The Country We
Passed Over Was Of The Most Miserable Description; The Last Eight Miles
Without A Blade Of Grass.
The acacia brushes grow generally on a hard
and clayey soil evidently frequently covered with water, and I consider
that these plains or brushes are swamps or morasses in wet weather,
since they must receive all the water from the low ranges with which
they are generally circumscribed.
It is a remarkable feature in the
hills of this country that their terminations are generally
perpendicular westward, rising from the lower grounds round from
south-west to north-west very gradually; their terminating rocky bluffs
are usually two or three hundred feet high. I include in these
observations not only the single detached hills, but the points of the
ranges. This hill was named Mount Aiton. The country having been
recently burnt, some good grass was found for the horses a little to the
south-west. We therefore stopped for the night, and ascended the face of
the mount for the purpose of looking around: a very large brown speckled
snake was killed about half way up, which, in the absence of fresh
provisions, was afterwards eaten by some of the party. On arriving at
the summit we had an extensive prospect in every direction; the country
was most generally level, but rose occasionally into gentle eminences
bounded by distant low ranges from the south south-west to the
north-west. The most considerable of these ranges were named PEEL'S
RANGE, and GOULBURN'S RANGE: a very lofty hill, distant at least seventy
miles, was named MOUNT GRANARD. Interspersed through the country,
bounded by those ranges, were several large tracts entirely devoid of
wood; these are however, I fear, only a repetition of the acacia plains
of which we had lately been but too abundantly favoured. From
south-west by south round to north-east were some low broken hills, with
some to the east-south-east of greater magnitude; but their distance was
so great as to appear but faintly in the horizon. Upon the whole the
country appeared more open and somewhat better, particularly in the
immediate vicinity of our station to the south-west. There were not the
smallest signs of any stream, neither is-ere there any fires in the
direction we had to take. Three or four fires were seen in the
north-west, and recent traces of the natives were discovered near our
tents. The inhabitants of these wilds must be very few, and I think it
impossible for more than a family to subsist together; a greater number
would only starve each other: indeed their deserted fires and camps
which we occasionally saw, never appeared to have been occupied by more
than six or eight persons. The scarcity of food must also prevent the
raising of many children, from the absolute impossibility of supporting
them until of an age to provide for themselves. We have seen so few
animals, either kangaroo or emu, and the country appears so little
capable of maintaining these animals, that the means of the natives in
procuring food must be precarious indeed. We found just a sufficiency of
water to answer our purpose in a drain from the Mount; our dogs are,
however, in a wretched condition for want of food.
May 26. - The horses having strayed in the night, every man was employed
in searching for them. In passing through those barren brushes
yesterday, a great quantity of small iron-stones was picked up, from the
size of a large pea to a hen's-egg, all nearly round, being washed into
heaps by the waters, which in time of rain sweep over those flats. The
front of Mount Aiton was found to decline about fifteen degrees from the
perpendicular; the rocks were composed of a hard sandy free-stone. It
was eight o'clock in the evening before any of the people returned, and
then only two men came back with two horses, being all they were able to
find: the other three men are still absent, but they had found the track
of the other horses before these men left them. The two horses were
discovered in the midst of a thick brush, entangled among creeping
plants and unable to get further: they must have strayed in search of
water, the water at this place not being sufficient for them all. The
animals were all spencilled, but such is the scarcity of both water and
grass, that they will wander in search of each.
The natives have been reconnoitring us: we have several times heard
them, but have been unable to see them. At sunset their fires were
seen about two miles to the south-west.
May 27. - At day-light, despatched the other two men and horses to the
assistance of the rest, who remained out all night.
A native was seen about half a mile from our fires: the dogs attacked
him, and when called off, he ran away shouting most lustily; he was a
very stout man, at least six feet high, entirely naked, with a long
bushy beard: he had no arms of any kind. At two o'clock, two of the men
who had been out all night returned, after an unsuccessful search,
leaving three more out to pursue it in every possible direction. Water
is evidently the reason of their straying, as several patches of burnt
grass have been passed by them, and they would naturally return to the
place where they last found it, if they could find none nearer.
At sunset the men returned with nine of the horses, five being still
missing: they were found ten miles on the road back, and near the place
where they fed on the 24th.
May 28. - At daylight despatched four men on horseback to resume the
search for the missing horses, taking with them two days' provisions.
May 29. - At four o'clock in the afternoon the men returned, still
unsuccessful.
May 30. - At seven o'clock I proceeded to the north-east with two men,
whilst Mr. Evans went to the north-west.
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