Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia Volume II Part 25

Mitre lake.

Relinquish the pursuit of the Wimmera.

The party travels to the south-west.

Red lake.

Small lakes of fresh water.

White lake.

Basketwork of the natives.

Muddy state of the surface.

Mr. Stapylton's ride southward.

Disastrous encounter of one man with a native.

A tribe makes its appearance.

More lakes of brackish water.

Escape at last from the mud.

Encamp on a running stream.

Fine country.

Discovery of a good river.

Granitic soil.

Pa.s.sage of the Glenelg.

Country well watered.

Pigeon ponds.

Soft soil again impedes the party.

Halt to repair the carts and harness.

Natives very shy.

Chetwynd rivulet.

Slow progress over the soft surface.

Excursion into the country before us.

Beautiful region discovered.

The party extricated with difficulty from the mud.

PLAINS OF STIFF CLAY.

July 17.

The ground on the sides of the low hills was still so soft (and in this respect I had found the country we had lately crossed even worse than that previously traversed by the carts) that the only prospect which remained to us of being able to continue the journey was by proceeding over the plains extending along the interior side of the Grampians of the South. The soil of such plains consisted chiefly of clay, and we had recently found that it bore the wheels of the waggons much better during the winter season than the thin and loose soil on the sides of hills; apparently because this lay on rock, or a substratum so tenacious as to support the water in or just under the surface. The wheels and also the feet of the cattle sunk at once to this rocky subsoil whatever its depth, and up came the water, so that on level parts our track resembled a ditch of mud and water, and on slopes it formed a current of water and a drain from the sides of hills. I had observed the plains during my reconnaissance of the interior from the side of Mount William, and I now directed our course towards them. We crossed without difficulty the little river by the pa.s.sage Mr. Stapylton had prepared during my absence and, after travelling about four miles first west and then north-west, we came upon an extensive plain. The soil consisted of good strong clay on which the cattle travelled very well, and it was covered with the best kind of gra.s.s. On reaching it I resumed my former course which was nearly west-south-west towards Mount Zero, a name I applied to a remarkable cone at the western extremity of the chain of mountains. After travelling 2 1/2 miles over the plain we again reached the banks of Richardson's creek, and forded it after some delay and considerable difficulty on account of the softness of the bottom. We next entered on a tract of gra.s.sy forest land, the trees being chiefly box and casuarinae. At 2 1/2 miles beyond Richardson's creek we crossed a small run of water flowing west-north-west, apparently towards it. After pa.s.sing over similar ground for some miles further and having had another plain on our right, we at length encamped near a large serpentine pond or lake which was broad, deep, and bordered with lofty gum trees.

July 18.

We continued for five miles along good firm ground on which there was open forest of box and gumtrees; and part of the bold outline of the Grampians appeared to our left.

THE WIMMERA.

At nine miles we fell in with a flowing stream, the water being deep and nearly as high as the banks. I did not doubt that this was the channel of the waters from the north side of these mountains, and I was convinced that it contained the water of all the streams we had crossed on our way to Mount William, with the exception of Richardson's creek, already crossed by the party where it was flowing to the north-west. The richness of the soil and the verdure near the river, as well as the natural beauty of the scenery could scarcely be surpa.s.sed in any country. The banks were in some places open and gra.s.sy and shaded by lofty yarra trees, in others mimosa bushes nodded over the eddying stream.

Continuing along the right bank in a north-west direction we travelled two miles on a gra.s.sy plain; and we then turned towards the river, encamping on its banks in lat.i.tude 36 degrees 46 minutes 30 seconds South, longitude 142 degrees 39 minutes 25 seconds East. Magnetic variation 5 degrees 21 minutes 45 seconds East.

Some natives being heard on the opposite bank, Piper advanced towards them as cautiously as possible; but he could not prevail on them to come over, although he ascertained that the name of the river was the Wimmera.

DIFFICULT Pa.s.sAGE OF ITS FIVE BRANCHES.

July 19.

On examining the Wimmera with Piper's a.s.sistance I found that it was fordable in some places; but in order to effect a pa.s.sage with greater facility we took over several of the loads in one of the boats. Thus the whole party had gained what I considered to be the left bank by ten A.M.

On proceeding I perceived some yarra trees before me which grew, as we soon discovered, beside a smaller branch, the bottom of which was soft.

We had however the good fortune to pa.s.s the carts across this branch also. At a quarter of a mile further we came upon another flowing stream, apparently very deep and having steep but gra.s.sy banks. The pa.s.sage of this occupied the party nearly two hours, one of the carts having sunk up to the axle in a soft bank or channel island. While the men were releasing the cart I rode forward and found a FOURTH channel, deep, wide, and full to the brim. In vain did Tally-ho (trumpeter, master of the horse, etc. to the party) dash his horse into this stream in search of a bottom; though at last one broad favourable place was found where the whole party forded at a depth of not more than 2 1/2 feet. Beyond these channels another similar one still obstructed our progress; but this we also successfully forded, and at length we found rising ground before us, consisting of an open plain which extended to the base of the mountains.

