Journal of an Overland Expedition in Australia. Ludwig Leichhardt

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СКАЧАТЬ waiting till Christmas, as we originally intended; especially as we were ignorant of the character of the country before us. Accordingly, on the 18th at five o'clock in the morning, it was slaughtered and cut into thin slices; which, before night, were nearly dried by the powerful heat of an almost vertical sun. We enjoyed ourselves very much on this occasion, and feasted luxuriously on fried liver at breakfast, on stuffed heart for luncheon, and on a fine steak and the kidneys for supper. Those who may have lived for so long a time as we had upon a reduced fare, will readily understand with what epicurean delight these meals were discussed.

      Dec. 19.--We completed our job, by melting down the fat, with which our saddles, bridles, and all our leather gear, were well greased. In the afternoon Mr. Calvert and Charley, who had been sent after the bullock we had left behind, returned with him. They had found him quietly chewing the cud, in a Bricklow grove near a small pool of water.

      Dec. 20.--Whilst employed in arranging our packs, Murphy and Charley went out to examine the surrounding country. On their return they informed me that they had met with a native camp, the inhabitants of which were probably out hunting, for they had left all their things behind.

      Capparis Mitchelii was found in blossom. The cockatoo parrakeet of the Gwyder River, (Nymphicus Novae Hollandiae, GOULD.), the common white cockatoo, and the Moreton Bay Rosella parrot, were very numerous. We also observed the superb warbler, Malurus cyaneus of Sydney; and the shepherd's companion, or fan-tailed fly-catcher (Rhipidura); both were frequent. Several rare species of finches were shot: and a species of the genus Pomatorhinus, a Swan River bird, was seen by Mr. Gilbert. The latitude of this encampment was found to be 24 degrees 44 minutes 55 seconds.

      Dec. 21.--As our meat was not entirely dry, I thought it advisable to remain another day at this place, which was usefully occupied by packing the fat into bags made of the hide of the animal. Besides the plants above-mentioned, a beautiful blue Nymphaea was found growing in the lagoon; and around it, among the reeds and high cyperaceous plants, a small labiate, a Gomphrena, the native Chamomile, and a Bellis were growing.

      The days continue very hot. At 5 P.m. we had a thunder-storm from the southward: but little rain fell. It cleared up at seven o'clock; very heavy dew in the morning.

      Dec. 22.--We travelled to-day about five miles in a north-north-west direction, and encamped at the creek where Charley and his companion had seen the huts of the natives, which we found deserted. Our route lay through a flat country, timbered with true box, (small Acacias forming the underwood), along a fine lagoon on which were a number of ducks; farther on, the Bastard box prevailed, with silver-leaved Ironbark, and patches of Bricklow scrub, of Vitex and of the native lemon. A small tree (a species of Acacia) was also seen about thirty or forty feet high, with slightly drooping branches, and lanceolate deep green phyllodia about one inch.

      I reconnoitred with Charley, and found that the creek soon became enveloped by scrub: to the west and south-west rose ranges of a moderate elevation, parallel to which we travelled; plains frequently interspersed with scrub, which became more dense as it approached the foot of the ranges. From these appearances I determined upon sending my party back to Brown's Lagoons, to secure water; whilst I should examine the country in advance, in order to ascertain the extent of the scrub, in which we were entangled.

      Dec. 23--During the night we had a tremendous thunder-storm from the southward with much rain, which did not cease till after midnight, and was succeeded by a hurricane from the east. We witnessed a remarkable meteor, of a fine bluish colour, stretching from E.N.E. to W.S.W. almost parallel to the thunder-clouds. The moon, a day from its full, to the eastward, probably produced this phenomenon.

      The bower of the bowerbird (Chlamydera maculata, GOULD) was seen in the scrub; it is made of dry grass, and its approaches at either end were thickly strewn with snail shells and flint pebbles, which had been collected by the bird with great industry, but for what purpose we could not determine. Among the shells we found a Helix of a brownish colour and of an oval form, approaching that of Bulimus.

      Whilst my companions returned to Brown's Lagoons, Mr. Calvert and Brown remained with me to examine the country. The creek which I followed down, almost entirely disappeared; but, five miles farther on, its channel was again observed, as deep as before, and was joined by several water-courses from the Christmas Ranges. The principal channel of the creek was lined with a species of Melaleuca, with slightly foliacious bark. Several species of sedges, and nutritious grasses, grew round the holes in which the water was constant. At about fifteen miles from the camp, the creek was joined by that which I had followed for some distance on the 15th December, and, about three miles farther down, it receives another considerable tributary; and, at their junction, it is a fine sheet of water. Here the country begins to open, with large Box-flats extending on both sides. Two small creeks come in from the scrubby hills to the eastward, but, at a short distance beyond their junction, almost the whole channel disappears. Soon after, we came to another creek, to the left of the first; but it disappeared in the same manner as the other. We came upon several lagoons, and found some very fine grass: the scrub reappeared on the rising ground about six miles north from the large sheet of water. A little farther on, we came to ridges of basaltic formation, openly timbered with silver-leaved Ironbark, and richly covered with young grasses and herbs, identical with those of the Darling Downs. Water holes with fine water were found at the foot of the hills. Mimosa terminalis was frequent; numerous flights of partridge pigeons (Geophaps scripta) were also seen.

      Dec. 24.--We returned towards the camp, but, through some inattention, kept too much to the eastward, and passed through a country of an extremely diversified character, and very different in appearance from that we had just left. Here we passed an extensive Myal forest, the finest I had seen, covering the hilly and undulating country, interspersed with groves of the native lemon tree; a few of which were still sufficiently in fruit to afford us some refreshment. Occasionally we met with long stretches of small dead trees, probably killed by bush fires, alternating with Bricklow thickets: and then again crossed small plains and patches of open forest ground, which much relieved the tediousness of the ride through thick scrubs, which we had frequently to penetrate with both hands occupied in protecting the face from the branches. We also crossed chains of water-holes surrounded by a coarse stargrass; these now changed into creeks with deep and irregular beds, lined with Melaleucas, and now again dwindled into shallow channels, scarcely to be recognised amidst the surrounding scrub. A week before, these holes were hopelessly dry; but a recent thunder-storm had filled them; and had also made the ground soft and heavy, and had called into life thousands of small frogs, which, by an incessant croaking, testified their satisfaction at the agreeable change.

      Dec. 25.--We returned to Brown's Lagoons, and entered our camp just as our companions were sitting down to their Christmas dinner of suet pudding and stewed cockatoos. The day was cloudy and sultry; we had had a heavy thunder-storm on Christmas eve.

      Dec. 26.--During the night, scud passed from the east; in the morning we had some heavy showers without wind; it cleared up at ten o'clock, and we took advantage of four hours fair weather to travel on. We again passed the huts of the natives, and encamped about seven miles farther down the creek. We were, however, scarcely housed, when heavy showers of rain began to fall, and rendered the soil, which was a stiff loam, heavy and boggy.

      Dec. 27.--Though we had hobbled our horses with straps and stirrup leathers, they had strayed, during the night, to the more open country, where they separated from each other in search of food; and it was not until after three hours search that Charley found the greater part of them. We had, however, watched the bullocks during the night, and were therefore enabled to proceed; which we did as far as the fine sheet of water before mentioned, when Charley again went in search of the missing horses, with which he returned after some time.

      The showers continued until about 10 o'clock last night; at 3 A. M. the sky became clear, and continued so through the morning, except an occasional cloud from the eastward.

      Mr. СКАЧАТЬ