Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia Volume I Part 19

When therefore this advanced guard took unto themselves wings and flew away I was obliged to keep all hands on the alert to prevent a surprise.

Whilst we were thus occupied our detachment returned and reported the country to be utterly impracticable. I determined however to examine it myself the next morning in order to be quite satisfied upon so important a point.

March 16.

I moved off at dawn this morning with a party, but after following the direction of the stream for several miles I found that the whole of the land between it and the foot of the hills had been rendered by the heavy rains a marsh quite impa.s.sable for horses, which was rendered the more annoying as the swamp was not more than a mile in width, so that this slight s.p.a.ce alone prevented us from pursuing our desired route. Nothing however was now left us but to turn once more to the north-west, and thus to endeavour to head the marsh.

DANGER FROM NATIVES.

Just as we had prepared to return home the cries of the natives arose close to us; their fire was about half a mile away, and their calls had already several times been heard. Now that they were so near us I thought it better to load my second barrel with ball, for I did not like their hanging about us in the way they had done for several days. On putting my hand into my haversack in order to prepare some ammunition I found, to my great dismay, that I had taken in mistake one which belonged to another man and which contained no ammunition; nor was there a ball in possession of any person with me which would fit my gun and, as I knew that the aim of those with me was not much to be depended on, even under the coolest and most favourable circ.u.mstances, I thought that in the moment of a desperate attack it might be still less sure; this, added to the want of confidence incident on finding oneself unarmed and dependent on the protection of others, made me feel very uncomfortable until we once more reached the tents.

RAINS CONTINUE. TORRENTS OF RAIN.

During the early part of the day the rain fell in torrents; but, as it cleared off a little soon after our arrival, we started in a north-westerly direction. Such violent storms of thunder, lightning, and rain set in when we had made about two or three miles that I was again obliged to halt; and as it continued to rain heavily throughout the night, our situation, which was already bad, might now be said to be hourly growing worse; and it can readily be conceived that, between rheumatism in my wounded limb, lying in water, and vexation at the constant difficulties we experienced, I was too much hara.s.sed to be able to sleep.

SWAMPS.

The continued rain during the night had necessarily rendered the marsh far more impracticable than before; but, as no other route to the southward could be found on account of the river which lay upon either hand, I was compelled to wait until the ground again in some measure dried. But it would have been equally as impossible to beat a retreat as it was to get forward, for we were in a manner surrounded by swampy land, and when the loads were placed upon the ponies they sank nearly up to the shoulders in a bog in whichever direction we attempted to move; but as our present position would have been unsafe in the event of an extensive inundation taking place I judged it necessary at all events to reach a somewhat elevated outlying hill of sandstone which was distant about two miles. This point we succeeded at last in gaining, although not without severely injuring and straining some of the ponies in effecting it. This rising ground was however well situated for our camp under present circ.u.mstances: it was composed of porous sandstone, which in these climates dries almost immediately after rain. There was plenty of dead wood upon it and it was surrounded by richly-gra.s.sed flats, whilst from the base gushed forth a clear spring, which then murmured along a purling brook, traversing the flat on which the ponies were tethered.

SNAKE AND KANGAROO.

Close to this spot the attention of Mr. Lus.h.i.+ngton was drawn to a curious misshapen ma.s.s which came advancing from some bushes with a novel and uncouth motion. He fired and it fell, and on going up to it he found that it was a small kangaroo enveloped in the folds of a large snake, a species of Boa. The kangaroo was now quite dead, and flattened from the pressure of the folds of the snake which, being surprised at the disturbance it met with, was beginning to uncoil itself, when Mr.

Lus.h.i.+ngton drew out a pistol and shot it through the head. It was of a brownish yellow colour and eight feet six inches long. The kangaroo we found very good eating; and Mr. Walker, who ate a portion of the snake, considered it to be as great a delicacy as an eel, but rather tougher.

There fortunately was an elevated pinnacle of rocks on the rising ground upon which we were encamped; and from the top of these I was able in the course of the day to get bearings and angles to many important objects; I could also see many fixed points in my survey, so that the day could not be considered as altogether a lost one.

CONDITION OF THE PONIES.

March 18.

Throughout the whole of this day the rain poured in torrents so that the ponies, notwithstanding the goodness of the feed, began again to suffer from cold and exposure to the weather. They were so wild that we could not venture to let them run loose, and, as it was impossible to tether all of them under trees, the majority were left exposed to the pitiless pelting of the storms; and they certainly made a very wretched appearance as they stood with their sterns presented to the blast, and the water pouring from their sides in perfect streams. I do not know whether this was a very extraordinary season, but it is certain that if all rainy periods in North-West Australia resemble it, to attempt to explore the country at this time of the year would be fruitless. Such a good supply of rain is a great advantage to an occupied country through which regular lines of communication exist; as it then raises but slight impediments to travellers; but the case is very different to first explorers who have to find a ford over every stream and a pa.s.sage across every swamp, and who constantly run the risk of involving themselves in a perfectly impa.s.sable region.