On its skirt we pitched our tents at a distance of not quite one mile and a half from our last camp; a short journey certainly, but the pa.s.sage of the five branches of the Wimmera was nevertheless a good day's work. I had frequently observed in the Australian rivers a uniformity of character throughout the whole course of each, and the peculiarities of this important stream were equally remarkable, it being obviously the same we had crossed in three similar channels when on our way to Mount William, twenty miles above this point. The shrubs on the banks at the two places were also similar.

ASCEND MOUNT ZERO.

July 20.

While Mr. Stapylton conducted the party across the plains in a west-south-west direction I proceeded towards Mount Zero, the most western extremity of the mountain range and distant from our camp 8 1/2 miles. I found this hill consisted also of highly micaceous sandstone; the whole being inclined towards the north-west. Having planted my theodolite on the summit I intersected various higher points to the eastward, and also a very remote, isolated hill on the low country far to the northward which I had also seen from Mount William, and from several stations on our route. Several specimens of shrubs and flowers that had not been previously seen by us were gathered on the sides of this rocky hill. Among them was a very singular hairy Acacia covered with a profusion of the most brilliant yellow flowers. In some respects it resembled A. lanigera, but it proved upon examination to be undescribed.*

(Footnote. A. strigosa, Lindley ma.n.u.scripts; glanduloso-hirsuta, phyllodiis linearibus v. lineari-oblongis obovatisque uninerviis eglandulosis apice rotundatis mucronatis obliquis, stipulis subulatis villosis, capitulis solitariis sessilibus.)

An isolated ma.s.s appeared to the westward, having near its base a most remarkable rock resembling a mitre. Beyond this the distant horizon was not quite so level as the plains of the interior usually are and, as far as I could see northward with a good telescope, I perceived open forest land and various fine sheets of water. I observed with great satisfaction that the Grampians terminated to the westward on a comparatively low country. This was an important object of attention to me then as it comprised all that intervened between us and the southern coast; in which direction I perceived only one or two groups of conical hills. I resolved however, before turning southwards, to extend our journey to the isolated ma.s.s already mentioned, which I afterwards named Mount Arapiles. After descending from Mount Zero I proceeded towards the track of the carts and found that the plains, unlike any hitherto seen, undulated so much that in one place I could perceive only the tops of trees in the hollows. On these plains I found small nodules of highly ferruginous sandstone, apparently similar to that which occurs near Jervis Bay and in other places along the eastern coast.

CIRCULAR LAKE, BRACKISH WATER.

Reaching at length a low green ridge of black soil very different from that of the plains, I found it formed the eastern bank of another of those remarkable circular lakes of which I had seen so many near the Murray. The bed of this hollow consisted of rich black earth and was thirty-two feet below the level of the adjacent plain. It seemed nearly circular, the diameter being about three-quarters of a mile. One peculiarity in this lake was a double bank on the eastern side consisting first of a concentric break or slope from the plain, the soil not being clay as usual, but a dry red sand; and then arose the green bank of black earth, leaving a concentric fosse or hollow between. A belt of yarra trees grew around the edge of this singular hollow which was so dry and firm that the carts, in the track of which I was riding, had traversed it without difficulty. I learnt from Mr. Stapylton, on reaching the camp, that the party had previously pa.s.sed near two other lakes, the largest containing salt water; and in the neighbourhood of these he had also remarked a great change of soil; so that what with the verdure upon it, the undulating surface, and clumps of casuarinae on light soil, or lofty yarra trees growing in black soil, that part of the country looked tolerably well.

THE MACKENZIE AND THE NORTON.

July 21.

At a quarter of a mile from the camp we crossed a running stream which also contained deep and apparently permanent pools. Several pine or callitris trees grew near its banks being the first we had seen for some time. I named this mountain stream the Mackenzie. Beyond it were gra.s.sy undulating plains with clumps of casuarinae and box trees (eucalypti). At three miles and a half we crossed another chain of ponds, and at four miles we came to a deep stream, running with considerable rapidity over a bed of sandstone rock. It was overhung with mimosa-bushes; and it was not until after considerable search that I could find a convenient place for fording it. This I named the Norton. Good gra.s.sy hills arose beyond, and after crossing them we found an undulating country and sandy soil where there were shallow lagoons and but little gra.s.s.

THE WIMMERA IN A UNITED CHANNEL.

