ACROSS THE McILWRAITH RANGE 535 



From this creek we struck due south and in 2 miles crossed the 

 PEACH, and camped on good grass on its left bank. The river 

 carried a running stream, but it was much smaller than at any of 

 the places where we had seen it before. It was flanked with scrub 

 and palms. Xanthorrhcea on the left bank. (CAMP 14. Latitude, 

 by observation of Achernar, 13 37' S.) [The PEACH RIVER is 

 now known to be one of the heads of the river named the ARCHER 

 by the Jardine Brothers in 1865. R. L. J.] 



December 24. In I mile south-east, up the left bank, we crossed 

 the river and struck eastward, passing by the south side of BIRTHDAY 

 MOUNT in 2 miles. Four miles further we crossed from the right 

 to the left bank of a third-magnitude creek, coming from the moun- 

 tains to the north-east (IRVINE CREEK). 



From Irvine Creek we struck south-east. In 2-J- miles we 

 saw LAING'S (?) TRACKS, going north-west. In a mile and a half 

 more we crossed (right to left bank) a dry fourth-magnitude creek, 

 and, half a mile further, another, which was afterwards named 

 BEETLE CREEK. 



In a mile and a half more we crossed a deep palmy creek of the 

 first magnitude, with large water-holes, and camped on the left 

 bank. We named this CHRISTMAS CREEK. (CAMP 15 : Moreton 

 Bay ash ; J., Christmas, 79. Latitude, by observation of Achernar, 



13 4'' S-) 



The whole of this day's stage was poor sandy granite country, 

 nearly flat and poorly grassed. Grasstrees, pandanus, teatree, and 

 small brushwood. 



December 25. In company with Mr. Crosbie, I ascended a 

 hill about I mile N. 18 E. from the camp and took a series of 

 compass observations. The hill was of granite, with QUARTZ 

 REEFS containing much decomposed pyrites. We next visited my 

 OLD CAMP No. 39 of last trip, which is just below the junction 

 of Christmas Creek with the Peach. The two streams are about 

 half a mile apart at our present camp. In crossing the Peach here, 

 my horse slipped on a root, and in plunging knocked me off 

 against a bough and damaged the stock of my rifle. I was faint 

 and giddy for a short time from the stroke of the bough across my 

 abdomen, but I was surprised to find that I had sustained no serious 

 injury. 



The prospectors and Macdonald got fine colours [of GOLD] 

 in Christmas Creek. 



In the afternoon I plotted up the route and observations. 

 Crosbie was out up the valley of the Peach. He fired a shot at a 

 mark, and presently five signal fires sprang up in various parts of 

 the scrubby hills a circumstance showing that the ABORIGINALS 

 were watching our movements closely. 



December 26. We left Camp 15, and struck east-south-east. 

 In a mile and a half we arrived at the PEACH RIVER. The valley 



