Chapter 15

The party leaves the Darling. Natives approach the camp during the night. Scared by a rocket. Discovery of a Caper-tree. The kangaroos and emus driven away by the natives. Difference between the plains of the Darling and Bogan. Extreme illness of one of the party. New Year's range. A thunderstorm. Three natives remind us of the man wounded. Another man of the party taken ill. Acacia pendula. Beauty of the scenery. Mr. Larmer traces Duck Creek up to the Macquarie. A hot wind. Talambe of the Bogan Tribe. Tombs of Milmeridien. Another bullock fails. Natives troublesome. Successful chase of four kangaroos. Natives of the Bogan come up. Water scarce. Two red-painted natives. Uncertainty of Mr. Cunningham's fate. Mr. Larmer overtakes the party. Result of his survey. Send off a courier to Sydney. Marks of Mr. Dixon. Tandogo Creek and magnificent pine forest. Hervey's range in sight. Improved appearance of the country. Meet the natives who first accompanied us. Arrive at a cattle station. Learn that Mr. Cunningham had been killed by natives. Cookopie ponds. Goobang Creek. Character of the river Bogan. Native inhabitants on its banks. Their mode of fishing. Manners and customs. Prepare to quit the party. The boats. Plan of encampment. Mount Juson. Leave the party and mark a new line of ascent to Hervey's range. Get upon a road. Arrive at Buree.

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BAROMETRICAL JOURNAL KEPT DURING THE JOURNEY INTO THE INTERIOR OF NEW SOUTH WALES IN WINTER 1835.

(RANGE OF THE THERMOMETER AND JOURNAL OF THE WEATHER.)

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APPENDIX 1.1.

LETTER FROM CAPTAIN FORBES, 39TH FOOT, COMMANDANT OF THE MOUNTED POLICE.

APPENDIX 1.2.

REPORT FROM LIEUTENANT ZOUCH, MOUNTED POLICE, RESPECTING THE DEATH OF MR. CUNNINGHAM.

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. VOLUME 1.

PLATE 1: PORTRAIT OF CAMBO, AN ABORIGINAL NATIVE. Major T.L. Mitchell del. G. Foggo lithographer. J. Graf Printer to Her Majesty.

TEMPORARY GUNYA OR HUT, SET UP FOR PASSING A NIGHT IN THE BUSH.

FOSSIL SHELLS OF THE HUNTER.

PLATE 2: FIGURES 1 AND 2: Megadesmus globosus. J.D. Sowerby del. et lithographer. J. Graf Printer to Her Majesty.

PLATE 3: FIGURE 1: Megadesmus antiquatus. FIGURE 2: Megadesmus laevis. FIGURE 3: Megadesmus cuneatus. J.D. Sowerby del. et lithographer. J. Graf Printer to Her Majesty.

PLATE 4: FIGURES 1 AND 2: Isocardia ? FIGURES 3 AND 4: Trochus oculus. FIGURE 5: Littorina (or Turbo ?) filosa, FROM PEEL'S RIVER.

PLATE 5: BURNING HILL OF WINGEN, AS IN FEBRUARY 1829. Plan and Distant View from Station. From Nature and on Zinc by Major T.L. Mitchell. Day & Haghe Lithographers to the Queen. London, Published by T. & W. Boone.

MOUNT MURULLA (A), AND PART OF LIVERPOOL RANGE, FROM WINGEN.

KANGAROO AS SEEN IN THE LONG GLASS.

PLATE 6: FIGURE 1: Grites peelii, OR COD-PERCH. FIGURE 2: Plotosus tandanus, OR EEL-FISH. T.L.M. del. A. Picken Lith. London, Published by T. & W. Boone.

A SNAKE, AS COOKED ON THE FIRE BY THE NATIVES.

PLATE 7: VIEW OF NUNDEWAR RANGE, WHERE THE PARTY COULD NOT CROSS IT. Major T.L. Mitchell del. A. Picken Lith. Day & Haghe Lithographers to the Queen. London, Published by T. & W. Boone.

PLATE 8: THE PIC OF TANGULDA, FROM THE WEST. Polygonum juncium. Major T.L. Mitchell del. G. Barnard Lith. J. Graf Printer to Her Majesty. Published by T. and W. Boone, London.

NUNDEWAR RANGE FROM THE WEST, 3RD JANUARY. Left to right: Mount Riddell, Courada, Mount Lindesay, Kapular, Mount Forbes.

A CROW DURING EXTREME DROUGHT. A thirsty crow, as seen through a glass.

NUNDEWAR RANGE FROM THE NORTH-WEST, 12TH JANUARY. Left to right: Mount Albuera, Mount Riddell, Mount Frazer, Courada.

