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
Being determined to keep the river in sight, we this day continued our
journey along its margin. I found we could follow the general course
without entering bends by travelling at the base of a second bank, which
seemed to divide the yarra-tree flats from the scrubby ground behind.
LAGOONS PREFERABLE TO THE RIVER FOR WATERING CATTLE.
We came thus upon some rainwater in the clay of the plains which, being
sufficient to satisfy the bullocks, we gladly availed ourselves of the
opportunity it afforded of watering them without unyoking. After
proceeding about three miles further we saw a lagoon between us and the
Murrumbidgee. It resembled a bend of the river, and contained abundance
of water on which were three pelicans and a number of ducks. When we had
travelled nearly far enough to encamp, we came on two other lagoons of
the same kind, similarly situated and both containing water. The grass
being good, I determined to pitch our tents between them, as the cattle
might thus be watered for one night at least without the risk of being
bogged or drowned. These lagoons looked like different bends of a river,
although we saw the ends of both and passed on firm ground between them.
It was evident however that they could only be supplied by the
inundations of the river. On this day we killed a kangaroo.
HIGH WIND, DANGEROUS IN A CAMP UNDER TREES.
May 19.
During the night the weather was tempestuous; at three A.M. it blew a
hurricane and the rain fell heavily afterwards. I was not sorry when the
wind abated for we were so confined for room between the two lagoons that
my tent had been pitched, and most of our encampment placed, unavoidably
under a large yarra tree, a very unsafe position during high winds, but
fortunately no branches fell. In the morning, after proceeding about a
mile, another lagoon lay before us, which was full of water and indeed
terminated in the river. We avoided it by turning to the right and
gaining the higher ground above the level of floods. We continued along
this upper land, thus crossing two small plains; but soon after, being
apprehensive of going too far from the river, we again entered the open
forest of yarra trees which marked so distinctly its immediate margin. At
3 1/2 miles we passed a bend of the river, full of dead trees, the banks
being quite perpendicular and loose. After reaching another bend three
miles further we noticed two lagoons, apparently the remains of an
ancient channel of the river; and at ten miles we came upon a creek as
capacious as the Lachlan and full of large ponds of water. Mr. Stapylton
examined this creek some way up and he found that it came from the
north-east; and on arriving at a favourable place I crossed with the
party and encamped, the day having been very rainy and cold. We soon
discovered that this channel was only a branch of one from the north and,
the latter being very deep, I determined to halt next day, that its
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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