The rock was
composed of quartz pebbles of different colours, imbedded in a red clayey
paste.
We have commenced to carry with us not only our quart pots, but also our
two gallon pot full of water.
August 29. - We travelled to lat. 16 degrees 58 minutes 27 seconds long.
138 degrees 25 minutes; a distance of about eight miles N.N.W. and N.W.
over a more open country, with occasional patches of thick scrub. We
crossed several watercourses and creeks; and came to a small river which
flowed to the N. by E. and which I called the "Marlow," after Capt.
Marlow of the Royal Engineers, who had kindly assisted me in the outfit
of my expedition. We went down the river about two or three miles, and
came to a plentiful supply of water, which was indicated, a long time
before we arrived at it, by the call of the red-breasted cockatoos,
noticed a few days since; but which was probably only a variety of the
common species.
A low shrubby Acacia with sigmoid phyllodia was frequent on the hills. A
little fly-catcher (Givagone brevirostris?) charmed us with its pretty
note at our last camps. Bronze-winged pigeons were very numerous, and I
saw a pair of Geophaps plumifera rising from under a shady rock, as I was
riding down a rocky creek. Two black ducks and three cockatoos were shot;
the long reaches of water down the river were covered with water-fowl,
and Charley and Brown were so desirous of procuring some messes of black
ducks, that they did their best to persuade me to stop; but, being
anxious to escape from this scrubby country, I did not yield to their
solicitations.
The crops of the large cockatoos were filled with the young red shoots of
the Haemodorum, which were almost as pungent as chillis, but more
aromatic; the plant abounded on the sandy soil. The small cockatoo of the
plains, which we saw again in great numbers, seems to feed on a white
root and on the honey of the whole seed-vessel, or the flower-bud, of the
drooping tea-tree.
The first part of the night was clear, but it became foggy and cloudy
after midnight. In the morning, the dew was dropping from the trees, but
the grass and our things were not at all wet.
August 30. - We travelled about ten miles N. 60 degrees W. over a scrubby
though a little more open country, full of enormous massive ant-hills,
surpassing even those of Big Ant-Hill Creek, in height and circumference,
and came, at the distance of eight miles from our camp, to a low scrub on
sandy soil with shallow watercourses. Salicornia grew in abundance; and
emu tracks were very frequent. Coming on a broad foot-path of the
natives, I followed it to the south-west, and came to some fine fresh
water-holes in the bed of a creek, surrounded by high drooping tea trees,
which were in blossom and covered with swarms of white cockatoos. These
water-holes were in lat. 16 degrees 55 degrees, and situated to the
south-west of some low scrubby hills. We encamped in a grove of Pandanus.
The natives had just left, and the tea-tree bark was still smoking from
the fire which had spread from their camp.
Large flights of the small white cockatoo came to the water. The
flying-fox visited the blossoms of the tea-tree at night, and made an
incessant screeching noise. Charley shot one of them, which was very fat,
particularly between the shoulders and on the rump, and proved to be most
delicate eating.
August 31. - It rained the whole day; in consequence of which I gave my
cattle a rest. The rain came from the westward, but continued with a
southerly wind; it ceased with wind from the S.E. and E.S.E. Lightning
was observed to the south-west. We erected our tents for the first time
since Mr. Gilbert's death; using tarpaulings and blankets for the
purpose. Our shots amused themselves by shooting Blue Mountainers for the
pot; and a strange mess was made of cockatoo, Blue Mountainers, an eagle
hawk, and dried emu. I served out our last gelatine for Sunday luncheon;
it was as good as when we started: the heat had, however, frequently
softened it, and made it stick to the bag and to the things with which it
was covered.
The fire places of the natives were here arranged in a straight line, and
sheltered from the cold wind by dry branches: they were circular, the
circumference was slightly raised, and the centre depressed and filled
with pebbles, which the natives heat to cook their victuals.
The bell which one of our horses carried, was unaccountably broken at our
last camp; and it was quite a misery to hear its dull jarring sound,
instead of the former cheerful tinkling. One of our horses had separated
from the rest, and had gone so far up the creek, that Charley did not
return with it until very late in the afternoon of the 1st September,
which compelled us to stop at our camp.
CHAPTER XII
HEAPS OF OYSTER-SHELLS - FALSE ALARM OF A NATIVE IN THE CAMP - TURNER'S
CREEK - WENTWORTH'S CREEK - JOURNALS LOST; FOUND AGAIN - THE VAN
ALPHEN - IMPORTANCE OF TEA - CHOICE OF BULLOCKS FOR AN EXPEDITION - CHOICE
OF A DOG - THE CALVERT - THE ABEL TASMAN - GLUCKING BIRD AGAIN - DISCOVER A
MODE OF USING THE FRUIT OF THE PANDANUS - SEVEN EMU RIVER - CROCODILE - THE
ROBINSON - SHOAL OF PORPOISES - NATIVE METHOD OF PREPARING THE FRUIT OF THE
PANDANUS AND CYCAS FOR FOOD - MR.
