Empire (Sydney, NSW : 1850 - 1875), Thursday 11 August 1864, page 2


THEj T^KpjwtfL^W^f^A?/ BOOKINGHAif.

Tbe following interoptiog narrative,; written by Mr, 'G. E.lD.ilrjmple, and addressed to His Excellency Sit George Bowen,, bas been,forwarded to,na for publicatlon ijm ' ; ; - it '?? . . -'

-i..-.. ! -Brfabane.-Angoat lplflO*

, 'To His Excellency Sir-Georgi, Ferguson* Bowen,

? .< v.. KG.Ü.M.G.,. tel., itt. 1 : 1

. ; Bir,-I do myself tbe honour to inform your Excellency that I have snosaeded'in discovering and opening s prao'ioable drav. road from Bookingbam Bay to tbe

interior at the Valley of Ligoons,>and ¡have, io ounjjno. lion willi my1 partner, Mr. A. J. Scott, established a new settlement in oo'nneotion "therewith,. on tho shorjs'of Port Hinchinbrook, in Rockingham Biy. -\

Boing myself'perfectly-'satisfied-or tho possibility of Anding a road, and being also of opinion that my labonra woold be nïaoh curtailed '.by the establishment of a safe , basia of operaticna on the seaboard, and by a general . view of the wbolo fooe of ,tha ooâstjràugeB from the en-

trance to Bockingharh Bay-so as to embie'ma to detect a spot where à .pass might with the greatest.¿ase , bo obtiined on to the table land-we derided to proceed by sea, with a fall equipment for the parpóse, to. form a settlement' on there waters', and to endeavour to foroe a passage thence to the interior. '-" ..

We therefore ohartered, at Port Denison, tbs schooner Folioeman"(masteY~sbd "bwñé'r,~Walter^Powell), and on (ha ,18th Januarr,-16641 shipped horses,-cheep, store's, materials for buildings« &*.,.andi prepared for 'ses.'

Our parly numbered twenty sauls, amongst whom wbre :-Mr. Arthur? J.Seotr,, 'Mr. Tully, 0. 0. Ii, Bleute.' ' 'nant^'Marlow (Queensland . native poliert), Mr.Selbelm

(iquatter), Mr. George M. Farquharson .(ol Invercauld, . in Aberdeenshire),': Mr. Dallaohy (a . botenliti sent to

accompany.me by Dr. Muller, i>f Melbourne), JjmeB Morrill (seventeen years with tbe aborigines, es interpreter),- JrMoirlee'ey (h'otelkeeper),T*1 F. Milne, (atore, keeper), .Wilhelm Peters (carpenter), Walter Butler, E. . Kerr,,B.,Bwart;ico.j iee.'- ; " f-' , . "?' \ 1

On? the 15th. of Jtnuirr; the Policeman, with our amnllj oatter, the Hesther . Bell, ' of three ton», in tow, was at length olear of Port, 'Deuiarn' Heads, whence we exprrianoéd a >rio8t: tedious Süd uncomfort. able pase ! ge to the northward, having to live on deob under a burning-annrand- expoaed-to~beíVy sqáíllj of wind-and drenching rain.laiternotlng with light and ooo. trary'winds j tbe.veseel crowded beyond.ltB oapsolty with men,.horses, and cargo. ' . . ' .'?? <- ,L '?> VJ '?'

, On= the 18ib'January; wo hrodgbt up under the high land on the west side of Cape Cleveland, 'and went on Bbore for water and grtsT,-botb of whlob wo obtained be.

bind a sandy brtoeh dnemilê'nnd a half Inside the/cape,' ata spot wbiohluad visited on'fay expedition'?in the Spitfire in 1860. « , '?:.<" :- .'

' A fair wind coming.-, op .from the Bouth4a8t ; during the njgbt, on tbe morniug of tbe'lO.b we piaeed the Palm Islands oh'oar port b/éém, add Bigbtetf the lolly 'rugged manoa-of Hioobinbrooh Island to N.N.W.; ita summilB-ahroudedinoloudB/11-i i . y. ,:, . . \ <

As werai) down its eastern1 elde before the fresh aou'h. easter, tbe clorida rose mr-jèstloally from tbe oxlranrdi. airy jagged poaks and.pinniolos whio'] towered- high aboye ua ¡to.the height of .8600 feet BbeerOdot of the; . .océan, in*.bluff»:and. précipices ¡of grey granite rookXj

tba,deep'ttssureBand gorges furrowing their aHes right down to thejock.bound shore,-lashed by tbs ever rest*

Iras Burge of the .Panifie,.beiogJhregupntiy/elotbed with'

'picturesque groups'of, - pine, (Arauca-ia Cppkll}, densei sarabs, and forest frees'. .. ', ,

Towards tbe north end of the island, the mountains descend in more regular, Blokes, olotbed with open forest frau tbe sandy baaoh tc their snmmits; Monet Binan, Mnnnt Barnet', end Mount Pitt again rising to an elevaiipn ofjfrom 3000 to 8800 feoKf ' ;

"? Phasing rapidly the blgh fcoky headland of Cape Band*

«ich-which li connected with the maiolmd of Hlnohlu.1

brook leland by a low spit of desert »nd hills-we

pured between tba lons, low, rooky, piqe'oUd,Brook Iiltcdi on oar eierbotrd tide, end tba (oreet-oled peek of Goold feiend, 1876 fret in befgbt, on oar port boam;

