mmon
to Australia. Had an exploring party been destroyed here, there would
most likely have been some indications, and it may therefore be inferred
that the party had proceeded on its journey. It could not have been a
camp of Leichhardt's in 1845, as it is 100 miles south-west of his route
to Port Essington, and it was only six or seven years old, judging by the
growth of the trees; having subsequently seen some of Leichhardt's camps
on the Burdekin, Mackenzie, and Barcoo Rivers, a great similarity was
observed in regard to the mode of building the hut, and its relative
position in regard to the fire and water supply, and the position in
regard to the great features of the country was exactly where a party
going westward would first receive a check from the waterless tableland
between the Roper and Victoria Rivers, and would probably camp and
reconnoitre ahead before attempting to cross to the north-west coast.
This creek is named Elsey Creek on the map.

ELSEY CREEK.

14th July.

Resuming our journey at 8.10 a.m., steered north-east down the valley of
the creek, which I named Elsey Creek, after the surgeon of the
expedition. Its course was generally to the north-east, but spreading
into lagoons and swampy flats, became very tortuous and irregular. It
then changed to a very winding reach of water fifty to sixty yards wide,
with low banks covered with reeds and tall melaleuca-trees, beyond which
was a belt of pandanus growing on the drier ground. Many small springs
rose in the limestone rock and ran into the creek, on the banks of which
large quantities of mussel-shells showed the frequent camps of the
blacks. The banks of the creek and springs were so soft and boggy that
our horses could not approach the water, and we followed its banks in
search of a spot where they could drink in safety, till 4.0, without
success, and having camped, had to water the horses with our leather
buckets.

Latitude by a2 Centauri and a Coronae Borealis 15 degrees 5 minutes 35
seconds.

ROPER RIVER.

15th July.

Leaving our camp at 7.10 a.m., steered north-east till 9.0, over level
country, which appeared to be very swampy in the rainy season; altered
the course to 10 degrees magnetic, and crossed a small dry watercourse
which proved to be a continuation of Elsey Creek. At 11.0 turned 60
degrees magnetic, and shortly came on the bank of a fine river with banks
thirty to forty feet high, and fine reaches of water fifty to eighty
yar