from Moreton Bay to Port Essington. 47 
when we came to the higher part of the river, rocky sandstone 
ranges, rising abruptly out of the level of the plain, appeared to 
surround the valley of the river. At the foot of these rocky ranges 
fine lagoons were found, which were so crowded with wild geese 
that Brown, one of my black fellows, shot six at one shot. The 
plains were full of melon holes; and dead fish shells, lymnoca 
and paludina, were covering the ground. 
'The valley of the Upper East Alligator, which I should rather 
call Goose River (for nowhere we observed so many geese—and 
what is called alligator is no alligator, but a crocodile,) is one of 
the most romantic spots I have seen in my wanderings. A broad 
valley, level, with the most luxuriant verdure, abrupt hills and 
ranges rising everywhere along its east and west sides, and closing 
it apparently at its southern extremity; lagoons, forming fine 
sheets of water, scattered over it; a creek, though with salt water, 
winding through it. 
After having crossed the river I went to the northward, passed 
a plain about eight miles long, from which I saw bluff mountain 
heads to the north-east, which seemed to indicate the valley of a 
northerly river, entered the forest land, passed several creeks, 
running to the eastward (one at 12 deg. 11 min., with water,) and 
followed a well-trodden footpath of the natives, which led me 
through rocky sandstone ridges, over numerous creeks running to 
the westward to the broad sandy bed of a river, with fine pools of 
water, which I consider to be the fresh-water branch of the East 
Alligator, coming from the east. Not very far from the river, we 
came to a fine lagoon, beyond which a large plain extended. The 
latitude of this lagoon (Bilge’s Lagoon) was 12 deg. 6 min. 
I passed the plain, and entered the forest land. Just where the 
latter commenced, on a swampy ground between sandstone rocks, 
the first tracks of buffaloes were observed. 
The forest covers an undulating country, in which the ironstone 
frequently crops out. A fine chain of lagoons and a tea-tree 
swamp, changing into a pandanus creek, were well supplied with 
water. Both went to the eastward. At the latter buffalo tracks 
were seen again. (Latitude 11 deg. 56 min.) 
We travelled in a northerly course again, through forest land, 
