5th June.
Having marked a large double-stemmed gum-tree with NAE and the date, we
made a start up the river, but at about a mile found the valley narrow in
until the channel of the river, which was here full of water, was walled
in on both banks by perpendicular cliffs, from which we were compelled to
turn back nearly to our last night's camp. During the last two days we
had caught an occasional glimpse of an elevated range of hills extending
for many miles parallel to the river and about ten miles to the
southward, which rendered it probable that some change would now be found
in the character of the back country, enabling us to travel without being
so frequently retarded by the rocks and bends of the river. A suitable
spot was accordingly selected for ascending out of the valley, which was
accomplished with some difficulty, when the country was observed to be
intersected for many miles by deep ravines, terminating, however, to the
south in a level plain, extending to the base of the range already
referred to. After four hours' heavy toiling, we at length reached the
summit of the plain, water having been found in one of the rocky gullies
by the way. For the first half-mile, on entering the plain or tableland,
the ground was stony and covered with stunted acacia, but it very quickly
changed into a rich clayey loam, yielding a splendid crop of kangaroo and
other grasses, melons, and small white convolvulus, yielding a round
black seed the size of a pea, which we found scattered over nearly the
whole surface of the plain for miles together. In the lower parts of the
flat rainwater appeared to have remained in shallow clay-pans until very
recently, killing much of the grass, which was replaced by atriplex
bushes. As we approached the foot of the range the ground became stony
and covered with triodia; good grass was still, however, to be found in
the ravines leading out of the hills, and as our object was now to shape
a course to the southward, we followed up one of the most promising
valleys, in the hope that it might lead us through the range; we were,
however, disappointed in finding that, after pushing some distance up
very steep and rocky passes, they all terminated in cliffs of horizontal
sandstone, running in parallel bands one above another to the height of
500 or 600 feet, and frequently extending without a break for ten or
fifteen miles along the face of the range. The horses being much fatigued
by the climb from the valley of the river, we encamped at 3.10 p.m.,
within the hills, and without water. Camp 12.