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
Oct. 10.--I moved my camp to the chain of lagoons, which we found
yesterday; and our horses and cattle enjoyed the fine feed. The largest
hill of the range to the westward, bore south-west from our camp. A
species of Hibiscus with large pink flowers, but small insignificant
leaves, and another small malvaceous shrub with white flowers grew round
the camp.
Oct. 11.--Last night we saw long flights of geese (Anseranas melanoleuca,
GOULD) and swarms of ducks, passing our camp from west to east; which
made us very naturally suppose that large lagoons of fresh water existed
at the head of the fern swamp, of which our little Typha brook formed the
outlet. Brown and Charley were very desirous of getting some of these
geese, and concocted a plan either to induce me to follow the brook up,
or to stop me altogether. Not knowing their intentions, I sent Brown
after the cattle, and Charley to find a crossing place. They met,
however, at those supposed lagoons, and amused themselves in shooting
geese, and (after having probably enjoyed an off-hand dinner of roasted
goose) they returned at 2 o'clock, complaining of course, that the cattle
had strayed very far. Though I had been very much annoyed by waiting so
long, I was pleased in finding that they had shot four geese. In order,
however, to show my sable companions that their secret manoeuvres only
tended to increase their own labour, I ordered the bullocks to be loaded
immediately they arrived, and proceeded to get out of this intricate
country as soon as possible. We travelled west by north, over a tolerable
open country, leaving the salt-water plains to the right, and crossed
several well beaten foot-paths, and a sort of play ground on which the
natives seem to have danced and crawled about, as it bore the impressions
of both hands and feet. After four miles, we came to a broad salt-water
creek, the high banks of which were covered with numerous heaps of
Cytherea shells, which had lived in the mud of the creek. We followed it
up about a mile, when it ended in a hollow coming from the range. After
passing this, our course was intercepted by another large creek, which
compelled us to go to the south and even to south-east along the western
side of the range which we had seen from Typha brook. We followed it up
about two miles, and found some ponds of slightly brackish water, in
which, however, Nymphaea grew, and several small freshwater fish lived;
and near them the track of a crocodile was observed by Charley. Open
country alternated with thick Acacia underwood along this creek, and its
grass was still coarse and blady. Many gullies came down from the range;
which was composed of baked sandstone, with not very distinct
stratification, and irregularly broken blocks. At a lagoon which we
passed in the commencement of the stage, Brown shot three more geese;
thus disclosing to us the haunts of those numerous flights we had seen.
We roasted four of our geese for dinner, and they formed by far the most
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