Albert River, Gulf of Carpentaria, October 15 1861.

To Captain Norman of H.M.C.S. Victoria, and Commander-in-chief of the
Northern Expedition Parties.

Sir,

I have the honour to inform you that the senior lieutenant of H.M.C.S.
Victoria, having been commissioned by you to take the Firefly hulk to the
head of the navigation of the Albert River to form a depot there, shortly
after midnight of the 14th October, at the flood of the tide, which
occurs here only once in twenty-four hours, we stood in for the mouth of
the river and, as the channel is of a winding character, and the ship
almost unmanageable, we had to take her right over the bar. From thence
we proceeded some time after daylight with a fair wind, several miles up
the river to where we took grass on board, which some of my party, having
preceded us, had in readiness. On the 16th, from the time of the tide,
the wind being unfavourable, we had reached no further than Norman's
Group of Islands, which are about ten miles in a straight line from the
mouth of the river. At that place, from the small quantity of water on
board it became necessary to decide on what bank the horses should be
landed; consequently three parties started in search of water--a boat and
two land parties. The former, under the command of Mr. Frost, found a
good pond of water near the lowest water we had found when we first
explored the Albert River. In the same neighbourhood Mr. Campbell's
party, who went up the west bank of the river, found another waterhole,
which was distant from the ship, by the road they went, about four miles,
and passable for the horses, although partly over mudflats which during
high tides are covered with water; and on that account I thought, having
observed the country to be very low from the masthead, it would be
impassable.

I accompanied Mr. Bourne, Mr. Hennie the botanist, and two native
police-troopers to the eastward in search of water. In that direction we
went about six miles, which was further than was necessary as we found
water within that distance. The first three miles we went was chiefly
over hard flats which at high tides are covered with water; the next was
over such good country that Mr. Bourne, although I had given him my
account of the Plains of Promise, said he did not expect to have seen
such fine country on the Albert River. The character of the country is
plains with the best grasses on them. Mr. Bourne and I agreed in thinking
that the