46 EXPLORATION OF THE MURCHISON, LYONS, AND [Nov. 8, 1858. 



schist, of 300 or 400 feet elevation, in lat. 23° 57' 15", wMeli had 

 been named Mount Thomson. From this hill we had an extensive 

 view of the surrounding country ; close to the northern foot the river 

 divided into two nearly equal parts; one, coming from the N.N.E., 

 wo named the Alma. To the north, just resting on the edge of the 

 tropic, lay a compact range, tlirough which there was apparently 

 but one break, and that was on the line of the Alma ; from the 

 southern face of this range, which extends nearly 40 miles to the 

 eastward, numerous streams take their rise and flow southward 

 into the Lyons, which had altered its course and was now coming 

 from the E.S.E. Our intention had been to keep our course until 

 we had touched upon the tropic, but, as the Alma was not running, 

 we decided upon following the main course of the stream, and 

 accordingly adopted an easterly course for the remainder of the day, 

 encamping about 6 miles to the east of Mount Thomson. The river 

 here was much narrower, with a rocky bed containing many pools of 

 permanent character, overshadowed by flooded gums of large 

 growth, much resembling the Eucalyptus piperita of the flats of the 

 Swan, but not possessing the same pungent leaf. 



30^/i 1%.— Sunday. Found our latitude to be 23° 58' 32", and 

 long. 116° E., by account. 



31s^ May. — We started off at a quick pace, clearing 16 miles 

 by noon, over some fine open grassy flats, timbered for nearly a 

 mile from the river ; one tributary 100 yards wide having joined 

 from the north and a smaller one from the south. Leaving the 

 party busily occupied catching fish, which were abundant in this 

 part of the river and much resembling those found in the Murchison, 

 but much larger, some of them being upwards of a pound in weight, 

 I walked with Mr. Naime to the summit of a granite hill 2 miles to 

 the northward, from which I had a number of cross-bearings to hills 

 already observed from Mount Thomson. One of considerable eleva- 

 tion, bearing N. 121° 30' E., distance 50 miles, lay directly up the 

 valley of the river, and was named Mount Augustus, after my 

 brother, now conducting the expedition in quest of the remains of 

 Dr. Leichhardt. Pushing on 12 miles farther, we halted for the 

 night in lat. 23° 59' 39". Tobacco here grew of sufficient size for 

 manufacture, occupying many hundred acres of the best land ; a 

 plant much resembling stramonium was also abundant on the moist 

 land, yielding a strongly offensive odour from its leaves. 



\st June. — For the first 12 miles along the river the flats much im- 

 proved, and were only occasionally broken up by stony ridges ; good 

 country was seen to extend up the tributaries, several of which came 

 in from the north. To the south, at 2 or 3 miles distant, and run- 



