Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropical Australia, in Search of a Route from Sydney to the Gulf of Carpentaria (1848)Mitchell, T. L. (Thomas Livingstone)
History
Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropical Australia, in Search of a Route from Sydney to the Gulf of Carpentaria (1848)
Mitchell, T. L. (Thomas Livingstone)
New South Wales -- Discovery and exploration; Queensland -- Discovery and exploration
flowers; and in the sandy scrub, the LEUCOPOGON CUSPIDATUS formed a small
shrub. Thermometer, at sunrise, 16 deg.; at noon, 50 deg.; at 4 P.M., 49 deg.; at 9,
38 deg.. (XLV.) Height above the sea, 1270 feet.
[* B. INCANA (Lindl. MS.); arborea, inermis, foliis oblongo-linearibus
supra glabris subtus incanis, panicula terminali tomentosa, floribus
distantibus.]
[** L. SUBFALCATUS (Hook. MS.); ramis dichotomis patentibus, foliis
oppositis linearibus lineari-lanceolatisve obtusis subfalcatis glabris
trinerviis, floribus axillaribus binis arcte pendentibus brevissime
pedicellatis, calycis contracti cylindracei ore dilatato, petalis 6
linearibus glaberrimis supra medium coalitis.]
[*** "His soul naturally delighted in scenes of savage magnificence and
ruined grandeur; his spirit loved to stray in lonely glens, and gaze on
mouldering castles."--ALLAN CUNNINGHAM (THE POET).]
[**** B. BIPINNATA (Lindl. MS.) glabra vel pilosa, foliis bipinnatis
pinnatisque, foliolis linearibus subteretibus obtusis, floribus
subsolitariis axillaribus foliis brevioribus 8-andris.]
[***** A. EXCELSA (Benth. MS.) glabra, ramulis subangulatis, phyllodiis
falcato-oblongis obtusiusculis mucronulatisve basi angustatis
subcoriaceis nitidis multinervibus venulosis eglandulosis, pedunculis
solitariis geminisve capitulo dense multifloro brevioribus vel
brevissimis. Very near A. VENULOSA, Cunn.; but smooth, the phyllodia
shining, 2 to 3 inches long, 6-9 lines broad, the flower heads usually
almost sessile.]
7TH JULY.--Continuing along the eastern margin of the reeds, we soon
found that the river expanded into a lake covered with them, and that in
one or two spots there also grew the "Balyan" of the Lachlan, (a bulrush
mentioned in my former journals). We listened, and still heard the
current of water amongst these reeds. From the margin of this lake the
hills, rocks, and woods, on the opposite shore, presented a most charming
morceau of picturesque scenery. Our route was through an open forest
which skirted the reedy margin, over very firm ground, and in a general
direction about north-west. At length we approached the northern limits
of the reedy lake, no river being visible flowing out of it, as we had
reason to expect. We found there, however, only a dry channel, which bore
the marks of a considerable stream at some seasons. Following this dry
channel down, I found its course turned to the northward, and even to the
north-east. When we were disposed to encamp, I could find no water in the
bed, nor were we better off when we had encamped, until Corporal Graham
dug between two rocks therein, and, fortunately, found a spring. Thus, in
one day vanished the pleasing prospect we had enjoyed in the morning, of
a stream flowing in the direction of our intended route. This might be, I
then thought, the tributary to a larger river, which I still hoped would
be found to flow westward from the coast ranges, and, finally, take the
desired north-west direction.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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