Part 48 (1/2)

Re was cool and cloudy, but cleared towards noon, and at night got sights for latitude

LEICHHARDT'S CAMP

17th November

Resumed our journey at 640 ah level country with e creek from the south, which proved to be the Comet River of Dr

Leichhardt The whole bed of the Comet did not exceed seventy yards, and the smaller channel only five to six yards wide, and even below its junction the Mackenzie only had a channel ten to thirty yards wide in the bottom of a bed 150 yards wide from bank to bank Just below the junction of the Comet we found the remains of a camp of Dr Leichhardt's party on its second journey The ashes of the fire were still visible, and a quantity of bones of goats were scattered around A large tree wasdown L

but a hollow in the ground at the foot of the tree showed that whatever had been deposited had long since been removed We, however, cleared out the loose earth, but found nothing The river now turned east-north-east, and our course being east, we receded from it, and at noon we ascended a rocky hill of sandstone covered with scrub; we therefore steered north for an hour and carassy flat, but beyond the immediate flats of the river the country was covered with scrub Near the caum tree had been marked:

Solid square [symbol ??]

some years before The day was cloudy with easterly breeze Marked a tree:

120 solid Delta

this being the 120th ca from the Victoria River

18th November

Rain commenced at 70 am and continued till noon; at 625 steered east and soon entered a dense scrub of acacia, box, sterculia, and Moreton-Bay ash Ascending to the level tableland by a steep sandstone slope, at 1125 passed a gully with deep waterholes which appeared permanent, and at 140 pm encamped at a deep creek with a small pool of water To the south-east of the cae of hills rose abruptly froht of 800 to 1000 feet The suh cliffs of red sandstone (Expedition Range)

Latitude by Procyon 23 degrees 33 rees 50 minutes east

19th November

Resuh dense scrubs with open patches of grassy forest, the soil a light loam, very sandy in the open forest Small watercourses trended north; at 100 turned to south-east to avoid a large scrubby hill which lay detached froain steered east, ascending a steep sandstone hill from which the country to the north and east appeared extrees with scrub at intervals, and fine flooded-gurew on sorassed; at 330 pm encamped at a s north-east

Latitude by Saturn 23 degrees 37 minutes 23 seconds

20th November

At 740 am steered east over open country, thinly timbered with box and ironbark; at 100 crossed a dry creek, on the banks of which were recent tracks of horses and cattle; at noon there was a heavy thunderstoralow and casuarina; at 20 pm the country was ully with pools of rainwater; heavy rain during the night

21st November

Continued an east course; at 650 aes of hills were i the ridges, entered a brigalow scrub, and at 1140 ca shallow pools of water, the scrub corassy flat; followed the river upwards to the southward till 250 pm, and camped on the left bank of the river The flats on the bank of the river are here rassed, and we observed the tracks of horses

REACH THE FIRST STATION ON THE DAWSON RIVER

22nd November