Digitized by the Internet Arciiive in 2008 witii funding from IVIicrosoft Corporation littp://www.arcliive.org/details/explorationofausOOIandricli LANDSBOEOUGH'S EXPLORATIO]^ OF AUSTRALIA Jprom ODarpentaria to i^elftourne, WITH ESPECIAL BEFERENCE TO THE SETTLEMENT OF AVAILABLE COTJNTHT. EDITED BY JAMES STUAET LAURIE, FORMERLY H.M. INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS. WITH A CHART ; AND A SYSTEMATIC ARRANGEMENT OF CARPENTARIAN PLANTS BY F. MUELLER, Ph.D., M.D., F.R.S. LONDON: THOMAS MURBY, 32, BOUVERIE STREET, FLEET STREET, E.C. SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, and CO., E.C. ^"^ v^ LONDON: PRINTED BY JOHN H. BATTT, «, RED LION COVRT, FLEET STREET, B.C. • • 1 . •; I . Note bg fte mUox. This little volume was cliiefly dictated, with the help of materials recorded in the log-book of the journey, by Mr. Landsborough himself. While the work relieved the tedium of a four months' voyage to Australia, it was thought possible that the result might interest a certain section of the English public, and highly probable, that it would prove serviceable to the migratory portion of the Australian public, in affording simple and trustworthy information in reference to one of their most promising fields of enterprise. Embracing, as it does, a topic of scientific import- ance, the publication has been additionally prompted by the consideration that, however barren of sensational incidents an Australian ^^ bush " journey necessarily is, the simple record of the exploration of a hitherto trackless region ought not to lie buried in oblivion. This alone appears a sufficiently reasonable ground for issuing a work of no pretensions, and of no stirring interest /I o o ii rr r: beyond its intimate association with the melancholy theme of the Burke-and- Wills catastrophe. The Hon. W. Landsborough, legislator and explorer, now presides over the region of the Gulf.* The appointment is a graceful acknowledgment, on the part of the Queensland government, of invaluable services rendered to his adopted country. As my first and best Australian friend, he has my hearty congratulations. J. S. LAURIE * See latest accounts of the settlemeiit, towards the end of the text. ] PREFACE. It is now pretty generally known that the immediate object of my journey (of 1861-1862) was the rescue of Burke and his party, whose long absence on their northerly expedition had begun to create grave appre- hensions, which alas ! proved to be only too amply justified. Four search expeditions were organised by the Royal Society of Melbourne : Howitt was des- patched from Melbourne to Cooper's Creek (Burke's central depot), and Mclnlay from Adelaide to the same destination ; Walker was sent overland from Rock- hampton to Albert River, Carpentaria, while I was conveyed by ship to that destiuation, with the following instructions: — to strike from the Albert to Central Mount Stuart, and thenceforward to be guided by circumstances. About midway, the absence of water and the utter desolation of the country compelled a retreat ; and, on my return to the Albert, I prosecuted the overland expedition, by the Flinders and the head of Cooper's Creek, to Melbourne. An account of both journeys is briefly given in the following pages. Ere starting on the latter expedition, the melancholy success of Mr. Hewitt's eflforts had become known at 11 PREFACE. the South ; and the tragedy of Cooper's Creek, with all its vainly regretful contingencies, will ever form a mournful page in the annals of Australia. As the sequel, however, will show, I continued ignorant of the fate of my brave fellow explorers until my arrival at the first settlement, on the further side of the continent. Seeing that the ground over which I passed had been hitherto untrodden by the " white-foot," I used every endeavour to fulfil my supplementary instructions with reference to the nature of the country and the capa- bilities of the soil ; and, in doing so, I was enabled to bring to bear on this department of my work the results of a considerable amount of experience previously acquired in independent explorations. With the exception of the Herbert River district, midway between the Albert and Central Mount Stuart, — it was ray good fortune to be enabled to give an unreservedly favourable report of the character of the country ; to fulfil the object of Mitchell's ambition by my junction with his " furthest" inland from Sydney, at the Barcoo ;* and, finally, notwithstanding serious drawbacks detailed in the sequel, to bring my party to Melbourne in safety. Before entering on my narrative, it may prove useful to give a brief and cursory sketch of the more promi- nent Australian explorations anterior to my own : — During the earlier years of the settlement, as Sydney was first styled, exploration went on slowly. Until * To this point Gregory had also made a successful track from Eockhamptoa. I PREFACE. HI 1813 all the country to the westward of the distant Blue Mountains was unknown. But the following tV7elve years saw a great stride in advance : Oxley, Cunningham, Hovel, Hume, &c., made, during that period, tracks to the southward and westward. Oxley (1817-1818), crossing the Blue Mountains, came upon the head of the Lachlan which he traced for a long distance. Hovel and Hume (18M-1825) crossed from Sydney to Port Philip, the site of the now famous City of Melbourne. Hume, always a zealous and able explorer, joined Sturt a few years later in tracing the Macquarrie. In 1826 the last-mentioned intelligent and energetic explorer thoroughly surveyed the Lachlan, Murrum- bidgee and Darling Eivers — all of which he found to be tributaries of the Murray. He then descended that river to its estuary. Lake Alexandria — thus opening up that vast tract of now famous country between Sydney and Adelaide. Among the earliest overlanders from Melbourne to Adelaide, Eyre (now more prominently known in con- nexion with Jamaica) stands conspicuous. Being reported a first-rate bushman, he was delegated by the South Australians to open up a practicable route for stock to Western Australia (1840-1841). Although he succeeded, by almost a miracle, in reaching his destina- tion at King George's Sound, no one has since been able to follow in his steps. Along his entire route, he found the sea-board low and without rivers ; and it was IV PREFACE. only by the toilsome process of tapping sand-hill springs, and sinking wells, that he was enabled to procure sufficient water to sustain life. At one place where he was delayed by want of water, his aboriginal companions revolted, robbed the stores and murdered his only white companion. With one faithful black adherent, Eyre succeeded in escaping. Continuing, in the face of terrible privations, to prosecute his journey, he achieved perhaps the most perilous feat on record. The next great expeditions were made on the other side of the continent (1844-1845). Dr. Leichhardt, who had been appointed as botanist to Sir T. Mitchell, but in consequence of the delay of the latter, released from his engagement, started on an independent expedition from Brisbane to Port Essington. His equipment was so inadequate, that he was compelled to subsist on his bullocks, horses, and the products of the chase : con- sequently, his journey was so protracted that he had been given up for lost, when his unexpected reappear- ance at Sydney at once astounded and gratified his friends. Simultaneously with the last mentioned expedition, occurred those of Sturt and Mitchell in their respective attempts to reach Carpentaria, the one from Adelaide, the other from Sydney. Both of these eminent explorers, although they failed in their primary object, opened up large tracts of available country. The bad- ness of the season in the one case, shortness of pro- visions in the other, brought the explorers to a halt, singularly enough, both in the neighbourhood of the notorious Cooper's Creek. PREFACE. V Soon after his return from Port Essington, Dr. Leichhardt, with characteristic enthusiasm, organised a second monster expedition, from east to west. Com- pelled by the sickness of his party to return, he undauntedly resumed his journey with a fresh party. Nothing has since been heard of the great explorer. A vigorous search has lately been suggested by the casual discovery of unexpected traces, and is now being carried out, under Mr. Hewitt's leadership (1866). The furtherance of MitchelPs plans devolved on a member of his party, named Kennedy. He tried to trace the Barcoo, and the result, so far as he succeeded, satisfied him that, instead of flowing northerly, that river formed the head of Cooper's Creek. In returning to the settled districts by a new route, he discovered the river Warrego. He next went to Eockingham Bay, for the purpose of exploring the region of Cape York. The moistness of that district rendered his sheep and horses so useless, that he was compelled to leave them behind, and advance into the country, attended by a solitary black boy. Kennedy was speared by the natives and his companion barely escaped with his life. These melancholy results occasioned a lull in the field of enterprise till 1856. Then A. C. Gregory, who had gained considerable celebrity in Western Australia, was commissioned by the Royal Geographical Society to explore Northern Australia. Landing at the Victoria river he proceeded southerly, and after crossing to the southern water-shed, and tracing Sturt's Creek for a long way, scarcity of water compelled him to return. Tl PREFACE. From the Victoria he went in a direction parallel to the coast, overland to Brisbane. In the hope of learning Leichhardt's fate, he travelled in 1859 from Brisbane to Adelaide, md Cooper's Creek ; but, beyond finding tracks on the Barcoo, the journey was, as regards its main object, fruitless, but in respect of connecting Mitchell's with Sturt's route, and of shewing a practi- cable road, at least in a favourable season, between Queensland and South Australia, the result was highly important. Stuart was the first " to plant his flag in the heart of Australia," and, in 1861, he completed his journey to the North Coast. But the first to cross the entire continent was the ill- fated Burke, who, with his brave companion, Wills, connected Melbourne with the Flinders (1861) ; and the catastrophe which followed this famous expedition gave birth to various others which I have alluded toil my opening remarks. Much as Australia has been explored, comparatively little has yet been done. ' A glance at the map will shew a blank space between the intervals of all the leading tracks, and between Central Mount Stuart and Frank Gregory's " furthest," two hundred miles from the west coast. May the day soon arrive when some com- petitor for his country's applause will succeed in fully realizing the aspirations of the brave Leichhardt ! W. LANDSBOROUGH, Member of the Legislative Council of Queensland, CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Fogage to (ZTarpentaria. PAGE Departure from Brisbane — Wreck of tlie Firefly — ^Riot and Destructiveness of the Crew — Landing of the Horses — Rescue by the Victoria 1 CHAPTER n. ^ogage to ©arp^ntarta (continued). Post Office Island — ^Escape and Recovery of the Firefly — Bountiful Island — Catching Turtle — Bentinck and Sweer's Islands — Traces of Flinders and Establish- ment of Depot on Sweer's Island 8 CHAPTER III. "Fosage to Carpentaria (continued). Exploration of the Albert River — Kangaroo Point — Des- cription of the River — Plains of Promise — Wood's Lake — ^Fitness of the Country for Farming Purposes- — Return to the Victoria 11 CHAPTER IV. IfTogage to Carpentaria (continued). Absence of Burke's Tracks on the Albert, and Proposed Journey to Central Mount Stuart — Personal Preference for a Different Route — The Firefly Converted into a Depot — ^Voyage up the Albert — Rencontre with Natives — Landing the Horses — ^Visit from the Natives — The Nicholson River — Excursion to Beame's Brook Confluence — Condition of the Horses 16 CONTENTS. CHAPTER V. lExpebition to OTfntral Jllount fttuart Preparatory Drill — The Attempt to Start — The Start — Arrival at Beame's Brook Junction — Discovery of the River Gregory — ^Rencontre with Blacks — Character of the Gregory — Oar Daily Work — ^My Sextant — Fording the Gregory 23 CHAPTER VI. lEipcDition tofearD^ JWount <$tuart (continued). Flora of the Gregory — Macadam Creek — ^Return to the Gregory — The Character of the Country — Pack Saddles — ^Rencontre with Natives — Character of the Gregory — Suicide of a Horse — Mount Kay and Stawell Creek — The O'Shannassey — Source of the Lower Gregory 30 CHAPTER VH. l£ipet){tion totoarlJsi JJilouttt <^tuart (continued). Ascent of the Upper Gregory — Reconnoitring for Water — Barkley Table-land — Shooting a Kangaroo — Return to Camp — Renewed Search for Water — Return from a Bootless Errand — Herbert Creek-^Return to Camp ... 39 CHAPTER Vni. l£ipet)ttion totoartg i^ount ^tuart (continued). Character of Barkley Table-land — Darvall Creek — Ex- amination of the Herbert for Water — Mary Lake — Removal of the Camp thither — Christmas Day — Rencontre with an Elderly Pair of Blacks — Desert Country again — Hopelessly Arid and Sterile — Resolu- tion to return 46 CONTENTS. CHAPTER IX. lEijpftlttfon lofoattig JHount «§tuatt (continued). Beginning of our Eeturn — Hostile Blacks — Imprudence of Risking a Collision — Celebration of New Year's Day — The O'Shannassey — Peculiarities of Australian Rivers — The Mouth of the O'Shannassey — Descent of the Gregory by Right Bank — Remarkable Hydro- graphical Mistake — The River Nicholson — Arrival at the Depot b'^S CHAPTER X. lExpeUition ©berlantf lo iWelfeourne. Official Obstacles to the Journey — Meagre Supply of Provisions — Departure from the Albert — Recalcitrant Horses — Character of the Country — The River Leich- hardt — Richness of its borders — Neumayer Valley — Approach to the Flinders 65 CHAPTER XI. IcxpftJition ©bevlanli to iWclibournf {continued). The Flinders — Our Youthful Houyhnhym — Character of the Flinders — ^Fort Bowen — Mount Little — Escu- lent Berries — Blacks — Opossums and Rats — Fording Creeks — Scenery — The Country in a Utilitarian Sense — Sunday, as a Day of Rest — The O'Connell — Hunt after a Bullock — ^Rencontre with Blacks — Bramston Ranges — Illness of some of My Party — Walker's Table-Mountain 73 CHAPTER Xn. lEipetitiott Ob^rlanti to i^clibourne {continued). Change of Route — Part of the Australian Cordillera — Cornish Creek — Tower Hill — Suspicious Behaviour of Blacks — Character of the Country — Bowen Downs — Intercourse with Friendly Blacks — Attempt to Cross to the Barcoo — The Thomson — ^Wittin, our Guide — His Disappearance .. 85 CONTENTS. ' I CHAPTER Xm. i 5|otttn«g ©berlanti to i!W;cl{iourne {concluded). \ The Barcoo River — Collision with the Natives — Cross- j country ride to the Warrego— The Bottle Tree — Scrub \ Country — Warrego River — Tracks of Cattle and Horses '] — The First Station — Journey to Melbourne via Dar- ' ling River — General Remarks 95 i Pastoral Capabilities of North Australia 103 « A Systematic Arrangement of the Plants noticed around 1 the Gulf of Carpentaria, from the Roper to the Gilbert .1 River, including those collected during Mr. Lands- " borough's Expedition, and examined by Ferdinand i Mueller, P.H.D., M.D., F.R.S Ill "5 ^a^uQt ia €mpntmm. VOYAGE TO CARPENTARIA. CHAPTER I. I^ogage to Carpentaria. Departure from Brisbane — "Wreck of the Firefly — Riot and Destnic- tiveness of the Crew — Landing of the Horses — Rescue by the Victoria. On tlie 24tli of August, 1861, the brig Firefly was ready for sea. She was in all respects adequately equipped with stores and horses for the proposed expedition, besides being favoured with the protection of the colonial war-ship Victoria. On the 25th we bade adieu to Brisbane, and, filled with hopeful anticipations of success, directed our course towards our central starting-point, Albert Eiver, GuK of Carpentaria. The course chosen was that which is known as the " outside " passage through Torres Straits, in preference to the " inside " one — a choice which proved unfortunate ; for not only were the horses thus unnecessarily tossed about, but also fresh supplies of water for them, whether from the shore or the Victoria, were inaccessible. The supply per day on board the Firefly amounted only to 2 ..... yPYAGE, TO' CARPENTARIA. five ' gallcils 'pe'r head/ tlie insufficiency of whicb., for horses, confined on shipboard^ was, on a subsequent occasion, demon- strated by tbe fact that they each drank, at one draught, as much as eight gallons. It cannot therefore appear surprising that our horses — on the condition of which, more than on any- thing else, we were dependent for success — did not thrive. For the first eight days of the voyage the Victoria kept us in sight, and Captain Kirby, of the Firefly, received from time to time the requisite sailing and other instructions from Captain Norman, of the Victoria. But during the rough weather of Sunday, the 24th, the ships lost sight of each other. Captain Kirby, having succeeded in obtaining, on the following day, an almost momentary, though sufficient, sight of the sun, boldly made for the inside of the reefs. Between 11 and 12 a.m. we sighted Eaine Island beacon, and in the course of the afternoon succeeded in getting within the reefs and into smooth water. We considered ourselves fortunate in having undoubtedly escaped serious dangers, as our ship was leaky and otherwise disabled, whilst the horses were greatly distressed. Our only loss was that of one of the best horses, which, from having had the sand washed from under his feet, lost his footing and got trampled to death by his companions. It soon became evident that, either from misfortune or mis- management, our refuge was a delusion and a snare ; for, although Hardy's Island presented, on the lee side of any of them, apparently excellent facilities for anchorage, we cast anchor before having reached a sufficiently sheltered situation. The consequence was that the cable dragged, and that we were driven right on the lee shore, a position by no means the most comfortable in which to pass the night. On the following morning, the 4:th, the cable snapped, and the brig grounded VOYAGE TO CAEPENTAEIA. 3 broadside on tlie reef. As tlie waves presently broke over the ship, the masts were at once cut away, in order to ease her. Ill positions of danger, it often happens that acts of heroism come from the most unexpected quarters : in our case no less a functionary than the cook bore off the palm. For, at a moment which might have been his last, and when we were preparing to swim for our lives, he appeared before us with his accustomed naval precision, and served coffee. As we antici- pated a glorious drenching, it is to be hoped that the most cynical teetotaller will excuse our having qualified that beverage with a certain liquid of a more potent and less innocent nature. We then set vigorously to work in order to make the best of our misfortune ; and, next to ourselves, it was of the utmost importance that we should rescue the expedition stores and horses, without damage or delay. As the smallest boat, on being lowered, was at once dashed in pieces, we were reduced to the solitary resource of the larger ship's boat, the launching of which required great care, no less on account of the floating spars and masts, than the violence of the breakers. The task of clearing away the obstructions was boldly and adroitly executed by a Dutchman, named Miiller. He plunged into the surf, and, by dint of tugging and pushing, succeeded, with infinite difficulty, in freeing the drift, while we occupied ourselves with watering and baiting the horses. At length the ship's boat was securely lowered, and we landed in safety. At ebb tide we were glad to find that, provided the vessel would hold together, the water was sufficiently shallow to admit of the cargo being carried on shore. Mr. Martin, the supercargo, and myself, immediately on landing, proceeded to the other side of the island, where we b2 4 VOYAGE TO CARPENTARIA. had descried, on the previous evening, the masts of a ship. We hoped to procure assistance from her crew, but the ship proved to be a wreck. "We came upon an abandoned camp, containing the following relics : The Argus newspaper of June 14th, a barrel of peas,, fragments of paper bearing the names of the Lad^ Kinnaird, and of Captain Chorley, part of a child's dress, backs of turtles, large cockle-shells,, &c. "We subsequently learned that the wreck was that of the Lady Kinnaird, bound for India, with a cargo of horses. Having sprung a leak, she had run for this spot, where she remained afloat just long enough to allow of the passengers and crew landing. On returning to our companions we found the crew busily engaged in carr3ribig our stores on shore. Captain Kirby preferred not risking the ship's boat in that service, as it would in all probabiHty have to be employed in the more essential one of transporting ourselves to the mainland. In the evening I went on board the Firefly^ in order to see that the horses were as comfortable as the circumstances would allow. Mr. Campbell volunteered to remain beside them all night, but as some of the sailors had already broached the spirits, I was not justified in accepting an offer to do what I was. myself not disposed to undertake. I cannot here forbear recording that the events which followed the wreck of the Firejly were not an exception to the general rule in such misfortunes. The crew considered them- selves freed from all engagements, legal or moral. Eiot and drunkenness became the order of the day ; and not only did the officers not attempt to control the crew, but they actually encouraged insubordination by such expressions as that " Jack was as good as his master" that " the cargo of a wreck VOYAGE TO CAEPENTAEIA. to any one who chose to take it;'' or by direct instigation, as, for example, " There are twenty-two pairs of expedition boots : help yourselves. That will he a pair each for all hands, and a pair to spare'' In short, I soon saw that if I did not bestir myself and my staff to rescue the horses, the work which I had undertaken would there and then end ingloriously. Accordingly, on the afternoon of Thursday, the 5 th, I hired the carpenter and Miiller, for the sum of five pounds, to cut a hole in the ship's side close to the water's edge, in order to release the horses at low water. And after having found a good place on the island for watering the horses, I joined them with Messrs. Campbell and Martin, and my three native assistants. The only tools at our command were two adzes and two small tomahawks ; but my black-fellows plied the latter with so much dexterity, that we were not long in accomplishing our task. The following day was occupied in landing twenty-five of the horses ; and this we found to be a task of no ordinary difficulty. Although it was low water during the time so employed, we had to use every precaution to prevent the horses swimming out to sea. Some of them, in the first instance, got confused, and swam hopelessly here and there, till exhaustion compelled them to yield to the waves, which at length drifted them on shore. One, indeed, battled against wind and waves for above an hour, and finally succeeded in reaching the southern island, a mile distant, from which, however, he was afterwards recovered safe and sound. Of the whole number, four were trampled under foot, and all but killed. It was lucky that we found on this insular desert sufficient grass and water, as the horses were thereby re-invigorated, in 6 VOYAGE TO CARPENTARIA. compensation for their late hardsliips. This island, in fact, presents in an eminent degree, if I may be allowed the expression, the best conveniences for shipwreck : wood, water, shell and other fish abound. Add to these advantages, that at the period of our visit, the constant sea-breezes rendered the climate very enjoyable. It will probably not be long before these bounties of nature are appreciated and utiHsed by some enterprising settler. On Saturday, the 7th, while engaged in attending to the four sickly horses, we were delighted to see the Victoria approaching. Captain Norman, on his arrival, having learnt that the Firefly was a wreck, and that the crew claimed the privileges of shipwrecked mariners, set vigorously to work to contrive the means of still making use of the Firefly for her original purpose. I was cheered by his hopeful view of the case, and my anxieties were entirely set at rest by his assurance that, should his efforts fail, he would undertake to convey my party and appurtenances, in the Victoria, to our destination. Captain Norman's first task was the reduction of the mutinous crew to some kind of discipline — an essential step towards which was the instant destruction of the wines and spirits on board the hulk, and the re-establishment of the law of meum and tuum, by ordering the restoration of stolen property. Then, having lightened the brig as much as possible, he tried to pull her off, at flood tide, by means of the Victoria. After several attempts, which had proved futile, on account of the hulk having become firmly embedded in the reef, we were at length delighted by seeing her afloat. While the horses were being re-embarked, and the fittings replaced, my companions were busily engaged in collecting a VOYAGE TO CAEPENTAEIA. 