Journal of an overland expedition in Australia

rley and Brown Become Unruly - The Isaacs - Native Women - Coxen's Peak and Range - Geological Character - Charley Rebels Again an

t's Peaks, and followed the watercourse rising from it to the northward. About two or three miles lower down, we foun

ry, but the stringy tissue which covers the seed, contains a slightly sweet and acidulous substance of a very agreeable

rs. The basaltic ridges, as well as the plains, were covered with a fine crop of dry grass; but the sandstone ridges were frequently scrubby. The difference between the sandstone country and the basaltic plains and ridges, is very striking in respect to the quantity of water they contain: in the latter, rain is immediately absorbed by the cracked porous soil, which requires an immense quantity of moisture before it allows any drainage; whereas the sandstone forms steeper slopes, and does not absorb the rain so quickly, so that the water runs down the slopes, and collects in holes at the foot of the hills parallel to the

ontinued to reconnoitre to the north-west. After passing a sandstone ridge, I came to a creek, which went to the north-west, and which was supplied with water by the late thunder-showers. It was bounded on both sides by sandstone

and other Acacias, which I had previously met with. The creek turned to the north and north-east, into a plain, and joined a larger creek which came in from the right at about south-west. Near their junction, a very conspicuous peak was observed, with several small water-holes with water at its foot. I then returned to the spot t

north, in the direction of a fine mountain of imposing character - which I called "Phillips's Mountain," after one of my companions - and encamped in

eeze had been exceedingly strong during the last four days. At the camp of the 4th of February my companions shot twenty-one pigeons (Geophaps scripta), and five cockatoos; a welcome addition to our scanty meals. For a considerable time previous, I had reduced our allowance of fl

le-like rock, which bore west-by-north, received the name of "Fletcher's Awl," after Mr. John Fletcher, whose kind contribution towards my expedition had not a little cheered me in my undertaking. Towards the east and north-east, a flat country extended, in which the smoke of several fires of the natives was seen, and, in the distance, several blue ranges were distinguished. To the northward, the country was very mountainous, and in the north-west, at a short distance, Phillips's Mountain reared its head. Many shallow valleys, at present of an earth-brown colour, led down from the range. A large creek - which proba

k slopes, and a sandstone range; and, following down a watercourse, came to a creek which seemed to originate in Phillips's Mountain. This creek contained water; it flowed to the south-east and east, and very probably joined Stephens's Creek. A rather stunted rusty gum grew plentifully on the sandstone ridges; pebbles of concretionary limestone were found in the creek, probably carried down from the basalt of Phillips's Mountain; and a deposit of concretionary limestone

progress brought Mount Phillips to bear south-west and south, we entered a fine open Bastard-box country, with slight undulations, and which seemed to extend to Peak Range. On the sandstone range I found Balfouria saligna R. Br., a shrub or small tree, with long linear-lanceolate leaves, and rather drooping branches, covered with very fragrant yellow blossoms; its seed-vessels varied from three to six inches in length, were terete, tapering to a point, and filled with silky seeds. Th

uent, and united into a dark cloud which promised rain, but dispersed towards evening; and the sun set in a cloudless horizo

ater-holes I had seen about seven miles in advance to the north-west, and about five or six miles due north from Phillips's Mountain. After our mid-day meal, I set out again

wn between the sandstone ranges: and they were generally bounded on both sides by fine well-grassed, narrow-leaved Ironbark slopes, and sweet herbage, on which numerous emus and kangaroos were feeding. In one of the glens among the ridges I observed a new gum-tree, with a leaf like that of the trembling poplar of Europe, and of a bright green colour, which rendered the appearance of the country exceedingly cheerful. It is a middle-sized tree, of irregular growth, with white bark; but the wood, not being free grained, was unfit for splitting. Lower down, water was found, without exception, in all the c

elled down this creek, and reached a flat country of great extent, lightly timbered with Ironbark, Bastard-box, and Poplar-gum; but the water disappeared in the sandy bed of the creek, which had assumed a very winding course,

e its appearance again. The stage did not exceed six miles east; but I did not venture to proceed farther until I had examined the

e sandy and rotten; but there were some fine hollows, with rich green grass, which very probably formed lagoons during the wet season. The whole country was very similar to that of Zamia Creek: it had the same extensive flats, the same geological features, the same vegetation, the same direction of the creek to the east and north-east. Just before the creek left the hills, it was joined by another; and, at their junction, sandstone cropped out, which was divided by regula

