DR. LELCHHARDT'S EXPEDITION.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 229, 25 July 1846, Page 83

DR. LELCHHARDT'S EXPEDITION.

[Concluded from page 80.]

Between the Robinson and the Macarthur (latitude 16*5*26, longitude 136*10), named after Messrs. James and William Macarthur, in acknowledgment of their kind support of my expedition, I crossed a fine creek, with a chain of deep pools and two waterless creeks. The whole country is a stringy-bark forest, mixed with melaleuca-gum, with cypress pine thickets and tea-tree scrub. About five miles from the creek we had an interview with a tribe of black fellows, who gave evident signs that they knew the gun and the knife. They were very friendly, and we exchanged some presents with them. They were circumcised, as all the black fellows of the guff we had seen ! The head of a crocodile was seen at Cycas Creek ; the carcass of another I found at the upper crossingplace of the Robinson ; tracks were observed by Charley at the water-holes of the creek, between the Robinson and the Macarthur.

The country along the Macarthur is wellgrassed, and openly timbered for a half to one and a-half mile off the river. Sandstone ranges commence at latitude 16*5*26. Two miles higher up it is fordable, a running stream of fresh water enters the broad salt water river ; its bed gets broad and sandy, with the vegetation of the Lynd, and fine plains extend along its banks to the westward.

Between the Macarthur and the Red Kangaroo River, I passed three creeks, well provided with water. The most southern is about ten miles north-west from the crossing-place of the Macarthur ; the second, a pandanus creek, is only one and a-half mile from the former, and joins it lower down ; the third, about nine miles north-north-west farther, I called the Sterculia Creek, as the sterculia heterphylla grows very frequently along its lower course. The Red Kangaroo River (latitude 15*35) has a very broad sandy bed, two channels, separated by a broad high bergue; the northern channel has a fine supply of water in numerous water holes, the connecting stream of which has just ceased running. A fine lagoon extends along its southern bank about half a mile from the river. The country near the crossing-place of the Macarthur is intersected by rocky sandstone ranges. Towards the first creek tea-tree forest and box flats render the travelling easy. Sandstone ranges were 6een to the left. From the second creek to Red Kangaroo River the country is a miserable scrubby stringy-bark forest.

From the Red Kangaroo River to Limnenbifcht River (latitude 15*5, longitude 135*30), we passed through a continuous low dense scrub. In four creeks intersecting our course we found either fresh or brackish water. The sandstone range which I just mentioned continued to our left. In this scrub, twenty-nine miles long, almost all the small trees had been thrown down by a violent wind ; they lay from south-east to north-west. At Port Essington I learnt from Captain Macarthur that a hurricane had passed over Victoria in 1838, and I saw the trees which it had uprooted ; they lay in the same direction as those of Limnen-bight, and 1 feel assured that the same hurricane had passed over the west coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria.

In latitude 15*14 I came to the sea coast. I went in a north-west course to the northern extremity of the Sandstone Range, indicated in the map of Arrowsmith. We saw the sea, an island (Maria?), and a large river coming from the westward ; white sand plains were seen along its course.

I had to find my way through an intricate country, intersected by salt-water creeks. Fresh water was generally found in creeks coming from Bandstone ranges ; their heads were frequently formed by fern 6wamps (a species of blechnum was very frequent). From latitude 15*31 I crossed the salt water river by a rocky bar.

Ten miles farther to the north-west I met a second branch of the same river, with a fine broad bed, several channels, fresh water in detached pools, which just had ceased running, lined with pandanus and drooping tea-trees. Both branches are of equal size and probably came from an equal distance. Captain Wickham has explored the lower part of the river, and probably one of its branches. I do not know whether Captain Wickham has given a name to these rivers. I called the lower the Limnen-bight River, and its northern branch the " Wickham," in honour of the successful explorer of this coast and of the north-west coast of Australia.

