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
At five miles we entered a wood of pinetrees (callitris) the first we had
seen since we left the Namoi; but on passing through it we discovered no
other change. A thick wood of Acacia pendula fell next in our way, and
then several patches of casuarinae. On approaching one of these I
observed a very slight hollow and, on following it to the right, or
eastward, about a mile (the party having in the meantime halted) I
perceived a few dry leaves in a heap, as if gathered by water falling in
that direction.
WATER DISCOVERED BY MY HORSE.
Trifling as this circumstance was it was nevertheless unusual on that
level surface, and I endeavoured to trace the slope downwards until my
horse, who at other times would neigh after his companions, here pulled
hard on the rein, as if to cross a slight rise before me. I laid the
bridle on his neck while he proceeded eagerly forward over the rise, and
through some wood, beyond which my eyes were once more blessed with the
sight of several ponds of water, with banks of shining verdure, the whole
extended in a line which resembled the bed of a considerable stream. I
galloped back with the good news to the party whose desperate thirst
seemed to make them incredulous, especially as I continued our line of
route northward until it intercepted, at about a mile on, as I foresaw it
would, this chain of ponds. It was still early; but we had already
accomplished a good day's journey, and we could thus encamp and turn our
cattle to browse on the luxuriant verdure which surrounded these ponds.
They were wide, deep, full, and close to each other, being separated only
by grassy intervals resembling dykes.
NATIVE WEIRS FOR CATCHING FISH.
Drift timber and other fluviatile relics lay high on the banks, and
several weirs for catching fish, worked very neatly, stood on ground
quite dry and hard. Lower down, as indicated by the flood-marks, the
banks were much more broken, and the channel seemed deeper, while
enormous bluegum-trees (eucalypti) grew on the banks, and I was therefore
of opinion that some larger river was before us at no great distance. I
did not explore this channel further, being desirous to refresh my horses
and rest the party for continuing our journey next morning. In the soil
here the only rock I found was a large, hard boulder, being a
conglomerate of pebbles and grains of quartz, cemented by decomposed
felspar or clay. Latitude 29 degrees 9 minutes 51 seconds South.
ARRIVE AT A LARGE AND RAPID RIVER.
January 23.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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