7 stock of fodder. This was by no means easy, as we were unprovided with any implements but knives for cutting grass ; but in this kind of work my black assistants were remarkably handy. All the preliminary arrangements being made, we were again in motion ; and as I steamed along on board the Victoria, which towed the miserable hulk on which all my cares were centred, I was inspirited by the grateful, and happily not uncommon reflection, that *' things might have been worse." I did not overlook the debt of gratitude I owed to Captain Norman, not only for having traced us so cleverly, but also for having by his promptitude and vigour retrieved the fortunes of the expedition. Nor can I omit to record my thanks to the members of my party, each and all of whom behaved with endurance and self-possession, and, I may add, with strict integrity in moments of temptation. CHAPTER II. "Fogagc to ©arpentarta (continued). Post Office Island— Escape and Recovery of the i^jsVe/y— Bountiful Island — CatcMng Turtle — Bentinck and Sweer's Islands— Traces of Flinders and Establishment of Depot on Sweer's Island. The next object of interest was Post OfiSce Island — a name ■whicli requires a word of explanation. It is a small, bleak, and barren island, situated at the eastern entrance to Torres Straits ; and, from its position, it bas long been used by mariners as a place of call. In a dreary cave, a rough Log Book is preserved, in which they are expected to inscribe the name, port of departure, destination, and cargo of their ship. Well-provisioned ships are also expected to leave a supply of necessary stores, as a resource for others in distress. It is not much to the credit of civilised humanity that such stores are not unfrequently appropriated by crews not in distress. Still, this original and self-supporting postal institution subserves, on the whole, a useful purpose. For example, it was there that we learned the details of the wreck of the Lady Kinnaird on Hardy's Island.* We anchored there for the night. When morning dawned, the ill-starred Firefly was nowhere to be seen. Taking advantage of the loosed tow-rope, she had broken away from her imperfect moorings, and had made for the open sea in the dead of the night. Being, however, descried vanishing in the distant horizon, the Victoria gave chase, and brought her back covered with dishonour. * The proposed settlement at Cape York, selected by Sir George Bowen, will remedy the inconveniences alluded to. VOYAGE TO CARPENTAEIA. \f We next called at Bountiful Island, in order to procure a supply of fresh food in the agreeable shape of turtles, in which that island abounds. In the course of the afternoon Captain Norman and I went on shore, and walked over the island. It is a sandy and altogether uninteresting place, frequented only by flocks of pigeons and sea fowls, some of which we shot. The first night, about a hundred turtles were caught in my absence ; and though this was a sufiicient supply, I remained on shore the following night in order to secure more, mainly with the view of learning the process of catching, A sailor, who was my companion, disgusted with his first tedious and unproductive watch, " turned in " early in the night ; but, somewhat later, while sauntering along the beach, I observed that several had come ashore. Having roused the sailor, we were not long in securing twenty by the speedy and simple act of turning them on their backs.* So prolific is this archipelago in that delicious food that I wonder enterprising speculators have overlooked it. Preserved turtle would be a by no means unworthy accompaniment of the ordinary canister viands that are now used to vary the ever- lasting salt junk of earlier voyages and travels. On the following day we reached Investigator Eoads, situated between Bentinck and Sweer's Islands. These Eoads afford excellent anchorage, and are distant about seventeen miles from the mouth of the Albert Eiver. Bentinck Island is about thirty miles in circumference ; Sweer's, only three : both are well grassed and wooded. On our arrival, we found the coal tenders had been await- * The aborigines of York Peninsula ingeniously catch the turtle by means of the common " sucker-polype." This they attach to a string, and allow to sink, when it customarily alights on the back of the first convenient turtle, which is then easily drawn to the surface. 10 VOYAGE TO CARPENTARIA. . ing us for some time. The masters had, it seems, spent the interval in visiting Albert Eiver, with the hope of finding Burke's party. They had procured supplies of water from Bentinck Island, though apprehensive of danger from the natives. In the afternoon, Captain Norman and I landed on Sweer's Island to reconnoitre, and more especially to discover the wells, sunk there by Flinders. We found the wells, but they were choked with sand. We also came upon a tree on which " Investigator " was carved, and the word was still quite legible, though cut so far back as 1802, probably by the hand of the unfortunate Flinders.* Captain Norman determined to re- pair the wells, and to form near them a depot for his super- fluous ship's stores. We then selected a place on the beach, within the tidal line, for forming an enclosure for the turtles. Further inland we found the grass of good quality, and fit for cutting, a discovery which pleased us both, as the sheep we had on board could now have the advantage of grazing, and my horses that of fresh fodder, in which we were running short. For all practical purposes, Sweer's was preferable to Bentinck Island : on the simple ground that the latter was inhabited by hostile blacks, while the former is only visited by them at distant intervals. Their means of transit consists, not of canoes, but of rude rafts formed from logs tied together with strings of plaited bark. * Having spent several years in various laborious and important surveys, Flinders, the discoverer of Carpentaria, when on his return home, during the period of the Napoleonic wars, was unjustly detained for six years by the Governor of the Mauritius. CHAPTER III. ITogagc to Carpentaria (continued). Exploration of the Albert River — Kangaroo Point — Description of the Eiver — Plains of Promise — "Wood's Lake — Fitness of the Country for Farming Purposes — Return to the Victoria. As the Albert Eiver had not been surveyed since it was hurriedly ascended by Captain Stokes,* Captain Norman commissioned Lieutenant "Woods to make a survey ; to buoy the sand-banks at its mouth, and to endeavour to find a land- ing place for the horses. To assist him in the last-mentioned object, as well as to select a spot for a depot with a view to my land operations, I accompanied him, along with my two blacks. Jemmy and Jacky. "We left the Victoria in one of her boats on the evening of September 13 th, and arrived at the mouth of the Albert early in the morning. Here we found a bar which can be crossed by vessels of average draught, only at high water ; but being composed of alluvial deposits, the bar is doubtless removable by dredging. The point on our left and on the right bank of the river, known as Kangaroo Point, would, from its position and elevation, prove a good site for a town- ship : the further bank is low, and presents a dense mass of mangrove. We descried a dozen blacks who ran along the shore, and kept shouting to us as long as we were within hearing ; but their language was unintelligible to Jemmy and Jacky. I * In 1842 he found it navigable for thirteen miles, for vessels of thirteen feet draught, to within five miles of where the water is fresh, t That is, considerably less intelligible to each other than the 12 VOYAGE TO CARPENTARIA. The river has an unbroken fringe of mangrove for above two miles on both banks.* Beyond this, the banks are occasionally sloping, free from mangrove, and composed of stiff sand. At a distance of twenty miles from the estuary, the water was still fresh. The fringes of mangrove became scarce, and the ground rose from the river-level, displaying well grassed and sparsely timbered plains. We anchored at sunset, twenty-six miles from the mouth of the Albert, at the Yorkstireman is to the Cockney. The aboriginal tongue is divided into a variety of dialects, some of which are so distinct from each other that they appear to the non- philological ear to have no affinity. Every tribe, whose hunting ground seldom exceeds thirty square miles, has its own peculiar vernacular. Blacks can, however, as a general rule, speak the dialects of neighbouring tribes ; and they acquire this knowledge with remarkable ease. They also learn English with little difficulty, and, when acquired, it is often talked by natives of different tribes, when they meet. As with foreigners who profess a knowledge of English, they feel complimented by being addressed in our language. One of their greatest phonic obstacles is, the articulation of the letter s. They, therefore, naturally avoid words containing sibilant sounds ; for example, for horse they prefer to say yarraman, and for sheep, monkey or jumbuck. It should further be noted that, though Queen's English is spoken by a few with fair purity, the so-called "English" of the blacks is a jargon. This jargon is the ordinary medium of conversation between the native and the settler ; and many of the less-informed settlers imagine all slang words to be genuine local, instead of anglicized corruptions of primitive, words, coined by now extinct tribes, perhaps at the period of the first colonisation. The following is a colloquial sample of the hybrid tongue above alluded to : — Settler. — When peeke bong putum yarraman belonging to mine alonga yarra yarra. [At sunset, put my horse in the paddock.] Native. — Yo-ai, me fetchum yarraman ; an you give it flour, sugar- bag, chirt, an kabon fellow bacco, bel breakam. [Yes ; I will fetch the horse, and you shall give me some flour, sugar, a shirt, and a big fig (piece) of tobacco, not broken (whole).] * The general character of the Carpentaria coast is low and alluvial, and presents from the sea-board the aspect of an extended plain. The tide is peculiar : it is irregular — occumng sometimes at intervals of twenty-tour hours ; and it rises as high as eighteen feet. The rivers, as in all flat countries, have a tendency to separate into different channels, forming deltas. VOYAGE TO CARPENTARIA. 13 junction of Beame's Brook with tlie Albert, Witliin a hundred yards of the west bank, I found a water hole much more convenient for watering stock than the river, whose banks are here too steep for that purpose. Next morning we continued our voyage, but at a distance of two miles, our progress was stopped by snags* which here abound. We therefore landed, and took a walk over the " Plains of Promise." Presently we surprised a black man and woman, both old and naked ; the former vanished down the bank, and plunged into the river, the latter took refuge in a tree, where she pertinaciously remained in speechless terror. The channel of the river, at this point, was muddy, and so narrow that we contrived to cross over on the trunk of a tree, which the carpenter had felled for that purpose. The water was cool from being shaded by the pandanas, palms, and Leichhardt trees. We found no traces of exploring parties, but, as a possible guide to others, we marked several trees before returning to our boat — on reaching which, we dropped down the river a short distance, and anchored for the night over against the cliffs that are marked in the charts as being thirty feet high. In the morning, I landed with Jemmy and Jacky, and pro- ceeded north-westerly over well grassed and slightly timbered plains. A walk of two miles brought us to a narrow mere, which I named Wood's Lake. Aquatic birds were so plentiful here that Jacky killed, at one discharge of his gun, half a dozen whistling ducks and a large grey crane. Skirting the southern edge of the lake, we came to a clump of box and tea-trees. At this spot I marked a tree, reflecting, while so engaged, on the probability of this being ere long the chosen * Snags, i.e., fallen trees or branches stuck fast in the river- bed. 14: VOYAGE TO CARPENTARIA. site for the head-quarters of a sheep station, for which this district is, in all respects, admirably fitted. On the following day we found ourselves again three miles above Kangaroo Point, without having met with any note- worthy incident, excepting a " turn-out " of about twenty blacks, who surveyed our progress with looks of mingled wonder and apprehension. On going ashore, we started on the wing two large bustards and some wallabies.* We also saw large quantities of small, white cockatoos, as well as rose-coloured ones, which in New South Wales and the settled country of Queensland are only to be found inland. On the upper part of the river, we observed three crocodiles, but they were glad to get out of our way with all despatch. Neither mosquitoes nor sand flies troubled us at night, and our repose was undisturbed, except by a sudden panic occasioned by the nightmare of one of our companions. The thermometer ranged from 84* to 94°. This is altogether a most promising field for the sheep farmer, and, with its slightly timbered and well grassed downs and plains, together with its superior water communication, it can stand a favourable comparison with what has been proved to be good country in the southern portions of Australia. On the score of timber for building purposes, the smallness of the trees is certainly a drawback, but this is a disadvantage of easy cure| and one which is fully compensated for by the direct benefit accruing to the grazier from the deficiency in question. Then as to the more slowly advancing agriculturist, * A small kind of Kangaroo. t The cabbage palm, which abounds higher up the Albert, might tem- porarily answer the building requirements of the pioneer : later, of course, importation would do the rest. In fact, wire fencing, together with brick or mud huts, comprise the essential wants of the Squatter in the way of building. VOYAGE TO CAEPENTAEIA. 15 treading on the heels of the retreating Squatter ; the unhmited plains of rich soil, easily yielding to the plough, which stretch from either bank of the Albert, form a country peculiarly suitable for tillage. The Summer rains, speaking roughly from my own experience, are amply sufficient for the growth of cereals, while other objects of culture which require long continued moisture might be conveniently developed by means of the Eg3rptian system of irrigation. On our arrival at the Victoria, we found that the coal tenders had been unloaded, water procured from Sweer's Island out of Flinders Well, and the enclosure for the turtles con- structed. With regard to that epicurean dainty, I may add that we were all by this time heartily tired of it, and that Jack Tar would have none of it. The eggs, however, continued to be relished. CHAPTER IV. ^ogagc to Carpentaria (continued). Absence of Burke's Tracks on the Albert, and Proposed Journey to Central Mount Stuart — Personal Preference for a Different Eoute — The Firefly Converted into a Depot— Voyage up the Albert — Rencontre with Natives — Landing the Horses — Visit from the Natives — The Nicholson River — Excursion to Beame's Brook Confluence— Condition of the Horses. It is necessary to mention here that the Albert had, from having been so well made known by Stokes, become the appointed or understood rendez-vous for exploring parties ; and that, therefore, traces of Burke would probably be found here, in case he had succeeded in penetrating so far north.* Ignorant as I then was of the catastrophe that had befallen Burke's party, I was of course grievously disappointed on finding no indications of their having been here. I therefore proceeded to put into execution the instructions of the Eoyal Society of Melbourne to make for Central Mount Stuart, in order to see if Burke had selected that route with the design of completing Mr. Stuart's journey, which, as is now well known, he had not. I may here state that the track has since been completed by Mr. Stuart himself, i.e., in 1862. It was doubtless unfortunate that Mr. Walker had not arrived from his overland journey from Rockhampton, as the news he subsequently brought, of having fallen on Burke's track to the east of the Albert, would have rendered my expedition to the south-west unnecessary ; but neither could I anticipate such * It may be noted that Burke reached the Flinders, fifty miles east- ward from the Albert. VOYAGE TO CARPENTARIA. 17 news, nor longer delay my departure, whicli tlie wreck of tlie Firefly Lad already too long protracted. Bound, as I was, by the instructions of the Eoyal Society of Melbourne, I had emphatically no business to be influenced by my own opinion of them ; still, there can be no harm in here stating that both Mr. Gregory and myself considered that the most probable route for finding traces of Burke was in a south-easterly direction from the Albert — ^namely, to skirt the supposed desert* of Central Australia, and make for the head of Cooper's Creek, thence following its course to Burke's starting point. But as I could not, in the first instance, at least, execute this plan, my wish was, after reaching Mount Stuart and possibly failing to find there traces of Burke — to make direct for Cooper's Creek, f instead of returning to the Albert. Captain Norman, however, con- sidered it better for me to return, and he agreed to wait for me ninety days. This being the final decision, it remained to fix a depot on the Albert, my own project of a south-easterly expedition being, for the present, left in abeyance. J It was determined to transfer the hulk of the Firefly twenty miles up the Albert, and to use it as the depot. The Firefly was accordingly towed by the Victoria to the mouth of the Albert, and, though the river was navigable even for the Victoria beyond the proposed depot, it was decided that the Firefly should work her own way to her last home. With Lieutenant Woods as commander, and myself on board, the * The reader should be informed that even so late as 1861, the best charts were a complete blank between the tidal rise of the Albert and Stuart's farthest in 1845, being a distance of 400 miles north and south, as the crow flies. t Burke's starting point, and where he had his depot. X Subsequently, as the sequel will show, carried out by me. 18^ VOYAGE TO CABPENTABIA. Firefly accordingly stood in for the Albert at flood-tide on the evening of the 14th of October. On account of the winding channel and the awkwardness of our craft, it was found more convenient to run the Firefly over the bar 5 and, though drawing nine feet, she accomphshed her task. On reaching Norman's group of Islands, ten miles up the river, it became necessary, from our small supply of water, to decide respecting the landing of the horses. Three parties accordingly stai-ted to reconnoitre the water resources of the adjacent country. My party, comprising Mr. Bourne, Mr. Hennie, the botanist, and two native troopers, went eastward six miles. The first half of our journey lay over hard, mud flats, which are flooded at high tide ; the remainder was over rich plains, covered with the best grasses ; and the abundance of salty herbage, jointly with their general aspect, reminded us of the Murrumbidgee plains. The higher parts were thickly grassed and sparsely wooded with box, white gum, cotton, and other trees. We found water-holes in abundance, some containing fresh, others brackish water. Of the last quahty was the north-easterly one, which I called Lake Mailer. Early in our journey, we observed several blacks, at different points on the plains. Charlie, one of my black assistants, gave chase to three girls, who fled to their camp, where we subsequently overtook them. We asked them, by signs, for the direction of the nearest water-hole, and they indicated it by pointing. Terrified as they were, they could not restrain themselves from examining our articles of dress, which were doubtless an entirely new object to their eyes. On returning to the Firefly, we found that the other two parties had been equally successful in finding water-holes on the western bank, and as one of these, named Frost's Ponds, VOYAGE TO CAEPENTAEIA. 