Journals of Two Expeditions into the Interior of New South WalesOxley, John
History
Journals of Two Expeditions into the Interior of New South Wales
Oxley, John
New South Wales -- Discovery and exploration; Oxley, John, 1783-1828
July 3.--Towards the morning the storm abated, and at daylight we
proceeded on our voyage. The main bed of the river was much contracted,
but very deep, the waters spreading to the depth of a foot or eighteen
inches over the banks, but all running on the same point of bearing. We
met with considerable interruption from fallen timber, which in places
nearly choked up the channel. After going about twenty miles, we lost
the land and trees: the channel of the river, which lay through reeds,
and was from one to three feet deep, ran northerly. This continued for
three or four miles farther, when although there had been no previous
change in the breadth, depth, and rapidity of the stream for several
miles, and I was sanguine in my expectations of soon entering the long
sought for Australian sea, it all at once eluded our farther pursuit by
spreading on every point from north-west to north-east, among the ocean
of reeds which surrounded us, still running with the same rapidity as
before. There, was no channel whatever among those reeds, and the depth
varied from three to five feet. This astonishing change (for I cannot
call it a termination of the river), of course left me no alternative
but to endeavour to return to some spot, on which we could effect a
landing before dark. I estimated that during this day we had gone about
twenty-four miles, on nearly the same point of bearing as yesterday. To
assert positively that we were on the margin of the lake or sea into
which this great body of water is discharged, might reasonably be deemed
a conclusion which has nothing but conjecture for its basis; but if an
opinion may be permitted to be hazarded from actual appearances, mine is
decidedly in favour of our being in the immediate vicinity of an inland
sea, or lake, most probably a shoal one, and gradually filling up by
immense depositions from the higher lands, left by the waters which flow
into it. It is most singular, that the high-lands on this continent seem
to be confined to the sea-coast, or not to extend to any great distance
from it.
July 7.--I returned with the boat late last night, and was glad to find
that every thing had been removed to Mount Harris. Mr. Evans had not yet
set out on his journey, but intends to do so to-morrow.
July 8.--Mr. Evans set forward to the north-east, taking with him eight
or ten days' provisions, which I hoped would be sufficient to enable him
to form a competent idea of the country we should now have to travel
over. In the mean time we employed ourselves in diminishing our baggage,
and setting aside eighteen weeks' provisions on a reduced ration, which
was the utmost the horses could take; the remainder serving us for
consumption during our stay here.
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.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account