720 NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



their backs, often hacking their way through the scrub. They 

 had to contend with two wet seasons before getting any return for 

 their labour. They transported half a ton of machinery 6 miles 

 from the coast and then it proved useless. They had to hire 

 horses from 100 miles away to pack their first stone to the coast, 

 charter a boat to carry it to Cooktown, ship the stone from 

 Cooktown to Townsville and transport it by rail to Charters Towers. 



According to the Annual Report of the Department of Mines 

 for 1910, the GOLDEN GATE REEF was formally " taken up " on 

 4th October, 1909. Its second consignment of stone (which 

 Dickie's party met in transit), consisting of 363- tons, yielded 

 274*8 ounces of gold, valued at ^846, when treated at Charters 

 Towers. The first trial crushing (2*2 tons) had given 23 ounces, 

 valued at 79 Js. 



The NISBET REEFS, discovered in I896 1 (presumably by pros- 

 pectors following the track marked by Baird and Marrett), are 

 apparently near the head of the Nisbet River, south-east of my 

 Camp 25. Their port was at the mouth of the Chester River, 

 from which passengers and goods went by boat to meet the mail 

 steamers at Claremont Island Lightship. By this time there was 

 a ROAD from the Coen to the mouth of the Chester, and ABORIGINAL 

 CARRIERS were transporting goods between the Chester and the 

 Rocky River. WARDEN F. J. CHERRY reported that in 1896 a 

 trial crushing of 85 tons had yielded 283 ounces of GOLD. 



On Stb August, Dickie and Dick set out on an excursion from 

 Camp 37, down the LOCKHART VALLEY, following the west side 

 of the Macrossan Range, and burning the grass as they went along. 

 Passing Meston and Chester Heights, they camped first under 

 the north of the " High Peak Range^" of the Admiralty Chart.* 



A sandalwood TRACK was seen going north from Giblet's landing 

 on the Lockhart River (i.e., Camp 29). 



On qth August, the two travellers continued to ride north till 

 they were in sight of the northern end of Heming Heights, when 

 they turned back. The long and matted grass was set on fire 

 to facilitate the return journey. The fire at one time proved a 

 serious menace, and the travellers were obliged to cross the river 

 hastily to avoid it ; whereupon they camped for the night. 



On loth August, recrossing to the right bank of the Lockhart, 

 some miles of the return journey proved easy travelling over the 

 burnt ground, but further to the south there was heavy grass, 

 still unburnt, in places. The travellers passed over " beautiful, 

 naturally drained, alluvial flats, 5 or 6 miles wide and 10 to 15 



1 Ann. Rep., Dept. of Mines, for 1896, p. 46. 



2 In a letter dated i3th July, 1915, Mr. J. T. Embley agrees with me that it would 

 be difficult to identify from the western side the " peaks " of the chart, which were 

 surveyed from the east, but says that " High Peak " is a good landmark : "It towers 

 above all the other points. Possibly from the eastern side it is merely a high peak on 

 the range, but has its immediate base fronting on the first country." 



