Journals of Australian Explorations Part 44

Lat.i.tude by Vega 18 degrees 14 minutes 25 seconds.

13th September.

At 8.5 a.m. steered east-north-east through box-flats with broad-leafed melaleuca, with a little gra.s.s. The country gradually became more scrubby with grevillia, terminalia, bloodwood, and triodia; the soil very poor, and in some parts sand and gravel. At 2.0 p.m. altered the course to north, and at 5.50 came to a dry creek in a rocky channel trending west, which we followed down till 6.15, and camped without water.

14th September (Sunday).

At 5.50 proceeded down the creek on a nearly west course, searching the channel in its winding course for water, but without success, till 10.0, when we found a pool of good water fifty yards long and two feet deep, at which we encamped. Some blacks had been camped at this pool, and their fires were still burning. The country on the creek is very poor, with patches of open melaleuca scrub, box, bloodwood, leguminous ironbark, terminalia, white-gum, and a few panda.n.u.s, triodia, and a little very dry gra.s.s. The soil sandstone, with ironstone gravel. The native bee appears to be very numerous, and great numbers of trees have been cut by the blacks to obtain the honey.

Lat.i.tude by a Aquilae 17 degrees 59 minutes 26 seconds.

LEVEL COUNTRY. SCARCITY OF WATER.

15th September.

At 8.15 a.m. resumed our journey north 10 degrees magnetic, over a very level country thinly wooded with box, bloodwood, melaleuca, terminalia, grevillia, and cotton-trees, also a small tree which we recognised as Leichhardt's little bread-tree, the fruit of which, when ripe, is mealy and acid, but made some of the party, who ate it, sick. Several dry watercourses trending west were crossed, and at 2.5 p.m. camped at a small waterhole in a sandy creek, fifteen yards wide. By enlarging the hole we obtained, though with difficulty, a sufficient supply of water for our horses. On the flats near the creek the gra.s.s was good, but very dry.

Lat.i.tude by a Aquilae 17 degrees 46 minutes 11 seconds.

16th September.

Although our horses required a day's rest, none of our camps for some days had afforded a sufficient supply of water and gra.s.s for a second night; we therefore continued a north 20 degrees east course at 6.25 a.m.; at 7.30 a.m. came to a creek which we followed east an hour and a half, when it was reduced to a small gully, and again steered north-north-east, pa.s.sing over much poor country with patches of melaleuca scrub, the country perfectly level; at 2.0 p.m. came to a sandy creek which we followed to the west till 6.5 p.m. without any water; camped in an open gra.s.sy box flat; I then walked down the creek, and was fortunate in finding a pool of water half a mile distant, and as soon as the moon rose we drove the horses to the water and filled our saddle-bags. Few parts of our journey have been through country so dest.i.tute of animal life as the level plain we have traversed since leaving the Flinders River--no kangaroo or even their track; emu tracks very rare, and very few birds were at the waterholes. Many of the sleeping-frames of the blacks have been observed, and thousands of deep impressions of their feet in the now dry and sun-baked clay show that during the rainy season the extremely level nature of the country causes it to be extensively inundated.

17th September.

The supply of water and gra.s.s being sufficient, we remained at this camp to refresh the horses, which had suffered much from the long stages.

Lat.i.tude by Capella 17 degrees 34 minutes 5 seconds; variation of compa.s.s 4 degrees 50 minutes east.

DRIED HORSE-FLESH.

18th September.

Starting at 7.0 a.m., steered north 10 degrees east magnetic till 12.30 p.m., crossing a level country with frequent hollows which form lagoons in the wet season, reaching a sandy creek with several channels, which we searched in vain for water; but found a fine lagoon about a quarter of a mile from it, in a gra.s.sy flat, in which we encamped. The country generally was more open, with gra.s.sy box-flats; melaleuca scrubs less frequent. As this camp appeared suitable for a halt of a few days, I decided on availing ourselves of the opportunity, and to kill one of the unserviceable horses and replenish our stock of meat and supply the party with fresh provisions. Old Boco, who had not carried a pack since leaving the Albert, and whose wandering and kicking propensities had rendered him a troublesome animal, was therefore shot, skinned and quartered.

Lat.i.tude by a Aquilae 17 degrees 21 minutes 20 seconds; variation of compa.s.s 5 degrees 15 minutes east.

19th September.

The horse was cut into thin slices and hung on ropes to dry by 10.0 a.m., the liver and heart furnis.h.i.+ng the party with an excellent dinner.

20th September.

The night had been cloudy, but the meat dried well, and promised to be fit to pack the following day, the weather being very hot with little wind. Reduced the ration of flour to three-quarters of a pound per diem while fresh meat is abundant.

21st September.

Resumed our journey at 8.15 a.m. and traversed on a course north 40 degrees east a level plain gra.s.sy country thinly wooded with box, bloodwood, and terminalia, etc. The soil a dark loam of good quality, but very wet in the rainy season. At 11.30 a.m. came on a large creek or river with many sandy channels in which only a few small pools of water remained; followed it up to the east-south-east through fine open gra.s.sy flats till 2.35 p.m. and camped in the bed of the river. The banks of the river (which is probably the Gilbert of Leichhardt) are well gra.s.sed, and a dense line of melaleuca, leucodendron, flooded-gum, and morinda, mark its course through the plain; but being divided into many channels its size is difficult to ascertain. Considerable quant.i.ties of mica are mixed with the soil on its banks, which indicates that it rises in country of primary formation. Two kangaroos, some wallabies, and pink and sulphur-crested white c.o.c.katoos were seen near the river.

Lat.i.tude by a Aquilae 17 degrees 18 minutes 5 seconds.

