42 
Report of the Expedition 
tude 14 deg. 40 min., longitude 134 deg. 16 min., we saw a living 
spring coming out of a gentle rise beyond the plains. I passed it 
in a north-west direction, through a country in which ridges, 
flats, and sandstone ranges frequently changed. In latitude 
14 deg. 33 min. I came to a big creek with a good water-hole. 
In 14 deg. 24 min. basalt first made its appearance, at the foot of 
sandstone ranges. A creek which I met here was waterless; but 
in one of the gullies which go down to it, a small rocky basin of 
water, fed by a spring, was found. Both creeks go down to the 
south-east and join the Roper. Having passed these ranges, I 
came to a large fine valley, the south-east and east side of which 
was limited by basaltic ridges. A water-course, turning to the 
south-west, brought me to a fine running brook, lined with groves 
of pandanus. The basaltic ridges made me believe that I was at 
the head of westerly waters ; but the Pandanus Brook turned to 
the southward ; and as I met in latitude 14 deg. 16 min. a large 
creek with a sandy bed, about ten yards broad, filled by a rapid 
stream running to the southward, which is joined by the Pan¬ 
danus Brook, I feel assured that I was again at the Roper, the 
main branch of which had probably made a large sweep at first 
to the westward, and afterwards to the northward. I followed 
the big creek up its course to latitude 14deg. 2min. The country 
is in part very fine ; but it becomes more and more mountainous, 
and the flats along its banks become more and more limited. 
Leaving the creek, and ascending the sandstone ranges, I came 
to a table land, level, with sandy soil, cypress pine and stringy- 
bark forest, frequently scrubby. Water-courses and gullies went 
down to the south-east and south-west. Both were collected by 
large creeks joining the Roper. 
I met one of these creeks running to the south east, with grassy 
lawns along its banks, in latitude 13 deg. 57 min. Another, with 
the direction to the south-west, in latitude 13 deg. 50 min. My 
course changed between north-west and nortli-north-west. In 
latitude 13 deg. 41 min. approx., I came on the heads of the first 
westerly water, and found the first water-hole in its bed in lati¬ 
tude 13 deg. 38 min., longitude 133 deg. 30 min. 
Open well-grassed stone ridges accompany this creek, which I 
