Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropical Australia - Thomas Mitchell
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20TH MARCH.--Retracing my homeward tracks of yesterday, we proceeded in a
nearly E. N. E. direction, along much firmer ground than we had recently
traversed. The great eastern bend of the river was found amongst much
excellent grass and amidst much fine timber. A species of Anthistiria
appeared here, which seemed different from the ordinary sort, although
this was no stranger to me, when exploring the waterless plains westward
of the Lachlan, where it looked as if stunted for want of moisture. Here,
however, this variety presented the same knotty head, where other grasses
grew luxuriantly. After getting round the extreme eastern turn of the
Narran we encamped. Near the spot large rocks appeared in the bed, as if
the river was passing through the stock of the gravelly ridge I had
visited on the 18th. The rock consisted of that found about the basin of
the Darling; a quartzose conglomerate with much felspar, and having
pebbles of quartz imbedded. The large fragments of the conglomerate in
the river bed were angular, and not at all rounded at the edges. Here the
poor natives had been very industrious, as was evident from heaps of the
grass PANICUM LOEVINODE, and of the same redstalked coral-like plant,
also mentioned as having been observed in similar heaps, on the banks of
the Darling, during my journey of 1835 (vol. i. p. 238). I now
ascertained that the seed of the latter is also collected by the natives
and made into a paste. This seed was black and small, resembling fine
gunpowder when shaken out. Nevertheless it was sweet and pleasant to the
taste, possessing a nutty flavour.
The human inhabitants were few, and as invisible as other animals in
these forests--the prints of whose feet were also plain in the soft
smooth surface. As faithless as the snows of the North [*], this soil
bore the impressions of all animals obliged to go to the water, and
amongst them those of the naked feet of men, women, and children, with
the prints likewise of other BIPEDS, such as emus and kangaroos, and also
those of the native dog. Here still was our own race amongst other
animals all new and strange to Europeans. The prints of the foot of man
alone were familiar to us. But here he was living in common with other
animals, simply on the bounty of nature; artless, and apparently as much
afraid of us, and as shy, as other animals of the forest. It seemed
strange, that in a climate the most resembling that of Milton's paradise,
the circumstances of man's existence should be the most degrading.
Latitude of our camp, 29 deg. 19' 26" S. Thermometer, at sunrise, 55 deg.; at
noon, 100 deg.; at 4 P. M., 101 deg.; at 9, 70 deg.;--with wet bulb, 65 deg.. The mean
elevation above the sea of our camps thus far on the Narran, seven in
number, was 477 feet; the bed of the river being about 15 feet lower.
[* "And hungry Maukin's ta'en her way To kailyards green, While faithless
snaws ilk step betray Whar she has been." BURNS.]
21ST MARCH.--Proceeded as usual through fine grass, the river coming
favourably round towards the north. At about two miles I found some
traces of horses, and I looked at the river bank for Commissioner
Mitchell's initials, supposing this might be "Congo," where he had forded
the Narran. But we had not reached the latitude of Congo according to his
map. Nevertheless we found here such an excellent dry ford, with gently
sloping banks to a stony bottom, that the two circumstances induced me to
cross the Narran with the party. I travelled west-ward, until meeting
with a dense scrub, I turned towards the friendly Narran, where we
encamped in latitude 29 deg. 15' 31" S. Thermometer, at sunrise, 56 deg.; at
noon, 97 deg.; at 4 P. M., 101 deg.; at 9, 72 deg.; ditto with wet bulb, 66 deg..
