Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropical Australia - Thomas Mitchell
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23D MAY.--The river seemed to cut its way through rocky ranges, and to
receive many tributaries; had, in some places, bergs, and margins of
ancient gravel and sedimentary strata; in others, rocky escarps of great
height, presented sections of rocks through which it passed. Its further
course downwards, seemed accessible for some way from this camp; and, in
awaiting the arrival of the drays, I resolved to explore it. With this
view, I this day proceeded westward to head the gullies falling to it
from the other bank, from the sandstone country already mentioned. I
ascended by an extremity of the hill, to the rocky crest without
difficulty, or much deviation from my intended course. On reaching the
western side of the rough scrubby table of the range, I found the descent
gradual, through an open forest: traversed two flats, having in them the
Yarra gums, but no water-course, the surface very sandy. Here grew the
ACACIA CONFERTA, a small shrub just coming into flower; the XANTHORRHOEA
MIMOSA (with rough bark), yellow gum, black-butted gum, iron-bark, and
stringy bark. The woods astonished my native companion Yuranigh; who
remarked that they were trees belonging to the sea coast at Sydney. But
deep rocky ravines prevented me from exploring the country, in the
direction in which I should have expected to find the river. At length,
we approached a valley, in which was a deep channel with rocky banks; but
quite dry, and very sandy. It ran to the southward; in which direction I
turned with it, to follow it to its junction with the main river; but it
pursued a very tortuous course, and our time did not admit of my going
far enough that day, and I returned to the camp, resolved to extend this
interesting search on a greater scale subsequently. I had seen, from the
furthest point I reached, that the same table land to the southward,
extended west; and it therefore appeared to me probable that the river
would be found at its base. In the evening we heard, at a short distance
from our camp, the songs of females or children; as if the overflowing of
their animal spirits. I had seen their smoke in a part of the range I
passed this day, to which I feared they had fled on our approach, hearing
our guns, and in terror of strangers. I was, therefore, glad to find that
they had no longer any dread of us, and had returned to THEIR home, the
river bank. These people had no clothing,--the mercury stood at 19 deg. and
20 deg. F.; the means of subsistence open to them, had been scarcely enough
to have kept white men alive, even with the aid of their guns. Yet, under
such circumstances, and with such strange visitors so close to them,
these human beings were so contented and happy, that the overflowings of
their hearts were poured forth in song! Such is human nature in a wild
state. Their happiness was not such as we could envy; on the contrary, I
was so solicitous that we should not disturb it, that, much as I wished
to learn the original name of this interior river, and something about
its course, I forbade any of the party from taking any notice of these,
its original inhabitants. Our last intercourse with the natives, had also
taught me to bear ever in mind aesop's fable of the camel. Thermometer,
at sunrise, 12 deg.; at noon, 52 deg.; at 4 P. M., 56 deg.; at 9, 32 deg..
24TH MAY.--I proceeded, with two men bearing axes, to a hill about two
miles S. W. of our camp, one of the extremities of the range already
mentioned, (which I call River Head Range). We passed, at no great
distance from our camp, those natives whose song we had heard last
evening, but without taking any notice of them, except by slightly waving
my hand. One tall female stooped amongst the long grass, and several
others, male and female, endeavoured to hide themselves in a similar
manner, as they beheld, probably for the first time, a white man on
horseback, followed by others bearing a saw and axes. On the summit, grew
the Malga tree; which is an acacia of such very hard wood, that I was
obliged to be content to cut off the top branches only of a tree on the
summit I had endeavoured to cut down, and to erect a sort of platform on
the remainder, whence I took my angles. Up the river, there appeared some
open plains, and a level horizon, in the direction of its apparent
course. Thermometer, at sunrise, 11 deg.; at noon, 65 deg.; at 4 P. M., 67 deg.; and
at 9, 30 deg..
25TH MAY.--Protracting the observed angles I endeavoured to fix, if
possible, some prominent points, whereby I might obtain some knowledge of
the structure of the surrounding country. The result of my work was a
conviction that the course of the river was parallel to the projecting
extremities of the low range beyond it (River Head Range), and that its
basin had extensive ramifications, back amongst the sandstone cliffs on
this side. But the course downwards still remained a question, which
diminished in its importance, as I discovered the upper course to come
from where it was my wish to go. I resolved, nevertheless, while thus
awaiting the arrival of the drays, to extend my ride of the 23RD MAY, and
ascertain whether it could turn westward under the southern cliffs, the
only direction in which it was likely to be available to us, downwards,
at this time. Thermometer, at sunrise, 17 deg.; at noon, 70 deg.; at 4 P.M. 68 deg.;
and at 9, 38 deg..
