Part 6 (1/2)

Being too weak to travel, I sent Mr Roper and Brown to the northward and to the north-east, to examine the country

By rees 19 rees 57 minutes; so that our distance from Keppel Bay was 175 miles, and froues into Keppel Bay, and if so, it will form the inlet to a fine country; for I suppose that all the creeks going down to the south and south-west, either fall into the Mackenzie itself, or join one of its tributaries

Mr Gilbert found the skull of a large kangaroo, the nasal cavity of which appeared unusually spacious He brought home a new Malurus, and a Rallus: he also shot another species of Rallus on the water-hole near our encaus

On Mr Roper's return, he informed me that he had met with a creek at the other side of the hills to the east of us; that the hills were covered with dense scrub, tee allabis; and that the creek went to the north-east, several other creeks joining it; that, lower down, it was lined with Casuarinas, and that about seven miles from the hills, he found fine water-holes

CHAPTER V

DIFFERENCE OF SOIL AS TO MOISTURE--PHILLIPS'S MOUNTAIN--ALLOWANCE OF FLOUR REDUCED AGAIN--HUGHS'S CREEK--TOMBSTONE CREEK--CHARLEY AND BROWN BECOME UNRULY--THE ISAACS--NATIVE WOMEN--coxEN'S PEAK AND RANGE-- GEOLOGICAL CHARACTER--CHARLEY REBELS AGAIN AND LEAVES--BROWN FOLLOWS HIM--BOTH RETURN PENITENT--VARIATIONS OF THE WEATHER--SKULL OF NATIVE--FRIENDLY NATIVES VISIT THE CAMP

Feb 2--Being ain passed the defile east of Roper's and Scott's Peaks, and followed the watercourse rising from it to the northward About two or three miles lower doe found water in deep rocky basins in the bed of the creek

The rock was sandstone, fissured fro the foot of the peaks, we found a species of Grewia (Dwarf Roorajong) covered with ripe fruit; the fruit is dry, but the stringy tissue which covers the seed, contains a slightly sweet and acidulous substance of a very agreeable taste The fig-tree with a rough leaf, had plenty of fruit, but not yet ripe Erythrina was both in blosso Brown back to conduct our party to the water-holes we had found, and leaving the creek, which turned to the eastward, I continued rassed slopes of narrow-leaved Ironbark and spotted gues, which head out into s to the east and north-east They are forenerally a shallow creek es formed their boundary lower dohere, at their foot, water-holes generally existed, either with a constant supply of water, or readily filled by thunder-showers The basaltic ridges, as well as the plains, were covered with a fine crop of dry grass; but the sandstone ridges were frequently scrubby The difference between the sandstone country and the basaltic plains and ridges, is very striking in respect to the quantity of water they contain: in the latter, rain is immediately absorbed by the cracked porous soil, which requires an ie; whereas the sandstone forms steeper slopes, and does not absorb the rain so quickly, so that the water runs down the slopes, and collects in holes at the foot of the hills parallel to the creeks

Scrubs are frequent round the low rises of sandstone; and, where the country is level, and the soil loamy, the hollows are often filled ater by the thunder-storms The moist character of this description of country is probably the cause of the vegetation being more dense than it is in the rich black soil of the plains; in which latter, the seeds of the grasses and herbs lie dorerrowth, as if by enchant the growth of scrubs and trees

Feb 3--The deas heavy through the night; and, in the athered from the east and north-east, which, however, disappeared about eleven o'clock Charley went back to the ca it on, and I continued to reconnoitre to the north-west After passing a sandstone ridge, I came to a creek, which went to the north-west, and which was supplied ater by the late thunder-showers It was bounded on both sides by sandstone ridges, whose surassy slopes and flats bearing narrow-leaved Ironbark and bastard-box This would be a most beautiful country, if it contained a constant supply of water

I observed on the ridges an Acacia, a sh, and frouished by its peculiar rough frizzled bark, sies of the Robinson It has a dark sweet-scented heartwood, like that of the Bricklow and the Myal and other Acacias, which I had previously met with The creek turned to the north and north-east, into a plain, and joined a larger creek which caht at about south-west Near their junction, a very conspicuous peak was observed, with several small water-holes ater at its foot I then returned to the spot to which Charley had been ordered to conduct the camp; but, as the party had not arrived, I feared that soht have happened, and therefore rode towards the water-holes froone back to the camp I found the detention caused by the absence of the horses, which had strayed to the other side of the range

Feb 6--Charley rodeones, and returned with them about one o'clock to the camp; and then we proceeded about six miles due north, in the direction of a finecharacter-- which I called ”Phillips's Mountain,” after one of ht of Calvert's and Scott's Peaks, the forrees E Our latitude was 22 degrees 43the plains, stretching its flexible branches over the ground; Mimosa terminalis (the sensitive plant) was very plentiful, and rey pubescent leaf and stely strong during the last four days At the caeons (Geophaps scripta), and five cockatoos; a welcome addition to our scanty meals For a considerable time previous, I had reduced our allowance of flour to three pounds; but now, considering that ere still so far to the eastward, it was, by general consent of ain reduced to a pound and a-half per diem for the six, of which a damper mixed up with fat was made every day, as soon as we reached our encaht my camp forward about six miles farther to the north-by-east, to the water-holes I had found at the foot of the sandstone ridges; and, after having settled my camp, I ith my two Blackfellows in search of more water About a mile and a-half north from the camp we came to an isolated peak, which I ascended, and froe I had yet seen I atteave to itsflat-topped e,” after E Lord, Esq, of Moreton Bay; and a sharp needle-like rock, which bore west-by-north, received the name of ”Fletcher's Awl,” after Mr John Fletcher, whose kind contribution towards

