Prosecution of our course into the interior--Mosquito Brush--Aspect and
productions of the country--Hunting party of natives--Courageous
conduct of one of them--Mosquitoes--A man missing--Group of hills
called New-Year's Range--Journey down New-Year's Creek--Tormenting
attack of the kangaroo fly--Dreariness and desolation of the
country--Oxley's Table Land--D'Urban's Group--Continue our journey down
New-Year's Creek--Extreme Disappointment on finding it salt--Fall in
with a tribe of natives--Our course arrested by the want of fresh
water--Extraordinary sound--Retreat towards the Macquarie.
We left our position at the head of the plain early on the 13th of
January, and, ere the sun dipped, had entered a very different country
from that in which we had been labouring for the last three weeks. We
had, as yet, passed over little other than an alluvial soil, but found
that it changed to a red loam in the brushes immediately backing the
camp. An open forest track succeeded this, over which the vegetation
had an unusual freshness, indicating that the waters had not long
subsided from its surface. We shortly afterwards crossed a hollow,
similar to that Mr. Hume had described, in which bulrushes had taken
the place of reeds. Flooded-gum trees, of large size, were also growing
in it, but on either side box alone prevailed, under which the forest
grass grew to a considerable height. We crossed the hollow two or three
times, and as often remarked the line of separation between those
trees. The last time we crossed it the country rose a few feet, and we
journeyed for the remainder of the day, at one time over good plains,
at another through brushes, until we found water and feed, at which we
stopped for the night, after having travelling about thirteen miles on
a W. by N. course. The mosquitoes were so extremely troublesome at this
place that we called it Mosquito Brush. At this time my men were
improving rapidly, and Mr. Hume complained less, and looked better. I
hoped, therefore, that our progress would be rapid into the interior.
CREEK LEADING NORTHERLY; PRODUCTIONS OF THE COUNTRY.
On the 14th we took up a westerly course, and in the first instance
traversed a plain of great extent; the soil of which was for the most
part a red sandy loam, but having patches of light earth upon it. The
former was covered with plants of the chenopedia kind; the latter had
evidently been quagmires, and bore even then the appearance of
moisture. At about seven miles from Mosquito Brush we struck upon a
creek of excellent water, upon which the wild fowl were numerous. Some
natives was seen, but they were only women, and seemed so alarmed that
I purposely avoided them. As the creek was leading northerly, we traced
it down on that course for about seven miles, and then halted upon its
banks, which were composed of a light tenacious earth. Brushes of
casuarina existed near it, but a tortuous box was the prevailing tree,
which, excepting for the knees of small vessels, could not have been
applied to any use, while the flooded-gum had entirely disappeared.
Some ducks were shot in the afternoon, which proved a great treat, as
we had been living for some time on salt provisions. Our animals fared
worse than ourselves, as the bed of the creek was occupied by coarse
rushes, and but little vegetation was elsewhere to be seen. I here
killed a beautiful snake, of about four feet in length, and of a bright
yellow colour: I had not, however, the means of preserving it. Fraser
collected numerous botanical specimens, and among them two kinds of
caparis. Indeed a great alteration had taken place in the minor shrubs,
and few of those now prevalent had been observed to the eastward of the
marshes.
From the creek, which both I and Mr. Hume must have crossed on our
respective journeys, we held a westerly course for about fifteen miles,
through a country of alternate plain and brush, the latter
predominating, and in its general character differing but little from
that we had traversed the day previous.
The acacia pendula still continued to exist on the plains backed by
dark rows of cypresses (Cupressus callitris). In the brushes, box and
casuarina (Casuarina tortuosa), with several other kinds of eucalypti,
prevailed; but none of them were sufficiently large to be of use. The
plains were so extremely level that a meridian altitude could have been
taken without any material error; and I doubt much whether it would
have been possible to have traversed them had the season been wet.
HUNTING PARTY OF NATIVES.
As we were travelling through a forest we surprised a hunting party of
natives. Mr. Hume and I were considerably in front of our party at the
time, and he only had his gun with him. We had been moving along so
quietly that we were not for some time observed by them. Three were
seated on the ground, under a tree, and two others were busily employed
on one of the lower branches cutting out honey. As soon as they saw us,
four of them ran away; but the fifth, who wore a cap of emu feathers,
stood for a moment looking at us, and then very deliberately dropped
out of the tree to the ground. I then advanced towards him, but before
I got round a bush that intervened, he had darted away. I was fearful
that he was gone to collect his tribe, and, under this impression, rode
quickly back for my gun to support Mr. Hume. On my arrival I found the
native was before me. He stood about twenty paces from Mr. Hume, who
was endeavouring to explain what he was; but seeing me approach he
immediately poised his spear at him, as being the nearest. Mr. Hume
then unslung his carbine, and presented it; but, as it was evident my
re-appearance had startled the savage, I pulled up; and he immediately
lowered his weapon. His coolness and courage surprised me, and
increased my desire to communicate with him. He had evidently taken
both man and horse for one animal, and as long as Mr. Hume kept his
seat, the native remained upon his guard; but when he saw him dismount,
after the first astonishment had subsided, he stuck his spear into the
ground, and walked fearlessly up to him. We easily made him comprehend
that we were in search of water; when he pointed to the west, as
indicating that we should supply our wants there. He gave his
information in a frank and manly way, without the least embarrassment,
and when the party passed, he stepped back to avoid the animals,
without the smallest confusion. I am sure he was a very brave man; and
I left him with the most favourable impressions, and not without hope
that he would follow us.
From a more open forest, we entered a dense scrub, the soil in which
was of a bright-red colour and extremely sandy, and the timber of
various kinds. A leafless species of stenochylus aphylta, which, from
the resemblance, I at first thought one of the polygonum tribe, was
very abundant in the open spaces, and the young cypresses were
occasionally so close as to turn us from the direction in which we had
been moving. In the scrub we crossed Mr. Hume's tract, and, from the
appearance of the ground, I was led to believe mine could not be very
distant.
FATE OF THE MACQUARIE.
We struck upon a creek late in the afternoon, at which we stopped; New
Year's Range bearing nearly due west at about four miles' distance. Had
we struck upon my track, the question about which we were so anxious
would still have been undecided; but the circumstance of our having
crossed Mr. Hume's, which, from its direction, could not be mistaken,
convinced me of the fate of the Macquarie, and I felt assured that,
whatever channels it might have for the distribution of its waters, to
the north of our line of route, the equality of surface of the interior
would never permit it again to form a river; and that it only required
an examination of the lower parts of the marshes to confirm the theory
of the ultimate evaporation and absorption of its waters, instead of
their contributing to the permanence of an inland sea, as Mr. Oxley had
supposed.
