29th June.
At 6.45 a.m. left the camp with Mr. H. Gregory to reconnoitre the country
to the east; ascending the tableland, steered east till 10.0 through a
level forest of stringybark and other eucalypti; the soil a light
gravelly loam, but well grassed; we then turned north-north-east for one
hour, along a shallow watercourse, and then east through level forest
country till 3.20 p.m., when we reached a small stream-bed trending
north-north-east, tracing it through wide grassy flats, which were on
fire; at 4.40 found a small pool of water, where we halted for the night.
30th June.
As this appeared to be a spot to which the party could be advanced with
safety, we left our bivouac at 6.50 a.m.; returning across the tableland,
reached the camp at 4.30 p.m.
1st July.
At 6.40 a.m. started an average course of 80 degrees magnetic, and
reached the waterholes in the small creek at 3.30 p.m. with the whole
party, and camped at our bivouac of the 29th June.
Latitude by b Centauri 15 degrees 30 minutes 19 seconds.
2nd July.
At 6.30 a.m. left the camp and followed the creek down to the
east-north-east till 11.0 a.m.; it then turned more to the northward, and
was nearly lost in wide level flats covered with high grass; the back
country level stringybark forest, with good grass; at 2.25 p.m. the
channel of the creek again collected, and we found a small waterhole
twenty yards long and four feet deep, at which we camped; here we
observed the fires of a party of blacks who had camped at the waterhole
the previous day; small heaps of mussel-shells lay at intervals along the
banks of the creek, though the channel was perfectly dry; but it appears
that during the last wet season less rain has fallen than usual, and the
soil has not been fully saturated, and consequently the waterholes have
dried up sooner than in average years; although from the level character
and geological features of the country, we are now on the tableland which
divides the waters flowing to the north-west coast from those which fall
into the Gulf of Carpentaria, the elevation of the country does not
exceed 800 feet above the sea.
Latitude by Centauri and Arcturus 15 degrees 18 minutes 33 seconds.
3rd July.
Starting at 7.30 a.m., followed the creek to the north-east by east till
8.25, when it was joined by a small creek from the south; thus increased
water was abundant in the bed of the creek, but the pools were shallow
and not permanent. Grassy flats extended for a mile on each bank of the
creek, beyond which the level forest of stringybark, bloodwood, and box
was well grassed; the soil a good red loam. In a few spots fragments of
limestone and agate were strewed over the surface, and an occasional
ridge of ironstone conglomerate was crossed on which the grass was
indifferent. At 12.45 p.m. camped in a wide grassy flat, where the grass,
having been burnt early in the season, had sprung up again quite fresh
and green.
Latitude by a2 Centauri 15 degrees 11 minutes 24 seconds; variation of
compass 2 degrees 10 minutes east.
4th July.
We were again in the saddle at 7.10 a.m., and, steering 70 degrees
magnetic, diverged from the creek, traversing a level grassy forest of
stringybark with abundance of green grass; at 8.0 turned north-east; the
forest became more open, and the stringybark was replaced by bloodwood
and box; limestone rock was frequent, and rendered the surface of the
country very rough; and frequent depressions of the surface appeared to
result from the falling-in of the roofs of caverns beneath which were
farther indicated by deep clefts and holes in the rock, into which the
surface waters flow during the rains. At 11.0 a.m. turned north, and at
noon again struck the creek, which gradually turned to the
north-north-east; limestone formed the banks, and only one small pool was
seen till 4.50 p.m., when we found a little water in the sandy bed of a
tributary creek from the south-south-east, at which we encamped. On the
bank of the creek we this day first observed the casuarina, which is so
frequent on the banks of the creeks trending towards the Gulf of
Carpentaria.
Latitude by Arcturus and a Coronae Borealis 14 degrees 54 minutes 2
seconds.
5th July.
As the course of the creek was to the north-west, and we had already been
driven further north than was desirable, we left the creek and followed
up the tributary to the east-south-east, leaving the camp at 7.5 a.m. The
channel was soon lost on the wide grassy flats, in one of which was a
fine waterhole covered with nymphae, near which a party of blacks were
encamped. On our approach most of the women decamped with their bags and
nets containing their valuables, while the men stood spear in hand gazing
on the strange sight, as we passed them. Continuing up the creek, the
course of which was only marked for some distance by the nature of the
vegetation, which indicated occasional inundations, it again formed a
shallow irregular channel in the centre of an open box flat, and at 1.30
p.m. camped at a small waterhole in the channel.
Latitude by meridian altitude of the sun 14 degrees 55 minutes 15
seconds.