Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 1Grey, George
History
Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 1
Grey, George
Natural history -- Australia -- Western Australia; Western Australia -- Discovery and exploration
During the early part of the day the rain fell in torrents; but, as it
cleared off a little soon after our arrival, we started in a
north-westerly direction. Such violent storms of thunder, lightning, and
rain set in when we had made about two or three miles that I was again
obliged to halt; and as it continued to rain heavily throughout the
night, our situation, which was already bad, might now be said to be
hourly growing worse; and it can readily be conceived that, between
rheumatism in my wounded limb, lying in water, and vexation at the
constant difficulties we experienced, I was too much harassed to be able
to sleep.
SWAMPS.
The continued rain during the night had necessarily rendered the marsh
far more impracticable than before; but, as no other route to the
southward could be found on account of the river which lay upon either
hand, I was compelled to wait until the ground again in some measure
dried. But it would have been equally as impossible to beat a retreat as
it was to get forward, for we were in a manner surrounded by swampy land,
and when the loads were placed upon the ponies they sank nearly up to the
shoulders in a bog in whichever direction we attempted to move; but as
our present position would have been unsafe in the event of an extensive
inundation taking place I judged it necessary at all events to reach a
somewhat elevated outlying hill of sandstone which was distant about two
miles. This point we succeeded at last in gaining, although not without
severely injuring and straining some of the ponies in effecting it. This
rising ground was however well situated for our camp under present
circumstances: it was composed of porous sandstone, which in these
climates dries almost immediately after rain. There was plenty of dead
wood upon it and it was surrounded by richly-grassed flats, whilst from
the base gushed forth a clear spring, which then murmured along a purling
brook, traversing the flat on which the ponies were tethered.
SNAKE AND KANGAROO.
Close to this spot the attention of Mr. Lushington was drawn to a curious
misshapen mass which came advancing from some bushes with a novel and
uncouth motion. He fired and it fell, and on going up to it he found that
it was a small kangaroo enveloped in the folds of a large snake, a
species of Boa. The kangaroo was now quite dead, and flattened from the
pressure of the folds of the snake which, being surprised at the
disturbance it met with, was beginning to uncoil itself, when Mr.
Lushington drew out a pistol and shot it through the head. It was of a
brownish yellow colour and eight feet six inches long. The kangaroo we
found very good eating; and Mr. Walker, who ate a portion of the snake,
considered it to be as great a delicacy as an eel, but rather tougher.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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