THE STARRY HEAVENS--SUBSTITUTE FOR COFFEE--SAWFISH--TWO-STORIED GUNYAS
OF THE NATIVES--THE MITCHELL--MURPHY'S PONY POISONED--GREEN
TREE-ANT--NEW BEVERAGE--CROCODILE--AUDACITY OF KITES--NATIVES NOT
FRIENDLY--THE CAMP ATTACKED AT NIGHT BY THEM--MESSRS. ROPER AND CALVERT
WOUNDED, AND MR. GILBERT KILLED.
June 1.--Mr. Gilbert and Charley made an excursion down the river last
night, to look for water, but, as they did not return in the morning, and
as water had been found, after they left, about four miles lower down, we
started to meet them. Observing a swarm of white cranes circling in the
air, and taking their flight down the river, I concluded that we should
meet with a good supply of water lower down, and, therefore, passed the
nearest water-hole; but, the country and the bed of the river being
exceedingly rocky, our progress was very slow. After proceeding about
eight miles, we came to the junction of a river from the south-west with
the Lynd; and encamped at some small pools of water in latitude 17
degrees 45 minutes 40 seconds: having travelled, during the last two
stages, in a west-north-west direction.
June 2.--When we left our camp this morning, Mr. Gilbert and Charley
returned from their ride; they had come on our tracks last night, but,
surrounded as they were by rocky hills and gullies, had been compelled to
encamp. We travelled about seven miles and a half, and crossed three good
sized creeks, joining the Lynd from the north east. The river divided
several times into anabranches, flowing round, and insulating rocky hills
and ridges. It was much better supplied with water, and contained several
large reedy lagoons. An elegant Acacia, about thirty or thirty-five feet
high, grew on its small flats: it had large drooping glaucous bipinnate
leaves, long broad pods, and oval seeds, half black, and half bright red.
June 3.--We continued our journey down the river, about seven or eight
miles. The first three miles were very tolerable, over limited box-flats
near the river. As we approached the ranges again, the supply of water
increased; and we passed one large poel, in particular, with many ducks
and spoonbills on it. But the ranges approached the banks of the river on
both sides, and formed either precipitous walls, or flats so exceedingly
rocky, that it was out of the question to follow it. We, therefore,
ascended the hills and mountains, and with our foot-sore cattle passed
over beds of sharp shingles of porphyry. We crept like snails over these
rocky hills, and through their gullies filled with boulders and shingles,
until I found it necessary to halt, and allow my poor beasts to recover.
During the afternoon, I examined the country in advance, and found that
the mountains extended five miles farther, and were as rocky as those we
had already passed. But, after that, they receded from the river, and the
country became comparatively level. To this place I brought forward my
party on the 4th June, and again descended into the valley of the river,
and encamped near a fine pool of water in its sandy bed, in latitude 17
degrees 34 minutes 17 seconds. Here, last night, I met a family of
natives who had just commenced their supper; but, seeing us, they ran
away and left their things, without even making an attempt to frighten
us. Upon examining their camp, I found their koolimans, (vessels to keep
water) full of bee bread, of which I partook, leaving for payment some
spare nose rings of our bullocks. In their dillies I found the fleshy
roots of a bean, which grows in a sandy soil, and has solitary yellow
blossoms; the tuber of a vine, which has palmate leaves; a bitter potato,
probably belonging to a water-plant; a fine specimen of rock-crystal; and
a large cymbium (a sea shell), besides other trifles common to almost all
the natives we had seen. Their koolimans were very large, almost like
small boats, and were made of the inner layer of the bark of the
stringy-bark tree. There was no animal food in the camp.
The whole extent of the mountainous country passed in our two last
stages, was of porphyry, with crystals of quartz and felspar in a grey
paste; on both sides of it, the rock was granite and pegmatite; and, at
the north-west side of the gorge, I observed talc-schist in the bed of
the river.
The vegetation of the forest, and along the river, did not vary; but, on
the mountains, the silver-leaved Ironbark prevailed.
The general course of the Lynd, from my last latitude to that of the 4th
June, was north-west.
Sleeping in the open air at night, with a bright sky studded with its
stars above us, we were naturally led to observe more closely the hourly
changes of the heavens; and my companions became curious to know the
names of those brilliant constellations, with which nightly observation
had now, perhaps for the first time, made them familiar. We had reached a
latitude which allowed us not only to see the brightest stars of the
southern, but, also of the northern hemisphere, and I shall never forget
the intense pleasure I experienced, and that evinced by my companions,
when I first called them, about 4 o'clock in the morning, to see Ursa
Major. The starry heaven is one of those great features of nature, which
enter unconsciously into the composition of our souls. The absence of the
stars gives us painful longings, the nature of which we frequently do not
understand, but which we call home sickness:--and their sudden
re-appearance touches us like magic, and fills us with delight. Every new
moon also was hailed with an almost superstitious devotion, and my
Blackfellows vied with each other to discover its thin crescent, and
would be almost angry with me when I strained my duller eyes in vain to
catch a glimpse of its faint light in the brilliant sky which succeeds
the setting of the sun. The questions: where were we at the last new
moon? how far have we travelled since? and where shall we be at the
next?--were invariably discussed amongst us; calculations were made as to
the time that would be required to bring us to the end of our journey,
and there was no lack of advice offered as to what should, and ought to
be done.
At several of our last camps the cry of the goat suckers, and the hooting
of owls, were heard the whole night; and immediately after sunset, the
chirping of several kinds of crickets was generally heard, the sound of
which was frequently so metallic, as to be mistaken for the tinkling of
our bell. At Separation Creek, we first met with the ring-tailed opossum;
and, on the table land, often heard its somewhat wailing cry.
