The Slopes
Of The Range Of Comet Creek Are Composed Of Rich Black Soil, In Some
Places Without Trees, In Others Openly Timbered.
Stones of a light
coloured rock, with crystals of augite, pebbles of sandstone, of
conglomerate, and of quartz, are scattered over the ground, or imbedded
in the loamy beds of the water-courses.
The belt of scrub at the foot of
the slopes runs out in narrow strips towards the river, and these are
separated by box-tree thickets, and open box-tree flats. A pea-plant,
with ternate leaves, and fine yellow blossoms, was found near our camp:
Portulaca was very abundant. The bronze-winged pigeon lived here on the
red fruit of Rhagodia, and the black berries of a species of Jasmine; and
seems also to pick occasionally the seed vessel of a Ruellia, which is
very frequent on all the flats of Comet Creek.
During the night, a thunder-storm passed to the southward, but did not
reach us; at 10 o'clock we observed very vivid lightning to the westward:
the wind was from the north and north-east.
Dec. 31. - We travelled along the banks of the creek towards the
north-east, but scarcely accomplished six miles, in consequence of its
tortuous course. The water-hole which I had found when reconnoitring, was
dried up, and we were glad to find a shallow pool, of which our thirsty
cattle took immediate possession. The sand in the bed of the creek looked
moist, but no water was found, after digging to a depth of five feet.
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