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
channel, and this character seemed to be preserved by various trees
growing in the banks. When their large roots became denuded by the
floods, or were washed out, or partially gave way, so that the tree fell
over the stream, they presented impediments, first to the floating-wreck,
and, next, to the water itself: when that collection of floating wreck
became consolidated with muddy deposit, new banks so formed forced the
river into new currents, working out new courses; and this appeared to
give the peculiar character so uniformly observed. It seems extremely
favourable for the retention of water in a country where it may be
scarce; for the many ponds so formed and shaded from the sun, preserve it
much better and longer, than if one continuous unobstructed channel
alone, received and carried off, the water of the surface. I found the
hollows we saw this day drier than usual; but we at length succeeded in
discovering three good ponds. The foliage of the trees, with dry and
naked water-worn roots, presented all the hues of an English autumn,
although none of these were deciduous. This effect I was disposed to
attribute to unseasonable drought, or past heat. The weather we had was
delightful; for, although the thermometer in the shade rose sometimes to
90 deg. about 4 P.M., the heat of the Bogan was still fresh in our
recollection; and the frosts which, not above three weeks before, had
disturbed our sleep, made this degree of heat as welcome as the flowers
in May. Latitude, 22 deg. 55' 35" S. Thermometer, at sunrise, 38 deg.; at noon,
80 deg.; at 4 P.M., 85 deg.; at 9, 51 deg.. (LXI.)
[* G. PENDULA (Lindl. MS.); ramis gracilibus pendulis, foliis linearibus
in petiolum sensim angustatis 5 uncias longis cum ramo parallelis.]
[** S. SALICINUS (Benth. MS.); foliis lanceolato-linearibus integerrimis
apice subuncinato ramulisque canescentibus, calycis foliolis brevibus
lanceolatis, corollae puberulae inferne attenuatae laciniis obtusis
infima retusa vix caeteris magis soluta.--Very near S. PUBIFLORUS, but
much whiter, the flowers smaller with the lobes much more equal, the
lower one much broader.]
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