FIRST EXPEDITION 505 



dry gully with pegs of two tents standing. This was probably 

 ONE OF SEFTON'S CAMPS, when he penetrated to the north during his 

 second stay at the " Coen." The track continued for a mile further 

 to the north-east, when it was no longer recognisable. 



We continued on a course of N. 18 E. In half a mile we 

 entered, and in I mile more got through a scrubby thicket of 

 grasstrees (Xanthorrced)^ bloodwood, and teatrees, quite bare of 

 grass. One mile more on the same course brought us to a sandy 

 creek of the third magnitude, with plenty of water, and which 

 was of more importance after the alarming desert country we had 

 just left green burnt feed along the left bank. [This water-course 

 I named HORNE CREEK, after my former colleague Mr. (now Dr.) 

 John Home, of the Geological Survey of Scotland. R. L. J.] We 

 camped on the left bank. (CAMP 38 : bloodwood, broad arrow 

 over J. 14/9/79.) Mount Croll bears S. 13 W. from this camp. 



The first part of the day's journey, that within the " valley " 

 proper, was very tolerable country, with good grass (recently 

 burnt for the most part). The trees were mostly bloodwood and 

 box, with a few ironbarks and stringybarks. 



The greater part of the day we followed a well-marked horse 

 track (deeply impressed, as if in rainy weather). In places we 

 lost it, and in one place we abandoned it, as it went too much 

 east, but we were distinctly on it at the old camp (see map). At 

 our camp on Home Creek we found tracks of horses feeding, and 

 signs of prospecting in the bed of the stream. The creek at our 

 camp had a fair stream of running water 2 yards wide. We 

 prospected the creek, but got no gold, although there was much 

 magnetic iron sand in every dish. The latitude of Camp 38 

 I found to be 1 3 45' 47" S. ' 



September 15. On leaving Camp 38 we had hard work to get 

 away from the Home ; first in getting the horses down the steep 

 sandy bluff on the left bank, then in getting them up the high cliffs 

 of " cement " on the right bank, and lastly in clearing a deep gully 

 cutting through the cement. The Home has large teatrees in its 

 bed, but no scrub. 



Three miles from the Home, through grass tree, bloodwood 

 timber, and scrub, we came to a large river which I named the 

 " PEACH," after my former colleague, Mr. (now Dr.) Benjamin N. 

 Peach, of the Geological Survey of Scotland. The Peach here has 

 a large body of water a stream of 5 yards wide and I foot deep, 

 running at the rate of 2 miles an hour to west-north-west. The 

 river strongly resembles the Morgan, near Cooktown, in its general 

 features, with tall dark-leaved trees, lofty palms, and gigantic 

 fig trees with their beautiful fluted roots, nutmeg trees, lawyer 

 vines and canes. [The Peach has since proved to be one of the 

 heads of the river named the ARCHER by the Brothers Jardine in 

 j i86 5 .-R. L. J.] 



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