Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia — Volume I — John Shaqi
Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia — Volume ISturt, Charles
History
Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia — Volume I
Sturt, Charles
New South Wales -- Discovery and exploration; Sturt, Charles, 1795-1869
considerable during the day; the rapids were frequent in the river, but
it underwent no change in its general appearance. Its waters were hard
and transparent, and its banks, in many places, extremely lofty; with a
red sandy loam and gravel under the alluvial deposits. It generally
happened that where the bank was high on the one side it was low and
subject to flood, to a limited extent at least, on the other. Upon
these low grounds the blue-gum trees were of lofty growth, but on the
upper levels box prevailed.
SCENERY NEAR THE RIVER.
The views upon the river were really beautiful, and varied at every
turn; nor is it possible for any tree to exceed the casuarina in the
graceful manner in which it bends over the stream, or clings to some
solitary rock in its centre.
It here became necessary for us to cross to the left bank of the river,
not only to avoid its numerous windings, and thus to preserve as much
as possible the direct line to Mount Harris; but also, because the
travelling was much better on the south side. We therefore availed
ourselves of a ford opposite to the ground on which the tents had
stood; and then pursued our journey, in a south-westerly course, over a
country of a description very inferior to that of any we had previously
noticed.
Iron-bark and cypresses generally prevailed along our line of route on
a poor and sandy soil, which improved after we passed Elizabeth Burn, a
small creek mentioned by Mr. Oxley.
TAYLOR'S RIVULET.
We approached the river again early in the day, and pitched our tent on
the summit of a sloping bank that overlooked one of its long still
reaches. We were protected from the sun by the angophora trees, which
formed a hanging wood around us, and, with its bright green foliage,
gave a cheerfulness to the scene that was altogether unusual. The
opposite side of the river was rather undulated, and the soil appeared
to be of the finest description. The grass, although growing in tufts,
afforded abundance of pasture for the cattle; and, on the whole, this
struck me as a most eligible spot for a station, and I found it
occupied as such on the return of the expedition. We had encamped about
a quarter of a mile from Taylor's Rivulet, which discharges itself into
the Macquarie from the N. E., and is the first stream, upon the right
bank, below the Wellington Valley.
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