6th June.
A light drizzling rain came on early in the morning, but not enough to
supply the horses, who rambled so far during the night in search of it
that it was noon before they were all collected. Quitting the range,
which had been named after one of the most liberal promoters of the
expedition, Hamersley Range, we took a north-east course, crossing over
twelve or fourteen miles of beautiful open grassy plain, in many parts
the kangaroo-grass reaching above the horses' backs; the soil being of
the richest clay-loam, occasionally containing beds of singular fragments
of opaline rocks, resembling ancient lava. By 5.30 p.m. we reached the
river again, several miles above the deep glen that had checked our
course on the 5th. The valley having again opened out, gave us easy
access to its banks, which were here a rich black peat soil, containing
numerous springs. Here was first observed a very handsome fan-palm,
growing in topes, some of them attaining to the height of forty feet and
twenty inches diameter, the leaves measuring eight to ten feet in length.
The river had again opened into deep reaches of water, and contained
abundance of fish resembling cobblers, weighing four and five pounds
each. The whole character of the country was evidently changing for the
better; and as I have no doubt that at no distant period it will become a
rich and thriving settlement, I named the river the Fortescue, after the
Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, under whose auspices the
expedition took its origin, and the large expanse of fertile plain that
lies between the river and the Hamersley Range, Chichester Downs.
7th June.
A quarter of a mile up the river brought us to a fine tributary from the
south, running strong enough to supply a large mill. This had to be
traced up for two miles before we could find a ford; it was found to take
its rise in several deep pools, fed by springs issuing out of the plains
crossed yesterday. Some powerful springs were also observed to flow into
the river from the northward, through a dense forest of melaleuca, with a
rank undergrowth of canes, flags, etc. At five miles the river again
presented a wide reach of water several miles in length, after which it
all at once broke up into numerous channels, wandering through a forest
of white-gum, well grassed, the soil being highly fertile. Owing to my
having been accidentally trodden upon by one of the horses, we were
obliged to encamp early, having only made about twelve miles. Camp 14.
Latitude 21 degrees 40 minutes 42 seconds; longitude by account 117
degrees 17 minutes east.
8th June.
Following up the channel upon which we had encamped, in about an hour it
was lost in open grassy plains, which we continued to traverse until
noon, when we struck on a well-defined stream-bed, which had branched off
a mile or two south of last night's camp. Grass and water being abundant,
we halted till 2, when we resumed an easterly route to 5.30, over rather
stony plains, yielding triodia. Encamped after dark without water or
feed, tying the horses up short to prevent their rambling, having
accomplished about twenty miles in an east-south-east direction during
the day. Camp 12.
Latitude 21 degrees 49 minutes 40 seconds.
9th June (Sunday).
Less than a mile this morning brought us to a grassy channel containing
water, which was followed up for a short distance, when we halted for the
remainder of the day to refresh our tired and famished horses. Camp 16.