Part 8 (1/2)
I sent Mr Roper and Charley down the river, who inforht, that they had found water at different distances; the farthest they reached was distant about seventeen miles, in a water-hole near the scrub; but the bed of the river was dry As they rode, one on the right and the other on the left side of the river, a Blackfellow hailed Charley and approached him, but when he saw Mr
Roper--who crossed over upon being called--he iin, as far advanced in pregnancy, ascended another As Mr
Roper moved round the base of the tree, in order to look the Blackfellow in the face, and to speak with hi at Mr Roper, by shi+fting round and round the trunk like an iguana At last, however, he answered to the inquiry for water, by pointing to the W N W The woman also kept her face averted fro farther down the river they saw natives encamped at a water-hole, who, as soon as they became aware of the approach of the two horsereatest haste into the scrub; thewo after them, one athletic fellow turned round and threatened to throw his bon of hostility Mr Roper prudently retired Kangaroo and other nets s, waddies, and a fine opossum cloak were found at the camp, but were left untouched by our companions
March 15--Our party moved to the water-holes, where Mr Roper had seen the natives; the latter had removed their property, and were not afterwards heard or seen by any of us The general course of the river was about south-west, and is joined by several scrub creeks; its bed is broad and shalloith nuues; and the river itself is split into several anabranches The scrub is generally an open Vitex; a fine drooping tea-tree lines the banks of the river; Casuarina disappears; the flooded-gum is frequent, but of smaller size
The Mackenzie-bean and several other papilionaceous plants, with so plant, however, is a species of Datura, froenus has not previously been observed in Australia I also found species of Heliotropiurant odour
Sandstone cropped out in several places, and red quartz pebbles were very abundant in some parts of the river; the sands of its bed are so triturated that no one would ever surranitic rocks, at sixteen or twenty her up The whole country was flat; no hill was visible, but, towards the end of our day's journey, we crossed a few slight undulations
During the night of the 14th, southerly winds were followed by a gale fro of the 15th was cloudy with a little rain; wind southerly Early in the night, a strong east-ith drizzling long rain set in, but cleared up atof the 16th was cloudy, with a southerly wind Our lat was 21 degrees 39 minutes 58 seconds
March 17--Mr Gilbert and Broent forward in search of water, supposing that they would find it at a convenient distance, but were unsuccessful, and, as they had taken neither guns nor provisions, they were obliged to return Keeping, however, a little more to the left, on their return, they caes, where they passed the night, and reached the ca to eat for twenty-four hours The camp was then moved to these water-holes, about nine miles off, in a due west course Fine water-holes were passed at a short half- the northern anabranch of the river, we again found water
The detection of isolated water-holes in a wooded country, where there is nothing visible to indicate its presence, is quite a matter of chance We have often unconsciously passed well-filled water-holes, at less than a hundred yards distant, whilst ere suffering severely from thirst Our horses and bullocks never showed that instinctive faculty of detecting water, so often mentioned by other travellers; and I remember instances, in which the bullocks have reht, not fifty yards fro them; and, indeed, whenever we came to small water-holes, we had to drive the cattle down to them, or they would have strayed off to find water elsewhere On several occasions I followed their tracks, and observed they were influenced entirely by their sight when in search of it; at times attracted by a distant patch of deeper verdure, at others following down a hollow or a watercourse, but I do not recollect a single instance where they found water for themselves The horses, however, were naturally more restless and impatient, and, e approached a creek or a watercourse after a long journey, would descend into the bed and follow it for long distances to find water; giving great trouble to those who had to bring them back to the line of march
Whenever they saw me halt at the place where I intended to encaalloped towardsthat I had found water, and that they were to be relieved of their loads In looking for water, es, and ranges, which from their extent and elevation were most likely to lead me to it, either in beds of creeks, or rivers, or in water-holes, parallel to them In an open country, there are many indications which a practised eye will readily seize: a cluster of trees of a greener foliage, holloith luxuriant grass, eagles circling in the air, crows, cockatoos, pigeons (especially before sunset), and the call of Grallina Australis and flocks of little finches, would always attract our attention The enerally provided with chains of holes But a flat country, openly timbered, without any break of the surface or of the forest, was by no ; and I have frequently travelled ht line without obtainingon creeks, it required some experience in the country, to knohether to travel up or down the bed: so well provided ater i entirely dry at their upper part, but fore puddled holes, lower down, in a flat country Fro as to the course we should adopt, and were seldoes, near the water-holes on which ere enca ree, that our tea turned quite black and inky
The natives were very numerous in these parts, and their tracks were everywhere visible They had even followed the tracks of Mr Gilbert's and Brown's horses of the preceding day
The night was bright; the day cloudy, and the wind easterly I ith Charley, in the afternoon of the 17th, to examine the extent of the scrubby country, of which Mr Gilbert had given us so poor an account
The channel of the river became narrow and deep, with steep banks, as it enters the scrub, and there the flooded gu, and from two to three miles broad, and is tolerably open The Bricklow is here a real tree, but of stunted groith regularly fissured bark, like that of the Ironbark (Eucalyptus resinifera) It has long broad falcate phyllodia, whilst another species of the saular scaly bark, with sreyer colour than those of the coether Where the river left the scrub, it entered into a ater-worn box flat, and cut up into several irregular channels, lined by a dense thicket of narrow-leaved Melaleucas of stunted growth and irregular shapes The Box-tree itself is here a different species, the bark has deeper fissures, and the young wood is very yellow I shall distinguish it by the narows exclusively near creeks, or on the neighbouring flats I first observed it at the Mackenzie; its bark strips freely, but the steular to be of any use
In passing a low hill, at the foot of which the box-flat commenced, we came on a very distinct path of the natives, which led us to a deep water-hole, covered with luxuriant grass; containing but a small quantity of water Farther on we came to a second hole better supplied, and to a third; and at last Charley cried out, ”Look there, Sir! what big water!”
