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
The horses set forward at nine o'clock$ and I proceeded down the stream
five or six miles, when I was obliged to return to the place from which
I set out, being unable to cross a small drain that led from the swamps
to the river. I could in no place deviate above fifty yards from the
river without being bogged, the water lying in some places eighteen
inches deep, and in holes, much deeper. I attempted several times to
proceed southerly, intending to cross the track which I presumed Mr.
Evans would be obliged to take, but I was unable to accomplish it. The
route taken by Mr. Evans and the horses led along the edge of extensive
morasses covered with water; we proceeded nine or ten miles, when the
morasses almost assumed the appearance of lakes; very extensive
portions of them being free from timber, and being apparently deep
water. South of the edge of the morass along which we travelled, the
country was a barren scrub, and in places very soft; the horses falling
repeatedly during the day.
At the place where we stopped for the evening, I calculated that we were
about five miles south of the river; on the edge of a very large lagoon,
or lake. The country was so extremely low, that before I returned up the
river to rejoin the horses, wishing to see what the openings on the
other side were, I ascended a large gum tree, which enabled me to see
that the flats opposite were similar to those on the south side. Our
progress, upon the whole although we had travelled upwards of ten miles,
did not exceed in a direct line five miles. The lagoons abound with
water fowl, although we were not so fortunate as to obtain any; we were
however amply compensated by our dogs killing a fine large emu. Various
old marks of natives having visited these lakes, but none recent.
June 29.--Our course in the first instance was directed in such a
manner as to compass the lagoons, which after travelling about three
miles and a half to the south-west, we accomplished, and again came upon
the stream; the country thence backward bore the marks of being at some
periods near three feet under water, and was covered with small
box-trees: the country from our rejoining the river, to the place at
which we stopped for the evening, consisted of barren plains, extending
on both sides of the stream to a considerable distance backward. The
points of the bends of the river were universally wet swamps with large
lagoons; the back land, though equally subject to flood, was now dry;
but the travelling was very heavy, the ground being a rotten, red, sandy
loam, on which nothing grew but the usual production of marshes. I never
saw a stream with so many sinuosities; in many places a quarter of a
mile would cut off at least three miles by the river. The stream was in
places much contracted, sand banks stretching nearly across; its medium
depth was about eight feet.
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