EXCURSIONS IN VALLEY OF THE MITCHELL 381 



of the sun, which would naturally be less reliable than an observation 

 of a star. (SEE MAP H.) 



The MITCHELL was then traced down to its junction with the 

 LYND, where Leichhardt first struck the Mitchell in 1845, 19 miles 

 west of the mouth of the Walsh. The latitude of the junction 

 (by a sun observation) is given as 16 23' S. The modern map 

 makes it 16 28'. 



Hann notes that " the moment the Mitchell joins the Lynd, 

 it enters on the WRETCHED description of COUNTRY of the latter, 

 which at the junction bears the same character as seen by us further 

 up." This refers to the country between Hann's Camp 2 and 

 Camp 5, which, so far as can be made out from expressions 

 scattered among phrases condemnatory of the roughness of the 

 " abominable stony ridges," appears to have consisted of mica- 

 and hornblende-schist and granite with dykes of greenstone and 

 quartz reefs. 



Hann further notes that although he had no doubt of the 

 identity of his river with LEICHHARDT'S MITCHELL (and there is no 

 doubt) it was considerably south of the position assigned to it 

 by Leichhardt's sketch-map. His own latitude was, however, 

 about 5 miles too far north. 



The lower portion of the valley of the Lynd may be country 

 of a " wretched description," as observed by Hann, but he carried 

 away a wrong impression in believing that the whole valley was 

 similar to that between his second camp and his fifth. Leichhardt 

 shows that the granites, gneisses and mica- schists of the Upper 

 Lynd are replaced in the lower part of the valley by horizontal 

 sandstones, and under the latter the Rolling Downs Formation 

 is probably buried. (SEE MAP G.) 



Hann's return to Camp 14 was accomplished in two days. 

 From the incomplete details furnished by the " Diary " and map, 

 the route from the junction of the Lynd and Mitchell was : NE. 

 2 miles, E. 12 miles to a lagoon (Camp of 22nd July), NE. 10 miles, 

 E. 5 miles, SE. 14 miles to the right bank of the Mitchell and E. 

 up the Mitchell to CAMP 14. If my charting is correct the party 

 must have headed SODA SPRINGS and LAGOON CREEKS. All was 

 well at the camp. Early in the morning of 23rd July a camp 

 of native women and children was seen by the travellers. 



The whole party moved 9 miles NNE. UP THE MITCHELL on 

 2^th July and camped on the left (south-eastern) bank. CAMP 15. 

 The limits of the LOWER CRETACEOUS AREA had been passed, as a 

 bar of mica-schist ran across the river at the camp. On the follow- 

 ing day (2.$th July) the party pushed 8 miles further up the river, 

 with considerable difficulty owing to the roughness of the country, 

 and camped, with the object of exploring the upper reaches of the 

 Mitchell before resuming the journey to the north. CAMP 16 

 must have been about where the TELEGRAPH LINE now crosses the 



