» LATE ALLAN CUNNINGHAM, ESQ. 315 



cost, as the rise from the valley, extending from DarHng 

 Downs, proved by no means abrupt, and the fall easterly, 

 from the ridge to the forest ground at its base, appeared of 

 singularly easy declivity. Looking north-easterly from this 

 eminence, the eye traversed with pleasure over a fine open 

 grazing country, very moderately timbered with patches of 

 clear plain and detached wooded ridges, to diversify the sur- 

 face; and in no part did there appear any obstacle to prevent 

 a communication either with the southern shores of Moreton 

 Bay, or the banks of the Brisbane River. The base of these 

 mountains is of a compact whinstone ,• on the higher parts was 

 observed amygdaloid of the trap formation, with nodules of 

 quartz, whilst the summit exhibited a porphyritic rock very 

 porous, and containing numerous minute quartzose crys- 

 tals. The situation of the tents in Logan's Vale was de- 

 termined as follows: — Latitude by meridional altitudes 

 of the sun, the mean of five observations, 28° 19' 45" S., 

 Longitude by account, corrected by bearings taken to fixed 

 points on or near the coast-line, and compared with the 

 mean results of several sets of distances of the sun, and star 

 Antares, from the moon 152° 7' 45" E. The variation of 

 the compass was found by azimuths to be S° 18' E. ; and the 

 distance from the penal settlement on the Brisbane, which 

 bore by compass about N.E., was estimated at seventy-five 

 statute miles. 



Although very recent traces of natives were observed in 

 different parts of the Vale, only a solitary aborigine was seen, 

 who, in wandering in quest of food, chanced to pass the 

 tents; immediately, however, upon an attempt of one of the 

 party to approach him, he retired in great alarm to the ad- 

 jacent brushes at the foot of the boundary hills, and instantly 

 disappeared. It therefore seemed probable that he had not 

 seen white men, and possibly might never have had any com- 

 niunication with the natives inhabiting the country on the 

 eastern side of the dividing range, from whom he could have 

 acquired such information of the existence of a body of white 



