FROM FALSE ORFORD NESS TO SOMERSET 615 



followed the left bank of the creek. After skirting the scrub for 

 half a mile to the west till we found that we had penetrated to 

 the end of a " pocket," Crosbie and Layland went ahead to look 

 for open country. They penetrated the scrub for about a mile 

 to NNE. and E. and got away to the east for about half a mile 

 through open country. When they returned it was too late in 

 the day to cut the scrub for the questionable advantage of getting 

 away for half a mile to the east. We followed the creek down 

 (2 miles) and camped at CHENIUM. (CAMP 74.) 



Our FLOUR having been EXHAUSTED to-night, I should have 

 pushed on for Somerset on foot to-morrow, but that the prospectors 

 had a surplus and were kind enough to share it with us. They 

 gave us seven pannikins, which provided us with subsistence for a 

 day and a half. 



April 3. Resolved to cut our way down to the beach, we 

 left Camp 74, and passing the site of Camp 73, kept for half a mile 

 down the pocket to the south-east and a quarter of a mile through 

 the SCRUB in the same direction, when we passed a SWAMP on the 

 left. In a quarter of a mile to the east we emerged from the 

 scrub, and crossed a fourth-magnitude creek running to the south- 

 east, probably the outlet of the bog to the north-east of Chenium. 

 In a quarter of a mile east through open country we reached 

 a BOG with mangroves on its further side. When we had run the 

 bog up for a mile to the north-east, we had to cross from the right 

 to the left bank of the creek of the fourth magnitude, just above 

 the mangroves. We REACHED THE BEACH in I mile to the east, at 

 a point which bore due west of the black beacon on Z Reef, and 

 about 7 MILES FROM SOMERSET, which we reached about four o'clock. 

 MR. FRANK JARDINE made us heartily welcome, and in a few days 

 of good living and cheerful society we forgot the hardships of our 

 tedious journey. 



On the $th of April I LEFT SOMERSET, accompanied by Love 

 and Charlie, for THURSDAY ISLAND. The English mail steamer 

 " Bowen " picked us up on the 8th, and we reached TOWNSVILLE 

 on the 1 2th. Macdonald was left behind in charge of the horses. 

 The prospectors also stayed till they should receive instructions 

 from Brisbane. The PROSPECTORS and MACDONALD left Somerset 

 on the 26th by the " Corea" with all the horses. 



The GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURE of the Cape York Peninsula is 

 exceedingly simple. The backbone or dividing ridge of the 

 Peninsula, which lies close to the eastern sea-board, consists almost 

 entirely of granite derived from the metamorphism of slates and 

 greywackes (the equivalents of the auriferous rocks of the Palmer 

 River). This granite " backbone " rises into lofty mountains in 

 the Mcllwraith, Macrossan, Janet and Carron Ranges. The 

 ranges are generally flanked by little-altered rocks. 



This high ground has formed the shore of the vast sheet of water 