NEW YEAR'S RANGE.
On the 17th of January we encamped under New Year's Range, which is the
first elevation in the interior of Eastern Australia to the westward of
Mount Harris. Yet when at its base, I do not think that we had ascended
above forty feet higher than the plains in the neighbourhood of that
last mentioned eminence. There certainly is a partial rise of country,
where the change of soil takes place from the alluvial deposits of the
marshes, to the sandy loam so prevalent on the plains we had lately
traversed; but I had to regret that I was unable to decide so
interesting a question by other than bare conjecture.
Notwithstanding that Mr. Hume had already been on them, I encouraged
hopes that a second survey of the country from the highest point of New
Year's Range would enable us to form some opinion of it, by which to
direct our future movements; but I was disappointed.
The two wooded hills I had seen from Oxley's Table Land were visible
from the range, bearing south; and other eminences bore by compass S.W.
and W. by S.; but in every other direction the horizon was unbroken. To
the westward, there appeared to be a valley of considerable extent,
stretching N. and S., in which latter direction there was a long strip
of cleared ground, that looked very like the sandy bed of a broad and
rapid river. The bare possibility of the reality determined me to
ascertain by inspection, whether my conjecture was right, and Mr. Hume
accompanied me on this excursion. After we left the camp we crossed a
part of the range, and travelled for some time through open forest land
that would afford excellent grazing in most seasons. We passed some
hollows, and noticed many huts that had been occupied near them; but
the hollows were now quite dry, and the huts had been long deserted.
After about ten miles' ride we reached a plain of white sand, from
which New Year's Range was distinctly visible; and this no doubt was
the spot that had attracted my attention. Pools of water continued on
it, from which circumstance it would appear that the sand had a
substratum of clay or marl. From this plain we proceeded southerly
through acacia scrub, bounding gently undulating forest land, and at
length ascended some small elevations that scarcely deserved the name
of hills. They had fragments of quartz profusely scattered over them;
and the soil, which was sandy, contained particles of mica.
MOSQUITOES.
The view from them was confused, nor did any fresh object meet our
observation. We had, however, considerably neared the two wooded hills,
and the elevations that from the range were to the S.W., now bore N.W.
of us. We had wandered too far from the camp to admit of our returning
to it to sleep; we therefore commenced a search for water, and having
found some, we tethered our horses near it for the night, and should
have been tolerably comfortable, had not the mosquitoes been so
extremely troublesome. They defied the power of smoke, and annoyed me
so much, that, hot as it was, I rolled myself in my boat cloak, and
perspired in consequence to such a degree, that my clothes were wet
through, and I had to stand at the fire in the morning to dry them. Mr.
Hume, who could not bear such confinement, suffered the penalty, and
was most unmercifully bitten.
A MAN MISSING.
We reached the camp about noon the following day, and learnt, to our
vexation, that one of the men, Norman, had lost himself shortly after
we started, and had not since been heard of. Dawber, my overseer, was
out in search of him. I awaited his return, therefore, before I took
any measures for the man's recovery; nor was I without hopes that
Dawber would have found him, as it appeared he had taken one of the
horses with him, and Dawber, by keeping his tracks, might eventually
have overtaken him. He returned, however, about 3 p.m. unsuccessful,
when Mr. Hume and I mounted our horses, and proceeded in different
directions in quest of him, but were equally disappointed.
We met at the creek in the dark, and returned to the camp together,
when I ordered the cypresses on the range to be set on fire, and thus
illuminated the country round for many miles. In the morning, however,
as Norman had not made his appearance, we again started in search of
the poor fellow, on whose account I was now most uneasy; for his horse,
it appeared, had escaped him, and was found with the others at watering
time.
I did not return to the camp until after sunset, more fatigued than I
recollect ever having been before. I was, however, rejoiced on being
informed that the object of my anxiety was safe in his tent; that he
had caught sight of the hill the evening before, and that he had
reached the camp shortly after I left it. He had been absent three
nights and two days, and had not tasted water or food of any kind
during that time.
To my enquiries he replied, that, being on horseback, he thought he
could have overtaken a kangaroo, which passed him whilst waiting at the
creek for the cattle, and that in the attempt, he lost himself. It
would appear that he crossed the creek in the dark, and his horse
escaped from him on the first night. He complained more of thirst than
of hunger, although he had drunk at the watering-place to such an
excess, on his return, as to make him vomit; but, though not a little
exhausted, he had escaped better than I should have expected.
COUNTRY AROUND NEW YEAR'S RANGE.
New Year's Range consists of a principal group of five hills, the
loftiest of which does not measure 300 feet in height. It has lateral
ridges, extending to the N.N.W. on the one hand, and bending in to the
creek on the other. The former have a few cypresses, sterculia, and
iron bark upon them; the latter are generally covered with brush, under
box; the brush for the most part consisting of two distinct species of
stenochylus, and a new acacia. The whole range is of quartz formation,
small fragments of which are profusely scattered over the ridges, and
are abundantly incrusted with oxide of iron. The soil in the
neighbourhood of New Year's Range is a red loam, with a slight mixture
of sand. An open forest country lies between it and the creek, and it
is not at all deficient in pasture.
NEW YEAR'S CREEK.
That a change of soil takes place to the westward of the creek, is
obvious, from the change of vegetation, the most remarkable feature of
which is the sudden check given to the further extension of the acacia
pendula, which is not to be found beyond it, it being succeeded by
another acacia of the same species and habits; neither do the plants of
the chenopedia class exist in the immediate vicinity of the range.
I place these hills, as far as my observations will allow, in east lon.
146 degrees 32 minutes 15 seconds, and in lat. 30 degrees 21 minutes
south; the variation of the compass being 6 degrees 40 minutes easterly.
As New Year's Creek was leading northerly, it had been determined to
trace it down as long as it should keep that course, or one to the
westward of it. We broke up the camp, therefore, under the range, on
the evening of the 18th, and moved to the creek, about two miles north
of the place at which we had before crossed it, with the intention of
prosecuting our journey on the morrow. But both Mr. Hume and I were so
fatigued that we were glad of an opportunity to rest, even for a single
day. We remained stationary, therefore, on the 19th; nor was I without
hope that the natives whom we had surprised in the woods, would have
paid us a visit, since Mr. Hume had met them in his search for Norman,
and they had promised not only to come to us, but to do all in their
power to find the man, whose footsteps some of them had crossed. They
did not, however, venture near us; and I rather attribute their having
kept aloof, to the circumstance of Mr. Hume's having fired a shot,
shortly after he left them, as a signal to Norman, in the event of his
being within hearing of the report. They must have been alarmed at so
unusual a sound; but I am sure nothing was further from Mr. Hume's
intention than to intimidate them; his knowledge of their manners and
customs, as well as his partiality to the natives, being equally
remarkable. The circumstance is, however, a proof of the great caution
that is necessary in communicating with them.
