r in the creeks, we turned towards the camp, but could not
cross the range, as we everywhere encountered steep rocks and ravines,
and were glad to extricate ourselves from the hills at 9.0 p.m., when we
bivouacked in a grassy flat.

11th October.

At 4.30 a.m. resumed the attempt to cross the range, and at length found
a practicable route for the pack-horses, passing a small spring of water
at 7.0 a.m., and reached the camp at 8 a.m.; during our absence one of
our best pack animals had died, apparently from poison. At 2.0 p.m. the
party started to cross the range; but the horse Drummer was so weak that
he fell several times, and we were at length compelled to abandon him.
Having crossed the hills to the Fitzmaurice River, we proceeded up the
valley and halted at a salt creek seven or eight yards wide, there being
a little green grass on its banks.

Latitude by observation b Pegasi and a Andromedae 14 degrees 47 minutes
18 seconds.

HORSES BITTEN BY ALLIGATORS. CROSS THE FITZMAURICE RIVER.

12th October.

During the night the horses were several times disturbed, but it was not
till morning that the cause was ascertained, when we found that they had
been attacked by the alligators, and three were severely bitten and
scratched. At 8.0 a.m. started to follow up the river; but the rocky
hills approached so close to its banks as to leave no passage, and we had
to ascend the range, which was not an easy task; after three hours of
severe toil under a scorching sun we reached a more practicable country,
and at 3.30 p.m. encamped on the bank of the river, above the influence
of the tide, fifty yards wide. Two of the horses had been left about a
mile from the camp quite exhausted, but at sunset they were brought in to
the camp.

Latitude by observation a Cygni 14 degrees 51 minutes 37 seconds.

13th October.

At 7.0 a.m. crossed to the left bank of the river at a stony bar where
the water formed a rapid twenty yards wide and two feet deep; we then
followed the river up for half an hour and altered the course to
south-south-east, along a running creek ten to twenty yards wide; at 8.5
a.m. crossed a running stream from the west; at 10.30 a.m. two of the
horses were completely exhausted, but having rested them at a pool of
water, one revived, but were compelled to leave the other. We then
proceeded, but were obliged to return to the creek about a mile higher
up, as several of the horses began to fail, and though we rested