The opening · free to read
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Plains of stiff clay. The Wimmera. Difficult passage of its five branches. Ascend Mount Zero. Circular lake, brackish water. The Wimmera in a united channel. Lose this river. Ascend Mount Arapiles. Mr. Stapylton's excursion northward. Salt lakes. Green Hill lake. Mitre lake. Relinquish the pursuit of the Wimmera. The party travels to the south-west. Red lake. Small lakes of fresh water. White lake. Basketwork of the natives. Muddy state of the surface. Mr. Stapylton's ride southward. Disastrous encounter of one man with a native. A tribe makes its appearance. More lakes of brackish water. Escape at last from the mud. Encamp on a running stream. Fine country. Discovery of a good river. Granitic soil. Passage of the Glenelg. Country well watered. Pigeon ponds. Soft soil again impedes the party. Halt to repair the carts and harness. Natives very shy. Chetwynd rivulet. Slow progress over the soft surface. Excursion into the country before us. Beautiful region discovered. The party extricated with difficulty from the mud.
Cross various rivulets. Enter the valley of Nangeela. Native female and child. Encamp on the Glenelg. Cross the Wannon. Rifle range. Mount Gambier first seen from it. Sterile moors crossed by the party. Natives numerous but not accessible. Again arrive on the Glenelg. Indifferent country on its banks. Breadth and velocity of the river. Encamp on a tributary. Difficult passage. The expedition brought to a stand in soft ground. Excursion beyond. Reach a fine point on the river. The carts extricated. The whole equipment reaches the river. The boats launched on the Glenelg. Mr. Stapylton left with a depot at Fort O'Hare. Character of the river. Ornithorynchus paradoxus. Black swans. Water brackish. Isle of Bags. Arrival at the seacoast. Discovery bay. Mouth of the Glenelg. Waterholes dug in the beach. Remarkable hollow. Limestone cavern. One fish caught in the Glenelg. Stormy weather. Return to the depot. Difference in longitude.
Leave the Glenelg and travel eastward. Cross the Crawford. Boggy character of its sources. Recross the Rifle range. Heavy timber the chief impediment. Travelling also difficult from the softness of the ground. Excursion southward to Portland Bay. Mount Eckersley. Cross the Fitzroy. Cross the Surry. Lady Julia Percy's Isle. Beach of Portland Bay. A vessel at anchor. House and farming establishment there. Whale fishery. Excursion to Cape Nelson. Mount Kincaid. A whale chase. Sagacity of the natives on the coast. Mount Clay. Return to the camp. Still retarded by the soft soil. Leave one of the boats, and reduce the size of the boat carriage. Excursion to Mount Napier. Cross some fine streams. Natives very timid. Crater of Mount Napier or Murroa. View from the summit. Return to the Camp. Mr. Stapylton's excursion to the north-west. The Shaw. Conduct the carts along the highest ground. Again ascend Murroa and partially clear the summit. Mount Rouse. Australian Pyrenees. Swamps harder than the ground around them. Again reach the good country. Mounts Bainbrigge and Pierrepoint. Mount Sturgeon. Ascend Mount Abrupt. View of the Grampians from the summit. Victoria range and the Serra. Mud again, and a broken axle. Mr. Stapylton examines the country before us. At length get through the soft region. Cattle quite exhausted. Determine to leave them in a depot to refresh while I proceed forward. Specimens of natural history. Situation of depot camp at Lake Repose.
Parting of The Widow and her child. We at length emerge on much firmer ground. River Hopkins. Mount Nicholson. Cockajemmy salt lakes. Natives ill disposed. Singular weapon. Treacherous concealment of a native. Contents of a native's basket and store. A tribe comes forward. Fine country for colonisation. Hollows in the downs. Snakes numerous. Native females. Cattle tracks. Ascend Mount Cole. Enter on a granite country. Many rivulets. Mammeloid hills. Lava, the surface rock. Snakes eaten by the natives. Ascend Mount Byng. Rich grass. Expedition pass. Excursion towards Port Phillip. Discover and cross the river Barnard. Emus numerous and tame. The river Campaspe. Effects of a storm in the woods. Ascend Mount Macedon. Port Phillip dimly seen from it. Return to the camp. Continue our homeward journey. Waterfall of Cobaw. Singular country on the Barnard. Cross the Campaspe. An English razor found. Ascend Mount Campbell. Native beverage. Valley of the Deegay. Natives exchange baskets for axes. They linger about our camp. Effect of fireworks, etc. Arrival at, and passage of, the Goulburn. Fish caught.
The book keeps going
Keep reading, and see it illustrated
Reading is free forever. Sign up and watch scenes appear while you read.
Scenes Storieta drew for other classics.