22D MARCH.--Gave the party a day's rest, prayers being read by the
surgeon, as was usual whenever circumstances admitted of our halting on
Sunday. The bed of the Narran presented in several places the denuded
rock, which seems the basis of all the soil and gravel of the country. At
one place irregular concretions of milk-white quartz, cemented by a
ferruginous basis, was predominant; at another, the rough surface of
compact felspar weathering white presented merely the cavities in which
large rounded pebbles had been imbedded, until the partial decomposition
of the felspar, under the river floods, had exposed them once more to the
action of water. The force of those waters, however, had not been
sufficient to cut a channel through very soft rocks extending right
across their course--a circumstance rather characteristic, perhaps, of a
river like the Narran, watering a nearly level country, and terminating
in a swamp. Thermometer at sunrise, 53 deg.; at noon, 95 deg.; at 4 P. M., 98 deg.;
at 9, 72 deg.;--with wet bulb, 66 deg.. Height above the sea, 515 feet, from
eight observations.
23RD MARCH.--All hands were bent on an early start this morning, and,
soon after seven, the party moved off. We crossed much grassy land,
almost approaching to the character of scrub as to bushes; but we pursued
a tolerably straight course to the N.W., until we again made the Narran
at 81/2 miles. Various new plants attracted my attention this day,
especially a beautiful Loranthus on the rosewood Acacia, and a small bush
bearing a green pod resembling a small capsicum in shape. Among the
sedges by the river we found the KYLLINGA MONOCEPHALA; and, on the rich
black clayed soil near it, a species of bindweed out of flower, with
large sagittate leaves: in the scrubs back from the river, grew a small
bush, about four feet high, which has been considered either a variety of
Brown's SANTALUM OBLONGATUM, or a new species distinguished by its narrow
sharp-pointed leaves. The LORANTHUS LINEARI. FOLIUS was growing on the
rosewood Acacia, and the branches of Eucalypti were inhabited by the
parasitical ORANGE LORANTH.[*] Lat., 29 deg.1 0' 6" S. Therm. at sunrise,
51 deg.; at noon, 95 deg.; at 4 P. M., 99 deg.; at 9, 70 deg.;--wet bulb, 63 deg..
[* L. AURANTIACUS (All. Cunn. MS.); ramis elongatis laxis gracilibus,
foliis oppositis longe petiolatis oblongis obtusis lanceolatisve
acuminatis glabris 3-5-nerviis tenui-marginatis, paniculis folio
brevioribus ditrichotomis, floribus erectis, calycibus subcylindraceis
superne latioribus truncatis, petalis linearibus 6, stylo infra apicem
geniculato, stigmate dilatato truncato.--W. J. H.]
24TH MARCH.--We set off still earlier this morning. I hoped to reach the
Bokhara, on the West, a river shown on the map sent me by the
Commissioner of the district, but after travelling about seven miles to
the northward, I saw rising ground before me, which induced me to turn
towards our own friendly river the Narran; but it proved to be very far
from us, while in my search for it, to my surprise, I found it necessary
to descend several considerable declivities, covered with waterworn
pebbles. At length a slight opening in the dense scrubs through which we
had forced our way, afforded a view towards the south-east of the low
range we were upon, which trended very continuously to the north-west,
covered thickly with the "Malga" tree of the natives; to the traveller
the most formidable of scrubs. After several other descents, we reached
the Narran, but only at half-past three in the afternoon, when we had
travelled nearly twenty miles. How the teams were to accomplish this, it
was painful to consider. I sent back a messenger to desire that the
cattle should be detached and brought forward to the water; content to
lose one day, if that indeed would suffice to recover the jaded animals.
Casuarinae now grew amongst the river trees, and reminded me of the banks
of the Karaula in 1831. We had also noticed another novelty in the woods
we passed through this day; a small clump of trees of iron-bark with a
different kind of leaf from that of the tree known by that name in the
colony. On the higher stony land, a bush was common, and proved to be a
broad-leaved variety of EREMOPHILA MITCHELLII, if not a distinct species.
We there met with a new species of the rare and little-known genus,
GEIJERA; forming a strong-scented shrub, about ten feet high, and having
long, narrow, drooping leaves. Its fruit had a weak, peppery taste.[*]
The rare ENCHYLOENA TOMENTOSA formed a shrub a foot high, loaded with
yellow berries: all the specimens were digynous, in which it differed
from the description of Brown. The CAPPARIS LASIANTHA was observed
amongst the climbing shrubs still in fruit; and a beautiful new LORANTH,
with red flowers tipped with green, was parasitical on trees.[**] On the
bank of the Narran we found the AMARANTHUS UNDULATUS of Brown.
