28th November.
Started at 6.15 a.m. and followed the river, which first came from the
east, then south-east and south-west till 10.40, when we crossed to the
right bank and halted. The valley of the river is much narrower, and does
not exceed half a mile, and is bounded by cliffs of sandstone varying
from 50 to 300 feet high. The waters of the river occasionally rise 100
feet, as the marks of the floods extended to the base of the cliffs; the
regular channel of the river is about 200 feet wide, the water forming
deep reaches often more than a mile long and separated by dry stony bars
of shingle and rock. The sandstone is thicker here than towards Steep
Head, but there is no change in the geological character, except that the
chert-beds are not exposed. The tracks of several natives were observed,
but they were not seen by us; at 2.0 p.m. resumed the journey up the
river in a generally south direction, and at 4.30 encamped, but had great
difficulty in forcing our way through the reeds to procure water.
Latitude by meridian altitude of a Persei 15 degrees 41 minutes 54
seconds.
29th November.
Left the camp at 6 a.m. and continued the route up the river to the south
till 10.10, when we halted till 2.15 p.m., and then proceeded on till
4.45, and encamped at a small pool of rainwater, the bank of the river
being so steep and covered with high reeds that the water is scarcely
accessible. The valley of the river is still bounded by sandstone cliffs;
but as the strata are horizontal, and the bed of the river rises, the
shales are not much exposed, and the alluvial banks reach to the base of
the cliffs, which are so continuous that I have not yet seen a spot where
we could have ascended the tableland in which the valley is excavated.
Several tributary gullies having passed, but none worthy of special
notice. Fragments of trap-rock are frequent in the bed of the river, and
one specimen contained traces of carbonate of copper; at 6.0 thermometer
92 degrees, aneroid 29.80, at the camp--sixty feet above the river.
Latitude by meridian altitude of Achernar 15 degrees 50 minutes 30
seconds.