he accident to the sextant.
They failed to assist him in his opinion, which was sorely puzzled by
the river running westward. He considered it, therefore, absolutely
necessary to find the Settlement before moving the cattle forward,
his horses being so weak, as to make it useless to travel on in
uncertainty. The necessity for reaching their journey's end was
becoming urgent, for their tea and sugar were exhausted, their flour
nearly so, and some of the party were complaining of being unwell,
and getting very weak.

'February' 6.--The second start was made this morning, the Brothers
intending to find either the Settlement or the mouth of the Escape.
Their course for the first 15 miles was N.N.East, over barren white
sandy country, covered with brushwood and scrub. At 7 miles a large
deep running creek was crossed, running westward. Its south bank was
so densely covered with vine scrub, that they had to walk and cut
their way through it with their tomahawks. After crossing it, the
country suddenly changed to thickly timbered sandy ridges, some being
rocky, of course sandstone, the more elevated ones having belts of
impenetrable scrub running along their crest. At 12 miles a fine
sheet of water was passed, surrounded by sandy coarsely-grassed
ridges. At 15 miles, from a line of high ridges forming a
saddle-range, they had a view of the ocean, and could distinguish a
few small islands out to sea. It might have been seen sooner but for
the drizzling rain which fell with little intermission. The range
was of red soil, timbered with bloodwood, and stringy-bark. Two
miles further on the country improved still more, continuing from
thence into their camp, 6 miles. The course was altered from the
range to N. by E., and at 20 miles a white hill was reached, from
which they looked down on the sea about half-a-mile distant beneath
them. This was Newcastle Bay. Turning westward and skirting the
coast, they travelled 3 miles further on, and camped on a palm creek,
with very steep banks. Large flocks of the Torres Strait pigeons
flew over in the evening. Distance travelled 23 miles.

'February' 7.--The good country traversed yesterday ceased at a
creek half-a-mile from the camp, on crossing which the party had to
cut their way as usual, after which the course skirting the coast lay
over a villainous country, boggy swamps, brushwood and scrub. After
travelling 7 or 8 miles their progress was arrested by a large stream