Volume II Part 26 (1/2)

Twoof h the flat at the entrance, which extended three miles off the north-west side of Middle Point I na Inlet, fro a mile in a southerly direction landed for observations, just within the e the entire coast My view of the interior was very limited: for some distance were patches of bare mud, whitened with a salt incrustation, which appeared the character of the country iroves; afterwards it rose into plains, on which su Inlet the coast was slightly waving and trended East 20 degrees North At the end of twelveon the south-east side of a small point which concealed the boats froot close to thee apparition, and then round would admit; they were quite naked, and ere not a little ah the softare two cluroves, the only remarkable objects on the shore of the Gulf from Disaster Inlet

There was another small inlet four hbourhood, a sandy beach midway between the of the 28th we entered a large and pro Inlet; its i a channel of two feet at loater through the flat at the entrance, which it threw out considerably

(Footnote The rees 36 rees 27 ton)

The boats proceeded up the opening at daylight on the 29th; our hopes were considerably raised by finding a depth of three and, in some places, five fathoms, and a width of about a hundred and twenty yards The banks were, as usual, lined with roves; behind which, on the eastern side, retreated vast plains, with trees of some size scattered over them They extend to the coast eastward of the entrance, which is sandy for soue frorove shore, but had also its utility, serving to show the eneral South-South-East direction, though froress was slow; and at the end of elevenHere we landed in the mouth of a small creek at the end of a clear bank on the eastern side; the opposite one also began to wear the same character, and our eyes therefore were perrassy country, dotted with clu only twice in twenty-four hours presented a great i before we could againthe tide, the note of a bird rese the cuckoo broke the deep stillness that prevailed It was evening; all around was cal away on every side, the waters as they i banks, the heavens in which the last rays of the sun still lingered, gilding the few clouds that hovered near the horizon A pleasing sadness stole over the heart as these familiar sounds--the note of this Australian cuckoo, if I h the tranquil air

Recollections of the domestic hearth, and the latticedshaded with vines and honeysuckles, and the distantbuds of spring; and--pervading all and giving a char note of the cuckoo sounding afar off: recollections of all these things, I say, rushed o'er each fancy, and bore us for a ination to our island home

DISCOVERY OF FLINDERS RIVER

The more rapid flow of the tide and the announcement that there was now sufficient water for the boats to proceed, broke our reverie; and ere soon oncethe moonlit reach I may here mention that this bird, and another with a more mournful cry, the saain at eventide

Avoiding a large shoal, which threatened to arrest our further progress, by a narrow channel close to the west bank, we continued to pursue the upward course of this inlet or river--ere yet uncertain what to call it--in a general southerly direction; though the reaches were singularly tortuous, rese the folds of a snake The depth was now only about one fathoress was much impeded by banks; but by the friendly aid of the moon ere able to proceed, and many of the sudden bends were revealed by the silvery streaht it shed over the still waters as they lay between banks now overhung by looumtrees, as far as the eye, froht afforded, could reach As we advanced, theplaces in the trees, a huge flock of screeching vampires, that disturbed for a time the serenity of the scene by their discordant notes; and a few reaches further up, noisy flights of our old friends, the whistling-ducks, greeted our ears Their presence and cries were hailed with delight, not exactly because they gave rise to any romantic associations, but because they pro department, which had not been supplied with such dainties since leaving Disaster Inlet Had our taste resembled that of some of the natives of the western coast of Africa, the varounding repeatedly, occasioned sosevenalone Our course was still South by East and the reaches were less crooked Four ress rendered hazardous by sunken trees, so ed to wait a few hours for daylight There could now no longer be a doubt that ere in a river, and I ithe proly named this, our first discovery, after him, The Flinders

As soon as the blackened heads of the fallen trees, evidences of how fierce a torrent had borne them hither, could be discerned, we proceeded

The reaches becaroves were no longer to be seen fringing the banks with their garden shrubbery appearance In a broad easterly reach, so the country close to the west bank, but they did not show themselves At the end of it the river expanded into a beautiful sheet of water a quarter of a h only three feet deep

ACCIDENT TO THE BOAT

So in emerald verdure on the surface of the strea under the influence of the tide, towards its source, and now hurried the boat so rapidly through a narrow channel between the west side of a large island and a low line of earthy cliffs, as to carry her foul of a subed tree and half fill and almost capsize her In order to ascertain the extent of the dae, we landed on a small sandy beach, in which was the fresh print of a native's foot; but we neither heard nor saw hih coluh the calm still air on all sides A fine sheet of water now lay before us, trending southwards for upwards of two miles, with a width of about a quarter; and it ith increasing interest and anxiety that we pulled up it

APPEARANCE OF THE RIVER

Passing a line of cliffs, twenty feet high, the banks beca with an al with their vivid reflections so as to render it difficult to deterliding through an indefinite expanse of li between two vast plains, that here rose higher than we had before seen the land on this part of the continent

Hurrying on with a still favourable tide, but at a rate much too slow for our irassy islets, and a third was before us The eastern bank had beco, and clothed with a mass of luxuriant creepers; whilst on the opposite side was a looody patch, partly ilassy water of the river, into which one slender tree dipped its feathery crest, appearing like another Narcissus, to admire its own beauty in the stream In front, the eye could penetrate far down the reach hemmed in as it was by trees that clustered thick on the water's brink

NATIVE BURIAL TREE

To the right hat lade; in the midst of it rose a tree the branches of which were laden with abundle or roll of pieces of wood Struck with its appearance, we rested on our oars to observe it; but scarcely had we done so, when froher up, that appeared to divide the river into two branches, rose a thick volue black cloud had lighted on the earth in that direction We endeavoured to proceed in order to satisfy our curiosity, but a rocky ledge extending across the river arrested our further progress at this tily, I advanced for nearer inspection, towards the huge bundle of sticks before mentioned It seereatly excited my curiosity As I approached aup to exa body of a native

(Footnote See the view annexed )

Within the outer covering of sticks was one of net, with an inner one of the bark of the papyrus tree enveloping the corpse According to the singular practice of uncivilized people, of providing for the wants of those who have nothing s, some weapons were deposited with the deceased in this novel kind of mortuary habitation; and a little beyond was a rill of water

There was an air of loneliness in the spot, perfectly in keeping with the feelings this strange discovery naturally called forth; and frons of the natives, it would appear that here, as in other parts of the continent, spots where the dead lie are kept sacred Some dark brown and black haere perched on the trees near, looking like so many mutes stationed to show respect to the departed; but their intentions were of a different character, as they aiting, I iust of wind to shake off the covering of the deceased

EXTENSIVE CONFLAGRATION