Journal of Landsborough's Expedition from Carpentaria Part 11

Number 3, our last camp, was situated on the right bank of a shallow watercourse. As one of the horses had barely recovered the effects of travelling on stony country when on the expedition to the south-west, we had this morning to put a shoe on one of his feet with screw nails; the screws, in the absence of proper nails, answer tolerably well. We started at 9.6 and, having pa.s.sed over a rich, lightly-wooded plain about eight miles, we reached the Leichhardt River at a part where the tide reaches.

This river seems to be fully larger than the Albert. The tracks of Walker's party were so indistinct on the rich plains from so much rain having fallen that I gave up hope of being able to follow them. We coursed the river down three-quarters of a mile and found a shallow rocky ford, but it was not available as the rocks were too slippery and the opposite bank too steep. Near the ford we saw some articles belonging to the blacks, and amongst them a piece of an old blanket that I fancied was a part of one I had given to them at the Albert River. From the ford we returned up the river and encamped near some small waterholes. The direction we came today from last camp south-east by east; distance eight miles. In the distance I may be a little out of my calculation, my watch having stopped. This was particularly vexing as I had bought it expressly for keeping the time while on this expedition. After dark we heard the horses galloping and, as Jemmy, Jackey, and Fisherman thought blacks were driving them away, I sent them to fetch them back; but they did not disturb them as they were feeding quietly and no blacks were seen.

February 14.

We left Number 4 Camp this morning at 7.50. In following the river up about seven and three-quarter miles to a basaltic ford, where the water was fresh, we pa.s.sed over rich well-gra.s.sed country, consisting chiefly of plains, separated from each other by low wooded country. On the low land we observed salt herbs, and pigweed, the proper name of which, I believe, is portulac. We crossed the ford and camped on the opposite side. The scenery here is picturesque; there is a fall of about thirty feet with beautiful trees in its neighbourhood. The channel of the river showed extensive old flood-marks and had plenty of water in it, but I had to make a minute examination of it before I discovered the water was running. In a fine deep hole below the fall Mr. Bourne and I intended bathing, but had to go further, from hearing something like a large animal plunge into the water. To the eastward I made an observation of the sun from a short plain horizon; I made the alt.i.tude 84 degrees 45 minutes, lat.i.tude 18 degrees 10 minutes 30 seconds. We came here on the following courses: 8.35 south-east for two miles; 8.45 south half a mile to boggy ground; 10.20 south half east three and a quarter miles; 10.35 south half a mile and crossed a shallow watercourse from the west; 10.50 east one mile and crossed another watercourse; 12.50 east half a mile and crossed the Leichhardt River.

February 15.

We left Camp 5 at 7.58. At 8.20, having crossed one mile and a half over a sandy flat, wooded with gum, fig, cotton, coral, white cedar, and other trees, we reached the flat rocky bed of a large watercourse. 8.50 one mile and a quarter up the creek and crossed it; then one mile and three-quarters over a fine plain with gra.s.s, pigweed, and salt herbs.

10.5 one mile and three-quarters took us over a barren low ridge, with rusty-gum, box, bloodwood, severn, and other trees, to a gra.s.sy watercourse with fine little holes of water; from its being boggy we were delayed in crossing until 10.25. One mile and a half over gra.s.sy flats and across another watercourse coming from the eastward. 12.45, having gone over poor ridges for five miles, we reached a fine, rich, flat valley, luxuriantly covered with barley and other gra.s.ses; delayed until 1.58 while some of our party tried, without success, to shoot an emu.

2.30, having come about four and a quarter miles, we reached a watercourse and encamped; the water flows from the north-east and shows extensive flood-marks. The valley I named Neumayer. Direction today east-south-east; distance sixteen miles.

February 16. Sunday.

Rested ourselves and horses.

February 17.

