Part 6 (1/2)

[Note 7 coonbaralba Station, No 2] The hills Mr Poole had visited then bore a few degrees to the east of north, distant from twelve to fourteen oing, continuing northwards The country as we advanced became more open and barren We traversed plains covered with atriplex and rhaGodiae, in the e bare patches of red clay In these rain water lodges, but being exceedingly shallow they soon dry up and their surfaces becoed our course the ground gradually rose, and at 26 rowing upon it

From this hill we descended into and crossed a broad dry creek with a gravelly bed, and as its course lay directly parallel to our oe kept in the shade of the gu its banks

At about four miles beyond this point Topar called out to us to stop near a native well he then shewed us, for which we ot a scanty supply of bad water, after so it, inso the night to obtain water for our horses This creek, like others, was uravel in its bed, I was led to infer that it was subject to sudden floods We could trace the line of trees upon it running upwards to the NW close up to the foot of the ranges, and down southwards, until the channel seeion

Topar called this spot ”Murnco Murnco” As the horses had fared indifferently during our stay, and he assured us there was a finer well higher up the creek, we pushed on at an early hour the next ht bank of the creek, and having an open barren country to the south, with an apparent dip to the south-west; to our left, some undulations already noticed by us, assumed more the shape of hills The surface was in loround where it was reen to rass in the bed of the creek itself, and a small quantity on the plains

At twoTopar stopped close to another well, but it was dry and worthless; we therefore pushed on to the next, and after re a quantity of rubbish, found a sufficiency of water both for ourselves and the horses, but it was bitter to the taste, and when boiled was as black as ink fro evidently the partial and surface drainage from the hills We stopped here however to breakfast Whilst so eht of so from the bed of the creek about a mile above us He was now all impatience to be off, to overtake the party who had kindled it Nothing could exceed his vehement impetuosity and impatience, but this was of no avail, as the natives who had probably seen our approach, kept in front of us and avoided aof 135 degrees to the west of north, or NW the direct bearing of the hill for which ere , coonbaralba At fivethe creek, and led us over the plains on a bearing of 157 degrees to the west of north, thus changing his purpose altogether He assigned as a reason that there was no water in the creek higher up, and that we o to another place where there was soth gave way to hione ht of smoke due west of us, and was as earnest in his desire to return to the creek as he had been to leave it Being myself anxious to communicate with the natives I now the more readily yielded to his entreaties Where we carass in its bed, but althoughthe fire at which they had been, the natives again escaped us Mr Browne and Topar ran their track up the creek, and soon reached a hut opposite to which there was a well On ascending a little from its bed they discovered a s the main branch hereabouts from the hills Round this little pool there was an unusual verdure Fro it in sight; but the ground was so stony and rough, and the brush approached so close to the banks that I descended into its bed, and halted at sunset after a fatiguing day's journey without water, about which we did notbefore and their feed being good, the want of water was not o on to some other water at which he expected to find the natives, and did not hesitate for ahis former assertion This however I would not allow hiood-naturedly walked with hi and beautiful pond He inforhty yards long, but as there was no grass in its neighbourhood I did notus past this water, and it ing to his anxiety to see the natives that we had now discovered it

On the followingI determined to take the direction of ourwater-hole, struck across the plains, and took up a course of 142 degrees to the west of south for a round hill which I proposed ascending Topar seeing us deter on frenzy; he kept shouting out ”kerno, kerno,” ”rocks, rocks,” and insisted that we should all be killed This however had no effect on us, and we continued to move towards a spur, the ascent of which appeared to be less difficult than any other point of the hills We reached its base at 10 a the top of the first rise, we descended into and crossed a valley, and ascending the opposite side found ourselves on the suht have been anticipated, insost the hills would be co for the one I wished to ascend, our advance was checked by a deep ravine, and I was obliged to turn towards another hill of nearly equal height on our left We descended without uous valley, but the ascent on the opposite side was too rough for the cart We had pressed up it along a rocky watercourse, in which I was obliged to leave Morgan and Topar Mr Browne, myself, and Flood, with our horses reached the top of the hill at half-past twelve Although the position com cheering in the view Everything beloas dark and dreary, nor was there any indication of a creek to take us on to the north-west

