It Was Otherwise Open Forest Land, Thickly Timbered
With Large, Stringy Bark Trees, Casuarinae, And A Large Species Of
Eucalyptus.
Kangaroos abounded on it, and the tracks of emus were
also seen.
September 13. - We were too anxious to find a passage across this river
(for such we now perceived it to be), to permit us to rest this day. We
proceeded on a variety of courses to avoid the deep ravines or glens
which conducted numerous small streams of water to the principal one. Our
road was very rugged, and our elevation sometimes very considerable,
every part heavily timbered. Our course, which led us chiefly west, now
terminated at one of the most magnificent waterfalls we had ever seen.
The water was precipitated over a perpendicular rock at least one hundred
and fifty feet in height in one unbroken sheet, falling into a large
reservoir about one third down the whole declivity: hence it wound its
way through the glen for about half a mile farther, when it joined the
main stream. This grand fall was called Beckett's Cataract, in honour of
the Judge Advocate General. It now commenced raining so heavily that we
were obliged to stop on the spot, though by no means an eligible
situation. We had not seen any place where there had been the slightest
possibility of descending; but as we were not many miles from the river
which we crossed on Wednesday last, we knew that this rugged country must
soon end.
September 14.
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