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
September 10.--A tempestuous morning, with occasional showers of small
rain, prevented us from quitting our camp. In the intervals of fair
weather, I walked to a hill about one mile off, being the highest part of
the range we were upon. Our prospect from it was exceedingly grand and
picturesque. The country from north to south-east was broken into
perpendicular rocky ridges, and divided longitudinally by deep and
apparently impassable glens. The rocks were covered with climbing plants,
and the glens abounded with new and beautiful ones. Our collector
descended one of those nearest to us, and was amply repaid by the
acquisition of nearly sixty most desirable plants, some of which appeared
even to constitute new genera. The rocks were covered with epidendra
[Note: Of the genera cymbidium and dendrobium of Swartz.], bignoniae, or
trumpet-flowers, and clematides, or virgin's bower, of which last genus
three species apparently new were discovered. Far different was the
character of these glens from the rugged and barren blue mountain ranges:
fine open forest land ended abruptly on the precipices. The bottoms were
of the richest soil, the rocks instead of being of a coarse sandstone
were of a hard texture, and of a blue shining appearance when broken. The
country eastward of these glens appeared very lofty, and much broken; but
as in the direction of our course, we should have some miles of good open
country to travel over, we had strong hopes that our difficulties would
prove greater in contemplation than reality. Among the timber in these
glens were some of the stateliest stringy bark trees that we had ever
beheld: in fact, the timber altogether is unusually good. To the
south-west and north-west, the country is low and beautifully diversified
by long sloping hills.
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