Part 4 (1/2)
A thunder-stor to the north-west, but was probably deflected by the ranges
Dec 15--Last night we had two thunder-storms; one rose in the west, and turned to the northward, following the Christes; the other rose in the south, and turned to the east, probably attracted by Expedition Range Still following the watercourse, we entered, after about four , into the scrub The watercourse was soon lost in the level ground, and water-holes appeared every where; the general direction of the waters seemed to be to the north-west Four miles farther we came to a piece of open forest at the foot of a hill, which was covered with ironstone-pebbles Here we encaood water-holes not four miles distant, I sent Mr Calvert and Brown to fetch some, whilst I and Charley went forward to exaes which I had seen to the eastward, I fell in with a dry watercourse, and, following it down for about half a mile from the camp, discovered a well-filled water-hole The watercourse was found to join a creek with a deep and very wide bed, but dry Muscle-shells strewed in every direction, and other appearances, indicated that, during the wet season, the whole country must be very swampy The course of the creek was to the N N W, and it is joined by watercourses fro followed the creek for about twelveto the end of the scrub through which it trended, ere co which ood little horse, Jiuided us to the camp, which we reached about eleven o'clock Mr Calvert and Brown had not yet returned; although the report of their guns had been heard several ti ere encamped under the shelter of trees: and it was therefore evident that ere at a considerable elevation above the level of the sea The Box-tree of Jietation of the scrubby country, west of Darling Doere still around us; and the Moreton Bay ash (a species of Eucalyptus)--which I had hout the Moreton Bay district, fro Doas here also very plentiful
Dec 16--Our cattle and our horses, with the exception of those we had used the night before, had strayed in search of water; but Charley found them on the sow-thistle plains, beyond our last camp Messrs Calvert, Murphy, and Brown, ca; they had lost their way in the dark, in consequence of re at the water-hole They inforht on an open piece of forest ground along a creek This intelligence induced me to examine the locality: I therefore ith Brown, and found the creek, with a deep sandy, but dry bed, full of reeds; its direction being froht miles, when the scrub receded from its left bank, and a fine open extensive flat stretched to the ard I looked into the Casuarina thickets which occasionally fringed its bank, in search of water; but found none I was frequently on the point of returning, but, induced by the presence of reeds, continued the search, until the scrub again approached the right side of the creek; and, in one of those chains of ponds which almost invariably exist at the outside of these scrubs, a savethe creek, when Brown exclainificent lagoon, surrounded by a rich belt of reeds, lay before us The natives must have been at this spot sorass; as the earth was now covered with a delicate verdure The country appeared flat, and was so openly tium-trees, that we could see for a considerable distance; a circu hostile It would appear that this place was frequently resorted to by the natives: the bark had been recently stripped in various places; the huts were in good repair, with heaps of aroo-bones about them We returned to the careatly perplexed as to the direction I ought to take Charley returned very late with the strayed cattle, and reported that he had seen the ses This elcoence; for we knew that their presence indicated the existence of a good country Yesterday in coe quantity of ripe native le Sunday, we intended to make a tart; but, as my companions were absent, the treat was deferred until their return, which was on Monday ooseberry-fool; they had a very pleasant acid taste, and were very refreshi+ng They are of a light yellow colour, nearly round, and about half an inch in diareeable
The chains of water-holes within the scrub are covered with a stiff star-grass, having a great nu froes crowd around the rows in the shallow depressions of the surface of the ground, which are significantly termed by the squatters ”Melon-holes”, and abound in the open Box-tree flats A sreen linear lanceolate leaves and red tubulous flowers, is frequent aoons contain Unios, Paludinas, and the lanceolate and oval Limnaeas Fine dry weather has set in; the northerly breeze is still very regular; but the ht to eleven, are very hot A few mosquitoes have made their appearance, probably in consequence of the late rains Charley killed a Diaer than any he had ever seen before; but he only brought in the fat, of which there was a reuanas (Hydrosaurus, Gray) have a slight bluish tinge about the head and neck; but in the distribution of their colours, generally resemble H Gouldii
Mr Gilbert found a land crab in the ht reen colour
Dec 18--It ith very great difficulty that we collected our horses and cattle; but we could not find one of our pack bullocks, which had concealed himself in the scrub, and, froed to abandon it Old bullocks, when tired, care very little about company, and even like to retire to any solitary spot, where there is good feed and water Having nearly reached the end of our stage, ere overtaken by a thunder-storm from the south; which was followed by another from the ith very heavy rain This was the first heavy rain to which we had been exposed, whilst on the day's enerally rise till after two o'clock; at which tioons--which I called ”Brown's Lagoons” after their discoverer--and the good feed about the the fat bullock which Mr Isaacs had given us, and of drying it like the charqui of the South Ainally intended; especially as ere ignorant of the character of the country before us Accordingly, on the 18th at five o'clock in the htered and cut into thin slices; which, before night, were nearly dried by the powerful heat of an almost vertical sun We enjoyed ourselves very much on this occasion, and feasted luxuriously on fried liver at breakfast, on stuffed heart for luncheon, and on a fine steak and the kidneys for supper Those whoa time as we had upon a reduced fare, will readily understand hat epicurean delight these meals were discussed