NATIVES NEAR THE CAMP.

March 19.

This morning was also ushered in with torrents of rain, chequered by occasional intervals of fine weather of perhaps half an hour's duration.

Another sheep died and several of the ponies were very unwell. The men who had been s.h.i.+fting the tethers of the horses at noon returned with the intelligence that, during the period of their absence from the encampment, a party of natives must have been close to us, watching our movements, for that when they went out there were no traces of them near the camp, which were now discernible in nearly every direction around us.

I selected the best bushman of my party and went off to see whether anything was to be apprehended from these natives, but I soon found that the report was in some degree exaggerated. Some natives had crept up to within about a hundred yards of us, probably with the intention of making a reconnaissance, and of then framing their future plans; they had however been disturbed by the return of the men from the horses, and then made off. It appears that they had approached us by walking up a stream of water so as to conceal their trail, and then turned out of the stream up its right bank; and although they had carefully trod in one another's foot-marks, so as to conceal their number, we could make out the traces of at least six or seven different men, which we followed to the spot where, whilst creeping about to watch us, they had been disturbed. From this point these children of the bush had disappeared, as it were by magic: not a twig was broken, not a stone was turned, and we could not perceive that the heavy drops of rain had been shaken from a single blade of gra.s.s. We made wide casts in different directions but, not being able to hit on their trail, I returned to the tents, more than ever convinced of the necessity of being constantly on the watch against beings who were often near us when we least dreamt of their presence, and, in an unguarded moment, might so easily surprise and spear some of the party.

APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY.

The rain continued to fall throughout the 20th, rendering our condition every hour worse. Towards noon however the weather cleared a little, and in a fine interval I mounted a high range of basaltic hills which lay about a mile and a half to the westward. These hills were the highest which I had yet ascended; and from them I gained a very extensive view.

The farthest extremity of the sandstone range which lay to the southward and eastward did not appear to be more than ten or twelve miles distant.

Behind this barren range there again rose the conical tops of basaltic hills, clothed in the greenest gra.s.s; and beyond these, in the far south-east, I made out with the telescope a range of very lofty hills, which, stretching their heads high into the clouds, left me without means of forming any idea of their elevation: but even the portion of them which met my view must have had a very considerable alt.i.tude. I took a set of angles from this point but the mistiness of the day rendered it very unfit for my purpose. Whilst I was thus occupied, we heard the cries and calls of a party of natives between us and the tents. From the loudness and proximity of these I augured badly and therefore hurried my return; but we neither saw the natives themselves nor their tracks, and were quite in ignorance as to what had been their intentions. Soon after sunset the weather cleared up a little, and the stars, which came peeping out, promised well for the next day.

NATIVES NEAR THE CAMP AGAIN.

March 21.

Although it had rained during the night and the sun this morning rose bright and clear the country was still impa.s.sable owing to the late continued torrents. I therefore went out with a detachment for the purpose of exploring a route by which we could proceed the next day, as well as to define some more points in the country we were about to enter.

In the course of our walk we crossed the track of the natives we had heard yesterday. Their party must have been large, for they approached to within about three hundred yards of the tents, leaving a trail as broad and large as was made by our ponies and party together. I did not much like their hanging about us for so many days as I rather mistrusted their intentions; their object however appeared to have been to examine the ponies, for they had only come as far as the tethering ground and, after wandering about there a little, had again retired. We were unfortunate in our search for a good line of country by which to proceed, but I made some important additions to my map.

MARSH AND SANDSTONE RANGE.

March 22.

As fine weather had apparently set in again we this morning resumed our journey. The poor ponies looked very weak and wretched when they were brought up to start, and we were all ragged, dirty, and worn out from the constant exposure to wind and rain; indeed our appearance was altogether very miserable on moving off, and our progress, too, very slow and fatiguing, both to ourselves and the horses, on account of the swampy nature of the ground; but we strenuously persevered until near noon, when I halted for breakfast at the foot of some lofty hills, at the base of which ran the stream which was giving us so much trouble. As soon as we had despatched our scanty breakfast I tried with a party to find a pa.s.sage across the marsh, but our search was in vain and, on examining the sandstone range on the other side of the stream, I found it so precipitous that our weak ponies could not possibly have clambered up it.

NATIVE BRIDGE.

Whilst on our return we found a native bridge, formed of a fallen tree, which rested against two others and was secured in its position by forked boughs.

PRECIPITOUS Pa.s.s.

I was thus obliged to continue to travel in a north-east direction for the remainder of the afternoon, when we found, at last, a pa.s.sage over the marsh, but made vain attempts to cross the sandstone range in no less than four different places; the ponies were so weak and the route so precipitous that each time we were obliged to return. At length we reached the watershed, from one side of which the streams ran down to Prince Regent's River, and from the other to the Glenelg; the rocks on the south side were ancient sandstone resting on basalt, and on the opposite the basalt crept out, forming elevated hills. This position was remarkable both in a geological and geographical point of view; and, the sandstone range over against us looking rather more accessible than it had previously done, I determined to halt here for the night and examine the country; but my resolution was scarcely formed ere such heavy storms of rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning, came on as totally to prevent me from seeing to any distance or taking any bearings.