Keeping »way peiterly, oloie nader tbe norlberb. I deaUvity-tbe whole or Baohinghem Bay broke suddenly I apon oar view, beaked by ile impotlng eontinnooa blae

lofty ranges_cf mountains of from 33CO.to_49PQJeet eleva-tion-rising abruptly (rom a level foreet-olad low oonctry from wbiob numerous smokes of bush fires of tbe nativea anrled upweide into tbe clear blue sky. _ _

Tbese ranges met"Ibe lofly HIBBS ofHinenTñbYóok to the aoàtb-aast and, esitward.'eod attitcbed faraway into tba northern horino. Tba field, cf ; oar' labours waa bsforo na ; but this unbroken mountain/wall seemed to oat off all communication with the'ioteuir from, the im-

mediate neighbourhood.of the port./ . {<-<

We an'obored about one and a half ailles inside Hecate Point,' injonr fa 'horns, mod, "Some blaoitB osma off.in three small .bark eaaoe»n l wo< in, each } but-vre did, not enaouregetbe'm to" come alongside^ and thfiy left and

went aorota to Hinchinbrook Island, '.. .;

On tbs morning of the ¡20tb wa landed' opposite cur anoborags on.tba mainland, at tba spot ,reported upon by-Captain Richards, of'H.M S. Hèoite, as being suitable fora town Bite; but Aiding the water shoal fr some diatanoB from tba beiob, and tba forest, rather dense, we determined tb examine tbe entire Bootes of the. port before deciding upon tbe preoiae place.of seulement,, i

.We, therefore, made sail ph tbe. aibooner and stood down Fort Hinchinbrook (whioh oonneotB Rockingham and Halifax Bay*), carrying soundings, of-from seven to twelve fathoms for ten miles to wbëre'wè'anchored;

On the Slst, having, found by exploration In. tbe Heather Bell, that tba whole shores of 'the passage south of'oar enohorege were "one ImmenBO mangrove flat, ^intersected by saltwater oreeke, none'of'wbiob reach the sound country behind, we weighed and stood op the passage, examining tb'e coast as we prooee'ded, and were mnob disappointed in not flndiog a single spot Ho the fineat part'of the barbour wbloh waa-not either covered or surrounded with mangroves and swamp-until we returned tb Captain Richards.' site, where we determined to; fix onr oamp at tb'e most open"»pot at ' the'north west end of tba Two-mile jBjaob,' ind off which we . enobored. ç À 2 ' '-? . ' 'J . - -* ;

When oomiog np (be harbour a number of aboriginei were seen on a*amall sandy baaob, i 'I,.therefore, web with a party in the ship's boat, with James Morrill, tbi interpreter. The blaoka oame ont . Borne .way into tb. water tc meet ns ; a number of others lay in wait ii the boshes. '- -. .

' Ibey Biked for tomahawks, fica,, and seemed mool astonished that Mortill could oonverse with them-i

not exactly in their own dialect, yttso as to be perfectly and er stood. ' . ? 'i '

I B> ked them if there-was not a river babied thi range (one I bad aeon on my expedition last year), enc whero it un into the see; bat they moBt positively denied over, and over again, that any such river<existed I th.-n asked them where tbe' easiest track existec through .the ranges, aa I wished to go over to tbe greai tiver, Miel Maal, or Burdekin (piloting la that dircO' lion),; but they stated! with muon aoimatior that there was no way through the .ranges .and that they went far away ' (pointing to tbe north.weal), and there crossed, and would take ni that way themselves-an..'arrangement, wbiob I did noi exaotlyj appreciate*,' oontidering tba smallness of mj parly, md tbe hostility abown by these very blacks ti tbe nnfortunate-K'nnedy >and . his companions-not t< mention that .right;behind them,and only ala* milei off, I BOW a splendid gap, by wbiob I bad determined ti endeavour to penetrate to the iatëilor; and therefor felt peifeotly certain tfaat'tbesa ounning savages wen answering every question by a falsehood for their owl purposes.''' , . , . n , .'. - >/i . ..t ,'

. Tbey were large muscular men, with bullet-shapoi . 'heads and "a ferocious, canning, and repulsive cast o ' features."-''' 1 ?. . '''.' J :' -1 iu *. a i Seeing that to admit acy of tbeeei people to bu i new settlement wonld ba to allow a multitude of armci

savages to have the chance of watching and harassing 1 and endangering, at any weak moment, a smell holatfi .. ump of settlers, in a densely wooded . country, some o

whom would tequire to bo out in the bush splitting act sawing' timber without any promotion,. 1, told.then tbróugb Morrill, that we had ooma to take possession o tbe ooost from a point lon'.thoi north-west, shore oft tbi bay to s point opposite Haycock Island, and that we wen going to settle there eal possess it.\c ; : ?

? ' They said, " fiey boped ne were not going to war witt

thrm." I replied "No ¡that wa'did mot wish to.bur -them, butthat we wished to be left alone; end Ibat i they would keep eff Bod not- molest -.0»; we would no iojara or interfere with them in any way.*! ? .They Beemet ti understand this ultimatum,- and retired -slowly inte tho mangroves, Morrill baring explained'it to them ovei ' and over again,'and told them lo in.'otm . the neighbour

lng tribes,accordingly,!

