Volume II Part 25 (2/2)
The sudden arrest of the birds' flight--the flash of the gun--the voluht the eye as it closed at the explosion; with soht have been for ever! Twas the affair of but a second Death came to our sides, as it were, and departed ere the report of the gun had ceased to roll over the waters of the reach So me for a moment--the next I saw th in the bottoer we had incurred and providentially escaped
ACCIDENT TO LIEUTENANT GORE
His fowling piece had burst in his hand, and floay in frag only a small portion of the barrel at my feet How it happened that the coxswain and ht of Mr Gore, in the stern-sheets of the yawl, and the coxsas a little on the left, and over hi Our preservation can only be attributed to Him whose eye is on all his creatures and who disposes of our lives as it see to be presumptuous, we may be permitted to believe that ere spared partly on account of the service in which ere engaged--so beneficial to humanity, so calculated to promote the spread of civilization, which er of Christianity At any rate it is not, in hty, to i to the work in which they are engaged
Mr Gore's hand was dreadfully lacerated; but no bones were broken; and on recovering from his swoon, the first words he uttered were: ”Killed the bird!”--an expression truly characteristic of a sports how exactly the mind, when its perception has been , to the idea last present to it
My first impulse was to return to the shi+p; but at the earnest request of Mr Gore, who felt somewhat revived after I washed his hand in brandy and tied it up, we continued; but the utter silence and grave dehts of the danger so ushered unprepared into the presence of our Maker A rustling in the bushes on the bank, as ound round an island of some size at the extremity of this nearly fatal reach, broke the reverie in which ere indulging Fancying it was a kangaroo, I fired at the spot, when a half-groild dog ca down into the water It was of a dark brown colour, with large patches of white, differing from any of the kind I had ever seen before
Above this island we pursued a general West-South-West direction; but to our great mortification there ater for the yawl only fourI was able to ascend nearly two her in a South-West by South direction Our position was then nine miles South-West 1/2 West from the mouth in a direct line; but thrice that distance by the h this vast level
The width had decreased from three hundred yards at the entrance to scarcely one hundred, and the depth froed withvery open plains, with patches of dwarf gums scattered here and there
DUCKS, PIGEONS, ETC
The brohistling wood-ducks were in great abundance at the yawl's furthest; and in three shots I bagged twenty The native companions were also numerous, of two kinds, one with black on the back, and the other, which kept eons, too, were abundant; and the rare large brown rail was frequently observed at loater, running along the edge of the roves, too wary, however, as before, to be shot There were few alligators seen; and the only fish caught was the catfish, common in the Adelaide and Victoria Rivers Where the yawl lay the bank was clear, forh, in which no stone or rock was found; neither had we seen any before
ARRANGE FOR A PEDESTRIAN EXCURSION
In the evening and early part of the night observations were ed for a pedestrian excursion in thea few ood fortune to have obtained by water conveyance I had ordered a gun to be fired in the evening to inform Mr Fitzmaurice and his party of the shi+p's position; and we distinctly heard it boo the echoes to the sounds of warfare peculiar to civilized man May many years elapse ere they be once more roused by the voice of cannon fired with a less peaceful intent!
(Footnote Latitude 17 degrees 42 rees 42 ton)
July 25
The first grey streaks of thewere scarcely visible in the horizon, ere er to penetrate where no European foot had hitherto pressed After leaving the inlet some distance behind, we took a South 1/2 East direction Thewas deliciously cool for our purpose, the tehtful elasticity in the air, quite in unison with the buoyant spirits that sustained us, as we stepped out over e felt to be untrodden ground
APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY
It had often before been my lot to be placed in a siiven expression already to identical senti the reader how far inferior is the pleasure of perusing the descriptions of new lands, especially when attempted by an unskilled pen, to that which the explorer hi; the most finished writer and the most imperfect scribbler are on the same level; they are equally capable of the exquisite enjoys of delight that gush upon the heart as every forward step discloses fresh prospects, and brings a still more new horizon, if I may so speak, to view And it may be added, that to the production of the emotions I allude to, beauty of landscape is scarcely necessary We strain forward incited by curiosity, as eagerly over an untrodden heath, or untraversed desert, as through valleys of surpassing loveliness, and arandeur; or perhaps, I should say,on which theto divert the current of its thoughts One hest, led by the irresistible char with excitement, even when every step seems to add certainty to the conviction that all that is beyond resembles all that has been seen In the present case, with the exception of a clu to break the vast level that stretched before us, its ri sky Here and there a charred sturation, reared its blackened face, serving to keep us in the direction we had taken at starting, which was over a rich alluvial soil, that seemed to hold out a promise of a future brilliant destiny to this part of the continent A partially dry lagoon co with another that et, to the eastward, and with a slight drain from the inlet to the ard, was crossed at the distance of four ed to South by West and a ained the raised patch of woodland already aroo Descending from this we entered a low plain, the northern part of which is evidently at times under water It is five rowth
Continuing over a clayey soil till we had made six miles from the boats, we turned off to the eastward, for the wood on that side, distant twoa better view of the country around froer eyes to wander over but alternate plain and patches of stunted wood, stretching away in unbroken monotony on every side The furthestof this new country was in latitude 17 degrees 55 reat reluctance that we turned our backs on a route so direct to the interior of the continent, now comparatively a proxih during our advance to the southward ebbed rapidly as soon as the retreat commenced; and our return appeared wearisome
We now varied our track, and traced the head of the inlet, wherethe s to each other, though they did not coht; the prints of their feet also seeoon a small freshwater lake was found, and the only rock formation yet seen; it was a sand and ironstone About two miles south of the boats we discovered another freshwater lake, literally alive aterfohose varied colours contrasted charht verdure of the banks that seemed to repose on the silent waters, and were reflected on its glassy surface, now and then disturbed by the birds as they winged their way from one part to the other Spoonbills and ibises, soreen, and two kinds of a srey duck, seen once only before on the Victoria, are aot back to the boats I may here mention, that as in Van Diemen's Inlet, the water appeared to be less salt at low tide
RETURN TO THE shi+P
July 26
At daylight the boats ht orb had sunk into the same vast dead level fro anxious that the surgeon should see Mr
Gore's hand, I sent the gig on with hi, as we crossed the bar, he rejoined us, and I was very happy to find the ablution in brandy had been of great service to his wound
After leaving Disaster Inlet, the coast was examined to the eastward, and at the distance of fifteen rees South direction, we came to a projection that we called Middle Point The shore between fell back, forrees 44 rowth of h-water, and at low, soft mud flat fronted the shore for the distance of a mile and more Five miles from Disaster Inlet there was a small creek; with others, three, four, and six miles ard of Middle Point
MORNING INLET