Journal of an Overland Expedition in Australia from Moreton Bay to Port Essington ... during the years 1844-45. (Detailed map of L. Leichhardt's route ... laid down from his original map ... by J. Arrowsmith.)

Front matter

JOUKNAL OF AN OVERLAND EXPEDITION IN AUSTRALIA, FROM MORETON BAY TO PORT ESSINGTON, A DISTANCE OF UPWARDS OF 3000 MILES, DURING THE YEARS 1844-1845. BY D$, LUDWIG LEICHHARDT. " Die Gotter brauchen marichen guten Mann Zu ihrem Dienst aus dieser weiten Erde." Goethe, Iph. aus Tauris. LONDON : T. & W. BOONE, 29, NEW BOND STREET. 1847. TO WILLIAM ALLEYNE NICHOLSON, ESQ., M.D. OF BRISTOL ; TO ROBERT LYND, ESQ. OF SYDNEY ; AND TO THE GENEROUS PEOPLE OF NEW SOUTH WALES, THIS WORK IS RESPECTFULLY AND GRATEFULLY DEDICATED, BY THE AUTHOR

Preface

. In preparing this volume for the press, I have been under the greatest obligations to Captain P. P. King, R. N., an officer whose researches have added so much to the geography of Australia. This gentleman has not only corrected my manu script, but has added notes, the value of which will be appreciated by all who consider the opportunities he has had of obtaining the most correct informa tion upon these subjects, during his surveys of the coasts parallel to my track. To S. A. Perry, Esq., Deputy Surveyor General, I am extremely indebted for the assiduous labour he has bestowed in draughting my map. I shall ever remember the friendly interest he expressed, and the courteous attention with which he listened to the details of my journey. From the Rev. W. B. Clarke, in addition to the unvaried kindness he has evinced towards me since my arrival in Australia, I have received every A VI

PREFACE.

. assistance which his high scientific acquirements enabled him to give. I take this opportunity of publicly expressing my most sincere thanks to these gentlemen, for the generous assistance they have afforded me on this occasion, and for the warm interest which they have been kind enough to take in the success of my approaching enterprise. LUDWIG LEICHHARDT. Sydney, September 29th, 1846. CONTENTS.

Introduction

. PACE Origin of the Expedition — Party formed — Leave Sydney for Brisbane — Party enlarged — Outfit and Stores XI

Chapter I

Leave the last Station — Fossil Remains — Darling Downs — Enter the Wilderness — Waterloo Plains — The Condamine — Heavy rains — Charley's misconduct — Murphy and Caleb lost — Kent's Lagoon — Coal — Murphy and Caleb found again 1

Chapter II

Party reduced by the return of Mr. Hodgson and Caleb — Meet friendly Natives — Native tomb — The Dawson — Vervain Plains — Gilbert's Range — Lynd's Range — Robinson's Creek — Murphy's Lake — Mountainous Country — Expedition Range — Mount Nicholson — Aldis's Peak— The Boyd ..... 26

Chapter III

Ruined Castle Creek — Zamia Creek— Bigge's Mountain — Allowance of • flour reduced — Natives spear a horse — Christmas Ranges— Brown's Lagoons— Thunder-storms — Albinia Downs — Comet Creek— Native camp . . . . . ..i 57

Chapter IV

Swarms of cockatoos — Allowance of flour further reduced— Native family — The Mackenzie — Coal — Natives speaking a different idiom — Mount Stewart — Brown and myself miss the way back to the camp — Find our party again, on the fourth day — Neuman's Creek — Roper's Peak — Calvert's Peak— Gilbert's Dome — Great want of water ...... 93

Chapter V

Difference of soil as to moisture — Phillips's Mountain— Allowance of flour reduced again — Hughs's Creek — Tombstone Creek — Charley A CONTENTS. PACE and Brown become unruly — The Isaacs— Native women — Coxen's Peak and Range — Geological character — Charley rebels again and leaves — Brown follows him — Both return penitent — Variations of the weather— Skull of native— Friendly natives visit the camp . 133

Chapter VI

Heads of the Isaacs— The Suttor— Flint-rock— Indications of water — Dinner of the natives appropriated by us — Easter Sunday — Alarm of an old woman— Natives speaking a language entirely unknown to Charley and Brown — A barter with them— Mount M'Connel . 170

Chapter VII

The Burdekin— Transition from the depository to the primitive rocks — Thacker's Range — Wild figs — Geological remarks— The Clarke — The Perry ........ 199