[* G. PARVIFLORA (Lindl. MS.); ramis erectis, foliis longis linearibus
pendulis in petiolum sensim angustatis 4 unc. longis.]
[** Loranthus LINEARIFOLIUS (Hook. MS.); foliis lineari-filiformibus
acutis carnosis glabris teretibus, pedunculis axillaribus brevibus
bifloris, calycibus cylindraceis truncatis contractis, petalis 6
linearibus supra basin coalitis.]
The cattle arrived in the dark, and were watered in the muddy-banked
Narran, by the light of burning boughs; then set to feed. Lat. 29 deg. 6' 33"
S.; therm. at sunrise, 48 deg.; at 4 P. M., 101 deg.; at 9, 74 deg.; ditto with wet
bulb, 62 deg..
25TH MARCH.--The cattle had now to return to bring forward the drays.
Meanwhile I took a ride up the river, in order to ensure a moderate
journey for these exhausted animals. Proceeding along the right bank, I
found gravelly slopes almost closing upon the river. The direction of its
course for four miles, was nearly southward. Then I saw gravelly ridges
on the left, and a line of wood before me, while the river evidently came
from the East round the margin of an extensive plain. I continued
northward; found a rosewood scrub: then saw the Malga tree; passed
through scrubs thereof; found myself on stony ridges, whence descending
in a N. E. direction, again passed through rosewood scrubs, and only
reached the river after riding 21/2 miles in that direction. I saw a
continuous ridge, bare and distant, beyond what I considered the river
bed, and a similar ridge to the westward. I crossed a native camp where
the newly deserted fires still smoked. We saw one man at a distance, who
did not mind us much; I could not have obtained any information from him,
and therefore did not seek a parley. Crossing the Narran there, by a
beaten track, beside a native fishing fence, I returned to the camp, on
the bearing of S. S. W., and found a grassy plain the whole way back,
until within sight of the tents, and a good rocky ford for the passage of
the party next day. On the stony ridge I found a remarkable shrub, a
species of Sida (ABUTILON), allied to S. GRAVEOLENS, Roxb., but distinct.
The teams brought the drays in, about 5 P. M.; one animal of all being
missing. Therm. at sunrise, 72 deg.; at noon, 89 deg.; at 4 P. M., 91 deg.; at 9,
60 deg.;--with wet bulb, 53 deg..
26TH MARCH.--Early this morning, William Baldock was sent back in search
of the stray bullock, while the party crossed the Narran, and proceeded
along my horse's track of yesterday. Baldock over took the party, having
found the bullock on the river, four miles below our late encampment. The
natives seen yesterday had disappeared, having previously set fire to the
grass. We proceeded two miles beyond their fires, and encamped on the
river bank in lat. 29 deg. 1' 57" S.
A small path along the river margin; marks on trees, where hollow
portions of bark had been taken off; some ancient, some recent, huts of
withered boughs and dry grass; freshwater muscle shells, beside the ashes
of small fires; and, in some places, a small heap of pulled grass
(PANICUM LOEVINODE), or of the coral plant; such were the slight but
constant indications of the existence of man on the Narran. Such was the
only home of our fellow-beings in these parts, and from it they retired
on our approach. Ducks, which were rather numerous, and emus (coming to
drink), probably constituted their chief food, as nets to ensnare both
these kinds of birds, were found about their huts. Youranigh brought me
one of their chisels, a small bit of iron fastened to a stick with gum,
and tied with a piece of striped shirting. I directed him to place it
carefully where he had found it. Thermometer at sunrise, 47 deg.; at noon,
90 deg.; at 4 P. M., 95 deg.; at 9, 69 deg.;--with wet bulb, 60 deg.. The mean height
above the sea of the camps of 23d, 24th, and 26th March, was 461 feet.
