Journal of Landsboroughs Expedition from Carpentaria | Page 4

straight line from the mouth of
the river, where a river from the southward, which Mr. Woods called
the Barkly, joins the Albert River.
(*Footnote. Kangaroo Point would in my opinion be a healthy site for a
township. The ground is sufficiently high along the shore at that place,
and without mangroves. We did not find water there, but, as there were
a few blacks almost always in that neighbourhood, I have no doubt that
there is some surface water, or that it is easily procured by digging.)
On going on shore on the western bank of the Albert River I found
within a hundred yards of it a waterhole at which it would be more
convenient to water stock than the river, as the banks of it are at this

place too steep. Above the junction of the Barkly the Albert River is
not navigable for even boats, from its being too full of snags. On the
following morning we went up the Barkly on the barge for about two
miles, to where it was too full of snags to proceed further up the river
by water. We then took a walk over the Plains of Promise and crossed
at a point about three miles from where we had left the barge. In doing
so we started a black man and woman; they were both old and naked;
the former went out of sight by running down the bank and plunging
into the river, and the latter climbed up a tree, where, while we
remained, she continued speechless. Where we crossed the Barkly it
had a narrow muddy bed, the water in which was cool from its being
shaded with pandanus, palms, and Leichhardt-trees. A short distance
lower we recrossed by a tree which the carpenter felled for that purpose,
at a point where the deep water in it is caused in some measure by the
rise of the tide; afterwards we followed down the river to the barge. At
different places we marked the trees, but did not see any that had been
marked previously, nor indeed any traces of any European parties.
After walking over the Plains of Promise we went down the river and
anchored opposite the point where the cliffs are mentioned in the charts
as thirty feet high. In the morning, accompanied by the native troopers
Jemmy and Jackie, I went north-westerly over slightly timbered grassy
plains, and reached in about a mile a waterhole, and in about another
mile a narrow mere, which I called Woods Lake, extending northerly
and southerly at least for a mile or so in an unbroken sheet of water. I
went southward along the edge of Woods Lake to a clump of box and
tea-trees, and while I was marking a tree Jackie shot (chiefly with one
discharge of his gun) about half a dozen of whistling-ducks and a large
grey crane. As I never saw so many aquatic fowls assembled as were at
this place it is to be hoped that, when we reach the Albert River again,
we will be able to shoot great quantities of them for fresh food.
The bank on which I marked the tree will, probably at no very distant
time, be chosen as the site of a homestead for a sheep establishment, as
it is surrounded by fine dry plains which are covered with good grasses,
among which I observed sufficient saline herbage to make me feel
satisfied that they are well adapted for sheep runs. As the wind was
unfavourable during the afternoon the crew had to row down the river.

On passing near where we saw the blacks on our way up we found
about twenty, counting men, women, and children, waiting to see us as
we passed. On the following morning we went ashore and got water in
a waterhole near the bank, and also firewood off an old fallen tree,
which, I think, is probably the real ebony. Late in the evening we
reached a point on the eastern bank about three miles above Kangaroo
Point.
We went ashore and in the course of a walk started on the wing two
large bustards, and also, within shot of us, two or three wallabies.
In our way up and down the river the temperature ranged on the bar
from 74 to 94 degrees. The nights were agreeable, and we were
fortunately not troubled with mosquitoes or sandflies.
On the upper part of the river we saw altogether three crocodiles, but
they were so shy that they remained in sight only a few seconds.
The slightly timbered downs and plains on the banks of the Albert
River are, as I hoped they would be from their western position, of a
similar character to good inland settled sheep country of New South