Volume Ii Part 14 (1/2)

We travelled over stony hills, the tops of which were occasionally composed of white flint (?), with rusty veins running through it. On the sides of the hills were broken rocks containing mica, hornblende, and crystals of quartz. The gra.s.s on these hills had all been newly burned.

October 29.

Sunday; prayers at eleven o'clock. We this day shot three small wallabies, which were a great treat to us.

October 30.

This day Luff was taken very lame, being seized with severe pain and stiffness in the right leg; he was quite unable to walk, so we burned the other two round tents to enable him to ride.

November 1 and 2.

We again had to kill a horse which was too weak, and disposed of it as we had our former ones.

November 3.

We were cutting through scrub all day, intersected by deep gullies and rocky hills; we crossed a small river, with very uneven rocky bottom, about three feet deep; where we crossed it, it was running southerly, and as there had been a heavy storm a few days previously, the current was rapid; five of our horses fell in crossing it--the one carrying my specimens in a very bad place; we were obliged to cut the girths, and before I could secure his load two bags of seeds were washed away; we tied our horses to trees, and encamped in a thick bamboo scrub by the side of the river.

November 4.

This morning Jackey went to examine a scrub through which we wanted to pa.s.s, and while out, shot a fine ca.s.sowary; it was very dark and heavy, not so long on the leg as the common emu, and had a larger body, shorter neck, with a large red, stiff, h.o.r.n.y comb on its head; Mr. Wall skinned it, but from the many difficulties with which he had to contend, the skin was spoiled before it could be properly preserved.

November 5.

We travelled a short distance to the top of a hill, from which Jackey had seen gra.s.s from a tree. We were obliged to kill another horse to-day, and cured the flesh as usual.

November 6.

We were compelled to shoot two other horses to day, and as we had no other means of taking the meat with us, we skinned one of them, and made the skin into bags, in which we each carried a few pounds of meat on our backs.

November 7 and 8.

We were travelling these two days over very rough rocky ground, intersected with gullies and belts of scrub.

November 9.

We were obliged this morning to start without our breakfast, having no bread baked, and being unable to find water. We followed the course of a creek at the foot of a low range of hills running northward, the range being to the westward. In the evening we found water in the creek.

November 10.

We proceeded along the valley of the creek, which was very uneven, and full of small hillocks. Near the spot where we camped a great number of Panda.n.u.s trees were growing. On each side of the creek there were a few scattered trees and a thick scrub to the westward. The soil was stiff, with plenty of gra.s.s in the valley.

Mr. Kennedy, here, finding from the weak state of some of the men, that it would be impossible for us to reach Cape York before our provisions were exhausted, resolved to form an advance party, consisting of himself, Jackey, Costigan, Luff, and Dunn.

We had but nine horses left, of which number it was proposed that they should take seven, and proceed to Cape York as quickly as possible, to obtain provisions for the rest of the party from the vessel waiting with supplies for our homeward journey.

November 11.

We proceeded along the valley a short distance, with the view of forming our depot as near to Weymouth Bay as possible. We crossed the creek where it turned eastward, on a kind of bank, which intercepted its course, up to which, from the east, the tide came sometimes, so that on that side the creek the water was brackish, but very good water was obtainable on the other side the bank.

After we had camped, we killed our last sheep, and Mr. Kennedy proceeded to the top of a high hill to view the country over which he would have to pa.s.s. Shortly after his return to the camp several natives made their appearance, to whom we made a present of a tin plate and a few fish-hooks, which made them quite friendly. While they were looking at us, a great many brown hawks came hovering over the camp. Wall and Jackey shot fourteen or fifteen of them, in the presence of the natives, who retired to the edge of the scrub, and seemed very much surprised to see the hawks fall as soon as they heard the report of the guns. They went into the scrub at dark, but a good watch was kept all night; though the natives did not again make their appearance. One of our dogs killed a young dog belonging to the natives during the night, which I afterwards ascertained was eaten by Dunn, Luff, Costigan, and G.o.ddard.