Chapter VIII

Brown and Charley quarrel — Night watch — Routine of our daily life, and habits of the members of the party — Mount Lang — Streams of lava — A horse breaks his leg, is killed and eaten — Native tribe — Mr. Roper's accident — Whitsunday — Big Ant-hill Creek — Deprived of water for fifty hours — Friendly natives — Separation Creek — The Lynd — Pyschological effects of a sojourn in the wilderness — Native camp — Salt exhausted ...... 231

Chapter IX

The starry heavens — S„bstitute f°r coffee — Sawfish — Two-storied gunyas of the natives— The Mitchell — Murphy's pony poisoned — Green tree-ant — New beverage — Crocodile — Audacity of kites — Natives not friendly — The camp attacked at night by them — Messrs. Roper and Calvert wounded, and Mr. Gilbert killed 277

Chapter X

Indications of the neighbourhood of the sea — Natives much more numerous — The sea; the Gulf of Carpentaria — The Staaten A native intrudes into the camp — The Van Diemen — The Gilbert Singular native huts — Caron River — Friendly natives— The Yappar — Mr. Calvert recovered— Mode of encampment— Swarms of flies Abundance of salt — Natives friendly, and more intelligent 1* PAGE 353 383 423 403 CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XL

Systematic grass burnings of the natives — Native carving — Audacity of the natives overawed — The Albert, or Maet Suyker — Native mode of making sure of a dead emu — Bullock bogged ; obliged to kill it — Native device for taking emus — Beames's Brook — The Nicholson — Reconnoitre by night — Smith's Creek — The Marlow

Chapter XII

Heaps of oyster-shells — False alarm of a native in the camp — Turner's Creek — Wentworth's Creek — Journals lost ; found again — The Van Alphen — Importance of tea — Choice of bullocks for an expedition — Choice of a dog— The Calvert — The Abel Tasman— Glucking-bird again — Discover a mode of using the fruit of the Pandanus — Seven Emu River— Crocodile — The Robinson — Shoal of porpoises — Native method of preparing the fruit of the Pandanus and Cycas for food — Mr. Roper convalescent — Wear and tear of clothes — Succeed in dressing the seeds of Sterculia — The Macarthur — Friendly parley with circumcised natives— Store of tea exhausted — Medical property of the Grevillea discovered

Chapter XIII

Cape Maria — Obliged to leave a portion of our collection of Natural History — Limmen Bight River — Habits of water birds — Native fish-trap — The Four Archers — The Wickham — The dog dies — Immense number of ducks and geese— The Roper — Three horses drowned — Obliged to leave a portion of my Botanical collection — More intercourse with friendly natives, circumcised— Hodgson's Creek — The Wilton — Another horse drowned — Anxiety about our cattle — An attack on the camp frustrated — Boils — Basalt again — Injurious effects of the seeds of an Acacia ....

Chapter XIV

Interview with a Native — Distressing heat— A horse staked: it dies — Myriads of Flying-foxes — Magnificent valley — Friendly natives — Shot exhausted— Instinct of bullocks— South Alligator River — Friendly Natives with an English handkerchief, and acquainted with tiic-anns — Their language — Mirage CONTENTS. X

Chapter XV. Fage

Joy at meeting natives speaking some English— They are very friendly —Allamurr— Discernment of native sincerity— East Alligator River —Clouds of dust mistaken for smoke— Impatience to reach the end of the journey— Natives still more intelligent— Nyuall— Buffaloes ; source from which they sprung— Native guides engaged ; hut they desert us— Mount Morris Bay— Raffles Bay— Leave the packhorse and bullock behind— Bill White— Arrive at Port Essington— Voyage to 500 Sydney

Appendix

. 538 Letter from the Colonial Secretary to Dr. Leichhardt 539 The Leichhardt Testimonial LIST OF PLATES. Lagoon near South Alligator River . . frontispiece. Portraits of " Charley" and " Harry Brown " . to face page 14 Mount Nicholson, Expedition Range, &c. . • 51 Peak Range . . .to face page 124 Red Mountain . . ■ • 125 Fletcher's Awl, &c. . • • 13' Campbell's Peak . . • 138 Mount M'Connel . ■ • !98 Ranges seen from a granitic hill between second and third camp at the Burdekin . . to face page 203 Robey's Range . • • 204 Ranges from the camp at the Burdekin, 20tb April to face page 223 Grasshopper • . . 481 View near South Alligator River . . to face page 488 Victoria Square, Port Essington . to face page 536 N.B. A large 3-sheet Map by J. Arrowsmith, explanatory of Dr. Leichhardt's Route, is published, and to be had separately, in a case.

