476 NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



before the summer should be too far advanced, reserving the work in 

 the settled parts for the season when the natural grasses of the 

 country might be expected to prove inadequate to the support 

 of the horses of the party. 



The party comprised two white men (J. J. Macdonald and 

 Charles Grainer), two black boys (Willie and Brusher) and the 

 Leader. In addition to the five horses required for mounts, five 

 carried provisions, tents, blankets, ammunition and tools. 



The objects I placed before myself in setting out may here be 

 briefly summed up : To traverse the little-known region north 

 of the Endeavour and east of the Normanby Rivers and to gain 

 such an idea of its structure as might serve to throw light on its 

 value as a possibly metalliferous country ; to strike the blazed 

 track leading to the Coen, the site of the brief but vigorous rush 

 of 1878 ; to examine that locality, and, if practicable, penetrate 

 a short distance further to the north ; and lastly, to note, on the 

 way back to Cooktown, the geology of the district lying between 

 the Coen and the Palmer Goldfield. 



On the i$th August, 1879, I left COOKTOWN [SEE MAP E] l 

 and joined the rest of the party, who were camped, by previous 

 arrangement, beside MR. JOHN WILLIAMS' STATION, on one of the 

 heads of the ENDEAVOUR RIVER (distance 25 miles : CAMP 15). 

 [The so-called " North Branch of the Endeavour."] 



On 1 6th August we moved northward to the MclvoR RIVER 

 (CAMP 16 : distance 21 miles), where we were joined by MR. ALFRED 

 STARCKE, Licensed Surveyor, under whose guidance we continued 

 our journey to his camp on the MORGAN, distant 3 miles to ENE. 

 (CAMP 17).' 



From the starting-point at Cooktown an extensive view is 

 obtained to the north and west, the valleys of the Endeavour and 

 its tributaries forming a depressed foreground, which has the effect 

 of throwing into strong relief the contour of the mountains beyond. 

 No one can fail to be struck by the immense masses of HORIZONTAL 

 SANDSTONE STRATA which cap the mountains in CONTINUOUS TABLE- 

 LANDS at the head of the Endeavour and Oaky and in ISOLATED 



FRAGMENTS at CUNNINGHAM'S RANGE, CONNOR'S KNOB and CAPE 



BEDFORD.' It must be obvious to the most superficial observer 

 that the horizontal deposits must have been continuous at no very 

 distant date, even over the area where it is now only represented 

 by fragments standing alone on pinnacles of slate or granite, and 

 that the southern shores of the waters in which it was deposited 



1 Cooktown, which has a convenient harbour on the estuary of the Endeavour River, 

 was founded in 1873, as the port for the Palmer Goldfield. Its name commemorates 

 the landing of Captain James Cook, in 1770, on what was destined to become the site 

 of the town. For details of Cook's voyage to Endeavour Harbour and his stay there 

 (i7th June to 4th August, 1770), see Chapter XI. 



* The consecutive numbers of our camps are here given, as they were conspicuously 

 cut out on trees and may serve for landmarks for a few years. 



Named by Captain Cook, 6th August, 1770. R. L. J. 



