Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropical Australia - Thomas Mitchell
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[* D. TRIANGULARIS (Lindl. MS.); molliter pubescens, foliis
obtriangularibus tridentatis, pedunculis masculis axillaribus
subsolitariis.]
[** C. LORANTHIFOLIA (Lindl. MS.) ramosa, inermis, ramulis tomentosis,
foliis lineari-oblongis obtusis coriaceis glabris sesqui-pollicaribus
aveniis, pedunculis solitariis axillaribus tomentosis foliis brevioribus,
stipite duplo longiore, fructu sphaerico tuberculato glabro.]
2D JULY.--Returning with two men and Yuranigh to the valley where I had
been yesterday, I followed it downwards, and soon found that it widened
very much, and contained large dry ponds, with the traces of a deep
current of water at some seasons. At length, the rocky precipices seemed
to recede, and formed occasionally bold headlands of most picturesque
outline. Two, that towered above the woods before us, resembled pyramids,
and I saw an open country beyond them, from which other summits of
extraordinary form seemed to emerge. Yet we had found no moisture in the
ponds, and lamented that a country, in every other respect so fine,
should be without water. Further on, I perceived reeds in the hollow of
the valley, and Yuranigh said there must be a spring, upon which he
walked in amongst them, but still found the earth dry. The reeds at
length covered an extensive flat, and looked, at the lower part of the
flat, so green, that I sent Corporal Graham to examine that point. He
emerged from the reeds with a face that, at a distance, made Douglas, my
other man, say, "He has found water." He had found A RUNNING STREAM, to
which he had been guided by its own music, and taking a tin pot, he
brought me some of it. The water was clear and sparkling, tasting
strongly of sulphur, and Yuranigh said that this was the head of a river
that NEVER DRIED UP. In this land of picturesque beauty and pastoral
abundance, within eighty miles of the tropics, we had discovered the
first running stream seen on this journey. I returned, determined to
bring the party thus far, and with the intention of passing that night
where we had found water in a rock about six miles back, that we might
sooner reach the camp next day. At that spot we had also the benefit of a
cavern, before which, a good fire being made, we defied the frost of a
very cold night, the thermometer having been registered at the camp, at 3
A.M., as low as 7 deg.. In the scrubs we had passed through in the morning, a
variety of the ACACIA PODALYRIIFOLIA, with grey velvety leaves, was
scarcely in flower; and I observed a beautiful new species of STENOCHILUS
with large tubular flowers.[*] The ACACIA FALCATA appeared also on the
sandstone ground above the gullies, and a broad-leaved form of the
EREMOPHILA MITCHELLII. The moon shone brightly, and the rock being full
of silver mica, the splendour of the scene imparted to my eye and mind
then a degree of gratification far beyond any associations of the richest
furniture of a palace. We found it impossible to get our horses to the
water; but we hit upon an expedient which answered even better than a
bucket,--my Mackintosh cloak.
[* S. CURVIPES (Benth. MS.) glaber, foliis lanceolatis integerrimis basi
in petiolum angustatis pedicellis recurvis, calycis foliolis latis
acuminatis, corollae glabrae ventricosae laciniis acutis inferiore ultra
medium soluta.--Flowers large and thick on recurved pedicels 4 to 6 lines
long. Calycine leaves broader than in all the other species.]
3D JULY.--In returning, we looked for a good line of approach, and found
an easy way for the carts to descend into the valley. On arriving at the
camp, I learnt that a large pond had been discovered in a rocky part of
the river, about a mile below our camp. Thermometer, at sunrise, 14 deg.; at
noon, 60; at 4 P.M., 61 deg.; at 9, 26 deg.. Height of camp above the sea, 1800
feet. (XLII.)
4TH JULY.--The clouds had gathered, and it rained heavily this morning.