Between the Wickham and the Roper (lat. 14*50, longitude 135*10) the country is badly watered. Though we passed nine creeks, two of which were very considerable, we found water only in the pools of two, after having followed them down for a considerable distance. The country is very remarkable, particularly after leaving the Wickham. Steep sandstone ranges parallel to each other, with a direction from south-west to north-east, intersected pur course ; they were separated by tea-tree flats; but at their foot generally a richer vegetation of pandanus, of the leguminous iron-bark, and of bloodwood, existed, which made me mistake them for the verdant beltcf trees accompanying rivers and big creeks. From the top of these ranges, still more ranges appeared, one above the other, till their dim outlines were lost in the misty blue of the horizon. My horses and cattle got very foot-sore, and I was compelled to go to the northward, in order to get out of those ranges.

After having passed over tea-tree flats, I entered again into scrubby stringy-bark forest, with patches of cypress pine thickets ; the creek with water was in latitude 15*10. Towards the Roper, sandstone ranges reappeared : fine boxtree flats with dry watercourses stretch from

south by west — north by east, but they are limited towards the river by a narrow belt of thick scrub. Plains with groves or thickets of the raspberry-jam tree, and overgrown with salicornia, indicate the neighbourhood of salt water. A fine open country, undulating or hilly, extends along the Roper, and fine lagoons, some two or three miles long, covered with ducks and wild geese, are parallel to the river, quarter to two miles off.

I followed the Roper from latitude 14*50 — 14*40, longitude 134*18; but I came again on its upper course, and 1 believe that the creeks which I passed from latitude 14.40 to 13.44 (longitude 133*45 appr.) belonged to the system of that river, and I equally believe that the corresponding waters to the north-west belong to the system of the South Alligator, on the main branch (?) of which river I came much later in descending from the table land into the valleys to the westward. I observed the tide in latitude 14*44, where the bed of the river assumes the character of the Lynd and many rivers, and mentioned before. As far as the tide extends the river is from 150 to 200 yards broad, deep, with steep banks, lined with dense hedges of pandanus. of the drooping tea-tree, and several other brush trees, amongst which a jasmin, which was in blossom, and rendered the air fragrant with the perfume of its flowers. Vines hung from tree to tree, and a fine leguminous climber (kennydiae ?) with green flowers, big pods, big brown seeds, grew in great abundance. These seeds crushed and boiled formed a tolerably satisfying food : it appeared that the black fellows did crush it on stones, which weie in all the camps along the river. This strip of brush was, however, very narrow, and cannot be compared with the river brushes of Moreton Bay, which I have not met in an equal extent during my whole expedition. A big creek came in from the southward, in latitude 14*48, and a branch as big as the main branch came from the northward.

The country along the river is openly timbered, and particularly its upper part, which opens into fine plains, would be well adapted for pastoral purposes. There are, however, many rocky ranges, bluff isolated hills and mountains, which frequently approach the river, and render the travelling along its banks difficult. The rock which composes these ranges is a fritted sandstone and indurated clay, regularly and horizontally stratified. In latitude 14*39 the plains commence, the river splits into a great number of channels, almost all with, a running streamlet, every one lined with a pandanus and tea-tree. I suppose that the main branch turns off to the south-west and west-south-west, as even the branch which I followed turns considerably to the south-west.

The banks of the river are inhabited by numerous black fellows. We had friendly intercourse with them at its lower part. At the Plains, Charley anil Brown, my black fellows, asserted to have seen four of them coming up to our camp, at nightfall, in order to attack us ; they ran, however, away, when they saw that we were prepared to receive them, even without the discharge of a gun.

After leaving this branch of the Roper, as its source is in latitude 14*40, longitude 134*16, we saw a living spring coming out of a gentle rise be)'ond the plains • I passed it in a northwest direction through a * country in which ridges, flats, and sandstone ranges frequently changed. In latitude 14*33 I came to a big creek, with a good water hole; in 14*24, basalt first made its appearance at the foot of sandstone ranges. A creek which I met here was waterless ; but in one of the gullies which go down to it, a small rocky basin of water, fed by a spring, was found. Both creeks go down to the south-east and join the Roper. Having passed these ranges I came to a large, fine valley, the south-east and east side of which was limited by basaltic ridges. A water-course, turning to the south-west, brought me to a fine running brook, lined with groves of pandanus. The basaltic ridges made me believe that I was at the head of westerly waters ; but the pandanus brook turned to the southward, and as I met in lat. 14*16 a large creek with a sandy bed. about ten yards broad, filled by a rapid stream running to the southward, which is joined by the Pandanus Brook, I feel assured that I was again at the Roper, the main branch of which had probably made a large sweep at first to the westward, and afterwards to the northward. I followed the big creek up its course to latitude 142. The country is in part very fine, but it becomes more and more mountainous, and the flats along its banks become more and more limited.

