Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, Volume 2: 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 2: 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
Rain had fallen during the night but the day was favourable though
cloudy. I ventured on a straight line through the sand and bushes of
Eucalyptus dumosa in order to cut off some miles of our beaten track,
which was nearer the river and rather circuitous. We crossed some
sandhills, the loose surface of which was bound down only by the prickly
grass already described. From these hills the view was extensive and
bounded on all sides by a perfectly level horizon. On one of them a
solitary tree drew my attention and, on examining it, I discovered with
much satisfaction that it was of that singular kind I had only once or
twice seen last year in the country behind the Darling. The leaves, bark,
and wood tasted strongly of horse-radish. We now obtained specimens of
its flower and seed, both of which seemed very singular.* By the more
direct route through the scrub this day, with what we gained yesterday,
we were enabled to reach, at the usual hour for encamping, the red cliffs
near the spot where we formerly met the second division of the Darling
tribe. I took up a position on the western extremity of the broken bank,
overlooking an angle of the river, and commanding a grassy flat where our
cattle would be also secure. The weather became very boisterous after
sunset, and our tents were so much exposed to the fury of the wind that
at one time I thought they would be blown into the river. The waters
continuing to rise, the Murray now poured along nearly on a level with
its banks, and how we should cross or avoid:
The mosses, waters, slaps, and stiles
that lay between us and the depot, if the river rose much longer, was a
question for which I was prepared. On the other hand the very cold and
boisterous weather was in our favour as being opposed to any assembling
of the tribes at points of difficulty along the line of our track, as
they certainly ought to have done as good tacticians, for they never lost
sight of our movements while we were in that country.
(*Footnote. A new and genuine species of Gyrostemon. Gyrostemon pungens,
Lindley manuscripts; foliis rhomboideis acutis glaucis in petiolum
angustatis. The capsules are arranged in a single verticillus and
consequently this species will belong to Gyrostemon as distinguished from
Codonocarpus by Mr. Endlicher.)
TRAVERSE THE LAND OF LAGOONS BEFORE THE FLOODS COME DOWN.
June 6.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account