Towards the east and north-east, a flat country extended, in which the smoke of several fires of the natives was seen, and, in the distance, several blue ranges were distinguished To the northward, the country was very mountainous, and in the north-west, at a short distance, Phillips's Mountain reared its head Many shallow valleys, at present of an earth-brown colour, led down froe creek--which probably collects all the waters that we had passed on the east side of the range, and which I descended during my ride of the 3rd February--flon a very conspicuous valley to the eastward I na Downs; and the peak on which I stood after--Caentlereatest hospitality toour stay at the Downs, before starting on the expedition The rock of Campbell's Peak is domitic; at the top it is of a bluish colour and very hard, and contains very visible, though minute, crystals of felspar

In a holloeen the two rocky protuberances on the west side of the hill, a noble fig-tree spread its rich dark-green shady foliage; and on the steep slopes Erythrina was frequent I could not help contrasting the character of this place with the moist creeks and mountain brushes of the Bunya Bunya country near Moreton Bay, where I had been accusto to the NNE we passed several creeks or watercourses, soe; and, following doatercourse, cainate in Phillips's Mountain This creek contained water; it flowed to the south-east and east, and very probably joined Stephens's Creek A rather stunted rusty gues; pebbles of concretionary limestone were found in the creek, probably carried down from the basalt of Phillips's Mountain; and a deposit of concretionary li one of the black plains, on this side of the range A profusion of Calcedony, and fine speci the basaltic ridges My black coates, which they had never seen before, and which they evidently considered to be very valuable; but, after a little tiht became inconvenient, and they kept only a few, to strike fire with

Feb 7--Having sent Brown back to guide our party to this creek, which is about sixplace, in latitude 22 degrees 32 minutes 27 seconds; I continued h sandstone range, and travelled for so its flat summit The country was very broken, but openly timbered, and occasionally of a most beautiful character; but frequently interrupted by patches of ht Mount Phillips to bear south-west and south, we entered a fine open bastard-box country, with slight undulations, and which seee I found Balfouria saligna R Br, a shrub or s linear-lanceolate leaves, and rather drooping branches, covered with very fragrant yellow blossoth, were terete, tapering to a point, and filled with silky seeds The sa round the head of the gulf of Carpentaria, and also at Arnheim's Land Another shrub (Gardenia?), with opposite, oval, rather rough leaves, and large white or light yellow blossorance, had been observed once before, but was very coton; at which place a species of Guettarda, rese the beach

The last two days thethe afternoon of each day cirrhi for down, became confluent, and united into a dark cloud which pro; and the sun set in a cloudless horizon: in the , which renders that part of the day

Feb 8--I returned last night to the creek, from which I had sent Brown back, and foundwe travelled to the water-holes I had seen about seven miles in advance to the north-west, and about five or six miles due north froain with the two Blackfellows, not only with a view to find water for the next stage, but to endeavour to ain, and thence to pursue a es, several of them very steep, and of considerable elevation, stretch parallel to each other froe to the ard, which is probably connected with Peak Range It is composed of basalt, and partly covered with dense scrub, and in other parts openly timbered; where the scrub prevailed, the soil was shallow and rocky, but the soil of the open forest was deeper, and of the character of that of the plains The deep gullies were all without water, but occasionally filled with patches of rich brush Many creeks went down between the sandstone ranges: and they were generally bounded on both sides by fine well-grassed, narrow-leaved Ironbark slopes, and sweet herbage, on which nulens au poplar of Europe, and of a bright green colour, which rendered the appearance of the country exceedingly cheerful It is a rohite bark; but the wood, not being free grained, was unfit for splitting Lower doater was found, without exception, in all the creeks, and was e of the level country to the eastward, where the ridges disappear, byacross these sandstone ranges, with their thick vegetation, and deep gullies and valleys, was exceedingly difficult The bullocks upset their loads frequently in claress was consequently very slow This induced ive up the westerly course, and to look for a better-travelling country to the eastward; supposing, at the same time, that water would be found more abundant, as we approached the sea-coast

I, therefore, returned to the camp, and on the 10th February, I travelled about six es and creeks, and ca day, the 11th February, I travelled down this creek, and reached a flat country of great extent, lightly tium; but the water disappeared in the sandy bed of the creek, which had assu course, and we had to encamp on a shallow pool left on the rocks, which, for a short distance, forrees 23 minutes, about thirteen miles E N E from our camp of the 8th February

Feb 12--We continued travelling along the creek, and halted at very fine water-holes, within soain The stage did not exceed six miles east; but I did not venture to proceed farther until I had examined the country in advance, which did not look very prohs, Esq, of Darling Downs