19 four miles up, was tlie most convenient, we walked the horses on shore and drove them thither. After a few days' recruiting, they were forwarded to Moore's Ponds, situated near the depot. These ponds had been discovered by a sporting party, on the twentieth, and the discovery was certainly of more consequence than the meagre bagful of game, with which they returned, although they had seen several wallabies on the plains, and crowds of ducks and other aquatic birds at the water-holes on their route. On the twenty-fourth, a party of blacks voluntarily paid us a visit ; we gave them presents, and their gratitude was exhi- bited in the theft of certain clothes that lay in their way. Lieutenant Woods gave them a lecture on the laws of property, but, as he laboured under the same disadvantage as Goldsmith when he went to teach English to the Dutch, namely, an entire ignorance of the language of his hearers, I fear their notions of morality remained as ingenuous as before. When I see poor blacks I feel sorely tempted to make them presents of clothes, tomahawks and the like ; but so willing is indigent black, as well as white, humanity to be pauperized, that I have always found that ''the more they get, the more they want" and that the less they get, the less do they seek our company, and the less likely therefore are we to come into hostile collision with them. Hearing from Mr. Campbell that, in one of his excursions, he had come upon a large river running parallel to the Albert, I retraced the track in order to see whether or not it was the Nicholson that he alluded to. The result was as I expected. It was not so broad as the Albert, and the water was not so brackish. The space intervening between the right bank of the Nicholson and the bend of the Albert, near Wood's Ponds, was a stretch of seven miles of a finely grassed plain. An c 2 20 VOYAGE TO CARPENTAEIA. enclosure for sheep or cattle might here be easily formed by running a fence across from the Albert to the Nicholson. When the Firefly had been securely moored, Captain Norman came and appointed a guard for the protection of the depot. He had the ulterior design of witnessing my departure, and of awaiting Mr. Walker's arrival. Before leaving, I accompanied him in a boating excursion as far as the junction of Beame's Brook with the Albert. There we found trees marked both by Mr. Gregory and Captain Chimmo, on the occasion when the latter went to meet the former in his expedition of 1856. Having marked several trees* for Mr. Walker's guidance towards the depot, we hastened back. The horses were now shod with all despatch : while this was being done, I was equally glad and surprised to find that they were already in such excellent working condition as to allow of our immediate departure for Mount Stuart. Even two invahds — so weak that on shipboard they had to be supported by slings — ^were fit for work ; and, indeed, all of them were so remarkably improved since their landing that I was impressed with the conviction that there are few parts on any other sea-board of Austraha where three months would have, in a similar measure, suflBced to recruit them. This is excellent testimony to the richness of the pasturage and the fitness of this district for rearing horses for the Indian Market, which has the advantage of being three weeks sail nearer than Sydney. * The importance of marking trees properly cannot be overrated. The marks should be made only on strong, healthy trees, and at con- spicuous points ; and the directions should be unmistakeably clear and accurate. •intra! Monnt ^tmxt CHAPTER V. €!iptt)hion to ©antral ^tount Stuart. Preparatory Drill— The Attempt to Start— The Start— Arrival at Beame's Brook Junction— Discovery of the Eiver Gregory- Rencontre with Blacks— Character of the Gregory— Our Daily Work— My Sextant— Fording the Gregory. As we liad appointed tlie following day for tlie start, I devoted the fifteenth of November to drilling the men* into the art of packing the horses and to accustoming the horses themselves to being packed, — ^both operations being less easy than the uninitiated would imagine. The equal adjustment of the weights, the strength of the straps and security of the fastenings — ^not as they are presented immediately to the eye, but mediately through every possible variety of jogging and jolting — are points which experience alone can approximately anticipate. The result of to-day's experiment was instructive in a variety of ways. Next day, the corresponding work was of a more earnest character and attended with practical drawbacks. The horses being still new to the sensation of packs, and finding them- * My party consisted of Messrs. Camphell and Allison, and two hlack assistants, Jemray and Fisherman. Mr. Bourne and Gleeson, along with two natives, remained at the depot. I should have gladly taken two additional hands, but this was impossible on account of the insufficiency of the horses, — seven out of thirty having died from the unusual hard- ships of the voyage. I should also' mention, that I had calculated on a promise made to me at Brisbane, to have the astronomical services of Lieutenant "Woods, who had fully equipped himself for his duties. Captain Allison and myself managed as best we could with our extremely imperfect apparatus : our shortcomings in a geographical point of view will, therefore, I hope, be rightly understood. 24 EXPEDITION TOWARDS MOUNT STUART. selves again encumbered witli unexpected and unintelligible burdens, availed themselves of their freedom and dispersed to and fro in picturesque confusion. Those that were adepts at that noted equine manoeuvre, ''buck-jumping," applied it with effect ; for many of the packs presently became either " conspicuous by their absence " or hung dangling and swaying about, to the increased confusion and dismay of their bearers. The work of collecting the horses, and repairing the damages, delayed our departure till the afternoon. Provisions,* packs, horses, and men, being at length in readiness, we made a final start ; but failed to make remarkably rapid progress, on account, partly of the continued restiveness of the horses, partly of the exhibition of a similar quality on the part of the men ; occasioned, in the latter instance, by the novelty of the work, in combination with that jollity which is the natural consequence of festive adieus. Towards evening, a mob of the wilder pack horses were descried disappearing in the distance, though fortunately in the right direction. As darkness was setting in, we were obliged to follow their tracks with all speed, and I, meanwhile, despatched one of my black boys ahead. He, in turn, proved no less difficult to find, but by dint of constant coo-y-ing,f we at length succeeded in rejoining each other. On mustering * Supplies of food for five men for ninety days. Flour 4.50 lbs. Meat 226 do. Sugar 100 do. Tea 14 do. I^«"i • . 5 gallons. We had also a small supply of medicine and lime juice ; a pocket sextant, thermometer, and compass. We also carried an assortment of tools, firearms, and ammunition. The horses amounted to twenty -three. + Coo-oo-oo-y is a shrill treble sound much used in the bush by persons wishful to find each other. On a still night, it will travel a couple of miles, and it is thus highly serviceable to lost or benighted travellers. EXPEDITION TOWARDS MOUNT STUART. 25 the horses, we were glad to find that none were missing ; and, on presently coming to a lagoon, we pitched our first camp.* After a refreshing sleep, we were astir at daylight. Break- fast over, Jemmy and Fisherman brought up the horses, while I repaired saddle straps and branded trees with my initials, f The labours of the previous day had sobered down the horses, and we drove them on Fisherman's guiding track without difficulty, A few hours' ride over a fine, undulating country * As all the operations of encamping are almost uniformly alike, I shall here detail them, in order to avoid the monotony of repetition : — 1. The first thing is to hobble the horses, that is, to fetter their forelegs with a chain, attached to the fetlocks by two straps. But as you must catch your hare before you cook it, so must you first catch the horses, which is not by any means easy when they are wild. This is done by one or two horsemen surrounding and driving them into a group or, so called, "mob." They are then haltered and led singly to the proposed encampment ; there unloaded, and each separate pack covered with the saddle so as to be convenient for the start. 2. Fires are then lit, and water is carried in canvas bags, from the nearest water hole. 3. The rations for the next twenty- four hours are then served out by a specially appointed person, and, in our case, these consisted of I lb. of flour, ~ lb. of meat, with a small quantity of tea, sugar, rum, and lime- juice. 4. As to cooking, each man boils a quart of water in a tin can. When the water boils, the tea is thrown in and allowed to stand a short time with the drinking- tin on the top : so made, tea is considered by bushmen highly palatable. A large quantity of charcoal is then made in preparation for the baking of the "damper," which consists of cakes or bannocks of flour, salt and water. The dried meat is boiled in tin pots, colonially termed " billies." The social pipe finishes the day's work. 5. While the cooking is going on, the tents are being erected on a suitable piece of ground, if possible, previously trenched. The bedding consists of fresh cut grass covered with oilcloth and blankets. As the climate of Australia is so favourable for camping out, tents are sometimes an unnecessary luxury. I frequently dispensed with their use, although, on all sufficiently convenient opportunities, I took care to have them erected, both on account of possible rain and for the sake of discipline. On all occasions we kept our usual watches, except when camping after dark, there being then less danger from the blacks. t I subsequently used the tomahawk instead of the brand, as the latter consumed so much time. The mark was the Government broad arrow and L. — V. and Q. E. (Victoria and Queensland Expedition), to- gether with the number of the camp and the date. 26 EXPEDITION TOWARDS MOUNT STUART. brouglit us to Beame's Brook junction witli tlie Albert, where a boat was in waiting to convey letters to Captain Norman, We waited here a day for two additional horses which were to be forwarded from the depot. Next morning (November 18th), we rode over the entirely unexplored valley of Beame's Brook, leaving which on our left, we struck through the thickly wooded margin of the stream and rode four miles over plains, sparingly dotted, on the lower ground, with clumps of trees. Here we touched upon a bend of Beame's Brook, which, though here above the tidal influence, is, nevertheless, a copious stream confined in a narrow channel. Here we halted for the purpose of marking trees, and for refreshments — the latter consisting chiefly of a bud procured from one of the tall cabbage-tree palms which adorn the banks. This bud makes an excellent salad and was a sufficient repast for our party of five.* Our course now lay over a continuation of the above mentioned grassy plains, on which we noticed various saline herbs, so pleasing to the Squatter's eye. Having been now five hours in the saddle, we were on the look-out for a camping ground. There being indications of a river-course to the north-west, we went in that direction for about a mile, when we came upon a tributary of the Nicholson, which I named the Gregory, f At this point it was parted into four channels, the main one running strong and clear — a by no means common feature of Australian rivers during the dry season. The banks were shaded by the drooping tea-tree, j like a gigantic weeping * Pigweed (Portulaca) is a good substitute, and frequently served us as such. t The Surveyor-General of Queensland, so deservedly distinguished as one of the first and best of Australian Explorers. X Tea-tree, a variety of mela-leuca. EXPEDITION TOWARDS MOUNT STUART. 27 willow, and the swamp-oak,* while tlie higher parts were crowned with flooded box.f On the following morning, while engaged in packing the horses, we observed a number of blacks watching our move- ments from behind trees on the further bank. We approached as near as the river would allow us and addressed them, through Jemmy and Fishemian, but without being understood. However, they appeared disposed to be friendly. Following the right bank about two miles, we reached a point situated at a bend of the river, which, from its position and elevation, would be a good site for a stock station. As the Gregory here crossed our proper route which lay to the south-west, and as it was extremely probable that we should find a feeder on the other side, the ascent of which would answer our purpose, I was anxious to ford the river. But the approach was so boggy as to be inaccessible to the heavily laden pack horses. Soon, however, I was agreeably disap- pointed by the course of the river being more from the south- west, and this held good for a distance of thirteen miles, when we pitched our fourth camp at the junction of a drj' water course with the Gregory. In the course of our journey, we had kept at some distance from the river bank, only occasionally sighting it while cutting off angles. Such glimpses sometimes displayed fine reaches ; in fact, the body of water was so copious, that I could then attribute the cause only to extensive rains in the interior. Accordingly, until I ascertained the source to be local springs at the base of the ranges that form the northern watershed^ * Stoamp-oaJc, a variety of casuarina. t Flooded-box, a variety of the eucalyptus. X Also the southern, as the sequel will show. The geographer's attention is called to this entirely imexpected feature of the Australian Continent. 28 EXPEDITION TOWAEDS MOUNT STUAET. of the Continent, I was buoyed up with the hope of being able to penetrate the country with ease. This district was of the same luxuriant description as that previously traversed, namely, undulating, well grassed, and thinly wooded plains, in the rear, and thickly wooded, alluvial flats, facing the river. The low ground abounded in saline herbage, which our horses relished extremely. Wednesday, November 20t?i. — We were again in motion at eight o'clock. After continuing to skirt the right bank of the Gregory, we found it now trending away from our route ; and we were accordingly anxious, as before, to cross. But for a distance of thirteen miles, the margin of the river was so boggy, and the stream so deep that we had again to encamp without attaining our object. So inaccessible was the river that we could not water the horses ; but the grass being succulent, apparently from recent -showers, our four-footed companions made shift without it. As an addition to our supper we procured two cabbage palm buds ; on this occasion we boiled them, and in that state they reminded us of that most delicious of vegetables, asparagus. By this time, we had discovered that the toils of travelling, jointly with that of night watching, were altogether too fatiguing and harassing to allow of any members of my slender party devoting their attention to fishing and shooting. As regards those toils, it is sufiScient to state that we were awake, and more or less in activity, from dawn till dark ; and that Mr. Campbell, Captain Allison, and myself, alternated the watches after 10 p.m. — up to which hour the black assistants remained on duty. The mirrors of my sextant were so much injured during the shipwreck at Hardy's Island, that the instrument was EXPEDITION TOWARDS MOUNT STUART. 29 useless for observation of the stars. The sun might have been available in winter, but at this season, his position was too vertical to allow of his meridian altitude being taken by means of an artificial horizon. This drawback vexed me exceedingly, and I was therefore much reheved by Captain Allison's suggestion to use the plain as a horizon. The moistness of our present encampment brought such a host of mosquitoes into life, that sleep was next to impossible. "We accordingly started at early dawn, and, after riding five miles, the river began to assume a new character : the channel became broader, and the bed gravelly. Here, therefore, we resolved to cross. We found the western bank so boggy as to require thick layers of grass to be strewn at the more treacherous parts to prevent the horses from sinking. This side of the river was lined with pandarius, with which I became more intimately acquainted than desirable, for, while leading over a restive horse, I stumbled backwards amidst the formidable prickles of that plant, with no better protection than my shirt.* * At our crossing point we marked a tree on the right bank L.4--C. the -}- being the hieroglyphic for " crossed here." CHAPTEE VI. 1Expet)ition totoartJj; i^ount Stuart (continued). Flora of the Gregory — Macadam Creek — Eeturn to the Gregory— The Character of the Country — Pack-Saddles— Rencontre with Natives— Character of the Gregory — Suicide of a Horse — Mount Kay and Stawell Creek — The O'Shannassey — Source of the Lower Gregory. In the hope of discovering a water-course more in our direction,* we diverged to the right a distance of six miles, but without result. Finding we were still in sight of the luxuriant foUage that marked the course of the Gregory, we returned to it, and encamped. In addition to the cabbage palm, tea tree, and pandanus, previously mentioned as fringing the river, I noticed the beautiful broad-leafed Leichhardt ; while the bauhinia,f white cedar,;]: and bloodwood,§ dotted the plains. At the camp we also found marjoram, which forms a good substitute for tea. A ride of three miles, next morning, brought us to a dried-up tributary of the Gregory, which I named the Macadam. In order to see whether or not * It will he observed that my almost invariable plan of exploring country is, by following water courses, whether down or up, according to my direction. In Australia the advantage lies in being thereby tolerably secure of water, and in any country the plan is undoubtedly the best, from a geographical point of view. In doing so, I arrogate no merit to myself further than that of following a traditional practice, originated by such men as Mitchell and Leichhardt. An incidental, but extremely important advantage is, that such tracks are easily traced. This being the understood method of modern exploration, I did not for a moment imagine that Burke had not adopted it. + Hauhinia, a bushy tree with a large white flower, like that of the Sweet Briar. X White Cedar, or Australian lilac {melia Australis) a very ornamental tree, and one of the few deciduous trees of this Continent. § Blood wood, of the Eucalyptus class, secreting gum; hence the name. EXPEDITION TOWARDS MOUNT STUART. 31 it led our way, we ascended its rugged, stony channel four miles and a half, where we found a water-hole. Difficult and uninteresting as this new route proved to be, this must not be regarded as a bad criterion of the surrounding country ; for in all the southern parts of Australia, the best grazing ground often skirts creeks of a similar description.* During the day, the heat had been so oppressive, and we now found the water so tepid, and, from being frequented by ducks and other birds, so oflPensive, that we anticipated a wretched encampment. But later in the day a refreshing breeze braced and enlivened us ; and our better humour was further confirmed by the addition to our evening meal of several ducks and rose-cockatoos, and abundance of little figs plucked from a shady clump of trees hard by. Next morning, after a ride of four and a half miles, with eyes strained on the look out for water, we came upon a remarkably fine reach, three hundred by forty yards in extent, and fenced both above and below by transverse dykes of. whitish basalt. Having watered the horses, and enjoyed a bath, we continued to ascend the Macadam tUl we came in view of a range of hiUs ; and, with the object partly of feasting my eyes on this pleasing variation of the landscape, partly of sketching the outlines and taking the bearings of the hills, I rode out into the plains and made a considerable detour before rejoining my party, who meanwhile plodded their weary way up the creek, vainly trying to find another water-hole. Impatient of our thirst, we were compelled to broach the- leathern bottles, the newness of which had tainted and discoloured the water ; but we drank it with eagerness. * In the south, such a creek as the Macadam is termed a billy bonn^ from the circumstance of the water carrier returning from it with his pitcher {billy) empty {bong, literally dead). 32 EXPEDITION TOWARDS MOUNT STUAET. Heartily disgusted with the Macadam, we turned our backs upon it, and made for our old friend, the Gregory, and, to our great surprise and delight, a short ride brought us to its hospitable banks. The Gregory, at this point, was a quarter of a mile wide, running strong in two channels, the intervening bar being covered with the usual flora. This is, indeed, the finest looking inland river I have seen in Australia, watering rich plains, sufficiently sparsely wooded for all pastoral purposes. Since leaving the depot the country has been uniformly qualified for carrying sheep, except perhaps during the extremes of wet and drought. Nevertheless, parched as the old grass was at the period of my visit, my horses flourished on it as well as if they had been stable fed. This grass was at places three feet high, and patches of green young grass clothed the river side. The following day, being Sunday, we claimed as a day of rest for man and beast ; and, by way of treat, indulged in such luxuries .as our humble stores and the adjoining cabbage palms afforded.