FIRST EXPEDITION 513 



barks and a few white gums. On the ridges of the divide iron- 

 barks predominate. 



September 23. On leaving Camp 46, we crossed, in 2-J- miles, to 

 the left bank of a chain of deep, narrow water-holes, running SSE. 

 (a continuation of the swampy water-course on which our last 

 camp had been pitched). [SEE MAP E.] The water-holes abounded 

 in fish. From the camp to this point the land was good, with a 

 fair soil and fine patches of burnt grass on frequently occurring 

 bottoms. The trees were white gum, stringybark, box and blood- 

 wood, with a few ironbarks. 



In half a mile more we crossed a second-magnitude creek with 

 granite on its bank and teatrees in its dry bed. Fourteen bark 

 GUNYAHS on the left bank. [A tributary of the MOREHEAD RIVER. 

 -R. L. J.] 



In 4-5^ miles more, we crossed a dry river bed, with a wide sandy 

 channel, falling to the NE. This river is wider than the so-called 

 " Coen " or Kendall [i.e., the " South Coen." R. L. J.]. In all 

 probability it is the same as that known as Saltwater Creek on the 

 road to the Coen diggings. [It is the main head of the MOREHEAD 

 RIVER. R. L. J.] 



In a mile and a half further, we crossed a little bywash of the 

 river, with water-holes. In a mile and a half more, we crossed 

 from the right to the left bank of a third-magnitude creek running 

 NNW. A mile further, we recrossed the same creek, followed 

 it up for half a mile and again crossed to the left bank, when we 

 found ourselves among low hills. I ascended one of these and 

 got a good view ahead. Three miles to the SW. was the bluff of 

 sandstone for which we had been steering since we crossed the 

 divide on the previous day. Half a mile to the north lay what 

 seemed to be the northmost cape of the sandstone-capped 

 mountains. To the SE. there seemed to be low gaps in the 

 sandstone wall and tolerably clear country. 



We then struck SW. (true) for half a mile across low granite 

 country, and camped on a little gully, with water, running to the 

 north. (CAMP 47 : bloodwood, broad arrow, J. 23/9/79.) 



The country traversed this day, as far as (the supposed) Salt- 

 water Creek [the MOREHEAD RIVER], was level and fairly grassed. 

 Beyond that river the land was only tolerably grassed and somewhat 

 undulating. 



September 24. On leaving Camp 47, we beat about to the north 

 and north-east for 5-$- miles, from cape to cape of the sandstone 

 in the hope of rounding the latter, as I had intended to map in 

 the boundaries of this formation. I found, however, that it 

 extended further and further to the north-east, so that I had to 

 abandon that idea and seek a gap by which to ASCEND TO THE 

 SANDSTONE TABLELAND. My resolution to adopt this course was 

 amply justified by the difficulties in the path as well as by the 



