April 2.
We started this morning at 8.15 and travelled down the river till six in the evening, journeying later than usual to get out of the neighbourhood of some blacks that we passed about seven miles back from here. At a place about fourteen and a half miles back I halted with Jackey and made an observation of the sun; afterwards, when we had nearly overtaken the party, I observed the blacks were near them. We galloped towards them to make them run away; but instead of doing so they remained and received us in a friendly manner and offered us their spears and boomerangs. I let Jackey take a spear and two boomerangs; the spear we wanted for making ramrods; in return for their presents I gave them a tomahawk. These blacks are fine, tall, powerful fellows. When we overtook the party Mr. Bourne informed me that the blacks had followed it for about three miles, and that one of them, a powerfully built man about six feet high, had been so very bold that he (Mr. Bourne) had repeatedly fired over his head without causing him any alarm; and that on one occasion, on looking round, he saw him apparently in the act of throwing his boomerang at him. These blacks told Jemmy, who understood their language, that they had seen nothing of any explorers with camels. When we were unsaddling I was sorry to find that we had not got out of the neighbourhood of the blacks as I observed some of them were watching us from behind some trees close at hand. Jemmy told them that I was very angry at them for following us. In reply they said I was mistaken, that they had not followed, they had never seen us before. Shortly afterwards Jemmy had a long conversation with them during which they informed him they had seen a party of explorers to the eastward, but that they had never seen any with camels or drays. When they left they assured us they would not return until morning. A place that we passed about nine miles up the river bears east and by north from a conical hill which is on the right bank of the river, and west and by south from a table range near our path on this side of the river. Besides this table range there are isolated ranges distant from one to three miles from each other and extending along the left bank of the river from our last camp. On the opposite bank (the right bank) there were no hills in sight except the conical hill already mentioned and a range near our present camp. Rich undulating ground, covered with good grass and slightly wooded with myall, western-wood acacia, and Port Curtis sandalwood, extends from the ranges in many places to the left bank of the river. Near the junction of Aramak Creek I made the meridian altitude of the sun 62 degrees 2 minutes, the latitude 22 degrees 58 minutes 29 seconds. We came here on the following courses from last camp: 9.15 a.m. south-east and by south for three miles to old camp; 11.20 a.m. south-south-east for five and a half miles to Aramak Creek; 1.50 p.m. south-west for two and a half miles; 2.50 p.m. south-south-east for three miles; 3.20 p.m. south-west for one and a half miles to creek from south-east; 5.15 p.m. south-west for five miles to another creek from south-east; 6.15 p.m. south and by east for two and a half miles. Distance twenty-three miles.
April 3. Left Camp 41, situated on the left bank of the river at a place between two isolated ranges.
One of the ranges is on the left bank; I have named it Mackenzie Range. The other, on the opposite bank, I have named Herbert Range. From camp the south end of Mackenzie Range bears 45 degrees, and the south end of Herbert Range 235 degrees. The four blacks who left us yesterday evening paid us a visit as soon as it was light this morning; they were very communicative and informed us that the river flowed to the southward, that it was joined about two days' journey from this by a large river from the north-east; that a long way down the river the country was sandy and destitute of grass, and that beyond the ranges in sight there were no hills. They said further, on being asked if they knew of any country to the westward without grass, that they had not seen or heard of any country of that description in such direction. We started this morning at 8.45 and at 3.43 p.m., having travelled sixteen miles along the left bank of the river, we camped. The country we saw during the forenoon was of an undulating character and the soil rich, with myall and western-wood acacia. The grass was good, but from the absence of rain not so fresh looking as higher up the river. Our path in the afternoon lay near the river over low ground, wooded with box, having an undergrowth of saltbush and polygonum. To the eastward there was fine undulating open country. Somewhere above here I think it is probable that the river is joined by a larger stream from the westward as it is now quite unfordable and about sixty feet in width. We came in the following courses from last camp: 9.45 south-south-east for three miles; 11 south for three and a half miles; 1.20 south-south-west for three miles; 3.15 south-west for five and three-quarter miles; 3.43 south-south-west for three-quarters of a mile.