* Monday, November 2^th. — ^Early in our start this morning we had to halt for the purpose of adjusting a pack saddle which had already given us constant annoyance. All the others were fortunately constructed on Gregory's principle. f A ride of three miles brought us to an outlet of the Gregory, which we guessed, on good grounds, to be the Macadam, the * Captain Allison here made a traverse table of our course, by which we -were 55 geographical miles south, and 25 west from camp 2 ; and ia latitude SO*" 45', longitude 39° 11'. The thermometer stood at 90'' (J^'ahr.), at 7 a.m. and at 103®, at noon. t The following description of Gregory's principle written by Mr. Baine's for Galton's Art of Travel will be read with interest : — *' The pack saddles were made after a model by Mr. Gregory, and are the best 1 have yet seen. Two boards of light wood are connected by bows of iron, l| inch wide and \ inch thick, with hooks inserted in EXPEDITION TO MOUNT STUAET. 33 partial upward tracing of whicli from a point further down the Gregory had, on the previous Saturday, led us so close to the main river. Doubtless, had we continued to follow the Macadam, we should have emerged on the Gfregory at this point. K so, the Macadam must be one of those subordinate water-courses, peculiar to level countries, which, especially in seasons of floods, diverge from a surcharged river, and after making a circuitous excursion inland, return at some point lower down to their parent stream.* either side, for the pack-bags to hook on to. The straps for the breasting, breechings, and girths, were screwed to the boards ; the crupper passed through a ring on the after bow ; and a light pad, (which could easily be taken out to be restuffed) was secured by small thongs, passed through holes in the ends of the boards. "We had two girths, which, crossed each other under the horse. (In unloading, the neck strap is unbuckled on the near side, also the breasting and girths : and the whole is drawn off behind.) " The pack-bags were made of one width of canvas, turned so aa to have no seam in the bottom. Pear-shaped pieces were sewn in, to form ends, and rope was stitched along the seams, having eyes above, by which the bag was hung upon the hooks. The floxu*-bags were made of canvas, of the usual width, with a round bottom stitched into them. The mouth was sewn up when full, and an oiled bag of the same size drawn over it. "When all our horses were saddled, the word "on packs" was given. Dr. Mueller and I used to work together, and had our packs laid out in pairs ; so that, when each horse was led between his bags, we hooked them on at the same moment. "When we halted, we laid the bags on a couple of poles, to keep them from the ground. " The bags sometimes came off, when we were travelling, but it was generally easy to catch the horse and reload him. "When a horse roUed over, or fell in a river, it was rather an advantage than otherwise to get clear of them. Our water-proof bags were of leather, lined with water- proof cloth, just large enough to fill one of the canvas pack bags. They had a brass neck with a worm inside, in which we screwed a plug of soft wood. (There was rarely, if ever, occasion to use them.) Each pair of bags was carefully balanced, one against the other, that the horses might not be unequally loaded. The average weight of stores carried in each bag was 75 lbs., making a load (at starting) of 150 lbs., exclusive of bags, packages, or saddling. Bells were attached to the necks of the horses most apt to stray, but the clappers were tied up with a piece of thong, to keep them quiet on the march, and were loosened at night so that the sound might guide us in searching for them next morning." * This " ana-branch," as it is colonially termed, is a hydrographic D 34 EXPEDITION TO MOUNT STUART. Separating from my party, I ascended a hill to view tlie country ; and, to my chagrin, it presented to the eye, as far as I could see, a barren and parched surface. On overtaking my companions, I found them in intercourse with a group of blacks — the second we had seen. They were composed of three ugly black women and six children. As before, we could extract no information from them ; and they were so terrified that they kept close to the edge of the water. On presenting a red gravat to one of them her fears were effectually appeased, in confirmation of the truth of Shakespeare's maxim : — "Win her with gifts : For presents in their silent kind, more sure Than words, do win a woman's mind. Indeed she became so affectionate to one of the party that she wished to mount behind him on horseback : but her proffered advances were ungallantly rejected. I had frequently cause to regret our refusal, as her knowledge of the surrounding feature, which is calculated to increase the available space of a dry grazing country to the extent of two thirds. This takes for granted that the Squatter is acquainted with the most approved, though by no means the most general, method of locating his Shepherd's huts. That method consists in pitching the huts, not on the margin of a river, but three miles inland : for, as sheep do not require to be watered daily and as they can easily travel six miles per day, they can be taken, say on Monday from the huts to the river and back ; and on the Tuesday from the huts three miles inland and home again. In accordance with this plan, it must be observed that, instead of three, six miles of country can be utilized. Of course the same principle is applicable to the other side of the river. Eut what I wish ta point out is, the remarkable advantage of an ana-branch running generally parallel, say 12 miles, to the main stream. A second row of Shepherd's huts can then be located, as above, three miles from the branch, and a third row on the other side of it. This gives an increase of 12 miles of available grass country, or two thirds of the whole, or a half of the whole extent of 24 miles, in case the opposite bank of the main river is open to use. In short, a good ana-branch is, in all its practical aspects, equivalent to the addition of a second river or that of artificial wells and dams — always great consumers of capital. EXPEDITION TO MOUNT STTTABT. 85 country would have proved of infinite service to us in a variety of intricate and perplexing positions. The river along our route was now closely confined by hiUs ; the water-holes were deep and long, and the dry parts of the channel were luxuriant with palms and other kindred plants. The grass on these places, though rank, was preferable to that of the banks, where it was quite burnt up. We encamped after a ride of twelve miles. Next morning, after a short excursion on the hills, I rejoined my party en route. The river continued to present similar physical aspects to those of the previous day. Its rugged and bold embankments will show to advantage during the floods. All of my party agreed that the current bore every indication of having a constant flow ; and at a place where we bathed, it was so strong as to carry us oflF our feet. It is, however, generally fordable over the dykes which dam the water holes. November 27. — Ginger, an old black horse, was found missing. At length he was found floating down the stream. Alas, poor Ginger ! he must have been bom under an unlucky star : during the voyage he was so kicked and cuffed by his friends that his features were stamped with melancholy ; and his general air betokened a wretchedness that foreshadowed a premature and violent end. After travelling about eight miles, our path was blocked up by a basaltic hill, which I named Mount Kay. We fetched a compass round it, and, before striking the Gregory again, we crossed a small creek coming from the north-west, which I called the Stawell, On presently arriving at a tolerably comfortable spot for encamping, a halt was called. The country in this district closely resembles the gold bearing d2 36 EXPEDITION TO MOUNT STUAET. districts of the south, and the geological structure is also quartzose and slatey. We had made but little way during this journey, as the country was hilly and broken up — only occasionally varied by grassy plots, sometimes interspersed with Kangaroo grass* — the first we had observed. We also noticed reeds growing in Stawell Creek, and, near our camp, patches of Triodia or Spinifex,| together with bloodwood and marjoram in abundance. On one of the neighbouring ranges, we saw two small natural caves resembling cairns. November 2. — Having yesterday observed nearly opposite Mount Kay the embouchure of a large river on the right bank of the Gregory, I resolved to go over and examine it. After a short delay, occasioned by marking trees and shoeing a horse, I started in company with Fisherman, leaving the rest of the party to continue the journey. On fording the river, we attempted to make a " short cut " across a range of hills. But the ground was so rough that after wasting a good deal of time, we returned to the Gregory, which we followed down till we came to the confluence in question. I named this first-class tributary the O'Shannassey,]: a range of hills that were conspicuous on the right bank, I called Smith's ranges. At the angle by which we approached the junction, the ground is low and so densely wooded that we had to dis- * Kangaroo grass, though of itself possessing excellent properties, is 80 certain an index of humid soil — which is, on the whole, unfavourable to sheep — that I cannot agree with many squatte^-s in their high estimate of country on which it is found. As an illustration : this gras>< flourishes along the sea-board of New South Wales and Queensland, and it is well known that sheep do not fatten so well in these localities as on com- paratively arid inland plains. t Triodia or Spinifex, or porcupine grass, is the worst variety of gra^s to be found in Australia. It is so harsh that sheep will not eat it, except when it has just sprung up, after having been burnt. It sometimes over- runs good country to such extent as to render the latter almost useless. X Then Prime Minister of Victoria. EXPEDITION TO MOUNT STUAET. 37 mount and lead our horses. The trees were chiefly of the fig variety, and inhabited by flying foxes which hung suspended from the branches or kept flitting to and fro. The stream itself, though not equal in point of size, had, like the Gregory, an obviously constant flow ; possibly it drains a larger area of country, and certainly its flood-marks were higher than those of the Gregory. The bottom of the channel was incrusted with a thick, whitish, mineral sediment. Having marked the most conspicuous trees, we hastened to rejoin our companions. But, just beyond our old encampment, we were benighted, and had to pass the night in a miserable, barren gully, fatigued and supperless. Nor was my repose improved by the sting of some reptile, by which I was suddenly awoke. At 5.40. a.m. we were again under weigh, hunger accelerat- ing our movements. We noticed on the right bank the mouths of two creeks — named respectively the Verdon and Balfour. We now passed through a rocky gorge, but we found an easy path along the margin of the channel which the floods had smoothed. A ride of six miles at length brought us to Camp 16, which Mr. Campbell had pitched a quarter of a mile up a tributary of the Gregory, named Haine's Creek. The horses were comparatively well foddered on the grassy plots of the channel. The adjoining country consisted of bare and abrupt ranges of basalt. Next morning we followed up the Gregory, presently arrived at what I may style the source of the Lower Gregory. For, although we here found rapids with about six feet fall of water creating a stream powerful enough to turn a large mill wheel, the channel immediately beyond was all but dry. This surprised and, so far as my journey was concerned, disappointed me. It was now made apparent that the river, whose con- 38 EXPEDITION TO MOUNT STUAET. tinuous and voluminous flow we had been thus far admiring, did not, after all, owe its origin to rains in the interior, but to copious local springs. This is, of course, the best practical guarantee of the permanence of the current from this point ; but, what I propose to style, the Ujyper Gregory partakes of the character of Australian rivers in general, viz., water- courses dependent on the rainy season and therefore inconstant and subject to the extremes of flood and drought. I may add that the state of the banks gave no evidence of rain having fallen and that we carefully tested the continuity of the two channels by crossing the dry bed of Upper Gregory and returning to the rapids by the other bank.* We observed a column of basaltic rock about forty feet high, which I called Campbell's Tower. Although the country was parched, kangaroos were numerous. While making these examinations. Captain Allison occupied himself shoeing the horses in an extempore shed constructed of pahn leaves ; and he performed his work with his usual ingenuity. * That such precautions in arriving at a geographical decision are necessary, is proved by our own subsequent mistake of Beame's Brook effluent for the continuation of the Gregory. (See page 59.) CHAPTER VII. ©ipcDitlon totoarlijJ i^ount Sbtrx&vt (continued). Ascent of the Upper Gregory — Reconnoitring for "Water — Barkley Table-land — Shooting a Kangaroo — Return to Camp— Renewed Search for Water — Return from a Bootless Errand — Herbert Creek — Return to Camp. Tuesday, December 3. — Continuing to follow tlie Upper Gregory, we rode sometimes on this, sometimes on that, side of the channel, in a westerly and south-westerly direction. There was now no difficulty in crossing and recrossing, as the channel was dry, excepting a few isolated water-holes. Basaltic ridges fenced our path : they were sparsely dotted with stunted bloodwood, and over-run with triodia grass. In the channel itself, the grass was coarse, and the herbage poor ; and in exchange for the rich flora of the lower Gregory, we had nothing but the comparatively uninteresting gum tree. But what was a real, practical drawback, the absence of water impressed itself upon us more and more forcibly at every step. At length, however, we stumbled upon a small supply, evidently the product of a recent thunderstorm, and accord- ingly we encamped. Next day, our prospects in regard to water were so cheer- less, that I considered it prudent to call a halt ; for, as the sequel will shew, it was my rigorous custom to make some reservoir, so to speak, the base of my operations, in order to avoid the responsibility of launching my party on ground which afforded no definite guarantee of the existence of water. Accordingly Fisherman and I advanced ahead to 40 EXPEDITION TO MOUNT STUART. reconnoitre, but after a long and fruitless search, were com- pelled to return. I was additionally disappointed on learning that Jemmy had just returned from a similar bootless errand. He had, however, seen smoke to the southward, arising doubtless from natives' fires, which are a fair indication of the proximity of water. Mr. Campbell and Jemmy took up the search on the following day, and after traversing, to a point six miles south- tvest, barren country intersected by dry gullies, they came to a very wide river-bed in which they found a native well, but even this was quite dry. Thence descending the channel, they emerged on the Gregory at a point four miles from the camp. These and other repeated failures began to cause me great anxiety, as our further progress was checked by the sudden and unexpected deficiency in question. I therefore resolved upon a more extended expedition, with the view of setting the matter at rest. Provided with a led-horse to carry provisions and water-bags, Jemmy and I ascended that tributary of the Gregory, named by me the Fullarton. We travelled eight long miles over arid rocky ground, growing nothing but bloodwood and triodia, "We here found ourselves on a fine table-land (probably 1,000 feet, above the sea-level), which contains the main watershed of this district.* I named this Barkley Table Land.f We now coursed gaily along, charmed with the change from the rugged ground of the previous day * This is, in fact, a continuation of the great chain or Cordillera which encircles all but the west coast line of the continent, from King Gei^rge's Sound, easterly, northerly, and westerly, to Port Essington. t After Sir Henry Barkley, K.G.B., late Governor of Victoria, who was ever ready to forwarrl, by his active zeal and personal influence, the work of exploration, bo warmly entered into by the munificent Victorians. EXPEDITION TO MOUNT STUAET. 41 to a finely undulating, park-like plateau. We were no longer required to expend our s)rmpatliies on our faithful horses, exposed as their feet had lately been to being cut and hacked by the stones, and torn in the legs by the harsh clinging stems of the triodia. The soil was richly clothed with the best grasses, which, though parched, proved a dainty treat to our half -famished horses. Trees were rare, and, to the south- west, none at all were visible. Having ridden eight miles southerly, we espied a kangaroo. Jemmy forthwith dismounted, and, rifle in hand, proceeded to stalk him. The animal presently succumbed to the deadly weapon, and great was Jemmy's delight as he contemplated this palpable proof of his prowess. We skinned the body and hung it on a tree, covering it with boughs for protection. A ride of a mile brought us to a fresh water course, furnished with water-holes ; so that we considered ourselves altogether in luck. This Creek I named the Pratt.* The following day, after a ride of nine and a half hours, we rejoined our companions at the camp on the Gregory. The journey was interrupted by only three halts, for the purpose, namely, of dining, marking a tree at the junction of the Fullarton with the Gregory, and of packing the carcass of the Kangaroo, before mentioned. We were rewarded for the protection which the branches afforded our booty by finding it in a state of excellent preservation : otherwise, the eagle, hawk, and wild dog would have left us nought but the skeleton.! Monday, December 8th. — We were glad to remove to the * After Sir Thomas Pratt, K.C.B., Commander of the Yictoria Forces. t As regards the animals of prey which frequent Australia, the wild dog, or "dingo," is perhaps the most destructive ; and he is particularly 42 EXPEDITION TO MOUNT STUAET. water-hole at Pratt Creek ; but as the supply of water was inadequate to our wants, Jemmy and I devoted the following day to a fresh exploration. Surmounting the right bank of the Creek, we steered east north-east, a little to the right of it. At three miles, we observed smoke rising in the distance. As this showed the existence of a native encampment, we became hopeful of finding water. But, after a steady ride, till dusk, over rugged ground, we could not guess whether or not we had passed the desired place. Our only halts were for the purpose of stalking a kangaroo, in which we were unsuccessful, and of procuring a honeycomb from a hollow tree.* Next morning, we retraced our steps, with jaded and thirsty horses, ourselves being in an equally bad state. We continued to search every nook and cranny in vain. But, towards evening, we were cheered by observing recent traces of the obnoxious to the squatter ; for besides sheep, he is daring enough to attack calves and foals. The means employed to extirpate him are chiefly that of poison. Parcels of fat or carrion, impregnated with strychnine, are hung on low bushes or accessible trees. Where these means are largely employed, the decrease of the dog is attended with a corresponding increase of game. In the region west of Melbourne, for example, kangaroos and opossums have increased to the extent of becoming a pest ; as many of the former as 800 having been shot in one day. The carrion crow abounds in the south, the hawk in the north. The former, of course, haunt sheep stations, for the sake of preying upon chickens, &c., and they have been known to snatch food out of children's hands. They will follow a horseman riding over a plain, in order to pick up the grasshopper and other insects which are startled by his passage over the ground. * "Wild honey is common in the bush : the pasturage is abundant and the bees find a convenient domicile in hollow trees. The English domestic bee is rapidly spreading over Australia and has already, in many places, practically displaced the indigenous one ; for the simple reason, that the former yields a honey harvest twenty times in excess of that of the latter. The blacks are marvellously cunning in tracing the flight of the bee to his hive. Sometimes they adopt the expedient of catching one, and loading him with as much down as he can carry, so as to follow his homeward track with the greater ease. EXPEDITION TO MOITNT STUABT. 