432 NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



distance, followed up a creek (BOWLER CREEK ?) which fell in on 

 the right, or north, bank, but as he wished to go north-west and 

 the creek was taking him to the east of north, he left it and struck 

 out north-west, following a high ridge of granite boulders. The 

 country lately traversed is dismissed with the curt remark : " No 

 GOLD HERE." He camped on the i$tk on a gully falling to the 

 north, towards the Mitchell, as he supposed, but which must have 

 been a tributary of Nolan Creek. 



On i6th September, Mulligan travelled NNW. and camped on 

 a " big watershed " with sandstone cliffs to north and south. [For 

 " watershed " it is necessary to read " water-course," as a close 

 acquaintance with Mulligan's writings shows that he was careless 

 in the use of the former word. R. L. J.] The water-course must 

 have been NOLAN CREEK, a tributary of the Walsh. 



On the ijth, he went north to the MITCHELL RIVER, which he 

 struck near the mouth of the " DRY RIVER " (the " Dry River " 

 which heads near the O.K. Copper Mines). He had great difficulty 

 in getting down off the sandstone tableland (TAYLOR'S CARBONI- 

 FEROUS RANGE " of the Hann expedition), and compares the descent 

 unfavourably with that on the Hell's Gate track between the 

 Normanby and the Palmer. Between the cliffs and the Mitchell, 

 he must have crossed HANN'S TRACK of 28th July, 1872. 



After stopping two days at the MITCHELL to recruit the energies 

 of men and horses, both tired and worn, the journey was resumed, 

 and PALMERVILLE was reached, via MOUNT MULGRAVE, on 2ist 

 September, 1 874. No details are given of this portion of the journey, 

 which was now familiar ground. 



As already stated, Mulligan's intention when he left the Palmer 

 was only to see the St. George River above the point reached on 

 his previous visit, but the fascination of his pursuit took him much 

 further. The " notable landmark " now known as MOUNT 

 MULLIGAN drew him like a magnet, and at the foot of that mountain 

 he discovered the HODGKINSON RIVER, a large affluent of the 

 Mitchell. From the site of the present town of Thornborough, 

 on the Hodgkinson, he then crossed a rugged range to the Walsh 

 River near the infall of Emu Creek. Finally he traced the river 

 downward till he was west of Hann's " furthest east," and returned 

 to the Palmer. 



