444 NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



may be said here that from the time when he first camped on the 

 Barron till he reached the head-waters of the Wild River the 

 distances given by him are either greatly exaggerated, or his course 

 was unusually tortuous. CAMP 14, of 26th May, was some 2 or 3 

 miles east of the site of BIBOOHRA (now a railway station). A day 

 and a half spent in prospecting in the neighbourhood of this camp 

 gave only " colours " of GOLD, although Mulligan judged the 

 country to be highly favourable for its occurrence in payable 

 quantities. The voices of NATIVES were heard. 



On 28^, 2^tb and $otb May, the party travelled, mainly 

 southward, for an estimated distance of 25 miles (say 14 in a direct 

 line) to CAMP 17 on the BARRON RIVER (which Mulligan calls the 

 Mitchell), at a point about 8 miles above the present MAREEBA 

 railway junction. (SEE MAP K.) Only " colours " of GOLD 

 were obtained. " Floating Basalt " was observed (i.e., basalt in 

 horizontal beds), and a rich chocolate soil. 



Although Mulligan's party had not the luck to discover payable 

 GOLD east of the Barron River, they drew attention to the 

 existence of the metal, and in 1879 a party of miners camped on 

 Tinaroo Creek, actually found it PAYABLE, although I believe the 

 alluvial gold was soon worked out. 



Crossing to the left (or western) bank of the BARRON, 3 miles 

 below Camp 17, the party, on 1st June, rode 8 miles SSW. " over 

 the best table of basaltic country that we have yet met ; it is of 

 a dark red or chocolate-coloured soil." Here the edge of the 

 thick scrub barred the way. After a vain attempt to penetrate 

 the SCRUB, getting stung by the " STINGING TREE " and observing 

 enormous CEDARS, 1 a NW. by W. course was followed for 3 miles, 

 when CAMP 18 was made on "a basaltic creek," presumably one 

 of the branches of ABBOTT'S or GRANITE CREEK. 



Rain and the necessity for a preliminary exploration of the 

 scrub delayed the start till the afternoon of yd June, when a 

 NATIVE TRACK leading through a narrow passage between the 

 scrub and the granite hills on the west was followed southward 

 for about 4 miles. CAMP 19 was on a grassy flat, " where a creek 

 enters the scrub, with deep alluvial banks," probably west of the 

 site of CARBEEN Railway Station. In the scrub gigantic KAURI 

 PINES were observed, and the superior style of architecture of eleven 

 " townships " of the NATIVES was commented on. The " town- 

 ships " were groups of well-thatched gunyahs, each capable of 

 accommodating five or six persons. 



On \th June, the party first marched for " a few miles " to 

 the south-east, with the edge of the scrub on their left and 

 the granite range on their right. When at length the range on the 

 right was observed to recede westward (which should be about the 



1 A few years later the cedar of this district proved immensely valuable, and was 

 almost entirely cut out. 