INTRODUCTION.

. ORIGIN OF THE EXPEDITION — PARTY FORMED LEAVE SYD NEY FOR BRISBANE — PARTY ENLARGED OUTFIT AND STORES. On my return to Moreton Bay, from an exploratory journey in the country northward of that dis trict, which had occupied me for two years, I found that the subject of an overland expedition to Port Essington on the North Coast of Australia, was occupying much attention, as well on the part of the public as on that of the Legislative Council, which had earnestly recommended the appropria tion of a sum of money to the amount of £1000, for the equipment of an expedition under Sir Thomas Mitchell, to accomplish this highly interesting ob ject. Some delay was, however, caused by the necessity of communicating with the Secretary of State for the Colonies ; and in the mean time it was understood that Captain Sturt was preparing to start from Adelaide to proceed across the Conti nent.

From the experience which I had gained during my two years' journeyings, both in sur mounting the difficulties of travelling through a broken mountainous country, and in enduring pri-

INTRODUCTION.

. vations of every sort, I was inspired with the desire of attempting it, provided I could be assisted in the expense that would necessarily be incurred for the outfit, and could find a few companions who would be contented with animal food, and willingly and patiently submit to the privation of flour, tea, and sugar, and resign themselves to my guidance. I had well considered this interesting subject in all its bearings, and had discussed it with many of my acquaintances at Brisbane and its neighbouring district ; who were generally of opinion that it was practicable, under the plan I had marked out : but with others, particularly at Sydney, I had to con tend against a strong but kindly meant opposition to my journey. Some, who took more than a com mon interest in my pursuits, regretted that I should leave so promising a field of research as that which offered itself within the limits of New South Wales, and in which they considered I had laboured with some success during the last two years.

Others considered the undertaking exceedingly dangerous, and even the conception of it madness on my part ; and the consequence of a blind enthusiasm, nourished either by a deep devotion to science, or by an unreasonable craving for fame : whilst others did not feel themselves justified in assisting a man who they considered was setting out with an inten tion of committing suicide. I was not, however, blind as to the difficulties of the journey which I was determined to undertake ; on the contrary, and

INTRODUCTION.

. XIII I hope my readers will believe me to be sincere, I thought they would be many and great— greater indeed than they eventually proved to be ; but, during my recent excursions through the Squatting districts, I had so accustomed myself to a comparatively wild life, and had so closely observed the habits of the aborigines, that I felt assured that the only real difficulties which I could meet with would be of a local character. And I was satisfied that, by cautiously proceeding, and always reconnoitring in advance or on either side of our course, I should be able to conduct my party through a grassy and well watered route ; and, if I were so fortunate as to effect this, I felt assured that the journey, once commenced, would be finished only by our arrival at Port Essington. Buoyed up by this feeling, and by confidence in myself, I prevailed against the solicitations and arguments of my friends, and com menced my preparations, which, so far as my own slender means and the contributions of kind friends allowed, were rather hurriedly completed by the 13th August, 1844.

As our movements were to be comparatively in light marching order, our preparations were con fined more to such provisions and stores as were actually necessary, than to anything else. But I had frequently reason to regret that I was not better furnished with instruments, particularly Barome ters, or a boiling water apparatus, to ascertain the elevation of the country and ranges we had to travel

INTRODUCTION.

. XIV over. The only instruments which I carried, were a Sextant and Artificial Horizon, a Chronometer, a hand Kater's Compass, a small Thermometer, and Arrowsmith's Map of the Continent of New Holland. In arranging the plan of my journey I had limited my party to six individuals ; and although many young men volunteered their services, I was obliged to decline their offers, and confine myself to the stated number, as it was intimately connected with the principles and the means on which I started. On leaving Sydney, my companions consisted of Mr. James Calvert ; Mr. John Roper ; John Mur phy, a lad of about 16 years old : of William Phil lips, a prisoner of the Crown ; and of " Harry Brown," an aboriginal of the Newcastle tribe : making with myself six individuals. We left Sydney, on the night of the 13th August, for Moreton Bay, in the steamer " Sovereign," Captain Cape ; and I have much pleasure in re cording and thankfully acknowledging the liberality and disinterested kindness of the Hunter's River Steam Navigation Company, in allowing me a free passage for my party with our luggage and thirteen horses.

