526 NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



" bower-bird " a rough arcade of hay 2 feet in length and I foot 

 high (almost meeting at the top), with pebbles from the conglomer- 

 ate, land-shells and fragments of bleached bone strewn over the 

 bottom of the bower and on the ground at its two entrances. 



December 6. Last night a NATIVE'S TRACK was seen in the bed 

 of the creek. He had come as far as our water-hole and turned back 

 down the creek. 



In the morning four of our horses were missing. They had 

 travelled some distance, and our start was delayed in consequence. 

 Water -holes were seen in the creek about a mile below the camp. 

 We found the creek flanked on the left bank by two bywashes, 

 with water-holes in " cement." 



In a mile and a half we crossed a second or third- magnitude 

 creek (another branch of Saltwater Creek) [really one of the 

 heads of the MOREHEAD RIVER. R. L. J.], falling to the NE. Its 

 bed was dry, but a bywash on the left bank had water-holes in 

 " cement." On the left bank were teatree brush, pandanus, 

 and grasstree. 



Four and a half miles further, a dry third-magnitude creek was 

 crossed, falling to the north-east [the main head of the MOREHEAD 

 RIVER. R. L. J.]. [SEE MAP F.] 



The next stage, of 4! miles, was well grassed, and well watered 

 by numerous unnameable and unchartable gullies. 



From the tableland to this point the whole of the country had 

 a granite bottom. Here the granite gave place to mica-schist, 

 gneiss and quartzite, with a NW. and SE. strike. A good deal of 

 quartz lay scattered about. The change was marked by the begin- 

 ning of a tract of low, broken country, not deserving the name of 

 a range, although it forms the DIVIDE OF THE CAPE YORK PENIN- 

 SULA. The ascent amounts to about 300 feet, the summit level 

 being considerably lower than the sandstone tableland. 



Eight miles through this ridgy country (the first three to 

 W. 15 N. and the last five to W. 30 N., true) brought us to the left 

 bank of a third-magnitude creek, with water-holes, where we 

 camped. (CAMP 4. Latitude, by observation of Achernar, 

 15 4' S.) [CROSBIE CREEK.] 



December 7 (Sunday). Spelling. A short, but heavy, thunder- 

 storm before dawn. Frightfully warm day. More rain at night. 



December 8. A grey HORSE of Crosbie's had got a kick from some 

 of the others and was UNABLE TO WALK. We agreed to camp for a 

 day or two and give him a chance, while we prospected the neigh- 

 bourhood. 



December 9. The horse was still unfit to travel. To-day and 

 yesterday a good deal of PROSPECTING was done in the creek and 

 gullies, but NO GOLD was obtained. With Macdonald, I followed 

 the creek down for some miles, but saw nothing of the Coleman, 

 although this creek must be a tributary of the latter. I named it 



