e range is a red sandy soil,
with a few sand hills, on which is growing the spinifex, but the valleys
between are broad and beautifully grassed. At fifteen miles again crossed
the Hugh, coming from the east, with splendid gum-trees of every size
lining the banks. The pine was also met with here for the first time.
There is a magnificent hole of water here, long and deep, with rushes
growing round it. I think it is a spring; the water seems to come from
below a large bed of conglomerate quartz. I should say it was permanent.
Black cockatoos and other birds abound here, and there are numbers of
native tracks all about. I hoped to-day to have gained the top of the
bluff, which is still seven or eight miles off, and appears to be so very
rough that I anticipate a deal of difficulty in crossing it. I am forced
to halt at this bend of the creek, in consequence of the little mare
becoming so lame that she is unable to proceed further to-day. Our hands
are very bad from being torn by the scrub, and the flies are a perfect
torment. Indications of scurvy are beginning to show themselves upon us.
Wind west; cool night.

Thursday 12th April, The Hugh. Started for the bluff. At eight miles we
again struck the creek coming from the west, and several other gum creeks
coming from the range and joining it. We have now entered the lower hills
of the range. Again have we travelled through a splendid country for
grass, but as we approached the creek it became a little stony. At twelve
miles we found a number of springs in the range. Here I obtained an
observation of the sun. As we approached near the bluff, our route became
very difficult; we could not get up the creek for precipices, and were
obliged to turn in every direction. About two miles from where I obtained
the observation, we arrived with great difficulty at the foot of the
bluff; it has taken us all the afternoon. I expected to have gone to the
top of it to-night, but it is too late. It will take half a day, it is so
high and rough. We are camped at a good spring, where I have found a very
remarkable palm-tree, with light-green fronds ten feet long, having small
leaves a quarter of an inch in breadth, and about eight inches in length,
and a quarter of an inch apart, growing from each side, and coming to a
sharp point. They spread out like the top of the grass-tree, and the
fruit has a large kernel about the size of an egg, with a hard shell; the
inside has the taste of a cocoa-nu