I had sbtaineJ tho Btrvioes of Morrill .from youl iSxae'.lenoy'a government for the purpose of, if possible barning to an amicable understanding with these people having always bead of opinion that hostility and blood, abed frequently occur between the wild blacks and white re'tlérsTat the onset cf their intercourse from perfeot ignorance on the patt of the former ss to what the white men- require of them-" Thou shalt not F.teal" and "Thon sbblt do no murder" haviog always r.qnieei heretofore-to be taught them by tue rifle'and revolver. -

It was with great regret that wb found it impossible to Sud a site for. settlement on the shores of the Innet hitbour. farther .to the southward ; however, that selec-ted ia ono ol tho flacst in Australia, : ' ';

' F-J rt Hinchinbrook is a psr/eolly land-looked barbour, of twenty.fl e miles in length by two in breadth, oarrylog sonndingB of from four to! twelve fathoms et.dead low . water spring tides, and Ii feel very confident that an ? entrance will.' be discovered from Halifax Bay, close

- nuder the high land of Hinchinbrook, through the bar

reported lo exiit there by Oaptaln.B.aokwood, B N., ol H.M.S. Pty.-,.-1 . .o I. <J

Such bars along the north.east ooaat of Australia afe formed by-tbe south-:aet trade meeting-toe currents of - rivers oi tidal estuaries throwing np bankaJo windward,

but almost invaiiably with an available obannel to tbe northward,, aa at the months of thc Btiibanr, Fitzroy, Öirdebio, and other minor streama and outlets of the

The lofty peaks of Hinchinbrook on the eastern, and the mountain ooain of.tba mainland on : the wanera side, completely shelter this beautiful harbour irom all .winds and render it the most grandly piotnrerque aa wall BB ono of the.finest of the Aistralfan ports. It ia, io fact, inferior to Sydney oolyin point of wbarfege," vessels no. fortunately biiog unable-to opproaoh within a quarter of a mile of any portion of the maibland. ' ?'.?'?' '

The northern entrance to the part ls complet sly ah eltared by-Tank Island, the Family and Goold Island«,' and bank?, through wbiob a -broad passage of three and ahalf fathoms at low water'spring", gives eaey aoo'esa from the open sea. '. '?' * '" ' ' "

The íite for settlement" recommended by Captain Bioharda.'R.N.i and which we deoided apon adopting,' ia inside, and about weat south west from Hecat Point'; and h?reLdurlog the heaviest weather experienced éinoe our arrival, and during ilhe ? most etotmy seiBon 'of ' the yeer.J tbere boa been no break whatever on'the bcasb j and . small, boata could' ply at nil'times with perleot safety. Although the enoborege for tlarga rvessels is some litlle'dlstanee out.'yet HO Bott nod'even is the flit io frunt of tbs tows, that ! they bah ruo "right In at bfgb' water,' end lying' in perfeot 'safely at low water, land dargo on tba b»aoh from the ship's tackles. A j?tty enoh as ia proposed at Port Denison, will in'dao'time quiie overoooae this diffioully. . \J T

The site available for the township extends behind two miles'^of opeti sandy bèacb','íee|lfate ot: mdrígrbves,1 «nd Blopes.gently back for about two miles to the baie af the mountains, wbiohYriio in .abrupt and'imposing daises' behind ; and in future years ,when the forasta shall bave fallen, arid toburobcs,< publld.' buildings, Btreet'.'i wato bóuseB, ici, spread tfer elong'- the' gleaming shore and back to the base of ,tbB:moantaloB,, and the. taper epará and blaob.bolla of a merohnot fleet give life to the. now ' lonely waters of the, harbor, Auitralla will bold nothing

;more beautiful,than the olty^of; Cardwell and¿its part,.'/ ' Ther Boil , of the town'site .is a corrie dry gravel, evi-dently disintegrated granite rook, from 'the range be

:blnd. j ? . - i ' . , ., -. /I . ? ,-.

The forest r is. composed of; several varieties of tupa lypluB (gáms), mclaltuca (tea-tree), a large tree called ' measmato, stkind of stringy;bark, and: very valuable tor | bailding patpo969:; blood wood, jwr itewood, Moreton Bay

ash, &c,j a'nd some fine largo spaoimenB of a description pf fituM, ; with dense foliage and whits wax.looking

' fluwtsrttjwitb powerful pBtfame"w.hlob latter trees grow

on tba beaob, (heir limbs overh inging .the sea.

' Fresh.wafer ls obialned anywhere Bloog the baaoh by digging, and is of excellant quality ; also in small maning .creeks, about half a mile from the town, and in a small Bwamp olote to the settlement. And I Bhould presume, from the elevation and proximity of .the ranges, that the ' -Bappjy,ls permanent. , - T (i ,

. Onithe 3>nd of January, aro landpd our boreas, sheep, tents', icf. from tho Policeman, and formed a oamp at ' tbe weat end. of tho beaob ; . and on tbe :äOtb, ? bavingj

afierra oareltil; examination of tbe loJallly by land and sea, decided upon the eastern end ai tbe site, combining proximity to tba beat anet orage, the sbundeat and moat healthy ground, snd convenient oommnnloation with the

probable route to tho'Interior, we moved oar camp to1 that plaoéyereoled an iron afore and hate, landed'-our cargo, ana Boon had the Batilfaotlôn bf seeing fbrtet trees

falllag in;all directions, s'ahB being split, e'earinga made, j and thia silent wilderness cf Iho north awaklna suddenly to I f« and civllie-ation.

