GREGORY 271 



for meat, the flesh being sun-dried. The ration of flour was reduced 

 to three-quarters of a pound per day. 



Three hours, on the 2ist, on a NE. course, brought the explorers 

 to the SMITHBURN BRANCH, or mouth, of Leichhardt's GILBERT 

 RIVER. The branch was then followed up for some 12 miles and 

 the camp was pitched on the southern or left bank of the GILBERT'S 

 main channel, in 17 18' 5" S., just above where the "branch" 

 leaks out of it. 



The left bank of the Gilbert River was then followed up to 

 ESE. The camp of 22nd September was above the outfall of 

 Walker Creek. On the 23rd, east of where MIRANDA DOWNS Old 

 Station was afterwards built, and west of the Bobby Towns Lagoon 5 

 the confluence of the EINASLEIGH RIVER with the Gilbert was 

 passed unobserved, and the left bank of the GILBERT was followed 

 on a south-easterly course to a camp in 17 36' S. 



Gregory and his party crossed to the right bank of the river 

 next day, and followed its south-easterly course, camping on 2jth 

 September in 18 15' 21", near what is now COBB & Co.'s " TONKS " 

 STAGE. The night before, they had camped near the present GILBERT 

 TELEGRAPH AND POST OFFICE. 1 A belt of auriferous and cupriferous 

 country was afterwards discovered to extend eastward from the 

 Gilbert Telegraph Station, through the Cumberland and Etheridge. 



Above " Tonks," the Gilbert River first comes from the east 

 for about 12 miles, and then from the south. The party rounded 

 this bend and camped on the right, or eastern bank, on 2qtb 

 September in 18 25' 33", about 4 miles above the junction of 

 MACDONALD CREEK. 



Some distance east of the river, but for the most part keeping 

 it in sight, the party followed it up to the south on 2C)tb and 30^ 

 September and 1st October, passing through what was afterwards 

 known as the GREEN HILLS GOLDFIELD. (SEE MAP P.) On 

 the 1st October, the camp was in 18 40' 29", on the right bank 

 of a river which Gregory understood to be still the Gilbert, 

 but he had in reality left the river about 2 miles back and was 

 on the branch now known as the ROBERTSON RIVER. After 

 reconnaissances, an east-south-east course was taken and the camp 

 on ^th October was in 18 47' 54" on the left, or south-eastern 

 bank of the Robertson River west of MOUNT HELPMAN. On the $tb 

 the camp was moved 3 miles ENE. up the river, and the three follow- 

 ing days were spent in reconnaissances, while a fourth was lost owing 

 to the straying of horses. 



On loth and nth October, the course of the march was to the 

 east. The camp of the loth appears to have been between Bow- 

 man's Springs and the bend of the Robertson River, which here 

 runs to the north. On the nth, the " NEWCASTLE RANGE " by 

 which Gregory appears to have understood the dividing ridge 



1 Not " Gilberton," which is much further up the river. 