26TH MAY.--Taking with me two men and Yuranigh, mounted, I retraced my
former track to the westward, and on proceeding beyond the dry river bed,
where I had previously been, I entered amongst sandstone gullies, where
one grassy flat extended nearly in the direction I wished to pursue; and
this brought me to a sort of table-land, covered with an open forest of
iron-bark (with the common leaf). The rock consisted here of the same
felspathic sort characterising most of the hills of the Barwan basin; the
soil sterile, bearing, in lieu of the ordinary grass, the stiff, hard
leaved, glutinous TRIODIA PUNGENS. But this was better than scrub, and,
further on, I perceived through a forest on the western slopes, the blue
distance and yellow plains of an open country. As plains usually
accompany rivers, I believed I was approaching the river I was in search
of. We crossed a deep watercourse falling to the S.E.b.S., and entered on
a noble flat of firm rich soil, whereon grew luxuriantly, the ACACIA
PENDULA (not previously seen by us in that region), and the two best
kinds of grass, ANTHISTIRIA and PANICUM LOEVINODE. Then we came to a good
pond of water, with recent footmarks of natives, and, at about a mile
beyond, we reached the open downs. They extended eastward as far as we
could see between the range on the S., under which I had expected to find
the river, and the rocky country over which we had come. Westward, the
downs were bounded by several very picturesque isolated conical hills,--
the southern sandy ranges on the S., still continuing westward like a
limit to all this interior open country. Yet through that barrier the
river had found a course, and instead of its overlooking the river, I
found that the ground rose towards it, and I hastened four or five miles
further westward, in hopes still to see it beyond the open downs, but I
saw nothing like it. Kangaroos showed their heads occasionally amid the
long grass: the air was all astir with pigeons, and traces of native
inhabitants were numerous. As the sun was then near setting, we hastened
back to the pond, and lay down beside it for the night, which happened to
be a mild one. Thermometer, at sunrise, 20 deg.; at noon, 72 deg.; at 4 P.M.,
71 deg.; at 9, 44 deg..
27TH MAY.--We rode nearly westward towards a conical hill, which I had
seen on the evening before, and named Mount Lonsdale. This peak appeared
to me then to promise an extensive view to the W. and S.W., and in that
expectation I was not disappointed. I also fortunately recognised two of
my fixed points, at distances of thirty-two and fortytwo miles
respectively, besides an elevated extremity of the continuous range on
the S., which I had previously intersected, and here determined to be
only five miles off, bearing about S.E.b.S. I could now see not only
westward, but to the southward of S.W., for nearly twenty miles over a
long flat, containing indeed, a line of ACACIA PENDULA scrub, such as
accompanies lines of water drainage, but no river. All the country in
sight more to the northward seemed to fall that way, or southward, and
although it seemed possible that a cross line of valley and blue mist at
the far extremity of the flat might be the river, it was much more
probable, from the general slope of the country, that it was only another
tributary coming from the north.[*] Such was Yuranigh's opinion too, who
alone stood on that peak with me, and who there reminded me of the fate
of the rivers Macquarie and Narran, and maintained that rivers were not
to be found every where. "Where then is our river, Mr. Yuranigh?" "Bel me
know," was the reply. I could soon have found this out, however, had it
been an object for our journey northward. It was enough to know then that
it did not turn into that interior country, which was open, and looked
much lower, and how much further the fine valley extended beyond the
twenty miles, an adjacent woody hill prevented me from seeing. The land
around me was fair to look on; nothing could be finer than the forms of
the hills--half clear of wood, the disposition of open grassy downs and
vales--or the beauty of the woods. Water was not wanting, at least there
seemed to be enough for the present inhabitants, and to an admirer of
nature there was all that could be desired. Deeply impressed with its
sublime and solitary beauty, I sketched the scene, and descended from
that hill, resolved to follow the river upwards, as more favourable, in
that direction, to the chief object of my mission. I named the hill
overlooking that lonely dale, Mount Lonsdale, in honour of my valuable
geological friend. We reached the depot camp in the evening, and found
all well, only that a very tall and powerful native had been
reconnoitring our position during the day, from various trees commanding
a view of it; probably only from curiosity. These visits, however, always
happened to be made, as it would appear, when some portion of the party
was absent, as on this occasion. Thermometer, at sunrise, 34 deg.; at noon,
79 deg.; at 4 P.M., 68 deg.; at 9, 59 deg.; with wet bulb, 50 deg..