,,íTo,tbe wtB\W»tà of, »be íettlernent a floe valley rnnr np aapot efgbt infle* Into (be ripgr. end ece'eg leading «par« descending jtt Hi bead into (be low eoootry, I ira» ereded / fo expiera., ft for »road, accompanied by Deo.

tenant Marlow (attire mounted police), »nd three* trooper-,

_ E<9aíng_.tbr-00gh_iBther -dejue and-lofty fareat for.abont biz mile?, we entered a very beautiful tract of rich

country, of limited extent, openly) timbered ridges. Be*-'''

seendiçg from the range.into rich amall.plaini indJorcai: . gladeB, intersected with, many olear running stony, streams', all'joining a'email rapid Tiver (whioh-1 hava* named the Marlow), ita banks clothed with.denae Jolly

janglf, a mase bf creeping vlnfea,'palma, acc.1 VAt lbe-'

bead of the valley, where it wai eurronnded < by almost inr-. -amphitheatre of. precipitous monntainsj ; fbii river fell

. from tbe' crest'of the Tange in a fine cascade'into th»woodlands below,' . ' " ' ' " '

..- A ? broad,: hard beat ea ip» th"- of the-bláeksl' led' usk '' -into tbiB, retreat,, . where - small verdant plaina, ' bounded ' ''and:.;'; brcksn - by "', olumpé.', ¡of- vine,jangle, and fig-trees, varied ? by . the - fresh,-bright

green of groves, or singletrees ol -the wild banana, and ? tie tall, ?graceful stems of -the' Btaforthia t'tgant palm,

half completed tbe delusion tbat we were entering one of' the beautiful mountain villages of Ceylon, ,or' yof ? the' islendB of tljé P.cifië. f ,.'- "... .,, , rj

The whole of the open g'r'onnd of this portlpn cf'tbe

floor ef the valley., was i dotted, with , old ; and recent. -"bora" ground a oilba blacks, where they .-bold, largo

meetings Of their tribes, at certain seasons, at tba ,' full, moon, to make warriors ol.the youths, and have fightsand " oorroborees." Certainly, a more beautiful and

pjotereEqae site for ihoh.wild ceremonies1 could soaroely

be selected, . i ü.i f i

Over these "bora 1 grounds tbaioil waa besten'down

bard and bira ov.r * .space.of .a .quarter, of.an.aore, like- ' an oriental thrashing floor, and generally, sar rounded by nlnstrrs ol emili, : round,- topped . hats, coveredi'witb melaleuca bark, In one -of these we found some of the

sbielde and.wooden awards of the 'natives, the former.. ' about three.feet long by one and o>half, feet-broad, and.', of an oval shaped with a nob in the . Centre." .They.araformed of tbe soft light wood of the buttress root.o.f a

description of ficus, and aro painted ia blue, black, red;, and yellow bands, in. a quaint .zigzag pattern, .found on,

oil.shields in this part of the.colony.: ? . ' u .''.'.'''

The sword is formed cfs bard and'tough wood,; like'

brigalow. TbeFe swords are' nbont ' Ate feet long end '

six ioobeB broad, Bnd shapsd with a carve, and point like-' en infantry Bworif.- The handle is flaed eff, and, bound

with oord and native wax, and ie only large -enongh forone hand ; end as they aré ¿so heavy tbat few white men cen raise, them at arma' íengtb, -'it'is-difficult to understand bow they-can be in> any,way -an e" EB oient weapon in the handa of tho Australian savages,' unless they are far. mora powerful men' than ; their'moro

- southern brethren, aid moro EO Iban the generality of ' wbite'men, . ' ! '-' ' ' ' '.;"

On. the 4'h 1 February r ascended the range, and leaving Lieutenant Marlow and trooper Norman outside;. with troopers Warbragen and ¿roby,- o lt'my way-np to

tbe anmmi', through- the-" denaeBt " vlne 'ond'thom " jangle I ever met with, even io the Bast Indies.' Beside» an undergrowth of smnller thorny bushes, a perfect net«

work la formed of oane oreepera, of .varions dimensions,' ' ' covered with booh-ebapel thorns, which catch one by .

the tacé, back, hands, and legs, ao that not only, were oar clothes nearly torn to ribbone, bat I vre : returned to' tho outside all.saratobed and bleeding, and -oar. bands and wrists so full of poisonous thorns, that on my return to the settlement I was forced to pa' bo'h banda in poultices, ? ,/ m,, /.'.>.. t u , ; I, j .'.' (I in

- From the summit of tbe range I found that tba denáe Bcrob extended for ¿miles ; lo. tho westward, without a ' break, and therefore I returned lo the settlement, deter«

mined to examine the gap to the s utlwsrd.- ' ' !'< ? i i "

On tbe 10.h of Febrqary. I proceeded, with Mr..Arthur vSobtt. and my biiok boy Cockey, to examine this gap,< . which ia distict ten milee from the leettlement, in a

sent berty direction. ,n . ,Í*OI.VM'-I I . ; ' ' 1A blaf k'etraok or, pal h led as right Into'.the gap,*rois.

irg 'many swamps behind the mangroves ; but I have' -since made an ; exot-l.'ent. ica'J' through I aound;foresi ' country, along the basa of tao range. a

We ascended, by easy spure, tola hill above the Baddie cf thia gap, and thence dhoovered tbat it descended by a

-gorge, full bf dense setab, or rather jangle, into tbe -broad valley , of the fine' river (whioh I bad asen from tba » western ranges last year, and had . qneetldned

tbe blacks about),' and on the opposite or western1 aida -. of whioh tbe. main: .coast-n range; ' sweep'ng .biolr.

