Part 6 (1/2)

Leaving our enca over a succession of low granite hills, thickly covered with acacia, to the exclusion of aletation, save a few scattered tufts of grass At noon entered the sand-plains which occupy the high lands in this district; observed a patch of grassy land bearing south-west; proceeding in that direction, at 10 prassy granite country, encircled by sand-plains and scrub Continuing our course, at 25 struck a s west-south-west; the valley in which it runs is bounded on both sides by sandy hills, covered with scrub; soround wherever the granite rock showed itself; tracing the stream-bed doards, we found many brackish pools At 345 crossed the left bank--found it running, but brackish; and at 420 we bivouacked at its junction with the Hutt River, which was here about ten yards wide, with narrow grassy flats on both banks The hills are of sandstone and sand, producing little besides scrub

18th October

Started at 750 anetic up the valley of the Hutt, which gradually widened and ie distance of two ranite forrassy land the country rose into sandy plains, covered with short scrub At 920 crossed to the left bank; the river trended to the eastward At 1110 sighted King's Table Hill, bearing south rassy valley of the Bowes River; this we traversed till 40 pm, e bivouacked in a small stream tributary to the Bowes As the country passed over this day had not been previously examined, ere much pleased to find it equal to the best land on the southern branch of the Bowes, visited by the Surveyor-General and myself on former occasions

FINE PASTORAL COUNTRY

19th October

Messrs Burges, Bedart, and myself rode down the Bowes to exarassy character, suitable for sheep; the bed of the strea filled with broad-leaved reeds, seems to indicate an abundant supply of water in the dry season; but the pools were very s the running streaarnets and trap-rock, the latter producing excellent grass of various kinds, the rass, but of a less woody character of seed-stalk than that found in other parts of the colony The extent of land fit for sheep-feeding on this stream (it can scarcely be called a river) I should esties considered it capable of feeding about 17,000 sheep The existence of garnets, iron pyrites, and a o, specineiss of this district, seems to indicate a metalliferous forht develop many of the present hidden sources of wealth Near the coast we fell in with some natives (four men and five women), ere very friendly, but from their peculiar nature ere unable to accept of their civilities

20th October

Started with Messrs Burges and Walcott to exa over the country examined by Lieutenant Irby and e which divides the valley of the Buller into two nearly equal portions We found the land on the left bank of the eastern branch of very good and grassy description, consisting of a range of granite hills about ten miles north and south, and two h sandy and level plains commence in an abrupt line of sandstone slopes and hills Halted for the night in the east branch of the Buller, ater in srass for our horses

21st October

Continued the examination of the Buller Valley down to the spot where I bivouacked on the river in December, 1846; then followed up the strea west-north-west, arrived at the camp at 630 pm We estimated the valley of the Buller to contain about 10,000 acres of good grassy land, and 30,000 acres of inferior feeding country; the good land is much broken into patches by that which is of indifferent quality Timber is here, and also on the Bowes, very scarce, and the little that exists is very indifferent and small

22nd October (Sunday)

Messrs Bedart and CF Gregory walked to the hill which lies three-quarters of a 's Table Hill The rock of which it is for to the coal formation, as thin seams of black shale were seen in the rocks of which the lower strata of the hill are co their appearance, it was not considered prudent to re towards the ca a cliff the wo the party with stones, apparently in revenge for the refusal of certain courteous invitations, which perhaps are the greatest marks of politeness which they think it possible to offer to strangers

CHAPMAN RIVER

23rd October

Left our encaranite hills producing wattles and good grass At 940 crossed the south branch of the Bowes, after which the country was not so well grassed, except in the valleys The lower hills were of granite; the higher red sandstone of tabular form At 110 the country beca to the south At noon we attained the high tableland; crossed two scrubby valleys bounded by sandstone hills, in the first of which the black shale peculiar to the coal forht dip to the south At 150 pm crossed the Buller in a rocky channel with reedy pools, apparently of perrassy, and ascending the hills on the left bank, passed Peak Hill at 250: this is the highest part of the range between the Buller and Chaprassy valley; the hills with granite bases and sandstone table surass, and thinly wooded with acacia and a few York gurass ater in small quantities

24th October

A violent thunderstor; the weather clearing up, alked down to the Chap in a sandy channel with small shallow pools The land on the bank of the stream was very indifferent and sandy for about a ranite and sandstone hills, covered with excellent grass

EFFECT OF REFRACTION GREENOUGH RIVER

25th October

Accoes and Walcott, I proceeded to exa at 720 aranite bases and table su but a poor soil with scanty feed and scrub; crossed several se sandy hill, covered with short scrub, and halted at 110 in a grassy gully in the bottoain resuained the highest ridge Before us lay the valley of the Greenough River; the white and red sandstone cliffs, which bound the valley on the south-east, were distorted by excessive refractions, which, as we crossed each sandy ridge, changed their appearance, soh rocky shores, then like reefs with heavy breakers, followed by high cliffs and grassy hills; but as we approached they assumed their true character of low rocky hills and cliffs, scarce exceeding 200 feet in height, and generally covered with dense thickets of acacia growing on an otherwise barren stony soil At 330 cah River; the bed was quite dry, and had no appearance of having run since the winter of 1847 Following up the stream-bed to the north-east, passed some shallow pools of salt water; and at 445 observed the black coal shales at the bottom of a deep cliff, which forht, obtaining fresh water by scraping in the sand by the side of a pool of salt water; we also found sufficient grass for our horses on the bank of the river

26th October

At 710 anetic towards a high sandstone cliff, which, after a ride of three-quarters of an hour through thickets of acacia, we ascended; but the vieas not satisfactory, as thickets and scrubs extended over the whole of the country We therefore returned to the river, and followed it doards to the south-west by south At 1130 found some fresh water in a small waterhole in the bed of the river; halted till 150 pm to refresh the horses The river turned south, and at 227 was joined by a srassy valley As it had run during the last winter, it quite altered the character of the river for quarter of a rass and trees a freshness which for contrast with the brown and parched appearance of the rest of the valley At 355 altered the course to 210 degrees rassy land appearing in the valley, and the country became more rocky At 530 crossed to the left bank, and found the river running withand 80 to 100 yards wide The water was slightly brackish, being this year supplied principally by springs, taking their rise in the new red sandstone for course of the river south-west ah hills of sandstone, h the country was not generally good At 620 halted for the night on the right bank of the streaht