Leaving the creek, and ascending the sandstone ranges, I came to a table land, level, with sandy soil, cypress pine and stringy-bark forest, frequently scrubby. Watercourses and gullies went down to the south-east and south-west; both were collected by large creeks joining the Roper.

1 met one of these creeks running to the south-east, with grassy lawns along its bunks, in latitude 13*57. Another, with the direction to the south-west, in latitude 13*50. My course changed between north-west and north-north-west. In latitude 13*41 approx., I came on the heads of the first westerly water, and found the first water hole in its bed in latitude 13*38, longitude 133*30.

Open, well grassed stone ridges accompany this creek, which I followed for several days. Bui as it turned too far to the south-west, I left it again, following my old course to the northwest, after having crossed a very rocky creek, well provided with water, and came again to a table land of the same description as the former, but sandstone rock crept out more frequently and formed into rocky ranges, cut by deap gullies. From one of these ranges I had a view over the country before me, and I almost

despaired of ever getting through it. Sandstone ridges behind sandstone ridges, lifting their white rocky crests over the forest; deep gullies, with perpendicular walls ; rocky creeks, with boulders loosely heaped in their beds, frequently interrupted by precipices over which the waters must form magnificent waterfalls during the rainy season. I worked my way down to one of these creeks, and followed it along its bed, until a precipice between two mountain walls compelled me to leave it. Following a grassy lawn up to the northward, I came to a water shed, and into another grassy lawn with a small creek, long. 133*6, which brought me to the deep valley of a river coming from the east and going to the westward. It was difficult to get down the steep slopes ; but once down, we found a fine provision of water in big holes, the water running through the loose pebbles which fill the bed.

Having crossed the river, and following a northerly or north-north-westerly course, I passed again over the table-land from which numerous creeks, one, two, and three miles distant from each other, went down to the westward. They generally take their origin from rocky ridges rising out of the level land ; frequently tea-tree swamps are at the head of theso creeks ; they soon bscome very rocky on both sides, for half, two, and three miles, and open again on fine grassy flats, well provided with water, which is found in deep puddleholea of the creeks. Still further down, they become rocky again, deep gullies join them from both sides, higher or lower precipices interrupt their course ; and, at last, arrived at the border of the table-land, a fine broad vallley is deep below them, and their waters rush over a perpendicular wall of 500 or 800 feet high, down into a rocky basin, and into the channel, in which they flow to the westward, to join the main bronch of the South Alligator River.

The table-land is covered by forests of stringybark, of melaleuca-guni, and Banksia. Several grassy flats, with a white gum (similar to the flooded gum) were observed. The drooping teatree grows in the swamps I mentioned to a great size; the grass is excellent in some of these swamps ; but a sedge is prevailing, which, it appeared to me, was not so much liked by our cattle and horses as the deep green colour of the young plant after late burnings made me at first believe.

It was very difficult to find a passage down the table-land. I succeeded, though the descent was very steep even for our horses and packbullocks. This descent was about lat. 13*22, long. 132*50.

I dare say that my passage over the table- land would have been much simplified by following the main branch of the Roper to its head, to pass over to Snowdrop's Creek, and follow it down, notwithstanding its southing ; for Snowdrop's Creek in all probability joins the Flying Fox River, which I consider the main head of the South Alligator. This route would be practicable for cattle and horses which might be driven over to the west side. I could certainly not recommend my line of march. It is very remarkable that pegmatite cropped out at the foot of the slope where we made our descent, whilst at the top, as well as all over the tableland, when we met the rock it was found to be fritted sandstone.

The South Alligator River is joined by a great number of creeks, which, as far as we could see, came down over a precipice, and must of course form as many waterfalls during the rainy season.

