A Large Fire Was
Afterwards Made Over The Grave, To Prevent The Natives From Detecting And
Disinterring The Body.
Our cattle and horses fortunately had not been
molested.
The cold wind from the southward continued the whole day; at night it
fell calm, and continued so until the morning of the 30th June, when a
strong easterly wind set in, which afterwards veered round to the north
and north-west.
Calvert and Roper recovered wonderfully, considering the severe injuries
they had received; and the wounds, which I feared as being the most
dangerous, promised with care and patience to do well. As it was
hazardous to remain long at the place, for the natives might return in
greater numbers, and repeat their attack, as well on ourselves as the
cattle, I determined to proceed, or at least to try if my wounded
companions could endure to be removed on horseback. In a case like this,
where the lives of the whole party were concerned, it was out of the
question to attend only to the individual feelings and wishes of the
patients; I felt for their position to the fullest extent that it was
possible for one to feel towards his fellow creatures so situated; but I
had equal claims on my attention. I had to look exclusively to the state
of their wounds, and to the consequences of the daily journey on their
constitutions; to judge if we could proceed or ought to stop; and I had
reason to expect, or at least was sanguine enough to hope, that although
the temporary feelings of acute pain might make them discontented with my
arrangements, sober reflection at the end of our journey would induce
them to do me justice.
The constant attention which they required, and the increased work which
fell to the share of our reduced number, had scarcely allowed me time to
reflect upon the melancholy accident which had befallen us, and the
ill-timed death of our unfortunate companion. All our energies were
roused, we found ourselves in danger, and, as was absolutely necessary,
we strained every nerve to extricate ourselves from it: but I was well
aware, that the more coolly we went to work, the better we should
succeed.
CHAPTER X
INDICATIONS OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF THE SEA - NATIVES MUCH MORE
NUMEROUS - THE SEA; THE GULF OF CARPENTARIA - THE STAATEN - A NATIVE
INTRUDES INTO THE CAMP - THE VAN DIEMEN - THE GILBERT - SINGULAR NATIVE
HUTS - CARON RIVER - FRIENDLY NATIVES - THE YAPPAR - MR. CALVERT
RECOVERED - MODE OF ENCAMPMENT - SWARMS OF FLIES - ABUNDANCE OF
SALT - NATIVES FRIENDLY, AND MORE INTELLIGENT.
July 1. - We left the camp where Mr. Gilbert was killed, and travelled in
all about fourteen miles south-west, to lat. 16 degrees 6 minutes. We
passed an extensive box-tree flat, and, at four miles, reached a chain of
water-holes; but, during the next ten miles, we did not meet the
slightest indication of water. Box-tree flats of various sizes were
separated by long tracts of undulating country, covered with broad-leaved
tea-trees, Grevillea ceratophylla, and G. mimosoides, and with the new
species of Grevillea, with broad lanceolate leaves. We had to skirt
several impassable thickets and scrubs of tea-tree, in one of which
Pandanus abounded. At last, just as the sun was setting, and we were
preparing to encamp in the open forest without water, we came to a creek
with fine water-holes covered with Villarsias. Charley shot a native
companion; a Fabirou was seen crossing our camp. My wounded companions
got on uncommonly well, notwithstanding the long stage, and I now had all
reason to hope, that their wounds would not form any impediment to the
progress of our journey.
July 2. - We travelled ten miles south-west over a country exactly like
that of yesterday; and encamped at a shallow water-hole in a creek, which
headed in a tea-tree thicket, a grove of Pandanus being on its north
side, and a small box-flat to the southward. Though the country was then
very dry, it is very probably impassable during the rainy season. The
tea-tree thickets seemed liable to a general inundation, and many shallow
water-holes and melon-holes were scattered everywhere about the flats.
The flats and elevations of the surface were studded with turreted
ant-hills, either forming single sharp cones from three to five feet
high, and scarcely a foot broad at their base, or united into a row, or
several rows touching each other, and forming piles of most remarkable
appearance. The directions of the rows seemed to be the same over large
tracts of country, and to depend upon the direction of the prevailing
winds. I found Verticordia, a good sized tree, and a Melaleuca with
clustered orange blossoms and smooth bark, which I mentioned as growing
on the supposed Nassau.
July 3. - We followed the tea-tree creek about four miles lower down, and
encamped near some fine rocky water-holes, in which I discovered a yellow
Villarsia, resembling in its leaves Villarsia inundata, R. Br.
Our day's journey was a short one in consequence of our having started so
late. The delay was caused by Charley having captured an emu, a flock of
which he met when fetching the horses. By holding branches before him, he
was enabled to approach so close to them, that he shot one dead with a
charge of dust shot. It was a welcome prize, and repaid us for the delay.
To our wounded friends the delay itself was a welcome one.
The mussel-shells of these water-holes appeared to be narrower and
comparatively longer than those we had previously seen. Pandanus was, as
usual, very frequent; but a middle sized shady wide spreading tree,
resembling the elm in the colour and form of its leaves, attracted our
attention, and excited much interest. Its younger branches were rather
drooping, its fruit was an oblong yellow plum, an inch long and half an
inch in diameter, with a rather rough kernel.
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