Dec. 8, 1856.] WILSON ON THE NORTH AUSTRALIAN EXPEDITION. 229 



there yet. Mr. Gregory, however, was doubtful ; he therefore left 

 Jasper Range, with the intention of returning to the camp ; but, as 

 we descended to the lower side of the plains, he took the eastern 

 side of Jasper Creek, and from the top of a little trap hill we could 

 see a long belt of river-trees to the eastward stretching away S. 

 Continuing our course, at little more than a mile from the place 

 where we had left the main channel, we struck it again, broad, 

 deep, and apparently undiminished. We halted there for the night, 

 and on the next morning we followed up the river for nearly 30 

 miles, in a course a little E. of S., where it divided into two large 

 branches. The rains had already commenced ; there was an abund- 

 ance of young grass springing up, and we returned to prepare for 

 the journey to the interior. We traced our way back along the 

 river, and arrived at the camp on the 13th of December, after an 

 absence of twenty days. 



Mr. Gregory calculating on being five months away, left the 

 camp on the 3rd of January under my charge, taking with him 

 Mr. H. Gregory, Dr. Mtiller, Mr. Baines, Mr. Flood, four stockmen, 

 and all the horses, amounting to thirty-six. 



During Mr. Gregory's absence I ran the boat up Saunders Creek 

 for 6 miles, and went from thence on foot, accompanied by one 

 man, to the east end of Sea Eange, which I ascended for the pur- 

 pose of getting a view of the valley bej^ond, from which the prin- 

 cipal branch of the creek descends, and of the ranges on each side. 



On the return of the expedition from the interior, as the prepara- 

 tions for the journey to the Gulf of Carpentaria were likely to 

 occupy a month, I requested Mr. Gregory to permit me to occupy a 

 portion of that time in obtaining a more extended knowledge of the 

 geography and geology of the country east and west from the camp, 

 as my duties in attending to the camp and the schooner had pre- 

 vented my doing so to the extent I had intended. Accompanied by 

 Messrs. Elsey and Mtiller, and with provisions for ten days, we 

 took the gig, with two men, down the river to where the schooner 

 lay. Putting some articles wanted at the camp on board the boat, 

 I sent it back, and then, taking the dingy or jolly-boat, we pro- 

 ceeded up the western branch for 22 geographical miles, when 

 further progress was interrupted by a rocky ledge. A sandstone 

 range, exceeding 800 feet in height, ran parallel with the river on 

 the north-west side. A detached hill, about 9 miles distant, being 

 the farthest point of the range visible, I determined to go there and 

 obtain a view of the country beyond. Accordingly, I left my two 

 companions with the boat, and went alone to the hill, to which I 

 gave the name of " Mount Victoria." From this hill I had a view 



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