27th August.
The river took us on a northerly course nine or ten miles, receiving many
large tributaries, several of them still running slightly, forming
altogether a stream of some importance, which, on account of the large
extent of pastoral and agricultural lands afterwards found on its banks
lower down, and its many fine tributaries, I named the DeGrey, in honour
of the noble lord who took a lively interest in promoting the objects of
the expedition. As the object at present in view was to push to the
south-east, we left this promising river and resumed an east-south-east
course for five or six miles into a hilly country, and encamped in a
gully with rather scanty feed, a little water being obtained by digging.
Camp 69.
28th August.
We soon became involved in deep ravines, which led up into high
tableland, the summit of which was no sooner attained than we had again
to descend equally precipitous gullies to the eastward, the horses
sliding down amongst the loose rocks and stones with a velocity that
threatened immediate destruction; they all, however, arrived safe at the
bottom, although in so exhausted a state that two of them had very
shortly after to be left behind, while we pushed on with the rest in
search of water and feed, which was not met with until late in the day.
After a short rest I sent Messrs. Brown and Brockman back for the two
beaten horses, while I moved the party on a mile further to a fine spring
in a grassy flat, where we encamped. Camp 70.
Latitude 21 degrees 9 minutes 3 seconds.