Journals of Two Expeditions into the Interior of New South Wales | Page 6

came, and then to assist in taking their loads over the creek; intending myself to follow with the remainder of the baggage early to-morrow morning.
The observations which were made here placed the depot in lat. 33. 40. S., and in long. 148. 21. E., the variation of the needle being 7. 47. E. The barometrical observations, which had been regularly taken from Sydney to this place, did not give us an elevation of more than six hundred feet above the level of the sea; a circumstance which, considering our distance from the west coast, surprised me much.
The few words of which we were enabled to obtain the meaning from the natives who occasionally visited its, being different from those used by the natives on the east coast, it way perhaps be interesting to insert them.
AUSTRALIAN. ENGLISH.
Nh-air, The eyebrows. Whada, The ears. Ulan-gar,) The head. Nat-tang,) Anany, The beard. Morro, The nose. Er-ra, The teeth. Mill-a, The eyes. Narra, The fingers. Bulla-yega, The hair of the head. Chu-ang, The mouth. 0-ro, The neck. Bargar, The arms. Ben-ing, The breast. Bur-bing, The belly. Mille-aar, The loins. Dha-na, The thighs. Wolm-ga, The knees. Dhee-nany, The feet. Dhu-a, The back. Mor-aya, Bones worn in the cartilage of the nose. Mada, Skins, with which they are clothed. Wamb-aur, Scars, raised for ornament, or distinction, on their bodies. Gum-iil, Girdles worn round the body. Un-elenar, One night. Gow, Woman. Mar-o-gu-la, Another tribe. Mem-aa, A native man. Wam-aa, A kind of hornet's-nest, which they eat. Warenur, Fire. Curr-eli, Timber, or trees. Galu-nur, Thistles, the roots of which they eat. Gulura, The moon. Yandu, Sleep. Galen-gar,) Ori-al, ) Stone hatchets. Ta-wi-uth,)
The above were all the words the meaning of which we could clearly comprehend: the words used by the natives on the coast to express the same objects have not the remotest resemblance to the above.
April 28.--Fine clear mild weather. Proceeded with the remainder of the baggage to join the boats down the river; arrived at Lewis's Creek, which, although nearly dry when crossed by Mr. Evans in 1815, is now a considerable stream. The distance from the depot is about nine miles; the country on both banks of the river low but good: the upper levels would afford excellent grazing, but the soil is of inferior quality: the points of the low hills end alternately on each side the river. The land up both banks of Lewis's Creek is very rich, and covered with herbage. The boats had come safely down the river, although the large boat grounded once; the river appears to me to be from three to five feet above its usual level.
Several specimens of crystallized quartz were found on the adjoining hills, also some small pieces of good iron ore.
April 29.--Proceeded on our journey down the river, directing the boats to stop at the creek which terminated Mr. Evans's former journey. The country through which we passed this day in every respect resembles the tracts we have already gone over. The crowns and ridges of the hills are uniformly stony and barren, ending as before alternately on each side of the river; the greater proportion of good flat land lies on the south side of the river; there are however very rich and fertile tracts on this side. After riding about eight miles, we ascended a considerable hill upon our right, from the top of which we could see to a considerable distance; between the south-west and north-north-west, a very low level tract lay west of us, and no hill whatever bounded the view in that quarter. Three remarkable hummocks bore respectively S. 72. W., S. 51 1/2 W. and S. 34 1/2 W., within which range of bearing the country was uniformly level, or rising into such low hills, as not to be distinguished from the general surface. The tops of distant ranges could be discerned over low hills in the north-west, whilst, from north by the east to south, the country was broken into hill and valley. The whole of this extensive scene was covered with eucalypti, whilst on the rocky summits of the hills in the immediate neighbourhood a species of callitris was eminently distinguished. From this extensive view I named the hill Mount Prospect.
At five o'clock in the afternoon we arrived at the place where the horses had been directed to wait for the boats, but they had not arrived; the distance is at least doubled by following the immediate course of the stream, but I had calculated that its rapidity would make up for the distance, and enable the boats to keep pace with the horses.
At six o'clock the boats arrived safe, the men having had a very fatiguing row, and been obliged to clear the passage of fallen trees, and other obstructions; so that we determined to give