June 5.--We travelled, in a direct line, about nine miles west by north,
down the river, although the distance along its banks was much greater;
for it made a large bend at first to the northward, and afterwards, being
turned by a fine conspicuous short range, to the westward. I named the
Range after W. Kirchner, Esq., another of the supporters of my
expedition. The river was here, in some places, fully half a mile broad,
and formed channels covered with low shrubs, among which a myrtle was
frequent. Between the ranges, the river became narrower: and, before it
reached Kirchner's Range, a large creek joined it from the eastward; and
another from the southward, after it had passed the range. The flats
increased on both side of the river, and were openly timbered with box
and narrow-leaved Ironbark. The rock near our yesterday's camp was
talc-schist. Farther down sienite was observed, which contained so much
hornblende as to change occasionally into hornblende rock, with scattered
crystals of quartz. Granite and pegmatite were round some lagoons near
the creek from the southward. The clustered fig tree of the Burdekin,
became again more frequent; but Sarcocephalus was the characteristic tree
of the river. The Acacia of Expedition Range and of the upper Lynd, grew
to a comparatively large size in the open forest. We observed a cotton
tree (Cochlospermum), covered with large yellow blossoms, though entirely
leafless; and we could not help thinking how great an ornament this plant
would be to the gardens of the colony.
As the water-holes became larger, water-fowl became more plentiful; and
Brown succeeded in shooting several wood-ducks and a Malacorhyncus
membranaceus. The bean of the Mackenzie was very abundant in the sandy
bed of the river; we roasted and ate some of its fruit; it was, however,
too heavy, and produced indigestion: Mr. Phillips pounded them, and they
made an excellent substitute for coffee, which I preferred to our tea,
which, at that time, was not very remarkable for its strength.
June 6.--We travelled about nine miles west by north to latitude 17
degrees 30 minutes 47 seconds. The first part of the stage was over an
undulating country timbered with box and Ironbark; but the latter part
was hilly and mountainous: the mountains were so rocky, where they
entered the bed of the river, that we were obliged to leave its banks,
and travel over a very difficult country.
On the small flats, the apple-gum grew with a few scattered Moreton Bay
ash trees; on the bergues of the river we found the white cedar (Melia
azedarach), Clerodendron; an asclepiadaceous shrub with large triangular
seed-vessels; and, on the hills, the blood-wood and stringy-bark. The
rock, as far as I examined it, was of porphyry of great hardness, and
composing hills of an almost conical form.
June 7.--The same difficult country not only continued, but rather
increased. Charley told me last night, on his return from a walk, that he
had found sandstone. To-day we travelled over porphyries like those of
the last stage: but, about four miles from the last camp, steep sandstone
rocks with excavations appeared on our left, at some distance from the
river, from which they were separated by porphyry; but, farther on, they
approached the river on both sides, and formed steep slopes, which
compelled us to travel along the bed of the river itself. Two large
creeks joined the river from the southward, one of which was running, and
also made the river run until the stream lost itself in the sandy bed. At
the end of the stage, however, the stream re-appeared, and we were fairly
on the fourth flowing river of the expedition: for the Condamine,
although not constantly, was raised by rains, and showed the origin of
its supply, by the muddy nature of its waters; the Dawson commenced
running where we left it; and the Burdekin, with several of its
tributaries, was running as far as we followed it. The waters of the
Dawson, the Burdekin, and the Lynd, were very clear, and received their
constant supply from springs.
We passed a camp of natives, who vere very much alarmed at the report of
a gun, which Mr. Gilbert happened to fire when very near them; this he
did in his anxiety to procure a pair of Geophaps plumifera, for his
collection. These pretty little pigeons had been first observed by Brown
in the course of our yesterday's stage, who shot two of them, but they
were too much mutilated to make good specimens. We frequently saw them
afterwards, but never more than two, four, or six together, running with
great rapidity and with elevated crest over the ground, and preferring
the shady rocks along the sandy bed of the river. I tried several methods
to render the potatoes, which we had found in the camps of the natives,
eatable; but neither roasting nor boiling destroyed their sickening
bitterness. At last, I pounded and washed them, and procured their
starch, which was entirely tasteless, but thickened rapidly in hot water,
like arrow-root; and was very agreeable to eat, wanting only the addition
of sugar to make it delicious; at least so we fancied.
June 8.--We travelled about nine miles west-north-west. The country was
in general open, with soft ground on the more extensive flats; although
sandstone ranges approached the river in many places. Four good-sized
creeks entered the river from the southward. The sandstone, or psammite,
was composed of large grains of quartz mixed with clay of a whitish red
or yellow colour; it frequently formed steep cliffs and craggy rugged
little peaks.
The stringy-bark grew to a fine size on the hills, and would yield,
together with Ironbark and the drooping tea-tree, the necessary timber
for building. A new species of Melaleuca and also of Boronia were found,
when entering upon the sandstone formation.
The wind for the last few days has been westerly; cumuli forming during
the day, dissolved towards sunset; the days were very hot, the nights
mild and dry. It was evident that we had descended considerably into the
basin of the gulf.
June 9.--We travelled about ten miles north-west. Box-tree flats, of more
or less extent, were intercepted by abrupt barren craggy hills composed
of sandstone, which seemed to rest on layers of argillaceous rock. The
latter was generally observed at the foot of the hills and in the bed of
the river; it had in most places been worn by the action of water. The
stringy-bark became even numerous on the flats, in consequence of the
more sandy nature of the soil: but the hills were scrubby, and Mr.