The passage was unusually long, and, in stead of arriving at Brisbane in three days, we were at sea a week, so that my horses suffered much for food and water, and became discouragino-ly poor. On arriving at Brisbane, we were received with the greatest kindness by my friends the " Squatters,"

INTRODUCTION.

. XV a class principally composed of young men of good education, gentlemanly habits, and high principles, and whose unbounded hospitality and friendly assistance I had previously experienced during my for mer travels through the district. These gentlemen and the inhabitants of Brisbane overloaded me with kind contributions, much of which, however, to avoid any unnecessary increase to my luggage, I found myself compelled to decline or leave behind ; so that I had to forego the advantage of many use ful and desirable articles, from their being too cum bersome for my limited means of carriage, and therefore interfering with the arrangements for my undertaking. My means, however, had since my arrival been so much increased, that I was after much reluctance prevailed upon to make one change, — to increase my party ; and the following persons were added to the expedition : — Mr. Pemberton Hodgson, a resi dentof the district; Mr. Gilbert; Caleb, an American negro ; and " Charley," an aboriginal native of the Bathurst tribe.

Mr. Hodgson was so desirous of accompanying me that, in consideration of former obligations, I could not refuse him, and, as he was fond of Botanical pursuits, I thought he might be useful. Of Mr. Gilbert I knew nothing ; he was in the service of Mr. Gould, the talented Zoologist who has added so much to our knowledge of the Fauna of Australia, and expressed himself so anxious for an opportunity of making important

INTRODUCTION.

. observations as to the limits of the habitat of the Eastern Coast Birds, and also where those of the North Coast commence ; as well as of discovering forms new to Science during the progress of the journey, that, from a desire to render all the service in my power to Natural History, I found myself obliged to yield to his solicitations, although for some time I was opposed to his wish. These gentlemen equipped themselves, and added four horses and two bullocks to those already provided. Perhaps, of all the difficulties I afterwards encountered, none were of so much real annoyance as those we experienced at first starting from Brisbane. Much rain had fallen, which filled the creeks and set them running, and made the road so boggy and soft as to render them almost impassable. It took us the whole day to transport our party, cattle, and provisions over the river, and the operation was not concluded before sunset ; but, as it was a fine moonlight night, I determined to start, however short my first stage might be.

Fortunately, my friends had lent me a bullock dray to convey a portion of our stores as far as Darling Downs • but, having purchased a light spring cart, it was also loaded ; and, flattering myself that we should proceed comfortably and rapidly, I gave orders to march. After much continued difficulty in urginoand assisting our horses to drag the cart through the boggy road, we arrived, at about one o'clock in the morning, at Cowper's Plains, about ten miles from Brisbane.

INTRODUCTION.

. XVII I now found my cart an impediment to our movements ; but, as it had been an expensive article, I did not despair of its becoming more useful after passing the boggy country. A few days afterwards, however, an accident settled the question ; the horses ran away with it, and thereby the shaft was broken, and the spring injured, so that I was com pelled to leave it ; which I then did most cheerfully, as it is always easier to man to yield to necessity, than to adopt an apparently inconvenient measure by his own free will. The load was removed to pack-horses, and we proceeded with comparative ease to Mr. Campbell's station, enjoying the hospitality of the settlers as we passed on, and carrying with us their best wishes. I was fortunate in exchanging my broken cart for three good travelling bullocks, and afterwards purchased five draft-bullocks, which we commenced to break in for the pack-saddle ; for I had by this time satisfied myself that we could not depend upon the horses for carrying our load.

Neither my com panions nor myself knew much about bullocks, and it was a long time before we were reconciled to the dangerous vicinity of their horns. By means, how ever, of iron nose-rings with l'opes attached, we obtained a tolerable command over their movements; and, at last, by dint of habit, soon became familiar with, and even got attached to, our blunt and often refractory compagnons de voyage. By a present from Messieurs Campbell and

INTRODUCTION.

. XVIII Stephens of four young steers and one old bullock, and of a fat bullock from Mr. Isaacs, our stock of cattle consisted now of 16 head : of horses we had 17 : and our party consisted of ten individuals. Of provisions— we had 1200 lbs. of flour: 200 lbs. of sugar : 80 lbs. of tea : 20 lbs. of gelatine : and other articles of less consideration, but adding much to our comfort during the first few weeks of our journey. Of ammunition — we had about 30 pounds of powder, and 8 bags of shot of different sizes, chiefly of No. 4 and No. 6. Every one, at my desire, had provided himself with two pair of strong trowsers, three strong shirts, and two pair of shoes ; and I may further remark that some of us were provided with Ponchos, made of light strong calico, saturated with oil, which proved very useful to us by keeping out the wet, and made us independent of the weather ; so that we were well provided for seven months, which I was sanguine enough to think would be a sufficient time for our journey.

