Part 17 (1/2)

It was on this stage that we first met with a leafless species of Bossiaea, froh, with compressed stem, and branches of the habit of Bossiaea scolopendrium, with yellow blosso This shrub was one of the principal components of all the scrubs we passed froh less frequently, towards the centre of Arnheih cloudy; the wind froht cool, without wind

When Brown and Charley rejoined us, the forht they had h they said they had not My i on the possibility of an attack of the natives, and I consequently laidmy boots and trowsers off, to be ready at a moht to see that the watches were strictly kept In thethat he saw a native: I felt certain now that an attack was about to be ave the alarun ready, when it was discovered that our own Broas the e native He had left his couch without being observed, and, when he returned, it was too dark to recognize hi his life, or at least being shot at, for his wild yells ”tis erous position, were not understood, but only increased our belief that they were the war-cry of attacking natives

The creek, on a water-hole of which we encarees 54 minutes 50 seconds, was doubtless one of the heads of the broad salt-water creek we crossed, and which I called ”Turner's Creek,” after Cowper Turner, Esq of Sydney:

Sept 3--We travelled about ninethe heads of those scrubby creeks which went down to the salt water, the dark rove line of which we had seen yesterday But we crossed four good sized dry creeks, lined with drooping tea-trees and white-guroves of Pandanus, whose stately croere adorned with red-fruited cones: the seed-vessels contained in their stringy texture a rich mellow pear-like substance, which however was hot, and ues very sore We encamped on some water-holes, with excellent water, in a fifth creek, which lower down contained soeese (Anseranassoeese, an eetting two geese, which were in hed better than five pounds each

A well beaten foot-path of the natives led up a broad salt-water creek, to the northward of the creek on which ere enca after the horses, saw a ca place of the natives with spears and the usual utensils: but the inhabitants had either not yet returned fro excursions, or had left it, frightened by the frequent discharge of our guns

Sept 4--We travelled about eleven miles west by north The first three h scrub; we forded a salt-water creek about thirty yards broad, and then, for the next four h a scrubby country, and came to a second salt-water creek as broad as the first, but containing only pools of water The scrub now opened, and the last fourhollows surrounded with drooping tea-trees and the white water-gureeable contrast with the dull green of the scrubs and the box-trees After crossing a srew a few Sarcocephalus, we ca tea-trees and Sarcocephalus, and encamped on a fine pool of water, within its deep bed I named this creek after WC Wentworth, Esq

MC who had kindly contributed to the outfit of eese filed in long line over our cas was heavy, but short, and the note they eoose, but was some-what shriller

In the box-flat we started a flock of eht a finefor a looker on to observe how reer ere to pluck the feathers from its rump, and cut the skin, to see how thick the fat was, and whether it was a rich yellow, or only flesh-coloured We had, indeed, afat; and we soon found where to look for it In the emu it accumulates all over the skin, but particularly on the rump, and between the shoulders, and round the sternal plate To obtain the oil, we skinned those parts, and suspended the pan; this was of a light yellowish colour, tasteless, and al froue, I rubbed it into the skin all over the body, and its slightly exciting properties proved very beneficial It has always been considered by the white inhabitants of the bush, a good anti-rheumatic

The sea breeze frohts were clear and dewy, but ceased to be so cold

I found a piece of granite and a fragate in the sandy bed of the creek

Sept 5--We travelled about ten rees 48passed a rather open forest of bloodwood, apple-guuminous Ironbark, with isolated patches of scrub, and some dry teat-ree swamps with heaps of calcined y-bark forest, on a sandy soil, with a hard sandstone cropping out frequently This opened into the flats of a sandy Pandanus creek, which we crossed; and, three miles farther, we came to another broad creek with salt water Its bed was rocky, and we forded it easily

I followed one of its branches for severalits salt-water pools, a small pool of fresh water in its rocky sandy bed, near which I observed an old ca place of the natives I was considerably in advance ofthe pool of water and the nu the shady bed of the creek; I i, and caught it after a very short run; to prevent its wounding the dog, I dishtened, broke loose, and ran away I returned with the emu to the water, and when the train arrived, I sent Charley after the horse, whilst I walked about two miles further up the creek to find a better supply of water Not succeeding, however, I returned and encaed with the spade, and obtained a sufficient supply of very good water Charley returned with the horse, but s, reat anxiety, and bla committed such an act of imprudence Charley went, however, a second ti but the calabash, which was a great loss to our dog

In the cae round stone of porphyry, upon which the natives were accustomed to break the seed-vessels of Pandanus I could discover no indications of this rock in the creek, not even the smallest pebble; and I aht by the natives from a considerable distance to the south-west But, froranite of our last camp, it became evident that a rocky primitive country, like that of the upper Lynd, could not be very distant Even the vegetation agreed ith that of the same locality; as the dwarf Grevillea, G

chrysodendruain observed The tea-trees along the banks of the creek, as far as the salt-water extended, were leafless and dead This may be accounted for by a succession of dry years in which usual freshes have not taken place; and by the supposition that the drooping tea-tree cannot live on water entirely salt

