ound to consist of granite, capped with metamorphic sandstones
and broken up by dykes of variegated jasper. In a deep ravine at the foot
of a cliff we found a small pool of beautiful clear spring water, which
was very acceptable, as the sun had now acquired considerable power, and
the grasses were beginning to get very dry food for our horses. During
the halt at this spring Mr. Harding and myself ascended the highest part
of the range, which was found to be 500 or 600 feet above the plain. From
this elevation I was enabled to select our onward route, and obtain
bearings to several useful summits for triangulation--a few hills to the
south-south-east being visible at the distance of sixty or seventy miles,
which no doubt form part of the continuation of the Hamersley Range.
Resuming an east course, the culminating point of the range was soon
passed, when we descended to the eastward down some deep and remarkably
picturesque rocky glens, in which were found several springs and pools of
water, leading down to a fine grassy flat, in which were growing some
fine large flooded-gum trees. Camp 61.

18th August (Sunday).

Found our latitude 21 degrees 36 minutes 8 seconds; longitude 119 degrees
13 minutes east by account.

THE STRELLEY RIVER.

19th August.

The country being very hilly, it was found best to follow down the stream
upon which we had encamped, although it trended to the north of east. In
a few miles the valley opened out with fine pools of permanent water,
covered with numerous flights of ducks, and at eight miles it joined a
wide valley from the south, down which flowed a river, divided into
several channels, containing many fine pools from 50 to 200 yards wide,
which were still running gently from one to another. The banks, although
well grassed, were very rocky, rendering travelling excessively fatiguing
to our heavily-loaded pack-horses, several of them being bruised and
strained while jumping from rock to rock, the clefts being too deep and
narrow for them to walk between, and the ranges bordering the valley were
too steep to admit of our leaving the river, which we were compelled to
follow down to latitude 21 degrees 26 minutes 52 seconds. Camp 62.

20th August.

The river, which had been named the Strelley, continued to hold a
northerly course; we therefore availed ourselves of a smoother valley
coming in from the east to resume our old course. At nine miles we met
with a stream 100 yards wide comin