e that they would return after they had procured honey and opossums, in search of which they had deserted me. To impress their minds, therefore, with the conviction that we were independent of their services, the party started the next day as usual, and, on reaching a beautiful valley, three emus were seen on a green sunny slope, strutting about with their stately gait: Mr. Roper immediately laid the dog on, and gave chase. After a short time, the horse returned without its rider and saddle, and caused us a momentary alarm lest some accident had happened to our companion: shortly afterwards, however, we were made glad, by seeing him walking towards us, with a young emu thrown over his shoulder. He had leaped from his horse upon nearing the emus, had shot one in the head, and had taken a young one from the dog, which immediately pursued the third, an old one; but his horse escaped, which compelled him to return on foot, with the smallest of the bird

tree, which, according to his account, had the simple pinnate-leaf of the red cedar (Credela) with a dark purple-coloured fruit half an inch long, and one inch in diameter,

ich we passed; and the swamp-pheasant (Centropus Phasianus, Gould) wa

n and south-western ranges. As we approached the place of our encampment of the 12th February

afternoon, thunder-storms passed to the north and north-west, and also to the east and east-south-east. On the 10th, thunder-storms again surrounded us on all sides, and fro

rnet with two black bands over the abdomen, was seen, humming about the water-holes. A crow was shot and roasted, and found to be exceedingly tender, which we considered to be

n fruit, and the Stenochilus and the white Vitex in blossom; from the latter the native bee extracts a most delicious honey. A small tree, with stiff alternate leaves scarcely an inch long, was covered with red fruit of the form of an acorn, and about half an inch long, having a sweet pericarp with two compressed grain-like seeds, which had the horny a

fternoon of a very hot day, yet no thunder-storm came to our relief. The night bre

sandy, with reeds and an abundance of small Casuarinas. Large flooded-gums and Casuarinas grew at intervals along its banks, and fine openly timbered flats extended on both sides towards belts of scrub. The river came from the north and north-w

tely ran off, and the lady in the tree refused to descend. When I asked for water, in the language of the natives of the country we had left -"Yarrai" "yarrai," she pointed down the river, and answered "yarrai ya;" and we found afterwards that her information was correct. Upon reaching the tree we found an infant swaddled in layers of tea-tree bark, lying on the ground; and three or four large yams. A great number of natives, men, boys, and children, who had been attracted by the screams of their companions, now came running towards us; but on our putting our horses into a sha

hunder-storms were forming to the north-east and also to the west, but none reac

ds were now employed in shooting crows; which, with some cock

ery distant from Mr. Gilbert, of whose presence they were not aware. Mr. Gilbert kept the horses tied up in case of any hostility; but was not molested. The blacks continued their loud conversations during the greater part of the night; and Mr. Gilbert departed very early in the morning without being seen by them. He continued to f

d clayey sandstone, with many irregular holes; cropped out in the beds of the creek. Coxen's Peak and Range were found to be composed of horizontal strata of excellent sandstone, rising by steep terraces, on the western side, but sloping gently down to the east; its summit is covered with scrub, but its eastern slope with groves of grass-trees. The view from the top of Coxen's Peak was very extensive: towards the south-west and west, Peak Range was seen extending from Scott's and Roper's Peaks to Fletcher's Awl; and, beyond the last, other mountains were seen, several of which had flat tops. Mount Phillips seemed about thirty or forty miles distant; and a very indistinct blue hill was seen to the W.N.W. To the northward, ranges rose beyond ranges, and to the eastward

o be of sandstone, either horizontally stratified, or dipping off the range; with the exception of some local disturbances, where basalt had broken through it. Those isolated ranges, such as Coxen's Range - the abruptness of which seemed to indicate igneous origin - were entirely of sandstone. The var

dy soil, which was frequently rotten and undermined with numerous holes of the funnel ant. Noble trees of the flooded-gum grew along the banks of the creeks, and around the hollows, depending rather upon

hroughout the whole journey from Moreton Bay to the Isaacs, I experienced, with but few exceptions, during the day, a cooling breeze from the north and nor

. As Mr. Gilbert and myself were following the course of the river, we saw numerous tracks of Blackfellows, of native dogs, of emus, and kangaroos, in its sandy bed; and, when within a short distance of the place where I had seen the black women, loud cries of cockatoos attracted our notice; and, on going in their direction, we came to a water-hole in the bed of the river, at its junction with a large oak tree creek coming from the northward. This water-hole is in latitude 22 degrees 11 minutes; the natives had fenced it round with branches to prevent the sand from filling it up, and had dug small wells near it, evidently to obtain a purer and cooler water, by filtration through the sand. Pigeons (Geophapsscripta, Gould.) had formed

as generally indicated by a dense patch of green reeds. The bush fire, which was raging along the left bank of the river on which we were encamped for the night, fanned by the sea breeze, which set in a little after six o'clock, approached ve

the dry water-holes and melon-holes along the scrub; some of them not even bleach

