Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, Volume 2 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 490 pages of information about Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, Volume 2.

Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, Volume 2 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 490 pages of information about Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, Volume 2.
bogs, I devoted the day to an extensive reconnaissance of the country before us; my guide in this case being the river Crawford which, flowing in deep ravines, was likely to afford (so long as its general course continued to be nearly parallel to our route) one means at least of avoiding those soft swampy flats which could not possibly impede us so long as the side of such a ravine as that of the river was within reach.  I had the good fortune to find that the range in general was firm under the hoof, and its direction precisely such as I wished.  Extensive swamps occasionally appeared on my right; but I had on the left the deep ravines of the Crawford, and I travelled across the highest slopes of the ground.  Having thus found good sound turf for twelve miles in the direction in which I wished to take the carriages, I returned on descending from a trap range where the rock consisted of granular felspar and hornblende with crystals of glassy felspar.  On this hill the soil was exceedingly rich and the grass green and luxuriant.  I obtained thence a most useful bearing on Mount Gambier, and saw also some heights to the eastward beyond the Rifle range.  The timber grew to an enormous size on the ranges which I traversed this day; it consisted chiefly of that species of eucalyptus known as stringybark.  Some of the trees we measured were 13 feet and one as much as 14 1/2 feet in circumference, and 80 feet was no uncommon height.  The fallen timber was of such magnitude as to present a new impediment to our progress for we had not previously met with such an obstruction on any journey.

CROSS THE CRAWFORD.

August 24.

The carriages were taken across the Crawford without much delay considering its depth and the softness of the banks.  The carts sank at least five feet in the water yet nothing was damaged for we had taken care to pack the flour and other perishable articles on the tops of the loads.  We succeeded in crossing the rivulets at the heads of several ravines by filling up their channels with logs; and thus, after crossing the last of these, and ascending the steep bank beyond it, we encamped after a journey of seven miles.  The weather had been stormy on both days since I crossed the Crawford, a circumstance very much against our progress.  Near this camp we found a new Correa, resembling C. virens but having distinctly cordate toothed leaves with less down on their underside and a much shorter calyx.*

(Footnote.  C. cordifolia, Lindley manuscripts; stellato-tomentosa, foliis subsessilibus cordatis ovatis denticulatis obtusis planis supra glabris, corollis tubulosis cernuis, calyce truncato brevissimo.)

BOGGY CHARACTER OF ITS SOURCES.

August 25.

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Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, Volume 2 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.