'from its lofty abutment on the coait ot HalifixtB.y,

trends away in a W.N.W., snd,'rflaally,<weiter!y dir ec. tion, on to tbeMount Iitng lobleland, where by the hills

of the bead of Great Anthill Creek, Razorback, Mount : ' Lang, lice, it joins tbe Great Best Australian Cordilleras,

. where'it forma the watershed of the Burdekin and Lynd '

From tbe hesd'.B ol Separation; Creek of Jjaigbhafrft, a

lofty range-in reality a great spur of tbs main backbone <range-sweeps ronnd nearly piralltl,-to the ooaat range,

' land Bending'oat a,brarioli (the northern watershed,of tho 1

Mackay. Biter, terminating in Tam P'3hanter\Poiot,

inside Dank Island),' the main mass forms the' wall:|ike . -rango of Buckingham Bay,, termicaUn» opposite tbs

south entr'anae of the'iuner passage, Citied Port Hinch. ,. -inbrook,.in MounlXogoh, a gigantio mass- of-folly-four -

theusand feet elevation. .... ; , vf in ' TIC

-Bit treen Korfat'Ee'áeh and Mount Arth ur.: Scott (the, ' next m ist bf ty 'mountain of the obelo) is1 the'very'peau-, liar depression or gap whioh . we had aso;-nde,d^-at once solving the diffioulty In my mind of overcoming tbe previously oonsidefedimpasBBbleliockingbam'ra'ngeB. ..

Tbe new river, wbiob I hat e hod,the bcrattarof naming the Herbert, after tho Cilonial Secretary, rlsaa on and traverses the eastern ff'opea of the'table.lan'd ¡"afaa'Biiog

precipitated jiver the edge of the bàBalt io^a heavy fall. (which we have beard disüñotly'twelve niilos off; ioto 'a deep gorge.like valley.between tho granltio mountains of . the great Hbo'bingbard*spur and the ignoousjooks.of the

main coast range, and table land-as tbese'open out towards ihe,coaBt-winds tbrongh tba beantiful and riots

ooontry -of the VtOe of Herbert, to all eppéaretícsa runr ^' ning' into 1 .Hallfex ''Bay and ' "the^ south ^end 'of

Bookingham obanne), end tbere assisting, by,,its'.. depoBÍ(s; in the fotmation of', the great extent of mud flits and msngrova swamps wbiali oumber thia end

of Ihe barbour. I am of opinion that the souroes of the, Herbert are identioal with * the '". Séparation Creek of

Liiohhardt-more particularly"äs'for'.many mirés of itsupper coursait forma tbe boundary between the. primary end metamorphic rocks; "rind I-could discover'no other -p.rootioible oa'let for Separation .Creek through the' northern ran ge P, »-.. .. ? .

On tho 15lh of Fjbruiry, nocompànled .by MiBBrc G.

M .Farqubarsbnlaod B. Ewart, and two blink b:ys-tis.,'. ? trooper Norman; of the native polioe; and my own boy

Cooke'y, from Bfradbróke Island, .Moreton Bayi'Jliíeft the ' settlement with five riding horsep, four spare and pack« -horses,' and rations for fourteen days; erm»,' Ub& al« a - Keeping olose to the base.-of the range,-we .traversed ridgy open foreet oountry bf measmate,- ifonbärk,'bloodwood, gum,?lit.,'-crossing .many running creeks (witb vine BorubB, palms, and wild bananas on-their,banks), running from tbe! range- Into tbe harbour ; and oamped

under.the north tide of'MoBntXeaob, and between it and- -Port Hinchinbrook.

- ,0a- the 30tb Fubrneryl we oox(tfp!uea Tdur*-. coarse ? between the ranga and the,.barbour, our ipasiager, being;

'impeded by the rocky, baas of the; mountains, farrowed!'

by deep ^gullies and oreeks ¿esoending right ioto, the > mflsgroye swimpv.' * * . . i:i \. n u/, ?¡:-¿.¡<:r, <

At the south end of Mount Leach we oroREed .a low

Borubby range running out from it, and atrpok, to tbp. '

west.nort'tfweBt, 1 ... ,»i.,uYï i, ; :.1!ne vreatbar was now, and had-been,for some tíale, ,

very wet; a'nd'we ha,d great difficulty in making cotway-. -acroBB the* swamps' wbioh oover the oouulry .between;

Mount Leaoh and Halifax. Bay.--"

In this locality we dleaovered a nar. and very gorgeous '<

plant, about the; B'ZB and .shape o^f a smaj.1 pineapple, but : i ? formed of rieh deep purple leaves, of the same tint,form, J.

and arrangemést as n dahlia^tbe'flower, .being;equally

soljd, but cylindrical iaeteed of round. It grows apon.a . -

oane.libt ettm^elmiUr to vauda ceruhernii, I ooula not] r . oarry one on Ibis oeossion ; but doubtless Mr. Dallaoby - , baa by this time added this,new plant lp bis .valuable

oolleation. - v '- * ' " '" it,'

? Car route lay about fifteen miles along the -base of

Mount. Loaoh range, the Hwampaland . Bomba.htmmingus in on the left and cumbering the whole, ooun.try.( .Qa -', the west Bide of the range, however,' these gaye .placa, to, . extensive rolling plaine, with greases as high as my

Baddie baw, bat by no means rjaar.se, and the riobèèt red,'j . obocolate.'aoloured loam I have seen in .Queensland, TbeBe plains^ extended on bo.tb sides of Ib.e river Her-

bert, tho banks of whioh Bbowed thirty lo forty feet-ol-' pnre mould «there cot into hy the stream. . J .,'

We encountered much diffloulty and dsngsr ln-croisé lng this river;, it being broad, rapid, and deep from (the

flood waters of tbe recent rains on tho , table-land-my '" horse and , Coobej'a being rolled over by the etream, ' obliging ns to swim for it. tl »BB also,In a positlob of .' oopsiderablo danger from a tribe of wild blacks, while

left alone, wjtb my arms and ammuniiion'Wot.'lori tHo..^;

far side, Whilst Cockey was bringing the others across.-- ; ' I made tbr.ee separate attempts to crass the tasia-'

coast range on to Ihe table land, without suoeesp, over a ", distance pf twenty miles along, it; but finally oroBsed lt

by outiing through a good deal'of dense vine Bornb,and

dissevered a good spar,descending frcm.lhe, range into-'. 'the Vale of Herbert, eultible for a dray road, abq.ur. twenty miles ia a weat-north-west direotlon frota the gap

in tbe Bccklnbam Bay range, between Mount Leaoh aaa', Mount Arther Booti,, the- oountry between, being.

