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
30TH JULY.--The scrub of the river being likely to surround us, I
endeavoured to pass it, and cross the river, but on examination I found
the brigalow belt beyond, so serious an obstruction, that I adhered to
the left bank still, and proceeded N. N. W. The woods opened into
extensive plains covered with wild Indigo, as high as a horse's head, and
that was skirted by a plain covered with rich grass. Beyond these, we
entered an open forest where the anthistiria grew luxuriantly. I saw,
from the skirts of the plain, the mass of mountains partly seen in the
east for several days past, and I was able to intersect various points.
We seemed to be descending to a very low country. A fine large lagoon,
covered with ducks, appeared on our right. The whole country was improved
both as to grass and trees. The MYOPORUM DULCE, a shrub about five feet
high, was perhaps a distinct species intermediate between M. DULCE and M.
DESERTI. It had the habit of the latter, but the leaves nearly of M.
DULCE. A hollow at length indicated the river bed near us. It contained
abundance of transparent water, a continuous channel, rocky bed, and,
instead of brigalow, there grew on its banks a thick crop of strong
grass, and much verdure. A tributary from the west cost us some trouble
to cross, and soon after crossing it, I encamped. The course this day had
run well to the westward. We had crossed the 147 deg. of E. longitude, and I
was very anxious to learn more of the further course of this river. I
crossed it, and hastened to some rising ground, whence I perceived a
flat-topped cliffy range extending from S. W. to the N. of west. It was
low; the middle part, appearing highest, was probably the nearest to our
camp. It was likely to turn our river too far to the northward for our
purpose. Latitude, 22 deg. 51' 55". Thermometer, at sunrise, 54 deg.; at noon,
82 deg.; at 4 P.M., 83 deg.; at 9, 45 deg.. (LXII.)
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