NONDESCRIPT FRUIT FROM SNODGRASS LAGOON. Natural size of the fruit.

PLATE 9: Cernua bidyana, OR BIDYAN RUFFE. T.L.M. del. A. Picken Lith. Day & Haghe Lithographers to the Queen. London, Published by T. & W. Boone.

SKETCH EXPLANATORY OF A USEFUL PRINCIPLE IN EXPLORATION. North of the Namoi River, a line from B through A to C on the junction of the Gwydir and Darling Rivers. The situation of this junction afforded a curious illustration of the principle which guided me in choosing my route from the great Namoi Lagoon on the 14th of January. Having been then between two rivers (at A) I chose the bearing of 20 degrees west of north, as given by the bearing of the high land (B) in the opposite direction, and this junction (C) was now found to be exactly in that line. That high land was a projecting point of a range; the course of rivers is conformable to the angles of such ranges, and therefore the rivers on each side of me (at A) were not so likely to come in my way in the direction of AC, as in any other direction I could have chosen. The chance of finding firm ground in that direction was also better, as the rivers were only likely to continue separate by the protrusion of some remote offset of ground between them, from the salient feature B.

COURADA FROM THE PLAINS. A REMARKABLE HILL, AS IT APPEARS FROM THE NORTH.

BOAT-CARRIAGE USED IN THE TWO LAST EXPEDITIONS.

PLATE 10: INACCESSIBLE VALLEY OF THE RIVER GROSE. Major T.L. Mitchell del. G. Barnard Lith. J. Graf Printer to Her Majesty. Published by T. and W. Boone, London.

PLATE 11: MAP OF MR. CUNNINGHAM'S TRACK WHEN LOST IN THE WOODS. Sketch showing the Route of Mr. Cunningham as traced by Assistant Surveyor Larmer. Published by T. and W. Boone, 29 New Bond Street.

PLATE 12: FIRST MEETING WITH THE CHIEF OF THE BOGAN TRIBE. (Mesembryanthemum.) Major T.L. Mitchell del. G. Barnard Lith. J. Graf Printer to Her Majesty. Published by T. and W. Boone, London.

PLATE 13: PORTRAIT OF A NATIVE OF THE BOGAN. Major T.L. Mitchell del. G. Foggo Lith. J. Graf Printer to Her Majesty.

OXLEY'S TABLE-LAND FROM THE NORTH-WEST.

D'URBAN'S GROUP FROM THE WEST. Left to right: b, a.

PLATE 14: DANCE OF NATIVES ON FIRST HEARING THE REPORT OF A PISTOL. Major T.L. Mitchell del. G. Foggo & G. Barnard Lith. J. Graf Printer to Her Majesty. Published by T. and W. Boone, London.

PLATE 15: NATIVES ROBBING THE BLACKSMITH, WHILE THE OLD MEN CHANTED A HYMN OR SONG. Major T.L. Mitchell del. G. Barnard Lith. J. Graf Printer to Her Majesty. Published by T. and W. Boone, London.

BALLS, AND CASTS OF A HEAD IN LIME, FOUND ON TOMBS.

A NATIVE'S HUT--PLAN OF ROOF.

PLATE 16: TOMBS OF A TRIBE, AFTER SOME GREAT MORTALITY, PROBABLY FROM A DISEASE RESEMBLING SMALLPOX. Major T.L. Mitchell del. G. Barnard Lith. J. Graf Printer to Her Majesty. Published by T. and W. Boone, London.

PLATE 17: SCENE NEAR THE DARLING. 11TH JULY 1835. DISPLAY OF DETERMINED HOSTILITY BY MESSENGERS FROM A TRIBE. T.L.M. del. A. Picken Lith. Day & Haghe Lithographers to the Queen. London, Published by T. & W. Boone.

PLATE 18: VIEW ON THE RIVER DARLING, NEAR CAMP, 9TH AUGUST 1835. Major T.L. Mitchell del. G. Barnard Lith. J. Graf Printer to Her Majesty. Published by T. and W. Boone, London.

PLATE 19: PORTRAIT OF TALAMBE, A YOUNG NATIVE OF THE BOGAN TRIBE, WITH THE Acacia pendula AND SCENERY OF THE PLAINS NEAR THE RIVER BOGAN. Major T.L. Mitchell del. London, Published by T. and W. Boone.

PLATE 20: BURYING-GROUND OF MILMERIDIEN, AND SCENERY OF THE CLOSE SCRUBS. (IN AN ACACIA SCRUB. YOUNG CASUARINAS.) Major T.L. Mitchell del. G. Barnard Lith. J. Graf Printer to Her Majesty. Published by T. and W. Boone, London.