27TH MARCH.--Pursuing, as well as we could, the course of the Narran,
which came more from the northward, we again encamped on its banks after
a journey of seven miles, without recognising any indication of the
vicinity of the larger stream, which, according to our latitude, we ought
by this to have reached. The current here had evidently been more
decided, and dry trunks and other FLUVIATILE DEBRIS lay more in masses
against whatever had lain in the water's way. Excellent grass clothed the
plains over which we had passed during the two last days, and grew
abundantly also about the banks of the river; but, in general, a belt of
the POLYGONUM JUNCEUM, about 400 or 500 yards wide, grew between the
immediate margin and the grassy plains. This shrub was found an
infallible guide to the vicinity of the river, when, as sometimes
happened, other lines of trees, resembling those on its banks, had led me
to a distance from it. The day was cool and rather cloudy, a great
novelty to us; for every day had been clear and unclouded, since long
before we crossed the Barwan. Abundance of the stones of the quandang
fruit (FUSANUS ACUMINATUS) lay at an old fire of the natives, and showed
that we were not far from the northern limit of the great clay basin, as
the quandang bush grows only upon the lowest slopes of hilly land. Lat.
28 deg. 55' 13" S. Thermometer at sunrise, 70 deg.; at noon, 90 deg.; at 4 P. M., 89;
at 9, 70 deg.;--with wet bulb, 61 deg..
28TH MARCH.--At 2 A. M., loud thunder was heard in the south-west, where
a dark cloud arose and passed round to the northward; a few drops of rain
fell. The morning was otherwise clear, with a cooling breeze from S. W.
Thermometer at sunrise, 56 deg.. We proceeded, travelling chiefly amongst
very luxuriant grass. The river now disappeared as far to the westward of
my northerly course on this left bank, as it had left me when on the
other bank by unexpected turns to the eastward. I came upon its banks
after travelling about eight miles. At the spot where I wished to place
the camp I perceived a native, and with Youranigh's assistance, managed
to prevent him from running away. He spoke only "Jerwoolleroy," a dialect
which my native did not understand at all well. He told us, however, that
this was still the Narran, and pointed N. W. to the Balonne. Upon the
whole we gathered from him that neither that river nor the Bokhara was
far from us. I endeavoured to convince him, by Youranigh's assurances,
and our own civility to him, that we meant no harm to any natives, and
were only passing through the country. He did not seem afraid, although
he had never, until then, seen white men. We encamped near him. The river
channel was very narrow, and contained but little water here-abouts. I
understood from the native (through Youranigh) that the river here spread
into various channels, and that "BARRO" was the name of a river beyond
the Culg, which falls into it from the northward; "TOORINGORRA," the
lagoon on which we encamped after meeting natives on the 31st March. Near
this camp we found a PHYLLANTHUS, scarcely different from P. SIMPLEX; a
SESBANIA near S. ACULEATA, but with smaller flowers; and the CHENOPODIUM
AURICOMUM, formed a white-leaved shrub, three or four feet high.
Thermometer at sunrise, 56 deg.; at noon, 78 deg.; at 4 P. M., 82 deg.; at 9, 61 deg.;--
with wet bulb, 56 deg..
29TH MARCH.--After prayers (the day being Sunday) I sent Mr. Kennedy
forward to explore the course of the river, in order to ensure a more
direct line for to-morrow's route. Mr. Kennedy was accompanied by one of
the men armed, and also by Youranigh, all being mounted. He returned in
about four hours, having found the river coming from the northward, and
he also reported favourably of the ground. Thermometer at sunrise, 48 deg.;
at 4 P. M., 81 deg.; at 9, 51 deg.;--with wet bulb, 47 deg..
30TH MARCH.--The night had been cool and pleasant, Thermometer at sunrise
only 42 deg.. The cattle were yoked up early, and we travelled on over fine
grassy plains, and with open gravelly ridges on our right. At length,
about the sixth mile, these ridges closed on the river, where there was
one hill almost clear of trees or bushes. I ascended it, but could only
see plains to the westward, and a dense line of river-trees running
north. We at length encamped on what appeared to be still the Narran,
after a journey of about eight miles.