[* Probably the Nive. See INFRA.]
28TH AND 29TH MAY.--My ride westward had enabled me to intersect more
points to the northward; but this was certainly the most intricate
country I had ever either to survey or explore; for neither by laying
down points on a map, nor by overlooking it from high summits, could I
gain a satisfactory knowledge of its structure. Upon the whole, however,
I was convinced that the downward course of the river, above our depot
camp, was in a favourable direction for the continuation of our journey.
The arrival of the drays and the rest of the party was now an important
desideratum; for I had resolved to establish them in a dephere, and
continue the journey with a smaller party and the horses; the sandy soil
beyond the river, appearing almost impassable for the absurdly heavy
drays, with which the party had been equipped. They had now had nearly
time sufficient to come thus far, making due allowance for sand and other
obstructions. In the mean while I determined to extend my reconnoissance
northward from a commanding height, distant fourteen miles, and bearing
271/2 deg. E. of N. from my camp. Thermometer, at sunrise, 47 deg.; at noon, 85 deg.;
at 4 P.M., 79 deg.: at 9, 65 deg..
30TH MAY.--I proceeded, accordingly, to the hill, over a tract of
excellent open forest land, which extended to its base. The summit
consisted of trap-rock in nodules, and, towards the highest point, was
much broken. On the most elevated part of the summit, grew one of those
remarkable trees, first seen by me on Mount Abundance. I had since seen
them in various solitary singular situations; two on the Hogs'-back
crest of Bindango; two or three near the summit of various other heights.
The girth of this was thirty feet at its greatest circumference, and only
sixteen at the ground. There was only one companion of the same kind, a
very young one, beside this; which in locality, form, and quality, seems
to be as remarkable a tree, amongst trees in general, as the kangaroo is
remarkable amongst other animals. Of its quality, much, I am sure,
remains to be said, when it becomes better known; the wood being so
light, moist, and full of gum, that a man, having a knife or tomahawk,
might live by the side of one without other food or water; as if nature
in pity for the most distressed of mortals, hiding in solitary places,
had planted even there this tree of Abundance. The wood must contain a
great portion of mucilage, for, on chewing it, it seems to contain as
much nutritious matter, as fibre. The pods contain a great number of
seeds which are eaten by the natives, and also by many birds; and, from
the circumstance of my having found one pod half-eaten by a bird on a
rock, the very apex of a lofty summit, the solitary locality of this tree
may, perhaps, be considered at least partly owing to its seeds being the
favourite food of some birds inhabiting such places, each seed probably
requiring to be picked out of the thick shell, in order that it may
grow.[*] The view the hill afforded me was most gratifying and
satisfactory. I saw again Mounts Bindango, Bindyego and Abundance, to the
southward; the cone I had lately visited in the west, (Mount Lonsdale):
the course of the river downwards, marked by open plains in the S. W.;
and, an extensive rather level country lay to the northward, beyond
which, at great distances, the summits of lofty mountains were just
visible. Through the wide champagne country intervening, the river's
course seemed marked by a line of smoke; a hot wind was then blowing, and
the natives are in the habit of burning off the old grass on such
occasions. The river seemed to come from the mountains, nearly from the
N.N.W.; so that the prospect of finding water in that direction, or
towards these mountains, was all I could desire. Here I intersected
various lofty distant summits seen on the 21st instant, and could thus
connect the whole trigonometrically with back angles to Bindango, Mount
Abundance, etc. In the eastward, a range of tabular masses, some almost
clear of wood, extended apparently to the coast ranges; and seemed to be
also connected with those stretching towards Bindango, and separating the
basin of the upper Balonne from this interior country. A hill similar to
that on which I stood, but of less height, lay on the interior side of
it, having a remarkable conic summit clear of bushes. The valley at the
base of these two hills contained a fine crop of ANTHISTIRIA; and there
was also a chain of ponds, where natives had been encamped not long
before, but in which no water then remained.
[* A new genus, since named DELABECHEA.]
On returning to the camp in the evening, I learnt that soon after I left
it in the morning, two natives came boldly up, painted white, bearing,
each, several spears and four or five bommerengs. They were followed by
two females bearing loads of spears. The men were got immediately under
arms, forming a line before the tents, and Corporal Graham beckoned to
the natives to halt. They pointed after me, and by very plain gestures
motioned to the party to follow me, or to begone. Finding the men before
the tents made the same signs to them, and stood firm, the principal
speaker edged off towards a man at a distance, in charge of the horses.