At nine miles I was aware, from the sloping of the ground, of the vicinity of a river; and we soon came once more upon the Wimmera, flowing in one deep channel nearly as broad as the Murrumbidgee, but in no other respect at all similar. The banks of this newly discovered river were not water-worn but characterised by verdant slopes, the borders being fringed with bushes of mimosae. The country was indeed fine adjacent to the Wimmera, and at the point where we came to it the river was joined by a running creek from the south which we crossed, and at two miles and a quarter further we encamped on a spot overlooking a reedy lagoon, from which some long slopes descended towards the river, distant from our camp about half a mile. When we thus again intersected the Wimmera I was travelling due west, partly with a view to ascertain its ultimate course.

LOSE THIS RIVER.

The isolated hill lay before me, and it was now to be ascertained whether the course of the stream was to the south or north of it. The appearance of the country from Mount Zero certainly afforded no prospect of our falling in with the river where we did, but at this camp Burnett, having climbed to the top of a high tree, thought he could trace the course to the southward of the hill before us, which bore nearly west. This prospect accorded with my wishes, and I hoped to trace it to the coast without deviating too far to the westward of my intended route.

July 22.

A small stream from the south crossed our way when we had proceeded about half a mile. At six miles and a half we met with another; and three miles beyond it I perceived a change in the appearance of the country. We had been for some time travelling through forest land which now opened into gra.s.sy and level plains, variegated with belts and clumps of lofty trees giving to the whole the appearance of a park. We had now the hilly ma.s.s of Mount Arapiles on our right, or north of us, but to my surprise there was no river flowing between us and those heights as I had reason to suppose from what had been seen from the tree by Burnett. Turning towards the north-west therefore and at last northward, we finally encamped on a spot to the westward of the hill after a journey of sixteen miles. Much of the ground near this hill was so soft that one of the carts could not be brought in before midnight, although a.s.sisted by several teams sent back from the camp. We were now encamped on a dark-coloured soil from which arose the same peculiar smell that I had remarked at Cudjallagong (Regent's Lake of Oxley). What had become of the Wimmera I could scarcely imagine but, anxious to ascertain its course, I hastened before sunset to a western extremity of the hill; but instead of the river, of which I could see no trace, I beheld the sun setting over numerous lakes: the nearest, two miles and a half to the northward, being apparently six miles in circ.u.mference. It seemed to be nearly circular and a group of low gra.s.sy hills formed a concentric curve around the eastern margin, and from the total absence of any reeds, trees, or smoke of natives, it was too obvious that the water was salt. From the spot where I then stood I counted twelve such lakes, most of them appearing to have a crescent-shaped mound or bank on the eastern side. This certainly was a remarkable portion of the earth's surface, and rather resembled that of the moon as seen through a telescope. The eastern and princ.i.p.al summit of the hill was at some distance; and I returned to the camp in hopes of being able to discover from that point in the morning some indication of the further course of the Wimmera.

ASCEND MOUNT ARAPILES.

July 23.

Having ascended the highest summit I counted from that height twenty-seven circular lakes, two of the largest being about seven miles to the north-east, the direction in which I expected to see the river.

Beyond these however I observed an extensive woody valley whence much smoke arose, marking, to all appearance, the course of the Wimmera which must have taken a turn in that direction, not far below the junction of the last creek crossed by the party. Beyond that supposed bed of the Wimmera the country appeared to be undulated, open, and gra.s.sy; and it was probably covered with lakes similar to those on this side, for I had observed from Mount Zero patches of water in that direction. From this summit I had a good view of the Grampians of the South and, discovering that a lofty range extended from them southward, I named it the Victoria range having also recognised and intersected Mount William, distant 53 1/2 miles. I could see no high land to the westward, and the hill on which I stood seemed to divide the singular lacustrine country from that where the character of the surface was fluviatile. Mount Arapiles is a feature which may always be easily recognised both by its isolated position and by its small companion the Mitre Rock, situated midway between it and the lake to the northward, which I named Mitre Lake after the little hill, its neighbour. Like the mountains in the east Mount Arapiles consists of sandstone pa.s.sing into quartz, the whole apparently an altered sandstone, the structure being in one part almost destroyed, in others perfectly distinct and containing pebbles of quartz. At the western extremity this rock occurs in columns, resembling, at a distance, those of basalt. (See Plate 31.) On the steep slopes grew pines, casuarinae, and a variety of shrubs among which we found a new species of Baeckea, forming a handsome evergreen bush, the ends of whose graceful branches were closely covered with small white delicate flowers.* This ma.s.s occupies about two square miles, its highest summit being elevated above Mitre Lake 726 feet. I ascended this hill on the anniversary of the battle of Salamanca and hence the name.

(Footnote. B. calycina, Lindley ma.n.u.scripts; glaberrima, foliis planis spa.r.s.e punctatis oblongo-cuneatis acutis, floribus pedicellatis terminali-axillaribus, laciniis calycinis petaloideis petalis longioribus. Near B. virgata.)

MR. STAPYLTON'S EXCURSION NORTHWARD.

July 24.