43 emu — a bird seldom seen far from water. Presently these and other birds made their appearance, but still no water I The birds seemed only to stultify us by their bitter mocking : " We know where it is, but you foolish fellows cannot find it." Matters were not mended by the break-down of Jemmy's horse, which had to be left behind in Barrow's Creek. Fortunately, however, we had a pack-horse in reserve. At length, we stumbled on a recently dried-up hole, where, by dint of assiduous probing with a stick, and grubbing with our hands, we found just sufficient water to quench our own thirst, and to supply the horses with two quarts each. Having hobbled our two exhausted horses, we went on foot down Barrow's Creek to its junction with the Pratt. Two miles up the latter, we were rewarded by the discovery of a hole containing a few gallons of water. Approaching to drink, I was startled by the appearance of a large snake that was luxuriating in this rare and precious bath. This was the first snake, of any kind, seen in these parts. We then returned and picked up the horses, with which we arrived at the fresh water-hole at 3 o'clock a.m. Throughout the fatigues and hardships of this journey of twenty-two hours, Jemmy neither grumbled, nor betrayed the slightest sign of weariness. I may here state once for all, that, during the whole journey. Jemmy and Fisherman never flinched from the performance of their duties ; they proved, on all occasions, not only skilful and energetic, but willing and cheerful assistants. On Wednesday, after a welcome rest of a few hours, we started for the camp by way of Pratt Creek. On our route we discovered two water-holes, one of them being sufficiently large to fall back upon in case supplies should fail us in the S.W. 44 EXPEDITION TO MOUNT STUART. On my arrival, I was relieved to find tliat the blacks had not discovered tlie camp, as it was inadequately defended. 1 was also glad to learn that Mr. Campbell bad recovered from a severe illness from wbicb be bad been suffering, and wbicb bad occasioned a delay while on our way hither from the Gregory. Next morning, I started with Fisherman on an expedition to the S.W. over Barkley Table-land. We first followed up Pratt Creek in order to fill our water-bags at a hole which Fisherman knew. A ride of ten miles over a level plateau brought us to the highest part of the Table-land — ^but no water was in sight. Thence we rode across a treeless plain fourteen miles in extent, and at sun-down reached a dry southerly water-course crowded with acacias. Having supped, we traced the new water-course — which I named the Herbert — till we came to a patch of grass, two miles distant. The grass was green, apparently not from the fertilizing effects of water, but from having had the old grass previously burned. In the course of the day we had travelled thirty miles, chiefly over fine country, doubtless destined to rank as a first- class sheep run. Next day, our small stock of water forbade our risking a long journey down the Herbert. We con- sequently limited it to six miles, and then retraced the ground of the previous day till we airrived at the north-east side of the above-mentioned plain. It was now dark, and, being drowsy, I gave the lead to Fisherman. As his bushmanship was rarely at fault, I was surprised to observe, towards mid- night, that he had lost the track. I at once gave my horse the reins, but instead of conducting us to camp, he made straight for a creek, where we shortly found a water-hole. Observing on the edge of the water natives' nets for snaring EXPEDITION TO MOUNT STUAET. 45 emu and bustards, and also fires lit on the bank, we tbougbt it prudent to pitch our camp on a plain about two miles distant. This creek is a tributary of the O'Shannassey, which doubtless, in common with Pratt Creek, is a feeder of the Gregory. These, along with Herbert Creek, are all formed on Barkley Table-land : the Herbert is, however, as I have said, the Southern drain, and though it was, at the period of our visit, dry at its source, it is quite consistent with the idiosyncrasies of AustraHan water-courses for it to be a large and extensive river, further south. Next morning, we were in our saddles at early dawn ; and ere long came upon a fresh river-bed, adorned with cabbage palms, tea trees, and such plants as love streams ; but the channel was then dry. Having lost our reckoning, we steered in a straight line, which fortunately proved the direct road to camp. As the water-hole there had dried up in our absence, our companions had moved three miles higher up Pratt Creek, where we gladly rejoined them.* * Captain Allison having made several observations of the snn, I was glad to find that the latitude I had obtained by dead reckoning coincided with his result, viz., 19° 24'. CHAPTER VIII. 0a:pct)(t{ott tofoart)!5 J^ount .^tuart (continued). Character of Barkley Table-land — Darvall Creek — Examination of the Herbert for Water — Mary Lake — Removal of the Camp thither — Christmas Day— Rencontre with an Elderly Pair of Blacks — Desert Country again — Hopelessly Arid and Sterile — Resolution to return. Camp 18, December 19. — ^To day we shifted tte camp, seven miles south to Clifton Creek, where we were constrained to pass the night, by the uncertainty of procuring water further on. In the afternoon a thunder storm suddenly burst upon us, and we were presently charmed with the rare sight of a running stream. Next morning, we skirted Barkley Table-land on the southern side. The soil of this part, like that to the south-west, is excessively rich and beautifully grassed. It enjoys the advantage of being near the O'Shannassey, the waters of which I subsequently ascertained to be permanent. At the lowest estimate, therefore, six miles of the back country are available for grazing purposes.* And it is highly probable that permanent water-holes exist further inland, which my cursory exploration may have easily overlooked. If not, the construc- tion of wells and dams would enable the Squatter to embrace a considerable area of this excellent grass. We next alighted on the water-course named Darvall Creek ; and thence proceeding a similar distance, we arrived at what I have called the Wilkie, where the discovery of a pool tempted * See note, page 34. EXPEDITION TO MOUNT STUART. 4i US to encamp. We separated next day, into two water- exploring parties — Darvall Creek being the appointed rendez- vous. Eesult, nil. Darvall Creek appeared to be tbe only water-resource within our present circuit. Its banks slope gently from the plains, and instead of rugged stones and triodia, consist of rich soil and succulent grasses. We soon moved three miles higher up to a water-hole of superior character. And our supper was enriched by the addition of a bustard to our usual fare.* On Friday (December 20th), I made a fresh attempt to penetrate south-west, taking with me an extra supply of water in double canvas bags. Steering straight for the old goal at the head of the Herbert, Jemmy, Fisherman, and I advanced as pioneers. On the second morning, on taking stock of the water, I thought it advisable to send Fisherman back, in order to lessen the consumption of our greatest and rarest treasure, j- With Jemmy I descended the Herbert six miles, that being the point where Pring Creek joins that river, and where I had marked a tree on the occasion of my previous journey thither. The gift of prevision on that occasion would have directed us to a water-hole three quarters of a mile beyond, and saved us the loss of much valuable time. We now procured a few gallons of water from it. Having ridden upwards of five miles down a completely dry bed, we at length stumbled on some water in the hollow of a rock. As a number of small birds appeared to have appropriated it, I felt like a robber in depriving them of their treasure ; but let us hope * Captain Allison fixed the latitude of the late encampment at 19° 37'. t For a detailed description of this method of reconnoitring barren countries^ I refer the reader to that excellent and thoroughly practical handbook, the Art of Travel. Page 144, &c. 48 EXPEDITION TO MOUNT STUABT. that my sacrilegious act was sanctioned by the great law of necessity. Two long miles further on brought us to the embouchure of another creek, named the Harvey, where we saw several flocks of pigeons, but no water. Half a mile lower down, we observed a singular deep, dry pit, on the left bank of the Herbert ; but whether or not it was artificial, I was unable to determine. Three miles further brought us to a magnificent water hole, about a quarter of a mile in length, which I named Mary Lake. The abundance of mussel shells, and the hacked condition of the trees, combined with the scarcity of dry firewood, clearly showed it to be a favourite resort for the blacks. The discovery of Mary Lake was so decisive of our future course, that I at once made for Darvall Camp ; and, on the following day, a ride of nine hours and a half, or twenty-one geographical miles, brought all of us to our new destination. Mary Lake. Christmas Day, — Here we spent yesterday and to-day, tempted chiefly by the excellence of the grass, and the pleasantness of the place for a festive sojourn. We had, besides, a good deal to do in the shape of smith's work and general repairs. Mr. Allison and I set to work to shoe Mr. Campbell's foot-sore horse, which, as amateurs, we accomplished, certainly with great difficulty, but fortunately to our own satisfaction. A grand difficulty in the operation was fitting the shoes accurately and punching holes of an unusual description, for as we laboured under the want of suitable nails, we had to use screw nails in their stead. We relieved the tedium of this work with duck shooting, and ended each day with a hearty and jovial meal. In the course of a ride down the Herbert, with Jemmy, I found the channel level and broad, and so overgrown with EXPEDITION TO MOUNT STUART. 49 grass as to present the appearance of a sward. The grass was greener than that on the banks, which rose, on both sides, to a considerable height. At four and a-half miles we reached a fine water hole, named Frances Lake, where we surprised a pair of blacks — the one a grey-haired old man, the other, also old, was the chosen partner of his joys and sorrows, or, less floridly, his "gin." She seemed as anxious for the safety of four poodles, one of which she hugged to her bosom as fondly as any of her " civilised " sisters of the beau monde are in the habit of doing with their correspond- ing pets. On our approach, however, she abandoned her canine treasures and rushed into the water, but afterwards, following the example of her inferior half, she took refuge in a tree. Jemmy tried in vain to hold an intelligible con- versation with them. Thursday, D&cember 26. — We moved our camp further down the river. After proceeding eight miles. Captain Allison fixed our latitude at 20*^ 6'. At this place, the character of the country presented a remarkable contrast to that which we had just left. The river here multiplied into several channels, which wandered free and unconfined over dead level plains. The large amount of drift indicated that the country was occasionally flooded. The entire district appeared like a dreary wilderness : the grass was completely burnt up ; the salt bush and trees, rare as they were, had lost their vitality ; and the waterless waste seemed altogether to forbid our further progress. On the return of Jemmy — whom I had sent ahead on purpose — with what I understood to be an unfavorable report of water resources, we retreated four miles to a water-hole. 50 EXPEDITION TOWAEDS MOUNT STUABT. named Kenellan.* Here we again encountered our aged friend of Francis Lake, in company witli some of his tribe. They, in common with the natives of the north coast, appeared to have practised the rite of circumcision ; their word for water seemed to be " otto ;" they were vastly pleased with the gift of a tin pot and two empty bottles. Being loath, on all avoidable occasions, to encamp in the neighbourhood of blacks, I was not sorry to learn from Jemmy, on making more minute inquiries, that I had misunderstood his report of the absence of water ahead. We accordingly hastened to a water-hole now mentioned by him as being about six miles lower down. "We were agreeably disappointed on finding a country once more smiling with verdure, abounding in water, and altogether presenting a strikingly favorable contrast to the desert above described ; so completely had the presence of water changed the aspect of a country of identi- cally the same physical features as those of the neighbour- ing desert. This observation wiU not unfrequently be found to be the key to the discrepancies of various Australian explorers. For example, Sturt, in his account of the Darling river, gave, from the simple fact of the period of his visit being a dry season, a gloomy picture of a locahty which has subsequently proved to be one of the finest sheep districts in N. S. Wales. But our hopes were destined to be of short duration. The region in which we now were was as Uttle a sample of the country beyond, as it was of that immediately in our rear ; for, six miles further on, we were fain to content ourselves with just as much water as slaked the thirst of the horses. * Gallic for " last water.** EXPEDITION TOWARDS MOUNT STUART. 51 Beyond this, no water had come down the Herbert, and a twenty miles ride over arid plains, which were simply a repeti- tion of the wilderness before alluded to, once more seemed to warn us to go " thus far and no farther." Leaving the main portion of my party behind as usual in such cases, I advanced ahead, with Jemmy and Fisherman, along the channel, the banks of which were here more wooded than higher up. But a ride of three miles was sufficient to convince me of the thoroughness of the drought, and con- sequently of the utter hopelessness of going further on this track. The position was lat. 20^ 17' long. 138^ 20', the lati- tude being precisely the same as that reached by Gregory in his expedition of 1856, from the Victoria river. Then, at a point six hundred and fifty miles further west (long. 127*^ 30'), he had to retreat from a similar cause. This lugubrious region was appropriately presided over by immense quantities of hooded owls. On rejoining my companions we moved to a small pool four miles higher up the Herbert and encamped. It was with the deepest regret that I was compelled to admit the impracticability of continuing this journey to its destina- tion. Central Mount Stuart- Personally I was vexed at the necessity for leaving a fixed and defined plan incomplete ; but, in yielding to it, I was actuated by a combination of motives : — ^Firstly, I had ere this surrendered the small hope I always entertained of finding traces of Burke on this route ; secondly, my engagement with Captain Norman to be at the depot within ninety days, forty three of which were already exhausted, did not allow of my waiting here for the approach of the wet season, when, on the one hand, the continuance of the journey would have doubtless been practicable, but, on the other, my return at aU near the appointed time would then probably E 2 . 52 EXPEDITION TOWARDS MOUNT STUAET. have been protracted by floods ; thirdly, the more extended and more hopeful expedition which I had planned rendered it important that my horses should arrive at the depot in such a condition that a short rest would suffice to recruit them. CHAPTER IX. lExpctttton tofoariJ0 il^ount y the hope of the continuance of the showery weather which had favored this day's journey. The following morning found us at Fort Bowen, with abundance of springs at both the northern and southern base. On the former mounds were formed, from an aqueous precipi- tate, composed of soda, lime, and earthy matter — a pheno- menon not unknown in South Australia. The compound, as I once personally experienced, acts as an efficient substitute for sulphate of zinc, &c,, in opthalmic diseases. The mounds in question were environed by reeds and tea-trees. The addition ♦of weeping willows, and other trees, would enhance the beauty of the spot, when chosen as a site for a station. On ascending the hill, which is about two hundred feet high, we saw, through the dense mist that enveloped the summit, two small ■conical hills, situated near the right bank of the river and therefore in our course : the one I named Mount Brown, the -other Mount Little. Thinly wooded plains occupied the inter- vening space ; and the river on the left bank appeared to be thickly wooded. The chief geological characteristic of Fort Bowen appeared to be pudding-stone. Descending towards our ^encampment about seven miles distant, I left Mr. Bourne and -Jacky to overtake me at their leisure, with as much game as they could bag. They very soon rejoined me, laden with * After Sir George Bowen, K.G.C., Governor of Queensland. 76 EXPEDITION OVERLAND TO MELBOURNE. cockatoos whieli were so abundant that tlie trees, on wHch they were found, seemed one mass of white. It was a pity- that our supply of ammunition was insufficient for the purpose of kilHng them in large quantities, as in a dried state they would have served as an excellent reserve stock of provisions. Next day, from the weather being showery and the wind cold and northerly, the horses had dispersed so much that the best part of the day was consumed in collecting them. We therefore thought it best to remain here another night. During his work, Jacky killed a couple of snakes — the firsts but one, we had seen. He got a harmless bite for his pains,, but satiated his revenge by discussing the reptiles at supper. On our arrival at the bottom of Mount Little, we found shallow water-holes, and also springs similar to those above described. From the summit — to which we had ascended in order to build a cairn — we surveyed plains of the richeat description, fresh and green from recent rains. The river here has a deep current, and its permanence was guaranteed by the presence of tea-trees, that fringed the banks. The black boys got drenched during the night by a sudden and violent shower. They were so amused by the adventure, that I feared any words of mine on the importance of having their tents erected would have been out of place.* The eighteen miles of ground gone over on the following day presented a new feature, the plains were intersected by sandy ridges, and the country, as a whole, appeared to be more retentive of moisture than that further north. The river banks were wooded with box, gidya, and exoecaria ; the * As an old traveller I may be permitted to point out the imprudence of needlessly getting wet, more especially where one's wardrobe is necessarily scanty. Two of my boys suffered severely from their incau- tious exposui'e. EXPEDITION OVERLAND TO MELBOURNE. 77 ridges, witli bauhinia and brushwood ; the herbage consisted of grass, pigweed, saltbash, and roley-poley.* March 1st. — In the course of to-day's journey of twenty miles, our progress was obstructed at various points, by what we imagined to be creeks, but what ultimately proved to be back-channels, or offshoots from the river. We had therefore spent much pains for nothing, as we should have enjoyed plain sailing by pursuing a more inland track. Early in the journey we came upon abundance of bushes like the English box, bearing extremely agreeable berries. We cut off sprays, -and ate the berries as we rode along. Those bushes, by and bye, gave place to the cotton vine, the unripe pods of which were milky and quite palatable. Next day, being Sunday, we had made up our minds to -devote to rest ; but the presence of blacks — the first seen -since leaving the Albert — rendered it imprudent to remain. We accordingly removed to a spot five miles distant during a torrent of rain, which continued to keep us weather- bound for two days. But the blacks evinced so little curiosity with reference to ourselves or our movements, that they did not trouble themselves to follow us. Near our next encampment, nineteen miles higher up the river, my black boys caught five opossums, which, inclusive of a number of rats, afforded them a sumptuous supper. These rats seemed to me of the Norway breed, and they are as distinguished for their fecundity in the bush as elsewhere. In scouring the plains the tramp of the horses would fre- quently demolish their burrows, thus sending them abroad * Eoley-poley is an annual salsolaceous plant, of the form of a ball, several feet high, easily broken from its stem, and rolled along by the •winds ; hence its name. It is a habitat of rich plains, and withers in the diy season. 78 EXPEDITION OVERLAND TO MELBOUENE. in such a hurry-scurry tliat we easily killed tliem with our whips. When roasted, they looked really so tempting that^ barring their odious tails, they almost vanquished the " civi- lised " prejudice I had entertained against them. In our next journey, we were brought to a stand-still by a creek that crossed our path. Having despatched my party to trace it downwards, I swam across for the purpose of taking the altitude of the sun from a plain on the farther bank.* On rejoining my companions, I found them brought to a dead halt at the angle formed by the outlet of the creek from the river, and where it was necessary to encamp. The position was a rather hazardous one, as a sudden rise of the flood, so peculiar to Australian rivers, would have swept us away. Fortunately, however, it subsided so much during the night, that, notwithstanding the bogginess of the approach and the consequent objection, on the part of the horses, to enter the water, we managed to cross. To our intense disgust, a ride of four and a-half miles presented us with a repetition of the same task — with the additional dis- advantage that this creek was not fordable. Being, therefore, unable to wade over, as before, with the- saddles and packs on our heads, we had to resort to the following expedient for transporting those ai-ticles in a dry state. Tying them respectively to the middle of a rope (the length of which was at least twice the breadth of the stream), and then passsing one end of the rope over the fork of a tree on the further bank, they were easily and safely drawn over. The only special precaution was that of pulling the near end of the rope so tight as to prevent the load from touching the water ; and the only piece of * Lat. 20° 23'. EXPEDITION OVERLAND TO MELBOURNE. 7^ apparatus we required for rendering tlie macliine perfect was that of a pulley, so as to allow tlie rope to travel easily, and without being chafed or cut.