The result proved that our calculations, as to the provisions, were very nearly correct ; for even our flour, much of which was destroyed by accident, lasted to the end of May, the eighth month of our journey ; but, as to the time it occupied, we were very much deceived. Our riding-saddles and pack-saddles were made of' good materials, but they were not fitted to the horses' backs, which caused a constant inconvenience, and which would not have happened, had my means

INTRODUCTION.

. XIX allowed me to go to a greater expense. So long as we had spare horses, to allow those with sore backs to recover, we did not suffer by it : but when we were compelled to ride the same horses without intermission, it exposed us to great misery and even danger, as well as the risk of losing our provisions and stores. Our pack-saddles had consequently to be altered to the dimensions of the bullocks ; and, having to use the new ones for breaking in, they were much injured, even before we left Mr. Camp bell's to commence our journey. The statements of what a bullock was able to carry were very con tradictory ; but in putting 250 lbs. upon them the animals were overloaded ; and my experience has since shewn me that they cannot, continually day after day, carry more than 150 lbs. for any distance.

The difficulties which we met with for the first three weeks, were indeed very trying :— the loading of bullocks and horses took generally two hours ; and the slightest accident, or the cargo getting loose during the day's journey, frequently caused the bullocks to upset their loads and break the straps, and gave us great trouble even in catching them again : — at night, too, if we gave them the slightest chance, they would invariably stray back to the previous camp ; and we had frequently to wait until noon before Charley and Brown, who generally performed the office of herdsman in turns, recovered the ramblers. The consequences were that we could proceed only very slowly, and that, for XX

INTRODUCTION.

. several months, we had to keep a careful watch upon them throughout the night. The horses, with some few exceptions, caused us less trouble at the commencement of our journey than afterwards, when our hobbles were worn out and lost, and, with the exception of one or two which in turns were tethered in the neighbourhood of the camp in order to prevent the others from straying, they were necessarily allowed to feed at large. It may readily be imagined that my anxiety to secure our horses was very great, because the loss of them would have put an immediate stop to my undertaking. — But I hasten to enter on the narrative of our journey. OVERLAND JOURNEY FROM MORETON BAY TO PORT ESSINGTON

Chapter I. Leave The Last Station

— FOSSIL REMAINS DARLING DOWNS ENTER THE -WILDERNESS — WATERLOO PLAINS — THE CONDAMINE HEAVY RAINS — CHARLEY'S MISCON DUCT MURPHY AND CALEB LOST KENT'S LAGOON — COAL MURPHY AND CALEB FOUND AGAIN. It was at the end of September, 1844, when we completed the necessary preparations for our journey, and left the station of Messrs. Campbell and Stephens, moving slowly towards the farthest point on which the white man has established himself. We passed the stations of Messrs. Hughs and Isaacs and of Mr. Coxen, and arrived on the 30th September, at Jimba,* where we were to bid farewell to civilization. These stations are established on creeks which come down from the western slopes of the Coast Range — here extending in a north and south di rection — and meander through plains of more or less extent to join the Condamine River ; which — also * It is almost always written Fimba, in the Journal; but I have corrected it to Jimba. — (Ed.) B FOSSIL REMAINS. rising in the Coast Range, where the latter expands into the table-land of New England— sweeps round to the northward, and, flowing parallel to the Coast Range, receives the whole drainage from the country to the westward of the range.

The Condamine forms, for a great distance, the separation of the sandstone country to the westward, from the rich basaltic plains to the eastward. These plains, so famous for the richness of their pasture, and for the excellency of the sheep and cattle depastured upon them, have become equally remarkable as the de positaries of the remains of extinct species of animals, several of which must have been of a gigantic size, being the Marsupial representatives of the Pachydermal order of other continents. Mr. Isaacs' station is particularly rich in these fossil remains ; and they have been likewise found in the beds and banks of Mr. Hodgson's and of Mr. Campbell's Creeks, and also of Oaky Creek. At Isaacs' Creek, they occur together with recent fresh water shells of species still living in the neighbouring ponds, and with marly and calcareous con cretions ; which induces me to suppose that these plains were covered with large sheets of water, fed probably by calcareous springs connected with the basaltic range, and that huge animals, fond of water, were living, either on the rich herbage sur rounding these ponds or lakes, or browsing upon the leaves and branches of trees forming thick brushes on the slopes of the neighbouring hills.