We could see no gum-trees in that direction, nor indeed could we at an elevation of 1600 feet above the plains distinctly round below It appeared to be an elevated table land surrounded by hills, soher than that on which we stood

The descent to the as still more pre cipitous than the side we had ascended The pass through which the creek issued fro between us and it, but that hill was perfectly inaccessible; I thought it better therefore to return to sleep at the water where we had breakfasted, with a view to running the creek up into the ranges on the following s of the principal objects visible froan and descended to the plains There was a little water in the creek leading from the hill I had at first intended to ascend, to the SW, which was no doubt a branch of the main creek On our returnthat beautiful flower the Clianthus for a runners were covered with flowers that gave a criround

The principal object I had in view during the excursion I was then employed upon, was if possible to find a proper position to which the party ht move; for I foresaw that h my men were very well disposed towards the natives, I was anxious to prevent the chance of collision orI had now found such a position, for on exaht be depended upon for ten days or a fortnight, whilst the grass in its neighbourhood although dry was abundant Wishi+ng, however, to penetrate the ranges by the gap through which the creek issued froht it advisable to prosecute ly on the 24th we mounted our horses and rode towards the hills A little above where we had slept we passed a sap, the coonbaralba, on the bearing of which we had run across the plains, being on our right We had already passed several sap passed soer ones in which the water was brackish, and these had the appearance of being per on, and constantly re; however, o young native dogs about a third grown, after which he bounded with incredible swiftness, but when they saw him they started off also It was soon evident, that both were dooreater that that of the young brutes, for he rapidly gained upon theot within reach of the hind, with unerring precision, and striking it full in the ribs stretched it on the ground As he passed the aniave it a blow on the head with another stick, and bounding on after the other was soon out of our sight All we knew further of the chase, was, that before we reached the spot where his first prize lay, he was returning to us with its companion As soon as he had secured his prey he sat down to take out their entrails, a point in which the natives are very particular He was careful in securing the little fat they had about the kidneys, hich he rubbed his body all over, and having finished this operation he filled their insides with grass and secured them with skewers This done he put them on the cart, and we proceeded up the pass, at the head of which we arrived sooner than I expected We then found ourselves at the coe plain The hills we had ascended the day before trended to the north, and there was a sht To the south there were different points, apparently the teres, and ard an unbroken line of hills The creek seemed to trend to the SW, and in that direction I determined to follow it, but Topar earnestly entreated us not to do so He was in great consternation; said here was no water, and promised that if ould follow him he would sheater in which we could swi the western base of the e, took up a course somewhat obtuse to that by which I had crossed the plains of Cawndilla The productions on the ground were of a salsolaceous kind, although it was so st them there was not any mesembryanthemum At about three miles we passed a very remarkable and perfectly isolated hill, of about 150 feet in height It ran longitudinally from south to north for about 350 yards, and was bare of trees or shrubs, with the exception of one or two casuarinas The basis of this hill was a slaty ferruginous rock, and protruding above the ground along the spine of the hill there was a line of the finest hepatic iron ore I ever saw; it laid in blocks of various sizes, and of ht piled one upon the other, without a particle of earth either on their faces or between the indeed could exceed the clean appearance of these huges, I found that the corees froles I here took

At about nine ly keeping near its base changed his course, and at five miles more led us into a pass in soe It was however less confined andfrom many parts, flanked it to the south, whilst on its northern side perpendicular rocks, varying in height from 15 to 20 feet, over which the hills rose alher, were to be seen Close under these was the stony bed of a mountain torrent, but it was also evident that the whole pass, about 160 yards broad, was soully Topar now led us, and at a short distance, crossing over to its northern side, he stopped at a little green puddle of water that was not more than three inches deep Its surface was covered with sliether rejected it Some natives had recently been at the place, but none were there e arrived I was exceedingly provoked at Topar's treachery, and have always been at a loss to account for it At the time, both Mr Browne and myself attributed it to thethe hilly country was too genuine to have been counterfeited It ht have been that Nadbuck and Toonda expected that they would benefit more by our presents and provisions than if we left them for the interior, and therefore tried by everyconversations with Topar before he left the camp to accompany us

