26 EXPLORATION IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA 



miles and had found only one place where a horse could 

 possibly be taken up. The mountain still continues, and not a 

 single creek, not even a sprin;^-, comes from it, which is a most 

 strange thing in this land of springs, creeks and rivers. When 

 the country is taken up and stocked the blacks are sure to be 

 troublesome, speaking from my experience of taking up new 

 land in Queensland. 



While I was at work plotting my map that day, I had my 

 boots and socks off, with my feet against a tree. Suddenly a 

 long kind of snake, new to me, came crawling over my bare 

 feet. He was a wonderfully quick fellow, and the boys had a 

 job to kill him. According to Dr. Krefft, of Sydney, it was a 

 most deadly one. I counted its labial scales, and found only 

 five, which showed it to be one of a venoiiious species. It was 

 a kind of slate colour, and about •"> feet long. There was one 

 peculiar circumstance about this adventure. I did not feel the 

 reptile bite me, in fact, it could not have done so, yet on my leg 

 were two small spots of blood, looking exactly as if they had 

 oozed from the punctures made by the venom fangs, but no 

 puncture could I find. At all events, I suffered no inconvenience 

 from his snakeship's visit. 



This camp lay about SO miles north-east by north from 

 Mt. Broome. 



I followed the creek above mentioned towards the east for 

 iive miles, to where it entered the Phillips River above the 

 Barnett and Hai'ris Gorges. All the way was good cattle 

 country, although somewhat sandy. The river I found to be 

 running stronger than ever. I decided to run it up. For one 

 mile above the gorge it is bordered by ]\It. Harris on the left 

 bank, then it takes up the running of Mt. I»arnett and trends 

 away to the east. A fine creek comes to it from the north-east, 

 which I have called the Bella. The river flows from the 

 north. The country is sandy, but for six miles is still good 

 cattle country. The river now emerges from a gorge, a low one 

 this time, and by keeping back from the water I managed to get 

 above it, and continued to run the river up. The ranges on 

 both sides were fearfully stony, but by crossing and re-crossing 

 I succeeded in getting along. I pitched my camp nine miles 

 from the gorge. The river was running still stronger, and I 

 wondered where all the water came from. I found this a very 

 bad camp for the horses, but they had to make the best of it. 



Taking a boy with me, I got to the top of a big mountain 

 close by. It was terribly rough scrambling, but we got up. 