We this day passed a small group of trees of the yellow gum, a species of
eucalyptus growing only on the poor sandy soil near Botany Bay, and other
parts of the sea-coast near Sydney. Thermometer at sunrise, 42 deg.; at 4 P.
M., 83 deg.; at 9, 61 deg.;--with wet bulb, 57 deg.. Mean height of the camps of the
27th, 28th, and 30th, above the level of the sea, 509 feet.
31ST MARCH.--The various lines of trees were now so much dispersed across
the country, that to follow the line of the Narran, it was necessary to
see its ponds and channel as frequently as possible. The course, if not
of the river, at least of its ana-branches; and there were besides those,
branches of another kind, namely, true branches coming from the main
channel, as branches leave the stem of a tree, never to unite with it
again. Some of those of this description, so closely resembled in every
respect the Narran, that the difference was only to be distinguished by
observing the marks of flood on trees, and ascertaining the direction of
the current. We had crossed several such, and were rather in a "fix" with
some lagoons, when I perceived several native children in one of them. I
wished here to intercept some natives who might tell us where was the
ford of "Congo," where white men had crossed the Balonne, or where was
the river Balonne. The children fled, but two manly voices were heard
immediately, and two natives came confidently up to Youranigh and then to
me. The eldest seemed about fifty-five years of age; the other was a lad
of about twenty. They spoke of "Congo," and the Balonne (BALONGO) as
quite at hand, and undertook to conduct us to both. It was quite evident
from their pronunciation, that "Baloon" was not the proper native name,
but Bal, the termination they gave it of "GO," being an article they very
often use, Bal-go being equivalent to THE Balonne; as in speaking of the
Barwan, they say "Barwango." I had nearly completed the usual short
journey when we fell in with these natives, but I was unwilling to lose
the advantage of their assistance, and so travelled on under their
guidance, full five miles further, before I fixed on a spot for the camp.
This was by a splendid piece of water, named by them Tooningora, nearly
on a level with the adjacent plains, and covered with ducks. We had
passed other fine sheets of water guided by our native friends, and over
a rich grassy country remarkably level and free from scrub. It was
evidently changed by the vicinity of the larger river. I continued to
follow our new friends beyond where I had directed the party to encamp,
in expectation of seeing the marked tree at Congo, and the river Balonne.
After going forward thus about four miles, we saw five gins running off
at a great distance across some open plains, apparently near the river.
The eldest of our guides ran after them, and I requested him to assure
them that the white men would do no harm, and to tell them not to run
away. At length he overtook them. Two appeared to carry unseemly loads
across their backs, dangling under large opossum-skin cloaks, and it was
evident that these were mummied bodies. I had heard of such a custom, but
had not before seen it. I had then but a distant view of these females,
as they resumed their flight, and continued it until they reached woods
bounding the plain on the westward. The line of Yarra trees of the great
Balonne river ran parallel to our march westward, and there also,
according to my guides, was "Congo," the ford marked out by my son, and
which spot I most anxiously desired to see and identify by his initials.
Still my guides led westward towards the woods, and as we approached
them, the shout or scream of little Dicky, a native child of the Bogan,
follower of my camp, first drew my attention to a black phalanx within
the forest, of natives presenting a front like a battalion. Youranigh my
interpreter halted and remonstrated: our elder guide ran forward, and on
his reaching that body, the sound of gruff voices that arose from it
strongly reminded me of Milton's description of Satan's army:
"Their rising all at once was as the sound Of thunder heard remote."
