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
19TH JULY.--With the intention to lose no opportunity of getting further
to the westward, I travelled on towards the base of the most northern
summit of the range in the west; but I was, at length, so shut up by
gullies and scrubby extremities near its base and all radiating from it,
and becoming very deep, that I took the party aside into a grassy ravine
near, where I directed the men to encamp, and hastened myself to the
summit. From it, the view westward was not so extensive as I expected.
Something like precipitous slopes to some channel or water-course,
apparently falling either S. W. or N. E., formed the most promising
feature; but, although my object was to have travelled in that direction,
the scrub seemed too thick to admit of a passage. Open forest land
appeared to the N. E., and there, the gently undulating features,
although much lower than the range on whose northern extremity I then
stood, seemed nevertheless to form a connection between it and some
higher ranges of open forest land, that appeared between me and the
coast. Through one wide opening in these, about east, I saw some broken
hills, at a very great distance, say seventy or eighty miles. The ridgy-
connected undulations formed the heads of some valleys sloping to the
south-east, whereof the waters would evidently join those of the Balmy
Creek, while others, rising on the north-west side, seemed to belong to a
separate basin, and to form a river falling to the north-west. This river
was indicated only by slopes meeting and interlacing in a valley. To the
left or westward of that supposed river channel, a mighty isolated
mountain mass shut out any view of the further course of the water of the
valley formed between it and these slopes; but, as the very lowest point
of the whole horizon, as indicated by the spirit-level of the theodolite,
lay in that direction, I determined to pursue that bearing, (10 deg. W. of
N.) through the open forest country that intervened. I found that the
mountain commanding this view, was elevated 2247 feet above the sea,
according to the Syphon barometer, and in using this instrument, I could
not forget Colonel Mudge, who had kindly taught me its use; I therefore
named that summit Mount Mudge. In the gravel at the base of the hill,
were water-worn pebbles of trap and basalt. The rock of which the range
itself consisted, seemed to be a calcareous grit, with vegetable
impressions, apparently of GLOSSOPTERIS BROWNII. On descending to the
camp, I was informed that the cattle-watering party came suddenly upon
two natives, one of whom was a placid old man, the other middle-aged.
Corporal Graham did all he could to allay their fears, and convince them
that they were in no danger from such strangers. The elder at length
handed his little bundle to the younger and sat down, on seeing the
Corporal's green bough; meanwhile the other walked on. When Graham took
the old man's hand, and shook it, also patting him on the back, and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account