The Lagoons Abound With
Water Fowl, Although We Were Not So Fortunate As To Obtain Any; We Were
However Amply Compensated By Our Dogs Killing A Fine Large Emu.
Various
old marks of natives having visited these lakes, but none recent.
June 29. - Our course in the first instance was directed in such a
manner as to compass the lagoons, which after travelling about three
miles and a half to the south-west, we accomplished, and again came upon
the stream; the country thence backward bore the marks of being at some
periods near three feet under water, and was covered with small
box-trees: the country from our rejoining the river, to the place at
which we stopped for the evening, consisted of barren plains, extending
on both sides of the stream to a considerable distance backward. The
points of the bends of the river were universally wet swamps with large
lagoons; the back land, though equally subject to flood, was now dry;
but the travelling was very heavy, the ground being a rotten, red, sandy
loam, on which nothing grew but the usual production of marshes. I never
saw a stream with so many sinuosities; in many places a quarter of a
mile would cut off at least three miles by the river. The stream was in
places much contracted, sand banks stretching nearly across; its medium
depth was about eight feet.
There was not the smallest eminence whence a view might be obtained, the
country appearing a dead level; and although on these plains we could
see for some distance all round, yet there was not a rising ground in
any direction. The plains on the north side of the stream were named
Holdsworthy; and those on the south, Harrington. We were lucky enough to
procure two fine emus.
June 30. - The first two or three miles were somewhat harder travelling
than the greater part of yesterday. Immense plains extended to the
westward, as far as the eye could reach. These plains were entirely
barren, being evidently in times of rain altogether under water, when
they doubtless form one vast lake: they extended in places from three to
six miles from the margin of the stream, which on its immediate borders
was a wet bog, full of small water holes, and the surface covered with
marsh plants, with a few straggling dwarf box-trees. It was only on the
very edge of the bank, and in the bottoms of the bights, that any
eucalypti grew; the plains were covered with nothing but gnaphalium: the
soil various, in some places red tenacious clay, in others a dark
hazel-coloured loam, so rotten and full of holes that it was with
difficulty the horses could travel over them. Although those plains were
bounded only by the horizon, not a semblance of a hill appeared in the
distance; we seemed indeed to have taken a long farewell of every thing
like an elevation, whence the surrounding country could be observed. To
the southward, bounding those plains in that direction, barren scrubs
and dwarf box-trees, with numberless holes of stagnant water, too
clearly proclaimed the nature of the country in that quarter. We could
see through the openings of the trees on the river that plains of
similar extent occupied the other side, which has all along appeared to
us to be (if any thing) the lower ground. We travelled in the centre of
the plains, our medium distance from the river being from one to two
miles; and although we did not go above thirteen miles, some of the
horses were excessively distressed from the nature of the ground.
There was not the least appearance of natives; nor was bird or animal of
any description seen during the day, except a solitary native dog.
Nothing can be more melancholy and irksome than travelling over wilds,
which nature seems to have condemned to perpetual loneliness and
desolation. We seemed indeed the sole living creatures in those vast
deserts.
The plains last travelled over were named Molle's Plains, after the late
lieutenant-governor of the territory; and those on the opposite side,
Baird's Plains, after the general to whom he once acted as aide-de-camp,
and whose glory he shared. The naming of places was often the only
pleasure within our reach; but it was some relief from the desolation of
these plains and hills to throw over them the associations of names dear
to friendship, or sacred to genius. In the evening three or four small
fish were caught.
July 1. - Dark cloudy morning, with showers of rain. However desirous I
was to proceed, I found that to do so would greatly injure the horses.
Towards noon it cleared up, permitting me to take a tolerable
observation, to ascertain our situation. I consider ourselves as
peculiarly fortunate in being blessed with so dry and favourable a
season; since all attempts to penetrate into the country during rain, or
after an inundation of the stream, must have failed. I am quite
convinced that at this place, when the banks are overflowed, the waters
must extend from thirty to forty miles on each side of the stream, as we
are that distance from any eminence. If there had been any nearer to the
north, west, or south, we must have seen it from those extensive plains
on which we have travelled for the last three days; for looking
eastward, we can distinctly perceive Macquarie's Range, from which we
estimate ourselves to be about thirty-five miles west. The stream was
sounded in various places during the day, and its greatest depth never
exceeded seven feet; the bottom and sides a stiff bluish clay. Latitude
observed 33. 32. 22. S., longitude 145. 5. 50. E.; variation of the
compass 6. 49. E.
July 2. - At nine o'clock we again set forward down the stream; our
course, as it has hitherto done, lay over apparently interminable
plains, nothing relieving the eye but a few scattered bushes, and
occasionally some dwarf box-trees:
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