CURIOSITY PEAK. 51 



We passed the night in the end of a 

 crooked reach, near the only rocky islet 

 in the river, lying four miles E.S.E. from 

 the furthest point I had before attained. 

 With the exception of a squall from north- 

 east in the afternoon, there was scarcely 

 any wind, and the night was cloudy with 

 some slight showers of rain. As the 

 musquitoes allowed us little rest, we were 

 glad, when the day broke, to be again 

 moving. We now found the river take 

 a north-east direction for eight miles, 

 averaging in width upwards of three quar- 

 ters of a mile, and in depth at low water 

 two fathoms. A sudden change in the 

 trend of the reaches brought in sight the 

 strange appearance of the country repre- 

 sented in the wood-cut annexed. The 

 peak on the right bank we named, from 

 the passion it assisted us in gratifying. Cu- 

 riosity Peak, Landing at the foot we were 

 not long reaching the summit, although the 

 thermometer was 90" in the shade. The 

 river formed a remarkable feature in the 

 landscape before us, to the north-east ; and 

 behind it rose a high table range of hills, 

 from five to six hundred feet in elevation. 

 These were capped with low reddish 

 coloured cliffs. At their feet stretched an 

 extensive and seemingly boundless plain 

 E 2 



