Journals of Australian ExplorationsGregory, Augustus Charles
History
Journals of Australian Explorations
Gregory, Augustus Charles
Australia -- Discovery and exploration
6.10 a.m. again found us in the saddle, and crossing the right bank
followed it to the south-south-east till 7.20, when it turned to the
south-south-west, and changing our course to the east, passed through a
fine grassy plain for two miles, and entered a level open box-flat, well
grassed, the soil a brown loam; this continued till 2.30 p.m., when we
entered a belt of terminalia, and at 1.0 reached a small watercourse, and
camped at a fine waterhole fifty yards wide and 100 yards long,
apparently deep and permanent water, with open grassy banks; this
waterhole would render a great extent of the fine grassy country around
available for pasturage; in passing through the box forest we observed
several sleeping places which had been constructed by the blacks during
the wet season; they consisted of four stakes two feet high, supporting a
platform of small sticks five feet long and two and a half feet wide;
three to twenty of these frames would be grouped together, and were
frequent till we reached the Gilbert River.
Latitude by Vega 18 degrees 10 minutes 30 seconds.
11th September.
At 6.20 a.m. steered east for one hour through level box and terminalia
flats, with good grass and brown loam; came to a fine lagoon eighty yards
wide and nearly one mile long; beyond this was a creek with small pools
of water; as it appeared to come from the south-east, we steered in that
direction, but soon receded from it, as its course changed to
south-south-east, and altering our course more to the southward, at noon
came again on the creek, much reduced in size; melaleuca scrub and
triodia growing close to its banks, and only a few shallow pools of
water, nearly dried up, and very little grass; at 12.25 p.m. camped at a
small pool. On the banks of the lagoon passed in the morning large heaps
of mussel-shells showed the spots where, from the vast accumulation, the
blacks had for many centuries camped successively on the same spots, and
a well-beaten footpath along the bank showed that it was a favourite
resort of the aboriginals. The common flies are very troublesome; very
few birds, and no kangaroos have been seen during the last few days'
journey.
Latitude by Vega 18 degrees 18 minutes 5 seconds.
12th September.
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