Graham got between, so as to cover the man and the horses, when they
advanced more boldly upon him, quivering their poised spears at him, at a
distance of only ten or twelve paces. At length the foremost man turned
round, and by slapping his posteriors, gave him to understand by that
vulgar gesture, his most contemptuous defiance: this induced the old
soldier to discharge his carbine over the head of the savage, who first
sprung some feet into the air, and then ran off with all the others. Soon
after, the same native was seen creeping up the steep bank, so as to
approach the camp under the cover of some large trees, the rest
following, and he was again met by our party. He then seemed to recite
with great volubility a description of the surrounding territory, as he
continually pointed in the course of his harangue to various localities,
and in this description he was prompted by the female behind, who also,
by rapid utterance and motions of the arm, seemed to recite a territorial
description. Finding, however, that his speech made no impression on the
white strangers, and that they still beckoned them to depart; he stuck a
spear into the ground, and, by gestures, seemed to propose that, on the
one side, the ground should be occupied by the strangers, and on the
other side, by them. Graham apparently assenting to this, they seemed
more satisfied and departed. There were two deep reaches; one above, the
other below, our camp. The upper one was deepest, largest, and more
remote from our party, and most within reach of the natives. I gave
strict orders that no man should go there; nor that the cattle should be
allowed to feed there; that it should, in fact, be left wholly to the
natives; that no ducks should be shot, that no men should fish there.
Nothing could be more reasonable than the proposal of this native, nor
more courageous than his appearance before our more numerous party, with
his spears and open defiance; and I was determined to take every
precaution to avoid a collision with his small tribe, and prevent, during
our probably long residence here, our people from doing them any harm.
Thermometer, at sunrise, 22 deg.; at noon, 60 deg.; at 4 P.M., 63 deg.; at 9, 31 deg..
1ST JUNE.--The sound of a distant shot about noon, which proceeded from
the Doctor firing at a bird, gave us the first notice of the approach of
the other party. Soon after, Mr. Kennedy came in, measuring the line;
and, subsequently, the drays, and the whole of the men in good health.
The cattle had got refreshed without delaying me, and I could now again
proceed with a good supply of stores, leaving them again in depot here.
Mr. Kennedy had examined the river, about which I had written to him, for
twelve miles up, and found that it was a separate river, coming from the
N.W., and that in all its bed no water could be found. The tribe of
Tagando had been troublesome to him, as I feared they would, after their
attempt upon us. The following account of their visit to Mr. Kennedy is
from his own notes:--"At 1 P.M., an old native, accompanied by five
younger men, approached the camp, each carrying a green bough, and when
within forty yards, they sat down in a line, the old man (probably their
chief) taking up his position about four yards in advance of the rest.
Sir Thomas Mitchell having mentioned, in a communication I received here,
that the natives had been friendly to him, I was anxious to preserve that
good feeling, but at the same time to keep them at a distance, according
to my instructions. I therefore went up to them with a green bough, and
endeavoured by signs to make them leave:--finding that of no avail, I
presented the chief with an old hat, and gave to each a piece of bread.
After they had eaten it, I raised the old man with my right hand, and
taking another in my left, I led them away in the direction whence they
had come, broke off a green branch, gave a portion to each, and bid them
farewell. As the others still remained in STATU QUO, I went through the
same ceremony with them until they were all on their path homewards.
