Smoke Was Seen To The North-West, North,
And North-East.
Charley shot two more emus, and I felt the loss of our
bullock very much, as it became difficult to carry the additional meat,
which, however, was too valuable to be wasted or thrown away.
Although we
had followed the creek for seven miles, we did not find it joined by any
of those hollows we had crossed the day before; and it would appear that
the intervening plains extended far to the north-ward, and that the
hollows and creeks converged only very gradually towards each other.
August 18. - Last night we were busily employed in cutting up and drying
our two emus, in which operation we were favoured by a slight breeze from
the south-east. As we had no fat nor emu oil to fry the meat with, I
allowed a sufficient quantity of meat to be left on the bones, which made
it worth while to grill them; and we enjoyed a most beautiful moonlight
night over a well grilled emu bone with so much satisfaction, that a
frequenter of the Restaurants of the Palais Royal would have been
doubtful whether to pity or envy us.
We travelled to the north-west, because, whenever I kept a westerly
course, I had almost always to follow creeks down to the northward to
obtain water; and, notwithstanding a north-west course, had, on previous
occasions, generally brought us to salt-water.
For the first three miles, we passed several plains, and crossed a creek
in which we recognised a Casuarina, which tree we had not seen since we
left the Mitchell. We then came to a river from thirty to forty yards
broad, and apparently very deep; the water was very soft, but not
brackish, although affected by the tide, which caused it to rise about
two feet. A narrow belt of brush, with drooping tea-trees, the Corypha
palm, the Pandanus, and Sarcocephalus, grew along the water's edge. The
box, the broad-leaved Terminalia, and the Inga moniliformis (articulate
podded Acacia), covered the gullies which came down from the plains, and
the flats along the river. We proceeded four or five miles up the river,
in a south-west direction, in order to find a crossing place. Large
plains occupied both sides, on which numerous patches of grass had been
lately burnt; which indicated the presence of natives. Fish were very
plentiful, and Charley said he had seen a crocodile. The plains and banks
of the river were well grassed, and adapted for cattle and horses. We
encamped in latitude 17 degrees 57 minutes. [This cannot possibly be
17 degrees 57 minutes - it is about 17 degrees 52 minutes - (Note by
Mr. Arrowsmith.)]
August 19. - The river was joined by a running creek from south-south-west,
which we had to follow up about five miles, where it formed a very
narrow channel between thickets of palm trees, drooping tea-trees,
Sarcocephalus, and particularly Pandanus, which crowded round the
tiny stream. We again travelled north-west, over several plains,
separated by belts of timber, and, at the end of about five miles, came
to a fine brook, whose pure limpid waters flowed rapidly in its deep but
rather narrow channel, over a bed of rich green long-leaved water plants.
Magnificent tea-trees, Casuarinas, and Terminalias, gave a refreshing
shade, and Pandanus and Corypha palms added to the beauty of the spot.
The plains were well-grassed, but full of melon-holes. I observed on them
a few small trees, belonging to the Sapindaceae, with pinnate and rather
drooping leaves, with a light grey bark, exuding a good eatable gum.
I called the brook "Beames's Brook," in acknowledgment of the liberal
support I received from Walter Beames, Esq. of Sydney.
We again enjoyed here the young shoots of the Corypha palm.
August 20. - We crossed Beames's brook without difficulty, and travelled
about two miles north-west, over a plain, when we came to a river with a
broad sandy bed and steep banks, overgrown with large drooping tea-trees.
Its stream was five or six yards broad and very shallow. Parallel lines
of deep lagoons covered with Nymphaeas and Villarsias were on its west
side. The bergue between the river and the lagoons was covered with
bloodwood and leguminous Ironbark; and fine box flats were beyond the
lagoons.
I called this river the "Nicholson," after Dr. William Alleyne Nicholson,
of Bristol, whose generous friendship had not only enabled me to devote
my time to the study of the natural sciences, but to come out to
Australia. The longitude of the Nicholson was 138 degrees 55 minutes
(approx.)
After passing the box flats along-the river, we entered into a country
covered with thickets and scrub, rarely interrupted by small patches of
open forest, and travelled about fourteen miles north-west from the
river, when the setting sun compelled us to encamp, without having been
able to find water. Just on entering the scrub, we saw four emus walking
gravely through a thicket of the little Severn tree, picking its bitter
fruit, and throwing occasionally a wondering but distrustful glance at
our approaching train. Charley and Brown, accompanied by Spring, gave
chase to them, and killed one, which was in most excellent condition.
When we came to the camp, we secured the horses, and watched the
bullocks, as was usual on such occasions, and fried and enjoyed our fresh
meat as well as we could. To satisfy my companions I determined to
reconnoitre the country in advance by moonlight; and allowed them to
return to the lagoons of the Nicholson, should I not have returned by 10
o'clock next morning. Accordingly, I started with Charley when the moon
was high enough to give me a fair view of the country, and followed the
star Vega as it declined to the westward. As we advanced, the country
improved and became more open. It was about midnight when Charley, in
passing a patch of thick scrub, noticed a slight watercourse, which
increased rapidly into large water-holes.
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