Part 18

I returned with Lieutenant Gascoyne to the Albert River depot.

February 8.

This was a busy day as we knew we were to abandon the depot in the evening. By the assistance of Lieutenant Gascoyne and some of his men, with two boats, we pulled the horses across the river. In the evening, as soon as Messrs. Campbell and Wilson had hurriedly finished a copy for Captain Norman of the notes I had made in my memorandum-book when on the expedition to the south-west, the Firefly hulk was abandoned. Those of my party I could not take overland accompanied Lieutenant Gascoyne, Captain Norman having previously agreed to take them to their respective destinations, namely: my late assistant commander, H.N. Campbell, to Hobson's Bay, Victoria; Mr. Allison, and the aboriginal trooper, Charlie, to Brisbane. Mr. Bourne and I accompanied them in Lieutenant Gascoyne's boat down the river to our camp, where we bade farewell.

February 9.

Today we were busily employed preparing for our expedition.

February 10.

As there were mangrove mudflats in the neighbourhood of our camp the mosquitoes were particularly troublesome; we hurriedly therefore made preparations for leaving it. When we had packed up as many things as the horses could conveniently carry the blacks paid us a visit, and we gave them the remainder. 5.10 p.m. we started and came five and a quarter miles upon well-grassed plains, and encamped near a fine waterhole. The water was slightly brackish, but not so much so as to render it undrinkable. The plains we crossed were slightly wooded. We came on the following courses: 5.20 p.m. half a mile south-east; 5.35 p.m. three-quarters of a mile east; 6 p.m. one mile east-south-east; 8 p.m. three miles south. Distance five and a quarter miles.

February 11.

In consequence of having to repair packs and packsaddles we could not manage to leave until 1.10 p.m. The three weeks' rest the horses had on the rich pasture near the depot made a wonderful improvement in their condition. They were so restive yesterday that several of them in galloping and plunging did considerable damage to the packs and packsaddles. As the tracks of Walker's party were so indistinct that I could only see them when pointed out to me by the aborigines of our party, I foresaw that it would be tedious if not impossible to follow them to where Mr. Walker said he had left the tracks of Mr. Burke's party. When we had come a short distance over fine well-grassed plains we reached a saltwater creek, which we followed up a short distance, then crossed it and encamped in haste, as we saw a heavy thunder-shower was about to fall. Before leaving last camp I made an observation of the sun and found its meridian altitude 86 degrees 3 minutes. The latitude is by this observation 17 degrees 53 minutes. We came here on the following courses: 1.40 south-east and by east, one and a half miles; 2.22 south one and a half miles to saltwater creek; 2.25 north-east half a mile up the creek; 2.50 south-west and by west, half a mile up the creek to ford. Distance come today four and a half miles.

February 12.

Camp 2, which we left this morning at 7.20, is situated about seven miles south-east from the Albert River depot. In our journey today, although we often got off the tracks of Walker's party, we did not altogether lose them. Near where we encamped tonight Jemmy saw a dead horse. From last camp we came over well-grassed, lightly wooded plains for five miles, then over flat country for four and three-quarter miles. The land was covered with good grasses and wooded with box and excoecaria. What I take to be excoecaria resembles the tree Mr. Walker describes as being probably the gutta-percha. The box trees are similar to those that grow near the Murrumbidgee River. In the middle of the day I halted to make an observation of the sun. I made its meridian altitude 85 degrees 32 minutes. The latitude is by that observation 17 degrees 59 minutes. Afterwards we came out of the wooded country in one and a half miles, then came over plains for four and a quarter miles, then crossed a shallow watercourse and encamped. These plains had a higher elevation than any we had seen since leaving the depot. The soil was rich and luxuriantly covered with the best grasses, and slightly wooded with white-wood. The white-wood I take to be the tree Mr. Gregory calls the erythrina. We came here on the following courses: 9.20 five and a quarter miles; 11.33 east-south-east four and three-quarter miles; 1.30 east-south-east one and a half miles and crossed a shallow watercourse from the west; 2.40 east-south-east for four and a quarter miles and crossed another shallow watercourse; 2.5 east-south-east for three-quarters of a mile over low lands liable to inundation. Distance today sixteen and a half miles.