cking. On the 19th, immediately after breakfast, whilst we were busily employed in greasing our saddles and straps - a very necessary operation on a journey like ours, where every thing is exposed to the dust, and a scorching sun - Charley left the camp, and did not return before the afternoon. He had frequently acted thus of late; and it was one of the standing complaints against him, that he was opossum and honey hunting, whilst we were kept waiting for our horses and cattle. As I was determined not to suffer this, after his late misbehaviour, I reprimanded him, and told him that I would not allow him any food, should he again be guilty of such conduct. Upon this, he burst out into the most violent and abusive language, and threatened "to stop my jaw," as he expressed himself. Finding it, therefore, necessary to exercise my authority, I approached him to show him out of the camp, when the fellow gave me a violent blow on the face, which severel

hes which they had cleaned and used for carrying water; the larger one was pear-shaped, about a foot in length, and nine inches in diameter in the broadest part, and held abo

a day well calculated to impress on the Blackfellows the difference between riding and walking, between finding a meal ready after a fatiguing journey, and looking out for food for themselves. Hearing Brown's cooee as we were travelling along, Mr. Roper stopped behind until Brown came up to him, and expressed his des

tion of North Creek with the river, a large flight of cockatoos again invited us to some good water-holes extending along a scrubby rise. Large Bastard-box flats lie between North Creek and the river. About four miles from the camp, the country rises to

ried to look most miserable and wretched, in order to excite my compassion. My companions had seen him sitting alone under his tree, during almost the whole day, beating his bommerangs which he had received from the natives. I pitied him, and, after some consultation with my companions, allowed him to

the day before, and encamped in the shade of a Fusanus. The

ghbourhood of water. I dismounted and cooeed; they answered; but when they saw me, they took such of their things as they could and crossed to the opposite side of the river in great hurry and confusion. When Brown, who had stopped behind, came up to me, I took the calabash and put it to my mouth, and asked for "yarrai, yarrai." They answered, but their intended information was lost to me; and they were unwilling to approach us. Their camp was in the bed of the river amongst some small Casuarinas. Their numerous tracks, however, soon led me to two wells, surrounded by high reeds, where we quenched our thirst. My horse was very much frightened by the great number of hornets buzzing about the water. After filling our calabash, we returned to the camp of the natives, and examined the things which they had left behind; we found a shield, four calabashes, of which I took two, leaving in their place a bright penny, for payment; there were also, a small water-tight basket containing acacia-gum; some unravelled fibrous bark, used for straining honey; a fire-stick, neatly tied up in tea-tree bark; a kangaroo net; and two tomahawks, one of stone, and a smaller one of iron, made apparently of the head of a hammer: a proof that they had had some communication with the sea-coast. The natives had disappeared. The thunder was pealing above us, and a rush of wind

'clock the most scorching heat prevails, interrupted only by occasional puffs of cool air; about two o'clock P.M. heavy clouds form in all directions, increase in volume, unite in dark masses in the east and west, and, about

e like the oat-grass (Anthistiria) of the Liverpool Plains and Darling Downs; it has very long brown twisted beards, but is eas

the natives, not a foot deep, but amply supplied with water, and, at four miles farther, we came to a water-hole, in a small creek, which had been supplied by the late rains; we also passed several fine scrub creeks, but they were dry. About ten miles from the wells another deep scrub creek was found, on the right hand of the river, full of water. Its bed was overgrown with reeds, and full of pebbles of concretions of limestone, and curious trunks of fossil trees, and on its banks a loose sandstone cropped out. Here we found the sk

ng of the 26th, but the weather cleared up about ten o'clock; cumuli formed in the afternoon, and towards night thunder-storms were ob

om doing so, and I had consequently to return the whole distance. The interruption was caused by our bullocks having

ctoria, which they seemed to prize very highly. They were fine, stout, well made people, and most of them young; but a few old women, with white circles painted on their faces, kept in the back ground. They were much

n the afternoon, and occasionally sheltered us from the scorching sun. At four o'clock two thunder-storms formed as usual in the east and west, and, eventually rising above us, poured down a heavy show

d the young grass looked very fresh. The scrub receded a little more from the river, and an open country extended along its banks. The scene was, therefore, most cheerful and welcome. Mr. Gilbert and Charley, who had

The character of the country continued the same; the same Ironbark forest, with here and there some remarkably pretty spots; and the same Bastard-box flats, with belts of scrub, approaching the river. At about nine miles from Skull Creek, which I supposed to be in latitude 21 degrees 42 minutes, the Isaacs breaks through a long range of sandstone hills; beyond which the coun

nd had jerked it contemptuously out of their plates; now, however, every one of us thought the addition of fat a peculiar favour, and no one hesitated to drink the liquid fat, after having finished his meat.

Isaacs to look for water; and, on his return, he imparted the agreeable intelligence, that he had found fine holes of water at abo