April 4.
We left Camp 42 at 8.35 a.m. and travelled in the back country from the river. I steered in the forenoon about two points off what I considered was the probable course of the river, and intended returning to it in the afternoon; unfortunately however I left the main party in the middle of the day and omitted to tell Mr. Bourne to change the course if necessary to reach the river. When I overtook the party I altered the course and at 3.20 p.m. reached a creek that probably drains a great deal of back country. As there was water in its channel we encamped. The creek I named Stark Creek. Before we reached here we crossed two other creeks; the first I named Salton Creek and other Isabella Creek. The country we passed over from our last camp consists chiefly of high and wooded downs, and though the soil was rich the grass and saltbush, from the want of rain, was rather dry. The country near the watercourses is wooded with myall, western-wood acacia, and Port Curtis sandalwood. We came here in about the following courses: 10.27 south-south-west for four and three-quarter miles to Salton Creek; 11.5 a.m. south-south-west for one and three-quarter miles to Salton Creek; 11.30 a.m. south-south-east for one and a half miles to Isabella Creek; 12 a.m. south-south-east for one and a half miles; 12.35 a.m. east one mile; 12.50 a.m. south-east for one mile; 1.55 p.m. west-south-west for three miles; 3.30 a.m. south-south-west for three and a half miles to Stark Creek. Distance today eighteen miles.
April 5.
We left camp this morning at 8.20 a.m. The Camp 43 is situated on the right bank of Stark Creek. We travelled in the first instance slightly to the westward of south with the view of reaching the river. In a few miles we crossed a large watercourse at present dry but with extensive flood-marks and heaps of mussel-shells on its banks. This creek I named Porteous Creek. A few miles further in the same direction we crossed a small watercourse which apparently joins Porteous Creek. The banks are wooded with myall. Behind these belts of myall the country rises in gentle undulations, the soil is rich, almost without trees, and from the appearance of the grass it was evident there had been no rain for a long time. In the afternoon we went north-westerly and by that course reached the river; then after following it down for a short distance we encamped. The appearance of the grass we saw in the afternoon was fresher than that we had seen earlier in the day; and near the river, where the low ground had been flooded, the herbage was quite green. Shortly after we encamped a middle-aged blackfellow, two youths, and two little boys paid us a visit; they were very friendly but we did not get any information from them. From last camp we came here on the following courses: 9.20 south-west for two and a half miles; 10 south-west by west for one and three-quarter miles to Porteous Creek; 10.50 west-south-west for two and a quarter miles to a small creek; 11.30 west for one and three-quarter miles; 11.40 north for half a mile; 12.43 south-west for one and three-quarter miles; 2.23 west for five miles; 2.43 north-west for one mile; 3.23 west-north-west for two miles; 4.23 south-west for two and a half miles. Distance twenty-one miles.
April 6.
As this was Sunday and we did not think the blacks numerous or dangerous in the neighbourhood we rested ourselves and horses. The elderly blackfellow and one of the others we had seen yesterday paid us a visit, and in the course of the day he brought the others of his party and a man about his own age whom we had not seen before. He made me understand that his elderly friend wanted to see a gun so I gratified his curiosity. The boys did not run away as they had done when they saw me fire a shot on a previous occasion. The blacks examined with great curiosity our equipment and accepted greedily everything we gave them but did not steal anything. Mr. Bourne gave our newest acquaintance a shirt which pleased him very much. They relished some food he gave them and said "Thank you sir" upon Jackey making them understand it was proper to say so. The presents which pleased them most were a broad file, a needle and thread, a broken glass bottle, and clothes. The file they could make a better tomahawk of than their stone ones; the broken glass bottle they would use for knives or wood scrapers. We did not give them many clothes as cold weather had warned us we had none to spare. Jemmy, on further acquaintance with the blacks, found they could speak a language he understood.