. open »DO soand./or »dr»y wdjtbejWbole wíjBlpcg.u .A btreibi (bebaokof iheRooti.igbem range; f ?'

That.portion of. (be walo epa»» ranga wbiob: i ? »«Bended baa a.Jina of perfectly open, b»ld,: grasi . aummite for about , two mllei-descending pta?

rerubby, »ndJ ' broken-. into tba Vaia cf. Ht ? ' i, bert,'ibat rirer winding far below Jike a silver snake ot

.of tba gorgep of ila upland birtpplaoe, through mónntal flanked riob woodUnde and plains. Farther to tba eas - wird ftaprrads out into'tbe dim diatant Irval seaboar

cf Halifax Bay,- with its faint blue line of ocean,- dotte with tba billy ontlioea of the Palm lilied far j to th seaward ; all aof/ened <aand mellowed by tbe gaaz-i.'ik ^ Bunonier beat laka bf declining day; the eettirJg sun

beams sbinjng deep purple on tba distant^orenalatei peaka "of 'Hinchinbrook, and the obelas bf mountain r-no-th and Boutb; 'Host grand and lovely in its scecer, , Ja t|bi8,'' V*la of Herbert,",mpun(ains, peaka, alifiVi water

falle, toréete, plains, ind what ia ee.'dom, met with it _ - Australian scenery, tbe clear valera of a Vroai rhonicj

-"'"."rl#pr,r adding life, light,land betu'yto the whole. : '"-"'

. To tba wea»,, a shallow- valley foil of torah, bnaadet ' by:a aeoond line of low bald bil's, Billi out os off from 1 tba table lend, wbiob. beyond rolls .far away to the-west -~ ward; until it'isloks towards the Gulf cf Cerpentaiie, It ' Iba; norib, and ta tba abed of waters towards Spenoer'i 1 Galf, to the tooth and west, ' ?--'O

. - . We-hid :to bal our way out through'the 'second

. »ornb, end thenca steered weat half soath to iba Yaüej .«>l Lagoons,' . ':--.-- . . i

i On tbe; first day -we made twenty miles, . passing, . tthrouftb'rlday.'söaad forest eoaatry, will grist cd anil

.Watete', and fit for tither aheep.or eatlle ; snd'ores sine, >. the main ibaad of the Burdekin. Coming (rom tbe siuih- - ward abont twelve miles from ihereDg',' a more northern

ahead overlaps tbe river Herbert, bebind the north end,ol r Bea ;T.aw Bang». The south bead" overlaps the heads cf . 4be P#rry. ;. . - ... v . o .f < } ' Í -

-On tba atcond day I struck Lucy Greek, tba | feeder .'- of i,-afcenEnoy,:a fine sheet <of-water, whiofi T'discovered

last year; a law miles eastward of tba junotion of Great . Anthill; Creak'with tbe Burdekin, ' - 1 !

A) (éw mllea down Lucy Creek it runa through a » eurloua [(passage or lynn of red conglomerate rook, in -wbiob were a few indistinct impressions ol: fossil '«.belfa, ;. 1:7,": -i T . . -.! ??: .i ¡ _.

M Following the creek down a;ill west.by-BOuth for abont len mile«, we came on rich' grim and box fleta on its banks, and cu* upon the splendid rich rolling basaltic plains and downs of the liki lucy; rna,' .?.

Ubis :flae country, the commencement of (ba rioh > lanie land «blob extends far to tbe west of the Claike,

Xynd^Coppetfi..ld, Barkly, and' Flinders, skirt's the ..»bores ot like Lacy far many miles, and is not su:tpasiëd by-soy dowd' ooantry in Qieeialiod. I i

T£j "í" chocolate ooloored.'.and black, with ' (basaltic stones aeallered over it, and small patobea of

Berab, and like the retaalnder of the (able land aa de

"°',b«,rl by L-lbbhard!-.' finer aheep ead eattle stations

.foi the rnaattftr'nnnnaf STI.I

'On March lef, «rosalog the lowPasamolte range which '. divldea Lake Lnoy /rom the valle; ot the Burdekin, be-llow Great Anthill Creek, we followed down tbe valley of * that river, with its rioh grassi lofty gnm trees, and lotos . covered lagoons; till tbs bills on eitber side sweeping

'backwards, the beautiful open forest ridges opened' but lin sca'tcred timber, like «ti English , park, upon the plains and lates of J.eiohbardl'8 Volley of L'goonr. '

Herds of Bbort.horned oattle,were lying in groups on the woodland ridges, or browsing over the rioh paaturea . wi'h that quiet laslneeB, sure evidenoa of their.thriving

condition-their red and white flecked aides forming a beautiful contrast td the deep green verdure of the .country, and bine waters bf the lakes, ,.

