The smoke of the Black-fellows' fires was seen to the
southward.
The fresh grass of recent burnings extended over all the
plains, and even near our waterle encampment, where its bright verdure
made us believe that we approached a fresh water swamp.
July 27. - I stopped at this camp to allow our cattle to recover from
their fatigue; intending afterwards to proceed up the river until I came
into the zone of fresh water, which we had left, and then to continue my
course to the west and north-west. During our stay in this place, Mr.
Calvert found a piece of pack canvass, rolled round some utensils of the
natives.
July 28. - We travelled about ten miles south by east; but were soon
compelled by the salt-water creeks to leave the river, which seemed to
come from south-south-east. We crossed several mangrove creeks, one of
which contained a weir formed by many rows of dry sticks. These creeks
were too boggy to be forded in any part where the tide reached, and we
had to follow them up for several miles, until their beds divided into
lagoons. Here the drooping tea-tree re-appeared, which I considered to
indicate the presence of fresh water, at least for a part of the year. I
found them, however, at times, on salt-water rivers, not on the level of
the salt water, but high on the banks within the reach of the freshes
during the rainy season. In turning again towards the river, we crossed a
large plain, from which pillars of smoke were seen rising above the green
belt of raspberry-jam trees which covered the approaches to the river.
After passing some forest of Moreton Bay ash, bloodwood, clustered box,
Acacia (Inga moniliformis), and a few Bauhinias, we came to another
salt-water creek, with a sandy bed and deposits of fine salt. Very narrow
flats extended along both sides of the creek, and rose by water-torn
slopes into large treeless plains. The slopes were, as usual, covered
with raspberry-jam trees. I saw smoke to the south-ward, and, on
proceeding towards it, we came to a fine lagoon of fresh water in the bed
of the creek.
July 29. - We travelled about five miles and a half south-south-east up
the creek, and encamped in latitude 18 degrees 2 minutes. The character
of the country was the same. When about two miles from our last camp, we
came upon a tribe of natives fishing in a water-hole, near which a
considerable quantity of large and small fish was heaped. The men made a
tremendous noise, which frightened our bullocks, and hastened to the
place where their gins were. The latter, among whom was a remarkably tall
one, decamped at our approach. A fine shell of Dolium was in their camp,
which we passed through. After we had passed by, the natives followed us;
upon which I returned towards them, and hung a nose ring on the branch of
a small tree. This sign of friendly disposition on my side, emboldened
them to approach me and demand a parley. I, therefore, dismounted, and,
accompanied by Charley, divided some empty tin canisters among them, with
which they seemed highly satisfied. They were altogether fine men. Three
or four old men with grey beards were amongst them; and they introduced a
young handsome lad to me, with a net on his head and a quill through his
nose, calling him "Yappar." He was probably a youth of the Yappar tribe
who had been sent forward as a messenger to inform them of our having
passed that country. Seeing my watch, they pointed to the sun; and
appeared to be well acquainted with the use of my gun.
Further up the creek, we again saw some storied gunyas of the natives.
July 30. - We travelled about ten miles west by south, over an immense
plain, with here and there a solitary tree, or a small patch of forest.
It was full of melon-holes, and much resembled the plains of the
Condamine. Salicornia and Binoe's Trichinium were wanting. At the west
side of the plain, a green belt of forest stretched from north to south.
Before we entered into it, and into the valley of the creek, along which
it extended, we passed some open forest of stunted silver-leaved
Ironbark. On the slopes of the plains we met, as usual, the raspberry-jam
tree thickets, and on the flats and hollows along the creek, the
clustered box; whilst, on the banks of the creek, grew the broad-leaved
Terminalia and Acacia (Inga moniliformis). Following the creek up about
half a mile, we found a fine rocky water-hole. The rock was a clayey
Ironstone.
When entering upon the plain in the morning, we saw two emus on a patch
of burnt grass. Brown and Charley gave chase to them; but Brown's horse
stumbled and threw him, and unfortunately broke the stock of the double
barrelled fowling piece, and bent the barrels. Spring took hold of the
emu, which dragged him to the lagoon we had left, pursued by Charley on
foot. The emu plunged into the water, and, having given Spring and
Charley a good ducking, made its escape, notwithstanding its lacerated
thigh. Three harlequin pigeons, and six rose-breasted cockatoos (Cocatua
Eos, GOULD.), were shot on the plains.
The weather was delightful; a fine breeze from the east cooled the air.
July 31. - We made about ten miles due west, the latitude of our camp
being 18 degrees 6 minutes 42 seconds. After passing some Ironstone
ridges, covered with stunted silver-leaved Ironbark, we entered upon a
large plain, from which we saw some low ranges to the south, and smoke to
the W. 20 degrees S. I followed this course about seven miles; but the
smoke was still very distant, and, perceiving a belt of forest to the
westward, I took that direction, passed the head of a small creek which
went to the southward, crossed some box forest and Ironbark ridges, and
came into an open country, with alternating plains and ridges, which,
even at the present season, was very pretty, and must, when clothed in
the garments of Spring, be very beautiful.
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