DR. LEICHARDT'S EXPEDITION. (Concluded from our last.)

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume II, Issue 87, 30 May 1846, Page 3

DR. LEICHARDT'S EXPEDITION. (Concluded from our last.)

The country between the Wickham and the Roper (lat. 1450, long. 135*10) is badly watered. Steep sandstone ranges parallel to each other, separated by tea-tree flats, intersected the course of the expedition. From the top of these ranges other ranges appeared, one above the other, till their dim outlines were lost in the misty blue of the horizon. In the Roper, "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 were in all the camps along the river. The country along the river is openly timbered, and particularly its upper part, which opens into fine plains, and would be well adapted for pastoral purposes." After leaving this branch of the Roper, Dr. L. came to a large fine valley, bouuded towards the east and south-east by basaltic ridges. He then met with a large creek with a sandy bed, about ten yards broad, which he followed to iat. 142, and leaving the creek, came to a table land, level, with sandy soil, cypress pine and stringy bark forest, frequently scrubby. After passing through a country broken by sandstone ridges, lifting their white rocky crests above the forest, and intersected by numerous creeks, he at length came to the South Alligator river, which he iollowed to lat. 1251. Big lagoons with an outlet into the river, are very frequent. Farther off, the iron sandstone ridges covered with a scrubby forest, extend between small creeks, which go down to the river. " The lagoons were surrounded by magnificent tea-trees, and this outlet was 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 table land, after having been without ra ; n from March, 1845, with the exception of a shower in June, and a drizzling rain on the Ist September. In lat. 12*51, large plains accompanied the river ; either grassy, 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 brmsh, gigantic tea-trees, palms, and bamboo." In lat. 12-49 he come to a river which joined the South Alligator, and in an almost northerly course, passed over ironstone ridges covered with a rather scrubby forest, until he came to an immense plain " 6—76 — 7 miles broad, and endless to the eye to the westward and eastward. That part which was nearest to the forest land (which ended everywhere in pandanus groves and tea-tree hollows), was composed of black soil, and richly grassed. Nearer to the salt-water creeks the soil was a stiff clay, covered with a stiff dry grass. The salt water creeks were lined by mangroves." After passing the East Alligator, which he came on at lat. 12*8, long. 132*40, and the Goose river, he travelled in a northerly course, 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 he met a tribe of black fellows (Nywall's tribe), who guided him 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. Dr. L. crossed and skirted these plains in a north north west course, and entered the forest land, from which numerous creeks went down to Van Diemen's Gulf, along which he travelled. Black fellows had been his guides for two days, but they left him at the neck of the Coburg Peninsula, on which he entered, and came to westerly waters and to Mount Morris Bay. Keeping a little too much to the northward from Baki Baki creek (lat. 11*26) he came to Raffles Bay, from which black fellows familiar with the settlement guided him round Port Essington to Victoiia, which Dr. Leicliardt entered about five o'clock, Dec. 17th, 1845. '* 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 I rendered it impossible for me to keep to the I principal black fellows' foot-path, 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 Montmorris's Bay. In riding along it I saw three and four at a 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 Lagoon, we succeeded in shooting a fine beast, ot about three years old, which fortunate accident enabled me to bring my last pack bullock to the settlement. The buffaloes are equally abundant between Raffles Bay and the harbour, and the whole country, particularly round 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 hoises. We had killed fifteen of our bullocks, and had dried their meat. Along the east coast, and at the east side cf 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 scarely yielding a fortnight's supply of meat. My horses did exceedingly well, they got several times footsore in passing a very rocky country, but they soon recovered on soft flats. At the Burdekiu, 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 was 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 salt, 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. " 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."

Wk are indebted to C.Cator, Esq. for a copy of the following useful practical directions for the proper management of the Flax Crop, which were very carefully compiled by the Belfast Society, and extensively circulated through Ireland, and which have had the effect of greatly increasing the cultivation of Flax in that country- The present time may perhaps by some be considered inopportune for its publication, but the directions will always be serviceable whenever the state of the Colony will permit the settlers to resume their more peaceful occupations. The Flax promises to be a very useful crop in this Colony, and would form a valuable export for which there is always a steady and increasing demand in England ; and we believe we are doing service in circulating, by means of the Spectatjr-, these directions through the Colony.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE PROPER MANAGEMENT OF THE FLAX CROP. Compiled by the Committee of the Society for the Promotion and Improvement of the Growth of Flax in Ireland. The following directions have been carefully arranged from the mass of information obtained iiy the Society, and their agriculturists, during their four years' experience, in the improved system of management. By this system, Irish flax has been produced, which brought, in some cases, the high prices of £90 to £140 per ton :—: —

