Many Of Those Stones Were Beautifully Crystallised, And The
Appearance Of Some Kind Of Mineral Was Evident.
The river sometimes
swept along in fine reaches, then, becoming contracted into narrow rocky
channels, rushed through those straits with extreme violence, rendering
it difficult to steer the boats clear of the obstructions that presented
themselves on every side:
The large boat struck twice in those narrows.
The water has fallen considerably, and it does not appear to be even now
at its usual level; its quality is very hard. The granite we fell in
with four miles below our last encampment was of a totally different
species, being much finer and closer grained, with small black specks
thickly intermingled in the mass; some freestone was also seen. The
botany of the country was in all respects the same as observed on our
journey homewards last year; the grassy nature of the herbage preventing
any material addition to our collection. Kangaroos were in great
numbers, and continued to furnish us with a welcome addition to our
rations.
June 16. - Our day's route was as usual over a very flat though rich
country, thickly wooded with good timber of the eucalyptus and angophora
species, with some fine cypresses in the looser soils, and back from the
river. The country, although flat, appears considerably elevated, and is
neither flooded nor swampy; the opposite side apparently of the same
kind. We fell in with another small camp of natives; the women and
children withdrew before we came up with them:
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