Groves Of Pandanus Spiralis
Grew Along The Creek, Which Ran To The North By East.
All the small
watercourses we passed, inclined to the eastward.
Charley found the shell
of a Cytherea on an old camping-place of the natives, which indicated our
approach to the salt water.
A native had carved a representation of the foot of an emu in the bark of
a gum-tree; and he had performed it with all the exactness of a good
observer. It was the first specimen of the fine arts we had witnessed in
our journey.
August 4. - We travelled about ten miles west-north-west, over scrubby
ridges, plains, and box-flats. In a patch of rusty-gum forest we found
Acacia equisetifolia, and the dwarf Grevillea of the upper Lynd in
blossom; the thyrsi of scarlet flowers of the latter were particularly
beautiful. As we entered into the plains, Binoe's Trichinium and
Salicornia re-appeared.
I steered towards the smoke of a Blackfellow's fire, which we saw rising
on the plains; the fire was attended to by a gin. Charley went forward to
examine a belt of trees visible in the distance; and John Murphy followed
a hollow in the plain, and succeeded in finding a fine lagoon, about half
a mile long, partly rocky and partly muddy, surrounded by Polygonums, and
fields of Salicornia. A few gum trees, and raspberry-jam trees grew
straggling around it; but no dry timber was to be found, and we had to
make a fire with a broken down half dried raspberry-jam tree. Our meat
bags were now empty, and it was necessary to kill another bullock,
although the spot was by no means favourable for the purpose. Natives
were around us, and we saw them climbing the neighbouring trees to
observe our proceedings. When Charley joined us, he stated that a fine
broad salt-water river was scarcely a quarter of a mile from the lagoon;
that he had seen a tribe of natives fishing, who had been polite enough
to make a sign that the water was not drinkable, when he stooped down to
taste it, but that freshwater was to be found in the direction of the
lagoon, at which we were encamped. No time was to be lost, and, as the
afternoon had advanced, we commenced operations immediately. Though the
bullock was young, and in excellent working condition, the incessant
travelling round the gulf had taken nearly all the fat out of him, and
there was scarcely enough left to fry his liver. At sunset, we saw the
natives approaching our camp, with loud vociferations, swinging their
spears, and poising and putting them into their wommalas. We immediately
saddled and mounted two of our horses, and discharged a pistol. The
latter stopped their noise at once; and some cowered down to the ground.
John and Charley rode slowly towards them; at first they tried to face,
and then to surround the horsemen; but John and Charley separated, and
threatened to cut them off from the river. As soon as they saw their
supposed danger, they ran to the river, plunged in, and crossed it. We
were very watchful during the night, but were not disturbed. Next
morning, natives passed at some distance, but showed no inclination to
molest us.
August 5. - We cut our meat into slices, and, although we were reduced in
number, we had become so expert, that we had finished a full sized
bullock by half past eleven, A. M. The process occupied four of us about
four hours and a half; John and Brown were employed in putting it out on
the kangaroo net to dry. The strong sea breeze dried it beautifully; but
it attracted much moisture again in the night, and was very moist when we
packed it into the bags at starting.
The sea breeze set in on the 4th at 11 o'clock, became very strong during
the afternoon, lessened at sunset, and died away about 9 o'clock, P. M.
when it became thick and foggy. This was the case on the 5th, 6th, and
7th, and was very regular.
August 6. - We left the large lagoon, which, as I was prevented from
making an observation, I supposed to be in latitude 17 degrees 47 minutes
v. 48 minutes, and followed the winding course of the river up to
latitude 17 degrees 57 minutes. The river, I am inclined to think, is the
Albert of Captain Stokes, and the Maet Suyker of the Dutch Navigators,
and its general course is from south-south-west, to north-north-east.
Plains, forest country, open scrub frequently broken by gullies,
alternated with each other. Several large and deep basins parallel to the
river, were dry. The rough-leaved fig tree, the white cedar, and a
stiff-leaved Ipomoea with pink blossoms, grew on its sandy banks; and
some low straggling mangroves at the water's edge. The day was far
advanced, and I became very anxious about our moist meat; and feared that
we should have to encamp without water. We saw burnt grass every where,
and logs were even still burning; and fresh water could not be very far
off, but yet we were unable to detect it. At last, I observed some trees,
of a fresher appearance than usual, beyond a small rise; and, riding up
to it, found a small water-hole surrounded by Polygonums: on examination,
it was found to contain only a very small quantity of water, yet what
remained was good. Charley, who returned afterwards, said that he had
been before at this water-hole, and had found a tribe of natives encamped
on it, one of whom lifted his spear against him, but his courage forsook
him upon observing Charley still riding towards him, when he and the
whole camp took to their heels, leaving a good supply of Convolvulus
roots, and of Terminalia gum behind them. We found shells of Cymbium and
Cytherea, an enormous waddie, which could have been wielded only by a
powerful arm, nets and various instruments for fishing, in their deserted
camp.
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