I followed the river to lat. 1251. At the upper part of the valley the river passes between a high range and an isolated peak : at the foot of the former I observed pegmatite again. Further down, big lagoons, with an outlet into the river, are very frequent. Farther off the river, iron sandstone ridges, covered with a scrubby forest, in which a small fan-leaved palm-tree became more and more frequent, extend between small creeks, which go down the river.

The lagoons were surrounded by magnificent tea-trees, and this outlet w as lined by pandanus ; myriads of ducks and wild geese covered the water; the whole country had been burnt, and the late thunder showers had produced the most luxuriant grass. We experienced the first thunder shower on the 14th November, at the tableland, after having been without rain from March, 1845, with the exception of a shower in June and a drizzling rain on the Ist September.

In latitude 1251 large plains accompanied the river; either grass), with a rich loose black soil, or entirely bare, with a stiff clayey soil. On plains of the latter kind we first met a salt water creek, lined with mangroves. The river bank was covered with a thick vine brush, gigantic tea-trees, palms, and bamboo.

In lat. 12*49 I came apparently to a river with fresh water, lined with pandanus, palm-trees, &c, which joined the South Alligator. I was compelled to go up its course, in order to head it. After about three miles travelling, we found that it was the outlet of a remarkable swamp, which, according to the statement of friendly blaclc fellows, extended far to the eastward. The swamp was, with few exceptions, dry, its bed a stiff clay, cracked by the heat of the sun ; out of its bed small islands of pandanus and of teatree rose, either round, like a tuft of green grass, or long and irregular. Fortunately, we were able to cross it. The black fellows gave us to understand that a big lake of water is at its head. In the rainy season a passage would be impossible, and the traveller would have to keep out far to the north-east from the upper part of the South Alligator, or on the table-land, not only to avoid this big water, but to avoid being caught by the East Alligator, which, as I shall mention, compelled me to go far to the Bouth again, in order to cross it. In an almost northerly course I passed over

ironstone ridges, covered with rather scrubby forest, in which the small fan-leaved palm tree became so abundant that it almost formed for itself the forest. A small tree, which we called the gooseberry-tree, as the taste of its ripe fruit resembled that of the gooseberry, was very frequent; we had found it all along the outside of the gulf. We crossed numerous creeks ; the first to the south-east probably joined the swamp ; the others to the westward. We met with water in lat. 12*38, 12-26*41, 12*21*49. Here I met with granite again, which crept out in the bed of a fine creek with an abundant supply of water. At about 12*17, I crossed a running brook, bubbling and murmuring like the mountain brooks in Europe. It was probably the outlet of a tea-tree swamp: its bed was rocky. A fine path of the natives passed along its banks.

My northerly course brought me to an immense plain, six to seven miles broad, and endless to the eye westward and eastward. That part which was nearest to the forest land (which ended everywhere in pandanus groves and teatree hollows) was composed of black soil and richly grassed. Nearer to the saltwater creeks which we met, and which compelled us to return to the forest, the soil was a stiff clay, covered with a stiff dry grass. The saltwater creeks were lined by mangroves. We found water in a swamp along the forest : it was covered with geese and ducks. About four miles farther to the east-north-east, friendly black fellows showed us a number of? deep wells (six to seven feet deep), which were dug through the sand to a layer of clay, on which the water collected. These wells were observed all along those big plains which we passed or crossed afterwards. It appears that the black fellows either dig them because open water is wanting, or because the water in swamps and lagoons is very bad, or because they want water in the immediate neighbourhood of those places, where they find abundant food during a certain season. I believe that the latter is generally the case, though the two other ones may occasionally compel them to procure water by digging. At lat. 12*8, long. 132*40, I came on the East Alligator, and I saw myself compelled to go to the southward as far as lat. 12*23, in a south-south-easterly course, to cross the river. Large plains accompany it all along its left bank; ridges and forest land are beyond the plains, and along the outskirts of the forest land the wells of the natives are found. At the right side we observed conical and strange-shaped hills, either isolated or connected in short ranges, and when we came to the higher part of the river, rocky sandstone ranges, rising abruptly out of the level of the plain, appeared to surround the valley of the river. At the foot of these rocky ranges fine lagoons were found, which were so crowded with wild geese that Brown, one of ray black fellows, shot six at one shot. The plains were full of melon-holes, and dead fish shells, limnacus and paludina, were covering the ground.