ANNOYED BY KANGAROO FLIES.
I have said that we remained stationary the day after we left the
range, with a view to enjoy a little rest; it would, however, have been
infinitely better if we had moved forward. Our camp was infested by the
kangaroo fly, which settled upon us in thousands. They appeared to rise
from the ground, and as fast as they were swept off were succeeded by
fresh numbers. It was utterly impossible to avoid their persecution,
penetrating as they did into the very tents.
The men were obliged to put handkerchiefs over their faces, and
stockings upon their hands; but they bit through every thing. It was to
no purpose that I myself shifted from place to place; they still
followed, or were equally numerous everywhere. To add to our
discomfort, the animals were driven almost to madness, and galloped to
and fro in so furious a manner that I was apprehensive some of them
would have been lost. I never experienced such a day of torment; and
only when the sun set, did these little creatures cease from their
attacks.
SUDDENLY RELIEVED.
It will be supposed that we did not stay to subject ourselves to
another trial; indeed it was with some degree of horror that the men
saw the first light of morning streak the horizon. They got up
immediately, and we moved down the creek, on a northerly course,
without breakfasting as usual. We found that dense brushes of casuarina
lined the creek on both sides, beyond which, to our left, there was
open rising ground, on which eucalypti, cypresses, and the acacia
longifolia, prevailed; whilst to the east, plains seemed to predominate.
Although we had left the immediate spot at which the kangaroo flies
(cabarus) seemed to be collected, I did not expect that we should have
got rid of them so completely as we did. None of them were seen during
the day; a proof that they were entirely local. They were about half
the size of a common house fly, had flat brown bodies, and their bite,
although sharp and piercing, left no irritation after it.
About noon we stopped at the creek side to take some refreshment. The
country bore an improved appearance around us, and the cattle found
abundance of pasture. It was evident that the creek had been numerously
frequented by the natives, although no recent traces of them could be
found. It had a bed of coarse red granite, of the fragments of which
the natives had constructed a weir for the purpose of taking fish. The
appearance of this rock in so isolated a situation, is worthy of the
consideration of geologists.
DESOLATION OF THE COUNTRY.
The promise of improvement I have noticed, gradually disappeared as we
proceeded on our day's journey, and we at length found ourselves once
more among brushes, and on the edge of plains, over which the rhagodia
prevailed. Nothing could exceed in dreariness the appearance of the
tracks through which we journeyed, on this and the two following days.
The creek on which we depended for a supply of water, gave such
alarming indications of a total failure, that I at one time, had
serious thoughts of abandoning my pursuit of it. We passed hollow after
hollow that had successively dried up, although originally of
considerable depth; and, when we at length found water, it was doubtful
how far we could make use of it. Sometimes in boiling it left a
sediment nearly equal to half its body; at other times it was so bitter
as to be quite unpalatable. That on which we subsisted was scraped up
from small puddles, heated by the sun's rays; and so uncertain were we
of finding water at the end of the day's journey, that we were obliged
to carry a supply on one of the bullocks. There was scarcely a living
creature, even of the feathered race, to be seen to break the stillness
of the forest. The native dogs alone wandered about, though they had
scarcely strength to avoid us; and their melancholy howl, breaking in
upon the ear at the dead of the night, only served to impress more
fully on the mind the absolute loneliness of the desert.
It appeared, from their traces that the natives had lingered on this
ground, on which they had perhaps been born, as long as it continued to
afford them a scanty though precarious subsistence; but that they had
at length been forced from it. Neither fish nor muscles remained in the
creek, nor emus nor kangaroos on the plains. How then could an European
expect to find food in deserts through which the savage wandered in
vain? There is no doubt of the fate that would have overtaken any one
of the party who might have strayed away, and I was happy to find that
Norman's narrow escape had made a due impression on the minds of his
comrades.
SANDY PLAINS; LEAVE THE CREEK.
We passed some considerable plains, lying to the eastward of the creek,
on parts of which the grass, though growing in tufts, was of luxuriant
growth. They were, however, more generally covered with salsola and
rhagodia, and totally destitute of other vegetation, the soil upon them
being a red sandy loam. The paths across the plains, which varied in
breadth from three to eight miles, were numerous; but they had not been
recently trodden. The creek continued to have a thick brush of
casuarina and acacia near it, to the westward of which there was a
rising open forest track; the timber upon it being chiefly box,
cypress, and the acacia longifolia. It was most probably connected with
New Year's Range, those elevations being about thirty miles distant. It
terminated in some gentle hills which, though covered in places with
acacia shrub, were sufficiently open to afford an extensive view. From
their summit Oxley's Table Land, towards which we had been gradually
working our way, was distinctly visible, distant about twenty miles,
and bearing by compass W. by S. On descending from these hills (called
the Pink Hills, from the colour of a flower upon them) which were
scattered over with fragments of slaty quartz, we traversed a box flat,
apparently subject to overflow, having a barren sandy scrub to its
left. I had desired the men to preserve a W.N.W. direction, on leaving
them, supposing that that course would have kept them near the creek;
but, on overtaking the party, I found that they had wandered completely
away from it. The fact was, that the creek had taken a sudden bend to
the eastward of N. and had thus thrown them out. It was with some
difficulty that we regained it before sunset; and we were at length
obliged to stop for the night at a small plain, about a quarter of a
mile short of it, but we had the satisfaction of having excellent feed
for the animals.
OXLEY'S TABLE LAND.
Fearful that New Year's Creek would take us too far to the eastward,
and being anxious to keep westward as much as possible, it struck me
that we could not, under existing circumstances, do better than make
for Oxley's Table Land. Water, I knew, we should find in a swamp at
it's base, and we might discover some more encouraging feature than I
had observed on my hasty visit to it. We left the creek, therefore on
the 23rd, and once more took up a westerly course. Passing through a
generally open country, we stopped at noon to rest the animals; and
afterwards got on an excellent grazing forest track, which continued to
the brush, through another part of which I had penetrated to the marsh
more to the south. While making our way through it, we came upon a
small pond of water, and must have alarmed some natives, as there was a
fresh made fire close to it. Our journey had been unusually long, and
the cattle had felt the heat so much, that the moment they saw water
they rushed into it; and, as this created some confusion, I thought it
best to stop where we were for the night.
