MOUNT GRANARD, FIRST POINT TO BE ATTAINED.
March 19.
Our stores being completed we proceeded along the course of the little
rivulet of Buree, towards the Lachlan. My first object was to gain Mount
Granard, described by Mr. Oxley as the most elevated pic of a very high
range, and laid down on his map to the westward of where the Lachlan
takes a remarkable turn from its general direction towards the low
country more to the southward. I had long thought that it might be
possible to ascertain from this hill whether any range extended westward
of sufficient magnitude to separate the basins of the Murray and the
Darling. I wished to visit it last year, but the loss of Mr. Cunningham,
the consequent delay of the party, and the adverse nature of my
instructions in regard to my own views, together prevented me. I then saw
that the hills along the line I was now about to follow were favourable
for triangulation; but the greater certainty of finding water in a large
river like the Lachlan was my chief inducement for now moving towards its
banks, as the season was of such unusual drought. On this day's journey I
took for my guidance the bearing of a line drawn on the map from Buree,
as fixed by my former survey, to the mouth of Byrne's creek, as laid down
by Mr. Oxley; and which I supposed to be the same as that which descends
from Buree.
HALT ON A DRY CREEK.
The line guided me tolerably well to where I encamped that night. This
was on a fine-looking plain, within sight of the wooded banks of the
creek; but, on examining the bed of the latter, I could find no water,
although I followed it two miles down. There I arrived at a cattle
station named Toogang, where there was water. It was nothing to the old
hands of the Darling to go only TWO miles for water. We suffered no
inconvenience from this; but it was deplorable to see the bed of what
must in some seasons be a fine little stream so completely dry and dusty.
This day we met with a new species of Psoralea.* At the camp I
ascertained the magnetic variation to be 9 degrees 10 minutes 15 seconds
East, by an observation of the star Beta Centauri.
(*Footnote. A genus chiefly inhabiting the Cape of Good Hope, India, the
Levant and North America, of which no species have before been published
from Australia. I was subsequently fortunate enough to discover two more
species of this genus; which with one as yet unpublished, found by Mr.
Allan Cunningham in 1818 in the rocky islands of Dampier's Archipelago on
the north-west coast, makes the number inhabiting Australia to be 4: all
of which are remarkable for their resemblance to the North American form
of the genus. The species we observed on this occasion was a small
spreading herbaceous plant. P. patens, Lindley manuscripts; herbacea,
pubescens, foliis pinnatim trifoliolatis, foliolis dentatis punctatis
lateralibus oblongis obtusis intermedio ovato obtuso basi cuneato, racemo
pedunculato laxo multifloro foliis multo longiore, bracteis subrotundis
striatis obscure multipunctatis, ramis divaricatis.)
March 20.
We proceeded, crossing the channel near the cattle station where I learnt
that it was joined immediately below by that which I had named King's
creek on my last journey; also that water was abundant in it below the
junction. Some natives joined us and Piper prevailed on one of them to be
our guide, as far as he knew the country. The use of such a guide in
following an unexplored watercourse is that bad places for the carts may
be avoided, and the doubles of the stream cut off by the easiest routes.
BREAK A WHEEL.
In crossing a gully which entered the creek near another station, called
Chilberengaba, we broke a wheel, and though we had travelled only about
seven miles we were obliged to encamp, and remain until the carpenter and
the smith could repair it.
ATTEMPT TO ASCEND MARGA.
In the meantime I set out with the native guide for the summit of Marga,
which proved to be one of my old fixed points. It was about seven miles
south-west of our camp; but after a most fatiguing ascent of two steep
and rocky ridges, during great heat, I was obliged to return without
reaching Marga. At the cattle station we heard of a bullock which had
been left by us in an exhausted state during our last expedition; and we
succeeded in bringing it in, and in laying the yoke on its neck for
another visit to the banks of the Darling; it was fitter than any other
of our working bullocks. I added a second species of Psoralea to that
discovered yesterday, a small graceful plant with racemes of purplish
minute flowers, elevated far above the leaves, and on slender stalks so
tough as to be broken only with some difficulty.*
(*Footnote. P. tenax, Lindley manuscripts; herbacea, depressa, perennis,
glabra, foliis glandulosis palmatim 5-foliolatis, foliolis linearibus vel
lineari-oblongis obtusis, racemis cylindraceis longissime pedunculatis
erectis, leguminibus ovatis scabris glabris.)
