Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, Volume 1: With Descriptions of the Recently Explored Region of Australia Felix, and of the Present Colony of New South WalesMitchell, T. L. (Thomas Livingstone)
History
Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, Volume 1: With Descriptions of the Recently Explored Region of Australia Felix, and of the Present Colony of New South Wales
Mitchell, T. L. (Thomas Livingstone)
Australia -- Discovery and exploration; Mitchell, T. L. (Thomas Livingstone), 1792-1855
The country traversed by this new road is equally barren, and more
mountainous than the district between Parramatta and the Hawkesbury. Amid
those rocky heights and depths, across which I had recently toiled on
foot, marking out with no ordinary labour, the intended line, I had now
the satisfaction to trot over a new and level road, winding like a thread
through the dreary labyrinth before me, and in which various parts had
already acquired a local appellation not wholly unsuited to their
character, such as Hungry Flat, Devil's Backbone, No-grass Valley,* and
Dennis's Dog-kennel. In fact, the whole face of the country is composed
of sandstone rock, and but partially covered with vegetation. The horizon
is only broken by one or two summits, which are different both in outline
and quality from the surrounding country. These isolated heights
generally consist of trap-rock, and are covered with rich soil and very
heavy timber. The most remarkable is Warrawolong--whose top I first
observed from the hill of Jellore in the south, at the distance of 108
miles. This being a most important station for the general survey, which
I made previously to opening the northern road, it was desirable to clear
the summit, at least partly, of trees, a work which was accomplished
after considerable labour--the trees having been very large. On removing
the lofty forest, I found the view from that summit extended over a wild
waste of rocky precipitous ravines, which debarred all access or passage
in any direction, until I could patiently trace out the ridges between
them, and for this purpose I ascended that hill on ten successive days,
the whole of which time I devoted to the examination of the various
outlines and their connections, by means of the theodolite.
(*Footnote. Originally Snodgrass Valley--but Vox populi vox Dei. The
present name is shorter, and has the additional merit of being
descriptive--for the valley contains but little grass.)
Looking northward, an intermediate and lower range concealed from view
the valley of the Hunter, but the summits of the Liverpool range appeared
beyond it. On turning to the eastward, my view extended to the unpeopled
shores and lonely waters of the vast Pacific.
NATIVES OF BRISBANE WATER.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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