4th September.
Continued a south-east course through large open plains thinly grassed;
passed a dry watercourse with a small waterhole in one of the back
channels, but insufficient for our horses, and at noon camped at a
shallow waterhole in a grassy flat. Mr. Elsey walked half a mile to the
eastward; came to a river eighty yards wide, but observing some blacks,
returned to the camp. In the evening nine blacks came towards us, and
appeared inclined to hostilities; but, after a short interview, retired
up the creek. These blacks were not circumcised, and their teeth were
perfect; they had neither ornaments or any description of clothing, and
were slightly scarred on the back and chest. Their spears were large and
heavy, made of a single piece of wood, and thrown by hand; they had also
smaller ones of reed, with wooden points, which were thrown with the
throwing board, which were flattened vertically; clubs two and a half
feet long and two and a half inches in diameter, and shields formed of a
single piece of wood two and a half feet long and three inches wide. The
river proved to be fresh, and in pools separated by rock flats, and is
evidently the same that Dr. Leichhardt supposed to be the Albert--a
mistake which has caused considerable error in the maps of his route; as
it was not named, I called it the Leichhardt. The character of the
country is inferior, as the grass which covers the plains is principally
aristidia and andropogon; anthisteria or kangaroo grass only in small
patches. The soil is a good brown loam.
Latitude by Vega 18 degrees 11 minutes 50 seconds.