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
On examining the Wimmera with Piper's assistance I found that it was
fordable in some places; but in order to effect a passage with greater
facility we took over several of the loads in one of the boats. Thus the
whole party had gained what I considered to be the left bank by ten A.M.
On proceeding I perceived some yarra trees before me which grew, as we
soon discovered, beside a smaller branch, the bottom of which was soft.
We had however the good fortune to pass the carts across this branch
also. At a quarter of a mile further we came upon another flowing stream,
apparently very deep and having steep but grassy banks. The passage of
this occupied the party nearly two hours, one of the carts having sunk up
to the axle in a soft bank or channel island. While the men were
releasing the cart I rode forward and found a FOURTH channel, deep, wide,
and full to the brim. In vain did Tally-ho (trumpeter, master of the
horse, etc. to the party) dash his horse into this stream in search of a
bottom; though at last one broad favourable place was found where the
whole party forded at a depth of not more than 2 1/2 feet. Beyond these
channels another similar one still obstructed our progress; but this we
also successfully forded, and at length we found rising ground before us,
consisting of an open plain which extended to the base of the mountains.
On its skirt we pitched our tents at a distance of not quite one mile and
a half from our last camp; a short journey certainly, but the passage of
the five branches of the Wimmera was nevertheless a good day's work. I
had frequently observed in the Australian rivers a uniformity of
character throughout the whole course of each, and the peculiarities of
this important stream were equally remarkable, it being obviously the
same we had crossed in three similar channels when on our way to Mount
William, twenty miles above this point. The shrubs on the banks at the
two places were also similar.
ASCEND MOUNT ZERO.
July 20.
While Mr. Stapylton conducted the party across the plains in a
west-south-west direction I proceeded towards Mount Zero, the most
western extremity of the mountain range and distant from our camp 8 1/2
miles. I found this hill consisted also of highly micaceous sandstone;
the whole being inclined towards the north-west. Having planted my
theodolite on the summit I intersected various higher points to the
eastward, and also a very remote, isolated hill on the low country far to
the northward which I had also seen from Mount William, and from several
stations on our route. Several specimens of shrubs and flowers that had
not been previously seen by us were gathered on the sides of this rocky
hill. Among them was a very singular hairy Acacia covered with a
profusion of the most brilliant yellow flowers. In some respects it
resembled A. lanigera, but it proved upon examination to be undescribed.*
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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