16th October.
The two horses we had ridden up the river requiring a day's rest, which
was also acceptable to Mr. Burges and myself, we remained at the camp and
made preparations to move on to the Hutt River the next day. Mr. Walcott
brought in some specimens of galena, which, on farther observation,
proved to be abundant.
17th October.
Leaving our encampment at 9.10 a.m., we steered a southerly course,
passing over a succession of low granite hills, thickly covered with
acacia, to the exclusion of almost every other kind of vegetation, save a
few scattered tufts of grass. At noon entered the sand-plains which
occupy the high lands in this district; observed a patch of grassy land
bearing south-west; proceeding in that direction, at 1.0 p.m. came on it,
but found it to be a very small spot of grassy granite country, encircled
by sand-plains and scrub. Continuing our course, at 2.5 struck a small
stream-bed trending west-south-west; the valley in which it runs is
bounded on both sides by sandy hills, covered with scrub; some patches of
grass and wattles occupied the lower ground wherever the granite rock
showed itself; tracing the stream-bed downwards, we found many brackish
pools. At 3.45 crossed the left bank--found it running, but brackish; and
at 4.20 we bivouacked at its junction with the Hutt River, which was here
about ten yards wide, with narrow grassy flats on both banks. The hills
are of sandstone and sand, producing little besides scrub.
18th October.
Started at 7.50 a.m., steering north 140 degrees east magnetic up the
valley of the Hutt, which gradually widened and improved, the hills being
grassy for an average distance of two miles back from the stream, of
granite formation, and thinly sprinkled with wattles; behind the grassy
land the country rose into sandy plains, covered with short scrub. At
9.20 crossed to the left bank; the river trended to the eastward. At
11.10 sighted King's Table Hill, bearing south magnetic. We then
descended into the rich and grassy valley of the Bowes River; this we
traversed till 4.0 p.m., when we bivouacked in a small stream tributary
to the Bowes. As the country passed over this day had not been previously
examined, we were much pleased to find it equal to the best land on the
southern branch of the Bowes, visited by the Surveyor-General and myself
on former occasions.