and a long broad sheet of water stretched in sweeps through a dense Bauhinia and Bricklow scrub, which covered its steep banks It is a singular character of this remarkable country, that extremes so often meet; the most miserable scrub, with the open plain and fine forest land; and thedryness, with the finest supply of water
Swarin of the lake; pelicans, beyond the reach of shot, floated on its bosos started fro half i its banks The inhabitants of this part of the country, doubtless, visit this spot frequently, judging from the numerous heaps of muscle-shells This fine piece of water, probably in the , and is surrounded with one mass of scrub, which opens a little at its north-western extremity
March 10--I continued my ride, ten or twelve miles down the river; the scrub continued, but the ihbourhood became a little more open; several trees were observed, that had been recently cut by the natives in search of honey or opossums Emus were very numerous; sometimes a solitary bird, and at others two, three, four, and up to thirteen together, were seen trotting off in long file, and now and then stopping to stare at us We caught a bandicoot with two young ones, which gave us an excellent luncheon When we left the lake, Charley thought he could distinguish a plain to the northward; and, riding in that direction, I was agreeably surprised to find that the scrub did not extend more than a mile and a-half from the river; and that, beyond it, plains and open forest extended far to the northward; and fine ridges with most excellent feed, to the southward The traveller who isthe course of a river, is unable to form a correct idea of the country farther off, unless hills are near, from which he may obtain extensive views At the water-worn banks of the Mackenzie, I little expected that ere in the vicinity of a country like that of Peak Range; and I am consequently inclined to believe thatthe banks of the Suttor, where its valley is covered with scrub, than we know anything about
March 19--The camp was removed to the lake of the Suttor, about twelve rees W We chased a flock of emus, but without success; four of ot very few; the others angled, but nothing would bite
The day was cloudy; soht was clear Lat 21 degrees 37my absence, my companions found a quantity of ihbourhood of our last camp
On the plains I found t species of Sida; and, on the tea-trees, a new form of Loranthus, with flowers in threes on a broad leafy bract, scarcely distinguishable from the real leaves
March 20--We travelled down to the water-holes, at which I had turned back Sandstone rock cropped out on several spots, and pieces of broken quartz were strewed over the ground All the water-holes along the low ridges and within the bed of the river, were full of water; and the district seemed to be one of those which, from their peculiar conformation of surface, are more frequently favoured by thunder-storhts of ducks held their course in the saood supply of water lower doe continued our journey on the 21st March The creek frequently divided into channels, forth, covered with scrub, and over which freshes had swept All at once, the water disappeared; the deepest holes were dry; the Melaleucas were not to be found; the flooded-gurass was replaced by a scanty wiry grass The whole river seemed to divide into chains of dry water-holes, scarcely connected by holloo e water-hole, surrounded by Polygonurass, and, at two miles farther, to another, and in about the same distance to a third Recent camps of the natives were on each of them, and a beaten path led from one to the other One of these holes was crossed by a weir e fish, turtle shells, and heaps of muscles, were strewed round the fire places
The whole day was bright and very hot; the wind in the afternoon frorees 31 hteen miles WNW from the lake
Mr Roper and Brown rode about seven e regular bed well supplied ater; and that the country was of atheir dinners to their unwelcoreeable repast; farther on they saw four ing in the horses on theof the 22nd, passed a nuazed at hile word
I travelled withthem, we crossed an extensive box-flat, near that part of the river where it is split into collateral chains of holes Talc-schiste cropped out at the latter part of the journey; its strata were perpendicular, and their direction from north-west to south-east; its character was the saland; numerous veins of quartz intersected the rock