15th August.
Resumed our journey at 6.35 a.m., and followed a large creek up to the
south-east, and at 7.45 crossed it below a fine pool of water, above
which the creek came from the south-west, in which direction the country
consisted of low sandstone hills of barren aspect. We then crossed a few
miles of sandy tableland and descended at 10.20 into a deep valley
trending east. This brought us to a small creek with good water, on which
we encamped at 11.30. The country is very poor and rocky, thinly wooded
with box-trees in valleys and white-gum on the hills, where the grass is
replaced by triodia. Kangaroos are more numerous than in any other part
of Australia yet visited by the Expedition, and as many as twelve or
fifteen have been seen each day. Early in the morning a light breeze from
west; at 7.0 a fresh breeze from south-east which lasted till 4 p.m., and
at sunset a light air from west.
Latitude by Vega 17 degrees 23 minutes 26 seconds.
16th August.
At 6.30 a.m. steered south-east and followed the valley of the creek till
8.0, when it turned to the north-east; continuing our course along the
valley south-east, though there was now no watercourse in it, at 11.20
came on a creek in a trap valley trending north-east, across the larger
valley, and crossing a ridge of sandstone and basalt, came on a large
creek trending north, in which were long pools of water fifteen to twenty
yards wide. Following this creek upwards to the south-south-east, as the
valley widened the water ceased for some distance, but at 12.40 p.m. came
on a pool supplied by a spring at the upper end. Here we encamped, as
there was some good grass. The rock which formed the hills on this day's
journey is a hard red-brown sandstone, the lower part thin-bedded,
beneath which trap or basalt has been forced between the strata, and was
exposed in the deep valleys excavated by the creeks. The view at times
extended twenty miles to the north-east over a level depressed country,
beyond which were low ridges of hills. The country generally was poor and
stony, thinly wooded with eucalypti and acacia, except when the basalt
was exposed, and by its decomposition formed a richer soil, well covered
with grass and very open in character.
17th August (Sunday).
Grass and water being sufficient, remained at the camp to rest the
horses, though, as several had to be shod, it was not altogether a day of
rest to the party. A fresh breeze from south-east cooled the air at noon,
but died away towards sunset.
Latitude by Vega 17 degrees 32 minutes 11 seconds; longitude by lunar
distances 135 degrees 51 minutes 15 seconds.
18th August.
Collected the horses early, but two of them appeared to be much griped
from eating the coarse grass, and I therefore delayed starting till 7.40
a.m., and then ascended the stony range to the south-east and reached the
tableland. The soil was sandy with acacia scrub, paper-bark gum,
stringybark, and bloodwood; at 10.0 the country became stony, with
white-gum, tall acacia, and triodia, and we gradually ascended till the
aneroid indicated an elevation of 1100 feet, and we appeared to be on a
ridge parallel to the tableland of the interior and at a greater
elevation; at 1.20 p.m. observed a clump of melaleuca in a deep rocky
ravine, and steered south to it. Here we found a spring with a few acres
of grass around it, and encamped.
Latitude by Vega 17 degrees 40 minutes 31 seconds.