Part 28 (1/2)
Having filled our water-bags, we left the carees east towards a range of hills cohest point of which we reached at 100 The aneroid stood at 2915; there the country rose into an elevated tableland higher than the Jasper Range; towards this we continued our route, following a s the country very dry and rocky, and no prospect of finding a spot where the tableland could be ascended, we returned to the waterhole at which we caain in the saddle, and steering north till 720, ascended an isolated hill of trap-rock rising abruptly in the centre of the open plain about 200 feet Having taken bearings of the surrounding ranges, steered north 30 degrees east till 1030, across a level grassy plain to the creek, which, though er than at the ca its course doards, at 1050 halted at a sed in the branches of the trees, the floods rise about fifty feet; the regular channel is thirty yards wide; on the banks red, green, and white shales are exposed, but the bed of the creek is generally sandy A large tributary appears to join this creek froe valley extends fifteen miles At 3 pm steered east, and passed to the south of a remarkable sandstone hill, which we named Mount Sandi from the south-south-east; followed it up for one ave easy access to the water In the evening there was a slight shower, and a heavy thunderstorm passed to the north
4th December
About 545 resurassy flats and over a sandstone ridge which was covered with triodia; froe there was an extensive view of the country to the south and east, but no hills of greater elevation than the sandstone tableland were visible, and for twenty miles the valley of the river expanded into a wide plain thinly ti a south-south-east course through a fine grassy country till 100, halted in a patch of green grass The elevation of this part of the valley of the Victoria is not great, as the barometer stood at 2977 forty feet above the river; therood and well-grassed, but the inundations during the rainy season extend on each side of the river several miles The strata of the sandstone, where exposed, dip to the north, but there is no alteration in the character of the rocks Abundance of portulaca grew near our halting place, and furnished us with an agreeable vegetable; this plant was afterwards found over the whole of Northern Australia, and proved a very valuable article of food At 320 continued our route, and at 530 bivouacked at a small pool of rainwater in one of the back channels of the river, the banks of which were inconveniently covered with high reeds During the night there was continuous light rain till 40 am
ABUNDANCE OF FISH
5th December
Continued our route up the river to the south-south-west frorassy box flats; a low grassy range approached the right bank and again receded; to the west a range of broken hills rose to 500 feet parallel to our course and five miles distant Halted in the bed of the river, which forht several catfish and perch; er than I have before seen in the other parts of the river At noon: Barorees; at 30 prees At 330 steered south froht bank of the river, which turned to the ard; crossed sorassy country thinly timbered with box, and at 450 came to the southern branch of the river This branch trended to the north-east, and consequently joins at a point lower down than where we crossed, the junction not having been observed These two branches of the Victoria are so nearly equal in apparent size that it will remain for future examination to deter to the right bank, we followed it upwards along the foot of the high land for half an hour, and encamped in the bed of the river
Latitude by rees 26 minutes
RETURN DOWN THE VICTORIA
6th December
The day commenced with a heavy thundershohich continued for several hours; but the rain not being quite so heavy at 6 a the bank of the river to a hill about one and a halfthe hill, we found that though the elevation and position accommodated a fine view in fine weather, yet the rain at the present time obscured all distant objects, but the country to the south and west consisted of flat-topped sandstone hills with large open valleys between; to the east the vieas obstructed by rising ground, while to the north lay the vast grassy plain which we had traversed during the last two days The western branch of the river turned to the west-south-west along the foot of the sandstone ranges, its course being ly with the white grass on the open plains on its banks
The south branch of the river appeared to co south-south-east, but the thick mist obscured that part of the country
As we had now examined the country sufficiently to enable the ree of latitude without any great ieneral character of the country and the nature of the obstacles to be encountered, and on which the equipment of the party would in some measure depend, we turned our steps towards the principal ca the western branch of the river at 950, and reached our ca cooled the air to 74 degrees at 9 arees at sunset
7th Dece the outward track from 540 am till 110, e halted till 325 prees, with a cool southerly breeze; wet bulb, 78 degrees Resuht bank of the river, and bivouacked at the termination of the plains
8th Deceht bank of the river, which was very rocky and steep; we therefore crossed to the left bank, and at 110 halted one mile above the bivouac of the 29 ultimo Between 20 and 30 pm there was a heavy thunderstorm, when half an inch of rain fell; at 345 resumed our journey, and encamped about four miles lower down the river
9th December
Followed the left bank of the river fro less stony and intersected by gullies than the right bank; at 350 pm resumed our route, and at 630 encamped
10th December
Travelled down the river from 545 till 100 am; e halted a quarter of a mile above the camp of the 27th November At 20 prees to 77 degrees
Resumed our journey at 30 and at 630 cae, on the east side, water being abundant in every hollow, and since we passed up the river there has been heavy rain in this part of the country, and several of the gullies have been running eight feet deep Shot a turkey and three black ibis The Fitzroy Range extends about two e of the river to Bynoe Range, the Victoria winding round the north end of the range, and some tributary creeks appear to join from the north, as a valley extends several miles in that direction The rain does not appear to have been general over the country, as it often occurs that after travelling over two or three ns of recent flood, that this beautiful verdure suddenly ceases, and we again encounter a dry and parched country which exhibits all the signs of an Australian summer
11th Dece west, crossed the low ridge of the Fitzroy Range, and having taken bearings of the features of the country, steered north 260 degrees east through the level plain which occupies the space between Wickhale Valley by Captain Stokes The soil of this plain is a brown clay, which in the dry weather crumbles into small pieces, so that the horses sink deeply into it; but in the wet season the whole is deep mud; it, however, appears to be very fertile, and produces an abundance of grass; the trees consist of bauhinia, acacia, and soed course to north 245 degrees east, and after traversing a grassy box flat for two hours, camped at a small watercourse with pools of rainwater in a rocky limestone channel
BEAGLE VALLEY