In the morning, Mr. Hume walked with me to the hill, a distance of
about a mile. It is not high enough to deserve the name of a mountain,
although a beautiful feature in the country, and showing well from any
point of view. We ascended it with an anxiety that may well be
imagined, but were wholly disappointed in our most sanguine
expectations. Our chief object, in this second visit to Oxley's Table
Land, had been to examine, more at leisure, the face of the country
around it, and to discover, if possible, some fixed point on which to
move.
If the rivers of the interior had already exhausted themselves, what
had we to expect from a creek whose diminished appearance where we left
it made us apprehend its speedy termination, and whose banks we
traversed under constant apprehension? In any other country I should
have followed such a water course, in hopes of its ultimately leading
to some reservoir; but here I could encourage no such favourable
anticipation.
The only new object that struck our sight was a remarkable and distant
hill of conical shape, bearing by compass S. 10 E. To the southward and
westward, in the direction of D'Urban's Group, a dense and apparently
low brush extended; but to the N. and N.W., there was a regular
alternation of wood and plain. I left Mr. Hume upon the hill, that he
might the more readily notice any smoke made by the natives; and
returned myself to the camp about one o'clock, to move the party to the
swamp. Mr. Hume's perseverance was of little avail. The region he had
been overlooking was, to all appearance, uninhabited, nor did a single
fire indicate that there was even a solitary wanderer upon its surface.
EXCURSION TO D'URBAN'S GROUP.
Our situation, at this time, was extremely embarrassing, and the only
circumstance on which we had to congratulate ourselves was, the
improved condition of our men; for several of the cattle and horses
were in a sad plight. The weather had been so extremely oppressive,
that we had found it impossible to keep them free from eruptions. I
proposed to Mr. Hume, therefore, to give them a few days' rest, and to
make an excursion, with such of them as were serviceable, to D'Urban's
Group. We were both of us unwilling to return to the creek, but we
foresaw that a blind reliance upon fortune, in our next movements,
might involve us in inextricable difficulty.
On the other hand, there was a very great risk in delay. It was more
than probable, from the continued drought, that our retreat would be
cut off from the want of water, or that we should only be enabled to
effect our retreat with loss of most of the animals. The hope, however,
of our intersecting some stream, or of falling upon a better country,
prevailed over other considerations; and the excursion was,
consequently, determined upon.
DISTRESS FROM WANT OF WATER.
We left the camp on the 25th, accompanied by Hopkinson and the tinker;
and, almost immediately after, entered an acacia scrub of the most
sterile description, and one, through which it would have been
impossible to have found a passage for the boat carriage. The soil was
almost a pure sand, and the lower branches of the trees were decayed so
generally as to give the whole an indescribable appearance of
desolation. About mid-day, we crossed a light sandy plain, on which
there were some dirty puddles of water. They were so shallow as to
leave the backs of the frogs in them exposed, and they had, in
consequence, been destroyed by solar heat, and were in a state of
putrefaction. Our horses refused to drink, but it was evident that some
natives must have partaken of this sickening beverage only a few hours
before our arrival. Indeed, it was clear that a wandering family must
have slept near this spot, as we observed a fresh made gunneah (or
native hut), and their foot-prints were so fresh along the line we were
pursuing, that we momentarily expected to have overtaken them. It was
late in the evening when we got out of this brush into better and more
open ground, where, in ordinary seasons we should, no doubt, have found
abundance of water. But we now searched in vain for it, and were
contented to be enabled to give our wearied animals better food than
they had tasted for many days, the forest grass, though in tufts, being
abundant.
We brought up for the night at the edge of a scrub, having travelled
from thirty-two to thirty-five miles, judging the distance from the
mountains still to be about twelve.
BEARINGS FROM OXLEY'S TABLE LAND.
In the morning we started at an early hour, and immediately entered the
brush, beneath which we had slept; pursuing a westerly course through
it. After a short ride, we found ourselves upon a plain, that was
crowded with flocks of cockatoos. Here we got a supply of water, such
as it was--so mixed with slime as to hang in strings between the
fingers; and, after a hasty breakfast, we proceeded on our journey,
mostly through a barren sandy scrub that was a perfect burrow from the
number of wombats in it, to within a mile of the hill group, where the
country appeared like one continuous meadow to the very base of them. I
never saw anything like the luxuriance of the grass on this tract of
country, waving as it did higher than our horses' middles as we rode
through it. We ascended the S.W. face of the mountain to an elevation
of at least 800 feet above the level of the plain, and had some
difficulty in scaling the masses of rock that opposed themselves to our
progress. But on gaining the summit, we were amply repaid for our
trouble. The view extended far and wide, but we were again disappointed
in the main object that had induced us to undertake the journey. I took
the following bearings by compass. Oxley's Table Land bore N. 40 E.
distant forty-five miles; small and distant hill due E.; conical peak
seen from Oxley's Table Land S. 60 E., very distant; long ridge of high
land, S.E., distant thirty-five miles; high land, S. 30 E., distant
thirty miles; long range, S. 25 W.
To the westward, as a medium point, the horizon was unbroken, and the
eye wandered over an apparently endless succession of wood and plain. A
brighter green than usual marked the course of the mountain torrents in
several places, but there was no glittering light among the trees, no
smoke to betray a water hole, or to tell that a single inhabitant was
traversing the extensive region we were overlooking. We were obliged to
return to the plain on which we had breakfasted, and to sleep upon it.
D'URBAN'S GROUP.
D'Urban's Group is of compact sandstone formation. Its extreme length
is from E.S.E. to W.N.W., and cannot be more than from seven to nine
miles, whilst its breadth is from two to four. The central space forms
a large basin, in which there are stunted pines and eucalyptus scrub,
amid huge fragments of rocks. It rises like an island from the midst of
the ocean, and as I looked upon it from the plains below, I could
without any great stretch of the imagination, picture to myself that it
really was such. Bold and precipitous, it only wanted the sea to lave
its base; and I cannot but think that such must at no very remote
period have been the case, and that the immense flat we had been
traversing, is of comparatively recent formation.
We reached the camp on the 28th of the month, by nearly the same route;
and were happy to find that, after the few days' rest they had enjoyed,
there was a considerable improvement in the animals.