THE GILBERT RIVER.

22nd September.

Leaving our camp at 7.25 a.m., steered north 120 degrees east across the plains on the left bank of the river, and at 1.30 p.m. camped at a small pool in the sandy bed of the Gilbert, which is broad, sandy, and retains very little water. Fragments of porphyry, quartz, and black slate are abundant in the drift, and mica, iserine, and minute garnets exist.

Lat.i.tude by a Aquilae 17 degrees 25 minutes 50 seconds.

23rd September.

At 7.5 a.m. continued our journey up the river's left bank, the average course south-east by east; at 2.50 p.m., camped at a small pool in the bed of the river; the princ.i.p.al channel is 200 yards wide, and the smaller ones occupy a breadth of half a mile; the banks are low, and the country quite level, thinly wooded with box-trees; the gra.s.s good, but not thick; water very scarce, except by digging in the sand of the river.

Lat.i.tude by a Cygni 17 degrees 36 minutes; variation of compa.s.s 5 degrees east.

24th September.

At 7.0 a.m. steered south-east, and at 8.0 crossed to the right bank of the river, the channel 300 yards wide, with banks fifteen feet high, beyond which the ground gradually declined, so that when the river overflows a great extent of country must be inundated. Continuing our course, the river turned more to the south, and we pa.s.sed through some poor stunted forest of eucalypti, alternating with gra.s.sy box-flats. At noon altered the course south-south-east, and at 12.30 p.m. camped at a chain of small lagoons in the shade of some fine nonda-trees.

Lat.i.tude by a Aquilae 17 degrees 45 minutes 10 seconds.

25th September.

At 6.35 a.m. steered south-east through an open melaleuca scrub, the soil sandy loam, thinly gra.s.sed; acacia, bloodwood, silver-leafed ironbark, and grevillia forming open patches of wood at intervals. At noon turned south, and at 1.35 p.m. camped at a small lagoon nearly dry and half a mile from the bank of the river; a few hills rose close to the south-west of the river opposite our camp, the lower ridges gra.s.sy, the higher hills wooded, but not exceeding 500 feet above the plain. The bed of the river is broad, dry, and sandy, and the box-flats much reduced in width, seldom exceeding a mile. At 5.0 p.m. there was a heavy squall with rain and lightning, followed by a cloudy night and moderate breeze from the south.

26th September.

At 6.45 a.m. resumed our route, and, following up the right bank of the river in a south-east direction till 2.0 p.m., when we camped in the sandy bed of the river, procuring water from a small hole in the sand.

The country on the banks of the river consisted of box flats, some parts well gra.s.sed, but usually very poor; this extended about half a mile, and then changed gradually to a poor country with little gra.s.s and small eucalypti and melaleuca, the soil gravel and sand. The bed of the river continues to be about 300 yards wide, dry, and sandy; a line of melaleuca, morinda, flooded-gum and fig trees, grow along it and mark its course.

Lat.i.tude by a Aquilae 18 degrees 10 minutes 10 seconds; variation of compa.s.s 5 degrees 20 minutes east.

27th September.

Steered an average south-east course up the river from 6.40 a.m. till 1.0 p.m., when we camped at some pools of water in a side channel of the river, where it was divided by a hillock of slate-rock. The country is inferior in quality, the flats narrowing to an average of half a mile with very dry and thinly scattered tufts of gra.s.s. The bed of the river is better defined, and formed at times a single channel 250 yards wide, dry and sandy, as water was only once seen during the day. Low rocky ridges of sandstone gradually approached its banks, and near the camp porphyry, slate, and coa.r.s.e granite formed detached hills 50 to 100 feet high, seeming to indicate an approach to the ranges in which the stream takes its rise.

Lat.i.tude by a Cygni 18 degrees 15 minutes 21 seconds.

GRANITE, PORPHYRY, AND SLATE.

28th September (Sunday).

Walked out from the camp to a low hill about one mile south-south-east.

It was composed of granite at the base and capped with horizontal strata of sandstone, some of the beds containing large water-worn pebbles, and the superstratum highly ferruginous. To the south-west of this hill the rock was slate, the strata nearly vertical; the strike north and south, but much contorted, and large pebbles of porphyry, quartz, slate, granite, sandstone, and agate formed banks in the bed of the river. The country, as seen from the hill, was generally level in appearance, but consisted of numerous low ridges and detached hills of granite, with sandstone on the summits. The valley of the river extended to the east and south, and a large branch appeared to join from the south about ten miles lower down, as a valley and some ranges of hills trended in that direction. The whole face of the country had an arid and desolate aspect, as there were no large trees except along the princ.i.p.al watercourses, and many of the hills appeared dest.i.tute of any other vegetation besides small acacias and scrub trees, the bare rock showing through its scanty covering.

29th September.

At 7.15 a.m. again steered east up the river, the country level and timbered with stringybark, box, bloodwood, leguminous ironbark, and rusty gum; the soil a red sandy loam, thinly gra.s.sed; at 10.30 a.m. came to low hills and ridges of granite and porphyry, timbered with box, leguminous ironbark, terminalia, and the gra.s.s somewhat improved. Altered the course at 11.0 a.m. to the south to close in with the river; but after crossing a great number of dry watercourses, and even steering west, only reached the bank of the river at sunset. The channel was dry, and all the vegetation had disappeared, only a barren waste of coa.r.s.e sand and gravel 180 yards wide, with bare rocky banks, showed that it had once been a running stream. A few small hollows in the rocks retained water from the late rain, but not sufficient for our horses, and though we found a small pool in the sand, it was insufficient for the supply of the party.