Gilbert reported that he had even seen the Bricklow. The grass of the
Isaacs grew from twelve to fifteen feet high, in the hollows near the
river, which was, as usual, fringed with Sarcocephalus; a species of
Terminalia; the drooping tea-tree; and with an Acacia which perfumed the
air with the fragrant odours of its flowers. We gathered some blossoms of
the drooping tea-tree, which were full of honey, and, when soaked,
imparted a very agreeable sweetness to the water. We frequently observed
great quantities of washed blossoms of this tree in the deserted camps of
the natives; showing that they were as fond of the honey in the blossoms
of the tea-tree, as the natives of the east coast are of that of the
several species of Banksia.
June 10.--We travelled about five miles north-north-west to latitude 17
degrees 9 minutes 17 seconds. The flats, the rugged hills, and the river,
maintained the same character. Creeks, probably of no great extent,
joined the Lynd from the south side of all the hills we passed both
yesterday and to-day.
The weather was very fine, although exceedingly hot during the day; but
the nights were mild, and without dew. An easterly and south-easterly
wind blew during the whole day, moderated a little at sunset, and again
freshened up after it; but the latter part of the night, and for an hour
and a half after sunrise, was calm. I was induced to think that this wind
originated from the current of cold air flowing from the table-land of
the Burdekin down to the gulf, as the easterly winds west of New England
do, and as the westerly winds of Sydney during July and August, which are
supposed to be equally connected with the table-land of New England and
of Bathurst. The westerly winds occurring at the upper Lynd, do not
militate against such a supposition, as they might well belong to an
upper current coming from the sea.
Two new fishes were caught; both were very small; the one
malacopterygious, and resembling the pike, would remain at times
motionless at the bottom, or dart at its prey; the other belonged to the
perches, and had an oblong compressed body, and three dark stripes
perpendicular to its length; this would hover through the water, and
nibble at the bait. Silurus and Gristes were also caught.
Brown rendered himself very useful to us in shooting ducks, which were
very numerous on the water-holes; and he succeeded several times in
killing six, eight, or ten, at oneshot; particularly the Leptotarsis,
GOULD, (whistling duck) which habitually crowd close together on the
water. Native companions were also numerous, but these birds and the
black cockatoos were the most wary of any that we met. Whilst travelling
with our bullocks through the high grass, we started daily a great number
of wallabies; two of which were taken by Charley and John Murphy,
assisted by our kangaroo dog. Brown, who had gone to the lower part of
the long pool of water near our encampment, to get a shot at some
sheldrakes (Tadorna Raja), returned in a great hurry, and told me that he
had seen a very large and most curious fish dead, and at the water's
edge. Messrs. Gilbert and Calvert went to fetch it, and I was greatly
surprised to find it a sawfish (Pristis), which I thought lived
exclusively in salt water. It was between three and four feet in length,
and only recently, perhaps a few days, dead. It had very probably come up
the river during a flood, for the water-hole in which the creature had
been detained, had no connection with the tiny stream, which hardly
resisted the absorbing power of the sands. Another question was, what
could have been the cause of its death? as the water seemed well tenanted
with small fish. We supposed that it had pursued its prey into shallow
water, and had leaped on the dry land, in its efforts to regain the deep
water. Charley also found and brought me the large scales of the fish of
the Mackenzie, and the head-bones of a large guard-fish.
June 11.--We travelled about eight miles due north. The bed of the river
was very broad; and an almost uninterrupted flat, timbered with box and
apple-gum, extended along its banks. We were delighted with the most
exquisite fragrance of several species of Acacia in blossom.
June 12.--We travelled about nine miles N.N.W. to lat. 16 degrees 55
minutes. The flats were again interrupted by sandstone ranges. One large
creek, and several smaller ones joined the river.
June 13.--We accomplished nine miles to-day in a N.N.W. direction. The
country was partly rocky; the rock was a coarse conglomerate of broken
pieces of quartz, either white or coloured with oxide of iron; it greatly
resembled the rock of the Wybong hills on the upper Hunter, and was
equally worn and excavated. The flats were limited, and timbered with
apple-gum, box, and blood-wood, where the sand was mixed with a greater
share of clay; and with stringy-bark on the sandy rocky soil; also with
flooded-gum, in the densely grassed hollows along the river. The Severn
tree, the Acacia of Expedition Range, and the little bread tree, were
frequent along the banks of the river. A species of Stravadium attracted
our attention by its loose racemes of crimson coloured flowers, and of
large three or four ribbed monospermous fruit; it was a small tree, with
bright green foliage, and was the almost constant companion of the
permanent water-holes. As its foliage and the manner of its growth
resemble the mangrove, we called it the Mangrove Myrtle.
Brown shot fifteen ducks, mostly Leptotarsis Eytoni, GOULD.; and Charley
a bustard (Otis Australasianus), which saved two messes of our meat.
The river was joined by a large creek from the south-west, and by several
small ones; we passed a very fine lagoon, at scarcely three miles from
our last camp.
June 14.--We travelled nine miles north by west, to lat. 16 degrees 38
minutes. The box-tree flats were very extensive, and scattered over with
small groves of the Acacia of Expedition Range. The narrow-leaved
Ironbark had disappeared with the primitive rocks; the moment sandstone
commenced, stringy-bark took its place. We passed some lagoons, crossed a
good sized creek from the south-west, and saw a small lake in the
distance. At the latter part of the stage the country became more
undulating. The edges of the stiff shallows were densely covered with the
sharp pointed structures of the white ants, about two or three feet high.
