Part 45 (1/2)

Encaical structure of this portion of the country is wholly dissimilar to any other part of North Australia we have yet traversed Granite, porphyry, and slate are the prevailing rocks The whole appear to have been subjected to considerable disturbance, as the slate is much broken and contorted, and in several parts altered by contact with the porphyry, and no definite strike or dip appeared to exist The porphyry is of a red-brown colour, consisting of grey paste with crystal of felspar and angular fragranite contains little ed in rhomboidal crystals nearly parallel to each other; it readily decomposes, and froritty soil Quartz-rock foreneral trend north and south It often contains crystals of mica, and therefore not likely to containthe sand of the river near Camp 83, only a small quantity of titaniferous iron remained after the removal of the quartz and mica It was in this locality that the Gilbert Gold Field was afterwards discovered

Latitude by e Pegasi 18 degrees 25 minutes 33 seconds

30th Septeher up the river to soory ascended the hills to the south of the cae the course of the river was visible for nearly twentyfirst seven miles south-south-west and then south-south-east; at the bend a branch appeared to join from west-south-west, in which direction the country appeared very flat for fifteen or twenty miles, as only a few distant hills were visible; from north round to south-east the country was very broken and hilly, rising highest to the north-east, but the vieas lih hills, and es were indistinctly seen beyond The whole aspect of the country was barren, rock for to the cas on the bank of the creek; this fruit is rather insipid

1st October

Steering an average south-south-east course froht bank of the river, which first ca off two branches to the south-west, and was thereby diminished to 100 yards wide at our caullies joined froh the country in that direction was hilly; the bed of the river was still dry and sandy; water very scarce Slate, quartz, schist, granite, and trap are the principal rocks, and by their decoetation, the country beco more desolate as we advanced The only trees which retain their verdure are those which grow on the banks of the river

Latitude by a Cygni 18 degrees 40 minutes 29 seconds

RECONNOITRE TO THE EASTWARD

2nd October

The river above the ca from the south-south-west, it appeared desirable to pursue a more eastern course, and I therefore started froory, to reconnoitre the country, steering east three rees to 80 degrees to south by west); ascended a hill froht to tenthe river near the caap in the hills showed ain this direction, came to the creek with a sandy and rocky bed ten yards wide and perfectly dry; ascending the range of hills, found the on the lower ridges A large valley extended across our course to the east, beyond which a range of flat-topped hills or tableland bounded the horizon Descending to the east the country iranite constituted the principal rock, ironbark and a few box-trees forrassed; the soil a red loahty yards wide; following it down to the south found a small pool of water in a hollow in the sand; here we halted till 330, and then followed the river south-west, south-east, south-west, west, and south; at 610 ascended a hill on the left hand, from whichthat the river turned west and north-west, breaking through the hills and joining the Gilbert River Having ascertained that ere still on a western watercourse, we bivouacked near the river without water

3rd October

At daybreak steered north-west, crossing several rocky ridges of hills, and at 20 p our absence; the horses had improved by the two days' rest

4th October

At 715 ae east-south-east course for seven hours, reached the pools found on the 2nd, in the upper branch of the Gilbert River, and encamped As this route nearly coincided with that on the 2nd, nothing was seen worthy of farther notice

Latitude by a Cygni 18 degrees 47 minutes 54 seconds

5th October

At 645 am left the camp and followed up the river in an east-north-east direction for threeto a heavy shower some days previous Beyond three miles the water ceased and the country was dry and parched Low hills of schist trap and granite fores bounded the valley; they appeared to be flat-topped and with horizontal strata of sandstone on the summits At noon the river had divided into several small branches, and the character of the country did not promise the existence of water within the space of a day's journey; we returned down the river to the last water we had seen, and camped about three miles north-east of our last caain till the range to the east of our present position was crossed, I decided on reconnoitring the country beforethe party farther, and as the weather promised to continue fine, the horse Monkey was shot and skinned preparatory to drying themy absence

6th October

At 65 a nearly east, crossed the south branch of the river, and reached the base of the higher range at 930; here we found a s a quarter of a le mass of bare rock completely honeycoe, which consisted of porphyry with horizontal sandstone on the summit; we continued our east course over rocky hills with dry watercourses trending north; the grass was very thin and dry; and the country was openly wooded with acacia, eucalypti, cypress, etc, none of which attained a large size; at 130 p the rocks in the gullies obtained about three quarts of water by digging; at 245 resu a hilly country, and at 415 ascended a granite hill with sandstone sue valleys seemed to join and trend froes, except to the east, where a level plain or wide valley extended to the horizon In the valley a line of green trees fivethe range we encountered a very rocky country with deep gullies, in one of which we found a few gallons of water, which our horses consurass here, we pushed on till dusk, and bivouacked in a sully The country east of the range is entirely granitic; grass very scanty, and very thinly wooded with ironbark

CROSS A GRANITE RANGE

7th October

Continued an east course at 550 ae creek, which was 100 yards ith shallow sandy bed; the banks low and thinly timbered with ironbark and a few box trees; the soil poor and sandy, producing little grass Large casuarina and flooded-gurew in the channel of the creek, which we followed threeany water, and only two spots where it could be procured by digging; we therefore returned up the creek, and dug a well at the ood water; at 220 p up the spurs of the range found a practicable route for the pack-horses; passed the highest point of the range at 60, and bivouacked at a small dry watercourse at 715 pm

8th October

Resu to the north of the outward route, found a s it down a mile came to a pool of sufficient size to supply the whole party

At 1030 reached Bow in the moist soil obtained a little water As we approached the spring a small party of blacks shouted to us from the suh we halted till 1230 p the camp at 40, and found the party all well; the horse-e Bowical character gradually changes, in consequence of the larger development of the older rocks, as we proceed to the eastward At the caneiss, porphyry, and trap have superseded the slates, and proceeding east, granite is visible at the western base of the range This is covered by a thick neiss and granite in its lower part, and in its upper portion it has a fine grain and light colour

Being deeply cracked by vertical fissures, it for basalt The suher hills are for water-worn pebbles of quartz Granite supersedes the other rocks as the east slope of the range is approached, and is there occasionally intercepted by veins of dark trap

9th October