Journals of Two Expeditions into the Interior of New South WalesOxley, John
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Journals of Two Expeditions into the Interior of New South Wales
Oxley, John
New South Wales -- Discovery and exploration; Oxley, John, 1783-1828
June 7.--Proceeded on our journey, both boats and horses being very
heavily laden with our stores and provisions. The river rose but
little. Our day's journey lay generally over an open forest country,
with rich flats on either side of the river: high rocky limestone hills
ended occasionally in abrupt points, obliging the horses to make
considerable detours. The hills were very stony, and so light was the
soil upon them, that the rain rendered the ground very soft. The river
had many fine reaches, extending in straight lines from one to three
miles, and of a corresponding breadth. The rapids, although frequent,
offered no material obstruction to the boats. The current in the long
reaches was scarcely perceptible, and it appears to me that the
difference of elevation between this station and the last is not
considerable.
June 8.--The river expanded into beautiful reaches, having great depth
of water, and from two to three hundred feet broad, literally covered
with water-fowl of different kinds: the richest flats bordered the
river, apparently more extensive on the south side. The vast body of
water which this river must contain in times of flood is confined within
exterior banks, and its inundations are thus deprived of mischief. About
six miles down the river, a freestone hill ended on the north side of
the river: I mention this, as the only stone of that description I had
yet seen. The trees were of the eucalyptus (apple tree), and on the hills
a few of the callitris macrocarpa [Note: Callitr. Vent decad.] were seen:
the trees would furnish large and useful timber. Between eight and nine
miles lower, passed the mouth of Molle's rivulet, now a fine stream. At
four o'clock halted for the evening on rather an elevated spot,
overlooking the rivulet, and a most luxuriant country, on the south side
of the river, well clothed with wood. The boats, during this day's work,
met with no obstructions that were not easily avoided; the rapids were
not so numerous, neither were they so shoal as in the vicinity of the
depot. Our sportsmen provided us with plenty of kangaroos, and a swan.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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