They were quite as frequent at the upper part of the river, where I
omitted to mention them. We saw a very interesting camping place of the
natives, containing several two-storied gunyas, which were constructed in
the following manner: four large forked sticks were rammed into the
ground, supporting cross poles placed in their forks, over which bark was
spread sufficiently strong and spacious for a man to lie upon; other
sheets of stringy-bark were bent over the platform, and formed an arched
roof, which would keep out any wet. At one side of these constructions,
the remains of a large fire were observed, with many mussel-shells
scattered about. All along the Lynd we had found the gunyas of the
natives made of large sheets of stringy-bark, not however supported by
forked poles, but bent, and both ends of the sheet stuck into the ground;
Mr. Gilbert thought the two-storied gunyas were burial places; but we met
with them so frequently afterwards, during our journey round the gulf,
and it was frequently so evident that they had been recently inhabited,
that no doubt remained of their being habitations of the living, and
constructed to avoid sleeping on the ground during the wet season.
June 15.--We travelled about nine miles and a half down the river, over a
country like that of yesterday, the tree vegetation was, however, more
scanty, the forest still more open, the groves of Acacia larger. Brown
returned with two sheldrakes (Tadorna Raja), four black ducks (Anas Novae
Hollandiae), four teals (Querquedula castanea); and brought the good news
that the Lynd joined a river coming from the south-east, with a rapid
stream to the westward.
June 16.--We left the Lynd, along which we had journeyed from lat. 17
degrees 58 minutes to lat. 16 degrees 30 minutes, and travelled about
twelve miles W.N.W., when we encamped at the west side of a very long
lagoon Though I did not see the junction of the two rivers myself, Mr.
Roper, Brown, and Charley, informed me, that the Lynd became very narrow,
and its banks well confined, before joining the new river; which I took
the liberty of naming after Sir Thomas Mitchell, the talented
Surveyor-General of New South Wales; they also stated that the Lynd was
well filled by a fine sheet of water. The bed of the Mitchell was very
broad, sandy, and quite bare of vegetation; showing the more frequent
recurrence of floods. A small stream meandered through the sheet of sand,
and from time to time expanded into large water-holes: the river was also
much more tortuous in its course than the Lynd, which for long distances
generally kept the same course. The Mitchell came from the eastward, and
took its course to the west-north-west. At the sudden bends of the river,
the bergue was interrupted by gullies, and occasionally by deep creeks,
which seemed, however, only to have a short course, and to be the outlets
of the waters collecting on the flats and stiff plains at some distance
from the river. The bergue was covered with fine bloodwood trees,
stringy-bark and box. At a greater distance from the river, the trees
became scanty and scattered, and, still farther, small plains extended,
clothed but sparingly with a wiry grass. These plains were bounded by an
open forest of the Acacia of Expedition Range. This little tree gave us a
good supply of a light amber-coloured wholesome gum, which we sometimes
ate in its natural state, or after it had been dissolved by boiling.
Towards the end of the day's stage, we came to several very fine lagoons;
one of which was several miles long, and apparently parallel to the
river: it was exceedingly deep, and covered with the broad leaves of
Villarsia and Nymphaea, and well stocked with numerous large fish, which
betrayed their presence by an incessant splashing during the early part
of the night. John Murphy caught the small striped perch of the Lynd; and
another small perch-like fish, with a broad anal fin, which had already
excited our admiration at the Lynd, by the beauty of its colours, and by
the singularity of its movements. Charley saw the Silurus and the
guardfish, and caught several of the broad-scaled fish of the Mackenzie;
one of which, a most beautiful specimen, has been preserved and sent to
Mr. Gould.
When we left our last camp at the Lynd, John Murphy's pony was missing.
Charley went to look for it, and did not join us before we had arrived at
our camp, after an unusually long and fatiguing stage. He brought us the
melancholy news that he had found the poor beast on the sands of the
Lynd, with its body blown up, and bleeding from the nostrils. It had
either been bitten by a snake; or had eaten some noxious herb, which had
fortunately been avoided by the other horses. Accidents of this kind were
well calculated to impress us with the conviction of our dependence on
Providence, which had hitherto been so kind and merciful.
As all our meat was consumed, I was compelled to stop, in order to kill
one of our little steers. It proved to be very fat, and allowed us once
more to indulge in our favourite dish of fried liver. Although we were
most willing to celebrate the anniversary of the battle of Waterloo, and
to revive our own ambitious feelings at the memory of the deeds of our
illustrious heroes, we had nothing left but the saturated rags of our
sugar bags; which, however, we had kept for the purpose, and which we now
boiled up with our tea: our last flour was consumed three weeks ago; and
the enjoyment of fat cake, therefore, was not to be thought of. Should
any of my readers think these ideas and likings ridiculous and foolish,
they may find plenty of analogous facts by entering the habitations of
the poor, where I have not only witnessed, but enjoyed, similar treats of
sugared tea and buttered bread.
In crossing one of the creeks we found a species of Acacia [Inga
moniliformis, D. C. Prod. Vol. II. p. 440, where it is described
as having been found at Timor.], with articulate pods and large brown
seeds; it was a small tree with spreading branches, and a dark green shady
foliage: it occurred afterwards on all the creeks and water-holes until we
reached our destination.
It was at the lower part of the Lynd that we first saw the green-tree
ant; which seemed to live in small societies in rude nests between the
green leaves of shady trees. The passer by, when touching one of these
nests, would be instantaneously covered with them, and would soon be
aware of their presence by the painful bites they are able, and
apparently most ready, to inflict.
