June 22, 1857.] GREGORY'S NORTH AUSTRALIAN EXPEDITION. 497 



advantage of the watercourses which there take their rise, and 

 originate the numerous small rivers crossed by Dr. Leichhardt in his 

 journey along the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria. 



50. I was desirous, had the nature of the country justified the 

 attempt, of talcing a more inland course than that traversed ; but the 

 absence of tributaries on the easterly side of the upper valley of the 

 Victoria had warned me that the country in that direction was 

 impracticable at the period of the year, as the wet season had 

 terminated before the return from the exploration of the interior. 



51. The route of the expedition was perhaps that which will tend 

 more to develop the physical character of the northern portion of 

 the continent, as the distance to which the rivers extend from the 

 coast has now been approximately ascertained, and as none of the 

 watercourses could extend any considerable distance into the 

 interior beyond the line traversed by the party. 



52. The insignificant size of the watercourses crossed between the 

 Victoria and Albert Elvers is almost a proof that no country 

 available for the purposes of settlement, exists to the south of the 

 line traversed, while the small quantity of available land seen to the 

 north, and the unfavourable account given by Leichhardt of the 

 parallel line on which he travelled near the coast, render it im- 

 probable that any considerable tract of land suitable for settlement 

 exists on the S.W. shore of the Gulf of Carpentaria. 



53. On the western shores of the Gulf, the extensive development 

 of basaltic rocks results in the formation of a fine tract of pastoral 

 country, in which the upper river takes its rise. 



54. The " Plains of Promise," which occupy the south shore of the 

 Gulf between the meridians of 139° and 141°, extend little beyond 

 latitude 18^ 10', south of which we always met with miserable sand- 

 stone ridges, except on the banks of the Flinders and Leichhardt 

 Rivers, and the whole of these plains seem to result from the gradual 

 recession of the waters of the Gulf. The grass was generally 

 inferior, both in quantity and quality, to that on the Victoria or the 

 eastem coast. Water is scarce during the dry season, and the 

 surface is so level that it is excessively wet and boggy during 

 the rains. 



55. Had the vessel reached the Albert in time to co-operate with 

 the land party, my intention was to have explored the courses of the 

 Leichhardt and Flinders Rivers, which are now the onl}^ rivers in 

 Northern Australia, the sources of which have not been ascertained, 

 though from their size there is reason to think that they do not 

 extend more than 100, or at the most 150 miles from their mouths. 



56. East of the Gulf, after receding 30 miles from its shores, the 



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