During our return to the camp, a hot wind blew from the south-west across Albinia Downs: the great extent of which sufficiently accounted for the high temperature. The only thermometer I had was unfortunately broken shortly after we started; this loss was severely felt by me throughout the journey, as we had no means of ascertaining the exact temperature. I made the latitude of our camp at Scrub Creek to be 24 degrees 25 minutes 42 seconds.
Dec. 30.--We travelled about seven miles to the north-east, crossed Comet Creek, and encamped at some water-holes, in a small creek coming out of the scrub below the range.
Our sportsmen gave chase to ten emus and a kangaroo on Albinia Downs: but the rottenness of the ground prevented their capture: rather tantalizing to hungry stomachs! I examined the basaltic rock on several spots, and found that it contained numerous crystals of Peridot. The sand in the bed of the river contains very minute particles of igneous rock. The slopes of the range of Comet Creek are composed of rich black soil, in some places without trees, in others openly timbered. Stones of a light coloured rock, with crystals of augite, pebbles of sandstone, of conglomerate, and of quartz, are scattered over the ground, or imbedded in the loamy beds of the water-courses. The belt of scrub at the foot of the slopes runs out in narrow strips towards the river, and these are separated by box-tree thickets, and open box-tree flats. A pea-plant, with ternate leaves, and fine yellow blossoms, was found near our camp: Portulaca was very abundant. The bronze-winged pigeon lived here on the red fruit of Rhagodia, and the black berries of a species of Jasmine; and seems also to pick occasionally the seed vessel of a Ruellia, which is very frequent on all the flats of Comet Creek.
During the night, a thunder-storm passed to the southward, but did not reach us; at 10 o'clock we observed very vivid lightning to the westward: the wind was from the north and north-east.
Dec. 31.--We travelled along the banks of the creek towards the north-east, but scarcely accomplished six miles, in consequence of its tortuous course. The water-hole which I had found when reconnoitring, was dried up, and we were glad to find a shallow pool, of which our thirsty cattle took immediate possession. The sand in the bed of the creek looked moist, but no water was found, after digging to a depth of five feet. The immediate neighbourhood of the creek was in some places open, in others covered with a shrubby Acacia, with long glaucous, and rather fleshy phyllodia. On both sides of the high banks are deep hollows, and chains of ponds, surrounded with reeds; but now quite dry, and covered with the dead shells of Limnaea, Paludina, and Unio.
Mr. Roper found an Agama, with light grey on the back, and a yellow belly. A small Chlamy-dophorus, (Jew lizard of the Hunter) was also seen, and is probably identical with the animal inhabiting the banks of that river. Brown accompanied me to reconnoitre the country; and we had scarcely travelled two miles along the creek, when my attention was attracted by the remains of a hut, consisting of a ridge pole, and two forked stakes, about six feet high, both having been cut with a sharp iron tomahawk. Neither of us doubted that this was the work of a white man, probably a runaway from the settlement at Moreton Bay. A few miles farther we came to an anabranch of the creek, which turned considerably to the westward. I followed it, and found a shallow watercourse that came out of the scrub, which I also examined in search of water. It led me to another deep channel within the scrub, which looked unusually green, and contained some very large water-holes; but there was no water in them. Turning round one of its bends, we saw a column of thick smoke rising from its left bank, near a fine pool of water. It was evident that a camp of natives was before us; we rode cautiously up to the water, near which we saw their numerous tracks, and then stopped to look around, but without dismounting. We were, however, very soon discovered by one of them, who, after staring at us for a moment, uttered a cry, resembling the word "whitefellow," "whitefellow," and ran off, followed by the whole party. We then rode up to the camp, and found their dinner ready, consisting of two eggs of the brush turkey, roasted opossums, bandicoots, and iguanas. In their "dillis," (small baskets) were several roots or tubers of an oblong form, about an inch in length, and half an inch broad, of a sweet taste, and of an agreeable flavour, even when uncooked; there were also balls of pipe-clay to ornament their persons for corroborris. Good opossum cloaks, kangaroo nets, and dillis neatly worked of koorajong bark, were strewed about; there were also some spears, made of the Bricklow Acacia: all were forgotten in the suddenness of their retreat. I could not resist the temptation of tasting one of the eggs, which was excellent; but, as they seemed to have trusted to our generosity, I left every thing in its place, and departed. Brown thought that one of them looked like a half-caste, and, as they had called us, as far as we understood, "whitefellows," I felt confirmed in my supposition, either that a white man was with them, or had lived among them very recently. I returned to the creek, in order to find another water-hole with water; but did not succeed, and had to encamp without it. During the night we heard the noise of a frog, "brrr, brrr;" probably a new species, for we had never heard that croak before. It seemed, however, to frighten Brown, who, like all blackfellows, is very timid after night-fall. Yesterday we met with a new leguminous shrub. It belongs to the section Cassia, and has a long pinnate leaf, the leaflets an inch long, and half an inch broad. Its pods were about a foot long, half an inch broad; and every seed was surrounded by a fleshy spongy tissue, which, when dry, gave to the pod a slightly articulate appearance. The seeds, when young, had an agreeable taste, and the tissue, when dry, was pleasantly acidulous, and was eaten by some of my companions without any ill effect, whilst others, with myself, were severely purged. To day I found the same plant in form of a tree, about thirty feet high, with a short stem, and long spreading shady branches.
CHAPTER IV
SWARMS OF COCKATOOS
ALLOWANCE OF FLOUR FURTHER REDUCED
NATIVE FAMILY
THE MACKENZIE
COAL
NATIVES SPEAKING A DIFFERENT IDIOM
MOUNT STEWART
BROWN AND MYSELF MISS THE WAY BACK TO THE CAMP
FIND OUR PARTY AGAIN, ON THE FOURTH DAY
NEUMAN'S CREEK
ROPER'S PEAK
CALVERT'S PEAK
GILBERT'S DOME
GREAT WANT OF WATER.
Jan. 1, 1845.--After a ride of about four miles down the creek, we came to a deep hole of good water, that had been filled by the late thunder-storms, the traces of which, however, had disappeared every where else. I found a red Passion flower, with three-lobed leaves, the lobes rounded: it was twining round the trunk of a gum tree, and rooted in a light sandy alluvial soil. A new species of Bauhinia, with large white blossoms, growing in small groves, or scattered in the scrub, particularly near the creeks, was conspicuous for its elegance, and was the greatest ornament of this part of the country. It is a tree about twenty-five feet high, with long drooping branches; the foliage is of a rich green colour, and affords a fine shade. A climbing Capparis, with broad lanceolate leaves, had also large white showy blossoms; and a fine specimen of this plant was seen growing in the fork of an old box tree, about twelve or fifteen feet from the ground; it was in fruit, but unfortunately was not yet ripe. There was also another species of the same genus, with yellow blossoms, in other respects very similar in appearance to the first. The white cedar was still abundant. When I returned to the camp, I found my companions busily engaged in straining the mud, which had remained in the water-hole after our horses and cattle had drunk and rolled in it. Messrs. Gilbert and Calvert had discovered a few quarts of water in the hollow stump of a tree; and Mr. Roper and Charley had driven the horses and cattle to another water-hole, about two miles off. Our latitude was 24 degrees 16 minutes 9 seconds.