CHAPTER LXXII 

 THE AUTHOR'S EXPLORATIONS, 1879-80, continued 



SECOND EXPEDITION, continued 



WITH CROSBIE'S PROSPECTING PARTY 



FROM THE LOCKHART RIVER, ACROSS THE McILWRAITH 



RANGE TO THE PASCOE RIVER 



CAMP 27, ON GREYHOUND CREEK, 19 JANUARY, 1880. SODDEN GROUND. COLLAPSE 

 OF TREES CARRYING HAMMOCKS. FINE NIGHT AND DAY. CUTTING TRACK 

 THROUGH SCRUBS TO WNW. ON WATERSHED OF PENINSULA. WESTWARD. HULL 

 CREEK. CAMP 28. PROSPECTING (22ND JANUARY). No GOLD. NUMEROUS 

 QUARTZ REEFS. A " VIEW HILL." HULL CREEK SEEN TO JOIN PEACH RIVER. 

 POINTS IN MACROSSAN AND GEIKIE RANGES SEEN. BEARINGS. HULL CREEK TOO 

 STEEP TO FOLLOW DOWN. SoUTH-WESTWARD. HEADS OF BATAVIA RlVER. CAMP 

 29. NORTHWARD. BATAVIA RIVER CROSSED. SEFTON CREEK. QUARTZ REEFS. 

 RAIN. A" VIEW HILL." CAPE WEYMOUTH AND OTHER LANDMARKS SEEN. PASCOE 

 VALLEY SEEN TO DIVIDE MC!LWRAITH FROM JANET RANGE. PITCHER PLANT. 

 CAMP, BELIEVED TO BE SEFTON's. SEFTON CREEK NAMED. NORTHWARD. WATER- 

 SHED OF PENINSULA CROSSED. DESERTED NATIVE CAMP. CAPE WEYMOUTH SEEN. 

 HAD ARRANGED TO LEAVE LETTERS THERE FOR CUSTOMS CUTTER VISITING LlGHT- 

 HOUSES. ON TRIBUTARIES OF PASCOE RIVER. CAMP 31. HORSE POISONED. 

 HEATH AND STUNTED BUSH (FIRST OF THE " WET DESERT " COUNTRY). HEADS 

 OF PASCOE RIVER. A TOUCH OF " STINGING TREE." THREE DAYS OF PAIN AND 

 SLEEPLESS NIGHTS. HEAVY RAIN. CLEARED UP. STEEP ESCARPMENT BETWEEN 

 us AND SEA. CAPE WEYMOUTH SCHEME ABANDONED. KENNEDY'S COURSE. 

 PASCOE RIVER RISES IN MOUNTAIN MASS WHICH is NAMED THE JANET RANGE. 

 Two POISONED HORSES. ONE DIES. OTHER MAD AND HAS TEMPORARY LOCKJAW. 

 DOWN THE PASCOE TO SW. AND W. CAMP 33. LEAVE THE RIVER AND GO 

 NORTHWARD, EAST OF A CREEK RUNNING NORTH (CANOE CREEK). HEAVY RAIN. 

 CAMP 35. SETTLE DOWN IN WET-SEASON QUARTERS, 2ND FEBRUARY. PROSPECTING 

 ON BEACHES OF CREEK. No GOLD. EXCURSIONS (WHEN FLOODS FELL) WEST or 

 CANOE CREEK. INTO FUTURE BOWDEN MINERAL FIELD. BARREN HEATHY FLATS 

 (TOO BOGGY FOR HoRSEs) WITH SMALL SANDSTONE TABLES. AsCENT OF FOOTHILLS 

 OF JANET RANGE. TABLELAND (WILKINSON RANGE) TO WEST. ITS NORTH AND 

 SOUTH ENDS LOCATED. CROSS TO LEFT BANK OF CANOE CREEK. DOWN THE 

 CREEK NORTHWARD TO ITS JUNCTION WITH PASCOE RIVER. CAMP 36, 7TH FEBRUARY. 

 LAST OF THE SALT BEEF. DYING HORSE KILLED AND MEAT CURED FOR FOOD. 

 PROSPECTORS MAKE A CANOE FROM HOLLOW TREE AND CROSS TO cur SCRUB AT 

 LANDING. HUME AND JACK LOOK FOR A FORD. HORSES FORD CANOE CREEK 

 AND SWIM THE PASCOE RlVER. LOADS CARRIED IN CANOE. CAMP 37, ON LEFT 

 BANK OF PASCOE, IITH FEBRUARY, 1880. 



ANNOTATED REPRINT 



JANUARY 19. On leaving Camp 26, we tried to get back 

 to the western fall of the MC!LWRAITH RANGE. [SEE 

 MAP C.] We got west for about 5 miles, without 

 interruption, by tolerably clear ridges, bounded by scrubby 

 gullies. At the end of the 5 miles we had a view across the valley 



551 



