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
[** V. MACROCALYX (De Vriese MSS.); foliis omnibus radicalibus,
oblongospathulatis acutis, integris, membranaceis, remote, minute et
obsolete dentatis, uninerviis, glabris, subdecurrentibus, glabris; scapis
radicalibus elongatis, folia vix exaequantibus; bracteis dichotomiarum
vel trichotomiarum binis ternisve lanceolatis acutis vel lineari-
lanceolatis, floribus 2-3nis; calycibus (involucris) ternis, magnis,
membranaceis, ovatis, ellipticisque, acuminatis, basi cordatis,
petiolatisque; antherae liberae, stigmatis indusium maximum ciliatum,
labiis compressis, cochleariforme.--Folia sunt 6-12 cent. longa, 3 cent.
lata, crassinervia; scapi adscendentes, inferne tenuiores, sursum parum
elongati.]
[*** J. RAMOSISSIMA (Benth. MSS.) inermis, ramis angulatis ramosissimis
glabriusculis, floribus subsessilibus, calycis colorati profunde divisi
laciniis duabus supremis diu vel omnino cohaerentibus, legumine
subsessili ovato-acuto ventricoso.]
3D AUGUST.--Our carts had been so much jolted about and shaken, in
crossing the dead timber yesterday, that I resolved to keep along the
river bank this day, if the ground and woods permitted. To a certain
distance from the banks, there was less fallen timber, as the natives had
been accustomed there to make their fires, and roast the mussles of the
river, and other food. The river was found to spread into separate
channels, in which I did not readily recognise it, until I found them
again united in a splendid reach of water under steep banks. The general
course was by no means promising, being somewhat to the E. of N.; it was
much to be apprehended that this river, too, would run to the E. coast,
and become another instance of the utter want of any knowledge of the
interior country, that still may prevail, long after complete surveys
have been made of the lines of coast. Again we came upon wide fields of
polygonum, and tracks of open forest with large lagoons. Then scrubs of
brigalow obliged us to travel in the river bed, as the only open part
where we could pass. That surface consisted of clay iron-stone, denuded
by torrents, and the "DISJECTA MEMBRA," of a river. Ponds, water-worn
banks, and timber, alive and dead, were there intermixed. Emerging from
these obstructions, as from a feverish dream, we entered upon park-like
scenery and good grass. The latter had been a desideratum during the last
two days. We next came upon a river containing plenty of water, and
coming from the N.W. I expected this would terminate our journey along
the other, and I encamped on discovering it, after a journey of ten
miles. The Australian rivers have all distinguishing characteristics,
which they seem to possess from their sources to their termination. That
we had just quitted, had a great affection, like its upper tributary, for
brigalow scrubs, and spreading into ana-branches. This last discovered
river seemed quite the reverse of all this. Its channel was very uniform;
the banks being covered with open forests and good grass.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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