Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, Volume 2

Thomas Mitchell

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• Publié par: andu
• Publié le: 01 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 18
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, Vol 2 (of 2), by Thomas Mitchell This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, Vol 2 (of 2) Author: Thomas Mitchell Release Date: July 27, 2004 [EBook #13033] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EASTERN AUSTRALIA, VOL. 2 *** Produced by Sue Asscher and Col Choat THREE EXPEDITIONS INTO THE INTERIOR OF EASTERN AUSTRALIA; WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF THE RECENTLY EXPLORED REGION OF AUSTRALIA FELIX, AND OF THE PRESENT COLONY OF NEW SOUTH WALES. BY MAJOR T.L. MITCHELL, F.G.S. and M.R.G.S. SURVEYOR-GENERAL. SECOND EDITION, CAREFULLY REVISED. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOLUME 2. LONDON: T. and W. BOONE, NEW BOND STREET. PLATE 22: CRATER OF MURROA, OR MOUNT NAPIER, IN AUSTRALIA FELIX (DESCRIBED IN THE TEXT). Major T.L. Mitchell del. A. Picken Lith. Day and Haghe Lithographers to the Queen. CONTENTS OF VOLUME 2. EXPEDITION TO THE RIVERS DARLING AND MURRAY, IN THE YEAR 1836. CHAPTER 3.1. Route proposed. Equipment. List of the Men. Agreement with a native guide. Livestock. Corrobory-dance of the natives. Visit to the Limestone caves. Osseous breccia. Mount Granard, first point to be attained. Halt on a dry creek. Break a wheel. Attempt to ascend Marga. Snakes. View from Marga. Reach the Lachlan. Find its channel dry. CHAPTER 3.2. Continue the journey. Acacia pendula. Ascend Mount Amyot. Field's Plains. Cracks in the surface. Ascend Mount Cunningham. Mr. Oxley's tree. Rain. Goobang Creek. Large fishes. Heavy rain. Ascend Mount Allan. Natives from the Bogan. Prophecy of a Coradje. Poisoned waterhole. Ascend Hurd's Peak. Snake and bird. Ride to Mount Granard. Scarcity of water there. View from the summit. Encamp there. Ascend Bolloon, a hill beyond the Lachlan. Natives refuse to eat emu. Native dog. Kalingalungaguy. Mr. Stapylton overtakes the party. Of the plains in general. Character of the Goobang and Bogan. Cudjallagong or Regent's Lake. Nearly dry. Dead trees in it. Rocks near it. Trap and tuff. Natives there. Women. Men. Their account of the country lower down. Oolawambiloa. Gaiety of the natives. Colour light. Mr. Stapylton surveys the lake. Campbell's Lake. Piper obtains a gin. Ascend Goulburn range. View from the summit. Warranary. A new Correa. CHAPTER 3.3. North arm of the Lachlan. Quawys. Wallangome. Wild cattle. Ascend Moriattu. Leave the Lachlan to travel westward. No water. Natives from Warranary. Course down the Lachlan resumed. Extensive ride to the westward. Night without water. Continue westward, and south-west. Sandhills. Atriplex. Deep cracks in the earth. Search for the Lachlan. Cross various dry channels. Graves. Second night without water. Native tumulus. Reedy swamp with dead trees. Route of Mr. Oxley. Dry bed of the Lachlan. Find at length a large pool. Food of the natives discovered. Horses knock up. Scenery on the Lachlan. Character of the different kinds of trees. Return to the party. Dead body found in the water. Ascend Burradorgang. A rainy night without shelter. A new guide. Native dog. Branches of the Lachlan. A native camp. Children. A widow joins the party as guide. Horse killed. The Balyan root. How gathered. Reach the united channel of the Lachlan. No water. Natives' account of the rivers lower down. Mr. Oxley's lowest camp on the Lachlan. Slow growth of trees. A tribe of natives come to us. Mr. Oxley's bottle. Waljeers Lake. Trigonella suavissima. Barney in disgrace. A family of natives from the Murrumbidgee. Inconvenient formality of natives meeting. Rich tints on the surface. Improved appearance of the river. Inhabited tomb. Dead trees among the reeds. Visit some rising ground. View northward. Difficulties in finding either of the rivers or any water. Search for the Murrumbidgee. A night without water. Heavy fall of rain. Two men missing. Reach the Murrumbidgee. Natives on the opposite bank. They swim across. Afraid of the sheep. Their reports about the junction of the Darling. Search up the river for junction of Lachlan. Course of the Murrumbidgee. Tribe from Cudjallagong visits the camp in my absence. Caught following my steps. Piper questions them. CHAPTER 3.4. The Murrumbidgee compared with other rivers. Heaps of stones used in cooking. High reeds on the riverbank. Lake Weromba. Native encampment. Riverbanks of difficult access. Best horse drowned. Cross a country subject to inundations. Traverse a barren region at some distance from the river. Kangaroos there. Another horse in the river. Lagoons preferable to the river for watering cattle. High wind, dangerous in a camp under trees. Serious accident; a cartwheel passes over The Widow's child. Graves of the natives. Choose a position