June 19.--We travelled about eight miles N. 50 degrees W. lat. 16 degrees
22 minutes 16 seconds and again encamped at a very deep lagoon, covered
near its edges with Villarsias, but without Nymphaeas. The soil of the
flat round the lagoon, was very stiff and suitable for making bricks. The
country along the Mitchell was an immense uninterrupted flat with a very
clayey soil, on which the following plants were frequent: viz. Grevillea,
Cerotaphylla, and Mimosoides, a Melaleuca with broad lanceolate leaves,
Spathodea and a Balfouria, R. Br.
Whilst walking down by the lagoon, I found a great quantity of ripe
Grewia seeds, and, on eating many of them, it struck me, that their
slightly acidulous taste, if imparted to water, would make a very good
drink; I therefore gathered as many as I could, and boiled them for about
an hour; the beverage which they produced was at all events the best we
had tasted on our expedition: and my companions were busy the whole
afternoon in gathering and boiling the seeds.
Charley and Brown, who had gone to the river, returned at a late hour,
when they told us that they had seen the tracks of a large animal on the
sands of the river, which they judged to be about the size of a big dog,
trailing a long tail like a snake. Charley said, that when Brown fired
his gun, a deep noise like the bellowing of a bull was heard; which
frightened both so much that they immediately decamped. This was the
first time that we became aware of the existence of the crocodile in the
waters of the gulf.
June 20.--We travelled about ten miles north-west, and avoided the
gullies by keeping at a distance from the river. Plains covered with high
dry grass alternated with an open forest; in which we observed Spathodea,
Bauhinia, a Balfouria, groves of Cochlospermum gossypium, and several
other trees, which I had seen in the scrubs of Comet River; among which
was the arborescent Cassia with long pods. A Bauhinia, different from the
two species I had previously seen, was covered with red blossoms, which,
where the tree abounded, gave quite a purple hue to the country. The
stringy-bark, the bloodwood, the apple-gum, the box, and the flooded-gum,
grew along the bergue of the river.
We passed some fine lagoons at the latter end of the stage. The banks of
the river were so steep, that the access to its water was difficult; its
stream, deep and apparently slow, occupied about half the bed, which was
perhaps one hundred and eighty, or two hundred yards broad. The soil was
very sandy, and three deep channels parallel to the river were overgrown
with high stiff grass. A pretty yellow Ipomoea formed dense festoons
between the trees that fringed the waters. The unripe seeds of
Cochlospermum, when crushed, gave a fine yellow colour, shaded into an
orange hue.
Large flocks of Peristera histrionica (the Harlequin pigeon) were lying
on the patches of burnt grass on the plains, they feed on the brown seeds
of a grass, which annoyed us very much by getting into our stockings,
trowsers, and blankets. The rose-breasted cockatoo, Mr. Gilbert's
Platycercus of Darling Downs, and the Betshiregah (Melopsittacus
undulatus, GOULD.) were very numerous, and it is probable that the plains
round the gulf are their principal home, whence they migrate to the
southward. The white and black cockatoos were also very numerous.
John Murphy caught four perches, one of which weighed two pounds. The
purple ant of the east coast has disappeared, and a similar one with
brick-coloured head and thorax, but by no means so voracious, has taken
its place.
The flooded-gum and the bloodwood were in blossom: this usually takes
place, at Moreton Bay, in November and December. This different state of
vegetation to the northward and southward, may perhaps account for the
periodical migration of several kinds of birds.
June 21.--A shower of rain fell, but cleared up at midnight. We travelled
nine miles north-west to lat. 16 degrees 9 minutes 41 seconds, over a
country very much like that of the two preceding stages, and past several
fine lagoons, richly adorned by the large showy flowers of a white
Nymphaea, the seed-vessels of which some families of natives were busily
gathering: after having blossomed on the surface of the water, the
seed-vessel grows larger and heavier, and sinks slowly to the bottom,
where it rots until its seeds become free, and are either eaten by fishes
and waterfowl, or form new plants. The natives had consequently to dive
for the ripe seed-vessels; and we observed them constantly disappearing
and reappearing on the surface of the water. They did not see us until we
were close to them, when they hurried out of the water, snatched up some
weapons and ran off, leaving their harvest of Nymphaea seeds behind.
Brown had visited another lagoon, where he had seen an old man and two
gins; the former endeavoured to frighten him by setting the grass on
fire, but, when he saw that Brown still approached, he retired into the
forest. We took a net full of seeds, and I left them a large piece of
iron as payment. On returning to the camp, we boiled the seeds, after
removing the capsule; but as some of the numerous partitions had
remained, the water was rendered slightly bitter. This experiment having
failed, the boiled seeds were then (Unclear:)tied with a little fat,
which rendered them very palatable and remarkably satisfying. The best
way of cooking them was that adopted by the natives, who roast the whole
seed-vessel. I then made another trial to obtain the starch from the
bitter potatoes, in which I succeeded; but the soup for eight people,
made with the starch of sixteen potatoes, was rather thin.
We were encamped at a small creek, scarcely a mile from the river, from
which John Murphy and Brown brought the leaves of the first palm trees we
had seen on the waters of the gulf. They belonged to the genus Corypha;
some of them were very thick and high.
