0 minutes 30 seconds.

12th November.

At 7.25 a.m. steered north 110 degrees east, over grassy ironbark ridges,
with small watercourses trending north; at 11.0 entered a dense brigalow
scrub with a few Moreton-Bay ash-trees, the soil very poor and derived
from the decomposition of a coarse conglomerate; small watercourses
trending to the south. At 12.45 p.m. emerged from the scrub into open box
forest, with limestone and quartz gravel, and a soft black soil producing
rather dry scanty grass. At 1.45 entered a well-grassed plain with
limestone ridges covered with bottle-tree scrub; the grass was good at
this season, green but much mixed with salsola; the summits of Peak Range
showed well above the ridges, and from the cliff around the tops seem to
be capped with sandstone or more probably porphyry. There being little
prospect of finding water in an easterly direction, at 4.0 altered the
course to south-east; a heavy squall and thunderstorm brought some rain,
but it was all immediately absorbed by the hot dry soil, at 5.0 came to a
watercourse trending south, followed it till 6.30, and camped without
water; about a mile north from the camp saw a small box-tree marked AB,
and near it a large sheet of bark which had been cut about two years
before.

Latitude by Saturn 23 degrees 18 seconds.

13th November.

Resumed the journey at 6.20 a.m., steering south down the watercourse; at
7.0 saw some blacks, who, when asked by signs where water could be found,
pointed down the creek and into the scrub; at 9.20 came to a pool of
rainwater and camped. This part of the country is very poor and scrubby,
with large Moreton-Bay ash trees, the soil formed by the decomposition of
sandstone and conglomerate, with intervals of schist and trap-rock.

CROSS THE PEAK DOWNS.

14th November.

At 6.50 a.m. steered south-east; we soon entered a grassy plain with
ironbark ridges and belts of acacia scrub, trap, and limestone on the
plains, and sandstone on the ridges; at noon passed a belt of cypress and
entered extensive open downs covered with beautiful green grass.
Following a shallow watercourse, passed some blacks at a distance, and at
4.20 p.m. came to a small pool of rainwater, and camped. The country to
the north-east appeared level, and the grassy downs apparently extend to
the foot of Peak Range. To the south-west it appeared to be a fine open
country for three to eight miles, and then rose into wooded hills of
moderate elevatio