DARLING DOWNS. The rise of the country, which is very generally supposed to have taken place, was probably the cause of the disappearance of the water, and of the animals becoming extinct, when its necessary supply ceased to exist. Similar remains have been found in Wellington Valley, and in the Port Phillip District, where, probably, similar changes have taken place. The elevation of Darling Downs — about 1800 to 2000 feet, according to the barometrical observations of Mr. Cunningham — renders the climate much cooler than its latitude would lead one to suppose; indeed, ice has frequently been found, during the calm clear nights of winter. During September and October, we observed at sunrise an almost perfect calm. About nine o'clock, light westerly winds set in, which increased towards noon, died away towards evening, and after sunset, were suc ceeded by light easterly breezes ; thunder-storms rose from south and south-west, and passed over with a violent gust of wind and heavy showers of rain ; frequently, in half an hour's time, the sky was entirely clear again ; sometimes, however, the night and following day were cloudy.

The plains, as we passed, were covered with the most luxuriant grass and herbage. Plants of the leguminosæ and compositæ, were by far the most prevalent ; the colour of the former, generally a showy red, that of the latter, a bright yellow. Belts of open forest land, principally composed b ACACIAS OF THE SCRUB. of the Box-tree of the Colonists (a species of Eucalyptus), separate the different plains ; and patches of scrub, consisting of several species of Acacias, and of a variety of small trees, appear to be the outposts of the extensive scrubs of the interior. There are particularly three species of Acacias, which bestow a peculiar character on these scrubs : the one is the Myal (A. pendula) — first seen by Oxley on Liverpool Plains, and afterwards at the Barwan, and which exists in all the western plains between the Barwan and Darling Downs — whose drooping foliage and rich yellow blossoms render it extremely elegant and ornamental.

The second, the Acacia of Coxen, resembles the Myal (without its drooping character), its narrow lanceolate phyllodia rather stiff, its yellowish branches erect. The third, is the Bricklow Acacia, which seems to be identical with the Rose-wood Acacia of Moreton Bay ; the latter, however, is a fine tree, 50 to 60 feet high, whereas the former is either a small tree or a shrub. I could not satisfactorily ascertain the origin of the word Bricklow,* but, as it is well understood and generally adopted by all the squatters between the Severn River and the Boyne, I shall make use of the name. Its long, slightly falcate leaves, being of a silvery green colour, give a peculiar character to the forest, where the tree abounds. Oct. 1. — After having repaired some harness, which had been broken by our refractory bullocks * Brigaloe, Gould.

ENTER THE WILDERNESS. upsetting their loads, and after my companions had completed their arrangements, in which Mr. Bell kindly assisted, we left Jimba, and launched, buoyant with hope, into the wilderness of Australia. Many a man's heart would have thrilled like our own, had he seen us winding our way round the first rise beyond the station, with a full chorus of " God Save the Queen," which has inspired many a British soldier, — aye, and many a Prussian too— with courage in the time of danger. Scarcely a mile from Jimba we crossed Jimba Creek, and travelled over Waterloo Plains, ina N. W. direction, about eight miles, where we made our first camp at a chain of ponds. Isolated cones and ridges were seen to the N. E., and Craig Range to the eastward : the plains were without trees, richly grassed, of a black soil with frequent concretions of a marly and calcareous nature.

Charley gave a proof of his wonderful power of sight, by finding every strap of a pack-saddle, that had been broken, in the high grass of Waterloo Plains. Oct. 2. — Bullocks astray, but found at last by Charley ; and a start attempted at 1 o'clock ; the greater part of the bullocks with sore backs : the native tobacco in blossom. One of the bullocks broke his pack-saddle, and compelled us to halt. Oct. 3. — Rise at five o'clock, and start at half-past nine ; small plains alternate with a flat forest country, slightly timbered ; melon-holes ; marly concretions, a stiff clayey soil, beautifully A MYAL SCRUB. grassed : the prevailing timber trees are Bastard box, the Moreton Bay ash, and the Flooded Gum. After travelling seven miles, in a north-west direction, we came on a dense Myal scrub, skirted by a chain of shallow water-holes.