Part 30 (1/2)

8th January

Heavy rain till 70 am; at 715 started and followed down the valley of the creek to south-south-east and south till 90, when it joined a larger valley trending east, in which a large creek in high flood obstructed our course As the water was too deep to ford, we fixed a rope to a branch of a tree and passed the packs over the strea also sunk a foot, the horses crossed over, and we encarassed, and vary from a quarter to three-quarters of asteeply from the base to near the summit, where they are crowned by a sandstone cliff 20 to 150 feet high; the summits are level, or nearly so, as the valleys are only deep ravines excavated in the tableland The valley of the larger creek appears to expand about five miles to the west of the camp, and the hills all rounded in their outline

9th January

A light shower at night was followed by a cool cloudyAt 650 am followed down the creek to the east, and crossed to the left bank to avoid a rocky hill On atte to cross lower down, one of the pack-horses was carried down the stream sos were recovered a quarter of a mile below

The valley contracted as we proceeded, and at length the steep cliff left no passage on the left bank, and we had to return one and a half ht bank, when our course was again obstructed by a large tributary, which was crossed with soe of the creek, where the cliff approached the bank of the stream so closely that there was scarcely space for a horse to pass At 1210 pm camped on the bank of the creek at the ter a rocky elevation, obtained a view of the valley of the Victoria, and ascertained that ere on one of the branches of Jasper Creek The afternoon and night were showery

10th January

Started at 630 a the creek to the north; the country soon changed to a level plain well-grassed, but, owing to the late rain, very soft and e, and ca forded the creek, caht bank The soil of the country traversed this day is a good brown loah and stony on the hills The trees are of a small size, principally box and bauhinia Sandstone is the prevailing rock, so into jasper, and also into chert and coarse limestone Small veins of quartz intersected the jasper, and contained small crystals of sulphuret of copper and iron

Latitude by Aldebaran and Capella, 116 degrees 6 rees 6 minutes east

11th January

One of the ht, she was not fit for a day's journey; we therefore re and adjusting the saddles, and other works of indispensable nature; uht was fine, with a heavy dew and a light breeze frorees east over the level country which extends along the east side of Jasper Range; the soil is stony, but well grassed, and the fine weather had allowed the surface to becoed At 1225 perald and Jasper Ranges; eneral character of this part of the country is good and well suited for stock, though not equal to the basaltic country to the eastward on the Victoria Hard sandstone, jasper, and coarse li rocks

Latitude by Aldebaran, Saturn, and a Orionis 16 degrees 16 minutes 22 seconds

FINE PLAINS

13th January

The night cool and clear; ther an average south course from 640 am till 1125, reached the western branch of the Victoria River and encarassed and thinly wooded with eucalypti and bauhinia; the soil is brown loa strong, but not in flood; the greatest rise this season had been only ten feet, and the usual flood-her

Latitude by Aldebaran and Capella 16 degrees 25 minutes 12 seconds

14th January

Followed the river to the west-south-west, crossing two large tributary creeks froes on the western side of the plain; the soil did not improve, but became very sandy; the country is thinly wooded with box-trees and bauhinia of sood At noon one of the pack-horses, Sa transferred to one of the riding-horses, he was left to rest while we sought a suitable spot for a caully, as the bank of the river was unsafe for the horses, being very boggy Sent back for the horse Saht him to camp; ascended the hill to the north-west of the cas, but no i the hill the aneroid (B) fell fro only rose to 2880 degrees, the estie in form of the metal of the instrurees The continuance of fine weather and forward state of the grass led to the supposition that the wet season had already terh only two months have elapsed since the first rains It is probable that the wet season is reat distance inland the tropical wet season will cease altogether, as Captain Sturt, in latitude 26 degrees, only observed a fall of rain in the ht be exceptional, as in the case of Dr Leichhardt, who never encountered a rainy season during the journey to Port Essington

Latitude by Aldebaran and Capella 16 degrees 27 minutes 20 seconds

15th January

Started at 645 am and followed the river to the west-south-west; the hills co close to the bank for some miles, caused the journey to be slow and difficult; crossed two large creeks co from the west-north-west, the second seventy yards wide; at 1035 encarassy flat The course of the river was now more from the south, and the valley expanded into a plain several miles wide

16th January

As several of the horses required a day's rest, at 60 aory to examine the country to the southward, and followed the river through a fine grassy plain till 100, when it entered the sandstone ranges, and the valley contracted to half a round in the valley, except where intersected by gullies, was good travelling and well grassed The river is much reduced in size and the water is confined to the smaller channels of the principal bed; the water is clear, and had not that ical character of the rocks is unchanged; but the bed of the river being less deeply excavated, the lower beds of liely developed, the sue blocks of sandstone, the reed appearance Returned to the ca there was a heavy thunder-squall froht

LOSE A HORSE