- At two miles passed over a low rocky range connected with Mount
Maude: the remainder of our day's journey (nearly twelve miles) lay
chiefly through a barren level country, the ground rather studded than
covered with grass, and that only in patches, by far the greater part
producing no grass at all. The trees were chiefly cypresses, a new
species of staculia, together with scrubs of the acacia pendula. The
soil a light red sand, the lower levels being stronger and more clayey.
We did not meet with any water, and were obliged to stop in the middle
of an acacia brush, the horses being too much fatigued to proceed
farther, and as the country had been lately burnt, the grass was a
little better than usual. At four o'clock sent two men to search for
water, and in about half an hour they returned, having found several
small ponds of good water about three quarters of a mile to the
south-west: the swamp appeared to extend to the northward a considerable
distance. Several native huts were on the edge of one of the ponds, but
they had not been recently inhabited.
May 20. - Proceeded forward south-west eleven miles through a most barren
desolate country, the soil a light red sand, literally parched up with
drought, there being no appearance of rain having fallen for several
months. The country through which we passed being a perfect plain
overrun with acacia scrubs, we could not see in any direction above a
quarter of a mile; I therefore halted at two o'clock on purpose to gain
time to find water before sunset, as we had seen no other signs of any
on our route than a few dry pits. It is impossible to imagine a more
desolate region; and the uncertainty we are in, whilst traversing it, of
finding water, adds to the melancholy feelings which the silence and
solitude of such wastes is calculated to inspire.
The search for water was unsuccessful, about three gallons of muddy
liquid being all that could be procured: our horses and dogs, I am
afraid, were the greatest sufferers.
May 21. - The water was so extremely bad that, pressed as we were by
thirst, we could scarcely even by twice boiling it render it drinkable.
After travelling ten or eleven miles through a country equally barren
and destitute with that of yesterday, without meeting with the least
appearance of water, and the horses being completely worn out, I
determined to halt on a small patch of burnt grass; two of the horses
had fallen several times under their loads, and nothing but the
evenness of the road enabled us to reach thus far. The same level plain
extended on all sides, and our view was confined to the scrubby brush
around us. A small hollow lying across our track, I sent a man on
horseback to trace it, in hopes it might lead to water: he returned
about four o'clock with the joyful news that he had found water in a
large swamp about five miles to the north-west: he also saw a native,
who however ran too swiftly to allow him to come up with him. This was
the first living creature of any kind we had seen since we quitted the
river. Both the kangaroo and emu seem to have deserted these plains for
other parts of the country better watered, and affording them more food.
The horses being utterly unable to proceed without rest, I determined to
remain here to-morrow to refresh them.
May 22. - The nights cold and frosty, the days warm and clear: I think it
is very evident that the altitude of the country declines in a
remarkable manner to the north-west; from the south-east to the
south-west it appears nearly of the same elevation; and in travelling we
appear to be going along an inclined plane, the lowest edges being from
west to north. I went about five miles to the north-west to the place
whence the water was procured; the country poor, and as barren as can
well be imagined; the soil a light red sand, acacia scrubs, small
box-trees, and a few miserable cypresses.
May 23. - Our route lay through a country equally bad, if not worse, than
any which we had passed the preceding days: in some places it was
difficult for the horses to force a passage through the brush;
occasionally low stony ridges intervened, which, when viewed from higher
eminences, were not to be detected from the plain out of which they
rose. The soil was alternately a sterile sand and a hardened clay,
without grass of any description: the country appeared to form the
bottom of a dry morass, and I am convinced if the weather had not been
dry for a considerable time, travelling would have been impossible.
After proceeding ten miles we were obliged to stop, the horses being
unable to go further. We had seen no signs of water during our route,
but stopping at a stony water-course we were in hopes of finding a
sufficiency to supply our wants, and on a hill at the end of it, about a
quarter of a mile to the westward, water was found.
May 24. - A day of rest and preparation. The country seems to rise
hereabouts and to be more broken, the ridges stony: the dwarf timber and
brush very thick. In searching for the horses this morning several
kangaroos and emus were seen, also the huts of a tribe of natives
recently inhabited.
May 25. - The horses much refreshed, except one which is unable to carry
any thing; his load was therefore obliged to be distributed among the
rest, already too heavily laden. At nine o'clock set forward on our
journey. At two we arrived at the base of a hill of considerable
magnitude, terminating westward in an abrupt perpendicular rock
from two hundred and fifty to three hundred feet high.