Left camp at 6.35. Four and a half miles took us across low land, wooded chiefly with (what I take it to be) excoecaria; then a mile over unwooded, gently-undulating ground, which extended up the valley to little bald hills. The land is well gra.s.sed. A site near those hills would answer well for a lambing-ground for a sheep establishment. Then a mile over high gra.s.sy lands, wooded with gum, broad-leaved box, white-wood, and other trees; then two miles further to near the base of a hill that was remarked from its only being wooded on its summit; then three and a half miles over undulating well-gra.s.sed ground to a small watercourse from the west; then three miles over flat poor country, thickly wooded with bloodwood and other trees; then three and a half miles over poor low ridges, covered with triodia and other gra.s.ses, and wooded with bloodwood, tea, severn, and other trees, to a small watercourse, where we encamped. Direction today east by south half south; distance sixteen miles.

February 18.

We left Camp 7 (marked by mistake 8) at 8.16 this morning. At 11.45 we had come nine miles and a half over two kinds of country--the first and largest part consisting of poor low ridges, covered with inferior gra.s.ses and wooded with bloodwood, tea, and other trees; the second part consisting of flat country, rich soil, well gra.s.sed, and wooded with bauhinia and western-wood acacia. The acacia I have mentioned is called gidya in some places of Australia. Then, after crossing, in half a mile, a strip of unwooded country extending to the right and left of our course, we halted for thirty-five minutes to try and get the sun's meridian alt.i.tude, but did not succeed as the sun was obscured. Then, after coming over poor low ridges covered with triodia and wooded chiefly with tea trees for five and three-quarter miles, we reached at 2.45 a ravine and encamped. Direction travelled this day east by south half south.

February 19. Camp 8, situated in a ravine from an adjoining tableland.

In the rocky basin of the ravine I think water will always be found. We left camp at 6.40 this morning and came in an east by south half south direction. The country for a short distance was confined, but on descending the valley it opened out into plains separated from each other by isolated hills of a conical form. The tops of the hills were covered by rocks which, from their appearance, were of a sandstone formation; the lower parts of the hills were well gra.s.sed, the plains of rich soil, and covered with a luxuriant green herbage. At 9.30, having come over the plains on our old course for five miles from the isolated hills, we reached the Flinders River. The river, we were glad to find, had been recently flooded; in crossing we ascertained it had four channels, one of which was running. As this was the river on the banks of which Mr. Walker said he had found the track of Burke's party I thought it would be a good plan to follow it up, and resolved to do so. At 10.10 from the opposite bank of the river we came south two and three-quarter miles, which took us over country wooded with box and terminalis to plains similar to those I have described on the left bank of the river, with this difference that on this side there were more flats and pigweed, salt herbs, and saltbush.

At 12 having halted I got the following observation: meridian alt.i.tude of the sun 82 degrees, lat.i.tude 18 degrees 32 minutes 30 seconds. At 1.20 south-south-east three and a quarter miles over rich well-gra.s.sed plains; at 2.5 south-east and by south two and a quarter miles; at 13.13 south-west and by south three miles through wooded, rich, flat country to water, and encamped. Distance today nineteen and a quarter miles.

February 20. Camp 9, situated on the right bank of an eastern channel of the river.

At this camp one of the mares foaled. Left camp at 7.46; at 8.10, having steered south half east one mile, we reached the river; then changed our course to south-south-east and at 8.38, having travelled one and a quarter miles, we got out of the box and saltbush flats to unwooded plains; delayed then until 9.33, whilst some of our party tried unsuccessfully to shoot emu. At 10.30 came south-east one and a half miles along a plain. At 11.30 came south-south-east two and a half miles to a point of timber, then halted till 12.45 to make an observation of the sun; at 1.20 came south-south-east one and a half miles over thinly wooded plains. The plains in this neighbourhood are thinly gra.s.sed, which I think is caused by a recent dry season; at 1.45 made south one and a quarter miles over country that is more thickly gra.s.sed; at 2.20 came one and a quarter miles south half west through flats wooded with box and encamped. Distance today eleven and a quarter miles. The foal was so active that it kept up with the horses on this day's journey.

February 21. Camp 10, situated on the right bank of Flinders River.

