9th September.
Left our waterless camp at 6.10 a.m., steering north 50 degrees east
magnetic over a level grassy plain; at 9.40 reached a fine river of fresh
water 100 yards wide, but very shallow; pelicans, ducks, and other
water-fowl were numerous, but very shy and wild; here we camped, although
the grass was very inferior on the immediate banks of the river, the
surface of the soil being very much furrowed by the rain; small fragments
of limestone and a few quartz pebbles have been observed on the surface
of the plain for the past twenty miles, and a dark limestone rock is
exposed in the bed of the river, where it has horizontal stratification;
fragments of flinty slate and trap exist in the gravel of the bed of the
river, which, from its position, must be the Flinders River of the
charts.
Latitude by a Aquilae 18 degrees 8 minutes 41 seconds; variation of
compass 4 degrees 20 minutes east.
10th September.
6.10 a.m. again found us in the saddle, and crossing the right bank
followed it to the south-south-east till 7.20, when it turned to the
south-south-west, and changing our course to the east, passed through a
fine grassy plain for two miles, and entered a level open box-flat, well
grassed, the soil a brown loam; this continued till 2.30 p.m., when we
entered a belt of terminalia, and at 1.0 reached a small watercourse, and
camped at a fine waterhole fifty yards wide and 100 yards long,
apparently deep and permanent water, with open grassy banks; this
waterhole would render a great extent of the fine grassy country around
available for pasturage; in passing through the box forest we observed
several sleeping places which had been constructed by the blacks during
the wet season; they consisted of four stakes two feet high, supporting a
platform of small sticks five feet long and two and a half feet wide;
three to twenty of these frames would be grouped together, and were
frequent till we reached the Gilbert River.
Latitude by Vega 18 degrees 10 minutes 30 seconds.
11th September.
At 6.20 a.m. steered east for one hour through level box and terminalia
flats, with good grass and brown loam; came to a fine lagoon eighty yards
wide and nearly one mile long; beyond this was a creek with small pools
of water; as it appeared to come from the south-east, we steered in that
direction, but soon receded from it, as its course changed to
south-south-east, and altering our course more to the southward, at noon
came again on the creek, much reduced in size; melaleuca scrub and
triodia growing close to its banks, and only a few shallow pools of
water, nearly dried up, and very little grass; at 12.25 p.m. camped at a
small pool. On the banks of the lagoon passed in the morning large heaps
of mussel-shells showed the spots where, from the vast accumulation, the
blacks had for many centuries camped successively on the same spots, and
a well-beaten footpath along the bank showed that it was a favourite
resort of the aboriginals. The common flies are very troublesome; very
few birds, and no kangaroos have been seen during the last few days'
journey.
Latitude by Vega 18 degrees 18 minutes 5 seconds.
12th September.
The course of the creek being from the south and water very scarce in its
bed, it does not appear that we have yet reached the streams rising in
the high land at the head of the Burdekin and Lynd rivers; it therefore
appeared expedient to steer an east-north-east course till some
stream-bed of sufficient size to retain water at this season can be
found, and then to follow it up to the ranges where alone water can be
expected to be found to enable us to steer to the south-east. At an
earlier season of the year, when water is abundant, it would be more
desirable to ascend the Flinders, and cross from its upper branches to
the head of the Clark; but under present circumstances this course would
be highly imprudent, and no experimental deviations from the most direct
course would be justifiable. The grass being scanty, the horses had
scattered much, and we did not leave the camp till 10.20 a.m., when we
steered east-north-east. A short mile from our camp passed four blacks at
a pool of water; they did not observe us till we had passed, though only
100 yards distant, and the country very open. Our route was through a
level country, wooded with box, bloodwood, terminalia, grevillia, and
broad-leafed melaleuca, triodia, and patches of grass. The soil is a hard
ironstone gravel and clay. Passing several dry beds of shallow lagoons,
came to a small dry watercourse coming from the east; at 12.20 p.m.
camped at a shallow pool of water scarcely four inches deep. Near the
camp were some fine grassy flats, but limited in extent, and the grass
very dry. The cool southerly breezes have ceased, and the north-east and
westerly winds are light and very warm.
Latitude 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 grass. 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 pandanus, triodia, and a little very dry
grass. 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.
Latitude by a Aquilae 17 degrees 59 minutes 26 seconds.