Dec 19--We co down the fat, hich our saddles, bridles, and all our leather gear, ell greased In the afternoon Mr Calvert and Charley, who had been sent after the bullock we had left behind, returned with hirove near a sing our packs, Murphy and Charley went out to exa country On their return they informed me that they had met with a native ca, for they had left all their things behind
Capparis Mitchelii was found in blossom The cockatoo parrakeet of the Gwyder River, (Nymphicus Novae Hollandiae, GOULD), the common white cockatoo, and the Moreton Bay Rosella parrot, were very numerous We also observed the superb warbler, Malurus cyaneus of Sydney; and the shepherd's companion, or fan-tailed fly-catcher (Rhipidura); both were frequent Several rare species of finches were shot: and a species of the genus Pomatorhinus, a Swan River bird, was seen by Mr Gilbert The latitude of this encarees 44 minutes 55 seconds
Dec 21--As our ht it advisable to remain another day at this place, which was usefully occupied by packing the fat into bags made of the hide of the animal Besides the plants above- in the lagoon; and around it, ah cyperaceous plants, a small labiate, a Go
The days continue very hot At 5 PM we had a thunder-storm from the southward: but little rain fell It cleared up at seven o'clock; very heavy dew in the
Dec 22--We travelled to-day about five miles in a north-north-west direction, and encamped at the creek where Charley and his companion had seen the huts of the natives, which we found deserted Our route lay through a flat country, ti the underwood), along a fine lagoon on which were a number of ducks; farther on, the bastard box prevailed, with silver-leaved Ironbark, and patches of Bricklow scrub, of Vitex and of the native lemon A small tree (a species of Acacia) was also seen about thirty or forty feet high, with slightly drooping branches, and lanceolate deep green phyllodia about one inch
I reconnoitred with Charley, and found that the creek soon becaes of a moderate elevation, parallel to which we travelled; plains frequently interspersed with scrub, which becaes Fro oons, to secure water; whilst I should examine the country in advance, in order to ascertain the extent of the scrub, in which ere entangled
Dec 23--During the night we had a tremendous thunder-storm from the southith ht, and was succeeded by a hurricane from the east We witnessed a re from ENE to WSW almost parallel to the thunder-clouds The moon, a day from its full, to the eastward, probably produced this phenomenon
The bower of the bowerbird (Chlamydera rass, and its approaches at either end were thickly streith snail shells and flint pebbles, which had been collected by the bird with great industry, but for what purpose we could not deter the shells we found a Helix of a brownish colour and of an oval for that of Bulioons, Mr Calvert and Brown remained with me to examine the country The creek which I followed down, almost entirely disappeared; but, five ain observed, as deep as before, and was joined by several water-courses froes The principal channel of the creek was lined with a species of Melaleuca, with slightly foliacious bark Several species of sedges, and nutritious grasses, grew round the holes in which the water was constant At about fifteen miles from the camp, the creek was joined by that which I had followed for some distance on the 15th December, and, about three miles farther down, it receives another considerable tributary; and, at their junction, it is a fine sheet of water Here the country begins to open, with large Box-flats extending on both sides Two small creeks come in from the scrubby hills to the eastward, but, at a short distance beyond their junction, almost the whole channel disappears Soon after, we came to another creek, to the left of the first; but it disappeared in the saoons, and found soround about six e sheet of water A little farther on, we caes of basaltic formation, openly timbered with silver-leaved Ironbark, and richly covered with young grasses and herbs, identical with those of the Darling Downs Water holes with fine water were found at the foot of the hills
Mie pigeons (Geophaps scripta) were also seen
Dec 24--We returned towards the cah some inattention, kept too h a country of an extremely diversified character, and very different in appearance from that we had just left Here we passed an extensive Myal forest, the finest I had seen, covering the hilly and undulating country, interspersed with groves of the native lemon tree; a fehich were still sufficiently in fruit to afford us so stretches of s with Bricklow thickets: and then again crossed sround, which h thick scrubs, which we had frequently to penetrate with both hands occupied in protecting the face from the branches We also crossed chains of water-holes surrounded by a coarse stargrass; these now changed into creeks with deep and irregular beds, lined with Melaleucas, and now again dwindled into shallow channels, scarcely to be recognised a scrub A week before, these holes were hopelessly dry; but a recent thunder-storround soft and heavy, and had called into life thousands of s, testified their satisfaction at the agreeable change
Dec 25--We returned to Brown's Lagoons, and entered our ca down to their Christ and stewed cockatoos The day was cloudy and sultry; we had had a heavy thunder-storht, scud passed fro we had some heavy shoithout wind; it cleared up at ten o'clock, and we took advantage of four hours fair weather to travel on We again passed the huts of the natives, and encamped about seven miles farther down the creek We were, however, scarcely housed, when heavy showers of rain began to fall, and rendered the soil, which was a stiff loah we had hobbled our horses with straps and stirrup leathers, they had strayed, during the night, to the more open country, where they separated from each other in search of food; and it was not until after three hours search that Charley found the greater part of theht, and were therefore enabled to proceed; which we did as far as the fine sheet of water beforehorses, hich he returned after some time
The showers continued until about 10 o'clock last night; at 3 A M the sky beca, except an occasional cloud from the eastward