16th October.
The rain having passed away, the morning was clear and cool, and at 6.35
a.m. resumed our journey, steering average south-east, crossing the creek
several times, and at 11.0 reached the bank of the Burdekin River, which
had a strong stream of water flowing in its channel, which is here about
100 yards wide, but full of casuarina and melaleuca trees; the banks
steep and cut with deep gullies. Following the river to the south-east,
at 2.0 p.m. camped in a large open grassy flat a mile from the river,
obtaining water from a small pool filled by the rain last night.
Latitude by e Pegasi 18 degrees 57 minutes 48 seconds; variation of
compass 5 degrees east.
17th October.
At 6.30 a.m. resumed our journey, steering east and south for two hours
over level flats; then turning east crossed a steep range of sandstone
hills, the strata nearly vertical; the strike north and south; thin veins
of quartz intersected the rock in every direction, forming a complete
network. The steepness of the country compelled us to turn north-east to
the bank of the river, which we followed to the south-east; the banks
were high and cut by deep gullies. At 12.30 p.m. the hills receded, and
we entered some fine flats. Here I picked up a fragment of the
shoulder-bone of a bullock, and observed several trees that had been cut
with iron axes; and as the latitude corresponds with that of Dr.
Leichhardt's camp of the 26th April, 1845, the bone doubtless belonged to
the bullock he killed at this place. At 1.5 camped on the bank of the
river. The Moreton-Bay ash, poplar gum, and a rough-barked gum-tree with
very green leaves, were added to the ironbark, bloodwood, and other
eucalypti which constituted the forest, while casuarina and Melaleuca
leucodendron grow in the beds of the larger watercourses. The channel of
the river is about 150 yards, with a small stream winding along the sandy
bed; much of the running water is due to the late rain, but it is evident
from the character of the vegetation that it continues to run throughout
the dry season.
Latitude by a Cygni 19 degrees 37 seconds.
18th October.
Continued our route at 6.25 a.m., steering nearly east till 8.30, when
the river turned to the north round a range of sandstone hills, crossing
which, reached the river again at 10.5 flowing south, with fine
openly-timbered flats on the banks; steering south till 1.0 p.m., camped
on the bank of the river just below a ridge of slate rock which crossed
the channel. From the hills, at 9.0, we saw a fine valley joining that of
the Burdekin from the east; it was bounded by a steep range to the south,
which terminated two miles from the river. South-west of our position
were several flat-topped hills, which appeared to be a continuation of
the range crossed yesterday. To the south only a few distant hills were
visible, the view being obstructed by trees. The flats on the banks of
the river are well grassed and openly timbered with ironbark, Moreton-Bay
ash, bloodwood, and poplar gum; the soil varying from a soft brown loam
into which our horses sank deeply, to a firm black or brown clay loam;
the ranges were stony and thinly grassed; the timber box and ironbark.
The geological features consist of a fine-grained sandstone
interstratified with slate and coarse conglomerates. The sandstone is
intersected in every direction with veins of quartz, which do not appear
to enter the slate. The dip of the strata is nearly vertical, the strike
north and south. The whole appear to have been much disturbed and
altered; neither granite nor trap has been observed since yesterday
morning. Consumed the last of the dried horse-meat, and increased the
ration of flour to one pound per diem.
19th October (Sunday).
Remained at the camp to rest the party; the day was cloudy, with variable
breeze from the south-east to north-east and north; no observations for
latitude could be taken till early on Monday morning, and even then the
altitudes were imperfect; the stream of running water in the bed of the
river has increased, but is still quite clear.
Latitude by Saturn 19 degrees 7 minutes 19 seconds.