Youranigh would not advance another step, although much pressed by the
other native remaining with us to do so, but declared that "those fellows
were murry coola," (very angry). We therefore retraced our footsteps to
the camp, without having seen either the Balongo or Congo. Our guide soon
overtook us, accompanied by fourteen of the strange natives, who, all
curiosity, passed the night at our camp, and they brought with them a lad
named "Jemmy," who spoke a little English, and had visited many of our
cattle-stations. He was very intelligible to Youranigh, who but very
imperfectly understood the language of the rest. They seemed upon the
whole a frank and inoffensive race. Their food consisted of the fish of
the river, ducks, and the small indigenous melon, CUCUMIS PUBESCENS,
which grew in such abundance, that the whole country seemed strewed with
the fruit, then ripe, and of which the natives eat great quantities, and
were very fond. It is about the size of a plum only, and in the journal
of my first interior journey (in 1831), is mentioned as a cucumber we
were afraid to eat. (Vol. I. p. 88.) Latitude of camp, 28 deg. 38' 47" S.
Thermometer at sunrise, 42 deg.; at 4 P. M., 83 deg.; at 9, 61 deg.;--with wet bulb,
57 deg..
1ST APRIL.--The whole party moved off about the usual hour, 7 A. M.,
still under the guidance of our new acquaintance, towards the Balonne. On
our way the natives were very careful to point out how muddy hollows
could best be avoided by our drays. I saw seated at a distance, in due
form, the tribe to which they belonged; and having directed the party to
halt, went up to them. They were seated in three groups; old men on the
right, painted red; old women in the centre, painted white; and other
women and children on the left. The few strong men who appeared, formed a
circle around me, and told me their names as they came up to me. I
desired Youranigh to tell them that we were passing that way across the
Balonne to a very far-off country, and did not wish to disturb them, etc.
When all was said that could be said, and I was about to return, one of
the chiefs, "Yarree," said "good night," words which he must have learnt
at some cattle station. Although it was only morning, I returned the
compliment with all possible gravity, and took my leave. Soon after, we
arrived on the bank of the Balonne, as fine a looking river as I have
seen in the colony, excepting only the Murray. There was a slight
current, and the waters lay in broad reaches, under banks less elevated
above the bed than those of the Darling. In breadth the channel surpassed
that of the last named river in any part, I believe, of its course.
We encamped near a shallow place, which the natives at first said was
"Congo," but where we found no marks on the trees. The curiosity of the
natives having been gratified, they disappeared; but I must mention that,
having missed the elder of the two men who had guided us here since the
first evening, I learnt, on inquiring what had become of him, that he had
gone back to his little boys, whom he had left at the water-holes where
he first met us, six miles back, and for whom he had apparently gathered
his little net of melons. Nothing could have been finer than this man's
conduct. He had at once come on with us to guide us where we wanted to
go; took great pains to make us known to his own tribe, and, I believe,
to other assembled tribes at some risk to himself; and then, without
claiming my promised gifts, he had returned to his little family, left at
such a distance, only that he might do that which was civil, to us
strangers. Yet we call these men savages! I fear such disinterested acts
of civility on the part of the civilised portion of mankind are rather
rare. He had rendered to us, at all events, a very great service; for the
danger of sudden collision with the natives was at an end, after our
introduction by him to the tribes. In the afternoon, Slater, one of the
bullock-drivers, found a good fording-place; and I sent a few men to cut
the banks, and fill up a soft part of the river bed with logs, branches,
and earth, for the better passage of the drays; a work they completed
before night. I rode about five miles beyond the river to the north-west,
and met, first with a very broad lagoon full of water, nearly on a level
with the plains, and apparently permanent; secondly, I found beyond this,
a river or chain of ponds somewhat like the Narran. This I ascertained
was called the Cawan by the natives, and that it meandered very much. The
country was rather fine. These waters were bordered by well-grown trees,
and the plains were covered with good grass. Lat. of our camp, on the
Balonne, 28 deg. 25' 38" S. Thermometer at sunrise, 44 deg.; at noon, 75 deg.; at 4
P.M., 79 deg.; at 9, 60;--with wet bulb, 54 deg.. Height of the bed of the
Balonne above the level of the sea, 494 feet; an average of three
observations.