Nevertheless, the party moved off, crossing the river where the banks had
been cut to facilitate the passage. With Yuranigh's assistance we hit
upon an excellent line of route, availing ourselves of a grassy valley
descending from Mount Faraday, just so far as to avoid the rocky crooked
part, and then crossing and cutting through a piece of scrub directly to
the point of easy ascent, we thus made a good road into the valley, and
arrived in good time, notwithstanding the rain, at the rock of my
bivouac. The night-sky cleared up, and I found our latitude (by Arcturus)
to be 24 deg. 54' 12" S. Thermometer, at sunrise, 43 deg.; at 4 P.M., 49 deg.; at 9,
38 deg.. Height above the sea, 1437 feet. (XLIII.)
5TH JULY.--Another frosty night succeeded the day of rain, and froze our
tents into boards, not easily to be packed up this morning. We proceeded
along our horses' track, and the beautiful headland which appeared quite
isolated, and just such as painters place in middle distance, I named
Mount Salvator. We encamped on a slight elevation of the right bank of
the reedy rivulet, near the pyramids. Our prospects had suddenly
brightened, when instead of following chains of dry ponds, we had before
us a running stream, carrying life and nourishment towards the country we
were about to explore. The whole aspect of the country seemed new to us.
The barometer showed we were rapidly descending, and I expected that our
living stream would soon join that greater stream, the basin of which I
thought I could trace in the line of mist seen from Mount P. P. King on
the 28th June. The course of this river, unlike the others, curved round
from N.W. towards north, and having its origin in mountains equidistant
between Cape York and Wilson's Promontory, it was reasonable to suppose
that we had at length crossed the division between northern and southern
waters. That between eastern and western waters was still to be
discovered, and in a country so intricate, and where water was so scarce
then, the course of rivers afforded the readiest means of determining
where that division was. If the general course of this river was found to
be to the eastward of north, we might safely conclude that the dividing
ground was on the west or to the left of our route; if to the westward of
north, it might be to the eastward, or on the right of our route, and
this seemed the more probable from the line of a river flowing north-
westward, which I had seen the valley of, from Mount P. P. King. Latitude
24 deg. 50' 2". S. Thermometer, at sunrise, 16 deg.; at noon, 50 deg.; at 4 P. M.,
49 deg.; at 9, 38 deg.. Height above the sea, according to sixteen observations,
1421 feet. (XLIV.)
6TH JULY.--A number of small bushes of CRYPTANDRA PROPINQUA appeared
amongst the rocks; back from the valley, and in the woods below, we found
an acacia, apparently, but distinct from, A. DECORA (Reichb.) VAR.
MACROPHYLLA; it approached A. AMOENA, but the stem was less angular, and
the phyllodia bore but one gland. A large tree with long hoary leaves,
and flat round capsules, proved to be a fine new BURSARIA, at a later
season found in flower. See October 10th.* A Loranthus also was found
here, which Sir William Hooker has since described.[**] Travelling along
the bank of this stream, we found it flowing, and full of sparkling water
to the margin. The reeds had disappeared, and we could only account for
the supply of such a current, in such a country, at such a season, by the
support of many springs. We made sure of water now for the rest of our
journey; and that we might say of the river "Labitur et labetur in omne
volubilis aevum." The hills overhanging it surpassed any I had ever seen
in picturesque outline. Some resembled gothic cathedrals in ruins; others
forts; other masses were perforated, and being mixed and contrasted with
the flowing outlines of evergreen woods, and having a fine stream in the
foreground, gave a charming appearance to the whole country. It was a
discovery worthy of the toils of a pilgrimage. Those beautiful recesses
of unpeopled earth, could no longer remain unknown. The better to mark
them out on my map, I gave to the valley the name of Salvator Rosa.[***]
The rocks stood out sharply, and sublimely, from the thick woods, just as
John Martin's fertile imagination would dash them out in his beautiful
sepia landscapes. I never saw anything in nature come so near these
creations of genius and imagination. Where we encamped, the river was
very deep, the banks steep and muddy, so that the use of a bucket was
necessary in watering the cattle. Notwithstanding every precaution, one
animal walked into the river, and could not be got out without great
difficulty. The only fish we caught in this river were two enormous eels,
beautifully spotted. Large shells of the UNIO genus lay abundantly on the
banks, about the old fires of the natives. These were larger than either
those found on the Darling, or those of the Maran; and although such
freshwater mussles seem to have but one shape, a peculiarity in these was
pointed out to me by Yuranigh, who said they much resembled the
impressions left by a black-fellow's foot, (which is much broader at the
toes than at the heel). We here met with a new species of BORONIA,
resembling B. ANETHIFOLIA, of which many varieties afterwards occurred.
It grows about two feet high, and had solitary pale purple flowers.[****]
A new species of ACACIA with straight, oblong, shining leaves, also grew
here.[*****] In the valley we found ERECHTITES ARGUTA, a weed resembling
European groundsel; on the rocks, a small slender shrub with white
flowers; and in the sandy scrub, the LEUCOPOGON CUSPIDATUS formed a small
shrub. Thermometer, at sunrise, 16 deg.; at noon, 50 deg.; at 4 P.M., 49 deg.; at 9,
38 deg.. (XLV.) Height above the sea, 1270 feet.
[* B. INCANA (Lindl. MS.); arborea, inermis, foliis oblongo-linearibus
supra glabris subtus incanis, panicula terminali tomentosa, floribus
distantibus.]
[** L. SUBFALCATUS (Hook. MS.); ramis dichotomis patentibus, foliis
oppositis linearibus lineari-lanceolatisve obtusis subfalcatis glabris
trinerviis, floribus axillaribus binis arcte pendentibus brevissime
pedicellatis, calycis contracti cylindracei ore dilatato, petalis 6
linearibus glaberrimis supra medium coalitis.]
[*** "His soul naturally delighted in scenes of savage magnificence and
ruined grandeur; his spirit loved to stray in lonely glens, and gaze on
mouldering castles."--ALLAN CUNNINGHAM (THE POET).]
[**** B. BIPINNATA (Lindl. MS.) glabra vel pilosa, foliis bipinnatis
pinnatisque, foliolis linearibus subteretibus obtusis, floribus
subsolitariis axillaribus foliis brevioribus 8-andris.]
[***** A. EXCELSA (Benth. MS.) glabra, ramulis subangulatis, phyllodiis
falcato-oblongis obtusiusculis mucronulatisve basi angustatis
subcoriaceis nitidis multinervibus venulosis eglandulosis, pedunculis
solitariis geminisve capitulo dense multifloro brevioribus vel
brevissimis. Very near A. VENULOSA, Cunn.; but smooth, the phyllodia
shining, 2 to 3 inches long, 6-9 lines broad, the flower heads usually
almost sessile.]
7TH JULY.--Continuing along the eastern margin of the reeds, we soon
found that the river expanded into a lake covered with them, and that in
one or two spots there also grew the "Balyan" of the Lachlan, (a bulrush
mentioned in my former journals). We listened, and still heard the
current of water amongst these reeds. From the margin of this lake the
hills, rocks, and woods, on the opposite shore, presented a most charming
morceau of picturesque scenery. Our route was through an open forest
which skirted the reedy margin, over very firm ground, and in a general
direction about north-west. At length we approached the northern limits
of the reedy lake, no river being visible flowing out of it, as we had
reason to expect. We found there, however, only a dry channel, which bore
the marks of a considerable stream at some seasons. Following this dry
channel down, I found its course turned to the northward, and even to the
north-east. When we were disposed to encamp, I could find no water in the
bed, nor were we better off when we had encamped, until Corporal Graham
dug between two rocks therein, and, fortunately, found a spring. Thus, in
one day vanished the pleasing prospect we had enjoyed in the morning, of
a stream flowing in the direction of our intended route. This might be, I
then thought, the tributary to a larger river, which I still hoped would
be found to flow westward from the coast ranges, and, finally, take the
desired north-west direction. Thermometer, at sunrise, 23 deg.; at 4 P.M.,
58 deg.; at 9, 25 deg.. (XLVI.) Height above the sea, 1191 feet.