SOIL AND ROTATION. By attention and careful cultivation, good flax may be grown o i various soils ; but some are much better adapted for it than others. The best is a sound, dry, deep loam, with a clay subsoil. It is very desirable that the land should be properly drained, and subsoiled ; as, when it is saturated with either underground or surface water, good flax canwot be expected. "Without method, there cannot be success, — different soils require a difference of rotation. In the best soils of Flanders, flax is grown in the third year of a seven-course rotation, or the fifth of a ten-course rotation. It is not -considered generally advisable to grow flax more frequently than once in ten years.* In Belgium, it invariably follows a corn crop, — generally oats ; and in this country, where oats is such a principal crop, the same sjstem might be profitably pursued; but it must be understood, that it is only after oats following a green crop or old lea, and never after two or three succeeding crops of oats, which bad practice still prevails ia some districts. It is a very general error, among farmers, to consider it necessary, that flax should follow a potato crop. Except on very poor soils, a better crop will be produced after grain, and the double benefit of the grain and flax secured. If old lea be broken up, and potatoes planted, a very fine crop of flax may be obtained in the following year.

PREPARATION OF THE SOIL. One of the points of the greatest importance in the culture of flax is, by thorough-drain-ing, and by careful and repeated cleansing of the land from weeds, to render it of the finest, deepest, and cleanest nature. This will make room for the roots to penetrate, which they will often do, to a depth equal to one-half the length of the stem above ground.

* The following rotation, which would bring flax once in ten years, has been proposed : — First year, potatoes; second, barley, laid down with grasses; third year, cut for soiling; fourth year, pasture; fifth year, flax; or the one-half might be better in flax, the other in oats, _so that, with the return of the rotation, which would be in five years, the flax could be put on the ground which, in the last rotatory course, was under corn, throwing a range of ten years between the flax crops coming into the same ground. A gentleman, of much practical knowledge, recommends the following as being the most profitable: — 1. Oats after grass and clover. 2. Flax, pulled in August ; then ploughed and harrowed in two cwt. guano and two cwt. gypsum; then sown with rape. 3. Potatoes or turnips, well manured. 4. Wheat, and sown in Spring, with clover and rye-grass. 5. Hay and clover. 6. Grazing. 7. Oats. 8. Flax and Winter vetches; guano, as before-mentioned. 9. Turnips, well manured, lb. Barley, sown with rye grass and clover. 11. Clover and j hay. 12. Grazing. 13. Oats.

After wheat, one ploughing may be sufficient on light friable loam, but two are better ; and on stiff soils, three are advisable, — one in Autumn, and two in Spring, so as to be ready for sowing in the first or second week of April. Much will, of course, depend on the nature of the soil, and the knowledge and experience of the farmer. The land should be so drained and subsoiled, that it can be sown in flats, which will give more evenly, and much better crops. But, until the system of thorough-draining be general, it will be necessary, after oats, to plough early in Autumn. Throw the land into ridges, that it may receive the frost and air ; and make surface drains, to carry off the rains of Winter. Plough and harrow very early in Spring ; and again, a month after, to bring the land into good tilth, and clean it thoroughly from weeds and roots. Following the last harrowing, it is necessary to roll, to give an even surface and consolidate the land, breaking this up again with a short-toothed, or seed harrow, ere sowing.

SOWING. The seed best adapted for the generality of soils is Riga, although Dutch has been used, in many districts of country, for a series of years, with perfect success. American seed does not generally suit well, as it is apt to produce a coarse, branchy, stem. If used, it should only be on deep, loamy soils. Select plump, shining, heavy seed, of the best brands, from a respectable merchant. Sift it clear of all the seeds of weeds, which will save a great deal of after trouble, when the crop is growing. This may be done by fanners and through a wire sieve, twelve bars to the inch. Home-saved seed, grown from foreign, has been used, in many cases, with success. It is suggested, that a small portion of the crop may be allowed to stand, until the seed be fully ripe, and then pulled, and the seed preserved for sowing; but the seed saved from it, in the following year, should only be used for feeding, or sold for the oil-mills. The proportion of seed may be stated at three-and-a-half Imperial bushels to the Irish or Plantation acre ; and so on, in proportion, to the Scotch or Cunningham, and the English or Statute measure. It is belter to sow too thick than too thin ; a c , with thick sowing, the stem grows tall and straight, with only one or two seed capsules at the top, and the fibre is found greatly superior in fineness and length, to that produced from thin sown flax, which grows coarse, and branches out, producing much seed, but a very iuferior quality of fibre. The ground being pulverized and well cleaned, roll and sow. After sowing, cover it with a seed harrow, going twi c over it, — once up and down, and once across or anglewise; as this makes it more equally spread, and avoids the small drills made by the teeth of the harrow. Finish with the roller, which will leave the seed coi vered about an inch, the proper depth. The ridges should be very little raised in the centre, when the ground is ready for the seed, otherwise the crop will not ripen evenly; and when land is properly drained, there should be no ridges. The sowing of clover and grass-seeds along with the flax is not advised, when it can be conveniently avoided, as these plants always injure the root ends of the flax. But carrots may be sown in suitable soils, in drills, so that the person pulling the flax may step over the rows, which may be afterwards hoed and cleaned, and should have some liquid manure. A stolen crop of rape or "Winter vetches may be taken after the flax. Rolling the ground, after sowing, is very advisable, care being taken not to roll, when the ground is so wet, that the earth adheres to the roller.