March 21.
According to arrangements made with Captain King and Mr. Dunlop, the
King's astronomer at the Parramatta observatory, I halted the party this
day in order to make hourly observations of the barometer, thermometer,
the sky, etc. This plan had been strongly recommended by Sir John
Herschel; and for our present purposes it was most desirable in order
that we might ascertain how far the fluctuations of the atmosphere in two
places so distant as Parramatta and Byrne's creek corresponded in these
simultaneous observations. During our last journey some discrepancies in
the heights determined by the barometer on the Darling led to a suspicion
that the fluctuations at such great distances, in situations so
dissimilar, might vary considerably; and this was now to be ascertained.
THE PARTY IMPEDED BY ROCKS.
March 22.
We continued our journey along the left bank of the creek, but with
considerable difficulty and delay occasioned by the projection of the
rocky escarpment of the above-mentioned extremities of Mount Marga; so
that we had to break away masses of rock and move the carts one by one,
all hands assisting. We at length gained a pleasant tract of land on
which the grass was green and luxuriant in consequence of some partial
rain; and on this place I encamped with the intention of next day
ascending Marga. In the creek we found ponds, deep and clear like canals;
their borders being reedy and their margins green. In these ponds the
natives speared several fishes which had however a muddy flavour. Among
them was one, apparently the eel-fish, caught during my first expedition
in the Namoi and upper Darling.* This circumstance was rather in favour
of the supposition that the streams unite; but still the fish seemed
somewhat different.
(*Footnote. Plotosus tandanus see Volume 1.)
SNAKES.
On this day's journey we saw several large snakes; one, large and black,
was shot while swimming in a pond in the creek; the others were of that
kind named, from the beautifully variegated skin, the carpet snake. The
natives considered the latter very fierce and dangerous, saying it never
ran away but always faced or pursued them. It had in fact the flat broad
head and narrow neck which in general characterise the most venomous
snakes, also large fangs hooked inwards, which the natives particularly
pointed out. It had also, near the tail, two articulations with something
like a toe and joint on each, such as I had not observed before in any
other kind of snake. A smaller one of the same kind attacked one of the
party, and also a native, but the former shook it from his clothes, it
then fixed its teeth in the skin of the native who detached it with
difficulty; but as no blood came from the bite he seemed to care little
about it. The native name of this place was Cuenbla.
VIEW FROM MARGA.
March 23.
I set off, accompanied by my black guide mounted, for the top of Marga,
and we reached it this time by a route in which the native displayed the
usual skill of his race. Certainly I never ascended a hill of more
perplexing features, all these heights being also of extremely difficult
access, very steep and extending in the direction of 10 and 12 degrees
East of North. They consist of the sharp edges of inclined strata of hard
purple-coloured clay-slate. I was however rewarded for the fatigues this
hill had cost me, on two different days, not with a fine view, for the
summit was too woody for that, but with a sight of some important points
determined during my late journey; and others which I had then observed
only from the Canobolas but which I was now enabled to fix by angles
observed from this station. The most important point visible besides the
Canobolas was Mount Lachlan, by means of which I determined the true
situation of Marga and the neighbouring hill Nangar; which is rather
higher but more wooded, and 2 1/2 miles distant towards the south-east.
These two form the summits of an isolated mountain mass on the left bank
of Byrne's creek, the top of Marga being about 1000 feet above our camp
on its banks. I drew outlines (according to my usual custom) of all the
hills on the horizon before us, and took angles on them with the
theodolite. Descending by a shorter route I reached the camp in time to
protract my angles, whereby I ascertained to my great satisfaction that
both Marga and Nangar had been truly fixed from the Canobolas, as well as
other points observed in my former journey, the accuracy of which, by a
good angle with Mount Lachlan, I was thus enabled to prove without going
out of my way, besides establishing there a good base for extending the
survey southward.