8TH JULY.--Entertaining this opinion, I still should have followed this
river down, had I not been impeded by gullies as deep as itself falling
into it, and which obliged me to cross to the left bank. There a thick
brigalow scrub grew to the very margin, and this was seared by rugged
gullies. A deep and continuous channel, entering from the westward,
induced me to turn in that direction so far, that I at length determined
to penetrate at once, if possible, to the north-west, expecting that
there I might intercept our river, if it should turn in that direction,
or, if not, cross some range into a more open country. The whole day was
lost, however, in toiling through a brigalow scrub. Various water-courses
crossed our route, but all descending towards the river we had left. The
scrub was so thick that we could only pass where accidental openings
admitted us, and by this sort of progress, until within an hour of
sunset, I found we had travelled about nine miles, and had gained only
half a minute of latitude. Having penetrated, on foot, and with
difficulty, about two miles ahead of the party, in pursuing the course of
a small watercourse, I found that even this turned south-east, evidently
to fall into the reedy basin we had previously explored; therefore, I
determined on an immediate retreat out of that labyrinth of scrub, back
to our friendly river. It was comparatively easy to return through the
opening we had made by cutting down much of the brush as we advanced, so
that by twilight we reached a good grassy spot about half way to the
river, and near it, found some good ponds of water. A pigeon, flying
almost in my face, first drew my attention to the hollow where we
afterwards found the water. It was in soft mud, however, in which one of
the bullocks got bogged, and could only be taken out by the whole
strength of the party dragging him with ropes. Thermometer, at sunrise,
18 deg.; at 4 P.M., 54 deg.; at 9, 25 deg.. Height above the sea, 1241 feet.
9TH JULY.--The cattle were so much exhausted by drawing through the
scrub, and I had so much to do at my map, that I gave to the cattle and
the party, a day's rest. Latitude, 24 deg. 34' 12" S. Thermometer, at
sunrise, 14 deg.; (in my tent, 18 deg.;) at 9 P.M., 48 deg..
10TH JULY.--Returning, still along our old track, towards a slight
eminence, three miles from our camp, I there set the party to work, to
cut a way across the gully, which had first obliged me to turn westward.
While the men were so employed, I rode about five miles northward, but
met with no opening or water-course admitting of a passage in that
direction. On the contrary, I returned, on intercepting one running S. E.
towards our river. The party had taken all things across when I rejoined
them, and we travelled along the left bank of the gully, chiefly through
open forest land, until we approached the river. Scrub, and muddy
gullies, obliged us to cross the river soon after we reached its banks.
Water appeared more abundant in its bed here, and we encamped on the
border of a small plain, hemmed in by brigalow scrub, in latitude 24 deg. 33'
25" S. Thermometer, at sunrise, 23 deg.; at noon, 58 deg.; at 4 P.M., 62 deg.; at 9,
29 deg.. Height (XLVII.) above the sea, 1192 feet.
11TH JULY.--We travelled along the right bank of the river, through a
fine open forest, until our route, in a N. E. by N. direction, was again
impeded by the river. We had now descended from the upper sources of this
river, at least 1000 feet according to the barometer. We had seen, in a
large pond, a fish called mullet, which abounds in the rivers falling to
the eastern coast, but which I had never seen in those falling westward.
It was also obvious that there was no coast range between us and the
coast, and consequently that a very decided break, at least, occurred in
it, about the latitude of 25 deg. S. This was more apparent to me on crossing
the river, and sending Yuranigh up a tree, about three miles beyond. He
could see no mountains to the northward or north-east, but only the high
table land already seen to the eastward, in which direction he could
trace the course of the river. I hastened back to the party, directed
them to encamp, and proceeded with two men and Yuranigh in a N. W.
direction, carrying provisions for a long ride. We plunged into the sea
of Brigalow--
"----And we did buffet it, With lusty sinews throwing it aside, And
stemming it with JACKETS ALL IN TATTERS."
