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
[**** H. PURPUREA (Hook. MS.) foliis tereti-filiformibus rigidis trifidis
segmentis simplicibus furcatisve mucronatis glabris, floribus purpureis
pedicellisque glabris, capsulis obovatis acutis lignosis stipitatis
subtuberculatis.]
[***** E. EREMOPHILA (All. Cunn. in Hook. Herb.); fruticosa, ramulis
fastigiatis foliisque parvis linearibus dentato-scrratis glabris,
capsulis globosotriangularibus laevibus glabris.--Collected by Allan
Cunningham in Dirk Hartog's island.]
11TH OCTOBER.--Following the chord of the arc described by our journeys
of 30th June, and 1st July, on tracing down the Warrego, I made the
furthest of the two camps, by a straight line of nine miles, passing
through a fine open forest country. The pond, which formerly supplied us
here, was now quite dry, but one much larger in a rocky bed was found a
few hundred yards further up the river. Thermometer, at sunrise, 54 deg.; at
noon, 80 deg.; at 4 P. M. 88 deg.; at 9, 57 deg.;--with wet bulb, 52 deg..
12TH OCTOBER.--This day we also turned two former days' journeys into
one, and arrived at Camp XXXVIII. by 2 P. M., the ponds at the
intermediate camp (XXXIX.) being dry. Nevertheless, the recent rains had
left some water in rocky hollows, at which we could water our horses on
the way. By the river side this morning, we found a variety of the
HELIPTERUM ANTHEMOIDES, D.C., with the leaves pubescent and the scales of
the involucre paler. The silky grass, IMPERATA ARUNDINACEA, occurred in
the swampy flat we crossed before we encamped. Soon after we set out in
the morning, an old man was seen coming along the valley towards us,
without at first seeing the party. When he did, which was not until he
had come very near, he uttered a sort of scream, "OOEY!", and ran up
amongst some rocks beyond the water-course, nor would he stop, when
repeatedly called to by Yuranigh. He carried a firestick, a small bag on
his back, and some bomarengs under his left arm. His hair was grey but
very bushy, and he looked fat. The poor fellow was dreadfully frightened,
which I much regretted, for I might otherwise have obtained from him some
information about the ultimate course of the Warrego, etc. We found water
in one of the rocky ponds near our former encampment, but others in which
some had formerly been found, were dry, and I was not without some doubt
about finding water, on our way back to join Mr. Kennedy. Thermometer, at
sunrise, 42 deg.; at noon, 87 deg.; at 4 P. M., 96 deg.; at 9, 78 deg.;--with wet bulb,
60 deg..
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