1st December.
Sailed from Fremantle in the Champion for Champion Bay, where we arrived
on the 3rd, swam the ponies on shore, and encamped at the mouth of the
Chapman River.
4th December.
His Excellency the Governor came on shore, when the party, consisting of
the Governor, Mr. Bland, and myself, with three soldiers of the 96th
regiment, and the Governor's servant, started at 7.15 a.m., steering
north-east, crossed Moresby's flat-topped range at 9.0, made the North
Chapman at 10.0, followed the stream upward till 11.50, the general
course north-east by north. One native man and two women came up, and
then retired to the other side of the river, watching our proceedings.
Having dined, we started again at 2.25 p.m., steering a general north
course over an indifferent scrubby country till 4.40, when we halted for
twenty minutes to examine the black shale-like soil which was seen on a
former occasion, but on digging it proved to be only alluvial soil
resting on sand; from this spot we steered north 330 degrees magnetic
over high sandy hills covered with scrub; the country gradually improved,
and at 7.0 we halted for the night in a small grassy gully trending
north-west, obtaining water in a native well.
5th December.
Started at 6.40 a.m., continuing the same course as yesterday evening
over a succession of grassy hills of granitic formation till 11.10, when
we halted on the eastern branch of the Bowes River; several natives
shortly came to the encampment, and having eaten some biscuit and pork
which we offered to them, retired in the evening to the opposite side of
the stream-bed, keeping a close watch on us from behind some large rocks;
a strict watch was therefore maintained by us during the night.
6th December.
This morning the natives commenced by throwing stones at the men who went
down for the water, but we did not see any method of resenting it, except
by expressing our disapprobation in words, and at 5.35 a.m. we started on
a north-north-west course, the natives followed for about a mile, and
continued throwing stones at the party. The country passed over was
generally grassy granite hills till 9.0, when we ascended the high
tableland between the valley of the Bowes and Hutt rivers, which last we
reached at 10.25, and halted during the heat of the day on a pool of
brackish water; at 3.20 p.m., again started, and following the river
downwards, in a general course 310 degrees magnetic, at 6.10 bivouacked
at the spot where we had before halted on the 17th October; the water in
the pools brackish, but by digging near a moist bank obtained abundance
of fresh water.