Journals of Australian ExplorationsGregory, Augustus Charles
History
Journals of Australian Explorations
Gregory, Augustus Charles
Australia -- Discovery and exploration
We started off at a quick pace, clearing sixteen miles by noon, over some
fine open grassy flats, timbered for nearly a mile back from the river;
one tributary 100 yards wide having joined from the north, and a smaller
one from the south. Leaving the party busily occupied catching fish,
which were abundant in this part of the river and much resembling those
found in the Murchison, but larger, some of them being upwards of a pound
in weight, I walked with Mr. Nairn to the summit of a granite hill two
miles to the northward, from which I had a number of cross-bearings to
hills already observed from Mount Thompson. One of considerable elevation
bearing north 121 degrees 30 minutes east, distance fifty miles, lay
directly up the valley of the river, and was ultimately named Mount
Augustus, after my brother, now conducting the expedition in quest of the
remains of Dr. Leichhardt. Pushing on twelve miles further, we halted for
the night in latitude 23 degrees 59 minutes 39 seconds. Tobacco here grew
to sufficient size for manufacture, occupying many hundred acres of the
best land; a plant much resembling stramonium was also abundant on the
moist land, yielding a strongly offensive odour from its leaves.
1st June.
For the first twelve miles along the river the flats much improved, and
were only occasionally broken up by stony ridges; good country was seen
to extend up the tributaries, several of which came in from the north. To
the south, at two or three miles distant, and running parallel to the
river for many miles, was an even grassy range of moderate elevation
nearly destitute of trees or bushes; the acacia and melaleuca, which had
hitherto generally covered the plains, was evidently fast giving way to
an open undulating and thinly-grassed country, the back lands being
however still too stony to yield much pasture, the summer grass being
already parched and dry, the flats alone continuing moist and verdant.
At our noon halt the main river had ceased to flow, but a tributary
coming from the north-east had a small stream still running in the bottom
of a muddy channel down which the recent floods had brought flags and
portions of bulrush, the only instance throughout the district in which
we had observed them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account