24th May.
Our horses having had a rest, the previous day being Sunday, we made an
early start, and by noon halted on the Lyons River, a short distance
above its confluence with the Gascoyne; its channel here was equal in
magnitude and similar in appearance to the main river; a small stream was
still flowing through the wide sandy bed, and gradually increased in
volume for nearly eighty miles up the river. Three miles to the north of
our midday halt Mr. Roe and myself ascended a deep sandstone peak, from
which we had a fine view of the Kennedy Range, the nearest part of which
lay about six miles to the west, extending for nearly thirty miles to the
northward; the eastern face presents an almost unbroken line of nearly
perpendicular sandstone, of probably 500 or 600 feet elevation. To the
north a few remarkable peaks served as valuable points to carry on our
triangulation, which had been continued almost uninterruptedly from Mount
Hope, on the Murchison.
To the east were several ranges of flat-topped hills, filling in the
space between the Lyons and the great southern bend of the Gascoyne;
while to the south, with the exception of a few very distant peaks, it
appeared, as far as the eye could reach, to be an uniform plain of open
but almost grassless scrub.
Having completed our round of angles, we struck south-east to a patch of
forest on the banks of the river, which we did not reach until sometime
after dark.
25th May.
From this point to latitude 23 degrees 56 minutes the Lyons maintains a
general course of north-north-east. The country passed over during to-day
had evidently been tolerably grassy, but the floods had been quite as
destructive here as on the Gascoyne, the bed of the river and flats for
half a mile on each side being mostly choked up or buried under fields of
fine white sand, which had been brought down by the inundations. In
several places we observed beds of gypsum and fossil shells with other
strong indications of the existence of coal in the vicinity. Bivouac in
latitude 24 degrees 41 minutes 18 seconds.
26th May.
A few miles along the river brought us to a gorge in the eastern edge of
the sandstones, to the east of which it opened out into extensive plains
in some parts well grassed, and in others much washed by the river.
Several trap and granite hills were visible at some distance to the
northward and eastward. Our bivouac was in latitude 24 degrees 31 minutes
0.5 seconds, about three miles south of a bold trap-range, the summit of
which was named Mount Sandiman.
27th May.
The country still maintained its variable character, travelling near the
river being exceedingly heavy on account of the sand. The morning had
been calm and sultry, but towards noon a strong breeze set in from the
north, bringing with it a dense cloud of fine red dust, against which it
was no easy matter to make head with our horses. Towards evening the
flats began to improve, and we halted for the night amongst fine grass;
melons and tobacco growing very luxuriantly. To-night it rained for about
two hours, clearing the atmosphere of its load of dust.
28th May.
Resuming our course up the river, at four miles we crossed a stream-bed
forty yards wide, coming in from the north-north-west, and in the course
of the day passed over several thin beds of opaque opalline rock resting
upon the sandstone. At our camp, which was in latitude 24 degrees 0.3
minutes 0.8 seconds, granite began to make its appearance in the bed of
the river.
29th May.
Our pack-horses having now been much lightened of their loads, we were
to-day for the first time able to trot for several hours; and as the
country still improved, several fine grassy valleys coming in from the
eastward, we made considerable progress.