Narrative Of The Overland Expedition Of The Messrs. Jardine, From Rockhampton To Cape York, Northern Queensland By Frank Jardine And Alexander Jardine
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The Banks And Islands Were Covered
With Vine Scrub, And Lined With Plum ('Owenia,') Chestnut
('Castanopermum,') Nonda, Bauhinia, Acacia, White Cedar, The Corypha
Or (Fan-Leaved Palm,) Flooded Gum, Melaleuca (Drooping Tea-Tree,) And
Many Creepers And Shrubs.
On the box flats travelled through, some
gunyahs, dams, and weirs were noticed, all constructed of matted
vines and palm leaves, which last grow almost everywhere.
One of the
largest of the palms measured 13 1/2 feet at the butt, which is the
smallest end, as they here assume the shape of the bottle tree. This
stream was correctly surmised to be the long desired Mitchell, the
two last creeks being only its ana-branches. Although 10 miles
higher up in latitude 15 degrees 51 minutes 56 seconds it is
described by Leichhardt as being 1 1/2 miles wide. It here measured
as before described only about 600 yards. A number of fish were
caught at the camp. (Camp XLII.) Distance 6 miles.
'December' 17. - After some little trouble the cattle were crossed
over this branch, a road having to be cut for them through the scrub.
At 5 miles they crossed another main branch about 450 yards wide, and
camped two miles on the other side of it, on a waterhole in a
Leichhardt-tree flat ('Nauclea Leichhardtii.') The country was the
same as described yesterday. One of the fattest of the cows died
from the effects of some poisonous herb, not detected. Some turkey's
eggs were found, and a wallaby, with which the vine scrubs were
swarming, was shot.
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