EXPEDITION IN McILWRAITH RANGE 627 



very scarce, hardly enough for ourselves and horses, but deemed it prudent to stay 

 overnight, as a thick scrub ran close to the creek. 



" Started next day through poor scrubby country and sandy soil, and arrived at 

 a large creek, or river, supposed to be either the SINCLAIR or NEW YEAR CREEK. Kept 

 pushing on till we came across another large creek, supposed to be KINLOCH CREEK. 

 [Probably BOURNE CREEK. Laing made three bad guesses in his attempt to identify 

 the creeks named by the Jardine Brothers far to the west. R. L. J.]. Camped on 

 the north bank and prospected it, but found no colours. 



" Next morning made another start, still steering the same course, and came across 

 a fine large river, which we took for the ARCHER OR PEACH RIVER. [Probably near 

 my crossing of the river, south of Camp 40 (I), i6th September, 1879. R. L. J.] 

 Prospected it, but could get no gold. Not satisfied with this trial, ran up the river 

 half a mile to where it was bare. Prospected the bars, but not a colour. Crossed 

 to the north beach and prospected it, with the same result. So we packed up tools. 



" About 4 miles north of the Archer, we came across a creek [BEETLE CREEK ? 

 R. L. J.], which we believe empties itself near Pera Head. [Whatever it was, it must 

 have been a tributary of the Peach. R. L. J.] Prospected it, but found no gold, the 

 bottom being soft. 



" The party here differed with me, some wanting to return to the Coen, believing 

 this to be the Peach. I contended it must be further north, as I could not see the 

 slightest indication of auriferous country east, west or south. 



" We pushed on [presumably north. R. L. J.] over miserable scrubby country, 

 until we came to a nice creek of running water, which runs into the Archer, having 

 seen to the south the low hills described by Mr. Jack [I am at a loss to identify the 

 low hills referred to. R. L. J.], camping on good feed, distant about 55 miles from the 

 misnamed Coen. 



" Started north again over poor broken country, without water, at last reaching 

 a spring in a hard granite creek, where we camped. We saw no blacks after leaving 

 the Coen. 



" Next morning we made for a low gap that appeared in the range. [On 23rd 

 December, 1879, my party crossed the tracks of Laing's horses, going up (E. by S.) 

 the 'second-magnitude creek' referred to in my diary of that date. On the 2lst a 

 shot had been heard from our Camp 13 on the Peach, opposite ' View Hill.' If Laing 

 crossed the gap at the head of the ' second-magnitude creek,' he would come down 

 into my Irvine Creek. (On the 24th December, 1879, on our second trip, we again came 

 on LAING'S TRACKS between IRVINE AND BEETLE CREEKS.) R. L. J.] 



" Crossed over granite country, took a good survey and then ran down to a flat ; 

 crossed it and reached a large river or creek, unnamed, which, for the sake of illustration 

 we will call Sefton River, as we found one of their [Sefton's party's. R. L. J.] old 

 camps there. [Not, of course, the SEFTON CREEK, a tributary of the Batavia River, 

 which I named on 24th January, 1880, the name having been suggested by the discovery 

 of an old camp, supposed to be one of Sefton's. The creek which Laing reached 

 after crossing the gap was probably my BEETLE CREEK. R. L. J.] 



" Did not spend much time here, as we intended to run up the creek when we 

 came back. Crossed over, intending to camp on the north bank, but found the country 

 had not been burnt, consequently no good feed; so we pushed on, thinking to get 

 good feed and water under the range, but were disappointed. Had to go over the 

 DIVIDING RANGE [presumably the divide between Beetle and Christmas Creeks or the 

 head of the Peach. R. L. J.] when we entered into fine-looking AURIFEROUS COUNTRY, 

 but could not find a drop of water to prospect. We crossed several beautiful gullies, 

 red soil country with plenty of ironstone, a good indication for gold. Could not 

 try any of the gullies, for WANT OF WATER. Being late in the afternoon, we pushed 

 on, running up a low spur until we came to a little opening. Here a creek appeared 

 to the east. We got down to it, weary and tired, and found WATER. [Christmas 

 CREEK ? R. L. J.] Did a little prospecting that afternoon, and found strong colours 

 of nice GOLD within 200 yards of the junction with another creek. [The head of 



