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
Sept. 4.--We travelled about eleven miles west by north. The first three
miles and a half led us through scrub; we forded a salt-water creek about
thirty yards broad, and then, for the next four miles, proceeded through
a scrubby country, and came to a second salt-water creek as broad as the
first, but containing only pools of water. The scrub now opened, and the
last four miles lay through a fine box-flat, bounded by long hollows
surrounded with drooping tea-trees and the white water-gum, the bright
foliage of which formed a most agreeable contrast with the dull green of
the scrubs and the box-trees. After crossing a small sandy creek, along
which grew a few Sarcocephalus, we came to a large creek lined with
drooping tea-trees and Sarcocephalus, and encamped on a fine pool of
water, within its deep bed. I named this creek after W.C. Wentworth, Esq.
M.C. who had kindly contributed to the outfit of my expedition.
At early dawn, a flight of wild geese filed in long line over our camp,
the flapping of their wings was heavy, but short, and the note they
emitted resembled that of the common goose, but was some-what shriller.
In the box-flat we started a flock of emus, and Spring caught a fine male
bird. It would have been highly amusing for a looker on to observe how
remarkably eager we were to pluck the feathers from its rump, and cut the
skin, to see how thick the fat was, and whether it was a rich yellow, or
only flesh-coloured. We had, indeed, a most extraordinary desire for
anything fat; and we soon found where to look for it. In the emu it
accumulates all over the skin, but particularly on the rump, and between
the shoulders, and round the sternal plate. To obtain the oil, we skinned
those parts, and suspended them before a slow fire, and caught the oil in
our frying pan; this was of a light yellowish colour, tasteless, and
almost free from scent. Several times, when suffering from excessive
fatigue, I rubbed it into the skin all over the body, and its slightly
exciting properties proved very beneficial. It has always been considered
by the white inhabitants of the bush, a good anti-rheumatic.
The sea breeze from the northward still continued during the day; the
nights were clear and dewy, but ceased to be so cold.
I found a piece of granite and a fragment of fortification agate in the
sandy bed of the creek.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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