Nov. 10, 1856.] NORTH AUSTRALIAN EXPEDITION, 187 



traverse the rocky ranges to the westward of the river. The rugged 

 nature of the country, the intense heat of the atmosphere, loaded 

 with moisture, conjoined with the ordinary difficulties which attend 

 exploration in a new country, rendered our progress extremely slow ; 

 many of the horses were lamed, though shod before starting, and 

 two had died before we reached lat. 17° S. 



I therefore selected a suitable spot for a depot in lat. 17° 3' S., 

 long. 130° 35' E., and on the 31st 'January proceeded with Mr. 

 H, Gregory, Dr. Miiller, and Charles Deane, seven pack and four 

 saddle horses, leaving the remainder of the party in charge of Mr. 

 Baines. 



Steering a southerly course, on the 7th February we reached the' 

 southernmost waters of the Victoria in lat. 18° 12', long. 130° 39', 

 and crossed the dividing ridge between the waters flowing to the 

 N.W. coast and those which fall into the interior ; the elevation by 

 barometric measurement being only 1300 feet above the level of the 

 sea.* Continuing our route we descended into a nearly level and 

 depressed country, and struck a small water- course trending to the 

 S.E. On its banks there was abundance of grass, and a little water 

 was found in the deeper portions of the channel. 



This creek was followed to lat. 18° 22' S., long. 130° 49' E., 

 where it was lost on a wide grassy plain, surrounded by level sandy 

 Gountry covered with triodia and stunted trees. 



On the 9th, lat. 18° 31', long. 130' 44', was attained, but further 

 progress was evidently impracticable, as we had reached a sandy 

 desert country extending far to the south, in which neither water 

 nor grass existed, little or no rain having fallen during the wet 

 season ; to the south of the dividing ridge, the elevation of this point 

 was 1000 feet above the sea. 



I now determined on following the northern limits of this desert 

 to the westward, in hope of finding some creek or river, which, 

 descending from the ranges to the north, might enable us to cross 

 or at least penetrate this inhospitable region. Keeping therefore 

 to the west along the foot of the sandstone range, on the 13th wc 

 came to the head of a creek in lat. 18°, long. 130°. This creek first 

 trended N.W., but soon turned to the S.W. 



For the first hundred miles, the country on the right bank con- 

 sisted of vast level plains of rich soil, covered with beautiful grass ; 

 but the left bank presented a striking contrast in its low sandstone 

 ranges, producing little besides triodia and scrub-trees. 



The country on both banks now changed gradually to a sandy 



* See Capt. Stokes's remarks at p. 191.— Ed. 



