MULLIGAN'S FOURTH EXPEDITION 437 



load of stores, and on 2Jth November, the main body commenced 

 the HOME JOURNEY TO PALMERViLLE. Now almost within sight of 

 his goal, Mulligan's diary becomes somewhat careless as regards 

 directions and distance travelled. The party camped the first 

 night after going 8 miles, presumably southward, to the " main " 

 PALMER RIVER, passing " good-looking gullies, in some of which 

 could see a little fine GOLD on the bars," which had apparently 

 been missed by the diggers. They worked hard for two days, and 

 located GOLD which no doubt would have been payable under 

 more favourable conditions, but as they had only tin dishes and 

 had to carry the dirt a long way to water, they were " not quite 

 satisfied " with their earnings. In the afternoon of the second 

 day (2<)th November), they shifted 4 miles to another creek, 

 " on their way," and therefore probably BLACKFELLOW CREEK. 



The $otb November was spent in prospecting here, with 

 similar results. 



On ist December, keeping a few miles out from the left bank of 

 the river, mainly NW., the party, after travelling deviously for 

 15 miles, over slate formation with numerous outcrops of 

 quartz reefs on every hill, CAMPED again on the PALMER RIVER, 

 probably about 2 miles below the site of BYERSTOWN. It may 

 be added that the country traversed by Mulligan, 2yth November 

 to ist December, 1874, was occupied, during the wet season which 

 followed, by diggers who grouped themselves around the new 

 township of BYERSTOWN, of which Byers and Little's butchery 

 formed the nucleus, a convenient fattening ground for cattle 

 being situated on the head-waters of the Laura. 



On 2nd December, 2 miles to the SW., the party found 

 DOUGHBOY CREEK, which had already been named by a party who 

 had WORKED GOLD in it. Mulligan's idea was that their neighbour- 

 hood was workable at a profit by parties obtaining their stores 

 direct from Cooktown instead of through the medium of Palmer- 

 ville. He camped for the night, after 15 miles of travelling, at 

 what he called PENRICH CREEK, probably the SOUTH PALMER. 

 The diggers who subsequently worked out this neighbourhood 

 established the township of UHRSTOWN. 



On yd December, over rough country where he " had to go 

 5 miles to gain 3," Mulligan travelled 16 miles to WSW. A little 

 GOLD was to be got, and had there been water he would have 

 stopped, as he thought well of the country, and it had evi- 

 dently been little prospected. This must have been " GRANITE 

 CREEK." 



On \ih December, Mulligan travelled 27 miles westward to 

 SANDY CREEK. PALMERVILLE, 18 miles further west, was reached 

 on $th December, 1874. 



For Mulligan the Palmer had by this time gone stale, and he 

 pined for new fields. He could not get out of sight of landmarks 



