Wherever I Had An
Opportunity Of Examining The Rocks, I Found Sandstone; Flint Pebbles And
Fossil-Wood Are In The Scrub And On The Melon-Hole Flats.
At night, on my return, I had to pass Charley's camp, which was about a
hundred yards from ours.
He called after me, and, when I stopped, he came
up to me, and began to plead his cause and beg my pardon; he excused his
sulkiness and his bad behaviour by his temperament and some
misunderstanding; and tried to look most miserable and wretched, in order
to excite my compassion. My companions had seen him sitting alone under
his tree, during almost the whole day, beating his bommerangs which he
had received from the natives. I pitied him, and, after some consultation
with my companions, allowed him to rejoin us; but upon the condition that
he should give up his tomahawk, to which he most joyfully consented, and
promised for the future to do every thing I should require. His spirit
was evidently broken, and I should probably never have had to complain of
him again, had no other agent acted upon him.
Feb. 23. - I moved on to the water-holes, which I had found the day
before, and encamped in the shade of a Fusanus. The latitude was observed
to be 22 degrees 6 minutes 53 seconds.
Feb. 24. - Mr. Gilbert and Brown accompanied me this morning upon an
excursion. At about a mile and a-half from the camp, a large creek,
apparently from the southward, joined the river, and water was found in a
scrub creek four miles from the camp, also in wells made by the natives
in the bed of the river; and, at about eight miles from the camp, we came
upon some fine water-holes along the scrub. Here the birds were very
numerous and various; large flights of the blue-mountain and
crimson-winged parrots were seen; Mr. Gilbert observed the female of the
Regent-bird, and several other interesting birds, which made him regret
to leave this spot so favourable to his pursuit. He returned, however, to
bring forward our camp to the place, whilst I continued my ride,
accompanied by Brown. Several creeks joined the river, but water was
nowhere to be found. The high grass was old and dry, or else so entirely
burnt as not to leave the slightest sign of vegetation. For several miles
the whole forest was singed by a fire which had swept through it; and the
whole country looked hopelessly wretched. Brown had taken the precaution
to fill Charley's large calabash with water, so that we were enabled to
make a refreshing cup of tea in the most scorching heat of the day.
Towards sunset we heard, to our great joy, the noisy jabbering of
natives, which promised the neighbourhood of water. I dismounted and
cooeed; they answered; but when they saw me, they took such of their
things as they could and crossed to the opposite side of the river in
great hurry and confusion.
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