Volume II Part 26 (2/2)

While ere ration on the point above continued to rage with great fury; and I have no doubt that it was kindled in order to attract our attention and prevent us frohnot the for, I am persuaded that the eyes of the natives were upon us, and that our every movement atched The hbourhood of the dead was siht have proved successful had not the interposing ledge of rocks prevented our further progress To effect their purpose they e space, as the smoke that arose obscured all that quarter of the heavens

We observed also that the ground about the burial tree had been subaroos that visit this spot

This singular ines of Australia, extends to the banks of the Murray River, on the south coast, as we learn from Mr Eyre's vivid narrative; and as we know that it exists in New Guinea, we ration of the population of the fifth division of the globe

(Footnote It is a curious circu the ancient Scythians, as we learn from Mr St John's History of the Manners and Custoe 345)

REMARKS ON NATIVE RITES

I have always considered that Eastern and Western Australia were originally separated by the sea; and that when they were thus separated (which the narrow space, and as I conjecture, lowness of the country between the Gulf of Carpentaria and Lake Torrens fully bears out) the habits of what is now the northern side of the continent found their way to the southern It is true I have in another place conjectured, that in cases where similar habits are found to prevail at widely distant points, they may be looked upon as relics of a fors, now preserved only in particular localities; yet without invalidating this general rule, I think that the facts of the mode of burial I have described, and likewise the rite of circu in the bottom of the Gulf of Carpentaria, and on the south side of the continent, strongly support the opinion that there once existed water communication between thehly interested the whole party, and suggested the na, or at least feeling, that ere narroatched by those into whose territories we had penetrated, I did not venture far inland In the few miles traversed there was little of interest, except that we felt the pleasure which almost surpasses that created by beauty of scenery, of traversing a country totally new to the European It is astonishi+ng how char mere plains covered with clumps of trees appear under such circu can be enjoyed but once; for it is the explorer alone who can either experience or deserve it

This part of the country, though to all appearance equally level with any other, was higher, and may perhaps have attained to the elevation of thirty-five feet above the level of the sea Over the plains were scattered flocks of beautiful rose-coloured cockatoos, several of which I shot; they were precisely the same as those on the southern parts of the continent

Beyond Burial Reach the river separates into two branches, one taking an easterly and the other a southerly direction; but neither of them, unfortunately, was it at that tiain, for the second tiinous character Our furthest position on the Flinders was in latitude 17 degrees 51 eneral South by East 1/2 East direction from the entrance, nearly thirty miles by the distance the boats had traversed

MOVE DOWN THE RIVER

After noon observations, the gig e island, I shot an anie dimensions, particularly expanded across the loins, with stout hind legs and palht slate colour and soft fine hair approaching fur, the colour gradually becohter under the abdomen; the head was flatter than that of the usual tribe of water-rats, and resembled an otter

(Footnote There is a species of water-rat inhabiting the coast of Australia, called Hydroaster; but this was the first ti like it)

RETURN TO THE shi+P

It was not until long after dark that we reached thethe yawl, both boats ran out of the river on their return to the shi+p, distant thirty-three ot on board, when I found that in consequence of the tides approaching the springs and falling 12 instead of 6 feet, it had been necessary to ht winds had prevailed; on several days land and seabreezes The cessation of strong southerly winds kept the teave the following account of his examination

MR FITZMAURICE'S EXPLORATION

Co at Mr Forsyth's furthest, he found the southerly trend of the coast change in the course of nine e shoal bay, which at loater had aoff nearly two miles The east point of this bay, named Point Tarrant, I had seen frorees West eighteen ht rise in the land behind it, for low mounds or hillocks Two miles to the ard Mr

Fitzeneral south-west direction, when it had in no way lost the pro appearance it possessed from its breadth at the mouth, which was further increased by the manner in which the bank was thrown out off it

(Footnote After one of the officers who had shared all the hard work, a practice generally adopted)

Nine s Mr

Fitzrees East froreater htly, forrove shores, and extensive frontage of mud At the distance of six and ten miles from Point Tarrant were two other inlets, the latter of which was large and received Mr Pasco's name It was examined for a short distance in a South by West direction, and presented the usual low banks lined with roves Near the entrance a native came down to the shore to look at the boat; he was very tall and quite naked, and would not allow our party to approach

CHAPTER 29 GULF OF CARPENTARIA