The mornings and evenings were very beautiful, and are surpassed by no
climate that I have ever lived in. It was delightful to watch the fading
and changing tints of the western sky after sunset, and to contemplate,
in the refreshing coolness of advancing night, the stars as they
successively appeared, and entered on their nightly course. The state of
our health showed how congenial the climate was to the human
constitution; for, without the comforts which the civilized man thinks
essentially necessary to life; without flour, without salt and miserably
clothed, we were yet all in health; although at times suffering much from
weakness and fatigue. At night we stretched ourselves on the ground,
almost as naked as the natives, and though most of my companions still
used their tents, it was amply proved afterwards that the want of this
luxury was attended with no ill consequences.
We heard some subdued cooees, not very far from our camp, which I thought
might originate from natives returning late from their excursions, and
whose attention had been attracted by our fires. I discharged a gun to
make them aware of our presence; after which we heard no more of them.
June 22.--We travelled about twelve miles N. W. 6 degrees W. to lat. 16
degrees 3 minutes 11 seconds, and encamped at a swamp or sedgy lagoon,
without any apparent outlet; near which a great number of eagles, kites,
and crows were feasting on the remains of a black Ibis. We passed a very
long lagoon, and, in the latter part of our stage, the country had much
improved, both in the increased extent of its forest land, and in the
density and richness of its grass.
June. 23.--We travelled eight or nine miles in a W. N. W. direction to
latitude 16 degrees 0 minutes 26 seconds, over many Bauhinia plains with
the Bauhinias in full blossom. The stiff soil of these plains was here
and there marked by very regular pentagonal, hexagonal, and heptagonal
cracks, and, as these cracks retain the moisture of occasional rains
better than the intervening space, they were fringed with young grass,
which showed these mathematical figures very distinctly. We passed a
great number of dry swamps or swampy water-holes; sometimes however
containing a little water. They were surrounded by the Mangrove myrtle
(Stravadium), which was mentioned as growing at the lower Lynd. The
bottom of the dry swamps was covered with a couch grass, which, like all
the other grasses, was partly withered.
Bustards were numerous, and the Harlequin pigeon was seen in large
flocks. Wallabies abounded both in the high grass of the broken country
near the river, and in the brush. Mr. Roper shot one, the hind quarters
of which weighed 15 1/2 lbs.: it was of a light grey colour, and was like
those we had seen at Separation Creek. Charley and Brown got seventeen
ducks, on one of the sedgy lagoons.
I visited the bed of the river: its banks were covered with a rather open
vine brush. Palm trees became numerous, and grew forty or fifty feet
high, with a thick trunk swelling in the middle, and tapering upwards and
downwards. Sarcocephalus, the clustered fig-tree, and the drooping
tea-tree, were also present as usual. The bed of the river, an immense
sheet of sand, was full a mile and a half broad, but the stream itself
did not exceed thirty yards in width.
During the night we had again a few drops of rain.
June 24.--We continued our journey about nine miles west by north to
latitude 15 degrees 59 minutes 30 seconds, over a rather broken country
alternating with Bauhinia plains and a well-grassed forest. The banks of
a large lagoon, on which several palm trees grew, were covered with heaps
of mussel-shells. Swarms of sheldrakes were perching in the trees, and,
as we approached, they rose with a loud noise, flying up and down the
lagoon, and circling in the air around us. A chain of water-holes,
fringed with Mangrove myrtle, changed, farther to the westward, into a
creek, which had no connection with the river, but was probably one of
the heads of the Nassau. We crossed it, and encamped on a water-hole
covered with Nymphaeas, about a mile from the river, whose brushy banks
would have prevented us from approaching it, had we wished to do so.
Though the easterly winds still prevailed, a slight north-west breeze was
very distinctly felt, from about 11 o'clock a.m.
June 25.--We travelled about ten miles N.N.W. to latitude 15 degrees 51
minutes 26 seconds, but did not follow the river, which made large
windings to the northward. It was very broad where Brown saw it last,
and, by his account, the brush was almost entirely composed of palm
trees. He saw a little boat with a fine Cymbium shell floating on the
water. Our road led us over a well grassed forest land, and several
creeks, which, although rising near the river, appeared to have no
communication with it. Some plains of considerable size were between the
river and our line of march; they were well grassed, but full of
melon-holes, and rose slightly towards the river, forming a remarkable
water-shed, perhaps, between the Nassau and the Mitchell. As we
approached the river, we entered into a flat covered with stunted box,
and intersected by numerous irregular water-courses. The box was
succeeded by a Phyllanthus scrub, through which we pushed, and then came
to a broad creek, filled with fine water, but not running, although high
water-marks on the drooping tea-trees proved that it was occasionally
flooded. We did not understand, nor could we ascertain, in what relation
this singular country and the creek stood to the river, of which nothing
was to be seen from the right bank of the creek.
The scrub, and the high grass along the creek, were swarming with white
flanked wallabies, three of which Brown and Charley succeeded in
shooting; and these, with a common grey kangaroo caught by Spring, and
five ducks shot by Brown, provided our larder with a fine supply of game.
When I first came on the Lynd, I supposed that it flowed either
independently to the head of the gulf, or that it was the tributary of a
river which collected the waters of the York Peninsula, and carried them
in a south-west or south-south-west course to the head of the gulf of
Carpentaria. Such a course would have corresponded to that of the
Burdekin at the eastern side, and the supposition was tolerably warranted
by the peculiar conformation of the gulf. I expected, therefore, at every
stage down the Lynd, at every bend to the westward, that it would keep
that course. But, having passed the latitude of the head of the gulf, as
well as those of the Van Diemen and the Staaten rivers, the Lynd still
flowed to the north-west; and then, when it joined the Mitchell, I
imagined that the new river would prove to be the Nassau; but, when it
passed the latitude of that river, I conjectured that it would join the
sea at the large embouchure in the old charts, in latitude 15 degrees 5
minutes--the "Water Plaets" of the Dutch navigators. To follow it
farther, therefore, would have been merely to satisfy my curiosity, and
an unpardonable waste of time. Besides, the number of my bullocks was
decreasing, and prudence urged the necessity of proceeding, without any
farther delay, towards the goal of my journey. I determined therefore to
leave the Mitchell at this place, and to approach the sea-coast--so near
at least, as not to risk an easy progress--and to pass round the bottom
of the gulf.
