558 NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



to their contents. We had made up our minds to unload, and 

 carry the packs and saddles across on our heads, but we afterwards 

 found a shallower crossing, to which we cut a track through the 

 scrub. We also blazed a way back to the camp (E. 15 N., 3 miles). 



On our return, the HORSE which last took ill was found DEAD. 

 The stomach and bowels were found to be much inflamed, the 

 former containing grassy pulp mixed with blood. 



Macdonald prospected in the creek at the camp, but got no gold. 



January 30. On leaving Camp 32, the HORSE which had been 

 poisoned at the previous camp seemed in a dying condition, but it 

 was driven on, on the chance that it might recover. It was quite 

 crazed, its JAWS firmly LOCKED, with the mouth askew, and its 

 tongue swollen so that it could eat nothing. It recovered, but was 

 of no use for the rest of the journey. 



When we reached the creek to which we had cut a track yester- 

 day, the flood had abated considerably, but the crossing was still 

 a matter of some difficulty. 



Two miles to the south-west through stony granite country 

 (without quartz reefs), we crossed the heads of some gullies, which 

 flowed to the north-east to join the creek we had crossed. Three 

 miles further to the west we camped (on the site of a NATIVE 

 ENCAMPMENT) in good grassy country, by the left bank of a gully 

 falling to the west. 



The day was fine, with only one shower. The night was fine but 

 cloudy. (CAMP 33. Latitude, by observation of Canopus, 12 55' S.) 



January 31. Leaving Camp 33, we travelled westward over 

 granite ridges, with large boulders (no quartz reefs). High granite 

 hills lay to the right, about 2 miles distant. In a mile and a half 

 we crossed a large fourth-magnitude creek, running south-south- 

 west, with a very rocky (granite) bottom. 



Two and a half miles further to the west, towards what 

 appeared to be an opening for the stream in the valley to the low 

 country in the west, we came unexpectedly on the right bank of 

 the stream, which had now become a creek of the first magnitude, 

 or almost a river [PASCOE RIVER. R. L. J.], and was in high flood, 

 and running swiftly over a rocky bed of granite, and quite impas- 

 sable. We were in doubt as to whether this creek flowed into the 

 Pacific or the Gulf, and as that question would have to be settled 

 before we could determine whether or not we should cross (which 

 would have been difficult and dangerous) we struck north. 



In a mile and a half we were on a granite hill on the right wall 

 of the valley, and enjoyed a magnificent view. The river was seen 

 for some miles of its course, tumbling to the north-north-west, 

 with many waterfalls. The bottom was either bare granite or 

 choked with teatrees. On both banks the higher granite hills 

 were capped by outliers of the horizontal sandstone which covered 

 the whole of the country to the west. The granite range to the 



