The Flats Were Well
Grassed, And Lightly Timbered With Box And White-Gum.
On the flat summit
of the sandstone ranges, we observed the Melaleuca gum, the rusty gum,
the mountain Acacia,
And Persoonia falcata, (R. Br.) The basaltic rock
was apparently confined to the upper part of the valley, where it had
broken through the sandstone, which composed all the ranges round our
camp, the latitude of which I observed to be 14 degrees 23 minutes 55
seconds. At our last camp, I observed a Platycercus, of the size of the
Moreton Bay Rosella, with blackfront, yellow shoulders, and sea-green
body; the female had not the showy colours of the male, and the young
ones were more speckled on the back. I believe it to be the Platycercus
Brownii, GOULD. A black and white Ptilotis, the only stuffed specimen of
which was taken by a kite almost out of Mr. Gilbert's hand, was very
frequent at the wells of the natives.
During the night, a great number of flying-foxes came to revel in the
honey of the blossoms of the gum trees. Charley shot three, and we made a
late but welcome supper of them. They were not so fat as those we had
eaten before, and tasted a little strong; but, in messes made at night,
it was always difficult to find out the cause of any particular taste, as
Master Brown wished to get as quickly as possible over his work, and was
not over particular in cleaning them.
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