Volume II Part 6 (1/2)

The view fro short to the northward, two ave the nales, the heat had becoreat that some of our party were compelled to return to the boats, whilst myself, with two of the men, pushed on for nearly twothe foot of soratified with another peep at the river, which had a very singular appearance, in soe pebbles: long narrow islands, whose shape attested the former rapidity of the currents, covered with reeds and acacias, and deep pools of standing water, were its aroos, alarplaces, presenting beautiful shots; but as the traces of natives were both recent and nuht it most prudent to reserve our fire, and shortly after, upon finding a native fire still alight, to keep the open ground ash now quite destitute of vegetation, save south we reached the suht could have proved reeted us there It is separated froes to the southward by a deep narrow valley We noticed from it that the river evidently increased in size, as traced upwards, and I was very glad to find that the delight I experienced inthis discovery, was shared bymiles--a deep broad and picturesque stream: beyond that limit it took a h tableland (Table Hill) 200 feet high Beyond, and on the eastern side of the valley of the river, rose a high peak, crowned by a reave the name of The Tower I les, and then we returned to the boats On our arrival we found the therrees at one PM The afternoon was occupied in selecting a party of five out of the boats' crews, for a pedestrian excursion; and at night, jaded as ere, it was al noise of the vas

PREPARATIONS FOR A PEDESTRIAN EXCURSION

Nove provisions for an early start to-reater part of the day Mr Bynoe, as he had done yesterday, added to his valuable collection a few rare birds, and strange plants; while I took several readings of the baro, for the elevation of the bed of the river: the ht of thirty feet

Our bivouac at Reach Hopeless, was under the shade of a cluster of drooping gue, nuenticeps These kept up a constant a chatter, in which we could frequently detect an exact iaroo Mr Bynoe had shot, and hung on a tree, drew the attention of birds of prey, consisting of two kinds of hawks, one of a dark brown, alhter shade of the sareat deal of white about the head; so that ere surrounded with feathered companions

The wind as usual was East-North-East in the ed frorees at night; during which we noticed severalperpendicularly

Noveht, the rees) Captain Wickha expedition hi indisposed, the party was eventually placed under my coeon; Mr Forsyth, , seamen; John Brown, and Richard Martin, marines Besides provisions for six days, and are sextant, small sextant, artificial horizon, chronolass, watch, lantern, andtape

Our route was that of yesterday to View Hill, and we reached the river a mile to the eastward by half-past seven AM We halted here for ten aroo, which I had shot as we crossed the plain; a piece of good fortune that induceda part of our provisions at the first convenient spot We found the banks of the river thickly clothed with tall reeds, through which with soh land receded fro an extensive, and apparently alluvial flat between its base and the course of the strearees South direction

Two ully, the banks of which were covered with tall reeds; we followed its course nearly due north to the river, which it joined near the foot of the high land I have before spoken of The bed of the stream was dry here in patches for half a mile As none of our party had been recently accusto for nearly five hours over a broken country, and in a teht it ti prepared, Mr Bynoe and rey kind, in the pools near I afterwards accos from an elevation on the north side of the river

COURSE OF THE VICTORIA

Towards the south-east we perceived a very decided break in the hills, through which I hoped to trace the course of the Victoria, that being the direction of the centre of this vast continent: in this however ere disappointed, for the river turned short round to the north-east The banks were so high, and so thickly covered with tall reeds, that it was only by the very green appearance of the trees about its banks that its course could be rees Knowing how i tracked by the natives, should they wish it, even upon the hardest ground, and that in the event of their doing so any buried stores would be forthwith discovered, and yet anxious to disencumber the party of any superfluous load, I directed one of the men to take the 8-pound canister of preserved meat and throw it into a thick cluster of reeds and palhts for longitude, recommenced our journey to half-past three PM in a north-east direction; passing through a lightly timbered plain, that had been evidently at no distant date exposed to the ravages of fire At half-past four we carees East and South 22 degrees West Passing several trees still on fire near the river, after another short halt, which the state of the atround rendered desirable, we resumed our north-east course, but were compelled to make a considerable westerly detour, in order to clear the deep watercourses intersecting the banks at this place, and which, extending nearly to the base of the hills, rendered the fatigues and labours of the march additionally and needlessly heavy

NATIVE VILLAGE

Just before dark we cae, near the foot of a bare rocky hill, having a northern aspect, and lying about one mile south-west of the river It contained thirteen huts of paper-bark, standing in a bare stony plain, and with no signs of being at this ti our way through the tall and thickly growing reeds which lined the bank The next reach in the river trended North-West for about a mile, and then turned off North-North-East at the foot of a high rocky range The next turn in the course brought us upon a yet burning native fire Under ordinary circumstances such an indication of the near presence of natives, of whose intentions, whether hostile or otherwise, I had no , would have induced ht, which was now closing in upon us; but the threatening aspect of the sky to the south-east led e which here fringed the river's banks

VIOLENT SQUALL

The squall reached us at seven The wind, which had been at south-east, veering to north, and the therrees; it lasted for about an hour, during which ti of the wind--the awful roll of thunder, and the fearful brilliancy of the lightning, combined to supply all the terrible beauty which invests such scenes; especially when they surprise the startled adventurer upon his unknown path, and add their hostile influence to the unreckoned dangers that await his progress The onlyour only suit of clothes dry fro the theht we could do with propriety

Within an hour the weather had cleared up, and was as fine as before the squall The change came just in time for me to secure a hts for tiular , darting perpendicularly UPWARDS: it lasted for ten seconds: between the hourchiefly fro set the watches for the night, we lay down to sleep, and passed a quiet night with a terees, and a north-ind

Nove, after having obtained a set of bearings, and followed the bank of the river to the north-west for half a mile, then forded it and took a north-easterly direction, passing close to the foot of so the south side of the valley of the river, which at this place is scarcely a h tableland for east, bounded it in that direction

MUSSEL BEND

The bend above where we slept we called Mussel Bend, fro several there: they appeared similar to those found by Oxley in the Macquarie The country over which we travelled the first part of the day was exceedingly stony, and wore aappearance

While the party halted to skin a kangaroo I had been so fortunate as to shoot; I ascended the top of a neighbouring hill to s From this elevation I traced the river in a north-west direction for three azed with rapture, only known to the discoverer, upon a clear and reatly dismayed at its northerly direction To the north-east was an extensive and apparently alluvial flat; while to the ard, the high land approached the river It is worthy of remark, that so far as our observation extended, wherever the hills approach the river on one side they recede from it on the other

DISCOVERED BY NATIVES

Continuing in a more easterly direction in order to avoid the deep watercourses near the banks, we found the country wore aour direction to North-North-West in order to ascend so the east bank of the river, we came suddenly upon some native tracks, and presently surprised two children, who scampered down the bank in very natural alar the tall reeds A little further on we passed within 200 yards of three wo bundles of bark at their backs; their anxiety for their children had allowed us to approach thus close unseen; but no sooner e discovered, than they raised a shout which was answered froht, and from the banks of the river on our left, by parties evidently too nu We therefore held on our ithout appearing to notice theht covering of bark round their waists We halted at half-past ten AM in an open spot in the dry bed of the river, overlooked by a high table hill Our party looked very much distressed from their half-day's work The weather had been very close, and a good deal of the walking over broken ground; and these circumstances, coupled with the fact that the therrees in the shade, and that all had been for a long time cooped up in a seneral fatigue

SUCCESSFUL FIshi+NG