The Principal Is A New Species Of Red Kangaroo; A Smaller
Species Of The Same, Having A Head Delicately Formed, Called By Us The
Rabbit-Kangaroo.
Two other birds besides the pigeon and cockatoo
beforementioned may be noticed:
We suppose them to be both birds of
night, being only heard at that time; neither of them was seen: one was
remarkable for exactly imitating the calls of the natives, the other the
short sharp bark of the native dog, insomuch that our dogs were
constantly deceived by the noise.
August 4. - Proceeded to the north-east by east, intending to keep that
course for two or three days, to clear us of the low grounds north of
the Lachlan, before we bent more easterly for Bathurst; the above course
would also carry us so far northward, as to ensure our falling in with
the Macquarie at a considerable distance from the settlement, and also
enable us to discover if any similar streams had their source westerly
of the high range from whence the coal river derives its source, as we
shall then be some miles north of that port.
Our route lay through a low wet country for the first eight or ten
miles, the flats covered with the acacia pendula; the last three miles
were rather more elevated: the soil in general a loose, red, sandy loam,
with small cypress, box, and acacia trees; a few acres in patches had
been burned, occasionally relieving the eye from the otherwise barren
scrubby appearance of the country. We passed through two or three small
eucalyptus scrubs, and upon getting out of one, having gone thirteen
miles and a quarter, we fortunately happened to fall in with a native
well, containing a few gallons of water sufficient for our own supply;
whilst the open level land which the scrub led to having been burnt, we
hoped would afford succulent herbage sufficient for the horses, and
prevent them from suffering from the want of water. Our course was
N. 69 E. thirteen miles.
August 5. - The water for our breakfast drained our little well to the
dregs. Hoping that we should be more fortunate in this day's route, at
half past eight o'clock we again set forward, on the same point as
yesterday.
The first four miles of our course led through one of those dreadful
scrubs of eucalyptus dumosa, and prickly grass, which we had often
before experienced; it was on rather an elevated plain, and, exclusive
of the difficulty of forcing a passage through it, was extremely boggy
and distressing to the horses. After passing through it, the country for
five or six miles farther was more open, the same elevated plain or
level still continuing, being thinly studded with box and cypress trees,
with abundance of acacia and other shrubs: the soil a loose, red, sandy
loam. At the tenth mile we providentially found a small muddy hole of
water which, bad as it was, refreshed both men and horses extremely;
fearing, from the appearance of the country, that we should not find any
water farther on, we filled our small keg, containing nearly three
gallons, which would at all events free us from absolute want. We went
four miles farther through the same desert country, when evening drawing
on, and the small trees and shrubs becoming thicker, we thought it best
to stop before we again encountered an eucalyptus brush; which not
affording the smallest fodder for the horses, would, added to the want
of water, render them in all probability unable to take either us or
themselves out of the desert in which we were.
The spot we halted on afforded some dry tea-grass and a few syngeneceous
shrubs; and praying for a heavy dew to moisten them, we hoped the
animals would not on the whole fare much worse than ourselves.
The rain which had fallen while we were on the river was not perceptible
here; indeed I think sufficient to deluge any other country must fall,
before it is seen on the surface of such a soil as prevails in this part
of New South Wales. A little rain renders it however so soft and slimy
as to make it difficult to travel over; and I should conjecture, from
the milky whiteness of the water in the holes we have seen, that it
rests on a substratum of white clay three or four feet below the
surface; the water holes at least had that bottom, although their
margins were of the red, sandy loam before mentioned.
An accident happened to the vessel containing the mercury of the
artificial horizon, by which the greater part was lost, leaving scarcely
sufficient for use. It had been a matter of surprise to me that such a
misfortune had not occurred sooner, the box containing the instruments,
etc., being so shaken by the horse forcing his way through the scrubs,
that I considered myself extremely fortunate not to have been deprived
of the use of them long before. To carry barometers, and other
delicately constructed mathematical instruments, safely through such a
journey as the present is impossible. Our course made good was N. 68 E.,
distance thirteen miles and a half. The evening fine and clear.
August 6. - Proceeded on our course, which led us for nine or ten miles
through what might be termed an open forest country, with respect to the
timber growing on it, but it was overrun with mimosa and acacia bushes,
many of which were coming into flower, relieving in some measure the
sombre foliage of the cypress and box trees which were scattered among
them: it was rather an elevated tract that we travelled through, with
such gentle rises and descents as to be almost imperceptible from a
level surface. I ascended a hill about three miles north of the road,
but could see nothing remarkable in any direction, the whole appearing
irregularly broken into low hills and valleys, thickly clothed with
small trees and bushes.
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