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
From a hill situated between the river and the scrub I this day saw, for
the first time since we left the Lachlan, a ridge on the horizon. It
appeared to the northward, the west end being distant about seven miles;
and it was long, flat, and not much higher than the surrounding country.
An extensive plain reminded us of those on the Darling and in the more
hollow part of it I perceived the dry bed of a lake, bordered by some
verdure. On proceeding I observed that the bergs fell off; and we
descended into a valley where a line of yarra trees enveloped a dry
creek, very much resembling the one seen by us on the Darling and named
Clover-creek. Crossing this dry course we soon regained the berg of the
river, and found it as favourable to our progress as before but, being of
red sand, I at length led the party along the firm clay at the base of
the higher ground.
STRANGE NATIVES FROM BEYOND THE MURRAY.
As the dogs were chasing a kangaroo across a bit of open flat four
natives appeared at the other side. They came frankly up to us and they
were well painted, broad white patches marking out the larger muscles of
the breasts, thighs, and arms, and giving their persons exactly the
appearance of savages as I have seen them represented in theatres. Their
hair was of a reddish hue and they were altogether men of a different
make from the tribe of the Darling. We accordingly allowed them to remain
in the camp which I took up on the margin of the Murray soon after our
meeting with them. They told us that a creek named Bengallo joined the
Murray amongst the numerous lagoons where we had been encamped two days
before; and they supposed it came from the hills near the Bogan, because
natives from that river sometimes came to the Murray by the banks of the
creek. They also informed us that the name of a river to the southward
was Perrainga; and (if we understood each other rightly by Piper's
interpretation) their name for lake Alexandrina was Kayinga: a lake which
however had, according to them, a wide deep outlet to the sea.
THEY DECAMP DURING THE NIGHT.
During that night it rained heavily and the natives left us, without
notice, during an interval of fair weather. There was much scrub about
the river and I was not quite satisfied with the position of our camp,
but a strict watch was always kept up, and we had excellent watch-dogs,
no bad protection against the midnight treachery of the aborigines.
REACH THE DARLING AND SURPRISE A NUMEROUS TRIBE OF NATIVES.
May 30.
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