exceedingly bitter. The pigeons, crows, and cockatoos,
fed upon them, we also ate a great number of them; but the edible portion
of each seed was very small. It is a remarkable fact that trees, which we
had found in full blossom or in fruit in October and November, were again
observed to be in blossom and fruit in February.
We had to encamp at night without water; and although the clouds gathered
in the afternoon of a very hot day, yet no thunder-storm came to our
relief. The night breeze, which was in all probability the sea-breeze,
set in about ten minutes to six.
Feb. 13. - The morning was very cloudy. I continued my course to the
northward, and, coming to a watercourse, followed it down in the hopes of
finding water: it led us to the broad deep channel of a river, but now
entirely dry. The bed was very sandy, with reeds and an abundance of
small Casuarinas. Large flooded-gums and Casuarinas grew at intervals
along its banks, and fine openly timbered flats extended on both sides
towards belts of scrub. The river came from the north and north-west,
skirting some fine ranges, which were about three miles from its left
bank. As the river promised to be one of some importance I called it the
"Isaacs," in acknowledgment of the kind support we received from F.
Isaacs, Esq. of Darling Downs.
When we were approaching the river, the well-known sound of a tomahawk
was heard, and, guided by the noise, we soon came in sight of three black
women, two of whom were busily occupied in digging for roots, whilst the
other, perched on the top of a high flooded-gum tree, was chopping out
either an opossum or a bees' nest. They no sooner perceived us than they
began to scream most dreadfully, swinging their sticks, and beating the
trees, as if we were wild beasts, which they wished to frighten away. We
made every possible sign of peace, but in vain: the two root-diggers
immediately ran off, and the lady in the tree refused to descend. When I
asked for water, in the language of the natives of the country we had
left - "Yarrai" "yarrai," she pointed down the river, and answered "yarrai
ya;" and we found afterwards that her information was correct.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 78 of 272
Words from 40041 to 40571
of 141354
