Our course for the first six or
seven miles being to the north-north-east, and afterwards north-east half
east, which latter course I intended to steer for some time. It was the
best day's travelling we had experienced since quitting the Macquarie
River, being generally over low strong ridges, the sides and summits of
some of which were very thick brush of cypress trees, and small shrubs,
particularly the last two miles. We stopped for the evening in an
extensive low valley north of Mount Exmouth, and running under its base,
bounded on the north-east by low forest hills. To the south the hills
were rocky, abrupt, and precipitous. On the whole we accomplished eleven
miles.
August 11. - Our route lay over low valleys of considerable extent of
open forest ground, but so soft and boggy, that it was with difficulty
we made any progress: it would seem that much rain had fallen here
lately, and completely saturated the soil, which is a light, sandy
mould. In these valleys there are small streams of water, having their
origin in the surrounding hills; they all terminate northerly. We could
accomplish but seven miles on a north-east by east course. In the
evening we had an awful storm of thunder and lightning, accompanied with
torrents of rain. The reverberation of sound among the hills was
astonishing. The natives continue in our vicinity unheeded, and
unheeding: even the noise of their mogo upon the trees is a relief from
the otherwise utter loneliness of feeling we cannot help experiencing in
these desolate wilds.
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