June 26.--We travelled, accordingly, about seven miles almost due west,
the latitude of our new camp being 15 degrees 52 minutes 38 seconds. On
our way we passed some very fine long water-holes; some of which were
surrounded with reeds, and others covered with the white species of
Nymphaea; groves of Pandanus spiralis occupied their banks. Some fine
plains, full of melon-holes, but well grassed, separated from each other
by belts of forest-land, in which the Pandanus was also very frequent,
were crossed during the day.
June 27.--We travelled eight miles W.S.W. over a succession of plains
separated by belts of forest, consisting of bloodwood, box, apple-gum,
and rusty-gum. Some plains were scattered over with Bauhinias. The holes
along the plains are probably filled with water during the rainy season;
dead shells of Paludina were extremely numerous, and we found even the
shield of a turtle in one of them. At the end of the stage, we skirted
some dense scrub, and encamped at one of the lagoons parallel to a dry
creek, which must belong to the Nassau, as its latitude was 15 degrees 55
minutes 8 seconds. The lagoon was covered with small white Nymphaeas,
Damasoniums, and yellow Utricularias; and on its banks were heaps of
mussel-shells. The smoke of natives' fires were seen on the plains, in
every direction; but we saw no natives. Brown approached very near to a
flock of Harlequin pigeons, and shot twenty-two of them. A young grey
kangaroo was also taken.
The kites were so bold that one of them snatched the skinned specimen of
a new species of honey-sucker out of Mr. Gilbert's tin case; and, when we
were eating our meals, they perched around us on the branches of
overhanging trees, and pounced down even upon our plates, although held
in our hands, to rob us of our dinners;--not quite so bad, perhaps, as
the Harpies in the Aeneid, but sufficiently so to be a very great nuisance
to us.
Yesterday and to-day we experienced a cold dry southerly wind, which
lasted till about 11 o'clock A. M., when it veered to the south-west, but
at night returned again, and rendered the air very cold, and dry, which
was very evident from the total absence of dew. The forenoon was very
clear; cumuli and cirrho-cumuli gathered during the afternoon. The sky of
the sunset was beautifully coloured. After sunset, the clouds cleared
off, but, as the night advanced, gradually collected again.
A circumstance occurred to-day which gave me much concern, as it showed
that the natives of this part were not so amicably disposed towards us as
those we had hitherto met:--whilst Charley and Brown were in search of
game in the vicinity of our camp, they observed a native sneaking up to
our bullocks, evidently with the intention of driving them towards a
party of his black companions, who with poised spears were waiting to
receive them. Upon detecting this manoeuvre, Charley and his companion
hurried forward to prevent their being driven away, when the native gave
the alarm, and all took to their heels, with the exception of a lame
fellow, who endeavoured to persuade his friends to stand fight. Charley,
however, fired his gun, which had the intended effect of frightening
them; for they deserted their camp, which was three hundred yards from
ours, in a great hurry, leaving, among other articles, a small net full
of potatoes, which Charley afterwards picked up. The gins had previously
retired; a proof that mischief was intended.
June 28.--We crossed the creek, near which we had encamped, and travelled
about nine miles wost, over most beautifully varied country of plains, of
forest land, and chains of lagoons. We crossed a large creek or river,
which I believed to be the main branch of the Nassau. It was well
supplied with water-holes, but there was no stream. Loose clayey
sandstone cropped out in its bed, and also in the gullies which joined
it. A small myrtle tree with smooth bark, and a leafless tree resembling
the Casuarina, grew plentifully on its banks. We saw smoke rising-in
every direction, which showed how thickly the country was inhabited. Near
the lagoons we frequently noticed bare spots of a circular form, about
twelve or fifteen feet in diameter, round each of which was a belt of
ten, twelve, or more fire places, separated from each other by only a few
feet. It seems that the natives usually sit within the circle of fires;
but it is difficult to know whether it belonged to a family, or whether
each fire had an independent proprietor. Along the Lynd and Mitchell, the
natives made their fires generally in heaps of stones, which served as
ovens for cooking their victuals. Bones of kangaroos and wallabies, and
heaps of mussel-shells, were commonly seen in their camps; but fish bones
were very rarely observed. It was very different, however, when we
travelled round the head, and along the western side, of the gulf; for
fish seemed there to form the principal food of the natives.
At the end of our stage, we came to a chain of shallow lagoons, which
were slightly connected by a hollow. Many of them were dry; and fearing
that, if we proceeded much farther, we should not find water, I encamped
on one of them, containing a shallow pool; it was surrounded by a narrow
belt of small tea trees, with stiff broad lanceolate leaves. As the water
occupied only the lower part of this basin, I deposited our luggage in
the upper part. Mr. Roper and Mr. Calvert made their tent within the belt
of trees, with its opening towards the packs; whilst Mr. Gilbert and
Murphy constructed theirs amongst the little trees, with its entrance
from the camp. Mr. Phillips's was, as usual, far from the others, and at
the opposite side of the water. Our fire place was made outside of the
trees, on the banks. Brown had shot six Leptotarsis Eytoni, (whistling
ducks) and four teals, which gave us a good dinner; during which, the
principal topic of conversation was our probable distance from the sea
coast, as it was here that we first found broken sea shells, of the genus
Cytherea. After dinner, Messrs. Roper and Calvert retired to their tent,
and Mr. Gilbert, John, and Brown, were platting palm leaves to make a
hat, and I stood musing near their fire place, looking at their work, and
occasionally joining in their conversation. Mr. Gilbert was
congratulating himself upon having succeeded in learning to plat; and,
when he had nearly completed a yard, he retired with John to their tent.
