31st August (Sunday).
Rode down the creek with Mr. H. Gregory. At two miles from the camp came
to the junction of a smaller creek from the south, the two forming a fine
reach of water, which we recognised as the Albert River of Captain
Stokes. This spot between the two creeks was the rendezvous appointed for
the two sections of the Expedition, and though, from the short period
which had elapsed since leaving the Victoria, the Tom Tough could
scarcely be expected to have arrived before us, on approaching the spot
we saw several marked trees:
CHUMLUT + arrow pointing up ORE RCH TO 1856,
but were disappointed in our hope that the vessel had reached the Albert,
as these marks consisted of several names of seamen, who appeared to have
formed the crew of a boat sent up the river by H.M. steamer Torch. Search
was made for directions for finding any memorandum which might have been
concealed, as I first thought it probable that the object of the visit
might have been to communicate with the Expedition; but the nature of the
inscriptions and the absence of anything which led to even a surmise of
what was the object of the visit caused us to come to the conclusion that
it had no reference to the North Australian Expedition. From the state of
the ashes of the fire and branches of the trees which had been cut and
broken, it appeared that several weeks had elapsed, and consequently the
Torch was not likely to still be in or near the river. In accordance with
arrangements made with Mr. Baines, I marked a tree thus: