the bottom
of these hollows, in which all the water that drains into them is
absorbed; in some places the sandstone resting on the limestone has sunk
many feet below the general level, with areas varying from one to ten
acres, sometimes sloping towards a centre ten to thirty feet below the
plain, and in other spots with abrupt rocky banks five to eight feet high
and a perfectly level bottom. The level character of the country is
unfavourable for investigations of this nature, and the thickness of the
several strata not easily determined; but I think that the collective
thickness of the several strata above the limestone does not exceed 100
feet. The porous nature of the lower rocks preclude the existence of
permanent surface water by draining the whole of the upper part of the
tableland, while it forms strong springs in the lower ground towards the
banks of the Roper River, where the limestone is exposed on the surface.

Latitude by a Coronae Borealis 15 degrees 14 minutes 31 seconds.

WHITE MAN'S CAMP.

13th July (Sunday).

Leaving the camp at 8.30 a.m., proceeding down the creek, mistook a
tributary for the main creek; following it south for two hours, when it
spread into small gullies, and we had to return to the creek, which had
now a northerly course, and at 4.25 camped about three miles from our
starting point in the morning. The country passed over was of a very poor
character, stiff clay flats, with melaleuca scrub in the valley, while
low but steep ridges of sandstone rose to the east, and were timbered
with stringybark and bloodwood, etc.; to the south the country seemed to
rise slightly, but was very poor and sandy. The smoke of bush fires were
visible to the south, east, and north, and several trees cut with iron
axes were noticed near the camp. There was also the remains of a hut and
the ashes of a large fire, indicating that there had been a party
encamped there for several weeks; several trees from six to eight inches
diameter had been cut down with iron axes in fair condition, and the hut
built by cutting notches in standing trees and resting a large pole
therein for a ridge; this hut had been burnt apparently by the subsequent
bush fires, and only some pieces of the thickest timber remained
unconsumed. Search was made for marked trees, but none found, nor were
there any fragments of iron, leather, or other material of the equipment
of an exploring party, or of any bones of animals other than those co