foot of what appeared to be basaltic ridges, and came
to the dry channel of a river, with reeds and occasional water-holes, and
lined with fine flooded-gum trees and Casuarinas, but without the
dropping tea trees and the Moreton Bay ash, the latter of which seemed to
be the prerogative of the Burdekin. At its left side a basaltic ridge
rose, covered with thick scrub, and at its base extended a small plain,
with black soil strewed with quartz pebbles. The river came, as well as I
could judge, from the W.N.W. Mr. Roper and Brown caught a kangaroo, but
they had a dangerous ride after it, and the poor brute, when hard
pressed, showed fight, and endeavoured to lay hold of Mr. Roper.

In one of the creeks I observed pegmatite; pebbles of talc-schiste and of
white quartz covered the bed of the river.

May 3.--We had to travel for a considerable distance in the bed of the
river, for the hills approached close to its banks, and numerous deep
gullies intercepted their slopes. When, however, the ridges receded, we
passed several fine sound flats. The forest was open everywhere, and the
grass was good, though old. After travelling about five miles, we saw a
hill to the north-east, and, when we came almost abreast of it, the river
turned to the eastward, and a wild field of broken basaltic lava rendered
it impossible for us to follow its banks. The black rough masses of rock
were covered with thick scrub, in which I observed numerous bottle trees
with the platanus leaf. Keeping to the westward of the scrub, I followed
a creek which farther on divided in a chain of ponds, into which the
waters of the field of basalt, as well as of the basaltic ridges to the
westward of it, collected. These ridges were perfectly level at their
summits, and were connected with a table land which extended far to the
west. At their foot sienite, quartz rock, and leptinite, were observed.
After turning round the field of lava to the eastward, we entered into a
large flat, with patches of narrow-leaved tea tree, with reedy swamps and
fine flooded-gum trees, and made our camp at a strong running brook,
without trees, but densely surrounded with reeds, ferns, and pothos. This
stream formed the outlet of some fine lagoons, which extended along the
steep slopes of the basaltic table land. I crossed the creek and its flat
to the opposite hills. The flat was one level sheet or floor of basalt,
here and there covered with a very shallow soil, but sometimes bare,