The valley of the Upper East Alligator, which I rather should call Goose River (for nowhere we observed so many geese ; and what is called alligator is no alligator, but a crocodile), is one of the most romantic spots I have seen in my wanderings. A broad valley, level, with the most luxuriant verdure, abrupt hills and ranges rising everywhere along its east and west sides, and closing it apparently at its southern extremity; lagoons, forming fine sheets of water, scattered over it; a creek, though with salt water, winding through it.

After having crossed the rive* 1 , 1 went to the northward j passed a plain about eight miles long, from which I saw bluff mountain heads to the north-east, which seemed to indicate the valley of a northerly river; entered the forest land, passed several creeks running to the eastward (one at 12*11, with water), and followed a well trodden footpath of the natives, which led me through rocky sandstone ridges, over numerous creeks running to the westward to the broad sandy bed of a river, with fine pools of water, which I consider to be the fresh-water branch of the East Alligator, coming from the east. Not very far from the river, we came to a fine lagoon, beyond which a large plain extended ; the lat. of this lagoon (Bilge's Lagoon) was 12 "6.

I passed the plain, and entered the forest land. Just where the latter commenced, on a swampy ground between sandstone rocks, the first tracks of buffaloes were observed.

The forest covers an undulating country^ in which the ironstone frequently crops out. A fine chain of lagoons and a tea- tree swamp, changing into a pandanus creek, were well supplied with water. Both went to the eastward. At the latter, buffalo tracks were seen again (lat. 11*56).

We travelled in a northerly course again, through forest land, and crossed a small plain, in which a mangrove creek turned to the westward, and further on a tea-tree swamp equally to the west. On a fine plain we met a tribe of black fellows (Nywall's tribe), who guided us to a good sized lagoon. This plain extended far to the northward and westward ; two isolated peaks and two low ranges were seen from it to the east and south-east. We crossed and skirted these plains in a north-north-west course, and entered the forest land, which was undulating with low ironstone ridges, from which numerous creeks went down to Van Diemen's Gulf, along which we travelled. Black fellows had guided us two days, but they left us at the neck of the Coburg Peninsula, which we entered on a fine footpath. Keeping a little too much to the northward on the narrow neck, we came to westerly waters, and to Montmorris Bay. I turned, however, again to the westward, to come to westerly waters. Creeks are numerous on both 6ides, and fresh water was frequent after the late thunder showers. I made my latitude

at 11*32 on a westerly water, and at 11*26 on an easterly water ( Baki Baki's Creek) . Keeping a little too much to the northward from the latter creek, I came to Raffle's Bay, from which black fellows familiar with the settlement guided us round Port Essington to Victoria, which I entered at about five o'clock, the 17th December, 1845.

Ridges composed of the clayey ironstone (a ferruginous psammite), which I had found so extensively in travelling round the gulf, form the watershed in the neck of the Coburg Peninsula, and become more numerous and higher within the Peninsula itself. Between Mount Morris Bay and Raffle's Bay I passed several high ridges, and a fine running creek, about fifteen miles from the head of the harbour. The ridges are rather densely wooded. The stringy-bark, the melalucca gum, the leguminous iron-bark, are the prevailing timber. Along the creeks and in the swamps, the teatree grows to a stately size, and yields an excellent timber. The stringy-bark is useful for its bark, and its wood. The cypress pine is abundant on the neck of the Peninsula. The cabbage palm, with long pinnatified leaves, grows along some of the creeks, and even on the ridges, and forms groves, and almost a forest at Montjejalk, between Raffle's Bay and the harbour. The small fan-leaved palm is very abundant ; the little gooseberrytree becomes a low shrub.

