Journals of Australian ExplorationsGregory, Augustus Charles
History
Journals of Australian Explorations
Gregory, Augustus Charles
Australia -- Discovery and exploration
From our camp, which was situated about eight miles west of Mount
Murchison, we fairly commenced the exploration of unknown country.
Following the river nearly north-north-east for fourteen miles it turned
abruptly to the east; we, however, held our course, which at four miles
further brought us to the foot of Mount Narryer, which we ascended, and
procured a valuable round of angles from its summit. This hill has an
altitude of 1,688 feet above the sea, and is formed by the eruption of a
coarse dark-coloured crystalline trap through a base of amorphous
sandstone, the direction of the range of which it forms a part being
nearly north and south. Skirting round the north end of this range, we
struck east over a stony plain, thinly grassed amongst open wattles, and
at five miles again came upon the Murchison some time after dark. The
pools here were somewhat larger than for many miles below, being from
sixty to eighty yards wide and half a mile in length, the water in them
becoming decidedly brackish; samphire, atriplex, and other salsolaceous
plants being abundant on the banks.
27th April.
We only advanced nine miles, owing to Mr. Moore and Dugel having to
return for one of the water-beakers, which had been torn off the
pack-saddle the previous night in a thicket. Towards our bivouac, which
was in latitude 26 degrees 23 minutes 38 seconds, the country near the
river improved much, the channel of the river becoming very shallow; the
water had spread over the flats for more than half a mile on either side,
large flooded-gum trees growing abundantly with a fine sward of grass
beneath, the soil being a rich brown clay loam. Gallinule and cockatoos
were in large flocks feeding on the grass seeds, which were now nearly
ripe.
28th April.
To latitude 28 degrees 7 minutes the river continued to come from north
by east through an extensive plain, bounded on the west by a low range of
trap and granite hills, at an average distance of six or seven miles,
while to the eastward only a few distant peaks were visible, flooded-gum
growing plentifully for more than a mile back from the river, on flats of
tolerably good pasture. Receding somewhat further from the river, the
country opens out into extensive plains yielding but little grass;
atriplex bush and thinly scattered stunted acacia and melaleuca trees
forming almost the entire vegetation.
29th April.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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