After working out our way thus, for about ten miles, our toils were
rewarded with a scene of surpassing beauty, that gradually opened to us.
That long-lost tree, the graceful Acacia pendula, received us in the
foreground, and open plains, blended with waving lines of wood, extended
far into bluey distance, beyond which an azure coronet of mountains of
romantic forms, terminated the charming landscape.
"Far in the west, the long, long vale withdrawn,"
included columns of smoke, marking out the line of a river, which, with
its dark and luxuriant woods, pervaded the whole scene; perhaps the
finest I ever had the good fortune to discover. I beheld it from a
perfectly clear and grassy hill of rich black soil, on which we had
emerged, through a fringe of Acacia pendula. I could not advance beyond
that spot, until I had taken bearings and angles on the peaks and summits
before me. To the north-west, an apparent opening, seen between these
masses, seemed to indicate the bed of another river. On completing my
observations we rode forward across the plain, towards the woody vale,
the sun being then near setting. A solitary emu ran towards us, from a
great distance, apparently encouraged by the mere appearance of
quadrupeds, which, although new to it, seemed to have no terrors for it.
I could not allow the men to fire at it, partly, I believe, from a sense
of shame that we should thereby appear to take unfair advantage, and
prove ourselves more brutal than the quadrupeds, whom nature had
indulgently destined to carry us on their backs. The open down we
traversed, consisted of rich black mould, in which there was fossil wood
in great abundance, presenting silicified fragments so curiously wooden
as to be only distinguishable from wood, by their detached and broken
character. Such fossils are not uncommon in Australia, on plains of rich
black earth, which is a constant concomitant. Their geological history
may be simple, and would probably be very interesting, if philosophy
could but find it out. We found, further on, a channel full of water,
with reeds about the bed of it. There had been a current in it a short
time previously, and, indeed, we had seen the remains of recent rain, in
some hollows in the Brigalow scrub. The river came from the westward, and
thus might have afforded the means of travelling in that direction, had
other directions been found impracticable. We made our fire in a hollow
near the water, not wishing either to alarm or attract the natives; and
thus we passed the night pleasantly enough, with a large fire before us.
Thermometer, at sunrise, 18 deg.; at 4 P.M., 65 deg.; at 9, 30 deg..
12TH JULY.--Returning to the camp, I sought and found, with the
assistance of Yuranigh, a more open way through the scrub for our carts,
than that by which we had penetrated to the good country. I had directed
Mr. Stephenson to examine, during my absence, the western shore of the
reedy lake of Salvator, in order to ascertain whether it had any outlet
in that direction; but he returned without having reached the base of the
remarkable rocky range to the westward; thus leaving it still uncertain,
although the direction of the river since discovered, left little reason
for supposing that any waters from the valley of the Salvator, could
escape to the westward. Thermometer, at sunrise, 11 deg.; in my tent, 15 deg.; at
noon, 67 deg. at 4 P.M., 65 deg.; at 9, 35 deg.. Height above the sea, 1107 feet.
13TH JULY.--After marking this camp XLVIII., we quitted the river
Salvator, and travelled along our track of yesterday, or nearly N. W.,
but deviating from this track occasionally, where broken ground or thick
scrub was to be avoided. The highest part of the scrubby land we crossed,
was 1310 feet above the sea. We arrived in good time at the river, where
I had previously slept, and there encamped. On the plains adjacent, the
ACACIA PENDULA grew, as on those near the Bogan; and we saw also various
new and curious grasses, and some very singular shrubs in the scrub. The
banks of the river were steep, and consisted of soft clay. I employed the
party to make a bridge across it, and this was well completed before
sunset. Thermometer, at sunrise, 23 deg.; at noon, 65 deg.; at 4 P.M. 68 deg.; at 9,
40 deg.. Height above the sea, 951 feet. (XLIX.)