Started at 7.30 a.m.; at 7.56, having steered east-south-east a mile over rich ground with box trees and saltbush, we reached well gra.s.sed land, thinly wooded with white-wood, pomegranate, bauhinia, and other small trees; 9.15 south-east one and a half miles over ground so green with herbage that one of my companions said it resembled the banks of the Murrumbidgee in spring; at 11.20 east-south-east five miles and a quarter across an unwooded plain, and halted till 12.45 to make the following observation: meridian alt.i.tude of the sun 81 degrees 33 minutes; lat.i.tude 18 degrees 55 minutes 30 seconds; at 1.30 we steered south-south-east two miles over rich plains, covered in places with luxuriant young gra.s.s having the appearance more of young barley than any other indigenous verdure that I have seen elsewhere. At 2.30 came south two and three-quarter miles and encamped. Distance today twelve and a half miles.

February 22.

We left Camp 11, situated on the right bank of the Flinders River at 7.47 a.m.; at 8.50, having come south-east two and three-quarter miles through a very rich thinly wooded country with herbage like that on old folding ground in spring, we reached unwooded plains; at 9.20 came south-south-east one and a quarter miles across a plain chiefly covered with barley-gra.s.s; at 11.20 came south-east by south across plains for five and a quarter miles to the edge of wooded country, and halted till 12.35; at that place I made the meridian alt.i.tude of the sun 81 degrees 1 minute, lat.i.tude 19 degrees 6 minutes; at 1.2 came south-south-east one and a quarter miles along a plain; at 2.17 thence south-east three miles further along the plain, on which there was abundance of saltbush and pigweed; at 3.35 came south half west over thinly wooded plains; at 3.50 came south-west half a mile and encamped. Distance today seventeen and a quarter miles.

February 23.

This being Sunday we rested ourselves and horses. In this neighbourhood Jackey and Fisherman caught five possums.

February 24.

Left Camp 12 situated on the right bank of Flinders River at 8.52 a.m.

During last night and this morning the weather was showery. In the morning the rain was accompanied by a strong east wind. Now that I am on the subject of the weather I may mention that for some time past it was so cool that although we were in the sun the hottest part of the day I did not find the heat oppressive; at 10.5, having come south-east and by south three miles, that course took us along a plain of the richest soil, but thinly gra.s.sed, in consequence, probably, of a recent dry season; at 10.40, having changed our course to east, we came one and a half miles and crossed a watercourse with large quant.i.ties of mussel sh.e.l.ls on its banks, but with no water in its channel; at 12.15, having changed our course to south, we came over country, some of which was well gra.s.sed and very green from the old gra.s.s having been burnt, for four miles. In this distance we crossed several watercourses. Having left the party to look at the river, in my absence a high hill was seen to the left of our course. The banks of the river I found thickly wooded with western-wood acacia; at 1.15 came south along the plain for two and three-quarter miles, and delayed until 1.50 while the most of our party tried unsuccessfully to shoot emu; at this place I observed the hill which had been seen previously. It bore south-east by south from us. The hill I named Fort Bowen; at 2.25 came south-east and by south over rich ground for two miles. The vegetation in this neighbourhood seems nearly dead, excepting the saltbush. To adjust the packs of one of the horses we delayed here till 2.45; at 3.50 came 2 and three-quarter miles south and encamped. Distance today sixteen miles.

February 25.

Number 13 Camp is situated on the right bank of the Flinders River at a point about four miles distant from Fort Bowen and north-west and by west from it. Looking from the camp, the hill had a long-topped aspect with rather an abrupt western termination. During the night the weather was showery and this morning rain fell, accompanied by a strong north-east wind. Left camp at 8.47 a.m. and reached the base of Fort Bowen in four and a half miles at 10.25. In coming that distance we crossed plains which had, near the river, more herbs than gra.s.s; and near the hill more gra.s.s than herbs. At the base we found springs surrounded by reeds and clumps of tea-trees. Accompanied by Jemmy I ascended Fort Bowen, the rest of the party proceeding up the river. From the summit I observed two little hills in the distance bearing 60 degrees east of south. From the density of the atmosphere no other hills were visible. Plains surround Fort Bowen on all sides. Those on the west side of the Flinders River are more thickly wooded than those on the east side. Fort Bowen, I should say, is about 200 feet high. From its surface pudding-stone rocks crop out. Almost immediately after descending we overtook the rest of the party, halting near waterholes in which there were ducks. Jackey and Fisherman had tried to kill some but without success; at 12.18 Mr. Bourne and Jackey went to shoot at a large flock of c.o.c.katoos, the rest of us proceeding on our journey; at 2.55 came south-east and by south over rich plains with more herbs on them than gra.s.s at places, and more gra.s.s than herbs at other places, seven miles, and encamped. Before we halted Mr.

