FIRST EXPEDITION 509 



remainder of the day's travelling must have been south-east. 

 R. L. J.]. The first 2 miles led us over low ridges (spurs of the 

 hills on the left) of ferruginous mica-schist, with numerous QUARTZ 

 REEFS. The next 3 miles were of more rolling, white granite 

 country, with a good many reefs. For 2 miles more we traversed 

 gneiss country. From the hill which I ascended there were no 

 creeks of any importance, but only dry gullies falling to south- 

 south-west. The timber was teatree, bloodwood, and ironbark. 

 The grass was of middling quality, but it had mostly been burned 

 a day or two before. 



The next 4 miles were of soft granite debris in gently rolling 

 downs, undermined by ants ; the grass poor ; the timber bloodwood 

 and box. The mountains on the left recede almost out of sight. 



For i mile we steered south-east (to avoid a low range to the 

 right) over stony ridges covered with angular quartz fragments. 



In I mile further to the south just when the march had 

 again become a race for water we found a rather boggy swamp 

 with good grass, and camped. (CAMP 42 : bloodwood, broad 

 arrow; J. 18/9/79. Latitude 14 5' i8"S.) 



Near our camp we passed a recently abandoned cluster of 

 GUNYAHS, twelve or fifteen in number, each capable of accom- 

 modating two men. They were made of long sheets of bark placed 

 edge to edge over two ridge-poles supported on forks an idea 

 which the NATIVES probably borrowed from the diggers. 



September 19. On taking stock of our flour in the morning, 

 I was glad to be able to increase slightly our daily allowance, in 

 the belief that no great physical difficulties lay between us and 

 civilisation. 



On leaving Camp 42, we steered south-south-east. Within 

 a mile of the camp we surprised a party of NATIVES first, a gin with 

 a child. The gin ran off with a piercing howl. Another gin and 

 a man made off in a different direction. Then a man with a gin 

 and a child. The man in running away left his spear behind. 

 Lastly, two men, who, like the rest, were too shy to be approached. 

 The party appeared to be travelling in groups of two and three. 



Three miles from the camp we crossed a third-magnitude creek 

 running south, with water-holes in a sandy bed. [One of the 

 heads of the HOLROYD RIVER. R. L. J.] In I mile more a 

 third-magnitude creek was passed, running west, with a water-hole 

 beside a granite bluff. In one mile and a half more we passed 

 between two swamps. [SEE MAP F.] Five miles further we crossed 

 a fourth-magnitude creek with a chain of deep water-holes. One 

 mile further a similar creek with a water-hole. [Here we probably 

 crossed HANN'S TRACK of 1872 between his 29th and 3Oth camps. 

 R. L. J.] In I mile more, another fourth-magnitude creek 

 with deep and wide lily water-holes. 



In half a mile more we crossed the LUKIN RIVER of Mulligan, 



