Part 44 (2/2)
Latitude by a Aquilae 17 degrees 18 minutes 5 seconds
THE GILBERT RIVER
22nd Septe our carees east across the plains on the left bank of the river, and at 130 pm camped at a small pool in the sandy bed of the Gilbert, which is broad, sandy, and retains very little water Fragments of porphyry, quartz, and black slate are abundant in the drift, and arnets exist
Latitude by a Aquilae 17 degrees 25 minutes 50 seconds
23rd September
At 75 ae course south-east by east; at 250 pm, camped at a small pool in the bed of the river; the principal channel is 200 yards wide, and the smaller ones occupy a breadth of half a mile; the banks are low, and the country quite level, thinly wooded with box-trees; the grass good, but not thick; water very scarce, except by digging in the sand of the river
Latitude by a Cygni 17 degrees 36 rees east
24th September
At 70 aht bank of the river, the channel 300 yards wide, with banks fifteen feet high, beyond which the ground gradually declined, so that when the river overflows a great extent of countryour course, the river turned h sorassy box-flats At noon altered the course south-south-east, and at 1230 poons in the shade of sorees 45 minutes 10 seconds
25th Septeh an open rassed; acacia, bloodwood, silver-leafed ironbark, and grevillia for open patches of wood at intervals At noon turned south, and at 135 poon nearly dry and half a mile from the bank of the river; a few hills rose close to the south-west of the river opposite our caher hills wooded, but not exceeding 500 feet above the plain The bed of the river is broad, dry, and sandy, and the box-flatsa htning, followed by a cloudy night and moderate breeze from the south
26th Septe up the right bank of the river in a south-east direction till 20 p water from a small hole in the sand
The country on the banks of the river consisted of box flats, sorassed, but usually very poor; this extended about half a radually to a poor country with little grass and sravel and sand The bed of the river continues to be about 300 yards wide, dry, and sandy; a line ofit and rees 10 rees 20 e south-east course up the river from 640 am till 10 pm, e camped at some pools of water in a side channel of the river, where it was divided by a hillock of slate-rock The country is inferior in quality, the flats narrowing to an average of half a rass The bed of the river is better defined, and forle channel 250 yards wide, dry and sandy, as water was only once seen during the day Low rocky ridges of sandstone gradually approached its banks, and near the caranite for to indicate an approach to the ranges in which the strearees 15 minutes 21 seconds
GRANITE, PORPHYRY, AND SLATE
28th September (Sunday)
Walked out from the camp to a low hill about one ranite at the base and capped with horizontal strata of sandstone, soe water-worn pebbles, and the superstratuinous To the south-west of this hill the rock was slate, the strata nearly vertical; the strike north and south, but e pebbles of porphyry, quartz, slate, granite, sandstone, and agate formed banks in the bed of the river The country, as seen froenerally level in appearance, but consisted of nuranite, with sandstone on the summits The valley of the river extended to the east and south, and a large branch appeared to join from the south about ten es of hills trended in that direction The whole face of the country had an arid and desolate aspect, as there were no large trees except along the principal watercourses, and etation besides sh its scanty covering
29th Septeain steered east up the river, the country level and tiuurassed; at 1030 aranite and porphyry, tirass somewhat improved Altered the course at 110 a a great nu west, only reached the bank of the river at sunset The channel was dry, and all the vegetation had disappeared, only a barren waste of coarse sand and gravel 180 yards wide, with bare rocky banks, showed that it had once been a running stream A few small hollows in the rocks retained water froh we found a small pool in the sand, it was insufficient for the supply of the party