Journal of an Overland Expedition in Australia: From Moreton Bay to Port Essington, a distance of upwards of 3000 miles, during the years 1844-1845Leichhardt, Ludwig
History
Journal of an Overland Expedition in Australia: From Moreton Bay to Port Essington, a distance of upwards of 3000 miles, during the years 1844-1845
Leichhardt, Ludwig
Australia -- Description and travel; Australia -- Discovery and exploration
In returning along Ant-hill Creek, I passed a few native men sitting
before their gunyas; they were not a hundred yards from me, yet they
remained silent and motionless, like the black stumps of the trees around
them, until the strange apparition passed by. At sunset, just as I was
taking the saddle from my horse, I heard a cooee, and not considering it
prudent to encamp in the vicinity of the natives, I began to tighten up
the girths again; but, at the same time, answered the cooee, and soon
after I saw Master Charley and his wearied horse descending from the
opposite range. He had not had anything to eat since the morning of the
preceding day, and was therefore exceedingly pleased to meet me. He had
not been able to follow me, in consequence of the foot-soreness of his
horse, but he had succeeded in finding a small spring at the foot of
Mount Lang, near which the natives had often and recently encamped.
May 15.--We returned to our camp. The natives [These natives are probably
the same as, or are connected with, the tribe that frequent Rockingham
Bay, who have always been noticed for their friendly bearing in
communications with ships visiting that place. Rockingham Bay is situated
due east from the position of Dr. Leichhardt's party.--Note by Capt.
King.] had visited my companions, and behaved very amicably towards them,
making them not only presents of spears and wommalas, but supplying them
with seed-vessels of Nymphaea, and its mealy roasted stems and tubers,
which they were in the habit of pounding into a substance much resembling
mashed potatoes. They took leave of my companions to go to the sea-coast,
pointing to the east and east by south, whither they were going to fetch
shells, particularly the nautilus, of which they make various ornaments.
May 16 and 17.--We moved our camp about twenty miles N.N.W. to latitude
18 degrees 16 minutes 37 seconds, to one of the head brooks of Big
Ant-hill Creek. We travelled the whole distance over the basaltic
table-laud without any impediment. The natives approached our camp, but
retired without any communication.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account