The tracks of buffaloes became more and more numerous as we advanced on the neck of the Peninsula. They formed at last a regular broad path along the sea coast, sometimes skirting the mangrove swamps, in which all the western and eastern creeks end, sometimes entering into the swamp itself. Farther on other paths turned off into the forest or along creeks, and formed a meshwork, which rendered it impossible for me to keep to the principal black fellows' footpath, leading from Nywall's Lagoon to the settlement. We saw frequently buffaloes as we went on, and they were very numerous at Baki Baki's Creek, which joins Mount Morris Bay. In riding along it I saw three and four at the time hurrying out of the deep holes of water within the creek, to which they come in the heat of the day to cool themselves. About seven miles from Nywall's Lagoon, we succeeded in shooting a fine beast, of about three years old, which fortunate accident enabled me to bring my last pack -bullock to the settlement. The buffaloes are equally abundant between Raffle's Bay and the harbour, and the whole country, particularly round the Baki Baki's Bay, and on the neck, is as closely covered with buffalo tracks as a well stocked cattle run of New South Wales could be.

I entered Victoria with one pack-bullock, and with eight horses. We had killed fifteen of our bullocks, and had dried their meat. Along the east coast, and at the east side of the gulf, they kept in a very good condition, and yielded a fine supply of fat meat ; but at the west side, long stages, bad grass, and several waterless camps, rendered them very weak, and compelled me to kill them; the heaviest bullock of the lot scarcely yielding a fortnight's supply of meat. My horses did exceedingly well; they got several times foot sore in passing a very rocky country, but they soon recovered on soft flats. At the Burdekin, one broke its thigh-bone ; we killed it, and dried its meat; at the Lynd another died suddenly, probably by the gripes ; at the Roper, four, the finest of the whole lot, were drowned, the banks being very steep and boggy, and the river very deep. The loss of these were very heavy. I had to throw away the greatest part of my botanical and geological collections; and my plans of returning over land, cutting off the angles of my route, and keeping more to the westward, were frustrated.

When our flour, our tea, our 6alt, our sugar, was gone, we lived on dried beef and water, and we lived well on it, as long as the beef was good ; but at the latter part of the journey the beef got bad, as it was very poor, and of knocked-up beasts, and as the moist sea-breeze made it very liable to taint. Fortunately the game became abundant round the gulf; and we caught, for instance, in August, fifteen, and in September sixteen emus, every one of which provided meat for a day.

At the head of the South Alligator, black fellows came up to us, and we exchanged presents with them ; they gave me the red ochre, which they seemed to consider as the best of their run. At the commencement of the plain, a large tribe of black fellows came to our camp, and one of them pointed to the north-west when we asked where he got his tomahawk and a piece of shawl from. They knew Pitche Nelumbo (Van Diemen's Gulf). At the big Pandanus Swamp another tribe of black fellows guided us over the swamp, and behaved very kind. They used the words peri good (very good), no good Mankiterra (Malays). At the mouth of the East Alligator, Eooanberry's and Minorelli's tribe were equally hospitable and kind. We met another tribe in travelling up the river, and at its head. The latter were, however, noisy, boisterous, and inclined to theft. At the north bank of the river we met Bilge's tribe, Bilge being the most important personage amongst them. At Nywall's Lagoon, Nywall treated us with imberbi (the root of a species of convolvulus), and two black fellows guided us two days farther. At Mount Morris Bay we met Baki Baki ; and at Raffle's Bay, Bill White's tribe, and Bill White himself guided us into the settlement.

At Eooanberry's tribe we first heard the question " What's your name ?" and the name for white men " Balanda." At Nywall's tribe they asked for flour, bread, rice, tobacco, and one of them had even a pipe. It is difficult to express our joy when English words were heard

again, and when every Bign which the black fellows made proved that we were near the end of our journey, particularly as December advanced, and the setting in of the rainy season was to be expected every moment.

I think that the most important results of my expedition are the discovery of the Mackenzie, the Isaacks, the Downs of Peak Range, and the Suttor; that of a communication between the east coast of Australia and of the east coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria, along the river, with running water through a fine country; that of the Nonda Country, and of the Big Plains at the east side, and at the head of the gulf; that of a communication between Limnenbight and the South Alligator River, along running streams and creeks. The future will show how far the country along the Big Rivers, between the head of the gulf and Limnenbight, is available.