Pioneering Days: Thrilling Incidents

On, on, on, the exploring party returning with very favourable reports regarding the Barclay Tableland, but unfavourable in respect to the rough country we would have to traverse to reach it; we struck camp and forged ahead. So rank, long and coarse was the grass on the plains between the Leichhardt and the Gregory--some 40 miles--that we had to get the teams in front of the sheep, with logs slung crossways behind the drays to break down the grass and make a track. Thus the sheep moved on in a string, flock after flock. All the drovers were on foot in those days, no horses. One person had to pilot the teams steering by compass and the rest followed. Although this great crop of grass was pretty dry, it was not sufficiently so to burn. If it was and niggers set it alight, woe betide us. Some distance to our left they had ranges blazing everywhere. We were all very pleased indeed to strike the Gregory and get away from this grass jungle, when in many places was a man's height.

The Gregory, the most beautiful perennial stream in Queensland, and the largest. No drought ever affects the volume of its running waters, which is a lovely stream of pellucid water from its head to the sea. Its banks fringed with fairly tall, straight cabbage trees, palms and enormous Leichhardt trees, and a variety of others. The only drawback is its inaccessibility in places for stock to water owing to the steep. precipitous banks.