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
[*** E. MITCHELLI (Benth. MS.), glabra viscidula, foliis alternis
linearibus planis, corolla alba extus glabra fauce amplo laciniis 4
superioribus subaequalibus infima majore retusa, staminibus inclusis.]
In the evening it was discovered that no one had seen the shepherd and
the sheep since the morning, and Piper and Yuranigh went in search. It
was night ere they returned with the intelligence that they had found his
track ten miles off to the S. W. when darkness prevented them from
following it further.
I ascertained, by observations of the stars Aldebaran and Orionis, that
out present camp near Bugabada was in latitude 31 deg. 56', and thus very
near the place where Mr. Dixon's journey down the Bogan in 1833 had
terminated. Thermometer at noon, 90 deg.; at 9 P. M., 70 deg.; with wet bulb,
63 deg..
10TH JANUARY.--Early this morning Mr. Kennedy and Piper went to the S. W.
in search of the shepherd and sheep, while at the same time I sent
William Baldock and Yaranigh back along our track in search of the stray
bullocks. Meanwhile I conducted the party along my former track to Muda,
where we met Mr. Kennedy and Piper with the shepherd and sheep, already
arrived there. The shepherd stated that the fatigue of having been on
watch the previous night had overcome him; that he fell asleep, and that
the sheep went astray; that he followed and found them, but lost himself.
He had met one or two natives who offered him honey, etc. which he
declined.
We encamped beside the old stock-yard and the ruins of a dairy, only
visible in the remaining excavation. But a paddock was still in such a
state of preservation, that in one day we completed the enclosure. We had
passed near Bugabada similar remains of a cattle station. This position
of Muda was a fine place for such an establishment; a high bank nearly
clear of timber, overlooking a noble reach of great capacity, and
surrounded by an open forest country, covered with luxuriant grass. The
last crop stood up yellow, like a neglected field of oats, in the way of
a young crop shooting up amongst it.
11TH JANUARY, 1846.--Sunday. Prayers were read to the men, and the cattle
and party rested. The day was cool and cloudy.
12TH JANUARY.--Still I halted at Muda for the lost bullocks. To-day I
noticed the KOCHIA BREVIFOLIA, a little salt-bush, with greenish yellow
fruit, edged with pink.
13TH JANUARY.--Baldock and Yuranigh arrived early in the morning (by
moonlight) with five of the stray bullocks. Two others (young ones) could
not be driven along, and one old bullock was still astray at Mr. Kerr's
station (to which they had returned) and could not even then be found. We
had now in all 106 bullocks, and, considering the great scarcity of
water, heat, and consequent drought, I was most thankful that our loss
had been so slight.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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