BY FRANK HANN. 27 



Arrived at the top I found I would have to climb a tree to enable 

 me to take bearings. The most suitable tree had a straight, 

 smooth trunk, and I had a tough job to climb It, as my climbing 

 days were over long ago. But I sent the boy vtp first, then, with 

 my saddle surcingle, I managed to get up. Well was I repaid 

 for my trouble, as I got a splendid sight. This is by far the 

 biggest mountain in the neighbourhood, as it rises from such 

 high ground, the camp being 1500 feet above Derby and the 

 mountain 600 feet above the camp. I have given it the name 

 ■of Mount Elizabeth, in memory of my late mother. It will 

 form a most important trigonometrical station when the 

 country comes to be surveyed. I could get no bearing from 

 ■south-east almost to north, as h happened to be a long, low 

 range all the way ; but I got the bearings of five other big 

 mountains, one of which appeared to be about fifty miles away 

 ■on a bearing of 322 deg. From south-east to north the couutry 

 <lid not appear to be very rough. 



Next day I shod seven horses and made a start at 8 a.m., 

 and ran the river for 10 miles on a N.W. course. Along the bed of 

 the stream the travelling was fair, but very rough on the land. 

 I foimd myself confronted here by my old enemy — an impassable 

 gorge, so as the river was coming from N.W. and I wanted 

 to get West I did not attempt to get round the gorge, but turned 

 back for three miles and camped, so as to get time to finish up 

 my plotting. I made this camp to be about 80 miles S.E. from 

 the mouth of Prince Regent River. I had no idea the river 

 would come round as it did, to the West. It looked as if it were 

 going 100 miles more in the same direction. I feel sure there 

 is no other river so good as this in Australia to water stock at* 

 It has high banks, no bogs, is always running, and can be 

 <;rossed at every few hundred yards. Here there are most 

 splendid cajuput trees. 



Three blacks showed up to-day with spears, but a few 

 harmless shots soon sent them to the right-about. I regretted 

 that I had not time to follow this grand river to the head ; 

 but I had to get away to the coast for I feared to run short 

 of horseshoe nails. I had only 101b. weight at starting and 

 2cwt. of horseshoes. What with shoeing horses every day, 

 owing to rough country, my supplies in this line had dwindled 

 alarmingly. 



I went up the range on the W.S.W. side and found the 

 climbing rough ; still, it was better than I expected. I travelled 

 5 miles before reaching the top, which is 1750 feet above Derby. 