WEEDING. If care has been paid to cleaning the seed and the soil, few weeds will appear ; but if there be any, they must be carefully pulled. It is done, in Belgium, by women and children who, with coarse cloths round their knees, creep along on all-fours ; this injures the young plant less than walking over it (which, if done, should be by persons whose shoes are not filled with nails) ; they should work, also, facing the wind, so that the plants, laid flat by the pressure, may be blown up again, or thus be assisted to regain their upright position. The tender plant, pr.essed one way, soon recovers ; but, if twisted or flattened by careless weeders, it seldom rises again.

PUI-LING. The time when flax should be pulled is a point of much nicety to determine. The fibre is in the best state, before the seed is quite ripe. If pulled too soon, although the fibre is fine, the great waste in scutching and hackling renders it unprofitable ; and, if pulled too late, the additional yield does not compensate for the coarseness of the fibre. iMnay be stated, that the best time for pulling is, when the seeds are beginning to change from a green to a pale brown colour, and the stalk to become yellow, for about two-thirds of its height from the ground. When any of the crop is lying, and suffering from wet, it should be j

pulled as soon as possible, and kept by itself. So long as the ground is undrained, and imperfectly levelled before sowing, the flax will be found of different lengths. In such case, pull each length separately, and steep in separate pools, or keep it separate, in the same pool. If the ground has been thorough-drained, and laid out evenly, the flax will be all of the same length. It is most essential to take time and care to keep the flax even, like a brush, at the root ends. This increases the value to the spinner, and, of course, to the grower, who will be amply repaid, by an additional price for his extra trouble. Let the handfuls of of pulled flax be laid across each other, diagonally, to be ready for the

RIPPLING, Which should be carried on at the same time, and in the same field with the pulling. If the only advantage to be derived from rippling was the comparative ease v/ith which rippled flax is handled, the practice ought always to be adopted. But, besides this, the seed is a most valuable part of the crop, being worth, if sold for the oil-mill, £3 per acre ; and, if used for feeding stock, of all kinds, at least £4 per acre. The apparatus is very simple. The ripple consists of a row of iron teeth screwed I into a block of wood. This can be procured in Belfast, or may be made by any handy blacksmith.* It is to be taken to the field, where the flax is being pulled, and screwed down to the centre of a nine-feet plank, resting on two stools. The tipplers may either stand, or sit astride at opposite ends. They should be at such a distance from the comb, as to permit of their striking it properly and alternately. A winnowing sheet must be placed under them, to receive the bolls as they are rippled off; and then they are ready to receive the flax just pulled, — the handfuls being placed diagonally, and bound up in a sheaf. The sheaf is laid down at the right hand of the rippler, and untied. He takes a handful with one hand, about six inches from the root, and a little nearer the top, with the other. He spreads the top of the handful like a fan, draws the one-half of it through the comb, and the other half past the side ; and by a half-turn of the wrist, the same operation is repeated with the rest of the bunch. Thus the flax can be rippled without being passed more than once through the comb. He then lays the handiuls down at his left side, each handful crossthe other, when the sheaf should be carefully tied up and removed. The object of crossing the handfuls so carefully, after rippling, when tying up the beets for the steep, is, that they will part freely from each other, when they are taken to spread out on the grass, and not interlock, and be put out of their even order, as would otherwise be the case. If the weather be dry, the bolls should be kept in the field, spread on winnow-cloths, or other contrivance for drying ; and, if turned from time to time, they will win. Passing the bolls first through a coarse riddle, and afterwards through fanners, to remove stiaws and leaves, will facilitate the drying. If the weather is moist, they should be taken in-doors, and spread out thinly and evenly on a barn floor, or in a loft, leaving windows and doors open, to allow a thorough current of air, and turned twice a-day. When nearly dry, they may be taken to a corn-kiln (taking care not to raise | it above summer heat), and carefully turned, until no moisture remains. By the above plan of slow drying, the seed has time to imbibe all the juices that remain in the husk, and become perfectly ripe. If it be taken at once from the field, and dried hurriedly on the Jdln, these juices will be burned up, an^l the seed will become shrivelled and parched, little nutritious matter remaining. In fine seasons, the bolls should always be dried in the open air, the seed thrashed out, and the heaviest and plumpest used for sowing or crushing. The light seeds and chaff form most wholesome and nutritious feeding for cattle. Flax ought not to be allowed to stand in the field, if possible, even the second day ; it should ba rippled as soon as pulled, and carried to the water as soon as possible, that it may not harden.

* The best ripples are made of } inch square rods of iron, placed with the angles of iron next the ripples, 3-16ths of an inch asunder at the bottom, i-inch at the top, and 18 inches long, to allow a sufficient spring, and save much breaking of flax. (To be continued.)