* March 7. — Admirably fitted as these sparsely wooded plains appeared to me, in a utilitarian point of view, they occasionally also present features of interest to the lover of nature. The extensiveness of a landscape, where the eye is provided with a variety of resting points, in the shape of groops of umbrageous trees or undulating lines of hills — possesses of itself no mean chamis. This morning, for example, the foreground is occupied by the ever-green box and the excoecaria, with the other usual varieties of trees, festooned with lovely creepers ; beyond these, the horses ar& feeding peacefully on a rich grassy plain, stretching to the distant horizon, which is marked by blue mountains, with all their fine gradations of tint. It was of no practical conse- quence that the advancing sun dissolved that rigid back-ground into thin air, and betrayed the fact, that it had rested its pretentions on a, so called, mirage. For, had I not enjoyed the fiction" in blissful ignorance of its unreality ? The much more elevated character of the embankment satisfied me that our fording troubles were, for the present, at an end. This region was, as I have said, remarkably well adapted for pastoral purposes. Of course, however, the intelli- gent settler will plant seeds at the beginning of the wet season, so as to have plants with deep roots. This, together with the erection of tanks, and wells in the back country, would enable him to graze at least twice the quantity of stock that the land * The importance of bush travellers providing themselves on all occasions with a rope will be rendered apparent by this single example of its utiUty. 80 EXPEDITION OVERLAND TO MELBOUENE. ^ is, otlierwise, competent to carry. In tlie course of tliis day's , journey of sixteen miles, I obtained the altitude of the sun ;* •; and met with, polygonumf on a shallow water-course. ; We continued to traverse the usual fine description of | country, with more of that undulating character to which i the term '•' downs " is applied by squatters, and which is | preferred by them to all others. I named this Hervey Downs. Cantering with Jemmy to the river bank in order ] to obtain a suitable place for obtaining the sun's altitude, ;|: i I had an extensive view of the surrounding country ; to the j westward, about ten miles distant, I observed a long belt of i trees which probably marks the course of some stream parallel j to the Flinders. On rejoining our companions we hastened to ] complete a journey of sixteen miles, in joyful anticipation of a j rest on the following day. We always looked forward to our Sunday's rest ; and, I may say, that I learnt during this ■ exploration thoroughly to appreciate that admirable institu- i tion ; and its celebration, let us hope, was rendered none the ' less perfect by the addition of a few luxuries to our ordinary ; rations of damper, jerked meat and pigweed, viz., that of i pea-soup for luncheon and rice and jam for dinner. Simple j as these dainties may appear to the reader, we enjoyed them j with childish zest. j Having noticed the recent tracks of a cow or small bullock, j Mr. Bourne, Fisherman, and Jacky set out on Monday morning ] in quest of it. Their re-appearance on Tuesday dissolved our | * Lat. 20° 37' 30 sec. | t A wiry, scrubby bush, the same as that on the Lower Murray and 1 the Darling, where it is considered of high value, as it not only stands j the long drought of summer, but is even then sufficiently succulent to i be palatable to cattle. It is generally an index of ground subject to ] floods. ; 1 Lat. 28<» 48'. EXPEDITION OVERLAND TO MELBOURNE. 81 bright hopes of a luscious beefsteak. It is probable, that the object of our aspirations had beer frightened by the blacks from some run near Port Denison,* as his homeward tracks pointed south-east. March 12. — Since the ascent of the Flinders was now leading us to the eastward of our course, we crossed the river at a point marked by a fall of several feet over flags of sand- stone. Having ridden thence twenty miles to the eastward, we encamped on a tributary stream, named by me the O'Connell. The country consisting of well grassed, and thinly wooded downs, corresponded to that of the right side of the Flinders. Next day, having again espied the bullock's spoor, we fol- lowed it up as far as the Flinders. Here, in despair of success, we abandoned the search with longing regrets ; and encamped a few miles higher up. Here and there low ridges, wooded with acacia, confine the river. I named a consider- able range near our encampment (but on the right bank) Bramston range. We descried a few blacks on one of the flats ; pigeons, cockatoos, quail, and hawks were abundant. On the following day we observed more blacks down on the low flats. On being approached, all ran away, except some gins and children who concealed themselves in a water-hole. * Port Denison, 380 miles distant. The case recorded in the text is not uncommon. Cattle and horses have been known frequently to return to their original homes five hundred miles distant. A horse of my own twice returned that distance. "When cattle brought to a new station are not well looked after, they are apt to stray in the direction of their native home. The following plan for attaching them to a new place has been found to be successful : — For several weeks, the cattle are herded and brought to the yard every night, where they are tended by watchmen till morning. Or, they are allowed to feed unconstrained all night, and driven, in the morning, to the encampment where they are kept all day. Cattle, thus trained, rush to the encampment immediately on hearing the sharp crack of the stockman's whip. G 82 EXPEDITION OVEELAND TO MELBOUENE. ! They soon, however, emerged and assembled on the bank, on \ which stood their coolamans,* full of rats. The old gins were ' profuse in their offers of the wives of the men who had taken \ flight. We declined with thanks ; though Jacky seemed ■ already transfixed by Cupid's darts, and was ready to surrender ■ ; his heart and hand to one of the " pretty little ratcatchers' ; daughters." Jemmy, however, regarded them, and wedded i life to boot, with cynical indifference. I presume he had seen : domestic bliss under unusual and disadvantageous circum- I stances. The young damsels had fine eyes, pearly teeth, and i an agreeable expression of countenance ; and one about ten ; years of age was adorned with a large bone which perforated j the cartilage of the nose.f The children looked particularly \ lively and intelligent. Jemmy understood a few words of , their dialect, but insufiicient for any intelligible conversation. • Their word for water, " cammo," I caught while they were | in the act of filling our cans. We encamped a short distance ■ up a tributary of the Flinders, named by me Sloane creek, j We found in the water a quantity of mussels, which we j relished extremely. : Half way to our next encampment, we crossed a tributary ' stream named Walker's Creek, which drained finely grassed \ downs. Our camp was environed with myall, ;{: and an inferior - kind of sandalwood. The latter, which is also found near J I Port Curtis, has been introduced into the market, though, I \ believe, with indifferent success. This I know, that it makes ; i * The nob of a tree cut off and hollowed, generally used as a cala- bash. * \ t This possibly originates in some ceremony, as many blacks have the '] cartilage perforated. It is often put to practical use by serving as a ! temporary rack for the tobacco pipe. j J Acacia pendula ; but this appeared to be a different variety from : that of the south. EXPEDITION OVEELAND TO MELBOURNE. 83 excellent fuel, its resin emitting a clear candle-like flame and its fragrant smoke acting as a specific against the intrusions of tlie villainous musquito. Myall is a never-failing index of good sheep country : in a parched season, it forms a good substitute for grass, as both sheep and cattle are fond of it. Hence I made an excursion across to Bramston's ranges, as I wished to inspect three table-hills at their eastern end. After fording the river, we alighted on indistinct tracks of some expedition party supposed by me to be those made by Walker en route north-west from the Nogoa to Albert river depot. A ride of a mile brought us to. the base of the range, covered in some places with black earth growing luxuriant grass, while in others perforated basalt lay above a sandstone structure. From the summit I saw, about fifteen miles up the left bank of the Flinders, an isolated table mountain, which I named after my brother explorer, Mr. Walker. During our descent, we collected a stock of marjoram, to serve as a March 17. — At ten miles, we were compelled to halt on account of Gleeson's indisposition. He, as well as Jemmy and Fisherman, continued to suffer from debility for several weeks. The only apparent causes were the miasma of the season and poverty of diet. I thought of prescribing tonics for their malady, but as the effect of these would have been to sharpen their appetites for food that had only a shadowy existence, it seemed to me nothing short of mockery to apply them. Stimulants would doubtless have been beneficial, but this would have been more absurd than the pre- scription of sumptuous diet and recherche wines to invalid * "We marked trees on both banks of the river at a point where a tributary joins it on the right bank. G 2 84 EXPEDITION OVERLAND TO MELBOURNE. paupers, for, in fact, we had none, except a pint of rum, which it was important to preserve for more urgent emer- gencies. We encamped two nights in the neighbourhood of Walker's Table mountain, the one night on a flat wooded with myall, the other on the left bank of the river. The country is not only excellent, but also of a picturesque character. The gum and bloodwood trees, on the flats of the right bank, are better adapted for building than any specimens of timber we have seen since leaving the Albert. Walker's Table mountain is composed of sandstone and grassed with triodia. The view from its summit embraced a long line of the lower course of the river, and a small portion of the upper course, closed in by confining ranges. We finally abandoned the Flinders after a two miles' ride, on the following day. At that point the channel was one hundred and twenty yards wide, covered with quicksand, over the lower surface of which meandered a stream of modest pretensions, as the rapid absorption of its waters forcibly indicated. This point is three hundred miles from the estuary. CHAPTER XII. 1£ipel)itton ©berlanlJ to iKelbournc (continued.) Change of Route — Part of the Australian Cordillera — Cornish Creek — Tower Hill — Suspicious Behaviour of Blacks — Character of the Country — Bowen Downs — Intercourse with Friendly Blacks — Attempt to Cross to the Barcoo — The Thomson — Wittin, our Guide — His Disappearance. As the Flinders now trended too much to the eastward, we abandoned her pleasant waters for the purpose of reaching the Barcoo, which lay directly to the southward of us. We accordingly steered south for fourteen miles, and en- camped at the head of a tributary of Cornish creek, which, in turn, is a tributary of the Landsborough river ; this, again, joins the Thomson, and as the Thomson is one of the feeders of the Barcoo — known lower down under the name of Cooper's creek — our new track was clear and well- defined.* In our journey to Cornish creek we crossed part of the Australian Cordillera. Although some of the neighbouring heights were about 2,000 feet above the level of the sea, a wheeled vehicle might easily have been driven along our route. The soil is poor ; wooded with iron barkf * A glance at the map will show the central character of this spot. The head of the Barcoo river was discovered by Sir T. Mitchell, who named it the Victoria Biver. He fancied that its outlet would be at Carpentaria. Kennedy was sent to trace it, but the completeness of the drought, some distance below the junction of the Thomson, com- pelled him to return. He guessed the Barcoo, however, to be the head of Cooper's Creek. Subsequently, Gregory, on following it down, on his way to South Australia, ascertained this to be the case. As there is a river in Northern Australia called the Victoria, the native name, Barcoo, is now applied to the river in question. t Iron-bark belongs to the class Eucalyptus. 86 EXPEDITION OVEELAND TO MELBOURNE. and blood- wood, and grassed with triodia. In the valleys, the pasturage was good, and the trees were of the acacia class. March 27. — We expended three days in tracing the southerly creek forty-six miles. The water was copious, and the bed consisted of sandstone, the structure of the holes being such as to fit them well for reservoirs. Sheep, to do well here, must be run in small flocks ; for, although there is a fair supply of excellent grass along the creek, triodia is superabundant. This grass is certainly better than nothing, as sheep will eat it willingly enough when it is sprouting, and when more advanced it is preferred by them to starvation. Near camp, which was pitched on a small westerly feeder of the Cornish, we observed dray tracks, distinct enough on the flats, but, on the ridges, imperceptible. These were satisfactory indications that we should find a station on Bowen Downs, a few miles to the south. In a neighbouring water-hole, Mr. Bourne caught a quantity of small fish, and Fisherman gathered a supply of mussels. A ride of seven miles across country presented us with three different varieties of land : first, barren ridges wooded with iron-bark and bloodwood ; second, flats covered with myall, sandalwood, gidya, and saline herbage ; and lastly, fine undulating grass country. From a height I descried, with intense pleasure. Tower Hill, fifteen miles distant, which marked the terminus of a previous expedition of mine, from Eockhampton. On reaching it, on the following day, I was glad to find I had made no mistake, which one is extremely apt to do where the hills are so much alike, their general form being that of pyramidal mounds, topped with ruins. EXPEDITION OVEELAND TO MELBOURNE. 87 The surrounding country consists of treeless downs, tlie de- pressions being wooded with myall and gidya. Both soil and grass excellent. We pitched our camp on the margin of a chain of ponds, half a mile to the east of Tower Hill, where I had the satis- faction of showing my previously marked trees to my com- panions, as a tangible proof of my knowledge of the country thenceforward. Their hopes were further excited by the expectation of finding a new station of my own, twenty-three miles further on. But I had been counting my chickens before they were hatched, as the district had not yet been occupied.* The cropped appearance of the grass at one place buoyed us up to the last, but Fisherman's conjecture that grasshoppers had been at work proved to be correct. March 30, being Sunday, was a day of rest, and on the following morning we renewed our southerly journey. At nine miles, we crossed the Cornish near its junction with the Landsborough. After fording, we found ourselves on wooded ranges of considerable extent : these were succeeded by rich, undulating land, well grassed and occasionally belted with box-trees. Here the accidental unloosening of a pack scared its bearer so much that he galloped off and declined halting till he had scattered the contents of his load on the ground. These consisted of medicines and peas, the bulk of which were lost. Deviating from the track of my party, somewhat easterly, I presently found myself on unwooded plains ex- tending as far as the eye could see. Ere long I came on the track of an exploring party, which, with Jemmy's aid, I * Now occupied by the Landsborough River Company : this and adjoining country, in the hands of other parties, has proved to be of first-rate quahty. 88 EXPEDITION OVERLAND TO MELBOURNE. traced for some distance ; and then proceeded to camp, whicli was fixed fourteen miles beyond the last stage. Next day, a ride of three miles brought us to an old encampment of mine, — ^being the 69th from Eockhampton. On that occasion, I did not trace the Landsborough beyond the confluence of Arramac creek, five and a half miles lower down. I delayed at that junction in order to take an observation,* meanwhile having despatched my party down the river. On approaching them, Jacky — who was my com- panion — noticed a number of blacks who appeared to have assumed a hostile attitude towards my party. To inspire them with terror, we advanced at a rapid gallop, but, to our surprise, they remained still, and received us with the cus- tomary marks of submission or friendship. They presented to us two boomerangs and a spear, and we gave them a good tomahawk in exchange. No gift is more acceptable to these inland tribes ; for, as only cast-off tomahawks are passed on from hand to hand through the tribes of the settled districts, those who are far inland have but a poor chance of having any but old ones, which are hardly fit for their special pur- pose of procuring opossums and honeycombs. It seemed as. if the sudden show of friendship on the part of these blacks was fictitious ; for Mr. Bourne informed me they had fol- lowed him three miles ; and that one of the most powerful of them, about six feet high, had been particularly offensive. Mr. Bourne had repeatedly fired over his head, without causing him any alarm, and once surprised him in the act of throwing his boomerang. Jemmy, who understood the dialect of this tribe, ascertained that they had seen no * Lat. 22** 68' EXPEDITION OVEELAND TO MELBOUENB. 89 explorers with camels, though they had seen a party to the eastward. We travelled later in the day than usual, with the view of avoiding a collision with these people ; but, while unsaddling my horse, I observed some of them peering from behind trees. "When Jemmy expressed my displeasure at their dogging oar steps, they pretended not to have seen us before ; and assured him they would not come near us till morning — which promise they faithfully kept. On their return, they proved to be very communicative, informing us that the river flowed southward ; that it was joined in about two days' journey by a large river from the north-east ; that a long way down, the river-bank was desti- tute of grass ; and that there were no hills beyond the ranges in sight, and that they knew of no country to the westward without grass. I am bound to remark that very little depen- dence is to be placed on their statements ; for, like all uncultivated people, they are much fonder of asking than answering questions, and an approach to accuracy is only to be secured by dint of long and tedious cross-questioning. This camp was pitched on the left bank of the river, between two isolatsd ranges : that on the left bank I named Mackenzie Range, the other, Herbert Range. After this, the country was undulating, the soil rich and abounding in myall and gidya : the grass also was good, but, from the absence of rain, not so green looking as that higher up. The low ground, on the river, is wooded with box, having an undergrowth of salt-bush and polygonum. To the eastward there extended a fine open plateau. The increased depth of the river — sixty feet in width — forced upon me the conviction that it was fed 90 EXPEDITION OVEELAND TO MELBOURNE. by a larger one from the west. For this reason, it passes under the new name of the Thomson. April 4. — Our course hither from the Flinders had been nearly southerly, or in the direction of Melbourne ; and the Thomson led considerably to the westward of the south, or straight to Burke's depot, at Cooper's creek. "With sufficient provisions, I should certainly have adopted that easier route ; and, lamentably low as my commissariat supplies were, I should still have made for Burke's depot, had I known that Mr. Howitt was there with reserve stores for such explorers as remained in the field. In my ignorance of that fact, I had no resource but to give up tracking Burke and make for the frontier settlement to the southward or eastward ; and I chose the former. The approaching dusk found us encamped eighteen miles further, on a chain of ponds named by me Stark creek. Before reaching it, we had to cross two other creeks, respectively named the Salton and the Isabella. A journey of twenty-two miles, on the following day, again brought us to the river, from which we had been straying too far to the left. Next day's journey extended twenty miles over country similar to the rest of Bowen Downs, and again encamped at the river-side, where we remained till Monday morning. Although the country bore no indications of rain, yet the river was flooded. Here an old black fellow paid us a visit, and, as he was vastly pleased with the effect of the discharge of a gun, he returned next day, and introduced a friend who was curious to inspect the mystery. They examined our equipment with great curiosity, and accepted our gifts grate- fully, without attempting to steal anything. The gifts EXPEDITION OVERLAND TO MELBOUENE. 91 consisted of a needle and thread, clothes, a broad file, and a broken glass bottle. With the file they would be able to make a tolerable tomahawk (at least better than their own or worn- out iron ones), and the broken bottle they would use as a knife and wood scraper. They seemed to relish some food that we gave them ; and by Jemmy's instructions, they learned to say "Thank you, Sir," for what they received. They told Jemmy of a well watered road leading to a river to the southward. On that river, the blacks by their account had clothes, and it was from them that they had got the tomahawks. We made an attempt to cross the country towards the Barcoo, but were obliged to return through the absence of water. Next day. Jemmy and I advanced to explore the route more minutely. We went along the plains on the left bank of the Thomson, in a south and by west direction, with the expectation of finding a well watered tributary of the Thomson, which was reported by the blacks to join the latter river a few miles below our camp. But as a ride of eight miles failed to bring to light the tributary we were in quest of, we returned to the Thomson and traced it southerly till we met some of the blacks who had misdirected us. They undertook to show us the road, in return for a toma- hawk and a shirt. Besides our old friends, I noticed two old gins, and a little girl. One of the gins was frightfully dis- figured by the loss of her nose and lips. The little girl was about four years old ; plump and of good features. One of the little boys greatly enjoyed a ride on one of our horses, and his friends appeared pleased with our attentions to the sable urchin. Eeturning to camp, I brought my party next day, after 92 EXPEDITION OVERLAND TO MELBOURNE. a wearisome journey, to the appointed rendez-vous witli our proposed guides. We found them waiting for us, and ready to conduct us to a suitable place for encamping. Wittin, one of tlie black fellows, to wbom I gave a pound of flour, had it baked by Jemmy into a cake, which he and his companions ate. They were no less pleased with the present of a comb, and Jemmy performed on them, to their intense amusement, the duties of hair-dresser. Wittin and Co. went ahead next day to search for water for our first stage ; but, as they were unsuccessful, they gave us the choice of two other practicable roads to the Barcoo Eiver — the one by Stark creek from a point higher up the Thomson — the other by a point lower down. We determined to try the latter. On the following day, Wittin and a young companion accompanied us ; and I gave them a horse to ride alternately. But Monsieur Wittin so greatly preferred horseback to foot, that he appropriated the lion's share. A mile before reaching camp, Wittin and his companion fell in with some friends and we left him with them. Next day, however, he again made his appearance, with the welcome resolution of guiding us to the Barcoo. He introduced an intelligent looking, gray-haired man, bringing also a tall robust young gin* with a little boy who stood at a respectful distance from us. Indeed, the latter were so timid that, on our approach, they ran away. Wittin, with the air of a patron and connoisseur, showed his friend our guns, water-bottles, &;c. * As before noted, the old blacks have the choice of the hand- somest young women, and of many other good things besides. This they effect by pretending to exercise a blighting influence on young men. As children, the males are not allowed to be harshly corrected by their mothers. EXPEDITION OVERLAND TO MELBOURNE. 