March 24.
Our guide was now joined by some older natives, and one of them had been
examining the country ahead, being anxious about the safe passage of our
carts. His reconnaissance had not been made in vain, for he led us to an
easy, open pass through a range of which we had heard much from stockmen
as likely to trouble us because, as they said, its rocky extremities
overhung the creek. We crossed it with ease however, guided by the
native. It consisted of granite and evidently belonged geologically to
the ridge traversed by us on the second day after leaving Buree during
our last journey. On the range, green pine trees (callitris) and a
luxuriant crop of grass covering the adjacent country, multitudes of fat
cattle were to be seen on all sides. I had heard that, after crossing the
burnt up surface of the colony, I should see green pastures here, beyond
its limits.
CROSS BYRNE'S CREEK.
We crossed Byrne's creek, near a cattle station called Lagoura, and after
keeping its banks for four miles further (having for that distance
granitic hills on our right) we finally quitted it, and passed over a
grassy plain of the same kind of soil and character as those extensive
level tracts seen during our last journey but having, what seemed
singular to our unaccustomed sight, a coating of green herbage upon it.
NEW PLANTS.
In our progress I found no fewer than three new species of the pretty
genus Trichinium;* a small species of Sida before undiscovered, with
minute yellow flowers,** and also a fine-looking acacia with falcate
leaves, singularly white or rather silvery, and with drooping graceful
branches.***
(*Footnote.
1. Tr. alopecuroideum, Lindley manuscripts; caule ramoso glabro, foliis
lanceolatis glabris subtus scabriusculis, spicis cylindraceis elongatis,
bracteis rotundatis, calycibus herbaceis sursum calvis acutis, rachi
pilosa, cyatho staminum dentato.
2. Tr. parviflorum, Lindley manuscripts; foliis ovatis acutis petiolatis
subtus et caule furfuraceo-tomentosis, spicis gracilibus elongatis,
bracteis acuminatis scariosis, calycibus lanatis, rachi lanata,
staminibus inaequalibus distinctis.
3. Tr. sessilifolium, Lindley manuscripts; foliis oblongis obtusis
sessilibus et caule furfuraceo-tomentosis, spicis oblongis, bracteis
rotundatis lanatis, calycibus longe tubulosis lanatis sursum pilosis,
rachi tomentosa, staminibus inaequalibus distinctis.)
(**Footnote. S. corrugata, Lindley manuscripts; incana, prostrata,
pusilla, foliis subrotundis angulatis cordatis palminerviis serratis,
pedunculis 2-3 filiformibus petiolis longioribus, fructu disciformi
corrugato, coccis monospermis commissuris muricatis.)
(***Footnote. This proved to be a very distinct, undescribed species. A.
leucophylla, Lindley manuscripts; gracilis, ramulis filiformibus
angulatis albido-sericeis, phyllodiis lineari-lanceolatis falcatis apice
uncinatis obscure 2-nerviis appresse et densissime sericeis: margine
superiore basi subglanduloso, racemis umbellatis axillaribus phyllodio
multo brevioribus.)
REACH THE LACHLAN.
Travelling four miles more across level forest land, we reached the banks
of the Lachlan at Waagan,* a cattle station a mile and a half below the
junction of Byrne's creek of Oxley, which we had just traced in its
course from Buree.
(*Footnote. Waagan means a crow in the native language.)
FIND ITS CHANNEL DRY.
I beheld in the Lachlan all the features of the Darling, but on a
somewhat smaller scale. The same sort of large gumtrees, similar steep,
soft, muddy banks; and, even in this place, a margin with an outer bank.
But its waters were gone, except in a few small ponds in the very deepest
parts of its bed. Such was now the state of that river down which my
predecessor's boats had floated. I had during the last winter drawn my
whaleboats 1600 miles overland without finding a river where I could use
them; whereas Mr. Oxley had twice retired by nearly the same routes, and
in the same season of the year, from supposed inland seas!