ky passes, they all terminated in cliffs of horizontal
sandstone, running in parallel bands one above another to the height of
500 or 600 feet, and frequently extending without a break for ten or
fifteen miles along the face of the range. The horses being much fatigued
by the climb from the valley of the river, we encamped at 3.10 p.m.,
within the hills, and without water. Camp 12.

FINE GRASSY PLAIN. FORTESCUE RIVER.

6th June.

A light drizzling rain came on early in the morning, but not enough to
supply the horses, who rambled so far during the night in search of it
that it was noon before they were all collected. Quitting the range,
which had been named after one of the most liberal promoters of the
expedition, Hamersley Range, we took a north-east course, crossing over
twelve or fourteen miles of beautiful open grassy plain, in many parts
the kangaroo-grass reaching above the horses' backs; the soil being of
the richest clay-loam, occasionally containing beds of singular fragments
of opaline rocks, resembling ancient lava. By 5.30 p.m. we reached the
river again, several miles above the deep glen that had checked our
course on the 5th. The valley having again opened out, gave us easy
access to its banks, which were here a rich black peat soil, containing
numerous springs. Here was first observed a very handsome fan-palm,
growing in topes, some of them attaining to the height of forty feet and
twenty inches diameter, the leaves measuring eight to ten feet in length.
The river had again opened into deep reaches of water, and contained
abundance of fish resembling cobblers, weighing four and five pounds
each. The whole character of the country was evidently changing for the
better; and as I have no doubt that at no distant period it will become a
rich and thriving settlement, I named the river the Fortescue, after the
Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, under whose auspices the
expedition took its origin, and the large expanse of fertile plain that
lies between the river and the Hamersley Range, Chichester Downs.

7th June.

A quarter of a mile up the river brought us to a fine tributary from the
south, running strong enough to supply a large mill. This had to be
traced up for two miles before we could find a ford; it was found to take
its rise in several deep pools, fed by springs issuing out of the plains
crossed yesterday. Some powerful springs were also observed to flow into
the river from the northwar