' Tha BurlfkiD, here a'deep iwift running stream of Mont :'«çnty yarda broad,.winds down the centre of tba plains,' destitute of river timber, Bave here and there a dark plaster' bf eaiudfin« (iwamp oak) on Ila grassy banar.,.', j' ,.'.'.,'.,,- . . f

Following the plain between tba left bank of the river -and tn'ePfelioih Lakes for about two miles, the valley of 'Lagoons oattle Btstion of Meears, Scott Brothers, Dal. rimóle,'and Go., cime In view ; the naddook- fenoe en-. eiroling,'and'the cottage and'buildings crowning a oom' metidrng ridge ball surrounded by . tbe river, and over-

looking, the whole, valley,- with -ita, plains, lakes, and -woodedhills beyond. . » -,;

.Tba sheep station . le on tba bisiltlo . table land of Xelobbaidi, abont six,'miles sQntb of.Mount Laog ; 'the ' country" being elevated nearly 100Q - feet-abive the

Pelican'Lakes, and Bimllar in quality -to Lake Lucy.

' From the oentra and most elevated)portion of the

tablSlabd rlias the cone of Mount Langito an elevation^

of about «.OOO faét above tbe sea.

It was first assended by Mr. Arthur Soott and myself last year, and we then found it to be theQiaterof an extinct volcano, the cup being still quite perfect: of about an sore in extent, and pontaining tba very rlobeBt 1 voloanio soil [ have ever seen, suggestive of tba posai.

* Milty ot the production' of win2*grapea to eomptts with

those of Southern Europe.

A larga gap ia'broken out of tbe south side of the cup, »there; doubtless, poured the. three streams of lava; wbiob; BB described by Leichhardt at no ; distant date nave traversed the table land itt ¿iit'not Hoes down into the Valley'of Ligoons. , .

The lava'on tbeee >treami is heaped np, spiked, i jagged,'-and. hollowed' out,into deep cauldron-shaped

holes and fissures, or merely rufll ad into gentle wavelets on the surface, as though' suddenly oooled but yesterday --in ita headlong irresistible progress,; and oooaaionally

sprlokled.with brilliantly coloured .eooria,

. It is covered with a variety of scrub bushes, bottle IreeB, and in places, "gigintio cucafynfi, and oatuatinos, - the latter four feet through tho batt, ;

From the summit pf Mount Ling the view is far ex. tended md imposing, fiom the mountains of Besklnghnm Bay end Hinchinbrook ba the eaBt, to the- table top. Sandstone Hills of tho Lynd -and the distant table land of the Flinders, darke, and Copperfield to the, west ; and - ' from' the lofty G.lbett and Eicohner ranges.to the coitb,

far down the verdant valley of the Burdekin to Ibo south-ward. ?"'!?,. v

Fíalas run .down from Mount Lang, li Great Anthill < Greek; and tqaqy olear running creeks carry tbs cold

waters of its 'living spiinga to the Valley of Lagoons ' below,*' ' ,*'.., -.-..'

Ou the 8th of.Maroh X alerted from the station, on my return trip'/with the Bama party end others from the * Valley, to ,tbe number, altogether, of twelve wbite men

and four 'blaok boys ¡' .three , bullock dray?, sixty one working bullocks, sixty-three fat cattle for tbe Battlement, and eighteen horses. . I marked on ixcellent road lo Bockingham Bay by a more dlreot route than that by wbiob I Went np.

We arrived on the crest of tba ; Main Bange on tbe 15th of March, where wo camped, and commenced eat* ting a dray rood through tbe eorubp, wbioh ate very dense arid, rall of thorny vines, " lawyer " palms, and etlnging notilo plants, ? .

.We camped hera for three weeks,, and could not com* muñíoste with Rockingham Bay from tba flooded atato of tte river Berberí'; the men, however, were bard at

work air the time miking the road. The fatter waa at, length cleared for thies toilet), the drays were brought' 'down.tob rarigei safely, and, the passage of tho river was at length effected by swimming the bullooka and horses, ' aol dragging the" drays -over with a ropa. Two.drays

we're rbllid over by the' fotos ol the ourrent, and six of , the party who oonld Dot swim, ond who had gone over

os them, had a narrow eBoape from being washedaway. Tb'e rest of.ns iola'aoroBB stripped, driving tbe spare ''? borSBsi bul'ook!', and fat' cattle before us. .. , .. ,

' - ' \ From the Herbet t crossing, tho road traverses tbe valley ' ' ol that river in an easl-Bouih-eait direction for abont

eighteen miles along tho baBe cf the Boohlngbam ranges

' through exoellentopen forest, ri4gy oounlry. There was. .'?; more difficulty, however, expe ienced bete,in orOBBlug '.. ' the oreeks, some of whloh were sornbby, snd soft; bat ?.'. good, crossings can be mado with little trouble.->

. Hore wo entered tho western side of tha singular " gorge running np to the caddie of the. gap .between ' Mount Loeob and Mount Arthur Scott. , This gorge'

being full of Bomb, required another outting of about two miles, and the eldea oilba mountains being steep, the

I - ' road alsb're quired to be cut out ol the sliding for a eon'' '1 eiderabla distant, creeks and gullies filled, up with rl Btobè'^io,in loot, a road to bo made, not Iraoed,', and. .'' simply bleared di gornb.