14TH JULY.--Crossing the river, (which I called the Claude), we
travelled, first, through an open forest, and then across one of the
richest plains I had ever seen, and on which the ANTHISTIRIA AUSTRALIS,
and PANICUM LOEVINODE, the two best Australian grasses, grew most
abundantly. The soil was black; the surface quite level. There might have
been about a thousand acres in the first plain we crossed, ere we arrived
at another small river, or water-course, which also contained water. We
soon reached the borders of other very extensive plains and open downs,
apparently extending far to the eastward. On our left, there was a scrub
of Acacia pendula. The undulating parts of the clear land, were not so
thickly covered with grass as the plains, not because the soil was bad,
but because it was so loose, rich, and black, that a sward did not so
easily take root and spread upon it, from its great tendency to crack,
after imbibing moisture, on its subsequent evaporation. All this rich
land was thickly strewed with small fragments of fossil wood, in silex,
agate, and chalcedony. Many of the stones, as already observed, most
strikingly resembled decayed wood, and in one place the remains of an
entire trunk lay together like a heap of ruins, the DILAPIDATED remains
of a tree! I obtained even a portion of petrified bark; but specimens of
this were rare. The elevation of the highest part of these downs, was
1512 feet above the sea.
Crossing an open forest hill, which had hitherto bounded our view to the
westward, I perceived a deep grassy valley on our right, sloping towards
a much lower country, but I still travelled westward, in hopes to find an
open country, beyond a low woody range on which we had at length arrived.
I soon, however, perceived rocky gullies before me, and having halted the
party to examine them, I found they were quite impassable. Such an
unexpected obstacle, on the horizon of the fine open country, yet UNDER
that smooth horizon, was certainly as singular as it was unexpected, and
I returned to descend into the deep grassy valley I had seen on our
right, which seemed open and inviting. We therein also found some large
ponds of water, and encamped. While the men were pitching the tents I
rode down the valley about two miles, and found that the direction of the
water-course was about north-east. Such a direction was not very
favourable for us, and I resolved to look at the country beyond the
limits of this valley to the westward, before we followed it further.
Latitude, 24 deg. 17' 42" S. Thermometer, at sunrise, 19 deg.; at 4 P. M., 66 deg.;
at 9, 49 deg.. (L.) 1279 feet above the sea.
15TH JULY.--Following up a flat which came from the N. W., I proceeded
about five miles amid overhanging precipices, until, at length, mighty
rocks rendered it quite impossible to push my horse further. Leaving him
in a hollow, I ascended a rocky point, which was barely accessible with
Yuranigh's assistance, and, on reaching an elevated summit, I saw still
worse gullies before us, amongst which I could perceive no feature
affording any cue to their final outlet, nor any characteristic of the
structure of these labyrinths. I looked in vain for the rugged summits I
had seen peeping over the plains when first discovered, and could not
then be convinced (as I found long afterwards, on completing my map),
that they were then under my feet. The highest parts seemed to extend
south-westward. To cross such a region with our carts, was quite
impossible, and I could only return, and, however reluctantly, follow
down the valley in which we had encamped, until it should afford access
to a more open country. The banks of the watercourse were steep, the
bottom was sandy. The course was very tortuous, alternately closing on
rocky precipices, at each side of the valley. Thus we were obliged to
cross at every turning, and the steep banks rendered each crossing a
difficult operation, occasioning so much delay, that after crossing ten
times, evening obliged us to encamp, although our direct distance from
the last camp did not exceed five miles. We had, at each crossing, cut
the banks, filled up hollows with logs, etc. The general direction, I
ascertained to be N.E. Water was found providentially near the spot,
where the approach of night had obliged us to encamp; this having been
the first water we had seen during that day's laborious journey.
Thermometer, at sunrise, 21 deg.; at 4 P.M., 65 deg.; at 9, 44 deg..