Having heard nothing more of them for some time, I flattered myself that
I had succeeded in giving them a friendly hint that we did not wish them
beside us; but I soon discovered my mistake, for at 4 P.M. a large number
of natives, accompanied by two or three gins and children, came boldly up
and encamped within a few yards of the tents, and two hundred more were
reported to me by Mortimer as being at a short distance in their rear. I
gave strict orders that no man should go near them, and I mustered the
party myself at 8 P.M. Shortly afterwards, three or four natives came
down to our fires, and on the men saying that they would not be made to
leave, I put my hand upon their shoulders, and shewed them their own
camp. One tall young native in particular, wearing an opossum cloak,
exhibited a strong inclination to resist. I continued to watch their
movements until half-past eleven, P.M. up to which time they were talking
very earnestly, continually repeating the words "white fellow." I had not
retired to my tent five minutes when I heard Baldock (one of the two men
on watch) several times desire the natives to go back, who, as it
appeared, would insist on coming forward to our fires. Serjeant Niblet
then called me, saying he thought "all was not right," that the natives
refused to keep away, and that he had seen the fire sticks of others
approaching from several directions. On turning out, I found them making
a line of fires within twenty-five yards or less of our tents, and the
grass on fire, the old man urging them on in their mischievous work. I
called to them in the language of some of the aborigines, to go away
quickly, using the words "Yau-a-ca-burri!" but seeing that they still
drew nearer with their fires, to the imminent danger of the camp, I
desired the men, who by this time had got ready with their arms, to
charge them with a shout, but not to fire until they received orders. We
succeeded in making them run; when, to add to their alarm, one or two
shots were fired in the air. In their haste, they left the old hat I had
given them, an iron tomahawk, and a few other implements, behind them,
all of which I caused to be left untouched, in order to show them that we
had only objected to their intrusion. All being quiet, and the cattle
brought close to the camp, I added a third man to the morning watch, and
no more was heard of the natives." This was a specimen of the treacherous
nature of their mode of warfare, and very characteristic of the
aborigines, but by no means so creditable to them, as the conduct of our
neighbours at this camp, where the arrival of the other party was likely
to convince them still more, that they could not induce us to quit that
position, until we thought proper to do so. I had instructed Mr. Kennedy
to continue the numbering of the camps; but as the drays could not keep
pace with mine, only some of my camps have been so numbered, the others
marked being those where his party had passed the night. This depot camp
was, thus, No. XXIX, and the numbers of such others of mine as have been
marked between this and VIII., shall be added to this journal, and the
whole marked on the map. A new species of CALLITRIS appeared among the
trees, the ACACIA STENOPHYLLA, and the large leaved variety of ACACIA
DECORA, further removed than usual from the common form, and approaching,
in some respects, to A. RUBIDA. Among the bushes was the beautiful little
A. CONFERTA, remarkable for its little heath-like leaves, and among the
grasses was remarked an abundance of a new annual SPOROBOLUS with
extremely minute flowers.[*] Thermometer, at sunrise, 18 deg.; at noon, 64 deg.;
at 4 P.M., 64 deg.; at 9, 30 deg..
[* S. PALLIDUS (Lindl. MS.) foliis planis glabris ligula nulla nisi
squamula quadam, panicula effusa ramis brevibus alternis verticillatisque
scabriusculis, paleis truncatis altera 3-nervi altera binervi.]
2D JUNE.--Two half-boats were mounted on frames, and fixed over two of
the light carts, and other preparations made for the prosecution of the
journey with a small party. My plan was to reduce each man's ration of
flower from 7lbs. to 4lbs. per week: to allow a larger quantity of
mutton: some gelatine and barley, dried potatoes, etc. With my party, I
now proposed to take forward a portion of the sheep, as not requiring
carriage, and Mr. Stephenson, a man to assist him, and the shepherd,
formed the only addition to the number with which I had advanced to this
point. Mr. Kennedy had brought me a dispatch from Commissioner Mitchell,
accompanied by some newspapers, in which I read such passages as the
following:--"Australia Felix and the discoveries of Sir Thomas Mitchell
now dwindle into comparative insignificance." "We understand the intrepid
Dr. Leichardt is about to start another expedition to the Gulf, keeping
to the westward of the coast ranges," etc., etc. Not very encouraging to
us, certainly; but we work for the future. Thermometer, at sunrise, 11 deg.;
at noon, 67 deg.; at 4 P.M., 67 deg.; at 9, 30 deg..
3D JUNE.--This day one of the party caught several fishes in the river,
which appeared to be of the same species as the Eelfish, or Plotosus
tandanus described in the journal of my first journey (Vol. i. p. 95). It
is therein stated to be an Asiatic form of fish, on the authority of Mr.
Wm. M'Leay, but in other respects this was identical with one in the
Barwan. The course downwards of the new river, which we even now believed
to be called the Maran, from what we had gathered from the natives, was
thus almost proved to be towards the southern rivers. I instructed Mr.
Kennedy to employ the party in digging, and fencing in, and daily
watering, a garden; also, to make a stockyard wherein to lodge the cattle
at night, as this would leave more men disposable for the immediate
protection, if necessary, of the camp and stores. I also gave him very
particular instructions as to the natives, that no intercourse should be
allowed between them and the men; that he should, nevertheless, use them
very civilly, and endeavour to obtain some information, if possible,
respecting the final course of the Maran, etc. Thermometer, at sunrise,
16 deg.; at noon, 69 deg.; at 4 P.M., 66 deg.; at 9, 34 deg..