' 1 The part} bad now, however, been.living for a month on beef and water,, without tea, sugar, flour, salt, or I tabacco. ''I therefore deold'ed upon gblng'ioto tbe settle. ' - ment (now1; only1 thirteen miles,off), for'supplies,and - asaistsnoe, -'and having, theiefdre, out n bridle .track .- - through the scrub, on tl a Sunday,' the 2A h. April, 'with - Messrs'. EV M. Fsrqubsrtori, Waldron; B.) Morris,-and . Norman and Cidkey, blaokboyS.'ánd twenty-six'.head lof

? fat' oattle,' 'we' strived "safely at' the township,.to tbe s mutual delight4of rho' townspeople'..'and ourselves, ?. neither1 party' having 'heard of the 'otber,',ibr two .- months.. . "1 ."' -; ; ... ,.' . . ,.

- ' - On balling a meeting'of the inhabitants, apo represent'. ,'iog to them-that'their ásslstanoe wonld open a road|at i: onoe'from the interior into tbs port, ot otbetwiie I must '"?for tbe present abandon the enterprise, twenty-six meo

r at { 'once . cheerfully : volunteered their services, and -J aeéompanled nie tb the gap, and dndcr my direction BOOD '?? eui .a: good - passable ' road throagh the ecrubs end i: mountain! aldlings through the gap.jtill met by the Valley, t -of'Lagoons [Arty fr >m the other side. ' , '?*.> Tbe'drayB were then brought through and In'o too *.. Battlement in safety, and have Blnoe returned, oroeslog. ? ' tba Aral tabge 'With- perfect safely, with two tons on cash, ?: ir .y, ; They''wore also aooomponied by spire' bands to

elear the road'and improve the oteek.orofBinga for tho

To tbe energy pf lbs Boebiogbam Biy volunteers »od our own men the Ooyeroaseot o( Queensland entirely owei {ts present 'p'ocit sajón of . migoiflaent pott, now matte » Tillable /pr. tb» commr-roe ol tbe |ct«rlor,'end of tba revenue to be Immediately derived therefrom^ -,- .

' I oin i peat (o ,bigb Terms of tba road,. sod P»n»t say thstl would rather tike'ct y'drays'.a'orpas ' batbirengee i twloe than "over Conook'a'orosslog of the' Broad Sound ' range onie ; bnd with the expsndilnre ol about1 «SICUO

it ia capable of being made, far saperior to.the Darling Downs ranges. "'.''..' , . ¡

The distAoe from the Valley of tigooni to the settle-ment ky the road is 06 miles ¡ thence roads branch off to the Flinders, Irjnd,.Clarke, Barkly, and down the B rd e.' kin Valley lo Port Denison, »nd in a short time, ihe ronta by the Flinders will be extended to a new aettltmenton tbe '»borea of 'Ita Gulf' of Carpentaria, con-necting'the Paoifli and tho Gulf by a road only about 350 miles loor» ? 01 r ? * -J , .' ( j : -, By thia journey I, haws had the grotifU»tion of eon.; neoling the traol's ol Kennedy with .those qf Lajobbardt aid Gregory, thoa filling np toe only",m'sslp'g- link- ot oiploraUon between Cipa'Otway and Cape'York on tba1 one hand and Waitera Australia with tne same pbicit on the, other-these being again united in virions directions by the tracts'ôf & Kinlay, Walker, Bandaboiongb, and MoDougal Sluatt,' ' , '. . ;.

-"Stationl hare' already 7 spread* down tba Flinders by thia route to within' oas hundred miles-of tba Gulf, aad: willjBopo, by,reaching its Bhores; glie protection to'tba telegraphiciline lo India vio Timor and Java, inapgur. '?ted nuder your Excellency's Government, and BOW pro-gressing northwards, , , .' '""''."' ¡ .

.< TÄB' upland table lands behind Hookfogfaam Bay'ere of

great extent, and afford mi Hons of Borea of tho Anett ooDDlry for the growth of wool.,. , ,

1 The sereba of the Tinges, and the rieh alluvial flats of the'Vale <if Herbert; ana: the valleys penetrating the ? coast* ranges, are undoubtedly I fie beat. Baited 'for'the growth ,-ofrsagar.Ioottan, and ooffie in Queensland j '-'arid as the Bite, ol tbs town itself í|s qnexoaptionable^and the barbour, aa before stalej, only second to Pirt Jackson, I cari confidently predict a brilliant future (or ibe town of Ojrdwell and' Pelt Hinol i ibrook-my statements con. oernicg the latter, your Excellanoy, having visited it in H.H. S.S. Pioneer, being in a position, I trust, to en. dorse, .... ,. ? ,

' At present Ibers are abbat, twenty-five bouges in tbe port/end about fifty people, bat the report of the| euca>ei of oar enterprise will Boon send numbers' to íwelí tbe population.- - i ; > ,

Tbs shipping to the pert ii) at present necessarily limi'ed to a small Bcboocer, but tbe Australasian Btaam Navigation Company have proposed liberally to pioneer Ibe way lo Port BiriobJobrook . with a small «teamer i and from ibe position of this pott ia the centra bt the longïncrlb'-esstern coast : of Queent-l»nd, and Its oapabili. lies aa an admiralty and meroantjle steam coaling- depot, I trait ere many years have, passed to .Bee tba ooean.j going steamships of a mall line from Brisbane to Singa-pore tia Torres Straits and the 'splendid facer.passage, j so-highly commended by tbe late Admiral King sad many

succeeding eminent naval authorities, making Cardwell a. place of tegular call-converting it from being,- aa lately, a wlld.'deiolite, and remote spot, into a flourish

I lng seaport,"within easy communication with the marts bf'

I the world. >:. "?"?'?' .' 1 IY- ' i

(I hare tte honour to remato, Sir,.

' £onr Eicellenej'e moat obedient serrant, ,

GBOHOB Bunnin HE TjAxnYsirxB,