for the depot. My horse killed by the kick of a mare. Proceed to the Darling with a portion of the party. Reach the Murray. Its breadth at our camp. Meet with a tribe. Lake Benanee. Discover the natives to be those last seen on the Darling. Harassing night in their presence. Piper alarmed. Rockets fired to scare them away. They again advance in the morning. Men advance towards them holding up their firearms. They retire, and we continue our journey. Again followed by the natives. Danger of the party. Long march through a scrubby country. Dismal prospect. Night without water or grass. Heavy rain. Again make the Murray. Strange natives visit the camp at dusk. CHAPTER 3.5. New and remarkable shrub. Darling tribe again. Their dispersion by the party. Cross a tract intersected by deep lagoons. Huts over tombs. Another division of the Darling tribe. Barren sands and the Eucalyptus dumosa. Plants which grow on the sand and bind it down. Fish caught. Aspect of the country to the northward. Strange natives from beyond the Murray. They decamp during the night. Reach the Darling and surprise a numerous tribe of natives. Piper and his gin explain. Search for the junction with the Murray. Return by night. Followed by the natives. Horses take fright. Break loose and run back. Narrow escape of some men from natives. Failure of their intended attack. Different modes of interment. Reduced appearance of the Darling. Desert character of the country. Rainy morning. Return of the party. Surprise the females of the tribe. Junction of the Darling and Murray. Effect of alternate floods there. CHAPTER 3.6. Return along the bank of the Murray. Mount Lookout. Appearance of rain. Chance of being cut off from the depot by the river floods. A savage man at home. Tributaries of the Murray. A storm in the night. Traverse the land of lagoons before the floods come down. Traces of many naked feet along our old track. Camp of 400 natives. Narrow escape from the floods of the river. Piper overtakes two youths fishing in Lake Benanee. Description of the lake. Great rise in the waters of the Murray. Security of the depot. Surrounded by inundations. Cross to it in a bark canoe made by Tommy Came-last. Search for the junction of the Murrumbidgee and Murray. Mr. Stapylton reaches the junction of the rivers. Reception by the natives of the left bank. Passage of the Murray. Heavy rains set in. Row up the Murray to the junction of the Murrumbidgee. Commence the journey upwards, along the left bank. Strange animal. Picturesque scenery on the river. Kangaroos numerous. Country improves as we ascend the river. A region of reeds. The water inaccessible from soft and muddy banks. Habits of our native guides. Natives very shy. Piper speaks to natives on the river. Good land on the Murray. Wood and water scarce. Junction of two branches. Swan Hill. CHAPTER 3.7. Exploring through a fog. Lakes. Circular Lake of Boga. Clear grassy hills. Natives on the lake. Scarcity of fuel on the bank of a deep river. Different character of two rivers. Unfortunate result of Piper's interview with the natives of the lake. Discovery of the Jerboa in Australia. Different habits of the savage and civilized. A range visible in the south. Peculiarities in the surface of the country near the river. Water of the lakes brackish, or salt. Natives fly at our approach. Arrival in the dark, on the bank of a watercourse. Dead saplings of ten years growth in the ponds. Discovery of Mount Hope. Enter a much better country. Limestone. Curious character of an original surface. Native weirs for fish. Their nets for catching ducks. Remarkable character of the lakes. Mr. Stapylton's excursion in search of the main stream. My ride to Mount Hope. White Anguillaria. View from Mount Hope. Return of Mr. Stapylton. CHAPTER 3.8. The Party quits the Murray. Pyramid Hill. Beautiful country seen from it. Discovery of the river Yarrayne. A bridge made across it. Covered by a sudden rise of the river. Then cross it in boats. Useful assistance of Piper. Our female guide departs. Enter a hilly country. Ascend Barrabungalo. Rainy weather. Excursion southward. The widow returns to the party. Natives of Tarray. Their description of the country. Discover the Loddon. The woods. Cross a range. Kangaroos numerous. The earth becomes soft and impassable, even on the sides of hills. Discover a noble range of mountains. Cross another stream. Another. General character of the country. Proposed excursion to the mountains. Richardson's creek. Cross a fine stream flowing in three separate channels. A ridge of poor sandy soil. Cross another stream. Trap-hills and good soil. Ascend the mountain. Clouds cover it. A night on the summit. No fuel. View from it at sunrise. Descend with difficulty. Men taken ill. New plants found there. Repose in the valley. Night's rest. Natives at the camp during my absence. CHAPTER 3.9. Plains of stiff clay. The Wimmera. Difficult passage of its five