in order to apprise him of our having reached the Albert, and of our
prospective movements. Returning to the camp, wrote a memorandum of the
visit of the Expedition and a note to Mr. Baines, informing him that we
intended leaving other marks and memoranda at the junction of the
salt-water arm of the river, and then continue without delay our route
towards Moreton Bay. These memoranda were enclosed in a powder-canister,
and Messrs. Elsey and Bowman took them down to the marked tree and buried
them. In the afternoon rode over with Mr. H. Gregory towards the
Nicholson River, crossing Beame's Brook. Steered north-north-east four
and a half miles over a level grassy plain with stripes of box-trees. As
we could see four or five miles farther, and no indication of the river,
returned to the camp, having ascertained that the Nicholson River does
not join the Albert, unless many miles below the junction of Beame's
Brook with the South Creek, which together form the Albert River.
1st September.
At 7.40 a.m. steered east to the South Creek, which we found at the
distance of two miles, and followed it up for an hour in search of a
crossing place, as the channel was very muddy. A suitable spot having
been found, we filled up the channel, which was two yards wide, with
pandanus stems, and crossed the horses over without accident. Steering
east-north-east two miles across wide level plains, with patches of
box-trees, turned north at noon and struck the Albert just below the
junction of the South Creek and Beame's Brook. Finding the water
brackish, we did not proceed farther down the river, and encamped. The
existence of a narrow belt of mangrove along the bank of the river
indicates that the water is often salt to the head of the Albert.
Latitude by Vega 17 degrees 51 minutes 55 seconds.
2nd September.
The water in the river being very brackish, it became evident that we
should be unable to procure fresh water if we followed it towards the
sea, and therefore I decided on leaving the letters I had written to Mr.
Baines at this spot, and accordingly marked a tree thus: