We Had Scarcely Laden Our Horses And Began To Proceed Up The River, When
The Rain Recommenced, And Continuing Without
Intermission, obliged us to
halt after we had gone about six miles; which we did upon a reach of the
River, that for magnitude and extent equals if not surpasses any in the
Hawkesbury, and exceeds that much admired one on the Nepean River,
winding round Emu Plains. The country on both sides was of the greatest
possible fertility, and beautifully diversified by hills and open
valleys. Timber is good, and in two places where the hills on this side
nearly closed on the river, immense quantities of fine limestone were
again found, the rocks being entirely composed of it. The rapids were
few and unimportant, and occasioned as usual by the river dividing into
two channels forming small islets. They did not appear to me to impede
in any manner the navigation of the river; the open reaches had
apparently depth to float the largest vessels, and there was certainly
breadth sufficient for that purpose. Nothing in fact can be imagined
grander or more beautiful than we have hitherto found the river, and
that too so near Bathurst that no reasonable expectation could have been
formed of finding it such as we did. Many good specimens of agate
forming on granite were found on the hills, chiefly where the limestone
appeared in the largest and most continued stratum. We indulged
ourselves in the probable speculation, that where limestone was found in
such abundance as in this country, quarries of marble would also be
discovered not far beneath the surface, as is usual in other countries
most abounding in this useful stone. Fish and emus were procured in
great quantities in the course of the afternoon.
August 23 - The last allowance of our provisions was now distributed, and
at half past eight o'clock we proceeded up the river, which this day
might be said to come through a mountainous country. Rocky points of
hills frequently terminated on the river and occasionally opened into
fine valleys and flats: in every valley a watercourse conveyed the
waters from the back country to the river. I think the north bank was
most frequently the lower: several small runs of water also fell in on
that side. The hills, uniformly stony and rocky as they were, were
covered with good grass to their summits. The scenery on the river was
beautifully picturesque, and more magnificent reaches cannot be found in
any river; these were interrupted in their uniform course by rapids,
which having a much greater fall than any we had seen lower down, would
materially impede the navigation of the river by boats farther than this
station, up to which point I conceive it navigable. No falls had yet
been seen that boats could not easily pass over; but in seasons of
greater drought than the present, some difficulty might be experienced.
The travelling was excessively bad along the sides and points of the
hills; and as we had every reason to believe the country was much lower
back from the river, I determined to quit its immediate banks, and
endeavour to make a more direct course than we found it possible to do
in following its windings, which, even if it were practicable, our
provisions will not permit.
August 24. - A very thick fog arising from the river prevented us from
setting forward until nearly ten o'clock, till when we could not see
fifty yards in any direction. Taking the earliest opportunity to quit
the river, we passed through a mountainous tract of country extremely
irregular and stony, but full of springs of water, and good grass. We
found it impossible to accomplish more than eight or nine miles, the
tops of the hills standing quite detached and unconnected into regular
ranges. We seemed ascending the ranges, which in some measure separate
the country farther westward from the river; as it was much lower in a
direction from south-south-west to north-west, and appeared to be fine
open grazing land. At four o'clock, we halted in a small valley for the
evening. Our course made good on a variety of bearings was 8. 6. W.,
seven miles.
August 25. - We again set forward, hoping soon to clear these lofty
hills, among which we seemed to be entangled: four or five miles, on
various courses, through a very rugged, but grassy country, freed us
from the dividing range, as we found by the streams all running
westerly, and apparently joining the river in Wellington Vale. Just
before we descended what we considered the principal range, we saw Mount
Lachlan bearing south from this point; and we were enabled for the
remainder of the day to make a direct course towards Bathurst, through a
good open grazing country of gentle hills and dales, abounding in
beautiful rivulets, having their rise in the mountains east of us, which
bending round to the west and north-west, and watering the finest
districts in their course, contribute their waters to the Macquarie.
The country now passed over was generally good, and although the hills
were stony, yet the soil upon them was equal to the flats or valleys,
and covered with grass. We saw no good timber, it consisting chiefly of
small box trees, thinly scattered over the sides and tops of the hills.
There was plenty of kangaroos and our valuable dogs killed two fine
ones.
Coarse gravel and small slate were the most common stones, but the
bottoms of the rivulets were composed of a species of black jade. Quartz
was very frequent.
Few traces of natives have been observed, either on the river, or since
we quitted it. The population of this country must be extremely small:
as the natives derive their chief support from opossums, squirrels, and
rats, which are known to frequent barren scrubs and hollow trees, such
neighbourhoods are unquestionably frequented by them in preference to
the open country and river banks.
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