PLATE 21: PORTRAITS OF TWO NATIVES OF THE BOGAN TRIBE--AN OLD AND A YOUNG MAN AT THE SAME FIRE, SHOWING THE SUBMISSIVE MANNER OF THE LATTER. Major T.L. Mitchell del. G. Barnard Lith. J. Graf Printer to Her Majesty. Published by T. and W. Boone, London.

PLAN OF ENCAMPMENT IN THE INTERIOR.

YOUNG WEEPING EUCALYPTUS, FROM NATURE.

GENERAL MAP OF THE EXPLORATORY ROUTES, WITH SECTIONS OF THE RIVERS, AND A PLAN OF THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER GLENELG; THE WHOLE BEING COMPILED BY THE AUTHOR FROM ACTUAL SURVEYS MADE UNDER HIS OWN DIRECTION, OR BY HIMSELF.

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SYSTEMATICAL LIST OF ANIMALS COLLECTED DURING THE SEVERAL EXPEDITIONS, AND DEPOSITED IN THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM AT SYDNEY.

MAMMALS.

1. Rhinolophus megaphyllus. Gray.

2. Petaurus leucogaster. Mitch. (New Species.) From the banks of the Murray.

3. Phalangista xanthopus. Ogilby. From Rifle range, near the Glenelg.

4. Choeropus ecaudatus. Ogilby. (New Species.) Volume 2 page 131. From forest near the Murray.

5. Myrmecobius ? rufus. Mitch. (New Species.)*

(*Footnote. This was called the red shrew mouse by the men composing the party, but as no species of the Insectivora of Zoologista has hitherto been discovered in Australia, it more probably belongs to the genus Myrmecobius, recently described by Mr. Waterhouse. I venture to name this animal with considerable hesitation, having neglected to take a note of the generic characters, while the specimen was yet within my reach. If it be a true Sorex, its discovery will be as interesting to Zoologists as that of the Dipus, neither genus having been hitherto suspected to exist in Australia.)

6. Dipus mitchellii. Ogilby. (New Species.) Volume 2 page 144. From reedy plains, near the Murray.

7. Conilurus constructor. Ogilby. (New Species.) Volume 1 page 308. From the scrubs near the Darling. The rabbit-rat of the colonists.

8. Mus platurus. Mitch. (New Species.) From the river Darling.

9. Mus hovellii. Mitch. (New Species.) From near the Bayunga, and named in honour of the discoverer of that river.

BIRDS.

1. Falcunculus leucogaster ? aut Frontalis? Black-crested shrike, from the banks of the Murray.

2. Falcunculus flavigulus ? Brown-crested shrike, from the Lower Bogan.

3. Cracticus tibicen. Vieill.

4. Fregillus leucopterus. Vig. and Horsf.

5. Merops melanurus. Vig. and Horsf.

6. Pomatorhinus temporalis. Horsf.

7. Malurus leucopterus. Vig. and Horsf.

8. Fringilla castanotis.

9. Musicapa goodenovii. Vig. and Horsf.

10. Anthus rufescens. Vig. and Horsf.

11. Plyctolophus leadbeateri. Vig. Plate 23. Volume 2 page 47.

12. Plyctolophus eos. Temm.

13. Platycercus flaviventur. Vig. and Horsf.

14. Platycercus multicolor. Vig. and Horsf.

15. Platycercus bernardi. Vig. and Horsf.

16. Platycercus haematogaster. Gould. (New Species.) Volume 1 page 238.

17. Nanodes discolor. Vig. and Horsf.

18. Nanodes venustus. Vig. and Horsf.

19. Nanodes bourkii. Mitch. (New Species.) From Bogan river.

20. Nanodes.

21. Nanodes haematonotis. (New Species.)

22. Meliphaga chrysotis. Lewin.

23. Meliphaga leucotis.

24. Meliphaga penicillata. Gould.

25. Columba spilanota. Speckled Dove from Fort Bourke.

26. Columba lophotes ? Temm. (New Species.)

27. Columba marmorata. Mitch. (New Species ?) The Freckled Dove, Fort Bourke.

28. Casuarius novae hollandiae. Latb.

29. Tringa.

30. Vanellus. Large Plover tram near Buree.

31. Cygnus atratus. From the Glenelg.

32. Anas cyanea. Mitch. (New species.) From Lake Stapylton.

33. Aquilla fucosa. From the Murrumbidgee.

FISHES.

1. Acernia (Cernua) bidyana. Mitch. (New Species.) Volume 1 page 95.

2. Acernia (Gristes) Peelii. Mitch. (New Species.) Volume 1 page 95.

3. Plotosus Tandanus. Mitch. (New Species.) Volume 1 page 95.

4. Truncatella filosa. Sowerby. (New Sp. of univalve from Mitre lake.)