THE NORTH -AUSTRALIAN EXPEDITION. 233 





8. Beyond this creek (lat. 15° 33', long. 131° 40') a low sandstone 

 table-land commenced, elevated about 700 feet above the sea. The 

 country now changed to thinly-grassed Stringy-bark forest, destitute of 

 watercourses, except a small creek which we struck in lat. 15° 30', 

 long. 132°. As no water appeared to exist except in this creek, I fol- 

 lowed it down to the north-east to lat. 14° 54', long. 132° 30', where 

 it turned to the north-west ,- but after five days 5 reconnoitring, succeeded 

 in finding a passage to the east, across the table-land (which appeared 

 to be the northern extension of the Interior Desert), to a small creek, 



tributary to the "Roper River," and moved the party to it on the 12th 

 of July. 



9. Attempting a south-east course, we were repulsed by scarcity of 

 water, and had to trace down the creek to its junction with the Roper, 

 in lat. 14° 58', long. 133° 20'. The country improved, and was well 

 suited for pastoral purposes, the rocks being basaltic. 



10. Having followed the Roper twenty miles to the north-west, I 

 again returned to a south-east course, re-entering a poor sandstone 

 country, and on the 19th of July encamped on a small creek with a 

 few waterholes. 



11. In the afternoon a small party of blacks were observed watching 

 the camp, and, on finding they were discovered by us, came up, but 

 would not speak a single word, and soon after retired, but were de- 

 tected stealing into the camp at night, when a discharge of small shot 



compelled them to retire. 



12. The following day continued a south-east route, encamping at a 

 spring in a sandstone ravine, where the grass was very inferior, and wc 

 experienced some difficulty in keeping the horses near the camp, their 

 instinct doubtless leading them to avoid a spot where poisonous plants 

 existed, as the next day at noon two horses were taken ill, and died in 

 less than an hour after, the stomachs, on examination, showing the 



action of violent poison. 



13. We continued to traverse a very indifferent country, with flat- 

 topped sandstone ridges between scrubby valleys, in which small creeks 

 took their rise, and, trending to the north-east, form the heads of the 



Wickh 



99 



Rivers. 



14. Scarcity of water however compelled us to turn to the north- 

 ward, and travel along the broken sandstone country at the edge of 



the table-land, reaching the " Mac Arthur" River on the 4th of August, 



2 ir 



VOL. IX. * " 