Bourne and Jackey overtook us, loaded with c.o.c.katoos, of which they had shot as many as they wanted as the flock did not fly away. Distance today eleven and a half miles.

February 26.

Jemmy and Jackey went out early for the horses. Shortly after noon they returned having only found a portion of them. They brought back two snakes and ate them for dinner. Jackey was bitten by one of the reptiles but so slightly that he did not think anything of it. Snakes are rare in this part of the country. In my last expedition to the south-west I only remember having seen one. In the evening Fisherman brought in the remainder of the horses. The weather was showery, accompanied by northerly wind for the greater part of the day.

February 27. Number 14 Camp, situated on the right bank of the Flinders River at a point about seven miles south-east and by south from Fort Bowen.

The weather during the night was showery, accompanied by northerly wind.

Left camp at 8.40. At 10.5, having crossed a plain in sight of the trees on the banks of the river in an easterly course for three and three-quarter miles, sighted hills, named by me Mount Brown and Mount Little. At 11.40 came south-east and by east towards Mount Little for four and a half miles, and reached a watercourse full of water from the east. At 12.15, having come one and a half miles further in the same direction, we halted till 12.30 for Jackey, who had gone to waterholes surrounded by springs and clumps of tea-trees for the purpose of shooting ducks. Jemmy and I left the party to ascend Mount Little, which is nearer to the river than Mount Brown. We reached Mount Little in about a mile and rode to its rocky summit. Its elevation is about fifty feet. The rocks looked like granite, but on a closer inspection I found they were of a stratified formation. From the mount nothing was observable except Fort Bowen, Mount Brown, a little rise, and extensive thinly wooded plains. Fort Bowen bore 58 degrees west of north, the small rise south and by east. I built here a small cairn and scratched with a mussel sh.e.l.l which I picked up at a blacks' camp (having no knife) my initials and a broad arrow. Started again at 1.30 after the rest of the party, who had gone on ahead. At 2.30 came south and by east half east, partly on the tracks and partly with the main party, over thinly wooded plains for four miles. At 2.30 came south one and three-quarter miles and encamped. I never saw finer-looking herbage than that along our path today. If it always rained when the gra.s.s required moisture this would be one of the best places, if not altogether the best, in Australia.

February 28. Camp 15, situated on the right bank of the Flinders River at a point about six miles south and by east from Mount Little and Mount Brown.

Near this point the water in the river is deep with tea-trees growing near, a good sign that the water is permanent. Last night we had a sudden and heavy shower of rain. Fisherman and Jackey were not prepared for it, consequently they got all their clothes and bedding wet; this however was rather a subject of merriment than otherwise. We left camp at 8.8. At 8.55, having come east-south-east for two miles up the river, over rich level ground, thinly wooded with box and (what I take to be) excoecaria, and green with the following herbage: roley-poley, pigweed, saltbush, and gra.s.s to plains. At 11.15 came five and three-quarter miles in the same direction across plains intersected from the east by shallow watercourses, outlets of the river during floods. At 12, having remained behind the party with Jemmy, I got the following observation on a plain horizon of about a mile in length, namely, meridian alt.i.tude of the sun 78 degrees; lat.i.tude 19 degrees 51 minutes 7 seconds. Started again at 7.43 and came east-south-east four miles on the tracks of our party along an unwooded plain with plenty of old gra.s.s on it, now green from the recent wet weather; and along a low sandy ridge, green with gra.s.s and brushwood. This land evidently retains the moisture better than that of the country down the river. At 2.40 came south-east and by east one and three-quarter miles over level, well-gra.s.sed, and thinly-wooded land, with the exception of a sandhill wooded with bauhinia. At 3.45 came south one and a half miles over poor sandy land, badly gra.s.sed and thickly wooded. At 4.15 came south-west and by south one and a half miles over level country covered with roley-poley, pigweed, saltbush, and young gra.s.s, and wooded with box and western-wood acacia to water, and encamped. Distance eighteen and a quarter miles.