93 Leaving camp at 9*30 we traversed fine, undulating country, with rich soil, dry grass, and box-tree. A short distance from where we encamped, at nine miles and a-half, sandstone ridges, wooded with acacia and sandalwood, stretched along the left bank of the river. Wittin told Jemmy that he had seen to the eastward, about ten moons previously, a party of travellers, consisting of four whites and four black men. He had received a shirt from them, but no bread. Wittin was suffering so much from the unpleasant effects of his equestrian exercise that he wished to return. Shortly after our next day's start, we observed a consider- able range right ahead of us, which Wittin called Trimpie Yawbaw. The highest of some hills to the westward of it I called Mount Pring. For some time we fondly deceived our- selves by trying to imagine some distant emu to be cattle. After a journey of fourteen miles over more level ground than that previously traversed, we encamped. Anxious to retain Wittin's services as guide, I made free with the name of the Governor of Queensland, promising that he should be forwarded to Bowen Downs, and presented with a medal, tomahawk, and blanket. To keep up his spirits. Fisherman and Jackey treated him to a corroboree dance, for which they painted themselves with white streaks, which, as they danced before the blazing fire, made them appear like skeletons. The district in which we now found ourselves was that which Grregory had explored in 1859, when in search of Leichhardt's tracks ; and, henceforward, I finally despaired of finding Burke's tracks. Led by Wittin, we ascended a creek, which, though then all but dry, showed high flood marks ; and the banks, were strewn with mussel shells. I 94 EXPEDITION OVERLAND TO MELBOURNE. named it the Dunsmore. Tlie ground on both sides is level, the soil rich, and the grass good. Box trees grew near the creek ; the country beyond the north bank is unwooded ; that beyond the south one grows myall and gidya. Emu in abundance, but too wild to be approachable. Next day, we were much vexed by the disappearance of our guide. He made for the creek as if to drink, but did not return. It appears, from the report of my black boys, that he dreaded the natives of the Barcoo, as they did not belong to his tribe. As his services had been hitherto of the greatest value, I regretted that he had thought proper to decamp with- out receiving his promised reward. CHAPTER XIII. ^jcpetition ©bedant to i^elbourne (concluded). The Barcoo River — Collision witli the Natives — Cross-country ride to the Warrego — The Bottle Tree — Scrub Country — "Warrego River — Tracks of Cattle and Horses — The First Station — Journey to Melbourne vid Darling River — General Remarks. Following tlie creek thirteen miles further we reached the neighbourhood of its source in Johnstone Eange. Early next morning we made straight for the Barcoo ; and we soon found ourselves on its water-shed and one of its feeders, named by me Archer creek. Tracing it for thirteen miles, we arrived at its junction with the Barcoo. This was the point which Sir T. Mitchell reached, in his attempted journey of 1849 to Carpentaria, the practicability of prosecuting which it has fallen to my lot to demonstrate. The river contained abundance of water ; but, in order to avoid a collision with the blacks, whose tracks were here fresh, I returned up Archer creek and encamped on a patch of beautiful grass. The country drained by this creek is rich, well grassed, and provided with saltbush. The timber is myall and gidya, with gum trees and box near the river.* On Monday we ascended the left or western bank of the Barcoo about sixteen miles, along a thickly wooded and ridgy course ; here and there, however, the ground was flat, where it was intersected by feeders and backwaters. At such places the new grass was of good quality. An eighteen miles' journey on the following day led us * Lat. 24« 35'. 96 EXPEDITION OVEELAND TO MELBOUENE. through, country of inferior quality, and so densely wooded with gidya that we were compelled to keep to the river flats. While advancing with Jemmy to join my party, I passed an elderly gin and a little boy, and presently, a group of about a dozen blacks. Mr. Bourne stated that they had been following him with something like suspicious persistency. Jemmy ascertained from them that no explorers with camels, and, to my surprise, none with drays had passed this way. We presented them with glass bottles, a powder flask, and some hair from the horses tails. Jemmy warned them not to follow us, but they continued to do so, on the pretence of procuring a light. During the night, however. Jemmy suddenly roused us from our slumbers with the information that the blacks were upon us. We were immediately on the alert, and all but myself discharged their guns in the direc- tion in which they had been heard. We then sent up two rockets, the first of which, being a failure, was hailed with a jeering laugh. Exasperated, as I was, at the treachery of the blacks, I resolved to act on the offensive on the next provoca- tion. Accordingly, on their again approaching at breakfast time, heavily armed with clubs, and throwing sticks, I, after repeatedly warning them, through Jemmy, of their danger, ordered a volley. The discharge wounded one, and the others escaped. On giving chase, the wounded man was despatched in the heat of the moment, and the others disappeared from our view. The fatal effect of my collision with the blacks, in this instance, will always be regretted by me ; but, on calmly reviewing the circumstances of my position, separated, as my small party was, from their horses, what other resource was either safe or prudent ? It is highly probable that these were the same blacks who had been engaged in the tragic EXPEDITION OVERLAND TO MELBOURNE. 97 Will's massacre, whicli took place in this neighbourliood ;* and it was certainly this tribe which made a nocturnal attack on Gregory's party. To-day we travelled eighteen miles chiefly up the western bank of the river, over poor country, covered with gidya. Fearing lest we should follow up the Alice affluent by mis- take, we crossed to the further bank two miles before en- camping. Several blacks were, from time to time, in sight ; but, although they wished to speak, we were in no humour for gratifying their curiosity. Next morning, we struck across country for the river Warrego ; resting on the Sunday, about eight miles to the eastward -of our starting point. The country was, in all respects, excellent, and well watered. The general character was that of undulating downs, richly grassed and thinly wooded with myall, gidya, brigalow,j- box, &c. The same kind of country continued on the following day's ride of ten miles. During this ride, my horse suddenly dropped dead. She was one of the best of the troupe and in excellent con- dition. We crossed one of the finest water-courses I have seen in this district ; and we followed it up about six miles. Our route lay through several belts of gidya wood-land, the intervening country being of the same excellent character as that above described, with the additional adornment of the beautiful drooping acacia. The foliage of this tree is lovely, and the wood (which is like ebony, and therefore useful for stock whip handles,) possesses an aromatic smell. * Mr. "Wills was a new settler, and had shewn the blacks every kindness and proof of confidence. Twenty-three persons were murdered, and none but a single shepherd escaped to tell the dreadful tale. t Brigalow is a kind of acacia, remarkably beautiful when growing in occasional clumps, but, when in profusion, it is very monotonous. H 98 EXPEDITION OVERLAND TO MELBOUBNE. Proceeding easterly for nine miles, we crossed a creek, unfortunately without watering the horses ; for a hard ride of sixteen miles presented none to our view. Near the spot where we encamped, the horses luckily found sufficient water to quench their thirst. This part of the country was, on the whole, not to be compared with that before traversed ; and, on account of its wooded character, altogether unsuitable for the pioneer squatter, who, from insufficiency of capital, is commonly forced to depasture his sheep in large flocks. Next day, we kept a south-easterly course, over poor thickly-wooded country. The scrub, which consisted chiefly of mulgah, was occasionally varied with broad-leaved iron bark, bloodwood, curryjong,* and bottle trees. The bottle tree I have formerly noted in connexion with the O'Shannassey. The shape of the trunk much resembles that of a champagne bottle. When young, the bulby stem is edible, and the wood of the full-grown trees is so soft that the trunk can be easily scooped, or shovelled out. The quality, conjoined with its convenient shape, renders it peculiarly suitable for making canoes. When the bark is pierced, it also provides the thirsty wayfarer with a refreshing draught of pure water. Early in our journey, we were surprised by the discovery of dray- tracks ; but whether they dated a few months or several years back, it was impossible to determine. May 3. — This day's journey of twenty-five miles down the creek found us so tired, that we were not sorry the following day was the Day of Eest. In the course of our ride, we observed a tree marked F. M., and several horse-tracks, which encouraged the supposition that frontier squattages were near. The creek, which now led us southwards, grew in importance, * Hibiscus heterojihyllus. EXPEDITION OVERLAND TO MELBOURNE. 99 and the flats were clothed with good grass, cotton, and salt- bush. As a whole, however, mulgah scrub held the pre- eminence. A further ride of twenty miles did not impress me more favourably with this district. In the expectation of finding sheep stations more to the east, we abandoned the creek, and proceeded in that direction twenty-five miles. Our track lay over flat, poor, monotonous country, broken only once by a sandstone ridge. It was thickly covered with mulgah scrub and broad-leaved box, and frequented by numbers of kangaroos and wallabies. Next day's journey presented a repetition of similar experiences. Crossing a creek with high flood-marks, we encamped at the base of a lofty sandstone range. In this neighbourhood the country is more satisfactory. We made a sumptuous supper on emu eggs. Surmounting the range, we followed the course of a brook flowing to the south-west. The soil here, though sandy, was covered with luxuriant grass. Indistinct traces of horses, or cattle, were numerous ; and the appearance of the cypress pine and Moreton Bay ash further excited us with the hope of an early shelter under some hospitable roof. During our ride of twenty-one miles, on the following day, we observed a tree marked 1861, Jachu, C.H.B., A.K.O.* May 12. — We were now either on the Warrego itself or on one of its tributaries ; but, in the hope of soon reaching a sheep-station, I preferred to steer south-south-east. Accord- ingly, leaving the river, we struck cross-country; and found ourselves stranded in a waterless region. The first day we rode seventeen hours without finding water, and the second day, * Messrs. CoUina, Barker and Jachu, on their route from the Warrego to Eockhampton. h2 100 EXPEDITION OVERLAND TO MELBOUENE, eleven hours, with a similar result. We decided to return to the river, and considered ourselves fortunate in finding water, as the horses had been seventy-two hours without it. The nights were excessively cold, and, on one occasion, we found ice in the buckets. Jemmy got badly burned through lying too near the camp fire. We anointed him with pomatum and bandaged his wounds with calico ; but the pain thus occasioned was so great that he begged us to abandon him. Having, however, dusted his body with flour, he was able to sit on his horse. The country was level and overrun partly with mulgah scrub, partly triodia patches, studded with iron bark, broad- leaved box, and "apple" trees.* I also observed clumps of mimosa — a kind of acacia — ^more commonly called green wattle. Next day, we traced the creek to its junction with the Warrego, along whose scrubby, banks we rode thirteen miles and encamped. Blacks were observed on the opposite bank, but they deftly avoided us, probably conjecturing we were police-troopers, j- We made an excellent supper on a bustard that Mr. Bourne had shot. We were now so short of pro- visions that one of the horses had been fixed on for slaughter. J I was much relieved, however, that Mr. Bourne's successful * I e., Angophora lanciolata, a beautiful and umbrageous tree. t "We subsequently heard they bad lately murdered a hut-keeper in the neighbourhood. X It was Mr, Gregory's custom to feed his party occasionally on horse-flesh, even when his provisions were abundant. His object was to prevent scurvy. Dr. Leichhardt, in cases of dire extremity, subsisted on his beasts of burden. Mclnlay, in his late northern expedition, was compelled to eat nearly all his stock of horses, cattle, sheep, and camels. Camels were preferred by him to horses, both as beasts of burden and food. EXPEDITION OlUaLANT, TO MEIJBOTTENE., 101 gun saved us from that necessity, by further providing us with an emu. The appearance of a fine herd of cattle, on the following day, at once charmed and relieved our minds. On seeing us, the cattle made for their camp, whither we were only too eager to follow them ; for the novelty of the sight frightened the pack-horses and caused them to disperse in all directions. We were at length reluctantly compelled to be content with another night's star-gazing. May 21. — A short ride of three miles brought us to the first human habitation we had seen since leaving the Albert River depot. It was the station of the Messrs. Williams, and they received and entertained us with every welcome and hospitality. We were shocked to hear the melancholy news of Burke and his companions ; and sat long listening eagerly to the events that had transpired in our long absence from the civilized world. It was far on in the night before we retired to bed — to bed, but not to sleep, for the sensation of being environed by mud walls roofed with shingle was too sudden a change from our late wild and nomadic life. The situation of this station is good, and the country in the neighbourhood very superior to that by which we had approached it. The distances by the road from Melbourne, Adelaide, Maitland, and Brisbane were respectively 800, 900, 600 and 700 miles. We resolved to make for Melbourne by the river Darling which was 220 miles distant ; and, as there were but few stations on the way, Messrs. Williams kindly supphed us with the requisite provisions. Four days' journey brought us to a station named Warroo- rooka, where the river Warrego was imperfectly represented by 102 ', ;:^Xi;i]DiyiOir'QyEEBAND TO MELBOURNE. water-holes separated at short, but irregular intervals from each other. On entering the territory of N. S. "Wales, I was much struck with the difference in the character of the grass-land as compared with that of Queensland : instead of grass only occasionally varied with the invaluable salt-bush, we traversed large tracts of country entirely clothed with this plant. On the second of June, 1862, 1 reached Bunnawaunah, where the newspapers informed me of Mr. Walker's arrival at Port Denison, six weeks previous; and that Mr. Howitt was remaining, with a supply of provisions at Cooper's creek, in expectation of my arrival there. But as my most convenient route to Melbourne was by Menindie, I continued to trace the Darling three to four hundred miles to that point, taking with me one of Burke's strayed camels, which I had found. From Menindie I hastened forward in advance of my party, and soon arrived in Melbourne, where the manner of my reception was so enthusiastic and generous as to surprise and confound me. Never, in the course of my life, can I forget the genial and munificent appreciation of my humble task, then manifested by the Metropolis of the South, and, subsequently, by the citizens of Sydney and Brisbane. Inasmuch as the opening up of the Carpentaria region has become a question of great practical moment, and the promi- nent result of all the late explorations, I append to this brief and crude sketch of my travels a general description of the pastoral capabilities of the North, as they have been given to the English public, wholly independently of me, by my late second in command, Mr. Bourne ; concluding with a general summary of the special district over which I have now the honor to preside. PASTOEAL CAPABILITIES OF NORTH AUSTRALIA. " The late rapid progress of Australian exploration has laid open vast territories to British enterprise. It was my fortune to be engaged in one of the expeditions undertaken to search for the lamented Burke and Wills, and in the performance of that duty I resided for several months together at the depot formed at the Albert River, which flows into the Gulf of Carpentaria. During my stay there I made such investiga- tions into the capabilities of the country, the nature of the climate, soil, vegetation, &c., as lay in my power, and from the knowledge thus derived from personal experience, I am, perhaps, entitled to speak with some authority on these points. " Since my arrival in England the question has often been asked me whether we shall ever be able to put these recently opened territories to practical use ; and, especially, whether the more northern portions of Australia will be found suitable for the production of that valuable and important commodity which has made the southern portions of the continent so prosperous, viz. — fine wool. As this point is of great interest to all connected with the Australian colonies, I will, with your permission, make a few remarks bearing on this question. " Judging by its position on the map, no spot on the whole continent of Australia would appear more admirably suited for a colony than the country about Carpentaria, situated as it is in close proximity to the Indian and Chinese markets, and occupying as it does a half-way stage on the route between these and all the south-lying colonies. But reasoning from theory, and what is observed in other parts of the world, it is generally but erroneously supposed that these advantages are negatived by the fact of its lying within the tropics, and that therefore all those conditions of climate, &c., which exist in other parts of the continent, such as New South Wales, Victoria, &c., must be wanting. The heat, it is said, must of 104 PASTORAL CAPABILITIES OP NORTH AUSTRALIA. necessity be too trying for European constitutions, and also, that most certainly it would be impossible to produce wool like that grown further south, as the increase of temperature on approaching so much nearer the equator would be such as to change it into hair, or at any rate would render the fleece so light as to make sheep-farming an unprofitable, if not an impossible, pursuit. These opinions I have often heard expressed by many men of the highest intelligence, but who look upon wool-growing as a mere question of latitude ; and I do not wonder at it, for I must admit that my own notions were once precisely similar. " But in speculating upon any question relating to Australia the only safe guide is experience, for Australia has in many respects negatived the preconceived views of some of our most eminent scientific men ; and, indeed, nothing is more certain than that arguments advanced upon data supplied by other countries will not apply to it. The theories of science have repeatedly broken down when put forward to explain its anomalous phenomena. What old colonist does not remember the prophecies uttered by scientific men in New South Wales when Moreton Bay (now called Queensland) was first occupied by squatters ? It was then confidently asserted that sheep stations would not answer so far north, because the fleece degenerated when grown beyond a certain degree of latitude, and that all attempts to grow wool there would signally fail ; and yet experience, the only true test, has proved that fleeces of the finest quality are produced in Queensland, despite its high temperature. Probably the hottest parts (during both day and night) of Australia are the Darling, the Bogan, and the Macquarrie, where Sir Thomas Mitchell found the thermometer to range from 90^^ to 127'^ ; yet even there wool is most profitably grown. " This question of temperature is all-important in relation to the pastoral capabilities of any district ; but to judge of these by a single reference to the latitude on a map without taking other data into consideration, such as elevation above and distance from the sea, the existence of mountain ranges, &c., is a complete fallacy. It is owing to local peculiarities of this kind that portions of Australia lying near the tropics — such as the Maranoa and Leichhardt districts — ^have, con- PASTOEAL CAPABILITIES OP NOETH AUSTEALIA. 