February 13.

Number 3, our last camp, was situated on the right bank of a shallow watercourse. As one of the horses had barely recovered the effects of travelling on stony country when on the expedition to the south-west, we had this morning to put a shoe on one of his feet with screw nails; the screws, in the absence of proper nails, answer tolerably well. We started at 9.6 and, having passed over a rich, lightly-wooded plain about eight miles, we reached the Leichhardt River at a part where the tide reaches. This river seems to be fully larger than the Albert. The tracks of Walker's party were so indistinct on the rich plains from so much rain having fallen that I gave up hope of being able to follow them. We coursed the river down three-quarters of a mile and found a shallow rocky ford, but it was not available as the rocks were too slippery and the opposite bank too steep. Near the ford we saw some articles belonging to the blacks, and amongst them a piece of an old blanket that I fancied was a part of one I had given to them at the Albert River. From the ford we returned up the river and encamped near some small waterholes. The direction we came today from last camp south-east by east; distance eight miles. In the distance I may be a little out of my calculation, my watch having stopped. This was particularly vexing as I had bought it expressly for keeping the time while on this expedition. After dark we heard the horses galloping and, as Jemmy, Jackey, and Fisherman thought blacks were driving them away, I sent them to fetch them back; but they did not disturb them as they were feeding quietly and no blacks were seen.

February 14.

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

February 15.

We left Camp 5 at 7.58. At 8.20, having crossed one mile and a half over a sandy flat, wooded with gum, fig, cotton, coral, white cedar, and other trees, we reached the flat rocky bed of a large watercourse. 8.50 one mile and a quarter up the creek and crossed it; then one mile and three-quarters over a fine plain with grass, pigweed, and salt herbs. 10.5 one mile and three-quarters took us over a barren low ridge, with rusty-gum, box, bloodwood, severn, and other trees, to a grassy watercourse with fine little holes of water; from its being boggy we were delayed in crossing until 10.25. One mile and a half over grassy flats and across another watercourse coming from the eastward. 12.45, having gone over poor ridges for five miles, we reached a fine, rich, flat valley, luxuriantly covered with barley and other grasses; delayed until 1.58 while some of our party tried, without success, to shoot an emu. 2.30, having come about four and a quarter miles, we reached a watercourse and encamped; the water flows from the north-east and shows extensive flood-marks. The valley I named Neumayer. Direction today east-south-east; distance sixteen miles.

February 16. Sunday.

Rested ourselves and horses.

February 17.

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

February 18.

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

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

In the rocky basin of the ravine I think water will always be found. We left camp at 6.40 this morning and came in an east by south half south direction. The country for a short distance was confined, but on descending the valley it opened out into plains separated from each other by isolated hills of a conical form. The tops of the hills were covered by rocks which, from their appearance, were of a sandstone formation; the lower parts of the hills were well grassed, the plains of rich soil, and covered with a luxuriant green herbage. At 9.30, having come over the plains on our old course for five miles from the isolated hills, we reached the Flinders River. The river, we were glad to find, had been recently flooded; in crossing we ascertained it had four channels, one of which was running. As this was the river on the banks of which Mr. Walker said he had found the track of Burke's party I thought it would be a good plan to follow it up, and resolved to do so. At 10.10 from the opposite bank of the river we came south two and three-quarter miles, which took us over country wooded with box and terminalis to plains similar to those I have described on the left bank of the river, with this difference that on this side there were more flats and pigweed, salt herbs, and saltbush. At 12 having halted I got the following observation: meridian altitude of the sun 82 degrees, latitude 18 degrees 32 minutes 30 seconds. At 1.20 south-south-east three and a quarter miles over rich well-grassed plains; at 2.5 south-east and by south two and a quarter miles; at 13.13 south-west and by south three miles through wooded, rich, flat country to water, and encamped. Distance today nineteen and a quarter miles.

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

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

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