Journal of an Overland Expedition in Australia | Page 9

and loss; and it was not until the expiration of two
days, that we retraced our steps, and reached the lagoon which we had
left on the 11th. We had lost about 143 pounds of flour; Mr. Gilbert lost
his tent, and injured the stock of his gun. The same night, rain set in,
which lasted the whole of the next day: it came in heavy showers, with
thunder-storms, from the north and north-west, and rendered the ground
extremely boggy, and made us apprehensive of being inundated, for the
lagoon was rapidly rising: our tent was a perfect puddle, and the horses
and cattle were scarcely able to walk.
Within the scrub there was a slight elevation, in which sandstone
cropped out: it was covered with cypress-pine, and an Acacia, different
from the Bricklow. The Bottle-tree (Sterculia, remarkable for an
enlargement of the stem, about three feet above the ground,) was
observed within the scrub: the white Vitex (?) and Geigera, SCHOTT.,
a small tree, with aromatic linear-lanceolate leaves, grew at its outside,
and in small groves scattered through the open forest. Fusanus, a small
tree with pinnate leaves, and Buttneria, a small shrub, were also found
in these groves.
Many pigeons were seen; the black cockatoo of Leach
(Calyptorhynchus Leachii) was shot; we passed several nests of the
brush-turkey (Talegalla Lathami, GOULD). Charley got a probably
new species of bandicoot, with longer ears than the common one, and
with white paws. We distinguished, during the rain, three different
frogs, which made a very inharmonious concert. The succinea-like
shells were very abundant in the moist grass; and a limnaea in the
lagoon seemed to me to be a species different from those I had
observed in the Moreton Bay district, The thermometer at sunset 62
degrees (in the water 68 degrees); at sunrise 52 degrees (in the water 62
degrees).
On the 15th October, the wind changed during the afternoon to the
westward, and cleared the sky, and dried the ground very rapidly.
Oct. 17.--The ground was too heavy and boggy to permit us to start
yesterday; besides, three horses were absent, and could not be found.
Last night, Mr. Roper brought in three ducks and a pigeon, and was
joyfully welcomed by all hands. Charley had been insolent several
times, when I sent him out after the cattle, and, this morning, he even

threatened to shoot Mr. Gilbert. I immediately dismissed him from our
service, and took from him all the things which he held on condition of
stopping with us. The wind continued from the west and south-west.
Oct. 18.--Towards evening Charley came and begged my pardon. I told
him that he had particularly offended Mr. Gilbert, and that I could not
think of allowing him to stay, if Mr. Gilbert had the slightest objection
to it: he, therefore, addressed himself to Mr. Gilbert, and, with his
consent, Charley entered again into our service. John Murphy and
Caleb, the American negro, went to a creek, which Mr. Hodgson had
first seen, when out on a RECONNOISSANCE to the northward, in
order to get some game. John had been there twice before, and it was
not four miles distant: they, however, did not return, and, at nine
o'clock at night, we heard firing to the north-east. We answered by a
similar signal, but they did not come in. I sent Mr. Hodgson and
Charley to bring them back. If they had simply given the bridle to their
horses, they would have brought them back without delay; but probably
both got bewildered.
The latitude of this lagoon, which I called Kent's Lagoon, after F. Kent,
Esq., is 26 degrees 42 minutes 30 seconds. We tried to obtain opossums,
during the clear moonlight night, but only caught the common
rabbit-rat.
Our horses go right into the scrub, to get rid of the little flies, which
torment them. The weather is very fair; the regular westerly breeze,
during the day, is setting in again: the dew is very abundant during
clear nights: the morning very cold; the water of the lagoon 8 degrees
to 10 degrees warmer than the air.
We have regularly balanced our loads, and made up every bag of flour
to the weight of 120 pounds: of these we have eight, which are to be
carried by four bullocks. The chocolate and the gelatine are very
acceptable at present, as so little animal food can be obtained. The
country continues to be extremely boggy, though the weather has been
fine, with high winds, for the last four days. Tracks of Blackfellows
have been seen; but they appear rare and scattered in this part of the
country. Though we meet with no game, tracks of kangaroos are very
numerous, and they frequently indicate animals of great size. Emus
have been seen