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
excited our admiration at the Lynd, by the beauty of its colours, and by
the singularity of its movements. Charley saw the Silurus and the
guardfish, and caught several of the broad-scaled fish of the Mackenzie;
one of which, a most beautiful specimen, has been preserved and sent to
Mr. Gould.
When we left our last camp at the Lynd, John Murphy's pony was missing.
Charley went to look for it, and did not join us before we had arrived at
our camp, after an unusually long and fatiguing stage. He brought us the
melancholy news that he had found the poor beast on the sands of the
Lynd, with its body blown up, and bleeding from the nostrils. It had
either been bitten by a snake; or had eaten some noxious herb, which had
fortunately been avoided by the other horses. Accidents of this kind were
well calculated to impress us with the conviction of our dependence on
Providence, which had hitherto been so kind and merciful.
As all our meat was consumed, I was compelled to stop, in order to kill
one of our little steers. It proved to be very fat, and allowed us once
more to indulge in our favourite dish of fried liver. Although we were
most willing to celebrate the anniversary of the battle of Waterloo, and
to revive our own ambitious feelings at the memory of the deeds of our
illustrious heroes, we had nothing left but the saturated rags of our
sugar bags; which, however, we had kept for the purpose, and which we now
boiled up with our tea: our last flour was consumed three weeks ago; and
the enjoyment of fat cake, therefore, was not to be thought of. Should
any of my readers think these ideas and likings ridiculous and foolish,
they may find plenty of analogous facts by entering the habitations of
the poor, where I have not only witnessed, but enjoyed, similar treats of
sugared tea and buttered bread.
In crossing one of the creeks we found a species of Acacia [Inga
moniliformis, D. C. Prod. Vol. II. p. 440, where it is described
as having been found at Timor.], with articulate pods and large brown
seeds; it was a small tree with spreading branches, and a dark green shady
foliage: it occurred afterwards on all the creeks and water-holes until we
reached our destination.
It was at the lower part of the Lynd that we first saw the green-tree
ant; which seemed to live in small societies in rude nests between the
green leaves of shady trees. The passer by, when touching one of these
nests, would be instantaneously covered with them, and would soon be
aware of their presence by the painful bites they are able, and
apparently most ready, to inflict.
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