20 EXPEDITION FROM MORETON BAY [Nov. 8, 1858. 



30 feet. Soft brown sandstones of the coal measures are the prevailing 

 rock, forming hills with table summits. 



2nd April. — With some difficulty, owing to the dense scrubs, we 

 crossed the basaltic ridge which divides the eastern waters flowing to 

 the Dawson Eiver from those trending to the west into the basin of 

 the Maranoa Eiver, a tributary of which, probably the Merivale 

 Eiver, was followed westward. The country became more sandy, 

 timbered with iron-bark, cypress, &c. The whole was, however, 

 well grassed, and suited for grazing, if not too heavily stocked. 



5th April. — Eeaching the Maranoa Eiver in about latitude 25° 45'j 

 water was scarcely procurable in the sandy bed, and we had to dig 

 wells to obtain a supply. 



Warned by the fact that Messrs. H. Gregory and Hely had been 

 unable to penetrate the country to the west from scarcity of water, 

 even three months earlier in the season, we followed up the Maranoa 

 to " Mount Owen " (7th April) ^ and having found a sufficient supply of 

 water and grass for a few days' halt, I proceeded to reconnoitre the 

 country to the west, and at length found a practicable route to tho 

 tributaries of the " Warrego " Eiver, to which the party was advanced 

 {I2th April). 



A heavy shower of rain had filled the gullies in this locality, and 

 green grass clothed the country, forming a striking contrast to the 

 dry and waterless valley of the Maranoa. 



Fine openly timbered valleys, well suited for pasture, alternated 

 with ridges of scrub of brigalow acacia till we reached "Mount 

 Playfair" (15i/i April), a basaltic hill on the sandstone ridge which 

 separates the Warrego Valley from that of the " Nive," a small branch 

 of which was followed (16th April) down to its junction with the 

 main channel in latitude 25^ 6'. 



The soil in the valley of the Nive is sandy, thinly grassed, and 

 openly timbered with iron-bark, spotted gum, &c. ; the back country 

 rising into low sandstone ridges, covered with dense scrub of briga- 

 low acacia. Some pools of permanent water, containing small fish, 

 were passed, on the bank of which the remains of numerous native 

 camps were seen. 



nth April. — From the Nive Eiver a N.N.W. course was pursued 

 through a nearly level sandy country, covered with a scrub of acacia, 

 eucalypti, bottle-tree, &c., which offered great impediments to our pro- 

 gress, till within 6 miles of the " Victoria Eiver," when we suddenly 

 emerged from the scrub on to open downs of rich clay soil ; but the 

 drought had been of such a long continuance that the whole of the 

 vegetation had been destroyed and swept away by the wind, leaving 

 the country to all appearance an absolute desert. 



