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
Jan. 1, 1845.--After a ride of about four miles down the creek, we came
to a deep hole of good water, that had been filled by the late
thunder-storms, the traces of which, however, had disappeared every where
else. I found a red Passion flower, with three-lobed leaves, the lobes
rounded: it was twining round the trunk of a gum tree, and rooted in a
light sandy alluvial soil. A new species of Bauhinia, with large white
blossoms, growing in small groves, or scattered in the scrub,
particularly near the creeks, was conspicuous for its elegance, and was
the greatest ornament of this part of the country. It is a tree about
twenty-five feet high, with long drooping branches; the foliage is of a
rich green colour, and affords a fine shade. A climbing Capparis, with
broad lanceolate leaves, had also large white showy blossoms; and a fine
specimen of this plant was seen growing in the fork of an old box tree,
about twelve or fifteen feet from the ground; it was in fruit, but
unfortunately was not yet ripe. There was also another species of the
same genus, with yellow blossoms, in other respects very similar in
appearance to the first. The white cedar was still abundant. When I
returned to the camp, I found my companions busily engaged in straining
the mud, which had remained in the water-hole after our horses and cattle
had drunk and rolled in it. Messrs. Gilbert and Calvert had discovered a
few quarts of water in the hollow stump of a tree; and Mr. Roper and
Charley had driven the horses and cattle to another water-hole, about two
miles off. Our latitude was 24 degrees 16 minutes 9 seconds.
Jan. 2.--I moved my camp to the water-hole, near which I had met with the
natives, and halted at the outside of a Bauhinia grove. On visiting the
spot where the blacks were encamped, it appeared that they had returned
and carried away all their things, probably well contented that we had
not taken more than the turkey's egg. The mosquitoes were a little
troublesome after sunset and in the early part of the night; but, after
that time, it was too cold for them. The flies were a much greater
nuisance; at times absolutely intolerable, from the pertinacity with
which they clung to the corners of our eyes, to the lips, to the ears,
and even to the sores on our fingers. The wind was generally from the
eastward during the morning, with cumuli; but these disappeared in the
afternoon.
Brown found a crab, (a species of Gecarcinus?) the carapace about an inch
and a quarter long, and one and a half broad, the left claws much larger
than the right, the antepenultimate joint having a strong tooth on the
upper side; it is found in moist places and in the lagoons, and, when
these are dried up, it retires under logs and large stones.
Mr. Gilbert saw a large grey wallabi, and a small one which he thought
was new. Another species of Agama was found, differing from the former by
its general grey colour, with black spots on the back.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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