Sept 6--We travelled twelve h Pandanus and bloodwood forest, alternating with scrub, stringy-bark forest, and tea-tree thickets; and, in the latter part of the stage, through broad-leaved tea-tree forest We encamped at a fine river, with a bed three hundred yards broad fro water This channel was fringed with the water Pandanus, which we first observed at Bea tea-trees and Grevillea chrysodendrum Charley shot a bustard, the stomach of which was filled with seeds of Greith sain passed some of those remarkable dry tea-tree swaetiroith small tea-trees, perhaps five or six years old; and which proved, like the drooping tea-trees on the banks of the creek, that the last few years had been exceedingly dry I supposed the river to be the Van Alphen of the Dutch navigators, as its latitude, where I crossed it, was about 16 degrees 41 rees 48 minutes

Sept 7--We travelled about nine rees 35 e was scrubby, the latter part undulating with a fine open stringy-bark forest The trees were tall, but rarely more than a foot in diarey colour About seven e to the ard; and, soon after, passed a sandy Pandanus creek, with scrubby broken banks: this was joined by a second, and both together entered a broad tea-tree creek, co from the south-west, in which we found a fine pool of water covered hite and yellow Villarsias and yellow Utricularias

The rose-coloured Sterculia, and a smooth broad-leaved Terminalia, were observed on the sandy flats of the creek; and a small fan-leaved palnificant trunkless plant, growing between sandstone rocks, was here first observed A taller species of this pale tracts of forest on the Cobourg Peninsula, and near the Alligator rivers

As our tea bag was getting very low, and as I was afraid that we should have to go a long tiht it advisable to eood tea at luncheon, e arrived at our ca and refreshi+ng beverage The tea-leaves re in the pot, were saved and boiled up for supper, allowing a pint to each person In the , we had our soup, and drank water ad libitum Tea is unquestionably one of the ar is of very little consequence, and I believe that one does even better without it We have not felt the slightest inconvenience fro time without salt The want of the latter, however, ain, alht attack of diarrhoea

Our horses were still in excellent condition, and even i order, although the oldest of the bullocks for such a journey, one should be particularly careful to choose young powerful beasts, about five or six years old, and not too heavy All our old and heavy bullocks proved to be bad travellers; only one had borne the journey until now, and he was only preserved by great care and attention During suround is so hot, and frequently so rotten, that even the feet of a dog sink deep This heat, should there be a want of water during a long stage, and perhaps a run after ga It is, therefore, of the greatest iood traveller, with hard feet: a cross of the kangaroo dog with the bloodhound would be, perhaps, the best He should be light, and satisfied with little food in case of scarcity; although the dried tripe of our bullocks gave a It is necessary to carry water for them; and to a little calabash, which we obtained from the natives of the Isaacs, we have been frequently indebted for the life of Spring

Sept 8--We travelled about ten rees (Unclear:)81 e were scrubby, or covered with a dense underwood of several species of Acacia, Grevillea chrysodendrum and a species of Pultenaea with leafless coh a stringy-bark forest, with sandy, and frequently rotten soil, on sandstone ridges or undulations Sogling apple-guain observed Fusanus with pinnate leaves Several good sized dry sandy creeks were surrounded with Pandanus We saw a low range in forher one beyond it in the distance

We enca, but contained in its bed two chains of small deep ponds full of perches, and shaded with Pandanus and drooping tea-trees, which grew to a large size all over the bed between the two ponds I naood services of Mr Calvert during our expedition, and which I feelWe sao emus, and Brown killed one of the, which received a severe cut in the neck from the sharp claw of the bird

The whole country round the gulf ell-grassed, particularly before we crossed the Nicholson; and on the plains and approaches to the rivers and creeks The large water-holes were frequently surrounded with a dense turf of Fie), which our horses liked to feed upon Sorasses made their appearance e approached the sea-coast, as well on the plains as in the forest The well-known kangaroo grass (Anthisteria) forms still one of the principal coood supply of a tufty wind-grass; and, although the feed was dry during this part of the year, our horses and cattle did exceedingly well, as I have already mentioned

Both took an occasional bite of some Acacias, of Grevillea chrysodendrum, and of several other shrubs Cattle driven over the country we have passed, by short stages, and during the proper season, would even fatten on the road

When we approached the water-hole on which ere going to encauana in the water, which was so strikingly coloured that he thought it different from those we had previously seen

Xyris, Philydrurew in great abundance round the water I found a great quantity of the latter in the stomach of the eh, with sio-lanceolate leaves, and with a beautiful green blossorew in the bed of the river Great nuht yellow hornets, with some black marks across the abdoly troublesome: but the mosquitoes annoyed us very rarely, and only where water was very abundant The nights have been very dewy, but not cold The wind in theround to the northward during the day