o be in latitude 25 degrees 14 minutes, longitude 115
degrees 30 minutes east by account, and its elevation 700 feet above the
sea.

11th May.

Until noon our course along the river was nearly north-west, sandstones
beginning to crop out on the banks, and the country generally was poor
and scrubby; from our noon halt to sunset our course was nearly west, our
bivouac being in latitude 25 degrees 2 minutes. The bed of the river had
here widened out to 300 yards with an average depth of thirty feet, a
small stream running through the sand in the bottom. In addition to the
flooded-gum which grows here abundantly, we observed in the bed of the
river a melaleuca of large size, like a paper-bark tree, but having broad
leaves resembling the eucalyptus. During the night the natives were very
noisy in the vicinity, some of them approaching so close as to startle
our horses, keeping us well on the alert; the horses on this as on
several other occasions appear to have been our principal safeguard
against sudden attack.

FRIENDLY INTERVIEW WITH NATIVES.

12th May.

By the time we had commenced loading our horses, a large body of natives
had collected and approached to reconnoitre our camp; I advanced towards
them to keep them in check until the loads were completed. On observing
that I came alone three natives advanced to meet me, throwing three or
four spears at me in a friendly way, which I picked up and stuck in the
ground by my side; this token at once established a good understanding,
and after an exchange of presents they followed us for many miles down
the river before quitting us. Towards nightfall several of our friends of
the morning again made their appearance with a number of strange natives,
dodging us among the deep muddy ravines which abound at this part of the
river; their manoeuvres being equivocal and unsatisfactory, we kept well
on our guard; they, however, ran off at night, on my facing about on
horseback to drive them away.

Our course during the day had been nearly west twenty-two miles, one
large tributary having joined the river from the northward, which was
afterwards named the Lyons, in honour of the gallant admiral of that
name; this accession had increased the breadth of the channel to 400
yards. As we drew towards our evening's bivouac the river entered a gorge
formed by the river cutting through the south end of a flat-topped
sandstone range of about 1,200 feet elevation above the sea, presenting