Still I may do injustice to them in this respect However, whether this was the case or not, we had to suffer from Topar's misconduct I turned out of the pass, and stopped a little beyond it, in a s, and wholly de about the gorge of the glen, Mr Browne found a native well, but there was no water in it

Our camp at Cawndilla now bore SSE fro the party, I resolved to , therefore, we again entered the pass, but as it trended too e and descended at once upon the plains leading to the camp At about 17 miles from the hills, Topar led us to a broad sheet of water that must have been left by the recent rains It was still tolerably full, and water may perhaps be found here when there is none in more likely places in the hills This spot Topar called Wancookaroo; it was unfortunately in a hollow fros to fix its precise position

We halted at sunset on the top of a small eminence, from which the hills Mr Poole had ascended bore ENE, and the hill at the pass NW We were suddenly roused froht by a squall of wind that carried away every light thing about us, hats, caps, etc all went together, and bushes of atriplex also went bounding along like socold, and all co dawned the wind increased, and as the sun rose it settled into a steady gale We were here about fortyever suffered so severely froh us, and Topar shi+vered so under it that Morgan gave him a coat to put on As we seldom put our horses out of a walk, we did not reach the tents until late in the afternoon, but I never was more rejoiced to creep under shelter than on this occasion

Every thing had gone on well during our absence, and Mr Poole had kept on the most friendly terms with the natives

I should have mentioned, that, as we descended froreat distance to our left, and just at the outskirt of a few trees We should have passed him unperceived, but I requested Mr Browne to ride up to and co a pit, for a Talperos [Note 8 A native ani enough to hide himself in, and as he continued to work at it, did not see Mr Browne approach, who stood ht over the hole before he called to him Dire was the alarm of the poor native when he looked up and saw hi as my companion must have appeared to him; but Mr Browne considerately retired until he had recovered from his astonish up, he soon recovered his composure and approached the cart As we had prevented the old ive hi; but this he refused to do I therefore ordered Morgan to take it froive him an equivalent e reached the ca was up, a piece of news that seeive him much joy and satisfaction I kept enerosity nor consideration

Mr Poole inforreat at Cawndilla as with us; that the day before, the heat likewise had been excessive, the therrees, on the day of our return it was down to 38 degrees

The natives appeared really glad to see us again, for I believe they had given us up for lost My old friend shed tears when he embraced us, and Nadbuck, who still rens of joy

Cawndilla bears about WSW fro, at a distance of from six to seven miles We broke up our camp there on the 28th of October 1844, but, however easily Mr Browne and I had crossed the plains to the north-west, it was a journey that I felt assured would try the bullocks exceedingly The weather had again changed, and become oppressively hot, so that it behovedriver

At early dawn Mr Browne started with Flood, Cowley, and Kirby, in the light cart, to enlarge the wells at Curnapaga, to enable the cattle to drink out of them Naturally humane and partial to the natives, he had been particularly kind to Toonda, who in his as I believe really attached to Mr Browne This singular man had made up his mind to remain with his tribe, but when he saw the cart, and Mr Browne's horse brought up, his feelings evidently overpowered him, and he stood with the most dejected aspect close to the animal, nor could he repress his emotion when Mr Browne issued fro, I have no doubt Toonda would still have accompanied us, but all the natives dreaded the country into which ere going, and fully expected that we should perish It was not therefore surprising that he wavered,tiht be objections to his leaving them a second time

