MULLIGAN'S FIFTH EXPEDITION 445 



site of the modern township of ATHERTON a prosperous agricultural 

 centre), the course was changed to the south-west. The total 

 stage for the day having been 9 miles, it may be assumed that CAMP 

 20 was between PRIOR CREEK and SCRUBBY CREEK and about 2 miles 

 south-west of ATHERTON. 



On $th June, the general course was 13 degrees west of south, 

 and the estimated advance n miles. Soon after their start, a 

 spur led the travellers up to the top of GRANITE RIDGES, where, in 

 fact, although they could only guess at the facts, the WALSH 

 drained the western, the BARRON the northern and eastern, and the 

 WILD RIVER the southern slopes of the elevation on which they 

 stood. Had Mulligan been as familiar with southern Scotland as I 

 then was, his imagination would have transported him to the 

 " Black Larg," where 



" Kello, Euchan, Scarr and Ken 

 A' rin oot o' ae hill en ! " 



Shortly afterwards they found themselves following a river, 

 which after winding to west and east, began to show a general 

 tendency to fall to the south. They camped (CAMP 21) on this 

 river, dubious as to their whereabouts, after a tortuous journey of 

 II miles. They were on the WILD RIVER, the main HEAD OF THE 

 HERBERT RIVER, which, after running about 150 miles to the south 

 and south-east, discharges into the Pacific opposite the southern 

 end of Hinchinbrook Island, and they must have been on or near 

 the site of the future township of MOOMIN. 



The WET WEATHER which had set in on 23rd May still continued, 

 and the next day (6th June) " being Sunday," it soon transpired 

 that all hands were " willing to camp " for the day, especially 

 as there were six or seven horses to be shod. The delay gave 

 Mulligan an opportunity for prospecting, and he brought back to 

 the camp " a fine sample of TIN ORE." He reflected : " There 

 may be any quantity of it here, but of what use is it at 

 present, considering the price of carriage ? Yet it is well for 

 the future of the Colony to know that there is tin in this 

 locality, and will no doubt be got in sufficient quantity to pay 

 when carriage and other facilities are available, the country being 

 opened up." 



This prediction has since been amply justified. The TIN- 

 MINING INDUSTRY which commenced at HERBERTON, 3 miles down 

 the river from Moomin, and spread out far to the west, has done 

 even more for the development of northern Queensland than 

 the discovery of the Palmer Goldfield. In its train has followed 

 the construction of RAILWAYS from Cairns (Trinity Bay) to Atherton, 

 Herberton, and Tumoulin, Irvinebank, Stannary Hills, Mount 

 Garnet, Chillagoe, the Etheridge Goldfield, Mount Molloy and 

 Mount Mulligan, with a total length of about 460 miles, viz. : 



