Part 27 (1/2)

Party employed as before At 330 pm I left the camp and proceeded to the creek, where the ti their bivouac at 730; six logs had been cut twenty to twenty-five feet long and twelve to fourteen inches square; the timber is a uenerally unsound and worthless

15th Noveory at 110 am, and at 2 pm started in the indiarubber boat with Messrs Wilson, Baines, and Flood; at 80 pm reached the creek near Steep Head, and reht

16th November

Started at 630 am and crossed the shallows at Steep Head without h, the water was six to eight inches deep

Threeus, but they did not approach At 100 ale with a few pandanus and le pal been injured, hauled her up for repairs Mr Baines shot three whistling ducks on the island; they were very good eating While at our dinner a native approached the bank of the river and caible, and when he found that he could not e of signs, and expressed his conte repaired the leak in the boat, we again moved up the river, but at one and a half miles came to a dry bar of rock, over which the boats were carried, and we passed a shallow pool of brackish water half a reater breadth, and then entered a deep reach; but the day was so far advanced that we took advantage of a level rocky ledge and bivouacked

INDIARUBBER BOATS FAIL

17th November

Proceeded up the river about a le and rocks, which extended for at least a mile, and over which it was not practicable to carry the boats, which had beenthe rocky bars yesterday, the heat having destroyed the texture of the waterproof canvas I therefore decided not to expend any more time on this excursion, but return to the ca us froh to hold any communication At 20 pm commenced the return down the river and reached Palm Island after dark and bivouacked

18th Noveht shower, and at 60 aed the boats over the shi+ngle bank at Steep Head, where there was scarcely one inch of water; halted at the creek where the timber had been cut, to procure water for breakfast, and then sailed down the river and encountered a heavy squall, with thunder and lightning, just as we approached the caht Captain Gourlay informed me that on the 16th three blacks had visited his party while cutting ti taken for the voices of the blacks, they had taken to the boat with great precipitation and returned to the schooner; the mosquitoes have nearly disappeared

19th Nove of Phibbs, Humphries, Shewell, Selby, and Dawson, to assist thethe timber down the river; Richards' ar favourably; Fahey is on the sick list; the rain having rass, the horses did not coenerally 90 degrees at sunrise and 105 degrees at noon in the shade

20th Nove the horses and made preparations for a journey up the Victoria, to reconnoitre the country previous to starting for the interior

21st Nove convalescent, was eory, Mr

Flood, Bow charcoal for the forge; in the afternoon there was a heavy thundershower; the flies are very troublesome and annoy the horses so much that they will not stand quiet to be shod, and some of the horses are nearly blind in consequence of the flies crawling into their eyes

22nd Nove saddles, etc; the schooner leaks about seven inches per hour, and as thetimber, I have afforded assistance fro the vessel dry

EXPLORE THE UPPER VICTORIA

23rd Nove to explore the Victoria River, towards the upper part of its course; the grass has becoreen and fresh water is also abundant, which has caused soround on the Whirlwind Plains

24th Noveht in the stray horses, having found them beyond Sandy Island The tis of tithen the keelson While at work at the creek where the timber was procured the party had been twice visited by the blacks; these intrusions were neither decidedly friendly or hostile, but they stole so near one of the logs of timber while the party was employed elsewhere; about 100 arass about 200 yards from the camp, and then retired At 20 pory, Wilson, and Mueller, with seven horses and twenty days' provisions, the object being to exa party will have to travel on the route to the interior; at 6 am bivouacked at Timber Creek; in the principal channel of the creek there were reen on the flats Except on the banks of the river and creeks, the country is very poor and stony; the geological structure of the country is the sa on soft shales, the strata being horizontal; but beneath the shales chert and coarse siliceous liments of jasper are frequent The principal tium of small size, and the cotton-tree (cochlospermum), which soh grass is abundant on every description of soil, yet the greater part is of inferior descriptions and dries up completely at this season

Latitude by altitude of Achernar, 15 degrees 39 minutes 43 seconds

25th November

Started at 545 am, and followed the creek to the south-south-east; it rapidly decreased in size, branching into s water for a midday halt The flats on the bank of the creek are in sorassed and openly timbered; the hills are of sandstone, but chert and coarse lies At noon halted at a small pool of rainwater The day was cloudy and cool, the therrees at 2 pm At 30 resuullies rising in stony ridges; as there was no appearance of water to the south, the course was changed to south-east and east, in which direction we followed down a gully, and at 720 halted at a s at 615 arees till 3 p the northern side of a rocky sandstone range At 30 pe, which is a narrow ridge of sandstone hills tenand one to two e we found a s watered the horses, pushed on towards the Victoria River, at the base of Bynoe Range; but although the country was level, ere so much retarded by the soft nature of the soil that the river was not reached till sunset, and the banks of the river were so steep that the water was not accessible for the horses, and we therefore encamped at a small hole of muddy rainwater