back country rose into sandstone hills covered with triodia; but there
were good grassy flats on the bank of the creek. The creek then entered a
rocky gorge about 100 yards wide, with cliffs upward of 100 feet high on
each side. With some difficulty we forced our way through the dense
growth of reeds and brush, among huge masses of rock and deep pools of
water, till 10.10, when we reached a more open part of the valley. The
creek now turned to east-north-east, and the wide valley was bounded by
low schist hills to the north and the sandstone range we had just passed
to the south; except in the lower part of the valley and a few small
patches on the hills the country was very poor and stony, triodia taking
the place of the grass; water was abundant in the bed of the creek, where
it formed large permanent pools, between which there was a small stream
of running water in the upper part of the creek, but lower down the
channel was dry between the pools; at 1.0 p.m. camped on the right bank
of the creek; crossed to the left bank of the creek at 6.20 p.m. and
followed it north-east one hour, when the creek turned east and our
course was over stony ridges; it was now found that one of the horses was
missing, having been lost in one of the dense thickets on the bed of the
creek. Mr. H. Gregory therefore returned to search for the lost animal,
and we halted till 9.20, and then went on with the party, leaving Mr.
Baines to wait on the track till Mr. Gregory came up; at 10.20 p.m.
reached the Wickham River and followed it down to the junction of Depot
Creek, which we crossed at noon, and camped in a grassy flat about a mile
lower down; at 2.0 am Mr. H. Gregory and Mr. Baines came into the camp,
but had not been able to find the missing horse; at 3.0 a.m. Mr. H.
Gregory and Bowman started to look for the horse.

24th April.

At 10.30 Mr. H. Gregory brought in the pack-horse lost yesterday.
Fortunately, this horse was not carrying a load, and though the saddle
got under the horse's belly nothing was injured.

25th April.

Followed the river down from 7.40 a.m. till 2.30 p.m. and encamped at
9.10 p.m.; crossed a large tributary creek from the south; the country
was grassy near the river, but rose into rocky hills with flat tops at a
short distance from it; light rain from 4.0 a.m. till 1.0 p.m., with
light easterly breeze.

CROSS THE VICTORIA RANGE. STOKES' RANGE.

26th April.

Continued the route along the right bank of th