e party, four of us suddenly faced
about and charged them at a gallop. This harmless manoeuvre had the
desired effect, several of them having narrowly escaped being trodden
under foot by the horses. They were very quickly dispersed, and made no
further attempt to molest us. We encamped this night about six miles
above Babbage Island.

19th May.

As our object was to explore as far to the northward as circumstances
would allow, we left the river on a north-east course; but two hours'
ride across an open plain, through which several channels ran to the
north-west, brought us to dry barren scrubs, in which it appeared
hopeless we should find either feed or water; we accordingly altered our
course to south-east, and made the river again about sundown.

RETURN UP THE RIVER.

20th to 23rd May.

Was occupied in tracing up the north bank of the river in the hope of
finding a tributary coming in from the northward; but, with the exception
of one small stream which drains the western face of the Kennedy Range,
not a single tributary was met with until we arrived at the Lyons River,
a distance of more than ninety miles from Babbage Island. The country on
the north bank differs but little from that on the south, except that
travelling was somewhat easier.

THE LYONS RIVER. ALMA RIVER.

24th May.

Our horses having had a rest, the previous day being Sunday, we made an
early start, and by noon halted on the Lyons River, a short distance
above its confluence with the Gascoyne; its channel here was equal in
magnitude and similar in appearance to the main river; a small stream was
still flowing through the wide sandy bed, and gradually increased in
volume for nearly eighty miles up the river. Three miles to the north of
our midday halt Mr. Roe and myself ascended a deep sandstone peak, from
which we had a fine view of the Kennedy Range, the nearest part of which
lay about six miles to the west, extending for nearly thirty miles to the
northward; the eastern face presents an almost unbroken line of nearly
perpendicular sandstone, of probably 500 or 600 feet elevation. To the
north a few remarkable peaks served as valuable points to carry on our
triangulation, which had been continued almost uninterruptedly from Mount
Hope, on the Murchison.

To the east were several ranges of flat-topped hills, filling in the
space between the Lyons and the great southern bend of the Gascoyne;
while to the south, with the exception of a few v