FIRST EXPEDITION 499 



and many of the peaks recognisable from that eminence, were 

 sighted and their bearings taken. 



In half a mile on the same course we crossed a creek of the second 

 or third magnitude, with a granite bottom, and a fair stream 

 of water flowing to the south. The left bank bore numerous traces 

 of camping, and, besides, the following inscriptions : 



NOTICE 



M. FOX. 1 AK.j vif STF^VART 



July 21, '78. WRIGHT 



COE 



The trees were defaced with indecent drawings rudely cut out 

 with tomahawks a sure sign that the artists were getting nothing, 

 and waiting idly for news from the parties at work at the Coen. 

 [Provisionally] I called this creek " Notice Creek," as some of the 

 diggers may recognise it from the gigantic inscriptions above 

 quoted. It is one of the heads of the Stewart River. [It is the 

 " LITTLE STEWART RIVER " of modern maps. R. L. J.] 



We next followed the track W. 28$ N. (true) for I mile up 

 easy slopes draining into Notice Creek, and for half a mile down 

 (through granite country) to a second-magnitude creek, with a 

 good body of water flowing slowly to the south-west. A large 

 " blow " of white quartz runs east and west on the right bank. 

 Three conical peaks occur down the right bank, within a mile of 

 the track, while the left wall of the valley is formed of rounded 

 granite mountains. This creek also is, in all probability, a head of 

 the Stewart River. 



The next 3 miles, on a course of N. 39 W. (true), were chiefly 

 on the north-east side of a porphyry ridge, and brought us to a third- 

 magnitude creek flowing from the east. In a mile and a half more, 

 in the same direction, across sharp ridges, with sugar-loaf cones to 

 right and left, we crossed to the right bank of a third-magnitude 

 creek running in a very confined valley to the south-west. We 

 followed the right bank down for a quarter of a mile, and found a 

 temporary yard, some horse tracks (newer than the spring rains), 

 and a railed grave. It would be impossible to say, without following 

 them down, whether this and the creek last passed fall into the 

 Stewart, or feed the [South] Coen or the Lukin [Holroyd] and 

 drain into the Gulf of Carpentaria. [It is " STATION CREEK," 

 which falls into the STEWART, and on which LALLA ROOKH Station 

 is now situated. R. L. J.] 



We then followed the track in a general direction of W. 28$ N. 

 (true) for 4 miles through very broken stony country, with a line 

 of conical peaks on our left. The peaks were twelve in number, 

 and we named them the " TWELVE APOSTLES." Next, having 

 followed a gully down for a mile to its junction with a creek of the 

 third magnitude, we crossed from the left to the right bank of the 



