THE CAPE YORK TELEGRAPH LINE 671 



and timbers with which I am unacquainted. PLENTY OF WATER. I have never seen 

 so many streams so close together anywhere else I have been, Inskip Point perhaps 

 excepted. After we had camped I sent Cook and Wilson back for the bay colt, which 

 they brought on to camp about 5 p.m. Ironwood marked B over XXXII." 



In consideration of the straits to which the horses had now been 

 reduced, they were " spelled " at CAMP 32 from $ist July to 6th 

 August. The diary continues : 



" Monday, August 6. Started from Camp 32 at 10.5 a.m., steered WNW. for half 

 a mile over a sandy ridge, first crossing COCKATOO CREEK. At the end of the half 

 mile we crossed a small gully containing water and falling to SW. I now steered NNW. 

 over desert heather ridges with no timber to speak of. In half a mile we struck a creek 

 of the fourth magnitude, containing water and falling to WSW. Followed this creek 

 up to ENE. for a quarter of a mile, and then crossed to the northern bank. Now 

 headed NNW. for half a mile, gradually ascending to the summit of a ridge heather, 

 brushwood and stones. Now went north for a quarter of a mile along the crown 

 of this ridge, passing to the left of a conspicuous bald hill. Now steered 

 N. 10 W. for a low opening in the hills. In half a mile, we had to cross one of 

 the narrow boggy gullies so numerous in this country. All the horses got over 

 safely (it was only a foot wide) except Samson and Whalebone, both of which 

 fell in the gutter. We were detained here for two hours, digging these horses out. 

 Samson is so weak that he could not get on his feet when pulled out, unassisted. 

 I now steered N. 10 W. again. In 2\ miles of desert ridges, heather, spinifex, 

 brushwood and scrub, we crossed a narrow boggy gutter falling NE. and containing 

 a stream of water. I now went north for a quarter of a mile : then NW. for the same 

 distance : then NNW. for another quarter : then north for three-quarters of a mile 

 (all desert ridges) to the top of a ridge : then another half mile to a creek of the fourth 

 magnitude with a sandstone bottom and a good stream, flowing rapidly to the NE. 

 (This creek was afterwards named HORNET CREEK.) Samson tumbled into a narrow 

 gutter on the bank of this creek, and had to be hauled out with a rope. I then followed 

 Hornet Creek to the NE. for a quarter of a mile, crossing it on a sandstone bar. All 

 this country is a miserable DESERT, no timber, no grass scrub and heather. After 

 crossing the creek, we steered north for half a mile till I came on a deep gully falling 

 into the creek. I had to run this gully up for 10 chains to the west before I could 

 cross it : then NNW. for half a mile, and NW. for a quarter : then north down a gully, 

 for a mile, when we again struck Hornet Creek, now of the third magnitude and flowing 

 to NNW. We crossed here on a sandstone ledge, and continued on the same course 

 for a quarter of a mile over the same sort of desert country. I then steered NNW. 

 along the bank of Hornet Creek, looking for a place to camp (it was almost sundown). 

 In half a mile we came to a deep gully containing water, and falling to WNW. In a 

 quarter of a mile further, we came to a dry rocky (sandstone) gully falling to WNW. 

 In about 10 chains further we crossed a rocky creek of the fourth magnitude, falling to 

 \\ NW. and containing a rapid stream tumbling over bars of sandstone. In another 

 10 chains we came on a deep boggy-banked gufiy, falling to WSW. and containing a 

 small stream. It being now dark, and fearing to lose some of the horses in the scrub 

 (it has been scrub all day to-day), we were forced to camp (CAMP 32A). As there was 

 no grass, and a strong probability of losing some of the horses in the scrub if they were 

 let go, I had them all tied up all night." 



It is easy to see, on comparing Bradford's description of this 

 day's stage with that of the Brothers Jardine, when they were 

 between Camps 71 and 73 (1865), getting over the RICHARDSON 

 RANGE, that both parties were on the same belt of country. The 

 parallel between the two narratives is complete, even to the 



