Volume II Part 28 (2/2)

Yet it had greater velocity than we had before observed, running at the rate of abrook, over which, acacias and drooping gums formed a leafy tunnel; its course was still from the south

HALT THE PARTY AND PROCEED ALONE

Whilst the rest of the party halted I proceeded, with the freshest ed on by as, perhaps, now the unjustifiable hope of discovering so above the far horizon as a definite result and reward of my exploration It seemed, however, al continue; and I experiencedexcitement which is created by a series of si for variety

(Footnote A reat powers of endurance He died in 1845, in a situation I got hi servitude)

We soon gained almost another two miles, when I availed myself of the opportunity to satisfy a second ti towards that land ofBrown to make the river abreast, I ran a short distance further, when I againon as before, with undiain in a new and untrodden country

The line of verdure still pointed out the southerly course of the river across the endless plain; and it becain; whether it was the drainage of a swaoon, fed by the Cordillera to the eastward But to speculation alone was I reduced, it not being permitted ive one long lingering look to the southward before I returned In that direction, however, no curling se; all was lonely and still; and yet even in these deserted plains, equally wanting in the redundance of anietable life, I could discover the rudiments of future prosperity, and ample justification of the naazed around, despite ratitude to Hi place for his creatures; and could not refrain fro the now level horizon would be broken by a succession of tapering spires rising from the many christian ha through the calht skies of Tropical Australia, to a still calion beyond, to which all our sublimest aspirations tend, and where all our holiest desires may be satisfied

The recent for Weour walk; a porphyritic pebble or two being the only stones noticed; they were flattened, evidently showing that the water by which they were carried had a slow motion, which supports the view I have put forward in an early page of this volue of the accumulated waters of Central Australia

EXPLORATION OF THE INTERIOR

My position was in latitude 17 degrees 58 1/2 ton, or 139 degrees 25 minutes East of Greenwich; and within four hundred miles from the centre of the continent What an ad the interior! A few ca water, would be the reat end in a very short time In one month these shi+ps of the desert, as they have been appropriately called,expense, that which has been attempted in vain by the outlay of so much money When we consider that Australia is our own continent, and that now, after sixty years of occupation, we are in total ignorance of the interior, though thousands are annually spent in geographical research, it seems not unreasonable to expect that so ith be set at rest

RETURN DOWN THE ALBERT

In the whole continent there exists no point of departure to be compared with the head of the Albert The expedition should, as I have before re my prediction of the ultimate importance of that port, which lies only twenty-seven miles North-North-West from the entrance Here the flat-botto up the caether, and towed from thence to the river

A shout frothened absence, had come in search of , and which had carried irded round with an anti-pleurisy belt, overwith him I rejoined the rest of the party, and we all reat excite made the necessary observations for latitude, ere soon following the doard course of the Albert

KANGAROO POINT

We reached thewe had experienced; the ther breeze froerous the task of collecting the requisite soundings on the bar at theso Behind the eastern entrance point, was seen a large light-coloured kangaroo, which, for want of a better, afforded us a naaroo Point, which they place in latitude 17 degrees 35 rees 35 ton Instead of the usual rove shore, the coast to the eastas sandy; but the roves, towering over their fellow evergreens, close to the western entrance point They are called in the chart the High Trees of Flinders, having been noticed by that celebrated navigator whilst passing at a distance frouide a shi+p to the bar, which can only be taken at high-water springs, when the depth averages eleven feet When the eastern part of this cluaroo Point South 10 degrees West the bar will have been passed, and the depth, at the sa of Kangaroo Point, given, leads up the channel, which deepens in a quarter of a mile to twenty-three and soon after to thirty feet The iiven to the water, froht, forces a channel of two rowing gradually shallower towards the outer part, and, ulti the shore, which is thrown out in proportion to the length of the channel, beyond which the bar extends for above a mile Part of its inner side, however, is intersected by a narrow channel of thirteen and seventeen feet; the guide through which, is the eastern edge of the clurees West The Albert is navigable, for vessels of a draught suited to the bar, thirteen miles; and within five of where the water is fresh

(Footnote The tides in the head of the Gulf of Carpentaria appear to be a co the co only one tide in 24 hours The direction of the flood strearadually to South-South-West as it teres froth of each is fros is from 9 to 12 feet, and at neaps fro the latitude, we took advantage of the afternoon's lull to make the best of our way to the shi+p, which wedoards us; Mr Parker, the thened absence

In the evening and next s off the mouth of the river; and found that there was only six feet at loater springs, a mile and a quarter outside the bar We afterwards carried a line along the south-eastern shore of the gulf; and at noon, on the 9th, anchored off Van Dieed to meet Mr Fitzmaurice's party

ACCIDENT TO MR FITZMAURICE

The whaleboat was soon seen hastening from the shore without the yahich ht; and I was much distressed to hear that Mr Fitzmaurice had been seriously wounded in the ankle by the discharge of a gun which had gone off within a few yards of it Mr Bynoe went on shore i hio, and the whole charge of shot being buried in his foot, his sufferings were intense It was thought for soh this was not the case, he was maimed for life; for which, in some measure, he has been compensated by promotion and a pension By this reat loss, which was at no time felt more than when it occurred

COMPLETION OF THE SURVEY OF SOUTH Shore OF THE GULF

Mr Fitzmaurice had fortunately, before he was disabled, completed his examination of the coast between the Flinders and Van Die the forrees East, with a large inlet at the end of ten miles This was only examined a short distance in a south direction; but fro thrown out six h, it evidently disee volume of water, and we may reasonably infer it to be a river It is named in the chart Bynoe's Inlet Sevenfor two miles to the south-west of it Five rees East, continuing alht in that direction to Van Diemen's Inlet, distant twenty-five miles; and, with the exception of the first five, is sandy throughout Thirteen nitude, near the south entrance point of which are ponds of fresh water Two and four s; and two and sevenhis excursion Mr Fitzaroo, seen for the first tiuifer; this was a somewhat important discovery, as it showed the extent to which the animal is diffused over the continent I ht before we reached Van Dieht of rose-coloured cockatoos, several of which were caught and kept alive for so

(Footnote Cacatua eos)

Thus terminated our exploration of the southern shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria, nearly two hundred miles of which had been minutely examined in the boats Twenty-six inlets had been discovered, of which two proved to be rivers, whilst threeThat all the others may contain fresh water in the rainy season there is every reason for supposing, fro found in their banks; fro less salt towards the heads at low tides; and froton that Malay proas occasionally visit the southern shores of the Gulf, and fill fresh water froside, some distance off the land If we receive this statement as correct, we e from the various inlets and rivers we discovered is sufficiently powerful to force back the great body of seawater, as is the case at the ee rivers