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
In the afternoon I proceeded in one of the boats up the river to the
junction of the Murrumbidgee; and I ascertained that there was a fresh in
that river also. It was certainly narrower at the mouth than at Weyeba;
and here indeed some fallen trees almost crossed the stream. There was a
hollow or break in the bank of the Murray, about 100 yards lower down,
which seemed to have been once an outlet of the Murrumbidgee. The opening
formed a deep section through a stratum of ferruginous sandstone, and was
fully equal to the present breadth of the tributary river. On pulling
higher up, the Murray seemed rather smaller above this junction, although
still a splendid stream. The natives on this side told Piper that the
Darling tribe from the other had danced a corrobory with them about six
weeks before, and promised to return in one moon. They also inquired
whether Piper had seen any of that tribe as they were waiting for us
whitefellows, to which Piper answered that he had NOT. I blamed him for
this reply, and asked why he did not say that we had been obliged to fire
upon and kill some of them: but he said he could not tell them that,
because they would hate him so.
COMMENCE THE JOURNEY UPWARDS, ALONG THE LEFT BANK.
June 16.
We left our encampment and commenced our travels up the left bank of the
Murray over ground which seemed much better than any we had seen on the
right bank. We crossed grassy plains bounded by sandhills on which grew
pines (callitris); and open forests of goborro (or box-tree) prevailed
very generally nearer the river. Where this tree grew we found the ground
still good for travelling upon, notwithstanding the heavy rain, in
consequence apparently of the argillaceous character of the soil; for in
the plains of red earth, which before the last fall of rain we had found
the best, the horses now sank above their fetlocks and the carts could
scarcely be dragged along. In the course of the day we passed several
broad lagoons in channels which probably were ana-branches of the river
in high floods. On the largest plain crossed by the party four emus
appeared, and one of them was killed after a fine chase by the dogs. The
river appeared to come from the east-south-east but the course was very
tortuous, and we encamped at a reach where it seemed to come from the
south.
STRANGE ANIMAL.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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