We Travelled About Ten Miles North-West By North, And Encamped At A Small
Pool Of Water In A Creek, In Which The Clayey Ironstone Cropped Out.
Its
water was so impregnated with the astringent properties of the gum-trees,
that Mr. Phillips boiled and drank it like tea.
Before arriving at this
creek, we had a thunder-storm, with heavy rain, from the northward. After
pitching our tents, our guides went out, and returned with a small Iguana
(Vergar), and with pods of the rose-coloured Sterculia, which they
roasted on the coals. I succeeded in saving a great part of our meat by
smoking it.
Our horses were greatly distressed by large horse-flies, and every now
and then the poor brutes would come and stand in the smoke of our fires
to rid themselves of their persevering tormentors. This want of rest
during the night contributed very much to their increasing weakness;
though most of them were severely galled besides, which was prevented
only in two by the most careful attention, and daily washing of their
backs. On this stage we again passed one of those oven-like huts of the
natives, thatched with grass, which I have mentioned several times, and
which Nyuall's tribe called "Corambal." At the place where we encamped,
the ruins of a very large hut were still visible, which indicated that
the natives had profited by their long intercourse with the Malays and
Europeans, in the construction of their habitations.
Dec. 14. - When we started, intending to follow the foot-path, our native
guides remained behind; and, when I had proceeded two or three miles, my
companions came up to me and stated, that the natives had left us, but
that they had given them to understand that the foot-path would conduct
us safely to Balanda. They had attempted to keep the large tomahawk, but
had given it up when Brown asked them for it. I was very sorry at their
having left us, as the cloudy sky had prevented me for several days from
taking any latitude, and determining my position. We crossed a great
number of small creeks, coming from the eastward, and draining the ridges
of the neck of the Peninsula. Scattered Pandanus and drooping tea-trees
grew on their banks as far as the fresh water extended; when they were
succeeded by the salt-water tea-tree and the mangrove, covering and
fringing their beds, which enlarged into stiff plains, without
vegetation, or into mangrove swamps. The latter were composed of
Aegiceras, Bruguiera, and Pemphis. The tracks of the buffaloes increased
in number as we advanced, and formed broad paths, leading in various
directions, and made me frequently mistake them for the foot-path of the
natives, which I eventually lost. A course north 30 degrees west, brought
us to easterly creeks, one of which I followed down, when Brown called
out that he saw the sea. We, therefore, went to the sea-side, and found
ourselves at the head of a large bay, with an island to the north-east,
and with headlands stretching far into the ocean, which was open and
boundless to the northward.
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