Our experience of the nature of the country to the southward, and the
westward, was such as to deter us from risking anything, by taking such
a direction as was most agreeable to our views. Nothing remained to us
but to follow the creek, or to retreat; and as we could only be induced
to adopt the last measure when every other expedient should have
failed, we determined on pursuing our original plan, of tracing New
Year's Creek as far as practicable.
DESCRIPTION OF OXLEY'S TABLE LAND.
Oxley's Table Land is situated in lat. 29 degrees 57 minutes 30
seconds, and in E. long. 145 degrees 43 minutes 30 seconds, the mean
variation being 6.32 easterly. It consists of two hills that appear to
have been rent asunder by some convulsion of nature, since the passage
between them is narrow and their inner faces are equally perpendicular.
The hill which I have named after the late Surveyor-general, is steep
on all sides; but the other gradually declines from the south, and at
length loses itself in a large plain that extends to the north. It is
from four to five miles in length, and is picturesque in appearance,
and lightly wooded. A few cypresses were growing on Oxley's Table Land;
but it had, otherwise, very little timber upon its summit. Both hills
are of sandstone formation, and there are some hollows upon the last
that deserve particular notice. They have the appearance of having been
formed by eddies of water, being deeper in the centre than at any other
part, and contain fragments and slabs of sandstone of various size and
breadth, without a particle of soil or of sand between them. It is to
be observed that the edges of these slabs, which were perfect
parallelograms, were unbroken, and that they were as clean as if they
had only just been turned out of the hand of the mason. We counted
thirteen of these hollows in one spot about twenty-five feet in
diameter, but they are without doubt of periodical formation, since a
single hollow was observed lower than the summit of the hill upon its
south extremity, that had evidently long been exposed to the action of
the atmosphere, and had a general coating of moss over it.
CONTINUE THE JOURNEY; DOWN NEW YEAR'S CREEK.
We left Oxley's Table Land on the morning of the 31st of January,
pursuing a northern course through the brush and across a large plain,
moving parallel to the smaller hill, and keeping it upon our left. The
soil upon this plain differed in character from that on the plains to
the eastward, and was much freer from sand. We stopped to dine at a
spot, whence Oxley's Table Land bore by compass, S. by W., distant
about twelve miles. Continuing our journey, at 2 p.m. we cleared the
plain, and entered a tract covered with the polygonum junceum, on a
soil evidently the deposit of floods. Box-trees were thinly scattered
over it, and among the polygonum, the crested pigeons were numerous.
These general appearances, together with a dip of country to the
N.N.W., made us conclude that we were approaching the creek, and we
accordingly intersected it on a N.N.E. course, at about three miles'
distance from where we had dined. It had, however, undergone so
complete a change, and had increased so much in size and in the height
of its banks, that we were at a loss to recognize it. Still, with all
these favourable symptoms, there was not a drop of water in it. But
small shells lay in heaps in its bed, or were abundantly scattered over
it; and we remarked that they differed from those on the plains of the
Macquarie. A circumstance that surprised us much, was the re-appearance
of the flooded-gum upon its banks, and that too of a large size. We had
not seen any to the westward of the marshes, and we were, consequently,
led to indulge in more sanguine expectation as to our ultimate success
than we had ever ventured to do before.
The party crossed to the right bank of the creek, and then moved in a
westerly direction along it in search of water. A brush extended to our
right, and some broken stony ground, rather elevated, was visible, to
which Mr. Hume rode; nor did he join me again until after I had halted
the party for the night.
DISTRESSED FOR WATER.
My search for water had been unsuccessful, and the sun had set, when I
came upon a broad part of the creek that appeared very favourable for
an encampment, as it was encompassed by high banks, and would afford
the men a greater facility of watching the cattle, that I knew would
stray away if they could.
My anxiety for them led me to wander down the bed of the creek, when,
to my joy, I found a pond of water within a hundred yards of the tents.
It is impossible for me to describe the relief I felt at this success,
or the gladness it spread among the men. Mr. Hume joined me at dusk,
and informed me that he had made a circuit, and had struck upon the
creek about three miles below us but that, in tracing it up, he had not
found a drop of water until he came to the pond near which we had so
providentially encamped. On the following morning, we held a westerly
course over an open country for about eight miles and a half. The
prevailing timber appeared to be a species of eucalypti, with rough
bark, of small size, and evidently languishing from the want of
moisture. The soil over which we travelled was far from bad, but there
was a total absence of water upon it. At 6 p.m. Oxley's Table Land was
distant from us about fifteen miles, bearing S. 20 E. by compass.
We had not touched upon the creek from the time we left it in the
morning, having wandered from it in a northerly direction, along a
native path that we intersected, and that seemed to have been recently
trodden, since footsteps were fresh upon it. At sunset, we crossed a
broad dry creek that puzzled us extremely, and were shortly afterwards
obliged to stop for the night upon a plain beyond it. We had, during
the afternoon, bent down to the S.W. in hopes that we should again have
struck upon New Year's Creek; and, under an impression that we could
not be far from it, Mr. Hume and I walked across the plain, to
ascertain if it was sufficiently near to be of any service to us. We
came upon a creek, but could not decide whether it was the one for
which we had been searching, or another.
Its bed was so perfectly even that it was impossible to say to what
point it flowed, more especially as all remains of debris had mouldered
away. It was, however, extremely broad, and evidently, at times, held a
furious torrent. In the centre of it, at one of the angles, we
discovered a pole erected, and at first thought, from the manner in
which it was propped up, that some unfortunate European must have
placed it there as a mark to tell of his wanderings, but we afterwards
concluded that it might be some superstitious rite of the natives, in
consequence of the untowardness of the season, as it seemed almost
inconceivable that an European could have wandered to such a distance
from the located districts in safety.
REACH A LARGE RIVER.
The creek had flooded-gum growing upon its banks, and, on places
apparently subject to flood, a number of tall straight saplings were
observed by us. We returned to the camp, after a vain search for water,
and were really at a loss what direction next to pursue. The men kept
the cattle pretty well together, and, as we were not delayed by any
preparations for breakfast, they were saddled and loaded at an early
hour. The circumstance of there having been natives in the
neighbourhood, of whom we had seen so few traces of late, assured me
that water was at hand, but in what direction it was impossible to
guess. As the path we had observed was leading northerly, we took up
that course, and had not proceeded more than a mile upon it, when we
suddenly found ourselves on the banks of a noble river. Such it might
in truth be called, where water was scarcely to be found. The party
drew up upon a bank that was from forty to forty-five feet above the
level of the stream. The channel of the river was front seventy to
eighty yards broad, and enclosed an unbroken sheet of water, evidently
very deep, and literally covered with pelicans and other wild fowl. Our
surprise and delight may better be imagined than described. Our
difficulties seemed to be at an end, for here was a river that promised
to reward all our exertions, and which appeared every moment to
increase in importance to our imagination. Coming from the N.E., and
flowing to the S.W., it had a capacity of channel that proved that we
were as far from its source as from its termination. The paths of the
natives on either side of it were like well trodden roads; and the
trees that overhung it were of beautiful and gigantic growth.
