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
A superb scarlet flower, named kennedia speciosa, was found on the shore
of the first named lake. The course of the river this day was
north-east, and our distance five miles and a half, although we had
travelled upwards of eight and three-quarters.
July 27.--As soon as it was light, our little canoe was launched; but
our hopes and expectations had been too sanguine as to her capability:
sufficiently strong and buoyant to contain one person, more was too much
for her; I therefore of necessity abandoned the design, and at half-past
nine o'clock again proceeded up the strewn. The fresh did not in
the least diminish, but I thought rather rose than fell. A line which
had last night been thrown into the stream, with little hope or
expectation of catching any thing, was found, when taken up this
morning, to have hooked a very fine fish. Since the flood we had almost
ceased to think of fish, as we never had the least success in our trials.
The river, as we had conjectured it would, trended this day again to the
north-east. The country passed over was low and nearly level. The points
and immediate banks were deeply flooded, forming extensive morasses, and
there were generally between them and the drier and more elevated land
deep serpentine lagoons, the water in which was clear and transparent,
it having been apparently a long time since that of the river had filled
them. The back land was a red sandy loam, very light, covered with
acacia bushes, spear-wood, and small cypresses; the only herbage, a
coarse tea-grass; and yet I do not think the kind of soil which appears
to be the universal one upon the drier lands, can be strictly called
barren: I have seen apparently much worse soils in a state of
cultivation. We crossed one or two large plains, clear of wood and even
bushes; the soil a stiff tenacious clay, which, though not flooded by
the river, retains all the water that falls upon it, there being no
descent or fall by which it can be conveyed to its natural drain, the
river. These plains were now dry and hard, and having been lately burnt,
the coarse natural herbage springing up fresh, gave them a pleasing
green appearance. One or two beautiful new shrubs in seed and flower
were found to-day, to the great satisfaction of the botanists, who had
not lately made many very splendid or valuable additions to their
collections.
A party of natives was seen on the opposite side of the river,
consisting of one man, two lads, and two women; they disappeared as soon
as they observed us.
The flood had swollen the stream to a considerable breadth; it was at
least sixty feet wide at the spot where we stopped, and was about six
feet below the banks.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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