ACROSS THE McILWRAITH RANGE 543 



arm, and he sickened and streamed with perspiration. By the 

 end of the day, however, he seemed little the worse. The horse 

 which Layland rode also got stung, and was very restive for the 

 remainder of the day. 



The valley of a larger stream (which we named GEIKIE CREEK) 

 lies a mile or two to the north of the Falloch and forms the principal 

 head of the stream falling into the Peach below our I3th camp. 

 The Falloch joins it about 4 miles below where we crossed it. 

 Skae and Attack Creeks converge to form another large tributary 

 joining the Geikie about 8 miles below the mouth of the Falloch. 



In i mile we crossed a third- magnitude creek in the same valley 

 as the Falloch. 



In a mile and a half more we passed to the right of a little 

 granite hill, which I ascended, and which afforded a magnificent 

 view. I took an extensive series of bearings. We could see through 

 the gap to the east a number of lofty tops, which I named the 

 MACROSSAN RANGE [after the Hon. John Macrossan, Minister for 

 Mines. R. L. J.]. Here the rain began to fall heavily. 



We went on for 3 miles to the east, and after crossing two creeks 

 of the fourth magnitude, camped (in the rain) on the right bank of 

 a third one of the heads of GEIKIE CREEK. (CAMP 22.) 



'January 9. We had rain for the greater part of the day. We 

 got ACROSS THE DIVIDE [between the Pacific and Gulf waters], 

 travelling, about 10 miles in all, a little to the south of east. At 

 first we crossed easy grassy ridges, often treeless, sometimes 

 timbered with stringybark, bloodwood, and Cycas media. 



We had just got on the eastern waters when the PROSPECTING 

 PARTY, who were riding a little ahead, were mobbed by a troop of 

 NATIVES, whom they attacked and drove off. 



About 2 miles further we had to descend into a deep valley 

 [the valley of what was named " SWALLOW CREEK," from the name 

 of the mare which was killed. R. L. J.], by a pocket leading down 

 from the top of a spur, but ending in thick SCRUB. The cutting 

 of this scrub caused a short halt below the brow of the hill. I cast 

 many an anxious look behind, but grudged to take any of the wearied 

 horses back up the hill. All at once, without any warning, a SPEAR 

 came from behind and STUCK deeply in the off flank of the MARE on 

 which I was riding. She bounded forward, burst the girth, and 

 threw me, scattering my note-book and maps (which, however, I 

 recovered) among the long grass. The remainder of a parcel of 

 pumpkin seeds, of which I had dropped a few at every camp 

 hitherto, was lost. 



Love, Charlie and I went back on our tracks in pursuit of the 

 snake- like enemy ; but he had got into the scrub, and further search 

 would have been useless. 



We cut off the spear a few inches above the skin, and got the 

 mare on to the camp with some difficulty. We had prepared to 