DISAPPOINTMENT ON FINDING THE RIVER SALT.
Its banks were too precipitous to allow of our watering the cattle, but
the men eagerly descended to quench their thirst, which a powerful sun
had contributed to increase; nor shall I ever forget the cry of
amazement that followed their doing so, or the looks of terror and
disappointment with which they called out to inform me that the water
was so salt as to be unfit to drink! This was, indeed, too true: on
tasting it, I found it extremely nauseous, and strongly impregnated
with salt, being apparently a mixture of sea and fresh water. Whence
this arose, whether from local causes, or from a communication with
some inland sea, I knew not, but the discovery was certainly a blow for
which I was not prepared. Our hopes were annihilated at the moment of
their apparent realization. The cup of joy was dashed out of our hands
before we had time to raise it to our lips. Notwithstanding this
disappointment, we proceeded down the river, and halted at about five
miles, being influenced by the goodness of the feed to provide for the
cattle as well as circumstances would permit. They would not drink of
the river water, but stood covered in it for many hours, having their
noses alone exposed above the stream. Their condition gave me great
uneasiness. It was evident they could not long hold out under their
excessive thirst, and unless we should procure some fresh water, it
would impossible for us to continue our journey. On a closer
examination, the river appeared to me much below its ordinary level,
and its current was scarcely perceptible. We placed sticks to ascertain
if there was a rise or fall of tide, but could arrive at no
satisfactory conclusion, although there was undoubtedly a current in
it. Yet, as I stood upon its banks at sunset, when not a breath of air
existed to break the stillness of the waters below me, and saw their
surface kept in constant agitation by the leaping of fish, I doubted
whether the river could supply itself so abundantly, and the rather
imagined, that it owed such abundance, which the pelicans seemed to
indicate was constant, to some mediterranean sea or other. Where,
however, were the human inhabitants of this distant and singular
region? The signs of a numerous population were around us, but we had
not seen even a solitary wanderer. The water of the river was not, by
any means, so salt as that of the ocean, but its taste was precisely
similar. Could it be that its unnatural state had driven its
inhabitants from its banks?
One would have imagined that our perplexities would have been
sufficient for one day, but ere night closed, they increased upon us,
although our anxiety, with regard to the cattle, was happily removed.
Mr. Hume with his usual perseverance, walked out when the camp was
formed; and, at a little distance from it, ascended a ridge of pure
sand, crowned with cypresses. From this, he descended to the westward,
and, at length, struck upon the river, where a reef of rocks creased
its channel, and formed a dry passage from one side to the other; but
the bend, which the river must have taken, appeared to him so singular,
that he doubted whether it was the same beside which we had been
travelling during the day. Curiosity led him to cross it, when he found
a small pond of fresh water on a tongue of land, and, immediately
afterwards, returned to acquaint me with the welcome tidings. It was
too late to move, but we had, at least, the prospect of a comfortable
breakfast in the morning.
JUNCTION OF NEW YEAR'S CREEK.
In consequence of the doubts that hung upon Mr. Hume's mind, as to the
course of the river, we arranged that the animals should precede us to
the fresh water; and that we should keep close in upon the stream, to
ascertain that point. After traversing a deep bight, we arrived nearly
as soon as the party, at the appointed rendezvous. The rocks composing
the channel of the river at the crossing place, were of indurated clay.
In the course of an hour, the animals appearing quite refreshed, we
proceeded on our journey, and at about four miles crossed New Year's
Creek, at its junction with the salt river. We passed several parts of
the main channel that were perfectly dry, and were altogether at a loss
to account for the current we undoubtedly had observed in the river
when we first came upon it. At midday D'Urban's Group bore S. 65 E.
distant about 32 miles. We made a little westing in the afternoon. The
river continued to maintain its character and appearance, its lofty
banks, and its long still reaches: while, however, the blue-gum trees
upon its banks were of magnificent size, the soil had but little
vegetation upon it, although an alluvial deposit.
We passed over vast spaces covered with the polygonum junceum, that
bore all the appearance of the flooded tracks in the neighbourhood of
the marshes, and on which the travelling was equally distressing to the
animals. Indeed, it had been sufficiently evident to us that the waters
of this river were not always confined to its channel, capacious as it
was, but that they inundated a belt of barren land, that varied in
width from a quarter of a mile to a mile, when they were checked by an
outer embankment that prevented them from spreading generally over the
country, and upon the neighbouring plains. At our halting place, the
cattle drank sparingly of the water, but it acted as a violent
purgative both on them and the men who partook of it.
NATIVE VILLAGE.
On the 5th, the river led us to the southward and westward. Early in
the day, we passed a group of seventy huts, capable of holding from
twelve to fifteen men each. They appeared to be permanent habitations,
and all of them fronted the same point of the compass. In searching
amongst them we observed two beautifully made nets, of about ninety
yards in length. The one had much larger meshes than the other, and
was, most probably, intended to take kangaroos; but the other was
evidently a fishing net.
In one hut, the floor of which was swept with particular care, a number
of white balls, as of pulverised shells or lime, had been
deposited--the use of which we could not divine. A trench was formed
round the hut to prevent the rain from running under it, and the whole
was arranged with more than ordinary attention.
TERROR OF THE NATIVES.
We had not proceeded very far when we came suddenly upon the tribe to
which this village, as it might be called, belonged.
In breaking through some brush to an open space that was bounded on one
side by the river, we observed three or four natives, seated on a bank
at a considerable distance from us; and directly in the line on which
we were moving. The nature of the ground so completely favoured our
approach, that they did not become aware of it until we were within a
few yards of them, and had ascended a little ridge, which, as we
afterwards discovered, ended in an abrupt precipice upon the river, not
more than thirty yards to our right. The crack of the drayman's whip
was the first thing that aroused their attention. They gazed upon us
for a moment, and then started up and assumed an attitude of horror and
amazement; their terror apparently increasing upon them. We stood
perfectly immovable, until at length they gave a fearful yell, and
darted out of sight.
