The grasses are numerous and many of
them unknown to me, but they only constitute a moderate portion of
the herbage. Several kinds of spurious vetches and portulac, as
well as salsolaceae, add to the luxuriance of the vegetation. At
seven miles we found ourselves in an open forest country, where the
feed was good, but not equal to what we had passed, neither had it
been visited by yesterday's rain. We soon emerged again on open
plains, but the soil being of a more clayish nature, they were not
nearly so much advanced in vegetation as the others. We found
surface water in several places, and at one spot disturbed a fine
bustard which was feeding in the long grass; we did not see him
until he flew up. I should have mentioned that one flew over our
camp last evening in a northerly direction; this speaks well for
the country and climate. At noon we came to a large creek the
course of which was from east-north-east to west-south-west; the
sight of the white gum trees in the distance had raised hopes,
which were not at all damped on a close inspection of the channel.
At the point where we struck it there was certainly no great
quantity of water; the bed was broad and sandy, but its whole
appearance was that of an important watercourse, and the large gums
which line its banks, together with the improved appearance of the
soil, and the abundance of feed in the vicinity, satisfied us as to
the permanency of the water and the value of the discovery.
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