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
or its swamp, it may be inferred that there the migration of native
tribes has been progressive from south to north; the highest known land
in Australia being also to the southward of the Darling. The chain of
ponds, according to the old woman, was named "Cunno," and ran into the
"Warreg" which, as she pointed, was evidently the name of the river we
had formerly traced downwards from near Mount P. P. King. I left the
"Cunno," and plunged into the brigalow to the northward, thus crossing a
slightly elevated range, where we found a little water-course falling
N.N.W. By following this downwards, we found water in it, as twilight
grew obscure, and gladly halted beside it for the night, in latitude 25 deg.
S.
[* A thick flour-bag covered outside with melted mutton-fat.]
12TH SEPTEMBER.--At 7 A.M. the thermometer was 59 deg.; our height then above
the sea has been ascertained to have been 1787 feet. Continuing to follow
down the brigalow creek, we found that it joined a chain of ponds running
N.E., and these we traced in the contrary direction, or upwards, as far
as seemed desirable. We struck off from that water-course, first to the
N.W., then to the W., arriving soon at a steep low ridge of clay
ironstone, which was covered thick with brigalow. We crossed that low
ridge, and, at a distance of about a mile and a half beyond, met another
acclivity still more abrupt and stony. This we also ascended, and found
upon it a "malga" scrub: the "malga" being a tree having hard spiky dry
branches, which project like fixed bayonets, to receive the charge of
ourselves, horses, and flour-bags; but all which formidable array we
nevertheless successfully broke through, and arrived at the head of a
rocky gully, falling N.W. Down this, however, we attempted in vain to
pass, and in backing out we again faced the "malga," until, seeing a flat
on the right, I entered it, and there fell in with the water-course
again. It led us many miles, generally in a N.W. direction, and contained
some fine ponds, and entered, at length, a little river, whose banks were
thickly set with large yarra trees. The general course of this river was
W.N.W., until it was joined by one coming from the N., and at the
junction there was a deep broad pond of clear water. At this we watered
our horses, and passed on to encamp under some rocky hills, three
quarters of a mile to the N.N.W. of that junction, in latitude 24 deg. 52'
50" S. The temperature at noon this day, on the highest part of the ridge
we crossed, was 84 deg.; the height there above the sea, 1954 feet; and at 3
P.M., in channel of water-course, the thermometer stood at 89 deg.; the
height there above the sea being 1778 feet.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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