322 NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



2ist January. The SCRUB was so dense that more than seven 

 hours were spent in cutting 8 miles through it to the NNE. 

 It was described by the Brothers as " FEARFULLY DIFFICULT." " The 

 cattle occasionally got their horns entangled in the vines and had 

 to be cut loose. One cow got furious at being thus arrested, and 

 when extricated galloped straight away and was no more seen. . . . 

 A great variety of PALMS were seen in the scrubs, which were 

 covered with fruit and berries^ but only the ' Seajortbia,' the most 

 graceful of the family, the Caryota urens, remarkable for its 

 star-shaped fronds, and the more common Corypba, of which the 

 Colonial straw hats are made, 1 were known to the travellers." 

 Four deep and narrow creeks were crossed, running generally east, 

 says Richardson. The Brothers say, seven creeks, running west- 

 ward. There can be no doubt that as regards the direction of the 

 flow Richardson was in the right, as they were on the coastward 

 side of the watershed. They must have crossed KENNEDY'S TRACK, 

 between his camps of 2ist and 22nd November, 1848. CAMP 75 

 was probably on, or not far from, my " CAPTAIN BILLY CREEK." 

 Its latitude is given by Byerley as 11 37' 46" S., which I take to be 

 3i miles too far south. The fact that Richardson (who made the 

 observations) does not record the latitude suggests that he himself 

 doubted its accuracy. 



22?*^ January. The same class of country prevailed, with 

 even a more marked ABSENCE OF GRASS. The distance travelled was 

 estimated at 10 miles, but the actual northing can hardly have 

 been more than half. Four or five creeks were crossed, all running 

 east. CAMP 76 was among open brushwood near one of them, 

 which was probably CAMISADE CREEK, at the mouth of which (my 

 Camp 57) the blacks made a nocturnal attack on my party in 1880. 

 Heavy RAIN set in before Camp 76 was reached and continued till 

 midnight. 



2$rd January. The rain fell steadily all day long. The 

 course was altered to NNW., and for some distance was on the 

 DIVIDE between the Pacific (5 miles to the east) and the Gulf 

 (48 miles to the west). The distance traversed was estimated 

 at 9i- miles, and was probably about 6. CAMP 77 was on a 

 teatree water-course in forest country, with GRASS enough for the 

 camp. It cannot have been more than 2 miles west of my Camp 52. 



2^.th January. Two miles from Camp 77 a stream was struck, 

 running north, with a clear bed 30 yards wide. The right bank 

 was followed for 3i miles through heath and brushwood, a track 

 having to be cut for the passage of the horses and cattle. A heavy 

 thunderstorm then caused the creek to rise rapidly and bar further 

 progress. CAMP 78. Rain fell at intervals till midnight. This 



1 The " Cabbage Tree Palm." The hats are woven by solitary bushmen, and being 

 indestructible and highly valued as a protection from the sun, command fancy prices, 

 up to 5. 