This was about 7 o'clock; and I stretched myself upon the ground as
usual, at a little distance from the fire, and fell into a dose, from
which I was suddenly roused by a loud noise, and a call for help from
Calvert and Roper. Natives had suddenly attacked us. They had doubtless
watched our movements during the afternoon, and marked the position of
the different tents; and, as soon as it was dark, sneaked upon us, and
threw a shower of spears at the tents of Calvert, Roper, and Gilbert, and
a few at that of Phillips, and also one or two towards the fire. Charley
and Brown called for caps, which I hastened to find, and, as soon as they
were provided, they discharged their guns into the crowd of the natives,
who instantly fled, leaving Roper and Calvert pierced with several
spears, and severely beaten by their waddies. Several of these spears
were barbed, and could not be extracted without difficulty. I had to
force one through the arm of Roper, to break off the barb; and to cut
another out of the groin of Mr. Calvert. John Murphy had succeeded in
getting out of the tent, and concealing himself behind a tree, whence he
fired at the natives, and severely wounded one of them, before Brown had
discharged his gun. Not seeing Mr. Gilbert, I asked for him, when Charley
told me that our unfortunate companion was no more! He had come out of
his tent with his gun, shot, and powder, and handed them to him, when he
instantly dropped down dead. Upon receiving this afflicting intelligence,
I hastened to the spot, and found Charley's account too true. He was
lying on the ground at a little distance from our fire, and, upon
examining him, I soon found, to my sorrow, that every sign of life had
disappeared. The body was, however, still warm, and I opened the veins of
both arms, as well as the temporal artery, but in vain; the stream of
life had stopped, and he was numbered with the dead.
As soon as we recovered from the panic into which we were thrown by this
fatal event, every precaution was taken to prevent another surprise; we
watched through the night, and extinguished our fires to conceal our
individual position from the natives.
A strong wind blew from the southward, which made the night air
distressingly cold; it seemed as if the wind blew through our bodies.
Under all the circumstances that had happened, we passed an anxious
night, in a state of most painful suspense as to the fate of our still
surviving companions. Mr. Roper had received two or three spear wounds in
the scalp of his head; one spear had passed through his left arm, another
into his cheek below the jugal bone, and penetrated the orbit, and
injured the optic nerve, and another in his loins, besides a heavy blow
on the shoulder. Mr. Calvert had received several severe blows from a
waddi; one on the nose which had crushed the nasal bones; one on the
elbow, and another on the back of his hand; besides which, a barbed spear
had entered his groin; and another into his knee. As may be readily
imagined, both suffered great pain, and were scarcely able to move. The
spear that terminated poor Gilbert's existence, had entered the chest,
between the clavicle and the neck; but made so small a wound, that, for
some time, I was unable to detect it. From the direction of the wound, he
had probably received the spear when stooping to leave his tent.
The dawning of the next morning, the 29th, was gladly welcomed, and I
proceeded to examine and dress the wounds of my companions, more
carefully than I had been able to do in the darkness of the night.
Very early in the morning we heard the cooees of the natiyes, who seemed
wailing, as if one of their number was either killed or severely wounded:
for we found stains of blood on their tracks. They disappeared, however,
very soon, for, on reconnoitring about the place, I saw nothing of them.
I interred the body of our ill-fated companion in the afternoon, and read
the funeral service of the English Church over him. A large fire was
afterwards made over the grave, to prevent the natives from detecting and
disinterring the body. Our cattle and horses fortunately had not been
molested.
The cold wind from the southward continued the whole day; at night it
fell calm, and continued so until the morning of the 30th June, when a
strong easterly wind set in, which afterwards veered round to the north
and north-west.
Calvert and Roper recovered wonderfully, considering the severe injuries
they had received; and the wounds, which I feared as being the most
dangerous, promised with care and patience to do well. As it was
hazardous to remain long at the place, for the natives might return in
greater numbers, and repeat their attack, as well on ourselves as the
cattle, I determined to proceed, or at least to try if my wounded
companions could endure to be removed on horseback. In a case like this,
where the lives of the whole party were concerned, it was out of the
question to attend only to the individual feelings and wishes of the
patients; I felt for their position to the fullest extent that it was
possible for one to feel towards his fellow creatures so situated; but I
had equal claims on my attention. I had to look exclusively to the state
of their wounds, and to the consequences of the daily journey on their
constitutions; to judge if we could proceed or ought to stop; and I had
reason to expect, or at least was sanguine enough to hope, that although
the temporary feelings of acute pain might make them discontented with my
arrangements, sober reflection at the end of our journey would induce
them to do me justice.
The constant attention which they required, and the increased work which
fell to the share of our reduced number, had scarcely allowed me time to
reflect upon the melancholy accident which had befallen us, and the
ill-timed death of our unfortunate companion. All our energies were
roused, we found ourselves in danger, and, as was absolutely necessary,
we strained every nerve to extricate ourselves from it: but I was well
aware, that the more coolly we went to work, the better we should
succeed.