27th October.
The morning was cloudy, with light rain till 7.0 a.m.; at 7.30 steered
east-south-east and east over fine grassy ridges of granite and trap
formation, timbered with ironbark, box, Moreton-Bay ash, and bloodwood;
the river taking a sweep to the north of the track, but at 10.40 came
again on its banks. The course was now south till 2.15 p.m., when we
crossed a large stream-bed from the south-west, with a sandy and rocky
bed forty yards wide, which contained a few shallow pools of water. Below
the junction of this tributary the river turned to the east and
east-north-east, and we crossed low ridges of granite porphyry and trap,
which came down from the high land to the bank of the river; at 3.30
encamped. The whole of the country traversed this day was well grassed,
except about a mile of bauhinia scrub, which did not appear of any
considerable extent. Ironbark, box, bloodwood, and Moreton-Bay ash formed
the principal trees with which the country was openly timbered. The
prevailing rock granite, traversed by numerous veins of dark trap, and in
the latter part of the day porphyry and schist appeared; concretions of
limestone were frequent near the trap veins. The soil was somewhat light
and gritty loam, except on the trap-rocks, where it was rich black soil.
The available country here appears more extensive than higher up the
river; more rain has fallen in the early part of the season, and the
grass is rich and green, especially where it had been previously burnt
off.
Latitude by a Pegasi 20 degrees 7 minutes 23 seconds; variation of
compass 6 degrees 20 minutes east.
28th October.
We resumed our journey at 6.25 a.m., steering an east-south-east course,
but after crossing some fine grassy ironbark ridges, entered a dense
scrub of acacia, sterculia, bauhinia, and thorny shrubs. Turning north,
with some difficulty extricated the party from the scrub, which we then
skirted to the east along the bank of the river till 9.10, when the scrub
receded, and fine openly-timbered ironbark ridges replaced the scrub.
These ridges were well-grassed, the rocks granite, trap, and porphyry.
The country generally appeared well suited for stock; on both sides of
the river no high ranges were visible. At 2.45 p.m. camped on a fine
grassy flat, part of which having been burnt, was now covered with
excellent green grass. The day was cool, with light showers from the
east. The character of the granite was fine-grained, and intersected by
veins and masses of trap, and in the latter part of the day's journey
porphyry was superincumbent. In the scrubs sandstone existed; it was
coarse-grained, and contained worn boulders of trap, quartz, granite,
slate, and hard sandstone.
29th October.
As the river below turned to the east of its general course, at 6.20 a.m.
steered east-south-east and south-east till 9.30, when we again came on
the river trending south. The country consisted of openly-timbered and
grassy ironbark ridges, but not equally good with that passed during the
last two days. The river at 10.0 turned to the south-east, along the foot
of some steep rocky hills of porphyry resting on granite, and at 11.45
was joined by a dry creek twenty yards wide, coming from the south-west;
our course was now east-south-east, passing with difficulty between the
river and a steep granite hill, beyond which the country became more
sandy, and rose to the south in long gentle slopes scantily grassed, and
timbered with bloodwood, ironbark, Moreton-Bay ash, and poplar gum, with
a few pandanus; an immense number of deep gullies intersected the ground,
cutting deeply into the granite rock beneath the soil, and rendering it
difficult to traverse. A fine range of openly-wooded and grassy hills
rose about two to three miles from the left bank of the river, attaining
an elevation of 500 to 800 feet above the valley; these hills are
probably porphyritic; they are the Porter Range of Leichhardt. At 2.45
p.m. camped on the bank of the Burdekin River.