THEY FIRE THE BUSH.
Their cry brought about a dozen more natives from the river, whom we
had not before observed, but who now ran after their comrades with
surprising activity, and without once venturing to look behind them. As
our position was a good one, we determined to remain upon it, until we
should ascertain the number and disposition of the natives. We had not
been long stationary, when we heard a crackling noise in the distance,
and it soon became evident that the bush had been fired. It was,
however, impossible that we could receive any injury on the narrow
ridge upon which we stood, so that we waited very patiently to see the
end of this affair.
REMARKS ON THE NATIVES; DISEASE AMONG THEM.
In a short time the fire approached pretty near to us, and dense
columns of smoke rose into the air over our heads. One of the natives,
who had been on the bank, now came out of the bush, exactly from the
spot into which he had retreated. He advanced a few paces towards us,
and bending his body so that his hands rested on his knees, he fixed
his gaze upon us for some time; but, seeing that we remained immovable,
he began to throw himself into the most extravagant attitudes, shaking
his foot from time to time. When he found that all his violence had no
effect, he turned his rear to us in a most laughable manner, and
absolutely groaned in spirit when he found that this last insult failed
of success.
He stood perplexed and not knowing what next to do, which gave Mr. Hume
an opportunity to call out to him, and with considerable address he at
length got the savage to approach close up to him; Mr. Hume himself
having advanced a short distance from the animals in the first
instance. As soon as I thought the savage had sufficiently recovered
from his alarm, I went up to him with a tomahawk, the use of which he
immediately guessed. We now observed that the natives who had fled from
the river, had been employed in setting a net. They had placed it in a
semicircle, with either end to the shore, and rude pieces of wood were
attached to it to keep the upper part perpendicular. It was in fact a
sein, only that the materials, with the exception of the net-work, were
simpler and rougher than cork or lead--for which last, we afterwards
discovered stones had been substituted.
We had on this occasion a remarkable instance of the docility of the
natives of the interior, or of the power they have of subduing their
apprehensions; manifesting the opposite extremes of fear and
confidence. These men whom we had thus surprised, and who, no doubt,
imagined that we were about to destroy them, having apparently never
seen nor heard of white men before, must have taken us for something
preternatural; yet from the extremity of fear that had prompted them to
set their woods in flames, they in a brief space so completely subdued
those fears as to approach the very beings who had so strongly excited
their alarm. The savage who had been the principal actor in the scene,
was an elderly man, rather descending to the vale of years than what
might be strictly called aged. I know not how it was, but I regarded
him with peculiar interest. Mr. Hume's manners had in a great measure
contributed to allay his evident agitation; but, from the moment I
approached him, I thought there was a shade of anxiety upon his brow,
and an expression of sorrow over his features, the cause of which did
not originate with us. I could see in a moment, that his bosom was full
even to bursting, and he seemed to claim at once our sympathy and our
protection, although we were ignorant of that which oppressed him. We
had not long been seated together, when some of his tribe mustered
sufficient courage to join him. Both Mr. Hume and I were desirous of
seeing the net drawn, but the old man raised some objection, by
pointing to the heavens and towards the sun. After a little more
solicitation, however, he gave a whistle, and, four or five natives
having obeyed the summons, he directed them to draw the net, but they
were unfortunate, and our wish to ascertain the kind of fish contained
in the river was disappointed. As his tribe gathered round him, the old
chief threw a melancholy glance upon them, and endeavoured, as much as
he could, to explain the cause of that affliction which, as I had
rightly judged, weighed heavily upon him. It appeared, then, that a
violent cutaneous disease raged throughout the tribe, that was sweeping
them off in great numbers. He called several young men to Mr. Hume and
myself, who had been attacked by this singular malady. Nothing could
exceed the anxiety of his explanations, or the mild and soothing tone
in which he addressed his people, and it really pained me that I could
not assist him in his distress. We now discovered the use to which the
conical substance that had been deposited with such unusual care in one
of the huts, was applied. There were few of the natives present who
were not more or less marked with it, and it was no doubt, indicative
of mourning.
DEPARTURE OF THE NATIVES.
Some of the men, however, were painted with red and yellow ochre, with
which it was evident to me they had besmeared themselves since our
appearance, most likely in preparing for the combat in which they
fancied they would be engaged. We distributed such presents as we had
to those around us, and when we pursued our journey, the majority
accompanied us, nor did they wholly leave us until we had passed the
place to which their women had retired. They might have left us when
they pleased, for we intended them no harm; as it was, however, they
struck into the brushes to join their families, and we pushed on to
make up for lost time.
The travelling near the river had been so bad, not only in consequence
of the nature of the soil and brush, but from the numerous gullies that
had been formed by torrents, as they poured into its channel after
heavy rains and floods, that it was thought advisable to keep at a
greater distance from it. We turned away, therefore, to the plains, and
found them of much firmer surface. They partook, however, of the same
general character as the plains we had traversed more to the eastward.
Their soil was a light sandy loam, and the same succulent plants still
continued to prevail upon them, which we have already noticed as
existing upon the other plains. Both emus and kangaroos were seen,
though not in any considerable numbers, but our dogs were not in a
condition to run, and were all but killed by the extreme heat of the
weather. We had fallen on a small pool of water shortly after we
started in the morning, but we could do no more than refresh ourselves
and the animals at it. In the afternoon, we again turned towards the
river, and found it unaltered. Its water was still salt, and from the
increased number of wild fowl and pelicans upon it, as well as from the
general flatness of the country, I certainly thought we were rapidly
approaching some inland sea. It was, however, uncertain how long we
should be enabled to continue on the river. The animals were all of
them extremely weak, and every day increased the probable difficulty of
our return. There was not the least appearance of a break-up of the
drought, the heavens were without a cloud, and the atmosphere was so
clear that the outline of the moon could be distinctly seen, although
she was far in her wane.
BRINE SPRINGS IN THE RIVER.
On the 6th, we journeyed again through a barren scrub, although on
firmer ground, and passed numerous groups of huts. At about eight miles
from our last encampment, we came upon the river, where its banks were
of considerable height. In riding along them, Mr. Hume thought he
observed a current running, and he called to inform me of the
circumstance. On a closer examination, we discovered some springs in
the very bed of the river, from which a considerable stream was
gushing, and from the incrustation around them, we had no difficulty in
guessing at their nature: in fact, they were brine springs, and I
collected a quantity of salt from the brink of them.
DISTRESS FOR WANT OF FRESH WATER.
After such a discovery, we could not hope to keep our position. No
doubt the current we had observed on first reaching the river, was
caused by springs that had either escaped our notice or were under
water. Here was at length a local cause for its saltness that destroyed
at once the anticipation and hope of our being near its termination,
and, consequently, the ardour with which we should have pressed on to
decide so interesting a point.
Our retreat would have been a measure of absolute necessity ere this,
had we not found occasional supplies of fresh water, the last pond of
which was now about eighteen miles behind us.
OUR COURSE ARRESTED.
Whether we should again find any, was a doubtful question, and I
hesitated to run the risk. The animals were already, from bad food, and
from the effects of the river water, so weak, that they could scarcely
carry their loads, and I was aware, if any of the bullocks once fell,
he would never rise again. Under such circumstances, I thought it
better to halt the party at the edge of the scrub, though the feed was
poor, and the water not drinkable. Our situation required most serious
consideration. It was necessary that we should move either backward or
forward in the morning. Yet we could not adopt either measure with
satisfaction to ourselves, under such unfavorable circumstances. I
determined to relieve my own mind by getting the animals into a place
of safety, as soon as possible; and, as the only effectual way of doing
this was to retire upon the nearest fresh water, I resolved at once to
do so. The party turned back on the morning of the 6th; nor do I think
the cattle would ever have reached their destination had we not found a
few buckets of rain water in the cleft of a rock, to refresh them. Thus
it will appear that under our most trying circumstances, we received
aid from Providence, and that the bounty of Heaven was extended towards
us, when we had least reason to expect it.
Notwithstanding we had been thus forced to a partial retreat, both Mr.
Hume and myself were unwilling to quit the pursuit of the river, in so
unsatisfactory a manner. There was no difference in the appearance of
the country to the westward of it; but a seeming interminable flat
stretched away in that direction. A journey across it was not likely,
therefore, to be attended with any favorable results, since it was
improbable that any other leading feature was within our reach. I
proposed, therefore, to take the most serviceable of the horses with me
down the river, that, in the event of our finding fresh water, we might
again push forward. Mr. Hume requesting to be permitted to accompany
me, it was arranged that we should start on the 8th, thereby giving the
animals a day's rest. We had not seen any natives since our parting
with the chief horde; and as we were stationed at some little distance
from the river, I hoped that they would not visit the camp during my
absence. This was the only circumstance that gave me uneasiness, but
the men had generally been behaving so well that I relied a great deal
upon them.
EXTRAORDINARY SOUND.
About 3 p.m. on the 7th, Mr. Hume and I were occupied tracing the chart
upon the ground. The day had been remarkably fine, not a cloud was
there in the heavens, nor a breath of air to be felt. On a sudden we
heard what seemed to be the report of a gun fired at the distance of
between five and six miles. It was not the hollow sound of an earthly
explosion, or the sharp cracking noise of falling timber, but in every
way resembled a discharge of a heavy piece of ordnance. On this all
were agreed, but no one was certain whence the sound proceeded. Both
Mr. Hume and myself had been too attentive to our occupation to form a
satisfactory opinion; but we both thought it came from the N.W. I sent
one of the men immediately up a tree, but he could observe nothing
unusual. The country around him appeared to be equally flat on all
sides, and to be thickly wooded: whatever occasioned the report, it
made a strong impression on all of us; and to this day, the singularity
of such a sound, in such a situation, is a matter of mystery to me.
FURTHER ATTEMPT TO EXPLORE THE RIVER.
On the 8th, we commenced our journey down the river, accompanied by two
men, and a pack-horse, carrying our provisions on one side and a bucket
of water on the other. Keeping in general near the stream, but making
occasional turns into the plains, we got to the brush from which the
party had turned back, about 3 p.m. Passing through, we crossed a small
plain, of better soil and vegetation than usual; but it soon gave place
to the sandy loam of the interior; nor did we observe any material
alteration, either in the country or the river, as we rode along. The
flooded-gum trees on the banks of the latter, were of beautiful growth,
but in the brushes dividing the plains, box and other eucalypti, with
cypresses and many minor shrubs, prevailed. We slept on the river side,
and calculated our distance from the camp at about twenty-six or
twenty-eight miles.
The horses would not drink the river water, so that we were obliged to
give them a pint each from our own supply. On the following morning we
continued our journey. The country was generally open to the eastward,
and we had fine views of D'Urban's Group, distant from twenty to
twenty-five miles. About noon, turning towards the river to rest, both
ourselves and the horses, we passed through brush land for about a mile
and a half. When we came upon its banks, we found them composed of a
red loam with sandy superficies. We had, in the course of the day,
crossed several creeks, but in none of them could we find water,
although their channels were of great depth.
The day had been extremely warm, and from shaking in the barrel our
supply of water had diminished to a little more than a pint; it
consequently became a matter of serious consideration, how far it would
be prudent to proceed farther; for, however capable we were of bearing
additional fatigue, it was evident our animals would soon fail, since
they trembled exceedingly, and had the look of total exhaustion. We
calculated that we were forty miles from the camp, in a S.W. direction,
a fearful distance under our circumstances, since we could not hope to
obtain relief for two days. Independently however, of the state of the
animals, our spirits were damped by the nature of the country, and the
change which had taken place on the soil, upon which it was impossible
that water could rest; while the general appearance of the interior
showed how much it had suffered from drought. On the other hand,
although the waters of the river had become worse to the taste, the
river itself had increased in size, and stretched away to the westward,
with all the uniformity of a magnificent canal, and gave every promise
of increasing importance; while the pelicans were in such numbers upon
it as to be quite dazzling to the eye. Considering, however, that
perseverance would only involve us in inextricable difficulties, and
that it would also be useless to risk the horses, since we had gained a
distance to which the bullocks could not have been brought, I intimated
my intention of giving up the further pursuit of the river, though it
was with extreme reluctance that I did so.
CALLED IT THE "DARLING".
As soon as we had bathed and finished our scanty meal, I took the
bearings of D'Urban's Group, and found them to be S. 58 E. about
thirty-three miles distant; and as we mounted our horses, I named the
river the "Darling," as a lasting memorial of the respect I bear the
governor.
ABANDON THE ATTEMPT.
I should be doing injustice to Mr. Hume and my men, if I did not
express my conviction that they were extremely unwilling to yield to
circumstances, and that, had I determined on continuing the journey,
they would have followed me with cheerfulness, whatever the
consequences might have been.