At the point where we overtook Flood it had increased greatly in size,
but we searched its hopeless bed in vain for water, and as it there
turned too much to the eastward, for which reason Flood had stopped until
we should come up, we left it and crossed the low part of a range to our
left; but as we were going too much to the south-west, I turned shortly
afterwards into a valley that led me more in the direction in which I was
anxious to proceed. The country had been gradually improving from the
time we crossed the little dividing range, not so much in soil as in
appearance, and in the quality of its herbage. There was a good deal of
grass in the valleys, and up the sides of the hills, which were clear and
open on the slopes but stony on their summits. After proceeding about two
and a half miles, we got into a scrubby part of the hills, through which
we found it difficult to push our way, the scrub being eucalyptus dumosa,
an unusual tree to find in those hills. After forcing through the scrub
for about half a mile, we were suddenly stopped by a succession of
precipitous sandstone gullies, and were turned to the eastward of north
down a valley the fall of which was to that point. This valley led us to
that in which we had rejoined Flood, but lower down; in crossing it we
again struck on the creek we had then left, much increased in size, and
with a row of gum-trees on either side of it, but its even broad bed
composed of the cleanest gravel and sand, precluded the hope of our
finding water.
Pages:
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193