105 trary to all theorising on the subject, proved so well adapted for the production of the finer kinds of wool. It might very naturally be supposed, judging from its physical character- istics, that the country about Carpentaria would prove an exception, seeing that such local modifying conditions are apparently absent. In the neighbourhood of the Gulf there are no lofty ranges ; and the elevation of the Plains of Promise is so very trifling, although these plains gradually rise from the coast inland, that they must of necessity be subject to intense heats. Only seventeen degrees from the equator, and but little removed abosre the level of the sea in their vicinity, what else could be expected but a thermometer ranging so uniformly high as to put aU idea of successful wool-growing out of the question ? " And yet, as if on purpose to upset all preconceived notions, and still further to illustrate the fact that from its southern to its most northern extremity all Australia is an anomaly, the real fact is that at its tropical extremity the temperature is actually lower than in those districts alluded to. " Upon this curious fact all observers and explorers, from Robert Brown, the botanist, to Landsborough, are agreed, and all naturally dwell upon it with surprise. Yet the explanation is very simple as given by Leichhardt in his work, page 377, which I quote. He thus writes : — " ' The most interesting fact, and which had already been observed by Captain Stokes, was the moderate temperature of this part of the country. If my readers compare my obser- vations on the weather, from latitude 15 deg. 55 min. at the east coast to latitude 17 deg. 39 min. on the west coast of the Gulf, they will be struck by the general complaint of " cold nights." If they compare the direction of the winds, they wiU find that at the east coast the southerly and south- south-westerly winds were very cold, and that they became southerly and south-easterly at the apex, and turned still more to the eastward at the west coast. In comparing these directions of the wind, I was led to the conclusion that the large plains were the origin and cause of these winds. The bracing nature of these winds, and of the cold nights, had a very beneficial effect on our bodies, &c. 106 PASTOEAL CAPABILITIES OF NORTH AUSTRALIA. " * Leicliliardt was on the coast during the winter months. My own stay on the Albert Eiver was during the hottest season of the year, viz., from November to February, and during that period I carefully registered the records of the thermometer, and thus found the mean range to be very much lower than in some parts of Victoria and New South Wales. Moreover, the hot winds which Leichhardt said might pre- vail in summer I found did not exist ; so that the very circumstances which elsewhere cause a high temperature to exist produce the very opposite condition at the Gulf of Carpentaria.' "* To these remarks of Mr. Bourne I have to add the following summary brought down to the latest date : — The shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria are very level for a considerable distance inland. Where the soil is rich, which is commonly the case, it is covered with a fine natural herbage that has proved to be of a most excellent quality for stock of all kinds. Near the watercourses the land is sparsely wooded with stunted box and other trees ; but between the watercourses, in many places, there are large plains totally destitute of timber. According to Captain Stokes, the best authority on the navigation of the Northern coast, the general appearance of the head of the Gulf is that of a low mangrove shore, between ten to thirty feet high, over which the interior is not visible from the offing. Twenty-six inlets, within a distance of 200 miles, were more or less examined by him ; three of these proved to be rivers, and three more were nearly as promising. Of the rivers. Captain Stokes evidently regarded the Albert with the greatest favor ; but it, like all the others, has a bar at its mouth, which has only eighteen inches of water at low tide. Unfortunately, the tide in the Albert only rises once in the twenty-four hours. The rise at spring tides is from nine to twelve feet, and at neap tides, from three to eight feet. At present the bar offers no great obstacle to vessels sufficiently large for the trade, nor will it for some little time to come, as they can get over it at high water, and afterwards can easily go up the river for thirteen * This communication originally appeared in the Daily News, PASTORAL CAPABILITIES OF NORTH AUSTRALIA. 107 miles to a point within five miles of whicli the river is often fresh, and where there are lagoons of fresh water within an easy distance of the stream.* Shipping ports will before long be established at other rivers besides the Albert. A port on the Flinders will probably obtain the largest share of the produce, from the fact that it will be the outlet to a greater extent of back country ; that is to say, as long as exports are confined to pastoral products. The Albert, also, has very fine back country for pastoral purposes, but it is limited in extent, and to the westward it is very inferior ; but, on the other hand, the Albert Eiver is more easy of access, being only thirty-three miles distant from Investigator Roads. Investigator Eoads is situated between Bentin^k and Sweer's Islands. The former is a well watered island about thirty miles in circumference ; the latter, however, although much smaller, is better adapted for settlement in the first instance, as it is not much frequented by blacks. When Captain Norman was cruising in the Victoria, along the shores of Carpentaria, in the summer of 1861, in search of traces of Burke's party, he established a depot on Sweer's Island, and another on the banks of the Albert. The climate was found to be healthy at both places. The heat of the season was found to be alleviated by an almost continual sea breeze. The people at the depot at Sweer's Island were not much troubled with mosquitoes, which of all nuisances induced by warm weather is perhaps the most annoying. As Investigator Roads presents the only good anchorage for large vessels along the shores of Carpentaria, the future city of the Gulf may be on either Sweer's or Bentinck Island. Last year (1865) Messrs. Morehead and Young led the way to, and took possession of, some country on the Albert River. Their stock was brought from the Mitchell district by the Upper Flinders ; they thus established a road between the two places. The Upper Flinders had previously been settled, and was connected by a road with Port Denison. The next road was made by Messrs. Macdonald and Co., who led the way with stock from their stations near ^he head * The brig Firefly, which had a draught of between nine and ten feet, was taken about fourteen miles up the Albert Eiver. 108 PASTOEAL CAPABILITIES OF NOETH AUSTEALIA, of the Burdekin to the Albert Eiver ; in doing so they made a plain road from the settled country at the north-west of Port Denison to the Albert Eiver.* This enterprising firm made another important step ; they chartered a vessel in Sydney to take stores to the Albert Eiver, which arrived safely at its destination, and has since been followed by several others. So greatly has this traffic increased that already as many as four vessels have been laid on at one time for Carpentaria. Stock are now depastured throughout the whole length of the Flinders, and on the Oloncurry, which is the western branch of that river. Stock are also depastured on the banks of the Leichhardt, and on the banks of the Landsborough. The estuary of the Flinders is about seventy miles to the eastward of that of the Albert ; and that of the Leichhardt is inter- mediate. The estuary of the Nicholson is a few miles westward of the Albert Eiver. The entire seaboard between the Nicholson and the Flinders, a distance of more than eighty miles, is already more or less occupied with stock. The last accounts state that the settlement of the country is progressing favourably. Forty persons (including two females and a medical man) had settled at the spot on the Albert where the Firefly was abandoned, and were preparing to erect stores, as soon as the site of the township shall have been proclaimed. As the newly-appointed Police Magistrate and Commissioner, I shall arrive at the settle- ment early this year, to report on the best sites for town- ships, and to lay down plans for the future. Hitherto, the blacks have not been found troublesome. Cattle and sheep are said to be thriving admirably, and to compare advan- tageously in the matter of condition with those on the best stations in other districts. *A sum has already been voted by Parliament for telegraphic exten- sion beyond Port Denison, and it is probable that this line will ultimately connect Australia with Asia vid Java and Singapore. A SYSTEMATIC ARRANGEMENT OF THE r>L A.NTS NOTICED ABOUND THE GULF OF CARPENTARIA, PROM THE ROPER TO THE GILBERT RIVER, INCLTJDINO THOSE COLLECTED DURING MR. LANDSBOROUGH'S EXPEDITION, AND EXAMINED BY FEEDINAND MUELLEE, P.H.D., N.D., F.R.8. Desieed by Mr. W. Landsborougli to furnish for the journal of his important expedition across the Continent of Australia a list of those plants known to exist at the Gulf of Car- pentaria, I respond most readily to the call, and fulfil thereby the duty which devolves on me of rendering some account of the botanical collections formed during the first part of Mr. Landsborough's expedition, and subsequently placed for examination at my disposal. It is also obvious, that an exact knowledge of the flora sur- rounding the Gulf of Carpentaria, and of which as yet nowhere any enumerative index exists, will, irrespective of the interest which it possesses in regard to phyto-geographicri researches, be calculated to afford some additional indications of the climatic and other physical conditions of that part of the globe, and which to elucidate becomes all-important at this moment, when, by the opening of several available over- 110 NOETH AUSTRALIAN FLORA. land routes from tlie Southern to the Northern shores, the territory near the Grulf of Carpentaria attracts such extensive and deserved attention for the formation of new pastoral settlements. At Mr. Landsborough's request, I have extended this enumeration so far as to include all the plants observed by myself on the S.W., S., and S.E. territories of the Gulf. For this purpose the corresponding notes vere extracted from the yet unpublished diaries kept by myself, when 3company- ing Mr. Aug. Gregory in his North Australian Expedition during the years 1855 and 1856. The brief space allotted for this Essay admits neither of my entering into any phytological details beyond such as the appended enumeration affords, nor to offer on this occasion a discourse on the physical geography of the Gulf land. In reference, however, to the latter, very much valuable informa- tion is conveyed in Mr. Gregory's journal, published by the Royal Geographical Society of London in 1858 ; whilst some additional details, more particularly shedding light on the vegetation of the Gulf country, were inserted in Sir William Hooker's Kew Miscellany for 1856 and 1857, and into the Proceedings of the Linnean Society for 1858 and 1859. The list of plants now submitted cannot be regarded other- wise than as imperfect, because the vegetation of but very few of the coast points of the Gulf of Carpentaria has been hitherto subjected to any, and none to close examination ; whilst the inland vegetation of the Gulf basin could, during the North Australian Expedition of 1856, only be investigated on a single line of exploration, and at a season when the herbaceous plants in a great measure were parched and obli- terated. The fact, however, of various herbaceous plants, discovered already by Sir Joseph Banks on the N.E. coast during Captain Cook's first voyage, being found to re-appear in the W. part of Arnhem's Land, leads to the anticipation, that many of these extend around the Gulf ; whilst in other parts of littoral tropical Australia so many species of plants have proved identical with those of the Indian coast-tracts, as to warrant the assumption, that future observers will yet add, by investigations of the Carpentaria flora, considerably NOETH AUSTRALIAN FLORA. Ill to the list of Indo-Australian plants, now already exceeding 700 species. A glance at tlie subjoined enumeration will show that the Gulf flora, at least in the tracts hitherto examined, proves devoid of those jungle plants so characteristic of the forest ranges of the Australian East coast ; that a vast pre- dominance of aborescent phyllodinous Acaciae, and especially of Eucalypti, impress on the vegetation a character by no means dissimilar to the extra-tropical tracts of Australia ; that plants indicating a high mountainous character of the country are absent, and that amongst grasses and other her- baceous plants very many occur of nutritious property and of perennial growth, readily renewed by judicious burning, when, after the rains of the summer months, a fresh pastoral green will be desired for the future herds and flocks of the Gulf country, during the cooler and drier season of the year. Billeniacece. Hibbertia lepidota, E. Br. ; H. tomentosa, E. Br. Tinospora smilacina, Benth. Stephania hernandifolia, Walp. Nymphceacece. Nymphaea stellata, W. ; N. gigantea, Hook. Nelumbium speciosum, W. CrucifercB. Cardamine eustylis, F. M. CapparideiZ, Busteckea Mitchelli, F. M. Cleome flava, Banks ; C. tetrandra, Banks. Violarince. lonidium enneaspermum, Vent. ; I. filiforme, D. C. DroseracecB. Drosera Burmanni, Vahl ; D. Indica, L. ; D. petiolaris, K. Br. Franheniaceoe. Frankenia Isevis, L. 112 NORTH AUSTEALIAN FLOEA. Polygalacece. Polygala arvensis, W. Pittosporea. Bnrsaria spinosa, Cav. Pittosporum phillyroides, D. C. ; P. melanospermum, F. M. Caryophyllece, Polycarpaea corymlDosa, Lam. ; P. synandra, F. M. ; P. longiflore, F. M. ; P. spirostylis, F. M. ; P. staminodina, F. M. ; P. breviflora, P.M. Malvacew. Sida corrugata, Lindl. ; S. retusa, L.: S. Indica, L. ; S. otocarpa, F. M. Abelmoschus albo-ruber, F. M. Paritum tiliaceum, Jnss. Hibiscus heterophyllus, Vent. ; H. pentaphyllus, F. M. ; H. zonatus, F. M. : H. setulosus, F. M. ; H. panduriformis, Burm. Thespesia populnea, Corr. Gossypium Australe, F M. Malvastrum ovatum, A. Gr. SfercuJiacece. Methorium integrifolium, F.M. Helicteres Ixora, L. Sterculia quadrifida, R. Br. Bracbychiton platanoides, R. Br. ; B. diversifolium, R. Br. ; B. ramiflorum, E.. Br. Cochlospermum Gregorii, F. M. ; C. heteronemum, F. M. Buettneriacea. Keraudrenia Hookeri, Walp. Dicarpidium monoicum , F. M. Melochia pyramidata, L. Riedleya corchorifolia, D. C. Melhania incana, Heyne. Waltberia Indica, L. Tiliacece. Grewia sp. Triumfetta plumigera, F. M. ; T. micracantba, F. M. ; T. procum- bens, Forst. Corcborus sidoides, F. M. ; C. sp. Elseocarpus sp. Hypet icinecs. Hypericum gramineum, Forst. Bergia ammannioides, Eotb : B. Dcdicellaris, F.M. : B. verticillaris F.M. NORTH AUSTRALIAN FLORA. 113 Sapindacece. Dodonsea viscosa, L. ; D. lanceolata, F.M.; D. physocarpa, F.M. ; D. acerosa, Lindl. ; D. oxyptera, F. M. ; D. platyptera, F. M. ; D. stenophylla, F.M. Distichostemon phyllopterus, F.M. Atalaya variifolia, F.M. Cardiospermum Helicacabum, L. MeliacecB. Owenia xerocarpa, F. M. ; O. reticulata, F. M. Melia Azedarach, L. Viniferee. Vitis clematidea, F. M. OxalidecB, Oxalis comiculata, L, ZygophylletB. Tribulus terrestris, L. ; T. Brownii, F. M. : T. Solandri, F. M. Eutacece. Boronia artemisioides, F. M. ; B. grandisepalea, F. M. ; B. lanceolata, F, M. Staekhousiaee^e. Stackhousia viminea, Sm. Celastrinece. Denhamia heterophylla, F. M. Celastrus Cunninghami, F. M. Mkamnaceoe. Colubrina Asiatica, Brogn. Alphitonia excelsa, Reiss. Ventilago viminalis, Hook. JTomalinece. Homalium bracliybotryum, F. M. Anacardice. Bucbanania sp. Portulacece. Portulaca oleracea, L. ; P. digyna, F. M. ; P. filifolia, F. M. Calandrinia spergularina, F. M. Mollugineoe. Qlinus mollugo, Fenzl ; G. lotoides, Loeffl. Ficoidem. Trianthema crystallina, Vahl ; T. pilosa, F. M. 114 NOETH AUSTRALIAN FLOEA. LeguminoscB. Acacia pHebocarpa, F. M. ; A. pinifolia, Benth. ; A. subtemata F. M. ; A salicina, Lindl. ; A. decora, Eeichenb. ; A. dineura, F. M. A. hemignosta, F. M. ; A. pithyoides, F. M. ; A. orthocarpa, F. M. A. goniocarpa, F. M. ; A. drepanocarpa, F. M. ; A. lysiphloia, F. M. A. delibrata, A. Cunn. ; A. torulosa, F. M. ; A. conspersa, F. M. A. calligera, F. M. ; A. umbellata, A. Cunn. ; A. sericata. A. Cunn. A. holosericea, A. Cunn. ; A. limba'.a, F. M. ; A. dimidiata, Benth. A. latifolia, Benth. ; A. Farnesiana, W. ; A. suberosa, A. Cunn. Laboucheria chlorostachya, F. M, Neptunia gracilis, Benth. Pichecolobium moniliferum, Benth. Cassia Absus, L. ; C. niimosoides, L. ; C. pumila, Lam. ; C. oligoclada, F. M. ; C. magnifolia, F. M. ; C. venusta, F. M. Bauhinia Leichhardtii, F. M. : B. Carronii, F. M. ; B. Hookeri, F. M. Petalogyne labicheoides, F. M. Labichea rupestris, Benth. Guilandina Banduc, L. Abrus precatorius, L. Erythrina vespertilionis, Benth. Ehynchosia minima, D. C. Cajanus acutifolius, F. M. ; C. grandifolius, F. M. ; C. cinereus, F. M. Canavallia obtusifolia, D. C. Vigna sp. Desmodium biarticulatum, F. M. ; D. sp. Alysicarpus styracifolius, D. C. Lourea vespertilionis, Desv. Aeschynomene Indica, L. Zomia chaetophora, F. M. ; Z. diphylla, Pers. Agati formosum, F. M. Sesbania armifica, F. M. ; S. aculeata, L. Derris uliginosa, Benth. Tephrosea purpurea, Pers. Flemingia, sp. Uraria Lagopus, D. C. Psoralea pustulata, F. M. ; P. balsamica, F. M. ; P. patens, Lindl. Indigofera linifolia, Retz ; I. haplophylla, F. M. ; I. viscosa. Lam. ; I. enneaphylla, L. ; I. trita, L. ; I. trifoliata, L. ; I. hirsuta, L. Lotus Australis, Andr. Westonia humifusa, Spr. Crotalaria ramosissima, Roxb. ; C. verrucosa, L. ; C. medicaginea, Lam. ; C. Cunninghami, R. Br. ; C. incana, L. ; C. juncea, L ; C. Mitchelli, Benth. ; C. retusa, L. ; C. linifolia, L. lil. Bossiaea phylloclada, F. M. Nematophyllum Hookeri, F. M. Oxycladium semiseptatum, F. M. Jacksonia ramosissima, Benth. ; J. dilatata, Benth. Gompholobium stenophyllum, F. M. NOETH AUSTRALIAN FLORA. 115 Leptosema oxylobioides, F. M. Sophora tomentosa, L. Croton, sp. Euphorbia chamaesyce, L. ; E. hypericifolia, L. ; E. deserticola, F. M. ; E. sp. Excoecaria Agallocha, W. ; E. sp. Petalostigma quadriloculare, F M. Adriana tomentosa, Gaudich. Microstachys chamaelese, A. Juss. Glochydion sp. Melanthesa sp. Phyllanthus Niruri, L. ; P. sp. Flueggea melanthesioides, F. M. Synostemon sp. ChrysobalaneoR. Parinaxium costatum, Bl. Combretacem. Macropteranthes montana, F. M. Terminaliabursarina, F. M. ; T. platyptera, F. M. ; T. edulis, F. M. ; oblongata, F. M. ; T. platypbylla, F, M. Cnagrecs. Jussiaea repens, L. ; J. villosa, Lam. Ludwigia parviflora. Wall. Haloragea. Myriophyllum verrucosum, Lindl. ; M. dicoccum, F. M. Haloragis glauca, Lindl. ; H. leptotheca, F. M. Lythracece. Lythnim Amhemicum, F. M. Ameletia diandra, F. M. Ammannia multiflora, Koxb. ; A. crinipes, F. M. Sonneratia acida, L. fil. Pemphis acidula, Forst. Rhiz<^horece. Bhizophora sp. Ceriops sp. Bruguiera sp. Myrtacea. Tryptomene ericaea, F, M. ; T. oligandra, F. M. Calycothrix megaphylla, F. M. ; C. microphylla, A. Cunn. ; C. brachychaeta, F. M. ; C. achaeta, F. M. ; C. arborescens, F. M. Verticordia Cunninghami, Schauer. Astartea intratropica, F. M. Tristania rhytiphloia, F. M. Melaleuca leucadendron, L. ; M. lasiandra, F. M. ; M. minutifolia, 116 NORTH AUSTEALIAN FLOEA. F. M. ; M. acacioides, F. M. ; M. symphyocarpa, F. M. ; M. bracteata, F. M. Eucalyptus rostrata, Schl. ; E. brevifolia, F. M. ; E. patellaris, F. M. ; E. leptophleba, F. M. ; E. microtheca, F. M. ; E. tesselaris, F. M. ; E. polycarpa, F. M. ; E. terminalis, F. M. ; E. dichromopbloia, F. M. ; E. bicolor, All. Cunn. ; E. ptychocarpa, F. M. ; E. aurantiaca, F. M. ; E. phoenicea, F. M. ; E. tectifica, F. M. ; E. latifolia, F. M. ; E. aspera, F. M ; E. ferruginea, Schauer ; E. bigalerita, F. M. ; E. confertiflora, Kipp. ; E. tetrodonta, F. M. Schauer ; E. bigalerita, F. M. ; E. confertiflora, Kipp ; E. tetrodonta, F. M. Eugenia (Jambosa) eucalyptoides, F. M. Fenzlia obtusa, Endl. Barringtonia sp. Careya sp. Cucurbitaceoe. Luffa graveolens, Roxb. ; L. leiocarpa, F. M. Cucumis picrocarpa, F. M. ; C. jucunda, F. M. Muckia scabrella, Am. Fasstjloreie. Modecca Australis, E. Br. Umbelliferce. Hydrocotyle Asiatica, L. ; H. grammatocarpa, F. M. Didiscus glandulosus, F. M. Loranthacece. Viscum angulatum, Heyne. Loranthus vitellinus, F, M. ; L. pendulus, Sieb ; L. Preissii, Miq. ; L. exocarpi, Behr ; L. grandibracteus, F. M. ; L. insularum, A. Gray ; L. sanguineus, F. M. JRubiaceoe, Spermacoce sp. Pavetta Indica, L. Pogonolobus reticulatus, F. M. Morinda citrifolia, L. Sarcocephalus, cordatus, Miq. Dentella reprens, Forst. Hedyotis sp. Gardenia resinosa, F. M. ; G. edulis, F. M. Guettarda speciosa, L, ; G. polyphragmoides, F. M. Polyphragmon sericeum, Desf. Thespidium basiflorum (Pluchea basiflora, F. M., Report on Plants of Babb. Exped., p. 12). Pluchea filifolia, F. M. ; P. tetranthera, F. M. ; P. ligulata, F. M. ; P. odora, F. M. ; P. macrocephala, F. M. Blumea Cunninghami, Cand. NOBTH AUSTRALIAN FLORA. 117 Vemonia cinerea, Less, fxalotis tropica, F. M. ; C. scapigera, Hook. Erigeron ambigwum, F. M. Sphaeranthus glaber, Cand. ; S. hirtus, W. Monenteles sphacelatus, Lab. ; M. spicatus, Lab. • Wedelia sp. Eclipta erecta, L., ; E. platyglossa, F. M. Glossogyne tenuifolia, Cass. Diodontium filifolium, F. M. Flaveria Australasica, Hook. Myriogyne minuta, Less. Sphaeromorphgea petiolaris, Cand. Chrj'socephalum apiculatum, Steetz. Helichrysum lanuginosum, A. Cunn. ; H. bracteatum, "W. Gnaphalium luteo-album, L. Sonchus oleraceus, L. Sti/lidea. Stylidium jaoribundum, R. Br. ; S. alsinoides, R. Br. ; S. Floodii, F. M. Zobeliacea. Lobilia dioica, R. Br. Companulacea, "Wahlenbergia gracilis, A. D. C. Good€niace