The real cause, however, was, I think, the overflowing of the Darling, and the usual harvest of fish, and incessant feasting the natives would have in consequence Their God certainly is their belly, we must not therefore be surprised that Toonda wished to partake of the general abundance that would soon be at the command of his tribe, and probably that his assistance was required However his heart failed him when he saw Mr Browne mount his horse to depart, and he expressed his readiness to accompany us to the hills, but no farther The Boocolo's son had also volunteered to go so far with his friend the cook: when therefore at 8 am I followed Mr Broith the reot on the drays We took a kind leave of the Boocolo, who put his two hands onwhich I did not understand It was however the expression of so the early part of the day, and at noon we halted for two hours After noon our progress was slow, and night closed in upon us, whilst ere yet some distance from the creek We reached the little sand hill near it, to which ere guided by a large fire Flood had kindled at iven in, and that Mr Browne had been obliged to halt there On leaving Cawndilla I sent Mr Poole to Scrope's Range, to verify his bearings, and to enable Mr Stuart to sketch in the hills, but he had not at this time rejoined me At early dawn on the 29th, I acco Mr Piesse with the horse-cart and drays We arrived there at nine, and by twelve, the tie pit under a rock on the left bank of the creek, which filled rapidly ater The horses however were still in the rear, and I was ultied to send assistance to them At 1 paroo dogs had followed them from Cawndilla, but one only returned, the other fell exhausted on the plains Mr Poole infornal fire, and had therefore slept higher up on the creek The animals, but the cart horses in particular, were still very e left Curnapaga, on the 30th, nor is it probable we should have got the water-hole if we had not fortunately stumbled on another little pool of water in a lateral creek about half way After breakfasting here, we moved leisurely on, and reached our destination at half-past five, pm Sullivan shot a beautiful and nek (ELanus SCRIPTUS, Gould), which does not appear to extend farther south than where we here h it wanders over the whole of the north-west interior as far as ent There were so in the bed of the creek; but we had previously ht here be said to have commenced our collection

At this water-hole, ”Parnari,” we surprised three natives ere strangers They did not betray any fear, but slept at the tents and left us the following day, as they said to bringmore of them They were hill natives, and shorter in stature than the river tribes

The day succeeding that of our arrival at Parnari was very peculiar, the therrees, but the baroht that we could hardly breathe I had hoped that this would have been a prelude to rain, but it came not

The period fro bearings froe, both to the northward and southward of us; in exa for a second excursion froa was of three different kinds A mixture of lime and clay, a tufaceous deposit, and an apparently recent deposit of soapstone, containing a variety of substances, as alues on either side of the glen were generally varieties of gneiss and granite, in inous sandstone, and a siliceous rock with reat mixture of iron ores, coe

It will be re up the creek on the occasion of our first excursion fro the head of the glen to go to the north, on the faith of a promise that he would take us to a place where there was an abundance of water, and that in requital he took us to a shallow, slimy pool, the water of which was unfit to drink Mr Browne and I noent in the direction we should have gone if we had been uninfluenced by this young cub, and at less than a hundred yards came upon a pretty little clear pool of water, that had been hid from our view by a turn of the creek Whatus, and punishi+ng himself, is difficult to say On our further examination of the creek, however, there was no ravelly and perfectly even nature of its bed, I should think it all runs off as fast as the channel filled Whilst I was thus ees, and both, as well as the ly anxious about Mr Broho had a low fever on hiue; nevertheless he begged so hard to be permitted to accoed to yield

I had been satisfied fro more than a channel of communication between the lakes Cawndilla and Minandechi and the Darling, as the Rufus and Hawker respectively connect Lakes Victoria and Bonney with the Murray, and I felt assured that as soon as we should leave the forards the supply of water for our cattle would cost hills of 1500 or 2000 feet elevation, we should still suffer from the want of that indispensable elee of an English cli perhaps under hills of less elevation than those I havestream may pass their very door, will hardly understand this; but the mountains of south-east Australia bear no resemblance to the etation retains the water to give it out by degrees, but the rain that falls on the Australian hills runs off at once, and hence the terrific floods to which their creeks are subject In the barren and stony ranges through which I had now to forceheavy rains, indeed, the torrents are fierce, and the waters must spread over the plains into which they descend for many miles; but such effects disappear with their cause; a few detached pools only ree, which soon failing, the thirsty sun coion--a desert