March 1. Camp 16, situated on the right bank of the Flinders River.

Left same this morning at 8.40. At 10.30 travelled five miles east-south-east on an average course along the right bank of the river over rich level land covered with roley-poley, pigweed, gra.s.s, and saltbush, and wooded with box, terminalia, and other trees. At 11.20 came south-east and by east over land such as I have just described for two and a quarter miles. Halted with Jemmy and on a short plain horizon made the following observation, namely, meridian alt.i.tude of the sun 77 degrees 27 minutes; lat.i.tude 20 degrees 3 minutes 30 seconds. At 12.23 started on the tracks of our party. At 12.58 came one and three-quarter miles over sandy level land on which I observed, amongst other gra.s.ses, tufts of kangaroo-gra.s.s. At 1.30, when we had come south-east one and a half miles over an unwooded plain and very rich soil covered with roley-poley, pigweed, saltbush, and luxuriant young gra.s.s, we overtook our party. At 2.20 came south-east and east over an unwooded well-gra.s.sed plain to a watercourse from the east, with long holes of water. Here a black was observed in the distance. As this was the first whom we had seen since leaving the depot, and as I never had observed tracks on either this expedition or the one to the south-west which a thundershower would not efface, I think there cannot be many blacks in the country near the Gulf of Carpentaria. At 3 came east-south-east over rich low plains with large patches of saltbush for two miles. At 3.35 came south-south-east over slightly undulating land with abundance of gra.s.s, and slightly wooded with trees and bushes, for two miles to a watercourse from the east. On the country I have just mentioned grow bushes like the garden-box, loaded with fruit pleasant to the taste. We broke branches and ate the berries as we rode along. At 4.23 came up the watercourse a quarter of a mile and crossed. This was a matter of difficulty as it was boggy. At 5.20 came over rich level country with boggy watercourses from the east and encamped. Distance today twenty and a quarter miles.

March 2. Camp 17, situated on the right bank of the Flinders River.

Tea-trees here fringe the channel which looks permanently watered.

Although this was Sunday we came up the river. I thought it as well to do so, Mr. Bourne and Jackey, while they were away from our party shooting, having observed a strong body of blacks. We started at 9 a.m. At 11 came south-east and by east over rich level land, gra.s.sed with herbage and wooded with box and bauhinia. At 11.15 came south half a mile and encamped. It rained heavily so the work of packing up, saddling, packing the horses, driving them over sloppy, boggy ground, unpacking them, and making a fire with wet wood was anything but pleasant employment.

Distance today five miles.

March 3.

It rained so heavily that we remained here. The ground was so soft that the horses, much as they are inclined for rambling, did not go further away than a quarter of a mile.

March 4.

We started this morning at 8.20. Came east three-quarters of a mile over rich level ground with a few trees upon it. The ground was so soft from the rain that the horses were with difficulty driven along. From following each other in single file and sinking at every step to their fetlocks the track they made was so deep that it will not be easily effaced. At 10.50 came south-east for five miles and a half across rich plains with the greenest herbage; the plains separated from each other by wooded land with shallow streams flowing to the northward. At 11.35 came south-south-east two and a quarter miles up along a shallow stream with slightly wooded plains on its banks. Here Jemmy and I stayed behind the party and got the following observation, namely, meridian alt.i.tude of the sun 76 degrees 3 minutes, lat.i.tude 20 degrees 19 minutes. At 12.45 came across the plain on the tracks of the party two and a quarter miles. At 2.35 came at a quicker pace, as the ground was harder, for two and a half miles south-east and by east, and crossed a shallow watercourse with box-trees along its margin coming from the south. At 3.30 travelled over rich plains separated from each other by wooded land with watercourses from the south for one and a half miles south-east and by south. At 4 came half a mile south-east and by south over thickly-wooded land and overtook our party where they had formed their encampment. Jemmy, Jackey and Fisherman were very successful in collecting food for their supper.

On the plains they caught a great number of rats, and near here they caught five possums. Distance today eighteen and a half miles.

March 5. Camp 19, situated on the right bank of Flinders River.