On entering the old red sandstone district again the parakeets became once more common, and the green ants reappeared. These last seem to be solely confined to the sandstone, for I did not see one without its limits.

ASCENT OF THE SANDSTONE RANGE.

March 23.

This morning we made a more fortunate effort to ascend the sandstone range which had yesterday so baffled our efforts; and having commenced the ascent at 6 A.M. reached the summit at 10, but the poor little ponies were dreadfully exhausted. Having now established ourselves upon this narrow elevated tableland the next thing was to descend on the other side. The prospect to the southward and eastward was not very cheering, for before we could make any further progress in either of those directions we had a perfect precipice to get down, at the foot of which lay a beautiful and verdant valley about three miles wide, diversified with wood and water; whilst a large cascade which could be seen falling in a dark forest on the other side added much to the scenery. Beyond the valley rose again rocky sandstone ranges, but I knew that the width of these was inconsiderable.

DESCENT ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE.

After a very tedious search we discovered a sort of pa.s.s leading diagonally down the face of the precipice; but before attempting to take the ponies over this it was necessary to move many large rocks and stones, to cut down trees, and otherwise make it practicable for them.

All hands however set cheerfully to work, and by 1 P.M. the whole party had safely reached the bottom of the precipice. The valley that we were in was very fertile but, from the incessant rain which had lately fallen, the centre part of it had become an impa.s.sable swamp, and we were thus once more obliged to turn to the northward in order to travel round it: but as rest and food were necessary both for horses and men we halted at the foot of the sandstone range for breakfast.

REMARKABLE FRILLED LIZARD. BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY.

As we were pursuing our route in the afternoon we fell in with a specimen of the remarkable frilled lizard (Chlamydosaurus kingii); this animal measures about twenty-four inches from the tip of the nose to the point of its tail, and lives princ.i.p.ally in trees, although it can run very swiftly along the ground: when not provoked or disturbed it moves quietly about, with its frill lying back in plaits upon the body: but it is very irascible and, directly it is frightened, elevates the frill or ruff and makes for a tree; where if overtaken it throws itself upon its stern, raising its head and chest as high as it can upon the forelegs, then doubling its tail underneath the body and displaying a very formidable set of teeth. From the concavity of its large frill it boldly faces any opponent, biting fiercely whatever is presented to it, and even venturing so far in its rage as to fairly make a fierce charge at its enemy. We repeatedly tried the courage of this lizard, and it certainly fought bravely whenever attacked. From the animal making so much use of this frill as a covering and means of defence for its body this is most probably one of the uses to which nature intended the appendage should be applied.

We at length reached the watershed connecting the country we had left with that we were entering upon, and were now again enabled to turn to the eastward and thus to travel round the swamp. This watershed consisted princ.i.p.ally of a range of elevated hills from which streams were thrown off to the Glenelg and to Prince Regent's River. The scenery here was very fine, but I have so often before described the same character of landscape that it will be sufficient to say we again looked down from high land on a very fertile country, covered with a tropical vegetation and lying between two navigable rivers. I can compare this to no other Australian scenery, for I have met with nothing in the other portions of the continent which at all resembles it. When we had nearly headed the valley the night closed in so rapidly on us that I was obliged to halt the party; and by the time the arrangements for security and rest were completed it was quite dark.

CURIOUS NEST.

March 24.

This morning we started as soon as it was light and, continuing our route round the valley, pa.s.sed the beautiful cascade seen yesterday and, after fording a clear running brook like an English trout stream, we began to ascend the next sandstone range. On gaining the summit we fell in with a very remarkable nest, or what appeared to me to be such, and which I shall describe more particularly when I advert to the natural history of this part of the country. We had previously seen several of them, and they had always afforded us food for conjecture as to the agent and purpose of such singular structures.

DEEP VALLEY.

Soon after quitting this nest we found a very convenient pa.s.s through a deep and fertile valley, which led directly up into the heart of the sandstone range; a fine stream ran through it in which were several large reservoirs of fresh water; the hills on each side were lofty, being at times of a rounded character, and at others broken into precipitous and fantastic cliffs; the country was thinly wooded with large timber, and the varied scenery, the facility which the country afforded for travelling, and the pleasure incident on finding ourselves clear of the marshy ground which had so long enc.u.mbered our movements, combined to make me push along as fast as possible; the only check was the heat of the sun; and it should always be borne in mind that no parallel whatever can be inst.i.tuted between travels in tropical and extra-tropical Australia, for in the former the more exhausting nature of the climate unfits both men and horses for making long journeys, and indeed renders it almost impossible to travel during the heat of the day, whilst the difficult nature of the ground caused by the dense vegetation, the jungles, the ravines, and marshes, render it altogether impracticable to move at night through an unknown country.

WILD OATS.