The country surrounding the range to the north
appeared to consist of open red sandhills, with casuarina in the
hollows between. At sixteen miles I found a large rocky tarn in a
creek-gorge; but little or no grass for the horses - indeed, the whole
country at the foot of this range is very bare of that commodity,
except at Sladen Water, where it is excellent.
Since we left Sladen Water the horses have not done well, and the
slopes of this range being so rough and stony, many of them display
signs of sorefootedness. I cannot expect the range to continue farther
than another day's stage; and though I cannot see its end, yet I feel
'tis near.
Many delays by visiting places caused it to be very late when we sat
down amongst stones and triodia to devour our frugal supper. A
solitary eagle was the monarch of this scene; it was perched upon the
highest peak of a bare ridge, and formed a feathery sky-line when
looking up the gorge - always there sat the solemn, solitary, and
silent bird, like the Lorelei on her rock - above - beautifully, there,
as though he had a mission to watch the course of passing events, and
to record them in the books of time and fate.
