436 NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



It may be remembered that all they could have known of the 

 Daintree was the situation of its mouth, as determined by Dal- 

 rymple the year before. Mulligan himself favoured the former 

 course, having observed from his peak that the country to the east 

 was extremely rough. He concluded that it was better to tackle 

 the Daintree with rations purchased at reasonable prices in Cook- 

 town than with an outfit from Palmerville where flour, for example, 

 cost 20 per bag. Fortunately, the other members of the party 

 were convinced by the sweet reasonableness of this argument. 



On i Stb November, Mulligan RECROSSED THE DIVIDING RANGE, 

 and, after passing over " beautiful quartz ridges," CAMPED on 

 a " big sandy creek " (a tributary of the " LITTLE P/XLMER " ). 



Next day (ityh November}, a CAMP was formed 7 miles to 

 the west, for a few days' prospecting. Fine GOLD was got in the 

 neighbouring gullies, " but not sufficient to pay at present, water 

 being scarce." 



On 2$rd November, Mulligan and four others started on an 

 EXCURSION with the intention of prospecting the HEADS OF THE 

 NORMANBY RIVER. That day they travelled 30 miles east before 

 they got water for a CAMP, probably in STORING CREEK, one of the 

 heads of the WEST (middle) NORMANBY. Next day (24^ November), 

 they moved camp eastward across a low range to " another and 

 larger branch," which must have been the " EAST NORMANBY or 

 Cox CREEK, as bearings taken from an adjoining hill showed MOUNT 

 COOK to lie N. 10 E. and MOUNT PETER BOTTE ENE. They had 

 been travelling parallel to, and a few miles to the north of, HANN'S 

 COURSE between his camps 57 and 59. Two of the party went east, 

 but reported that it was simply IMPOSSIBLE TO GET THE HORSES TO 

 THE BLOMFIELD in that direction. The mouth of that river was 

 about 15 miles, and the nearest part of the river about n miles 

 from the camp of 24th November. 



" Colours " of GOLD could be obtained in the gullies within 

 reach of the camp, but there was no water for prospecting purposes. 



The party moved NW. down the EAST NORMANBY RIVER on 

 2$th November, finding by the way prospects of GOLD, which, 

 although they could only " dry- blow," they judged would be pay- 

 able after the advent of the rains, especially as outfit and provisions 

 could be purchased economically at Cooktown, instead of costing 

 the prohibitive Palmerville prices. A little lower, they came 

 on an old mate, JACK WATSON, who was himself " getting a little 

 GOLD," and informed them that a little RUSH had already taken place, 

 but that most of the men had left for want of water and grass. 

 One party was still working up a gully, stacking washdirt to be ready 

 for the rains. 



On 26th November, the excursion party returned to the main 

 camp of the I9th. 



Two of the party were now despatched to COOKTOWN for a 



