PALMER RIVER 389 



and CAMP 24 was pitched on the creek which had been practically 

 followed down from Camp 21, and which must have been one of 

 the heads of the MOREHEAD RIVER, which falls into Princess 

 Charlotte Bay. The latitude of Camp 24, by observation of the 

 sun, was made out to be 15 4' 14" S. This is about 9 miles too 

 far north. About 3 miles east of the camp was a high sandstone 

 range to which the name of JESSIE'S TABLELAND was given. 



On 26th August, a stage of 14 miles (say 9) was made to CAMP 25, 

 on " a fine large creek, running south-east, with abundance of 

 fine grass and water for the horses." This " fine large creek " 

 must have been another of the heads of the MOREHEAD RIVER. 



On 2Jth August, the course must have been only a few degrees 

 to the west of north. The distance travelled was estimated at 

 12 miles. The party for a great part of it kept on the DIVIDE 

 between the Gulf and Pacific waters, which was the best travelling, 

 and which appears to have been entirely composed of the horizontal 

 sandstone, except for a gap between my CROSBIE CREEK, falling 

 towards the Mitchell and a head of the Morehead River falling 

 towards Princess Charlotte Bay. Gneiss was observed in this 

 portion of the range, which was below the level of the base of the 

 sandstone. CAMP 26 was at the junction of a " large creek running 

 south-west " and a river coming from the north, which was named 

 the COLEMAN. The creek is now mapped as TEATREE CREEK, and 

 on it, about 4 miles east of Camp 26, is the site of what is now 

 designated the " OLD KALKAH STATION," which had, of course, 

 not been built in HANN'S time. Hann gives the latitude of the 

 camp as 14 45' 59" S., which is io miles too far north. 



Hann spent a day in following his newly discovered COLEMAN 

 RIVER down, tracing it for 7 miles to the sea. He was satisfied, 

 as it took this course, that the river was " a Mitchell water." The 

 Palmer River itself, and all the westward-flowing rivers crossed 

 since the Palmer, are actually tributaries of the Mitchell, while 

 the Coleman is the first to enter the Gulf independently, although 

 some of its southern mouths anastomose with northern mouths of 

 the Mitchell. 



Hann and Taylor also visited a hill west of the camp, and found 

 it to consist of " mica-schist in which garnets were largely 

 imbedded," and numerous quartz reefs were also seen. 



On 2C)tb August, Hann continued his journey northward up 

 the valley of the COLEMAN RIVER for 13 miles, and camped 

 (CAMP 27) " at a very small hole of bad water," where " the grass 

 was very bad." The day's stage was " as wretched a country as 

 one could wish for sandy ridges and miserable timber, although 

 the river itself was prettily fringed with various trees." A NATIVE 

 MAN AND BOY were surprised. The man levelled a spear at one 

 of the dogs, but the shouting of the party " checked his evil 

 intentions," and he ran away. 