The horses having rambled a considerable distance out on the plain Jemmy and Jackey were a long time bringing them to camp, and we did not manage to start this morning until 9.3. At 10 came over two kinds of well-gra.s.sed country in an east and north direction for three miles, the first part wooded with box and bauhinia, the second a plain between belts of timber. At 11 came east-south-east across a plain to some extent overrun with roley-poley to a deep stream flowing to the north. Here I swam across to the opposite bank to a plain which appeared beautifully level and made on it the meridian alt.i.tude of the sun 75 degrees 36 minutes, lat.i.tude 20 degrees 23 minutes. Started again at 12.50 and came up along the stream in a south-east direction one and a half miles over well gra.s.sed land wooded with box to the outlet of a stream from the river and encamped. Distance today seven and a quarter miles.

March 6. Camp 20, situated on the left bank of a northern channel of the Flinders River.

The water having fallen greatly since yesterday we carried the saddles and packs over and then led the horses. As the northern bank was boggy we had to apply the whip severely to some of the horses to get them to ascend it. At 9.57 a.m., having packed the horses, we started. At 10.58 came east and by south up along the left bank of a watercourse with a thin margin of box-trees for three miles. At 11.12 Jemmy and I left the party and came south for three-quarters of a mile across a plain to the right bank of the river where, halting, I made the meridian alt.i.tude of the sun 75 degrees 6 minutes, lat.i.tude 20 degrees 31 minutes. At 12.40 came half a mile north-east. At 1.12 come along a plain in a south-east and by east direction one and a half miles to a deeper and broader outlet from the river than the one we crossed in the morning. Overtook our party here and a.s.sisted to unsaddle and unpack. The horses were then driven into the stream and swum across. Afterwards we pulled the saddles and packs across with a rope and encamped. We adopted the following plan for taking them over the river. We attached the articles to the middle of a rope and pa.s.sed one end of it over the fork of a tree on the southern bank; one end of the rope being pulled with sufficient force to keep the goods clear of the water, and the other end pulled with much greater force, the goods were safely landed on the southern bank. This would have been accomplished easily if we had had a pulley, but as we had none it took hard pulling to make the rope travel. The country we pa.s.sed over has the same rich character as the land I described yesterday. Distance today four and a quarter miles.

March 7. Camp 21, situated on right bank of Flinders River.

Knowing that plains with just a sufficiency of trees for firewood and shade has proved better than any other for pastoral purposes, this country delighted me; but I must say it would please me more if there were a few high hills in the distance. I was however charmed with the landscape around the camp this morning. In the foreground I saw fine box, excoecaria, and other trees festooned with beautiful c.u.mbering creepers, and beyond them the horses feeding on a fine gra.s.sy plain extending to the north and eastward to apparently distant blue mountains. As the day advanced this picture unfortunately lost a portion of its beauty by the disappearance of anything like mountains in the distant horizon. We started at 8.14 a.m.; and at 11.40 came east for ten miles along a plain behind the wooded country near the river, but further back it is either covered with roley-poley and pigweed or with young gra.s.ses which I am afraid are annuals. Yet notwithstanding these drawbacks it is a very fine country, and if care is taken by the future occupiers not to overstock it sheep and cattle will do remarkably well upon it. When it is occupied it should be improved by having seeds sown during the beginning of the wet season to produce plants with deep roots which will take the place of the annuals. If this was done and tanks and wells made in the back country the land would probably carry at least twice the quant.i.ty of stock it could now; but to get improvements of that character made a freehold tenure would probably be required. At 11.40 Jemmy and I waited behind the main party on this extensive plain and made an observation of the sun, namely, meridian alt.i.tude 74 degrees 34 minutes; lat.i.tude 20 degrees 37 minutes 30 seconds. Started on the track of our companions at 12.10; at 2.14 came south-east and by east for six miles over well-gra.s.sed plains and overtook the main party. At a shallow watercourse surrounded by rushes and polygonum I got off my horse to get a drink and carelessly let him out of my hands. In a second he scampered off to the other horses.

Jackey however soon brought him back to me. At 2.50 came south-east for about three-quarters of a mile and encamped. Distance this day sixteen and three-quarter miles.