17th June.
The horses had so far recovered after the day's rest that we were enabled
to resume a south-west course, following down the bed of the stream to
latitude 22 degrees 51 minutes, the country slightly improving towards
evening; but we again had to encamp without water, having, however,
obtained a small quantity in some gravel at noon. The hills to the east
of our track rose about 1000 feet above the bed of the watercourse, and
consisted of metamorphic sandstones and shales, intersected by whinstone
dykes, their summits being capped with red conglomerate. In one place the
river had cut through a ridge of altered rocks, and exhibited a very
singular contortion of the strata, the laminae being crippled up into an
arch of 100 feet high, showing a dip on each flank of 45 degrees, forming
a cave beneath running for some distance into the hill. Camp 23.
18th June.
Continuing to follow the stream-bed south-west for eight or nine miles,
we came upon a patch of very green grass, on which we halted, to allow
the horses the benefit, on account of their not having had any water
since noon yesterday. In the meanwhile, accompanied by Mr. Brown, I
started off and walked to a prominent hill six miles to the south, to get
a view of the surrounding country. From the summit of this hill, which we
found to have an elevation of 700 or 800 feet, we procured a valuable
round of bearings, and had a distant view of the country to the
southward. Level plains and detached ranges of moderate elevation
appeared to be the general character of the country towards the Lyons
River. We returned to the party by 3.0 p.m., and were glad to find that
during our absence water had been found in shallow clay-pans a mile to
the westward, to which we moved over and encamped. Camp 24.
Latitude 22 degrees 56 minutes 23 seconds; longitude by account 117
degrees 21 minutes.
19th June.
We were unable to proceed this day, owing to my having eaten some of the
dwarf mesembryanthemum, which I had formerly observed to be used as food
by the natives on the Gascoyne, but which had produced with me violent
headache and vomiting. The horses were, however, enjoying excellent feed;
and I contrived to work up my map and clear a lunar.
20th June.
Started at 7.25 a.m. with nineteen horses, having been obliged to leave
behind a horse belonging to Mr. Lennard, so lame that he could not move.
Following the stream-bed nearly west for ten miles, came upon a pool of
permanent water containing flags--the first we had met with since
quitting the Hamersley Range. This was of great value, as there was no
water that could be depended upon on our return, in the last sixty miles.
Pushing on quickly for twelve miles further, the river entered a wide
plain, in which was some tolerable feed; we had again, however, to halt
for the night without water.