MULLIGAN'S FIFTH EXPEDITION 457 



CREEK, which I named on 6th December, 1879, and followed down 

 westward from my Camp No 4 (second trip) to a point about 

 21 miles above Mulligan's Camp 58. 



From Crosbie Creek, Mulligan travelled 1 1 miles to W. 40 N. 

 on 2oth August. His CAMP 59 was on " a fine creek ; deep banks 

 and fair grass." This was one of the large creeks falling southward 

 to the Philp River, into which it falls just west of the meridian of 

 142 30' E. 



The nature of the land is summed up by Mulligan in a few 

 disparaging sentences : " We have the ever-present teatree and 

 brigalow scrubs. . . . Every now and then numerous colonies 

 of ants appear, generally built on some boggy flat. . . . No 

 LANDMARKS in this part of the country ; have not seen any elevation 

 for many days ; the country is quite flat. We make it a rule to 

 camp on the first water or good camp we come to after midday." 



On 21 ft August, CAMP 60 was pitched 12 miles W. 40 N. of 

 Camp 59, and half a mile north of " a scrubby creek, running west." 

 This was at last on COLEMAN WATERS, and the creek was the one 

 which, after running west along the 1 5th parallel of south 

 latitude, falls into the left, or southern, bank of the Coleman in 

 142 n 7 E. latitude. The parting of the Mitchell and Coleman 

 waters had been imperceptible, but till quite near Camp 60 the 

 water-courses crossed had been falling to the south towards the 

 Philp River. 



Seven miles, 1 following the same course, brought the party, on 

 22nd August, to " a creek with large water-holes," which proved, 

 on further acquaintance, to be an ANABRANCH OF THE COLEMAN, 

 and Camp 61 was made. Next day the anabranch was followed to 

 the east for 2 miles, and Camp 62 was selected as affording good 

 grass for the horses. 



On 2$th August, 2$ miles to the east brought the party to the 

 point where the anabranch left the COLEMAN. The river itself 

 was then followed up for n-j- miles to the east, and CAMP 63 was 

 pitched on the northern, or right, bank. The river was broad 

 and sandy, with four channels, and its banks carried very large 

 fan palms. 



On 26th August, 7 miles east of Camp 63, the river was observed 

 to receive a large branch coming from the north. This branch, 

 which was crossed again, higher up, on 4th September, Mulligan 

 then designated the KING RIVER. Three miles to the east, after 

 crossing the King River, CAMP 64 was made on a " billybong," or 

 anabranch, of the Coleman, where there was not only good grass 

 for the horses, but plenty of wildfowl for the men. Tracks and 

 old camps of the NATIVES were very numerous. As for the main 

 object of the expedition, " a perch or so of stony surface " and some 



1 Mulligan says 1 1 . The monotony of this region had bored him to such a pitch 

 that he unconsciously over-estimated the weary miles. 



II 8 



