238 THE NORTH-AUSTRALIAN EXPEDITION. 



40. In about lat. 21° 30' 3 long. 146° 40', the Suttor is joined by the 

 " Belyando " of Sir T. Mitchell. This river was running, there having 

 been heavy rains on the upper part of its course. 



41. Availing myself of this favourable circumstance, I followed it 

 up to lat. 22°, and then steered south-east, in hope of finding a more 

 open country, but after crossing a low ridge of sandstone hills, entered 

 a vast level plain, covered with Brigalow scrub, which continued to lat. 

 22 40', long. 147° 10', where we crossed a range of scrubby moun- 

 tains, and descended to "Peak Downs' 5 on the 12th of November. 



42. Peak Downs, as seen from the western range, extend north-west 

 and south-east for about sixty miles, with a breadth exceeding thirty 

 miles, consisting of gently undulating plains of rich black soil, well 

 grassed. These plains are separated by belts of thick scrub, the pre- 

 vailing rock, basalt and limestone. The absence of the surface-water 



will however prove a serious drawback to this otherwise fine tract of 

 country. 



- 



43. This scarcity of water obliged the party to skirt the south-west 

 limit of the open country, and much Brigalow scrub was encountered. 



44. On the 15th of November, reached the left bank of the "Mac- 

 kenzie' 5 Eiver, about fifteen miles above its junction with "Comet" 

 River. 



45. Being nearly on the latitude of Port Curtis, I steered an easterly 

 course through a succession of dense scrubs, and on the 22nd of 

 November reached Messrs. Fitz and Conner's station on the Dawson 

 River, where we experienced a most hospitable reception. 



46. It now only remained for me to connect the route of the Expe- 

 dition with some known point on the surveys of the district, and I 

 proceeded to Mr. Hay's station, near which the Crown Lands' Com- 

 missioner of the district was encamped ; but as the duties of this de- 

 partment have little reference to the geographical features of the coun- 

 try, the position of the stations could not be ascertained. Mr. Wiseman 

 however afforded me all the information in his power, and I conse- 

 quently proceeded fifty miles by the road towards Gladstone, to obtain 

 bearings to Mount Larcom and other hills near Port Curtis. 



47. The party then travelled by the road through the Burnett Dis- 

 trict, and reached Brisbane on the 16th of December 1856. 



48. Extreme monotony characterizes the physical features of the 

 whole country traversed by the Expedition from the Victoria to the 



