After Proceeding Between Nine And Ten Miles, We
Stopped For The Evening On Some Burnt Grass, Which Existed In Sufficient
Quantity; But, Although We Procured A Few Gallons Of Water For
Ourselves, Not All Our Researches Could Find A Sufficiency For The
Horses.
The dogs killed a pretty large emu, which was a most luxurious addition
to our salt pork, of which alone we were all well satiated.
I ascended
the range behind the tent, and I never saw a more broken country, or one
more barren. It appeared more open to the north-north-west, to which
point our course will be directed to-morrow.
June 21. - Fine mild weather: at eight o'clock set forward on our
journey. The farther we proceed north-westerly, the more convinced I am
that, for all the practical purposes of civilized man, the interior of
this country westward of a certain meridian is uninhabitable, deprived
as it is of wood, water, and grass. With respect to water, it is quite
impossible that any can be retained on such a soil as the country is
composed of, and no watercourses, for the same reason, can be formed;
for, like a sponge, it absorbs all the rain that falls, which, judging
from every appearance, cannot be much. The wandering native with his
little family may find a precarious subsistence in the ruts with which
the country abounds; but even he, with all the local knowledge which
such a life must give him, is obliged to dig with immense labour little
wells at the bottom of the hills to procure and preserve a necessary of
life which is evidently not to be obtained by any other method.
We proceeded through a broken irregular country for nearly six miles,
when the evident weakness of the horses made it highly imprudent to
attempt to proceed farther. We therefore halted under a high rocky hill,
which was named Barrow's Hill; and sent round in all directions to
look for water. The goodness of Providence came to our succour when we
least expected it; an ample sufficiency for the people being found near
the top of the hill in the hollow of a rock.
I ascended Barrow's Hill, and from its summit had a very extensive
prospect from the west north-west round to east-north-east. To the north
the country appeared perfectly level, though the horizon was skirted
with distant hammocks, which could be but faintly distinguished.
To the north-east were some native's fires; and a lofty detached
mountain was named Mount Flinders: a high range to the westward was
named Macquarie's Range, in honour of his excellency the Governor.
The men returned late after an unsuccessful search for water, having
gone entirely round Mount Flinders. There was now nothing to be done but
to drive the horses to the base of the hill under which we were
encamped, and share with them the water whence we derived our own
supply: it was obliged to be handed from man to man in the cooking
kettle, out of which the poor animals drank; and I was happy to find
that a sufficiency would still remain to supply us until Monday morning,
when we intended again to set forward.
June 22. - The morning mild, but a thick drizzling rain continued until
near noon, when it cleared up. The variation of the compass was 7. 45. E.
About sunset Mr. Cunningham returned from a botanical excursion to
Mount Flinders; he had found many new plants on the west side of the
mount, but nothing was seen from its summit which had not been
previously observed from Barrow's Hill: Frazer, our botanical soldier,
also returned from Mount Bowen, in Goulburn's Range; but was not
fortunate enough to find any thing new in vegetation, as it had been
lately burnt: it was, however, remarkable that the paneratium Macquarie
should be found growing in great abundance at the very top; this plant
never being found except near moist Places, and in the vicinity of
water. At the foot of Mount Bowen, Frazer fell in with a native camp,
which had not been quitted more than a day or two: among the reliques
were three or four pearl muscles, such as we had observed on the river;
and it is probable that these may have been the property of natives who
live more immediately in that vicinity. These shells are used as knives,
being ground very sharp against the rocks, and certainly for a scraper
they may answer very well.
It may here be remarked, that the composition of the lofty detached
hills, designated as mounts, is uniformly different from the rock
composing the bases and summits of the more connected and elevated
tracts, and what may more properly be termed ranges; the latter being of
hard dark coloured granite, whilst the former rather resembles hard
sandstone, studded with pebbles and quartz. The west side of Mount
Flinders was covered with quartz, whilst the larger pieces of rock, on
being broken, appeared to be an indurated sandstone.
June 23. - The watering our horses took us up so much time, that it was
ten o'clock before we set forward to the northward. After proceeding
about four miles, the country became much more open, extending east and
west over a flat level plain, the botany of which, in every respect,
resembled Field's Plains; except that a new species of eucalyptus took
place of the acacia pendula. A flock of large kangaroos was seen for the
first time since we quitted the Lachlan; also many emus and bustards.
Our dogs killed three kangaroos and two emus. The soil of these plains
was a stiff tenacious clay, and had every appearance of being frequently
under water: as we were now in the parallel of the spot where the river
divided into branches, the altered appearance of the country induced us
to hope that we should shortly fall in with some permanent water, and be
relieved from the constant anxiety attendant on the precarious supply to
which we had lately been enured.
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